Hillman's budget crisis and Whitley and Dwayne's marriage problems pop off in season 1, episode 9 of Netflix's A Different World, forcing Deborah and her friends to make big moves.
The episode opens with preparations being made for Founder's Week. But not everyone is in a festive mood, as Deborah is still reeling from the revelation that Shaquille and Candace (presumably) slept together.
At the same time, Dwayne's budget cuts continue to stir up campus. His newest cut? The health insurance of The Pit's employees. Rashida and Deborah plan to do something about it.
Over on the other side of The Pit, Shaquille and Ron reconnect. The five-star athlete even hires his dad back as his manager, ending their season-long conflict.
Cut to Dwayne's office, where Whitley is prepping Hazel for the congresswoman's arrival. It's important that her trip goes smoothly because she could be vital in helping Hillman with their financial crisis.
Enter: Lena James.
The Hillman alum is now a successful member of Congress who has returned to Hillman to attend a brunch with the bright young minds on campus.
Sorry would go a long way
Back at the boys' dorm, Jalen finally apologizes to Amir for taking advantage of his friendship. He admits that he's still figuring out who he is. He also needs Amir's help apologizing to Hazel, who currently wants nothing to do with him.
Amir and Jalen's conversation is interrupted by an impromptu visit from Amir's probation officer, who's come to inspect the freshman's room.
Meanwhile, Ellington runs into Deborah and asks her why she's ignoring him. Deborah makes it clear that she wants nothing to do with him after he took credit for Shaquille's flowers. A new side of Ellington has been revealed, and Deborah doesn't like what she sees.
Afterwards, Rashida and Deborah meet with Professor Brooks and Baptiste to come up with a plan to address Hillman's handling of the financial crisis. It's clear they all care about Hillman and won't be quiet about President Wayne's budget cuts.
The future is bright
At the Congresswoman's brunch, Shaquille tries to talk to Deborah again, but she says she needs space. The two need to have a tough conversation about Shaquille's night with Candace, but it looks like that will have to wait for now.
Shaquille isn't the only one trying to make amends; Hazel makes it clear she doesn't want to talk to a guilt-ridden Jalen despite his efforts. Instead, she introduces Congresswoman Lena James to an audience of Hillman's finest young minds.
During the brunch, Lena challenges the students to "be the change they want to see."
Afterwards, Lena pulls Hazel aside to offer her some advice on her personal situation. She advises her to remain focused and not let distractions keep her from achieving her full potential. Lena even tells Hazel that she thinks the student would be a great candidate for her leadership program.
In other news, Ellington confronts Shaquille over the flower debauchery. He accuses Shaquille of playing the victim and says he knows about Shaquille's night with Candace. He and the RA are friends. They talk.
Hillman takes a stand
Hillman leadership, faculty, and alum gather to discuss Hillman's financial crisis.
Congresswoman James warns the group that a wrongful termination lawsuit from former President Davenport is headed Hillman's way, as if things couldn't get worse.
The meeting descends into chaos as insults are thrown around the room. However, the group gets back on track when Congresswoman James mentions new legislation she's introduced that would earmark federal funds specifically for Hillman. That, combined with President Wayne's new budget plan, might be enough to get Hillman out of deep water.
Unfortunately, the budget meeting ends on a low note when Whitley and Dwayne start fighting again. Their personal issues have gotten out of control and are affecting the people around them.
Back at the girls' dorm, Deborah confronts Candace over her night with Shaquille. She feels betrayed, knowing that Candace offered her relationship advice and smiled in her face, only to (presumably) sleep with her man later.
Meanwhile, Lena and Dwayne catch up. The congresswoman advises Dwayne to align his priorities and finally address his issues with Whitley. She tells Dwayne he's not only Hillman's hero; he's also Whitley's hero.
But Lena isn't the only one fed up with Dwayne and Whitley's issues. Their daughter has had enough. To help her parents to fix their issues, Deborah locks Dwayne and Whitley in a room. With no distractions, the couple is forced not only to talk to each other but also to listen.
The two eventually reconnect, both emotionally and physically. But while Whitley and Dwayne work through their issues, Deborah rallies Hillman faculty, staff, and students for a campus-wide walkout.
The group then stages a sit-in at President Wayne's office until university leadership meets their demands. They've taken Congresswoman James' advice to be relentless seriously.
A Different World is available to stream on Netflix.
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