All American undermines Amina’s entire storyline

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The TV show “All American” has spent a significant portion of Amina’s character development on her attempts to honor her mother, Monique, as Cooper and Preach grapple with deciding when and how much to reveal about Monique’s death to Amina as she matures and becomes inquisitive. However, in the episode “Just a Friend,” the series weakens the emotional impact of this storyline by having Amina learn the truth about her mother off-screen, only for her to then recount her findings to Cooper. When Amina visits Baltimore, she understands that Monique had loving parents who wished to support her and wanted her to thrive, yet she squandered it all following Tyrone’s death. The impact of this realization would have been stronger if “All American” had depicted Amina’s moment of understanding instead of just showing the outcome of her return home and how she communicates it to Cooper.

In addition to Amina having a deeper comprehension of her mother, the way this understanding is conveyed seems to hinder the audience’s ability to empathize with Amina more closely. Additionally, it’s puzzling as to why Coop would bring up the truth about Monique now, particularly when Preach is out-of-town at a teacher’s conference in Arizona. One might wonder why Preach isn’t part of this conversation given that he is Amina’s father and should be present during discussions about her mother. It appears that the storyline, unintentionally perhaps, portrays Preach as an absent father who misses crucial moments in his daughter’s life emotionally. Instead, Coop takes on the role of a constant presence, though it is evident that Preach does care when he is present; however, the narrative leaves him out of these significant scenes most of the time. This lack of shared father-daughter moments makes it difficult for viewers to observe their relationship blossoming, and we’re left understanding their bond primarily through inferences, with rare exceptions where Preach appears as a caring father figure.

In the storyline of ‘All American’, Amina serves as both KJ and Khalil’s primary confidante, acting as a problem solver for them while she herself grapples with personal issues with Coop. This inconsistency in characterization is concerning, as it portrays her as a mature problem-fixer for the boys, yet she seems to shut down when dealing with her own problems. The narrative could benefit from a more balanced approach, giving Amina’s relationships with Khalil and Tori equal attention, rather than keeping them largely separate. This would not only make the series more cohesive but also give more screen time to the intriguing character of Tori, who currently seems underutilized in the show. Currently, Tori is mostly sidelined, having little personal plotline of her own beyond supporting KJ.

In contrast, the attention on South Crenshaw High School’s football team has been minimal compared to Beverly High School’s squad throughout the series, which stands in stark contrast to Jordan’s initial fears about his abilities to boost the team or potentially drag them down. The episode “Just a Friend” maintains this pattern by devoting more screen time to Beverly’s underdog football team, now portrayed as an unstoppable force that seized the spotlight. They are now guaranteed the top seed for the playoffs, but the narrative in “Just a Friend” highlights Beverly at the expense of South Crenshaw, focusing less on the team’s development and more on their games and camaraderie. The characters from KJ’s team have yet to be fully developed in All American, making it challenging for viewers to invest emotionally in them. As a result, when one of KJ’s teammates is injured near the end of the game, it seems less significant than it should, more like an annoyance rather than a genuine concern with real stakes. Unfortunately, the incident leading to the player’s injury primarily revolves around Cassius and not the player himself.

In “Just a Friend,” there’s an intriguing conundrum concerning how formidable Beverly’s team appears against their rivals. By half-time, Beverly is comfortably ahead by 20-10, indicating that while they excel, the opposition shows enough competitiveness to keep the score close. However, in the second half, it becomes clear that Beverly intends to overpower and outplay the competition as their score escalates, but their opponent remains stagnant at 10 points. This scenario showcases Cassius’ competitive spirit and determination to prove himself to his father, yet raises questions about the influence of the boosters earlier in the episode. If they were strongly advocating that KJ and the starters should let the bench players take charge in the last regular season game, why hasn’t Cassius discussed this decision with anyone?

In essence, Layla’s narrative often seems unrelated to the primary storyline, primarily focusing on her quest to find Elle, whereas Cooper’s focus remains split between linking with his professor and aiding Khalil in escaping a perilous predicament due to Amina’s and his own requests. As the season winds down, All American is now hinting at the true motive behind Cassius and KJ’s presence in Beverly Hills. Although the show has made an effort to flesh out its newer characters, some of these developments might have come a bit too late.

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2025-04-15 22:15