History Recap / TheFreshPrinceOfBelAirS4E24PapasGotABrandNewExcuse

* CallingTheOldManOut: Phil – having lost patience with Lou's excuses – really lays into him and tell him flat out, in not so many words, that he is a piece of shit and no father at all, and never had intentions of being one. When Lou tries to bluff an excuse that he was scared, Phil basically [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse calls him on this]], telling him he too was scared when Hilary was born but he was there for all four of his kids and Vivian when they went through some rough times... and later, Will, in his times of need... before he demands that he (Lou) tell Will himself why he's leaving.

* FadeToBlack: No applause...just a zoom in on an African statue replica of a father holding and nurturing his son as we see Will and Phil crying in the background.

* OhCrap: When Lou realizes in the final act that everyone is on to him. He tries to run but he don’t get far. Done twice ... first, when Phil scolds him for being a snakish slime ball piece of shit, and then again when Will comes into the room, seemingly expecting to leave within minutes with Lou on their planned road trip and happily and proudly announcing he’s ready to go.
* PapaWolf: Will may frustrate Phil at times with some of his wild and crazy antics, but when you're a father that has no intent of following through on his promises and is setting up his son to be hurt again, you better run. Lou, in fact, tries to run ... but he can't run fast enough as Phil catches him and really lets him have it.

** Phil, willing to take up the (figurative) cross and allow Will to scream at him and release his pent-up rage, frustration, anger, loss ... on the list goes, after Lou walks out on his son and breaks a promise for a father-son road trip, before tearfully embracing him when Will finally collapses in tears.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Several times with Lou, who is clearly wanting to save his own skin. First, he tries to leave before Phil can catch him ... too late! Later, after Phil verbally assaults him and Lou is no longer interested in hearing it, and realizing he’s been backed into a corner, he declares he’s going to call Will, telling him their “trip” is off and begins to leave again... [[OhCrap then Will comes into the room]], saying he’s all packed and ready to go. Then a third time — but in a defeated sense — when he realizes Will knows he’s bluffing and on to him; Lou doesn’t even try to fight back this time and meekly slithers out of the room.

* VerySpecialEpisode: Will has a tough choice to make: leaving the family that loves him for a chance to re-connect with his father who abandoned him 14 years earlier, hoping against astronomical hope he'll be a real father ... or cutting off all ties with the deadbeat dad and reaffirming that his real family is the one who puts up with him as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". The original [=NBC=] promos played the major scenes — the YoureNotMyFather and the final scene after Lou walks out — to the hilt. The final scene, where Will breaks down and collapses into tears in Phil's arms, using fact played up to make viewers wonder if Will was actually leaving (this, an emotional goodbye) … or was staying and questioning why his biological father was who he was.

* DirtyCoward: While Lou never really explains why he abandoned Will and his mother, it's heavily implied he never expected to be a father and when Will turned four years old, he realized that he didn't want to be one, so he left without saying goodbye to avoid feeling guilty about it. When he returns to Will's life fourteen years later, he is seen to try to reconnect with his son but the same fears of fatherhood return, leading him to make the same choice again. And naturally, he carries out his cowardly choice in as cowardly a fashion as possible: He first attempts to get Phil to break the news to Will instead of doing it himself. When that doesn't work, he drops a bunch of lame excuses on Will instead of telling the truth. Finally, when it becomes clear that Will sees through him, he stutters out, "Yeah, um, s--..." and runs away before finishing his goodbyes. For bonus points, he make no mention of having asked Viola to meet with Will after all this time or even apologizing to her for leaving her, which gives a good indication of how utterly gutless he is.

* BlatantLies: Phil sees right through Lou's intent to take him on the road trip... and again, after he is called on his bluff, call his son "from the road".

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Lou tries to justify his abandonment of Will because he got “scared” but Phil explodes at him.

** The African statue replica of a father holding and nurturing his son. Will fumes that he wasted his money on a present he intended to give Lou... but in reality, the statue can be seen as symbolizing a true father figure embracing his nephew – just like Phil embracing Will – in times of need, and that being a sperm donor (as Lou was) need not be the deciding factor.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Lou tries to justify his abandonment of Will because he got “scared” but Phil explodes at him, telling him that he’s been there, but stayed with his family.

->''I'ma get through college without him, I'ma get a great job without him, I'ma marry me a beautiful honey and I'm havin' me a whole bunch of kids. I'ma be a better father than he '''ever''' was! And I sure as hell don't need him for that, cause ain't a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids! ''(begins to tear up)'' How come he don't want me, man?''

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Phil – having lost patience with Lou's excuses – really lays into him and tell him flat out, in not so many words, that he is a piece of shit and no father at all, and never had intentions of being one. When Lou tries to bluff an excuse that he was scared, Phil basically [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse calls him on this]], telling him he too was scared when Hilary was born but he was there for all four of his kids and Vivian when they went through some rough times... and later, Will, in his times of need... before he demands that he (Lou) tell Will himself why he's leaving.

-->... how come he don't want me, man?

-->'''Vivian:''' Lou, if you walk out of Will's life now, don't you ''ever'' come back.

** A subtle one, when Lou is showing off his basketball skills, Will proudly tells a kid that Lou is his father, at the end he calls him "Lou" rather than "dad".

* DirtyCoward: While Lou never really explains why he abandoned Will and his mother, it's heavily implied he never expected to be a father and when Will turned four years old, he realized that he didn't want to be one, so he left without saying goodbye to avoid feeling guilty about it. When he returns to Will's life fourteen years later, he is seen to try to reconnect with his son but the same fears of fatherhood return, leading him to make the same choice again. And naturally, he carries out his cowardly choice in as cowardly a fashion as possible: He first attempts to get Phil to break the news to Will instead of doing it himself. When that doesn't work, he drops a bunch of lame excuses on Will instead of telling the truth. Finally, when it becomes clear that Will sees through him, he stutters out, "Yeah, um, s--..." and runs away before finishing his goodbyes.
For bonus points, he make no mention of having asked Viola to meet with Will after all this time or even apologizing to her for leaving her, which gives a good indication of how utterly gutless he is.

* VerySpecialEpisode: Will has a tough choice to make: leaving the family that loves him for a chance to re-connect with his father who abandoned him 14 years earlier, hoping against astronomical hope he'll be a real father ... or cutting off all ties with the deadbeat dad and reaffirming that his real family is the one who puts up with him as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".
** The original [=NBC=] promos played the major scenes — the YoureNotMyFather and the final scene after Lou walks out — to the hilt. The final scene, where Will breaks down and collapses into tears in Phil’s arms, using fact played up to make viewers wonder if Will was actually leaving (this, an emotional goodbye) … or was staying and questioning why his biological father was who he was.

* LongLostUncleAesop: Uncle Phil is Will's real father figure.
* MamaBear: Vivian is just as unyielding with Lou when she – after willing to initially cut him some slack – realizes who Lou really is and tells him bluntly

For bonus points, he make no mention of having asked Viola to meet with Will after all this time or even apologizing to her for leaving her gives a good indication of how utterly gutless he is.