#i love gina's confession so much but as it happened in the show i feel like some of the build up towards the chocolates was a little wasted

[galindaelphaba]

RINA APPRECIATION WEEK ↳ day 5 - free choice (insp)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

What are your full thoughts and opinions on Marinette’s extended family members that make full appearances (Gina Bianchi, Wang Cheng, Roland Dupain) as people in their own right as well as in each of their relationships with Sabine, Tom, and Marinette individually as well as a nuclear family group?

Gina Bianchi

I love Gina. I have so many headcanons for this woman. My personal favorite is that she's the one who got Marinette into fashion and taught her how to sew. Look at this woman:

There is no way that she's satisfied by what she can get off the rack and Marinette is really freaking young to have strong sewing talents. Gina is the obvious explanation. I will fight you on this.

Outside of headcanon land, there's not much for me to say. Gina isn't really around a lot and we don't get a clear look at her relationship with her son and his family. There's an interesting implication that Gina was around more when Marinette was young - thus her knowing all of Marinette's favorite childhood things - which gives me the headcanon that Gina may have been free daycare when Marinette was born so that Sabine could work, but that's still a headcanon. Nothing is confirmed in canon. We just know that Gina is a bit of a free spirit who isn't around much.

Wang Cheng

It seems like Sabine's parents are dead and when that happened is anyone's guess. If Sabine was young, then it's possible that Wang raised her? It's impossible to know, I just think that would be an interesting way to explain Sabine being into cooking and better tie her to the bakery as something that she wanted and not just a thing that she does for her husband. Yeah, I'm giving you more headcanons, sorry! I don't know what else to say! We just don't know enough for me to give more meaningful commentary. Wang appears all of twice and we don't see him interact with Sabine or Tom, which is kind of sad when you think about it because he so clearly loves his family! He shut down his freaking restaurant so that he could hang out with Marinette!

Wang: I have worked hard so it will be easier to communicate with you. (Marinette's phone receives a notification; Marinette checks it.) And now I can tell you all about your ancestors, (Marinette's phone shows a picture of Adrien) and show you every family photo! (Marinette looks at the skyscrapers.) Next time, I'll take you to visit the wonders of Shanghai, and teach you all the Chengs' traditional songs!

Give this man more family time, damn it! His treatment in the Shanghai special made me so sad...

Roland Dupain

I think we have to start this one by addressing the elephant in the room: a lot of people view Roland as a racist. I didn't get why at first until someone finally told me that this read comes from his reason for cutting Tom off:

Rolland: Oh! She likes pizza! Oh! But that's not how it's done! You don't put cheese and tomatoes on bread dough! It's just like my son, and his wife, who got it into their heads that adding rice to the dough, would make the inside of the bread lighter! That's not how it's done!

Confession time, my only experience working with rice flour is gluten-free baking, so the fact that this could be read as a slight against Sabine's heritage flew right over my head! I just read it as an old man being upset that you changed the family recipe. I think that is what the writers intended the read to be since Roland also gets mad about pizza and he never seems to have any issues with Sabine or Marinette, but I'm not going to call the racist read wrong. I don't feel like I'm informed enough to make that argument. Instead, I'll just say that the racist read seems to be completely unintentional and so I'm going to approach him as if he isn't supposed to be a racist and this was just the writers being dumb.

Even without the racism, Roland's character is weird. He's supposed to be a set-in-his-ways old man who resists change at all costs, but almost every time he appears he's willing to change his ways, so I think it's just a joke gone wrong?

Then there's the fact that he and Tom get along fine even though - prior to Bakerix - they hadn't spoken in over 15 years, which was certainly a choice... Yet another failure father who is written as being welcome to the family with no problems. Why do the writers keep doing that? It would be so easy to remove the estrangement and just have Marinette need to run over to see her grandfather who insists that the traditional family recipes are the best ones and she's just like, "Okay grandpa, that's nice. How are you?"

It's much more cute and funny if Tom and his family have a generally good relationship with Roland, they just know to not bother making bread when grandpa comes over because he always brings his own insisting that it's the best because he doesn't use stand mixers or something.

If we ignore the estrangement issue and go that route, I actually like the concept of Roland. He's a nice contrast to Gina's free spirit and I like the idea that baking runs in Marinette's family. It's a good way to explain how Tom became a baker and also why he started his own shop. The son wanting to branch out while the father wants to keep things how they've always been is a classic struggle.

[jcforsapphics]

Hsmtmts 4x08:

Ok last episode I am so so scared but I'm so glad it's an hour longg

Good on EJ for being on his last play but babygirl what happened to your face

"Btw, who the fuck are you guys?" LMAO RICKY IS SO REAL

"Are you asking as my son or as my brother?"

I'm loving all the Kourtney appreciation because she desreve that so much

Troyella are getting very personal to rina right now

Jet being the biggest madlyn shipper!!

"I have every feeling for you" THEY ARE HAPPENING

NOT EJ PREDICTING MADLYN?? HE'S SO REAL FOR THIS HE IS US HE IS THE FAN BASE

"I feel like I don't deserve to be as happy as you make me" so I'm getting called out by every character this season, huh?

They are so not staying just friends who are they lying to

MADLYN KISS OH MY GOD THAT WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER I ?? THIS SEASON IS SO GOOD FRIEND FOR THE GAYS

Plot twist Ricky and Mack ends up together

Joshoua Bassest you have the voice of an angel

Full disclosure I actually hate public declarations of love and would not like it at all if he'll confess in front of everyone I'll probably have to skip it I can't handle second hand embarrassments

JET CALLING MADDOX HIS BEST FRIEND I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH

Hey I better get a fic expanding on Ricky feeling like he didn't deserve to get into college because??

Big Red and Ricky hug!!

Everyone singing together might have made me tear up a bit haha I don't want to actually cry I already cried last night when I prepared myself mentally (I'm attracted to this show in a very autistic and not at all healthy way and my therapist told me she's genuinely worried about me and about what will happen if rina won't end up together)

OK FIRST ANTINE IS NOT FRENCH?? ALSO WE WERE ALL RIGHT ABOUT HIM AND RED LET'S GO!!

"My dad knew I was gay since I was two!" Seb I think everyone knew

Ms Jen I'm sorry to tell you this but Gina always looks like a star

I don't have words for Ricky's speech because how dare he

GINA IS BEAUTIFUL

Gina talking about every single person and crying I can't I can't :((

"I really wish the world was as pure as you see it" is actually such a good line

Not Gina calling Jet out on his feelings for Kourtney in front of everyoneee

The camara not finding EJ when Gina is trying to talk to him??

This whole speech is really making me feel like I missed with my horrible theatre group I wish we had what they do

"I feel so seen and so understood and so known" I LOVE YOU GINA PORTER

RICKY TELL HER YOU LOVE HER YOU BITCH

MACK IS A RINA???

RUN RICKY RUN!!

This is literally the most unserious show in the world

THE SEASON ONE REFERENCE!! Loving this

"I'm in love and I know it" I'M COLLECTING MY RINA ENDGAME TONIGHT

This song is so going on my playlist

HOW DOES EVERYONE JUST KNOW THE LYRICS WHAT IS THIS GLEE

I genuinely love this song very much but I need an actual spoken confession for the edits

IT'S HIS FAVOURITE HAT <33

She did not tell him she loves him way back in season one and we didn't know??

"It's been there all along?" "Just like me." You don't know how much they mean to me

LMAO GINA JUST DECIDED THEY'RE GONNA SHOT AT SALT LAKE GO GIRL

Honestly Quinn deserve such a rise after this

MY CHILDREN

I can't believe the show is over :((

Definitely a few things I would change about this season but more on that on a later post! (Mostly the fact there was no chocolate theory reveal obviously)

Overall I'm so so happy with how the show ended but still going to ignore it and pretend it'll go on forever

[lansangprincess]

Finally finished HSMTMTS ⭐

some spoilers

besties im so sorry but i am so tired of wlw storylines that include cheating (it was emotional cheating to me even if they only almost kissed). i liked how the big red/ashlyn break up went (supportive bi exes, yes pls!) but i just wish it happened sooner :<

sebi cheating???? i have no words like,, out of all the characters in this show—sebi?????????? tho im glad it worked out between him and carlos bc i love them

Rina is obv amazing and their build up is SO beautiful. I came in knowing that they were going to be a thing eventually but I did think that it was just because of Olivia's departure. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that their romantic timeline started as early as season 1

i didnt care abt the adults lmao im sorry also didnt care abt the kids in s3

i had already watched the ricky "im in love" song scene before watching the episode and i loved it but when i watched the episode i was in ABSOLUTE adoration over how the moment breaks the chaotic vibe in the episode and it just made me feel so much relief and comfort on top of the feels. the song's just so good what—

s4's original songs were noticeably a step above the rest of the seasons' orig songs sorry not sorry

think my fav character is probably gina. i feel like i was surprised by her ever since the 1st season bc of the intimidating persona treatment but to have her be so vulnerable by the end of s1 just bc she's confessing to her crush that she likes him got me pikachu shocked face. i just wasnt expecting it and it was so nice to see. and then she got so cheesed every time she was w ricky by s4 like awwwwwwwww u go girl, embrace ur softness, i love that for u

i absolutely deserved to watch that storyline between big red and the not-french guy >:c

i kinda feel like ej had more potential to be given storylines that focused on him finding his place in the world and figuring out what he wanted to do w his life. it was touched upon a lil bit but i def think there couldve been more

i wish maddox and jet came in earlier in the series i loved both of them

ashlyn as belle was THE perfect casting

i was kinda hoping airport boy would come back lol

didnt like jojo siwa's performance lol im sorry. completely took me out of the immersive experience and the chemistry was zerozerozero

nini and ricky's break up was written so beautifully. a lot of adult dramas dont even feature break ups that mature. it was so well done and there needs to be more of that in every type of drama

ok i cant think of anything else i have thoughts on

[27emailsicantsend]

So how/when do you think we’ll get a Rina ily?

I have thought about this so much and I feel like my answer literally changes depending on the day. But here are my top guesses (in order of what I want the most to least):

1. During the rain kiss (I linked my full theory to how this happens). TLDR: Ricky goes to EJ seeking life advice, both leave confused and upset/we get scream, Ricky realizes even if he knows nothing else, he knows he wants gina. That’s when he kisses her

2. He’s obviously going to go through more jealousy because of Mack and secret dating. Maybe Ricky finally has enough and angrily confesses he’s tired of watching Mack hit on Gina because “he’s in love with Gina” or he flat out says it to Gina “I’m so tired of watching him with you because I love you!”

I think Mack is purposely trying to intervene (maybe to get the spotlight- if Ricky’s off the show, he’s in/ a parallel to gina/Nini s1).

3. The last episode before Ricky leaves for school/graduates/etc. I hate the idea of him doing it and then dipping. I want to see rina say it throughout the season.

I’d love to hear other theories as well!

[runningdownathunderoushill]

I only made this account because I wanted to respond on my main, which is a personal blog, and didn't feel like spamming my mutuals with a show that they hate. And I genuinely wasn't hating. I was more perplexed than anything and I had a feeling that you'd respond negatively to anyone mentioning Rina despite clogging every HSMTMTS tag with your complaints about the ship as if it's the worst thing on the show.

As for the chemistry thing, I very much have been watching all of their scenes equally since season 1 and I still fail to see how Rini or Portwell is somehow better chemistry wise, (even ship wise, but I'll get to that later). I personally only ever saw Rini's chemistry in one episode, and that was the same episode where they made Gina absent because her mom took her out of the country. Kind of similar to how they lessened Joshua and Sofia's scenes together in season 2b when they wanted Portwell to get closer. I just find it funny that on more than one occasion, we've witnessed the writers who've admitted that they decided to start taking Rina seriously based off of Sofia and Joshua's chemistry alone, literally have to limit their scenes together in order to help people root for another ship. Just kind of telling in my opinion. I'll also argue that Rina's kiss scenes don't feel forced at all and actually seem so natural that people are still wondering if a few of them were improvised since they admitted to improvising some of their scenes together.

It took them exactly 31 episodes to even pursue a relationship, so I'd say that more than any ship, especially your precious little dead one, they've had the most gradual build up on the show. He had feelings for Gina during season 1 and half of his season 2 arc focused on him trying to save his barely hanging on relationship with Nini, despite season 4 finally confirming that during the Valentine's Day episode, he was still suppressing feelings for Gina, I find it funny how the same people who constantly weaponize mental health and act as if therapy is a drag would've somehow wanted Ricky to emotionally cheat on Nini during the season where they dated for half of it. That's actually one of the few good things he did during his relationship with Nini, not cheat on her. But because his feelings for Gina didn't come back to the surface until season 3, you want to dismiss what was clearly and explicitly there if you didn't have your Portwell goggles on so tight since season 1.

If all Ricky did was run, then why is it that when EJ was failing to show up for her, you claim it's bad writing all because it didn't work out for your ship? People can change. That happens in real life. You wanted Gina to settle for unhappiness all because most of you just like EJ and hate Gina because you were Rinis who hated her during the love triangle that started the show. You can't even be happy that EJ has Val, who he confided in more than his own girlfriend, because you're so stuck in the past that you think characters having growth and making decisions for the better is bad writing until it serves your ship right. Now you'll always be bitter, even if the writers have to scream in your faces that you had it wrong. And I don't know how old you are, but you and I both know you're way too old to be behaving like this over a flopped ship.

Ricky and Gina actually had the best communication out of all of the couples on the show. You claim Ricky wouldn't have done anything without EJ, yet they've been teasing the love confession for the entire season. That was something you could see coming no matter who interfered. He was literally planning to tell her he loved her on opening night, before EJ even showed up. EJ was the one asking Ricky what was wrong with Gina all throughout season 3, but somehow you think that's acceptable because you have this weird bias towards his character and given your Rini history I know for a fact you probably wanted him dead during season 1. Funny how that's the season you're so attached to yet you forget how poorly written EJ was.

Ricky has never made an effort as much as the efforts he's been making for Gina for the past two seasons. You claim he was always showing up for Nini, yet he went above and beyond for Gina. He didn't sabotage Gina. Gina didn't feel suffocated by him. That's why they're the couple that works the best on the show. If Rini was the planned endgame, explain why less than 5 minutes after their love confession, Tim was already showing signs that it was doomed to fail by having Nini hide something from him within the last few seconds of the season? Explain why in 2020, before Olivia blew up, he'd already written and filmed three episodes of season 2 that showed how badly Rini's communication was and how they were never on the same page. If Portwell was as beautiful as you claimed it was, why was he essentially a rebound for Gina to attempt to get over her feelings for Ricky? EJ's time on the show was always going to be cut short with him being a senior and Gina being a sophomore in the beginning. If that screamed "ENDGAME" to you, especially with Rina having unfinished business, I can't even begin to tell you how naive you are.

The only thing Portwell has in common with those other ships, one of them involving a sexual assaulter at that, is that they were never meant to be the endgame for the characters. Midgames are also a thing in television. You let a midgame trick you into thinking they were ever going to be something more, and that's no one's fault other than your own.

In 10-15 years, Tim already confirmed Rina would still be together. When Nini came back, Ricky was more concerned with Gina's approval than Nini's presence. EJ said he's in a good place with Val, who comforted him when no one else would.

The Troyella thing also has nothing to do with Rina. That way, you'd still be pushing it to apply to Rini considering you swore up and down they were the true Troyella of the show. The point of HSM 4 in the series is that it's meant to be bad and inaccurate, written by a director who's never seen the films and basically makes it more like a parody than anything. Kenny isn't a part of it. It has no impact in real life. But you know what has impact forever and after that?

The one and only, ENDGAME ship....

Rina.

Hi! This isn't meant to be hate, and while I do very much disagree on the chemistry conversation, I understand that must be something that's subjective. I don't understand however, how R*na is supposed to be considered unhealthy, when there's even been friendships on the show that were less healthy than they ever were. I'm just not sure where that came from and I want to know what I missed.

Hey. First off I find it a little odd that your tumblr has no action on it. Makes me think maybe you created it so that whatever your main one is people don't see you asking stuff like this. But it's okay whatever let's ignore that it's not that important. Next whenever anyone says they don't mean it to be hate they actually mean that it's hate. But okay i'll indulge you. I shouldn't because it's always a bad idea but let's go for it.

The chemistry thing is obvious. Just compare Josh's scenes with Olivia and his scenes with Sofia. Compare Matts scenes with Sofia and his scenes with Olivia. Olivia/Josh & Matt/Sofia have natural chemistry & when they kiss or touch or look at each other it feels natural it's not forced.

All the Rina stuff feels super forced and over the top acted. Never said Rina was unhealthy as far as I remember. But they had a terrible buildup. Okay yes they had moments in the early seasons but they were not exciting enough for me to care or remember them.

If they had a gradual buildup that made sense then I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. But all Ricky did was ignore Gina for 3 seasons and then suddenly catch feelings last season. He had no interest in her until Nini left. And even this season he was a terrible boyfriend. He never communicated and he just ran away all the time. And he had to go to EJ to get help on how to interact with his girlfriend instead of just talking to her like a normal person. EJ told him to go to her in the rain and EJ told him to sing her a song at the end. If he didn't have EJ would he have done it himself? Probably not. The kid needs therapy and to grow up. He is not mature enough to keep a relationship or stay in one. Maybe if he worked on himself then that's another story.

Now lets talk about EJ & Gina. I mean they had the best buildup. Enemies to Lovers. They built each other up. They saw the best in each other. He went to the freaking airport for her. He showed up for her. And the whole camp thing was obviously just written to make him look like an idiot and horrible boyfriend so the Ricky/Gina thing would seem like it somewhat made sense but it still didn't and for a growth arc. Because you can't go from giving your 100% to nothing that quick. Come on it's just not realistic. But then this season he grew as a person/matured as a person. He learned from his mistakes and apologized for them. He communicated with Gina. He was there for her and he didn't need to have someone tell him what to do. He was just there as a friend for her after all the shit she put him through. He had her back. He showed up for her when she needed him. All Ricky did was run and run and run.

I'd respect Rina if Ricky made more of an effort the first 3 seasons. If he acknowledged stuff but he just was always making an effort with Nini. And I still will forever believe they were the endgame but Olivia left and Tim was like well we have no other choice now but to put him with Gina. Cause there is no reason for a beautiful enemies to lovers buildup just for a plot device. I'm sorry there just isn't.

Ej & Gina just have so many of the same things that Pacey/Joey & Jess/Rory have and they are the gold standard. So obviously if Tim were not writing this show and Olivia had not left we would have had EJ/GINA thriving this last season.

But you know what it's okay because this show takes place in high school. So 10-15 years down the line Ricky/Nini will be back together and so will EJ/Gina. They are the one that got away ship that ends up together a long time down the road.

I'll leave you with one last thing. They model themselves after Troy/Gabriella supposedly. Well Troy/Gabriella are in therapy. HAHA sorry to break it to you but your endgame is toast.

This is my opinion don't agree or agree with it I don't care. But you asked me so this is what you get.

AND I WILL NOT RESPOND TO ANY OTHER RESPONSES TO THIS OR ANY OTHER ASKS THAT COME AFTER THIS. THIS WAS A ONE TIME RESPONSE. CAUSE I KNOW THIS WILL BE A THING AND I'M NOT GOING DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE.

[waldensblog]

 So I’m on season 3 of my the 100 rewatch, and I have some ThoughtsTM.

So I definitely think Bellamy started developing romantic feelings for Clarke during the events of Day Trip. He’s showing her how to work a gun, and then he feels something:

Of course, it isn’t the time for him to deal with these feelings, they’re in a life or death situation - so he compartmentalizes them. Locks them away in a little “to deal with with later” box. It’s no big deal, just a crush. 

Over the course of season 2 though, the feelings grow. Still not the time to deal with them, he locks them away in the little “for later” box. Of course, by the end of season 2, Clarke walks away. She can’t deal with the grief of “bearing it so they don’t have to” and walks away. 

3 months of relative peace ensue for Skaikru, and they’re going out on missions to find where the other Ark stations landed. In that time period, Bellamy moves on. At some point, he starts dating Gina. And of course, he likes Gina - he cares about her. Clarke’s gone, and it wasn’t like they dated, he just never opened that box to deal with those feelings.  

Then he hears that Clarke is in danger, and... he goes just a wee bit off the wall for her. Now some of that is just Bellamy, but he really shows just how much he cares in Wanheda Part 2. The second he spots Clarke in the tall grass, he has only one braincell and it’s entirely devoted to rescuing Clarke. 

The second he sees her face, his smile and the way he strokes her hair... As an audience member, to me this says “He’s in love with her” - I don’t know when that happened, but this is when I, personally, see that it’s definitely shifted from the Day Trip just-a-crush to something deeper. But I don’t think he’s even realized the depth yet. He’s so happy to see her, alive - the whole angry-at-her-for-leaving thing being completely forgotten in this moment. 

But then, just as he’s about to rescue her... he fails. And he desperately tries to follow. The one braincell refuses any logic. The others catch up and try to tell him he’s being completely illogical, and then he just... bursts:

Per the script “it echoes. The lengths he’s willing to go to save her surprises even him. The realization that he can’t crushes him.”

It’s this moment, I think, when even Bellamy is surprised by his own outburst - that the box burst open. He is completely in love with her, and he just realized it.

Now of course, he’s still dating Gina, and I think he probably wasn’t even thinking about that in this moment, he probably wouldn’t really think about it until they got back to camp and Abby was treating his wound. Then there’s the questions - what to do about those feelings, this realization? Stay with Gina or break things off? Confess to Clarke when she returns home after the Summit (which in 3x03 Skaikru has every expectation to happen) and see if she feels the same? 

If he decided something, internally, we don’t know, because as soon as Echo tells them the summit is a trap - he races off to do his “stupid and heroic” thing. Gina dies, and Clarke refuses to come back, so now he’s grieving the loss of Gina, and is pissed-as-hell at Clarke.

[fudokaze]

i used to not ship rina (embarassing, i know), so this is my essay on how season three has completely shifted my idea of them, and why i think that the wait until season three may be worth it if they play their cards right — which it seems like they are so far.

let’s start with season one. i feel like most of ricky and gina’s relationship was something you could brush off as something that the viewer could only think of as a plot device to make nini jealous, but that ultimately you knew or felt would never go anywhere. i would say they were meant to be only that at first and then, maybe, the writers changed their minds for season two when they saw fans liked the ship, but i can’t. no, because we know that scene with ricky and gina talking after the show, the “i wouldn’t give up on us” talk, was filmed when season one was filmed. do i think the writers were rooting for rina to be endgame all along? meh, not really, but they definitely had plans for them, that’s for sure.

why didn’t i ship rina at the time? simple, ricky and nini were cute back then. i genuinely liked them. sue me. the rini confession scene at the end of season one is still fucking amazing in my opinion, and there is no denying ricky loved nini, while i believe he only liked gina. i don’t think he necessarily even thought he liked her, i think he thought it was all very much platonic because, come on, he was so focused on nini that entire season. gina, though? she loved him. so it was somewhat unrequited, i guess, although i do not think ricky didn’t have feelings at all.

onto season two, ricky and nini are a fucking mess. they are not good for each other, for as much as i love them both, with ricky hating change and nini’s entire life changing so much in such a small period of time, as well as their individual struggles clashing, the long distance mess, and lily’s bafoonery in the middle. we could smell the breakup coming from miles away. that scene was really sad, honestly, but it was something i knew had to happen. right person, wrong time trope, if i may. on the other hand, portwell was thriving, and i honestly saw that coming from season one. i really didn’t think rini would break up back then, though, so the lingering question of “who will ricky end up with?” stayed around, and was somewhat answered by lily, though i wasn’t super happy about it. nonetheless, god knows i love season two portwell so much.

by the end of the series, gina is with ej, while nini and ricky have broken up. nini is on her little lesbian self discovery journey, good for her, and i could see her not being with anyone, especially considering olivia rodrigo has become increasingly more busy which has significantly affected how much screentime she has gotten in the series (and things point very much to my baby nini salrobs to eventually be erased fully, sadly, but good for liv honestly). but then what about ricky?

clearly the lily stuff was a misdirect, because onto season three, she barely appeared. and thank god. portwell are still thriving, then ricky shows up. and though i didn’t ship them up until then, things quickly shifted. yes, because the build up is what makes rina, rina. be honest, would you love the ship as much if they had become canon after season one? if you think the answer is yes, did you love rini in season one and ended up not liking them as much afterwards? did the same happen in season two with portwell? yes? that’s what i thought. and honestly, there is no shame in that, because that happened to me too.

i think what is so good about rina is that, unlike all the other hsmtmts ships, it’s taking its sweet fuckin’ time. and honestly? i will eat it the fuck up. it’s cool, it’s realistic, and it’s engaging. it’s cooler because i didn’t expect it to go anywhere at first, because they just looked like yet another plot device to create drama between the main ship, and then here we are, with ricky being canonly jealous over gina and ej in the last episode. rina is made of small hints even now that it’s (hopefully) on its way to become canon, it’s made of moments that come around the main story, it isn’t the main focus like rini was, and it’s beautiful. you don’t feel forced to ship it nor like it when watching it, it comes naturally with time, whether earlier on or later on, because the puzzle pieces come together and you don’t even realize how much you like them together until one moment it kind of just hits you.

nothing feels exaggerated or forced, things just naturally fall into place with them. honestly, i doubt the writers did it on purpose, because if so then why not do the same with the other ships, but kudos to them nonetheless because i can’t help but love this pair. i just hope they don’t do me wrong somehow in the rest of the show.

[mjsparkour]

So we all know s3 is basically like a copy-paste situation of the s1 love triangle only with the more compelling female lead (in my opinion, Nini works much better as a recurring character or secondary lead) and the circumstances are a little different. They are in a summer camp which is where EJNini first dated same as Portwell. Only EJNini's relationship got to form with Nini outside of Ricky. She got to know a version of herself she liked and was growing comfortable with until her past relationship and unresolved feelings (her love confession which Ricky didn't say anything to...sounds a little familiar doesn't it? just you wait) ultimately confront her in the in the fall.

Gina won't have that opportunity to form her relationship in the same way because Ricky is there, the reminder of her unresolved feelings and her past is with her. Ricky and Gina's relationship has largely been on her terms. So of course, in their first interaction since 2b the first thing Gina does when she talks to him is confront that in the same way he tried to with Nini in the pilot. She did something they're both comfortable with, wanting to start over and not talking about what happened previously, good and bad. This allows them to move forward while moving backward, which seems something so in character for both of them. For Ricky this is what he'd wanted with Nini the second she came back from camp with a new boyfriend (while she was set on moving forward), he'd just wanted everything to go back to the way it was. Gina just wanted to know her place in a non-familiar environment by vying for the lead role in s1 and now. They both sought familiarity in their changing environments with their own respective schemes and poorly executed plans that ended up tying them together in a way they didn't expect. A way that felt beyond friendship or romance.

Ricky is tied to her relationship with EJ unintentionally (in terms of the character's intention, but very intentionally in terms of writing) in the same way Gina was tied to Ricky and Nini's. Gina was the one who brought him back to the show, which ultimately led to Rini getting back together. Gina was the one who told him to send Nini that song on valentines day and she was the one who told him she'd be flattered by a sweet gesture even if he'd gone behind her back (the chocolate theory better be right chile...who would've thought I'd be saying this in the year of our lord 2022). In other words, she was keeping the wrecked home together.

Even Rini's love confession isn't their own because seconds later Gina says her own version of I love you (the scene is more emotionally charged and heartfelt). Similar to Nini's first love confession it's one he can't answer back to but everything is different. Ricky said it himself that night, "-maybe I'm back to who I always was. I don't know, somethings different." Ricky didn't say it back to Gina not only because he was in a relationship at that point but because he knew that was not what she needed to hear. He knew what she needed to do was say it, because neither of them knew if or when they'd see the other again. That wasn't the convenient choice, that certainly wasn't the choice that made their lives easier but he knew she needed to say it and that's the difference. He did it out of respect for her, he put her needs above his own. Ricky joined the theater group with the intention to prove to Nini that he could still be the boy she loved despite everything changing in his life. He was clamoring at an opportunity to keep things from changing which was clearly shown in their relationship in season 2. He put his needs above Nini's, which would be fair to argue he did the same with Gina in s2 because of the fact that he didn't check with her even though she was living without her mom for the first time??? Granted I understand if he wanted to give her space after the confession but cmon.

Ricky's place in Portwell's relationship is a bit more subliminal in 2b and then much more direct with his presence in s3. It really starts with Gina doubting EJ's interest in her with not wanting to confuse a nice gesture and a romantic sign. So when she finally gets not a sign, but an outside party to clear things up she decides (because she's a person that pushes through things) to pursue it. Ricky just making the decision to go to camp (without any intention of destroying a relationship) throws a wrench in her plans because even though she's moving forward like she always has, the feelings are still there. This is something she's never had to deal with before.

Rini and Portwell feel like hurdles more than they do actual relationships. They feel like cookie cutter disney relationships, like something somebody is telling me I should root for rather than show me. They don’t feel as real or natural as Ricky and Gina. This doesn’t mean those relationships don’t have value or don’t/ didnt make the characters happy. But if we’re being real the break ups will only have Ricky and Gina become better versions of themselves upon separation. We already saw it with Ricky. The reality is EJ is about to enter college while Gina is still in high school which could put him miles away from her not just in distance but the fact that they are in different stages in life. Gina has already had to be mature and grow up so much over the years because of the fact that she’s moved everywhere. Ricky was incompatible with Nini, they needed to figure out they weren’t going to work out, to break out of childhood and find themselves outside of each other. Which has proven great for both characters.

Both Ricky and Gina haven't quite learned from their relationships yet that "love unspoken can be the loudest of all". If the chocolate theory proves correct he's a little farther in the game than she is, but Gina could catch on. This would be her sign.

[blues-valentine]

was reading ur s1 rewatch and i have to point out that the almost kiss between ricky & nini on 1x08 happens not only after gina texts ricky she’s gone but they were talking about ricky’s childhood too. i think this is why i never connected to them as a couple, aside from the cute duets, there’s not much to them but moments we never get to see

Everything about Ricky and Nini's relationship revolves around their childhood memories. It was hard for me to care about them as a couple because we never get to experience them. Everything that apparently made them fall in love with each other is told but not shown. They were already an established couple and never did the show tried to show me how and why they’re good together, quiet the opposite. There was not emotional investment from me.

It’s not a coincidence how they had to remove Gina from 108 for that interaction to take place but mostly how the conversation that lead to it revolved around reminiscing about childhood [when Ricky's parents were still together] and this is also how the show decides to tell the audience they were childhood best friends too. The complexity with that trope is that they really need to do a good job establishing that pre-existing bond. Ricky and Nini are the example of childhood bffs to (exes) lovers done wrong. I am being told things that as an audience can’t build an emotional connection to. It’s a visual media, create some flashbacks or give the audience something other than just words and duets. There’s a lack of actual romantic build up for them that it’s evident when you rewatch, it was leading to the end.

This is why their love confession didn’t work for me. It revolves around childhood memories that feel empty and rather childish "when I threw up in your shoes in 2nd grade" alright. This is why the Rina love confession is A+ in every aspect because they are recalling moments that we as an audience got to see on screen. We know the exact moments they’re speaking about so this makes the audience feel that emotion and why the build up and paid off was just great. We got to experience Ricky and Gina’s love story from the very beginning and learn why they work.

To be fair, the narrative build on Ricky and Nini has always been intentional. They were always meant to signify their childhood selves. Their conversations were always about the past, never the future. It revolves around the people they used to be, not the ones they're becoming. The idea of them holding onto their relationship (mostly Ricky) for familiarity and fear of the future has always been clear. Anyone that genuine gets to rewatch the show without their shipping googles on can easy see this narrative.

In essence, Ricky saying "he never outgrew" her on his season 1 confession really describes their relationship. Ricky was not going to grow up around Nini (and viceversa). It got them stuck in the past until it was Ricky the one that had to get them out so they could actually grow up and embrace themselves and not hold back.

[topazdelswan]

I don't know why people say that gina never liked ej, because she never once said that in season 3. why else would she be trying so hard and that upset after the break up if she didn't. what actually happened was is that she realised the actual relationship is much different than the idea you have in your head

I guess you could argue that if she truly loved ej she would've "fought" a bit more, given him more grace, but I think at that moment she knew that wasn't the life she wanted either way and it would be the same story come the new school year when they are again in two different places. also gina in 3x07 is much aware of who she is than in 3x01

it's like when people say she broke up with ej for ricky but if that was the case why did she push him away the next day and waiting a month to confess her feelings instead of opening night. if she truly felt nothing for ej she wouldn't have still been upset the next episode and moved on much quicker.

I think what people should say is she liked ej but she loved ricky

even after everything and not being 100% sure she felt the same back, she was willing to put herself out there because he was a yes not a maybe. she saw how he acted during the summer and had her realisation that she still had feelings for him this whole time. again nothing to do with ej but because of who ricky was as a person

what I'm trying to say gina breaking up with ej wasn't about love or ricky (like they said multiple times in the show) but her wanting to be more in control of her future and needing to be with someone who did put her first AND a month later she knew would be able to do that

also liking/loving and being in love with someone are all very different things

[filmmakerdreamst]

Ahhhh! I can't believe someone actually read any of my HSMTMTS posts let along liked some of them! Thank you so much, I felt so validated lol. I totally want friends in this fandom so yeah let's talk about it! It's a good time too, time to catch up int he hiatus :-D

eeep! Ok I'll tell you my HSMTMTS story!

I hated the High School Musical movies when I was little. Everyone was nuts about them and I just didn't get it. (Mind you, I had only seen bits of it at the time) Being an Artsy kid, there was no escaping them. I had to learn the songs in the School Choir, For Plays and in my singing lessons. It was hell. Could be that I wasn't a big fan of Disney. I grew up with gritty British kids TV like Tracy Beaker - so everything I watched on Disney was extremely sugary in comparison.

I did however watch the movies fully when I was alot older, and they weren't as bad as I initially thought, but they still didn't really do it for me personally. Maybe because I'm not the biggest fan of musicals I don’t know.

I was aware of HSMTMTS when it first came out. I had already been told that they were possibly going to do another High School Musical - which turned into a tv show instead. I did initially cringe at the idea but what intrigued me to it was Sofia Wylie (I was a big fan of Buffy in 'Andi Mack') But the clips I saw didn't particularly. 

I saw the Season One Finale moment where Ricky confesses his love to Nini and..they just seemed to be like every average Disney Couple to me. (especially since they were a carbon copy of Troy and Gabriella) Under developed, Cliche, Main Guy + Girl ending up together, Singing while gazing into each others eyes etc.  

I found the scene to be awkwardly co-ordinated as well. The way Nini immediately flipped round, to walking towards him smiling didn't strike me as very natural. 

Generally speaking the main couple of a show shouldn't put a viewer off from watching it if they don't like them, but it does to me a lot of the time. Possibly one of the reasons why I never got into High School Musical when I was little - so the clips I saw of the show didn't really interest me. Josh and Sofia's acting (especially Josh) was the only thing that stood out.

Its only until Season 2 came out that I saw the videos of Ricky and Gina -- I went.."oh hello. "

At first, I was like, this the typical  'plot device' loosing side of the love triangle ship where the girl unrequitedly pines after the guy that chose his inevitable endgame over her - so might as well forget it.  

The only thing that indicated to me in the few music videos and scenes (out of context mind) that I saw that Ricky might have feelings for her too was his eyes. 

Must give props to Josh in the eye acting department, because I feel like he expressed Rickys POV very well. 

I did see their chemistry and all that, but never thought they were ever going to go there because Disney Shows never do with those types of pairings e.g. where its less obvious and cliche. 

The Main Guy does not end up with a girl who was originally supposed to be a side character on a Disney Show. (And lets face it, someone who isn't white passing) That rarely happens. Typically, on those types of shows, especially today, the main characters end up with their 'endgame' from day one and thats it.

I also saw videos of her and EJ and I was like 'no'. Even before watching the show, I didn't find them to have that much chemistry - they just seemed pretty bland to me. 

I heard somewhere by the end of Season 2, they were  supposedly doing a 'Next Generation' in Season 3, and the original cast weren't coming back and I was like 'noo that means Ricky and gina won't happen' I don't know why i thought that.

Then I heard on twitter that the writers were going to explore Ricky and Gina in Season 3, and i was like 'SHUT UP! NO WAY' and my interest in the show peaked from mildly interested to INVESTED SO FAST. 

The show quickly went from (to me) a cheesy reboot to the Deepest Show on Disney.

I then watched the show in context, and honestly it proved me wrong (the show itself was better than I expected) Ricky did have feelings for Gina, but he was scared of them because she was new and also he felt guilty because he was actively pursuing his old gf before he made a connection with her. So as soon as she left, it's felt like to me that he saw it as an easy out and went back to the safety of his old relationship. But when Ricky and Nini got back together, it wasn't about being 'in love' anymore, it was about having a constant or dare I say, "familiar" relationship that he could cling on to because his family was splitting apart and he felt alone. 

And you can see in the Valentines Day episode, that he's clearly freaking out when she comes to his house and if Nini hadn't called, I'm pretty sure he would of got lost in the moment and cheated. Because sure, he loved Nini but what he really wanted was Gina. His attitude towards her in that Season doesn't make sense if you assume he doesn't like her that way. All these comments saying 'Oh Ricky misunderstood Gina's confession' are BS. If he misunderstood her, their relationship wouldn't have been as awkward as it was in that part of the season. 

Gina was the one who cut him out of her life, not him, because she recognised that he was going down hill. Ricky respected that decision and gave her space until she said it was ok for him to start talking to her again. 

Basically, I find them to have the deepest, most realistic bond on that show. It's not a "straight up romance".  It's not flowery or Disney-esque.  It doesn't have a typical A- Z plotline e.g. 'enemies to lovers' or whatever. It's beautifully complicated and 100% genuine. Plus Josh and Sofia's chemistry is Electric man!

Tell me about your story! Love to chat about it!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Laisse tomber les filles 3

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape; size kink; age gap; manipulation; tags to be added as story progresses

This is a dark!fic and Lee Bodecker x (short) reader and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Synopsis: You find yourself ostracized on campus by your shyness, but your reticence won’t deter an unwanted suitor.

Note: Lee’s slowly creepin’ and I hope you’re ready for it.

Thanks to everyone for reading and thanks in advance for all your feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 As usual, I’d appreciate if you let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

You slurped the last of your shake through the straw, the paper cup damp in your cold hands as the heater blew out hot air. The foamy dregs of the drink were overly sweet and made your cheeks twinge. Lee popped the lid off his cup and offered it and you slipped yours inside. He pulled the straw out and stacked the lids, squeezing both straws through and setting it on the seat beside him.

He stretched his arm over the leather, his hand just behind your head and you listened to the deep voice of the narrator recount the eerie words of HP Lovecraft. You fidgeted and looked at your watch. The sky was dark and the stars twinkled down ominously.

“Um,” you uttered, “I think... uh…”

He looked at you and his hand hovered close to your shoulder, “what is it, honey?”

“I think I should get home,” you finished.

“Oh, why’s that? You don’t got class tomorrow, do ya?”

“I don’t but… well, I’m tired,��� you rubbed your neck and sat up so he couldn’t touch you, “I had an early morning.”

“Well, of course,” he retracted his arm and straightened up, he pulled the car into gear and slowly pressed down on the gas, “you should get to bed, little girl.”

You scowled at the venom in his last two words. He’d been nice but he had no right to patronize you. You hated that most. People thought because you were quiet they could just treat you like you were dull.

“I’m not… not a little girl,” you eked out.

“Ah, I didn’t mean nothing by it,” he said as he pulled out of the lot, “you are little though, ain’t ya?”

You felt a peculiar heat creep up your neck and cheeks. You were short but you’d met a few people smaller than you. People came in all shapes and sizes. You didn’t comment on his stomach or the wrinkles around his eyes. Yet, the humour in his voice kept you from rebuke.

“I guess, I…”

‘I don’t mean it as an insult, you see?” he chuckled, “kinda cute you can’t reach the floor.”

“Mmm,” you inhaled and pursed your lips. You pulled the collar of your pea coat closed and wiggled your foot nervously.

“I see,” he said, “you got your friends waitin’ on ya, huh? Yeah, young girl like you don’t wanna be hanging around an old man all night.”

“I didn’t say that,” you said.

“Hey, I’m not stupid, I was only bein’ nice,” he interrupted, “you looked lonely and I… I got carried away.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t…” you scrambled as he passed by the college entrance, “I was… I don’t know.”

“Well, you’re in such a hurry, honey, you can’t wait to be away from me,” he ranted, “actin’ all sweet and shy but you just like the rest of them.”

“What?” you grimaced and watched the buildings pass by, “no, I’m not. I…” you felt guilty as if you’d done something wrong. All you wanted was to go home and lay down, but it felt like a personal affront. “I… lied.”

“What?” he asked as your voice fizzled.

“I lied, sir,” you confessed, “I don’t have any friends. Not really, just… classmates.”

“Nah, that can’t be true,” he scoffed, “who wouldn’t wanna be friends with a pretty girl like you?”

“No, no, please, I… I’m sorry, I just want to go home, okay? I’m tired,” you cupped your cheek and slumped in defeat.

He was quiet for a moment as he drove along. He turned along the line of residences and streetlights flashed over his profile as he stared at the road. He flipped into park as he stopped in front of your building and nodded. 

“Alright, I believe you,” he said at last, “I don’t wanna keep you up and I didn’t mean to get so upset. It's just, well, I like being with you.”

“It’s fine, thank you… for everything. The milkshake was good.”

“No, I mean it, it’s a pity no one else can see it,” he went on, “you’re real smart and nice. You got a pretty smile too when you show it, too.”

“Thank you,” you said quietly as you gripped the door handle, “that’s very kind. I should go--”

“Wait, wait,” he caught your arm, not tightly, but kept you from getting out as the door opened an inch, “can I come back? Next week, we’ll have another shake and listen to the show. I’m really curious what happens.”

“I don’t know, I… I have lots of work to do,” you looked at his large hand on your arm. He dropped it and wiped his palm on his brown pants.

“You bring your homework, honey, you can study and listen, I don’t mind,” he offered, “if you don’t want a shake, we can get some burgers and fries. Have a nice dinner?”

You smushed your lips together and thought. He hadn’t done anything bad enough to warrant that feeling in your gut. You were overthinking things just like you always did. Besides, he had to be almost fifty, he was just being friendly, he said it himself. 

And what else did you have to do? You didn’t have any friends and it was too late to start making them.

“I… okay,” you said softly, “my book club ends at seven. It’s over at Clover Hall.”

“I’ll find you there then,” he smiled, “now go on, before I keep you out any later.”

You got out and scooped out your bag with you. You closed the door and headed up the path without looking back. You got to the door and focused on unlocking it. Your hands were shaking and your mind was reeling. You always lamented being little more than a fly on the wall but it was completely overwhelming to be noticed.

📚

You clacked away on the keys of your typewriter. Your dorm room was small and stuffy as dry heat rose from the dingy old radiator. You could hear your roommates in the kitchen as they gabbed and laughed loudly. You were jealous yet too intimidated to try and ingratiate yourself. You always just ended up in the corner as everyone else had fun.

Your assignment was to write a review of a primary resource borrowed from your visit to the archive. You carefully looked over the laminated manuscript between sentences. Your small radio played in the background and you couldn’t help but nod to the full tones of the jazzy music.

You were drawn from your entranced study by a knock at your door. It was unusual to be disturbed unless there were chores to dole out. You didn’t have time to wipe up their messes again. You got up and went to the door and opened it an inch.

“Hi,” you said meekly as Gina stood with a box in her hands.

“This is for you,” she held out the package, “it was down at the residence office.”

“Me?” you let the door fall open and took the box, “I don’t…” You looked it over but there was no address, only your name, “thank you.”

She left without another word and you nudged the door shut with your elbow as you turned. Your parents only sent you letters, they didn’t like to pay the pricy postage for a whole package. You put the box down on your single bed and peeled back the brown tape. The flaps came open and you peeked inside curiously.

You took out the skirt, a yellow plaid piece shorter than anything you’d ever owned. It was the new style found on the cover of Vogue. You put it aside and reach for the blouse, a pure white thing with bell sleeves. Lastly, a pair of knee high heels to top off the mod look.

There was an envelope amid it all, the note inside short and scribbled.

‘Saw this and thought of you, honey.’

You stared at the paper and folded it back up. It was a nice gesture but you couldn’t wear that. You couldn’t accept the gift either, it was too much. Every garment you owned was second-hand and you’d seen the prices of these clothes in the magazines. 

And, you wondered as you packed the box and shoved it against the wall, why would the sheriff buy you all that? His friendliness made you uneasy. It was suffocating and yet, you could find no fault in someone being too generous. 

You realised too, how little you knew about him. What if he had wife or even a family? What if he didn’t? What if he was only doing it to fill in some gap in his life? Maybe he was playing out some father-daughter relationship he never had.

Well, you could ask him next time you saw him. Or try to.

[jcforsapphics]

Hsmtmts 4x06:

Why did no one bother to tell Ricky and Gina the play got cancelled they are literally the lead actors

"It was always just a high school musical" I can decide if that's sad and symbolic or cringe I really can't

Emmy is actually the best character this season I'm sorry

"Wait so you're single again?" Maddox. Baby girl.

Season one flashbacks omgg

Aww Ash and Kourt the fact they joined for eachother

MR MAZZARA WAS IN A BOY BAND??

I LOVE LOVE LOVE ALL THE FLASHBACKS TO SEASON ONE THIS IS MAKING ME EMOTIONAL

"And that was the day you named me" "and that was the day you saved me"

"Everytime I look at a cow, I think of you" Seb I don't think you're doing what you're think you're doing here

"I was once in a serious relationship" *collective gasp* "with a woman" *collective extra gasp* fr tho

SEB AND NATALIE???

Seb was in the wrestling team?? Did we know that??

THIRD CURSE WORD DROP?? AND IT'S RICKYY DESERVED!! My man would definitely curse so much if it wasn't a disney+ show

Gina laughing and then being like "I'm sorry, was that out loud?" Is just something I felt was worth mentioning

GINA LOOKING AT RICKY AFTER CARLOS TOLD SEB HE LOVES HIM I FEEL THE RINA LOVE CONFESSION COMING IT'S GONNA HAPPEN

SEASON ONE GINA OH HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU MY LOVE

"I already taught myself how to knit hats" we know!!

"Find something you like in this school, and try not to kill it"

RINA FIRST EVER INTERACTION HELLO?? THEY ARE EVERYTHING I-??

"Love is lame, idiot. That's why I avoid it." So there are some things you should know about your future gi

SKATER BOY AND INTIMIDATING GIRL

Ok so Gina saying Ricky intrigues her makes more sense now and I love it also totally understandable why this scene wasn't in the actual first episode because everyone would have caught on to them being love interests immediately

"You had a vibe. I had an instinct." THEY WERE ENDGAME SINCE DAY ONE

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you" "I could say the same" THEY'RE SO?? Also ms jen crying, she represents me

"All good things must come to an end" not high school musical the musical the series tho my silly little alphabet show will last forever hahaha!

Emmy solo!! Let's gooo

Ok I'm really liking her voice I better see this actress in other places soon

Ok where the fuck did all the students come from did they not leave the room

Why. Why is Ricky being called to the councillor office babygirl what did you do

HE GOT INTO COLLEGE MY BABY BOY GOT INTO COLLEGE

Y'all are not taking Gina away from me istg

[galindaelphaba]

Reading your replies and your anons and my point of view put my poor girl in a bad place but I have to be honest: After this episode, I felt they were trying to show that Gina is very much in love with EJ and trying to do everything to save what they have and spend time with him but him is falling out of love with her, I wouldn't be surprised if the breakup is initiated by him. I just think is curious is almost as if he is the Anna in the situation now. I wonder where this leads to the finale

Hi thanks for your ask - I actually love talking about the show and sharing my thoughts/opinions. While I get what you are saying, I have to say while I agree on some points I kinda disagree on others. This is pretty long but I think it is worth the read for most rinas (but I have put it below the cut because of the length).

I agree with you that the breakup will likely be initiated by EJ, and I also think they have shown that his feelings for her have been going away (I won't say love because I don't view pw as in love on either side). I also agree that they have shown that Gina is doing her best to be a good girlfriend and try and save the relationship. She is the one putting in all of the work. However, I do not think this is because she is in love with EJ. We have to remember what Gina said to Ricky when she confessed to Ricky "I don't do anything right the first time, Ricky. I just keep pushing and I never quit". This quote, highlights what I think is going on in the relationship. Gina is trying so hard to get her first relationship right and she is not someone who is going to quit on it. That is why we see Gina trying so hard - it is ingrained in her personality to do everything she can to get it right. If she fails, she just tries again and again until she gets there in the end. Gina is always pushing through.

I think what they were trying to show us was that the canoe promposal was Gina's Hail Mary to try and save the relationship. They have been showing us repeatedly that pw are not compatible and the other thing we have been seeing repeatedly is that Gina ignores the issues in the relationship. Essentially, there have been mini blow ups and problems between them almost every episode and Gina tries to speak to EJ about them and he doesn't listen. Even though in pretty much all of these problems Gina isn't at fault, EJ doesn't listen to her and they never address the root cause of the problem. Gina keeps pushing through and trying to save the relationship because that's what she knows how to do best. But the problem with that is, they keep putting band-aids on problems and not fixing them, which means they just happen over and over again. At some point, they have to realise it isn't working - and I think for EJ and Gina that was the canoe scene at the end of the episode.

I think with EJ, Gina may have thought she loved him - but I personally don't think she actually did. Gina was feeling rejected and she was experiencing a lot of sadness last season, so she sought comfort in EJ. After all, EJ liked her and she felt like he was kind to her. I think for Gina, it was easier to bury her feelings for Ricky and run from them by dating EJ. But the thing is, she can't push these feelings away. While they haven't shown as much of Gina's pov this season I think we can see there are lingering feelings for Ricky when he shows up in episode 1. Now here Ricky was, showing up. And as we see from the rest of s3 - Ricky is not only showing up, he’s staying around - just like Gina said to Jack in 2.09

Following from this, I actually think one of the most important rina episodes is 2.09. In this episode there is a lot of rina symbolism about planes and safety. In the confession scene, Gina tells Ashlyn she confessed because the 'plane was going down' and later Jack tells her to 'sit at the back because that's the safest part of the plane'. I think this symbolism represents that for Gina - EJ was the safe choice, he was there and he liked her. She couldn't be with Ricky because she thought he didn't reciprocate and that she would be hurt. I feel this symbolism is kind of backed up by Gina's lyrics in Second Chance - 'I'm safer when I'm on the run'. Gina is choosing to run and push through her feelings in an effort to be safe.

I think that similar reasoning can be applied to Ricky - in terms of his relationship with Nini being the safe choice. In the Rini break up scene Ricky says that he stayed with Nini because she was 'safe'. When everything was falling apart Ricky tried to cling to his past and what had been safe before. But we see in the confession scene that Ricky looks down conflicted after Gina confessed - he had just gotten back together with Nini but he wasn't sure it was the right choice, but he thought Gina was leaving so it didn't matter. He felt something for Gina back then, but he was too scared to make the leap because Gina represented change in his life. Fast forward to s3 and we have explicit mention of Ricky's bucket list - with one of the items being 'Say yes to something that scares you'. This is not insignificant - they have deliberately drawn our attention to this item and not only that but they brought up the bucket list again in episode 6, so it is most likely going to come back into play in the finale. When Gina confessed to him, he had the opportunity to say yes to something that scared him, but he let it slip through his fingers. I think by the finale Ricky will get a second chance at 'saying yes to something that scares him'

Also, I realise now I haven't addressed the EJ = Anna part of the ask now, so I'll pivot and answer it here. Honestly, I don't really see that at all. I think that Gina has been pretty Anna coded all season. Gina, like Anna, is in her first relationship and she is idealising it and ignoring the problems. Like Anna, Gina jumped into her relationship because she was feeling a sense of loneliness and disconnection. Gina, like Anna, hasn't yet realised that Ricky (Kristoff) is the one who is showing that he loves her through selfless actions and putting her needs above his own.

In essence, they have tried to set up an amicable and mutual break up with pw. They have been showing since the first episode of the season that they are in different stages in their life and their different levels of relationship experience showed through in how they acted. I think they have illustrated pretty well, that while Gina tried her best to save her first relationship - sometimes relationships end and just don't work out and that's ok.

[homemade-ghosts]

Helloooou I haven't read the famous leaks but I'm worried they speed up RINA so much next episode, what I love about them is the slowburn of it all, and I NEED Gina's to be as rough and honest to Ricky as she wish, to tell him how she felt back then, but I feel we don't have much time there is so much that needs to be happening next episode ugh why the best season is only 8 episode

I totally understand your concern (& I wish this season was longer, too) but what I will say is that I don't think that this slowburn is quite done burning yet. 

There were a couple hints in 306 that Ricky may have been aware of Gina’s feelings all along (you might be asking yourself, “okay, but why is this relevant to my ask?” I promise, it relates lol). First, when Ricky tells Maddox that Jet worked hard to win Color War for her because, “maybe he just wants to show [her] he cares.” and Maddox ends her response with, “I just don’t wanna let my guard down and get hurt again, you know?” there’s this look of sadness that washes over Ricky’s face and, for a few seconds, a kind of somber instrumental plays to emphasize his reaction. It isn’t quite the Rina cue, which the show has always used during the rare moments where we get Ricky’s perspective on their relationship (the car scene in 105, when Gina comes back for opening night in 109 and Ricky talks about how tough it is to see her, how it’s like she never left. Then again in 305 when he tells Gina, “I guess it’s hard not to just say what you feel, you know?” + in 306 when Gina calls Ricky “the best” for helping her with her promposal to EJ & again when Ricky is crying at the end of the episode) but, it is pretty similar in tone. & I don’t think it’s a coincidence that, immediately after this, Gina comes into frame and gives Ricky one of their signature high-fives-to-hand-holds. To me, it felt like Ricky was acknowledging last semester. It felt like he knew that Gina had let her guard down for him and because of him and he had hurt her, however indirectly.

The second moment is when Ricky tells Jet, “I can’t believe I let Color War slip through my fingers.” and Jet replies, “You mean Gina?” This evidence is a little more damning because you can’t lose something you don’t think you ever had in the first place. If Ricky never knew how Gina felt about him/thought she only ever saw him as a friend, then he wouldn’t be saying that he let her slip through his figures because that heavily implies (to me, at least) that he knew he had a chance with her and he’d missed it. 

There’s a potential third moment, when Ricky tells Jet that he’s done “more than a few things [he’s] ashamed of.” but I won’t include that one officially because I can’t tell if it was meant to relate to Gina at all (or if it was a reference to how he acted while dating Nini or something completely unrelated to either).

The reason I bring this up is because I think it sets up these last two episodes pretty perfectly, in a way that won’t be rushed. pw will breakup either before or during Camp Prom (that’s already been set up with all the miscommunication, secrets and now the lack of fireworks) in ep 7 and then, after the [redacted] Ricky will confess his feelings, maybe reassure Gina that he isn’t expecting anything from her and if she doesn’t feel the same way that’s completely okay, he’ll back off and they can stay friends. Gina will admit that she never truly got over him, that she’s always had feelings for him...but it doesn’t end there, they don’t get together. It’s not that simple. Gina tells him how heartbroken over him she was last semester and how she isn’t ready to jump into anything just yet. Ricky says he knows, that he’s so sorry. That everything he’s done since then is to make up for that. He promises he will be there whenever she’s ready, if that’s what she wants.

If things go this way, with Ricky & Gina both laying all their cards out on the table, but agreeing not to jump into anything, then I think the pacing is actually pretty perfect and it’s a good set up for them to get together in early/mid season 4.