Bel-Air Sets up a New Backstory for Will’s AWOL Father

Family tensions are running even higher than usual, as Vy flies into Bel-Air for Will’s 17th birthday.

In between Phil’s campaign problems, Vy and Viv’s sisterhood squabbles, and Carlton and Will trying to resolve their own differences, we’re also acquainted with Lou through word of mouth.

Lou, of course, is Will’s AWOL father. Just like us, Will knows very little about his dad but that’s soon going to change.

In Bel-Air Ep. 8, Vy informs Phil and Viv that she wants to tell Will the truth about his father Lou, a man involved in dangerous activities and who was put away by the trio.

As of now, it is unknown what exactly Lou did and how Vy got him to leave her and Will alone.

If you’ve watched The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, you’ll vividly remember that Will’s father does not make an appearance till S4’s Episode 24. After years of being estranged from his son, Lou returns to Will’s life and bonds with him.

It’s all cupcakes, rainbows, and laughs until Lou abruptly takes off with a sorry excuse of an explanation. The episode is aptly titled, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse.”

For all of you who haven’t watched the original series… Yup, that happened.

Even though in both shows, Lou has been marked as an absentee father, it seems like Bel-Air will be going about a slightly different route.

See, in Fresh-Prince, Lou did not want to be a father. He deliberately chose not to be a part of Will’s life by abandoning Vy and Will when he was young. This point was driven home when he once again abandoned him in S4 Ep 24.

The second time again, it was more painful for Will who shared this experience with Uncle Phil and talks about how he’s going to excel in life and be a better dad than his father could ever be.

However, from what we’ve heard about Lou in Bel-Air, it doesn’t seem like he was absent from Will’s life by choice.

Sure he may have been involved in something shady but there’s a chance he still wanted to be a father to Will and was only driven away by Vy, Viv, and Phil’s efforts.

If this really is the case (and going from Geoffrey’s reluctance to “deal” with Lou on Phil’s behalf), Will may get more pissed with his own very-present mother and his uncle-aunt who are trying to help him out, than his absentee dad.

Like most of the changes being made in this reboot, this may turn out to be yet another interesting one.

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.