All American Season 8 Episode 9 Review: “Feels” Highlighted the Importance of Having a Village

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

4

All American has only a few episodes left before the series concludes.

It ramped up the stakes when Olivia went into labor several weeks early, at the same time as the football showcase.

Many fans predicted this weeks ago because that predicament would test Jordan, Cassius, and KJ in different ways.

I don’t think anyone predicted that Khalil would have such a massive part in saving Olivia’s life or how it would affect him.

However, Khalil Edwards (Antonio J. Bell) was definitely the MVP of All American Season 8 Episode 9 as he struggled with worrying about his found family and his fraught relationships with his birth family.

He’s my favorite new character, and his reactions made sense, but I still wanted more hospital scenes of Jordan freaking out about Olivia. That’s his twin.

While this episode delivered more old-school heart and football, it still needed to balance the storylines better.

Khalil’s Dad Showed Up When It Mattered

Seeing Olivia like that really traumatized Khalil. I gave his dad credit. Even if he had issues with the Bakers, he immediately comforted his son and took charge.

It was one of the few times I’ve seen him take care of Khalil. I don’t dispute that he loves Khalil, but sometimes it seemed like Khalil had to bail him out or act like the adult.

It gave me the “feels” that he took charge, wanting to clean up the Baker house, so it would look nice when they returned. He finally acknowledged that they showed Khalil love and grace when no one else did, which helped him grow into a better person.

That’s a big part of why Khalil broke down. The people he truly counted on were at the hospital, but his own mother left him and his dad, and he doesn’t understand how his dad gave her a second chance.

We’ve rarely seen these emotional moments between Khalil and his dad, but it said a lot that his dad acknowledged what an inspiration Khalil had become, and he didn’t mean just because of football.

I also liked hearing the nostalgic fondness as he told funny stories of Khalil as a baby. Maybe Khalil and his dad won’t reunite with his mom as a happy family, but they have each other.

All American Season 8 Episode 9 Highlighted Khalil’s Abandonment Issues

Khalil wanted someone to blame for his mother leaving, but it’s not always that simple. Young relationships are stressful.

His mother didn’t think she was good enough to care for him. You know the drill. The longer she stayed away, the harder it was to return.

When his mom returned after he won the championship game, Khalil assumed she only returned because he became someone.

He reluctantly let her into his life, but she lost another chance after failing to show up at the awards banquet.

That night was pivotal to Khalil’s arc because Jordan honored him with the Braveheart award, and the flashbacks and current timeline showed how important Khalil’s family was in supporting him.

It also showed how much it hurt him that his mother didn’t make it, and how he tried to pretend it didn’t matter.

Abandonment issues often cause people to pretend like that because if you admit how much being forgotten hurts, a dam breaks. That’s what happened to Khalil.

I suspect that’s why he was so angry at Amina, too, for not remembering his triggers. Now that they’ve made up, let’s see if she stays more aware.

Why Did All American Have Coop and Amina Make the Same Mistakes?

I hate to admit this, but I didn’t really miss Coop and Amina on All American Season 8 Episode 8. Both are likable, but if the writers keep having them make the same mistakes, it gets tedious.

I thought Coop just admitted she should have answered her phone when Amina was in trouble, yet she ignored Amina and Cassius’s calls about Olivia.

Coop truly doesn’t know if she wants to be loyal to her old group of friends and Crenshaw or become a fancy lawyer and date Breonna.

I’ve always been Team Patience, mainly because of the familiarity and chemistry, but I’ll admit I understood why Breonna seemed hurt that Coop didn’t discuss quitting her internship.

Breonna made many changes in her life because she chose to date Coop, but Coop couldn’t say the same. Coop was still independent and wanted to disrupt lives.

She needs to decide what she wants before she breaks more hearts.

Amina also annoyed me with how she just arrived at the Bakers, thinking Khalil’s dad caused trouble when he showed up for him.

She always assumes the worst and then asks questions later. I’m relieved she at least apologized to Khalil because he had enough to deal with besides her drama.

Could KJ Pass the Test, or Was Cliff Mosley On to Him?

KJ had to fend off the press and the sponsors by himself when both Jordan and his dad rushed off.

To be fair, he advised his dad to check on Jordan, but he had no clue how serious the emergency was or that it also held up Khalil.

There’s only so much lying a leading quarterback could do when everyone demanded to see the other quarterback and the coaches.

KJ might have fooled everyone else, but Cliff Mosley was onto him. I suspect he will use this emergency to his benefit, just like he tried to use Billy being at the hospital after Spencer’s accident years ago in All American Season 2.

He made it sound honorable that Cassius wanted to help Jordan, but we all know Cliff doesn’t care about family loyalty.

He wants results and will try to play the cousins against each other. Hopefully, by now Cassius won’t let that happen.

All American Season 8 Episode 9 Highlighted the Importance of Family

All American has always been about family, and I’m relieved that Jordan and Cassius put aside their petty differences. Cassius stayed calm and kept Jordan from freaking out.

Jordan needed that because they couldn’t find Layla, his mom, Grace, or Spencer. At least he had his cousin, who kindly offered to make some calls and stay with him.

I hate that Jordan only received a few scenes at the hospital. The episode should have featured more scenes of him freaking out about Olivia or leaving messages for his family.

I haven’t always liked the non-linear storytelling this season, but it worked to compare Khalil’s past and present. Jordan has always been there for him and was so proud of him personally and professionally.

I nearly cried when Jordan embraced Khalil. That kid would have done anything for Jordan after Jordan and Layla gave him a home.

The fact that he called his mom for help with Olivia until the paramedics proved that. He felt betrayed by his mother, but he wouldn’t let his pride interfere with Olivia’s life, knowing his mom had been a nurse for years.

That took guts. So did forgiving his mother and choosing to free himself of that burden as his personal victory instead of rushing to the showcase.

While I hope we’ll see Khalil get offers, he’s thrived because of so many people and is the epitome of “it takes a village.”

It took a long time, but he’s like a butterfly with wings. Because of him and his family, Olivia’s babies have a chance, and the circle of life continues.

Over to you, All American Fanatics. Do you wish Jordan got more airtime tonight, or did you enjoy the Khalil focus? Are you excited for Spencer’s return?

Let us know in the comments.

Enjoyed this review? Help us out.
Drop a comment or share it — it’s free, painless, and helps keep independent TV coverage alive.

TV Fanatic is searching for passionate contributors to share their voices across various article types. Think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.