Here’s the ‘Bel-Air' Season 1 Recap You Need Ahead of Season 2

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Bel-Air.

While many diehard fans of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rolled their eyes at a reimagined version of the Will Smith-led sitcom, Peacock’s Bel-Air quickly shut down the naysayers. The series amplified many of the 1990s show’s storylines with modern and dramatic points of view.

Bel-Air debuted on February 13, 2022, and became an instant hit. Now, Season 2 is airing on February 23, 2023. Here’s your Bel-Air Season 1 recap before it returns for the new season!

Bel-Air Season 1 opened with the live version of The Fresh Prince’s iconic theme song. Will, a straight-A student and skilled basketball player, gets caught in a war in his hometown, Philadelphia, with his neighborhood’s villain, Rashad (Eazy the Block Captain). During the fight, Will shot a gun a friend loaned him and pointed it at Rashad.

When police broke up the chaos, Will got arrested, making his mother Vy’s (April Parker Jones) worst nightmare come true. She immediately sent him on a plane to Bel-Air to live with her sister Vivian, Phil, and their children. Will arrived at Bel-Air hours later and was greeted by the Banks’ stunning mansion.

While Phil, Vivian, Hilary, and Ashley are excited about Will’s arrival, he receives the cold shoulder from his cousin Carlton. Carlton feels threatened by Will and no longer feels like the golden boy of the household. Things worsen when Will meets his ex-girlfriend Lisa (Simone Joy Jones). Lisa and Will quickly bond over their shared interests and Will’s charm, setting Carlton over the edge.

Carlton spent most of the season hoping for Will’s downfall. He opted not to stand up for his cousin when one of his teammates planted drugs in his locker. Then, Carlton pushed Will into a pool at a party over Lisa. Simultaneously, Carlton struggled to control his anxiety and began snorting Xanax to cope, which amplified his rage toward Will.

In Episode 6, “The Strength to Smile,” Will confronts Carlton about his drug use and lack of support for Lisa at her mom’s memorial. The confrontation leads Carlton to open up about his anxiety in a way he never had with Will. Thankfully, the rest of the season showed the cousins getting along, and Carlton showed up for Will significantly in the Season 1 finale.

Bel-Air Season 1 also showed how the Banks kids conflicted with their parents. Carlton instantly felt in Will’s shadow after he arrived. After Will and Phil bonded at Phil’s fraternity event, Carlton resented the way Phil responded to Will’s interests over his, which adds more fuel to his hatred for Will.

Hilary also doesn’t feel understood by Phil or Vivian. Both parents expressed concern for Hilary’s lack of direction as a chef and influencer. Throughout the season, Vivian encourages her daughter to enter the work field despite her wanting to work on her own.

Hilary eventually tried to forge her own path by entering an influencer house to grow her brand. But she discovered she hadn't figured out everything when the house demanded she posts scantily clad content online. Fortunately, she has a new beau, Jazz (Jordan L. Jones), who is also Will’s friend, and adores anything she does.

Ashley, the youngest of the siblings, is also afraid of being judged by her parents. In Episode 5, Bel-Air added a new identity to Ashley when she shared with Hilary that she’s part of the LGBTQ+ Community. The 12-year-old also told her sister she has a crush on her friend, Lucia, and Hilary encourages Ashley to go for it.

While Ashley felt comfortable sharing her truth with Hilary, she didn’t feel as open with her parents. However, after she advocated for LGBTQIA+ people at her mother’s fundraiser, Vivian asked about her sudden interest in LGBTQIA+ issues, and Ashley denied being personally affected by her protest.