On My Block Season Four – A Disappointing Ending to an Otherwise Great Show
Nikki Emma ’25 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
The fourth and final season of Netflix’s hit comedy-drama On My Block was released on October 4th. The show, which premiered in 2018, follows the story of four teenagers living in the fictional town of Freeridge, California. The first season of On My Block saw critical acclaim, with fans being particularly in awe of how the show made social commentaries on the dangers of gang violence. The most recent season, despite having enjoyable moments, was not as acclaimed by fans who pointed out the numerous unfinished storylines and plot holes. Spoilers Ahead.
In regard to the positives, the direction of most of the characters this season was enjoyable to watch. The third season ended with a two-year time jump indicating the “Core Four,” Monse (Sierra Capri), Caesar (Diego Tinoco), Ruby (Jason Genao), and Jamal (Brett Gray), had grown apart. This two-year time jump enabled the writers to develop the characters and for most characters, this development was positive. In particular, Monse (Sierra Capri), who had moved away from Freeridge to attend private school at the end of season three, seemed to have matured between seasons three and four. Her character, who elicited mixed reactions from fans, was one of the strong points of season four.
Another great moment of character development was the friendship that blossomed between Jamal (Brett Gray) and Jasmine (Jessica Marie Garcia). In past seasons of the show, the two characters were at each other’s throats. Watching them come together and get along this season was an extremely refreshing change. Another great aspect of this season was the humor. On My Block has been consistently funny throughout the show’s run, but season four in particular had some of the funniest moments. In particular, Ruby’s (Jason Genao) prom storyline was one of the season’s best. After having his “promposal” publicly rejected by Jasmine (Jessica Marie Garcia), Ruby is swarmed by girls all hoping to go to prom with him. This sets up Ruby to win prom king, something that was unexpected after his failed campaign for senior class president. The scene where Ruby wins is one of the funniest moments throughout the entire series and is a testament to the consistently humorous writing throughout the series.
The show has generally held a pattern of developing a storyline throughout the first episodes of the season with a climactic culmination occurring in the last two episodes. Fans were expecting this season to do the same, however, season four never really had a grand climactic moment. While there was a lot of entertaining comedy, the substantial and dramatic plotlines were nearly all finished by the halfway point of the season. The biggest issue this season, however, was the storylines that were left unfinished. Most notably, the storyline involving the Roller World heist money. At the start of season four, it is revealed that the Roller World money, belonging to Monse (Sierra Capri), Caesar (Diego Tinoco), Ruby (Jason Genao), and Jamal (Brett Gray), is missing. This seems to set up a storyline where the characters find the money, but this never happens. By the series finale, the audience is never given any information about this mystery. Being essentially left in the dark by the writers is frustrating to fans. An even bigger unresolved plot point of this season revolves around Caesar’s (Julio Macias) death. Midway through the fourth season, he is shot and killed, with audiences not being shown who killed him. Fans anticipated the rest of the season would see this mystery unfold, yet the time never came. It seemed like the writers alluded to the fact that Oscar’s (Julio Macias) time in a gang is what led to him being killed, however, many fans felt that this explanation was the result of lazy writing. Ultimately, these massive unanswered questions led to an unsatisfying final season to an otherwise well-enjoyed show.