All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. GEFFRI MAYA: It was an amazing experience because it's where I started. But Amara calls out his cowardice right away, and the prez swiftly moves to open an investigation, while the baseball teams coaching duo resigns immediately. (And Jordan might have good reason to worry, because Damon Sims is clearlyvery interested in his girl.). During the hour, Simone pays a visit to the (fictional) Atlanta-based school Bringston University, where her aunt Amara teaches a course on journalism and activism. After deciding to end their marriage in season 3, she and Jordan decided they would stay together, just without the stress and pressure of being married. Executive producers: Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, Robbie Rogers. Jordan was like the wind beneath her wings. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Layla put up these walls because she doesnt trust people anymore, with the exception of Jordan, who just bullied his way into their friendship. What all of them take seriously is that their friend group is extraordinary. Simone chooses not to tell people about baby Shay. "It was just an exciting feeling to know Peyton and I are at the helm of this show and are able to see that and really fulfill a vision of bringing a universe together with so much love and so much fun," Maya says, looking back on filming the episode. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. At the moment, Simone is working on herself, but I am curious what can you say about how she'll navigate Damon and Thea's budding relationship? Sylvester Powell as Jessie 'JR' Raymond - Jessie Raymond is a longtime friend of Damon's thanks to youth baseball. The pressure explodes in a very emotional scene with Damon. One thing I love about Thea is no matter how she comes off, she wants the same thing we want. Simone is practicing tennis on the court when Thea and her friend intervene. ET on The CW. Talk to me a bit about their bond and relationship. Damon and Coach Marcus are thrown a bigger curve ball than they were anticipating. Simone's All American spinoff was clearly set up through her story in this episode. Simone gives Loni her clearance note from President Allen, making it in time for Queen of the Court. Mitchell Edwards as Cam Watkins- Cam Watkins is Spencer James' former rival and an excellent football player. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. All American: Homecoming -- "Start Over" -- Image Number: AHC101a_0258r.jpg -- Pictured: Geffri Maya as Simone Hicks -- Photo: Ser Baffo/The CW -- (C) 2021 The CW Network, LLC. Marcus will even get his job back, this time ashead coach and not assistant! Back in Beverly Hills, Jordan seems to have a growing connection with Layla (Greta Onieogou), with whom hes been friends for years. Love, friends, happiness, and joy. All American airs on The CW Mondays at 8 p.m. Coopers love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn't until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Although she has never been as central to the plot as the other main characters, knowing she was set to lead the spinoff series should have been a reason to give her a more substantial storyline before leaving. Viewers might recognize Kelly Jenrette from her roles inMixed-ish andGrandfathered. What was shooting the backdoor pilot like? I was classically trained in that part, and once you're a dancer, it doesn't go anywhere, especially if you keep up with it. It's just a journey, it's college. It would be beautiful to be able to see that unfold and see their relationship take a turn. The whole marriage thing for me was also crazy they are young and barely were together for a long time. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How do you feel about getting to take Simone on this new journey? Simone was a student at Beverly Hills High School and upon graduating, moved to Atlanta to attend Bringston University. This seemed to be a clear move to set up Simone going off on her own forAll American: Homecoming. Did you play her differently, given her growth at Bringston? Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper. The dancers and our choreographers, Nico and Rhapsody, were amazing. That storyline will also be analyzed in a bit of a different way. PMC Entertainment. Simone Hicks (formerly Baker) is a recurring character in the The CW series All American and the main protagonist of its spinoff All American: Homecoming . Earlier, when the series had shown the backdoor pilot forAll American: Homecoming, Damon Sims, the male lead to the spinoff, gets a heavier focus on his motivations for enrolling at Bringston University than Simone. Simones arrival at Bringston shakes things up for Thea as her instant dislike of her rival clashes with the bond they share as Black women in Tennis. Ser Baffo/The CW. Then her seeing a different dynamic between Layla and Jordan, because before she left, Layla was her maid of honor and Jordan was the love of her life. Sometimes that happens and you dont even notice that its getting complicated, Carroll tells Variety. What did you think ofAll American: Homecomings first episode? Simonebecame a slightly more central character inAll American season 3, partially due toThe CW's plans to give her a spinoff show. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. As he attempts to prove he made the right decision for his baseball career, Damon is also searching for answers about his birth family. See on this team nothing just gets handed to you. As we know from the show's official . Simone hears about the event and everyone's aversion to throwing a party for Keisha. Nate (Rhoyle Ivy King) and Keisha (Netta Walker) welcome Simone back to Bringston with open arms. A tennis prodigy, she takes her responsibility for representing the Black community in the sport very seriously. If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Still, it followed the question of if the duo could succeed in a long-distance relationship, followed by her absence at prom to compete in a tennis competition. GeffriMaya is known for Private Practice (2007), WTF, Baron Davis (2019) and Loco (2020). That time shaped who I am today, as an artist, person, friend, and sister. Camille Hyde previously appeared onAmerican Vandal and played the Pink Dino Charge Ranger inPower Rangers Dino Charge. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Now he's decided to give back to his community and his spot in a different way. TheAll American: Homecoming cast also includes the return of Michael Evans Behling as Jordan Baker. The match is even set, but Thea ultimately wins. February 1 2021, 11:00 AM PST. As long as Jordan and Simone stay together, though, the odds of Jordan appearing inAll American: Homecoming remains fairly high. Simone Hicks is at the center ofAll American: Homecoming, with Geffri Maya returning to play herrole. I was super emotional. The most prominent and most emotionally resonant arc in the first four hourlong episodes sent to critics concerns Simones struggles to adjust. Viewers could recognize Cory Hardrict from any number of projects, such asThe Chi,All Eyez on Me, andAmerican Sniper. But in Mondays backdoor pilot, we watched as Simone still a senior in high school remained uncertain about where to apply to college, all while realizing her tennis game needs work, too. While telling a story about college life is very different than that of high school, the drama remains as does the romance. Read Next: Succession Director Lorene Scafaria Talks Shiv and Toms Relationship Status, Their Bitey Scene and That Surprise Appearance by [SPOILER], Michael Evans Behling as Jordan Baker and Greta Onieogou as Layla Keating, Stagecoach: Nelly Steals the Show on Day Two Despite Abrupt Ending, Stagecoach: Luke Bryan Closes Out Day One With Hits and Covers, Bud Light Controversy Looms, Love & Death True Story: Everything to Know About Candy Montgomerys Real Case, Jock Zonfrillo, MasterChef Australia Judge, Dies at 46, Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Premiere Date Revealed by Steve Martin and Martin Short at Comedy Show (EXCLUSIVE), Matthew Lawrence: 'My Agency Fired Me' After I Refused to Take My Clothes Off for an Award-Winning Director, Netflixs Saudi Arabian Psychological Thriller The Matchmaker Tackles Controversial Subject of Temporary Marriages, Says, Super Mario Bros. Movie Officially Smashes $1 Billion Globally, Willie Nelsons 90th Birthday Is Smoking, With Snoop Dogg, George Strait and Neil Young Among the Party Favorites at the Hollywood Bowl, Bill Hader Is Open to Playing Stefon Again, One Year After Saying He Might Retire the Character Due to Being Seen as a Stereotype, The Morning Show Renewed for Season 4 on Apple TV+ Ahead of Season 3 Debut, The Late Late Show With James Corden Series Finale Scores 1.43 Million Viewers, That Old Jack Black Magic: As the Villain of 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie,' the Actor Gives His Peachiest Performance in Years, COVER STORY | How a Sex Scandal, Big Egos and Putin Led to Jeff Shells Sudden, No Payout Exit From NBCU, Ryan Goslings Greta Gerwig Barbie Tee and Margot Robbies Pink Two Piece Embrace Barbiecore, The Brilliance of Harry Belafonte in 12 Songs, Bob Odenkirk Joins The Bear Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE), Is This 'Beau Is Afraid' Character a De-Aged Joaquin Phoenix? Coopers love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn't until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Jordan supported her in all the ways, from being a mother to making a decision about going to a school she felt brought her joy, courage, and strength. She is queen-bee sophomore that gives off slight mean girl tendencies. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Jordan is one of the main characters ofAll American andhas continued to be involved in the show's fourth season. The CW's All American universe expands with a Simone-focused spinoff, and here's a guide to the cast and characters of All American: Homecoming.The original football drama based on Spencer Paysinger's pre-NFL career has become an incredibly popular series for The CW, as a wider continues to find it on Netflix. Hopefully,All American: Homecoming does the work to continue developing Simones character to a fuller extent. Since Jordan is still heavily involved with the original show, it seemsAll American: Homecoming will mix Behling into the show using FaceTime primarily, although physical appearances by the actor can still happen. Read on for EW's interview with Maya about returning to All American, that emotional scene with Damon, the big breakup, and more. What do you remember about shooting that scene? It's engulfing in a way and she's put in a place where she never expected to be so attached to spiritually. It'll be exciting for people to see Black girls from different backgrounds find ways to support one another. It's not easy at all. She gestures to a parking garage where a car is parked. As Damon shares his decision during an on-campus press conference, he states his intention to bring integrity back to Bringstons baseball program and though Damons mother looks less than thrilled to hear the news, Simone finds Damon after the presser and notes that he finally looks at peace. More:All American: Layla's Season 4 Move Could Set Up Jordan Romance. When it was time to decide if she wanted to adopt baby Shay, she had to consider her parents. As she, Olivia, Spencer and Jordan prepare to leave campus and return home, Jordan notes that his wife looks happy though when Simone gets in the car, Jordans now the one looking anxious about his and Simones future. Advertisement More from Distractify Everything You Need to Know About the New Cast Members of 'All American' Returning from Los Angeles single, Simone mourns her relationship on the newest episode of All American: Homecoming. Things looked relatively positive for Simone and Jordan as the previous season ended, even knowing that her spinoff was coming. of unsupervised early adulthood at a prestigious historically Black college. Damon was going to the MLB and had a whole different journey planned for him by his mother. Simone starts to crack but finds motivation from a group assignment with Damon and Thea. Simone asks how she wants to celebrate the rest of her day, and Thea just wants food. Amidst new obstacles, Simone Hicks discovers the makings of a found family in the. The network confirmed on Monday that its moving forward with a potential spinoff of the football drama, to be focused on Geffri Mayas Simone. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! It's time for her to take charge of who she is and [who] she wants to be. Everyone loves a frenemy situation and this takes it to another level. I give so much love and support to these athletes, especially Black athletes who constantly have to raise their bar every single time that they play. Taja Simpson got a main role on Tyler Perry's The Oval so she was no longer available. Throughout the series, people will start to see how relationships, communication, friendship, and genuine love and support are such key components of the collegiate space. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. The one where EW follows up with the cast. If you like TVLine, you'll LOVE our email news alerts! Monday's episode of the CW drama doubled as the pilot for All American: Homecoming, a Simone-centric spinoff that was officially ordered to series in May. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, Inside the powerful, transformative 2nd episode of. The CW is officially expanding its All American universe. Thea is the reigning Queen and schools the uninitiated. Initially she says she's fine and tries to push through, but the heartbreak has an impact on most areas of her life, including tennis. Thea drills Simone to hit ten in a row and refuses to move on until she does. All Americans third season is currently airing Mondays at 8/7c; theres no word yet on when the plantedHomecoming pilot will debut. Simone, as we saw on All American, was always attached to something. Once the semester officially starts, Coach Loni breaks down the schedule for the tennis players. She is portrayed by Camille Hyde . After spending time with her Aunt Amara (Kelly Jenrette), a journalist and professor at the university, and meeting elite high school baseball player Damon Sims (Peyton Alex Smith), Simone leaves the campus with a sense of purpose and knowing where she wants to go next. She is someone who gives herself the permission to be herself, which is all Simone ultimately wants to do and be at the end of the day. Rebecca Iannucci / Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper. I think it's one of those things when you're in a new space to start fresh and you have to figure out how to navigate a new world. The CW'sAll American universe expands with a Simone-focused spinoff, and here's a guide to the cast and characters ofAll American: Homecoming.

Uvm Internal Medicine Residents, Articles A