What Will Happen to Ruby and Olivia in On My Block?
On My Block's Creators Discuss THAT Cliffhanger: "We Were Just Depicting Real Life"
Warning: Spoilers for the season one finale of On My Block below!
On My Block has emerged as one of Netflix's funniest, most heartwarming, and original new shows, but what truly makes it great is its ability to discuss the realistic issues facing kids who live in the inner city every day. Encountering violence is an unfortunate, but ordinary part of growing up for the characters in the series from co-creators Lauren Iungerich (Awkward), Jeremy Haft, and Eddie Gonzalez (much of the show is inspired by Gonzalez's childhood in Compton and Lynwood). Despite that, season one's heartbreaking finale still packs a shocking punch.
During an interview with Thrillist, Gonzalez and Haft shed some light on the moment that left fans in a puddle of emotions: Ruby and Olivia getting shot in the middle of the latter's quinceañera. The characters, who have only just gotten together after a season of will-they-or-won't-they, are shot by a gang member who their friend Cesar was supposed to shoot himself in the previous episode. Cesar couldn't bring himself to take the kid's life, and instead tells him to leave town.
"We wanted to make [Ruby] a hero, but we also wanted to upend that trope," Haft said. "In a John Hughes movie, you get the girl. In this reality, it's not always that easy." He went on to explain that in neighborhoods like the one in On My Block, which is in South Central LA, a fairy tale ending isn't always in the cards — anyone can get hurt at any time.
"This [kind of tragedy] happens every day," Gonzalez added. "We were just depicting real life."
By the end of the finale, we see two ambulances racing through the neighborhood. Things definitely aren't looking good for Olivia and Ruby, and the question of if their injuries are fatal or not is left up in the air. Of the two gunshots, Olivia's definitely looks more serious, even though Ruby is the one the camera focuses on as he wordlessly gasps for breath.
A second season of the series has yet to be announced by Netflix. If it does, you can bet that a cliffhanger like that presents a multitude of stories for the writers to really dig into.
"Whether or not anyone survives, there's going to be a ton of stress," Haft told Thrillist. "What we've noticed with a lot of Eddie's stories and a lot of people we've met who've lived in the inner cities, is there's some PTSD and stress from having friends or relatives who have been shot."
We can already tell that Cesar is going to feel some level of guilt because of the shooting, which might extend to Monse, too (she was the one who desperately wanted to keep Cesar from killing the rival gang member). The only silver lining to Ruby and Olivia's tragic plot twist is that we know On My Block will handle the story with the care and nuance it deserves.
