On My Block is an American teencomedy-dramaweb television series, created by Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, and Jeremy Haft. The first season, consisting of ten episodes, was released on Netflix on March 16, 2018. On April 13, 2018, the series was renewed for a second season and it premiered on March 29, 2019. On April 29, 2019, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on March 11, 2020. The series stars Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray, Diego Tinoco, and Jessica Marie Garcia. The series's diverse cast, story-lines, and performances were praised by critics.
Premise
In a rough inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood, called Freeridge, four teens find their lifelong friendship tested as they begin high school.
Cast and characters
Main
Sierra Capri as Monsé Finnie, a headstrong Afro-Latina tomboy, who serves as the leader of her friend group. Raised by her single father, she is in love with one of her best friends, Cesar.
Jason Genao as Ruben "Ruby" Martinez Jr., a smart-aleck math whiz of Mexican descent often serving as the group's conscience.
Brett Gray as Jamal Turner, the nerd of the group, who is African-American. In season 1, he is drawn into finding a hidden treasure scheme surrounding RollerWorld.
Diego Tinoco as Cesar Diaz, an intelligent teen forced into gang life once his brother is released from prison, putting a strain on a blossoming relationship with Monsé.
Jessica Marie Garcia as Jasmine Flores, a classmate of the group, who has a romantic obsession with Ruby.
Julio Macias as Oscar "Spooky" Diaz, Cesar's older brother and a member of the Santos gang.
Recurring
Ronni Hawk as Olivia, a friend of Ruby's family who moves in with them after her parents are deported.
Jahking Guillory as Latrelle , former classmate of the group and a member of a gang rival to the Santos.
Emilio Rivera as Chivo,, a gardener caught up in Jamal's hidden treasure scheme.
Peggy Blow as Marisol Martinez, Ruby's grandmother.
Ada Luz Pla as Cuchillos, the leader of the Santos
Gilberto Ortiz as Cuete, the leader of 19th St. gang
Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson as Kendra, Jamal's love interest
Ian Casselberry as Ray, Cesar and Spooky's father
Episodes
Season 1 (2018)
Season 2 (2019)
Season 3 (2020)
Reception
Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season an approval rating of 95% based on 22 reviews, and a weighted average rating of 7.83/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Charming, realistic, and focused on underrepresented communities, On My Block is the respite from stylized teen dramas you didn't know you needed.". Trey Mangum of Shadow and Act wrote, "On My Block is different than anything we’ve seen on television in relation to the experience of growing up. The stars are young people of color, dealing with real issues that happen in communities that they have to wrangle with during this pivotal time in their lives. For a lovely story about friendship and timely societal issues, along with superb youth acting, here is your next binge." Alexis Gunderson of Paste said, "When the final credits hit, it’s clear that not one second of the season’s 10 short episodes was wasted: Every line was measured out, every background track meticulously calibrated, every initially jarring tonal shift set up precisely for a singular cumulative effect that lands in the season’s final moments like a punch to the chest you realize too late you should have seen coming from a mile away." Matt Seitz of New York Magazine wrote, "One of the many remarkable things about this series is how it folds crime and the awareness of potential violence into everyday life, which is something white sitcoms never do unless it’s a Very Special Episode."
