Netflix is releasing Freeridge today, a name that may mean nothing to you and yet it is the spin-off of one of the best teen series on the platform.
She arrived discreetly on the platform this Thursday, February 2, and yet she deserves our full attention. Because Freeridge, by its nickname, is the spin-off of a series you’ve probably heard of and even loved: On My Block. Launched in 2018 on Netflix, it met with unexpected success, becoming one of the most viewed teen productions on the platform that year. With us, it even offers the pretty note of 4.3/5.
Canceled in 2021 after 4 seasons (a longevity of which she has nothing to be ashamed of), On My Block followed an eclectic group of teenagers who grew up the hard way in the difficult neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The spin-off uses the same format since it is also centered on a new group of teenagers, living in the fictional district of Freeridge. There are Gloria (Keyla Monterroso Mejia) and Ines (Bryana Salaz), two sisters who have not supported each other since the death of their mother, as well as Cameron (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Demi (Ciara Riley Wilson).
If its big sister tackled subjects such as gang warfare, drug trafficking, violence and gentrification, Freeridge wants to be a little lighter since our four teenagers are trying this time to ward off a curse emanating from an old box that has plunged their lives into turmoil. An old box that tries to recover a mysterious old lady that some will recognize since she is played by Peggy Blow. The latter lent her features to the brilliant and sassy Abuelita in On My Block.
Don’t expect to see Ruby, Jamal, Cesar or Monse on your screens again, since none of their performers appear in this sequel. On the other hand, certain secondary characters make an appearance there, like Ruby’s mother and Jamal’s parents.