Bel-Air

“I see the same thang, it’s like de ja vu, I see it all the time” is the theme song for Bel-Air and it is so fitting because we are in the age of remakes, we seen it all. However they take some huge risks here which I respect and some of it pays off, some doesn’t.

Now, this is a story all about Will Smith whose life got flipped upside down so we follow his journey on how he became the prince of a town called Bel-Air. In West Philadelphia where he was born and raised he runs into couple of guys who were up to no good, they started making trouble in his neighbourhood, he got in one little fight and his mom got scared so she decides he’s movin’ with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air. Oiiiii 80s babiessss!! Did you see what I did there LOOOL.

Bel-Air is a reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with a much darker and serious tone with plots more related to current times. It focuses on plots around drug use, the GenZ disease of social media *side eye*, fatherhood, sexuality and many others. The show carries key attributes from the original but it does very well to have its own identity. So much so I’d go as far as to say it didn’t need The Fresh Prince connection to survive. As good as the show is, it isn’t without flaws. It suffers with a form of “over wokeness”. What I mean by this is the pacing of the show is a bit too fast. It goes from plot to plot without fully fleshing out some stories sometimes not even resolving. It heavily touches on modern issues especially around racism and the culture but a lot of it feels force fed. Not to mention the excessive use of the F bomb *sigh*. We follow Will as he navigates his new life in Bel-Air and the different dramas he encounters.

It was always going to be a tough ask to fill Will Smiths shoes and Jabari Banks just fell short. It could be the nostalgia in me blocking my vision but Will Smith’s Fresh Prince was such a monumental character on screen that he just projects his presence in every scene. Jabari on the other hand seemed to have 2 settings, really angry or boringly happy with some mediocre emotions. He was tough to watch.

Again if he was named Bill Smythe maybe he’d be easier to digest but no he didn’t carry The Fresh Prince mantle.

Luckily we have side characters who are tons more interesting and well performed so they carry the show. Jimmy’s Geoffrey is some stone cold gangster turned bodyguard, far from your classic butler. Cassandra Freeman and Adrian Holmes are our new Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil and they carry the high acting chop levels. Adrian gives a stern performance of what the ideal high value man is and Cassandra carries herself with that elegance and grace we all loved in the original Aunt Vivs. Hilary was a character not explored much in the original, rather they focused on her snobbishness, shallowness and dim witted traits but Coco Jones’ version shows little of these attributes. This time round she’s a focused entrepreneur and established influencer business woman. It’s a big flip from the character we know and loved. The adorable dancing Carlton is another big flip character. Still self centred and arrogant however he’s plagued with real life issues i.e. panic attacks, anxiety, drug addiction etc. Simone Jones and Jordan Jones are also honourable mentions as Lisa and Jazz.

In its newest season, Season 2

Basketball takes centre stage and plays a huge part. Something that was hinted to in the original but not fully explored. I liked it here. The drama on and off the court fitted the tone of the show perfectly. This time round Geoffrey also gets his shine time. More lines, more dialogue, more story and more background. It was actually a refreshing dynamic connecting back to the London roots (hearing the official London gangs get a shoutout was a fan moment). We get a view at Jazz and Hilary’s relationship, something we were not privy to in the legacy show. Aunt Viv gets caught up in her own spectacle being a career artist, again something we didnt see much of. There’s a little fun episode where we see a lot of the extended Banks family and it makes for a cute little fun friendly episode.

Overall to clear it up I do like the show and recommend it. I do wish there was no links to the Fresh Prince as knowing that, will always play a part whilst viewing. The show does well to give each character some facetime and development. The use of integrating the old actors was a nice touch. It amplified the nostalgia gene in us. We have some big legacy actors as well cameo which is just nice to see. I personally am looking forward to where the show goes. I feel as it develops more and more, besides the title we will eventually forget the connection to its birthright parent show.

Who was your favourite character? Where do you think it goes from here? Will Will’s dad ever return? Are the Philly trouble makers going to want revenge? Would Hilary really go for a guy shorter than her? Are we looking forward to season 3? React and comment below…