You may not know it, but this blog is dear to my heart. When I started it back in 2022, my goal was to post at least once a month – but a glance at the calendar shows that I’m sorely behind in this area, and I haven’t written about the Evans clan since May! I know time flies, but damn (damn, damn)!

Starting today, though, I’m determined to get back on track, and I’m doing it with a topic that I’ve looked forward to tackling for a while now: my Top 10 favorite episodes from the series. You won’t be surprised to know that most of them (all but one, in fact) come from the first three years of the series, when John Amos was the head of the family and all was well – in front of the camera, at least.

This post will cover the first five in my Top 10 list –I hope you’ll enjoy this look at my favorites and I hope you’ll share yours, as well!

Sex and the Evans Family: Season 1, Episode 6

This is my all-time favorite episode, which I’ve already written about here. It focuses on a “filthy piece of trash” that Florida finds tucked into the couch cushions – a treatise entitled “Sexual Behavior in the Ghetto.” Florida is appalled and James is pleased when they both think the document belongs to J.J. – but it’s whole ‘nother story when they learn that it’s Thelma’s!

There is just so much to love about this episode. The writing is crisp and smart and laugh-out-loud funny. And while there are enough accolades to spread throughout the cast, John Amos really shines in this one – he serves up a masterclass of comedic brilliance as he abruptly morphs from “you, dog, you” delight at what he imagines to be J.J’s amorous adventures, to a combination of fury and dismay as he’s forced to admit that his “baby,” Thelma, is not such a baby anymore. I have seen this episode more than any other, and I can never see it too many times.

The Visitor: Season 1, Episode 9

The title character of this episode is Mr. Stonehurst, a representative from the city’s housing authority, who visits the family in response to a letter of complaint written by Michael and printed in the Chicago Defender (the city’s paper for and about the Black community). The episode focuses on the problems faced by the residents of the building where the Evans family lives, from electricity and water that doesn’t work, to termites, to gang fights. More about the episode can be found here.

Despite the somber and very real subject matter, the episode delivers the laughs from start to finish, from the callbacks (“The elevator ain’t workin’!”), to the family’s response to Michael’s letter to the newspaper, to the fish-out-of-water behavior of the housing authority rep. Watching it might make you want to put on a sweater, but you’ll be chuckling while you do it!

The TV Commercial: Season 1, Episode 11

The spotlight is focused on Florida in this episode when she arrives home with the news that she may be featured in a television commercial. The product that she’ll be advertising is a “health tonic” called Vita Brite, but she balks when she discovers that she’ll have to claim that she’s been using it for three months.  “They hired me for an honest face,” she tells her family, “and I ain’t gonna give it a crooked mouth!” Ultimately, Florida agrees to give the tonic a try, but the family learns that in addition to Vitamins C, D, and E, Vita Brite also contains 18% alcohol – and when Michael gets drunk after guzzling a bottle, everyone agrees that Florida needs to steer clear of that commercial!

There are so many laugh-out-loud moments in this episode – a deep dive can be found here – but I especially love the scene where J.J. and James do a mock commercial with a bottle of ketchup to show Florida how it’s done. Another is the scene near the end when Michael breaks into a tipsy rendition of “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree.”

Florida Flips: Season 2, Episode 1

This is another Florida-focused episode – it begins with Michael asking Thelma about the word “menopause,” because based on the way Florida has been hollering at the family lately, “she must have it.” The family is unable to pinpoint the source of Florida’s constant anger, but Wilona tries to help by taking her to a women’s consciousness-raising group, and ultimately Florida is forced to admit that she is dissatisfied with her life.

I think this is a favorite of mine because it not only has its genuinely funny moments – especially in the scene with the women’s group – but its topic is very real, and I think the show does a good job demonstrating why a woman in Florida’s situation might feel unfulfilled, like the world has left her behind. Click here for lots more on this unique, first-rate offering.

Thelma’s Young Man: Season 2, Episode 6

I haven’t covered this one in depth yet on the blog, but it’s definitely a standout. As the episode opens, we learn that Thelma has been dating a mystery man that no one in the family has met. They only know that he’s been exposing her to classical music and literature, but it turns out her new beau is the son of the “Black Colonel Saunders” – and 42 years old.

Although the idea of a 42-year-old man dating a 17-year-old high school student is not only gross, but it’s probably illegal (or should be!), you just have to let that go when you’re watching this episode. The laughs fly like confetti in a windstorm and Esther Rolle and John Amos, in particular, are simply outstanding. I can watch this one again and again (and I do).

That’s it for now – the second half of my top 10 favorites will be coming soon. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll leave a comment – let me know how you feel about these episodes, and share some favorites of your own!