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| Season 5, Episode 3 (1c) Number (#88) in series (133 episodes) | ||||
| Tape date | August 18, 1977 | |||
| Air date: | September 28, 1977 | |||
| Network/Country: | CBS-TV / United States | |||
| Written by: | Gordon Mitchell & Lloyd Turner | |||
| Directed by: | Gerren Keith | |||
| Production code: | 503 (501c) | |||
 IMDB
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The Evans Get Involved: Part 3 (a.k.a. Meet Penny) | |||
| Cast Information | ||||
| Starring: | Jimmie Walker Ja'net Dubois Janet Jackson Bern Nadette Stanis Ralph Carter Johnny Brown | |||
| Guest starring: | Chip Fields Kathleen Doyle | |||
| Episode guide | ||||
| Episode chronology | ||||
| ← Previous | Next → | |||
| "The Evans Get Involved: Part 2" | "The Evans Get Involved: Part 4" | |||
| List of Good Times seasons/episodes | ||||
The Evans Get Involved: Part 3 is the third episode of Season 5 of Good Times, , and the eighty-eight overall. It is part of a season opening four-episode story arc. Written by Gordon Mitchell and Lloyd Turner, the episode, which was directed by Gerren Keith, premiered on CBS-TV, originally airing on September 28, 1977.
Synopsis[]
Willona and the Evans children are worried about Penny's safety after she and her abusive mother unexpectedly run off. But when Penny escapes and hides at the Evans apartment, her mother decides to abandon her.
Storyline[]
Willona becomes distraught with worry about Penny's apparent fate ... Penny manages to escape from her mother as she turns back up at the Evans' apartment. Mrs. Gordon suffers an emotional and mental breakdown and runs away, leaving Penny behind.
Plot summary[]
In part three of Good Times' fifth-season opener "The Evans Get Involved" (originally telecast as part two), it's been a few days since Penny (Janet Jackson) and her abusive mother, Mrs. Gordon (Chip Fields) ran off, which leaves the Evans children (Jimmie Walker, Bern Nadette Stanis, Ralph Carter) and particularly Willona (Ja'net DuBois) saddened and worried about the girl's safety.
But Penny manages to escape from her abusive mother and runs off to her safe haven: the Evans' apartment, where she hides. Later, Mrs. Gordon comes storming into the apartment demanding to know where Penny is knowing how close she's gotten to the family and gets into a shouting match with Willona and Thelma but they're all unaware that the girl is hiding in the living room closet. After going back and forth, Mrs. Gordon begins to break down as she drops a bombshell on everyone, revealing that she herself was abused growing up and got pregnant at the age of 16 and that Penny's would-be father walked out before she was even born, leaving Linella to raise the child as a single parent.
Mrs. Gordon's sadness then turns to fury after a tearful Penny comes out of hiding, accusing the Evans family of hiding Penny from her but Penny confesses that they didn't know that she was even in the room. Willona, J.J. and Thelma plead with Mrs. Gordon to get some professional help but she becomes defensive and begins to take her frustrations out on Penny; feeling the walls closing in, Mrs. Gordon runs off, leaving Penny behind. Willona again pleads with her to seek some help and that she can't leave her child, Mrs. Gordon tearfully admits that she can no longer uphold her maternal duties, stating that Penny deserves better. After Mrs. Gordon leaves, Willona returns to the apartment and places a phone call to Mrs. Carpenter, the social worker while J.J. and Thelma comfort and console a heartbroken Penny.
Willona takes Penny in for the night and the next morning, she is greeted by Mrs. Carpenter, who says that she will help Penny find a new home. Penny says goodbye to Willona and the Evans children before leaving with Mrs. Carpenter and they're all affected cause they've grown so attached to the little girl and that if there were room, they'd consider taking Penny in themselves but Willona confesses that she doesn't know how Florida made it throughout the years raising J.J, Thelma and Michael and that she barely made it through the one night with Penny. Much to everyone's shock, Penny comes back to the apartment, ditching Mrs. Carpenter. The girl confesses that she doesn't want to live in a new home and that she'd rather stay with the Evans family (especially J.J.) and Willona, to which she asks Willona that she would love to live with her if she'd have her. With that, Willona frets over whether or not she's ready to take on such a huge responsibility after having lived the majority of her life as a single woman.
Guest starring[]
- Chip Fields as Mrs. Gordon, Penny's mother
- Kathleen Doyle as Mrs. Carpenter