All American: Billy Baker’s Death Was The Wrong Move

By: Mark T. Wilson

How did Billy Baker die on All American? The guess is that he got back on the bus to save Jabari and the bus fell off the edge of the cliff it was sitting on, thus resulting in the death of Taye Digg’s character, Billy Baker. It was a hard pill to swallow as that twist seemingly came out of nowhere. While it was a shocker, the question fans are wondering is did it have to happen that way?

All American is a Primetime drama but it’s not in the same category as Grey’s Anatomy, Yellowstone, or Power. It’s geared more towards family and community and that’s why his death will hit fans and the show hard. Instead of killing him off, let him take a head coaching job somewhere so he can still have a presence even if Diggs wanted to leave the show. An actor or actress walking away does not always have to mean killing them off.

The reason this was a bad call by the writers is that it changes the complexion of the show in so many ways. Let’s start with the obvious. I can see why it was done in terms of pain. The Baker family has yet to feel anything like this. The rest of the cast has dealt with grief before. Layla lost her mother. Coop was exiled from her family but also lost her friend Shawn to the streets. And then there is Spencer James who lost his father a few seasons ago. Now, it’s Olivia and Jordan’s turn to understand that anyone’s bubble could be busted at any time.

Why Did Taye Diggs Leave All American

But that’s also a reason to keep him alive. For all the great things All American stands for, the dynamic of family was the best attribute of the show. Now, with his death, the writers took that aspect of the show away. And not just that, they took away the guiding force for all the kids. Billy Baker was more than a football coach, he was the leader of a High School, and truth the told, he was the father figure on the show that every kid turned to for advice. Why take that away?

There are not too many positive black shows or male role models on TV but All American and Billy baker offered us that. It was a feel-good story and in one episode, they managed to take away a strong black voice with the choice of death instead of taking another route. This will sting for a while, but moving forward, the show will never be the same.