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brittie-frog · 8 months

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I'm so down bad for Maddox and Ashlyn that my three favourite scenes are:

3. The Redlyn breakup - the chillest break up, Red supporting Ashlyn going after Maddox and the most insane storyline of Red realising he's bi because he kisses Seb

2. Just the entirety of Maddox during opening night - having an existential breakdown over your love life that you break the sound controls and then just give up on your stage manager duties and disappear (probably to help quinn)

1. The confession - a scene I want on repeat: the explanations of how afraid they are of how much they like the other then the "should we just stay friends?" Before having such a love induced make out their just completely ignore Carlos being there. (Also Maddison giving up and telling Maddox to stop coming back to her when she clearly likes Ashlyn... my baby just needed that push)

I love all my queer children but these two are the wlw so I love them just slightly more.

#the hilarity of EJ seeing Maddox so focused on Ash that she forgot his question at the end of s3 that he immediately went and #CARVED THEIR NAMES INTO A TREE WITH HEART TO SHOW THEM WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT TOGETHER #i love them all #also i will not take arguments about the most crack storyline #Seb and Red kissing came out of no where and hit me like a metal chair #the french guy not actually being french and liking red felt right in my soul #granted i literally dont remember s2 and barely recognised him nevermind remember anything that happened between him and Ash #and jared(?) was just annoying #he showed up ruined madlyn first kiss admitted he liked carlos and then disappeared #its definitely a season i will rewatch at some point soon maybe as well as season 3 #hsmtmts #high school musical #madlyn #maddox x ashlyn #ashlyn caswell #hsmtmts season 4 #high school musical the musical the series #im sad its the end i wish i could have an entire season of just madlyn fluff #but im happy with two seasons of pinning and a brilliant confession

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timetravellauvie · 8 months

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so what if the pre-season 1 Drama club including their parents were suddenly transported to this theater with Maddox, Jet, Emmy, Val and all their friends from camp and some North High kids. They were then there to watch High School Musical the Musical The Series from Season 1 to 4 and all that..

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hsmtmtsnet · 2 years

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AN EPISODE A DAY UNTIL SEASON 3 → 2x05 – The Quinceañero

I can’t thank you all enough for just getting me. Everybody should have people who just get them.

#hsmtmtsedit #hsmtmts #ricky bowen #seb matthew smith #big red #ashlyn caswell #nini salazar roberts #gina porter #carlos rodriguez #miss jenn #ej caswell #s2 #2x05 #*hsmead #**#by rajan

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insomniactalks · 2 years

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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. 😅 )

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chemical-irwin · 7 months

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i did a binge of hsmtmts s1 to s4, and it really struck me how much i missed having the school musical as the that held all the plots together

in s1 all of the characters are motivated by that musical. Ricky and Nini getting cast as the leads and it means a lot to them because its first time anybody has believed in them. Gina and Ej dont get the leads and it hurts their egos. we get to watch all of the kids bond over the musical, and when miss Jen is going to be fired all of the drama club do a performance to save her.

in s2 they have the menkies, where the club feel the pressure to beat North High who is actively sabotaging them. getting cast as Belle makes Ashlyn insecure, Gina choreographing with Carlos causes tension between them, and Ricky wanting Nini to be the show makes them fight. in end they don’t open the results because they only cared that they put on a good show

in s3 the doc adds pressure on them. getting cast as the lead makes Kourtney confront her anxiety, getting cast as ensemble sends Ashlyn into an identity crisis, Ej having to direct the show puts a rift between him and Gina. rehearsals and the doc puts characters in situations that move their story forward. in the end they all came together to say forget the doc because putting on the best show was more important to them

in s4 all of the characters are in separate plots with nothing holding them together. Rina are in a generic Romeo + Juliet/star is born story, Kourtney has the mandatory college storyline, and Ashlyn and Carlos get B plot relationship drama. all of the stories feel disconnected because none of them really relate to each other. there was literally no narrative reason for any characters to be extras in the films, they were just props in the back (even Ricky, because he was only there to react to filming in jealously or awe). the only character that talks about the musical is Ricky (and Gina), and we only saw one rehearsal

and like… all of that is fine, but they found their magnum opus in s3. the pacing was better and the dramatic irony had great pay-offs, the themes, the balancing of storylines and characters was infinitely better (it’s shocking how downgraded Ashlyn was in s4) and it had a shorter runtime. this season wasn’t about high school kids putting on a musical. with the exception of Kourtney and miss Jen this seasons not really about high school. a part that of me really missed watching a group of kids grow together through the school year while they put on a musical (especially if their ‘senior’ year😭)

#if you took rini out of s2 the season is fully coherent and has several interesting storlines #i can’t say the same for rina in s4 apart from Kourtney and that is sad #ricky ashlyn and carlos had their love stories and their own personal plots outside of relationships equally #hsmtmts #gina porter #ricky bowen #kourtney greene #ashlyn moon caswell #hsmtmts rina

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bread4innie · 2 years

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y'all im gonna say it.... gina had more chemistry with asher angel/airport boy in s2 than with ricky 😭😂

(ej and gina were endgame fr 😭)

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freshlybakedfandoms · 2 years

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i will forever be mad about how little ej and ashlyn interact in s2 compared to s1...ej was really going through it and the ONE PERSON who would understand bc shes got the same family he does doesnt talk to him about it?? tim federle you owe me a caswell cousin conversation about ej's college decision

#WHY DID HE TALK TO NINI BRO ASHLYN WAS LOOKING FOR HIM THE ENTIRE NIGHT #s1 > s2 im not sorry #anyways. give me my ej breaks down on the bleachers beside the pool (he plays WATERpolo) and ashlyn finds him scene #hsmtmts #ej caswell #ashlyn caswell

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strawberryshortcakegirl · 2 years

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HSMTMTS Season 3 Trailer Thoughts

The beginning's actually kinda funny (something wildcats!).

Why is the right part of the scene blurred at 16 seconds..? It's pretty obvious if you pause there.

MADDOX MY LOVE

Maddox's face when she's holding out the phone bin lol

Is it just me or is Kourtney taking a selfie at a random moment kind of like Season 1 Carlos?

It annoys me that they spent 14 seconds in the trailer on the announcing Corbin and the putting on Frozen part (mainly because it was already in the sneak peek) but I know, some FaNs didn't know about it sooo

So Gina's wearing all gold while dancing on stage. I think that she's gonna have her Season 1 Nini moment where she's auditioning and then is suddenly transported to some dream stage and wearing something different (they did this in 1-2-3 in season 2 as well).

I can't see Olivia Rodrigo or Nini with a gigantic sunhat and holding a white lace umbrella but here we are

And Ricky is now standing on a log looking out to the city. I was thinking it's probably some Troy song, like Scream perhaps...? Although to be realistic, maybe EJ should sing Scream because of his whole college decision (which strangely wasn't even brought up in the trailer).

So now Gina's talking about how this is her first time doing a bunch of stuff. I think that maybe she's about to sing For the First Time in Forever because.... I mean it would make sense.

Carlos looks ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED talking about how Portwell will be a thing all summer...

Gina girl it is not your first time going all out for the lead in the show. You did that with HSM, you just didn't actually get the lead... unless Gina's talking about going all out AS the lead of the show?

They show a color wars song for a bit. Meg/Val has a mic so I'm sure she'll be singing quite a bit in that song. I'm lowkey not interested at all in a color wars thing, but oh well. Maybe it'll be interesting. Oh and later in the trailer it shows Jet (on the yellow team) being held up by his teammates so I guess we already know that the yellow team wins

Val announcing EJ as the director is making me ship Casval even harder (yes I am calling them Casval lol)

I swear I will make a slideshow of all the times the girls in Season 3 are wearing shirts with puffy sleeves.

So I've heard that EJ saying he's freaking out could be because of him directing a musical for the first time.... or it could be about Rina developing again?

Bro Ricky are you... holding an invisible guitar while jumping backwards? *Bet on it cringe flashbacks

YESSS JET GETS A SONG!!

I'm glad they're singing Start the Party actually. I hate my brain.

Oh of course Carlos can't focus on anything else except for the musical (or... is it the fact that Seb isn't at the camp? Except at camp prom?).

Okay it actually made me laugh when Ricky said that he thought someone in Frozen was named Gary. I know some people are shocked that he doesn't even know the main characters of Frozen but then I remembered I've had a friend who NEVER watched Disney so perhaps some people are just not as connected with the Disney movies world O_O

RICKY WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WEARING?!? Is Ricky pulling an EJ and going into the auditions in costume

Nini talking to some creepy guy scares me. I know that he's supposed to be a "family friend" but yeah. Also wasn't she supposed to be working with Jamie?

Ashlyn's hair color going from orange streaks to blue streaks lol. I always think her hair looks so good though so I'm not going to question how she changed it halfway through a summer camp.

For anyone who thinks that's not Maddox and Madison, the next shot shows Madison with the same exact hairstyle and Maddox wearing the sunglasses on top of her head. Just sayin'

NINI NOTHING FROM THE PAST FEW YEARS HAS- okay she has only really thought about becoming a singer/songwriter for one semester. Literally. Before that, she was content with just being in musicals.

Also Miss Jenn looks very different (her hair is just getting shorter each season lol)

EJ if you say nothing's gonna ruin your summer with your girlfriend you're basically ASKING for it to be ruined.

So Ricky was clearly writing a song, and then did that HSM 3 thing (if anyone remembers) where he purposely was showing her the paper but not letting her have it.

It lowkey makes sense for Rina to develop anyways. EJ is too busy being a camp director. Gina's the lead. Ricky MIGHT get Kristoff.

I swear if I have to hear Corbin say "Wha-what?" again I'm going to scream.

Them specifying that Meg is from Zombies haha

EJ is probably giving the thumbs up to Gina's audition. Adding onto that, WHATEVER happens with what Gina gets, it's gonna cause chaos. If she gets the lead, people will say "Oh that's unfair because you're dating our director." On the other hand, maybe EJ won't give her the lead BECAUSE people would think that way.

The stakes have never been higher...? I'm confused last time I checked it's a Frozen musical that is put on by a two-week summer camp. It's really not that big...

But yes I will also be obsessing over every episode so maybe it is a big thing.

I'm sure only my Discord friends have maybe made it this far but thanks for reading haha :) glad that the trailer FINALLY released.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s1 #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts trailer #hsmtmts s3 #nini salazar roberts #ricky bowen #ej caswell #gina porter #ashlyn caswell #yesideletedallmypreviousposts

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talknerdytome18 · 7 months

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𝐇𝐒𝐌𝐓𝐌𝐓𝐒 𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Best TV show ever (Real). Literally need to rewatch it because it's so good!

Gina Porter as Rapunzel: She is such a Rapunzel. Gina has such a heart of gold and is so fiercely loyal to those around her. Also, imagine her singing The Girl Who Has Everything??? Omg??? This is her role.

Ricky Bowen as Eugene FitzHerbert: Ricky is such a Eugene. He's hilarious, charming, wins over everyone's hearts, and is such a supportive boyfriend like Eugene is to Rapunzel. Also, the chemistry between him and Gina would be INSANE.

Ashlyn Caswell as Cassandra: Yes, this may seem like an unexpected choice, but I think Ashlyn would be incredible as Cassandra. She can be snarky, witty and sarcastic on the outside, but deeply cares about the ones she loves on the inside. The bickering between her and Ricky would kill me too.

Seb Matthew-Smith as Varian: LITERALLY THE MOST PRECIOUS CHARACTERS IN THE WORLD. Seb is such a Varian and I am not just saying this because Varian was voiced by Jeremy Jordan... who also originated Jack Kelly in Newsies, but Seb would nail the misunderstood antagonist who redeems himself in S3. IMAGINE HIM SINGING LET ME MAKE YOU PROUD? NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE WITH ASHLYN? READY AS I'LL EVER BE? TRUST ME ON THIS, OKAY?

Jet as Lance Strongbow: Lance was hard to cast but I ultimately went with Jet. This is because just like Lance, Jet did come off as arrogant at first but once his walls were torn down, he was easygoing and a true softie at heart. Also, the bond between him and Ricky would be immaculate.

Mr. Mazzara and Miss Jenn as King Frederic and Queen Adrianna: The true parents of HSMTMTS. These two just care about their wildcat children deeply, just like how Adrianna and Frederic care about Rapunzel.

Emmy and Alex as Keira (Angry) and Catalina (Red): The youngest on HSMTMTS will be playing the children on TTS. Their bond would just be so pure just like how they played Young Elsa and Young Anna in Frozen.

Lily as Zhan Tiri: Do I even need to explain? DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN? LILY IS ZHAN TIRI PERIOD.

Antoine/Andy as Andrew: Shady boys who appear charming at first but are actually deceitful and have ulterior intentions. Listen, I know that Antoine/Andy is now "redeemed", but he's playing Andrew no matter what.

EJ Caswell as The Captain of the Guards: Beefing with Ricky just like how the Captain beefs with Eugene. He also gets to play Ashlyn's dad and he would LOVE getting to boss her around.

Big Red as Shorty: Clueless kings who are supportive to the ones they love and are quite loyal... we don't talk about S4 Big Red, okay? My man is loyal and not whatever they did to him in S4.

Kourtney Greene as Adira: I didn't know what to do with her, but she does have that fierceness that Adira has.

Maddox as Vex (S2): The no-nonsense attitude that Vex has reminds me of Maddox, especially regarding Maddox's attitude towards following the rules and stage management.

Carlos Rodriguez as Xavier: I don't really know anyone for Carlos. Maybe he would be a great Eugene?

Might drop my Criminal Minds cast list next, then Ride the Cyclone.

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rkrispyt · 2 years

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*sigh*

Oh boy.

What is there to even say?

I suppose my immediate thoughts are...

I imagined the worst and it was that they a. would leave Portwell without even a moment to put closure on it, see any of it from EJ's point of view, and let them move forward as friends and b. wouldn't resolve EJ's entire plotline this season, we'd never even find out what he does next or what happened with all that

...and shocker, guess what happened (or rather didn't)?

The way they treated portwell...goodness. It's like season two was a fever dream. In the end they just used them to beat a dead horse of "EJ sucks and was such a mistake, YOU'RE so much better and everything he was not" even though we SAW that EJ IS/WAS those things in season two but...again, fever dream, amirite? Sorry but...did the Ricky/Gina pairing need all that to help move it along? That seems like an awful lot. Why so much shit talking of EJ/Portwell? Damn. Just mean and not necessary.

And last but not least, the biggest shocker of this season for me: the way this show has completely turned me against Gina Porter.

I have been RIDE OR MOTHERFUCKING DIE for her since day one moment one of this series. And I spent 99.9% of this season wondering who this podperson version of her is.

Not because she did questionable things. But because there was absolutely no accountability for those things. She's 'the main girl' now, so they've Mary Sue'd her into some flawless can-do-no-wrong version of the character I loved. But that girl? In S3? That's not Gina Porter. In fact, some of us have now dubbed 'Pina Gorter'.

Man oh man, I don't know what this season was but it was not the show I have loved for two seasons. The heart of this show, the root of it, has been missing for me since 3.01. I've hated to admit it, struggled to accept it, but by the time the credits rolled on this finale, it left me with no choice but to face it.

The HSMTMTS that I loved so much is no more.

The Gina Porter I loved so much is no more.

The Portwell that won my heart has been erased in canon as if it never happened.

And the EJ Caswell that shockingly won me over in S2 absolutely deserves better. I will fight for his happiness from beyond the grave. I cannot wrap my head around all they did to him this season, why they felt he deserved any of that, and the fact that they left it all unfinished once it served its purpose of justifying Gina breaking up with him.

They really left him with no friends whatsoever, crying after his father fucking hung up on him when he tried to have a heart to heart. Which doesn't bode well for him being with everyone BUT Val as he navigates this next step of life. Lucky EJ.

Like...Val couldn't swing by Ashlyn or Gina on her way out to be like "EJ really needs a friend right now and I gotta go - get on that, bitches"? It makes so much sense for Ashlyn to be there for him, and is such a great opportunity to move Portwell into friendship post dating for her to be there for him even though things are weird because despite the breakup they DO still care about each other.

Honestly though...this show left things with Portwell as if...I mean, do they care about each other? Like, at all? I don't know that we're meant to believe they do at the end of the day.

I have so so many more thoughts on this finale and season and what on earth this means for what season four will look like for those that continue to watch.

For now all I can say is...

We are in the darkest timeline. Truly.

#rip hsmtmts #hsmtmts rant #hsmtmts spoilers #ej caswell #portwell #MY BABIES

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mcutaylivia · 2 years

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You know why I hate love triangles? Either the writing or the fandom will villianize one character from the triangle and it sucks.

I have nothing against Rina, infact I'd actually be open to it if it didn't come at the expense of ruining EJ's character. I've seen so much character bashing from some Rina stans towards EJ, Ashlyn and last season Nini all because???

This also applies to some portwells bashing Gina and/or Ricky... stop it.

Maybe, just maybe we can all acknowledge their a bunch of high schoolers who don't always get along, make a dozen mistakes, mess up and have their own issues?

Or does that only apply for you favourite character?

I'd be open to s4 Rina, only if they don't ruin EJ's character. I mean, what would be sweet could be EJ and Gina talking again, maybe a finality of their relationship but promising to still be friends. Because wether you ship them or not, you have to admit EJ was there for Gina when she needed him (except this season bc...yeah) and he genuinely did care for her and vice versa. Think, rini breakup scene if you may.

Oh, also EJ better apologize to Gina because?? he didn't even say the word sorry?? Like don't get me wrong, I'm an EJ Caswell defender always but by not making him atleast apologize...yeah, the writers are just setting him up.

And is anyone just sick of Ricky and EJ fighting? I want them to both apologize to one another and be friend or atleast civil again. (Which they were in s2 until Tim decided hey! let's break friendships up for a love triangle!)

Idk it just feels like lazy writing on EJ's character, and a repetition of s1. Also, it's funny how every character that has a breakdown always gets a song or support from other characters but no one, not even his cousin, (Tim, did you forgot you write the Caswell cousins as close??), has asked him how he was as he's dealing with all of this show madness.

I even saw some people in the fandom bashing and making fun of him for...being stressed out about the musical? Saying that he was a bad director?? Like yeah no shit??

This was a long rant which points are all over the place but basically, I'm pissed off at the writers and love triangles, and the obsession of ruining characters growth for the sake of someone else's.

Again, lazy writing.

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #fizah rants #portwell #rina #tim federle #ej x gina #gina porter #ej caswell #ricky bowen #ej and ashlyn caswell #hsmtmts s3

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countessofravenclaw · 2 years

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I don't know if Rina is happening or not. But if it is...

The why did they spent whole S2 building up this found family thing with her? She didn't know where she belonged. She didn't really have a home. Not until EJ brought her back. Ashlyn took her in. Ashlyn made her stay. EJ saved her in multiple occasions. She joined the family kind of officially by dating EJ.

Caswells are her found family and it doesn't work if she is with Ricky.

#hsmtmts #portwell #gina porter #ej caswell #ashlyn caswell

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hsmtmtsnet · 2 years

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AN EPISODE A DAY UNTIL SEASON 3 → 2x10 – The Transformation

East High literally defined what a high school musical even means. So, yeah, I’m not worried. But North High should be.

#hsmtmtsedit #hsmtmts #ricky bowen #ashlyn caswell #big red #carlos rodriguez #seb matthew smith #miss jenn #benjamin mazzara #gina porter #s2 #2x10 #*hsmead #**#by rajan

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insomniactalks · 2 years

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I think Portwell’s duet is happening in the next episode. I guess it makes sense that they sing “Love is an Open Door” because EJ has shown up at Gina’s door in every season so far and taught her what it is like to be loved. In 1x04 EJ showed up Gina’s house to learn about the plan. In 2x08 EJ showed up at Gina’s house b/c he wanted to talk to Ash but ended up talking to Gina instead. In 3x03 EJ shows up Gina cabin to tell her that he is proud of her for getting the lead.

YES anon. To illustrate your point:

What I love about each scene is that there is a natural progression that is shown in EJ and Gina's relationship thru the year. She doesn't let him in in 1.04. In 2.07, she does let him in, with a smile on her face, because she's happy to see him. By 3.03, he lets himself in, apologizes for "barging in" before Gina says "love is an open door" (in regards to the musical). It's so funny because I'm pretty sure her sweater says love in French in the first gif, but she's not willing to open up her heart just yet. In the second, she's wearing pink mostly, and welcomes him in. By the third, she's wearing hearts and a bright red/pink because her heart is open and her walls are down. EJ shows up consistently for her, and I love that about him. So for anyone still mad about Portwell possibly singing "Love Is An Open Door" (not confirmed yet, all speculation so far), I would try to think more positively about it. Seems to me that Tim knows what he's doing...

( I've got a lot more anons in my inbox, but I just started from the top on this one. I'm trying y'all!)

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts s3 #hsmtmts parallels #ej caswell #gina porter #portwell #hsmtmts speculation #ashlyn caswell #frozen #tim federle #hsmtmts analysis #thanks anon!

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multimetaverse · 2 years

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HSMTMTS 3x08 Review

Let it Go was a decent ending for S3 and charts a course for the rest of the series. Let’s dig in!

Well congrats Rina stans. I don’t ship them but the rest of the series is now intertwined with Rina so I hope they are well written. Given Tim’s track record with main couples the fact that Rina got together in 3x08 means they’ll have a breakup in S4. It’s noteworthy that all of Gina’s callbacks are from like two eps in S1; it’s time for a proper story line for them, no more love triangles or emotional cheating. I’ve always held that Tim shouldn’t do both Rina and Portwell but now that the damage is done it’s time to stick with Rina and move the show forward

As I said back when the Portwell off screen first kiss happened, it was done that way to deliberately undercut Portwell and not take away from Rina hence the show treating this much more like Gina’s first kiss

Well they allowed EJ a flash of realistic anger towards Ricky but then he calls him his brother which is just not how people, let alone teenagers, would act. Certainly Ricky has been a malign influence on EJ’s life the past year in universe. I hope no one reading this ever has a brother like Ricky!

Cash Caswell wins the coveted Lynne Bowen prize for worst parent of the season. At least Val was there to comfort EJ, god knows where Ashlyn’s been this season

Dara killed it as Elsa. Kourtney has come such a long way from Nini’s sassy black friend and I’m glad she’s getting the chance to shine. Her anxiety story line has been fairly well handled for a Disney show

Big Red being interviewed for some reason and coming out as bi felt like a fever dream. This season has certainly been a huge step forward for lgbtq rep on Disney. And to be honest it’s a wise move, Big Red was never believable as someone who was exclusively interested in the charms of women. This should set up some interesting story lines for Big Red and Ashlyn in S4

End of an era as Nini departs. It was poignant farewell to Olivia Rodrigo who was such a big reason why the show took off as it did. Her giving the lotto ticket to Ricky was a sweet touch and her farewell to Miss Jenn hit hard

It’s darkly funny that the casting directors did too good of a job of casting Ricky and Nini as they were the couple the series was built around and their chemistry turned out to be so good that Olivia and Joshua dated in real life which led to an extremely messy and bitter breakup which was the inspiration for the songs which launched Olivia into pop superstardom and irrevocably changed the course of the show

Looking Ahead:

One of the biggest flaws of this show is how little continuity there from season to season. Years from now when the series is long over I can’t imagine many people re-watching and making it all the way through since so much of what has happened in these first three seasons, in particular the first two seasons, has been rendered completely meaningless.

S2 in particular seems like a total fuck up and I think a lot of people in the future who might check out the series without knowing anything about it will tap out after S2.

It’s clear that Tim is trying to set up a Glee like route where younger kids like Emmy get introduced and we follow them through High School even as the original wildcats begin to depart. But that should have begun in S2 which is when characters like Jet and Maddox should have been introduce but instead all the new S2 characters were purged. On one level its simply a question of time, the first two seasons comprise 22 eps and the remaining two seasons the mains are contracted for will only amount to 16-18 eps depending on whether S4 is 8 or 10 eps. The first two seasons will likely be the bulk of the entire series yet they bear almost no resemblance to what the series has and will become

S3 marks the final end of the core 4 inasmuch as it even existed past S1. EJ seems to be recurring in S4 with Tim making it clear that he won’t be involved at East High though I suspect he’s involved in the HSM 4 production at some point. Sounds like Jet and Maddox don’t show up immediately at East High since Tim says they need to clear things up in California. Emmy seems likely to enroll as a freshman at East High as Tim hinted. He’s also made clear that he views Ricky, Gina, Kourtney, Ashlyn, and Carlos as the core characters so we should expect the rest of the series to have a heavy focus on them

They seem to have 8-10 eps for S4. If it’s 8 it’s going to be extremely difficult to balance all the new and old characters. Kylie Catrall joins and Big Red, Seb, and Miss Jenn are back as mains. Are Mike Bowen and Mazarra back? And whoever from the OG cast returns though without Zac and Vanessa it will be a flop imo

I’m not looking forward to the kids getting famous. This show was such a hit because it was always grounded. I also worry that they’re going to go way too meta in S4. At least Tim has promised that they’ll return to the acoustic songs that made S1 so fun

S4 is when the cast contracts end. Tim clearly wants to do more but how many seasons would Disney be willing to greenlight, just one more to bring the series to Ricky’s graduation? There’s a very good chance that Disney just calls it quits after S4. Did Tim fuck up the logical series ending point of Ricky, Big Red, and Kourtney graduating by having a summer season? He very well could have. Ending the series in December of Ricky’s senior year would be very lame but that’s what we might be facing. Certainly it’s bizarre to do HSM S3 as the winter musical when it’s so focused on graduation and it will extremely hard to top having an og cast reunion while the kids get famous from the frozen documentary

We’ll probably have to wait for spring 2023 for S4 to premiere. In the meantime there are quite a few good shows to watch. There’s Di4ries on Netflix, a very charming Italian show. Young Royals S2 comes out in the fall, the first of the Owl House ‘S3′ specials comes out in October with the remaining two airing sometime in 2023. The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers S2 comes out later this month and hopefully Doogie Kamealoha MD S2 comes out sometime this year. There’s also Chucky S2 coming out in October which I know will make Jevon stans very happy. Secrets of Sulphur Springs S3 likely comes out early in 2023 as well

For any American readers, I urge you to vote in November. The democrats at least have a good chance to hold the Senate and it’s vital that they control as much of the Federal government as possible for as long as possible if America is to stand any chance of warding off fascism or civil war

Stay safe out there Wildcats and I’ll see you next season

#HSMTMTS #Rina #Portwell #Gina Porter #Ricky Bowen #EJ Caswell #Ashlyn Caswell #Big Red #Carlos Rodriguez #Olivia Rodrigo #HSMTMTS Reviews

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thstarsofsilver · 2 years

Note

One thing both the Caswell Cousins have in common is they both have had developed a crush on their cousin’s best friend at some point in the series. In S2, EJ realizes he has feelings for his cousin Ashlyn’s best friend Gina. In S3, Ashlyn realizes she has feelings for her cousin E.J.’s childhood best friend Val. Normally when you see the relative’s best friend trope a character falls in love with their brother/sister’s best friend you rarely see the cousin’s best friend trope.

yes i love this! especially as a caswell cousins stan forever <3

i also love it because i think it really cements the fact they play the roles of brother and sister in each others' lives - neither of them have actual siblings, and it's refreshing to see non-sibling familial relationships be given that same importance.

it's clear they're very close as well, considering how ashlyn knows a lot about ej's situation (which again speaks to the nature of their relationship - she was raised watching the conflict between ej and cash unfold, so he never really had to explain it to her) and how he seeks her out to speak to her about duke in 2x08. i also think it's great when they acknowledge the whole being raised together/from the same family thing, like when ashlyn says "i get snappy when i feel threatened. i can't help it, i'm still a caswell" or even her being the only one to know & bring up ej's birth name!!

(their closeness is partly why i'm very. annoyed. that they literally do NOT interact in s3 when they could have been each others' rocks, what with ej dealing with anxiety and ash discovering her sexuality but hey that's a rant for another time :D)

p.s. even maddox falling for ashlyn, if something were to happen there, though it would be inverted, would fit into this too!!

#userfiz #mine #textpost #answered asks #hsmtmts #ej caswell #ashlyn caswell #caswell cousins #my favourite pair of fictional cousins <3 #i hate how they have barely spoken in s3 like it's such a waste of the close relationship the show built up #high school musical the musical the series #portwell #ashlyn x val #thanks for the ask!#send me an ask #high school musical: the musical: the series

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