*Warning: Spoilers below
Earlier this month, Netflix released the highly-anticipated fourth and final season of the popular teen comedy show, On My Block. Of course, I finished it in the span of 48-hours like any loyal fan would, only to end up on the verge of tears upon the death of my favourite character, the iconic Abuelita.
Beyond just her essential grandparent duties, Abuelita was a criminal mastermind and the glue that held her unstable friend group together. Let’s not forget she was also a firm believer of their hilarious conspiracy theories.
One of the biggest mysteries from season four was the threatening letters Ruby, Jamal, Monse and Cesar all received. The mysterious “you can’t run from the past” message immediately made the friend group take fright, leading them to try and figure out who sent them. Of course, their first guess was Cuchillos’ men, with Cuchillos being the gangster whose murder they were previously involved in.
However, near the end of the season, everything made sense when Jamal figured out this was Abuelita’s doing. She explained herself saying, “I saw you grow up together, love each other, then you stopped talking. So, I thought if I create a mystery, you would start talking again.” I couldn’t help but admire Abuelita’s love for the group. Her tenderness, combined with her intellect, created this flawless plan to bring the squad together and look out for each other, resulting in a happy ending for all of them.
I found it adorable how Abuelita was easily able to predict how all four kids would act as if they were all her grandkids. It shows how close she’s grown with them throughout the seasons, helping each of them through life.
Beyond just being able to successfully manipulate the kids, Abuelita was also the criminal mastermind who engineered all their plans and got them out of trouble. With Cuchillos’ body being discovered, the group of friends were in trouble with the police, who were then forced to come clean to their parents. Sitting on a dining table in Ruby’s house, Jamal, Monse and Ruby recapped everything, from stealing the infamous RollerWorld money, to getting kidnapped by Cuchillos. The hilarious reactions from each of the five parents made this my favourite scene from the whole season.
Even funnier was the number of times Abuelita came up in their story as a “great getaway driver,” money-laundering coach and a motivator for Jamal to go after the RollerWorld money. This scene perfectly summed up the integral role Abuelita consistently played in the group’s lives.
Abuelita also deserved major props for doing what no one else had the guts or brains to do. She saved all of the kids from the police’s suspicions by telling the cops “only what they should know,” a method she stands by. While it was never revealed what story she spun for them was, she magically got rid of the cops for the rest of the season! Her ability to mastermind an entire operation and also save the kids (in a way none of their parents could) made her the smartest character out of them all.
Even though Abuelita’s death was a sad one, season four came to an end with a party at Ruby’s house in celebration of her life, just as she had wanted. In true Abuelita fashion, she even left the kids with a “parting gift”: a mysterious new map, possibly leading to the RollerWorld money they had previously lost. This full-circle ending truly proves that, even after her death, she will remain the genius behind their journeys, their successes and the memories the group will continue to make together!