Bel-Air: Why Uncle Phil Keeps Will's Legal Trouble A Secret
WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Bel-Air episodes 1-3.
The new Uncle Phil in Bel-Air is far more secretive about the reason Will comes to stay with them, making sure the family keeps Will’s legal trouble under wraps. In both the original Fresh Prince series and Peacock’s Bel-Air reboot, Will Smith moves to Bel-Air to live with his aunt and uncle after getting into a fight during a pick-up basketball game. However, in a fittingly more dramatic fashion, Bel-Air’s version sees Will’s mom send him away after he’s arrested in the fight, with Will spending a night in jail before Uncle Phil makes some calls to get him released.
Will’s mother was nervous about his future in both cases, though Bel-Air’s was more about keeping him from being killed by a West Philly gangster who was arrested alongside him. After Uncle Phil’s status as a powerful lawyer gets Will off the hook with the legal system, Vy immediately takes him to the airport, though Will isn’t warmly welcomed to his family’s home. When Will first arrives to thank Bel-Air's Uncle Phil, the family is hosting a party for his campaign for L.A. County’s District Attorney, with the Banks patriarch cutting off Will when he begins to speak about what really sent him to Bel-Air. Instead, Phil tells the family and particularly Will that they will all express the reason for his move as an opportunity for a better education.
Related: Why Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air's Serious Reboot Is So Divisive
Considering the original Fresh Prince’s Uncle Phil wasn’t concerned with keeping the details of Will’s arrival secret, Bel-Air presented an interesting change to the character’s personality and motivations. The most significant difference is that Uncle Phil is running for D.A. at the very start of
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