Bel-Air Season 2 Introduces A New Character: Doc Hightower 

Season 2 of Bel-Air has taken a step-up from its previous season by introducing us to some fresh faces. We have characters looking to cause some more drama for the Banks family, and others just wanting to look out for our main character Will.

Of these new additions to the show, one is Doc Hightower.

Doc Hightower, played by Brooklyn McLinn, is a basketball recruiter and an Amateur Athletic Union (or AAU) Coach. He is impressed by Will’s performance at Bel-Air Academy and hence agrees to coach him.

Once Will enrolls at Doc’s training facility, Doc assures Will that he can guide him to become a much better player and help him get into one of the best colleges.

Doc’s niece, Jackie, also plays a significant role in the series as Will’s new love interest.

1. How does Doc meet Will?

At the beginning of season 2, Will himself approaches Doc to seek his mentorship. Doc initially rejects Will, but after Will beats Big Dre in a one-on-one match, he gains Doc’s attention.

Doc then reveals that he already knew who Will was and that he was aware of how well Will used to play in his hometown. Still, he tells Will that he’s doesn’t have the time for anymore clients.

However, when Doc finds out that the Banks are rich, he agrees to attend Will’s next game. He gets disappointed when Will doesn’t take the winning shot because he believes that winning is all that matters.

Later at a club, Doc meets Will again and this time offers to make Will his newest client. He tells Will that he thinks Bel-Air is slowing him down and not letting him play to his full potential. 

Doc thinks that Will’s talents would be better appreciated at his training facility, Zenith Hype, and with the AAU, where he helps skilled players get into the top colleges. 

He also assures Will that he can still keep playing for Bel-Air Academy while training with him.

Phil eventually finds out about the deal that Doc makes with Will, but this causes problems for Doc because Phil tells him that if he wanted to discuss Will’s future, then it would have to be through him.

2. How does Doc get Will to enroll with him?

On Viv’s request, Doc tries to persuade Phil into letting Will enroll with him by inviting them both to his facility and showing them the benefits that Will could have if he went there.

Doc tells them about how some of the kids under his wing are already earning a huge amount of money before they graduate from high school. 

He believes that Will definitely has a chance at becoming one of those kids, under his guidance.

Finally, Doc discusses the terms of their contract, which Phil is concerned about because of the percentage that Doc is asking for. Doc then brings up the fact that Viv herself believed in him, but this only leads to Phil walking out of the facility abruptly.

Once Phil thinks it over, he realises how great of an opportunity Doc’s coaching could be for Will. He goes back to Doc with a revised contract, which Doc accepts. 

Will’s enrollment with Doc is now official.

3. What goals does Doc have?

Doc makes it quite clear that his only goal is to get kids like Will into good colleges and make them into professional basketball players. He knows Will’s potential and he doesn’t want to hold him back from anything. 

Doc is also constantly looking out for Will outside the court. He offers his guidance when Will needs it, like when Will has a tough first day at the facility and Doc suggests that he read “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell to help him get through whatever happened.

Even when Will mentions that he wants to drop his name from the Founder’s Award nominees, Doc convinces him that the award could actually be great for getting Will into D1 schools and that he shouldn’t sell himself short.

So far, it seems like Doc’s intentions have only been good.

However, some of his actions in the previous episodes lead me to believe that he might have some ulterior motives. 

Doc initially wasn’t ready to coach Will even though he was aware of Will’s talents. He only changed his mind when he found out that Will’s family is wealthy, suggesting that he probably wanted to take advantage of their money.

Maybe Phil was right about questioning why Doc was asking them to pay so much, because clearly, no other students of Doc’s came from backgrounds that would be able to afford such an expensive facility. 

Another thing to note is Doc’s relationship with his niece, Jackie. Doc tells Will that he raised her by himself because his sister had her in high school and she wouldn’t have been able to take care of Jackie on her own.

It doesn’t seem like Doc has done a good job of raising Jackie because he reveals that she’s battling a lot of inner demons after she passes out from drinking too much at a party, but doesn’t say anything about helping her.

Since Doc is obviously trying to be a father figure for Will, his treatment of his niece makes us question how good of an influence he’ll actually be.

It’s hard to deny that Doc has done nothing but push Will to follow his dreams, but only time will tell if he is secretly using Will’s talents for his own benefits. 

Catch the next episode of Bel-Air on Peacock on April 13, 2023. 

4. About Bel-Air

Bel-Air is an American drama television series developed by Morgan Cooper, Malcolm Spellman, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson. It is a reimagined version of the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . In March 2023, it was renewed for a third season.

The series stars Jabari Banks as Will Smith, with Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Coco Jones, Olly Sholotan, Jimmy Akingbola, Akira Akbar, Jordan L Jones, and Simone Joy Jones.

The story follows Will Smith’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. It dives deep into racial tension, culture shock, and black excellence.