Hit Or Miss: Netflix's On My Block
The third season of Netflix’s hit series On My Block is set to premiere on March 11 and by the looks of the trailer, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Created by Awkward writer Lauren Iungerich, along with Jeremy Haft, and Eddie Gonzalez, On My Block is a coming-of-age dramedy based around a primarily black and Latinx cast. The half-hour show follows four smart, funny, streetwise teens navigating their way through high school in the tough inner-city of South Central Los Angeles. Between friendships turning into romance and trying to get their friend out of a gang, the crew is faced with constant danger and finds their friendship being tested upon entering high school.
The two-minute trailer picks up right where the cliffhanger of season 2 left off and elaborates on what happened. Unmasked and placed in an extravagant home; Cesar (Diego Tinoco), Ruby (Jason Genao), Monse (Sierra Capri), and Jamal (Brett Gray) meet their kidnapper face-to-face and Cesar knows exactly who their abductor is. She is Cuchillos, leader of the Santos gang, and they have been kidnapped as a “thank you” for taking down the Prophets. Sitting on a wicker throne, Cuchillos asks for the group's help again: to find Little Ricky who apparently is still alive. Given no choice, the teens now have to tackle this dangerous mission.
After being let go of Cuchillos’ peril grace, the crew discusses how they are going to find Little Ricky. They have to keep the mission a secret and to make matters worse, Jamal assures he is being stalked by a creepy smiling girl who appears everywhere Jamal is and watches his every move. There are other unusual events that happen to the group such as knives being punctured into a tire of one of the crewmembers' car and Cesar is conspicuously being eyed by what looks like an affiliate of the Santos gang. Insisting they need “unconventional protection,” the crew accepts help from their nuisance ally, Jasmine (Jessica Marie Garcia) to be their own personal detective. Jasmine sets up an impressive crime board on how to find Little Ricky but wants to practice her frisking first, starting with Ruben.
As the trailer pans out, the crew endures plenty of obstacles on the quest to find Little Ricky, they even go as far as digging up his grave. Cuchillos also returns to make sure the gang doesn’t disappoint her and fail the mission. Emotions run high and there are plenty of hugs, doubt, and fear between the cast. The trailer offered plenty of dark but funny moments, however, the audience can’t help but feel for the ill-fated teens. After all of the drama, a frustrated Ruben asks, “When are we ever just gonna get to be teenagers?” With season one and two both leaving the audience with cliffhangers and more obstacles for the cast to overcome in season three, that question cannot be answered, Ruben.
The trailer ends with Ruben asking Abuelita what she’s looking at on her phone. With a straight face, she flat out tells him she’s looking at male genitalia. After looking at Ruben’s stunned face, she insists she’s just joking and says, “I don’t do that at the dinner table.”
While it was a bold move for the creators to reveal the show’s biggest moments in a two-minute trailer, the show still has more stories to tell and questions that need to be answered. Fans have also become invested in the characters and can see themselves in each one of them.
On My Block has done a good job highlighting racism and sociopolitical issues the character’s face and lightening them with comedic heartwarming moments since its premiere. With the writers of the show continuously leaving the audience with suspense and questions at the end of each season, fans are impelled to tune in for more…. which makes this season a hit.
The single-camera series has also had a consistent track record since its first season in 2018-becoming Netflix’s most binge-watched show of the year, and season three may continue its successful streak.
Netflix has become a beneficial platform in creating compelling teen dramas with a convincing storyline. Shows like 13 Reasons Why, Atypical, Elite, and On My Block have remained popular with young adults over the past few years. Each show features a diverse cast and tells a story from different prospective, showing that representation matters and young adults around the world are here for it.