According to Deadline they share spoilers as the Season seven finale of All American aired on The CW this week, closing with a high-stakes cliffhanger that left both the game and character arcs unresolved. Set during the Beverly vs. Crenshaw rivalry, the episode turns personal as family secrets and fractured relationships come to light.
The drama centers around Cassius, newly revealed as Jordan’s cousin, who accepts a coaching role at Beverly for reasons far from noble. “Cassius is hell-bent on destroying the Baker legacy,” says an article via Deadline.
“I mean, honestly, it was the strongest ending,” said showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll (All American: Homecoming, General Hospital) in an interview with Deadline. “Part of what’s been at the heart of it is this ongoing rivalry between Crenshaw and Beverly that always ends up getting personal.”
The familial tension reaches new heights as Cassius sets his sights on erasing his late uncle Billy Baker’s legacy by outshining him on the field. That mission makes the rivalry about more than just football.
Meanwhile, Michael Evans Behling (A Cinderella Story: Starstruck, Greenhouse Academy) who plays Jordan Baker confronts his growing resentment toward KJ, ultimately realizing the teenager was unfairly caught in the crossfire. Still, he isn’t ready to make amends.
“Jordan is mature enough to realize…he’s been taking it out on a child, which he shouldn’t,” Carroll told Deadline. “But that trust…needs to be built.”
In the midst of the game day chaos, the younger characters are experiencing emotional entanglements of their own. Amina, fresh off her acceptance into a prestigious boarding school, finds herself caught between new feelings for KJ and her friendship with Khalil.
“The beauty of YA drama is growth and new opportunities,” said showrunner Jamie Turner (’Tis of Michigan We Sing, Enchantimals: Finding Home) in an interview with Deadline. “They’re different—for the better.”
KJ, played by newcomer Arlen Escarpeta (Final Destination 5, Into the Storm), is also at the center of a triangle involving Tori, who finally asserts her boundaries. As emotions flare, these interpersonal conflicts seep onto the field, adding emotional weight to the game.
“I think you’re going to see…growth of the relationship between KJ and Tori as well,” Turner added. “Understanding that timing is everything.”
That emotional tension echoes the show’s original seasons, where romance and rivalry often blurred lines. Turner called those dynamics “the emotional spine of this show,” noting their return to form as intentional and vital.
Carroll, drawing inspiration from real-life teen drama, emphasized the weight of these moments for young people. “It never ceases to amaze me how deep and serious it all feels for them,” she said.
The finale also nods to legacy characters whose arcs have concluded offscreen. Spencer is now in the NFL, Olivia is a journalist and expectant mother, and Asher lands his dream coaching job in New York—closing chapters the show had long nurtured.
“They were teens for so long on the show,” said Carroll. “We had the beauty of longevity in seeing them…into their dreams as adults.”
The episode concludes mid-play, withholding the outcome of the game and the status of many characters’ relationships. As of now, All American has not been renewed for Season eight.
Deadline previously reported that The CW has yet to decide on the show’s future, keeping fans in suspense along with the fate of the Beverly-Crenshaw rivalry.
While the Season seven finale delivered emotional payoffs and fresh complications, the lack of closure leaves fans eager for resolution. With legacy in question and new bonds forming, only a Season eight renewal can reveal what lies ahead on and off the field.