Fans’ wishes came true when All American premiered its second season on The CW on Oct. 7. Despite the controversy over the quality of the show after its first season, creator Nkechi Okoro Carroll thought a second season was crucial to the series. The series is inspired by the true story of former NFL player for the New York Giants, Spencer Paysinger.

Based on a true story, it still holds characteristics to other drama shows based on football such as Friday Night Lights and Last Chance U. Although some viewers were eager for the return of the show, it does not live up to the expectations of other drama television shows.

The show follows the story of Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), a star football player of South Crenshaw High School, as he is recruited by Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) to the Beverly Hills High School football team. Throughout Season 1, viewers saw Spencer struggling with fitting in as he was criticized by the new team in Beverly Hills and his old friends back home.

Baker’s son Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) has the most trouble sharing the spotlight on the team and is upset with sharing his home with Spencer who moved in so he could attend Beverly Hills. The first season ended with a big cliff-hanger as viewers discovered Baker had an affair with Spencer’s mom and that Spencer’s brother might be Baker’s son.

Along with this issue, Spencer’s father returns after he left his family eight years ago. The actors are fairly new to the big screens and some have not demonstrated the emotion for certain scenes. The cliched conflicts in many sports shows and the acting make it easy to predict what will happen next. 

Fans were excited for the return of the show, which features more issues and secrets. Both the Bakers and James are more affected by the affair and everyone is struggling to grasp reality. The football team isn’t taking practice seriously after Coach Baker resigned at the end of Season 1, and Jordan is spiraling out of control as his relationship with his father is strained. As the second season continues, more secrets are revealed and there is more tension among the team members and Baker’s family. 

The show’s main focus is on the importance of family and teamwork. Through the love triangles and friendships, All American highlights being there for one another in good situations and bad. All American might not be the go-to show for some viewers, but it still delivers drama and emotion.