The Fresh Prince of Bel Airholds a prominent spot in the hierarchy of ’90s television and is widely considered to beone of the best Black sitcoms of all time. The show tells the story of a fictionalized version of Will Smith, who is sent to live with his family in Bel Air following a string of altercations and incidences in his hometown of Philadelphia. During his time spent with his family, Will learns a never-ending list of lessons that centeron race, class, love, fatherhood, and overall life in America for a Black man.
The sitcom even gave way to a dramatic reboot thatpaved the way for all future TV reboots. As the author of this piece, I find it important to point out my true lack of understanding of some of the issues experienced by the character of Will and his family in the show but will nevertheless do my best to describe them in accurate detail when those instances occur. With close to 150 episodes throughout its six-season run, let’s examine the best episodes ofThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
“72 Hours” is a season one episode that sees Will and Carlton take a trip to Compton to visit Will’s friend Jazz. Upon their arrival, it is clear that Carlton does not fit in with Will and his friends as the transition from Bel Air to Compton is a more difficult one than anticipated by Carlton. After a quick food run by Will and Jazz, they return to find Carlton has become more comfortable than they could have imagined, dawning a new wardrobe and being called “C-Note” by Jazz’s friends. As Carlton gets roped into the friends' plans to sell Gucci bags in a park that night, Will has to do everything he can to stop Carlton from putting himself in danger. It is Carlton who ultimately learns the lesson, through his father Phillip, that courage is being yourself despite what others think. This episode is one of the many examples of thevital realness the show provided that resonates today.
5The Ol’ Ball and Chain
This season four episode sees Jazz getting ready to marry a woman named Jewel, an inmate he saw on Cops and has just made parole. The situation gets hairy, though, when Jewel comes onto Will, leaving him with the tough decision on whether to tell Jazz before the wedding. We later discover that Jewel did not come on to Will out of attraction to him but in an effort to force the wedding to be called off as she finds herself undeserving of the care and attention Jazz gives to her. Will convinces her to proceed with marriage and to trust the admiration Jazz shows her. The episode challenges the notion of deserving love, and the strength of friendship.
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4Bank Shot
“Banks Shot” finds Will fall victim to a group of pool hustlers and becomes quickly indebted to them by losing all of his money and his Uncle Phil’s car. This prompts Phil himself to come down to the pool hall in an attempt to regain his car. Little do the pool hustlers know that Uncle Phil is a seasoned pool player himself. This episode shows the stern Uncle Phil in a different light and is just one of the many occasions where Phil is there when Will needs him most. It is the different layers of character, as shown with Phil in ‘Banks Shot’, that helped make the show one of thebest ’90s TV family sitcomsof all time.
3The Big Four-Oh
Aunt Vivian faces down turning 40 in this season two episode and can’t stop thinking of her former dreams of being a professional dancer. These thoughts convince her to put on her dance gear once more and go out for an audition, which she struggles to keep up with at first. Her determination, along with support from Phil and Will, she nails the audition during her second attempt and his offered a spot to which she turns down. Vivian comes to realize that she has not given up on her dreams, but has achieved new ones with her husband and kids as well as her job as a Professor. This episode shows that we don’t fail at dreams but simply pursue new ones that bring joy to our lives.
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2Home is Where the Heart Attack Is
This heart-wrenching season four episode sees Uncle Phil suffer a heart attack and end up in the hospital. While the entire family is taken aback by the occurrence, it is Carlton who is hit the hardest, viewing his father as a real life Superman who he can not bear to see in a weakened state. This is a concept everyone can relate to as when we were younger we would look up to our parents, siblings, or guardians as these untouchable figures who we thought would always be in our lives. This episode has a lasting impact as James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, passed away himself in 2013 due to complications from open-heart surgery.
1Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse
When his absentee father, Lou, arrives in Bel Air, Will begins to believe he will finally get the relationship with his Dad that he never had growing up. Things seem great for a moment as Will and Lou plan a cross-country trip together for the summer, until Will’s father suddenly has to “take care of business” elsewhere, setting up a second abandonment of his son. Upon Will finding out, he faces the prospect of disowning his father and does so confidently as Lour leaves the home. Will’s strength is only momentary as he quickly breaks down to Uncle Phil, asking him why his father doesn’t want him. It is a powerful and masterful episode of the series and one that demonstratedWill Smith’s talent far exceeds the music industryhe came from, cementing that path for future actors.
