When Jamie King arrives in Hollywood, California, from Texas, he dreams of succeeding in show business. First, he'll have to be content with working and living at the aging, once-famous Los Angeles hotel "The King's Tower", owned by his sensible aunt Helen King, and her troublesome husband Junior King. Attempting to ignore the uptight and condescending hotel accountant, Braxton P. Hartnabrig, and the dimwitted bellman Dennis, Jamie vies for the attention of the sexy and shrewd front desk clerk Francesca "Fancy" Monroe. Meanwhile, due to Junior's negligence and compulsive gambling, the hotel is in serious debt. Junior convinces Jamie to go to a casino and win enough to save the hotel. Jamie has amazing luck in a dice game. Unfortunately, when Jamie quits while he's ahead by throwing the dice down, the dealer thinks Jamie wants to continue betting, and Jamie loses everything.
When Jamie learns that Fancy loves children, he tries to impress her by becoming mentor to young Nelson, the most harmless-looking child Jamie could find. But Nelson quickly figures out that Jamie is exploiting him to attract Fancy, and sets out to make Jamie's life hellish by blackmailing him and stealing various items from around the hotel: computer files, Junior's fine Cuban cigars, and Fancy's diary.
Aunt Helen convinces Jamie to take heartbroken Braxton out on the town with him, to a club owned by basketball player Gary Payton. After some flirting lessons from Jamie, it's "B Smooth" who impresses the ladies. Meanwhile, Helen tries to cure Junior of lotto fever.
Jamie's newly engaged ex shows up at the hotel and he thinks she's there to see him, until she reveals she's there for a convention. Embarrassed, Jamie asks Fancy to pose as his girlfriend while the ex is in town. Meanwhile, Junior is stumped by a hotel plumbing problem.
Jamie schemes with Junior to start a business selling Helen's popular sweet-potato pies and turns the hotel into a giant bakery, with Helen, Junior, and Fancy helping to bake. But when Jamie unwisely tastes one of the pies to find out why they are so popular, he eats the next day's entire order one after another.
Braxton's going to be inducted into the Burgeoning Black Men's Club. However, his eccentric parents are in town at the same time, and he's worried they may ruin his induction.
As an anniversary surprise for Helen, Junior secretly sends her wedding ring to a jeweler for reconditioning. At Junior's request, Jamie picks up the ring, but while showing the ring to Fancy and Braxton, Jamie hears Helen approaching and, panicking, slips it onto Fancy's finger—where it gets stuck. Jamie must think fast to save Junior's surprise.
Jamie hosts a Halloween masquerade party at the hotel, complete with prize money for the best costume. When Fancy refuses to be his date, Jamie invites another woman, Chante, to make Fancy jealous. However, Fancy and Chante wear identical costumes. By mistake, Jamie passionately kisses Fancy, who hides the fact that she actually enjoys it. Jamie and Fancy then privately fantasize about each other.
Junior reunites with his former army buddies, including "Charming" Charles, now a successful entertainment attorney. Impressed with Jamie, Charles promises to help his career by introducing him to powerful people. Thrilled, Jamie convinces Charles to stay in the hotel for a few days, then witnesses Charles making romantic advances to Helen. Jamie must choose between advancing his career or standing up for his family.
Jamie's dreams of stardom come true with the arrival of director Ike Yee, who uses the hotel as the setting for his latest movie starring Jackie Chin and gives Jamie a role in the movie.
Jamie is jealous when Fancy's smooth-talking ex-boyfriend Kenneth sweeps into the hotel flashing plenty of cash—and a diamond ring. However, news from two mysterious guests tells Jamie it's not time to ring those wedding bells just yet: they're about to nab a notorious scam artist.
Fancy throws a wild bachelorette party for her sorority sister Janine, but the bride gets cold feet the day after when she wakes up next to the stripper — Jamie.
Jamie is much too quick to buy a Corvette off a shady guy on the street, and when the car turns out to be hot, he and Braxton land in jail with prisoners planning to tunnel to freedom.
Movie actress Edwina DuBois, a college gal pal of Helen's, tries to show Jamie the ways of the casting couch while teaching an acting seminar at the hotel.
Jamie's left in charge for the weekend with one rule — no wild parties — a promise that's hard to keep when the Westside Connection checks in with a wad of cash and a huge entourage. Jamie must compete with a smitten Ice Cube for Fancy's affection. Then, with the hotel a complete mess due to the party, Jamie learns that Helen and Junior are returning home early.
Jamie has a beef with his conscience when he's offered a job as spokesperson for a hamburger joint right after agreeing to become a vegetarian, in order to impress Fancy.
A chance to sing on a local radio show nets Jamie a contract with record mogul Sweet and Low, but when the deal comes up a little short he tries to raise the stakes—a move that leads to several "accidents" at the hotel. Eventually, Jamie annuls the contract by threatening to reveal some embarrassing information about the producer.
Fancy's new boyfriend, a police officer named Morris, has skills as a hostage negotiator that come in handy when Jamie and Braxton are held captive in a bank robbery gone awry.
A hotel guest scams a free room after claiming to have fallen on a wet lobby floor. But when Jamie learns of her duplicity and boots her out, the Kings land in a courtroom. Jamie proves to the court that she is faking by saying that her dance moves are horrendous and she gets up and dances to prove that's a lie, exposing her as a scammer.
Jamie is looking forward to a visit from his mom, a chanteuse whose maternal duties often took a back seat to her career. When a call from her agent pulls her away from yet another important night in her son's life, it forces Jamie to face some hard truths about their relationship.
Jamie feels guilty after his deception causes problems between Fancy and Silas (Alan F. Smith); Helen and Junior learn that honesty isn't always the best policy.
Jamie's little sister, Kim (Monica Calhoun), visits from Texas with big plans that her meddlesome brother objects to. Meanwhile, things begin to heat up between Braxton and his new friend Cameron.
Jamie takes on the challenge of coaching a Pee-Wee basketball team, but gets frustrated during a game and challenges the opposing coach to a personal grudge match. The opposing coach, who is an NBA player is sure to beat Jamie, unless Jamie can find some help.
Fancy and Silas's relationship goes on the rocks. They decide to go on the game show Change of Heart, dating other people to decide if they should remain together.
Braxton and Fancy get promotions and Jamie feels left out that he didn't get a promotion, so he decides to quit and he gets a new job as a jingle writer at Jingles 2000.
When Jamie ignores Fancy in favor of a poker game with the guys, she crashes the game and shows everyone how well she can play. Meanwhile, Braxton has problems with the Y2K upgrade he installed on the hotel's computer system.
When Jamie's commercial jingle is rejected, he sends an irate e-mail to everyone at Jingles 2000. Meanwhile, Fancy brings a group of "Family Feud" contestants to King's Tower.
Inspired by their friends at a party, Jamie and Fancy try a role-reversal exercise that leads to a late-night argument about their future together. Meanwhile, Gloria tries to get a promotion to head of housekeeping.
Jamie can't believe it when his position as top jingle writer is threatened by a woman who he thinks was hired just for her looks. Meanwhile, Fancy goes after a rich new client for the hotel.
Jamie becomes jealous when Marcus (Thomas Mikal Ford), an old boyfriend of Fancy's invites her to an exhibit at his art gallery, resulting in a confrontation over the matter of trust in their relationship.
After his credit card is denied while clothes shopping with Fancy and her well-to-do parents, Jamie must prove to her father that he will be able to provide for her. Meanwhile, Braxton is forced to cut the hotel's budget.
Jamie is afraid of what Fancy will think if she finds out that he has been escorting a young female client on the firm's orders, so he lies about why he has been breaking their dates. Meanwhile, Braxton decides to take up Fancy's idea for sprucing up the rooms at the hotel.
Fancy needs a new kitchen countertop installed in time for Nikki's bridal shower, which Fancy reluctantly agrees to host. Meanwhile, Braxton dreads attending an awards banquet in his honor because he can't find a date.
Fancy and her friends are kicked out of Jamie's NFL playoff party and leave the hotel with football's Lawrence Taylor and Charles Woodson. When Jamie catches up with the girls and their new friends at another bash, his big mouth leads to an athletic challenge.
Jamie writes a jingle for a commercial promoting the King's Tower and he charges his aunt and uncle for his services, which jeopardizes his free lodging at the hotel.
Jamie is promoted to supervisor at Jingles 2000. His first task: fire an incompetent writer who is also one of his friends. Meanwhile, a flu epidemic hits the hotel staff.
Jamie joyfully moves into his own bachelor pad, but when Fancy starts decorating it for him, he begins to feel a little crowded by her constant presence.
The pressures of being a supervisor affect the quality of Jamie's jingles, so he passes off one of Mouse's ideas as his own, which leads to a guilt-filled dream about his future.
To cover the medical costs of an injured friend, Jamie signs insurance forms that claim he and his friend are life partners, which leads to a misinterpreted party invitation.
Fancy fulfills a fantasy for Jamie by waiting on him hand and foot, and he begins to prefer his dream lover to the real thing. He expects his girlfriend to pamper him continually, which leads to an embarrassing display of attention during an important business dinner.
Jamie advises Braxton's financial group to invest in a doughnut franchise, but Braxton balks at the idea, causing the other members of the group to kick him out.
Jamie sings with Nicole at a nightclub, which rekindles his interests in a career in music—despite Fancy's misgivings. Jamie later agrees to perform with Nicole again after they are asked back for another gig.
Jamie and Nicole risk their jobs by working on their demo tape in the Jingles 2000 studio after hours—against company policy and they later meet the night janitor who claims he is related to Montell Jordan.
Nicole kisses Jamie on the stage before they perform a gig in Las Vegas, a trip Fancy refused to join them on. Fancy then makes a surprise visit to Jamie's hotel room only to find that he is sharing it with Nicole.
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24
"Roadtrip: Part 2"
Shelley Jensen
Bennie R. Richburg Jr.
May 19, 2000 (2000-05-19)
N/A
To win Fancy back, Jamie buys her an engagement ring, only to get an offer from Nicole to sing with her on tour in Europe.
Jamie balks at proposing to Fancy, so he breaks up with her—but accidentally leaves an engagement ring at her apartment. He and his pals then search her place for the rock, hoping to find it before Fancy does.
Phil and Mouse take Jamie to a club to help him get over losing his job and Fancy, but Jamie's pickup lines fall flat with the ladies. Then he meets a woman named Nancy (Golden Brooks), who seems to have much in common with Fancy.
After a series of low-paying gigs, Jamie gets a break and records one of his original songs for a record producer, but the arrangement might not be as legitimate as the singer thinks.
A lonely Jamie spends the night with Fancy at her apartment, but the morning after proves awkward for the former couple. The tension increases later that night when Jamie sees Fancy with another man at a party.
Jamie refuses to sign with a record company and instead tries to sell compact discs of his original music over the internet (parodying the film The Matrix).
Jamie wants to film a video for his latest song at the hotel, but Helen opposes the idea because of the video's sexual content. To further complicate matters, the actress slated to appear in the video objects to her lack of wardrobe.
Jamie gets sick after eating Japanese food and Fancy nurses him through the night, only to have him fake a relapse the next day to keep her from going out with another guy.
Jamie finds a pair of size-22 sneakers under Fancy's bed and he thinks that she is involved with NBA star Kevin Garnett, who books a press conference at the hotel.
After striking out with Fancy at a bowling alley, Jamie calls upon Cupid (Gary Coleman) to help him win back Fancy's affections. Meanwhile, Mouse starts dating a new woman he met with the love god's help.
Jamie catches Fancy auditioning male dancers for her bachelorette party after they each promised not to have such gatherings, so he and Mouse plan to get even.
The Kings announce their retirement and offer the hotel to Jamie and Fancy — but Fancy considers a job offer in New York. Meanwhile, Braxton feels unappreciated at work, having assumed that his time at the hotel would merit his taking over the operation.
