SPOILERS WARNING! This story details the season 2 finale of The CW All American: Come home
The school year at Bringston University is officially over, and after a season of tussling between two suitors, Simone (Geffri Maya) finally made a decision about her love life in Monday’s Season 2 finale. All American: Come home.
Her choice will end a love triangle that co-showrunners Nkechi Okoro Carroll and Marqui Jackson have been building since the end of season one. But audiences will have to wait to find out who actually chooses Simone, as Monday’s episode ends with Simone apparently confessing her love. love Damon (Peyton Alex Smith) or Lando (Martin Bobb-Semple)…but viewers don’t see who it is.
“The love triangle is definitely built into the season. That’s why we introduced Martin Bobb-Semple as Lando at the end of last season to plant the seed for his character to really shake things up this season. He did it in such an amazing way and you’d never believe he wasn’t part of the show from the beginning,” Carroll told Deadline. “Honestly, I would go back and forth on who she chose.”
She explained that it was ultimately the arguments in the writers’ room that encouraged her not to respond to viewers at the end of season two.
“Our writers were very divided… I don’t think anything gave me more joy than hearing the two camps fight over who they were. I thought, ‘This is the story. That’s the conversation here.’ And so it was one of those things where I was like, ‘Oh, this is too good to answer now,'” she said.
But have they decided who will be the lucky suitor? Well that depends on who you ask.
“If you ask the writers’ room, it’s still TBD,” Carroll joked, adding that she “definitely” has an answer.
For the record, Maya told Deadline that she supports Team Lando.
“I think Lando is just a breath of fresh air and one of the first romantic relationships she’s had that didn’t feel forced. It feels very real and it feels like they both benefit from each other in a very pure way. I’m not saying she didn’t date Jordan or Damon, but I just feel like she has a certain baggage with both that just isn’t there with Lando. So it’s fun to explore. It’s different,” she said.
Simone’s love life wasn’t the only story left unfinished at the end of season two. Although the series hasn’t officially been renewed for Season 3, Carroll and Jackson have already started brainstorming what’s in store for Bringston’s students.
Another season arc involved Sylvester Powell’s JR, who was Dean of Pledges for the new KEK series, including Cam (Mitchell Edwards). In the finale, JR tells his brothers that he plans to go down with locals over allegations that their department was involved in hazing and subway lines.
As expected, his brothers disagree with the plan, as JR has always discouraged bullying. Taking the blame would probably mean losing his letters, which would certainly be a blow to JR, who values his involvement with KEK. However, Jackson argued that his bond with his brothers would not disappear just because he could no longer accept the letters.
“He has a connection with CEC and whether the subjects recognize his letters or not, in his heart this journey will always continue. I think the impact he had on Cam and his line brothers, especially that impact and legacy, will continue as well,” Jackson said. “Even though he made the sacrifice, I think we’ll see in season 3 that the sacrifice was for a reason. We will see another version of KEK. We will see how they accept what brotherhood means in other ways. I think that’s what we’re really looking forward to, like JR, even as a sophomore in college, how can he already build a legacy through his actions?
For his part, Powell says he’s happy for JR to “sacrifice himself” if it means his brothers can continue to thrive.
A key point for JR was the fact that Cam needed a scholarship. So the whole chapter disappears and my brother doesn’t get a scholarship. When I go down, I’m not really risking anything. I feel I have served my purpose if it ends now. If it’s for the benefit of everyone, then that’s what JR is all about and that’s why he loves being DP so he can help others,” Powell told Deadline.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the revelation that Marcus (Cory Hardrict) is married. In the final moments of the episode, he and Amara (Kelly Jenrette) end up celebrating while telling the kids they’re together when his wife knocks on his apartment door. Her presence comes as a shock to Marcus and Amara, who didn’t know he was ever married.
While the news will surely come as a shock to viewers, Carroll explained that the writers always intended to delve deeper into what she called Marcus’ “missing years.”
“He’s the only person who left Bringston who had a life that even Amara doesn’t know much about. Yes, he was inducted into the MLB. He went to play with the minors. It was this whole high-pressure situation that she wasn’t involved in. He kind of pushed her away and when he came back he was clearly through something. So in Season 1 we talked about the mental health side,” she said.
She continued, “We didn’t specifically land on the woman of everything for Season 2, but we knew there was a part of that time in Marcus’ life that shaped the man he is today. You’re not going to man be what he is today, who is the boys father figure, the coaching figure, the pillar of strength and support and all… you are not going to be the enlightened man he is now without a few things these are the gaps which we’re starting to fill in. And one of the things that happened in those missing years was that he got married. We’re going to explain in Season 3 how and why she’s still technically his wife.”
Both Jenrette and Hardrict said they were surprised to hear their story would go in this direction, but as always, they’re throwing punches.
Since Marcus and Amara have both struggled with trust issues in the past, this will likely bring those feelings to the surface and create new tensions for the once happy couple moving on.
“I’m very excited to see how it turns out,” Jenrette said. “In a perfect world. I would like to see a reasonable, logical explanation. However, I feel like Amara is being pulled back into the past and the excruciating pain she experienced when he turned his back on her earlier.
Hardrict seems confident that Marcus will be able to turn things around, telling Deadline: “[He’s] do it right.”
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
