6 Reasons To Watch On My Block

Do you guys ever just randomly decide to watch an episode of something and before you know it you find yourself halfway through the season and absolutely loving every second of it? Because that’s what happened to me yesterday.

My friend Sandra had asked for some shows to watch on Netflix and I had heard Merline talk about how excited she is for the second season of On My Block, so I recommended the show to Sandra just from hearsay. But then I figured a recommendation is probably better if you’ve experienced and loved the thing too.

So, I decided to watch the trailer. And then the pilot. And suddenly I was five episodes in and yelling at my laptop because it was all becoming a bit much. I finished season 1 last night. I watched it all in one go. And thank god there were new episodes available this morning because that season 1 cliffhanger is just rude (so is the season 2 one).

Being the reasonable person I am, I decided I would watch a few episodes today and then spread them out over the weekend and actually savor them, right? Yeah, let’s all laugh at me because I literally binged them all again. I watched two seasons (aka 20 episodes) in less than 24 hours. And now I’ll have to wait a year for more. And for answers. If Netflix doesn’t cancel the show. *crosses fingers*

You might know that I enjoy recommending shows to you guys from time to time (WATCH ONE DAY AT A TIME IF YOU HAVEN’T YET) which is exactly what I’ll be doing today!

On My Block introduces us to four 14-year olds who are about to start their first day of high school and shows us what their lives are like living in a poor Los Angeles neighborhood that is ruled by gangs.

That’s the most basic of summaries I can give you, but I think the trailer will do a better job of giving you an idea of what to expect, so check it out:

Writing That Is Just So Fucking Good

One of the earliest things I noticed with On My Block was how fantastic the writing is. They’d have conversations between two different groups and cut back and forth between them showing you how different people viewed situations they were all involved it. There are a few hilarious moments in there too and I just had to tweet about them:

J: We're tight. Like Trump and Putin.
*Cuts to*
C: Scumbags. [the conversation continues but here]

God, I love this show so much. The writing of dialogue on this show is so fucking good.

— Swetlana (@swetlanareadsya) March 29, 2019

Actually, if you click through to that tweet, there are more moments and live reactions (spoiler free, of course) that I couldn’t help but share too! 🙂

Boys Who Cry – I KNOW

On My Block has three male leads and they are actually allowed to show emotions? Ruben and Cesar straight out cry and shed actual tears and it’s fucking awesome to see. I constantly found myself just wanting to hug them because they were in such fucked up situations and didn’t deserve any of it. And the way season 2 gives a certain character so much time to shine and explore his feelings and his mental health was so, so beautiful and important.

Fantastic Friendship Dynamic

I also really loved the exploration of the friendship dynamic between Ruben, Cesar, Jamal and Monse who basically grew up together and have all this build in history and memories (I’m becoming more and more of a sucker for this trope). But it was also nice to see how things change when someone else joins the group or romantic feelings become a factor. These kids have all become such favorites of mine and the need to protect them is so, so real.

Interesting Characters (You’re Going To Hate But Also Love But Also Hate)

We all love a story that features characters that make us feel stuff. The good, the bad and the middle. All of it. And this show definitely has them – within our main group but also in the side characters. Oscar, Cesar’s older brother, was definitely a character my feelings changed on often but ultimately he was a great character and I also loved the way his and Ruben’s relationship is developed in season. I have to say, I didn’t see it coming but I was here for it. And just so there’s no confusion here – it’s not a sexual/romantic relationship.

Addicting Storylines That Will Keep You Watching All Day

It’s truly no secret that I love to binge stuff from time to time, right? But sometimes binging is just a result of me having time and nothing else to do. It’s not always because the story is so engaging that I can’t stop. With On My Block, it was the story that kept demanding my attention from start to finish. I don’t often watch 20 episodes in just under 24 hours. xD

Throughout both seasons there is this mystery of a big amount of money being hidden somewhere around the neighborhood the show is set in and I loved going on little missions with the characters (abuelita was a perfect addition to our little Scooby gang – what is it with these Latino grandmothers that just makes me love them?!) and exploring the myth more as time passes.

Amazing Soundtrack

And lastly, something else the show does amazingly well: the soundtrack! Throughout the entire show there would be songs playing in the background that I kept being drawn too as they are right up my alley and I’ve actually been listening to a playlist on Spotify ever since I finished the show earlier today! I would definitely recommend checking it out whether you watch the show or not!

I’m curious, have either of you guys watched this show before? Because as I was talking about it, Kat got really excited because she loved the show too – I’m so bumped we weren’t friends yet last year because I might’ve discovered the show earlier that way!

Also, the more I think about this show and it’s setting and characters the more I’m reminded of On The Come Up – so maybe if you adored that book as much as I did, give this show a try! Don’t let Netflix cancel a good show just because they fail to promote it properly!