Set in South Central Los Angeles, in a majority black and Latino neighborhood, the new Netflix series On My Block follows four fourteen-year-old best friends who are stepping into high school as freshmen.

The group goes through many challenges together, and they alternate as one another’s friends and as enemies.

The show was co-created by Lauren Lungerich, Jeremy Haft and Eddie Gonzalez, who each bring a wealth of experience in the television industry.

The show is often described as “many different TV shows, all put into one show,” which for the most part is true. It leaps over gaps in time to zoom in on poignant moments in the characters’ lives.

The first scene in the first episode shows the group spying on a high school party full of upperclassmen. Within minutes, we find out that Monse, the only girl among the four friends, is leaving for the summer for a writing camp.

Then the next episode skips the whole summer, and drifts to when she comes back. She returns to find out that one of the friends, Cesar, said something that the other two friends, Ruby and Jamal, didn’t like and now the friend group is split up.

Jamal is an awkward, intelligent black kid who likes to solve mysteries but hates sports. He is forced to play football in honor of his dad.

Monse plays a strong role. She’s tom-boyish but also girly, and her mother abandoned the family. Nonetheless, she is cared for by her father and others in the community. She is a voice of reason and compassion to her friends.

Ruby is the opposite of Cesar. Cesar is a tall, tough ladies man who has gotten involved with a gang called Los Santos.  Ruby, on the other hand, is small, cute, overlooked and comes from a religious family.

Monse’s first challenge is to find out what happened, and to try to get the group of friends back together.

Next, she discovers that Cesar is now part of the gang, which forces him to do things he doesn’t want to do and puts him in situations that nobody would want to be in.

Overall, the actors do a good job of presenting typical teenagers who are not good at dealing with problems, and even though they aren’t, they are mature enough to not let jealousy and conflict get in the way of their childhood friendships.

On My Block hits on many important social topics such as feminism, racial profiling, sex, and cultural appropriation.

Even though the show is set in the present, it has a throwback feel since the teens aren’t tethered to their cell phones. Kids walk and ride bikes, not ubers or lyfts.

On the other hand, On My Block does have its flaws. Cesar’s brother Oscar is known around the neighborhood for being a tough leader of Los Santos. People are usually afraid of him.

Occasionally, he and the other members tend to “hit on” Monse. Though this is just trying to show the setting of South Central Los Angeles, some viewers may find it to be a little “too much,” as Monse is only 14.

The first season ends with a dramatic cliffhanger, which leaves viewers like me feeling distraught. Fortunately, the show has been renewed for another season.

In conclusion, On My Block has earned a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and lots of great feedback from Netflix viewers.

Personally, I give it a 4.5 out 5 stars.