Diksha Sundriyal
In its final episode, the third season of ‘On My Block’ makes the Core Four ponder upon their decisions. No matter where it started or who’s to blame, what really matters is the now of it. As they break down under the pressure of ensuring their survival and finding out what happened to Oscar, things get more tensed between the friends, and not all of them might survive the brunt of it.
On My Block Season 3 Episode 8 Recap
After getting a cryptic message from the people who were supposed to have killed Oscar, Cesar, Monse, Jamal and Ruby follow a trail in the forest to find a grave waiting for them. But before that, the burden gets the best of them and they start wondering how they got themselves here in the first place. A cleft appears between them and Monse worries that the group might fall apart if she leaves them. She refuses to go to Mayfield. Ruby reconciles with Jasmine, and Jamal gets a bit of advice from abuelita. Cesar realises that power is the only thing that matters when you are on the street.
On My Block Season 3 Episode 8 Review
Cesar, Ruby, Jamal and Monse had been together since childhood. They went through a lot of challenges together and faced life-or-death situations. Growing up in Freeridge is what kept them together. They all came from different walks of life. Ruby was organised and had a way with words. Jamal was quirky but with a knack for solving mysteries. Cesar came from a completely different world. And Monse was the glue that held them together. No matter what the challenges, it was all going to be okay as long as they did it together.
One thing about sharing difficult times with someone is that the feelings that go repressed along the way. And with the Core Four, it has been going on for a while. They love each other and are there for each other no matter what, but some lines are not meant to be crossed. They jumped over that in the previous episode when they decided to kill Cuchillos. Even though they didn’t have to go forward with, they all had made up their mind about it. If things hadn’t turned out the way they did, they would have had blood on their hands, and the thought of it is what breaks apart the group.
‘On My Block’ is funny and very teen-sy, but what sets it apart is how it sticks to reality despite its fictional setting. With the third season, it delivers on the core message of the story with a hard-hitting intensity. The chasms had started to appear in the group as they all found themselves questioning their own feelings and actions. Bit by bit, they could feel things changing inside of them and they tried to hold on to as much of it as possible. But all of it was too toxic an environment for them and they were also starting to acknowledge that. Teenagers should not have to worry about saving themselves by killing someone else. No one should, for that matter!
The season is definitely more melancholic and realistic as compared to its previous ones. With the increased danger of mob-boss breathing down their necks, even if they do survive it, it is bound to leave an unerasable mark in their lives, and we see that happen in this episode. It ends on a bittersweet note that reflects the realism that ‘On My Block’ has been operating on for so long. Blood might not be spilt, but just like the first season, this one, too, ends with the death of a sweet, innocent thing.
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