The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV Series) Bullets Over Bel-Air (1995) User Reviews

Bullets Over Bel-Air (#5.15)

[ComedyFan2010 · 8/10 · 2 May 2018]

Carlton and Will are being robbed at the ATM and Will saves Carlton from a bullet which gets him wounded.

This is one of the episodes that has less humor and is more serious and emotional. I really liked it. Especially Carlton was good. His conversation with Will was a very good scene. One can see all the emotions of Carlton who is now disappointed with the world and is trying to deal with it. Will getting the gun from him also resulted Will in finally let go of trying to be humorous about it and show his intense emotion with tears coming out when he feels like he saved Carlton once again by taking the gun away.

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

[phildogg21 · 10/10 · 2 July 2013]

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...

One of the best episodes

[theteamavengers · 10/10 · 5 December 2020]

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.

Almost like a slap in the face to viewers

[ApprehensiveSpaghetti · 1/10 · 7 December 2013]

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.

Many questions

[sparkslowry · 3 November 2023]

I think about this episode all the time. Why does it end on such a downer? It's a message episode, I know, and a pretty well-done one for one of these but like, why? Why is it so bleak? Why does Stephen Lang shoot Carlton? Why is he played just like every other Stephen Lang villain? Does Carlton ever get over his PTSD? Why do they never mention this again? Why is Will fine the next episode? Will Smith calls this the episode where Fresh Prince 'jumped the shark' (inaccurate use of the phrase, I'm afraid) but it's the one that cemented the show in my mind forever. This episode is something I think about every time I dissociate. I have dreams about it. It haunts me. If anyone, involved or not, has any answers, please come to me. I await eagerly.