All American – Lose Yourself

By starrymag | November 14, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

The Beverly football team celebrates in the locker room after their victory and Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) tells them that this is what happens when they play as a team. He tells them that it sends a message to the rest of the league that they have to go through them, and that this victory is the beginning of something special. The team goes on a dominant win streak and Billy answers questions about it to a Reporter (Kimberly Cheng), promising more good things to come for the team and Spencer James (Daniel Ezra).

 

As Spencer, Asher (Cody Christian), and Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling) debate whether touchdowns or interceptions are more impactful, Leila Keating (Greta Onieogou) asks if they discuss something other than football. Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan) comes over and Spencer admits to her that his relationships with the rest of the team off the field still feel forced. She admits that she doesn’t know how she fits in either and turns down Spencer’s invitation to join them.

 

Jordan pays for Spencer and Asher, and they promise to repay him next time. Asher tells them that his dad is out of town, and JJ (Hunter Clowdus) starts texting people. Jordan explains to Spencer that Asher’s parties are legendary, and Leila suggests that he go. Spencer reminds her he goes home on the weekends and tells her he’ll consider it. Shawn Scott (Jay Reeves) throws Tiana ‘Coop’ Cooper (Bre-Z) a bag of money. She asks whose money it is, and he tells her it’s his. He promises she’ll get her own money if she sticks with him.

 

Billy tells Jordan that he has to go to an event for Laura Fine-Baker (Monet Mazur), and Jordan tells him he’s been going over his allowance due to helping pay for Spencer. Billy tells him that Spencer doesn’t need him paying for him and promises to take care of it. As Billy walks away, Jordan looks at his bank statement on his laptop and sees a link to a wire transfer to a Crenshaw bank. Billy gives Spencer an allowance for the next couple of months, but Spencer refuses it. However, Billy forces him to take it.

 

As Olivia and Leila hang out together, Leila invites her to Asher’s party. Olivia reminds her that she went to rehab, and Leila admits she didn’t realize how bad her problem was. Olivia tells her that she’s tired of being the sad rehab girl, and Leila promises that she doesn’t have to drink if she comes. Leila suggests she go with Spencer, commenting that she knows she likes him. She tells Olivia that she wants her to be happy again, and that the party will be a good chance to start over.

 

Spencer shows Coop the groceries he bought for Grace James (Karimah Westbrook) and tells her about his allowance. Coop asks if she should be living there, suggesting she should be helping out as well. She answers the door and asks Olivia if she’s lost. Olivia introduces herself and asks for Spencer. He welcomes her, and Olivia suggests that they go to Asher’s party together. She admits that her life has become boring and suggests that he can build his off-the-field relationships with the team. Spencer agrees to go with Coop’s urging.

 

Laura tells Billy that he’s not getting out of her event, telling him she needs him and reminding him that she’s gone to many of his booster events. He agrees, and she thanks him. Spencer and Olivia arrive at Asher’s party, and Olivia advises him to stay away from the dare chips. Leila hands Olivia an alcohol-free drink and tells her that she and Spencer look good together. Olivia tells her to stop trying to play matchmaker, and Leila tells her she wants her to be happy.

 

Coop asks Shawn for a job as Spencer and JJ admire the Porsche in Asher’s garage. JJ convinces Spencer to get in the car, but Asher orders them to get out of it and explains that his father will kill him if anything happens. Spencer asks Asher if he’s okay, and Asher insists he is. Jordan calls the Crenshaw bank and asks about the wire transfer posing as Billy. The employee asks for Billy’s pin and Jordan hangs up upon seeing Billy come into his office. Jordan excuses himself, and Billy redials the last number to find that Jordan called the bank.

 

Spencer questions why JJ is naked at the poker table, and Olivia explains that anything can be bet at this game before reminding him to stay away from the dare chips. Asher pressures Spencer into joining the table, and Spencer sits down, putting in his allowance money. Shawn brings Coop to the barber shop and Alvin Washington (Bill Lee Brown) hires her. Coop thanks Shawn, and he tells her he has her back.

 

Leila puts a dare chip in, and Spencer loses the hand. She explains that the chip means he has to do what she says and dares him to go skinny dipping with Olivia. They go out to the jacuzzi and Spencer apologizes for ignoring her warnings and tells her they don’t have to do this. Olivia tells him that avoiding the dare won’t help their reputations, and orders him to turn around as she strips. Once she is in the jacuzzi, Spencer asks Olivia to turn around, strips, and joins her before asking what happens now.

 

At the poker table, JJ dares Asher to let him take a drive in his dad’s Porsche. Asher tells him anything but that, but JJ tells him those are the stakes. Asher agrees, but loses the hand to JJ. Asher reluctantly joins JJ in the car as they back out of the driveway. Spencer asks if they’re supposed to just chill in the jacuzzi, but Olivia tells him that people usually do other things. She tells him that those things involve less talking and swims towards him.

 

As they are about to kiss, Jordan interrupts them and tells Olivia to get out. She tells him to go away, but Jordan tells her that he’s not leaving until she gets out. Olivia admits they’re both naked, and Jordan hands her a towel, commenting that this moment will be burned into his memory. She gets out of the jacuzzi and tells him not to talk to her.

 

Laura thanks her guests for coming and for their support in her decision to run for DA, declaring there’s a difficult battle ahead. After a toast, Mayor Jim Nelson (Randy Vasquez) tells Billy that Laura is right about there being a battle ahead, warning him that every secret will come out in the campaign.

 

Jordan asks Olivia to let him explain, as she yells at him for ruining her night. He tells her that pursuing Spencer is a bad idea and blurts out that he thinks that Spencer is their brother. JJ and Asher pull in the driveway and get out of the car. However, the car rolls backwards out of the driveway and hits a car in the street.

 

Spencer sits with Asher as the car is towed away, commenting that he recognizes his look of desperation. Spencer comments that something has been off about this party since the beginning, telling him he’s noticed no pictures of Asher around the house. Asher denies his suspicions, and Spencer tells him he knows somebody that can help fix the car.

 

Spencer and Asher have the tow truck take the car to Crenshaw and Spencer introduces Asher to Big J (Sean Baker) before asking for his help. Big J asks Asher if he wants good as new or good enough, and Asher replies that he wants good as new. After telling them it would take a week, Big J tells them that good enough would be quicker and still look good. Spencer gives Big J the rest of his allowance money to cover the costs.

 

Olivia refuses to believe that Spencer could be related to them, and Jordan tells her about Billy’s former relationship with Grace and the deposit to the Crenshaw bank. Grace confronts Spencer about buying groceries for her, reminding him that he bought them with Billy’s money. She tells him to return the rest of the allowance money, but he tells her it’s gone. Grace tells him that this isn’t like him, but Spencer argues that he’s trying to fit in with the Beverly kids. She reminds him that his hard work and refusal of handouts is his biggest strength and advises him that the free stuff always comes at a bigger cost.

 

Spencer asks Asher whose car they fixed, and Asher admits that it belongs to the family that owns the house. He confesses that his family lost their money overnight and that he doesn’t know how to be the poor kid. Big J tells them that the car has been stolen from the garage, and Spencer tells Coop what happened as she cuts a customer’s hair. Coop tells him that Shawn probably knows where it is, but Spencer doesn’t want to deal with him. She insists that Shawn has her back and makes the call.

 

Shawn pulls up and tells Asher that he and Spencer used to be friends until Spencer got into football. He can’t believe Spencer’s asking for his help, and forces Spencer to say that he needs him. Once Spencer does, Shawn tells Spencer to take a ride with him and that Asher can’t come with them. Spencer tells Asher to stay with Coop and promises things will be alright. Jordan and Olivia approach Billy and ask him about his past relationship with Grace. Billy denies being close to Grace and tells them he has work to do.

 

Spencer pulls up with the stolen car, and Asher is relieved that it looks good enough. They drive the car back to the house and laugh about the experience. Asher admits that he took down all of the family photos, and Spencer comments that it must be exhausting living like that. Asher admits he doesn’t know how long he can keep it up, and Spencer promises not to tell anybody but advises him to tell Leila. Spencer assures him that Leila won’t leave him over it, and Asher thanks him.

 

Spencer and Olivia talk about the jacuzzi, and Olivia suggests they leave it as a stupid date. Billy asks Spencer how his weekend was, and Spencer admits he spent all the allowance money. He tells him that he lost sight of himself and promises to pay him back. Billy protests, but Spencer tells him that he wants to earn his money from now on.

 

Asher tells Leila the truth, and she is upset that he didn’t tell her. She assures him that she’s not with him because of his money and tells him she’s not going to leave him. Leila tells him she loves him, but that they need to be honest with each other if they’re going to have a future together. Spencer goes into a restaurant and asks for a job application. The server tells him they have an opening for a waiter and Spencer asks when he can start.

 

Shawn comes into the barber shop as Alvin leaves Coop to close up and takes money out of a secret compartment. Coop realizes that’s the reason he got her the job, and he tells her that she now owes him for asking him to help Spencer. Olivia calls the Crenshaw bank from Billy’s office posing as Laura and asks about the transfer. She uses Billy’s football jersey numbers for the pin and the employee confirms that his monthly wire transfer has gone through. Olivia asks how many months it’s been, and the employee tells her it’s been a hundred ninety-seven months, just under seventeen years.