For those who see a regression in Jordan's character in the latest ep....
The pilot set Jordan's series Achilles heel in motion incredibly well. He overhears his dad, the great NFL star Billy Baker, say that Spencer is the guy who will deliver the Beverly Hills championship. His name wasn't mentioned at all. And he's back to the day that he broke a window and saw the pride in his dad's eyes once he realized Jordan could be an exceptional quarterback.
Jordan said it as much in 5x19. He was chasing his dad's attention ever since. And all of his actions from the pilot to s4 constantly informed that idea.
It's why he was messing around and getting high. He saw how the connection between his dad and Spencer was unlike anything he's experienced. And was just kinda like, well, what's the point? I suck, so I might as well have fun. And then when GW is working with him, he can't shake the, what do you think? Am I good? Is my dad wrong? Am I good? Am I good? Am I good?
And then of course after his dad's affair was revealed, and this man that he idolized revealed that he was very, very human, all hell broke loose. And when he's told he's going to be a father, he's like. Well, shit. Maybe this is something that will bring us closer in a weird way because he's not perfect either. He has no choice but to help me, right?
He is brokenly trying to make peace with his failed relationship with his dad and letting down his mom. And then Spencer, his brother, not only leaves Beverly but takes his dad with him. His dad follows the perfect son. Of course he's going to marry Simone. Because Simone is telling him, I know you would've been a great father. I know you can support me. I see you as a man. And then he completely loses himself after his concussions. Because the one thing he had going on with his dad, with his friends, with his school, with his future, with all of it... was football. And if he didn't have football, where else was he gonna find approval?
Once he gets Spencer to train him and becomes this really bad ass player, he's like... wait a minute. GW saw something and trained me really hard. Now Spencer is pushing me hard. Maybe it isn't me... maybe my dad just doesn't see me as anything special. And Simone has these dreams and fell in love with Bringston, and maybe that's my dream, too.
And s4 is when he finally starts to let go of his expectations that his dad see him as anything as a screwup. And that's when Billy is starting to think, hey wait a minute. What did I do? How did I fail my son this way? It's the classic "Look at me! Dad! Dad! Dad..." The minute Jordan shuts up, Billy looks.
And it isn't until Jordan starts getting closer to Layla that he begins to let go of his people-pleasing tendencies. His whole life, he's like, Are you proud? Are you proud now? How about now? What should I do? What should I do? What can I do to make you proud? And in a loving way, Layla has no time for any of it. Isn't it funny that she brought up him seeking his dad's approval in the studio when he didn't even mention his dad? Olivia has told him that Jordan sometimes doesn't see himself as great. But Layla's the first person to say, what even defines greatness? What do you want?
And it's that thought that has Jordan finally progressing on the path to leadership. And finally mends, really mends, his relationship with his dad. Jordan lets go of trying to please him so damn much and starts going after what he wants. And accepts his dad for the flawed man he is and loves him for it. And then Billy finally, finally, finally is like, I screwed up. But I will be the best damn coach to you if you give me another chance. Because I can't lead this team without your talent. And when Billy decides to stay at Crenshaw, Jordan isn't even phased. Because he had finally started to look inward.
When Billy dies, he immediately tries to be his father. And pretty quickly realizes that that's not gonna work because he's not. He's always, always, always been Jordan Baker. Not Billy Baker's son. And in that way, he knows how proud he's made his father.
Don't you see? It is a leap of faith to get engaged at nineteen, and I'm not saying it's not risky because it is. But he figured out what he wanted. Good or bad, he didn't talk to anyone else about it. He didn't say, what should I do? What would Dad do? Even when Layla was so adamant against Asher proposing to Jaymee, he had to see for himself what her answer was going to be. He's not relying on anyone else to tell him his dreams or show him his path. He didn't want to waste any more time waffling when, in his gut, he knew what felt really, really right. And he chose his way.
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