Drama Sports WARNING: This post contains spoilers from the Feb. 20 episode of All American, "Lost One." Laura Baker's (Mont Mazur) grief is understandably running deep. Spencer has said that when he was playing under his uncle, Carter became something of a father figure for him. It became a mutual thing of, we have an opportunity to do something that no one is going to expect. But by the end of the episode, Jordan finally finds his voice and even professes his love for Layla (Greta Onieogou). Billy Bakers character is compassionate towards his team members but is equally tough while playing on the field. DEADLINE: When you were writing your way through each characters grief, how did you decide what would be a realistic way for them to handle something like this? All American airs Mondays at 8pm ET on The CW. It's Complicated, Phase 5 Has Stolen The X-Men's MCU Story, Years Before Their Marvel Return, Secret Invasion Episode 4 Ending Explained. ET and stars Taye Diggs and Daniel Ezra. In a 2019 interview with TV Guide, Daniel Ezra and Spencer Paysinger talked about All American and the secrets behind the true . 5 All American Questions Left After [SPOILER]'s Death "[Laura] outlived her soulmate, and what does life look like for her now without the person that she giggled with in the morning, she had to bounce ideas off or, and could lay her head on his chest and hear [his] heartbeat?" Episode 11 of All American season 5 started with Billy's family happily eating breakfast and discussing professional issues at the dining table, as every other normal family does. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Billy (1979 TV series) Copyright 2023 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Taye Diggs Could Return to All American, Despite Shock Exit, 'All American' Gets Early Season 6 Renewal at The CW. I knew going into Season 5 that was what we were going to do. What fans only saw was that everyone believed he died. SPOILER ALERT: This post contains details from Season 5, Episode 11 of The CWs All American. But we also had no interest in repeating stories weve told before with Olivia in terms of, if she falls off the wagon, how she falls off the wagon. I love the fact that it's going to give the actors so much more to work with. They both agreed that the character and Diggs time on the show was fulfilled. After calling his wife and daughter to tell them he was okay, he realized Jabari (Simeon Daise) was stuck in the bus, which was half hanging off of a cliff. I felt strongly that if it was any of our main cast, or if it were his kids Jordan, Olivia, or Spencer of course, hes gonna go back on the bus for them, and I dont think anyone would question that. Keep up with your favorite shows delivered to your inbox! They lost their dad, she lost her husband. Paysinger, retired from the NFL since the start of the calendar year, is the inspiration behind The CW show "All American," which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. 10 Ways Billy Baker Can Still Return In All American Season 6 Hi there, my name is Sanjana from Mumbai, and I work as a dedicated content writer during the week and as an enthusiastic social worker on weekends. Since taking over as showrunner in Season 2, Carroll talks to each actor at the end of each season about where they see their character going. Here is everything that you need to know about what happened in the show, and why it took place. Is Taye Diggs leaving All American? Is Billy Baker dead? - CarterMatt He would have to leave-leave, Carroll said. The Eliza Dushku-starring 2003 horror film was followed by six other movies, with two more planned. I love being on the show. Who Does Damon End Up With In All American: Homecoming? There was no version of the story that made sense where hes taking a coaching job and didnt take Laura (Mont Mazur) with him at a minimum, said Carroll, who says Diggs has agreed to come back as Billy in any form should the show need him in the future. Were gonna give everyone their moment with their way of processing, and that becomes a story for an episode so that we really get to test the boundaries of that friend group and how they each help each other through it. News Feb 13, 2023 6:01pm PT 'All American' Shocker: Why [SPOILER] Left Midway Through Season 5: 'It Just Felt Right' By Emily Longeretta Troy Harvey/THE CW SPOILER ALERT: This story contains. What if we dont agree? At the beginning and end of every season, I have a conversation with the cast about the journey of their character, and it was in those conversations for Taye that we started talking about, Is Billys journey on the show over? Remembering who Billy was and what he stood for and how he loved, of course that makes sense. As we know how responsible Billy was towards his loved ones. The show will certainly answer if Billy managed to save Jabari from the bus crash before he died. I had a pretty good idea at the end of last season that that was where the season was going, showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll tells Variety of Diggs exit. Its funny, because even when we had those conversations, I would think in my head, How are we going to go organically do this? Billy initially got off the bus, thinking all the students safely exited the vehicle. The relationships that I made on set completely played into me being a father to my own son. The CWs All American ended with an emotional twist Monday as the series said goodbye to one of its most beloved characters. Even though it is bad news for every All-American fan that they will not be able to see Billy Baker again, the plotline of the show has a lot in store to intrigue fans in the future. Daniel Ezra and Geffri Maya share the stories they're proud of from the. What happened to Coach Baker on All American? Billys death will likely come as a shock for viewers, since the series has so far spared its main cast even though many of them have previously been at deaths door. All American season 5 killed Billy because the producers and Diggs came to a mutual decision that it was time for the actor to leave. Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free daily newsletterto get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. See First Teaser for The Golden Bachelor When Will Star Be Announced? The show perfectly portrays Spencers struggle to achieve his dreams. Is Coach Billy Baker from 'All American' Really Dead? Answered Regardless, Carroll said Bakers heroic death was the only option that made sense. Season 5 of All American can now be streamed on The CW, Hulu, and Netflix. Aside from that story and the relationship between football player and coach, Carter's life has (thankfully) been very different from Billy's in All American. Warner Channel Brasil YouTube. It was just a feeling that I got [that I was ready to leave], and I just honored that feeling. How do you feel about how Billy's story ended? Theyve all done truly their best work, and they did it all while keeping this secret which is not easy to do in this town. Billy | American Dad Wikia All American Season 5 delivered a powerful episode with a shocking twist at the end. Episode 11 of All American season 5 started with Billys family happily eating breakfast and discussing professional issues at the dining table, as every other normal family does. I love it. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. How is it fair for it to be that his life would be cut short so quickly? Billy initially got off the bus, thinking all the. By Rebecca Iannucci. we really going to miss out on all those full circle moments. No matter what Billy meant to us, they come first. At least, thats what Billy thought. Another added, Ignoring the terrible execution of killing Billy off. All in all, wed say most viewers were highly disturbed by Billys death and believe it could have been avoided. How does Jordan stand tall as the Baker man of the house now?. It was maybe mid-fourth season. All American featured the unexpected exit of Taye Diggs' Billy Baker in its most recent episode, which aired on Monday, February 13. All American Boss Explains That Shocking Season 5 Death 'All American': Taye Diggs Could Return Despite Shock Exit, Says Showrunner In the final moments of the episode, his son Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), who was at the scene of the crash, tells his family that Billy didnt survive. Taye Diggs, who played Billy, was with the show from the beginning and was instrumental in its tremendous success. CARROLL: Truthfully, the characters decided. But his death scene did not properly justify the fact that he is dead, and fans are really curious about the chances of Billy Baker reappearing in the show. 3 weeks ago After last airing on May 15 on The CW, All American season 5 was finally released on Netflix on May 23. It was maybe mid-fourth season. For Spencer, he will carry around the guilt of his last conversation with Billy being argumentative, and the fact that he didnt answer his call. Although the audience might not have been ready, it was something they had been building to. No one of his fans were expecting that they would have to say goodbye to Billy Baker this early, as everyone knows that the story of Spencer still has a lot more to show. Due to Stan's smashing of the building with a wrecking crane, he faces being dropped from the remains of the . Proceed with caution! Not only James Spencers life has been explained in the show, but it also brings in all other related characters, such as his family and friends. And we decided how to go about it, and storylines and whatnot, so it was all above board, and everyone was in the know.. I've never felt as exposed; I would be at the airport and have young Asian kids, older white men, and housewives recognize me. Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free daily newsletterto get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. All American trailer cr. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Taye DIGGS played Billy Baker in the movie. SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Time, Season 5, Episode 11 of All American.. As expected, it didn't take long for the sports drama to rise up the. Theres so much story to tell.. So, why did they kill off Billy Baker in All American? The journey theyve been on and how much theyve grown over the five seasons [helped determine] what looks realistic. Theres a lot of journey left in All American, and luckily with the characters, theyre only just crossing over into adulthood, Carroll said. I actually think its the beauty of this group. Billy decided to take action before it was too latehe returned to the coach to save Jabari Long (Simeon Daise). From that point on, she started giving me ideas of how I'd exit and they were so great. Much of the episode is filled with characters questioning why Billy is choosing to leave South Crenshaw to coach a D1 team, including a very angry Spencer. Sorry Tay Diggs fans, but his 'All American' character, Billy Baker, is killed off at the end of Season 5, Episode 11. It weighs on Spencer in some unexpected ways, in some ways that are going to feel very familiar to people and then in some other ways where you feel like like, oh, theres something bigger going on here.. 'All American' Showrunner Says Taye Diggs Could Return Despite Shocking The latest episode of the show depicted some glimpses of his death, and thats what traumatized the huge fanbase of the show. Nkechi added that they were so lucky to have Taye Diggs for any amount of time and that they agreed the conclusion of the characters arc would be a mutual decision It would have to be something that felt right for both of us for the creative direction of the show and for him as an actor.. The show airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW. He was so stunned by the beauty of the exit and the heroism of the exit and what it meant for Billys legacy. In each of their episodes, we give them their moment to process and say goodbye to Billy as we start to get a sense of what his legacy means for each of them," Carroll explains. All American takes inspiration from Paysinger's life and career, meaning that some characters are also based on real-life people, including Billy. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Having grieved Corey, Spencer knows how deep Olivia and Jordan's pain is, and in his typical fashion will try to be there for them before taking care of himself. Taye Diggs as Billy Baker and Michael Evans Behling as Jordan Baker, Monet Mazur as Laura Baker, Bre-Z as Coop, Samantha Logan as Olivia Baker and Daniel Ezra as Spencer James. Thankfully, the real Carter is still very much alive and was eventually promoted to become the first Black principal of Beverly Hills High School. All American airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. I told it to them like I was pitching them the episode and how it happened, and without fail, every single one of them cried. But he realized Jabari (Simeon Daise) was stuck on board as the bus hung off a cliff. News of the affair has broken and it will come out one way or . The moment may have come as a shock for viewers, but the actor has shared why he felt his departure was necessary, while showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll also detailed how the groundwork was laid for it. The show's fifth season premiered on October. In real life, Spencer was recruited to play football at Beverly Hills High School, just like Spencer James in the CW series in season 1. Here's how Billy Baker died. But that is a lot easier said than done when youre going home at night and either trying to bury your grief, or cry over your grief or drink your way through your grief. As an industry veteran, what does being on this show mean to you? It was maybe mid-fourth season. I dont even remember, to be honest, because the showrunner and myself are close. This has been a very emotional journey, and to our audience and fans: We too are sorry that were making you cry and be in the fetal position like we are. Showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll said it was a strictly narrative decision. Did All American's Billy Baker Die In Real Life? After 5 seasons, Taye Diggs is saying goodbye to the show. The makers of All American ultimately decided to kill Billy because showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll and Taye began having discussions that encouraged them to reach the conclusion that Billys All American Journey was over, Nkechi told Deadline during an interview. It felt right. T he unthinkable happened in All American season 5 Billy Baker, played by Taye Diggs, died during a bus crash, and everyone was left to mourn their favorite coach. I pitched it to him like I was pitching an episode, beat by beat, even though it was still easily a year away, says Carroll. CARROLL: What we perceive as Spencers grief is only going to be the tip of the iceberg. It was discussed ad nauseam in the writers room as we were venturing into each persons story, and we let the history and the authenticity of the character dictate what grief looked like for them. 'All American' star Mont Mazur on Laura Baker's new direction That pain accentuated with the bus crash, and then the voicemail message that Billy Baker left for Spencer. Jeopardy! Hosts Ken Jennings & Mayim Bialik Competing For Emmy. ", "Billy was all of us and what a joy it was to watch this character grow as he raised his kids and his football players as one big family," Nkechi continued. What really happened between Principle Carter and Coach Billy - Reddit Same goes for Grace. Her Relationship With The Co-Founder Of Microsoft! How exactly Billy dies and whether or not Jabari lives remains to be seen. Does Willy Baker Die in 'All American'? His Fate Is in the Balance All American began. Billy, a high school jock, beats a nerdy kid so severely he needs to be pulled from school and ended up with 7 stitches. [Billy] exits after making the decision to do the "right thing" just makes it more difficult and challenging for everyone to deal with. I was able to use both worlds in accordance with each other. Staying alive and not being present in his familys life, thats just not who the character was. The accident led to the bus careening to the edge of a cliff, but he and the players escaped the vehicle safely. So that was the reason we settled on it being Jabari that Billy would go back for. Spencer explained that the character was loosely based on his uncle, Carter Paysinger, who was his coach at Beverly Hills High when he played there. Over the years, All American has been responsible for delivering a fair handful of such moments. Billy is the son of Willy Baker and the late Mrs. Baker; as well as the father of Jordan Baker and Olivia Baker. As a matter of fact, the person who Billy's character in All American is based on is still very much alive. This interview has been edited and condensed. Watching how they deal with this is very similar to what happens in actual life. The actor's run as Coach Billy Baker came to an end during the Feb. 13 episode in which he was shockingly killed off of the series. Its kind of the last big thing they did together. We never had any delusions that wed be able to hold onto Taye for 12 seasons or anything like that, Carroll told TheWrap. These are two women who Billy played such a pivotal role in their life, for his own children with Laura. She has worked with other media outlets such as TV Fanatic and Showbiz Cheat Sheet in the past, and has four years of experience in entertainment journalism under her belt. Same went for Olivia and Jordan. We were so incredibly lucky to have Taye Diggs be part of this production from day one, so one of the things that wed always talked about was, we have no idea of how long we would be able to hold on to him. All American Season 5's Shocking Death Explained By CW Showrunner Head coach Billy Baker (played by Taye Diggs) died saving a student after a bus carrying him and the South Crenshaw High School football team crashed on its way back from a scouting combine. Bill Daily. There are unfinished chapters and unresolved issues, but we have to continue to move forward. It's a pretty heavy revelation, one I'm sure was. Bill Daily - Biography Billy Baker is inspired by Spencer Paysinger's real-life uncle. When you have a chance to talk to someone and you send them to voicemail, and then all of a sudden that person is gone, you never get to call them back and have that conversation, thats going to weigh on you, says Carroll. The character of Billy Baker in All American is loosely based on Carter Paysinger, Spencer's uncle and football coach. Now were going to be each others rock to continue to raise these two families. The episode thoroughly depicted all the layers of his character that make him Billy Baker.. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. Not everything is always wrapped up. Join us as we discover his life in the All American series and delve into the question about Billy Baker that is in the minds of the fans with this article.