227

Hal Williams

Lester Jenkins

Alaina Reed Hall

Rose Lee Holloway

Jackée Harry

Sandra Clark

Regina King

Brenda Jenkins

Helen Martin

Pearl Shay

Barry Sobel

Dylan McMillan

Countess Vaughn

Alexandria DeWitt

Paul Winfield

Julian C. Barlow

Stoney Jackson

Travis Filmore

Seasons

Season 1

22 episodes

Premiered Sep 14, 1985

Season 2

22 episodes

Premiered Oct 4, 1986

Season 3

24 episodes

Premiered Sep 26, 1987

Season 4

24 episodes

Premiered Oct 8, 1988

Season 5

24 episodes

Premiered Sep 23, 1989

Episodes

1–6 of 22

Ep 1

Honesty

Sep 14, 1985

On the way home from running errands, Mary hits a BMW, breaking the tail light. From the persuasion of Rose, she decides to leave a note on the car. The next day, after no one has arrived to see the car, Mary wants to remove her note. However, another car comes by and nearly totals it, but then drives away. Before Mary can get to the car and remove her note, the owner comes out of an apartment and sees her note. Sandra tells Mary that she needs to use her "femininity" to get out of paying for the total damages. Mary says that she can't do that, so Sandra poses as Mary when the owner comes by to talk to Mary about the damages. Everything goes well until Lester comes home and their lie unfolds. Everything gets straightened out between Mary, Lester, and the car owner (Marvin), ending with a date for Sandra and a new friend for the Jenkins. Meanwhile, Mary tells Brenda that she cannot go skating with Calvin because she lied.

Ep 2

Mary's Brother

Sep 21, 1985

When Mary's brother Lewis comes to town on business, she decides to set him up on a date with Rose. The next day when Rose won't give Mary any details about the date, they get in to an argument where Rose finally admits that she thinks Mary's brother is "self-centered" and "egotistical". They stop speaking. Meanwhile, Lewis asks Sandra out on a date, and Mary fears that Sandra may be her future sister-in-law.

Ep 3

Family Hero

Sep 28, 1985

For an assignment that requires her to write about her "Most Interesting Relative", Brenda asks her parents for help. Lester suggests his aunt Lucy who was a woman brakeman. After Mary hears about Sandra's supposed relative who was a Moroccan prince, she searches through an old trunk to find information about an interesting relative of hers. What she finds is that she had an uncle, Corporal Mortecai Hurley, who was in the Civil War's 54th Infantry. She persuades Brenda to re-write her paper on Mortecai.

Ep 4

The Refrigerator

Oct 5, 1985

When Mary tries to convince the landlord to order her a new refrigerator, he refuses. Mary then agrees to loan Sandra her apartment for a extravagant party if Sandra will "persuade" the landlord to get Mary a new refrigerator.

Ep 5

Do You Love Me?

Oct 19, 1985

News of the breakup of her neighbors' marriage has Mary worried that the same thing could happen to her and Lester. Mary plans an evening of romance for her and Lester. Lester buys flowers (at Mary's suggestion) and they try to force romance by going out to eat, dimming the lights, and playing romantic music. But they realize that they only think that works is by letting it happen naturally and reminiscing about the past. Meanwhile, Sandra has to babysit her 6-year-old niece Susie while her sister Harriet and her husband visits his sick mother. She solicits Mary's advice on what to feed her and how to get her to fall asleep.

Ep 6

Pilot

Oct 26, 1985