Netflix Cancels ‘On My Block’ Spinoff ‘Freeridge’ After One Season
We were all looking forward to seeing a second season of Netflix’s Freeridge, a spinoff of the highly acclaimed show On My Block that ended its fourth and final season two years ago
Freeridge. (L to R) Keyla Monterroso Mejia as Gloria, Ciara Riley Wilson as Demi, Tenzing Trainor as Cameron, Bryana Salaz as Ines in episode 101 of Freeridge. Cr. Kevin Estrada © 2022
We were all looking forward to seeing a second season of Netflix’s Freeridge, a spinoff of the highly acclaimed show On My Block that ended its fourth and final season two years ago. Following a new group of friends in the same fictional L.A. city as the original, Freeridge expanded the OMB universe with a mysterious curse and supernatural elements, while honoring the legacy of what came before. The show starred Keyla Monterroso Mejia (Gloria), Bryana Salaz (Ines), Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Cam), and Ciara Riley Wilson (Demi), as well as veteran cast members Peggy Blow, Paula Garcés, Eric Gutierrez, Eme Ikwuakor, and Raushanah Simmons reprising their original OMB roles. Unfortunately, just two months after the show’s debut on February 2, Netflix recently announced that it would not be renewed for a second season.
Throughout its limited eight-episode run, Freeridge received glowing reviews from viewers and outlets including an 80 percent average on Rotten Tomatoes. It also appeared in Netflix’s Top 10 List during the week of its debut, which plays a critical role in the streaming service’s decision to renew or cancel shows. Not to mention its incredibly diverse cast, compelling storytelling and characters, and Easter eggs that showed its love for its OMB roots and dedicated fanbase. Add in the fact that the first season finale ended with an intense cliffhanger involving Mariluna, the sister of Ruby’s grandmother, that we will never get to see resolved, and Netflix’s decision becomes that much more confusing and heartbreaking.
It’s always been extremely hard for a TV show to become successful, especially in this landscape where a million things are trying to get our attention. Few shows rarely get to see several seasons made, let alone become part of the cultural conversation on a national level. But it doesn’t change the fact that Freeridge is now yet another in a long line of Latinx-led shows that Netflix has canceled in recent years including but not limited to Gentefied, One Day at a Time, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, and Blockbuster. Even HBO Max has left Latinx viewers hanging when they canceled Gordita Chronicles last summer, despite critical acclaim and the much-needed body positive, Afro-Latinx, and Dominican representation on-screen.
“I’m grateful now to be a part of something that represents so many people and hopefully we get to be that inspiration for someone else. We are all so different so it’s not just one story being shown, but many. That’s really cool and rare,” Mejia previously told HipLatina.
We might not have new episodes of Freeridge to watch but thankfully, we have several Latinx-led TV projects to look forward to, including a second season of Netflix’s hit show Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega and Lopez vs. Lopez starring George and Mayan Lopez. Plus, Not Dead Yet starring Gina Rodriguez, which has been breaking streaming records, is currently releasing weekly episodes on ABC and Hulu.
The cast has yet to comment on the cancellation at the time this story was published.
All seasons of On My Block and Freeridge are available to stream on Netflix.
