All American Review: Hustle And Motivate (Season 2 Episode 1)

Season 2 is officially here and it is already thriving.

All American Season 2 Episode 1, “Hustle and Motivate,” wastes no time piling on the signature drama and it is nothing short of excellent. 

“Hustle And Motivate” proves the kids have plenty of issues to work through. That’s especially true when it comes to protagonist Spencer James and best friend Tamia Cooper; two characters who are both navigating their way through new chapters.

However, the show seems to be narrowing its lens toward adult drama more than ever.

The best thing about the parental storylines in All American is the adults tend to actually act like adults; a rarity seen on The CW. 

That doesn’t mean the trepidation isn’t on overdrive — it is. But what’s most impressive is how the characters actually handle and navigate those challenges. 

Karimah Westbrook shines brighter than ever as Spencer’s mother Grace, and this season positions her right at the shows beating heart.

Her presence already carries much more weight than her frivolous dating escapades of All American Season 1. Grace existed on the outskirts of Spencer’s story, but almost always as a sidelined character, even when Spencer’s struggles revolved directly around her particular actions.

Season 2 puts Grace right in the helm of the hoopla, giving her ample amount of time to shine. 

All American is stupendous when it comes to writing female characters. Grace Jones is the pinnacle of that talent. She is unbelievably fierce. She is flawed. She owns it. And she is completely unwilling to let anyone walk all over her.

That’s clear through her interactions with Billy, Spencer, and especially Corey.

All American Season 1 Episode 16, “Championships,” left Grace in a precocious position. An essentially flawless character was now having their upstanding nature brought into question, and it was unclear how All American Season 2 would approach Grace’s affair with Billy.

Thankfully, Season 2 Grace is willing to simultaneously both admit her wrongdoings and remind Corey things haven’t changed. She may have stepped out of their marriage, but Corey still packed his bags and left her to fend for herself with two sons to raise.

That won’t, and shouldn’t be forgotten.

She also wastes no time pivoting in order to save her sons future.

Approaching Laura face-to-face is a courageous thing, and takes plenty of modesty. It’s a move not many shows would make; instead, allowing the woman vs. woman face-off to go on for far too long before reaching an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Grace and Laura talking directly places importance on their shifting dynamic without putting Billy in the middle. In fact, Billy matters little in the equation. Laura may not be ready to forgive Grace, but it’s clear by her repetition of Grace’s speech, she at the very least respects her as a mother.

Laura Baker shows incredible poise throughout the episode. Even though she’s crumbling over a devastating betrayal, she still welcomes Spencer back in her home with open arms.

She even apologizes for placing any unearned blamed on Spencer.

It’s truly a moment of pure strength and makes Laura an even more enticing character; one deserving of more story and screen time.

All American doesn’t waste the opportunity to emphasize how both Baker women are holding things together. Olivia is attempting to nurse her broken family back together, while Jordan blows off steam with a string of faceless women and Billy spends his nights at a local bar.

Considering how Season 1 focused on Olivia just trying to maintain her sobriety, she’s come quite a long way in her journey. 

It’s only Layla that feels like a delicate flower. She’s no doubt a strong individual, but her light no longer reaches her eyes when she smiles and says everything is okay. 

She’s lost her mother, her father is completely absent, and she refuses to lean on anyone around her. Her mental health is deteriorating, and it’s only a matter of time until she can’t bear the weight any longer.

Her refusal to confide in anyone is interesting, especially considering Olivia already knows of her previous breakdown. Olivia has been through her own share of problems, so being judged by her best friend isn’t something Layla would have to fear. 

Olivia: One minute you’re destroying your house with your hands and the next minute you’re all football barbie. Whats up?

It’s worrying, and there have to be underlying issues for Layla’s aversion to getting help. Women can be both flawed and fierce, but she isn’t ready to succumb to that reality.

All American has a prime opportunity to tell a compelling mental health storyline here, and it seems like they won’t be letting it go to waste.

Spencer himself is in the dark when it comes to Layla’s issues, and that’s troubling. He claims their differences are what make them a great couple, but more often than not, the two find themselves at an impasse.

No matter what they do, they just can’t seem to communicate.

It wouldn’t be right to discuss complex female characters without discussing Coop. There may have been less of her than usual, but every second of her screen time was meaningful. 

Coop’s ability to unabashedly stand up for what she believes in is truly inspiring, even if sometimes it puts her in dangerous situations.

Her hesitation in running to Spencer when things get tough has been a consistent theme throughout the series, and while some may find it frustrating, it’s a testament to female empowerment.

Coop owns every decision she makes, refusing to let a man swoop in and save her. 

While it’s nice to see All American Season 2 hasn’t let up on Coop’s innate independence, it would be nice to allow her at least one episode where her life isn’t in constant peril.

Staying away from gang affiliations and keeping her distance is good advice she’d be smart to take, but knowing Coop, she won’t stay away for long–especially someone she cares about is in danger.

For now, she’s safe and can focus her own life. Her relationship with her mother is still in shambles (through no fault of her own) and she has a blossoming, beautiful relationship with Patience.

She also has to keep herself available for providing constant advice to Spencer, which sometimes seems like a full-time job.

Her advice is always poignant, and much needed; Spencer always feels like he needs to put the world’s problems on his shoulders.

But while Coop and Spencer is potentially the paramount dynamic of the show, Bre-Z portrays Coop with such an inticing relevance; it’s hard not to crave more Coop-centric story arcs. 

Especially those revolving around her relationship with Patience. 

Patience is a perfect match for Coop, but we don’t know anything about her beyond who she is to Coop’s world. They are such a healthy representation of lesbian romance, but Patience stepping out of the shadows would make their dynamic even more compelling.

There are a few new characters arriving in Crenshaw and Beverly Hills, and while new faces are always exciting, they aren’t always what’s best for a show.

Rochelle is a whip-smart, beautiful girl, and saving Spencer from total life devastation is a solid move. However, new young characters tend to read like they are inevitable romantic interests, and there’s already too much unexplored romantic potential on All American.

If she isn’t headed toward romantic entanglement, there still simply isn’t enough time to develop a new character; especially when the show hasn’t fully embraced the ones they already have.

Asher is barely around for “Hustle and Motivate,” and his absence is felt. This doesn’t mean he won’t get his fair share of screen time in the future, but Cody Christian delivered some of the best performances in All American Season 1.

There is an incredible amount of unexplored potential for his character.

There’s also Jordan. His family lineage dynamics are incredibly intriguing and his motivations are still somewhat of a mystery.

Patience and Kia are two women of Crenshaw who are just begging to be given more focus.

There’s Chris, who is recuperating from a near-fatal accident and refusing to talk with Spencer. He’s Olivia’s boyfriend (although that probably won’t last much longer) and we don’t know anything else about his life.

So while Rochelle won’t necessarily be a negative addition to the cast, there just might not be room for her. Especially considering there’s a new mysterious boy in town, who seems to be woven into the James’ family dynamic.

Corey can’t help but disappoint people. He does something commendable and claims Dillon as his own, then turns around and throws everything out of balance again.

The men just can’t handle themselves appropriately on All American.

At least the women are there to show them how it’s done.

Spencer still hasn’t made his decision between Crenshaw and Beverly. The Bakers are still a broken family. There’s an anonymous soul out to sabotage Spencer. Corey has brought in a mystery player. Layla is hanging on by a thread. Dillon’s biological father is still a mystery.

All American is bursting at the seams with drama, but it’s doing so impeccably. The pacing is on point, the character development is present, and it never feels like a soap opera; instead, staying far more grounded than other shows in its wheelhouse.

It’s the diverse teen drama everyone’s been waiting for, and it looks like Season 2 is going to provide one heck of a ride.

Stray Observations/Thoughts:

• Jordan and Layla are similar characters. The way they handle struggle and how they choose to be perceived by the outside world. These two barely share scenes, but they could really grow together.
• Spencer and Olivia’s chemistry is absolutely uncontainable. If their characters are supposed to read as sexually charged, someone should probably let the actors know.
• The tribute to Nipsey Hussle is a beautiful nod of respect.  All American is constantly aware of its responsibility to represent Crenshaw’s community accurately. The mural (made by Hussle’s real-life close friend Keenan Chapman) is truly something special.
• Spencer and Jordan is friendship and brotherhood that goes undervalued at times. Their car rides seem to move them both forward as individuals and exemplify how close they are, even if that dynamic is partially developed off-screen.
• I wonder if JJ’s hair is so blindingly white because he is by far the whitest person on this show.
• Billy is flawed, but Corey feels like the real villain of this story. Corey says the right things, but it still feels like his motivations are selfish and underhanded. If he’s using Spencer for his own career, it won’t be surprising.

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What did you think of the premiere? Any ideas about ratted out Spencer? Who is this new mystery boy? Are Rochelle’s intentions pure? Will Laura forgive Billy? Are there new relationships brewing? 

Leave your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below!

All American airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW. 

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