‘All American: Homecoming’ Cast, Creators Talk Simone and Damon, Marcus’ Wife, JR’s Health and More: Biggest Bombshells of the Season 2 Finale

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‘All American: Homecoming’ Cast, Creators Talk Simone and Damon, Marcus’ Wife, JR’s Health and More: Biggest Bombshells of the Season 2 Finale

Warning: This story contains spoilers for the Monday, March 27, season 2 finale of All American: Homecoming. 

Going out with a bang! All American: Homecoming’s season 2 finale featured no shortage of plot twists — with one of the episode’s biggest surprises being what really happened between Simone and Damon.

The finale, which aired on Monday, March 27,  shocked viewers by revealing that Simone (Geffri Maya) and Damon (Peyton Alex Smith) slept together after the hit CW series previously insinuated that the two merely shared a kiss. The emotional-turned-physical bond the pair have shared left Simone — who is currently dating Lando (Martin Bobb-Semple) — up in the air about who she should choose.

While Simon and Damon, referred to by viewers as “Dimone,” have been a fan-favorite couple since the show premiered in February 2022, Maya, 28, still isn’t sure the timing is right for the duo to jump into something serious.

“I think it wouldn’t be the time for them to get together only because both of them have so many things they have to work out in their own personal lives,” the Private Practice alum exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the finale. “Reading the finale and watching the finale were, like, two different experiences. Being able to see Damon kind of open the door with his father and get in the groove of actually building a real bond that really means a lot to him, you can’t really have anything infiltrate that, especially on top of sports and him trying to find his own groove.”

Maya added that with Simone, she’s “in this new space” with her collegiate experience and “regaining her energy and vigor with tennis” along with finding her own path and joining a sorority. It’s a journey she may need to do solo, especially after her breakup from All American's Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) — something Maya insists her character has “definitely” moved on from.

“She’s coming to terms with her relationship with herself, and with love, and questioning that. And with [her sorority] PKZ and the relationship she’s built with these women,” she shared with Us. “It might not be time to focus on [Damon]. Especially because the gravitational hold he has.”

Simone’s love life wasn’t the only bomb dropped in Monday’s finale. JR (Sylvestor Powell) tackled health issues (seemingly due to his anemia) and Nate (Rhoyle Ivy King) won her presidential campaign. The most shocking twist, however, came in the final moments of the episode when it was revealed that Marcus (Cory Hardrict) — who is dating Amara (Kelly Jenrette) — is actually married.

Marqui Jackson, co-showrunner of Homecoming, explained to Us that the idea for a secret wife came about when the show realized it needed to “shake” Marcus and Amara up.

“No couple can be happy forever,” Jackson quipped. “So it just felt like a really unique opportunity. Because there's so much about Marcus we still don't know. Even though we do know a little bit about his mental health journey, I think it was just the excitement of like getting to learn something new about him, something unexpected that's out of character.”

Creator and co-showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll, meanwhile, noted that there are “lost years in [Marcus’] character” that haven’t been accounted for — but promised that all will be explained if All American: Homecoming gets greenlit for a season 3.

“He left and was drafted professionally. He was playing in the minors and had this injury before he could be called up to the majors,” she told Us. “But there was always those few years that even Amara can't fully account for because he’s pushed her away. So it was always an interesting space where we were going to come back one day and have to fill those years. Right. how did he become [the] person [he is now] from the star baseball player in college? How does he become such a wise, calming, grounded version of himself?”

Keep scrolling for more of the All American: Homecoming cast and creators' reactions to the season 2 finale:

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On If Simone Should Choose Damon

“I think it wouldn’t be the time for them to get together only because both of them have so many things they have to work out in their own personal lives,” Maya explained to Us about Simone and Damon’s complicated dynamic. “Reading the finale and watching the finale were, like, two different experiences. Being able to see Damon kind of open the door with his father and get in the groove of actually building a real bond that really means a lot to him, you can’t really have anything infiltrate that, especially on top of sports and him trying to find his own groove.” 

Maya added that with Simone, she’s “in this new space” with her collegiate experience and “regaining her energy and vigor with tennis” along with finding her own path and joining a sorority — a journey she may need to do solo. 

“She’s coming to terms with her relationship with herself, and with love, and questioning that. And with PKZ and the relationship she’s built with these women,” she added. “It might not be time to focus on [Damon]. Especially because the gravitational hold he has.” 

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On How Simone Handled the Jordan Breakup

“I think that Simone took the high road as she often does, which will always benefit you in the end,” Maya said of how her character handled the split with Jordan. “I think she did what Simone would do and she took a lot of things into consideration.”

The California native added that the exes have “a lot of friends in common” and it’s important to “consider those attachments” while also “considering where you’re trying to go.”

She continued: “If Jordan really wants to be with Layla (Greta Onieogou) and Layla really wants to be with Jordan, then [she] just has to move on. And it’s better to move on. She has [Damon and Lando] right in front of her! But it’s also more about her — why hold on to that?"

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On If Baby Shay Will Return

“The main theme [of the show] is family and family dinners, so I think it’s just a matter of timing and creatively when it’s the right time,” she explained. “Time has gone by and we need to see what [Shay] is up to.” 

Maya shared that Simone giving her son up for adoption is one of her “favorite story arcs” for her character. “It’s just a beautiful story line that you don’t hear a lot about in adoption situations, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” she noted. 

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On the Importance of Simone and Layla's Talk

“It was important for us — especially for the integrity of Layla — that before she even moved any further or deep into a relationship with Jordan, she have a conversation with Simone. A grown adult conversation,” Carroll shared with Us. “Layla wanted to preserve the friendship with Simone. That was important to her. [We wanted] to show in our female characters, like, yeah, there might be a boy in the mix, but your relationships with your sisters — don't lose sight of them because of a dude.”

Carroll and Jackson revealed that there was a debate in the writer’s room over “who owed who an apology” and “who should apologize first,” but they ultimately decided on what felt “most authentic” for the characters. 

"We talked about Simone's response and was it right and was it fair. Given the Simone, Thea (Camille Hyde) of it all with Damon," Carroll said. "We got to the most authentic response for Simone. Because it didn't quite feel right that she would just be OK with it. But we also wanted her to kind of low-key give her blessing."

Jackson added: "And then on the flip side, when Jordan finds out, what's the most authentic response from him?” Jackson added. “Because he's not wrong. He was sort of blindsided and now it feels like, ‘I didn't care enough to tell Simone, but you did.’ And that was a legitimate point that Layla hadn't really considered.” 

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On JR's Future

Powell, 28, opened up to Us about what he hopes to see for his character moving forward, noting that he likes seeing JR in a position of power. 

“I love that JR had [fraternity] KEK and was able to help out Cam,” the actor explained. “I’d love to see him in an authoritative role [so he can] help people out as much as he can, versus following in the shadows of his little brother Damon. I love the fact he was able to walk into his own. So whatever that looks like.” 

As far as JR’s physical well-being — the finale saw him seemingly feeling the effects of his anemia — Powell thinks it would be “fun” to explore his character’s health on a deeper level.

“The fight to get back healthy, whether it’s eating correctly, doing workouts or taking medication. Whatever he has to do, I do want to see him do that.” 

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On Seeing More of Cam's Creative Side

“I love the creative side of Cam and I feel like we can explore it more,” Mitchell Edwards said of diving deeper into his character’s artistic talents. “I have five seasons of exploring his athletic side. It’s nice to see his leadership qualities [on the football field], but it’s cool to see what else he has. And it’s fun to be a character and play someone who is discovering themselves. That’s so much more interesting.” 

The Spinning Out alum also opened up about Cam’s growth since he was introduced in season 1 of All American — and how he’s never perceived his character as an antagonist. 

“As actors, we are taught to never look at our characters as [a] nemesis or villain. So I’ve always attached myself to where Cam is coming from and I can relate,” he told Us. “He comes from an underprivileged society. He didn’t have a lot, so his rivalry with Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) really stems from the fact that he got that handout from coach [Billy] Baker. I always felt like Cam was leading with love and passion. And so it’s cool to have different scenarios where we can see that love and passion play out.” 

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On Cam and Keisha's Fiery Romance

While Cam and Keisha (Netta Walker) have been at odds often during season 2 of AAHC, Edwards told Us that he enjoys seeing the twosome’s “fire” — and feels it reflects “real life.”  

“They fight and that’s a part of their love language in a way,” he gushed. “But they’re also young. So it’s one of those things where attitude is just a part of being in college. [Keisha’s] taken a lot of her frustrations out on Cam, but he’s happy to be there for her because that’s what they vowed to to when they got together. They both have their struggles.” 

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On Marcus' Secret Wife

Jackson explained to Us that once they finally put Marcus and Amara together, the writer’s had to find a way to “shake them up.” 

“No couple can be happy forever,” he laughed. “So it just felt like a really unique opportunity. Because there's so much about Marcus we still don't know. Even though we do know a little bit about his mental health journey, I think it was just the excitement of like getting to learn something new about him, something unexpected that's out of character."

Carroll added that there are “lost years in [Marcus’] character” that haven’t been accounted for. 

“He left and was drafted professionally. He was playing in the minors and had this injury before he could be called up to the majors,” she said. “But there was always those few years that even Amara can't fully account for because he’s pushed her away. So it was always an interesting space where we were going to come back one day and have to fill those years. Right, how did he become [the] person [he is now] from the star baseball player in college? How does he become such a wise, calming, grounded version of himself?”

For Jenrette, Marcus' secret coming to light means Amara will be "building her walls" back up. “It’s like the ghost of Christmas past coming back. Like, why did you allow yourself to be put in this position to be hurt again? What explanation can be given that takes away the hurt that comes with you not being honest?” she said.

Despite their current issues, however, Jenrette told Us that she would "love to do a wedding scene" down the road, noting that Amara and Marcus feel like an on and off couple that will find their way together again. 

Credit: The CW

On Marcus' Mental Health

Jackson shared that the snag in Marcus’ relationship with Amara may have lasting effects on his mental health. 

“He’s always gonna be have bipolar disorder. So when we revealed it in a big way in [season 1] episode 12 last year, that it wasn't a situation that was just one and done,” he said. “It's a continual process to manage these things. And that's fine and you can do it, but as these big things happen, you have to check yourself. Do an assessment and process that through.” 

Hardrict, for his part, reflected on his approach to how he portrays his character's mental health journey — and where he found his inspiration to do the role justice. 

"I pulled from everything that I went through just in my life, from just personal experiences from my past," the 43-year-old told Us. "Like, my mom passing, my brother, sister.  I just used everything I had to try to display it in my art. just really kind of went there and [it served as] therapy [and] relief, letting it out on camera. My whole mental state was all messed up for, like, a few months with this whole arc. I just tried to use it the best way I could so that way people can learn from it." 

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On What Makes Marcus and Amara a Good Match

“I think maybe because they started when they were younger,” Jenrette shared about what makes her character, Amara, and Marcus so drawn together. “You’re still [kind of] children when you're in college and trying to figure your way. And I think that's when they connected, and I think that really kind of forged a bond between the two of them. And there was a friendship there. I also think that that the way it ended, there was no closure. So then when they were able to get closure, I think it still opened up Amara’s heart a little bit, but she was afraid to give him another chance.” 

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On Nate Being President

“[Nate is] really stepping into her own power,” Jackson told Us. “And that's something that from day one we were very clear we wanted to explore with this character. And especially as we made the character a series regular in season 2, it's this idea of, yes, she is queer. Yes, she's very vocal about herself, her journey [and] how she identifies [and] presents. But it's not been this Cinderella story of existence for her.” 

He continued, “There is a journey to that and there's still a journey to go. And so we're just at the very beginning of Nate's sort of journey and her really [figuring out], ‘OK, how do I take my wants, my needs and who I am to the next level?’” 

Jackson shared that a big part of Nate’s character is her feeling a “responsibility not just for herself, but for anyone who feels marginalized, forgotten or feels like there isn't a space for them.” 

“We’re gonna see her continue on this journey as we fully embrace all that Nate is and who she wants to be, how she wants to be. In career, in friendships and in love. The way we would explore with any of our characters,” he explained to Us. 

The showrunners also expanded on Nate's love life, sharing that they are “committed” and “excited’ about “telling a fully fleshed out love story” for her in season 3. 

“She deserves a win,” Jackson explained. “We got to do that a little bit with a toxic relationship and [her] sort of finding herself outside of that. And now she deserves her Prince Charming … Whether it is through Ryan's character or whether it is through the world that opens up for her now that she's on a bigger platform and truly embracing who she is and what she deserves.”