I watched the backdoor pilot for All American Homecoming last year. I thought it had a lot of potential. Simone had a good presence on All American with an interesting storyline but to have a spin-off on her character to me was a risk. And it was a risk that turned out to be the right decision. Let me just say that All American Homecoming gets a rare almost perfect rating from me. The only change I would make is location. Why are most if not all HBCUs on TV or film in Atlanta? Like other cities and states don’t have strong, thriving HBCU communities. I digress.
The show itself is superb. The storylines are magnificently intertwined. The characters are perfectly, relatable flawed. So how can I write a review when I could write countless blogs?
The premise of the show is so needed in today’s era. A Different World was groundbreaking when it came out. Since, there have been other college focused shows, however, very few had Black character leads. One maybe 2 that I can think of that focused on a HBCU at least in the last 20 years. I’m talking TV shows not films.
It’s really good that a show centering on a HBCU displays students as not stereotypical, the adults have full lives and it doesn’t feel so far removed from the reality of the multitude of the Black community.
The storylines are so relatable. They are perfectly intertwined. Each character has their own storyline that could keep anyone’s attention yet combined it makes the show that much more captivating. The essence of All American Homecoming is the heart of each character’s connection to another character. No one is left out there alone. One pulls another in and then their lives begin to meld together as seamless as real life.
Cue spoilers: Damon’s paternity mystery unveiling was great storytelling. Simone adjusting to college life without the safety net of her parents was a wakeup call. Nate living in her truth and making her presence known that people either accept or get gone is an inner dialogue on screen that’s so imperative for young people today. And yes as a Christian I respect other people’s lives. It’s not for me to decide, that’s up to God to judge and deal accordingly. I just show God’s love and pray that they receive that which will open their hearts to receiving God’s love internally. Anyhoo, the love story between Amara and Marcus I didn’t see coming. I just thought they would be old college friends. Cam the football superstar from Crenshaw with the beautiful voice. I could go on and on but you get it. Life. Real life stories played throughout, and it drew you into each character. Each episode. Made you feel connected to them in such a personal way. I said Nate was my FAV but honestly, I really like each character because I could see someone, I know in each one.
I can’t just give a review with a bullet list or focus on one storyline or one character. I needed to give you the gist so you could run over to Netflix and watch the first season. Then hopefully you are ready for season 2 when they return in October on the CW. And no this is not sponsored. I sure wish it was though.
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