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.”