#hsmtmts analysis
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HSMTMTS: Ricky’s story arc as told by his songs. From I Think I Kinda You Know to Love You Forever (Part 1).
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.
I’ve made countless of posts about Ricky’s growth over the course of the show and there’s some points I won’t be focusing too hard on but check them out for context: (X) (X) (X) (X)
Let’s start with the first song we hear from him on the show: I Think I Kinda, You Know. When we start the show, one of the things we learn is that the reason Ricky and Nini broke up is because she made a post on Instagram singing him this very song and telling him she loves him. She was expecting him to say it back but he freaks out and runs away. Then, the first day of school, he expects things to get back to normal with Nini but she’s dating again, has flourished (Nini’s words) and wants to audition for the lead at the school musical. Ricky decides to join too and sings this song to her during auditions in hopes of getting her back. He mentions during his little monologue that the reason he didn’t say it back is because his parents don’t say those words to each other anymore. Ricky’s parents relationship and divorce did affect the way he viewed his own romantic relationships.
Some lyrics: “It’s just three little words, yeah, it’s not a big deal, it’s not like I can’t help felling all that I feel and by now I’m sure you’re thinking it’s too obvious but just in case it’s not what I’m saying it’s I think I kinda, you know” and he closes with “guess I’m saying I don’t not love you.” He does not directly acknowledges that he loves her in front of people. He feels unsure. Nini doesn’t take this as a good sign.
Ricky gets the role of Troy. Nini gets the role of Gabriella. Still, Nini isn’t convinced that Ricky is serious and calls him out for invading her space and taking the opportunity from others. In the next episodes, Ricky tries to be a good Troy to prove Nini he is being serious but she isn’t impressed. Nini breaks up with EJ due to his jealousy (and that he food poisoned someone). Ricky takes Nini’s words about not belonging on stage, thinks he is making it worst with her and wants to drop out of the musical. But later, a conversation with Gina about how he has his own style makes him change his mind. In his family unit, everything is a mess. He finds out his parents are getting a divorce and his mom might be leaving SLC for good. He goes to talk to Nini and they share a nice moment where they agreed to still be there for each other as friends despite the chaos around the musical. He tells her about how different everything is and how scared that makes him feel. In Ricky’s mind, he wishes everything would go back to normal (and that includes Nini as his girlfriend).
I don’t even need to explain how much Ricky hates changes. It’s a statement he drops every episode until he has to overcome it full on.
By the homecoming episode, he is convinced him and Nini are over because she friend-zoned him. He goes to the dance with Big Red. In this episode, he is unreasonable annoyed that Gina brought EJ as her date (and can’t even understand why) and after a bit of a setback with Gina, he goes to apologize and their first connection occurs. Both of them have some family drama so she can relate to his situation. After, when he drives her home, he discovers a new side of Gina and confesses the reason he stayed on the show is because of her. The school musical, Troy, and having that space has allowed him to cope with his family issues and so her encouragement is something he needed. Ricky becomes the first person that gives Gina another chance instead of thinking she’s the bad seed, which brings up another song: When There Was Me And You.
I always wondered why they’d give this song to Ricky when is a Gabriella song so it must mean something for his arc. And does. On 106, Ricky offers an acoustic idea of the song which gets rejected by the drama club, except for Gina who asks to hear it. You’d think it doesn’t mean much but the song implies a lot of things with the camera blocking. It subtly implies that the idea of his relationship with Nini is related to his internal issues. We first have Ricky singing the first lines to Gina as: “I thought you were my fairy tale. My dream when I'm not sleeping. A wish upon a star that's coming true. And everybody else could tell. That I confused my feelings with the truth. When there was me and you” all of this while Nini is outside. And just when Nini enters the frame, here comes the lyrics: “I'm only left with used-to-be's and once upon a song. Now I know you're not a fairy tale. And dreams are meant for sleeping. And wishes on a star just don't come true.” Back to Ricky and Gina: “'Cause now, even I can tell…” and then frame changes on Nini leaving: “That I confused my feelings with the truth” and lastly, back to Ricky looking at Gina: “because I liked the view when there was me and you”. It subtly implies what the show keeps telling you. He feels like he needs to be with Nini because it’s the status quo in his life. Gina represents different and new and that’s scary. Nini feels steady…safe.
By 107, Ricky and Gina have become closer and their connection is very apparent. Ricky learns his mom has a new boyfriend and doesn’t know how to deal with the situation. He thinks about calling Nini since he thinks she’s the only one able to ease his mind. Just for Gina to show up and be what he needed, by understanding him and encouraging him. At this point on the show, he is very focused on his friendship with Gina, not on getting back with Nini, even when he knows she’s single now. Thanksgiving ends badly when Gina gets a call from her mom telling her they have to move again. In Ricky’s perspective, the one person that has helped him and encourage him is leaving him too. And in a way, this validates his biggest fear: Good things won’t last and changes aren’t positive.
The next episode, Gina had already left. She’s not even in this episode. Ricky is insistent and keeps texting her despite Gina not responding. In Gina’s absent, he bonds with Nini over their childhood memories and when his parents were together. They almost kiss (after Gina finally texts him she’s gone). And he is then basically back to normal now. Nini still likes him. Everything will be fine. He is back to status quo. This is when Ricky and Nini’s most important duet comes: Just For A Moment.
This song isn’t featured on the show (just on the soundtrack) but it’s acknowledged on 109. Ricky’s singing the first verse of the song to Big Red and it says: “I feel in love with the only girl that knows what I’m about…” but then Big Red thinks is about Gina. And I just think it’s funny the first and only time this song is mentioned, it’s used to remind the audience of Ricky and Gina's situationship. And the song itself is self explanatory, it’s about two people that still have feelings for each other but the most important thing is that the song talks about momentary feelings. Not long lasting. It goes: “When we're underneath the lights my heart's no longer broken. For a moment, just for a moment. When we're singing side by side there's so much left unspoken. For a moment, just for a moment. A moment in love. A moment in love. But is a moment enough?”. That’s the question. The song also talks about giving it another try in a better place and a better time. It’s basically about Season 2 and their second attempt.
The season finale has some moments such as Ricky singing Get'cha Head in the Game and getting distracted over his mom bringing her new boyfriend. This causes Ricky to drop out on the second act and seeking Nini from advice, only for that to be Gina (a recurrent theme). During intermission, his mom tells him not all couples are meant to be together and some people change. This is foreshadowing to Ricky and Nini. And just when he thought he was ready to step back and just watch, Nini is singing Breaking Free with him. Everything in Ricky’s life is changing but Nini is a constant. And you’d think him finally saying i love you on the finale is a full circle moment but is it, truly? I’ve said this, Ricky blurting out the words was more of a desperate attempt to hold onto something safe (X) since everything else in his life was changing. Gina came back only for one night (or so he thought). His mom has a new boyfriend and a new life in Chicago. He said the words Nini wanted to hear and talks about childhood (the thing he won’t let go of). Everything about Ricky’s confession feels a bit fearful and unsure. Just like that very first song.
Ricky ends Season 1 in denial about himself. He went backwards because he thinks getting back with Nini is what will make his life right again. He said “Maybe I’m just who I’ve always been” but that’s not true. He changed. He met Gina. His parents are not together anymore. And he cannot cling to Nini (who’s changing too) to achieve that desired normalcy/safety.
Season 2 is the lowest point emotionally for Ricky. He is back again with Nini but despite saying the big 3 words their relationship just proves to be out of sync. Does not help that his abandonment issues (because his mom thinks getting a divorce is running from your child) makes him clingier and paranoid while Nini wants to try new things. It doesn’t help that his life keeps changing and he can’t find a sense of fulfillment. Or the fact that Gina is back and he knows their relationship is still a big question.
Season 2 starts with Ricky and Nini’s second chance at their relationship. Everything seems to be perfect. The first song Ricky sings for the season is “Perfect Gift” which is a very cliche Christmas song. But it foreshadows one of their issues thought out the season. The lyrics are: “The perfect gift that I could give to the perfect gift (…) You were a home for me when I had no one there. I promise you that I’m not going anywhere…” and continues: “When seasons change and I’ve lost my way it’ll be okay with you by my side”. This sentiment later explodes with the song Nini wrote about the Beast (Ricky): The Rose Song. Nini felt like the Rose, trapped inside a glass. Ricky views her as this perfect girl. She feels like a something and not someone with deep layers. Ricky is holding onto Nini to maintain some sense of normalcy and this makes her feel trapped which leads to their communication issues. Ricky learns two things in 201: Gina is back at SLC for good and Nini is leaving for a music school in Denver.
Side note but I spoke about how funny it is that the same episode Ricky calls Nini “home” in his childhood home, he finds out he has to move. Talk about symbolism. So, for the following episodes, Ricky and Nini’s relationship is not compatible. It doesn’t seem like either of them know what the other wants or needs. Ricky is trying really hard to hold onto the remaining of Nini while he keeps falling apart and looking for a sense of happiness that he isn’t getting. This season, especially the first half, it feels like he cannot connect with the drama club and Gina, who used the only person to motivate him to exist in that space it’s not speaking to him. And I won’t try to repeat myself too much, I’ve said this before, Season 2 Ricky wasn’t trying to be insensitive on propose. I feel like Ricky didn’t think he had that much of an impact on Gina, probably due to his own insecurities. He had a girlfriend. He was scared and in denial. Ricky was not emotionally ready to be with Gina. And he tried really hard to avoid their situation and ultimately accepted her choice to be distanced.
On the Valentine’s Day episode, we get that very nuanced scene between Ricky and Gina that I’ve explained before (X). During this day, Ricky has been trying to sing a song for Nini but he does not find the motivation to do so since they have been out of sync the whole day. It’s Gina who gives him the idea of singing it to her over the phone. I don’t know if I could say “Even When/Best Part” is an important song because lyric wise it tells us what we already know about him clinging to her but I love the fact they sing the songs separately and they never manage to sing it together. It represents their relationship at this point extremely well.
This season actually draws a lot of parallels between Ricky and The Beast. He spends the majority of the first half kind of isolated and you can see he isn’t trying to connect with anyone except for Nini. He laches out constantly and isn’t putting effort on his own happiness but relaying on Nini. He even makes that comment to Miss Jenn. They were metaphorically The Beast and The Rose. And Gina’s arc was in a way also paralleling The Beauty/Belle (X) and this is reflected in how “Home” a song for Belle is used to point out Ricky and Gina issues from Gina’s view. So, in the next 5 episodes we don’t get Ricky related songs but emphasis on Ricky and Nini’s deteriorating relationship. We get songs like Granted and The Rose Song that are basically reflections of Nini’s desire to branch out and be herself. It all reaches the climax for Ricky’s arc on 108 when he decides to break up with Nini. He points out what we’ve been saying: he wants to protect what feels safe and by doing so he isn’t a better person. All of this takes form with Let You Go. It’s a song Ricky needed to sing to close off this part of his arc.
As the song says, he is letting go of Nini and the fantasy because their romantic relationship is broken and there’s not way to fix it without further hurting each other. Some lyrics that are key: “Tear the treehouse down, give up the fantasy”. The treehouse that represented their childhood, what was keeping their relationship alive. And “I'm pickin' up pieces left and right. Now that our hearts are both untied. It'll take time. No one can say we didn't try”. I’ve said that it was important for Ricky to have the reassurance that he at least tried to safe their relationship which is why he needed to get back with Nini on Season 1 so they could discover for themselves that they were not longer compatible and it wasn’t helping them.
Funny enough, the next episode after that it’s titled “The Transformation” making reference to The Beast “transforming” into the Prince. They even rehears this very scene. After Ricky breaks up with Nini, there’s notable differences. It’s like as he sings, picking up the pieces of his life. He helps Carlos make a song for Seb and opens up. He fully commits to the show and it’s actively taking part in it. He apologizes to Miss Jenn and accepts her relationship with his dad. The only relationship that seems to still be at odds is his relationship with Gina. And I feel a huge part of that has to do with the fact he learns EJ had a crush on her and wants to take her on a date and he might’ve thought he was doing Gina a favor by keeping the distance. It’s important to understand here that Ricky was respecting her choice to put boundaries w him.
The songs that Ricky sings as The Beast, aren’t particularly expressing something about him but I think the fact he managed to fully finish the play in the second act speaks about him understanding that he made a commitment to the group and I think it was important for him. Lastly, Ricky’s very complicated Season 2 arc ends with “Second Chance”. A song that is not just meaningful for Ricky’s arc but the others as well. For Ricky’s arc, it’s all about starting over.
In the last episode, Ricky speaks to Miss Jenn about how difficult everything has been for him and how he still isn’t sure about what he is, he came as a skater and is leaving with his second opening act as part of the drama club. He says he isn’t happy yet but it’s getting there. At this point, he is looking to move on and be a better person for himself now that his chapter with Nini is over. Ricky is finally accepting changes are impossible to avoid and that he needs to go along with it and embrace new opportunities. His part for Second Chance is very especifit: “Who knew that love could be so bittersweet when it finally meets the end? But there is somethin' in this summer wind. A moment to begin again” check notes: summer with Gina. And it continues with Ricky repeating “begin again, begin again” and another thing I think is interesting is how at the end of the full version there’s a question Ricky and Gina seem to be the only ones to sing about “what can make the fire burn? what can make the tide turn?” And you hear Ricky’s voice asking “what does it take?” As I said, Second Chance is Rina coded.
Ricky’s journey to self improving and embracing new chances starts on Season 3. I will tackle Season 3 and Season 4 in Part 2. Sorry if this was too long. If you like this please reblog, it took me so long to gather all of this.
#hsmtmts#hsmtmts season 4#hsmtmts analysis#hsmtmts s4#ricky bowen#joshua bassett#rina#gina porter#ricky x gina#nini salazar roberts#rini#rina hsmtmts#text post
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One of the most basic writing advice writing coaches give is that you should have character driven stories and not story driven characters. This means that your characters are supposed to make things happen, not the other way around. The plot is supposed to be driven by the characters actions and where they take the story. It's not supposed to be circumstances throwing the characters around, and I think that's the main difference between S1-2 and S3. S1 and S2 were character driven.
Ricky decides to join the theater club, Nini wants to quit, Gina's trying to make Ricky stay, EJ is being paranoid about Ricky and Nini. Almost everything in S1 was character driven, the plot would not be working if the characters weren't making all of these decisions.
Even in S2, Miss Jenn decides to get the kids in a contest, Nini leaves Salt Lake, Gina decides to stay in Salt Lake, EJ is trying to become better without Nini, Ricky wants to keep his relationship with Nini long distance. Again, most of it is character driven.
S3 on the other hand, seems to be more plot driven. Disney so happens to want a documentary at camp, EJ is thrown into directing because he was there, consequently neglecting his relationship with Gina, Corbin Bleu shows up for the show and he wants to start drama, Gina and Ricky are recorded and it's going on the show, there happens to be color wars, there happens to be a prom. Most of S3 is plot driven. Things that happen to the characters come from outside people or circumstances. There would be no portwell problem plot if EJ wasn't at the wrong place at the wrong time and picked for a directing job he had no experience on, just to give an example.
This is why I like S2 so much better than S3. Yes, S3 is bigger and obviously has more budget and structure than S2, but the characters took a back seat to the plot, and that I don't condone. I understand if some people like S3 better, i do. I'm just not one of them.
#hsmtmts#Hsmtmts analysis#Disclaimer that this is just what i think#You don't have go agree#This is just based on my observations
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I LOVED THE CHEATING STORYLINE (ACTUALLY)
First, a little bit about me: I am a polyamorous bisexual writer with queer liberation ideals. This is just so that you (beautifull reader that took the time to read this) understands where I am coming from.
So let's recapitulate:
Carlos and Ashlyn plus all of the wildcats except for Big Red and Seb leave for camp, leaving the two boys to spend a lot time together were they grow closer and their relationship understandably strengthens.
So, we end up with two boys that are missing their romantic partners and all the affection their romantic partners can give them. They decide to go see a Harry Styles movie (whyyy?? harry styles- it should have been better Fire Island, anyways). And in the darkness of the cinema Seb reaches for Big Red's nachos, and Big Red for Seb's popcorn. Hands brush, it reminds them of the romantic affection they've been missing, but it isn't enough so they kiss.
And kisses CAN be platonic. Nothing happens, except that Big Red discovers he's bisexual.
Their romantic partners return for camp. They have to tell them about the KISS because if they don't say anything it would be cheating, but Big Red is going to Cairo (for some weird reason). Seb, well there are some rumours about Carlos cheating, which Seb isn't bother by, in his mind he did the same.
He found out does rumours aren't real. Carlos didn't cheat unlike him. The guilt consumes him, he's a coward so he runs from his problems. Seb ignores Carlos for the rest of the summer and two months after that (if they start in the 1st of september, idk how it works).
Seb tells Carlos about the kiss, but it comes out all wrong. Now its too late for the kiss to really being nothing, Seb ignore carlos for 2 months-ish. Plus he says he cheated, which really what is CHEATING?
Is it kissing someone? Is it having sex with someone? Is it entering a romantic relationship with someone? Is it entering a sexual relationship with someone? Is it having feelings for someone?
Carlos & Seb never defined what is cheating for them, and the way Seb says it, it could be anything of the above.
PLUS cheating involves in some way getting tired of the other person and wanting to look for something new. Which Carlos internalizes, but is definetly not how Seb feels about him.
Big Red comes back from Egypt, the first thing he does (after yk doing all the things you do for a trip) is go find Ashlyn and explain himself, and apologize (sort of). Because how he sees it, it wasn't cheating because for him platonic kisses aren't cheating and he still loves Ashlyn, for Ash is a bit different because she doesn't know what cheating is for her, and they also never established what cheating was for each other.
But is fine because Big Red came to her with the truth AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (I'm looking at you Sebastian). Plus they both knew their relationship was reaching an end.
Reminded by Ashlyn, Big Red goes to Carlos to explain the situation, but is too late Seb already ruin it. It was too late, the wording was not the best ("Do you know who was the guy that Seb cheated with?" / "Me". Like, damn). And again CHEATING implies the person that cheats getting bored with their partner and disregarding their feelings.
So yeah, Carlos is feeling bad. Because all this time it had been Seb who had giving Carlos the side eye for the possibility he might cheated with boys on trips to México or Camp, etc. Carlos, who has had to manage the effects of this insecurity of Seb's, then has that same insecuirty made real by the same person that already feels it.
Therefore, a very shitty situation. Because again Seb saying "I cheated on you" is very different from "I kiss Big Red, it didn't mean anything".
And as we know it was all that implied cheating that affected Carlos, not really the kiss on itself. So in true Seblos fasion, he needs a song to be reminded of how much Seb trully loves him, how much he values him.
And we finally get the Seblos (frankie & joe) duet I've been waiting.
Seb finally gets a chance to do things right, explain himself and Red, and assuage any insecurities Carlos might have.
The End.
Which, wow, it was a very convoluted storyline, just type it down, now, I can see how long it was.
So for my recap of it, you can see that I really don't see Seb and Big Red as cheating, because again it was a PLATONIC kiss. That being said, Seblos and Redlyn should have talk about what is cheating for them, and is platonic kisses are part of it, well that changes things a little bit. But yeah. For me what Seb & Big Red did wasn't cheating.
Now lets get into what Seb and Big Red did wrong.
Big Red, you did things very good actually, just don't try to act so proud of it "my coming-out origin story" to your girlfriend? Dude, a bit more tact next time.
Seb, Seb, sweet, sweet, Seb. Do you even know your boyfriend? You did everything wrong. You IGNORED Carlos, a person which craves attention, you make him feel your own guilt about cheating even when he didn't, and make him feel like he did something wrong in the relationship, when you thought it was you who did the wrong thing.
And then, instead of explaining what ACTUALLY happened, you say it in the way that will be MISINTERPRETED and cause a lot of insecurity, insecurity which you HAVE/HAD by the way.
Like I know you aren't good at talking things out loud, but this is a whole other level.
Now, why do I love the storyline? As I declared in the title of this post.
Well 1st CARLOS. I love how this plot allows us to go in deeper with Carlos' insecurities, and even a throwaway line of the exuberant body standards of/in the gay community.
It also gave us a Carlos that fought for Seb, when he wasn't talking to him. Like in S2, he would have just give him the cold shoulder too, called it a day, and if they never talk again, well it would be more self-pity to drown himself into.
It gave us Miss Jenn & Carlos bonding over their broken hearts, Ashlyn & Carlos moments talking about their partners (and queerness), Carlos & Kourtney caring for each other.
It gave us a freaking Seblos duet (though I know we could've get this any other way).
2nd Seb. Like I know that I have been to harsh on him, and that's because he messed up. And I LOVE that about him.
Like Sebastian has always been this perfect character ("Sweet Perfect Innocent Seb" as Carlos call him), but now we know it isn't always easy to be sweet, perfect, and innocent.
And he messed up in a way that was actually in line with his character, like he is definitely the person that drags out the problem until he can't ignore it (Points to S2), and doesn't want to deal with it.
Carlos messes up a lot, but now we find out that Seb does too.
3rd Big Red. I love his outlook in this whole situation. How he looks back at the moment and doesn't think "I cheated on my girlfriend" but rather "Wow, cool bi awakening". Because again, he wasn't into Seb, it was a platonic kiss, all it did for him was making him realized that he likes kissing boys, and boys in general as well as girls.
Which brings me to the fact that we finally got to know Big Red's bi awakening. Is it controversial? Yes. Does it perpetuates stereotypes? Depending on how you look at it, because although Big Red doesn't look at it as cheating, Ashlyn has more mix feeling about it, and the guy he kissed definetly thinks they cheated.
4th, it was a freaking queer storyline. Like normally I hate cheating as a way to cause more drama into a relationship, plus being the reason the character break up. But the way HSMTMTS queered it all the way.
Like I definitely can SEE this happening on a queer friendship group irl. Like the Redlyn break-up is the queerest scene on the show ever, Big Red's whole different out look on the situation, Carlos' insecurities about why Seb cheated, how Seb reacts to the whole thing, and the uses Halloween to try an fix it. The fact that it was a platonic kiss, which both parties know didn't meant they were into the other person, but that they just like to kiss.
Very, very queer my friend.
Lastly, I have mostly been talking about it from my own interpretation and my feelings about it. But I want to talk about how I saw it was received.
And that was, not so good.
Which I do and don't understand at the same time. On the one side, I am in part of the crow that says that relationships don't need to have drama to be interesting. Especially, when the only drama mainstream authors can think about is, cheating, fear of being cheated on, and jelousy. Like very boring my friend.
Then there's the whole "Bisexual Stereotipe" in the room, which true (most people don't even care about Bi men) is not the best. However, I want to ask, why are we so insistan on looking good? Why do we crave acceptance so much?
If a may I would like to bring attention to this next excerpt from Bi Notes from a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Esner:
The idea of unfaithfulness also brings into light the metaphor of the bisexual as traitor (one of my personal favorites). The dictionary defines
treason as “a betrayal of trust,” or as “an attempt to overthrow the government . . . or to kill . . . the sovereign,” a definition that betrays, if you will, bisexuality’s function as an agitator. We can think about bisexuality as betrayal of the trust imposed on us by power structures, as well as embodying an attempt to overthrow or “kill” hegemonic order. We can then use this as a gateway to betraying monogamy, patriarchy, governments, countries, and wars, betraying the “LGBT” (meaning, the GGGG) movement, for promoting the assimilation of our communities and cooperating with oppressive structures. We can be traitors to anything that confines us, and to anything that stands in our way: all power structures, all oppression.
Which actually brings me to the last idea of why I think people are reacting badly to the storyline, we are not used to see queer people mess up in media. With this I mean that we are either demonized or made into paragons.
Let me pick another quote from Will Williams, amazing creator of Valence a super duper queer Urban Fantasy Podcast:
So like, there’s this — there’s this idea of “bad representation”, of showing queer people in a negative light as complex and fucked up characters. [...] There’s this idea that showing queer people like this gives cishet people more reasons to hate us.
And I understand that. I absolutely do. [...] But where I am right now, my philosophy is, cishet people will always hate us. They’ll always find reasons to think that we’re abhorrent even if we’re the most morally upright person in their eyes, regardless of being queer. [...]
I don’t — I — because I’m a mess, and because I’m a queer person, and because I have huge monumental flaws as a person, I really struggle to feel represented by most things [...] So when I think of the media that matters to me, and makes me feel seen, and gives me catharsis, and makes me feel represented as specifically a queer person, I always think of really fucked up, messed up queer characters hat other people might point to and be like, this is bad representation. I just don’t think that there’s any such thing as good representation.
To conclude, I love the cheating storyline. Because in my book it wasn't actually cheating, we've got to explore the characters even more- let them mess up, and it was queer as fuck.
#hsmtmts#high school musical: the musical: the series#hsmtmts s4#hsmtmts analysis#hsmtmts spoilers#carlos rodriguez#seb mathew smith#ashlyn caswell#big red redonovich#seblos#redlyn#sebastian mathew smith
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Gonna drop this quick and run. But hear me out. I will start by saying that Ricky may very well have genuine feelings for Gina. I'm not dismissing that. I just couldn't help but notice somethings about Ricky's reactions here:
As soon as EJ and Gina start fighting in 3.05, Ricky immediately covers his ears (kinda like a child does when their parents are fighting at home). I get the feeling he was used to his parents fighting a lot when he was younger, and his instinct was to cover his ears. He also looks at both EJ and Gina in 3.06 during the canoe scene. I think it's at that moment that he realizes just how much EJ and Gina truly care about one another, and how much they're fighting for their relationship. Thinking back to S2, he was also fighting really hard for his rela with Nini. But he learned to let her go because that was for the best. He actually gets that advice from his mom, who he understandably holds a lot of resentment towards. I could be wrong, but I read his expression in the 2nd gif as someone who has seen his own parents fail to save their relationship, but sees two people, despite all their recent tensions, still fighting for their relationship.
Earlier that day, Ricky comes face to face with his dad's new girlfriend and is presented with a gift from Mike via Miss Jenn:
I definitely think Ricky still feels uncomfortable at the idea of his teacher and father dating, even if he's trying to act like he's okay with it. When he receives the gift, he's not exactly happy about it. It's sort of surprises him, but not in a good way. Perhaps it's a not so subtle reminder that things have really changed for him back home. Later that day, he sees EJ and Gina trying their best to save their relationship, then hears this from Jet that night:
Jet, being "little Ricky" and all (3.02), admits that he feels like it's his fault Madison and Maddox broke up. Does that not sound like how Ricky feels about himself in terms of his parents marriage? Perhaps he also blames himself for the downfall of his parents relationship. He couldn't save it or fix it. Instead of dealing with his own problems, Ricky is throwing himself into Jet and Maddox's issues to try to save their relationship. I think the majority of Ricky's issues in terms of romantic relationships always goes back to his parents, which they still haven't fully addressed. Three seasons in a row, and Ricky's main storyline revolves around his love life. If there's any chance for Ricky to truly move forward and find the path to true happiness, this season has to end with Ricky single and not ready to mingle and being okay with that. He hasn't taken any significant amount of time for himself to himself. I also think it's difficult for him to see EJ and Gina have the kind of summer he was expecting to have with Lily. While I don't think Lily broke his heart, I do believe she broke his trust. He even blames himself for why things fell apart because he said "How could I be so stupid?" in 3.01 during his breakup w/ Lily. He shows up to camp and the first image he sees are a genuinely happy and loving couple (Portwell). It seems like Ricky wants what they have because he was expecting to have a fun summer in a new relationship. Jet's line above definitely hit a nerve for Ricky because I think it reminds him of how things fell apart for his parents. In order to escape the pain he's feeling, Ricky tries to "fix" the relationship problems around him. One last thing, I don't think it's a coincidence that 3.06 is the first time this season that Ricky's acknowledged his past with Nini (also in conversation with Jet). In Ricky's eyes, he's had two failed relationships in a short amount of time, and to overcompensate for that, he tries to fix everyone else's relationship problems instead. I'm wondering what the last two episodes have in store for his character arc, because so much of it so far has been romance-based. For this character to actually progress in a positive way, he has to learn that it's okay to not be okay and that true happiness doesn't come from being in a relationship.
#hsmtmts#hsmtmts s2#hsmtmts s3#hsmtmts analysis#hsmtmts speculation#hsmtmts jet#hsmtmts maddox#ricky bowen#gicky#ej caswell#gina porter#portwell#hsmtmts lily#nini salazar roberts#rini#mike bowen#lynne bowen#miss jenn#ricky bowen meta#thanks for reading!
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HSMTMTS Maddox Autism Analysis
I had to use my laptop for this one, cause I'm not about to write all this shit on mobile. However, I shall not be adding gifs and pics to this one, cause i don't have those on my laptop, and i think there is a limit to those anyway. This one's long, and not guaranteed exhaustive cause my memory is Meh, at best.
Anyways, Onward!
General Info
So just from Promotional Material for Season 3
Maddox:
Techie Who always follows the rules.
The most excited person for Camp.
Hates Change
Comes to the same camp every year
From these, we already can see the building blocks of a targeted interest and a need for routines. The always following the rules is reminiscent of Autistics not breaking rules due to simply not thinking to.
Once the show itself aired, Maddox pretty quickly showed multiple indicators as well. For the sake of organization, I'm going to break these down as Tics and Tendencies and give a few examples, rather than by episode.
Irritation/Panic at unexpected changes in schedule
Saylor mentions frequently that Maddox is really struggling in Season 3 because for the first time, something is drastically disrupting this yearly escape. Unlike Ricky who, while panicking at the change, is able to actively work against it, Maddox struggles with fighting the change and usually must physically remove herself to prevent a more extreme reaction.
Maddox begins already thrown off due to Jet being sent with her to camp.
Dislikes when the Auditions is interrupted by Jet arriving an hour late.
She isn't hanging out with EJ this summer, likely due to feeling thrown off that he brought an entire troupe of friends.
Literally everything in Woman in the Woods - and going to her hiding spot to avoid a full meltdown.
RCOSL changes how she normally does the set direction in order to cause drama - again runs off after her and Jet's fight.
Really struggles with Madison's initial appearance at camp.
Realizes she signed to go to NZ before getting with Ash, and completely removes herself from the post-production celebration that LITERALLY every other character attended.
Very Literal Speaking
Several times when Maddox accidentally gets herself in trouble its because she says something that doubles as a pointed metaphor, even though she was being literal.
"...that kind of bond is....Forever"
"...you just got to commit to one side, of the boat....or else you'll fall in..."
"You have two minutes" - and actually timing it
"....and well, life has other plans..." - not realizing Ash could take this as an attack on her relationship.
"...Yeah my crystals haven't charged in like a month" - thinking Jet is literally taking about what she was actively doing.
Scripting
Maddox has multiple moments where she communicates using a clearly practiced script, and a few where she struggles once someone doesn't react how she expected and she did not have a response ready.
Shallow Lake Welcome Song
Introducing herself in the Honeycomb
The automatic little Thank yous when that one kid compliments her at a few points in the season.
The safety information on Newbie Night
The Woman in the Woods story is scripted - she gets interrupted and starts mixing up scripts when trying to get back on track.
Truly awful improvised scripting during RCOSL. Also not having the words to tell Carlos to lay off the whole 'hot for Jet' thing.
Memorizing all the lines she would need as a PA on the flight.
We literally see her scripting her confession to Ash.
Fumbling through talking to Ash about the NZ move, as she didn't think it was a conversation she was going to need to have.
Info Dumping
When Maddox gets excited, she frequently starts info dumping without thinking about it, usually while also kind of tuning out whats happening around her.
Several times in 3x03
Talking about her favorite nigh before she realizes no one is listening.
again when leading the group to the tents, when she is giving the rules and safety information.
Info dumps about rising signs before Ash gets upset and leaves.
general tips for color wars with Gina in 3x06
Snapping
Maddox tends to snap when deciding what to say to someone.
When she calls out Carlos for changing the cast list
We can hear a snap when she first asks Ashlyn if she was a Leo rising
She snaps when getting annoyed at Jet and Ricky when she directs them
She snaps after finishing her script for confessing to Ashlyn
Tapping/Clapping
Maddox claps and taps things when idling or when she is in between actions. Generally, if she's not got her hands in her pockets and isn't holding something, then she's doing this.
Maddox taps her hands together after Ashlyn catches her attention about the letter.
Clapping hands together as she talks when entering the honeycomb.
Taps on the set pieces when not using the drill.
Claps her hands with the paper star when Carlos suggests she likes Jet.
Taps on the bunk beds while talking to the girls after Camp Prom.
Taps on the broom while cleaning after Opening Night.
Claps her hands while talking to Ash in the hallway when walking to set.
Taps the tree stump that Ash hands her.
Shaking Things
Not as common as the tapping, but if Maddie is only using one hand she tends to shake the object she's holding.
The Letter to Big Red
The Markers after signing the wall.
The pamphlet on PA barking
Facial Expressions
Maddox's face tends to either be way more expressive than expected for the response she is giving, or way less. When she is alone, or with friends/Jet, her expressions are more free. she spends less time guessing and just lets her face to whatever its going to.
During RCOSL, her expression is almost unchanged, probably due to having to think about it constantly.
Once Newbie Night started going downhill, she paid more attention to seeming fine.
She is a lot more open in the fourth season, except with Quinn, where she remains professional.
Special Interests
More than pretty much everyone, Maddox has clearly defined interests
Camping
Set Design
Production
Possibly 80's style Camp Humor/Horror
Avoiding Adverse Stimuli
Okay so Maddox has exactly ONE coping mechanism, and its removing/Distancing herself from the situation.
Stands by the stage instead of joining the crowd on Welcome Day.
Does not return to the Bunks until very late.
Sits alone brooding when Jet takes off
Goes to hiding spot after scary story is interrupted
Stays by the wall for much of movie night
Building set/Managing costumes alone, instead of adjusting to help.
Operates more or less ALL of stage alone using a switchboard. Including in Season 4, when we know she has stagehands available.
Goes to hiding spot after argument with Jet.
Goes to probably commit balloon homicide before Jet stops her.
Hides from Ash to avoid NZ conversation.
Mentions that she doesn't actually attend Camp Prom all that often and normally goes to prank the boy's bunks.
Its okay, she'll probably get better about this with her now robust support system.
Anyway, there is definitely more, but this is what i can remember without immediately re watching the show again and going episode by episode.
#hsmtmts#high school musical the musical the series#hsmtmts maddox#hsm the series#hsmtmts analysis#autism#hsmtmts headcanons
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I've seen a lot of takes floating around about how we shouldn't make excuses for EJ/Gina/Ricky while talking about the others' mistakes. I can't help but wonder -
Am I the only one that's Team-Make-excuses-for-everybody?
Because fundamentally these characers are pretty young and that summer of firsts has put a lot on their plates.
EJ - isn't spending enough time with his girlfriend and friends? Yeah, because he was slapped with the huge responsibility of making a blockbuster musical work in a few weeks and nobody is helping him. (They are learning their lines and cues to be fair, but no one offered to help him plan for the read-through in that tent? Not one person?)
He's not telling Gina about the letter until she finds out for herself? That's absolutely bad, but he was planning on telling her after he had sorted it out. Which, let's be real, wasn't going to happen before the end of the summer after the documentary came out, so his plan really wasn't very likely to go well and even if it did, he would have still been in the wrong for not confiding in her.
But it makes sense, too. When we first meet EJ, he's a jock who gets leads in the musicals. A popular kid with grades impressive enough to make it reasonable for him to get into Duke. He's also prone to schieming and sabotage and has no clue how to sincerely apologize. We later find out that there's a lot of pressure to be perfect from his dad. You can't tell me that EJ grew up in an environment where it would have been acceptable for him to be vulnerable about something he was struggling with unless it was already in the past and he had already handled it. There's a reason this kid doesn't know how to apologize and I'd wager it's the same reason he doesn't know how to talk to his girlfriend about a something he doesn't yet know how to fix.
That doesn't make it okay, but it makes it understandable and I'm willing to make excuses for him and sympathize with him anyway.
Gina - is being passive-aggressive towards her boyfriend instead of talking to him directly? Yeah, because she's discovered that he's hiding something from her and I think the first few jabs were meant to give him the hint that he should maybe explain himself before she would bring it up. She's been busy with getting the lead in Frozen and trying to be 'a good girlfriend' for the first time, only to learn that EJ is hiding something from her and has been confiding in someone else about it instead. That would upset anybody. And I truly believe that most of her anger has been her trying to force a conversation, even if it wasn't in the healthiest way. Which is perfectly understandable.
She's also showing glimpses of old habits? Of course she is - ambition is not inherintly a bad character trait and "Gina 1.0" wasn't very long ago, so of course she has that ambition in her still.
(Tbh I have a whole analysis in defense of Gina 1.0 that I wrote when I first watched that ep, so if anyone's interested in reading that I might still post it.)
And Ricky - has a crush on Gina while she's in a relationship with EJ? Yeah, that happens. It's already tough to rebuild a friendship after having had crushes even when those romantic feelings haven't lingered. Trying to navigate a friendship while having a crush on an unavailable friend is deeply complicated.
And that is what he's trying to do! He's not trying to interfere in portwell at all. We know what Ricky looks like when he's trying to sabotage a relationship and this isn't that. (I could make a whole other post about that difference tbh.) This is Ricky and Gina, who never got closure on their feelings for each other, trying to act like the casual friends they were before she ever pulled away from him. Only their casual friendship was founded on electric understanding that was likely already hurtling towards something way back then - so finding a new normal, that will actually look casual to the outside world (nevermind feel casual), is a tall order for both of them.
(Not saying their attempt at friendship will leave them driving off into the sunset together anytime soon! Just saying that they've got a difficult goal here and it's bound to be awkward as they try to figure out new boundaries.)
At the end of the day, these characters are all trying to navigate pretty complicated romantic situations while also having a lot of other stuff going on at the same time. Be that the musical, the documentary, pressure from home, having to defend your ambitions to your best friends, or having to find your place in a group where some of your strongest connections were your ex, your ex-friend who you have a crush on that can't be more. (And I'd also list Ricky's friendship with Carlos here, but tbh their friendship is pretty uncomplicated so it's not relevant to my point right now.)
Of course all of them are going to make mistakes, but they're all very understandable. The discourse around not laying blame at only one character's feet feels to me a bit like people trying to justify their fave or even their ship at the expense of (more) nuance. (Which is also totally fair, I just felt like I had to throw my own take into the ring as well.)
#hsmtmts#portwell#rina#ricky x gina#ej x gina#ej caswell#ricky bowen#hsmtmts analysis#gina porter#i hope it's fair for me to tag both the ships#i feel like they're both relevant to the post and I haven't really said anything bad about either#the musical the series the tumblr tag
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val saying that ricky needs ginas love and anna going to hans thinking he has the love he needs but it turns out that it's actually KRISTOFF's love she needs and the season paralleling frozen DO YOU SEE WHERE IM GOING WITH THIS
#rina#ricky bowen#gina porter#ricky and gina#gina and ricky#ricky x gina#gina x ricky#hsmtmts#disney#high school musical the musical the series#joshua bassett#sofia wylie#val hsmtmts#meg donnelly#frozen#kristanna#hsmtmts theory#hsmtmts analysis#rina theory#what do you know about love#wdykal
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Can't wait for season 3
#hsmtmts#gina porter#ej caswell#ashlyn caswell#kourtney greene#ricky bowen#hsmtmts analysis#portwell#seblos#hsmtmts s3
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Y’all so like Ik it’s a reach but
This:
Is giving me kristoff vibes.
Ej has the hair, Ricky rn has got the fit.
+I feel like In personality, Ricky is not suave enough to pull off a Hans and Ej would do it so well…
Idk I’m just alone on this, BUT EJ PLAYING A BAD GUY ROLE IN MUSICALS JUST DOES IT FOR ME-
#will0w-rants#ricky bowen#hsmtmts analysis#ricky hsmtmts#hsmtmts#i Can be wrong ofc but I think it makes sense#ej caswell#ej hsmtmts#hsmtmts season 3#hsmtmts s3
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Please tell me I'm not the only one who was disappointed by the quote "I don't do anything right the first time, Ricky". When we're introduced to Gina she's supposed to be this perfectionist that is stunned she didn't get the lead at this new school.
"My mom always says that if you can't be number one at something it isn't worth doing" I guess you could interpret that as don't stop until your the best but it also seems to more say "Don't do things you aren't the best at" or "give up if you're aren't the best". And Gina says this like it's also a belief she follows even if it stresses her out. So Gina saying she doesn't do anything right seems out of character.
Now think of instead if that quote was replaced with something like "Before I met you I thought I had to do everything right the first time"! It would show the significance of their relationship, how her character has developed and just how import he is to her.
Now one issue would be that Ricky didn't really do anything to stop the whole "must be perfect mindset" of hers which is an issues I talk about here. Watching the homecoming episode which is supposed to be the episode that changes everything Ricky doesn't really do that much. To me it seems like she just got a crush on him then decided to be nice in order to get him to like her which is shitty character development to give a girl especially when you compare it to come of the guys character arcs. I think if the homecoming scenes were followed up with a scene of him going to comfort her about her home life or asking about why she was acting so mean in the beginning then it would be better. Just really something to give Gina depth.
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hsmtmts . ep 102
july 6, 2:06 pm cst
completely unrelated but today i ended up accidentally cosplaying as jd from heathers with the trenchcoat and everything 😭
also this is me from after the episode, i wanna apologise for the huge text block + filling some of the space with personal anecdotes that have nothing to do with hsmtmts
"no, that... i'm not my grandma"
getting your measurements taken for costumes is the best thing ever
"he's already ruined this for me. ._."
throb my beloved
how to get your girlfriend back ft. richard bowen
ej's face before the intro card
why are people getting so excited over a group of chairs in a circle? yes, first rehearsal is always a magical moment but still
wait, is kourtney in the musical??
"i won't make eye contact" nini, he's your love interest
sneaky ej
but regardless of how sneaky one may be, there's no avoiding the ashlyn
hey, respect the stage managers >:[
"actually ej's my cousin!! :D" i love ashlyn so much
bonding with the cast is amazing
ej's face
"in a world full of no, this is a space full of yes" that is actually very inspiring
glancing towards your ex girlfriend and then her new boyfriend isn't exactly subtle, ricky
#SopranoMoment
when you're the only one closing your eyes:
ej's face
"did i just join a cult? ._."
people ignoring the existence of punctuation marks is one of my biggest pet peeves tbh
"sHaRpAy CoMa hEaDs fOr cLaSs pErIoD."
also why is there a coma after sharpay? that doesn't sound very gramatically correct
poor big red
aw ej
asking your girlfriend who texted her and then glancing at her ex boyfriend clearly texting someone after she told you it's nothing isn't exactly subtle, ej
seb my beloved
plot twist: miss jenn's mother is actually one of the zombies in zombies
"do you follow zac on instagram?" "no, but clearly i should"
this early rehearsal reminds me of that one time i had to stay late during a rehearsal of my school's musical to go over the details of a song and after i was done the guard at the door wouldn't let me go because i needed a special permission or something and the person that was supposed to give me that special permission disappeared for the next 30 minutes
i want nini's sweater
"aNd tHeN tHeRe'S tHe KiSs!!!"
oooh, hedda gabler
"go away" "no, you go away" go ash
"dating her doesn't mean you own her" gO aSh
oh ho ho ej
does nini forgive ash? i don't remember
"teach them the dance" ricky,,,
gina scares me
i wanted to see if the big book of broadway was actually a thing and one of the suggestions that came up in the search predictions was "the big boo of broadway page 374" 💀
after having had hsmtmts for two years this is the first time i realise the music playing for the curtain call rehearsal is actually we're all in this together
this gives me second hand embarrassment
ricky needs therapy counter: 4
OUCH
double ouch
i want to pat ricky on the pack and give him a big hug
being called by your character's name >>>>
"sorry i can't dance like fred rogers" "it's fred astaire"
sneaky gina
gina just had a thought
ricky needs therapy counter: 5
zoom off ricky
evil understudies mwahahaha
OUCH
aw, poor nini
nini is an icon
"i'm totally over ricky" lies
i'm a s1 rini shipper but woah, this is a great rina moment
gina gives great advice
she also has great music choices
"oh."
ricky is such a mood
the bells in the background >>>>>
imagine being able to dance in front of your parents
sneaky ricky
aw, ricky's so cute
sneaky nini
is ej bullying someone
awh wondering
ash is such a mood
back when i first saw this thing i didnt know who andrew lloyd webber was but now i'm squeaking
miss jenn's face
AWH WONDERING
this song is so amazing i cant
how does nini know the lyrics and the notes
ricky,,,,,,,
i've always thought nini's verse speaks about ricky and ough
this scene always hits me like a truck /pos
sneaky ricky pt. 2
ricky looks like a deer in headlights pt. 2
that's a lot of bubble wrap
possessive ej sucks
SEB,,,,,,
sneaky gina pt. 2
gina no
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If I'm gonna be honest, s3 ruined most of the characters and the show for me. I hate the fame plot, that they made EJ a bad bf, that they made the wildcats not be there for EJ at his worst (excepting Kourtney who was dealing with her anxiety pb and maybe Ash at the beginning with her pb, the others have no excuse for not offering to help EJ) which made them bad friends in my eyes (a real friend wouldn't abandon you at your worst), I hate how they made Ricky act once he started to have feelings for Gina (him flirting with her, trying to sing liaod with her, being mean to EJ bc of the jealousy and that slap wasn't a good look on Ricky especially since he wanted to slap EJ before he said the thing that upset Ricky), I hate how they ruined Portwell and made Gina not understand what he was going through (that didn't make any sense considering what she said in s1 when talking about the pressure her mother puts on her; I'm talking about this line about what her mother says: "If you're not no 1 at sth, it's not worth doing"), I don't like how they made Ashlyn ooc at the beginning of the season (she was too ooc) and I don't like what they did to Kourtney at the end (they turned her into a diva when she used to be one of the most down to earth ppl). Idk, but they changed so many things that it doesn't feel like the show I started watching. This is not what I signed up for...
I feel you. I went through something similar. I think all seasons of the show had their highs and lows. S1 was the best one, but S2 and S3 had a more dramatic contrast between the highs and the lows. For me, S2 was weak plot-wise. And it was to be expected, they needed to meet deadlines in the middle of a pandemic. The biggest strength on S2 (and ik i might get hate anons for this but idc) was the character building. I've had anons say Gina is less like herself in S2, and S3 had balance and I'm not sure I agree. S3 was good plot-wise (mostly), and did a great job introducing the new setting and the new characters, but i think they neglected the most vital part of the show which are the characters. Some parts were good, some were bad, but i thought in S2 the good outweigh the bad, and in S3 the bad outweigh the good.
I think the focus should be what you just said, you hit the nail in the head. "I didn't sign up for this." Whether you agree or not that S3 is good, everyone has to admit that it is different. The plot, the setting, the characters, almost all parts of the show were changed.
Some people were really into the meta-ness of it, the fame plot, the new characters, all of it. Some people (like yourself) hated almost all the new stuff. S1 and S2 tried to be down to earth, "I don't take myself seriously", relatable seasons. It was a story of some theater kids with normal angsty teenage experiences. S3 changed that because it was theater kids in a theater camp doing a documentary with freaking CORBIN BLEU for Disney+, and some of the main cast was gone (Some without explanation *cough* big Red and Seb *cough* *cough*). And while you can debate whether those were good or bad changes, it's not the same show anymore. It stopped being a relatable, kids in high school, down to earth show because idk abt you but i sure haven't done a documentary with Corbin Bleu, that's not a relatable experience. It takes away what you signed up to watch, what attracted you to the show in the first place.
Some fans loved the changes and are sticking around, some others aren't and i think that's perfectly fine. No one should judge anyone else for not liking S3 (and consequently not wanting to watch S4) because it's so different.
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lyrical analysis of love you forever
or, breaking down ricky's love (confession) for gina
we're a little under three months out from the series finale of high school musical: the musical: the series. I've spent those months freaking out over rina and appreciating the beautiful arc they got in s4 that closed out their story over the course of the series. there are a million special moments that rina has in s4 (I mean, a rain kiss? can I have this dance? a duet together about their commitment to each other despite uncertainty? we really got it all) but one definitely stands out among the rest. love you forever is ricky's declaration of love for gina that he sings to her at her press conference for her new movie that, as far as he knows, is about to send her across the world. this post is gonna be a line by line analysis of the lyrics, as well as talking about everything that brought them to that moment and that made it special. enjoy <33
I've been wishing on a falling star for too long
this line opens the song and is such a beautiful callback to when there was me and you, the song ricky all but serenades gina with in 1.06 (the lines it references: I thought you were my fairy tale / A dream when I'm not sleeping / A wish upon a star / That's coming true). wtwmay is a song that gabriella sings after troy's betrayal in hsm and when ricky sings this line, to me, it represents a callback to his past relationship with nini. he was holding on to nini and that relationship too tight, wishing on a falling star. as gabriella says, wishes on stars just "don't come true" and for ricky, this relationship ultimately ended in failure. however, as much as this line signifies the crash and burn nature of that relationship, it's also a reference to the start of his relationship with gina in that bunker room as he strummed on a guitar, in a similar fashion to love you forever, to these lyrics.
I've been running, I don't know what from
this line references the conversation that ricky had with ej in 4.05 when ej forces ricky to reckon with the fact that he runs away from those he loves when faced with hard realities and that this tendency hurts both those around him, but also hurts him. it's incredibly full circle when you pair this with the fact that ricky is singing the song on the guitar ej gave him after they sang speak out, where ej tells him that "you'll probably get more use outta this than me" (4.05). i think it's really cool that this line also references gina's similar character flaw of running when things get hard, which she also sings about in second chance (Maybe I'm safer when I'm on the run / No time to open up my heart / Maybe I'll hide behind my walls again / Instead of tearing them apart) (also important to note that second chance is non-digetic and ricky has never heard gina sing these lyrics). so fascinating that ricky and gina have the same habit of running, with ricky running back to things that are familiar and gina pushing forward to leave things in the past before they can hurt her.
But you and I've become a sacred kinda home
this is one of my favorite lines of the song, especially because this theme of finding a home is such a critical cornerstone for both ricky and gina's arcs throughout the show. ricky's home life in s1 turns on its head when he discovers that his parents are separating. pairing this with his breakup with nini nearly sends him into a spiral, but he finds a new home of sorts in the theater program, telling gina "it's just nice to have somewhere to go after school every day, y'know" (1.05), which she herself resonates with, affirming his feelings.
of course, at the beginning of s2, we find out that ricky and his dad are moving to an apartment after his mom moves out. this drastic shift, the loss of his childhood home, is again disorienting, and again paired with changes with nini, what with her moving to denver. in 2.02, he tells nini that she is his home, which is really interesting, placing that kind of pressure on her. but what's even more interesting is that he knows he's moving, knows from the beginning of 2.01, and yet nini does not find out about his new home until 2.03 on valentine's day, months later. this is juxtaposed to gina showing up to his apartment that same episode. it's especially special that ricky is placed in the same situation that gina typically faces, the unpacking and getting accustomed to a new space. it is those undertones that serve as the undercurrent for their conversation. the apartment is in disarray when gina arrives, and remains that way for much of the season. gina, however, is endeared by the messy environment of the apartment and jokes along with ricky to put him at ease. by the time we return to it in s4, it's (naturally) much more lived in, with clothes strewn about, pictures of gina, and aptly placed posters lining the wall of ricky's room.
as I mentioned earlier, ricky calls nini his home in s2. this line says that he and gina together have become a home of sorts for each other. singing this to gina is important for ricky, but it also speaks to the unpredictable nature of gina's childhood, where she moved from city to city, never staying in one place for more than a few months, which she tells ricky in 1.05. by the end of s1, we think that she has to move again, something that's harder for her now that she's made connections with the wildcats, namely with ricky. as we see in the flashback scene in 2.06, she tells ricky that she wouldn't quit on them if not for her move, that they would essentially remain close if she weren't leaving salt lake. of course, she doesn't leave and instead moves in with ashlyn. it's her first taste of stability that she can really remember, but as she tells carlos in 2.04, she feels out of place living in a house she doesn't own and with a family that isn't hers. these feelings culminate in gina wanting to leave, a subplot we see primarily in 2.05 and 2.06. after revealing to ashlyn what she said to ricky opening night of hsm, ashlyn sings home from beauty and the beast to gina, telling her that she has a home with ashlyn, not just physically, but within their friendship. there is so much symbolism in that one scene that we don't have time to get into but this moment definitely shifts gina's perception of what a home can look like. in s3, we learn that her mom is moving back to salt lake city where she'll be staying long-term to allow gina to complete her time at east high. in fact, it's in this very house that we get our first scene of rina in s4, with ricky sneaking into her window. one's room is a reflection of oneself, and ricky and gina are all over each other's rooms, both literally and figuratively, throughout the season. combining this with the connection between the two that only strengthens over the course of the season, it comes as no surprise that ricky sees his and gina's relationship as a sacred 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
my twitter account was littered with theories and thoughts and hopes for ricky's love confession to gina, but whether it was public or private, planned or spontaneous, the one thing that I knew I wanted was for ricky to say that he is in love with gina. so on august 9th when ricky got to the chorus of love you forever, tears started pooling in my eyes because the confession, which was already literally perfect, delivered my biggest wish. one of my favorite aspects of the song is how much it reflects their journey because these are all the words that ricky would tell gina in some big speech, evidenced by him practicing all throughout 4.07. but when it comes down to it, after references to moments between them and beautiful metaphors, it builds to him telling gina not only does he love her, but that he's in love with her. there's no doubt in his mind of this fact. the sky is blue, the sun shines, and ricky bowen loves gina porter. so much of ricky's love for nini was tied to fear, especially a fear of change. that his love for gina transcends fear, that he is confident in what he tells her both shows his growth in romantic relationships but also in how much gina has redefined what it means to love someone for him.
I've never been more sure of what I got, yeah / Cause this is so much more than puppy love, so
continuing with the theme of confidence, ricky tells gina that he's never been more sure of what he's got in their relationship. I know I'm bringing rini up a lot but that relationship is a perfect frame of reference for how much ricky has changed when it comes to love. both his singing of I think I kinda you know in 1.01 and his love confession to nini in 1.10, while genuine, are riddled with stuttering and uncertainty ("I think", "I don't know", etc.). when you compare the ricky of 1.01 and the ricky of 4.08 and how he attempts to use song to profess his love, the differences are stark, and that's the point. as he all but said in 3.08, everything he's known about love has been changed by gina and that is reflected in love you forever. I love the puppy love nod and think it's narratively important for so many reasons. for one, it's a reference to their first date, as well as to gina's childhood. in that vein, it seems to mirror what gina tells ricky in 4.02, that mack was a crush of her childhood. calling what they have "more than puppy love" also nods to their growth, not just over the course of the series, but even throughout the season. from dealing with scrutiny in the fallout of the documentary to gina's increasingly busy schedule to their temporary pause to gina nearly moving across the world, they've been faced with many problems, and while they didn't handle all of them perfectly, they handled them together and came out that much stronger.
I'll say it first, no matter what the cost / Here I am full heart, full stop / I love you
in 3.05, ricky talks to jet following the fallout of the real campers of shallow lake drama. he asks jet what he's running from and tells him that sometimes when feelings are hard to articulate, it helps to sing instead. with love you forever, we see ricky taking his own advice. I love that ricky is insistent that he tells gina "I love you" first, both because he wants to rectify mistakes from his last relationship, but also because gina says, in a talking head, that she doesn't want to be the first to say "I love you," (4.06) further cementing the connection that rina has. it also affirms that there is no doubt in either of their minds that they love each other and want to say it to each other. it's also important to note that ricky understands the risk of singing this song at this point in time. for all he knows, gina is about to board a plane that will be taking her to the other side of the world for six months. however, he sings this song, affirms his love for her, no matter the cost, because he just wants her to know. he loves her in salt lake, he loves her in new zealand, and he loves her forever. ricky sings that he is there with a full heart, full stop I love you. in an interview after s3's finale, tim federle, the showrunner, states that while nini will always have a small part of ricky's heart, gina has a way of making hearts race. this line, to me, symbolizes the notion that gina is his heart, that his love for her encompasses it. there's a beautiful analysis of ricky being gina's heart canonically that I think helps tie all of this together, establishing that gina is ricky's heart, just like he is hers.
of course, I would be remiss to not talk about the full stop of it all. as we see in a flashback in 4.06, ricky opens up to gina in their first meeting about how he struggled saying I love you to nini, his ex. after hearing this, gina presents him with a possibility you can tell he's never considered: "maybe you just don't love her, full stop." ricky stutters in response, but doesn't fully negate gina's statement, in fact telling her that he's "kinda" planning on telling nini through song later that night outside her window (ironic that this plan doesn't pan out for him twice in the show, both here and in 2.03). that he brings up this notion of full stop, where there's no room for doubt, in his confession for gina further proves how deep and real and true their love is for each other. super small thing before I move on but I love how "I love you" gets its own special moment of pause in the song to fully communicate the gravity of such a statement.
I never knew that I could feel so sure and so strong /How can three old words feel so brand new?
Again, this idea of being sure comes up again in this second verse/buildup to the chorus. ricky has done the love confession before. he's been in love before. but again, with gina, it's different. it's deeper, more strong, more secure. and so when he says these words, in a situation that mirrors his audition for hsm, of course it feels different. in that auditon, he was singing nini's words back to her. love you forever, in contrast, is all ricky. those three words do feel new because now he's singing them to gina and for gina, where previously he sang them for himself. also a really cool note about the parallels between ricky's audition and love you forever is that tim federle released the initial script for love you forever, and one of the descriptions writes that ricky "launches into the audition of a lifetime." this song, this confession, is the start of his forever with gina. of course these words feel new.
Mm, so rare, so real right here in this moment / And I'm starin' at the only thing I want, so
I tear up hearing ricky say that the love that he has for gina is both rare and real. both ricky and gina, at different points throughout the show, cast doubt on love. ricky says in a talking head in 1.01 that love is dead (fun fact: ricky is wearing the same denim jacket from that talking head during love you forever teehee). gina, in the 4.06 flashback, calls love lame. their faith in love ebbs and flows throughout the show, but once they are together, there's no question. it's why ricky encourages the seblos reconciliation in 4.06 or why gina tells jet to confess his feelings for kourtney in 4.08. if they've found this beautiful love in each other, where they got a second chance on love in every sense of the words, why wouldn't they want that for everyone else, for the people that they love?
the second half of this lyric, of ricky "staring at the only thing he wants," is my absolute favorite line of love you forever. ricky's eyes are naturally drawn to gina in nearly every episode of the show, whether she's looking at him or not, whether they're speaking or not. even before he recognized those feelings in himself, we could see it because she was always the apple of his eye. this rings especially true during love you forever, where ricky does not take his eyes off of gina the entire song, except when miss jenn turns the lights on. gina is the center of his universe and who he has been drawn to since she entered his life. there was a tweet after s4 aired that stated that ricky looks at gina as though he's falling deeper in love with her every time and this line captures that.
I wanna finish what we started in the stairwell where we met
the bridge opens with this line and it's so fitting. to suggest that committing to loving each other forever is finishing what they started when they had that first conversation in the stairwell is so insane and will always make me spiral when I think about it. this line all but confirms that ricky and gina began to fall for each other in that moment. that their conversation in the stairwell is what catalyzed their respective character arcs also all but confirms that they're soulmates, that there was an invisible string that connected them, inexplicably tying their fates together forever.
I wanna live like I have never even heard the word regret
both ricky and gina have instances that they look back on and wish they had done things differently. gina says so explicitly in 2.05 when speaking to kourtney. she alludes to her goodbye to ricky after hsm's opening night, stating that it was something she wishes she could take back. in 3.06, ricky tells jet that he wishes that he didn't let color war gina slip through his fingers, suggesting that he would've done things differently if he were more cognizant of his feelings for her. ricky never wants to feel like that again, that he's missed his chance with gina due to fear. he wholeheartedly embraces his love for her because he knows what it was like to live without it and doesn't want to live in a world where gina isn't his reality.
I wanna scream what's in my heart and I won't ever take it back
ricky and ej's duet in 4.05 is about speaking your truth and speaking even when it's hard. the song even has a line about "screaming out." where in speak out, screaming out solicits no sound, ricky singing this line in love you forever is him being able to vocalize the feelings in his heart. he also commits to never taking these words back. his feelings for gina are eternal and everlasting. this is important for gina to hear because words have always been unreliable to her. people that she cares about, whether her mom or jamie or even e.j., have made verbal commitments to her at one point or another, and each one of them has later reneged on that commitment, whether intentionally or not. ricky can say these words, can say "I love you" to gina, because he's been saying it through his actions the entire show. gina doesn't always trust words, but she trusts actions. ricky has more than proven his love for her, and it's this continued declaration through his works that allows these words to ring true for her.
'Cause I love you feels a lot like high school and forever after that
I made this observation a couple weeks ago but this line is so fascinating. when the season first dropped and I heard the line, I was a tad confused. what does it mean for love to feel like high school? I was listening to the hsm3 soundtrack when it all clicked for me. in high school musical, the final song they sing in hsm3, the last line is "I want the rest of my life to feel just like a / High school musical" with this line, ricky is basically saying that he will love gina for the rest of his life. throwing in a hsm reference is also incredibly fitting given that they've just completed the first night of their run as troyella, further cementing their legacy as the troyella of the show. i love that, even when the bridge is repeated, ricky and gina are the only ones to sing these lines. when the bridge is sung for the third and final time, ricky and gina are now together on stage singing the words "I"m in love, I'm in love, I'm in love" to each other in between the lines of the bridge. the song closes with ricky singing "I love you feels a lot like high school" with gina singing "and forever after that." I love this ending for two reasons: ending the song with rina singing together re-emphasizes that they're in love, and in love together (for the first time), as tim mentions in an interview. I also love it because even as the wildcats join to sing the bridge near the end of the song, ricky and gina are the only people to sing the lines "I'm in love x3" and "I love you feels a lot like high school." even though their friends step in to sing some lines, ultimately, the song is a love song for gina, about gina, and that's why it ends with her. as tim (love how much I'm referencing him) mentioned in an interview, rina is the beating heart of the romance of the show, and their friends coming in to sing along to ricky's love song for gina fully solidifies this.
#hsmtmts#ricky x gina#gina porter#ricky bowen#rina#rina hsmtmts#gina x ricky#my loves#gina porter x ricky bowen#hsmtmts spoilers#love you forever#lyric analysis#high school musical the musical the series#wow this got so long#like crazy long#i wasn't expecting it to get this long#but i'm not surprised#given that i could talk about rina for hours#i hope at least one person reads this#cause it took forever LMAO
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I understand why Ricky and Gina shippers are convinced S3 will be a romantic exploration for their ship b/c so many of the newest sneak peeks may suggest this (and the fact they've been content starved since 2.06. I get it. I do😅). However, I can't stop thinking about this moment:
Do y'all see how happy and playful Ricky is with EJ here? If you told S1 EJ and Ricky they'd be having a pillow fight someday they would have laughed in your face!😂 I just love how far they've come from where they started on the show. I would never claim that Ricky and EJ are the best of friends, because I don't believe that to be true, but you can't deny that they certainly started to really become friends by S2, esp 2.10 when Ricky tried to be there for EJ by helping him solve his problem. EJ seems to be wearing the same jacket from the trailer when he and Gina have what looks like another heart to heart (where he says he's "freaking out"). I believe that's 3.03, where Ricky and Gina go on a “spooky adventure” (or something like that). The very fact that Ricky is behaving this playfully with someone who he used to consider an enemy is major. In S1, Ricky very obviously tried to put a wedge between Nini and EJ b/c he wanted Ejini to break up so that he could get back t/g with her. Two seasons later, and what looks like could be the most fun he's had in a long time, I get the feeling Ricky isn't gonna try to cause intentional drama for Portwell. I actually think the fictional Corbin Bleu's character is going to cause more intentional drama this season for the Wildcats, including PW in 3.04/3.05 (I think those are the episodes):
Do you see how satisfied Corbin looks at whatever drama is unfolding? I think he really wants his documentary to be juicy and drama-filled, hence Ricky seemingly storming off out of rehearsals, and EJ following after him while Ashlyn looks worried about what she's seeing. Channing is clearly following all the drama with his camera, which makes me think Corbin intentionally pushed some buttons for Gina, EJ, and Ricky, but again, it's not Ricky intentionally trying to come between PW. I think this scene may follow the above:
You see how EJ initially looks happy as he approaches Ricky, then his smile drops when he sees Gicky playing around with that paper? I think it's possible he walked out after Ricky to try to comfort him after some drama Corbin started, but then he sees this scene play out in front of him, and maybe something (an insecurity, for example🤔) Corbin touched on earlier in the rehearsal space affects EJ in this moment. I think this might be Ricky just continuing to have fun during his summer, not trying to cause problems b/t PW. He and Gina are friends again, which puts them in a good place (which I was hoping for after S2😔). This might be Ricky just having fun with his friends, like with EJ in that pillow fight LOL 🤣but EJ misinterprets what he sees. Again, his girlfriend and the guy she used to have feelings for are playing romantic leads. EJ might be afraid history will repeat itself, but I doubt it. I feel S3 will have a diff outcome...*cough cough* Portwell Love Confession *cough cough*😉
Also, let’s stop acting like EJ will do anything to ruin his relationship with Gina (jealousy rising or otherwise). 🤦🏽♀️Did we forget what Gina said about him in 2.08? Let me remind you:
Y'all really going to tell me this don't sound like foreshadowing for their journey in S3? Just like Mitchie in Camp Rock 2 and Troy in HSM2, I guarantee you EJ will lose sight of what's really important to him for a bit, before coming back around at the end of the season by doing what's right and remembering his priorities (like his promise for this to be the "best summer ever" in 3.01)). Mitchie and Troy made similar promises at the beginning of their summers to Shane and Gabriella, before conflict rises mid way, then settles/gets resolved again by the end of their summers. That’s my prediction anyway. 🤷🏽♀️
(I should be writing up the 6 reports I have due soon, yet here I am. The power of Portwell. 😅 )
#hsmtmts#hsmtmts speculation#hsmtmts s2#hsmtmts s3#hsmtmts analysis#hsmtmts channing#corbin bleu#ej caswell#gina porter#portwell#ricky bowen#ricky bowen meta#gicky#ashlyn caswell#camp rock 2#mitchie torres#shane gray#hsm2#troyella#troy bolton#gabriella montez#ej caswell meta#caswen#nini salazar roberts#rini#ejini#just my thoughts
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let’s talk about how gina compliments ricky’s love language so much and he was able to be himself in this relationship as opposed to nini
You know, I appreciate how much this season made emphasis on how both Nini and Gina react differently to Ricky's love gestures. Nini felt suffocated by him. Gina wanted him to fight for her and do those big gestures. And both reactions are valid. I made a post last season about how Ricky and Gina’s love languages complement each other and I love how the show proves me correct on how I interpret this characters. This is going to be a lengthy post.
Ricky is pretty much a huge gestures type of guy. He is unabashedly romantic when he wants to be. He is also incredible clingy and someone that needs reassurance and affirmations. He gives love by big gestures and likes to receive love by words of affirmation.
His relationship with Nini ever since the start of the series showed how incompatible they’ve become for each other. To start off, I think Nini was unable to understand Ricky’s family situation because hers is very different so it might have been because of this that she didn’t understand his reaction towards a public declaration of love (his parents probably didn’t do that anymore). She was unable to identify what he needed from her and he failed to communicate why he felt that way. It goes both ways. He needed to say the words when he felt he was ready to say it. And that's very imporant.
But also, the first thing we learn about their relationship is that Nini feels like she was able to shine over the summer and it’s hoping for new opportunities that she feels Ricky holds her back from. Ricky is resistant to this and tries out for the musical to get her back, an idea Nini is not happy about because she feels he is invading her space. During his audition, he performs a song for Nini to try and tell her he loves her. He thinks is a declaration of love but for Nini is not. But Gina is actually impressed by this. And so, even with the first episode, the show lists many reasons why they don’t seem to be compatible anymore. Nini doesn’t like Ricky’s easy going approach to things. And is absolutely fair. I think she needs someone that pushes her to be more ambitious and that shares the same desire for challenges.
Ricky confessing his love for Nini in an outburst at the end of Season 1 felt like he forced it out because he knew that’s what she needed to hear from him to get back together. He was afraid to lose that sense of familiarity. It’s what makes his love confession to Gina so different because it was intentional. He was so sure and so confident and he wanted to tell her that despite not knowing what the future holds.
Early on Season 2, it's made clear they have completely different ideas on what the other is willing to do for each other. Ricky relied too much on her to have some sense of stability because everything at his home keeps falling apart. Nini just wants to spread her wings and it’s willing to go far to pursue her dreams (“I resolve to follow my dreams however far away they take me”) which is why she felt so trapped and suffocated by him. Ricky’s abandonment issues made him clingier than usual. I also think she was a bit rude at times and had a hard time trying to understand him. Like, when he said he was told he had not profitable qualities on the aptitude test and she brush it off and told him she didn’t come back for him. It was pretty harsh. I don't think neither of them knew what the other needed emotionally anymore. It was a bit of a mess and Ricky didn’t even know what he was supposed to do. Ricky’s love language for her was quality time and gestures but I don’t think that was Nini’s vibe. It got to a point she wasn’t receptive of his attempts at fixing their relationship. And as I said, Ricky needs to feel that his attempts are at least appreciated. And Nini never really did a good job at lifting him up.
A lot of Ricky's issues with how it went down with Nini is that he was dealing with his mom abandonment issues and Nini wasn't putting the same efforts into staying with Ricky (long distance or otherwise) and she's valid for this. But seeing it from Ricky's perspective too is like another person is also choosing to leave him.
Now, Gina is someone that wants to feel wanted. She wants people to fight for her. This is probably due to her family and how they didn’t put her as a priority growing up. How her mom barely even validates what’s important for her. This is why she liked EJ at first, because he gave her the attention she needed at that time. And it’s fair to say Gina gives love by words of affirmation and gifts. And likes to receive love by gestures and quality time. Same as Ricky.
She was impressed by Ricky singing to Nini at auditions on the pilot. She told Ricky to sing the song to Nini by the phone on Valentine’s Day because “every girl [her] likes a sweet gesture”. She threw a big surprise party for Carlos when they weren't even that close yet. She likes huge gestures. And I don’t think it was a coincidence when Ricky asked her back in Season 2 *if they were dating* and he went behind her back but for a good reason (and the whole thing about asking Miss Jenn if she can add Nini to the show last minute) if she’d like it. Gina answers that she would be flattered. Ricky took Gina's words without considering that this is not something Nini would want. For Ricky, it’s so they can spent more time together (and Gina sees it that way too) but Nini does not. She sees it as an added pressure. And you see how much Ricky's midset has been altered by his relationship with Nini that on Season 4 he thinks Gina would be relieved by Dani taking her place as Gabriella because she's been too busy with the movie despite him wanting them to spend time together. And Gina isn’t happy. For her, the the show is also a thing for them.
The season actually makes a lot of parallels to this. It also parallels this especifit moment from Season 2 when Ricky wants to send a *dumb* text to Nini that says something about "he is happy she's following her dreams but also he wishes he was her dream. And wants her to turn aroud and come back here. I believe the word he used was forever." And we know Nini would've felt pressured by that text. And that’s understandable. But the writers are so funny because on 408 during Gina's confessional she says she hasn't made a decision about the movie yet and wishes Ricky would fight for her a little more. And in Ricky's confessional he says he once told a girl (Nini) to stay home and it didn’t end too well so he doesn't want to make the same mistake. But Gina wants for Ricky to be Ricky and go all and beyond. But he has grown too much to be selfish. But he does end up doing what Gina wants by singing to her about forever fully expecting her to follow her dreams away from him without even knowing Gina had already decided to follow her dreams and be with him too. We truly love a full circle.
Moving to Season 3, it’s clear Gina likes the feeling of sharing things with a partner, and she saw how EJ was unable to give her that or even make space for her to be a priority but I do think there’s a lot of growth on Gina about understating the needs of her partner too. For example, Gina was able to give Ricky space after the whole Halloween situation. Ricky called her asking her for space and she allowed. It wasn't a break up, just mutual understanding that everyone needs a minute to take it all in and it's not because they don’t want to face it.
On Season 4, right off the bat, it shows us Gina embraces Ricky’s dorky and clingy side a lot. She likes his unexpected visits and ideas. She likes when Ricky plans stuffs and sneaks into her trailer. She likes when Ricky texts her a lot. Gina wants to feel that love because she lacked a lot of that growing up. Unlike Nini, who wanted to be free and get new experiences. Gina likes the stability Ricky provides her. And another thing Sofia said on a interview is that Gina likes how Ricky is very easy going because Gina is already too perfectionist. But mostly, I think you can appreciate how Gina encourages Ricky to be a little more ambitious while Ricky encourages Gina to be more relaxed. To be more giddy and bring down her walls. Nini felt like she coulnd't be truly herself around Ricky while Gina is the total opposite, she feels seen and understood with him because he is able to give her that with the way he is. And Gina does it to Ricky in return by making him feel wanted and appreciated for who he is. I do hope Nini finds someone (preferentially a girl) that makes her feel that way too. Seen and understood.
And also, let's point out how both Ricky and Gina's love language is also physical touch because they are unable to stop touching each other even if by friendly little shoulder touches. They’re unable to stop kissing each other. Gina can’t stop cupping Ricky’s cheeks. Or holding hands. In conclusion, Ricky and Gina are perfect and love each other so much. And their love story is so well written and for the books.
#hsmtmts#hsmtmts s4#hsmtmts season 4#ricky bowen#gina porter#nini salazar roberts#ricky x gina#rina#asks#analysis
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#'regardless of whats happens in the main plot the subtext has always been their love story'#rina#ricky x gina#high school musical the series#tv show#hsmtmts#gina x ricky#subtext#analysis#high school musical the musical the series#ricky bowen#gina porter#sofia wylie#joshua bassett#disney#disney +#hsm the series#youtube comments#reply#text analysis#for a straight couple their storyline is queercoded as hell#coding#high school musical#hsmtmts season 4#hsmtmts season 3#rina week 2023#hsmtmts season 2#hsmtmts season 1
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