Freeridge

Premise and setting

The series is a coming-of-age comedy about four teenagers in the fictional neighborhood of Freeridge in South Central Los Angeles, the same setting as On My Block. After Gloria and Ines acquire a strange old box at a yard sale, the group believes it has unleashed a curse, and they work to reverse the misfortune it seems to bring.^{1 • 3} The setting draws on co-creator Eddie González's upbringing in Lynwood, California, south of downtown Los Angeles.⁸

Co-creator and showrunner Lauren Iungerich, who previously created the MTV series Awkward, described the difference from the parent show: "Where On My Block was driven by the boys, Freeridge is being driven by the girls." She also said the new core four "don't step into the shoes of our original crew. They step into their own shoes, right alongside the legacy of the kids who came before them."^{9 • 4} While On My Block built its mysteries around tangible puzzles such as the hidden Rollerworld money, Freeridge took a more mystical approach with the curse storyline.⁹

Cast and characters

The core four are Gloria (Keyla Monterroso Mejia), the group's determined, quick-tempered de facto leader; her younger sister Ines (Bryana Salaz), the rebellious one of the pair; Demi (Ciara Riley Wilson), the optimistic and spiritual member with an interest in crystals, tarot, and astrology; and Cam (Tenzing Norgay Trainor), the group's sole boy and a constant over-analyzer.¹⁰

Peggy Blow, who played Marisol "Abuelita" Martinez on On My Block, returned in a new series-regular role as Mariluna, Abuelita's enigmatic and wealthy twin sister. Iungerich said the character was Blow's own original idea that the creators embraced.^{1 • 10} Additional cast included Michael Solomon as Rusty, Zaire Adams as Andre, J.R. Villarreal as Tonio, and Jean Paul San Pedro as Javier, the sisters' widower father.²

Four On My Block actors reprised their roles: Paula Garcés as Geny, Eric Gutierrez as Ruben, Eme Ikwuakor as Dwayne, and Raushanah Simmons as Jamal's mother.² Garcés also directed episode 6.¹⁰

Episodes

The eight episodes, all released on February 2, 2023, are: "The Box," "Cake," "Cinnamon," "Dead Mom," "Edward Claw Hands," "Revenge," "Karmic Coincidence," and "Thanksgiving."³ The premiere centers on the yard sale where Gloria and Ines acquire the possibly cursed box; later episodes follow the group's attempts to lift the curse, including a ceremony proposed by Demi and a consultation with a TikTok witch named Cinnamon.^{3 • 10}

The season ends on a cliffhanger in the On My Block tradition: the gang learns the curse came from Mariluna, who sets them a challenge involving spending money within a fixed period, and the finale closes with Mariluna being shot by members of the Santos gang who mistook her for her twin sister Marisol while seeking the Roller World money.⁵