'Bel-Air' S1, Ep. 1-3: Click Refresh

It doesn't sound like the concept should work. NBC reboots one of the greatest sitcoms in television history with two majors tweaks: it's now a drama, and it's set in the present day.

Sounds like disaster, right? They literally took what made that show great and threw it out the window in favor of raw, unadulterated drama. But for some reason, what they're doing with Bel-Air somehow is staying completely faithful to Fresh Prince, (seriously, one of my all-time favorite sitcoms) while keeping the show feeling fresh (no pun intended) and edgy in a modern setting.

At times, the drama is ridiculously immature, which I suppose is fine considering they are high-school aged characters. Sometimes, though, things gets way too serious, and the characters seem to act far more like adults, which is a bit jarring. But that's more a testament to the style of storytelling that works for today's younger audience than an oversight by those who wrote or cast the show (I see this problem in a lot of shows about "high schoolers"). I think what allows the drama to work is the decision to stick to the source material. Some people forget that Fresh Prince dealt with serious, emotional topics and real-world issues, but because the comedy maintained levity and light-heartedness along the backdrop of a traditional sitcom (in which the characters don't acknowledge last week's events), it felt like an easier investment. That's not the case with Bel-Air, which very much is taking the limited-series approach of one ongoing story, to the point that, at least with the first three episodes, we are left on a cliffhanger from week to week, which just heightens the anticipation.

Again, it feels like a magic trick that they're able to retread so much story by merely using difference packaging. Through three episodes, Bel-Air has retold the story of Will moving from Philly, making a game-winning jumper in a basketball game (against the same Malibu Prep opponent, even!), and reminding Uncle Phil about his roots and who he truly is and what his culture was all about when he was younger. Uncle Phil is in the middle of an important campaign that may not benefit from Will's antics. Carlton is jealous of Will. Hilary Banks get into cooking. Jazz even wears a shirt that looked an awful lot like the "Uh oh, he's going to get thrown out" shirt. Sure, there are some significant differences with some of those arcs and the ways the characters behave, but by and large, this dramatic makeover somehow is working like a charm.

The Bel-Air writers can even add extra dimensions to an already told story because some things weren't really possible during the Fresh Prince era. For starters, we got more context to why Will left Philly in the first place, and that has opened the door to his enemies tracking him down via social media. Seems like we will see more from that angle than we ever got in Fresh Prince. Hilary's story is far more interesting because of her social media prowess; she's actually the complete opposite of her Fresh Prince counterpart: she is independent, strong-willed, and confident in who she is instead of just acting like a spoiled brat all the time.

Another difference that was a bit jarring for me was Lisa's story. Lisa didn't join the show until way later in the original series, and she never was into Carlton. Watching Will make moves on Carlton's ex adds such a different dynamic to the relationship of all three characters. Ironically, Lisa feels more like the girl that was played by Queen Latifah in Fresh Prince; she isn't the most attractive girl in school, and she's a bit goofy. Will still digs her (even using a handful of the same one-liners with slight twists), so I'll be curious to see if the writers are planning on Will getting together with Lisa again.

Carlton has the most complex overhaul to his original counterpart. While the original Carlton was widely known throughout his school, this version of the character is truly popular. He's Captain of the lacrosse team (not polo, thank God). He's not the pushover punching bag anymore. He's not jealous of Will getting all the attention so much as he fears Will is ruining everything he has established (two very different things). To put it frankly, this guy is the epitome of modern-day d-bags, yet he has an internal drive to make his own mark instead of riding his dad's coattails (as evidenced in the "Yamacraw" episode). Carlton is not an easy character to root for, yet you have no choice but to feel sympathetic towards his situation, but then again, he snorts lines when no one is watching, so of course he deserves all the crap he has coming his way. He's a fascinating character, and the dynamic between him and Will is some of the most compelling drama I've seen in a long time (Fresh Prince was at its best when those two were at the center of the story).

After only three episodes, I'm dying to find out where they take this show, and I'm hopeful we get more than one season. This show has a lot to say, but it's saying everything through the voice of organic storytelling and real characters instead of yelling political correctness through a loudspeaker. I appreciate it for that. Even Fresh Prince had strong messaging about racism, gender equality, and even classism, but those statements were never polarizing or too dominant or distracting of the show itself.

Notes:

-I love that Will has already flipped his jacket inside-out again. Seriously, who makes the insides of jackets look so great?

-I'm sad that Ashley hasn't been a factor much at all. I'm sure that'll change, though.

-Geoffrey feels more like a confidante for Phil than just an employee, and I like this version of him quite a bit (they're both still good at pool, which is fun to see).

-The actress playing Aunt Vivian didn't leap off the screen right away, but she's finally turning into that powerful female role model with a bit of sass and attitude that made the original Aunt Vivian of the early Fresh Prince seasons such a great character.

#BelAir #FreshPrince #Reboot #Peacock