SHIFTER Magazine

ALL AMERICAN SEASON 7 EPISODE 9 RECAP

Kevin Bourne

Credit: The CW/Berlanyi Productions

Daniel Ezra and Da’Vinchi make their return as the guys spend a boys night out.. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 9 recap.

This is the moment All American fans have been waiting for—the return of Daniel Ezra, both an actor and director. Daniel Ezra didn’t return alone. He brought Da’Vinchi (Darnell) with him.

This episode features a lot of Spelivia mentions and throwbacks. But Spencer isn’t the only one taking a trip down memory lane as Coop spends the episode looking back at her past mistakes, including the night Amina’s mother, Mo died. We also see some tension as the guys, including Spencer, Darnell, Cassius, Jordan, KJ, and Khalil, go on a guys night out.

Now, let’s see what went down on All American Season 7 Episode 9.

Spencer and Darnell return

The episode opens with Spencer and Darnell visiting South Crenshaw and talking to the football. They are in town to play each other in a game, but Khalil is preoccupied with what’s happening in the streets as he’s being threatened online after being accused of selling out his father. Spencer, Darnell, and Jordan make plans for some late night debauchery at the strip club with Layla out of town. Jordan decides to invite Cassius out since he doesn’t have any friends.

Coop with the flashbacks

Coop is dreaming about the night that Preach was killed, but she’s startled when Spencer comes in the front door at Preach’s house. Spelivia wants Coop to be the godmother of their twins, but she’s not feeling it after she’s already ruining Amina’s life (Yes, you read right—twins). Left on her own, Coop looks at pictures of Mo and works through things in her mind. Coop wonders how Spencer can still be friends with her or could want her to be in his kids’ lives after she didn’t listen to him in the past.

Boys night out

KJ and Tori are making out in his and Cassius’ hotel room, but he’s distracted thinking about Amina. Well, not exactly. Amina visiting her grandparents in Baltimore is making him miss Oakland.

When Cassius gets home, KJ learns that Jordan is inviting them to hang out with the legendary Spencer James. KJ finally gets to meet Spencer James at the Baker house, but things quickly get tense between Jordan and Cassius, and Khalil and KJ. Spencer decides to axe their trip to the strip club in order to have a competitive boys night out at the arcade. Spencer puts KJ and Khalil, and Jordan and Cassius on the same team so they can work out their issues. The winner gets club seats to the football game. The team with the highest combined points wins.

Before heading to the arcade, Spencer swings by Coop’s house to invite her to come out, but she’s busy thinking about the situation with Amina and how she’ll explain her mother’s murder to her. Spencer tells her to go back to the beginning so she replays key moments in her mind.

At the arcade, KJ and Khalil are bonding, but with the threats he’s receiving online, he’s paranoid that people are looking at him. Or is he just being paranoid?

Meanwhile, things aren’t as friendly between Jordan and Cassius, who keeps checking to see if Beverly passed South Crenshaw on the local football rankings.

Spencer and Cassius end up having a man-to-man chat about the NFL, fatherhood, and Beverly. But things get a little tense when Spencer praises Billy Baker for saving his life and Cassius says not everyone can have rich, fairy godparents. Cassius apologizes.

Khalil and KJ are getting along well until Amina texts KJ. Khalil is upset because she hasn’t responded to him all day and he needs her. They start pushing each other when Khalil gets butthurt. Spencer calls out Jordan and Cassius for not setting a better example for the boys.

Back at the Baker house, Cassius apologizes to KJ for letting his competitiveness get out of control. He also admits that he needs to find balance outside of football, that he was programmed to think a certain way because of his upbringing, and that he needs to set a better example. He puts this into practice later when he learns that Beverly is now ranked #1, but chooses not to mention it to Jordan. Meanwhile, feels like he’s a failure for turning a day that was supposed to be about lifting Khalil’s spirits into a day of fighting.

When Jordan decides to talk to Khalil, they realize he wasn’t in the van coming home. Back at the arcade, Khalil gets pressed by gang members about being disloyal to his dad. But Spencer, Jordan, Cassius, KJ, and Darnell show up and have his back. Spencer tells them that Khalil is off limits; not just that night, but for good.

The guys move the festivities to Layla’s where Tori is doing R&B karaoke. Khalil thanks KJ for having his back. KJ advises Khalil to see what Amina needs instead of worrying about what he needs. Tori then challenges KJ to get on the stage to do a little karaoke, and he accepts.

Meanwhile, Cassius apologizes to Spencer about how he came at him for his former life in Beverly Hills. They talk again about fatherhood and Spencer admits it scares him.

Later, Khalil stops at Amina’s house to drop off a level. It turns out he and Coop have a lot in common. They’re both people from the streets who make mistakes and are trying to do better. She realizes she handled things with Amina’s mother better than she thought.

In the end, Coop shows up to Layla’s with clarity. She knows she needs to tell Amina the whole truth, including the mistakes she made. She also realizes that she needs to forgive herself for all the mistakes she’s made because the new Coop is someone to be proud of. Now she can accept being the twins’ godmother.

All American airs Mondays at 8pm on the CW.

Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the 81st and 8nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.

 

 

 

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