Warning! SPOILERS for Bel-Air episode 9.
Will’s dad Lou or Uncle Phil’s election, hitting these significant milestones also reminds viewers of the related character events that the reboot is missing.
Although this plotline took place during Fresh Prince season 3, Bel-Air’s first season reuses the original show’s election storyline for Uncle Phil. As the race wraps up, Bel-Air episode 9 repeats the storyline from Fresh Prince’s original episode, "Asses to Ashes," involving the political tricks and mudslinging of Judge Robertson in order to end Uncle Phil’s campaign. While the Fresh Prince episode was more important in solidifying Phil’s aspirations as a judge, it also marked an important milestone for Carlton Banks’ character.
The Fresh Prince episode that Bel-Air episode 9’s storyline comes from was the very first episode in which Carlton Banks (Alfonso Ribeiro) did the iconic “Carlton Dance" to Tom Jones' “It’s Not Unusual.” While Carlton had already done a variation of the dance in a previous episode, this was the first instance in which the song and dance would become intertwined, which marked the birth of one of the 1990s' most famous pop culture moments. Even if people hadn’t seen Fresh Prince, most were aware of the iconic Carlton Dance and its association with Tom Jones' song. Sadly, this monumental moment for Fresh Prince’s Carlton isn’t translated into Bel-Air with the election storyline, reminding viewers that the reboot may never actually incorporate the most famous fun aspect of the original.
Not only does the crossing of this Fresh Prince milestone suggest Bel-Air will never depict Fresh Prince's Carlton Dance, but it also serves as a clear reminder that serious drama is the reboot’s biggest priority – the fun comes in small doses, but not enough to bring back Carlton’s most famous quirk. Removing the fun of Carlton’s character, especially his iconic dance, demonstrates that comedy doesn’t quite have a place in Bel-Air. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering the primary motivation for Bel-Air is to augment the serious themes of Fresh Prince, but it does elicit more nostalgia for the interpretations of the original characters.
It’s clear that Bel-Air’s version of Carlton (Olly Sholotan) will never recapture the comedy or light-heartedness of Alfonso Ribeiro’s figure, but it’s still possible for the reboot to integrate more fun into the character, albeit in a lighter dose. The end of Bel-Air season 1 has seen Carlton become more self-assured and comfortable as he becomes closer with Will, suggesting the character may finally let his guard down in installments. If so, it’s possible that the Carlton Dance could come into play at a party, but there are so few opportunities for fun in the reboot that it still doesn’t seem entirely likely. While Bel-Air’s Carlton lacking the comedic traits of Fresh Prince’s character makes sense for the reboot’s tone, it’s still a disappointing reminder that the new reimagining will likely never depict the fun side of the show.
