All American: Homecoming Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Under Pressure
Laura Nowak
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Dreams don't come easy, as Simone soon realized.
On All American: Homecoming Season 1 Episode 2, Simone began to crack under the pressure of balancing her academics and tennis training. Damon also struggled to find himself on the baseball field.
Simone kept hitting roadblocks, making it difficult for her to achieve her dream of playing tennis. She struggled with knowing who she was until she found help and motivation from some unexpected sources.
Simone's bad luck kept on coming. She couldn't even participate in Queen of the Court or group practices since her physical wasn't updated.
On top of her room and board issues, she had to find money to pay for a physical too, or she wouldn't even make the tennis team.
Simone did a gym workout before class since she was only allowed to practice alone.
She barely made it to class on time, and then she had to deal with internet bullies posting photos of her since she didn't shower first.
Simone was used to the way things were back in LA, so Keisha and Nathaniel gave her a makeover to fit in better at Bringston.
These three have such a fun friendship. They helped each other, and Nathaniel was a pro at styling Simone and offering fashion tips. She was a total fashion diva, but Simone struggled to find something that defined her.
It’s hard finding something that fits who I am when I’m a work in progress.
Simone
Besides needing a new look, Simone also needed help in time management. She missed her tennis court time since she was at a job interview.
These mix-ups continually made her look bad in front of Coach Loni, and she got rejected by every job interview anyway.
So much for showing Coach Loni your dedication.
Thea
To make matters worse, Simone had to do a group project with Thea and Damon, and Thea took control of the project, assigned which book they would read, and even posted their parts.
Damon was more laidback and thought the book they were reading, "Their Eyes Were Watching," by Zora Hurston, looked interesting.
Simone: Damon, this is not how group projects work!
Damon: But, it could be, right?
When Damon and Simone attempted to study and Keisha's, their time was soon interrupted by JR and their other friends who wanted to party.
Simone: This is not a party.
Keisha: It is now. Hola, beautiful people.
Simone tried to leave the party because she couldn't study with the noise and couldn't fail at anything else. She's more stressed than she's ever been.
When Simone went to look for a ride home, she began hyperventilating. Luckily, Damon found her, and Keisha's dad told her she had a panic attack.
I'm glad that the series showed that anxiety and panic attacks occur when students become overwhelmed with new responsibilities, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Their courseload and responsibilities are different, so it'll take time.
Simone: What if I can’t?
Amara: Look, you are an HBCU now, and one of the many benefits is when you start to doubt yourself, you can point to examples of Back excellence and see what is possible.
Many students have struggled with anxiety. Sometimes, it helps to find something or someone that inspires you, which Simone did at the museum. She noticed that some Black authors were alumni from Bringston, including Zora Hurston.
She presented in her closing statements how important and inspiring these Black authors were, and they once started as students too, so she thought they should study their lives and works.
Things were finally looking up for Simone. Her professor loved it so much that he offered her a job working with the alumni department.
Someone signed off on her physical so that she could participate in Queen of the Court.
Simone has come so far since she played against Thea in All American Season 3 Episode 17. She played fiercely, and Thea only won by one point.
Thea: I hate to admit it, but you did your thing out there.
Simone: Is hell freezing over?
Thea: Don’t get it twisted. This is still my court, and we’re still competitors, but very few people could do what we just did out there. I give props when props are due.
Simone looked crushed, but she had finally proven herself to Coach Loni and won the final seat on the tennis team. Her dream had finally come after all that work. Will Simone be able to balance her school work, job, and tennis time?
The rest of the Bringston University family also struggled with adjusting to the pressure, especially Damon. Damon and JR constantly fought, even if they were good friends.
Were these two possibly separated as babies, and were they brothers? It would certainly explain JR's jealousy over Damon's baseball career and that he had to get a baseball scholarship to play ball at Bringston.
Things typically came quickly to Damon, so it frustrated him that he couldn't pitch right or bond with the team.
JR cautioned him to be more down to earth with the guys, but JR never told the team to take it easy on Damon, so they taunted him with videos of the "next" Damon Sims.
JR tried hosting a party at Keisha's for Damon to bond with the team, but that backfired when some guys from a rival school arrived talking smack. While it bonded the group, Damon was still on the outside.
When Damon and Simone went to practice hitting some balls together, he finally admitted how scared he was to carry the team's weight on his shoulders.
Damon, in order to be a leader, you need to be vulnerable. You got to let those guys really see you. They have to know that the great Damon Sims has fears too.
Simone
When Damon admitted his fears at a team meeting, the guys looked at him with new spect. They had wanted to know he felt like the rest of them and wasn't as above them as he acted.
Since JR gave him such good advice, Damon nominated him for team captain. It was fun to see the team bonding and competing over video games.
Coach Turner was in a tight spot with his secret. He valued his friendship with Amara and saw how she was being treated.
Some were even vandalizing her classroom.
However, if he confessed that he was the anonymous source, he might lose his job and her friendship.
When he finally did tell her, she didn't want to destroy the work he's done with the team, so he joined the boys and challenged them in a video game tournament. Hopefully, this will bond the baseball team, and they'll run more cohesively now.
Over to you, All American: Homecoming Fanatics. Are you enjoying the connections Simone and Damon and Coach Turner and Amara are forming?
Do you think JR and Damon are brothers? Chime in below in the comments.
Remember, if you missed an episode, you can watch All American: Homecoming online right here via TV Fanatic.
All American: Homecoming airs at 9/8c on Mondays on The CW.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on X.
