On My Block was an immaculate depiction of family and resonated the meaning of ‘squad goals’.
It’s in the center of this diverse group that don’t call themselves friends but instead family, that the heart of the story really resides. They’re all apart of a grounded culture being all of colored people (AA’s & Latinos) but they were all different individual characters that made up this functional crazy dynamic.
When we start out it’s with a team of four - Monse our fierce female who has more courage in her pinky than most of the guys. She’s a no bullshit taking kind of gal who believes in fighting for her fam (probably because one of hers walked out). Then we have Cesar, he’s destiny to join a gang because his family legacy is in fact their own gang. Cesar is fine as hell, suave as hell, charming as hell, smart as hell, and not your normal good looking guy. He’s not a player, not a foolish or light hearted guy. He’s someone you could see with a bright future…and yet many like him end up gang chained. Ruby is the small shrimp of the squad, but what he lacks and size and muscle he makes up for with his gift of gab. He has a Virgo personality - type A, obsessive, organized, focused on small details. But he also has such heart. Wanting the best for those around him. Jamal is our 'black’ voice. Normally this role is given to females but here we are and I love him for it. Jamal redefines the black male image on entertainment tv. Hes not over masculine, but he’s not emasculated either. He’s not closed off or emotionally stented from hood life - hell he can’t even hold a secret much less his emotions. He’s not your resident jock, he’s not your airhead, or your athlete. In fact even though he feels pushed towards football, he actually hates the sport. His passion is found in the puzzle and understanding shit for what it is. Olivia joins the crew last but she’s def a nice addition. They don’t use her to be a rift or to lower Monse’s status by having them riffled with jealousy and secret hate for one another. The women loved one another and went out of their way to do for the other, despite their situation. Olivia is a girls girl but they don’t shine a bad light on that like it’s wrong. She loves this concept of squad meaning family and she tries her damnedest to hold that shit together.
The show features concepts of gangs on the surface…you have Cesar’s family gang, the rival gang and lil Ricky’s crew. But the show doesn’t try to over play gang concepts for entertainment…which often happens in entertainment television. They represented them how they just are…a part of the community. Just like our resident Squad, the gangs had a family/friendship quality like to them. They didn’t give Spooky the villain cast just because he was a gang leader. He was feared, yes, but he was so much more than a gang leader. He had his own charm, he was not the bogeyman - he was a man who chose a life in part to take care of his younger brother. He had goals and dreams, he was smart and capable, and his being a part of the gang didn’t erase that reality of what/who he had been. The rival crew weren’t treated as evil either…the show presented the laws of the street simply as they are. Even though the rivalry tend to be latinos vs blacks in gangs that didn’t overarch into the the internal circles - meaning Jamal was an automatic enemy to Spooky/Cesar because he was black. Lil Ricky’s Crew although robbers and dead - their stent was about friendship. That representation of that friendship and who they were was the key to the puzzle. There was no stereotyping in the story, no Hollywood bullshit.
I love love so I ship the shit out of Cesar and Monse. They were right up my alley with their tease back and forth nature. Chemistry was on point. They didn’t pretend like Cesar had to be control because he was a guy - even physically. In fact in his relationship with Monse he has to put in extra work to pull things his way. That was one of the cutest shits about them. Most of all, I love this concept of a guy just feeling all them damn emotions. They didn’t try to make Cesar any harder than he had to be so there were many a time where we get to see him extend his emotional bounds and it’s beautiful. I think it’s important for coming of age stories that have love stories showing a guy extend himself instead of it always being the girl who has to chase, bend, or change herself. I loved that they were presented as that no matter what couple. I hate this need that a lot of writers seem to have to tell young people that love when you’re young is juvenile and unimportant and so I was happy that didn’t happen here. I love this fact that she had this belief in him that was unbreakable and didn’t need validation to exist. While their thing was supposed to be a secret to outsiders he never tried to keep things from her - even when he fucked up he wanted to tell her before anyone else although his communication skills were whack (how you gonna tell someone that over the phone boo?! 😒) but she was his confidant, his go to - even when who he was upset with was her, he didn’t hold that in and I think that’s important. I really dug their thing. It was one of my favorite elements.
Ruby and Olivia’s thing is cute. They’re in the start up of what they could be but I am here for it too. They didn’t try to play my baby - when he told her to go out and experience life but know that he’s gonna be the love of her life, my jaw hit the floor and I was shooketh! They def had me on edge wanting to see what was next for these two.
The show was amazing. You get the sense that the writers knew what they were doing and what they wanted to say. The comedy was appropriate - current and not riffled with over used jokes. The comedy comes from the identity of the characters. It felt authentic - that alone is a joy because often when people do inner city productions the dialogue is terrible and it seems like they’ve never been around those groups before. That didn’t happen with this show. These were all kids you could imagine knowing for real. Their personalities weren’t at all over reaching and their internal struggles were relatable. The story was about more than a Squad, more than a group of friends - it was about a family who were willing to fight for that bond, fight for each other and willing to die for one another. Even in the end - it was about going the extra mile in the face of those you care about. It was about protecting Squad.
This season did what it was supposed to do…it let us in - introduced us to the players and teased us with who they were. But it also showed us the door to season two. They left us hanging from the cliff praying breath held. We have the questions and know the possibilities. We’re in just deep enough to care and crazy enough to hope. A second season is not at all a difficult possibility to imagine - deservingly so.
There were so many aspect I loved about this show! The writers didn’t have time for bullshit:
The black man stayed and raised his daughter.
The black parents weren’t overly oppressive and controlling but passionate in the support of their child.
Latinos didn’t have to curb their tongue just because someone who didn’t fully understand the language was around - in fact the one time he did question terminology he was told Google was his friend, and then later he understood the term by context clues (which was his bases every time they switched)
Guys can have emotions and girls can sometimes hurt those feelings by being overbearing, or less sensitive…just like a guy can.
Slut shaming is wrong - even if it is your old as granny
Sass is not only a female trait - never fool yourselves
Girls can like the same guy and not let it turn them into some raving mad cliche
Casual presentation of culture is a beautiful thing
Acting/Casting: 10/10 The casting was perfect. Every stepped into the identities of their character and as the show went on the acting progressed as well.
Directing: 8/10 The setting/set up was amazing. They really gave you that vibe and the sense of for the story but I do think camera work could have used some work.
Story: 8.5/10 I only deduct points because I was able to predict where it was going basically from the start.
Over All: 9/10 I would def watch several times over and I’m here for season 2 which I better get!
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