All American Season 1 | Episode 15 “Best Kept Secret” Review

Since finding out the truth about his mom and Billy, Spencer doesn’t know who to trust anymore. There’s so much conflict running through his head. Like the concern of letting Corey get to know Dillon and risk Corey leaving them again. Then there’s the question of whether to tell Olivia, Jordan and Laura about the affair. He may not be able to live with them knowing this secret, but is it his secret to share and ruin a family over? Meanwhile, Coop may have convinced Preach to handle Tyrone, but does she really want his blood on her hands? There’s a lot on the line in Beverly Hills and Crenshaw, so it leaves us to wonder what’s going to happen in the season finale next week.

Blood on your Hands

A week ago, Coop convinced Preach to not let Tyrone get away with Shawn’s murder, but no one’s made their move yet. I guess they’re just waiting for that perfect moment to pounce. Thankfully, too, because that makes it easy for Spencer and Patience to talk some sense into Coop. She’s not a killer and offering up Tyrone to Preach is the same as her pulling the trigger herself. Can she live with that blood on her hands? Of course not. As Spencer tells her, Coop’s not a killer. She has too much compassion for that. It’s why she struggles so much to be okay with some of the jobs Tyrone gives her. So, she goes to Preach and convinces him that Tyrone doesn’t have to die, he can just be forced out of town. Besides, if Preach gets one more strike, he’ll go to prison for good this time.

At least, Preach leads her to believe that he won’t get Tyrone killed because the last thing he needs is a third strike. However, a crew member asks if she’s rolling with them to get the job done and that Preach is the one who made the call. Now, Coop has to get to Tyrone before they do. She and Spencer make it to him on time, but he’s reluctant to just leave town because they say so. Finally, they convince him that he’s not welcome in Crenshaw anymore because his own crew knows he had Shawn killed. She and Spencer are just trying to give him something he never gave Shawn: a way out because no one has to die. Tyrone calls Coop soft, but she states that having compassion doesn’t make her soft. Tyrone makes them believe that he has no choice but to leave then, but the next day Coop and Patience walk up to her apartment building to find Preach surrounded by people after being shot.

Deserves a Father

Spencer finally tells Dillon that their father is back in town, but that only unravels more stress for him. Dillon wants to meet Corey and Corey wants to get to know Dillon (and Spencer), but Spencer’s afraid his little brother will only end up hurt if their dad leaves again. His reluctancy to believe Corey’s changed causes Dillon to lash out and accuse Spencer of leaving him alone to be with his other family in Beverly Hills. Ouch! I’m sure that was a sting to Spencer’s heart. After that, Spencer tries giving Corey a chance, but he says that just looking at him brings back all the anger he used to hold onto. Corey’s not looking for a quick fix, and he takes the blame for his role in ruining his marriage. Even Grace apologizes for lying and making tough decisions that he should have been able to decide for himself. It’s not until Spencer talks to Coop about shame that he decides it may be too late for himself to trust Corey, but not too late for Dillon. So, he introduces them, and says a nice grace before family dinner.

Owning up to Mistakes

At first, Billy thinks telling his family about the affair will only do more harm than good, but Spencer can’t live under the same roof and lie to them. So, he gives Billy until the end of the weekend to tell them or he will. It takes a conversation with Corey about starting the healing process by owning up to mistakes for Billy to decide that the right thing to do is come clean. By that time, Spencer’s realized the affair isn’t his secret to tell the Baker family, just like it’s not his place to tell Dillon why their really dad left. It’s the responsibility of those involved – Grace and Billy.

When Billy sits down to tell Laura alone, she assures him that they can get through whatever it is like they always do. He tells her about the affair, how it was only one time a long time ago after he blew out his knee and he and Laura got into a huge fight. He found himself in Crenshaw feeling like his old self – the football star that everyone cheered for. He apologizes, but Laura calls him a coward because the only reason he’s coming clean now is because Corey’s back and her campaign is digging up the past. She says screw the campaign, though, because their perfect family ended the day he betrayed them by moving “her son into our house.” Before leaving him to tell the kids, she says that the worst part is that he had to go to Grace to feel whole again.

Notable Mentions

• Layla’s been afraid to go home since the robbery, and she’s been crashing with the Bakers. Spencer believes it’s only because she’s worried about him. When Olivia gets mad at her for not saying anything about the affair, Layla spends the night at a 24-hour diner.
• Asher’s dad is on a downward spiral, and Asher’s trying to take care of him. He’s also trying to look out for Olivia when he spots her trying to drown her sorrows in beer at the party. Look who’s turned a new leaf and had a role reversal.
• Olivia and Jordan being mad at Spencer and Layla for not telling them about the affair, when they literally just out about it, is annoying.
• BUT Olivia and Jordan sticking by their mom’s side and shutting out their dad is fantastic. Sorry, Billy, you screwed up. Time to pay the consequences.
• I really hope Olivia doesn’t ruin her sobriety.
• Jordan getting called out for being the coach’s son again is also annoying.
• Grace is hiding something else, and I need to know what it is.

The season finale of All American airs Wednesday at 9/8c on The CW!