WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for the first eight episodes of Bel-Air, now streaming on Peacock.
Love and sexual exploration have been major themes in the first season of Bel-Air. Carlton lost faith in Will after realizing his cousin slept with Lisa, while a much-improved Hilary and Jazz are wondering if they can move forward as a couple after Hilary's recent behavior. Even Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv began to experience turbulence, which proved that no relationship on the show would come without its issues. However, the biggest issue has been with the character who's not in a relationship -- because she hasn't been given any proper room to explore her sexuality.
Bel-Air initially seemed like it was going to follow the heteronormative narrative from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. However, it teased a nuanced LGBTQ arc with 12-year-old Ashley Banks. She secretly developed a crush on her close friend Lucia, which felt like a welcome, bold move to update the series compared to its 1990s predecessor and even educate the teenage audience about the LGBTQ community. However, that tease hasn't paid off, with Bel-Air actually doing more harm than good.
When Hilary threw a party for social media influencers in a recent Bel-Air episode, she allowed Ashley to bring some friends over. Lucia was one of those friends, leading to a a brief conversation where a nervous Ashley suggested to Hilary that she might be bisexual. Hilary told her to be herself -- but dropped the talk to go entertain her guests. Hilary didn't pick the conversation up later or at least speak to their parents about talking to Ashley, who was clearly reaching out for help.
To make matters worse, Bel-Air included a later scene where Lucia had a similar talk with Ashley that made it seem like she'd reveal the feelings Ashley was having were mutual. Instead, Lucia admitted she had a massive crush on Will and ran off. That development was insulting, cliched and in poor taste because Lucia didn't even know Will. What could have been a meaningful conversation turned into a cosmetic moment that just brought Ashley down. It's reminiscent of how Superman & Lois set up a queer arc with Sarah, only to drop it by rushing her back with Jordan.
Treating Ashley's storyline so flippantly undercuts the gravity of equality -- especially because queer representation wasn't visible in The Fresh-Prince of Bel-Air, which spoke more about racism. Bel-Air compounded its missteps further when Ashley went to church and asked the pastor to get more LGBTQ folks involved. He said he'd look into it, but again, the show provided no build-up to the moment or any reason for Ashley to be concerned. It was another scene that lasted mere seconds and felt tacked-on, just like Hilary superficially talking to her sister.
Even Aunt Viv, in a weak attempt to discern what was going on, only told Ashley that she could ask if she had any questions. But it felt like Bel-Air was walking on eggshells. The show hasn't dedicated time to Ashley investigating queer culture or seeing things that'd make her a pariah in her community. This timid creative approach has turned Ashley's story from potentially refreshing into unnecessary queer-baiting just to check a diversity box.
Bel-Air is available to stream now on Peacock, with new episodes dropping weekly.
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