NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
With Bel-Air set to end after its upcoming 4th season, fans will once again be in shambles over the ending of another great black show. Recently, news broke that the final season will welcome back more of the original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast with the addition of Janet Hubert, who played the first Aunt Viv in the original comedy sitcom.
That’s great news, especially since Bel-Air has paid homage to some of the other OG cast members over the years. But still, even with her addition, Bel-Air refused to address what, in my opinion, is another hole in the storyline. What’s happening to everyone?
In the original, the Banks family moved to the East Coast to be closer to one another while Will stayed in Los Angeles to finish college. Think about that, we never got a true ending, the way we normally get in most shows. Yes, it was somewhat of a happy ending; however, some of us wanted more. Carlton finally got into his dream school of Princeton University. Ashley made it to the school of Performing Arts in NYC, and Hilary joined her with her hit Talk Show.
On the surface, it all seemed like a happy ending, but was it? As great as the show was, it still feels like we were cheated out of something. It’s like the writers left more of their closeout stories on the writing room floor. And my biggest fear is that history will repeat itself with the Bel-Air finale.
Case in point, at least with the original, we got to see Will and Carlton in college. This new Bel-Air, they are still in high school, Hilary has a thriving business, and was recently married, but at the end of Season 3, it appeared her husband may have died. Ashley has very little screentime, so in this last season, is she just supposed to blossom into some sort of sensation?
Vivian and Phil have had too many marital problems to count on this show, but the love is still strong. Geoffrey, in the original, moved back to England to be with his son, but in this version, that storyline is all over the place. Too many loose ends to tie up, but I’m sure they will do so.
As a fan of the original and the reboot, one thing still pulls at me: Will and Lisa. The on-and-off again relationship between these two has been great, but what’s the end game here? In the original, they went their separate ways after being engaged, and then poof, Lisa was gone. In the new version, it’s more of the same, but it seems the show will end with possibly no real defining moment between the two. To be truthful, the way things ended in the original, we’re owed a better ending in Bel-Air.
Of all the sotylines in the original, the Will and Lisa one felt like it wasn’t thought out properly, and Will did not get the ending he deserved. Carlton got the school. He was never in a real relationship, so that was never on the table. Hilary may have lost Trevor, but she gained success with her Talk Show. Ashley was still young and wanted to sing, so she was able to do that in NYC. Phil and Vivian had Nicky, and in the end, the Banks moved closer to one another, which left Will all alone.
Even in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air finale, Will still does not have his stuff together. No fiancé, cannot rent an apartment without the help of Uncle Phil, and was left in Los Angeles with no family. At what point did he get that super happy ending that most stars get?
If there is no time jump, we’re going to be left with the same questions that we had from the original regarding Will and Lisa. Do they make it? Do they go their separate ways? I guess, at their age, all we can ask for is that they attend the same college, and all we can do is hope that we get a flash forward to a wedding or something. There is no need to leave us hanging with their future.
For a show that wasn’t supposed to be made, it became a huge hit for old and new fans. It provided another look at life for the Banks and Will. How it would match up to the original is something that had to be dealt with, but after a few episodes, those concerns became a thing of the past. Bel-Air stood on its own. However, for an OG fan like myself, I want the ending to be better than what we got in the original.
