Good Times/J.J.'s Fiancee (2)

J.J.'s Fiancee (2)
Season 3, Episode 18
Airdate	January 13, 1976
Production Number	318
Teleplay by	Norman Paul & Jack Elinson and Roger Shulman & John Baskin
Story by	Roger Shulman & John Baskin
Directed by	Herbert Kenwith
Produced by	Jack Elinson & Norman Paul
← 3x17 J.J.'s Fiancee (1)	3x19 → Sweet Daddy Williams
Good Times — Season Three

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J.J.'s Fiancee (2) is the eighteenth episode of the third season of Good Times, and the fifty-fifth episode overall.

Starring: Esther Rolle (Florida Evans), John Amos (James Evans)

Co-Starring: Ja'net du Bois (Willona Woods)

with Ralph Carter (Michael Evans) (credit only), Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma Evans)

and Jimmie Walker (J.J. Evans)

Additional Cast: Deborah Allen (Diana), Sonny Jim Gaines (Fred Buchanan), Marie Moore (Lucille Buchanan), Philip Baker Hall (The Motel Owner), Edward Crawford (The Kid)

Plot Overview

J.J. and Diana leave, along with Thelma, to their high school senior prom. However, J.J. and Diana, who have secretly plotted to travel to Indiana to elope (where the state minimum age for marrying is 18, as opposed to Illinois' 21), never show up at the prom. Their no-show at the prom is quickly exposed by a panicked Thelma, and James and Florida of course want to really ring J.J.'s neck ... until Thelma reveals more.

See, when J.J. left, he grabbed Thelma's purse by mistake; it was identical to Diana's, and wasn't noticed. Thelma tells her parents this and then shows the contents: a rubber hose, a syringe and a packet of white powder ... pure heroin. James and Florida immediately call Diana's parents, and it isn't long before James, investigating the purse further, finds a phone number on a scrap of paper. Thelma calls the person to whom the number belongs and asks to buy some heroin. Sure enough, the pusher comes ... and it's revealed that the kid is probably 11 or 12 years old! (But certainly full of sass.)

Now, the parents are frantic ... not only do they have to stop a wedding they were opposed to because they thought they were too young and immature, but because of Diana's serious issues. But they don't know where they are.

Meantime, J.J. and Thelma are checking into a hotel room and making their final plans. After being told there is a three-day waiting period, Diana needs a hit ... but then realizes J.J. got the wrong purse. After berating him for making the mistake, she assures him she loves him, but isn't feeling good and runs off to the bathroom.

J.J. calls home and tells his parents they are in Indiana and about to get married but they're OK. Florida then reveals the heartbreaking news ... but J.J. stubbornly refuses to believe him, thinking it's a last-ditch effort to stop them from getting married. James then tries to talk sense into J.J., but he'll show them ... he's calling to Diana to come to the phone to tell them so ...

... but then his call for her goes unanswered. J.J. calls twice more and knocks on the bathroom door, but still gets no answer. He goes to the bathroom to investigate ... and then sadly walks back to the phone, stunned as James tries to get him back on the phone. It is left to the imagination of viewers Diana's fate: Did she crawl out the bathroom window to try to make a buy? Did she pass out in the bathroom? Did she hang herself? The scene cuts and viewers never get their answer.