'Bel-Air' Episode 10: Who is Will's father and why wasn't he a part of his life?
'Bel-Air' has been a show that dived deep into the psyche of the Banks and the Smiths, who were first introduced to us in 'The Fresh Prince.' Over the course of 10 episodes, the Peacock series revealed more about them than the NBC sitcom ever did, though it's understandable as the latter would have had to significantly cut down on the humor to do so.
However, there has been one aspect that neither of the shows developed beyond a certain point - Will's father Lou and his history. Coming as an answer to those who were curious to find out, Episode 10 of 'Bel-Air', titled 'Where To,' touched on this aspect, giving us a lot of details about the absent father.
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Beginning with Vivian receiving the art fellowship and showcasing her art at an exhibition, Episode 10 of 'Bel-Air' sees Lou showing up at the Banks' mansion asking to see Will. He's told to wait till Vivian weighs in on the situation and a little while later Will confronts them about Lou. We find out that Lou was imprisoned for violently assaulting an older man and that Phillip represented him legally but couldn't get him out of the situation. It's also revealed that Lou's father was a gangster who got killed while serving time and that his mother died when he was 15. Lou dropped out of school shortly after and was arrested at the age of 19 for stealing a car. The grand theft auto case worked against him when he was being tried for assault years later.
Vivian and Phillip agree to let Will meet his father after this conversation and what follows is a reunion that is tepid for most parts. Lou tells Will that he didn't contact Will as he didn't want his son to see him locked up. He goes on to reveal that he saw his father in a cell and that really changed him for the worse. He didn't want that to be the case with Will and that's the only reason why he didn't stay in touch with him. There is a lighter moment when the two talk about a basketball game that they crashed into but the conversation switches to Lou's scheming and criminal activities during which he makes a harsh statement or two about Viola, Will's mother.
Lou tells Will that over time Phillip started to get wealthier and this made Viola demand Lou to make more money. The pressure from her end made him resort to criminal activities but Will doesn't buy his justification and they get into an argument when Lou starts speaking ill of Viola. They almost get into an altercation but Phillip intervenes just in time. Will asks Lou to stay out of his life, calling him a "bum" and asking him to find a ditch to lay in and walks out on him. Vivian and Phillip try to calm him down but Lou tells them that Will made a choice to turn down his attempts to make things right and leaves.
Episode 10 of 'Bel-Air' ends with Will leaving the Banks' mansion and meeting Jazz while Carlton approaches Lisa to help him find and bring back Will.
'Bel-Air' is available for streaming on Peacock.