While at Bringston, Simone becomes acquainted with Damon Sims, a Major League Baseball recruit visiting to find a connection with his birth parents, who abandoned him eighteen years ago, defying his adoptive mother's wishes. When a scandal brings down Bringston's coach, Damon decides to settle down in Bringston under the watch of Coach Marcus Turner.
Tropes featured in this episode:
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Most of Simone and Damon's interactions after their explosive introduction, with Damon flirting with her.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Spencer and Olivia at the frat party.
- Cool Aunt: Amara Patterson, a journalism lecturer cum social activist who advises Simone to stand up to her mother when it comes to her future.
- Full-Name Basis: Damon keeps calling Simone by her full name, annoying her.
- Gene Hunting: Damon visits Bringston because the only thing he knows about his birth parents is that they went there 18 years prior. Spencer asks if Damon is looking for them and he says he doesn't know, but later decides to attend Bringston.
- Happily Adopted: Despite Mrs. Sims being a Stage Mom, Damon seems to know that she loves him, and love her in return, and generally be happy with how he grew up.
- I Choose to Stay: Damon decides to play with Bringston's baseball team over entering MLB.
- Meet Cute: The way Simone and Damon are introduced. Simone also isn't introduced to him as the famous guy, but just a guy with whom she has an intense first interaction. Their fight makes it memorable and the tension is palpable in more ways than one.
- My Beloved Smother: Mrs. Sims has planned out Damon's future in the MLB ahead, and doesn't like it when he goes off script.
- Operation: Jealousy: Keisha flirts with Spencer because she wants to make her ex jealous.
- Parental Abandonment: Damon was abandoned by his parents after birth.
- Passionate Sports Girl: Thea, who cares about baseball to give Simone some advice even though they dislike each other.
- Poorly Disguised Pilot: The episode is the backdoor pilot for All American: Homecoming.
- Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Coach Turner rats out the course manipulation so the students can actually receive the education they deserve, even though this means he will be let go as well.
- Ship Tease: Simone and Damon.
