Diff'rent Strokes - Season 5

Diff'rent Strokes

Season 5

1982 • 24 Episodes

Episodes

Shoot-Out at the O.K. Arcade - Diff'rent Strokes

1. Shoot-Out at the O.K. Arcade

October 2, 1982

Arnold is determined to defeat brother Willis at his own game and dethrone him as local video game champ, but in doing so Arnold's passion becomes a destructive ""addiction"" that could have serious consequences.

In the Swim - Diff'rent Strokes

2. In the Swim

October 9, 1982

Willis is completely supportive of Kimberly's transfer into his public school, until his sister's ""innocent"" actions begin getting him into hot water.

Cyrano De Jackson - Diff'rent Strokes

3. Cyrano De Jackson

October 16, 1982

Arnold's on the outs with his best friend Dudley after he innocently offers to help his bashful buddy win the heart of a young lady -- who falls for Arnold instead.

Big Brother - Diff'rent Strokes

4. Big Brother

October 23, 1982

Arnold's got a ""can't lose"" plan for curing a new classmate's loneliness -- sharing big brother Willis -- but his kind of intentions leave Arnold feeling like the lonely, only child.

The Peacemaker - Diff'rent Strokes

5. The Peacemaker

October 30, 1982

Willis' personal safety is in jeopardy when his noble attempt to mediate a feud between rival gangs backfires, forcing him to take a drastic step to insure his protection -- purchasing a handgun.

Substitute Teacher - Diff'rent Strokes

6. Substitute Teacher

November 6, 1982

Arnold and his buddies fabricate a ""little white lie"" in an attempt to get rid of an overly-conscientious substitute teacher, but their tell tale could result in more than just removing the teacher from the classroom -- it could destroy his entire career.

The Older Woman - Diff'rent Strokes

7. The Older Woman

November 13, 1982

A false I.D. and a false bravado create real problems for Willis and a beautiful ""older"" woman when an evening on the town doesn't go quite as he had planned.

A Case of Overexposure (a.k.a.) Overexposure - Diff'rent Strokes

8. A Case of Overexposure (a.k.a.) Overexposure

November 20, 1982

Arnold must face the bare facts -- his chances of winning a prestigious school election seem desperately slim, thanks to an ""overexposed"" candid campaign photo taken by sister Kimberly.

Memories - Diff'rent Strokes

9. Memories

November 27, 1982

A long lost trunk returned to the boys contains a tape recording of their deceased mother which brings to the surface a previously unrecognized problem that triggers uncharacteristic behavior from a usually happy-go-lucky Arnold.

Push Comes to Shove - Diff'rent Strokes

10. Push Comes to Shove

December 4, 1982

Arnold's unexpected confrontation with the new building manager's son leads to a chilling series of events that could get the entire Drummond family evicted.

The Executives - Diff'rent Strokes

11. The Executives

December 11, 1982

Willis learns that even a little power in the wrong hands can be dangerous when he oversteps the bounds of his authority in his afterschool job at his father's office.

Santa's Helper - Diff'rent Strokes

12. Santa's Helper

December 18, 1982

Arnold falls innocent victim to a beguiling street-corner Santa who has an ulterior financial motive for hiring him as a holiday ""helper.""

A Growing Problem - Diff'rent Strokes

13. A Growing Problem

January 8, 1983

At 16, Willis thinks he's man enough and old enough to ""top"" a few drinks with the guys, but Drummond's objections send Willis storming out of the house intent on proving his father wrong.

Parents Have Rights, Too - Diff'rent Strokes

14. Parents Have Rights, Too

January 15, 1983

Drummond's plans for a quiet and private weekend ""alone"" don't quite work out as he had intended, when a storm sends Arnold, Willis and Kimberly home from a camping trip early -- catching him off guard in a compromising situation.

Independent Woman - Diff'rent Strokes

15. Independent Woman

January 22, 1983

A new job and a handsome new boss add up to trouble for an innocent Kimberly when her new employer starts displaying a more than casual interest in her -- hoping that his ""special attention"" will help land him a position within Drummond's prestigious company.

The Bicycle Man (1) - Diff'rent Strokes

16. The Bicycle Man (1)

February 5, 1983

Unaware that he's being lured into the carefully crafted trap of a child molester, Arnold eagerly agrees to perform a simple task in return for an overly generous reward from a ""friendly"" neighborhood merchant.

The Bicycle Man (2) - Diff'rent Strokes

17. The Bicycle Man (2)

February 12, 1983

Arnold and Dudley's ""friendship"" with a local merchant reaches a dangerous turning point when, unbeknownst to the boys, the man, who is actually a child molester, is about to make his move.

Family on Ice - Diff'rent Strokes

18. Family on Ice

February 19, 1983

Kimberly is overjoyed when Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill sees great promise in her as a competitive figure skater, but she's even more astounded when Drummond agrees to let her leave the New York ""nest"" to train full time with the award-winning skater -- in Los Angeles.

Hall Monitor - Diff'rent Strokes

19. Hall Monitor

February 26, 1983

Arnold's good intentions backfire when his efforts to help his handicapped friend Kathy adjust to life in public school cost him the esteem of his classmates and the friendship of pals Dudley and Robbie.

The Cricket - Diff'rent Strokes

20. The Cricket

March 5, 1983

To try to curb Arnold's run of bad luck, Drummond gives him a pet cricket, but the Japanese ""good luck charm"" brings nothing but sleepless nights and dreams of ""pesticide"" to the rest of the household.

Roommates - Diff'rent Strokes

21. Roommates

March 12, 1983

The household's turned upside down when Drummond becomes Arnold's roommate for a week.

The Reporter - Diff'rent Strokes

22. The Reporter

March 19, 1983

Determined to prove he didn't fabricate a story about drug abuse in his grade school just to win a journalism contest, Arnold takes his article to the New York City newspaper sponsoring the competition, and when they run his story on the front page, Arnold receives some unexpected more support from First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Romeo and Juliet - Diff'rent Strokes

23. Romeo and Juliet

April 30, 1983

Arnold's Romeo is steeped in more turmoil than Shakespeare ever intended when he's tricked by his ""best friends"" into playing opposite arch-nemisis Lisa's Juliet.

My Fair Larry (a.k.a.) My Fair Lady - Diff'rent Strokes

24. My Fair Larry (a.k.a.) My Fair Lady

May 7, 1983

School ""thug"" Larry coerces Willis into teaching him how to ""make it"" with girls, but things go from bad to worse when Larry's first target is Willis' sister Kimberly.