The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an iconic sitcom and 90's staple and its theme song still inspires impassioned singalongs in bars and cars across the country. No one can stop themselves from joining in when they hear "Now this is a story all about how..." As loved as this show is, many viewers aren't aware of all the Fresh Prince fan theories that cast the show in an entirely different light. Reddit is rife with crazy Fresh Prince conjecture that suggests that Will died during the opening credits fight and that the mansion in Bel-Air is heaven. Supposedly, the whole show is actually set in the afterlife, not sunny California. Check out the list below to see all the reasons this reading could be true.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an iconic sitcom and 90's staple and its theme song still inspires impassioned singalongs in bars and cars across the country. No one can stop themselves from joining in when they hear "Now this is a story all about how..." As loved as this show is, many viewers aren't aware of all the Fresh Prince fan theories that cast the show in an entirely different light. Reddit is rife with crazy Fresh Prince conjecture that suggests that Will died during the opening credits fight and that the mansion in Bel-Air is heaven. Supposedly, the whole show is actually set in the afterlife, not sunny California. Check out the list below to see all the reasons this reading could be true.
Appearances by Will's parents are few and far between throughout the entirety of the series. Some fans think that because Will is in heaven, the only time his parents show up on the mansion set is when they visit his grave. In the episode, Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse, Will's dad, Lou, shows up after a 14-year absence. Perhaps it took him so long because word of Will's death only reached him when it was time for the funeral.
Appearances by Will's parents are few and far between throughout the entirety of the series. Some fans think that because Will is in heaven, the only time his parents show up on the mansion set is when they visit his grave. In the episode, Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse, Will's dad, Lou, shows up after a 14-year absence. Perhaps it took him so long because word of Will's death only reached him when it was time for the funeral.
What if the "one little fight" that Will gets himself into in West Philadelphia - the one that scared his mother so much she sent him to Bel-Air - was so bad that Will didn't make it out alive? What if he was shot or stabbed instead of being picked up and indelicately spun around? This theoretical fight then becomes the inciting incident of the series that sends Will to the afterlife.
What if the "one little fight" that Will gets himself into in West Philadelphia - the one that scared his mother so much she sent him to Bel-Air - was so bad that Will didn't make it out alive? What if he was shot or stabbed instead of being picked up and indelicately spun around? This theoretical fight then becomes the inciting incident of the series that sends Will to the afterlife.
Jazzy Jeff is frequently and forcibly removed from the mansion by Uncle Phil for generally causing mischief and for hitting on Hilary Banks. Fans suggest that this happens because Jeff is constantly in the hospital for terminal injuries. A doctor always resuscitates him, though, and he is abruptly yanked from heaven and thrown back to the land of the living.
Jazzy Jeff is frequently and forcibly removed from the mansion by Uncle Phil for generally causing mischief and for hitting on Hilary Banks. Fans suggest that this happens because Jeff is constantly in the hospital for terminal injuries. A doctor always resuscitates him, though, and he is abruptly yanked from heaven and thrown back to the land of the living.
What's a better setting for heaven than a huge Bel-Air mansion? Though there is an episode when Will gets shot (some fans think that this is representative of him coming to terms with his death) and an episode when he and Carlton experience racism from police, Will's living in the lap of luxury and he rarely has to deal with anything other than contrived sitcom inconveniences. The greatest support for this theory is the house's white aesthetic - it could easily be described as heavenly.
What's a better setting for heaven than a huge Bel-Air mansion? Though there is an episode when Will gets shot (some fans think that this is representative of him coming to terms with his death) and an episode when he and Carlton experience racism from police, Will's living in the lap of luxury and he rarely has to deal with anything other than contrived sitcom inconveniences. The greatest support for this theory is the house's white aesthetic - it could easily be described as heavenly.
The man behind the Fresh Prince's banging tunes and the character of Jazzy Jeff, Jeffrey Townes, talked to the Huffington Post about this fan theory in 2015 and said: "It’s just, that’s so far-fetched you just laugh... To see someone take all of that stuff and almost create a whole world around it, you’re kind of like, ‘Wow, it wasn't that deep, but that’s amazing that their brain took it there.” He's obviously a little skeptical about whether or not the show is a big metaphor for heaven but maybe that's because his character was being kicked out of it constantly.
The man behind the Fresh Prince's banging tunes and the character of Jazzy Jeff, Jeffrey Townes, talked to the Huffington Post about this fan theory in 2015 and said: "It’s just, that’s so far-fetched you just laugh... To see someone take all of that stuff and almost create a whole world around it, you’re kind of like, ‘Wow, it wasn't that deep, but that’s amazing that their brain took it there.” He's obviously a little skeptical about whether or not the show is a big metaphor for heaven but maybe that's because his character was being kicked out of it constantly.
Some of the lyrics in the full-length version of the show's theme could be interpreted as supporting this theory. If you assume that Will had been hospitalized because of a grievous injury during his "one little fight" then you can also assume he had to be put in a coma. Maybe his mother is coming to terms with pulling the plug. Consider that scenario with these lyrics: I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suitcase and sent me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket
Put my Walkman on and said I might as well kick it It may be a reach, but one could read that as the mother sending Will to heaven. Now check out the next verse: First class yo this is bad
Drinkin' orange juice out of a champagne glass
Is this what the people of Bel-Air live like
Hmmm this might be all right
But wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, and all that
Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat?
I don't think so I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air These lyrics could definitely be read as Will's internal conflict about whether he's worthy of admittance to heaven. He might not be sure that he'll fit in with all the fancy-pants good folks. Regardless, he makes it to the cab.
Some of the lyrics in the full-length version of the show's theme could be interpreted as supporting this theory. If you assume that Will had been hospitalized because of a grievous injury during his "one little fight" then you can also assume he had to be put in a coma. Maybe his mother is coming to terms with pulling the plug. Consider that scenario with these lyrics: I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suitcase and sent me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket
Put my Walkman on and said I might as well kick it It may be a reach, but one could read that as the mother sending Will to heaven. Now check out the next verse: First class yo this is bad
Drinkin' orange juice out of a champagne glass
Is this what the people of Bel-Air live like
Hmmm this might be all right
But wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, and all that
Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat?
I don't think so I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air These lyrics could definitely be read as Will's internal conflict about whether he's worthy of admittance to heaven. He might not be sure that he'll fit in with all the fancy-pants good folks. Regardless, he makes it to the cab.
Many fans think the taxi driver that takes Will to Bel-Air in a "rare" cab is God. The cabby escorts the young Philly native to the pearly gates of Uncle Phil's Bel-Air mansion - which has been already established as heaven.
Many fans think the taxi driver that takes Will to Bel-Air in a "rare" cab is God. The cabby escorts the young Philly native to the pearly gates of Uncle Phil's Bel-Air mansion - which has been already established as heaven.