Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” reportedly drowned while vacationing with his family in Costa Rica. As the middle child of the Huxtable family, Theo became one of the most iconic characters in television history. In the wake of Warnerâs passing, fans are revisiting the moments that made his character so relatable.
The $95 Shirt Meltdown That Became an Instant Classic
Fans flooded social media with memories after news broke of Warnerâs passing, and one moment kept coming up: the infamous season 1 shirt episode. In it, Theo comes home excitedâheâs spent $90 on a designer shirt for a date. His parents, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad), are not impressed.
Cliff:I’ll give you thirty dollars.
Theo: Thirty?!
Cliff: ‘Kay then, five!
Cliff: No 14-year-old boy should have a $95 shirt unless he’s on stage with his 4 brothers. …
Cliff: I don’t have a $95 shirt, and I have a JOB.
Under pressure, Theo returns the shirt. His sister Denise (Lisa Bonet) promises she can recreate it for just $30. The result? A fashion disaster. When Theo sees the ruined shirt, he loses it, going full meltdown before his big night.
Denise: [Theo’s complaining about the shirt fitting horribly] “Well maybe if you tuck it in a little…”
Theo: [through gritted teeth] “It’s tucked into my socks!”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Most Iconic Scene on ‘The Cosby Show’ Was a Financial Reality Check
Theo’s best moment came in “The Cosby Showâs” pilot episode, when he and Cliff spar over expectations and reality. In a dramatic but hilarious monologue, Theo pleads for his parents to accept him as he is:
âI mean, you’re a doctor and Mom’s a lawyer, but I don’t love you any less because you’re my dad. So instead of being disappointed that I’m not like you, maybe you should be happy and love me anyway, because I’m your son.â
Cliff doesnât sugarcoat his response: âTheo⦠That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life! No wonder you get D’s in everything! You’re afraid to try because you’re afraid your brain is going to explode and it’s going to ooze out of your ears. Now I’m telling you, you are going to try as hard as you can. And you’re going to do it because I said so. I am your father. I brought you in this world, and I’ll take you out!”
What follows is a now-iconic âreal-worldâ financial lesson. Cliff gives Theo Monopoly money to demonstrate how quickly expenses add up when living on a modest salary. From taxes to rent to food to dating, Theo watches his pretend budget vanish in minutes:
Cliff: âYou plan to have a girlfriend?â
Theo: âFor sure.â
Cliff: [Takes the remaining money] âRegular people.â
Tell us! What was your favorite Malcolm-Jamal Warner moment as Theo Huxtable? Let us know in the comments below.
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