For all those who have mourned On My Block since its series finale, Freeridge arrived just in time to save the day. Now, we have yet another Netflix series to grieve: Freeridge has officially been canceled after only one season. Sigh, gone way too soon.
From the creators and writers of On My Block, Freeridge was a coming-of-age comedy set in the same Los Angeles neighborhood that Monse, Ruby, Jamal, Cesar, and Jasmine called home. At the helm of Freeridge was showrunner, co-creator, and executive producer Lauren Iungerich, along with her co-creators and co-EPs Jamie Uyeshiro, Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Haft and Jamie Dooner.
On My Block, which debuted on Netflix in 2018 and ran for four seasons before ending in 2021, followed four quirky and street-savvy friends as they navigated coming-of-age in the inner city. The show balanced out its more serious themes like gang violence with fun subplots like Jamal's mythbusting pursuit of hidden neighborhood treasure. Below, find out everything we know about Freeridge's cancellation and what was in store if it had received a second season.
When was Freeridge canceled?
As first reported by Rolling Stone, Netflix announced their decision not to renew Freeridge on Wednesday, April 12. Freeridge premiered on Netflix on February 2, 2023 to initially glowing reviews. The eight-episode first season, with each episode clocking in at a half-hour runtime, tapped into the neighborhood mythology of its parent series tenfold. Freeridge's season finale ended with a shocking cliffhanger, which makes its prompt cancellation — almost exactly two months after its debut — even more tragic.
Who was in the cast of Freeridge?
The Freeridge foursome was comprised of Teen Vogue 2023 New Hollywood inductee Keyla Monterroso Mejia (who has a recurring role in Abbott Elementary as Ashley Garcia) as Gloria, Bryana Salaz (Team Kaylie) as Ines, Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Boo, Bitch, Liv & Maddie) as Cameron, and Ciara Riley Wilson (LA's Finest) as Demi.
Additional Freeridge cast members were Michael Solomon, Zaire Adams, J.R. Villarreal, and Jean Paul San Pedro. Familiar faces you might have recognized from On My Block include Paula Garcés and Eric Gutierrez reprising their roles as Ruby's parents and Eme Ikwuakor and Raushanah Simmons as Jamal's parents. There was also the grand return of Peggy Blow (who played Abuelita in the OG series) as a mysterious figure that lies at the center of the season 1 plot. More on that below.
What was Freeridge season 2 going to be about?
Warning: spoilers for Freeridge season 1 ahead.
Coming-of-age comedy Freeridge starts off following sibling rivals Gloria and Ines and their friends Demi and Cameron who have accidentally unleashed a sinister curse, bringing misfortune into their lives. By the end of the season, so many revelations have been made — the most significant one being the true identity of the Abuelita's “ghost.” In the finale episode, Abuelita's estranged and wealthy sister Mariluna gives the foursome a shot at $10 million… but in the last few minutes, she's targeted by the Santos in an unfortunate case of mistaken identity and seemingly shot and killed over the Roller World money her sister found with Jamal's help.
Related: Freeridge Cast Reveal On My Block Easter Eggs, Season 2 Theories
But is Mariluna really dead? The cast thought there was definitely a chance that Mariluna could have made it to season 2. “It’s crazy though. It’s hard to tell if she dies or not, so I think [that’s] all up in the air,” Ciara Riley Wilson told Teen Vogue ahead of the season 1 premiere. “We have many theories on our end,” Bryana Salaz offered cryptically.
"She better be alive," Keyla Monterroso Mejia joked to Popsugar. "[We're] trying to cash that check," Bryana added. “For those $10 million she promised,” Keyla continued.
While speaking to TV Line after the show's debut, co-showrunner Jeremy Haft hinted that if the show had gotten a season 2, it would be easy to figure out another storyline — especially considering that the writers room had so much left to explore in Freeridge. "The world of Freeridge is very rich and vibrant, and there are tons of stories to tell," he said. “We've always had a tiny grain of hope — [co-showrunners] Lauren Iungerich, Jamie Dooner, Eddie [Gonzalez] and myself — always had a hope that we'd continue the stories of Freeridge.”