Every good teen drama has at least one epic love triangle. The CW's sports-centric drama All American is therefore an overachiever: It has so many intersecting love triangles that they've converged into a love pentagon.
If you're currently binging the CW series on Netflix — or just want a refresh now that the show is awaiting its season 2 renewal — allow me to explain just what the heck happened this season between Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan), and the other players in this complicated web.
In the first episode of All American, Crenshaw raised Spencer — a teen with immense football talent — is invited to play for Beverly Hills High School by Coach Baker (Taye Diggs). Spencer moves into the Bakers house, where he lives alongside his football coach's kids, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) and Olivia Baker.
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Olivia, who is sober after spending time in rehab, quickly becomes smitten with Spencer, even though Spencer has his eye on someone else: Layla Keating (Greta Onieogou), Olivia's former best friend. Unfortunately for Spence, Layla is dating Asher Adams (Cody Christian), a rival football player on Spencer's new team.
Sooooo here's where things get particularly complex. During one particularly chaotic night when Olivia was drunk and high — long before Spencer came to Beverly Hills — Olivia and Asher hooked up behind Layla's back. It's the reason that Olivia really cut ties with Layla: She simply couldn't deal with the guilt from sleeping with her best friend's boyfriend.
Spencer and Layla need to break up already so Spencer and Olivia can be a thing. https://t.co/kxEyHZTn8s
— d r e a a (@AceeItBabes) April 5, 2019
All this drama comes to the surface over season 1 of All American, and Layla and Asher breakup — leading to Spencer and Layla finally getting together. Obviously, this hurts Olivia, even though she eventually casually dates Chris (Spence Moore II), a friend of Spencer's and Crenshaw football player. However, as Layla and Spencer date, it becomes clear that Asher may have real feelings for Olivia.
It’s a weird pentagon right now. Chris-Olivia—spencer-Leila-Asher-Olivia again.
— Amanda (@aeostuni) December 8, 2018
Oh, the drama — and we didn't even touch on the fact that, at the end of the season, it's revealed that it's possible Olivia and Spencer share a brother (Jalyn Hall) who may be the product of Spencer's mom's affair with Coach Baker.
For the record...this was me during that Maury level revelation. Cause now I can fully ship Olivia & Spencer without feeling like we’re watching Game of Thrones instead ???#AllAmerican @CWAllAmerican pic.twitter.com/V52nn6yhzZ
— Çhrįśtįńå (@HeartofWords) November 15, 2018
So where will this love pentagon go? We'll have to wait until the (not yet official) season 2 to see how these dynamics will shift. Whatever happens — it'll be drama.