OK, Let's Talk About the Alarmingly Definitive Finale of On My Block Season 3

The head of the Santos spends all of season three hovering threateningly over the heads of the gang as they scramble to find Lil' Ricky. But they aren't the only ones who endure tense conversations with the older woman. Spooky continually butts heads with Cuchillos as another gang begins making trouble in Freeridge, demanding they be given a piece of the pie Spooky now commands.

When Spooky learns that Cuchillos is to blame for his father being put behind bars and virtually abandoned by his gang, he decides that it's time for new management within the ranks. He goes to the 19th Street gang to arrange for Cuchillos to be killed. But she learns of his betrayal and plots with the rival gang to double-cross Spooky. Luckily, the man knows how to sell an idea, and 19th Street murder Cuchillos, allowing Spooky to ascend the ranks. Later, we see Cuchillos's body burned in a burial hole by the leader of 19th Street.

After suffering a season of loss, Monse enters the show's third instalment determined to keep her loved ones by her side. Her rocky romance with Cesar seems to find its wings, even after she drunkenly kisses Spooky during a fit of anger. With the threat of Cuchillos lingering in every episode, Monse also has to deal with her love life and the realisation that when Summer is over, she's off to the all-girls academy she applied to last season and leaving all of Freeridge behind.

Despite danger lurking around every corner, Monse gains solace in her flourishing friendship with Jasmine. It's just in the nick of time, since she needs all the friends she can get when she learns that her mother has died by suicide and her half-siblings want her at the funeral. Soon after that, the group realise the threat Cuchillos poses won't ever go away. They make plans to eliminate her, but Spooky's deal with 19th Street means they don't have to go through with it.

Free of all the drama that's been culminating since season one, Monse is sent off to school with a farewell party consisting of the whole gang, including Jasmine. Jasmine gifts her with a photo of the two friends, and Monse swears she'll always keep it in sight to remember her family. But in the season's time jump two years in the future, we see a lively Monse in her dorm with a new group of friends as the photo of the Freeridge gang collects dust in a corner.

Fan-favourite Jasmine gets to shine in season three. Though the gang initially try to keep her out of their search for Lil' Ricky to keep her safe, her undeniable detective skills make her too valuable to leave behind. She jockeys for leadership among the group against Jamal and proves important to the investigation, especially when paired up with Ruby. Throughout the pitfalls of their search, the duo grow closer romantically but are afraid of ruining their friendship if they take it further. They get so desperate that they seek dating advice from Monse and Cesar, arguably the worst people to ask about love in Freeridge.

As the original foursome learn of Cuchillos's real plan, Ruby bears the burden of throwing Jasmine off their trail so she won't attempt to help them with their homicidal plans. When she comes calling on him, Ruby cuts her down to size, playing on her fears that his attraction to her stems from a need for safety rather than true affection. Jasmine leaves, visibly heartbroken, but she quickly forgives him when he returns to apologise. "I don't like grudges," she says, shrugging away his concern. That doesn't mean she lets him get back into her intimate clutches so effortlessly, though she does eventually relent.

As the finale closes, Jasmine is seen walking with Ruby through the cafeteria, holding his hand. The two are still happily together after two years, but they're dressed differently than we're used to. While Jamal and Ruby have an intense staredown, Jasmine continues on her way, seemingly oblivious.

By the finale of season three, Ruby has battled another PTSD attack, feared that his parents are divorcing, poisoned half of Freeridge, and come to the realisation that he has feelings for Jasmine. When the group realise that finding Lil' Ricky isn't the answer to their prayers, they unenthusiastically decide the only course of action is to eliminate Cuchillos. The group are derailed by a missive for Cesar to follow a forest trail that will lead him to a presumably dead Spooky.

It's as they're following the given trail that the splinters within the group begin to make themselves apparent. Jamal and Ruby, understandably exhausted by the roller coaster of events that have led them to this moment, reveal their resentment for how Cesar's presence in their lives is a calling card for danger. Ruby, who almost died simply because of his association with Cesar, is particularly unsympathetic about Cesar's grief for his older brother. Monse attempts to keep the peace, but everyone is too heated; Cesar is enraged that Jamal and Ruby aren't showing him "respect" or expressing empathy for his brother. Since Ruby is still coming down from being a hair's breadth away from death, he feels more than justified at being tired of the drama surrounding the Diaz brothers. "Some of us are collateral damage in your sh*t," he tells Cesar.

Even though the gang don't end up having to kill anyone, the vibe between them all has changed. Ruby apologises to Jasmine for lashing out at her in his attempt to keep her away from danger, and the two end up figuring out their relationship drama. In the season's final moments, Ruby passes through the cafeteria — dressed in a very casual Misfits shirt instead of his usual button-downs — with Jasmine by his side and makes eye contact with Jamal, who is surrounded by his teammates nearby. Things slow down as the former best friends stare into each other's eyes before time snaps back into regular speed and it's as if the moment never happened.

Jamal spends most of season three torn between two desires: sex and wanting to be the leader. That's right, Jamal gets a girlfriend (sort of), and he lets everyone and their mother know that the two of them are getting physical. He also battles to be seen as the leader of their investigative team, which, considering his history of solving mysteries, should be kind of a given.

But things take a turn for the serious when his parents start to dole out consequences for his bizarre behaviour, including firing him from his job at his father's barbecue spot. When Spooky's drama with 19th Street ends up getting Jamal's father assaulted and the grill trashed, it pushes him to his limit. Cue the group's explosion in the forest and Jamal finally demanding that his friends stop telling him to shut up (which they've been doing since season one) and stick together.

But fast forward two years into the future, and Jamal doesn't seem worried about sticking with his old crew as much. He's last seen with a group of his football teammates, animatedly telling a story and reigning as king in the centre. He momentarily locks eyes with his former best friend as Ruby and Jasmine pass by, but the moment passes quickly and he's back to laughing with his new friends.

Spooky's journey throughout season three is a rocky one. He juggles Cesar's teenage angst, his father's surprise return, and Cuchillos's constant threat lurking in the background. He fights to keep his neighbourhood out of the hands of rival gang 19th Street and keep his brother safe. In an argument with his father, Spooky reveals that he was just a child when their father went to prison, but he had to step up to raise Cesar as the man of the house. Then he joined the Santos and essentially killed any semblance of a childhood he could have had.

When their father leaves as quickly as he blew back into their lives, Spooky must contend with the threat that remains: Cuchillos. He goes to the 19th Street gang to arrange for Cuchillos to be killed during a meeting, but she learns of his betrayal and gets them to double-cross him. Spooky convinces 19th Street to stick to the original plan and strike a truce.

After the deed is done, Spooky is happy enough for a celebration. He tells Cesar that he's trying to live for a better tomorrow, where he can have a family and be happy. In the flash-forward, he has exactly that, sporting a full head of hair and kissing his visibly pregnant partner. We have a feeling he's started going by Oscar by then.

Cesar goes from optimistic cutie to brooding ball of angst real quick. Though he begins the season by reconnecting with Monse, it all goes downhill when Cuchillos calls for Lil' Ricky's head and his father comes back into town. The already-contentious air between Cesar and his older brother gets further tainted by the presence of the man Cesar idolizes. While he bonds with his estranged father, he butts heads with Spooky, who attempts to warn him that the older man will leave them behind again.

As Cuchillos's threats grow direr, the gang are forced to go to Spooky to ask for his help. It's when Spooky doesn't return after several days that Cesar starts to spiral in despair. He is the most willing of all the teens to go ahead with their murder scheme, which makes sense since he believes Spooky is dead at the time. During the intense trek through the forest to find his brother, Cesar lashes out at his seemingly apathetic friends, telling them he doesn't want to be a burden or liability and that they're more than welcome to leave. They quickly discover the body of Cuchillos, but the damage has already been done.

As Spooky makes a truce with 19th Street, Cesar warns his brother that it won't last. Cesar tells him that the peace isn't real and Spooky is being foolish. And in the end, Cesar becomes a self-fulfiling prophecy and is revealed to have taken over Oscar's role as the head of the Santos and is going by Lil' Spooky. He has become the person his friends have been fighting for him not to be since season one.