All American – Pilot

By starrymag | October 16, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

At Crenshaw High School, Wide receiver Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) catches a pass and takes off his helmet before gesturing to the crowd. As Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) watches from the crowd, Spencer predicts the play call as the quarterback enters the huddle. Spencer refuses the call, telling the team to get the ball to him.

 

Getting into formation, Spencer observes the defenders and taps on his helmet to signal the quarterback. The quarterback calls the audible and snaps the ball. Spencer runs downs the field, effortlessly catches the pass, and scores the game-winning touchdown. The crowd cheers, but everyone ducks at the sound of a nearby drive-by shooting.

 

As Spencer watches the victim being loaded into an ambulance, Billy approaches him. Introducing himself as the coach of Beverly High, Billy compliments his impressive play, telling Spencer that he wants him to play for him. Spencer reminds him that he can’t recruit, but Billy promises to make it work and help Spencer achieve his dream of playing in the NFL.

 

Billy promises that Beverly Hills High will give him a better education and a way out of his bad neighborhood. Despite Billy’s insistence that every player needs a backup plan, Spencer refuses the offer. The next morning, Spencer wakes up and goes down for breakfast with his mother, Grace James (Karimah Westbrook), and brother, Dillon James (Jalyn Hall). Grace comments that Spencer is finally awake and tells him that she should be able to pay their bills when she gets paid next.

 

Spencer goes to school and tells his friend, Tiana ‘Coop’ Cooper (Bre-Z) about Billy’s offer. He explains that he hasn’t told Grace yet, and Coop tells him that she will jump on the opportunity when she finds out about it. Coop hits on a girl in the hallway and assures Spencer that she’s not afraid of her boyfriend, Shawn Scott (Jay Reeves).

 

Spencer gets an A+ on his test in class but hides it before resuming drawing football plays. Later, Shawn confronts Coop about hitting on her girlfriend and Coop argues back. Spencer gets between their fight and asks Shawn if he hits women now. Shawn makes a transphobic comment and Spencer shoves him.

 

Later, Spencer goes home to find Grace waiting for him and promises he can explain. Grace tells him that Billy already explained everything, and Billy stands up to greet Spencer. She asks Spencer why he didn’t tell her, and Spencer is angry that Billy ignored his refusal and went around him.

 

Billy insists that he wants to help, but Spencer tells him he doesn’t need his help. Grace reminds him about the shooting at his game and the fight he just got into.. Billy tells Spencer that he went to Crenshaw as well but was able to escape the neighborhood because someone gave him a chance.

 

After Billy mentions his father, Spencer tells him that he doesn’t have a father anymore. Grace explains that his father left them and tells Spencer that he’s smart and has a great opportunity outside of football. Spencer tells her that football is his dream, and Grace assesses that he doesn’t want to accept the offer because he doesn’t want to be like his dad.

 

Grace tells him that she’s proud of the man he’s become and asks him to take the opportunity for her. She asks if he really thinks that playing at Beverly isn’t right thing for him, and Spencer considers it. Later, Spencer takes several buses over to Beverly Hills, and takes in the sight of the much nicer looking Beverly High School.

 

Inside the school, Billy reminds Spencer that he’s there on an academic permit that can be revoked by bad grades. He warns Spencer that one more fight and it’s over, telling him he’ll see him in practice. In class, Spencer sees that he’s the only student who doesn’t have a computer, and Miss Allen (Sachie Alessio) tells him to pair up with a student. The student next to him pulls away, but Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan) offers to share.

 

Olivia gives him a rundown of the school, and Spencer is distracted by the sight of Leila Faisal (Greta Onieogou). Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling) comes over and introduces himself as the team’s quarterback and Billy’s son. He offers to take over from his sister, and Spencer thanks Olivia for the tour. Spencer asks if she wants to have sushi with him on Friday, and she says it’s a date before criticizing her own

awkwardness after he walks away.

 

Billy expresses his confidence to Principal Ed Landon (Jordan Belfi) that Spencer will help the team win. Landon warns him that they need to turn things around but assures him that they’re not talking about staffing changes yet. Jordan introduces Spencer to his friends, Leila, Asher (Cody Christian), Hadley (Danielle Campbell), and JJ (Hunter Clowdus). Jordan comments that Spencer and Asher are both receivers, and Leila asks him how he’s liking Beverly Hills.

 

After Leila assures him that he’ll warm up to Beverly Hills, Asher asks Spencer if he prefers the Bloods or the Crips. Jordan assures Spencer that he’s joking, but Spencer is offended. Asher tells him not to be so sensitive, but Spencer walks away. Leila calls Asher out for being a jerk and follows Spencer. Leila apologizes for Asher, insisting that he’s not a bad person.

 

Leila asks about his football skills and Spencer explains it’s about being able to see the field. He predicts that a nearby student will drop his tray before he does it, and Leila is impressed. Leila asks for him to read her, and he compares her to a defensive back because of her confidence, smarts, desire to call the plays, and a slight loneliness. Leila leaves, but tells Spencer she’s glad he came to Beverly.

 

At practice, the rest of the team is annoyed by Spencer showing up the rest of them with his moves. Jordan calls him out for running the wrong plays and tells him that’s not how they play here. Spencer laughs it off, but Billy calls everyone over and tells Spencer to move to safety.

 

Spencer replies that he doesn’t play defense, but Billy tells him he plays what he tells him to, reminding him that he came there to play football as a team. Billy tells him that he can play safety or sit out. As Spencer sits on the sideline, Asher comes over and tells him to get comfortable.

 

Spencer rants to Coop about practice, and she advises him to make the most of the situation. He suggests that Beverly isn’t for him, but Coop tells him that he gets to be who he wants to be and asks him to tell her about the Beverly Hills girls. Shawn approaches them and tries to provoke Spencer. Before Spencer can charge at him, a police car pulls up and Shawn tells him to watch his back.

 

Billy talks to Jordan about practice, and requests that he take Spencer under his wing. Jordan asks why he cares about Spencer so much, and Billy tells him that Spencer came from the same neighborhood as him. Billy explains that Jordan will never understand how difficult that life is and asks Jordan to give Spencer a chance.

 

Jordan picks Spencer up in his car and Spencer warns him that his attire will attract gang members. He then laughs and admits that he was joking before they drive away. They pull up to Jordan’s house, and Spencer is impressed that a coach can afford a nice house. Jordan admits that his mom, Laura Fine-Baker (Monet Mazur), is an attorney and Laura embraces Spencer upon meeting him.

 

At the backyard pool party, Leila checks Spencer out as he gets out of the water. She joins him at the edge of the pool, and they talk. Jordan goes in the house and overhears Billy telling someone on the phone that he recruited Spencer for the sole purpose of winning games and tells the boosters to come down on Saturday morning to see his potential. Jordan joins Asher, who declares they need to get rid of Spencer.

 

Spencer eats with Olivia and asks her about her relationship with Jordan. Olivia explains they used to be close until she became a pariah after she went to rehab. Leila interrupts their conversation to invite Spencer to a team party at her house, and Spencer agrees to go. Olivia warns him that Leila is Asher’s girlfriend and the party isn’t a good idea.

 

Spencer arrives at the party and Leila approaches him as he observes the room. She asks if she’s having fun and advises him to introduce himself around. He jokes about the idea, and she tells him he’s being judgy. Spencer follows her into the party, but Jordan approaches him and tells him to join the team. Leila passes out shots, and Jordan insists that tomorrow’s practice is just drills. Spencer drinks the shot while Jordan and Asher discretely dump their shots.

 

JJ points out the boosters to a hungover Spencer and tells him it’s scrimmage day. Spencer struggles running the plays, gets angry at Jordan and Asher for setting him up to fail. Asher tells him that they’re not friends, and to go back to Crenshaw. Billy stops Spencer from lunging at Asher, reminding him that he can’t fight. Billy chastises Jordan for setting Spencer up, but Jordan confronts him about the real reason he recruited Spencer and tells Spencer that Billy doesn’t care about him.

 

Spencer storms off to the locker room and tells Billy he’s quitting. Billy tells him that winning is part of his job, but Spencer tells him that he wishes he was upfront about it instead of the talk about giving him a chance. Billy argues that he’s trying to help him, but Spencer replies that he doesn’t need his help. Spencer reminds him of his promise to help him achieve his dream, and Billy tells him that he needs to see the field from every angle to succeed. Billy suggests that his bad decisions are because of his father leaving, but he has the power to shape his future.

 

Coop urges Spencer not to give up, but Spencer admits that he feels like he doesn’t belong in both of his two worlds. She insists he can do it and assures him she can take care of Shawn. Coop refuses to let him throw away his life, telling him that he will thank her for this when he achieves his dreams.

 

Spencer goes to Beverly Hills and asks to speak to Billy. He tells him that he wants to play in the NFL and a better life than he’s been living. Spencer admits that he is angry about his dad leaving and wants to do better for his mom and brother. He promises to play any position as long as he tells him the truth. Billy admits that he wants to win and tells him that Spencer reminds him of him, challenging him to play for something bigger.

 

On game night, the team runs out of the tunnel and Spencer spots Grace and Dillon in the stands. Beverly’s team struggles at first, but Spencer’s defense starts to improve. As the offense is on the field, Spencer notices that one of the opposing defensemen is hurt and expresses confidence that he can beat him. Billy pulls Asher out of the game and puts Spencer in. After the snap, Spencer runs to the injured defensemen and knocks him down so that Beverly is able to score the game-winning touchdown.

 

As the team and crowd celebrates, Billy helps Spencer up and compliments his play. Billy tells him he’ll have to keep him on defense after that, and that he’s proud of him. Jordan overhears the conversation and asks to speak to one of the opposing players. Spencer makes his way to Olivia, but Leila steps in front of him and congratulates him before apologizing for her role in setting him up. He tells him it’s okay and they agree to start over as friends.

 

Spencer gets a lot of appreciative looks as he walks down the hall, but Billy tells him that his academic permit is being contested. Landon tells them they’re being accused of recruiting, and Billy suggests that Spencer move to Beverly Hills. Spencer explains to Grace that Billy wants him to live in Beverly Hills with them during the week and come home on the weekends. He tells her he’ll refuse if she doesn’t want it, but she tells him to take the opportunity. Billy brings Spencer home and Laura and Jordan greet him. Coop gets into a car with Shawn, and Olivia welcomes Spencer to Beverly Hills. Grace answers the door, and Billy tells her that they need to tell Spencer the truth.