Teen comedy-drama sequel has mature themes and language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Two girls fight, pulling hair, biting, kicking, grabbing boobs, spitting. The sequence ends up being funny, with some movements from wrestling, and nobody gets hurt. A character is accidentally cut with a razor; no blood seen. Characters are seen using crystals and sage, reading cards, and visiting mediums, although this is more for comedy purposes. One character faints after thinking he has seen his mother's ghost. A character thinks she sees her mom's spirit at the cemetery and talks to her. A shot rings out, but we don't see if someone is injured or dead.
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Teenagers flirt and kiss. In one scene, two characters are on a bed kissing; the girl is in her underwear. One boy is bisexual and is attracted to both a boy and a girl. Conversations about "making out," "getting fingered," and sitting on "someone's face," but nothing is shown.
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iPhone, MacBook, Hermès scarf, Chanel No. 5, Bentley car. References to media such as YouTube, TikTok, and PBS.
Diverse Representations
a lot
As in the prequel, main characters are Mexican, Black, and Afro-Latino teens living in the fictional town ofFreeridge in South Central Los Angeles. The cast is composed of many actors of Latino origin, including Bryana Salaz (Inés), who's of Mexican descent, and Keyla Monterroso Mejia (Gloria), who has Guatemalan roots. Also actors who come from Filipino ancestry such as Ciara Riley Wilson (Demi), and Indian origin actors such as Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Cameron). The female characters are strong and determined. Spanglish dialogue and some Spanish words. Diverse family units are reflected, as are single parents, orphanhood, and widowhood. Characters from the LGBTQ+ community. Almost all writers who developed the show are Black and Latino.
Friends are supportive, smart, and empathetic. Sometimes, they put their own feelings first so as not to hurt the other person. Respect others. It's OK to be vulnerable and scared. Actions have consequences, and owning our actions and asking for forgiveness are important.
Positive Role Models
some
Gloria is a sophomore class president and the group's leader. She is tenacious, mature, and protective, with perhaps too many responsibilities for a girl of her age. Her sister Inés seems carefree but matures as the show goes on and stops being so selfish. Demi is positive and spiritual and is learning how to make her opinions count, while Cam likes to overthink everything, but he's not willing to stop being who he is because of what other people think.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Freeridge is a spin-off of On My Block. Like its predecessor, it follows the adventures of four teenagers growing up in a fictional area of South Central Los Angeles. While navigating the age-old issues of love, sex, and family life, the characters must also solve a mysterious curse. Language includes "bitch," "f--k," and "whore" (also in Spanish). The teens drink at parties, flirt, and kiss (at least once while wearing just underwear). There are conversations about sex, with references to "making out," getting "fingered," and sitting on "someone's face." Violence includes two characters fighting, with hair pulling, biting, kicking, grabbing body parts, and spitting (no one is seriously hurt, and humor comes into play). A shot rings out, but it's not shown whether someone is injured or dead. The characters believe that they've seen their families' ghosts and use crystals, sage, and reading cards, and visit mediums to try to contact them. Mature themes such as death, grief, cancer, and difficult financial situations are handled delicately and offer a balance to some of the wacky situations. Most importantly, the series centers people of color: Black, Latino, and Asian characters aren't stereotyped and have life experiences that transcend race and social status. Character strengths include empathy and teamwork.
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What's the Story?
FREERIDGE, the sequel to On My Block, is a teen comedy that follows the adventures of four teenagers after they accidentally unleash an alleged curse from a box one of them buys at a garage sale. A mysterious woman who claims to be the owner of the box begins following them, appearing almost ghostly and threatening. As the friends seek to reverse the curse, which leads them to reach out to mediums and characters from the original show, they must each deal with their own problems. Gloria and Inés' dad has cancer, the same disease that took their mother from them. At the same time, they need to work on their relationship as sisters. Demi and Cam must resolve their attraction to each other as well as a misunderstanding from the past.
Like its predecessor, this show combines coming-of-age suspenseful comedy-drama with a diverse cast that addresses issues that transcend the boundaries of race and social status. The characters in On My Block: Freeridge are not stereotypical: They use bullet journals and listen to Depeche Mode, but they also eat enchiladas. There's great diversity in racial representation, family units, and sexual orientation. This series deals with the usual high school problems with delicate insight. It covers the betrayal of best friends, first-love relationships, and teenage struggles to accept and be accepted, among others.
Some of the experiences these young people have lived through are intense (illness and death of parents), while others, such as sibling rivalry, seem less so at first glance. But the moments filled with trauma and grief, so well explored in its predecessor, lose intensity in Freeridge. Unlike in On My Block, where the environment had dangers such as gangs, here the surroundings play a minor role (at least in the first season). The new mystery also leads to situations of magical realism. Intergenerational friendships are also formed, but a heavier weight on comedy definitely affects the recipe.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Freeridge represents teens. Are the characters and their decisions realistic? What about the consequences of those decisions? Do these characters resemble people you know? Why, or why not?
What do you think of the way Gloria deals with pain? How is it different from the way her sister experiences loss?
What have these teens been through, and have you had similar experiences in your own life? What did the participants learn about themselves? What lessons did they learn?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Mary Aviles
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
