Throughout the series, people will start to see how relationships, communication, friendship, and genuine love and support are such key components of the collegiate space. It's going to be interesting in terms of Damon, Thea, and Simone, because at the end of the day in terms of Damon and Simone, my biggest hope is that as the season progresses and hopefully we get a season 2 they navigate truth and learn or grow. Here's a complete guide to the cast and characters of All American: Homecoming. Coach Loni believes in actions and not words, but Simone plans to show it to her every day to prove shes an asset. This universe is just really special and I was coming home. Love, friends, happiness, and joy. He's now attempting to keep Bringston's baseball program relevant so the school can't cut its funding. Sylvester Powell as Jessie 'JR' Raymond - Jessie Raymond is a longtime friend of Damon's thanks to youth baseball. The CW is officially expanding its All American universe. During the worst of her stress, Simone takes her aunts advice to point to examples of Black excellence and see what is possible, taking inspiration from the real HBCU alums whose portraits hang in the hallways, like Their Eyes Were Watching God author Zora Neale Hurston. The series premieres Monday on the CW. We'll definitely see a little shift in Simone in terms of how she processes and navigates the new relationships she has with all of these people. Although she has never been as central to the plot as the other main characters, knowing she was set to lead the spinoff series should have been a reason to give her a more substantial storyline before leaving. But as a character notes a couple of episodes into its brand-new spinoff, All American: Homecoming, college is a different ballgame, honey. The audacity for her to even be catching and attitude with Laura is outta pocket and disrespectful. Jordan supported her in all the ways, from being a mother to making a decision about going to a school she felt brought her joy, courage, and strength. Michael and I were both in our heads about the breakup scene because we know how pivotal the characters are. Related:All American: What [SPOILER]'s Survival Means For Season 4. With All American: Homecoming set to premiere on Monday, February 21, it would have made sense that Simone would have been a more significant focus in All American's fourth season. What do you remember from filming that scene? What all of them take seriously is that their friend group is extraordinary. Amidst new obstacles, Simone Hicks discovers the makings of a found family in the. GEFFRI MAYA: It was the right way to begin because college ultimately is about transitioning and that's not easy, especially when you're having to live on your own and make decisions on your own. The dancers and our choreographers, Nico and Rhapsody, were amazing. While many expected Jordan and Simone to break up during All American season 4 then, the series has not gone in that direction. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . It has to be earned. New Romance Brewing on Superman, Fox News 8 pm Viewership Down Sharply Since Tucker Carlson's Ouster, Stephen Amell Doesn't Think He's Done Playing Green Arrow, All American Spinoff, Naomi Adaptation Snag Series Orders at The CW, All American Spinoff Adds Legacies' Peyton Alex Smith, 5 Others to Cast. This is years of working with this person, depending on him and supporting each other through the emotional trials of acting. We don't know what's going to be in store for Jordan and Simone's futures, whether together or apart. Thea admits that shes always watching, showing her a series of text messages in which Loni admonishes Simone for sloppy footwork and unacceptable training. February 1 2021, 11:00 AM PST. She is portrayed by Camille Hyde . To explore Black families, especially Black motherhood and sisterhood is important. "Everyone's driven and ready to bring Bringston Univeristy to life and bring the characters to life.". 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper. Kelly Jenrette as Amara and Geffri Maya as Simone. What the plots in juicy twists or epic emotions, they make up for with a warm sense of community, often built over the weekly family dinners that Simone hosts at her aunt Amaras house. Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. All Rights Reserved. Tennis is such a beautiful sport that I have respect for. About All American: Homecoming (TV series). I was super emotional. This includes reconnecting with a variety of people she met during her visit to Bringston University inAll American season 3. She visited Bringston University for the weekend with Jordan, Spencer, and Olivia Baker. Simone's tennis journey is about her coming into her own. What were exploring is what friendship between members of the opposite sex look like and when that starts to get complicated. But Amara calls out his cowardice right away, and the prez swiftly moves to open an investigation, while the baseball teams coaching duo resigns immediately. Simone's rough start includes getting on the tennis team. Simone deserved to be more included inAll Americans fourth season to give more insight into her character leading up to attending Bringston University and how her tennis game is improving. I was able to connect with so many Black people from many different walks of life. She walks off and Thea nods a bit impressed.[1]. The big question around Simone and Damon (Peyton Alex Smith) is if there's romantic future, but whatever comes next, they do have a connection. New episodes of All American air Mondays at 8/7c on The CW and the franchise is expanding via All American: Homecoming, a Simone-centric spinoff that was ordered to series at the. It would be beautiful to be able to see that unfold and see their relationship take a turn. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Can you speak to Jordan's significance to Simone and how big a part of her journey he is? If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. The whole marriage thing for me was also crazy they are young and barely were together for a long time. It was a collaborative effort, which is honestly the most fun for me, especially as a dancer and especially with art. Simone starts to crack but finds motivation from a group assignment with Damon and Thea. But Homecoming seems to know what Simone doesnt: that that very capacity for growth and change can be the core of a winning identity. Even through her tough breakup, Simone still wins her tennis match. That Simone and Damon, dormmates and fast friends, are headed toward romance seems inevitable, even if Simons technically still attached to her All American boyfriend Jordan (Michael Evans Behling); whats more college than gradually letting go of the high-school sweetheart in favor of the cutie who lives just down the hall? It's pretty exciting. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. Damon and Coach Marcus are thrown a bigger curve ball than they were anticipating. During the series premiere of All American: Homecoming, we saw that Simone has a tough start to life as a college student.Her mother refuses to pay for housing, so she moves in with her aunt . Homecomings sprawling cast allows it to approach the college experience from all angles, some inevitably more compelling than others. However,All American season 3 concluded with a reversal of Jordan and Simone's marriage. At the moment, Simone is working on herself, but I am curious what can you say about how she'll navigate Damon and Thea's budding relationship? Thought you could hang, Thea taunts, when Simone asks if all of her warm-ups are typically that intense. Yay! I don't think there's anything to worry about. All American season 3, episode 7 revealed that Jordan and Simone got married over the summer during the trip to Vegas. Or is that just a really good friend whos there for you? she asks. Simone, along with Spencer (Daniel Ezra), Olivia (Samantha Logan), and Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), headed to Atlanta to hit Bringston's campus for homecoming and ended up finding a new path for herself after not getting into Princeton. Damons storyline needed to be set up and understood going into a new show. All American season 3 reveals Jordan Baker and Simone Hicks got married in Las Vegas, and that adds a huge twist to the story ahead of Simone's spinoff show, All American: Homecoming. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. GeffriMaya is known for Private Practice (2007), WTF, Baron Davis (2019) and Loco (2020). Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. What was shooting that emotional scene about Simone and Jordan's relationship with Michael like? We know people love Jordan and Simone together and everything they have overcome. The CW's All American franchise expands with Simone's spinoff series. Now he's decided to give back to his community and his spot in a different way. ET on the CW. This episode was well set up on All American Season 3 Episode 16 as Simone, Jordan, Spencer, and Olivia sought to escape their personal drama by taking a college tour as many high school seniors do. Airdate: 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21 (The CW) There's a beautiful history that stands firm on a foundation of strength, perseverance, art, music, and creativity. [Sylvester] Powell, who plays JR, does that speech about the cultural creed of being a Bringston Lion and that really is something inspiring and powerful. The CW is plotting a spinoff of its football-themed high school drama series All American . By They decided to stay together and try a long-distance relationship, despite the pressures theyre both facing. The dichotomy between Nate and Keisha is the calm and the storm, and you need that balance in order to navigate new transitions in life. Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. That time shaped who I am today, as an artist, person, friend, and sister. Later, in a conversation with the aforementioned elite baseball player, Damon Sims more on him in a minute Simone is all too aware of the heavy tennis competition shes facing, and Damon encourages her to use that as motivation. Simone was a student at Beverly Hills High School and upon graduating, moved to Atlanta to attend Bringston University. A backdoor pilot for the spinoff wasincluded in season 3that set up Simone for her college adventure. "which is why you brought us to this ugh. I remember being extremely emotional and just channeling loss and [what] it means to lose something.