All American – m.A.A.d City

By starrymag | January 29, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) interrupts his pick-up basketball with Dillon James (Jalyn Hall) to talk to Leila Keating (Greta Onieogou). They discuss going public with their relationship as Dillon asks Spencer to return to the game. Spencer sees Tamia ‘Coop’ Cooper (Bre-Z) walking with Tyrone Morris’ (Demetrius Shipp, Jr.) gang, and asks Leila to take Dillon home.

 

Spencer confronts Coop about joining the gang, and she tells him that she’s doing it for Shawn. After telling him Tyrone is responsible for Shawn’s death, she explains she’s infiltrating the gang to keep the neighborhood safe. Coop explains that she intends to gain the other gang members trust so they will take care of Tyrone when she reveals his role in Shawn’s murder. Despite Spencer’s attempts to reason with her, she refuses to back down and challenges him to come up with a better idea to protect the neighborhood.

 

Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) suggests to Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling) and Spencer that they meet later to strategize for the upcoming playoff game, but Jordan tells him that he’s going to a movie with Ripley. Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan) and Laura Fine-Baker (Monet Mazur) agree that Jordan is acting weird and Laura asks to talk to Spencer.

 

Spencer asks if he’s in trouble, but Laura wants to know what’s bothering him. He insists he’s fine, but Laura tells him he can talk to her. Spencer admits that he can’t wait until he makes the NFL before he can start giving back to his community, and that he wants to get the community to do something about the gangs. Laura tells him that he is capable of rallying a community, and Spencer gets an idea.

 

Spencer greets Patience (Chelsea Tavares) and Chris (Spence Moore II) as they walk out of school, and Patience tells him that Coop hasn’t been going to school. Spencer goes to talk to Kia Williams (Asjha Cooper), and Chris comments to Patience that Spencer and Kia haven’t talked since they broke up. Kia is not thrilled to see him, but he tells her he needs her help planning a rally. Kia is surprised but promises to meet him later.

 

Grandpa Willy (Brent Jennings) analyzes Jordan’s game footage, criticizing his play. Jordan asks if he was this hard on Billy, and Willy tells him he pushed Billy to be great. Willy asks how Billy feels about Jordan visiting him, and Jordan admits he doesn’t know. Jordan asks Willy if he thinks he has a chance to be great, and Willy admits he doesn’t know yet.

 

At they walk through the park, Spencer laments to Kia that kids can’t play there because it’s overrun with gang activity. Kia’s uncle (Lahmard J. Tate) asks what he’s going to do about it, and Spencer explains that he wants to hold a rally to get enough signatures to pass an ordinance that will prevent gang members from congregating in public places.

 

Kia’s uncle laughs at the suggestion, questioning if he really wants to give the police more ammunition to arrest people. He tells him that he wants his own gang to be able to congregate freely and reminds him of a bunch of men were killed at the hands of police. Spencer argues that their community has had enough victims from gang violence, but Kia’s uncle tells him that nobody will take his freedom away from him.

 

Jordan finds Billy waiting for him on the steps, and Billy confronts him about lying about where he was going. Jordan confesses that he went to see Willy, and Billy warns him that Willy will disappoint him. Jordan suggests that Billy should forgive Willy, insisting that people make mistakes.

 

Grace James (Karimah Westbrook) tells Spencer that he shouldn’t let Kia’s uncle intimidate him from his goal. Dillon tells Spencer he has a visitor and teases him about having both his current and former girlfriends in the same room. Kia tells Spencer that she wants to help despite her uncle, and Spencer decides to host a park cleanup to bring people in and talk to them about signing for the ordinance. Spencer, Leila, and Kia come up with a plan and bring a team together to work on the event.

 

Leila runs into Gabby (Annie Thurman), who criticizes her for starting to date Spencer five minutes after she broke up with Asher and tells her that her behavior isn’t becoming of a student president. After they walk away, Olivia warns her that it won’t end well if she values her popularity and tells her Gabby is the reason, she doesn’t have more friends. Leila tells her that she met Kia, and that she’s really cool. Olivia assures her that she has nothing to worry about, and Leila asks for her help with the event.

 

Kia is surprised that Spencer became an activist, reminding him that she broke up with him because he didn’t understand how important her activism was to her. She asks what changed, and Spencer explains that splitting time between Crenshaw and Beverly gave him perspective. Kia comments that Leila seems nice, and jokes that she’s glad he didn’t bring home a Kardashian.

 

Tyrone notices that there’s some money missing, and Coop tells him she gave him what Malik (Mikelen Walker) gave her. Malik defends himself, and Tyrone demands the money. Coop gives him some money, insisting that it’s not the missing money. Tyrone accuses Malik of stealing from him, and Malik can’t believe that he’s believing Coop over him.

 

Tyrone pulls out his gun and asks Coop if she’s going to let him disrespect her. She tries to talk her way out of it, but Tyrone tells her he wants to see her handle it. Coop hits Malik and tells him not to disrespect her, but sees that Patience saw what happened. Patience demands to know what that was, as the Coop she knows wouldn’t hurt anyone. Coop explains that she has to do it, but Patience tells her they’re done.

 

Spencer is nervous about the turnout, but Leila assures him it’s early. Billy arrives to Willy’s house, where Willy is hard on Jordan as he throws footballs in the backyard, telling him to stop wasting his time. Jordan declares that coming was a mistake, but Billy stops him from leaving, telling him that Willy is testing him.

 

Spencer is pleased to see more people arrive, and Coop questions if he did all this for her. He reminds her that he promised he would come up with a better plan, telling her that he won’t stop fighting for her. Coop questions how he can get his current and former girlfriends to help him, but she can’t keep her own girlfriend. She admits that it’s probably for the best, as it means Patience will be safe.

 

Olivia warns Leila that Gabby’s rumors are getting worse, insinuating that Leila rekindled their friendship solely to get close to Spencer. Olivia assures her she doesn’t believe that and warns her to watch her back with Gabby. Kia compliments Spencer on getting the turnout and gives him the clipboard for signatures. However, Kia’s uncle arrives with his gang and declares that he has a right to tell the people the dangers of the ordinance.

 

Spencer and Kia’s uncle walk around to the people, each trying to convince them to sign or not sign the petition. However, more people side with Kia’s uncle. Jordan finds Billy and Willy staring at each other, and Billy tells Willy that he’s there to go to Spencer’s event. Willy declares that he’s going too, and Billy asks what he wants with Jordan. Willy questions if he’s worried that he’ll tell Jordan the truth but starts to fall down. Jordan rushes to help Willy and tells Billy that he isn’t faking. Willy suggests that his blood sugar is low, and Jordan tells Billy he’ll stay behind and take care of him.

 

Spencer is upset about the lack of signatures and asks Olivia how she’s been. She comments that he’s been busy, and he apologizes for not telling her about Leila. Olivia congratulates him but tells him she’s missed talking to her friend. She tells him about the rumors being spread about him and Leila, but their conversation is interrupted by an argument between Kia’s uncle’s gang and Tyrone’s gang.

 

Tyrone and Kia’s uncle start to pull out their guns, but Spencer runs between them and pleads that violence has already destroyed their community. He declares that this isn’t normal and asks who’s going to fight for them if they destroy each other.

 

However, the two gangs point their guns at each other. Grace tries to pull Spencer away, but Chris assures him he’s got his back and they approach the standoff together. Tyrone tells his gang to lower their guns, declaring now isn’t the time and promising Kia’s uncle that he’ll see him again soon.

 

After they arrive home, Grace tells Spencer that he scared her, but that she’s proud of him. He points out he didn’t get the signatures, but Grace tells him that he started an important conversation. She tells him that he’s destined for great things but asks him not to scare her like that again. Willy mentions that he ran out of strips to check his blood sugar, and Jordan suggests he buy more. Jordan offers to buy them for him, and Willy tells him to give him money so he order the correct ones. He gives him the money, and Willy asks him to not tell Billy.

 

Spencer asks Leila why she didn’t tell him about the rumors, and Leila tells him it wasn’t as important as what he was doing. He tells her that she’s important, and she asks if he thinks they fit. Spencer tells her that their differences is what makes their relationship special, and that her ability to see light in the darkness inspires him. Tyrone visits Coop, and comments that Spencer surprised him. He determines that her friendship with Spencer makes her valuable, but he’s not sure how yet.

 

Kia’s uncle visits Spencer and admits that he underestimated him. He tells Spencer that he convinced him and promises to help, telling him to keep doing what he’s doing. Kia’s uncle warns Spencer that Coop is in danger as Tyrone will take everyone down with him when he goes down. Coop admits that she messed up, but that it’s too late to back out. She declares she needs to finish what she started, but that she’ll be smarter about it. Coop tells Spencer to stop trying to save her and to focus on life in Beverly. Spencer tells her it’s important for her to know she isn’t alone.

 

Billy apologizes for how he acted, but Jordan tells him that Willy was using him for money. Billy tells him the first time Willy asked him for money was the day he got drafted. Jordan asks Billy why he doesn’t push him harder, and Billy tells him that his relationship with him is more important. Leila confronts Gabby, telling her that she can have the presidency. She declares that she values her true friends like Olivia more, and Gabby will never experience that.  Leila warns her that she won’t be so nice the next time and walks away.

 

Spencer helps Coop prepare a date with Patience, and he assures her that she’s coming. He reminds her that she’s coming on the condition that Coop tell her the truth about why she joined Tyrone’s gang. Later, Patience asks why she didn’t tell her the truth and Coop tells her that she’s trying to protect the people she loves. Patience takes it as confirmation that she loves her, and Coop promises she’ll be out once Tyrone is taken care of. Patience promises she’ll be there for her through everything and they have sex.  In the morning, Spencer throws a football around with Dillon and his friends in the park.