After four seasons of laughter, goofiness, and heartbreaking moments, Bel-Air on Peacock has ended. If you’ve been watching the show, you probably wondered what was next for characters like Will Smith, Carlton Banks, Lisa Wilkes, and the rest of the crew. Thankfully, writer, showrunner, and executive producer Carla Banks-Waddles explained why things were left open, the surprise cameo at the end, and so much more.
“I think that’s the joy of being able to do this one-hour reimagining versus that half-hour storyline. That episode (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, season 4, episode 24, 'Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse') is seared in our memory from the original, and how traumatic that was for that character, for Will. And, I think, in that one-hour space, we have the room for that relationship to evolve and doesn’t just end with his father walking out the door."
"So many of our (in Bel-Air) storylines are about redemption and healing. And seeing that father-son relationship, I wanted hope from that relationship."Carla Banks-Waddles
One of the focal points within Bel-Air has been the characters talking about subjects that affect people of color. During Vivian’s pregnancy, her doctor disregarded the symptoms she was having. Thankfully, they weren’t major. But that doesn’t mean the topic shouldn’t be addressed.
“The writer of that episode, Julia Johnson, has her own experience with that, and we really wanted to tell the story that it doesn’t matter the resources you have. And we talked about Serena Williams' story a lot in the (writer) room because she’s been very vocal about her experience in childbirth. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or what your status is. Black Women suffer from this. You should listen to your body because (some) doctors will try to dismiss you and what you feel. So it was an important story to tell.
"You know how we do in 'Bel-Air', we like to slip in a little vegetables with the cake. It felt like a nice way, an organic way, with her pregnancy to tell that story."Carla Banks-Waddles
You can tell by the Instagram post above that the cameo fans had been waiting for finally happened. In the last few moments of the show the Will Smith shows up to give the show a final smile before the credits rolled one last time. Carla Banks-Waddles' excitement to talk about this scene was obvious from the tone of her voice to her smile.
“This was such a great moment for the fans. Having that moment with him (Will Smith) and Jabari (Banks), Will vs Will, it felt like it was just perfection. And knowing how our young Will was about to go into his next act, which was the title of the finale (“The Next Act). That uncertainty of the future, and seeing his older self come in and say, ‘It’s okay, this journey you’re gonna take everything you learned with you in Bel-Air, and you’re going to be alright. You’re gonna his some rocky times, it’s gonna be messy, but you’re gonna be alright.’ It felt like poetic advice.”
"To just be able to write for Will Smith, it was such a great way for me to finish this series."Carla Banks-Waddles
And now that Beli-Air has ended, Banks-Waddles hopes fans know the characters are in a good place and going to be okay.
“I think we get the sense that Will’s gonna be okay. Carlton’s going to be okay. After the journey they’ve been on that they’re going to be okay."
But what about Phillup, Vivian, Ashley, and baby Nikki?
"Banks Phil and Viv are also going to raise baby Nicki and Ashley in a different way. They’re going to correct some things. Bel-Air was a journey for them. Now it’s time for a new way of living."
Bel-Air may have ended, but you can still watch all four seasons on Peacock. It may have had a lot of dark moments, but, as you can see from this interview, the good ends up outweighing the bad.