Designing Women

- Season 6

(1991)

After Suzanne moves to Japan to live with her mother and take advantage of their economic boom, her and Julia's cousin Allison, who tried to make it in New York but failed, purchases her share of Sugarbaker & Associates. As Charlene goes to England to be with Bill, her recently divorced younger sister, Carlene Dobber, who had come to take care of Olivia, takes her place. Meanwhile, Mary Jo hires a male stripper for Julia's birthday.

As the others get sick of Allison's constant criticism and demands, including an oversized antique desk, Julia tries to buy her out, while the other women propose voting on whether she can stay. Meanwhile, Allison reveals what she was really doing in New York.

Julia has not felt comfortable dating since Reese's death, but she has gotten close to a man named Mark. While Allison assumes he is gay based on his personality and tastes, she proves to be way off when he makes a move on Julia. Meanwhile, Allison's therapist has diagnosed her with Obnoxious Personality Disorder, while Anthony is fed up with sharing Suzanne's house with her.

Carlene's ex-husband, Dwayne Dobber, comes to Atlanta to give her permission to see other men. Mary Jo says Carlene already has a boyfriend, named Dr. Sanders. When Dwayne comes back and asks to meet him, Anthony is forced to impersonate the man.

Barry Binsford, Allison's ex-employer and lover, is released from jail after doing time for insider trading; it was her testimony that helped convict him. Though Anthony convinces her the man may seek retribution, he actually wants to marry her.

Mary Jo wants to have another baby, so she goes to the sperm bank to conceive via in-vitro fertilization. Meanwhile, after Julia confronts a deadbeat client, Allison tries another method to get him to pay the money he owes.

Anthony gives a speech to a prison outreach program and brings the women with him. During his speech, his former cell mate T. Tommy Reed interrupts and demands a song. While Julia sings, a riot breaks out, trapping everyone inside.

Mary Jo and Julia are starring in a stage production of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane," but the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings distract them as everyone takes sides regarding Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Mary Jo's brother Skip, who is taking Quinton hunting against her will, falls for Allison and invites her to join the hunting party, while the other ladies get caught up in it as well.

Allison advocates for Carlene at college. Rusty is turning 40 and asks Julia for a date. Julia accepts and finds him to be erudite in his knowledge is about opera when they see La Boheme. The others tease her about the date.

Allison and Julia argue about what to do for The Yuletide Homes tour. Believing they are being ripped off, Rusty lets them in to check. Mary Jo and Julia look under the bed to check Chuck Tremaine's reputation as a ladies man. When they hear him with the weather girl, they are stuck under the bed. The other ladies go home without them, leaving them worried.

The women go antiquing in the Georgia mountains. Due to the torrential rain, their car breaks down at a cabin where they find a men's primitive movement. Anthony gets blamed for ruining its men-only sanctity by bringing the women, for which the men intend to punish him.

Carlene and Anthony feel inferior to classmates, so they decide to become study mates. Anthony finds himself intimidated by a professor who becomes interested in Carlene and invites her to class.

Mary Jo has to take her mother, who drives her crazy, back to South Carolina, so Julia goes with her. While they are gone, Anthony and Allison argue over who will be in charge; they and Carlene end up trapped in the store room with an improperly installed doorknob that is only accessible from the outside.

Julia and Carlene recall when Payne came to visit from NYC, while Bernice met Carlene and Allison for the first time. Payne had separated from his wife Sylvia and decided to move back home.

Carlene moves into a new apartment and invites everyone to a housewarming party to which no one is looking forward, as it is located in a one-room apartment in a bad neighborhood. Things go from bad to worse when Bernice joins the party acting uncharacteristically abrasive.

Anthony directs a Little Theater production of "Mame" and is forced to deal with a temperamental ex-Broadway star, Ivy McBride, who is producing. Mary Jo plays Gooch, Carlene is in the chorus, and Julia is Mame, while Ivy is Vera. They hate each other; Ivy walks out, leaving Julia as the producer. As the strain causes her mood to degenerate, she loses it before opening night. When Ivy shows up drunk during a performance, Anthony must take desperate measures to ensure the show goes on.

Anthony gets accused of being a robber. He believes it is a racial issue, prompting Julia to confront the security, whose symbolic language drives her to stage a sit-in. Anthony, who wished to handle the matter himself, thought she went too far, especially after the TV news refers to him as an "ex-con."

Carlene writes a theme song to be played at the Olympics in 1996 and Mary Jo tries to get Julia to sing it with them. Their first groupie, Heather McPhaul, designs their costumes. Allison is suspicious of her motives and spies on her, but Carlene refuses to believe anything bad about her.

Carlene becomes the leader of a girl scout troop full of spoiled rich 9-year-olds. When she feels so overwhelmed she wants to quit, Mary Jo and Julia come with her.

Allison invests on a film and gets the women to come with her on the set in LA. The film stars soap star Brad Connor of "The Young and the Beautiful" and is being directed by Charles Nelson Reilly. They'll be staying in Charles' house, but when he gets there he threatens to call the cops. He later explains why he's directing the film: the producers are swindlers. He relents and lets them stay. When Allison confronts the producers, he makes them actors in the film.

Julia is in the hospital, waiting the results of hysterectomy tests. She has doubts of her femininity, her belief in love, and faith in herself. A doctor helps her put things in perspective.

A woman runs into Anthony's vehicle and they start dating. She is the rich daughter of man who owns a hotel chain. Julia and the others hope they will be hired to be the hotel decorators. Anthony announces he has asked Vanessa to marry him.