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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
S5.E15
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IMDbPro

Bullets Over Bel-Air

  • Episode aired Feb 6, 1995
  • TV-PG
  • 23m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
898
YOUR RATING
Alfonso Ribeiro and James Avery in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)
SitcomComedy

Will and Carlton are at the ATM and somebody tries to kill Carlton for his money, but Will takes the bullet for him.Will and Carlton are at the ATM and somebody tries to kill Carlton for his money, but Will takes the bullet for him.Will and Carlton are at the ATM and somebody tries to kill Carlton for his money, but Will takes the bullet for him.

  • Director
    • Shelley Jensen
  • Writers
    • Benny Medina
    • Jeff Pollack
    • Maiya Williams
  • Stars
    • Will Smith
    • James Avery
    • Daphne Reid
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    898
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Shelley Jensen
    • Writers
      • Benny Medina
      • Jeff Pollack
      • Maiya Williams
    • Stars
      • Will Smith
      • James Avery
      • Daphne Reid
    • 5User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos2

    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top Cast12

    Edit
    Will Smith
    Will Smith
    • Will Smith
    James Avery
    James Avery
    • Philip Banks
    Daphne Reid
    Daphne Reid
    • Vivian Banks
    • (as Daphne Maxwell Reid)
    Alfonso Ribeiro
    Alfonso Ribeiro
    • Carlton Banks
    Karyn Parsons
    Karyn Parsons
    • Hilary Banks
    Tatyana Ali
    Tatyana Ali
    • Ashley Banks
    • (as Tatyana M. Ali)
    Joseph Marcell
    Joseph Marcell
    • Geoffrey Butler
    Ross Bagley
    Ross Bagley
    • Nicky Banks
    Nia Long
    Nia Long
    • Lisa Wilkes
    Vernee Watson
    Vernee Watson
    • Viola 'Vy' Smith
    • (as Verneé Watson-Johnson)
    Beverly Jackson
    • Nurse Avner
    Nita Whitaker
    • Nurse Upton
    • (as 'Nita Whitaker)
    • Director
      • Shelley Jensen
    • Writers
      • Benny Medina
      • Jeff Pollack
      • Maiya Williams
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews5

    8.5898
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    Featured reviews

    10theteamavengers

    One of the best episodes

    It had a great plot, not much comedy but more seriousness. Will trying to be funny during the situation was great. I loved the dialogue between Carlton and Will at the end.
    10phildogg21

    "I'm all grown up, Dad. Don't tell me any more fairy tales".

    Yet another priceless episode of "Fresh Prince". Like other episodes portraying certain dark issues ("Just Say Yo" and of course "Papa's Got A Brand New Excuse") "Bullets Over Bel-Air" is another one of those episodes that holds you by your arms and legs and screams 'Pay attention, man!' At an ATM, Will and Carlton get mugged and Will is tragically shot, leaving the family (including Will's mother, Vy) to pray that Will's alright. But Will is alright (it's Will Smith) as 'no bullet can stop me'.

    There are lots of defining moments in this episode. The family in the hospital waiting room trying to come to terms with what happened, Will trying to lighten up the mood because this kind of stuff happens all the time, Carlton's opinion on the legal system and what this world is coming to, Carlton disappointed it should've been him instead of Will, that little touching moment between Will and Lisa ...

    ... and that scene with Will and Carlton that he should've won an Emmy for ... or been nominated at least.

    Great compelling scene, as Will discovers Carlton's carrying a gun and knowing he's about to do something very stupid, orders him to give him the gun with tears flowing from his eyes. Carlton hesitantly tosses the gun on his hospital bed and storms out without another word.

    Will buries his face in his hands, like he's asking God for help or a miracle...
    1ApprehensiveSpaghetti

    Almost like a slap in the face to viewers

    I love this show but I hated this episode. This show did its share of serious episodes well, but this was just... too much. Anyone tuning in to this one expecting a laugh-fest like usual for this show is likely to walk away as though they were just yelled-at. This was too heavy even for the Fresh Prince to handle.

    After I finished watching this one I felt like I had just been yelled-at for expecting something humorous. The gritty and dramatic themes come up out of nowhere with all the subtlety of an atomic bomb going off. At best its sudden attempt at an extremely straight face for once in the show's run just comes off as jarring and trying way too hard to win that Emmy - the dramatic themes really aren't done that well anyway.

    Again, the show does handle serious issues very well (interracial marriage, drugs, parental abandonment), but this episode really has no place in the show. It was just _too_ serious.

    This isn't Star Trek, which could bounce between genres as freely as it wanted; this was a sitcom. A sitcom that at times delved into the serious issues but tried to stay away from them for the sake of its viewers. Except this time. And it was just insulting.

    Related interests

    Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry in Friends (1994)
    Sitcom
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      An uncredited Stephen Lang played the armed robber.
    • Goofs
      Jazz sends Will a stolen wreath of flowers while he's in the hospital. The sash on it misspelled "Miss Inglewood" as "Miss Ingelwood".
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Will: Give me a hug.

      Carlton Banks: What?

      Will: I said give me a hug, man. A brother get shot, he get a little emotional. Now, get over here and give me some love.

      [Carlton gives Will a hug, then Will feels something in Carlton's jacket pocket]

      Will: What's that?

      Carlton Banks: It's a gun.

      Will: Carlton, are you out of your mind, man? You walking around carrying a gun, what do you think you're gonna do with that?

      Carlton Banks: It's for protection.

      Will: Carlton, you think it's that easy to just shoot somebody?

      Carlton Banks: I'll close my eyes.

      [Carlton flips a food tray in anger]

      Will: I was gonna eat that, man.

      Carlton Banks: Everything's a damn joke to you.

      Will: So what, you don't think I'm mad? Huh? I've been laying up in this hospital an inch away from being paralyzed, you don't think I wanna get up out this bed and go catch that...

      Carlton Banks: It's not gonna happen again, not to me!

      Will: Carlton, I understand that you're scared, man, but the world can be a scary place. You just gotta learn to deal with it, alright?

      Carlton Banks: Yeah, well, I found my way.

      Will: That's not you, man, that's them.

      Carlton Banks: Look, I didn't come here for your approval, alright? I came here to see how you were. I'm outta here.

      Will: Carlton.

      Carlton Banks: No more hugs, Will.

      Will: I saved your life, man. I saved your life, YOU OWE ME! Now give me the gun, Carlton.

      [pause]

      Will: Give me the gun. I saved your life, I want the gun!

      [Carlton slowly lays the gun at Will's feet, then leaves the room. Will leans forward for the gun and sees that the gun was loaded and starts crying]

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Moments (2016)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 6, 1995 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • NBC Studios - 3000 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • The Stuffed Dog Company
      • Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment
      • NBC Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 23m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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