Block out some time to watch a Netflix original series, On My Block.
This 10-episode series and coming-of-age story takes place in a working-class Southern California neighborhood, Freeridge, and while this might be a fictional setting, the problems tackled here are very real. Using a mix of humor, romance, and a bit of mystery, On My Block addresses topics like gang violence, single-parent households, deportation, social status, and race.
On My Block follows the lives of five high-school students as they engage in typical high school shenanigans from parties to school dances, while trying to overcome, or sometimes just avoid, adversity.
This teen dramedy, starring all people of color, has a main plotline with an equally interesting, and perhaps even more entertaining, subplot. While four of five main characters- Monse (Sierra Capri), Cesar (Diego Tinoco), Ruby (Jason Genao), and Olivia (Ronni Hawk), are caught in a sort of love rectangle and heavily impacted by Cesar’s involvement in his older brother’s gang, Santos, another character- Jamal (Brett Gray), is off on his own adventure looking for a buried treasure that may or may not even exist.
Taking a humorous approach to life in the inner city was skillfully done and does not evoke pity from viewers for these characters and their way of life. Rather, it makes us see things as they are and allows us to relate to these characters. As the show’s co-creator Eddie Gonzales said, “We don’t need to be saved. We need to be heard.”
On My Block cast and creators want this series to “show our side of the tracks” and hope this show will help to push Hollywood to have more productions that star people of color.
A newly discovered fact that has upset many viewers, however, is that one cast member, Ronni Hawk, who plays a Mexican girl whose parents get deported, allegedly is a Trump supporter, which infuriated several fans. These fans are now calling for a recast of this character.
While occasionally cheesy, this series is always appealing and certainly worth the watch. I guarantee by the time season two comes out, we’ll all be falling (down) for this show.
