Summary
On My Block certainly lived up to the components of a teen drama, even with the mystery.
This review of Netflix’s On My Block season 4 contains spoilers.
Read the review of the first-ever season.
Just like that, On My Block is over with season 4! We went from seeing Monse and the boys bicker about finding the RollerWorld money, trying to save Cesar from gang life and failing multiple times, surviving shootings, visiting jails, and all the things you don’t expect to go through when you’re trying to get through high school. But what’s a teen drama without chaos, relationships, angst, and sometimes death? On My Block certainly lived up to the components of a teen drama, even with the mystery. It’s fair to say that the characters brought the necessary comedic elements to the show with Jamal, Ruby, Jasmine, and of course, Abuelita!
There were annoying characters like Jasmine and Monse but it worked in the end because of their character development. We finally see Monse blossom into herself after being surrounded by guys for so long — going to Mayfield was the best opportunity for her to grow and move on. She finally took the time to read through her mother’s manuscript and make sense of her complicated mind. From finding out her mother had a whole other family after abandoning her and her father for years, Monse’s trajectory has changed for the better. Despite coming back, we thought she was the glue that held the CoreFour together, when it was Abuelita the entire time, keeping the crew together.
As for Jasmine, she was a bit overbearing but we began to learn more about her character, why she supports everyone and is the way she is. After breaking up with Ruby, she came into her moment of self-care, realizing that she always prioritized Ruby’s thoughts and feelings over her own, the most important person in her life right now. Not only that, we learn that she has to forfeit her dreams to take care of her father. There’s a lot of words to describe Jasmine but selfish isn’t it! She rejected Ruby’s prom-posal as she didn’t want to ruin the mood with her own issues. It’s interesting to see how Jasmine and Monse’s lives blossomed after leaving men alone — maybe it’s a sign?
Our favorite man, Jamal, went through an incredible character arc. He went from being the weird and quirky kid to being Mr. Popular and back. It was a necessary development as he grew a lot to figure out his purpose. Without Jamal’s quirkiness and determination for the RollerWorld money, Cesar probably wouldn’t have been alive! Although he thought Monse degraded him in front of her friends, the shift in perspective was imperative for the change in character that we needed. He even reminds us about the importance of relationships, as evidenced by his loving relationship with Abuelita. As always, Jamal carried the show on his back.
Ruby, our other favorite character, finally faced his fears. From speaking to Latrell, letting his emotions out, and being honest with himself, Ruby was an integral character in being the temporary glue for the boys when Monse left for Mayfield. It’s Ruby’s trajectory that reminds us about the value of life experiences when visiting Latrell — they grew up together, made different choices, and now have different paths and destinies. Aside from this, the drama king in Ruby is what makes you gravitate towards him.
As for Cesar, he was annoying throughout the series until his brother was killed, it was only then he realized how much he needed Oscar as Oscar was constantly looking out for him. Oscar’s death was necessary for Cesar to finally open up his eyes and realize that life changes in less than a millisecond. Towards the end though, it isn’t clear whether he gets with Monse but in my head, they are my endgame, no matter how frustrating they can be.
It was worth following their journey, learning about their individual challenges of adolescence, the cringe scenes but filled with the occasional charm that constantly keeps you laughing such as Jamal and Jasmine’s unexpected friendship. It was a bittersweet journey to follow but it’s just lovely to know that the Core Four may have been through trouble but never broke up, even during their rough patches.
What did you think of Netflix’s On My Block season 4? Comment below.
