In this episode Thelma's cooking (duck in wine sauce) causes her father and the reverend to get drunk. After dinner, Reuben kisses Thelma passionately for the first time. She doesn't realize he's drunk and misreads the incident as the beginning of a hot new romance.
The cast is still warming up and getting used to playing off each other (except for old pro Sherman Hemsley who has his character down and seems to be helping the others). But it is still a great episode. In fact, things are really starting to gel story-wise. This is the first time the writers have revealed that there will be a long-term love affair between the new reverend (Clifton Davis) and the deacon's daughter, Thelma (Anna Maria Horsford). Davis and Horsford seem very well matched, and they get the chance to start building a relationship for these two lonely characters, even if it all starts because of a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, the Hetebrinks are shown assuming administrative duties at the church office. They seem to be written as catty women who find it funny that Thelma has misinterpreted the reverend's kiss. In subsequent episodes, the two women will be much warmer to Thelma, if not exactly towards the deacon.
The cast is still warming up and getting used to playing off each other (except for old pro Sherman Hemsley who has his character down and seems to be helping the others). But it is still a great episode. In fact, things are really starting to gel story-wise. This is the first time the writers have revealed that there will be a long-term love affair between the new reverend (Clifton Davis) and the deacon's daughter, Thelma (Anna Maria Horsford). Davis and Horsford seem very well matched, and they get the chance to start building a relationship for these two lonely characters, even if it all starts because of a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, the Hetebrinks are shown assuming administrative duties at the church office. They seem to be written as catty women who find it funny that Thelma has misinterpreted the reverend's kiss. In subsequent episodes, the two women will be much warmer to Thelma, if not exactly towards the deacon.