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.
For their second single, the group presented a ballad entitled “Feels Like The First Time.” Once again, Greene handles the lyrics, while Neville Hodge is responsible for production duties. Greene begins the song with robust energy, proclaiming his love for the lady. Greene’s group members provide stellar work on the background vocals, and the songs eschew nineties R&B without going into crass vulgarity.
The ballad was composed by Michael Masser and lyricist Gerry Goffin, and it was first recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1981. Eight years later, Natalie Cole covered the song, shortening the title. It became the fourth single from her twelfth album, “Good to Be Back.”
Braxton’s vocal talent is perfect on the standards “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “The Christmas Song.” However, like any good R&B Christmas album, it is the soulful yuletide bops where Braxton truly shines. The album’s first single, “Snowflakes of Love,” is instrumental of Earl Klugh’s “Now We’re One”. Braxton’s lush vocals encapsulate the warmth and joy of romantic love amidst a wintery backdrop.