All American recap: The 3 most dramatic moments from Season 1 Episode 7

It’s homecoming season on All American and California Love takes us to Beverly High’s glamorous school dance before the big game.

We’ve got a real love rectangle on our hands in All American this week. Asher cheated on Layla with Olivia and Layla cheated on Asher with Spencer – who Olivia also has feelings for. What a tangled web these teens are weaving and this episode was an explosive one that blew the lid off just about every twisted entanglement that’s occurred so far. We even got some insight into the fabled Grace/Billy relationship of yesteryear.

Outside the hallowed halls of Beverly High, Coop continued to support Shawn in wake of his identity crisis and motivate him to leave the gang life behind. But, as we saw during the shocking shoot-out of last week’s episode, it won’t be easy to walk away.

With so much happening in this week’s episode, I thought it best to break it down to the three most dramatic moments.

3. Billy and Grace get locked in the coach’s office together

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Billy and Spencer’s mother, Grace, have a complicated relationship. At one point in time, many believed the two of them would wind up married and the show has played with the idea of Billy being Spencer’s real father for the entirety of the season (though that theory has, apparently, been debunked). When Laura decides she’d rather have a quiet night to herself, she passes her chaperone duties off to Grace.  This results in a cozy storyline for the two of them as they accidentally get locked in Billy’s office together.

To fill time until someone comes to unlock the door, Grace and Billy have a heart-to-heart rehashing their history together. “Why Laura?” Grace asks, opening a can of worms on the nature of Billy’s past and his reason for leaving Crenshaw. Turns out, a big reason Billy wound up with Laura at all is because Grace chose Cory over him. Ouch.

Then, of all people, guess who arrives to let them out? Laura. Awkward.

Clearly, regardless of what either Billy or Grace claim, there is always going to be some residual romantic tension between the two of them. Part of me wonders if Grace might still love Billy. I would love a flashback episode that details exactly what happened between the two of them someday.

2. Asher has a meltdown

After getting drunk at the homecoming dance, something Billy told his team specifically not to do, and being dumped by Layla, Asher takes to the stage to spill his guts over the speakers for everyone to hear. He reveals one of the biggest secrets of All American thus far, that he cheated on Layla with Olivia. Asher leaves no stone unturned in his drunken tell-all, as Layla’s forbidden kiss with Spencer is another cat he lets out of the bag.

I know he’s been having a rough go of it lately, what with lying on his family’s behalf in concern of their financial status, feeling threatened by Spencer’s arrival and his football prowess, and now discovering Layla too has boarded the Spencer James train – but this is going to create a whirlwind of drama for him. In the long run, is he still going to think it was worth it? I doubt it.

Especially since, as a result of his reckless decision, Billy suspends him from several of the upcoming games, meaning he’ll miss out on vital opportunities to impress the scouts during playoff season. It’s hard not to feel a little bad for him but, at the same time, he made his bed and now it’s time he lie in it.

1. Olivia and Leila’s friendship falls apart

It was hard to watch Olivia and Leila fighting with each other as a direct result of Asher’s impromptu speech. They’ve spent the majority of the season finding their way back to each other after Olivia iced Layla out due to her guilt about hooking up with Asher. Now it looks like things may be crumbling for them once again.

Personally, I believe they’re strong enough to move past this. It’s 2018, no reason to let a guy get between them. That said, it won’t be easy. Particularly for Layla, whose wounds are fresh.

For her, it’s almost like the hook-up just happened. I imagine she’s going to need time and space if there is ever going to be potential for the two of them to mend fences.

On the other hand, Olivia has reason to be upset too. She admitted to Layla, point-blank, she had feelings for Spencer, only for Layla to make a move on him anyways. The fact Olivia happened to walk in at the exact moment it occurred had to have been like a slap in the face.

Their friendship is one of my favorite relationships on the show, so I’ll be rooting for them to find their way back and move forward together.

Odds & ends:

• Coop looked amazing in her homecoming suit!
• Does anyone else get the feeling Jordan’s new girlfriend, Ripley, is bad news for him? It’s nice to see him having fun but I get the feeling she might wind up leading him down a bad road.
• While I like all the characters, I’m not sure which relationships I’m most invested in yet. That said, I did find Layla and Spencer’s final dance of the night very sweet. The growing sense of camaraderie between Olivia and Asher is a welcome change of pace as well.
• Can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the brief Grace/Laura scenes. More please!

What do you think will be the fallout of Asher’s outburst?  Will Olivia and Layla be able to fix their friendship? Can Coop really save Shawn? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

All American airs on The CW on Wednesdays @ 8/9c.