When the Evans children become concerned about their father’s short temper and frequent headaches, Thelma and Michael do a little research and decide that James is suffering from hypertension (or, according to Florida, “as we plain folks say, ‘high blood pressure.’”). After James breaks a kitchen chair during his latest rant, Florida and the children convince him to see a doctor for a checkup – his first one in 20 years. As it turns out, James doesn’t have hypertension, but is suffering from elevated cholesterol which, the doctor tells him, can be addressed through diet and relaxation. (“Oh, good – we’ll go down to Acapulco for a few weeks,” Florida cracks.)

Perhaps because James’s outbursts were so severe (bordering on scary, to be honest), and the possible cause was so consequential, the laughs in this episode didn’t seem to be as abundant as usual – John Amos yelled so loudly and so often, I was practically concerned for HIS health! Also, this episode marked the first of many that infused the plot with what I think of as public service announcements – in this case, the script had Thelma and Michael explaining to their mother that high blood pressure causes heart attacks, stroke, and kidney malfunction, and can only be diagnosed through a physical examination. The children also state that hypertension is caused by the “stress and frustration of ghetto life,” as well as the grease and salt prevalent in soul food, and that the black male is the “number one victim.” And later in the episode, James’s doctor cautions him to “cut down on the grease and the fat, and fried foods whenever possible.”

Pop Culture Connections

Chicken Delight

Florida has purchased some of James’s favorite foods – including chitterlings, collard greens and pork chops – in an effort to boost her husband’s mood. J.J. jokes that the last time they had meat in their household, “Chicken Delight made a wrong delivery.” Founded in Illinois in 1952, Chicken Delight saw its highest popularity during the 1960s, when the chain expanded to more than 1,000 locations nationwide, attracting customers with a catchy jingle, “Don’t cook tonight – call Chicken Delight.” The company was bought in 1964 by Consolidated Foods (now the Sara Lee Corporation), but the business declined due to legal battles and strong competition from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). In 1979, the remaining Chicken Delight operations were purchased by Otto Koch, owner of the Chicken Delight Canada, Ltd., and as of this writing, fewer than 10 Chicken Delight locations can be found in the United States.

Marcus Welby, M.D.

Michael arrives with a stack of magazines and declares that his father has all the signs of hypertension, agreeing with Thelma that James needs to have a physical check-up right away. “Look, Dr. Welby,” Florida says, “What makes you think your father has hypertension?” Florida was referring to a popular one-hour television drama, Marcus Welby, M.D., which starred Robert Young in the title role of the wise and kindly doctor who had a private practice in Santa Monica, California. The series aired from September 1969 until May 1976. Young, incidentally, had a successful career in movies, which began in the late 1920s, and was also the star of the long-running television series Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960.

Hank Aaron

Aware that James has been out of sorts lately, Willona assumes that his issues are sex-related and brings Florida a bag of items including candles, wine, and a bottle of perfume – if Florida puts two drops of the fragrance behind each ear, Willona promises, James will “try to hit more home runs than Hank Aaron.” About a month before this episode aired, baseball great Hank Aaron, of the Atlanta Braves, hit a home run that gave him 715 for his career and topped Babe Ruth’s record of 714 homers. Aaron’s record remained intact for more than 30 years, until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007.

Nixon’s Tax Bill

Florida tells Willona that James has been laid off for a few days and that she has to tell him when he wakes up. “That’s like having to tell Nixon they’re adding another $100,000 to his tax bill.” This referred to an investigation by the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation (JCIRT), which reported in April 1974 – about a month before this episode aired – that President Richard Nixon owed the government $476,431 in unpaid taxes and accrued interest from his tax returns from 1970, 1971, and 1972. The tax scandal was front-page news.

Guest Star:

Doctor: Dean Santoro

Born Floyd Edward Santoro on January 30, 1938, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Santoro’s appearance on Good Times marked his television debut. He went on to appear in guest spots on several popular television shows during the 1970s and 1980s, including Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Kojak, Barney Miller, and Charlie’s Angels. In the mid-1980s, Santoro landed a recurring role on the nighttime soaper Dallas, appearing in six episodes. Santoro’s last role was as a professor on Newhart in 1985; he died of AIDS two years later, on June 10, 1987. He was 49 years old.

Other Stuff:

This episode refers to the fact that Florida previously worked as a maid. Although Good Times is unquestionably a spinoff of Esther Rolle’s character of Florida on Maude, several differences exist between the two women – Maude’s Florida lived in New York and had a husband named Henry (played by John Amos), who worked as a firefighter, while Good Times’s Florida, of course, lives in Chicago and is married to James. Still, there’s little doubt that both Floridas are one and the same person, even though there are only a few mentions throughout the series of her working as a maid, and there’s never any reference to Maude Finlay and her family.

The next episode: My Son, The Lover . . .