Bel-Air: Season 4 Episode 3 – Recap and Review

It’s Thanksgiving, and alongside Lou bringing up the past, Geoffrey reminisces about his origin story with the Banks family.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Episode 3 “What Are You Doing for Thanksgiving?” Recap and Details

The Foundation For This Life: Geoffrey, Phil, Vivian

With Geoffrey feeling like he is on the outs with the Banks family, he decides to self-isolate during Thanksgiving and sit at a bar, similar to the one where he met Phil. There, he finds himself reminiscing about when he met Phil, then only 6 years in his marriage with Vivian, Hillary, a toddler, with Carlton soon to be born.

At that point, Geoffrey was feeling low since he lost access to his own family, but being invited into Phil’s home to be amongst his, it gave him something to hold onto. The way Geoffrey tells it, if Phil hadn’t sat down with him and formed this friendship, Geoffrey may not even be here.

But, as shown, this isn’t a one-sided relationship. Geoffrey helped Phil get a bank loan when it seemed no one would for his law firm, and as noted throughout the series, Geoffrey has stepped in and made sure Phil and his family were protected, and obstacles were moved out of their way. And for that, despite all that is happening, Phil makes it clear that Geoffrey will always have a seat at his table.

Trying To Bring The Family Back Together: Lou, Will, Phil, Vivian, Carlton, Ashley, Hillary

Will getting in legal trouble again, with Carlton right next to him, triggers Lou to appear, and his timing couldn’t be better. In many ways, both Carlton and Will needed Lou, and while Phil isn’t necessarily happy to see Lou, Vivian manages her emotions, and Lou becomes quite a hit over Thanksgiving.

You see, with Hillary stuck in Costa Rica, she isn’t there to cook and do everything, so Carlton takes the lead, and while everyone played their part, Phil didn’t turn on the oven to cook the turkey. Luckily, Lou knows how to fry a turkey, and with that, the meal turns out well, but the conversation gets a touch hostile.

Why? Well, because Lou brings up the past more than Phil cares to hear, and with him not only talking about his own past, regarding jail, but also when Vivian and Phil were at their humble beginnings, Phil doesn’t like that. He doesn’t like Lou telling his story to his kids, who he seemingly keeps from knowing him at that level.

However, while Lou and Phil bicker, by the end of the night, there is peace in the Banks household. Vivian reveals Phil used to defend Lou’s thought process when her sister used to visit and talk badly about him. Also, Phil and Lou have a heart-to-heart regarding their relationship, and between that conversation and one Phil has with Carlton, it seems Phil is open to being challenged, and admittedly is petty, but if he can be challenged privately, he can be mature about it. Do it in front of his family, however, and he’ll be an ass.

Speaking of being an ass, Ashley takes it down several notches after talking with Carlton and opening up to Vivian about her struggles finding her people in high school. Thus pushing the idea that Thanksgiving may act as a reset for the household, rather than just making things worse.

Control The Controllables: Lou, Will

Unfortunately for Will, he is a Smith, not a Banks, so things don’t end as perfectly for him. Just as he gets comfortable calling Lou “Dad,” he learns, through Phil’s pettiness, that Lou has to head back to Philly for a job. This is understood, but still hurts, so Lou focuses on trying to encourage Will, especially since he and Will’s mom don’t want the Banks paying for Will’s college. So, with that in mind, Will is pushed to lean back into basketball for potential opportunities, and he takes his dad up on that idea.

New Characters in Episode 3

Younger Geoffrey (Christopher Ammanuel)

Younger Geoffrey (Christopher Ammanuel) – Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 3 – Peacock

Younger Phil (Gavin Peppers)

Younger Phil (Gavin Peppers) and Younger Geoffrey (Christopher Ammanuel) – Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 3 – Peacock

Younger Vivian (Loren Lott)

Younger Vivian (Loren Lott) – Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 3 – Peacock

Review and Commentary

Highlights

Getting The Backstory Of Multiple Relationships [83/100]

This felt like a back-to-basics episode. One in which Bel-Air was trying to fill in the cracks of the foundation to help support the various storylines wrapping up the show. By going into Geoffrey and Phil’s past, it picks the best method to bolster things, as you are presented with why, despite the trouble Geoffrey brings, Phil stands beside him and navigates the rough waters.

Then, with Lou, between what Vy has said and Phil’s own disappointment when it comes to Lou, you see why they have such a relationship with him, Vivian as well. Phil respected Lou as a father, and with being married to a Smith girl, he got it. He understood being challenged, trying to co-parent, and seemingly was willing to go to bat for Lou as long as he was being a good dad.

But then he wasn’t, and with losing that silver lining, that redeeming quality, it seems Phil immediately lost any respect he had for Lou, and it took Lou up until now to start trying to build that back. Which, yes, making an effort matters, but because Phil has been consistent, far more than Lou, you can see being challenged, borderline insulted, in his own home, in front of his own kids, felt personal.

Mind you, Phil recognizes there are some things he could do better, and perhaps some of the issues he has with his kids are because he doesn’t let them in and know his whole story and be as vulnerable as Lou seems willing to be. But, as said above, there is one thing to be critiqued in private and another by those directly affected by your decision-making. Lou not presenting things in the ideal time and place simply added fuel to the fire and, perhaps, felt like a betrayal, considering how Phil used to defend Lou in private.

Overall

Our Overall Rating [83/100]

With this episode setting aside the organized crime drama, and toning down the personal drama of the teens, to something more grounded, the first set of episodes released for season 4 ends on a high note. But, with the more notable drama not being resolved, just taking a day off, who knows what awaits over the next few weeks, as Peacock dumps the rest of the season before the year is over.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.