The reboot of A Different World has aired on Netflix, and viewers (including myself!) are craving more. The realistic HBCU experience, diverse Black representation, and the personalities and styling of each character had everyone praising the show on social media. Above all, the plot was messy! There was tons of relationship drama, budget cuts on campus, and cliffhangers. Since its release, viewers have had different theories and questions about Hillman’s newest students. So, let’s recap and call out the storylines that need to be resolved with these six questions.
1. Did Shaquille and Candace actually sleep together?
After Hillman’s finest couple, Deborah (Maleah Joi Moon) and Shaquille (Cornell Young IV), got into a fight after Deborah confessed to kissing Ellington, things went left! In Episode 9, “Romancing the Unknown,” Candace (Renee Harrison), the RA who has a big crush on Shaquille, wanted to do a surprise inspection of Deborah and Rashida’s room. However, Deborah decided to confront her about messing around with Shaquille behind her back. After Deborah told Candace off, Candace started to explain, “It didn’t happen that way,” as Deborah was closing the door on her.
Shaquille woke up confused, and Candace implied that they slept together. However, it hasn’t been confirmed that they actually did. Maybe he came to her room to vent or find comfort and ended up falling asleep. But I’ve seen theories online saying that Candace gave him some melatonin because she keeps a supply in her room. That could be a possibility, but we’ll just have to wait and see!
2. Will Dwayne Wayne become president of Hillman?
After President Davenport mismanaged Hillman’s funds, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) had to step in as interim president. As a way to fix Hillman’s financial situation, he cut the budget from multiple departments, and everyone on campus was looking at him as the villain when he was really just trying to save the school.
But when Whitley’s (Jasmine Guy) ex-fiancé, Byron, came back into the picture to help pull Hillman out of its financial hole, he decided he wanted his lick back. If you didn’t know, in the original A Different World, Dwayne crashed Whitley and Byron’s wedding and begged Whitley to marry him instead. She immediately left Byron at the altar and chose Dwayne.
So, when Byron returned decades later and helped save Hillman from its financial crisis, it seemed like he didn’t want to let go of what happened between him and Whitley. After saving the school, he announced that Dwayne would not be the new president and that he would find a more suitable candidate for the position, leaving Dwayne confused, especially considering he took all the backlash he received from students and faculty with patience.
Hopefully, Dwayne will find a way to become president because Whitley deserves to decorate that presidential house!
3. Will Kojo forgive Rashida?
Kojo (Chibuikem Uche) was on Rashida’s (Alijah Kai) heels from the moment he laid eyes on her. She ended up having a connection with Andre (Joshua Suiter) and lost her virginity to him. At first, she told Kojo that she was a virgin, but she felt pressured by him to have sex, so she distanced herself from him. After regretting who she lost her virginity to, Rashida reconnected with Kojo, but she lied about still being a virgin.
Kojo eventually opened up to Rashida and let her know that he was a virgin too. They ended up getting physically intimate, but at the gala, Andre approached Rashida, and that’s when Kojo found out that she had slept with him. Kojo went off and told her that she had her walls up with him because she felt like he was pressuring her to lose her virginity. Kojo also questioned why Andre made her feel more comfortable when he didn’t.
That led to Kojo breaking up with Rashida, leaving her crying in her mother’s arms. Now, I’m just hoping that Kojo and Rashida can work things out!
4. Will Denise Huxtable make a comeback?
After all the students rallied against the campus budget cuts, it was revealed that Ellington (Vincent Jamal Hooper) was Denise Huxtable’s (Lisa Bonet) son. Then, at the end of the season finale, Dwayne made a secret phone call to Denise, asking what seemed like a favor. He told her, “I really need you right now.”
Dwayne saying that made some viewers think he was secretly having an affair with Denise, especially since he had a huge crush on her when they were freshmen. I doubt it! Maybe he’s trying to get some pull from the Huxtables to put in a good word for him so he can become president. But would that mean Denise would make an appearance in a new season?
Denise hasn’t appeared in the A Different World franchise since the first season in 1987, so it would be amazing to see her face again!
Ellington is not Dwayne love child and Denise is not coming back to a show to play anyone’s mistress/ side piece 😂 https://t.co/Fpx599DBsV
— AffirmationBae🫶🏻 (@affirmationbae1) September 28, 2026
5. Will Hazel’s boyfriend find out that she’s cheating?
After Hazel (Kennedi Reece) broke up with Jalen (Elijah J. Roberts) because he cheated (we’ll get more on that later), she made a surprising confession. She had a boyfriend back home in Elgin, Illinois, this whole time! Then, she ended up making Xavier (Dasan Frazier) her new side piece in the last episode.
But the real kicker is that her boyfriend back home texted her saying that he got into Hillman and couldn’t wait to be with her every day. I’m excited to see how she juggles having two boyfriends if there is a new season, or if she ends up getting caught. And if she does get caught, how will she react or maneuver through that situation?
6. Will Amir and Jalen become a couple?
Now, Jalen and Amir (Jordan Aaron Hall) had a very messy beginning. Amir started off as Jalen’s barber and friend, but then Jalen started dating Hazel, making it seem like he was all into her. However, he turned around and betrayed her by sleeping with Amir behind her back.
After they both took accountability for their actions, they apologized to Hazel. She forgave them, and then Jalen had to make up with Amir and explain that he had never had a connection with another guy before and didn’t want to let it go.
In the season finale, Jalen wanted Amir to meet him at the Serenity Garden after the gala for a fresh start. But before Amir could even get a chance to meet up with him, he was stopped by his parole officer for not checking in on time. Now, we’re all left to wonder if they will ever explore their romantic connection next semester.
Now that A Different World has officially been renewed for a second season, we can’t wait to see where the story goes next! The show was way too good and had us locked in! We deserve to know what will happen next semester at Hillman, especially with all the relationship entanglements on campus. N Crowd, if y’all watched A Different World, what other unanswered questions or storylines do y’all want to see addressed in Season 2? Did I miss any? Let me know!
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