“ | Will, you're not going anywhere. | „ |
~ Janice seducing Will |
Janice Robertson is the antagonist in the season 4 episode "M Is for the Many Things She Gave Me" in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" television series. She is a scheming and seductive woman, largely motivated by sexual urges.
She was portrayed by Pam Grier.
History[]
Janice was a old collage flame of Philip Banks whom he pursued romantically but never really won her over despite his many efforts. She later got a job as a newspaper reporter, married and had a daughter named Wendy. What happened to her husband is unknown, but it is assumed that they either divorced or he died.
Role in the television series[]
Janice and Wendy arrive at the Banks' house to have dinner with them after an invitation from Philip. During the dinner, Will and Carlton battle over Wendy's affection while Phil reminisces over his college days with Janice, earning him compliments from Janice and warnings from his jealous wife Vivian. While Will wins the bet from Carlton and takes Wendy out on a date, Janice continues to chat with Phillip despite Vivian's objections.
Later in the episode, Janice encounters Will after his date with Wendy and invites him into her hotel room so he could share his views on an earthquake article she was working on. After Will enters, she then shows her true persona and begins seducing Will by appearing to him wearing a large red robe. As the uncomfortable Will attempts to leave, Janice claims that she only changed into a robe because she put on some weight and her dress got too tight causing Will to apologize for offending her.
She then calls him over to her bed and shows him some family photos from her vacation in St Tropez with her daughter, some of which depicted as them having fun as well as one photo of her hardly wearing anything on the beach. Will panics at this and tries once again to leave her hotel room only to be stopped by Janice, who approached him and informs him that he is "going nowhere" all while saying this seductively. Later, she engaged in a sexual tryst with Will.
The next day, Janice encounters Will at the Banks' house again while he is on a date with her daughter Wendy and continued to manipulate him, showing concern only for her own appearance if her secret was found out. During the family barbecue, Janice then turns her attention over to Phillip and, knowing his continual unrequited feelings for her, invites him over to her hotel for dinner that evening, prompting Will to intervene and confess his secret to Phillip who is so horrified that he loudly blurts it out to everybody.
When her daughter Wendy confronts her about whether or not her secret about her and Will together was true, Janice just looks at her daughter silently and embarrassed. Though she attempts to explain her reasons for such actions, Wendy is disgusted and ashamed of her, chastises Will for supposedly sleeping with her mother willingly and then storms away. Even after her daughter Wendy stormed out in disgust and was told to leave by Vivian, Janice showed no guilt and tried to claim what had happened was no big deal, to which Vivian retorts "Maybe not in your little world." Janice then tries to put the moves on Phillip to get the heat off her back, telling him that she and Phillip could've had something special together. But he resisted and told her that he already had "something special" showing his true devotion to Vivian. Janice then leaves the Banks' home in disgrace. It's unknown what happened to her after this, but it’s guaranteed that her reputation as a reporter went downhill.
Personality[]
Janice was a selfish and manipulative woman who didn't seem to care about who she seduced and slept with to satisfy her sexual needs as long as she never got caught. She is also aware how her presence seems to affect Phillip's wife Vivian, but just shrugged it off and wanted Phillip for herself. Even when her daughter confronted her about the situation with Will and left angry and ashamed of her, she never had the urge to go after Wendy and explain, which assumed that she wasn't sorry for what she had done.
Trivia[]
- Pam Grier who portrayed Janice later recurred on Smallville as the notorious DC villainess Amanda Waller.
- Janice's personality bears similarity to Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate. Her last name also bears similarity to the character hence "Robertson/Robinson". The episode's love triangle between Janice, Will and her daughter Wendy bears similarity to the plot from The Graduate as the main character finds himself in a love triangle between his older lover and her younger daughter.
Villains | ||
Carl Robertson | Janice Robertson | The Shooter | Juggles |