With all the craziness going on, many people find comfort in a high quality TV show. Watching can make one forget about what is happening and throw them into a world that he or she might not be familiar with. Netflix released a third season of their hit show, On My Block, which brings viewers a new world of gangs, drama and strong friendships.

On My Block follows four friends, Jamal (Brett Gray), the control freak, Ruby (Jason Genao), the planner, Monse (Sierra Capri), the stubborn realist and only girl and Cesar (Diego Tinoco), the glue of the group. They live in a poor neighborhood, Freeridge, in Los Angeles. In the first two seasons, the show focused a lot on the fabled Rollerworld money, which was cash stolen and believed to be hidden somewhere in their neighborhood. Jamal was particularly laser-focused on finding the money, following the clues and eventually uncovering the location. 

The four of them cleaned the cash Jamal dug up and planned to split the amount, but ultimately used it to pay Cesar’s way back into the gang, the Santos, for his protection against the rival gangs. The money paid to the Santos was given to the leader, Cuchillos (Ada Luz Ola), who kidnapped the four and tasked them with finding a presumably dead gang member, Lil’ Ricky, in exchange for the cash back.

The third season follows the crew’s journey to find this man and the obstacles they run into. This makes for many twists that I didn’t see coming. The four don’t actually know if Lil’ Ricky is alive or dead, which poses a challenge from the beginning. The farther they go down the rabbit hole to find him, the more bad situations they find themselves in. It was engaging to see how far they would go to escape Cuchillos’ grasp and get the money back, as most people aren’t put in that type of situation.

One part of this season that I enjoyed was the larger incorporation of side characters. I was particularly impressed with the development of Jasmine (Jessica Marie Garcia) and Spooky (Julio Marcias). 

Jasmine was introduced in the first season as a character that none of the core four liked. She was annoying and always seemed to have something strange to say. However, this season, she was shown in a new light. Jasmine became a new friend to Monse, who was eager to have a friend that is a girl, since she has all boys close to her. She was considerate of Monse’s feelings, hyped her up and gave her advice on her problems. The group was desperate for help in finding Lil’ Ricky and Jasmine provided immense resources to assist in finding him.

Spooky is Cesar’s older brother and a member of the Santos gang. In the past seasons, Spooky basically left his little brother for dead, as he had nowhere to live. In the third installment, the brothers form a stronger bond. Spooky would usually ignore his brother’s friends, however, he provides a ton of help in dealing with the situation the teens are in. His ties to the higher-ups in the gang are greatly helpful. He becomes an even better brother to Cesar by warning him about what could happen since his father’s return from jail and helping him through his sudden leaving. Spooky becomes a father figure in Cesar’s life.

Seeing these transformations made the show all the more worth it.

The drama and comedy of the show blend together well. Jamal and Jasmine are the biggest sources of comedic relief. These characters are out there and unique, which makes their personalities interesting. They both made me laugh numerous times throughout the series. 

Dramatic instances were mostly due to the task of finding Lil’ Ricky and Monse and Cesar’s constant break up make up situation. The latter became incredibly annoying. It’s clear that they aren’t good for each other, so each attempt of getting back together was more painful than the last. Other than that, all the drama made the show more intriguing.

While the whole season was solid, the ending was questionable. It felt like the eight-episode build up wasn’t honored, as the conclusion was weak and confusing. Without spoiling too much, the series ends on a two year time jump to the four being seniors in high school. There’s no context in what happens within those years, but a lot changed in that time. While no confirmation has been made, this leaves an opportunity for a fourth season, and hopefully it will happen to tie up these loose ends.

On My Block stayed true to its first two seasons, providing many different emotions as it went on. The characters developed and changed while keeping many of their qualities from the prior installments. I watched this show in a binge and the seasons connected together seamlessly. This made it easy to follow from the very first episode to the last. Each time I watched it, I was left wanting more. This series provided me a sense of relief with all that’s going on in the world and helped me get through the first chunk of quarantine. Anyone who wants a new series to binge should definitely give this one a try.

4.5/5