In 2018, Netflix premiered one of its funniest, most inventive, and heartwarming shows that gave a spotlight to an underrepresented group. On My Block followed a group of four friends growing up in a fictional but dangerous part of Los Angeles known as Freeridge. Together they learn to dodge gang violence, find mysterious hidden money, and trust each other. In just four seasons, the show brought some of the best acting and most interesting storylines to the teen tv show format. By mixing traditional tropes of the format like love triangles, friendship, and conformity with genre-bending ones like heist attempts and gun violence, it proved to be extremely unique. Though many fans are still reeling from the fact that we are not going to see any more of Monse, Ruby, Jamal, or Cesar, Netflix has announced that a spin-off called Freeridge is in the works. For anybody wondering who we are going to meet in one of Netflix’s most anticipated shows, you’ve come to the right place.
What Is the Plot of Freeridge?
Netflix has released a short description of what to expect:
From the creators of On My Block, Freeridge is a coming of age comedy following sibling rivals Gloria and Ines and their friends Demi and Cameron who have unleashed a curse bringing dark misfortune into their lives.
It appears that the show will be ditching some of the realistic aspects dealing with gang life from the previous series, but will instead take a more supernatural tone. In that way, the show will be following in the footsteps of many of Netflix's supernatural teen dramas like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Wednesday. It would definitely be a waste for the spin-off to replay the same dilemmas and scenarios of the original series only with a different cast and slightly different lines. It’s clear that the creators of Freeridge are not only willing to prolong their stay in this fictional universe but expand on it and make it more appealing to fans of all genres.
Does Freeridge Have a Release Date?
Every season of On My Block with the exception of Season 4 whose release date was in October, premiered in March. Freeridge will also be ditching this tradition, premiering a month earlier than expected on February 2, 2023.
Who Are the Creators of Freeridge?
The creators of Freeridge are Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Haft, Jamie Uyeshiro, and Jamie Dooner. Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, and Jeremy Haft all served as creators on On My Block. Iungerich got her start as a TV writer with the television adaptation of the popular teen rom-com of the same name, 10 Things I Hate About You. The show followed two sisters, Kat and Bianca, who had extremely disparate approaches to high school politics but who were united by one common fact: they’re both new in school. As they try to get used to their new surroundings, they fight, fall in love, and cause hijinks. Shortly after that, Iungerich created her own teen dark comedy, Awkward. The show followed an unpopular teenage girl who after a series of near-fatal misunderstandings has a freak accident which everyone assumes to be a suicide attempt. The show garnered critical acclaim running for five seasons and jump-starting the career of The Daily Show correspondent Desi Lydic.
Eddie Gonzalez got his start in Ecuador writing for the show, La Taxista, a show about an indigenous female taxi driver from the mountains who moves to the coast and struggles with fitting in and finding love. He moved into US television, writing on the shows, Gang Related which followed the personal and professional struggles of members of the LAPD’s elite anti-gang task force as well as their gang informant, and Empire, a portrait of a powerful black family who runs one of the most successful record companies. Gonzalez began collaborating professionally with Jermey Haft on these two shows and the two eventually wrote All Eyez On Me, the Tupac Shakur biopic together.
Jamie Uyeshiro previously worked as a writer on On My Block. She got her start in TV writing for the series, Mary + Jane which followed two LA roommates working to get their pot delivery business onto an exclusive list called “The Green 15.” Since then, she has also written for Youtuber Liza Koshy’s show Liza On Demand which followed the chaotic adventures of a down-on-her-luck go-getter. Jamie Dooner previously worked as a writer and music coordinator on On My Block and Awkward. He also served as a music coordinator on MTV’s Ridiculousness.
Who Are the Cast & Characters of Freeridge?
While the cast of the original series will not be making an appearance in the spin-off, Netflix has announced equally interesting characters and actors that will be making Freeridge their own. The four main characters are Cameron, Demi, Gloria, and Ines. Cameron will serve as the lead of the new series. He is a young BIPOC student who hasn’t dated any girls because of his crippling fear of them but has, however, dated many boys. To compound his many struggles, he is also being raised by two very co-dependent divorced parents. Demi, a second-generation Asian-American is an optimist and social worker. Even though she is a hard-core romantic, she finds it difficult to meet anyone who can match her energy level and make a meaningful connection. Gloria is a Latina character on the show and is described as the “secret glue of the crew” because of her passion, individuality, and driven nature. Rounding out the main cast is Ines, another member of the Latino community and Gloria’s little sister is the smartest in the bunch and was even able to skip a grade in school.
On October 8th, Netflix announced the four main cast members of the series: Bryana Salaz is Ines, Keyla Monterroso Mejia is Gloria, Ciara Riley Wilson is Demi, and Shiv Pai who was initially set to play Cameron. Replacing Pai in the role of Cameron will be Tenzing Trainor. Bryana Salaz first rose to fame on the seventh season of The Voice as part of Gwen Stefani’s team and placed in the top 20. She made her TV debut with Best Friends Whenever and has since worked with Netflix on the film and TV series adaptation, Malibu Rescue. Keyla Monterroso Mejia is widely known for her appearance in Curb Your Enthusiasm and more recently for her recurring role on Abbott Elementary as Ashley Garcia, the overly enthusiastic teacher’s aide. Ciara Riley Wilson has previously starred in LA’s Finest and Kim Possible. Tenzing Trainor is most known for his role as Parker Rooney in the popular Disney Channel series Liv & Maddie, the actor also lent his voice to the Dreamworks adventure film Abominable, and he starred in the Netflix teen limited series Boo Bitch.
Has Freeridge Finished Filming?
Freeridge finished filming over the summer. The shoot lasted from May 9th to July 5th and was filmed entirely in Los Angeles. The writer and co-creator of both Freeridge and On My Block celebrated the end of filming by posting various behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram with a caption that read: