The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/Awesome

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will ends up in serious debt after being swindled by some hustlers at a pool hall. When Uncle Phil comes down to help, he attempts to play the hustler to get the money back, only to end up even deeper in debt than before, as Will pleads with him to pay. Uncle Phil then orders Geoffrey to "break out Lucille", his trusty special pool cue, and proceeds to mop the floor with the pool hustler in a second game, winning back Will's debt before soaking the hustler for almost a thousand dollars in extra cash. Back at home, Will asks if Uncle Phil can give him the money he lost, but Uncle Phil only smiles and offers to let Will play him for it.
  • Phil's mother is up late playing cards in the kitchen. Will is sneaking in after being out past his curfew. Without even turning around, she snaps, "Will, it's three o'clock in the morning. Where have you been?" A stunned Will asks how she knew he was there, and she responds, "A mother knows."
  • Carlton got one when he went to Jazz's home in Compton and became a straight-up gangsta -- Will's friends ended up liking Carlton (and his sound financial advice) better than Will!
  • Any time Carlton dances to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". And only to "Billie Jean", apparently. The rest of the time, he dances like Carlton.
    • Though, Carlton dancing like Carlton can be its own special kind of awesome.
  • Will and Carlton get arrested for driving a white guy's car in Palm Springs. The racist cops think they're to blame for some car thefts in the area. After they fail to reach him by phone, Uncle Phil sees them on the TV making a false confession and goes to the jail.

Sergeant: Good news, Mr. Firth. Your car is safe and sound and we got the perpetrators.
Mr. Firth: Those aren't the perpetrators, those are my partner's son and nephew!
Sergeant: ...partner?
Philip: Legal partner. Now, I've got a few questions for you. When you got this alleged confession from these two young men, did they have a lawyer present? No, because I'm their lawyer. Did you notify their parents? No, because we're their parents. So officer, don't tell us to wait and don't tell us to sit down. Just open that damn cell and let those two boys out of there or I'm going to tie this place up with so much litigation that your grandchildren are going to need lawyers!

  • In one episode, Will's deadbeat father Lou comes back and spends a few days around, building up Will's hopes, only for Lou to get a big job and plan on leaving without telling Will again. Philip, who shows a seething resentment for Lou throughout the episode, finally lets him have it in a fiery rant that shows even uncles can be first-class Papa Wolves.
  • In one episode, it's Pledge Week and Will and Carlton are trying to get into a popular all-black fraternity. At the very end, the fraternity's leader, Top Dog, informs Will that he's in -- but Carlton isn't, because he feels that Carlton isn't black enough. Will is obviously angered by this and tries to leave with Carlton by lying about getting in. Carlton goes to defend Will, but Top Dog tells him the truth, and even calls Carlton a "sell out" for being from a wealthy family. Carlton replies with this:

You think I'm a sell out? Why? Being black isn't what I'm trying to be, it's what I am. I'm running the same race and jumping the same hurdles you are. So why are you tripping me up? You said we need to stick together, but you don't know what that means. If you ask me, you're the real sell out.

    • Just adding to it, immediately after Will and Carlton leave, one of the other frat members comes up to Top Dog and informs him "You don't speak for the rest of us, dawg. I'm having you kicked out of here."
    • Also, Will starts bristling the second he realizes what's going on. For all the snark he gives, he really loves his cousin.
  • From Season 2 episode "The Big Four-Oh": Vivian is reminded of how she gave up her dancer ambitions when she became a wife and mother, so she goes to reclaim that part of herself by enrolling in a dance class. She does miserably at first and is ridiculed by two younger dancers because of it. Instead of quitting, though, she gets a few private lessons, then shows up to the next class to deliver what could be her character's most badass moment. *snap!*
  • Will is getting abused by a huge bitch of a girlfriend who also treats everyone around her like crap. When she ends up going to dinner with Will and Carlton, she does the usual and completely disrespects everyone around her, including their waitress. Carlton, having had enough of it, immediately calls her out and orders her to apologize. She actually agrees -- and is so turned on that she becomes Carlton's girlfriend.
    • The last part may be more of Unfortunate Implications -- but yeah, Carlton calling her out was epic.
      • Even when he calling her out, Carlton was still a perfect gentleman. Some women like that sort of thing.
    • That and no one ever stood up to her before.
  • In "Working it Out," Jazz of all people gets a moment. A Small Name, Big Ego actress, played by Queen Latifah, has been treating Hilary (who was working as her personal assistant) like crap the entire episode. Finally, at a party, Jazz decides he's had enough:

You're the idiot! Look, I don't care how many movies you make. You don't talk like that to Hilary! She's smart, she's sweet, and she's the most beautiful woman in the cosmos. And she's been very nice to me tonight, and she's been nice to you, even though you didn't deserve it! So you just tell her you're sorry because I'm about to get pretty damn mad!

  • Jazz getting his revenge by throwing Uncle Phil out of the house for once.
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