All American Review: Surviving The Times (Season 3 Episode 19)
All American Season 3 Episode 19, “Surviving The Times” delivers shocking conclusions to long-standing conflicts, leaving multiple lives hanging in the balance.
The series takes a different approach with “Surviving The Times,” opting for an in medias res cold open. It’s a clever and well-thought-out diversion from the show’s usual storytelling format, building tension from the very opening moments of the episode.
It may be a shocking opening, but it’s also one that only gives away so much information; even with knowing pieces of what will come within the hour, All American manages to deliver multiple twists and shocking cliffhangers by episodes end.
Multiple plot lines this season have felt only partially fleshed out; paths taken have felt like roads going nowhere. It’s undoubtedly a symptom of filming with pandemic restrictions, but “Surviving The Times” brings those conflicts back around, making them relevant in surprising ways.
Jordan and Spencer’s display of brotherhood pivoting into rivalry minutes before the State Championship is an unforeseen story route, and gives Jordan’s injury the ultimate payoff.
It was clear Billy would eventually discover the boys had been training together, but the reveal of Jordan sharing the offensive playbook with Spencer adds an entirely new layer of conflict; one that branches out and becomes both team’s problem.
Sharing offensive plays essentially pivots every character against one another for different reasons, causing the absolute destruction of team unity — and intimate relationships — minutes before they’re forced to take the field.
Now, a friendly game turns personal with pride on the line and emotional stakes are at an all-time high.
It’s a truly genius twist, and the raw emotion Ezra and Behlings put into their performances drive the moment home.
Another second twist comes in the final moments of the episode, when Coop and Mo finally square off.
The introduction of Mo has felt perfunctory at best; All American misses an opportunity to deliver a more three-dimensional character in Mo, and her connection to Preach feels shoehorned into a plot that’s been relegated to the backburner of the season.
Preach shooting the mother of his child in an attempt to protect Coop could be a great reveal — if All American has developed his relationship with Mo and their daughter earlier in the season, earning viewer investment.
Instead, Coop’s big, potentially life-ending moment ends up feeling like it deserved more.
Luckily, Bre-Z’s impassioned delivery of Coop’s speech to Mo lands beautifully, and a beloved character like Coop earns an automatic emotional response.
The most surprising payoff of the episode, however, is Asher Adams.
Asher’s storyline this season was derailed by an unnecessary “almost” romance that did nothing but regress his character trajectory. All American reverses that blunder in the finale by recentering his purpose around football.
Asher handles discovering Jordan’s secret with integrity and honesty. He finally does the right thing for both his team and his friend — even finding a way to give Jordan playing time. It’s the perfect way to showcase Asher’s growth over the past two seasons, and prove how much he’s learned from his mistakes.
The added emotional grenade of a heart condition, plants the seed for an incredibly interesting future storyline moving forward.
He may not be able to play football anymore, but his talents lay in coaching. It gives Asher an opportunity to navigate through devastating news while finding a new path, and Cody Christian a chance to showcase his immense acting abilities through heightened material.
“Surviving The Times” may drop us directly into the action, but it never gets around to providing any answers.
It’s a rollercoaster ride of an episode, serving ultimate highs (Spencer and Jordan are All American! Spelivia are official!) and disastrous lows that will ultimately alter the trajectory of every character’s future.
This season of All American has been a true testament to what can be accomplished even in the face of insurmountable obstacles. Plot holes and disconnected storylines are an inevitable result of filming during a global crisis, and what All American has managed to create this season has been nothing short of inspiring.
“Surviving The Times” isn’t just a tease meant to fill us with anxiety and dread until All American Season 4 premieres. It’s a promise that whatever you think you know about this show, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
I’ll be holding my breath until October. See you back here then, when we hopefully will not be collectively crying at Coop’s funeral.
Random Thoughts:
- All American is trying to be delicate with Carrie, but I still worry they’re villainizing mental illness.
- The mac and cheese running joke is such a small but delicious episode thread.
- Jordan getting excited to tell Billy he grabbed a fork for his cereal instead of a spoon is such a delightful insight into their domestic dynamic.
- Spencer making All American (and Jordan too, for that matter) has me crying into my mac and cheese. THEY DID IT!
What did you think of this episode of All American? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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All American airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Kat Pettibone
Kat Pettibone is an aspiring TV writer, artist, and poet. As a Pacey Witter Fan Club lifer who never missed a TGIF, she has dreams of becoming your generations small screen Nora Ephron. She's also an avid lover of coffee, dogs and all things spooky.