Bel Air
repeated a glaring problem that was carried over from the original series, but season 4 could fix that. Bel Air is an incredible reimagined series that updates and reboots The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air decades after the original show’s release. While the original show helped launch Will Smith’s career, the updated show Bel Air provides a much grittier and more realistic view of the differences in social, economic and cultural classes, and the pressures that accompany them.
Bel Air does a great job of fleshing out the cast, with the Banks family and Will in the middle of everythingand the supporting cast that populates their community. Additionally, the show offers compelling and interesting narratives for many of these characters, which see them develop and grow throughout the show. However, one character that is often overlooked, in both the original and modern shows, is Ashley Banks.
Ashley Banks still struggles to play an active role in Bel-Air history
From the original series to now, Ashley is underdeveloped
The Fresh Prince was much more focused on comedy, with the Banks family fulfilling several archetypes that contrasted with Will’s free spirit. This show really put Smith at the center of things, and everything else happened around his character. So, it made sense when characters like Ashley, Hilary, and others were less developed and mostly had stories that overlapped with Will’s. However, Bel Air You don’t have the same excuse to fall back on. One of the biggest strengths of the rebooted series is the fact that it gives equal attention to the entire cast, with important stories happening for everyone.
Carlton struggles with confidence and drug abuse, Hilary wants to be seen as independent and find love, Viv pursues her artistic career while balancing being a mother, Phil struggles to find a work-life balance that puts his family firstly, and Geoffrey has an important narrative going on with his own estranged son. However, Ashley appears to have less of her story being exploreddespite some brief hints of an ongoing romance.
The original Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air also had trouble giving Ashley a good story
Ashley never got a chance to shine in the new Prince
Still, the level of attention Ashley receives is comparatively little on both shows. In the original show, Ashley was Will’s adorable cousin and a incredibly bright young man. However, his story was never developed beyond that. Meanwhile, Phil comes to admire and appreciate his nephew and his unique perspective. Carlton begins to get involved with Will as a resource to help him become more popular and get more out of life.
The rest of the family also has ongoing stories, although less so than in Bel Airbut there is a clear difference between the time dedicated to Ashley’s story and the others. For any reason, Ashley is forgottenand his story never gets the chance to be fully explored. Potentially this could be due to her age, which means she’s excluded from many of the things her siblings and cousins ​​do, but that doesn’t explain why she might not have more stories to explore.
How Bel-Air Season 4 Could Finally Give Ashley a Bigger Presence in the Banks Family Story
Bel-Air season 4 has a chance to highlight Ashley
With the show turning into a romance story for Ashley, who is trying to understand and explore her sexuality, Bel Air season 4 has the opportunity to examine his first love. Potentially, this could lead to dating, having a girlfriend, and even heartbreak if things don’t go the way she hopes. But beyond romance, Ashley is an incredibly bright young woman, passionate about current events and participating in initiatives that can help save, improve and change the world.
Ashley has a lot of potential for her character to be explored, especially since she is maturing and starting to get involved in some activities with her older brothers. In addition to following high-profile events, spending time with family, and exploring romance, Ashley has the opportunity to make big waves thanks to her conscientious efforts to help fight for the things she believes are right. And if Bel Air If you can do this successfully, it will mean that Ashley will finally get her chance in the spotlight after being largely ignored in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.