1. Will's Dad: S4. Ep24
Ben Vereen is a Deadbeat. I never thought that was a statement I'd have to utter, but there you have it. The Broadway legend and veteran of both the small and big screen may have many credits to his name, but he will always be remembered as playing Will Smith's deadbeat dad on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Even a show as groundbreaking as Fresh Prince couldn't find the humor in the scenario of a father abandoning his son - maybe it's a cultural thing, a situation all too commonplace in the African-American community, who perhaps haven't learned to laugh at yet. Will certainly wasn't laughing: his father abandoned him when he was a baby, long before he came to Bel-Air, and he saw him rarely, if ever. It was strictly a case of out of sight, out of mind. Until season 4 that is. That's when Lou Smith (played by Vereen) decides to pay a visit to Bel-Air and see his son. All Will's swagger and charm instantly fade away, and he is once again a little kid wanting to spend time with his daddy. The family is understandably more cold towards Lou and treat him accordingly, unwilling to forgive him for leaving Will and his mom in the lurch all those years ago. They believe he's just setting Will up to disappoint him once again. Will isn't hearing any of that and enjoys the new found camaraderie with his dad. For a while, it actually seems like old Lou will pull through for Will and stick around this time. But the inner deadbeat wins out and Lou tries to make a quick break before his scheduled summer-long road trip with Will. Uncle Phil intervenes to try and protect Will, and he chastises Lou fiercely for not being man enough to stick by his son, but sadly this is one instance where Uncle Phil can't be the hero. It's a sad truth, but you can't make someone want to be a good father. Another sad truth: just because it's a truth doesn't mean it hurts any less. http://youtu.be/_Cwe6QJdru8 Will catches his dad just before he leaves and confronts him, leading to a devastating ending that challenges anyone with a heart not to be moved to the point of tears. Watching this scene, you can come to two definite conclusions regarding the Fresh Prince of Bel Air: 1. The Emmy's are a joke. 2. Will Smith is a much better (dramatic) actor than people give him credit for. I'll give you a second to dry your eyes. Now, If there were any dramatic moments you think I might have missed or if you want to discuss the list further please take it to the comment section below. Oh, and since I know you were thinking about it the whole time, here it is: http://youtu.be/zS1cLOIxsQ8