The fourth and final season of the Netflix original series “On My Block” arrived on the platform on October 4th, 2021. “On My Block” follows 5 good friends and their lives in a predominately Hispanic and Black neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles, California.

The final season takes place two years after the season three finale where all of the main characters are separated from one another. The 5 main characters are Cesar Diaz (Diego Tinoco), Monse Finnie (Sierra Capri), Jamal Turner (Brett Gray), Ruby Martinez (Jason Genao), and Jasmine Flores (Jessica Garcia). Caesar is the new leader of the Santos gang after taking his brother’s place in season three. Jamal is a football star at Freeridge High School, and Ruby and Jasmine are dating. Finally, after leaving to go to boarding school at Mayfield Academy, Monse has found a new group of friends.

This season, like the previous seasons, isn’t necessarily a feel-good story with a happy ending. Characters pass away but not a whole lot comes from it, and in general, it felt a little thrown together as there wasn’t a clear storyboard for the fourth season. There were new characters introduced that the show could have gone without introducing. For example, Cesar’s girlfriend Vero (Nikki Rodriguez) is “purely there to be an obstacle for Monse to overcome, serving little other purpose and receiving no real characterization,” according to Zach James, a publisher on The Post.

There didn’t need to be the fourth season as most viewers were satisfied with the ending of season 3 after watching everyone go their separate ways. This season simply lacked details and character development, and it seemed as if the writers didn’t know of a good way to end the series. As a result, the dissatisfaction experienced by viewers has led to mixed reviews this season. “The finale wastes half of its runtime getting the main cast back together, when it finally does, it leads to nothing more than disappointment,” James said. The season builds from episode to episode, hinting at some sort of major climax that is not nearly as exciting as viewers hoped for.

Overall, “On My Block” season 4 is still worth your time as the series amplifies diverse voices and follows a group of friends as they attempt to navigate their way through high school in a comdial demeanor whilst also highlighting the challenges they are confronted with whether it be gang violence or financial issues. There’s a lot to learn from watching shows that differ from the experiences that we may have, and that’s an area that “On My Block” excels in.