All American: 5 Things We Want To See In Season 6 (And 1 Thing We DON'T)

All American is in the middle of an especially long off-season. We had already guessed that Hollywood's dual strikes might delay the football drama's sixth season, but the new episodes were officially punted to 2024 when The CW unveiled its fall premiere dates last month.

To help pass the time, we've crafted a wish list for Season 6, featuring five things we'd like to see — and one thing we definitely don't — when the show eventually returns.

The cliffhanger that closed out Season 5 — in which Patience was stabbed by a stalker — is certainly among our chief concerns for the upcoming installments. But we've also got high hopes for Spencer and Olivia's rekindled romance, JJ's journey of self-discovery and Jordan and Layla's nascent engagement, among other plot points.

Keep scrolling to see the five things we want (and one thing we don't) from All American's sixth season, then drop a comment with your own wishes for the show's return.

Season 5 was a brutal one for those of us championing Spencer and Olivia's romance: Spencer ended things with Olivia as soon as the season began, believing at the time that he was a roadblock to her journalistic ambitions, and they spent nearly every subsequent episode moping and pining for each other. But now that they've reconciled in the Season 5 finale, we'd prefer to see these two basking in the uncomplicated romantic bliss they've so earned. Let's not have Olivia's three-month stint in London usher in a new wave of angst for her and her beau — and as far as Liv's journalism career is concerned, here's hoping one of her sophomore year classes covers conflicts of interest.

All American has toyed with many a life-or-death situation, and Billy Baker's sudden demise in Season 5 signaled that the show isn't afraid to kill off beloved characters. But we're holding out hope that Patience — who was stabbed by stalker fan Miko in the finale's closing scene — will live to see the sixth season and watch as Miko is brought to justice. Patience has become an integral member of The Vortex during All American's run, and we're not sure these characters could withstand another blow after Billy's passing. Plus, Patience and Coop seemed poised to rekindle their romance at the time that Patience was stabbed, making the prospect of her death even more devastating.

Full disclosure on this one: We're not saying Jordan and Layla should be getting married, per se. Their relationship is still blossoming, they're coming off a chaotic year, and two engagements for Jordan before he's even 20 years old feels imprudent. But now that Jordan has given Layla that beautiful bling, we'd rather see this marriage come to fruition, instead of falling apart like Jordan and Simone's relationship ultimately did. As young and unprepared as these crazy kids might be, watching them navigate marriage in their college years is much more creatively enticing than a second ill-fated engagement would be.

All American continues to shine an important light on mental health — particularly that of young male athletes — and it was a treat to watch Hunter Clowdus peel back the layers of JJ's private struggles in Season 5. But JJ's recruitment to a fraternity, and the intense partying that came along with it, often kept him isolated from the other main characters, and the season ended just as JJ rejoined The Vortex for good. We're looking forward to watching JJ dive even deeper into his psyche in Season 6, but we're especially excited to watch him do so alongside the support system that brings out the best and happiest in him.

All American's high-octane football sequences have been part of its appeal since the pilot episode — but the sport felt more like a footnote throughout Season 5, and some of the show's energy was lost in the process. We don't expect that football will be these characters' priority forever, but we do miss the high-stakes, emotional thrills that accompanied Spencer's time on the Beverly High and Crenshaw fields. As the GAU football program rebuilds from a messy year, we wouldn't mind spending a little more time on the gridiron.

Jaymee's struggle with lupus has already, understandably, been at the forefront of her pregnancy. We get that, and we expect her unpredictable health to keep playing a role as she gets farther along. What we don't think we could stomach is a storyline — lupus-related or otherwise — that puts Jaymee or her unborn baby in danger, or (sob) results in a pregnancy loss. This couple is too well-matched, Jaymee too resilient, Asher too adorably overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father to mess with this growing family in any substantial way. If the show is seeking a pregnancy-related plot twist, we'll accept surprise twins, and nothing else.