Although quarantine has felt very long, one thing that helped me get through was binge watching the Netflix show, All American. After hearing all the buzz on social media and from my friends, I figured it was worth a watch especially with all the free time on our hands and I’m glad I joined the hype. All American came out in 2018 on the CW, but recently has been very popular. The show stars Daniel Ezra who plays the main role of Spencer James, a high school football player from Crenshaw, Los Angeles. Spencer is very close with his family/friends, and loyal to the South Crenshaw neighborhood which is a huge part of his personality. However, his world gets turned around when a coach from Beverly Hills reaches out to him with the opportunity to play for a different team and create a whole new lifestyle.
In the beginning, I expected this show to have a typical high school drama plot, but I was quickly surprised to realize there is much more content to All American. This show focuses on many important issues such as the dangers of gang violence, police brutality that African Americans face, drug use, depression/suicide, pressure of high school sports, discovering one’s true identity, and the struggles of growing up in an underprivileged school system/neighborhood. It is very important that young audiences are being exposed to these sensitive, yet relevant, topics. These are issues that we often hear about, but seeing them being experienced by the characters in shows that we love can be more realistic and thought provoking rather than just hearing it in the news.
All American also features Taye Diggs, Michael Evans Behling, Samantha Logan, Cody Christian, Monet Mazur and many others who add to the quality of the show. There are currently two seasons on Netflix, and the third season is expected to be released in the fall. Overall, this is one of those shows that leaves you on the edge of your seat after each episode and is definitely a new favorite.