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A Different World‘s new generation rivals its predecessor when it comes to romantic entanglements. Leading the pack is Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne’s (Kadeem Hardison) daughter, Deborah (Maleah Joi Moon), whose love triangle created problems over the course of the first season of the Netflix sequel series.
Shaquille (Cornell Young IV), the son of the original’s Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Jaclyn (Halle Berry), had a leg up due to his pre-show history with Deborah, though obstacles new and old got in their way. A new one was Ellington (Vincent Jamal Hooper), Deborah’s charming tutor at Hillman. When Ellington kissed her toward the middle of the season, it later led to her split with Shaquille, who in turn slept with Deborah’s RA, Candace (Renee Harrison).
Though Shaquille wanted to win Deborah back afterward, he didn’t tell her about what he did, and the reveal pushed her right into the arms of Ellington. At this stage in the game — headed into Season 2 — Deborah and Ellington are together. Shaquille was transferring to Colorado to play football.
But we all know distance makes the heart grow fonder, and we seriously doubt Shaquille is gone for good. We had to run them through Swooon’s Should They/Shouldn’t They rubric to determine whether or not Deborah and Shaquille should get back together in Season 2. Scroll through the pros and cons below, then let us know your take in poll below!
A Different World, Season 2, TBA, Netflix
Eli Ade / Netflix
PRO: They have chemistry
We’re stating the obvious here — anyone with eyes can see that Deborah and Shaquille’s chemistry, at least when they’re not at odds with each other, is seriously hot. The scene in the photo above is Exhibit A. Right from the jump, even before we really get to know them, Deborah and Shaquille’s tension is intense, and it only gets better when they become an official couple. Obviously, it would be a tragedy not to see that chemistry in action in Season 2, despite…
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CON: Ellington is a solid option
…the Ellington of it all. We’re in the camp of A Different World fans that can argue for both Shaquille and Ellington, but by the end of Season 1, Ellington has exhibited far more green flags. Their chemistry rivals hers with Shaquille’s, for one. They don’t have any messy history holding them back. He’s smart, stable, and supportive, and sees how talented Deborah is… and perhaps most importantly, he doesn’t hesitate to tell her that. The only point against him is that whole flower debacle, but that’s pretty minimal, IMO. At this stage in the game, Ellington is coming out on top in the love triangle battle. But is he really as perfect as he seems? We’ll have to wait and see now that he’ll likely be spending more time with Deborah in Season 2.
Eli Ade / Netflix
PRO: They’re both in the wrong
Who did each other more dirty in those final episodes of Season 1 is a matter of opinion. Though he eventually realizes he was in the wrong, Shaquille breaks up with Deborah for a kiss she didn’t initiate. However, she does hesitate a little in coming clean. But then Shaquille turns around immediately and sleeps with Candace — and doesn’t tell Deborah before she finds out on her own. We’d argue Shaquille is more at fault here, but the scales are pretty much balanced.
They were almost equally messy in Season 1, so that would put them on equal footing and a potential upwards trajectory going into Season 2. They already hit rock bottom, right? (Or did they…)
Quantrell Colbert / Netflix
CON: They have more growing to do
Unless it happens right at the end, Season 2 might be too soon for Deborah and Shaquille getting back together because of how much growing up they have to do. Whether they should do it together or apart is a matter of opinion, but we’re leaning toward the latter. Honestly, as much as Ellington has going for him, Deborah could use some single time after the messiness of her first year. Shaquille, in particular, needs to figure out what he wants and his goals before romance comes back into the equation.
Eli Ade / Netflix
PRO: They have a solid friendship
Though they’ve had that on-again-off-again tension for years, Deborah and Shaquille are childhood friends first. They’ve seen each other at all stages in their lives, and they know each other like the back of their hands as a result. They know what they’re getting into with each other. Their families know each other already. That creates a solid foundation for a relationship, even though their attempt during freshman year failed.
Eli Ade / Netflix
CON: They have major communication problems
Again, we’re kind of stating the obvious here, and it kind of ties into our point that they need to grow more. At the moment Deborah and Shaquille have some major honesty problems. There’s also the matter of their pre-college history that took them ages to address in the present day. And even back in the present, the two of them struggle to trust each other, and shut down during a conflict instead of talking it out. They need some character development in that area before getting back together, clearly. But maybe it’s a sign that they simply don’t work as a couple and never will. Who’s to say?