‘All American’ Celebrates 6th Season and 100th Episode

If you miss “All American” and the rollercoaster ride of drama from the vortex, the wait is finally over.  The sixth season returned Monday on the CW. If that is not exciting enough, the series is slated to be the latest to reach the 100th episode milestone this season. 

The cast celebrated in Los Angeles with a red carpet event to kick off the new season full of surprises and plot twists as the Vortex, the friend group, navigates its way through the next chapter of life. Entering the new season as upperclassmen at Golden Angeles University, some of the crew have grown and have a completely different mindset than when they all met each other in high school. Conflicts ensue. Throughout the trials and tribulations, one thing stays the same: their ability to lean on one another when the going gets rough. 

Nkechi Okoro Carroll, the series showrunner, expressed the accomplishment as a dream and said the goal was to make it to the next episode and next season when the milestone crept up on them. “Nowadays it feels like getting to 100 episodes is so rare,” said Carroll. 

She shared that people were sending in emails and DMs sharing their experiences and how “All American” has impacted their lives and parents were even letting them know how the show changed conversations in their household. 

“Teachers were using it as a part of the curriculum to get their Black youth to feel anchored to their storylines and that we never imagined it was going to reach that deep. That was the most rewarding part of the journey,” said Caroll.

“All American” has shown viewers that they are so much more than a show focused on football. The show has dove deep into various sensitive yet relatable topics such as substance abuse, losing a parent, therapy, trauma and so much more creating a justifiable sense of relatability to their viewers. It has created a space for viewers to speak on these instances and make them less taboo. Some of the cast shared that they utilize the lessons they learned from the show in their everyday life. 

During the celebration Daniel Ezra, said that much like his character wide receiver Spencer James, he has put in some work like his character to better cope with dealing with stress and his mental health. 

“Spending time with myself in the gym getting physical and active is a big one for me,” he said. “The thing with mental health and anxiety and depression is that they are very self-involved. It almost puts too much attention on yourself.”

Ezra said that the time spent working out allows him to refocus “my attention on other things whether it’s being there for a friend.”

He expressed the importance of knowing when he is stressed or under pressure, and that has come with work. “Depression wants you to disconnect, so I try to connect. Depression wants you to isolate, so I try to fill my surroundings with noise and music,” said Ezra.

Jalyn Hall, who portrays Spencer’s younger brother, Dillon, said that the show has provided him with some of the same tools when it comes to dealing with things in his personal life. 

“One thing about ‘All American’ is that there is always going to be an episode that tackles somebody’s life or a moment or situation that someone is going through. And, it has definitely done so for me a numerous amount of times,” he said. “ Being able to not only express that on screen but also have that village behind you offscreen is something that is irreplaceable. So I thank “All American” for that 10 times over.”

This season will continue to touch on important and conversation-starting topics as the friend group moves from being teenagers to adults.

Bre-Z, who plays Coop, shared that she was happy her character motivated members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In previous episodes Coop faced struggles with coming out to family members, however she continued to be unapologetically her. 

“I think that my strength in the character, my strength within myself was absolutely translated on screen. So it gave a lot of people the courage and strength of their own to get through whatever they were going through. Whether it was coming out or just standing in your own truth in general,” she said. “So I’m excited to have been that, a vessel for that.”

Viewers can expect this new season to address the Season 5 cliffhangers. Not only that, but now Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) and Spencer are juniors eligible for the NFL draft, but that comes with another set of stressors and dilemmas. Fans will get some answers when it comes to Spencer’s and Liv’s relationship, Layla and Jordan’s next move, Coop’s newest legal endeavors, Patience’s healing process from her injury inflicted by her stalker and so much more. It is a crazy ride so be sure to tune in and check out previous seasons if you have not already.

Ariyana Griffin is a graduate student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a California native and a graduate of Clark Atlanta University. Follow her on X: @Ariyanaaganee and Instagram: @ari.yana.g.

Edited by Nykeya Woods