The “All American” characters will undergo some changes when the CW show kicks off its fifth season on October 10, with the theme “Ash to Phoenix Rising,” showrunner and executive producer Nakechi Okoro Carroll told TheWrap as part of our FallTV. as mentioned. Intuition.
But before we move on, let’s remember where we left off: the last time we saw the “All American” team, our favorite characters were talking about the pain and grief that comes with being a freshman in the first semester of college. . experienced freedom. Spencer (Daniel Ezra) and Liv (Samantha Logan) were rock solid in their long-lasting relationship, their budding athletic status as a first freshman and investigator among her conflicting goals. Journalists in search of the glorious past of Golden Angels University head coach Garrett (Sean Carrigan).
But they are not alone in experiencing change: Coop (Brey-Z) is about to make a foray into the legal world, as an assistant to Laura (Monet Mazur). Meanwhile, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) deals with a mutual breakup with Simone (Geffrey Hightower) and, not to mention, is diagnosed with a broken arm. Then there was Layla (Greta Oniogou), who was shocked after learning that her father, a radio tycoon, had handed his company over to Clay (Derrick Augustine), a shrewd young executive whom he sentimentally despised because he was trying to recovering from his near-death experience. . With Carey (Anna Vidya).
So, if last year’s theme was about change and growth, next season is about returning. Carroll said he knows more about what audiences can expect in the second half.
The theme of the fifth season is “Phoenix Rising”.
“The theme on which season five revolves is the Phoenix rising from the ashes,” Carroll told TheWrap. “A lot has happened at the end of the season: a change in relationships, a focus on GAU football and what manager Garrett can and cannot do and what it means for Spencer and his career. There have been a lot of cliffhangers.
“All American” kicks off six weeks after season 4, just in time for the winter break
“It’s been six weeks since the premiere of ‘All American’, just like Olivia and Billy [Taye Diggs] Coach Garrett has time to delve into all of this, “Carroll said.” Meanwhile, in the middle of their football season, they are entering the winter break, which means entering the heart of football, entering the bowling season. we’ll really see front and center in some of the stories from those early episodes.
Coach Garrett’s exposure will have a “ripple effect” on everyone, not just Liv and Spencer
“We’ll see that the story he’s chasing will have a huge impact on a lot of them,” the producer said. “We really see it around Olivia, Billy, Spencer and Jordan in these early episodes and the outcome of the story will have a ripple effect on everyone’s life.”
The premiere will cross with “All American: Homecoming” despite the breakup between Jordan and Symoné
“There will absolutely be room for crossovers next season,” Carroll said. “In fact, I’m 99.9% sure I can reveal that we will see him in our first two episodes of each show.” The original and the spin-off are on the same timeline over the Christmas break, giving Simone and Cam (Michelle Edwards) the opportunity to go on vacation to Los Angeles.
“Likewise, football is national, and that’s the beauty of it,” Carroll said. “So there will be an opportunity for the cast to go back and forth between the two shows. We basically maintain a universe and maintain the singular identity of each show.
And despite the differences between the two, the show will remain tied to “ambitious quality, brazen pursuit of the heart and a dream”.
Jordan’s secret wound will feature a more “mature” version of the character
Parallel to last season, Jordan got injured again. A major point of contention last year was that she decided to train under Spencer behind her father’s back, which led to prolonged tension between her, Spencer, and Billy for several episodes of the fourth season. that he hasn’t given the details to anyone yet and is riding. At the highest level of a successful Homecoming game, Carroll anticipates that her broken arm will allow viewers to see a “very different Giordano” from before.
“Jordan, we saw him in high school when he got injured and had to take a break from the sport and how he dealt with it and how he reacted and some of the big decisions that have been made around him don’t – We will find Jordan in a similar situation [having] A physical impairment that now affects her ability to play football, “he said.” The decision she will make will say a lot about who this new and more mature Jordan is. “
And all these relationships? hello quarter life crisis
As for the main trio of “All American” couples – Liv and Spencer, Cop and Patience (Chelsea Tavares), Layla and Jordan – Carroll said they have all experienced relationships with the “adult and adult state of mind” that they can be. It can be both a “blessing and a curse”. After going from “Zero to 60” – in case, Jordan and Simone’s near marriage or Cop and Patience cohabitation – the showrunner noticed that all three couples are struggling with the swift nature of their unions. What will happen.
“The kind of growth that happens with each of them individually – like that quarter-life crisis that comes with college because it reaches them all individually – we’re going to have to react to that aspect of them. . Let’s look at relationships differently and see how it turns out for all parties involved, ”Carroll said.
Layla has found a new rival in Clay and is sure she should see him again
“Watch out for the hearts you break because sometimes they come back to burn you,” laughs Carroll, referring to Layla’s new rivalry with Clay, who will be the heir of Kitting Records.
That’s not to say Clay isn’t a shrewd businessman, Carroll said, but “he’s also a guy who rarely lets his guard down. [did] By letting go of her defenses, Layla inadvertently stepped on her whole heart and created a slightly different version of Clay now that those walls are back. ,
And then Laila? Last season, the budding record producer was joined by world-renowned artist Sabine (JoJo), who helped her realize that she wanted her music empire of hers. And do it, she will.
“He wants to be like his father and he does it his way,” Carroll said of Layla’s belated dream of becoming a tycoon. “We’re going to ask Layla to come to terms with the repercussions of many of those decisions she made when she got back together last season and see how that ignites a new battle for what she wants in life. ‘in an unattainable way.’
“All American” will debut October 10 on The CW.
