Netflix’s On My Block comes to an end with the release of its fourth season on Oct. 4. The show revolves around the life and friendship of four teenagers growing up in a majorly Hispanic and Black populated neighbourhood, with rivalry amongst gangs of the two groups.
Cesar Diaz, Monse Finnie, Ruby Martinez, and Jamal Turner have been a close-knit group since childhood. But things go south when romantic feelings arise between Cesar and Monse (played by Diego Tinoco and Sierra Capri). Throughout the seasons, we get to see their romance grow and their relationship evolve while they try to keep it a secret. I find the two totally adorable, as they try to overcome all obstacles in the way of their love. On the other hand, Jamal (Brett Gray) decides to go on a quest for the forbidden RollerWorld money, which was supposedly buried somewhere in the town by ex-gang member Lil Ricky. And while everyone is busy in their own situations, Ruby’s (Jason Genao) sole purpose in life is to get a personal bedroom for himself in a traditional Hispanic home with seven family members.
Overall, the show is an excellent watch. It is a perfect combination of slight predictability and constantly having viewers at the edge of their seats. It has some foreseeable plotlines and other episodes ending in cliff-hangers.
The characters portray unconditional loyalty and love toward each other, as their friendships are tested several times during the show. Whenever one of the characters is in trouble, or simply not going through a good time, the rest of their group re-prioritize their own issues and stand by their side, setting an example for ideal friendships. Along with themes of friendship, trust, and romance, the show also tackles the issue of racism when Monse realizes that she was abandoned by her mother (who was a Caucasian woman) because she looked more like her father (who was of African descent).
The show sends a strong message about how racism is common in people’s everyday lives, to the point where they do not even realise they are being racially discriminative because tired stereotypes are unconsciously rooted deep in their minds. The way Monse’s character handles her mother’s behavior toward Monty (Monse’s father) is absolutely commendable. She gives up her comfortable life and private school friends as a way of disassociating herself from her mother and taking a stand for her father.
Another one of my favourite bits about the show is how all the characters are constantly on a hunt for something or the other, keeping the show exciting and letting the viewers create their own theories about what could happen next. The show has a lot of mysteries going on at the same time (and it might even seem like too many to some). But this is what I really liked about the show. Every character had a personality of their own and dramatic revelations going on in their lives instead of just mooching off the storyline of another character. The show had passion, drama, thrill, romance, and was certainly not your average teenage TV show.
At the end of the final season, the creators teased a new spinoff for the show called Freeridge. No additional details have been released about the spinoff show, but the fans of the original show have something to be excited for. If you haven’t watched the final season yet, On My Block season four is now on Netflix and ready for you to stream.
