It’s time to come back to Freeridge. Young audiences who flocked to Netflix’s On My Block for its compelling performances, its zeal for mysteries, and its refreshing take on Black and brown masculinity will likely love its spin-off—named after the fictional South Central Los Angeles neighborhood in which it takes place.
The new series has all the heart and whimsy of the original, with the same biting comedic edge. But this time around, the female characters take the lead—especially Curb Your Enthusiasm and Abbott Elementary actress Keyla Monterroso Mejia, whose character (Gloria) is struggling to keep her family going after the death of her mother.
On My Block, which premiered on Netflix in 2018, followed a group of four high school students growing up in South Central Los Angeles: the tough, outspoken Monse (Sierra Capri), the neurotic, girl-crazy Ruby (Jason Genao), the quirky Jamal (Brett Gray), and the intelligent, conflicted Cesar (Diego Tinoco).
The show’s grounded portrayal of life in the notorious Los Angeles area earned the show praise, as did its use of mysteries to drive its plot—a welcome touch of levity. Freeridge also maintains the same look and feel as On My Block, with inviting color palettes and costume design that walks just the right line between keeping things modern and going full fashion victim in an attempt to capture how Teens These Days dress.
All of that said, you don’t need to have seen On My Block to enjoy Freeridge; none of the characters are the same, and callbacks to the original are Easter eggs at most. However, new viewers just might wind up checking out On My Block anyway—just like I did, the minute I finished Freeridge.
Like its predecessor, Freeridge refuses to pull its punches. The anxious, controlling Gloria (Mejia) and her bubbly but aimless younger sister Ines (Bryana Salaz) are already coping with the loss of their late mother when Gloria discovers that her father might have cancer. Money is tight, and when Gloria and her friends come across a cursed box at a yard sale, their lists of problems grow longer and longer. Gloria loves her sister, but she’s also not sure how to support her emotionally—especially when she annoys her so much.
(L to R) Keyla Monterroso Mejia as Gloria, Bryana Salaz as Ines, Tenzing Trainor as Cameron, Ciara Riley Wilson as Demi in Freeridge.
Kevin Estrada/NetflixIf you’ve seen Mejia in just about anything, you’ve likely noticed that she’s great at playing loud, over-the-top characters. (On Curb, she played a bad actress who wound up picking a fight with Ted Danson, and on Abbott, she plays a teacher’s assistant who tends to match the students’ energy more than the adults’.) It’s only natural, then, that the first time we meet Gloria, she’s in the middle of a fight in front of her high school. As we learn over time, however, that tough exterior is merely a front; in reality, Gloria is just a terrified girl trying to keep her life from falling apart.
Gloria and Ines are just one-half of Freeridge’s new “core four” cast. Equally important are their best friends, Demi (Ciara Riley Wilson) and Cameron (Tenzing Norgay Trainor). Those two, we find out over time, have a complicated relationship of their own—one that takes an entire season to unpack.
Demi is a refreshing counterpoint to both Gloria and Ines—an optimist who lets her spirituality and moral compass guide her way. At the same time, she can become defensive when challenged. Cameron, the only guy in the group, is not exactly the emotional glue that Monse was for her three guy friends in On My Block; instead, he’s mostly prone to overthinking things—especially his feelings.
Young actors are always a bit of a dice roll. (Just ask Netflix’s atrocious, inevitably popular That ’90s Show.) But Freeridge’s cast consistently delivers on both an emotional and comedic level. Monterroso brings a much needed empathy to a character whose struggles could make her seem like a villain in a less capable performer’s hands, and Salaz makes sure that Ines is more than a two-dimensional airhead.
All four cast members have instantly undeniable chemistry together, and Wilson and Trainor ground what could feel like a contrived character conflict in believable, surprisingly deep performances. Even the supporting turns in this series are memorable—especially Zaire Adams (who plays Cameron’s boyfriend, the gossip-happy podcaster Andre) and Jami Alex, who plays a TikTok witch named Cinnamon with questionable skills.
In the end, however, viewers will fall in love with Freeridge for the same reason they loved On My Block: It brings the same trademark combination of humor and heart. Its setting is grounded but inviting—realistic but with just enough pockets of magic. Its characters are specific, carefully sketched, and a joy to watch. And most importantly of all, it’s never corny or stereotypical—a genuine rarity in teen television these days, and any day. Even as a newbie in town, I’d come back to Freeridge any time.
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