Dreams and Nightmares

**Dreams and Nightmares** is the first episode of the first season of Peacock's modern-day reinterpretation, *Bel-Air*. It aired on February 13, 2022.

## Synopsis

A talented West Philly teenager is sent to live in Bel Air to avoid the dangers of his hometown.

## Plot

Will wakes from his sleep and plays Freeway's *What We Do* as he prepares for the day ahead. He then heads downstairs, where his mother, Vy, is preparing breakfast and inform him that the VCU scouts are coming to his game this afternoon. The self-proclaimed "West Philly Goat" takes the trash to the curb on his way out, where Tray awaits to dunk on him, before heading to school, where they both score well on their tests before the big game, during which Will scores a buzzer beater to win the game as his mother cheers him on from the crowd. Will, Tray, and the rest of the team head into the locker room to celebrate, where they remind Will never to forget where he's from and recite lyrics from Meek Mill's *Dream and Nightmares* intro.

Vy expresses just how proud she is of Will as they walk to the car, also revealing that the people over at VCU want to set up a visit to the campus in Richmond next month. Will is happy to hear this, but it's a bit of bitter-sweet moment, as he can't help but think about just how far Virginia is from Philly. Vy reminds Will that he's meant to see more than Philly and that his crown is waiting as soon as he finds the courage to wear it.

Will meets up with Tray, and they grab a couple cheese steaks and post up outside of Cesario's Supermarket, where they are approached by Darnell, who offers to put them on as dope boys, but Will and Tray decline his offer, adding that the only place they're putting in work is on the court. Darnell is a bit envious and reminds Will that if he hadn't gone to juvie, then Will would be on the bench serving him Gatorade. When tension rises, Darnell flashes a gun before challenging them to a game on the court and riding off on a four-wheeler.

Three hours later, that last encounter with Darnell is still fresh in Will's mind. Refusing to allow Darnell to upstage him, Will intends to accept his challenge, but Tray fears things could go left and brings a gun for protection, which he keeps tucked in his bag.

Will and Tray challenge Darnell and Rod to a game of 11, though Rashad looks to up the ante with a proposal: if Will and Tray win, he'll give them $2,000 to split, but if his guys win, then Will and Tray work as dope boys for him. Fortunately for Will and Tray, they secure the victory. However, in a fit of rage, Darnell throws the ball at Will and unintentionally hits Rashad, who confronts Will and Tray, resulting in an all out brawl, which leads to Tray being stomped out on the ground until Will grabs the gun from his bag and lets off several shots in the air, causing many to scurry, with the exception of Rashad, who Will has at gunpoint. However, he fails to pull the trigger and the police arrive, slamming Will to the ground and placing him in cuffs as Tray escapes.

Will is placed in a cell. Just a few cells over, Rashad is eyeing him, with the intent to kill Will the first chance he gets. Fortunately, the next morning, Will is sprung and placed in his mother's custody. However, his surprisingly fast release leads Rashad to suspect that he may have snitched. In actuality, Vy called Will's Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv, who pulled some string to get Will free. Not only that, Vy's taking Will to the airport, as she's sending him to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air, much to Will's displeasure, though Vy isn't interested in his wants and tells him that it's already been decided, considering he has a target on his back for pointing a gun at Rashad.

Will gets on a plane headed for Bel-Air. However, when he's unable to find the car his aunt and uncle sent for at LAX, he gets a ride from Jazz, who correctly assesses that Will is from West Philly and then pulls over to the side of the road for Will to get a good view of California. While Jazz tells Will to have fun while he can, he also offers a few words of wisdom, telling Will not to allow Bel-Air to make him forget who he is and where he came from. They get back in the car and pull up to Will's family's mansion, where they are greeted by Geoffrey, the house manager, who pays Jazz's $200 transportation fee.

Geoffrey sees Will inside, where his Aunt Viv embraces him and hands his bags off to Geoffrey. She ensures that he's okay and welcomes him to attend the fundraiser they're throwing for Uncle Phil, who's running for District Attorney. She takes Will to get reacquainted with his cousins, the first being Hilary, who is on IG live and shows Will off to her 3,000 watching followers. Aunt Viv asks Hilary to get off social media and help Will find something appropriate to wear.

Hilary leads Will upstairs and into Carlton's room, which was formerly her room until she moved into the pool house for more space and the kitchen, where she does her cooking tutorials. Hilary has big aspirations, and two years from now, she intends to be on Forbes. Hilary then heads into Carlton's closet, as he bought some suits for a growth spurt that never happened, which happens to fit Will perfectly. Once Will is dressed, she guides him out back, where the party is underway.

Will greets Uncle Phil as he is in the middle of a conversion with two of his colleagues, Fred Wilkes and Judge Robertson, who Will greets with nicknames and various handshakes. Geoffrey interrupts and guides Will to the food table, where he is rushed by Baby Ashley, who is now 12 years old and happy to see him, instructing Will that he's welcome to order off-menu whilst she goes searching for Hilary. While waiting for his cheese steak, Will meets Lisa who admires his wardrobe, remarking that the kicks with the suit cut quite a figure. They are joined by Carlton, who has a bit of an awkward exchange with Lisa, just before she departs. Will looks to catch up with Carlton, who is suspicious of his sudden arrival in Bel-Air and hopes that one day they can talk about why he's really there.

Carlton joins Hilary and Ashley in the game room, where they discuss the upcoming photo op, leading them to wonder if Will will be joining them. Hilary and Ashley want to bring him on stage and make him suffer through the full Banks family experience, whereas Carlton wants to ease him in.

Phillip gives a speech during the fundraiser for his campaign for Los Angeles district attorney, during which he explains that he was compelled to launch this campaign because he's tired of seeing young black men being victimized by the corrupt justice system.

Uncle Phil brings Will into his study, where he tells his nephew that he will follow his rules so long as he's under his roof. While he doesn't know all the details, he knows that Will was arrested after his fingerprints were found on an unregistered gun. This is Will's opportunity at a second chance, but he tells Uncle Phil that he never asked for any of this and suspects that his uncle is simply using him as a campaign prop, but Uncle Phil insists that wasn't his intent and that if he could send Will back to Philly, he would, but he can't, so the story they will tell people is that Will came to Bel-Air for a better education.

Will retreats to his room, where he lashes out in a fit of rage before noticing that he has 10 missed calls from Tray, who informs him that Rashad has a bag on his head, accusing Will of having snitched to get out. However, Will insists that isn't true, rather his uncle has connections, but it's not only Will who is in danger, as Tray is also on his hit list, but Will tells him to stay calm and lie low until he returns.

Will calls Jazz to give him a ride to LAX and climbs the gates to the mansion. However, before they can pull off, Uncle Phil and Geoffrey intervene, paying Jazz off for his time and escorting Will back inside, where Uncle Phil inquires further about Will's plan, such as what he intended to do after getting to LAX. Will simply planned to fly home and fix his situation, but Uncle Phil finds it hard to believe that Rashad would just let go the fact that Will pulled a gun on him. As tears fill his eyes, Will insists that he can handle himself, but Uncle Phil advises Will to let go of his pride and gracefully accept the fact that he's been giving a second chance. Should he take this chance, he'll have every opportunity to create the future he wants. Will agrees to his uncle's terms and texts Tray that he unfortunately won't be returning to Philly.

With Will's latest attempt to flee the mansion in mind, Philip is finding it difficult to see a future where Will fits in with their lifestyle. When he called in that favor to get Will out of jail, he crossed a line, and Will's not making matters any easier. Philip also informs Vivian how Will walked right up to Fred Wilkes, leading Phil to suspect that Fred may be suspicious, though Vivian suspects that he's just being paranoid. While Phil's heart has been aching for Will ever since his father, he doesn't know if they can save him, while also taking care of the three other kids under their roof, not to mention a campaign for DA in full swing.

Will is awakened from his sleep by a call from his mother, who tells him to think about where he woke up yesterday in comparison to today and think about where he'd rather be. While Will shined bright in Philly, Vy tells him he'll shine just as bright in Bel-Air and that his crown is waiting to be worn.

Will joins his aunt, uncle, and cousins in the kitchen for breakfast, which is being prepared by Hilary, who is an amazing cook and has an interview with "Haute Cuisine," the top food magazine in the country. Carlton wonders if this is for an actual paycheck or the never-ending gap year experience, though she assures him it's for real money, and Vivian adds that it's a major step up from the social media stuff she does. When Carlton mentions Connor's beach party, Uncle Phil recommends he bring Will along, as he'll be attending Bel-Air Academy come next Monday. Not only is it among the top five high schools in the nation, they also have the best lacrosse program in LA, which Carlton leads. If Will wants to do well, Carlton advises him to keep his head down and follow his lead, as he leads Bel-Air Academy.

With Carlton at practice, Will decides to join Lisa by the pool, as she's on the swim team and pulls a 22.64 during her last lap, which is her best time yet. She invites him to join her in the pool, but he can't swim and instead asks if she's going to Connor's beach party, which she was considering but doesn't want Will to think that it's a date, given that she's Carlton's her ex.

Will enters the lacrosse team's locker room to find Carlton and his teammates, among them his white friend Connor, singing Bobby Shmruda's *Hot N\*gga* and reciting the lyrics word for word. Will is in disbelief and tells Connor to watch his mouth, but he refuses and they almost come to blows until Carlton intervenes.

Will and Carlton continue this discussion at home, regarding Connor and his use of the N-word, which Carlton doesn't see as a big deal, though Will would beg to differ and calls Carlton a clown, which results in Carlton rescinding his invite to Connor's party and forcing Aunt Viv to intervene, though Carlton insists that they're fine.

Aunt Viv attempts to convince Will to get past whatever issues he has with Carlton, but he has no intentions of changing who he is just to fit in. Aunt Viv can relate, as she felt the same and was bound and determined to keep her West Philly rep, but it was challenging, forcing her to adapt, though it became easier when she found her people, who allowed her to be herself, but that kind of respect goes both ways, and Will isn't the only one having to adjust to their new arrangement. While Carlton may be a bit more territorial, she reminds Will that they're family and advises him to try and get along with Carlton. If she and Uncle Phil see them trying to make an effort, he'll gain their trust, and with that comes more privileges.

Will enters Carlton's room to find him snorting Xanax and proposes that they squash their beef, or at least pretend to, because if they're getting along, Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil will ease up on Will, and once they do, Carlton won't have to drag him around Bel-Air.

Will and Carlton attend Connor's party, where Will is approached by Lisa, who asks him to come celebrate with her after her 22.64 lap time, as it means she's on track for the Olympic trials next year. Unlike everyone around her and despite the fact that she attends Bel-Air Academy, Lisa's family is not wealthy; she attends the school on scholarship, meaning she has to work harder than everyone else. She then inquires about Will and why she's never heard of him before his arrival in Bel-Air, leading her to also wonder how well he knows Carlton and what he's been through.

Meanwhile, Carlton is at poolside snorting more Xanax, with Connor is his ear about Lisa and how Carlton's play it cool strategy isn't working, as she seems to be moving on. High off drugs and fueled by his anger from imagining Will kiss Lisa, Carlton pushes him into the pool, where Will nearly drowns until Lisa jumps in and saves him. When Will finally makes it back to his feet, he punches both Connor and Carlton.

## Cast

* Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks
* Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey Thompson
* Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks
* Coco Jones as Hilary Banks
* Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks
* Simone Joy Jones as Lisa Wilkes
* Jordan L. Jones as Jazz
* Adrian Holmes as Phillip Banks
* SteVonté Hart as Tray Melbert
* Eazy the Block Captain as Rashad Denton
* Sloan 'D4M $loan' Morgan as Darnell
* Tyler Barnhardt as Connor Satterfield
* Joe Holt as Fred Wilkes
* Dorian Harewood as Judge Robertson

Co-Starring* Freeway as Coach Thomas
* Felix Pire as Chef
* Rachel Leyco as Chloe
* Tarina Pouncy as Mrs. Kirkwood
* Bike Life Rex as Himself
* Oluwajuwon Owolabi as Rod
* Jann Ellis as Mrs. Charlotte
* Willie Huggins IV as Donnie
* Jamilah Rosemond as Jaciara
* Alexander Ben-Abdallah as Band Member #1
* Nathan Ricks as Band Member #2
* Michael Foster as Band Member #3
* Cameron Griffin as Band Member #4

## Trivia

* *Dreams and Nightmares* is the debut studio album name by rapper Meek Mill.