With its first season, Peacock’s Bel-Air convincingly distanced itself tonally from its sitcom predecessor (for better or worse), all while still largely honoring Fresh Prince’s legacy and characters. In Season 2, the streaming drama will continue down this heightened path, with Jabari Banks’ Will Smith at an emotional crossroads after learning the truth about his dad Lou, as portrayed by Marlon Wayans. Amidst all that turmoil, Bel-Air will be welcoming Fresh Prince vet Tatyana Ali into the fold, and it won’t just be a one-off appearance, either!
Before we even dive into the details, check out the first look at Tatyana Ali’s new character within the Bel-Air universe, who basically looks like a slightly older O.G. Ashley Banks, despite entire decades having passed since the last time we saw the character.
Ali is joining Bel-Air Season 2 in a recurring guest star capacity as a character named Mrs. Hughes, who serves as the English Literature teacher at Bel-Air middle school. She’ll have a particular bond of sorts with Akira Akbar’s Ashley, as Mrs. Hughes sees much potential within the teen, and attempts to boost her intellect by allowing her to borrow books from a personal collection.
Fans can check the former Fresh Prince star out in the first Season 2 trailer below, where she shows up around the 1:13 stamp. Oh, and don’t forget to also be wowed and stressed out by everything else that happens in the trailer, from Carlton going ham on a dude’s face to the first look at rapper Saweetie’s guest spot to Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv looking almost impossibly dashing at any given moment.
It kinda seems like new sole showrunner Carla Banks Waddles and the creative team were winking at fans by way of Mrs. Hughes’ line to Ashley in the trailer:
Never ever let anyone try to change you.
Tatyana Ali isn’t the only O.G. Fresh Prince star popping up in the reboot’s universe, with Season 1 having welcomed Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson into the mix as Art Council board members. Still waiting on Jazzy Jeff to join the Peacock series as…well, any role possible, really.
That said, the DJ and rapper’s amusingly chill vibes might clash with all of the blood-bubbling drama and tension on display in the Season 2 trailer. Things are about to get as complicated as ever for Will, who’s shown to be pulling in bank through presumably illicit means, and one can’t help but feel wary about seeing him in the passenger seat while pulled over by police. But then after seeing Carlton lose his shit and succumbing to fist-slamming violence, Will might have it easier in Season 2. We’ll just have to see how things pan out.
As one of Peacock’s current best dramas, Bel-Air is set to debut Season 2 on the streaming service on Thursday, February 23, so make sure not to schedule any street ball tournaments on those days, especially not ones that might get out of hand and turn violent. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.
