ANNOUNCER: Here are some scenes from last week's episode.
Hey, folks. I just come up to let you know
that the elevator's gonna be out of order
for its annual service check.
So if you guys got something to do, you better hurry up.
Service check? Since when do we have an annual service check?
What do you mean? We've always had an annual service check.
Of course, you probably don't remember the last one,
you were just a baby.
Well... Larry, that was good.
Larry?
Ma, what's the matter with him?
You know something?
This child isn't retarded.
He just can't hear.
Your move.
But what's all this got to do with his hearing?
I think he has a hearing problem.
You haven't said that much of anything
if you wanna know the truth.
Mama? Mama? And I...
Can I go in the elevator? Yes, yes, yes, honey.
Now, you saw him answer me,
from the front and from the back.
So there's no other way that I can prove it to you.
He can hear.
Only if you yell at him,
which is most of the time.
Thank you for the coffee,
and the 17-floor climb.
Let's go.
I... Where did he go?
Oh, my God, the elevator! It's out of order!
FLORIDA: Larry! MRS. BAKER: Larry!
Larry! Larry? Larry.
FLORIDA: Listen to me.
Don't move. Don't move. Don't step back.
Larry! Larry!
[ALL SHOUTING]
♪ Good times
♪ Any time You meet a payment ♪
♪ Good times
♪ Any time You need a friend ♪
♪ Good times
♪ Any time You're out from under ♪
♪ Not gettin' hassled Not gettin' hustled ♪
♪ Keepin' your head Above water ♪
♪ Makin' a wave When you can ♪
♪ Temporary layoffs
♪ Good times
♪ Easy credit Rip-offs ♪
♪ Good times
♪ Scratchin' And survivin' ♪
♪ Good times
♪ Hangin' In a chow line ♪
♪ Good times
♪ Ain't we lucky We got 'em ♪
♪ Good times
ANNOUNCER: And now for the conclusion.
Larry! Oh!
Oh! Oh, thank God.
Keith, you saved his life.
Yeah, man. You really did it.
You okay, man?
Yeah, I'm all right.
Good. I'll talk to Bookman about this elevator.
If he doesn't do something,
I'll tear the butt off that buffalo.
Amen.
Don't you know you could've gotten yourself killed
backing up like that?
You heard me calling you. Didn't you, boy?
Well, didn't you?
Yeah, but you were all yelling at the same time.
I couldn't figure out what you were saying.
Figure out?
You had to figure out what we were saying?
Oh, my God.
Believe me, Mrs. Baker.
It's his hearing.
This child needs medical attention,
and he needs it right now.
Because the next time might be too late.
All right. All right.
But where do I take him
to find out about these kind of things?
Don't you have a family doctor?
Yeah. The free clinic.
But all they give you is birth-control pills.
And after six kids, it's a little late for that now.
Well, the Public Health Service
may be able to refer you to the right hospital.
Hey, wait a minute.
Would somebody mind telling me what's going on here?
[SIGHS]
Look, baby. We're gonna go and get your hearing tested.
Okay? What for?
Well, Mrs. Evans and I feel
that you're not hearing as well as you ought to be.
Look, why don't we all just get out of this hallway
before somebody comes along and spray paints us?
That's right. You're right about that.
Get right in the living room. Talk it out in the living room.
You can make that call here, Mrs. Baker.
Oh, no, Mrs. Evans. I can't do that now.
Wh...? I mean, I would,
but I gotta get back to work tonight.
And I work all day tomorrow. I'm a bartender.
And if I ain't there to open and close up, I could lose my job.
Well, can't you get somebody else to do that,
like the cocktail waitress?
I am the cocktail waitress.
Then what about the cashier?
That's me too.
Bouncer?
Uh-huh. If anybody get out of line
with the cocktail waitress or the cashier,
I just yell "Bouncer," and then I bounce 'em.
Is there anything down there you don't do?
Uh-huh. Three things:
keep the profits, get time off,
and a drink when I need one.
But what about Larry?
You could take me, Mrs. Evans.
Now, Larry... THELMA: That's right, Ma.
You're not working tomorrow. But, Thelma...
Hey, Ma, I think that's a great idea.
But, Michael... Come on.
She'll do it. She's wonderful.
But, Penny... Oh, yeah, that would be great.
You see, then Mrs. Baker can go to work,
and Larry will still be in the hands
of a great, responsible adult.
A wonderful and generous responsible adult.
Mm-hm. Y'all are spreadin' it so thick.
I just hope it's one of the cheaper spreads.
Look, Larry, I think your mother
should have something to say about this.
Oh, she doesn't mind.
Well, it would be an awful lot of help to me
if you could, Mrs. Evans.
See? I told you.
Well, in that case, it's fine with me.
Oh, Mama, that's great. You made the right choice.
Yeah, yeah. It'll work.
Come on. We got to be going. Come on.
Oh. Mrs. Evans, I'm sorry about
the way I acted earlier.Oh.
I've been so overworked, I guess I'd just about jump on anybody.
But you've been a whole lot of help to us,
and I just wish there was a way I could pay you back.
A layaway's always nice.
Penny.
Well, it's the thought that counts.
Thanks again, Mrs. Evans.
You're welcome.
I'll see you tomorrow, Larry.
Right. Bye, everybody.
See you later, Larry.Bye.
Bye-bye, now.
WOMAN [ON PA]: Paging Dr. Woodcock. Report to Surgery.
Dr. Woodcock, report to Surgery.
Paging Dr. Vincent.
[COUGHS LOUDLY]
Hi. Hi.
Been waitin' long? No.
Just for some tests.
Oh. For what?
Leprosy. Oh.
What?!
It's rare in Chicago.
But when it spreads, it spreads.
Oh!
Fool, what is wrong with you?
That... That... That... The lady...
I don't want to hear nothing. As soon as I get home,
I'm tellin' the old lady on you, sucker.
You hear that?
Willona? Huh?
Larry's been in there an awful long time
with that doctor.
I'm really starting to get worried about him.
Flo, stop worrying. He's in good hands.
This is the best hospital in town.
I know.
I'm so glad you can get time off from your job
to come down here with me.
Hm-hm. Don't thank me. Thank my boss.
Ha-ha. I told him today was a special day
for black women all over America.
It is? What happened? Mm-hm.
We all made it through yesterday.
Yeah, well, don't forget about what I did.
Okay, Bookman.
Thank you for driving us down here.
How much does she owe you, Booger?
Nothing. After what almost happened to that boy yesterday,
I figure it's the least I can do.
You know, I tossed and turned all night.
I know.
The whole building was shaking.
Please, y'all.
I'm really worried about Larry.
Flo, don't worry. What could possibly go wrong?
Ooh, Lord, I spoke too soon.
Check out the dude that's comin' in now.
Say, mamas, my name is Lenny.
And if you can't get it here,
then there can't be that many.
Now, I got some cough drops and potions and cups of hot toddy.
I'm not ear, nose, or throat,
but I can fix your whole body.
I got a hot-water bottle.
If you want it, you can take it.
Or a whole set of bedpans,
just in case you can't make it.
Well, hello there, Lenny. My name is Flo.
I don't wanna rush you, but I wish you'd go.
'Cause not only are you nuts,
but I'm beginning to see red.
And if you don't get out of my face,
I'm goin' upside your head.
I'll take my stuff to the Red Cross.
Oh, get out of here.
[LAUGHING]
Did you ever see anything like that before?
Excuse me. You're with the Baker boy?
That's right, doctor.
I'm Dr. Casey.
Hey, like in Ben?
No, like in Harvey.
Oh.
Well, doctor, how is he? Is it serious?
Well, we feel anytime a person is subjected to a hearing loss,
that's serious.
And so much of it is preventable.
When I see something like this
happen to a sweet kid like Larry,
I tell ya, I got to stop and take my own blood pressure.
Is it that bad?
A hundred and forty-six over 88.
Of course, if I eliminate salt from my diet...
Oh, you meant Larry.
Well, I feel we should've been treating him long before this.
Now, don't get alarmed.
It's just that I can't help but feel concerned
about my patients' welfare.
Dr. Casey, it's Mrs. Fletcher on the phone.
Tell her to go jump in the lake.
Oh, that was just my mother-in-law.
Doctor, about Larry's loss of hearing.
Mm-hm.
Exactly what causes this?
Is it some kind of disease?
Well, we can't be sure until all the tests come back,
but, uh, right offhand,
I'd say he's suffering from a moderate case
of stapedial otosclerosis.
Oh, my God!
Not that. No, it can't be that.
That poor kid. And he's so young.
Exactly what is "stupidial exclorosis"?
Bookman!
Stapedial otosclerosis is a, uh, progressive softening
of one of the bones in the middle ear.
To put it quite simply,
the worse it gets, the less he hears.
Hey, Doctor, you know, I had an aunt one time...
Good for you.
Now, will you sit down and shut up, butterball?
Now, uh, getting back to Larry.
If we do find otosclerosis,
I'd suggest a stapedectomy just as soon as possible.
What's that?
Well, it's a simple operation.
We just surgically remove the diseased bone,
replace it with an artificial one.
Of course, he's gonna have to spend the night, uh,
for observation. But if everything else checks out,
he can go home the next day.
And that's all there is to it?
Mm-hm.
Doctor, if it is that simple, why don't...?
Why don't more people know about it?
Right.
I don't know. Kids need regular physical checkups.
I mean, we can't help 'em until they come to us.
And so many parents don't even recognize the problem
until it's too late.
Instead, they feel the child is, uh, slow or inattentive.
Well, then, uh, when can we schedule Larry
for this operation, Mrs. Baker?
Oh, I'm not Mrs. Baker.
Uh, Mrs. Baker.
No, I'm single. Hm.
But I'm fighting it every day.
Well, then, uh, how about you?
Are you the parent?
Hey, man, do I look like I've had babies?
No, but it won't be long now.
Doctor.
Yes?
Larry's mother is working.
But I'll tell her, and she'll get in touch with you.
Good. And the sooner the better.
Yes, doctor.
Oh, Larry.
Hey. How's my boy?
Fine, doctor. Good, good, good.
Well, all right, everybody. Uh, thank you all very much.
Thank you, doctor.Surely.
Dr. Casey, your mother-in-law called again.
She says she threw her back out.
Threw her back out.
Now, that's a start.
If I can just figure out a way to throw the rest of her out.
[CHUCKLES]
See you later.
Well, Larry, what did the doctor tell you?
Well, he said I might need an operation.
Are you gonna bring me?
Oh, no. I think your mother will do that.
Well, then, I'm not coming.
Oh, come on, Larry.
It's nothing to be afraid of. It's a simple operation.
And your mother will be so proud of you.
No, she won't. She doesn't even care.
Oh.
That's why when I finally do get out of here,
I'm gonna run away from home
and come live with you for the rest of my life.
Willona, what time is it?
4:15.
That's the fifth time you've asked me what time it is, Flo.
Now, listen. You had no choice.
You had to tell Larry's mother what he said.
I know.
So, what if she got a little upset.
And yelled and screamed
and slammed the phone down in your ear.
You have no reason to be nervous.
Nervous? Mm-hm.
What makes you think I'm nervous?
Well, darlin', for the last 25 minutes,
you've been spray waxing the furniture
with Michael's deodorant.
Heh. I knew what I was doing.
What's the matter?
Don't you want our furniture to smell nice?
Hmm. Nice try, baby.
But listen, you're both mature adults.
And mature adults can always get together
and talk things over without getting angry.
Hey, Mrs. Evans,
I got a book here on boxing lessons
that you can practice with before Mrs. Baker gets here.
Now, I used to box.
And the one thing I remember, the most important thing,
is to keep your chin tucked in like this. You see?
That's the way Ali used to do it.
[AS MUHAMMAD ALI] I'm the greatest fighter of all time.
I dig all that. But what do you do
with the other two chins you got hangin' out here?
Where do you tuck those, huh?
Bookman, I don't want boxing lessons.
Okay, then. I got some other books you might like.
Here's one on wrestling, fencing, kung fu.
Oh, here's one:
How to Cop a Plea in Five Easy Lessons.
Bookman, I don't want any of those.
We're just gonna talk. That's all.
Okay, okay, okay. But just in case,
I got a first-aid kit tucked in my tool belt,
and I got the police station's phone number in my wallet.
And I will personally be right outside
just in case you need me.
I appreciate that, Bookman.
And we're deeply impressed with your concern.
Okay.
[BABBLING]
[WITH JAMAICAN ACCENT] Hello, there. Excuse me. I'm on my way to Jamaica.
♪ Day-o, Day-ay-ay-o
Hey, Flo, you want me to stay?
No, you go help Bookman pack.
Don't be no fool, hon.
'Cause the life you save might be your own.
Why don't you have a seat, Mrs. Baker?
No, thank you.
I just came over to pick up my child.
That is, if you already haven't filed for legal adoption.
Your son is in the back room
playing with my neighbor's child.
Mrs. Baker, when we talked over the phone,
you didn't give me a chance to explain.
I didn't influence Larry to say any of that.
Well, what else would make him say a thing like that?
I mean, do you have any idea how that makes me feel, Mrs. Evans?
Working all of my life, sacrificing,
just so as my kids
would have a decent change of clothes to wear.
And then to have a child come back
and say that I don't care?
Now, you tell me. Just how am I supposed to feel?
I don't know what made Larry say any of that.
Look, maybe if we can just work together...
Mrs. Evans, how many of my kids do you want?
Wha...?
Maybe I ought to just take out my wallet
and let you browse through the pictures.
Look, Mrs. Baker.
Larry is under the impression that he is mistreated.
[SCOFFS]
Now, if you don't want to discuss it with me,
I suggest you get yourself a good child psychiatrist.
Now, just a minute.
I don't need no psychologist telling me
that I'm an unfit mother,
and then try to charge me an arm and a leg for the privilege.
I'm already puttin' myself in debt
for this operation Larry's got to have.
And I will do it gladly, Mrs. Evans,
because I do care.
Now, I don't care what you say,
and I don't care what Larry say,
and I don't care what no damn psychologists say.
I do the very best that I can for all of my kids.
The very best that I can!
The best that I know how to do!
I heard that! Everybody put your hands up!
Get up against the wall! Move!
Will you get out of here?
But, Mrs. Evans, she... Out!
I only wanted to help.
That's all I need.
"Revenge of the Brown Panther."
[CLICKS TONGUE]
Larry?
Larry, will you come out here a minute, please?
Yes, Mrs. Evans?
Your mother's here.
Okay.
Larry, she is very upset
about what you said at the hospital.
You told her?
Yes, I did.
Oh, well, I don't care. It's true.
Larry, what makes you think your mother doesn't care?
Well, she just doesn't, that's all.
Well, there must be some reason for you to think that.
Well, she didn't know I had a hearing problem,
and you had to tell her.
Now, if she really cared,
she would've found out a long time ago.
Why didn't you tell her about your hearing problem?
Well, because I didn't know.
Ah.
Then how'd you expect her to know?
Well, because she's my mother.
She's supposed to know.
But all she cares about is working all the time.
Oh, honey, your mother works because she loves you.
LARRY: No, she works because she wants to.
Well, I'm not sure about that.
Well, then, if she really loved me,
then how come she never told me?
FLORIDA: I never told you.
But you figured it out, didn't you?
Well, how come you knew I had trouble hearing and she didn't?
Well, Larry,
it's not that she didn't love you.
It's just that it came on so gradual
that she simply got used to it.
It's a case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
But you saw it.
Well, there ain't many trees around here.
Why, she's loved you all along.
You didn't see it, but I did.
It was in her eyes
when you almost fell down that elevator shaft.
It was in her voice when I spoke to her over the phone.
And it's written all over her face right now.
I'm sorry, baby.
I'm so sorry.
Ha.
Now, let's see "Dear Abby" top that.
Hm.
Oh, J.J., I'm so sorry you didn't get the job.
Look, you stay right there at the bus station,
and we'll pick you up.
Okay, I'll see you in a minute.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Larry. Mrs. Baker.
Come on in. Thank you.
How are you?
Oh, just fine.
Listen, we just came by
to bring you a little present for all of your help.
Oh, you didn't have to do that.
Oh, yes, we did. And Larry insisted.
Okay, Larry?
Okay.
Now, ask me something.
[QUIETLY] Oh.
All right.
If two is company and three's a crowd,
what is four and five?
Nine. Ta-da!
[FLORIDA LAUGHING]
Oh, Larry.
Oh, that's the best present I ever had.
♪ Good times ♪ Hey, yeah
♪ Good times
♪ Keepin' your head Above water ♪
♪ Makin' a wave When you can ♪
♪ Temporary layoffs
♪ Good times
♪ Easy credit Rip-offs ♪
♪ Good times
♪ Ain't we lucky We got 'em ♪
ANNOUNCER: Good Times was videotaped before a studio audience.