Denise's Friend

Denise's Friend is the 11th episode of Season 2 of The Cosby Show, also the 35th overall in the series. The episode was directed by Jay Sandrich and written by John Markus. The episode originally aired in the United States on NBC on December 12, 1985.

Synopsis

Denise asks Cliff to talk to her friend, who has a medical problem. Cliff diagnoses the girl as having a mild bladder infection, but learns that she was wary of telling her parents without certainty. Cliff and Clair decide to show the kids that they can tell them anything, but the children quickly point out that their parents will just get angry. Cliff admits that anger is part of problems, but tells the children that no matter what, they will be loved.

Plot summary

Denise's friend, Michelle, thinks she has a medical problem and wants to keep it from parents, so she asks Cliff for advice. This leads Cliff and Clair to question whether their children would come to them with their problems or seek outside help. They hold a family forum to make sure their children know the lines of communication are always open. But the children pose some hypothetical questions which give their parents pause.

Scene quotes

• Denise: Remember when I spent the night at Janet's house a few weeks ago? Well I didn't spend the night at Janet's I spent the night at Tommy Watkins.
• Vanessa: YOU WHAT?
• Cliff: How - how come Mr. and Mrs. Watkins did tell us?
• Denise: They were on vacation.
• Vanessa: They were?
• Denise: We didn't do anything, just listened to some records.

[pause]

• Denise: Are you angry?
• Cliff: Ask your mother.
• Denise: Mom, are you angry?
• Clair: Oh no, I'm not angry... I'm MAD!

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• Cliff: [pointing to Theo] All right, say you're pregnant.
• Theo: ME?
• Cliff: YOU'RE pregnant. What are you going to do?
• Theo: First I wanna know who did it.

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• Cliff: What would you do if you found out you were pregnant?
• Theo: If I was pregnant? First of all I'd want to find out who did it?
• Cliff: But what if you couldn't find out who did it. Then what would you do?
• Theo: I don't know?
• Cliff: Your mother and I want you to know that you can always come to us when you have a problem.

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• Cliff: What would you do if you found out you were pregnant?
• Theo: If I was pregnant? First of all I'd want to find out who did it?
• Cliff: But what if you couldn't find out who did it. Then what would you do?
• Theo: I'd go to one of my friends.
• Cliff: You mean that you would go to Cockroach rather than us your parents?

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