All American - “Testify” - Pictured (L-R): Michael Evans Behling as Jordan and Monet Mazur as Laura - Photo: Robert Voets/The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. It subtly (but imperatively) highlights the ongoing racism rooted within the police system against black people - something made abundantly clear when the officer’s demeanor softens upon recognizing the name of Olivia’s white, district attorney and affluent mother. And I know it’s my fault that you’re not still one of them. Olivia: I have people waiting for me to come back. The cold open alone serves as a threefold of importance to the episode. Not only is Olivia drunk behind the wheel with Spencer in the car, she thoughtlessly allows a black man to take the blame for her own mistakes. A dynamic that has developed over the course of three seasons, their ever-deepening bond makes Olivia’s carelessness with Spencer’s life s a truly guttural mistake. The same goes for the relationship between Spencer and Olivia. Olivia’s drinking has been subtly referenced from the All American Season 2 finale, and Spencer’s therapy has been an inevitable conclusion from the moment he woke up after getting shot. Related The Best Man: The Final Chapters Review: Aging Like Fine Wine? Things like addiction and mental health aren’t used as simple plot devices, and major story points about characters’ lives are never forgotten - only built upon over time. There’s a reason they tell us to put our oxygen mask on first before we help others.Īll American is able to make these conflicts feel organic because the storytelling is never rushed. While their love for each other might be there, the timing isn’t - not if they want to continue on those journeys in healthy ways.ĭr.
They’ve both been on season-long journeys towards individual growth. All American - “Testify” –Pictured: Daniel Ezra as Spencer - Photo: Robert Voets/The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. It’s difficult to watch two people who have just fallen in love be torn apart by their own issues, but the conflict feels natural. The recognition he isn’t “finished” with his mental health just because his designated sessions are over, intersects naturally with Olivia’s addiction and increasingly manic behavior. Spencer’s relationship with therapy has been an ongoing topic throughout the season. The result is a flawless episode of television that nails every scene it delivers.
There’s no better example of this than “Testify.” Tackling mental health, addiction, and systematic racism, the episode ebbs and flows seamlessly from topic to topic, weaving itself together in a cohesive narrative. Both the storytelling and acting are invariably grounded, allowing the show to execute themes with poignancy, not melodrama. The show possesses a type of finesse in tackling delicate topics truly unparalleled to any other show of the same genre. The conflict is heightened for dramatic effect, performances are dialed up to ten, and what should be read as intimate storytelling, ends up feeling like an after-school special. All Rights ReservedĬorny never resonates with audiences. All American - “Testify” - Pictured (L-R): Monet Mazur as Laura - Photo: Robert Voets/The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. The difficult thing about broaching gritty, real-life issues in a teen setting, is the danger of presenting as overtly preachy. That may sound hyperbolic, but as a self-proclaimed teen drama aficionado, I have the credentials to make that type of statement. Everyone’s favorite teen drama returns with All American Season 3 Episode 9, “Testify.” It’s an hour so unbelievably moving, it may go down as one of television’s most memorable teen drama installments of all time.
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