In this week’s episode of All American: Homecoming, Damon struggles with an assignment, Simone deals with anxiety and the pressure of winning her first tennis tournament, Keisha deals with her emotions as her late mother’s birthday approaches, and Amara is in hot water after a video goes viral.
Nature vs. Nurture
The episode opens with Damon and his assignment revolving around the topic “nature” vs. “nurture.” While he’s studying with Simone, she suggests that he should interview people close to him and turn it into a documentary. She asks him if he’s made up with JR. Damon answers and admits that he hasn’t, and Simone reminds him that JR would be able to help with his project.
Damon interviews Thea, who describes how she’s benefited from her parents’ tennis skills and passed them down to her and how she’s learning more about who she is off the court. Cam explains that football has always been his entire life, and he’s not sure who he Is without it. Keisha talks about how losing her mother has had a huge impact on her life, and she gives Damon advice regarding him searching for his biological parents, and they share a hug. Damon finishes his assignment talking about finding his identity and is thankful for the person he is.
Loss and Grief
Keisha is dealing with the effects of losing her mother and putting on a brave face, but after noticing her mood, Simone and Nate devise a plan to cheer Keisha up. Later, Simone, Nate, Damon, and Amara surprise Keisha at Amara’s home with a party celebrating the life and legacy of her mother. Keisha’s father, President Allen, shows up giving a heartfelt speech to his daughter, and it seems they’ve patched things up for now. Keisha meets up with Cam, who’s still ignoring her after being stood up by Keisha, and she explains to him how her mother’s death left her heartbroken and how seeing her father try to pick up the pieces after her mother’s death was gut-wrenching. So, she turned to dance. Then, she explains to Cam that she needs to heal and is not ready for a romantic relationship but would like to remain friends, and he agrees.
Dealing With Anxiety
Back in episode 2, Simone dealt with a panic attack. In this episode, she deals with anxiety and how it triggers her on the court. At her match, she starts hearing voices in her head, leading her to play horribly against her opponent. When the opposing team bullies her, Simone goes off and throws her racquet to the ground, disqualifying her from the match. Thea comes to Simone’s aide, giving her advice about dealing with anxiety and meditating before big games. Simone uses Thea’s advice on the court as a younger version of Simone is seen sitting next to Thea. Thea writes a positive message to Simone while battling her opponent, and Simone ends up winning the match.
Family Over Everything
The episode ends on a cliffhanger, a wild one. JR’s family issues have had him on edge, but he finally builds up the courage to see Damon. They read the results — negative. JR and Damon are shocked, but vow that they’re always going to be brothers no matter what the results say.
Catch next week’s episode of All American: Homecoming on The CW Monday, April 18, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Stay tuned for our continued coverage of the series, including episodic recaps and more!