Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Bel-Air season 3.

Bel-Air has taken important storylines from the show it’s based on, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but one of Will Smith’s most heartbreaking stories got a new twist in season 3. Though their basic premises remain the same, Bel-Air has made big changes to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. With over 30 years between their premieres, Bel-Air is a more modern, darker version of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, with the episodes adding more depth to the existing characters and their backgrounds, which is especially evident in this storyline.

The Bel-Air characters may share names with their Fresh Prince counterparts, but much of their similarities could be considered surface-level. Each actor brings their own new energy to their character, adding new layers to them that may have been absent in the original sitcom. Will’s reason for leaving West Philly to live with the Banks family in Bel Air is much more serious, setting a different tone for the series, though Fresh Prince proved in multiple episodes that it could excel at drama as well as comedy.

Will’s Dad, Lou, Returns In Bel-Air Season 3

Lou Only Appeared In One Episode Of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Bel-Air repeated Will Smith’s saddest Fresh Prince of Bel-Air storyline when his dad, Lou, was first introduced in the season 1 finale. Will was raised by a single mother, his father having left when he was a young boy. When he moves to Bel Air and sees Phil’s relationship with Carlton, while developing his own relationship with his uncle, he becomes more curious about his dad. In both versions of the series, Lou shows up for an episode looking to bond with Will after years of absence, though he ends up disappointing his son.

In Bel-Air, this was made even sadder by Lou being in prison for years, unable to see Will. On top of this, Vy, Aunt Viv, and Uncle Phil had been lying to Will. Eventually, Will realizes he’s better off without Lou and accepts Uncle Phil as a father figure. Yet, Bel-Air departs from the storyline in Fresh Prince when Will runs into Lou again in season 3. In Bel-Air season 3, it’s revealed that Lou never left California and was trying to get his life together to hopefully repair his relationship with Will.

Lou’s Return In Bel-Air Season 3 Teases A Big Departure From Fresh Prince

Will’s Poor Relationship With Lou Has A Continued Impact On His Life

After running into Lou in Bel-Air season 3, episode 1, Will sought him out at the barber shop he was working at. It seemed as though things would finally be changing between the father and son in Bel-Air until Lou once again revealed his true colors. Lou is clearly jealous of Phil and the support Will gets from the Banks family and their fortune, and tries to shame Will for his ambitions outside basketball. Lou wants Will to be like him, a basketball player, but Will doesn’t want to be anything like his dad.

This leads to Will taking the summer off from basketball in Bel-Air season 3. This is a big change in his character that shows how much influence Lou still has on his life. Though Will claims he doesn’t need Lou, there’s a part of him who wishes his dad could be there for him and love him unconditionally. Bringing Lou back in Bel-Air season 3 doesn’t just mark a departure from the Fresh Prince storyline, but it adds depth to Will and highlights the impact parental absence can have on a child.