Let’s be real for a second. Watching All American lately feels a bit like looking at a childhood home after the new owners painted it a color you absolutely hate. It’s still the same house, but everything is different. By the time we hit All American Season 7 Episode 10, the "Next Gen" pivot isn't just a concept anymore—it’s the reality we’re living in.
Daniel Ezra is gone as a series regular. That’s the elephant in the room. You can’t just remove Spencer James, the literal heartbeat of the show, and expect the pulse to stay the same. Episode 10 really hammers home whether this show can actually survive without its North Star. It's a massive gamble.
The CW has shifted gears. They’ve moved away from the high-budget, sprawling ensemble dramas of the 2010s toward leaner, more localized stories. This season is basically a soft reboot. We are back at South Crenshaw High, but the faces are new, the stakes feel smaller, and honestly, the nostalgia is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Massive Void Left by Spencer James
You can’t talk about All American Season 7 Episode 10 without acknowledging who isn't there. Spencer’s journey from Crenshaw to Beverly Hills and then to the NFL was the spine of the narrative. Now that he’s reached the mountaintop, the show is trying to convince us that we should care just as much about a new crop of recruits.
It’s a tough sell.
Jordan Baker is still around, stepping into a mentorship role that feels a little weird if you remember him as the hot-headed kid from Season 1. He’s trying to find his footing at South Crenshaw, and Episode 10 highlights the friction between his "Beverly Hills" coaching style and the raw, unfiltered reality of Crenshaw football. It’s a "full circle" moment, but sometimes circles feel like they're just repeating the same mistakes.
Fans are divided. Some love seeing the show return to its roots—the grit, the community, the struggle. Others feel like they’re watching a spin-off that forgot to change its name. If you’re tuning in for the "Spelivia" romance, you’re mostly getting mentions and off-screen updates. It’s bittersweet.
Why the New Cast is Struggling to Connect
Writing new characters seven years into a show is a nightmare. You’re competing with years of character development. In All American Season 7 Episode 10, we see more of the focus shift to the new generation of athletes and students.
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The problem? They haven't had the "hook" yet.
Think back to the pilot. Spencer had a clear, life-changing conflict. The new kids feel a bit like archetypes we've seen before. You’ve got the talented kid with a chip on his shoulder, the one hiding a secret, and the one trying to escape a bad situation. It's familiar territory. Maybe too familiar.
However, the show is trying to modernize the struggle. They're touching on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals in a way that didn't exist when the show started. They're looking at the impact of social media on high school recruits. It’s relevant. It’s smart. But is it enough to keep people from changing the channel?
The Coaching Chaos at South Crenshaw
The sideline drama has always been the best part of this show. In this episode, the tension between the old guard and the new philosophy reaches a boiling point. Jordan is trying to honor Billy’s legacy while establishing his own. That’s a lot of pressure for a guy who spent most of his life trying to step out of his father's shadow.
The Dynamics in the Locker Room
The locker room energy in Episode 10 is tense. We’re seeing a shift from the individual "star" narrative to a more ensemble-focused team struggle.
- Jordan’s Leadership: He’s learning that being a great player doesn't make you a great coach.
- The New Talent: The friction between the veteran players and the freshman phenoms is palpable.
- The Community Stakes: Crenshaw isn't just a school; it's a lifeline. The pressure to win isn't about trophies; it's about funding and keeping the program alive.
Is the "Vortex" Still Intact?
The "Vortex"—that tight-knit group of friends that somehow stayed together through multiple colleges and career changes—is stretched thin. In All American Season 7 Episode 10, the geographical distance between characters is finally starting to show.
Layla is balancing her business with her life as a coach’s wife. Coop is navigating the legal world. The show is trying to maintain that "found family" vibe, but it’s harder when everyone is in different stages of adulthood. The college years were a bridge, but now they're on the other side.
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There’s a specific scene in this episode involving a dinner at the Baker house that feels like a ghost of the past. It’s meant to be heartwarming, but it mostly reminds you of how many chairs are empty. It’s a bold choice by the writers to lean into that loneliness rather than pretending everything is fine.
Technical Shifts and Production Value
You might notice the show looks a little different this season. With the budget cuts across The CW, there are fewer massive stadium shots and more intimate, character-driven scenes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. It forces the writing to be sharper.
In All American Season 7 Episode 10, the cinematography leans into the shadows of Crenshaw. It feels more like a noir drama at times than a bright, shiny teen show. This tonal shift aligns with the aging up of the audience. The people who started watching in 2018 aren't kids anymore. They want something with a bit more weight.
What Most People Get Wrong About Season 7
The biggest misconception is that the show is "dying." It’s not. It’s evolving. Ratings for linear TV are down across the board, but All American remains a monster on streaming. Netflix is where this show lives and breathes.
People think the exit of the original leads means the story is over. But All American has always been about the cycle of the community. It’s about how one person’s success (Spencer) opens the door for the next person. Episode 10 is the ultimate test of that thesis. If we can’t care about the kid who comes after Spencer, then the show’s philosophy fails.
Key Takeaways from Episode 10
If you're keeping track of the plot points that actually matter for the rest of the season, pay attention to these:
- Jordan’s Decision: The choice he makes regarding a player’s eligibility in this episode will have massive ramifications for the playoffs.
- The Mystery Transfer: A new character introduced late in the episode suggests that the "Beverly vs. Crenshaw" rivalry isn't as dead as we thought.
- The Legacy Burden: The theme of "living up to the name" isn't just for the Baker kids anymore; it's affecting the entire neighborhood.
Where Does All American Go From Here?
Honestly, the show is at a crossroads. All American Season 7 Episode 10 feels like the halfway point of an experiment. Can you have All American without the All-American?
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The show is banking on the idea that the "brand" of the Baker and James families is stronger than the individual actors. It’s a strategy used by long-running soaps and procedural dramas like Grey’s Anatomy. Whether it works for a teen-turned-young-adult drama remains to be seen.
The acting remains solid. Greta Onieogou (Layla) and Michael Evans Behling (Jordan) are carrying a heavy load, and they’re doing it with a lot of grace. They have chemistry that feels earned over nearly 130 episodes. That’s the "secret sauce" that keeps people coming back even when the plot feels a bit repetitive.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re feeling disconnected from the show, try re-watching the Season 1 pilot and then jumping straight to Episode 10 of this season. The parallels are intentional. The writers are trying to rhyme the history of the show.
Pay close attention to the background characters in the South Crenshaw scenes. The show is planting seeds for Season 8 (if it happens). There are cameos and small nods to earlier seasons that reward long-time viewers who haven't given up yet.
Keep an eye on the soundtrack, too. All American has always been a tastemaker for new hip-hop and R&B, and this episode features a track from an emerging artist out of South Central that perfectly captures the mood of the reboot.
The story of Crenshaw isn't finished; it's just being told by different voices now. Whether those voices are as loud or as clear as Spencer James' remains the big question. But for now, the lights are still on at the stadium, and the game is still being played. That's worth something.