All American
“Lose Yourself” (Episode 104)
November 7, 2018

Last week, everyone learned some stuff. Spencer learned the importance of a team having your back and that, try as he may, he needs to look forward to Beverly Hills and not so much backwards at his old Crenshaw life. Coop learned her parents weren’t so chill about her being gay. And Jordan? He learned about that Crenshaw life but more importantly, maybe learned something really damaging about his father and Spencer’s Mama.  Get the full recap here.

On to tonight’s episode, “Lose Yourself,” … after the jump (BEWARE OF SPOILERS)!

Tonight opens with us seeing the fruits of the team bonding labor from last week. Beverly Hills is on a three game winning streak and nothing brings a team together like winning! These fools are even hanging out with each other off the field … Spencer is with the “cool kids (TM Olivia Baker), playing pool.  Before the night breaks up, Asher lets it slip that his dad is out of town for the weekend so it’s time for a classic Asher Adams Bash! This will be his first one in his new house and Layla says they are always the party of the year.  She wants Spencer to come but it’ll be on Friday night and the draw of Crenshaw is strong.  He doesn’t commit either way.  For his part, Ash didn’t really seem like he wanted to have a party at his place, he just didn’t want to go home this night.

Speaking of Crenshaw, Coop is rolling with Shawn and he tosses her a bag of cash which he may or may not have just gotten from  robbing a laundromat?!? Also, none of that money is for Coop, that’s all for Shawn so back off.  Yeesh.

The next morning, Jordan tells his dad that he may be over on his allowance limit and explains that he’s been covering Spencer when they’re hanging out.  Billy tells his son that Spencer is his responsibility, not Jordan’s and he’ll take care of it.  The “my responsibility” phrasing makes Jordan’s ears perk up but he doesn’t say anything to his dad about his possible step brother. Billy leaves the room and Jordan jumps on his computer to check his father’s bank account which … no good can come of that.

On the other side of the house, Billy hands Spencer an envelope of cash – allowance for the next few months. Spencer protests hard but Billy tells him the reality that living in Beverly Hills is expensive and so, take the money – “I’ll feel much better knowing that you’ve got it.”

At Layla’s house, she tries to convince Olivia to come to Asher’s party. She even promises to not drink in solidarity with Olivia.  She also tries to sell her on the attraction of dragging Spencer to the party – there is some back and forth on who exactly likes who in the Spencer Olivia Layla love triangle.

Crenshaw.  Spencer has bought groceries for the house and tells Coop he took the allowance but will spend it on helping Mama James with the bills. Coop is having a pity party that everybody’s got “paper” except for her. Olivia shows up (looking hot as hell y’all) and Coop lasciviously looks her up and down (I don’t blame Coop one bit) as she enters Spencer’s house.

“They skinny. You was right”
“I told you.”

I love the Spencer and Coop relationship, it makes me smile what they’ve done with these two and I can say, there is no dynamic like it on TV.  Anyway, Olivia is there to get Spencer to come to Asher’s party. She makes the case that they feel so forced around the cool kids because he comes home to Crenshaw every weekend and she stays on the couch every weekend. Coop chimes in that Spencer is always so serious and could use a date. Spencer looks like he wants to kill her but she’s 100% right. Obviously, he’s going.

Commercials.

We come back to Beverly Hills where Billy reeeeeallly doesn’t want to go to Laura’s political fundraiser event tonight (she goes to his booster club parties so turnabout is fair play). At Asher’s Spencer and Olivia show up and she advises him of the one rule he needs to follow – stay away from the “Dare Chips.” What’s that, he asks? You’ll see, she says.  Ominous.

As he goes off to say hi to the team, Layla comes by to tell Olivia she looks good with Spencer. “We’re not together,” Olivia is quick to point out.

Crenshaw.  Coop is waiting for Shawn as he comes out of an ice cream parlor and cuts to the chase, she wants to make some money, what kind of jobs does he have available for her?

At the party, JJ shows Spencer a brand new Porsche Asher’s father bought but when he catches the two sitting in it, Asher freaks out that his dad will kill him if there is even a fingerprint on it.  Asher seems very uneasy but he begs off when Spencer asks if he’s alright.

At the Baker house, Jordan is on the phone, impersonating his father with the bank trying to confirm a recent wire transfer but the real Billy Baker comes in interrupting him. Jordan says the bank was calling to check on recent allowance purchases he made and makes a quick getaway to Asher’s party. Seeing how odd Jordan was acting, Billy redials the last number on the phone. It was Crenshaw Trust. Billy’s definitely interested in what his son is doing/looking into.

Beverly Hills. Spencer finds Olivia watching a card game which has everyone’s attention. In this game, you can bet anything of value as currency, which goes a long way to explaining why JJ is mostly naked.  Asher peer pressures Spencer into joining the game and Spencer ponies up his allowance stack as collateral. Olivia’s last words are for him to stay away from the Dare Chips (her second reminder).

In Crenshaw, Shawn has a particular job in mind for Coop – he gets her hired as a barber in the local Barbershop. She thanks Shawn and he reminds her to remember that he’s got her back.

Beverly Hills.  We see the first Dare Chip get played (Olivia’s eyes go wide) and Layla wins Spencer when she beats his two pair.  The dare: skinny dipping in the jacuzzi with Olivia Baker. Spencer doesn’t look terribly upset (neither does Olivia really) and the two make cute as they each strip and enter the tub.

“What happens now”

That’s an excellent question, Spencer.

Commercials.

We come back and JJ calls his dare to Asher if he loses his hand; a spin in the Porsche.  Asher tries to get him to change his mind but JJ isn’t budging, if he doesn’t want to fold – that’s the bet. Asher understands peer pressure all too well and of course, agrees. And of course, loses. To JJ. Hand over those keys. bestie.

Cut to JJ and Asher in the car as the whole party watches them take off (JJ has thankfully put clothes back on).

Back in the hot tub, Olivia tells Spencer he’s talking too much for what people usually do alone in the hot tub and she starts to move towards him … which is exactly when Jordan shows up.  He tells her to get out, that she doesn’t know what she’s doing.  Spencer wants it made clear that they didn’t do anything (the “yet” is left unsaid). Olivia is incensed but Jordan is steadfast, he’s not leaving until she gets out. She says she’s naked, that they’re both naked, which makes it even more awkward for all involved. She warns Jordan to never speak to him again as she wraps a towel around herself.

Aww, if this turns out the way Jordan thinks it will turn out, Olivia and Spencer are going to thank him one day.

Baker House. The political dinner is wrapping up as Laura thanks her guests for coming and tells them that her run for District Attorney will be hard but with these friends by her, she knows they can win.  Billy gives a perfunctory smile, man his heart really isn’t it.  Inside, he refills the glass of a guest who also picked up on Billy’s distracted air. Billy makes an excuses and the guest goes on to talk about how political campaigns get nasty – how everything about everyone always comes out. Billy looks like he’s going to shit himself.

Outside Asher’s party, Olivia is railing against Jordan about how she finally worked up the courage to come out and have fun and he ruined it.  Jordan acknowledge Olivia likes Spencer but seriously, “I think he’s our brother.” This gets Olivia to turn around real fast and Jordan repeats his claim.

Asher and JJ return and the car looks to have survived. As the boys get out, the whole party waiting for them, Asher tries to get everyone inside. But, hold on, JJ didn’t set the parking brake OR turn the car off so there goes the Porsche, rolling back down the driveway and …

CRASH!

The Porsche comes to a stop across the street having hit a pick up truck and the curb and some other stuff. Ruh Roh!

Commercials.

As Asher watches the very scratched Porsche get loaded on a flatbed tow truck, Spencer comes to sit with him.  He tells Asher, coming where Spencer comes from, he knows the look of desperation. It looks different than fear.  Asher is all, Whaaaaat? but Spencer lays it out. No pictures of his family in the house, always forgetting his wallet, letting everyone else pay for the party tonight. It all equals Asher ain’t got no money, Spencer says. Asher tries to protest but Spencer cuts him off saying he knows someone that can fix the Porsche.

Cut to the boys and the car being dropped off at a place of possible ill repute. Spencer advises Ashes to not ask too many questions. Meet Big J, he can make the Porsche look good as new ASAP (which is different than actually being good as new which would take a week). Deal. Spencer puts up his remaining allowance fund to pay for the repairs. Asher just looks lost.

Morning rises in Beverly Hills and Olivia really doesn’t want to hear any more about Jordan’s theory. He finally maybe convinces her when she hears about the wire transfer to the Crenshaw Trust bank.  He tells her he is trying to figure out who owns the account at the bank but … suspicious!

In Crenshaw, a tired looking Spencer comes home and Mama James gets on him quick for Billy Baker’s money buying her groceries. She’s not about that an d vows to repay Baker all the money Spencer spent. She tells Spencer this is not who he is and she gets the struggle to fit in off the field but difficult is where Spencer shines.

“You don’t need anything given to you. You earn it!”

She tells Spencer to not pretend to be someone else to fit in. And also, the “free stuff” always comes with a bigger cost. He and Asher return to Big J’s that night to get the Porsche but it’s been boosted. They head to the barbershop where Coop is working. She tells them that if the car is still in the neighborhood, Shawn probably knows where it is – Coop is good to call Shawn about it but Spencer has to be good with it too.

Shawn rolls up to A Gentleman’s Barbershop and, as you may have guessed, makes Spencer eat a decent amount of shit (in front of Asher) before he agrees to help Spencer look for the Porsche. Asher, reading thesituation, tells Spencer he doesn’t need to do this but Spencer feels responsible for the car being boosted so …

After he tells Shawn he needs him, Shawn tells Spencer it wasn’t his crew that took the car but they might be able to find it. Ash has to stay behind though, Shawn says. Asher asks Spencer if he’s alright as he gets in Shawn’s car and Spencer just kind of nods his head.

Commercials.

Beverly Hills. At the Baker house, the kids drop in on Billy to ask him about Mama James and if they were friends back in High School.  Jordan mentions hearing about her and him knowing each other when they were at the barbershop the other day.  Billy acts like he’s dusting off old memories and admits to running in the same circles but “friends” is not a word he’d really use. He shoos them away, what with the football game prep and all.

Back in Crenshaw, Spencer rolls up in the Porsche and Asher says it looks good enough. He lets out a huge sigh of relief as Spencer looks at him.

“Welcome to Crenshaw.”

They roll into the garage and Spencer makes a show of pulling the emergency brake. It’s funny. They have a real talk about how Asher doesn’t know how much longer he can keep pretending.  Spencer tells Asher his secret is safe with him but, not for nothing, he should tell Layla.  Ash tells  him his mom bolted as soon as his dad went broke.  Spencer says that if Layla bails like Asher’s mom, then she’s not who he thought she was. Asher asks about the cost but Spencer isn’t sure yet. He recites what his mother said earlier about how the free stuff always ends up costing the most.  He leaves Asher sitting in the Porsche.

Baker House.  Spencer comes home as Olivia is coming down the stairs. They agree to just forget about the hot tub, it was a stupid dare at a stupid party.  She leaves without mentioned maybe being his sister and Billy comes by. Spencer tells Billy that he spent the two month’s worth of allowance money because he forgot who he was for a second. But, he tells Billy that he’s going to pay him back because he doesn’t need anything given to him.  He appreciates Coach taking responsibility for him but really, Spencer is a “do it myself” kind of guy.

“I just want to earn mine.”

Commercials.

We come back to the final act with Asher at Layla’s ginormously empty house. He’s told her about his situation and she makes clear that she wasn’t with him for his money nor will she leave with him poor. But, they have to be honest with each other.

Spencer asks for a job application at a restaurant, luckily they just lost a server. He seems excited to work.

In Crenshaw, Coop is cleaning up the Barbershop as Alvin heads out. As soon as he is gone, Shawn comes in and is being all intense and gangsta like. He opens up a false wall and collects some cash he has hidden there. Coop asks if he got her the job so to give him an excuse to come by late at night. Shawn tells her he trusts her but also, the cut Coop would have gotten for babysitting his money? Well, Shawn is going to hold on to that because Coop now owes Shawn for helping out Spencer.

Olivia, now with Jordan’s theory nesting in her brain, repeats her brother’s plan and calls Crenshaw Trust.  She’s impersonating Laura Baker on this call. She successfully guesses her dad’s PIN and the customer service lady confirms that the most recent monthly transfer of $650 has gone through successfully. “Monthly,” Olivia asks? Yep, the lady tells Olivia that there have been 197 payments. For the math challenged, that’s 16 years, 5 months worth of payments totaling $128,050.00. Olivia’s jaw almost hits the floor as the call ends.

The bill always comes due, y’all.

***

Thoughts.

Tonight was all about who we are, who we pretend to be, and the price we pay when the truth comes out. Between Spencer’s wasteful spending (though, honestly, I don’t think he acted terribly wasteful – well, maybe the oxtail) and Asher’s elaborate life lie, these boys had to deal with the old adage, you can’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Not forever anyway. Eventually, it eats away at you or something happens and the truth comes out anyway.

Money was also a big theme tonight. Who’s got it, who doesn’t, and who is wiring it monthly to a secret love child bank account.  After seeing Shawn with his big sack o’ cash and then later, Spencer with his allowance money, Coop is feeling green with envy … cash envy. It prompts her to ask Shawn to hook her up with a “job” but in the end, he gets her a legitimate job she’s actually well suited for. Of course, it ends up being a selfish move on Shawn’s part because he really is a shit bird but at least Coop is on the road to making some money.  Spencer, meanwhile, gets cash handed to him which he tries to give back and then ends up spending on everyone but himself. I know his mother calls him out and warns him to be someone he’s not but I don’t think he did anything reproachful in this episode – he spent all of his dough on his mother’s groceries and then, to help Asher. You can tell the idea of all that money though definitely was seductive for him. Had he not spent it all in one weekend and not let his mom in on the secret, I think he would have found it near impossible to tell Billy no mas at the end of the episode.  And Billy. By following the money trail, his kids may have figured out his secret in one fell swoop.  $128,050 over 16 plus years is going to be very hard to explain away.

I’m glad this show is back after its week off and I hope the ratings keep going up because All American is an excellent show, telling a great story that everyone should be watching.