Daniel Ezra may have left All American as a series regular at the conclusion of season 6, but he will still be leaving his mark on the series finale behind the director's chair. Daniel Ezra's return, in any capacity, means the heart of the series will be making its way back to the show, something season 8 is in desperate need of.
Season 7 was a struggling soft reboot, never truly finding the right balance between original and new to keep a real sense of consistency surrounding how Jordan, Layla, and Coop step up to become the main adults of the series as the season introduced a slew of new teenagers to pick up the mantle. While the season did have some decent moments, it was mostly a fumbled year. But season 8 and the possibility of bringing back familiar faces can help give the series a complete full-circle ending.
There are many shows that struggled in their final season, or seasons, and still delivered a solid series finale. While those finales could not undo the imperfections that those shows faced to get there, being able to wrap up the show with emotional and fitting endings for the main characters gives the sense that every high and low that the characters experienced were worth reaching this moment alongside them.
All American, throughout most of its run, has been a very emotional series, as most of the main characters have undergone significant character development over the years that took them from teenagers to young adults. Daniel Ezra, as the show's main character for a majority of its run, has experienced the beauty of what All American is, how these characters go through life, and what they mean to each other.
Although season 8 as a whole needs to step up from the troubled foundation that season 7 set up for the next generation, there are still story ties that can help wrap up the show and give it a real send-off. Anything from the birth of Spencer and Olivia's children to Jordan and Cassius mending fences and embracing each other as family to seeing Layla and Coop flourish professionally and personally can play a role in how All American concludes its story.
There is also the possibility of seeing the finale help bring back other characters and seeing if their stories get expanded on, such as Asher, Jaymee, and Patience. Asher and Jaymee did not make appearances in season 7, and their returns could help add an extra layer of emotion and excitement to the conclusion of the show. Grace making a return could also be an exciting way to tie in the series finale into the core of how the series began.
However, after making new additions like KJ, Amina, Khalil, Tori, and Cassius so integral to season 7's storylines, they can not be pushed aside as All American works toward its finale. Creating the perfect series finale for this show means embracing the legacy it will leave behind and understanding the core values of what All American always wanted to be. Original and new characters have to be given room to spend time with each other and grow together.
Rather than telling two seemingly separate stories, season 8 needs to blend this group and create a unit of who this group is and how they, as a team, work toward delivering an ending that makes eight seasons of this show worth everything that has been poured into it over the years. Having a familiar face behind the camera in Daniel Ezra is not just exciting for nostalgia's sake, but it also allows someone who helped drive and build the series to be the person to help bring it to a close. For as much as this show had its highs and lows over the years, the series, the characters, and the audience deserve a real, strong conclusion from its series finale.