#but like seeing his character from hsmtmts

[maro0on]

pls i just found out some people are fancasting joshua bassett as tommy shepherd and im like whattttt 😭😭 i genuinely cant see him as tommy shepherd

[butchnavi]

okay I'll say it. richard bowen is overrated as fuck

[rosesradio]

not to post anything anti-pw on this blog (though i’m critical of all ships regardless) but i was rewatching the cash caswell scene in the career day ep for my fic & despite the fact that ej was visibly tense gina never seemed to notice or ask if he was okay, which was kinda odd to me

[i23kazu]

♡ YOU AND I'VE BECOME A SACRED KIND OF HOME

characters. xiao diluc kaeya childe wriothesley alhaitham x gn!reader genre. romantic fluff. an. sometimes, settling into loving each other just needs to happen. title is from HSMTMTS " love you forever "! | please reblog!! im getting back into writing and reblogs with tags and comments will make me want to write more :D

xiao

his love is... strange. it's sweet in his own way. when he starts loving you, you actually don't realise it. they're never big gestures that start waving heart flags in your face with a plane that spells a contrail – i love (y/n)! no, his love is subtle and his love is sweet. watch as his hands start to inch closer towards yours, until his whole hand is on top of yours. look up once more, glance at him sweetly, and look at how he's he's blushing turned away from you.

diluc

his love... oh, it's just filled with goodness. his world is so much more colourful, so much more filled with light – your light. kiss him gently on the forehead as he drifts off to sleep, and watch his face loosen, whatever tension from the day just melting away from a second of your touch. there's a familiar spark in his eyes, one that his brother recognises.

kaeya

his love... may be hard to understand, at first. after all, this is a man who had been loved so hard and so fiercely – until that one fateful day, where it was snatched from his grip. it is hard for him to trust and love with the same vigour that he used to. please be patient with him, because when the ice cracks, and his warmth shines below, it will all be worth it.

childe

his love is sweet, but soon turns.. sour? some days, when you're alone and wishing for his presence, it feels like someone had ripped off the rose-coloured glasses from you. the bed is a little colder and there's always a mug unwashed on the rack, and every thing seems to remind you of his lack of presence. don't worry too much, darling, because your chest will feel warm and whole again once you hear the doorknob click open.

wriothesley

his love is unfamiliar – unlike anyone's you've ever seen. it's shiny and hard but also pillowy and soft and it's a mishmash of sounds, tastes, textures, colours, patterns – it's confusing. wriothesley is confusing. but that doesn't mean that he wants it to be that way, though – loving someone everyday isn't a feeling, but rather a choice. it's a choice that you both make. when you fit like pieces of a puzzle together, that's when the moment of clarity comes through – that he loves you.

alhaitham

his love is hard. it's metallic and unpleasant at first, a hard clash of what you think love is, versus what he thinks love is. no, he's not unromantic – he just prefers to show his love to you in a more practical way, and sometimes that practical way doesn't get translated properly to your head-in-the-clouds self. getting annoyed when you pay for things starts to look like him wanting you to sit down and let him treat you – so, start looking at things from his perspective, and you'll soon see that there's more than meets the eye for this scholar.

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[haven-of-dusk]

Admittedly, I'm using my babies to segue into a related topic, but ah, HSMTMTS did not have a love triangle. In fact, unless you're willing to canonize headcannons like EJ being gay and down bad for Ricky like I am, it never did in all four seasons. A love triangle implies three sides. Even at its maximum number of points in the shape, HSMTMTS had a love...constellation? I think? Ricky and EJ both had arrows pointing to Nini, who had an arrow pointing to Ricky, and Ricky had an additional arrow of Gina pointing to him. At most, if you wanted to argue EJ also pointing an arrow to Gina, then it would become a love diamond. However...

Once Nini left, it was a love...corner. At least according to what the show told us, Ricky and EJ were both pointed at Gina, and Gina's arrow just pivoted from one to the other by the end of the season. A true love TRIANGLE would be if at least one of the boys was in love with the other, and Gina happened to be in love with that point of the trio.

Is this semantic complaining? Maybe, but especially with teases like the GIF above, can you blame me for being peeved at Tim just expecting the world to see Ricky and EJ as straight men with the one love interest? He dangled a golden opportunity to buck decades of stereotypes and standards in front of his own nose, and then chose to ignore it in favor of a bog standard plotline.

And that's not even getting into the really concerning possibly biphobic elements of him writing the two out bisexual cast members to be the two characters that cheated on their partners, immediately after confirming one of those characters was also bi. Or the way we brush past Maddox the neurodivergent lesbian to focus on her boring as dirt, straight brother. Or the fact that we brush past EJ being HOMELESS AND DISOWNED AND NONE OF HIS FRIENDS SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING HIM HELP.

But you know, we really needed to focus on the love triangle that was really just a corner. That was much more important.

If HSMTMTS gets a spinoff, I hope they change the showrunner to someone who'll actually appreciate the arcs they've been given rather than putting all the eggs in one boring basket.

[deliciouspirateangel]

thoughts on descendants 4 after just watching it <3 spoilers below

i didnt hate it but it also wasnt great?? i unironically love all the other descendants movies, ive got all the books, the dolls, dove cameron is always in my spotify wrapped top 5 bc of how much i listen to the soundtrack. those are my qualifications for not being a hater. i just didnt think this movie lived up to the original trilogy

and obviously they want to make more movies, which im okay with, but this one still felt unfinished. not in a "there's more to explore in the sequels" way but in a "we forgot to write an ending" sort of way

the pacing was just really weird and when we checked to see how much time was left and saw there were only ten minutes, we couldnt believe it

with all the talk of castlecoming and how big a deal that was, it felt so weird that we didnt see it?? that bridget went thru this horrible life changing prank that literally turned her evil and we just never even got close to it. taking the book was enough

(also, why did red even have to open the book in the first place if they only needed to play keep away with it? they werent even looking for anything inside)

WHAT was chloe talking about when she said her mom changed so much?? like did ella tell her nothing about her past? she's surprised that her mom grew up poor and abused and disliking royals but went on to marry a prince and be kind and give her gifts?? i dont understand what she was confused about alskjfsl

i did like brandy and paolo tho. idc if it was fan service, im a fan and felt serviced <3 their parts were cute. there was no reason for ella to be running around with blue hair tho. and the top, back, and braid all felt like they were from a different wig and none of it was working for me

i am SO glad chad got a mention tho. i screamed when it happened. i just figured they'd ignore him completely lmao

uliana was written like racist people write uma in fanfics. disappointing. disney still owes her for season 1 of hsmtmts so they better improve her part for the sequel movies

the songs were also v disappointing for meee :/ my sister said half of them sounded like they belonged on the zombies soundtrack (derogatory). the soundtracks of the original trilogies have almost zero skips on them, so it sucks that like over half the songs on this one could be a skip for me

this is also true of the stupid royal wedding short but i hate that they essentially killed carlos off for real. its sooo dumb but idk i just like thinking that cam could live on in his character but nooo. and even tho im convinced that china was crying real tears in that scene and it still hurts, the whole "we should do it for carlos" thing was like. still weird

anyway like everyone did a good job with what they were given but i think the script and song writing were nowhere near as strong as the original 3 (even tho i also think the original 3 movies vary in quality in those regards)

but i still had a good time and hope they make more. and i need those dolls to show up in stores bc i want them <3 and above all else...

GIVE DARA RENEÉ BETTER MATERIAL DISNEY YOU OWE HER

[columbo-of-narnia]

You've probably been asked this before, but if you could insert your husbands into each other's shows (Tanner into HSMTMTS and Josh into Cobra Kai), how would you design their characters? What would they be like? What would their purpose in the narrative be?

And most importantly, would they finally get to snog men on screen?

I have never been asked this, BUT I have thought of it! First, let's do Josh in Cobra Kai. This is just part 1. I am gonna add Tanner to HSMTMTS next

His character would be named Briar Thorne and start out as one of Sam's friends. They grew up together, Briar's dad is a lawyer who grew up in poverty, so he does everything he can to provide for his son. Despite this, Briar isn't spoiled and rather understands his privilege and tries to give back to those who don't have as much.

He is very kind and sweet and absolutely hates unnecessary violence.

His narrative reason for being is to add some realism to the show because holy fuck does Cobra Kai not do that itself.

He first meets Robby mid season 1 when Robby first starts hanging around the LaRusso house and he is almost instantly Smitten. Nothing really happens romantically with them until season 3. Really he is a side character one season 1 and 2. He slowly becomes someone Robby can consider a friend and becomes more Robbus friend than sam's (He and she had been drifting apart for a while)

Briar avoids the out of tournament Karate fights but does show up to support Robby and actually goes to the locker room to check on Robby after Hawk cheats and hurts him. That shows Robby that Briar actually cares for him.

When Briar finds out that Shannon just left Robby without food or money. He immediately offers him a place to stay and Robby is thankful but declines because he is living with the LaRussos. Briar leaves the offer open and suddenly after that he is hanging out with Sam more at her place. He knows it's shitty but he wants to spend time with Robby more. He does have a crush but doesn't pursue it because obviously Robby is Dating sam

At the end of season 2 he is there for the Brawl and witnesses Miguel attacking Robby and Robby defending himself by Kicking Miguel over the edge.

Now this is where things change. Robby does still run away. However, Briar is very Vocal to everyone that it was self defense. He even posts videos online showing Robby trying to stop the fight and how Miguel antagonized and kept being aggressive towards Robby up until the point where Miguel fell.

When Robby is caught, Immediately Briar is there with his dad. Robby doesn't go to juvie for Assault but rather running from the police. His stay is still awful but now he had Briar as a Visitor daily.

There is also a lawsuit against the DAs office because they initially tried repressing the videos taken showing how Robby was just defending himself.

When Robby gets out he goes and Lives with Briar instead of staying at Cobra Kai. He doesn't even join the Dojo until Sam comes to see him at the skate park because she tries to just brush everything under the rug and act like she hadn't gone on the news and said "I don't know why robby did it". That's when he joins Cobra kai.

He isn't tricked or conned into it. He is using them. He wants to get back at his dad, at Daniel, at Sam and everyone who turned on him.

He still trains Kenny and forms a bond with him but it's more genuine. Because Robby had someone believe in him (Briar) he hasn't fully gone to the dark side and thus he is able to build a stronger bond with Kenny and teach him the importance of Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai. How Kenny can use both and not be consumed by either.

Robby initially struggled with his feelings for Briar when he first got out of Juvie. He still had Johnny's voice in his head telling him 'no way my son can be gay. Be a man robby'. It took some time and Briar never pushed, but Robby soon realized he liked Briar back and they began dating.

And Briar actually became good friends with Tory once he got to know her and She learned that he wasn't stuck up or judgemental like she thought. They became very close to the point where his dad was willing to help Tory with any legal Issues her Aunt may cause.

Robby goes to prom With Briar, who sets Tory up with a nice guy. They have a lot of fun until the after party where Sam confronts Briar for dating Robby.

She is upset that he is dating her ex and that he took his side. How she feels betrayed that he dropped her and has been ignoring her. That he is friends with the go who tormented and attacked her relentlessly.

He points out that she dropped Robby when he needed her. How she Betrayed Robby. How she showed up to prom with the man who started all this (Briar does not like miguel). He tells her she is acting immature and that the world doesn't revolve around her. He can date who he wants and be friends with who he wants. Because Tory never would have been aggressive if sam had not been judgmental.

Sam slaps Briar and that's when Tory and Robby come over and tell Sam to back off and Sam is horrified she slapped one of her oldest friends. She tries to apologize but Tory stands in the way and tells her to leave before they make her. Miguell comes over and that's when the after prom fight happens.

When it ends Briar and Robby leave and end up cuddling in the car Tetry lent Robby. They didn't have sex but instead spent the night just talking, Kissing and being together. Robby promises that after the All Valley, he was done with Cobra Kai and all of it. T

I've already written too much, and this is just half of my ideas for Joshua in Cobra Kai because I was trying to keep season 1-3 mostly the same with season 4 changing drastically and season 5 being completely rewritten and season 6 possibly not existing.

[blues-valentine]

HSMTMTS: Ricky’s story arc as told by his songs. From I Think I Kinda You Know to Love You Forever (Part 2).

I’ve been thinking about how every song Ricky has performed on the show (my focus will be mostly on the original songs) tell us what his journey has been in the course of the show.

Ricky’s journey has been about changes and the future, leaving his childhood behind, how his parents relationship affects his own as well as the ability to be emotionally open. How he viewed love at the start of the show vs how he views love now. About new starts. About how happiness is a process and something he also needs to create for himself. And his songs reflect this journey very well. For this post. I'll focus on Season 1 and Season 2 for Part 1.

Read Part 1

As a continuation to my analysis on Ricky and the songs narrating his journey on the series. I mentioned how Season 2 closes part of Ricky’s arc with Second Chance. A song that in Ricky’s side talks about moving on after a relationship ends (Nini) and finding new beginnings. He also finishes the season saying he isn’t sure of who he is yet but it’s getting towards happiness. He had understood to an extent a lot of things and how he reacted to them wasn’t healthy for himself and those people in his life. Season 3 opens a new chapter for Ricky to start again but as an improved version of himself. It is his “second chance” in all capacities, which is why I said (x) Season 3 feels like a new start and by putting Ricky in similar situations but having him deal with it differently will show how much he has grown from his past mistakes and fears.

And before we start we have to mention the Lily story line. I think it was clearly a plot device to get to some realization. Ricky thought Lily was a good person that just needed some friends. And he saw an opportunity for something new. But the storyline simply fell flat and it made it seem like an useless rebound instead of giving Ricky (and the audience) a satisfactory arc. She was a copy of Gina 1.0 and I believe Ricky was trying to see Gina in her, and a lot of their parallels (x) feel intentional. And we know by now nothing about Rina is done carelessly. I remember Tim Federle’s interview for the finale saying Ricky is sometimes too naive for his own good. And I am sure the story line was going to make sense but as confirmed by Tim himself a lot of the things in Season 2 were rushed and the finale was rewritten (it was originally going to feature a lot of flashbacks) but the safety precautions due to covid changed those plans. Regardless, I am glad that arc got removed. Lily wasn’t an interesting character and I didn’t want her to take space from other characters. Now, with that out of the way, let’s move on.

Ricky opens this season as well as being given the first song of the season: Finally Free. This song really expands on Second Chance and tell us where Ricky’s mindset is before going to camp: embracing new starts, not going back to the old ways he used to handle all his feelings.

Some important parts: “Give me empty pages, just give me something new” Season 1 Ricky would’ve never wished for something like this. “Breakin' away from the broken hearts (Nini). No more mistakes, no more empty starts (Lily). I'm finally, finally free, finally, finally”. He follows with “Buildin' out from the bottom. Now there's no way to go but up” meaning he has to rebuild himself again. And another one that is important is: “And I'm going down a road that I don’t know. Yeah, I let it take me anywhere but home”. This takes us back to him calling Nini home (at his childhood home) on Season 2 in a matter that felt like attachment to his childhood (and old times) so this references him not going back to that unhealthy mindset.

In a way, all the events that happened lead for Ricky to have this realization. This is the Ricky that could’ve been ready to be with Gina. But Season 1 and Season 2 Ricky wasn’t ready for that and was denying it, when he allows himself to not be afraid of changes, his feelings take a whole new perspective. This is why he is able to understand his feelings for Gina were always deeper than he allowed himself to admit before. And very fitting with the theme, Ricky and Gina vow to just “start over” with their relationship. This season is not just about Ricky rebuilding himself but his relationship with Gina as well.

This season doesn’t have as many solo songs due to the limited episodes, but did a good job in paralleling the overall arc with the roles they were playing for the musical, especially with the “love triangle” (x). Gina represents Anna’s naive perspective on love due to EJ being her first relationship so a lot of her interactions with him felt very rose colored and passive (x). I did said before EJ isn’t exactly Hans but they drew a lot of intentional parallels between them, such as Gina not knowing EJ’s real name (and that line being in the WDYKAL duet about Hans). Ricky representing Kristoff in a way that he is also learning a new way to love someone. Plus, them having Gina and EJ dress like the actual characters in a dream like sequence was very much in the nose about those references.

In this season, Ricky is starting to discover the intensity of his feelings for Gina but he handles it very differently from Season 1. He isn’t trying to cross lines but remaining respectful of her relationship with EJ. I already spoke about how this is an intentional contrast to showcase Ricky’s growth (x). From trying to help both of them, from apologizing to Gina when he feels like his feelings might’ve been too obvious. To selflessly be there for Gina, because he is now discovering love isn’t selfish or has some gain. Love is about sacrifice, sometimes putting the person you love first despite what might come.

Now, here it comes Ricky and Gina’s first duet: What Do You Know About Love. It seems fitting for them because in a way, it reflects how they perceive love at that moment. In the song Anna has a very rose colored perception of love. She thinks it’s worth it even when they clearly aren’t on the same page and she’s idealizing it, and for Kristoff, love isn’t easy, and it requieres a lot of commitment. Ricky and Gina’s version is a lot more flirtier than the Broadway version, but the question “what do you know about love?” is what they ultimately learn from each other.

In the following episodes, Ricky helps Gina plan her promposal to EJ, despite his own feelings. I saw someone saying that a lot of Gina’s season 2 heartbreak was about thinking it was never going to be between her and Ricky. And a lot of Ricky’s heartbreak on Season 3 comes from regret, from letting Gina walk away, from letting something great slip through his fingers. At this point, he can’t turn back time but it’s willing to be there for her in any capacity Gina allows him to be. In the 60’s prom episode, Ricky could’ve told her what he feels for her but realized that it would be selfish to do this to Gina when she’s harboring her own heartbreak. His own growth has been great to watch throughout Season 3.

I also love how Ricky’s sub-plot involving the bucket list he wrote when he was a child of things to do before turning 18 is a metaphor to leaving his childhood and entering adulthood. I already spoke (x) how Nini being the person to help him complete his very last item represents how Nini was his childhood and him only ever getting with Gina when that transition has been done is very important for him as a character.

And this isn’t a Ricky solo, but I just love how this moment and this lyrics are used exactly for this scene because this is the moment Gina realizes it’s always going to be Ricky and what also makes her realize that she isn’t getting the love she deserves or wants for herself with EJ.

As all of us theorized, with WDYKAL, Ricky was going to sing “Kristoff’s Lullaby” because is a direct response to the duet. And he did. This is probably his most important solo song from the season because it puts into words what he feels for Gina and how much she has changed what he thinks about love. I’ve explained this before. (x) Gina has represented change from the very moment she came in (and she was described as such multiple times). She was new, different, and represented the changes Ricky was afraid of. But what they didn’t know is that they are able to give each other what the other needs. Gina made him put into perceptive the idea that he can move forward, that he can deal with his life falling into different directions. Gina has made him understand that he can and will be ready for when changes knock at his door because loving her isn’t about holding back.

Important parts from the song are: “You light the world for me. You live life fearlessly, braver than the bravest of us do. You trust, you hope, you dare. You choose to feel and care. I thought that I was strong 'til I bumped into you” I think this is the perfect way to describe Gina’s effect on Ricky’s life and how brave Gina has been about her feelings for Ricky despite her fear about forming attachments. And I’ve always said “Everything I thought I did. You've gone and changed it, kid. You're what I know about love.” is really the climax of the song and by Ricky singing this directly to Gina (while Nini is also on the audience) is makes a full circle. (x)

This season, Ricky learned to love theater and commit to it, not just because he enjoys it but because he wanted Gina to shine. He created a good friendship with the group, as opposed to Season 2, where he was disconnected to the drama club he now has his own space within. He called himself “a theater guy” and was able to guide Jet towards it. He knew Jet had to find a place to help him cope with his home life and Ricky’s arc comes to a sweet full circle for this.

Ricky ends the season in such a good place. He has grown a lot and allowed things to just be. I like the fact he remained respectful of Gina, even when his feelings were quiet obvious. And I spoke about how important it is that their relationship started by Gina setting her own boundaries. She needed to set the lines and be like “I have feelings for you but I am also okay if it doesn’t happen between us” because a lot of Gina’s journey on Season 3 was about coming into herself and discovering her expectations in a relationship. Her telling him what she feels for him but not allowing it to weight her down and it being a parallel to 206 was also intentional. It was also important for Ricky. He needed that reassurance and initiative to finally give it his all. As he proves on Season 4, he knows and now learned his lesson. He is committed to not mess things up with her. He is committed to improve.

Season 3 ends with Ricky and Gina’s right time. Both on the same page. It was important for them to experience all of that individual journey to get together in a romantic relationship that can be fulfilling and healthy for them both.

Season 4 starts the season with Ricky and Gina in a very happy relationship. You can see that Ricky is motivated to share things with her and do things for them as a couple. A lot of Ricky and Gina’s relationship works because they embrace each other’s personalities and love languages. Gina encourages and reciprocates Ricky’s dorky behavior. As I said, she doesn’t feel suffocated by it like Nini (x) but she wants that level of commitemment and gestures.

At the start of the season, Ricky and Gina are keeping their relationship a secret because Gina is worried about the negative comments from people (mostly her mom) and she doesn’t want the bubble they’ve built together to crash. It’s understandable that we know how controlling her mom is. Ricky agrees despite his own fears. In the first episodes, we can see that a lot is changing for Gina in a way that might take her away from Ricky. This is an opportunity for him to be tested by old insecurities but make it right and not going back to his old tendencies. So, instead of trying to hold Gina back and wishing for the opportunities to disappear, he is happy, encouraging and supportive despite the odds. This thing is reflected in their very first original duet and song of the season: Maybe This Time.

It’s a song about hoping this is the right time for them to get it right after all of the missed opportunities between them and their old relationships. They’re finally in a place where they can be together but as foreshadowing for the season a lot of things are going to change and threaten the stable place they’ve created. But not matter what the future holds they promise to be together and enjoy the ride instead of trying to control the uncertain future.

Part of the lyrics: “Maybe this time is all that we get but we've still got lots to figure out. I’d love to control what happens next I'll give you my all right now. Don't look back, just pull me closer. Hands up on this rollercoaster”. I explained (x) but having Ricky and Gina deal with similar experiences in their past relationships is to not just show how much they’ve grown and learned but also to show how committed they are to be together and be with each other as a team.

In 403, Ricky experiences a bit of insecurities over Mack but despite that he prepares a date with Gina and also apologizes for the comment he made where he sort of dismissed the impact Mack’s show had on Gina’s childhood. It might have been silly but I think it shows Ricky’s self awareness and that he takes seriously all of the things that make Gina happy. In the following episodes, Ricky tries to be supportive of Gina’s life changing opportunities and trying to find a way to make it easier for her to handle both the musical and the movie, but it starts getting a bit too overwhelming and when he finds out Gina hasn’t told her mom about them, it awakens his insecurities. This is where Speak Out comes. Although it is supposed to be for EJ to also speak about his fears, it’s about how Ricky hasn’t said some things out loud, how his mom abandonment issues have created a lot of fears into his life and has made him feel like he isn’t enough of a reason for someone to stay.

Part of the lyrics are: “I'm so sick of my past breakin' me like glass shackled by my emotion.” (…) “Don't wanna walk away from this. Don't wanna be a sinkin' ship. The anchor on my tongue won't let me swim. Don't wanna waste a moment more. Don't know what I've been waitin' for. I'll never get a chance like this again.”

I think this moment was an outlet for Ricky to speak about things that are the root of his insecurities. How his mom decided she wanted a new life in a new city and left Ricky. How Nini didn’t think Ricky was enough for her and even how emotionally difficult it must’ve been for him to hear The Rose song and how Ricky’s entire attempts makes her feel trapped. The reason Ricky was running away is because he thought Gina was also going to leave him for bigger and better things and didn’t want to anticipate it. He never thought he is enough of a reason to stay because frankly, no one had really taken Ricky seriously or believed in his potential, except for Miss Jenn and Gina.

After that much needed conversation with EJ, Ricky goes to see Gina only to see her with Mack. I feel like in Ricky’s mind, he feels like she decided and he’s nothing compared to him. Luckily, Gina sees him and runs after him and tells him she has told his mom about them. I feel like people don’t understand that since a lot of Ricky’s fears have to do with him feeling like he isn’t good enough to be a secure option he doesn’t except people to actually chose him. In his relationship with Gina, he puts efforts but so does Gina for him. She wants him in her life and in her dreams. He isn’t an obstacle or stops her from achieving those dreams, he’s always been a motivation for Gina to pursue them.

In the last episodes, there’s still so many things Ricky has to address, not just about Gina but his college plans and their future. At this point, he has convinced himself that Gina most likely will go to chase her dreams and that it doesn’t involve him. He learned his lesson before, he told Nini he wanted her to stay only for that to be reasonably met with distaste. But the thing is, all of Ricky’s gestures where always meant to be received by Gina, who wants to be asked to stay. I explained this before. Had Ricky asked Gina to stay, she would have done it. But I love how she didn’t have to chose between her need for stability and her wants to be successful.

407 is great at paralleling Troy and Gabriela’s dilemma with Ricky and Gina’s very own issues. “Scream” comes at the moment Ricky is torn between letting Gina go and his unclear future. He feels time is running out. Later, we have them singing Right Here Right Now, a song about how the future is coming soon and they should make every second last. In a way, it also parallels Maybe This Time but less hopeful.

And as an expectacular full circle moment, Ricky says in his speech how thankful he is about the drama club changing his life and getting him through a hard situation. As of Season 1, Ricky came in being a cynical skate rat that didn’t seem to have many friends and was pessimist about love. It didn’t seem like he had hobbies or prospects outside of skating. He had a very troubling home life and dealing with a lot of anxiety. His relationship with Nini was in the verge of ending like his parents relationship and so were his last remainders of childhood. He had to let go of things that were holding him back and accepting of changes and by the end of Season 4 we have seen Ricky become a man in so many ways. He basically let his childhood go by the end of Season 3. And this final season was about him asking questions about his own future and how that would look like for him.

And we are finally here with “Love You, Forever”. The last song Ricky Bowen ever sings on the show and how perfect of a full circle moment it is for his growth. It starts and it ends in the same place: the auditorium. Just in very different situations and a whole new Ricky.

He starts Season 1 singing “I Think I Kinda You Know” to Nini but being unable to say I love you to her face or in front of people. Mostly because his own insecurities involving his parents and how he wasn’t secure enough. I also said that when he finally did say I love you, it was still swimming in his fears of attachment and his parents divorce. It was a confession that felt like desperation to hold onto something steady and safe. And he does say this with “not net, not fear, right here in this moment”. But now, Ricky sings Love You Forever to Gina, and this time very clearly saying the words “I am in love” and “I love you” to her face and in front of his friends (and the world). He say it because he not longer associates love with something scary and that’s also thanks to Gina. He isn’t saying it to Gina to make her stay either. He is saying it because he feels it. He doesn’t know what the future holds (at that point he didn’t even know Gina changed the movie location to SLC) but he loves her and he isn’t afraid of saying it despite the unknown circumstances.

The lyrics says it all: “I been wishin' on a fallin' star for too long. I been runnin', I don't know what from but you and I've become a sacred kinda home. I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love and I know it. No net, no fear right here in this moment. I've never been more sure of what I got, yeah. Cause this is so much more than puppy love, so. I'll say it first, no matter what the cost. Here I am, full heart, full stop. I love you” and one important lyric that didn’t make it to the show but is in the full version: “I never knew that I could feel so sure and so strong how can three old words feel so brand new? Ooh, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love and I know it. Mm, so rare, so real right here in this moment. I've never been more sure of what I got. And I'm starin' at the only thing I want, so” because as I said, it’s not just about him saying I love you to Gina and being sure about it but to tell his parents and his friends. Gina’s love has made Ricky so much more emotionally open.

I would describe Ricky’s journey like this:

Season 1: Attachement, fear of changes and sticking to the status quo. Season 2: Denial, isolation, reconning and letting go. Season 3: embracing new beginnings, self improvement and passage to adulthood. Season 4: Growing, learning and embracing the future.

Ricky’s arc has always been incredible because it’s something that took time and effort. Ricky’s arc wasn’t a 180 of one season, it came with ups and downs until he finally managed to do it right not just for himself but for those he loves.

[daphnebowen]

Today’s prompt for twelve days of rina is favorite musical moment. I am going to be completely honest I have no idea what this means. Is it talking about song wise or like actually performance wise during an actual musical?

I’m gonna go with the first one.

my absolute favorite rina song has to be love you forever. and sure, Gina really doesn’t sing a whole lot during the song but does that matter? No. It’s about Gina, for Gina, to Gina. the implications of this song are incredible. Ricky is promising his whole life and forever to this girl. he’s known her for a year and a half basically and thru that year they have been thru so much together. They’ve grown together, grown apart, grown towards each other, and now are growing together again. some of my favorite absolute lines from love you forever(this might turn into a whole lyrical analysis bc there are so many good lyrics so just buckle up):

“I’ve never been more sure of what I’ve got, I’m staring at the only thing I want, so”

UGH. this line. It kills me, every time! Ricky is confident in his love for Gina. He knows what he feels and he’s known it for a while, but the problem is he didn’t know when to tell her. their lives have been a whirlwind of crazy for a couple of months but I am fairly certain that Richard Bowen has moved Gina Porter for a long time.

“I’ve been running I don’t know what from”

this is Ricky Bowen to a tee. He’s the guy who runs, he’s the guy who disappears when things get rough, he’s the guy who hides away when he doesn’t want to confront his feelings. so the fact that Ricky is now admitting this to Gina and showing her now that he knows what he’s done in the past but he’s changing! He’s gone thru so much character growth and he’s better for it! And I think that takes so much courage to be able to admit that because everyone he’s friends with knows Ricky’s habits. they can put two and two together. The camera guys, they don’t get the meaning of this line, eh whatever, he’s noncommittal, but it’s not that, it is so much more than that, and Gina knows that and Gina gets that.

“but you and I’ve become a sacred kinda home”

ah yes. this line. Gina is Ricky’s home. Gina is the place where she feels seen, and understood, and known. Ricky was the first person to see Gina for who she truly was and look past all of the intimidation and the fronts she was putting on so people wouldn’t know the real her. but Ricky saw her for who she was. and for me, this is a promise to Ricky. They’re building their own sacred home together and that to me is so special.

“so rare so real right here in this moment”

oh my. I love this line so much. the usage of the word rare is so amazing I have no words, bc rare really does define Gina and Ricky’s relationship. they’ve gone thru so many unique problems and really did get it all, because in so many movies you can’t have it all. If this were any other show Gina would have had to pick between New Zealand and Ricky, between her future job and her future love. but in this case her futures are tied together, they are one and the same, if that makes sense. she can have both and she will have both, because Ricky and Gina’s relationship is rare and true and beautiful and absolutely real.

“cause I love you feels a lot like high school and forever after that”

again, I just love this line because of the implication that rina can and will have everything that they want. they beat the odds, essentially. They’re meant to be and they’ve proven it. love can be found all over, whether romantic or platonic even. The relationships that you make in high school don’t have to end when you graduate - they can last forever beyond that and Ricky and Gina are proving it. and like I said earlier, how in some movies the girl has to choice between her dream career and her dream guy and with hsmtmts season four, she doesn’t. She makes her own future with both of her dreams in it. and that is so powerful and profound. bless these script writers and these song writers.

“I wanna finish what we started in the stairwell where we met”

oh my gawwww-

this is probably one of the most rooted lines in rinas history (that sentence did not make sense but I’m too tired to find out a way for it to make sense so suck it up). the fact that they met and instantly clicked and had a gut instinct from a two minute conversation in a stairwell about an ex and how to win her back. Even when Ricky didn’t think he was going to speak to her ever again both of them did what they do best: give each other some of the best advice of their lives, whether they realized it or not. Gina wouldn’t have gone to theater club if not for Ricky. Ricky wouldn’t have sang itikyk and gotten Troy and started rina on this whole crazy journey if he hadn’t spoken to this “intimidating” girl and gotten her advice. and even though we know this flashback wasn’t shot originally in season one (I’m pretty sure, right?) you can tell that the chemistry is off the charts. From one sighting. and the “finishing what we started,” going big with the declaration of love, that’s what Ricky is finishing. He’s finishing what they started but also continuing their love story on. and that is beautiful and heartbreaking and I will never ever be over them.

[talknerdytome18]

Seeing all the shit regarding people's opinions on Seb after S4 that went down on Twitter just made me feel frustrated. Since I don't post on Twitter since I only use my personal account, I will just come on here instead.

You can dislike a character all you want. That's fine; I dislike many characters. Nobody is saying that you have to like a certain character; it's FINE to not like certain characters.

However, it is NOT okay to attack others who may like that character. It is NOT okay to erase the impact that character, especially with a character like Seb who is a part of the first openly gay couple in the HSM franchise. You can dislike Seb all you want; THAT IS FINE, but you DO NOT attack others who actually like his character. Stop calling Seblos stans losers all because you don't like Seb/think Carlos deserves better; we all know damn well that you never cared about Carlos until s4. I've seen your opinions about him TWITTER 🙄

Fandom is meant to bring people with the same interest together. People who may feel excluded may find comfort in fandom. By actively bullying others who have different opinions than you, that makes you a bully. You can go off and say "IT'S JUST A JOKE HAHAHA STOP GETTING UPSET", THAT MAKES YOU A FUCKING ASSHOLE. PEOPLE COME INTO FANDOMS BECAUSE OF THEIR COMMON INTEREST; THEY DON'T COME INTO FANDOMS TO GET HARASSED FOR THEIR DIFFERING OPINIONS. STOP WITH THE EXCUSES; I'M FUCKING SICK OF IT.

Seblos especially means a lot to many members in the fandom. To many, they have made many feel seen especially in a time where queer shows are being cancelled. Seblos was the first ship I had ever felt connected to and it makes me feel disgusted whenever I see people discrediting their impact all because of s4.

If you constantly make excuses as to why you're bullying others in the fandom, then you're just an awful person. You people are nothing but bark and no bite; you guys can dish it out all online, but are too scared to dish it out in person. This especially goes for a certain fanbase for a ship that, while is a beautiful ship, has the worst fanbase I've ever seen. I will not group all members as being bad as I've met some lovely shippers who have been kind and respectful. Why can't that be the same for Twitter?

All in all, this type of behaviour is fucking embarrassing. HSMTMTS is over and yet people are still arguing like children all because of Seblos being endgame. You can whinge all you about it, but you're not going to change it - they're endgame and that's that. You don't have a say and your non-existent spinoff will not change that.

You can be upset with the cheating storyline. Many Seblos stans are upset with it too, but it is not an excuse to harass us for still liking the ship.

You can dislike Seb. That is FINE, but it is NEVER an excuse to harass people who like Seb. This goes for anyone who likes a certain character (unless it's someone who is completely unredeemable).

This behaviour has gone on too long and was partially the reason why I deleted my fandom Twitter in the first place. Bullying others will never get you anywhere in life; stop excusing this behaviour all because it's a "joke" to you. It may be a joke to you, but it hurts for the person affected.

And if I, someone who has been trying to move on from HSMTMTS to AGGGTM, have to come here and say this, then you know that I'm pissed. I'm sick of seeing people feeling pressured to leave the HSMTMTS fandom all because some certain members with holier than thou attitudes think it's okay to harass others.

To anyone who has been bullied in this fandom/any fandom space for a silly reason, I am sorry that happened to you. You deserve much better. This blog sees your worth ❤️

Do better HSMTMTS fandom. - Em

[luckylolabug]

I've been sitting on my thoughts since finishing the finale yesterday and I feel like I need to put them into words or I'm going to go crazy with nowhere to voice any of this.

So here's my jumbled thoughts on the HSMTMTS finale as a queer girl who grew up in Utah.

First things first, while I'm not a fan of the cheating arc as a whole, I do think it was at the very least as minimalistic as possible. Do I wish Big Red could have come to terms with his sexuality without kissing someone who has a boyfriend? Yes, of course. Seblos just as easily could still have a misscommunication arc over literally anything else and still ended up with their beautiful duet, while Redlyn could have an amicable breakup over just growing apart over the whole long distance thing.

HOWEVER, that isn't the main takeaway I want to make.

I grew up in Utah, not too far from East High. And even though I left after I graduated High School, there's always a big part of my heart that will always be a Utah girl. ("You can take the girl out of Salt Lake, but you can't take the Salt Lake out of the girl")

As a whole, I wish with all of my heart that I'd had this amount of LGBT rep (especially in Utah of all places) on TV when I was growing up and needed it the most. I'm so incredibly thankful knowing that my nephew back in Utah, and all of the other kids living there, have things like this that they can cheer on. Because being able to see other kids like you on screen, with friends and a support group, and getting a happily ever after? That MATTERS.

LGBT representation has come a long ways over the years, even comparing the original release of High School Musical where they'd wound up awkwardly pairing Ryan with Kelsie to avoid whatever people were saying at the time. Having characters that are HAPPY with who they are, openly, and getting to see those moments where they can be openly affectionate with their significant others and have it not be treated as weird is SUCH a good thing to see now. I only wish it was something I had as a young girl growing up in Utah and hiding who she was because she was scared.

So did I cry? Yeah, I was pretty much in constant tears from about episode 6 all the way up to the For Good post credits scene. Both because I was sad to see it ending, but also because I was just incredibly grateful that it existed at all.

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

Ignore that this is a day late (and I'll probably backdate it later) but!

Happy HSMTMTS Appreciation Week :DD!!

Day 1 - Favorite Character

I love them all that I really would be hard pressed to rank them. But, admittedly, Carlos and Seb are at the top lol. Them I couldn't choose between.

However, I currently have walking pneumonia, and while it may keep me walking, it does not keep me able to make posts easily xD. So, I'm going to share a bit of a WIP I started over a year ago and never finished. I wanted to at least start a Seblos fic before season 4 started, as I'd always meant to but never gotten around to it. Both of their characters are immensely important to me, together and separate. I know this seems more fitting for ship day but also consider: I don't care :p. Also, quickly, I'll share a few things a love or relate to about some of the characters.

Kourtney: Love seeing representation of anxiety, especially surrounding college stuff - that's so relatable 😭. And I love that it while it was ongoing, she did eventually find what she wanted (and stuff that helped her anxiety) - even if it took a few tries.

Ashlyn: Absolutely loved seeing her queer journey. As a bi person myself, it was amazing :'). And seeing Carlos welcome her into the community was just <3. Also, I love seeing her confidence grow throughout the show!

EJ: Love that he wasn't the villain forever! I adore EJ, and I'm glad they showed that redemption is totally possible

Gina: So happy to see different lights on her ambition - sometimes bad, sometimes good, but never forget those who are important to you <3. Love that.

Big Red: Another bi realization!! Not happy with how it happened (and I will stay in denial about how it was genuinely accidental or a cheek kiss or something until the day I die), but glad it did, and that he and Ashlyn stayed together for a while after it happened - bi doesn't mean you immediately leave your partner to be gay. Also, Big Red is a really great friend and I love that :').

Ricky: Love seeing the outsider to theatre perspective! Same goes for Big Red. It's such a crazy thing to be thrust into lol. But also, seeing how entrenched and happy he becomes in it and its traditions by the end of the show is :').

Nini: I love that she knows her own worth, and also has to take a minute to find what's best for her. Arts school? Nah, not at the moment. East High? For a bit, and then things changed. Music on her own? Yeah, maybe :'). I do wish she could've been there at the end but in my mind she was <3.

Seb: I honestly love that he gets to be the innocent one and that's okay. As a long-time innocent one (even if I do actually know things just don't talk about/do them lol), it's nice to see him being accepted :'). And of course, the queer representation <3. I'll talk more about that during favorite ship, but especially seeing Seb play with gender presentation is so amazing ❤️.

Carlos: I'm so glad they explicitly said he was bullied, because while I agree that HSMTMTS is overall a positive show and don't want it to be bogged down all the time by negative stuff like that, it's so important to acknowledge. And that going from that, he found his family in theatre :'). Even though he worried that they wouldn't accept him, even though he might've participated before (a common headcanon) and just didn't have it as much, he found it. And again with the ambition - it's not a bad thing to be ambitious :). And, like I've said, the queer representation <33.

Maddox: Not an OG but I don't care :). Once again, love the queer representation, but I also just totally relate to the "too much, too loud" worry. You have great moments with people and then it's "yeah! Cool. . See you next time :')". I'm so glad she found her family <3.

Jet: Also not an OG but again, I don't care :). Another point for redemption, but also that stuff is complicated. He hurt Maddox, even if he didn't intend to, and that's just how it is sometimes. You have to try and do better, and he does :'). Although she also does have to readjust some things, which I love <3. Also just his mistrust of the theatre family - so real, but I'm glad they stick together :').

Emmy: Again not an OG, but I don't care :). I love her silliness and creepiness lol. But also, I so relate to that "younger siblings" energy. And the "I'm trying to hold it together for everyone", especially "I'm trying to hold it together but I'm the young one and I shouldn't have to do this". I've been putting my soul into theatre for years, through some rough times, and I just totally feel her <3.

Mr. Mazzara: Another point for redemption! Also I'm glad he acknowledges later on that he shouldn't have let his personal stuff influence stuff he did or said (in a bad way). It happens to the best of us and it sucks but I love that he acknowledges it :').

Miss Jenn: Feeling lost. My gosh, feeling lost. So relatable. It's terrifying because you have a dream and you want so badly to achieve it, but you also know that you can "fail" and get sent on a totally different path. And that's terrifying. But I'm glad that, after everything, she's happy :'). I so love to see that she doesn't need her big dreams, realizes that while she didn't fail, she's happy just where she is :'). That's okay <3.

Okay those got longer than I thought I'd be up for but yay!! Lastly, I just love that it's about theatre. That they're all involved, some way, with theatre. I know I didn't include side characters but trust me I love them all <3. And I love seeing the different ways everyone is involved in theatre, their different roles and niches and experience levels. It's so great to see, and to see my process, our process, that I'm so familiar with reflected on screen is honestly really important to me :').

Anyway :'D! An excerpt from that fic, now :).

For context, the prompt I was given by my sibling for this fic was something about Seb and a tractor (maybe they specified a broken arm or tractor crash, I really don't remember lol. It was like, exactly a year ago sldkgs). I'm honestly still really proud of these chat sections lol.

Without further ado, enjoy!

~

seb <3: it’s broken

carlos <3: AND YOU’RE PROBABLY OKAY???

carlos <3: seb oh my gosh 😭

carlos <3: are you okay??

seb <3: my arm’s broken lol

carlos <3: you know what I mean sebastian

seb <3: out here full naming me while I’m down

carlos <3: I say it with love

seb <3: not this time 🤨

carlos <3: okay I’m sorry but seb please 😭

seb <3: okay okay

seb <3: I feel fine right now they gave me meds before casting it

seb <3: which is on for 6 weeks

seb <3: and ironically on these meds I can’t operate heavy machinery lol

carlos <3: oh my gosh seb 😭 I’m so sorry

seb <3: it’s fine but thank you love :)

seb <3: we’re gonna need another pianist for rehearsal though

carlos <3: ashlyn plays we’ll be fine

seb <3: ashlyn’s in it though??

carlos <3: so are you???

seb <3: right

seb <3: not only am I not allowed to drive I am also confusion 😌

carlos <3: seb this is not funny 😭

seb <3: it kinda is though

~

In case you're wondering about the timeline, it's vague and in a hypothetical season 4, I believe lol. So, if I were wanting to keep it canon compliant, it would probably be the spring show after HSM 3 xD.

I hope you enjoyed!

See you "tomorrow" (today) for Day 2!!

Happy HSMTMTS Appreciation Week everybody :D!!

[aroundthewaygirlao3]

So I saw @hattathehattxr answer an anon about would they want Portwell to get back together on the show, with some really great points about the only ways it would really make sense, given the narrative they’ve painted themselves into. I’ve actually had a sort of blue print of how *I* would do it kicking around in my head, so... here’s my thought.

- End the ‘flagship’ show with S4. It feels like Josh wants to be done, Julia is poised to be in another Broadway show if The Secret Garden transfers as expected, and both Joe and Frankie have been booking live theater gigs as well. It just feels like they’d be better off calling it on the original cast after this year. Not to mention the original concept has gotten SO meta, I can’t even figure out where you go from there.

- SO the storyline for S4... Ricky is super anxious about being a senior and what comes next, and repeats some of his clingy stuff with Gina. But this time he figures out that’s what he’s doing, and genuinely learns to embrace change. After Miss Jenn and Mike break up, they both make the decision that they want to move to Chicago so Ricky can be closer to his mom. Gina is proud of him for embracing change, but can’t do long distance. Ricky understands, they break up amicably. 

- In the finale, EJ has returned to Salt Lake from his stint in “success school”, newly determined not to let his father rule his life. He tells Ashlyn that he’s been accepted into a film making competition in LA. The winner gets admission to film school, and he’s determined to get that spot.

- With nothing with Ricky tying her to Salt Lake, and inspired by getting to know Mack (Matt Sato’s character who’s an actor), Gina decides to make the leap to move to LA and seriously pursue an acting career. Which leads to...

HSMTMTS: The Spinoff: Gina’s Fabulous Adventure! 

- Following the blueprint from the original HSM franchise that follows Sharpay moving to NYC, Gina moves to LA to live with her brother (because we NEED more Jordan Fisher, people!) 

- Gina and Mack spend most of S1 of the spin off in a sweet little relationship, but Gina can’t help but feel like something is missing. Mack is great, but doesn’t get her the way her other partners both have, leading her to re-evaluate what happened with EJ a bit.

- Gina doesn’t find success immediately, and is feeling discouraged. In a deeply stereotypical LA moment, her car breaks down in the rain. Jamie’s not answering and Mack is on set. Desperate, Gina calls the one other person she knows in LA... EJ. Who of course, shows up for her.

- Mack gets a gig shooting on location in London for six months. They agree they’re not the kind of thing that lasts, and have a mutual breakup. Gina says she’s fine, but is actually still wondering why nothing stays in her life. 

- Meanwhile, she and EJ are rebuilding their friendship, and EJ invites her to the final screening for the film competition he’s entered. When Gina goes, she’s shocked that his short film is the story of the last summer. She’s initially angry and goes to leave, but then she starts to see what it was really like from EJ’s perspective, the intense anxiety that he was feeling and how hard he WAS trying to be there for her... that she never was a maybe.

- At the end of the screening, EJ is announced as the winner. Gina is so happy and proud of him... and then sees him celebrating by kissing the girl who played ‘her’ in the movie... and there’s our S1 cliffhanger!!

Obviously S2 (and maybe even a S3) gets Gina and EJ back together. But I think there’s so much more story that they COULD tell for these two! Tim said in an interview that EJ will be “an important factor” in future seasons, but I don’t trust him with these characters at this point. This is how I’d love to see EJ get the storyline he deserves, and help Gina really become the main girl SHE deserves to be. 

Disney Plus, call me! (ETA: You know, call me after you decide to pay writers a fair wage for their work, without which you would HAVE NO CONTENT. Sorry, had to get a WGA plug in there.)

[itsasweater]

HSMTMTS thoughts before season 4

So I recently finished my re-watch of season 1 through 3 before the final season airs so that things are fresh in my memory. I wanted to make a couple of posts on my thoughts on the seasons in general and possibly some specific topics like the characters themselves. This one will be about each season.

Season 1:

I hadn't seen this season since when it originally aired and let me just say, it was kind of a grind to watch. I feel like the season didn't really start until the Homecoming episode which was ep 5. I also forgot this season had 10 episodes. The whole Nini/Ricky/EJ triangle storyline didn't really hit for me. Ricky's home problems with his parents, everything changing around him (which he clearly hates) and how he dealt with that was probably the best storyline of the season, as sad as it was to see his character go through it. The music in the season was decent, Nini had some really good. I think a lot of nostalgia comes in to play with the way people talk about season 1, it is overhyped. I also think a lot of it has to do with the very weird Jolivia obsession that still to this day for some reason resides in the fandom, I see the PFP's and twitter user names smh. Overall, new shows tend to struggle out of the gate and need a while to find the right path so I'm at least glad that they got more seasons to continue that journey instead of being cancelled like many shows do without getting the chance to do so. It certainly seems like they were not sure whether they would get renewed or not after season 1.

Season 2:

It really is a shame that this season has the most episodes because I feel like it is definitely the weakest season. It was a struggle to get through this season on the re-watch. I appreciate what the cast and crew went through while filming this season though because I know they started filming in Feb 2020 and stopped in March because of the pandemic and had to return towards the end of 2020 until March of the next year with under strict conditions. So, maybe the pandemic played a role in the quality of the season but I feel like this was even the casts least favorite season with the way they talked about it. Nini's YAC storyline felt out of place and just didn't keep me engaged, the lighting for this season was also very dark lol. I do think this season did a nice job of continuing to show Ricky's struggle with his home life from season 1 and the fact that things were still changing in his life which the show continues to mention just how much he hates that. Ashlyn getting the leading role as Belle was nice and her dealing with her insecurities about that was good. The season Finale fell flat though, it seemed rushed and I think it was ranked as the worst episode in the whole series. This season did however have 2 of my favorite songs of the whole show, the trio of Kourtney, Gina and Ashlyn coming together to sing 1-2-3 was great. The 4 main characters (Nini, Gina, EJ and Ricky) singing Second Chance was so good, they meshed well together.

Season 3:

This season is probably my favorite. I know some people in the fandom don't feel the same about the season because it felt different from the first 2 but I think that is a good thing. Sometimes shows need a change of pace and they did that with this season. Making it a summer season out of school at a camp was something different and the show had a different tone because of it. It was definitely more lighthearted compared to season 2 and the cast seemed to have had great time filming together. Also going from filming in Utah to filming in LA was probably a nice change for the actors since most of them are based in LA. I know the whole documentary storyline thing was an adjustment for people but they clearly had a plan for it to be a springboard for the plot in season 4 and connect them together. Besides that, Kourtney's anxiety storyline was a highlight for me as I'm sure lots of people could relate to her, the phone call with her mom was great and I'm interested to see if they touch on this more in season 4. Some of the disappointment in the season comes from favorite characters not being in it like Seb and Big Red which is understandable but it's also realistic that not everyone in the group would go to the same camp in the summer, when people usually have different plans. Also, the show clearly felt like they weren't as important to tell the story in season 3 which was used too set up season 4. It was nice that Big Red, Seb and Miss Jenn did make cameo's though, with how big the cast is and the length of the episodes that are not that long it's hard to fit everyone in with meaningful storylines. The additions of Maddox and Jet this season were probably the best new characters that the show has added during the 3 seasons, the actors playing them are great as well and seem to have really bonded with the cast which is really nice to see. WDYKAL was probably my favorite performance of the season, it was very non Disney like lol The tension and chemistry was kind of crazy lol I feel like they could have shown more of the Frozen performance but Kourtney playing Elsa was also a great moment in the season. I'm really excited for season 4 because they seem to be going with a really META storyline for the season and I'm excited too see how the documentary from season 3 has affected the characters.

Anyways, this turned out longer than I intended it too but these are my thoughts on each of the 3 seasons after my re-watch, I will probably make a couple more posts on singular topics like the characters or the ships later. I'm always up for discussions, so if you have anything you want to say please do. I know this place can get out of hand when discussing this show within the fandom but I have thicker skin than most and I don't mind having a discussion but I also understand I'm not the norm lol

If you have read all of this, thank you. If you at least read the title of the post, thank you. Even though you will not see the thank you lol

[magicwithineleteo]

Bestie you like Rina right? What's your favorite moment of them from each season? 💖

hi twin!!!

yes i love love love rina i’d say it’s my favorite ship from hsmtmts and honestly maybe top 10 ships in general <3

this is gonna be really hard bc i love their overall journey so much and i can’t name just one moment from every season so i’m gonna name a few per season bc i cannot choose lmao

also there are countless parallels i left out bc i forgot them

season 1:

- character introductions

okay this technically is an honorable mention but i still think it’s important, in the character introductions video, when asked if he’s intimidated by gina, ricky says…

No, actually. Can’t say she does.

i love this line bc everyone was intimidated by gina. she was new, a triple threat, an ultimate bad b who was confident in herself. and that scared the other kids. but ricky was the only one who wasn’t.

when asked about ricky, gina says…

Ricky intrigues me…and I don’t get intrigued.

AHHH??? sorry that just is so AHHHH

- skatepark scene

this scene, i’d say is arguably one of the most important scenes in the whole show. ricky is basically done w the show because he thinks that he’s ruining the show and if he stays in the show, nini will leave and she needs to be the lead, so he unofficially quits. he’s just been scolded(?) or idk nini ranted about how he’s ruining it and how he sinks. he goes to the skatepark and who does he see? gina. now i know her intentions weren’t the best at the time, and she at the time just wanted nini out, but that conversation is what kept ricky in the show, as he confirms a few episodes later. she literally was the only reason he stayed with the show, he was literally about to drop out for nini. she reassured him after him already doubting himself and not knowing what he was doing and nini being rude to him in front of everyone.

That’s why I was stoked when she casted you. Outsiders keep everyone else on their toes. I mean it. You kept us real.

It’s probably better to have someone up there who can actually keep time. That 5 and 6 stuff?

You don’t need Carlos to tell you how to move. He bites other people’s styles. You have your own.

- homecoming car scene

this scene is monumental in the shows history bc this is where rina was officially born i’d say. this scene literally changed the trajectory of the show. firstly, the rina cue was born. he once again says that gina isn’t scary or intimidating.

Let me guess, you pictured a raw iron gate and a bunch of gargoyles?

Kinda. You’re not that scary.

then he confirms that he stayed in the show solely bc of her

I kinda owe you a thank you, actually.

For what?

You’re the reason I stayed with the show. That night at the skatepark? You set me straight, and it’s been a big deal for me, the Troy thing.

Well it suits you.

[…]

You know I…I meant what I said…at the skatepark about you having your own style. I don’t even think I knew how much I meant it when I said it.

and then in the next episode he says that he can’t forget anything that happened at homecoming. WHEN SHE SAID ALL THAT AND THEN KISSED HIS CHEEK

- when there was me and you

gina was the only one who supported his acoustic idea and he played it for her and SERENADED HER. the entire season and show people have been rude to ricky (nini, ej, his parents, miss jenn) and gina is the only one who consistently supports him <3

not only does gina like ricky but he’s also her first friend at east high, the first person she broke her walls around.

at this point, ricky isn’t chasing after nini anymore. and gina isn’t chasing after the lead anymore. they’re both free to just be.

ricky only starts to pursue nini romantically again after gina leaves. because what was he gonna do about his feelings when gina was leaving forever ?? and he was focused on gina too, constantly texting her and trying to talk to her after she stopped showing up to school. he only started liking nini again or focusing on his old feelings because gina was out of the picture and they didn’t think they’d ever meet again. which is why the next section is :O

- stick to the status quo

this was a BIG deal because ricky really thought he’d never see gina again and to see her onstage , performing , was a big shock. she kept re emphasizing how this was her last time seeing them and how it’s one night only.

Don’t blink, you’ll miss me.

The disappearing Gina act.

One night only!

ricky knew she wouldn’t be back so there was no point to do anything with his feelings, because he buried them down after thinking he’d never see her again. what was the point of confessing to her that he likes her if she wasn’t gonna be in his life anymore? she pretty much cut communication with him after she left so there was no point. so he focused on nini and confessed to her.

we later learn there’s more that happened that night.

but now, ricky is with nini and gina gets a surprise offer by ashlyn to stay with her for the next semester.

BOOM SEASON 1 ENDED

season 2:

- valentine’s day conversation

god this scene is so packed .

ricky and gina’s relationship is based on understanding. they say things in this scene like

Valentine’s day is kinda hard for me this year, and I thought of all people, you would understand.

You did?

Yeah well..my mom’s been my valentine every year since I was 4. I guess I thought she would send me a stuffed bear as kind of our tradition. Um, but I just got off the phone with her, and it sounds like she forgot. But she works crazy hard hours. So…

Yeah, I…I get that. Um, missing your mom.

I knew you would. Sorry, there’s just some things I tell you that I don’t really tell anyone else.

Yeah, no, I think we do that for each other.

this conversation reminds me of the one they had in thanksgiving which is also a direct parallel of gina coming to ricky’s home and them understanding each other like no one else where this happened…

Is everything okay?

Yeah, yup…okay, no. I guess my mom has a new boyfriend and it’s just a lot. Sorry, I hate to be a downer.

Look, I…I get it.

No offense, but I’m not sure you do.

Let me guess, you’re mad that everyone and everything because just when you’re getting used to things changing, they change again. Am I close?

A little bit.

[…]

Do what makes you happy.

ricky and gina are incredible because he’s the boy who hates change and she’s the girl whose world is always changing, and they find solace in each other.

- opening night flashback scene

this scene also is so pivotal!! we see gina confess to ricky that she would’ve pursued him had she not moved away. this scene is so beautiful. we also see ricky later regret not stopping her.

You were amazing out there, Ricky. I mean, Breaking Free?

Um, guess so.

Trust me, I’m a theatre person. You guys made some magic.

Yeah, it was actually good to get something right, for once. I guess you have that feeling all the time.

I don’t do anything right the first time, Ricky. My thing is that I just keep pushing. And I never quit.

I know you don’t.

So, I guess I just wanna say that…um…sorry this is so stupid, I don’t know why I’m crying.

Say it.

I wouldn’t quit on us if I wasn’t moving away…So now, I’m gonna give you a really tight hug, and then I’m gonna walk away with my head held high. Okay?

Okay.

AH THIS SCENE IS SO PACKED

firstly, gina supporting ricky again, telling him what a great job he did.

gina says here that she doesn’t do anything right for the first time. this quote itself foreshadows her romantic ending. because in season 3, she has her summers of firsts. first boyfriend, first kiss, etc. this was her first confession too. and it didn’t go the way she wanted it to.

ricky was so gentle w her and is always so gentle when she’s crying :’)

but this scene explains why ricky and gina don’t really speak much. gina confesses to him as the plane was crashing and is staying away from him for herself and out of respect for him and nini’s relationship.

ricky knows that gina likes him, but just got with nini. he doesn’t know what to do, especially since gina is staying now. he pushes down his feelings for her now to focus on nini. he tries to keep their relationship the same by going to her for advice, but she sets the boundary of not confiding in her about nini. he respects her wishes and really doesn’t speak to her for the entire season. and by the time he is single again, even if he wanted to pursue gina, she was already having a thing with ej. there would’ve been no point. he was stuck with his feelings, trying to juggle his dying relationship with nini, repressed feelings for gina, his dad and miss jenn dating and his mom and todd dating.

they both were going through a lot this season. gina literally almost leaves salt lake because she’s so heartbroken.

- second chance

skipping to the end of the season, the entire song of second chance is just so rina coded.

ricky sings

But there is something in this summer wind, a moment to begin again.

and reiterates in this song

Begin again, begin again, begin again.

they all sing

What can make the tide turn? What can make the fire burn? A second chance is all.

they’re saying that the thing that can change the tide and ignite the fire is a second chance.

(also insert the lamp between rina thing here)

ricky also says

Here’s to second chances.

season 3:

- start over

ricky literally says before he goes to camp

This summer is all about second chances.

and then gina says this to him

Can we just start over?

Yes, definitely.

[…]

We’re in a new place, we’re different people now. We can start fresh. No drama, no chocolates. Summer’s supposed to be fun, right?

Yes, totally agree. Summer of fun!

this was so important.

obviously gina is currently happy with ej and even though she has lingering feelings for ricky, she’s excited to have her friend back and is focused on her relationship with ej. ricky is being finally free and is just enjoying himself. no thoughts in his head whatsoever <3

- what do you know about love?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

so earlier ricky was appointed to play gina’s jilted ex who still has feelings for her, and he actually does have feelings for her. gina is currently mad at ej and has old feelings for ricky too. when asked to perform this song and “have fun torturing ej”, this masterpiece was born.

the chemistry is insane the tension is there ricky is WHIPPED gina is swinging him around 10/10

then after, val describes ricky as heartsick and gives her psychological analysis on him

and then later ricky confesses that he wasn’t completely acting when pretending to be in love with gina

- color war events

1. firstly they spent the day together and had lots of fun

2. ricky helped gina set up the little promposal for ej and i think this scene really shows how far ricky’s grown.

in season 1, ricky, while i love him infinitely, purposefully sabotaged nini and ej’s relationship because he loved her. he tried to split them apart and then eventually stopped. in season 3, ricky is in love with gina, however he wants to see her happy and recognizes that currently, ej makes her happy. so he helps her set up this canoe thing for her and watches her surprise ej. he just wants to see her happy, whether it’s with him or without.

then he goes to his bunk and cries

I can’t believe I let color war slip out of my fingers.

You mean Gina?

he’s upset that he didn’t pursue her, that he shouldn’t have let her just leave. he regrets what he did.

this also parallels the quinceñero episode when gina cries seeing ricky and nini.

also both of them saying “you’re the best”

honorable mention- the coat check scene being a direct parallel of homecoming and showing ricky being gentle with gina again after she broke up with ej and ricky being gagged when he sees gina

- kristoff lullaby

this song is so them<3 and lucaya

every single word applies to them.

What do I know about love? Everything I thought I did, you’ve gone and changed it kid. You’re what I know about love.

ricky looks at gina as he sings this part.

AHHHH

it’s perfect for them because she did change his idea of love. like i said earlier, she’s helped him grow. he went from loving nini selfishly, holding onto her desperately because she was his only constant and he would do anything to keep her with him, to loving gina selflessly and purely wanting her to be happy and to thrive, with or without him. he learned to be able to let go because of nini. he had to let her go because he loved her. now he loves gina with no pressure or anything.

it’s him finally letting his feelings out, he’s repressed them the entire time, whether it be because he was with nini or because she was with ej. but now, under the character of kristoff, he’s letting his love be.

and i think that’s so beautiful.

- you’re a yes

gina’s whole confession was so so important and everything about it was perfect to me.

a lot of people thought that ricky should’ve been the one to make a speech but gina making it makes sense. she didn’t confess right the last time (because she doesn’t do anything right the first time) as well as the fact that she was the one who was in a relationship and ricky was respectful of it. he didn’t want to say anything to her because he didn’t know if it was too soon for her to move on or not. it had only been a month since she and ej broke up. gina had to make that choice herself. not him.

i’m gonna go into depth about her confession:

He’s wrong.

Sorry? Who?

EJ. He said we all saw this coming. But I didn’t. Not that night in your car after homecoming, or when I made you that hat at Thanksgiving and the floppy little ears looked so dumb, but..it was honestly one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. God, Ricky Bowen, you have been a surprise since the day we met. You weren’t the plan, you were never the plan. Plans change. And, if you want me to shut up, I’ll shut up but, I don’t have maybe feelings for you. You aren’t a maybe. You’re a yes. And I like to know where people stand with me so now you know where you stand with me. And so, I’m going to walk out of here with my head held high, and I’m never gonna look back again. Unless you stop me.

Wait.

[They kiss]

okay so now we’re gonna go line by line bc this is genius lyrics

obviously the parallels in the beginning, gina references season 1

You weren’t the plan, you were never the plan. Plans change.

this references 2 things, #1 being ej and gina’s conversation in season 1

What happened to the plan? I think I’m missing it because I’m still the understudy, and you seem pretty happy, so what changed?

Nothing…everything? I don’t know.

So you care about Ricky?

And what if I do?

and also tim’s feelings about rina

And, if you want me to shut up, I’ll shut up but, I don’t have maybe feelings for you. You aren’t a maybe. You’re a yes.

this directly references gina’s breakup with ej, because she says that maybe isn’t good enough for her right now.

And so, I’m going to walk out of here with my head held high, and I’m never gonna look back again. Unless you stop me.

Wait.

directly references her first confession

So now, I’m gonna give you a really tight hug, and then I’m gonna walk away with my head held high. Okay?

Okay.

last time, ricky let her walk away, but this time he didn’t repeat his mistake. and he stops her and he kisses her <3

the end! that was my very long unnecessary post <3 i love rina thank u for asking twin ilysm

[laylakeating]

idk if you still stan hsmtmts but i gotta ask this: is it just me or is ej just not a very engaging and watchable love interest? like both ejnini and portwell are excruciating watches as ships compared to rini and rina. whenever ricky told the girls he loved them i believed it. you could see it in his eyes and feel it in his words and tone of voice. when ej expressed his feelings or talks about the girls it feels like a lifeless joke. yeah like yeah ily nini :)) gina’s… so great :)))) i like her a lot :)))) i don’t believe a word he says, it feels like he’s been through this before (and he has) and he’s just gonna repeat the things he did from one girl onto the next. the calling both girls a star, word for word. the uplifting them from ricky turmoil. it’s so fake and lifeless and copycat-ish.

and like yeah rini are kinda boring, but they at least had a story, and some chemistry. rina as well obvi. what the hell did portwell have 😭 mf asked a normal bare minimum question to his hurting friend one minute and was staring at her the next yet people have the audacity and the 3 depleted brain cells to say “rina is so forced it came out of nowhere and it makes no sense 🤓” the call is coming from inside the house 😭

like he should have had just a minor love interest and had the majority of his story be about finding who he wants to be instead of wasting his time trying to uplift and inspire and chase brokehearted girls.

i will alwaysssss stan hsmtmts have no doubt !!! and i'm always happy to talk abt it :D

i have to be SOOO real with you i actually like ej as a character shjshjs (shocking i know) and while i do find portwell to be like. terrible. i like ejnini and find them to be fairly engaging !! (but that might just be bc i think they're hilarious who knows)

as for rini. hmm. i kind of do genuinely hate them lmaoooo i have actually only ever watched their love confession once and it scarred me for life i wish i was joking. i also think they have negative chemistry and while i enjoy what their relationship does for their specific character arcs (ricky's more than nini's) for what it is i find it extremely trite and boring !! conceptually it's fine and it works but i think they had a lot of trouble translating that to screen and i found it reallyyyyyyy difficult to root for them in any capacity (now that i'm thinking abt it a lot of the issues i have with rini the relationship are the same issues i have with nini the character)

i do think all the relationships had sufficient (??) build up but i definitely agree with finding portwell's lacking 😭 it kind of took a sharp turn mid s2 to being a romantic dynamic instead of a platonic one and i think that could've played out a little bit more smoothly !!!

unfortunately the most interesting parts of ej (everything outside of his love life lmaoooo) are the parts that are ignored bc ultimately he was written to be a love interest !! rip. elton john i still love you 🫶