"Thelma's Young Man" finds Thelma dating a new boyfriend that no one knows anything about, offering her a multitude of culture in music and books. When her latest date concludes with him giving her an engagement ring, her parents become even more anxious to meet him, as his reputation as 'the black Colonel Sanders' means that he's fairly well off. What no one anticipates is that Donald Knight (Lou Gossett) turns out to be her father's age, more than twice the age of the prospective bride. James is none too pleased at first sight but comes to admire Donald, while Florida inquires as to just how much Thelma really loves him. The casting of Lou Gossett means that this was a pre-ROOTS teaming with John Amos, the future adult Kunta Kinte, replaced in the third season's "Michael's Big Fall" by Gossett's Uncle Wilbert, Florida's brother from Detroit.