The Fresh Prince Reunion: An Hour Of Reminiscing And Finding Closure

The closure is something that alludes to many of us in one form or another. Past conflicts that are left unresolved have a way of eating away at us and creating bitterness in the process. However, once you can somehow find that closure, it opens the door to new beginnings and perhaps even healing relationships. One such place where this type of closure took place for the world to see is the recent Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air reunion. 

From 1990 to 1996, the Fresh Prince Of Bel Air was a show that provided many laughs, tears, and a platform for its star Will Smith to branch out into movies. Despite ending 24 years ago, the show has proven to have a lot of staying power in syndication and is still to this day a fan favorite. With nostalgia for shows of the past becoming rampant these days, it was only a matter of time before the Fresh Prince hopped on the bandwagon. 

Photo courtesy of the Independent

Found on HBO Max, the Fresh Prince Of Bel Air reunion brings back together with the whole original cast (including one big surprise). The old crew reunite on the show's original set and reminisce about their time on the show. From how the show was created, filming the pilot, and running gags throughout the series, it was clear the cast had many fond memories working together for that six-year period. 

The reunion takes an emotional turn when they play a video tribute to the late James Avery, who played Uncle Phil on the show. Once the video concluded, the entire cast is left in tears and goes on to speak of how much the late actor meant to them.

The story that stood out most was Will Smith reminiscing on the famous scene in which his character lashes out over his father abandoning him and once Avery grabs him for a hug, he whispers in his ear "Now that's acting."  As someone who was always trying to impress Avery with his acting skills, it was at that moment where Smith felt that he had finally earned his respect.

In perhaps the most talked about part of the reunion special, Will reunites with actress Janet Hubert, who played Vivian Banks for the first three seasons. Hubert left the show after season three due to a bad contract offer, as well as a, falling out with Smith. As a result, Hubert and Smith have had a very public feud that had lasted ever since.

In their first meeting since then, the two air out their grievances which includes Smith accepting responsibility for the role he played in their feud. After an emotional reconcile with Smith, Janet later visits the set to reunite with the rest of the cast including her first-ever meeting with Daphne Maxwell Reid, the actress who replaced her.

The reunion concludes with Will Smith performing the show's theme song that is arguably one of the most iconic in TV history. For anyone who was or still is a fan of the show, this reunion special is a fun trip down memory lane. While also providing us with nostalgia, it also gave us an insight into how important it is to find closure. No matter how much time may pass, this showed that it is never too late to find a new beginning.