Why On My Block is the coming-of-age story of 2018
Every generation has a coming-of-age show that captures the realities of life like no other. And in 2018, that show is On My Block
School dances, first loves and fractured friendships – coming-of-age stories of any era tend to tackle familiar teenage tropes. Sometimes an element of the supernatural is thrown into the mix – the bad boys become vampires, the outsiders become aliens – and sometimes, a mystery takes centre stage. But sometimes, coming-of-age stories simply capture a moment, reflecting the struggles of an audience yearning to see their lives played out on screen. In the ‘90s it was the existential angst of My So-Called Life, the early ‘00s had the comforting charm of the Gilmore Girls, and in 2018, we have On My Block.
Set in south central LA, Netflix’s On My Block follows a ‘squad’ of four fourteen year-olds entering their first year of high school. Monse – the squad’s only female member – is the classic tomboy, raised by a single father and grappling with her abandonment issues. Ruby is the ‘smart one’ learning that he can’t always talk himself out of trouble. Jamal is trying to figure out who he is while balancing his family’s expectations, and Cesar is the designated heart-throb, born into the neighbourhood’s violent Santos gang.
It’s Cesar’s initiation into the Santos, and the squad’s determination to get him out, that drives much of the narrative in this 10-episode dramedy. But a backdrop of violence, poverty and gang culture doesn’t preclude those teen tropes coming to the fore. It’s a tricky tonal blend but one that the creators (Awkward’s Lauren Iungerich, alongside Eddie Gonzalez and Jeremy Haft) ably manage, striking the perfect balance with intelligent scripts and well-paced episodes.
This task is made easier thanks to the talented cast, made up of relatively unknown black and Latinx young actors. There are nuanced performances that deftly blend comedic beats with more serious subject matter. Jessica M. Garcia and Brett Gray standout, especially when executing the slapstick comedic moments, while Sierra Capri and Diego Tinoco easily carry the more dramatic storylines with emotionally charged performances.
And these storylines are timely, depicting a community rarely shown in such light and shade. These are young people of colour navigating criminal activities and the threat of violence as facets of everyday life – they’re just as likely to be arguing over who kissed who as they are to be guessing the calibre of the gunshots that ring out in their neighbourhood. These shifts in tone can be jarring at first but these different elements build to a particularly heart-wrenching conclusion that, when it comes, will feel as inevitable as it is shocking.
Despite its Californian setting, On My Block still resonates with a UK audience. London has already seen more than 50 deaths in the first three months of 2018 and many of those victims have been teenagers of colours caught up in gang violence that seems to spill out onto the streets as soon as the school day ends.
The show has also been subject to controversy due to its depiction of a very heated sexual relationship between two of its teenage characters. But the reality is that it would be naïve to believe that teens aren’t navigating these relationships in real life. Teen sex on TV is far from a new phenomenon, but audiences have become used to these encounters having an adult tone; think Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass in the back of a limo or Veronica Lodge wearing pearls in the shower with Archie.
In contrast, the teens of On My Block look like teens and act like teens, even when those actions prove frustrating. They make mistakes, act against their own interests, and let misguided loyalties shape their lives. However, as frustrating as their characters can be, On My Block’s writers avoid many of the clichés and pitfalls that teen dramas often stumble into. A potential love triangle is introduced midway through the season but it’s handled with real maturity, the two girls involved are always shown prioritising their friendship and refusing to let the boy in the middle come between them.
In short, On My Block deserves attention. And with its season-ending cliffhanger, its second season is well deserved. The show tackles weighty issues while remaining highly entertaining, funny and heart-warming. I defy anyone not to race through these binge-worthy 30-minute episodes and not want more. These are characters and stories that are so rarely seen on-screen, and they could not be timelier.