The Best Episode In Bel-Air Season 1
"Bel-Air" is a modern take on the classic sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," in which the main role of Will Smith is famously played by Will Smith. Here, Jabari Banks portrays Will in a somewhat more grounded and less comical setting, while other characters have also been updated to reflect current times, and given more room to breathe.
Though the show's "more drama, less sitcom" approach differs from the original, its distinct takes on classic characters still allow "Bel-Air" to retain a sense of familiarity ... though some fans might find its close association with Will Smith difficult, due to Smith's Oscars incident with Chris Rock, which has put the usually family-friendly star in a newly controversial position. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes events, though, there's no denying that "Bel-Air" Season 1 already has some pretty impressive episodes under its belt. But which one is the best? Let's find out!
The final episode ends Bel-Air Season 1 on a high note
The ending of "Bel-Air" Season 1 is a strong and emotional one, and it's hardly a surprise that the final episode of Season 1 has the highest rating on IMDb by a considerable margin. This is perfectly understandable, because as Variety points out, "Where To?" is "Bel-Air's" version of the original show's classic "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse" — you know, the heartbreaking one where a chance reunion with Will's father (Ben Vereen) ends up reaffirming that he doesn't have what it takes to want to be a part of Will's life. "How come he don't want me, man?" the desolate Will asks Uncle Phil (James Avery) in the end.
Apart from its connections with the legendary episode, "Where to?" has other things going for it, as well. In this version, Will's dad Lou is played by Marlon Wayans, and his backstory is reimagined pretty heavily. Because of this, the episode's broad strokes might be similar to the original, but things actually play out in a very different way than "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" handles the brief father-son reunion.
With an IMDb rating of 7.8 out of 10, "Where to?" stands head and shoulders above the rest of the season — even the second highest-rated episode, "Yamacraw," only has a 7.4 rating.