All American Season 1 | Episode 14 “Regulate” Review

We’re close to the season finale of All American, and things are heating up in Beverly Hills and Crenshaw. Spencer wants nothing to do with his absentee father who’s suddenly decided to show up out of the blue after being gone for eight years. The question is, why now? Could the truth turn everyone’s world upside down? Meanwhile, Coop’s having PTSD nightmares of Shawn’s murder, so she finally decides to seek help in taking Tyrone down. Layla’s house gets robbed, and Billy will do whatever it takes to keep Grandpa Willy away from Jordan. With now only two episodes left of the season and so much going on, I worry everything won’t get wrapped up nicely.

Loyalty

Coop’s suddenly having PTSD nightmares about Shawn’s murder with no explanation of why. Spencer believes it’s because she’s still trying slyly take Tyrone down and this new guy in the gang, Preach, is worrying her. When she’s supposed to do a job with Preach during Dillon’s birthday party at the park, Spencer convinces her to stop messing around with him. He’s worried she’ll end up in jail or dead. Coop tells Preach she can’t do the job, and he warns that he’s not sure how Tyrone will react. So, Coop decides it’s finally time to seek help and asks Laura if the D.A. is still looking to take down Tyrone. Laura later reveals to Coop information she’s found about some of Tyrone’s guys, including Preach. Turns out, Preach has a connection to Shawn. He and Shawn’s brother, Brandon, served time together and became friends. Preach had an opportunity to testify against Brandon, but didn’t because he’s loyal to his family, and Brandon became family.

Coop later uses this information to turn Preach against Tyrone. She knows he didn’t snitch about her not following through with the job because he lives by a code of loyalty, unlike Tyrone. She then mentions that Tyrone’s the one who got Shawn killed simply for wanting out but Preach isn’t quick to believe her. So, she mentions how the guy who killed Shawn is still around. She notes Preach’s connection to Brandon and how he’s family before saying Tyrone had his family killed. She questions if he’s cool with that. Before Coop leaves, Preach tells her that Tyrone won’t be anyone’s problem anymore, he and his boys will make sure of that.

Robbery

Early in the episode, Coop warns Spencer that it might not be the greatest idea to have Dillon’s party in the park. Then, when going to get party supplies with Flip, Tyrone shows up and gives attitude, but Flip puts an end to that by saying the James family is off limits. Spencer starts to worry that maybe they should relocate the party, but Flip assures him that Tyrone won’t cross him. The party goes smoothly, but after, Spencer and Layla return to her house to find it robbed. The security cameras were turned off, but a witness claimed to see three black men. Spencer automatically assumes it was Tyrone in retaliation for throwing the party at the park, but Coop tells him robbery isn’t Tyrone’s thing, especially in Beverly Hills. This doesn’t stop Spencer from going to confront Tyrone. However, the accusation gets a gun pulled on him. Thankfully, Coop called Grace who called Corey who shows up. He threatens Tyrone and saves Spencer’s life, but Spencer isn’t appreciative of it all.

While Spencer’s busy accusing Tyrone of the robbery, Layla’s busy accusing Asher. Early in the episode, he throws a high-stakes private casino party in her home without permission. She knows he’s the one who shut off the security cameras. Asher swears he knows all the people from the party, and they wouldn’t have robbed her, but she still blames him since he brought strangers into her home. She kicks him out and suggests he patches things up with his father. He’s reached out to Asher, but only because he’s back on a winning football team. “His love is conditional,” Asher says. However, at the end of the episode, Layla gets a phone call saying the robbery was just a bling ring. So, she apologizes to Asher and welcomes him back to her home, but he claims he’s trying to work things out with his dad.

The truth comes out

All episode, Spencer wants nothing to do with his dad. Not when he first showed back up. Not a week later for Dillon’s birthday, present in hand. Not even after Corey saves Spencer from Tyrone’s bullet. So, after seeing Billy and Spencer bonding at Dillon’s party from his car, Corey texts Billy saying it’s time they talk. They meet at Billy’s office where Corey says he’s always missed his family, but it’s never felt like the right time to reach out. He asks Billy to convince Spencer to talk to him, but Billy says he has no power over that. “You must be forgetting that I have the power to up-end your life. More than you know.” You’d think the ominous threat would change Billy’s mind, but nope… at least, that’s what he tells Corey.

Billy does talk to Spencer, though, when he’s blaming himself for getting comfortable and letting Tyrone slip. He doesn’t know what to think about anything anymore, but it’s not because of his dad. Billy tells Spencer he’s a walking poster board of denial. It’s why he picked a fight with Tyrone because he can’t fight who he’s really mad at. “If you don’t face your demons, they will eat you alive,” Billy advises before suggesting Spencer talk to his dad and not become like he and his own father. So, Spencer tells his mom that he thinks it’s time he talks to his father because he has a lot of questions, but he won’t if she doesn’t want him to. She gives him his support and they agree to not tell Dillon until they know Corey’s intentions.

Before Spencer leaves again, Grace stops him by saying she should tell him something that she should have told him a long time ago, she wasn’t completely honest with why Corey left. Cut to Spencer meeting Corey in the park. He’s only there because “of all the people that’s betrayed me, you’re the easiest conversation for me to have right now.” The way Spencer sees it, his father’s only come back for one of three reasons: he actually wants a relationship with his sons, he’s seen Spencer all over the news and realizes he’s destined for greatness, or “you want to blow up my mom and Billy’s life as payback for having an affair while they was married to you and Laura.” BOOM! The cat’s outta the bag! As far as big revelations go, this one isn’t that great, but it is what it is, I guess.

Notable Mentions

• Grace and her new boyfriend, Micha, are adorable – with what little we’ve seen of them.
• Billy asking his dad for a price to stay away from Jordan? Oh boy. Billy, get over yourself, acknowledge that you son has the potential to be great, and let him know his roots.
• Olivia showing up to Layla’s so she’s not alone in that big, literally empty, house = best friend goals.

All American airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW!