What I’m Watching: Bel-Air

Bel-Air: Season 2, Episode 3 “Compromised” (B+)

I feel most bad for Carlton in all of this because he’s legitimately trying to push himself outside his comfort zone and experiencing the unfortunately-timed resurgence of crippling anxiety while his meds are being recalibrated. Negotiating with the administration to have a walkout that was only symbolic and not intended to actually procure action was never going to be effective, and Yasmin, Drew, and Will all seemed to know that. Will hanging that “Black Teachers Matter” banner was very emphatic and will be sure to both get him into trouble and ensure that this won’t be swept under the rug. Phil and Viv seemed shocked and a bit perturbed when Mrs. Hughes showed up at the house to advocate for her own reinstatement, and I think everyone is trying to follow the rules just enough to be able to reshape them. It’s a good thing also that Will was able to pivot from being the showy one-man star of his team to someone who brought them together enough to protest with him for a cause that mattered to him. This may inadvertently jeopardize Will’s basketball prospects, but hopefully knowing that he’s doing the right thing and making a difference will help him see the big picture. While Hilary is having some serious trouble with Ivy that will likely soon lead to an uncrossable bridge in their relationship, she did help Viv come to a much better decision than partnering with Hilary, which was to hire a very willing and competent Lisa to be her assistant.