Bel-Air Was Wise Not To Tamper With The Legacy Of Will Smith
The moment was coming. It wasn’t a matter of if, but a matter of when. With Will having questions regarding his father, fans began to ask if we would be treated to another classic scene from the original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Could Jabari Banks pull off the iconic moment that launched Will Smith’s career into another universe?
But that’s the glory of the new Bel-Air. While the characters have stayed the same, the storylines have changed. In the original, Will’s dad, Lue was a truck driver and came into his life just for a brief moment. While he wanted to take Will with him on the road, their relationship was mended in less than an hour then torn to pieces just a quick. However, in Bel-Air, things don’t seem to be that simple. there’s a growing concern that Will’s dad may not be as bad as the family is making him out to be.
Yes, he left Will and his mom but the way everyone is talking, it’s also as if they forced him out. There is a secret there that will surely get uncovered sooner or later.
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In the original, Will provided a career-changing emotional scene that’s not often seen in comedic roles. Everyone knows what happened there but with a reboot, fans were wondering if the writers will slide it into the storyline or not. While he was already a superstar, Will being able to showcase that emotion changed everything for him in terms of being taken seriously as an actor. Who knows, without that, would there even be an Ali, I Am Legend, or King Richard?
Now, as the new episode was winding down and Will was talking to Uncle Phil, the time was right. Could young Banks pull it off? The tears were already there, however, the writers made the tough but smart call to back away. The reason for that was, why tamper with greatness? Why try to duplicate something that can easily backfire? It’s not to say that Jabari Banks can’t act, but what if he fails? What if the viewers did not feel that same attachment that they felt from the original?
Another reason for backing off was that at least in the original, Will had a chance to get to know his father while the new Will has not come face-to-face with him yet. That’s what made the original scene so dramatic. Will forgave him then was let down again. This Bel-Air Will has not had that encounter with Lue yet so it would have been the writers reaching for a moment that wasn’t quite there yet.
Even so, if Bel-Air ever does get to that point in the storyline, there are certain things that should bever be tampered with. That scene touched millions of people but it’s also part of Will Smith’s acting legacy. Leave it alone. There is only one Michael Jackson, one Muhammad Ali, one Michael Jordan, and one “how come he don’t want me, man”? Don’t mess with greatness, build your own.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
