"Bel-Air"'s Creator, Showrunner Break Down the Bombshell Moments in Season 2's Emotional Finale

It's no secret that Carlton was, arguably, the most-disliked character in "Bel-Air"'s first season. Between his early disdain for Will and know-it-all, obnoxious ways, he became the villain no one wanted to root for. However, his touching mental health storyline eventually brought him redemption. Carlton's drug addiction (on account of his anxiety) plays a big part in his issues in season two but, as we see, he gets the chance to confess his substance abuse in a major way in the finale at the highly anticipated Founder's Award ceremony.

According to Banks-Waddles, the ceremony is the "big set piece" that allows Carlton's shocking confession to be such a heart-wrenching moment in front of his friends, family, and Bel-Air Academy peers. "We had planted it early at the beginning of the season that this was something he wanted and that was important to him," she explains.

"It felt like the perfect place for that to come to a head. That big moment for a kid who all season has been hiding and trying to be strong and present himself in a certain way; for the biggest step we felt that he could take towards healing was this confession in a very public way," she continues. "Particularly, with this crowd at Bel-Air because he has been this character that's lived in the duality of Carlton."

Series creator Cooper notes that Carlton's confession is also "a real moment of freedom for him to finally let go of these secrets that he's been holding in." After he scolds his sister Ashley (Akira Akbar) for catching him doing coke at school, Carlton essentially hits "rock bottom," as Cooper puts it, and resorts to disclosure to finally free himself of his lies.

"It's painful but powerful, and that's the only way Carlton's going to be able to move forward in his life and really discover who he is in his true essence," Cooper adds. "He finds himself getting close to it but it's the trauma from his past and the challenges that he's experienced become overwhelming to the point where he just has to tell the truth."

Carlton's story arc around mental health has been a major storyline in season two, and it's something Banks-Waddles says she and the writers didn't want to abandon so soon without fully exploring. "I felt like there was a version of Carlton this season where we could have let it go. We could have ended last season with him in a better place, but that didn't feel authentic to what that journey should be, and that it's not that easy," she explains. "So we really wanted to take this season to show how that journey is really two steps forward, three steps back . . . it's not a straight path to healing."

Rarely do we see characters like Carlton — a young dark-skinned Black boy growing up in America — have a chance to explore their emotions so candidly onscreen. Banks-Waddles said "Bel-Air" didn't intentionally set out to tell such a passionate story this way but shifted gears after "realizing the impact of seeing these young Black men be vulnerable."

As for how Carlton ends season two, she says, "We really just wanted to create space to see more about that journey and not let it go. And then, ultimately, have him end in a place that feels like he's in a better place even though he's at his lowest."

As Sholotan previously told POPSUGAR, Carlton ends season two in "the most vulnerable and most raw place that we've seen him." It's unclear whether the show's third season will pick up with him in rehab, as we saw his mom Viv researching inpatient centers in season two's finale, but Banks-Waddles teases that the show will likely "want him to find some healing" to get him back on "a journey to being a better version of himself."

According to Cooper, Jackie (Jazlyn Martin), Will, and Lisa's love triangle "really comes to a head" in the finale when the latter two realize they can't avoid their feelings for each other anymore. After their intimate revelation in Bel-Air Academy's library, the two seal the moment with a kiss. The series creator adds that this is "a very powerful moment" for Will.

"His first friend in 'Bel-Air' was Lisa when he met her in the pilot, and so to see their relationship come full circle in the finale is really powerful," he says. It's unclear what this newfound realization will lead to in season three, but Cooper teases that "we'll see how it impacts [Will's] trajectory moving forward in terms of his love life."

The other "will-they-won't-they" romance that finds some closure in "Bel-Air"'s season two finale is the love triangle between Hilary, Jazz, and Lamarcus. It's been the source of much commentary from viewers, with Banks-Waddles saying that Hilary's boy drama has been "the most tweeted-about storyline all season." But it seems the trio has shrunken down to a definitive couple, for now at least, after Hilary picks who she wants to be with.

At the beginning of season two's finale, Hilary gets a tempting offer from her ex, Lamarcus, who's recently come back into her life when he asks her to take a trip to Paris with him. But in the back of her mind, she still wonders if she made the right choice to break up with Jazz (as seen in episode seven). The latter and Hilary finally get closure after they come face-to-face to discuss their split, at which point Jazz tearfully professes his love. Though the two clearly still have deep feelings for each other, they decide it's best not to open that door again to avoid hurting one another, and Hilary, ultimately, ends up going back to Lamarcus.

As Banks-Waddles explains, Hilary's safe decision speaks to her character's history. "As this character that we've built who bails before she fails — she quits college and she quits things — she tries and she pivots, and I think you see that in her relationship with Jazz because she got hurt." She adds, "Seeing her not willing to go through that again and wanting to protect herself and not be vulnerable, [it's[ not necessarily the best decision because to love you do have to give yourself over to the unknown, but she's just not willing to go through that."

The showrunner teases that Hilary may "learn from that experience" in season three "that it might not have been a healthy decision." Banks-Waddles says Hilary may also come to grips with "why she makes certain decisions in her life with her career but also with her relationships."