Warning! SPOILERS for Freeridge and On My Block.
Freeridge solves a long-running mystery from sister show On My Block – one related to Emilio Rivera’s enigmatic, gnome-loving Chivo. The world of On My Block and Freeridge contains many mysteries; some are serious, others are frivolous and charming. These magical, often unexplained elements help give the fantastical L.A. neighborhood its charm, and it is equally satisfying when the two shows can be brought closer together by referencing, and sometimes even solving, each other’s mysteries.
Freeridge tells the story of four teens in the neighborhood of the titular Freeridge as they try to break a curse placed upon them after finding a mysterious box. This adventure eventually puts two of the Freeridge main cast of characters, Bryana Salaz’s Ines and Ciara Riley Wilson’s Demi, in contact with one of many magical figures – the neighborhood’s local bruja, or witch. On My Block, meanwhile, covers a different four teens as they search for a treasure known as the RollerWorld money. During their search, they often meet with a man named Chivo – a past member of the Santos gang who has many garden gnomes he is convinced are alive.
Chivo’s Ex Juanita Made Him The On My Block Gnome
The original show, On My Block, never reveals exactly where Chivo got all of his garden gnomes or why he is so obsessed with them, despite the ceramic creatures’ consistent presence throughout the show. Now, thanks to Freeridge, both shows reveal where at least one of Chivo’s gnomes comes from – namely the voluptuous gnome, Juanita, who spends so much time with Jamal as he searches for the RollerWorld money in On My Block. It turns out that the bruja Demi and Ines visit is the real-life Juanita, played by Carla Jimenez, and that she and Chivo were once romantically involved.
As Demi and Ines learn in Freeridge, the real-life Juanita makes gnomes of dead people. As for the gnome that looks like and is named after her, it turns out that Juanita made Chivo a gnome of herself to cope with their breakup, and has continued to make him these creations because he repeatedly breaks them. This strange, gnome-exchanging relationship could perhaps be viewed as Juanita harboring some lingering affection for her ex-lover from On the Block, since she keeps making him the little creatures.
Freeridge’s Bruja Explains Why Chivo Was So Obsessed With Gnomes
This reveal from Freeridge season 1 not only explains where the gnomes come from in On My Block, but also why Chivo is so obsessed with the creatures at large. Chivo’s clear affection for Juanita explains why he would want to have as many examples of her work as possible, and the fact that Juanita is a bruja also explains why he is so certain that they are alive, as a gift from a witch is liable to have many magical properties. Whether Chivo keeps the gnomes, especially the one with the visage of his old flame, as mementos of his time with Juanita or as a way to keep in contact with her, it is nevertheless satisfying that Freeridge solves this mystery.