The final season of Netflix’s On My Block dropped on October 4 but fans of its particular brand of coming-of-age antics have something to look forward to: a spinoff. It’s titled Freeridge and it’s created by the same people (Jamie Uyeshiro, Eddie Gonzalez, and Jeremy Haft), set on the same block, and appears to have a similar premise. According to the logline, the new show will follow four friends “who may or may not have unleashed a deadly curse kicking off an unforgettable adventure.”
We don’t have a release date yet but the cast has been announced – Bryana Salaz who fans of The Voice will recognize, emerging actress Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Shiv Pai of Uncut Gems and Marvel’s Iron Fist, and Ciara Riley Wilson of Kim Possible. And that’s enough to start noticing some differences from the original. Where OMB had the traditional gender split of teen shows (aren’t we grateful there was at least one girl?), Freeridge is flipping it with three girls and one boy. In a statement to Deadline, the show creators said they’re creating “a more female-driven show,” which is exciting partly because, as Jessica Marie Garcia noted, the female characters on OMB were too often defined as counterparts to their male co-stars.
The other big difference is that none of the new core four are visibly Black but Freeridge does keep On My Block’s commitment to telling the stories of teens of (more than one) color. In this edition, we’re seeing Asian and Latine characters together, hopefully meaningfully expanding who the OMB franchise represents and includes.
Netflix has said it’s an all-new cast but the same universe so maybe while we’ll miss OMB’s original stars, there’s still the hope of cameos. I love the idea of Jasmine becoming a teacher at the high school or Cesar working with kids to help them stay out of gangs. Only time and your Netflix subscription will tell!