As the summer of 2024 draws close, Season 3 of “Bel -Air” debuts on Peacock. The new season picks up a month after Season 2’s finale events when Will (Jabari Banks) inquired to Lisa (Simone Joy Jones) about summers in Bel Air. The audience is immediately plunged into the fun
Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman) continue to thrive in their professional lives despite their middle son Carlton (Olly Sholotan) spending the last month in rehab. The Banks daughters are also flourishing. Hilary (Coco Jones) finds herself amid a whirlwind romance with LaMarcus (Justin Cornwell), and Ashley (Akira Akbar) is coming into her own. Meanwhile, the Banks’ house manager, Geoffrey, and Will’s right-hand man, Jazz (Jordan L. Jones), are embroiled in their storylines, which carry over from the latter half of Season 2. The growth of these characters is a testament to the show’s ability to keep the audience invested in their journey.
The first three episodes of Season 3 of “Bel Air” put the season off to the right track. One of the things that caught my eye was the handling of Will’s arc. Banks continues to be a breakout star, giving Will a sense of authenticity as he becomes a man. While I wish the trailers hadn’t revealed the return of Marlon Wayans as Will’s estranged father, Lou, kudos to the writers for their angle regarding their relationship.
Similar to Banks, Olly Sultan continues to shine as Carlton. Sultans take on Carlton this year tons down the arrogance, and we see him build a brotherhood with Will and finally get a decent love interest, Amia (Alycia Pascual-Peña). Veteran actors Adrian Holmes and Cassandra Freeman also bring authenticity to Viv and Phil, who work through personal and professional stresses. It will be interesting to see where this season takes them. I will say that I wasn’t mainly sold on the arcs for Hilary and Ashley in the first three episodes, but I think I have an idea of where both characters are going, and I may reevaluate after seeing the entire season.
Outside of Will and Carlton, my favorite characters on the reboot are still Jeffrey and Jazz. Jimmy Akingbola brings a no-nonsense vibe to the house manager, and I’m looking forward to learning more about his backstory over the coming while. As for Jazz, Jordan L. Jones has an everyman approach that you want to root for. The enjoyable interactions between these characters add a layer of entertainment to the show. Regarding the new characters for the season, businessman Quentin (Vic Mensa), who plays a part in Will and Carlton’s arc, stuck out the most.
Showrunner Carla Banks Waddles continues to steer the show in its direction, and I eagerly anticipate seeing where the rest of the season goes
Final Grade: B+
The first three episodes of Bel-Air’s third season arrive on Peacock, Thursday, August 15th.
Songstress Ashanti was experiencing significant success with two platinum albums at the time of the release of her inaugural holiday project, “Ashanti’s Christmas,” on November 18, 2003. Her label head, Irv Gotti, produced most of the album. This project comprises four original songs co-written by Ashanti, in addition to six cover versions of traditional Christmas standards and carols.
Vocal quartet A Few Good Man contributed two songs to the project: a cover of “Silver Bells” and the ballad “Merry Christmas My Dear,” both of which were produced by Daryl Simmons. Demail Burks, David Morris, Aaron Hilliard, and Tony Amey were the members of the group, and after introducing themselves in the festive video for “Silver Bells,” it was only fitting that they delivered a ballad on the album.
R&B legend Luther Vandross had already solidified his place in R&B when he released his first holiday album, “This Is Christmas. Arriving in stores on October 24, 1995, “This Is Christmas” validates Vandross’s ability to sing anything.