The fact that “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” ended is for many viewers the show’s only flaw. The hysterical sitcom, which was produced by Andy and Susan Borowitz, debuted on NBC in 1990 and continued for six seasons before coming to an end in 1996.
Fans had the chance to get to know the Banks family as a whole throughout that time, not just Will. Each character in the series had a distinct personality and developed significantly. They also had intricate, convincing relationships with one another, which gave the impression that they were a true family.
Despite being a success, the show was cancelled because, according to Will Smith’s autobiography “Will,” he didn’t think it should continue (via Entertainment Weekly). He believed that the plots weren’t as compelling as they once were, and he also desired a career in film over continuing on television.
If you’re confused about the characters’ final destinations or you missed the two-part series conclusion, we can help. So just sit there for a while as we tell you everything about “The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air’s” conclusion.
Ashley (Tatyana Ali), the youngest daughter in the Banks family, experienced significant growth throughout the course of the programme. She looked up to Will and was very close to him, which made for some cute and funny moments but also encouraged her to act rebelliously.
Ashley was more than capable of making her own judgements by Season 6, but her family had a hard time recognising her as anything other than a cute, innocent child. Will and Phil (James Avery) guarded her excessively, especially when she first began dating.
She was upset when she realised Will and Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) had overheard her discussing having sex with her lover. She was astonished that they had overheard her. Moments like this made Will and Ashley less close than they had were, yet they still maintained a unique closeness that never faded.
Ashley didn’t know what she wanted to do for a living the entire time the programme was airing, but by Season 6, she had begun to make up her mind. She was spotted by a modelling agency and made the decision that she wanted to be a fashion model.
Ashley wasn’t letting her father make all the decisions anymore, which annoyed Phil, especially when she was given the chance to appear in a lingerie commercial. She wasn’t acting rashly because she was a teenager either. She could choose where she wanted her life to go at this moment, whether or not her family agreed with her choice.
By the end of Season 6, she had made up her mind to relocate to New York with Hilary in order to pursue acting classes. Phil wasn’t thrilled about his girls leaving, but they were definitely looking forward to living together in New York City. It would have been simple for Ashley to continue living with her parents in California, but her decision to cross the nation demonstrated that she wasn’t afraid of change and was prepared to live differently.
Carlton transferred to Princeton
Carlton was frequently naive and self-centered at first in the series, but he also had a compassionate side and could make just about anyone smile with his dancing. Although his personality remained largely same throughout the episode, he did grow up quite a bit.
For Thanksgiving in the last season, Carlton helped at a homeless shelter, but he quickly lost patience and started to walk away. After reaching the automobile, he realised his mistake and came back to lend a hand. This demonstrated that he had changed and was now willing to assist others, even though doing so had no direct value to him.
Carlton was always more book smart than street smart because he was raised in a wealthy and protected environment. That altered a little bit in Season 6, when he encountered some challenging circumstances, such as the time he lost all of his money gambling in Las Vegas and had to find a way home, or when he battled a dubious clown who threatened to harm his family. He gained a better understanding of how difficult life can be through these experiences.
Carlton had always wanted to go to Princeton University, and in Season 6 he finally fulfilled his dream. When he received his acceptance letter, he was overjoyed, especially considering that Princeton was Phil’s alma mater and that he had always looked up to him.
Carlton had to move across the country to New Jersey when he moved from the University of Los Angeles to Princeton. Although it was a significant change for him, it demonstrated his readiness to continue learning and developing.
Geoffrey moved back to London to be closer to his son, Frederick
For so long, Phil and Vivian Banks’ butler, Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell), was effectively a member of the family. Even though he frequently made ironic remarks and jokes about them, he still genuinely cared about them and had their best interests in mind.
He devoted the most of the show to serving the Banks family, and occasionally his caustic remarks implied he was resentful of it. If true, that would account for why he started putting his own needs first in the last season. His main priority was reestablishing contact with his son Frederick (Craig Kirkwood), who continued to reside in London.
When Frederick arrived to stay at the Banks home, Geoffrey was overjoyed. Will saw him trying to steal his hoard of cash, which was when things unfortunately went south. Then, after being persuaded by Frederick that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, Geoffrey handed him a sizable sum of money so that he could enrol in the Cambridge Academy of Butlering.
It was devastating to see Geoffrey so happy to see his son again, only for Frederick to take advantage of Geoffrey and leave for England. Fortunately, Frederick made his way back to the Banks family to apologise for what he had done.
It would have been simple for Geoffrey to continue serving Phil, Vivian, and Nicky after various family members left the mansion. He made the decision to return to London in order to be nearer to Frederick. Phil gave him a bonus and upgraded his plane tickets so that he could say goodbye to the Banks family on good terms. Even though he was no longer employed by the family, he assisted some of the members with carrying their luggage out of the mansion one more time. Although it was difficult to watch Geoffrey leave, it was comforting to know that he would be doing something more emotionally rewarding.
Hilary moved to New York for her talk show
Hilary (Karyn Parsons) was initially presented in the series as a snob, a selfish, and a materialistic woman. Additionally, she lacked a strong sense of what she wanted to do with her life. However, as the show progressed, these things changed. We caught glimmers of her kind, compassionate side as she eventually discovered her affinity for the entertainment business.
By the end of the series, Hilary had proven herself to be a capable entrepreneur and was able to book notable guests like William Shatner for her talk show, “Hilary.” She put a lot of effort on the programme, but it paid off in the end when she learned that it would be shown nationally. Hilary’s accomplishment demonstrated her drive, ambition, and intelligence; in stark contrast to the haughty, conceited character from the pilot episode, who essentially expected everything to be handed to her.
She has changed from the affluent character from Season 1 who was always interested with buying new clothes. She was still fashionable, yes, but she was also much deeper and more self-aware. She migrated to New York at the conclusion of Season 6 since her talk show was moving to the East Coast. Hilary was beginning a new chapter based on her own achievements as the show came to a close.
Phil and Vivian sold their house so they could move to New York with their youngest son, Nicky
Phil and Vivian (originally portrayed by Janet Hubert, subsequently by Daphne Maxwell Reid) were there for their children, especially Will, who was like another son to them, through thick and bad. Phil even made these sentimental remarks in the season finale: “Will, you are my son. Story over.”
With Phil being stern and becoming angry when his kids misbehaved, and Vivian being more loving and empathetic toward them, Phil and Vivian had distinct ways of demonstrating their love for their family. While these characteristics remained the same in Season 6, Phil and Vivian had to contend with further developments that brought up unforeseen marital issues.
Vivian wasn’t consulted when Phil made the decision to enter politics, and when she eventually learned the truth, she was incensed. When she decided to stay with her sister Helen until Phil cleaned up his act, the family was astonished. Even though Will, Ashley, Hilary, and Carlton struggled to bring them together, everything turned out in the end. This demonstrates how much Phil and Vivian treasured their family and their relationship.
Phil and Vivian made the decision to relocate to New York with their youngest son, Nicky, at the conclusion of Season 6. (Ross Bagley). They made the difficult choice to move closer to Hilary, Ashley, and Carlton, who were all relocating to the East Coast.
It was heartwarming to see that Phil and Vivian cared more about spending time with their children than maintaining such a lovely property, even if this came as a shock to the entire family because they had all created so many memories at the Beverly Hills estate. Despite all the changes during the last season, it was obvious that their family meant the world to them and that they would always be there for one another.
The series finale was a tearjerker
The series finale of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” by Warner Bros. Television Distribution maintained the show’s consistent blend of hilarious and touching moments. The family joked around and expressed their excitement for the future as they celebrated Phil’s birthday. Will felt ashamed about his lack of direction in life while Hilary, Ashley, Carlton, and Geoffrey all had big plans to leave the house.
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, Phil and Vivian decided to sell the mansion. Will tried to persuade prospective purchasers not to move in and started fretting about where he would go, but it didn’t work out either. The entire Banks family had one week to move after the house sold.
At that point, everyone began packing their belongings and bidding farewell. Although it was difficult to watch each member of the family depart the vacant mansion, it was obvious that they all had promising futures.
There’s a reboot called Bel-Air
It’s not surprising that “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” eventually gave rise to a revival because fans adored it so much. “Bel-Air” is a recreated version of the original episode that follows Will as he travels from the poor suburb of Bel-Air to the streets of Philly. It gives Will’s story a dramatic twist and doesn’t steer clear of weighty subjects like racism and gang violence.
The show has an entirely new cast that both pays respect to the classic characters and interprets them in fresh ways. Will (Jabari Banks) is funny and endearing in the “Bel-Air” version, but he also deals with difficult emotions and is confrontational. Hilary (Coco Jones) maintains her fashionable appearance, but unlike before, she now has a significant social media following as a food influencer. For his part, Carlton (Olly Sholotan) has traded his silly yuppie antics for a far more frail emotional state. Nevertheless, he is still pampered and conceited. Will Smith is associated with the programme, but he is an executive producer rather than appearing in front of the camera.
Added Coco Jones: “Yes, I think you’ll be able to tell that [Will Smith] was definitely a part of the show, but I don’t want to give anything away. And that the programme is a really authentic and seamless continuation of his incredible work on “Fresh Prince,” which he did.” through POPSUGAR
Will stayed in California to complete his bachelor’s degree
Will was endearing and easygoing with a fantastic sense of humour right from the start of the performance. His easygoing nature was a double-edged sword because he did not devote himself intellectually or have any significant objectives, even though these traits helped him get by in life. He also had problems committing, so he had flings with a lot of different women and changed jobs rather frequently.
With each episode, Will became much more mature. Although he never committed to a single woman, he did appear to improve at keeping a job down even when times were difficult. He was hired as Hilary’s show’s assistant talent coordinator during the start of Season 6, and despite a number of setbacks, he remained there for the majority of the season.
Will reflected on his own development in life as a result of saying farewell to various family members at the end of the season when they left the Banks home. Since relocating to Bel-Air, he had made little progress, and on top of that, he had no intentions for the future. This sense of self-awareness demonstrated how mature Will had grown.
He was encouraged by Phil to continue in California to complete his bachelor’s degree since Phil told him he had a lot of potential. Even with Phil’s support, the immature, unambitious Will from Season 1 may not have decided to go to college, but he now understands the value of treating school seriously. Will found it difficult to say goodbye to everyone, but he knew that no matter how far apart they lived, they would always stay in touch.
On February 13, 2022, Peacock broadcast the first episode of Season 1, and in a rare move, the second season was given the go-ahead right away. This demonstrates the network’s confidence in the revival, giving it a chance to succeed without having to worry about renewal.
