The Netflix Series, All American, tells the story of character Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), a rising high school football player and student at South Crenshaw High. Crenshaw is Spencer’s home, but he has to make a big decision when Beverly High School’s football coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) asks him to join his team in Beverly Hills. With the help of his mother, Grace (Karimah Westbrook), and his best friend, Coop (Bre-Z), he makes the tough decision to switch schools and play for Beverly. When circumstances force Spencer to move in with the Baker’s, the tension between Billy and his son, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), begins to increase. Now, Spencer has to find his place in Beverly, while trying to keep his place in Crenshaw. 

All American consists of two seasons, with a third coming out in fall 2020. The series is based on a true story and is mainly about football. The show covers a substantial amount of issues that teens and adults deal with that may be inappropriate for children under 14 years of age. For example, Spencer has to deal with the fact that his dad left him, his mom, and his brother Dillion, (Jalyn Hall) when he was young. This impacts his life greatly, especially when his dad comes back. Other characters like Asher Adams (Cody Christian), Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan), and Leila Faisal (Greta Onieogou) go through other personal issues that they need to overcome. 

Besides the drama in the show, the series also portrays messages that are important for everyone to understand. The major theme of the show is discrimination and how racism is believed to lead to police brutality and how one race is shown as superior over the others. The show does a great job of showing how important it is to stop discrimination and to stand up for what you believe in. For example, in the show Spencer is seen many times throughout the show standing up for himself and his community. Adding to this, the show also teaches viewers about responsibility, discipline, maturity, and relationships, making this a great show for teenagers. 

Overall, All American is a poignant and exciting show that offers entertainment to viewers, while portraying important messages throughout the course of the show. There isn’t much in the show I disliked. The only part that I didn’t love was that there was way too much going on in everyone’s lives. All of the characters started to develop serious issues in Season 2, so they really cluttered all of the drama into a short amount of episodes. Although this is entertaining, it can be confusing to watch. Besides this, the show is definitely a must-watch. No matter who you are, All American is a great show that I’m sure you’ll love.