#ejini

[juste-des-trucs]

that au where EJ goes with Nini to Cali and have his reputation era

#matt cornett #ej caswell #he is sooooo fine #aaaghhhhhgggggh #ejini #as friends tho #give me friendship

[insomniactalks]

I have about 10 different asks sitting in my inbox regarding the “leaks” for S3, and I finally found some time to address them today. Instead of answering each ask one by one, I’m just gonna address all those concerns/questions in this post. If you are one of the several anons who’s sent me an ask about the “leaks,” and have been patiently waiting for an answer, keep reading! This is the only time I will address the “leaks” b/c I think it’s best to just wait and see what happens at this point. (Typing this up from my laptop, so I apologize for the length of this post...hehe) 

To start, I’m so sorry if you’ve been waiting a while for a reply. July has been hectic for me. Thank you for ur patience! A few things before I start: I won’t tag Ricky and Gina’s ship in the main tag b/c I assume they may not want to read my thoughts on the matter (which is totally fair! LOL) I think I’ll start tagging Gicky instead from now on b/c that’s also a combo of their names and so I can keep my own blog organized in some way. Also, my thoughts on the “leaks” are less from a Portwell stan’s point of view and more so from my thoughts as an English major in undergrad and grad school. I will try my best not to insert my own bias here. I’m simply looking at the story that’s being told on the show and the evidence.  

Yes, I have seen the “leaks,” both the Twitter thread and the screenshots/“script” from back in April/May. And no, I will not share any of that with anyone b/c I promised the person who was kind enough to share it with me that I wouldn’t do that. That being said, lemme get into it! 

Is anyone really surprised S3 would have another semi-formal event given S1′s HoCo episode (1.05) and S2′s quinceñero (2.05)? We all shoulda known S3 would follow that trend, so I’m not surprised by 3.07 apparently being another dance/formal event, “Camp Prom” I believe is the name. What corroborates “Camp Prom” is the actual evidence to back it up. The screenshots for this are actual pics from crew on set while they were filming, which show colorful 70s-themed décor. It’s not just someone’s words that’s taken as truth, there’s legit posts from crew on their Instagrams. All that confirms is that there will be a dance at camp (which seems so fun! Can’t wait to see it.) The only reason the “leaker” was right about that is b/c of the crew’s behind the scenes pics.

The “leaker” claims Ricky and Gina “have a great moment together” in the prom episode and that they “make eye contact across the room” at some point. I can see how one would easily assume this scenario to mean something romantic for Ricky and Gina, but just b/c 2 characters “share a moment” together doesn’t inherently make it a romantic scene. BTW, the “leaker” never claims Gicky “almost kiss” at prom, they only said what’s stated above. There’s a screenshot of part of the alleged script for “Camp Prom” that claims they “almost kiss.” I have several issues with this “script,” starting with the font used. I’ve seen plenty of official scripts from other shows (Riverdale and SPOP in particular) and even from Tim himself. They all have the exact same font and font size (no idea what that font type is called, but all shows/movies in the industry seems to use it. It must be standard practice b/c that font is sorta boxy and spaced out, making it easier for actors to read). Tim’s even shared part of the script for 1.06 before, and the font used is very different from this “script” from 3.07. I’m not claiming Ricky and Gina won’t share a moment in 3.07, I just highly doubt it’s an almost kiss. This “script” goes from Jet and Maddox on stage, to the coat check area where Gina “spills her bag” before her and Ricky allegedly almost kiss. There is no description for what Gina does after her “bag spills.” It just says she and Ricky “almost kiss” immediately after that. That makes no sense. Any person would be fumbling to put stuff back into their bag if everything spills out. This “script” is missing so much context, on top of being the wrong font and font size, that it makes me question it’s legitimacy. Seems pretty fake to me. Also, anyone notice how none of the “leaks” have ever stated anything specifically about Portwell? All these “leaks” seem to be in favor of only one ship (Gicky), yet official releases for S3, such as posters, the trailer, the “It’s On” music vid, etc, have continually presented Portwell as a team. I’m not saying Gina and EJ won’t be dealing with couple drama in S3, of course they will, but I doubt S3 will be the end for them.

One of the anons bring up Channing and Corbin filming Gicky during rehearsals for the musical for the documentary, and EJ possibly seeing that footage as the director. That’s deff a solid theory b/c the show could do that to add more drama. But here’s the problem. If Gina and Ricky are the leads in the musical, they would be playing romantic interests. Just like in S1, EJ will be in the exact same position in S3 where his girlfriend is playing romantic leads with a guy she has/had feelings for. By S1′s finale, EJ accepts Nini’s decision in choosing Ricky and truly lets her go (which is a moment he’s “really proud of” (2.10)). He learns a lesson in S1 about letting someone go and putting their interests before his own. In 1.04-1.06, EJ was still trying to win Nini back and hold on to their relationship, even when she was clearly done. However, thanks to character growth (and a certain someone! *ahem* Gina) EJ does the right thing. What would be the point in having EJ placed in the same situation as S1 again, where his girlfriend and the guy she has a past with are playing romantic leads, and have him go thru that rejection again? With the same other guy (Ricky) no less? There’s no point in EJ learning the same lesson from S1 again cuz he already went thru that. Don’t ya’ll think the writers know this? I think the more likely story that will be told in S3 is EJ having to confront his past insecurities with Nini, and how that affects his present relationship with Gina. The writers may have set up what seems like the same story from S1, but I’m pretty sure there will be a different outcome in S3. Doesn’t make sense to repeat the same lesson of rejection for EJ’s character in S1 in S3. There should be another important lesson to be learned here for EJ, such as someone other than himself actually wanting to “hold onto what they had over the summer” (1.04). Nini couldn’t do that for him unfortunately, due to the feelings she clearly still had for Ricky in S1. EJ was always gonna be a rebound for Nini b/c she was just trying to move on from Ricky over the summer he broke up with her. Gina, on the other hand, waited several months, during which she was actively moving on from her romantic feelings for Ricky, before she even considered being more than friends with EJ. 

That doesn’t mean Ricky and Gina shouldn’t have a convo or two in S3 to clear the air b/t them, and work on rebuilding their friendship. This may very well lead to Gicky sharing moments this season, but I’m not convinced they'll be romantic moments. Every time EJ witnessed or suspected s/t going on b/t Ricky and Nini in S1, he was actually right. While he did NOT handle it in the right way, his suspicions were correct (esp in 1.02 w/ Ricky and Nini sharing a moment on stage/voicemail and even in 1.04 where Nini and Ricky almost kiss the same day she broke up with EJ). Having already gone thru that with Nini and Ricky, why would the show make EJ live thru that again with Gina and Ricky? Unless....there’s a different outcome! (That being EJ seeing Gina and Ricky interact and actually having to confront his insecurities this time instead of just being on the defensive. Who’s to say this won’t lead to more honest conversations b/t Portwell? Better yet, EJ and Ricky having the conversation they never really had in S1, where Ricky really overstepped certain boundaries in EJ’s relationship and Ricky comes to terms with that now. What if Ricky acknowledges his wrongs in the past and chooses to want a more genuine friendship/comradery with EJ this time? Just a thought.)

Last thing, S3 is confirmed to be only 8 episodes. The writers spent 8 episodes in S2 having EJ and Gina just flirt with each other. I doubt Portwell will date and break up (and stay broken up) in the same season they just started dating. They even set up the strong possibility for a Portwell love confession someday b/c of the following allusions to love in regard to Gina and EJ: (2.06) EJ would ask his future self if “he could learn to love anyone after Belle,” then takes a seat right next to Gina [visual foreshadowing]; (2.08) Howie singing, “No lesson could teach me how I could have loved her and make her love me too” as EJ takes care of Gina while she sleeps by placing his Duke hoodie over her; and (2.11) Ricky and Ashlyn singing “Something There,” a love song about 2 ppl unexpectedly falling for each other while Gina and EJ send e/o hearteyes thruout the performance (at least 3 times!). When writing a story, like the writers for the show, you include these subtle/indirect hints, like love in relation to Portwell in S2, in order to bring that concept back up again in a more apparent way. I couldn’t help but notice the set up in S2 for a Portwell love confession, but there’s a clear lack of a set up for an EJ/Gina/Ricky love triangle. By S1 finale, we knew Gina still had feelings for Ricky, hence the somewhat awkward moments b/t them in the dressing room after “Stick to the Status Quo” performance and their hallway convo before “Breaking Free,” which was the writers setting up Gina’s storyline for S2. She was obviously still grappling with her feelings for Ricky, hence the S2 promo posters placing Ricky b/t Nini and Gina b/c he was gonna be an important part of both their stories that season. It was a love triangle -adjacent situation. In contrast, S2 does not set up a Gicky/Portwell love triangle by the finale. The writers have already set the foundation for a Portwell love confession and a long-awaited conversation b/t Ricky and Gina to restart their friendship. I am hoping that happens with Ricky realizing how poorly he treated Gina in S2, apologizing for it, and wanting to be good friends again.

Bottom-line, let’s all stop acting like the writers are gonna fuck it all up just for the sake of drama. EJ and Gina’s stories (both individually and together) have been wonderfully written so far (the writers going as far as paralleling PW’s first moment ever in 1.01- with EJ watching Gina from the wings with mutual respect for her as a performer, to their 2.11 moment- with EJ proudly watching Gina from the wings, tenderly admiring the kind of person she is. See here for gifs!) This show even brought in not one but two different guest stars to help further develop Portwell’s relationship in S2. Just sayin’. 

I see it this way: Gina and Ricky should be having positive interactions again in S3, esp after S2, and I’m hopeful for their renewed friendship again. And, if EJ and Gina don’t have their love confession this season, that’s deff something to look forward to in S4! Let’s face it, PW love confession is on the horizon, and the writers have set it up that way.            

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts speculation #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts s3 #hsmtmts fandom #hsmtmts analysis #hsmtmts jet #hsmtmts maddox #hsmtmts channing #gina porter #ej caswell #portwell #ricky bowen #gicky #nini salazar roberts #rini #ejini #ashlyn caswell #corbin bleu #tim federle #thanks for the asks anons! #thanks for reading!

[thena0315]

Well, that’s High School for ya!!

Not even High School Musical had this much drama

#Rini #Rina #Portwell #Ejini #high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts #ricky bowen #nini salazar roberts #ej caswell #gina porter #kiss

[second-string-loser]

give me ej and nini talking and then looking over to rina and nini says “they look good together don’t they” and ej gives us a big sigh and “yeah. they really do” because even though he would love to still be her boyfriend, anything that makes gina happy is good for him

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #the ejini conversation will happen you guys i swear

[sarcasticsunshine123]

I just rewatched the flash musical episode so not only am I feeling extreme measures of joy rn but I want to write a dumb little au (or more like I want one already written right now please) someone stop me from starting another wip fjfj

#ive got too many i wont finish them in time fjfj #hsmtmts #im feeling extreme gini caswen vibes i need it right now #ricky and nini going into a musical and ricky being lost and nini being a little too excited #theyre besties ofc #ricky slowly getting more into it and nini slowly getting more confused #no wait it could be funnier w gina #gina and ricky watching in disgust as ejini are in 'love' #then nini and ej having to find them and get them out #its the details like how they get there thats difficult #anyway someone Stop Me #or help me figure that out #sunshine writes

[amesscott]

fanfics im gonna need after that finale:

- pw getting closure before the time skip bc wtf was that

- alternatively, angsty pw as exes and neighbors in s4, like im ok if they’re not gonna end up together, but i just need fcking closure and maybe them becoming friends again at least 🥺

- canon divergent fic where ej was able to leave the barn instead of singing “everyday” with the cast after the show so he runs into nini just as she’s about to leave and they bolt to california together (ejini bffs agenda)

+ bonus if he bonds with nini’s moms and maybe reunites with mr. mazzara at caltech?

(if the writers won’t give ej healthy parental figures, i will)

- carlos finding a distraught ej after his call with cash, and, since he knows first hand that it’s not easy to direct a show, he tells ej, that, for what it’s worth, he’s proud of him and thanks him ‘cause he had a fun summer 🥺

+ bonus if ej says something like “yeah, i wish i spent more of it with you guys” so carlos promises to take the lead in making plans for group hangouts once they get home, (but he also offers just him and seb if that’s what ej would be more comfortable with, considering the drama) and ej just really appreciates it

++ with this, i imagine carlos and seb being his support group during the time skip, so you can imagine how angry/protective ej got on seblos’ behalf after seeing the trailer (he will fight anyone who messes with his friends, he swears)

- ashlyn going rage mode on her uncle cash once she finds out that he hung up on ej then the two of them just taking the caswell money and spending the rest of their summer in the most needlessly excessive ways (“go big or go home”, they’re gonna say)

- kourt and ej friendship fic that explores how they went through a similar storyline this summer, leading to them getting to know each other better and helping each other out

#hsmtmts #portwell #caswell cousins #ej caswell #gina porter #nini salazar roberts #kourtney greene #carlos rodriguez #seb matthew smith #mine

[missezramay]

believe me, I want to ship rina. I want to be happy for them. yes, their slow burn is the type that is exciting, it's new, it looked like it wasn't going to happen, and now it's canon.

but every time I imagine what s4 would look like, I can't help but mourn the original ships. like what else can they do that we haven't already seen?

writing a song/dedicating a performance to each other (rini)

getting little gifts for each other (rini & portwell)

conversations about parents/career pressure (portwell)

leads in the musical together (rini & lowkey ejini lol)

obviously the big thing they got was their first kiss actually shown, on stage with all the lights, no less.

like I'm trying to hype myself up for them but at this stage I'm just not sure what else to look forward to. their era of pining for each other is over and now they're just... together. idk.

#hsmtmts #rini #portwell #rina #I'm not anti any of the ships I'm anti bad writing #text post #this is how I feel don't come for me

[brekker-by-brekkerr]

I really hate the way that Rina happen because it felt very out of character to me for Gina to go back to liking Ricky after being so insensitive accidentally to her feelings in season 2 and he still hasn’t apologize for his behavior. The thing I hate about the Portwell vs Rina love triangle is how similar it is to the Ejini vs Rini love triangle by repeating a storyline we have already seen. In the beginning of both S1 and S3 EJ is dating a girl who has romantic history with Ricky. 1/2

In both S1 and S3 EJ believes in his current girlfriend that she will get the female lead. In both S1 and S3 Ricky and EJ’s girlfriend are cast as the main couple in the musical. In both S1 and S3 EJ is cast as Ricky’s onstage childhood best friend. In both S1 and S3 EJ gets his heartbroken when he gets dumped by his girlfriend who ends up dating Ricky after they broke up. In both S1 and S3 finale EJ let’s the girl he loves go so she can be with Ricky because he wants her to be happy. 2/2

Yes. The repetitiveness made me feel like...wasn't there another way this could have gone down? When I say "why do this to EJ again" I'm not neglecting Gina's feelings, either, because why do this to her, too?

Also, I love all the points you noticed were repeated because I didn't even realise how eerily similar the setup was to season 1. It's frustrating because EJ wasn't great in season 1 but he was an incredible boyfriend to Gina in season 2 and he did his best this season and has certainly done more for her than Ricky overall.

#anti rina #portwell #ej x gina #gina x ej #thanks for the ask! #hsmtmts

[littlemsmaladaptivedreamer]

So I started watching this silly little amazing show late...started watching it out of curiosity last year and wound up binging the first two seasons. For the most part I forgot about it til this summer when season 3 rolled around. Now post-season 3 I am still thinking about this show, so I got into the fandom online to fill the gap and gahdamn! It's entertaining here but scaaaary...some of y'all? Whew chile! I can't tell if I hate it or love it here lol, but for better or worse y'all are my people.

Anyway, now that I'm here, this is a random and disorganised collection of some thoughts on HSMTMTS:

First and foremost my fave Sofia/Gina is an icon, the moment and we have no choice but to stan.

Second and foremost Dara/Kourtney is an absolute queen who has mastered the art of the slay, and if you disagree you're wrong.

I am a RINA...from the jump. I saw the vision. You did well Tim.

IF, however, our boy JACK somehow moved to SLC, I'm done with Rina. They were too cute <3

I enjoyed early days Portwell. I supported the end of PW when it clearly was not working.

I think EJ is a good guy and deserves happiness. Gina would agree. I wish certain parts of this fandom would recognise that.

I'm a little neutral on Ricky. He's cool and all, but I don't get the hype much. I only really love him in connection to Gina. I still think he deserves happiness.

I think they all deserve happiness frankly. They're kids. It's a tv show.

JENZARRA! I'm sorry Mike but Jenzarra supremacy.

Related to previous, Benjamin was underutilised :( I loved him in his Sue Sylvester era, wish it lasted a bit longer.

Jet is a national treasure.

I'll miss Nini. She wasn't my favourite, but I liked her, even when she was less of a main character.

I kinda think Nini/EJ might have made a good endgame. What even was their ship name though? I literally don't know...NJ? EJini? Salwell?

Wondering is still a top 10 of all HSMTMTS songs, even after season 3.

I need to see the thanksgiving hat make a comeback in season 4. Did Ricky grow into it?

Why did EJ call Ricky his brother? I still don't get it...they were never brotherly??

I didn't care for Rini as a couple, but the pairing brought some great songs to the show though.

Related to previous, I'm interested to see what music comes as a result of Rina. I'm not sure what to expect, but I have faith in the it girl and her boy.

EJ should have sang A Billion Sorrys for Nini. Also I disagree with Ashlyn, Elton wrote a bop.

Also, how come Gina never considered connecting Ashlyn with Jamie? She's also a super talented songwriter with an amazing voice. Doesn't make sense to me but it's fine because Gina Porter is never wrong, and if she ever was, no she wasn't.

Seb was robbed, he deserved the Beast role. #JusticeforSebby

I've been thinking of doing a re-watch from Season 1 so may post some thoughts then!

Also looking for some more hsmtmts related blogs to follow :) So if you see/read this post feel free to suggest some thanks!

#hsmtmts #gina porter #ricky bowen #ej caswell #nini salazar roberts #rina hsmtmts

[underscore-jude]

ejini we both reached for the gun send the FUCKING tweet

#hsmtmts #jude is talking #they’re both homosexual and they both reached for the gun

[juste-des-trucs]

I was trying to do an Ej x OC (in my head) but I can't bc all I really wanna do is fix up portwell 😭

Like, oc has had a crush on ej since forever but is too shy to act on it, but is a good friend so decides to help EJ with everything.

Help him with the scripts so they can be ready sooner and he can go to find the shrink

Goes running to find him before the basketball in color war bc knows is ej's favorite sport and would hate himself for missing out

Tries to placate the Elton John reveal by saying some little silly " honestly we only know bc Dewey said it at loud first camp"

Offers to do his CiT chore so he can go to have litle dates with Gina (Maddox rolls her eyes every time oc offers this bc she knows, and oc is a little obvious)

TAKES THE BINDER AWAY AT PROM!!!!!!!!

Maybe if is still Val with him during the call oc eardrops and goes find Gina or Ash to let them know "I think ej needs you"

#ej caswell defense squad #ej caswell protection squad #OC is the founder of the club #oc blasting THAT SHOULD BE ME the summer of ejini #maybe helped with the rotten egg

[insomniactalks]

I also kind of loved that “Stay in your lane Bowen” because if that was my gf it would definitely rub me the wrong way how eager Ricky was to sing with her. Though Gina’s reaction kind of worried me. I’m worried the writers are gonna have some moment of Gina defending Ricky to EJ, and make EJ feel like she’s choosing Ricky over him. What do you think?

I actually really liked Gina's reaction to jealous-EJ in 3.04:

In both instances, she scrunches her eyebrows a little because it seems she's confused as to why EJ would feel threatened by Ricky. I actually saw her reaction this episode as a contrast to Nini's reaction to EJ's suspicions in 1.02:

Nini reacts as if she's been caught red-handed (and a little guilty). She just shared this moment with Ricky on stage, but she quickly comes up with an excuse to seem a little less suspicious.

I would love it if Gina could reassure EJ about her closeness with Ricky and not having to worry about that, kinda like how EJ did for her in 3.02 in regards to his friendship with Val. Whether or not we'll actually get a scene like that is to be determined. I'm really not sure what the writers have in mind for the rest of the season. I'm just taking it episode by episode. 🤷🏽‍♀️

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s3 #hsmtmts speculation #ej caswell #gina porter #ricky bowen #gicky #nini salazar roberts #rini #ejini #hsmtmts val #portwell speculation #portwell #thanks anon!

[tyrus-redlyn]

I keep forgetting that Nini and EJ actually dated

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #nini salazar roberts #ej caswell #ejini #did they even date long enough to have a ship name?

[second-string-loser]

i’ve never been so happy to be so wrong my darling girl nini salazar roberts is in the finale and has REAL SCENES.

#KOURTNEY AND NINI SCENE THIS IS NOT A DRILL #my favoritest best friends #give me a gini scene i’ll literally pass out #hsmtmts #and an ejini scene please

[klausalvatores]

you wanna talk about plot device? ejini was a plot device for rini and it was very obvious with the way they villanized ej to make ricky look like the better option. ejini was a superficial relationship & never had any deep emotional scenes the way portwell has. i don’t know what tim has in store for rina but you cannot sit there and deny the chemistry between portwell. ej and gina have a real genuine connection. they’re attached by the hip & hang out everyday. they’ve gotten so close lately to the point she’s very likely wearing his duke sweatshirt in 2x09 because she wanted to take ej’s scent with her (while she’s visiting her mom) because he has quickly become a comfort person for her (it’s also a very domestic thing to do). i mean i don’t remember rina ever being THIS close. nowhere near portwell’s level. sorry to break it to you.

it’s hard for me to believe portwell is a plot device for rina when ej has been the complete opposite of ricky, meaning he’s clearly the better guy right now and he says all the right things & makes gina very happy. she doesn’t even think about ricky when she’s with ej. i mean in this case, they’re villainizing ricky for ej in the gina triangle like how they used to villanize ej for ricky in the nini triangle.

anyways, i just had to put my two cents out there.

#portwell #hsmtmts #glo talks

[gracestone]

Maybe it's just me but in some ways the Season 1 love triangle between EJ, Nini and Ricky reminds me a little bit of the love triangle between Gaston, Belle, and the Beast. EJ represents Gaston. Nini represents Belle and Ricky represents the Beast. Both EJ and Ricky were in love with Nini and were fighting over her just like how Gaston and the Beast were fighting over Belle. EJ gave Emily a deviled egg so Nini can get the lead role and Gaston just happens to have an obsession over eggs. Part 1/2

In Season 1, E.J. was in love with Nini who didn’t love him back just like how Gaston was in love with Belle who never love him back. Belle and Gaston never dated while Ejini did. Nini changed Ricky which made him joined the musical for her just like how Belle changed the Beast by taking him out of his comfort zone. E.J. said he want to ask Gaston’s future self if he could learn to love anyone after Belle because she never loved Gaston back just like how Nini never loved E.J. back. Part 2/2 About my ask about how the Season 1 love triangle between EJ, Nini and Ricky is similar to the love triangle between Gaston, Belle and the Beast while E.J. basically represent Gaston in his love story with Nini who was basically his Belle that is not the case with Gina. It’s actually the complete opposite because E.J. basically represents the Beast in his love story with Gina who is his true Belle. Gina sees the best in E.J. just like how Belle sees the best in the Beast despite his past. 1/2 E.J. lets Gina go but it’s only temporarily because he loves her just like how the Beast let Belle go temporarily. E.J. didn’t think he would earn Gina’s love in return and basically lost all hope on love until Gina chases after him and asks him if he would be her first kiss implying that she has feelings for him just like how Belle chased after the Beast in the end to confessed her love to him after he has given up on love. Part 2

The points you made!!! I'd say that Ricky was inspired by Nini to change, rather than that she (actively) changed him, but I agree with everything else!! The similarities between Beast/Belle/Gaston and Ricky/Nini/EJ in season 1 kinda make it seem like the writers already knew they wanted to do Beauty and the Beast in season 2 while writing season 1, cause they feel like deliberate similarities. They then casted EJ as Gaston to show how much he'd changed from his season 1 self and Ricky as the Beast to show how he was regressing to the Ricky we met at the start of the show, and how he struggled with making a transformation to a better and changed version of himself.

I really don't have a lot to add to the specific points you made, because I think you laid it all out really well. But I did think of something else today that I wanted to add to my answer to this ask!

The fandom has talked about Portwell foreshadowing during Belle on Gina's end before (I mentioned that earlier today in this post), but I think there's also some meaning behind the line they gave to EJ:

Essentially, this line is about how Gaston feels like Belle is the only woman/person he knows who is the same as him in the way that matters to him the most. Since Gaston is a very superficial person, of course his "affections" for Belle are very surface level: it's all about her looks. That's all that matters to him.

As we've established, season 1 parallels EJ to Gaston, while season 2 contrasts the two of them.

In season 1, I'd argue that EJ's love for Nini is similarly superficial, though less so than Gaston, because EJ does genuinely care about Nini and supports her true passions. He admires her for how real she is, because he secretly wants to be able to be real too. But what he focusses on when talking to her is how talented she is. So he repeats a similar sentiment to her as Gaston does to Belle in that song:

Earlier he also tells Nini that "all the talented senior girls graduated last year", meaning that Nini is the most talented girl now. So essentially, he's thinking that "here in town there's only she who is talented as me". While he secretly wants to be who he truly is, he's still letting himself be defined by his achievements, and that kinda extends to Nini too. But what EJ really needs is a love interest who is like him in a deep and meaningful way. And that's where Gina comes in.

Portwell both parallel and contrast the sentiment that Gaston expresses in Belle. Gina is indeed the only person EJ knows who's the same as him in ways that matter most to him. But it's not superficial at all: it goes all the way down to their cores.

Gina is the one who voices this similarity, but EJ's response plays into this too. Because while Gina sees EJ's never giving up on being doing the right thing as a good trait of his, she views it more as a coping mechanism for herself. Or at least that's the sense I got when she said something similar about herself during her speech to Carlos in 2x05:

Because to her, she keeps pushing just because there's nothing else to do. But then EJ calls her brave for it, and she's able to reframe the way she views that aspect of herself in her head. The way they see each other not only shows how deep their understanding of the other is, but it also helps the other see themselves in a new and more positive light. It's similar to how the Beast encourages Belle to read more, instead of looking down on her for it like the town and especially Gaston did.

In Beauty and the Beast, the curse says that "If [the Beast] could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken." And that's exactly what EJ did. By being himself and staying true to the good person that he is at heart, he "earned" Gina's love. Starting in 1x10, when she watched him let Nini go and then heard his selfless reason for buying her the plane ticket. He always showed up and stayed around for her, which is why he's a worthy love interest for Gina, and why she fell for him.

Just like how Ricky earned Nini's love in season 1 by letting her go post-1x04, fully committing to the musical instead of coasting, and by finally voicing his love for her. He met her wants and needs in a relationship. His regression in season 2 undid a lot of that growth, but the S1 Rini storyline does hit similar storybeats as the S2 Portwell storyline, and similar storybeats as the Beauty and the Beast storyline.

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #gina porter #ricky bowen #nini salazar roberts #portwell #rini #portwell meta #hsmtmts meta #ask #anouk rambles