Ep 1. The Evans Get Involved (1)

The episode "The Evans Get Involved (1)" kicks off the fifth and final season of the classic sitcom Good Times. The show focuses on the lives of the Evans family, living in a housing project in Chicago in the 1970s. The family includes parents James (John Amos) and Florida (Esther Rolle), and their children J.J. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (Bernnadette Stanis), and Michael (Ralph Carter).

In this episode, the Evans family become involved in a local election. The election is for alderman, a local government position, and the Evans' neighbor, Arthur Mason (Moses Gunn), is running for office. Mason is a community organizer who has been fighting for better conditions in the housing project. He is running against a corrupt incumbent named Frank Davis (Thalmus Rasulala), who has been lining his pockets while neglecting the needs of the community.

At first, the Evans are skeptical of getting involved in the election. James has had bad experiences with politics in the past and is hesitant to support anyone. However, Mason convinces the family to help him out. J.J. creates a campaign poster for Mason, Thelma is in charge of organizing a rally, and Michael helps pass out flyers. Even Florida gets involved, baking cookies to give out at the rally.

As the day of the election approaches, tensions rise in the community. Davis is using dirty tactics to try to win the election, including spreading lies about Mason and threatening his supporters. The Evans even receive a threatening phone call, telling them to stay out of the race. However, the family is determined to stand by Mason and do what they can to help him win.

On election day, the family goes out to vote together. They run into several neighbors who are also supporting Mason, and they all rally together to the polling station. When the votes are tallied, Mason wins the election by a landslide. The community erupts in celebration, and the Evans family is thrilled to have been a part of making a positive change in their neighborhood.

Overall, "The Evans Get Involved (1)" is a heartwarming and empowering episode of Good Times. It shows the power of community organizing and the importance of standing up for what you believe in. The episode also touches on issues such as political corruption, poverty, and racial inequality, which are unfortunately still relevant today. Fans of the show will enjoy seeing the Evans family come together to make a difference and fight against injustice.