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itsasweater · 10 months

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HSMTMTS thoughts before season 4 pt. 2

So this is my second part after my re-watch of season 1 through 3 before the final season airs. After giving my thoughts on the seasons in general I thought I would talk about the ships on the show since a lot of new content dropped. The discourse has been interesting to say the least lol

Warning!!! I am going to be brutally honest about the ships on the show because I don't mind discussion, discourse or pushback. I'm not going to put any anti tags because I think the fandom could use some brutal honesty right now, especially with the severe lack of media literacy when it comes to this show and it's ships.

Rini (Ricky and Nini or is it Nina lol):

So I would categorize them as a typical Disney ship, pretty cookie cutter and unoriginal. It's the typical relationship that was formed because of childhood and growing up together. This type of pairing has been done before and will certainly be done again. So for a new show it is understandable to promote this relationship to bring in the audience.

During season 1, the show placed a lot of easter eggs that would forecast the downfall of this relationship, re-watching season 1 definitely helped me catch more of them. As curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn pointed out, throughout season 1 Ricky is looking for comfort and emotional support from Nini but he doesn't get that from her because she doesn't understand what he is going through when it comes to his home life with his parents. Obviously Ricky spends the first half of season 1 trying to get Nini back with her not giving him the time of day, until the homecoming episode changes everything for him because of a certain new girl (Gina). He kind of forgets about Nini while building this new relationship, a relationship that both Nini and EJ notice. The show eventually has Ricky and Nini come back to each other towards the end of the season 1. The thing that stands out to me the most is that in order for them to be put back together, they literally had to remove Gina from an episode for it to happen. Shows tend to do this a lot, when they want a certain pairing together they remove another character so that the pairing can stand alone without any competition in the scenes. But to me this is something that always makes me go hmmmmm you had to remove a character and stop total interaction in order for this pairing to get back together. Ricky and Nini have the moment in the finale where he confesses to her bringing up all these moments from childhood and bam end of season. I think a major reason why that confession scene did nothing for me is that he mentions all these moments that he has had with her from their childhood and we the audience didn't see any of it so it kind of falls flat. How am I supposed to be invested in that speech when I didn't see those moments. I also think putting them back together just regressed their characters. I always have a hard time watching that scene because the acting was just off, I think it was mentioned that they let Josh improvise it and maybe they shouldn't have.

Season 2 starts with Rini back together and in the very first episode Ricky looks directly at the camera and says that him and Nini are never breaking up ever again lol. I don't know if needing media literacy is necessary for that line because the show is spelling it out for the audience foreshadowing that they are going to be over again. That line was not a mistake, it was telling the audience to be prepared. Nini starts the season by not being truthful to Ricky about leaving and going to YAC until she just blurts it out with everyone around. The communication with these two has just always been non existent. Nini doesn't even know that Ricky moved, she goes to his old house yet Gina knows his new address, that's another thing that made me go hmmmm and wonder. Nini starts feeling held back by Ricky and that he doesn't like/love her for the right reasons, which makes her write the Rose song that is clearly about Ricky even though she denies it when he asks her. Ricky gets all excited when Nini comes back and thinks she came back for him but in a brutal way tells him that she didn't. She was already off the bus when he called. Where having media literacy comes into play is understanding that with everything else in Ricky's life changing which is something that he hates, his relationship with Nini and Nini herself represents something the same. He clings on to Nini because he wants at least something to be the same and not change like everything else in his life, which is unfair too Nini. Midway through the season they break up with Ricky initiating it with him saying he doesn't like who he is/becoming while with Nini. The breakup scene was honestly done really well. Obviously the relationship was needed in the end so that the characters could grow and understand what they actually want.

It surprises me how many people in the fandom still cling to this relationship because they were truly miserable with each other during season 2. If you truly cared about the characters you would not want them back together, they clearly outgrew each other and just didn't work anymore. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised though that people still cling to them because of the weird Jolivia stuff that I still see. Liking Rini and wanting them back just seems to be a cover for Jolivia's, like seriously people.

Lastly, people in the fandom like to say that if Olivia didn't leave the show or that if the drama didn't happen Rini would have been endgame yet season 2 was already written before all of that. Like I said at the start, the easter eggs were already planted in season 1 for the downfall of the relationship. I certainly think Rini was definitely endgame if the show was a limited series having only 1 season because of how season 1 ended with them together, they couldn't end it on a cliffhanger with no resolution. They did not know if they were going to be picked up for another season, once they did, they were able to go in the direction they wanted too.

I was planning on going over all of the ships in one post but by the time I finished my thoughts on Rini it was already too long lol so I might just do a post everyday leading up to the new season on the other ships.

Thanks for reading if you did! If you just read the title, thank you!

#hsmtmts #highschoolmusicalthemusicaltheseries #rini hsmtmts #ricky bowen #nini salazar roberts #ricky and nini #rini

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homemade-ghosts · 2 years

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why do you think some people are saying ricky's feelings came out of nowhere? because i don't really see that (i got into the show for them so i don't get it)

Do you want the nice answer or the mean one? (trick question, I’ll give you both.)

If I were being nice and giving them the benefit of the doubt, I’d say that, prior to this season, it had been a long time since Ricky & Gina interacted. & If they’ve been watching the show as it airs, then it’s been over a year in real time and roughly half a season (which was maybe a few months in the show’s universe?) since we saw them speak to one another -- so, I can understand how seeing their dynamic for the first time in so long could be jarring to the casual viewer.

& I would say that, even though Ricky’s feelings don’t come out of nowhere, I get how it could feel that way because, up until this point, we’ve only really seen their relationship from Gina’s perspective. We saw her confess to Ricky on opening night, saw the tears spilling down her face when she told Ricky she wouldn’t quit on them if she wasn’t moving away. We saw her deflate when Ricky sang with Nini at that New Years Eve party. We watched as she fled Ricky’s apartment after telling him that he should sing that song he wrote to Nini over the phone because “every girl loves a sweet gesture”, knowing that she was thinking of that day he serenaded her with "When There Was Me & You" last fall. We watched as she smiled at the thought of Ricky having gotten her those chocolates on Valentine’s Day and then tried to hide her discomfort and heartbreak when she found out he didn’t (at least as far as we know right now, but I’m still a little bit of a chocolates theory truther lol). My point is, Gina’s feelings for Ricky have always been front and center, until now. Now, finally, we are getting Ricky’s perspective on things. I can only hope that the people who want to claim his feelings came out of nowhere will change their minds as more of Ricky’s POV is revealed this season. Ricky himself said it best, “you don’t know the full story.”

Okay, that was my attempt at a nice, calm and understanding answer. If you want my more...honest opinion, then here's where I start to get a little mean.

If someone says Ricky’s feelings came out of the blue it’s because they lack any media literacy or comprehension skills. They can’t grasp a story until it is explicitly spelled out for them or spoon fed to them. Now that it has been spelled out (via Jet picking up on Ricky’s feelings and calling him out on them & now, by Ricky literally telling Carlos he wasn’t pretending to “crush on” Gina during WDYKAL) they want to cry “bad writing” because they specifically didn’t see it coming. That’s not the show’s fault. The writing, if they paid attention and actually thought about it, has been building up to this for a long time. If they didn’t see it, that’s on them.

I also have to point out that, anytime there’s wildly incorrect criticism like this, it usually comes from pws or Rinis (though I really shouldn’t bother adding the “or” because the venn diagram of people who ship pw and people who ship Rini is a circle) and they actively ignore the story this show is trying to tell in favor of their own misguided narrative. Last season, they claimed that Gina was a homewrecker because she was trying to “steal” Ricky away from Nini, despite the fact that Gina quite literally said she would never “step on what he has with Nini.” and she never did. Same thing is happening this season, except now it’s “Ricky is trying to steal Gina away from EJ.” when we’ve seen Ricky actively go out of his way not to do that because he’s prioritizing Gina and her happiness over his own feelings. They invent plot points and motives that fundamentally don't exist within the show.

I’ve heard it all. “Ricky doesn’t have any feelings for Gina.” *next season* “Okay, so he does, but they came out of nowhere.” *one episode later* “Okay, they didn’t come out of nowhere, but Gina doesn’t like him back. She’s moved on to EJ.” *watches their WDYKAL performance* “...so maybe Gina does have feelings for Ricky...b-but she shouldn’t break up with poor EJ because that’ll break his wittle heart!!” (as if I’m supposed to care about his feelings during their inevitable breakup when he’s the one actively ruining his own relationship by being selfish, non-communicative, insecure + keeping secrets from and not spending time with his girlfriend).

They’re scrambling for a reason, any reason, for Ricky & Gina not to end up together and I’ve yet to hear a single one that wasn’t nonsensical and completely disproven by the show. Just loud and wrong, every single one of them.

#i could've just said 'because they're bitter and dumb' but apparently i'm incapable of writing a short post so you got this instead lol #ricky x gina #rina #hsmtmts #hsmtmts s3 #asks

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mjsparkour · 2 years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#ricky x gina #rina #hsmtmts #ricky bowen #gina porter #hsm #I didn’t mean to write an essay I really didn’t #😵‍💫#they’re a crazy little Disney ship sorry

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laylakeating · 2 years

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the thing is rina antis are holding onto 2 big (false) things; the idea that ricky “never liked gina” (clearly wrong but whatever) and that he was leading on her on and cruel in s2 bc he knew her feelings. the first reason is going to be disproven this season even though it’s obvious that was never true. i can see why ppl may be upset with him for their number 2 reasoning but i really don’t think he truly understood what she said (even if he did it’s more complicated than that imo) and he never TRIED to go to her for advice besides once every other time she gave the advice unprompted which probably made him think it’s ok to ask her. i just don’t see valid reasons to dislike them i wish ppl would just go back to disliking ships for no reason stop trying to come up with reasons why rina and ricky are toxic 😒😒 this season will no doubt have him being called a homewrecker and toxic all season just for being FRIENDS with gina (like gina in s2 before she stopped talking to ricky)

"ricky never liked gina" yeah you're right he was acting insane in 106 and 107 because he didn't. yes. that makes total sense !! it's one of those things that is so clearly wrong - like you said!! - but because it hasn't been explicitly stated on the show people love to ignore it because it furthers their own agenda. bleh. rina are about to serve girl falls first boy falls harder and TRUST we are getting that love confession !!!!!!!!!!

number 2 is definitely a really interesting one but i completely disagree?? however i do think it's a lot more valid than number 1 because the lines become a lot more blurred. it's exactly as you said - ricky tries to respect her space and her boundaries!! he tries to give her time !! throughout 2a we see this happen repeatedly. in 201 he's trying to get back to where they were. she ignores him. in 202 they barely interact (coincidence? i think not! although, sidenote, i love 202 as a rina ep and i'll die on that hill). in 203, gina comes TO him. like, directly to his house. and even then, ricky doesn't bring up nini, gina offers him advice UNPROMPTED !! so, hmm. let's file that away for later.

then we come to 204. we see that rina have fallen a little bit back into their old friendship, even though gina is still clearly hurting (clear to the audience, not ricky). once again, when big red tries to ask gina for advice, ricky (quite vehemently) tries to stop him, only letting red go ahead when gina insists it's okay. we see that gina is in pain, but she still gives ricky advice. and NOW we've established a pattern. also, it's worth noting that gina is giving him good advice. or, at least, advice that's working.

so now we've got our pattern. ricky assumes gina's okay. he assumes she's over it! why wouldn't she be? she hasn't given him any indication that she isn't.

so we come to 205 (rip). ricky once again goes to gina for advice, because there's a pattern that's been established. it's the last straw for gina, she tells him her boundaries (which she is obviously within her rights to do) and now ricky's confused.

which brings us to 206 (a wonderful, brilliant, excellent rina ep). we essentially finish out ricky's arc when it comes to gina - he asks her if she wants to partner up for the exercise, she doesn't even deign to answer, and from that point on? HE LEAVES HER ALONE. he gets the message!! he respects her space and her boundaries, and even though he's probably confused he doesn't try to push her.

as for the flashback scene...i lean both ways? or i have, at least? now, i do think he understood what she was saying, but it IS more complicated that that because again. do we want ricky to cheat on his girlfriend? no!! of course we don't!! he was doing his best not to hurt anyone, but his hands were tied.

okay and yes !!! on twitter all the time i see tweets like "i don't know about this ship they seem forced and have no chemistry. also they're toxic". just SAY YOU DON'T LIKE THEM. it is not that hard !! i don't like rini and i don't like pw but that's due to personal preferences !! i just don't like them!!!

ricky is my homewrecking prince lmao <3 but honestly it kind of seems like ej will be digging his own grave this season anyway !!

#also i do not think rina are going to end up together (be in a relationship) at the end of this season #we are playing to long game folks s4 endgame here we come !!#anyway awesome ask anon i had a great time reading it and extrapolating on it (i hope you didn't mind that i did that)#i'm really enjoying dissecting the material with y'all it's so fun !!#asked and answered #anonymous #hsmtmts #rina

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adiabolikpastel · 2 years

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Kanato's Birthday Mun Musing

Surprise!

I also did not plan well for Kanato's birthday~ I'm literally a whole day late! (insert angry Ayato for taking his day)

So, I decided that I would just muse about Kanato in general~ We will look at a few of my favorite officials and rave about how much I adore this character.

A note that this will purely be based on the limited bits I have been able to read of the games and the CGs themselves. I do not claim to be an expert - I just wanted to rant about how much I really like Kanato.

Everything will be below the cut, due to length and general themes throughout the post. Feel free to comment or send in your thoughts about the great purple monster.

-Diabolik Lovers ~Haunted Dark Bridal~

Two of my favorite CGs for this boy! (Clearly, I got recreations done for Yuuki!) I think that something I was really draw to with Kanato through the first game was his growing presence over the heroine. Despite him being the shota, he forces his will upon you - the least likely one to look dangerous (unless you see the crazy behind he eyes).

When I started this blog, Kanato wasn't really my favorite boy. Sure I adore a good shota - like high key they are like one of my weaknesses, I love them bratty and young (that sounds really bad - im not a creep!). Yet, when I was looking for a fit for Yuuki, who originally was a self insert, Kanato helped her grow into more than that. Through him, Yuuki was able to become her own character - apart from myself.

It's crazy how that ended up happening, similar to how Kanato takes over your life in the game. He's like this creepy little jerk face - who literally bullies you into falling for him.

Diabolik Lovers MORE,BLOOD

Second verse is the same as the first. More Blood gave us more of the overwhelming Kanato presence - but this time- with someone he hates. I adored - ADORED - the fact that Kanato cannot stand Azusa. I think that was such a great idea, considering how Azusa is - and it makes total sense that the - cant wait for pancakes guy - would be annoyed with the character that talks slowly.

I also adore how the ending and after stories are so tender. Kanato gets a new teddy and it's just the cutest bear (honestly surprised I didn't give that to Rini, but Bunny is life). I like to think this new Teddy still sits in Yuuki and Kanato's room even as adults. He just sits happily in a chair, Kanato still greeting him each morning.

Diabolik Lovers Vandead Carnival

The first game to give us some vampire fun - and the most holiest of CGs to grace the DL fandom (personal opinion) with the Sleeping Vampires. I. Cannot. With. Any. Of. Them. That was the most adorable idea they have ever come up with - to this day - and I just love all of them.

This game we got to see Kanato kind of mature up - I feel? Like every CG really has him in control. And not necessarily in a toxic way. Idk just something about his energy. Which is all completely off set by his adorable sleeping CG. OH MY GOSH~ If there was ever a weakness for me - it would be sleeping. I find that so cute and innocent and you can just see the pureness of a person based on their sleep.

There is also an adorable chibi winter CG and Kanato kills me! While everyone else is like interacting and being butts to one another - he and Teddy are just sloping in the back. It cracks me up.

Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE

Kanato is so sweet in this game - like relatively speaking. Anytime I get to see him defend the heroine I loose it. Whether he admits to it or not, it always warms my heart. We also get to see sweater wearing Kanato fight his dad - which is a funny image to me.

I loved the tenderness of his CGs this game. The ending ones were in direct references to the ones in More Blood, where Kanato held her. Now she is holding him. The look of security on his face! I love seeing him feel at ease.

That was kind of the theme I got from Dark Fate for him. He was able to be at peace - no matter the ending. Whether it's through being with you or being dead - the boy can rest easier.

Diabolik Lovers Lunatic Parade

More mindless vampire dates! I loved just being able to enjoy Kanato's company. Going on actual dates - even if that mean falling out of something. Again, seeing this softer side of Kanato is nice. I like that he wants to be around you as much as possible.

He wants to be there, and to be present. A lot of that is due to abandonment issues, but it is so cute to see. He genuinely looks happy, like he is enjoying himself, and that is what matters to me. I love the extra CGs as well. I did not think Kanato knew how to cook? Or maybe he doesn't he is just playing with the tongs. The pool one is precious - he looks like he wants to be splashed too.

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN

Kanato kind of feels like a ticking time bomb. Like, he had been so kind and gentle these past few games since the first. Then all of a sudden they were like - oh yea, he's crazy. You can kind of see it in Yui's and his face in most of the CGs, that it's just a matter of time before he snaps.

I have not seen or read anything really from Lost Eden, and these CGs really feel disconnected from one another. Nothing seems to flow or like they belong to the same game - other than the crazy look in Kanato's eyes. The crepe ending is super cute though - it's literally everything I ever want from an outing with Kanato.

Diabolik Lovers CHOAS LINAGE

Another one I don't know too much about - just that its an alternate story line where the siblings are all mixed up. Kanato in this game has back a lot of his uneasiness - but not like to the unstable level that it was in - say- Haunted Bridal. He just looks like the youngest brother who is trying to prove himself.

In this game his siblings are now; Ruki, Shin, and Ayato - do you see his dilemma? Ruki is super smart. Shin and Ayato are both loud and out going - Kanato is just the baby trying to prove he can be like his brothers. Because, unlike Azusa, who is happy to be with Ruki Yuma and Kou (similar vibes), Kanato does not like being over looked. He wants to be noticed. So, that is the vibe I get from him this game.

The Anime

While not the best - the anime version of Kanato is still wickedly adorable. I am happy that he is so involved in season one, as the anime mostly focuses on the triplets. I think they do a good job of showing off just how much of a little monster Kanato is. Whether its smacking coffee or falling off a balcony.

Misc. Merch.

The more I see this boy - the deeper I fall in love. He is so adorable I can't stand it. They always make him look so needy and hopeless~ or bratty and yandere.

For him not being my favorite when I first got into the series, he has come a long way. I always have to stop myself from just buying everything Kanato I can - because he is just that cute. I know a lot of people are put off by him - but I am a sucker for a lil baby who just needs love and validation.

#mun post #kanato sakamaki #happy brithday #mun musing

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multimetaverse · 3 years

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HSMTMTS 2x08 Review

Most Likely To was the best ep of S2 so far and ended one ship while launching another. Let’s dig in!

Gaston was super fun, a very nice showcase for both Larry and Matt. This is the kind of energy that early S2 was lacking. Also feels like the first ep where East High might actually have a shot at beating North High. Covid restrictions played a role but we really needed to see more rehearsal scenes and scenes of the wildcats just being theatre kids. This also may be one of the last times we see EJ perform as a student in the musical so I’m glad we got this.

EJ has been criminally underused for most of S2, he’s marketed as part of the big 4 along with Nini, Ricky, and Gina and Matt Cornett’s name is listed 3rd in the credits but in the early eps of S2 you’d think he was guest star. Lately he’s started to become more important and tonight was an excellent showcase of why he’s such an interesting character. I’m not gonna check but this feels like it’s the most EJ screen time in a single ep that we’ve gotten all season long.

Of course, the main reason for EJ’s increased screen time is because of Portwell. I’ve been neutral on them but tonight they really won me over’ their scenes were so sweet that they warmed even my cold black heart. Matt and Sofia are good friends irl and that shines through in their easy rapport and great chemistry. Gina snorting at EJ’s joke was cute and I loved the shot of Gina accidentally walking into the shot for EJ’s confessional. As an aside, they’ve been doing some fun stuff with the confessionals lately which helps add a bit of the metaness that helped make S1 so great.

The real big Portwell scene tonight was EJ and Gina talking on the couch at Ashlyn’s. Lot’s to love there. Gina’s speech to EJ about what she sees when she thinks of him was sweet and her saying that EJ tried to do the right thing and often failed but kept trying echoes what she said of herself during her confession to Ricky. Also when EJ asked Gina if she understood the feeling of having her life mapped out she replied, ‘’not really’’ which is almost certainly the inspiration for Gina asking a question to EJ and him responding ‘’not really’’ in their pre S2 face time call on the hsmtmts instagram.

EJ is still wracked with guilt for the guy he used to be but Gina reminds him that he’s grown and is a good guy which leads to her slip up about her seeing him that way vs the rest of the gang hinting that she’s beginning to catch feelings for EJ. Which leads to EJ complimenting her and them having a moment that could well have led to a kiss if Ashlyn hadn’t come home. And they cap it off with Gina falling asleep and EJ covering her with his Duke sweater.

It’s been nice not seeing Gina upset over Ricky these past two eps and it’s a damning indictment of the poor writing and pacing of S2 that her story in the first 6 eps can be summed up as Gina being upset over something Ricky said or did. Not only has Portwell allowed EJ to rise in prominence but also it’s allowed Gina to escape the rut her character was stuck in pining for Ricky.

I hope after S2 is over that we get an interview where Tim explains how the Portwell plot came to be. The S1 finale set up some possible interest between them as did the pre S2 face time call but nothing came of it during the first 4 eps, they stood next to each other a lot but barely interacted otherwise. Notably in 2x01, which Tim himself wrote, EJ tries to grow a beard and tells Ashlyn that he says her as so young which is extremely jarring now that we know that EJ is crushing on Gina who is Ashlyn’s age.

Was Tim not set on doing Portwell until he realized he needed to give Gina something else to do other than hopelessly pine for Ricky? Narratively, it made sense after Rini got together in S1 to put the other two Big 4 characters together in S2 but did Tim not want it to seem so obvious to the audience so he deliberately kept Portwell apart until 2x05 where EJ’s feelings make for a nice plot twist? Was he just reluctant to plug EJ back into the love square due to how much more complicated it would make things but later felt he had no other options? Or was it just plain old bad pacing and writing?

Of course, I wish that there wasn’t such a large age gap between Sofia and Matt but there are no Gina ships that avoid that problem, there’s also an age gap between Sofia and Joshua, just as there was between Olivia and Joshua and Matt in S1. Depending on when they film S3 there’s a good chance that most of it will be finished before Sofia even turns 18 which is deeply unfortunate. There’s a broader issue of teen girls being cast in mostly age appropriate roles while their male love interests are older adults and in particular it often affects female characters of colour. Netflix has a really bad track record with those kind of age gaps but Disney has problems too as we’ve seen on HSMTMTS and on GMW where by the end of S3 they had 18 year old Peyton Meyer as the boyfriend of 14 year old Rowan Blanchard’s character (not to mention canon Joshaya which didn’t have such a bad age gap between the actors but was problematic regarding the ages of the characters themselves).

A knock I’ve seen on Portwell is that EJ is just gonna leave for university next year but that was never gonna happen, Matt’s under the same 4 season contract as all the other mains and he’ll be sticking around in some capacity much like Sharpay ended up doing in the movies. It is true that EJ will probably have to move on at the end of S4 while Gina still has her senior year left but that will also happen with her and Ricky since he’ll be graduating at the end of S4. It was a big mistake to make EJ a senior but it also may end up being a big mistake to make Gina a sophomore. It would have been too messy to retcon EJ to be a junior but Tim probably should have taken the chance to retcon Gina into being a junior in S2.

That Rini breakup was so sad (missed opportunity for gotta go my own way). They managed to get in a Troyella reference with the treehouse. This was inevitable they just have not been communicating well though now that we know that Ricky thought Nini left YAC for him some of his desperation to spend as much time together as possible makes more sense. I think Rini is endgame if the series has 4 seasons but it wouldn't shock me if we never seem them dating again and they only get back together in the series finale. It also wouldn’t surprise me if Nini never dates anyone else for the remainder of the series or at least not seriously.

We’re not even halfway through the series so it’s way too early to permanently slam the door on Rini though this time apart will probably help Joshua and Olivia move on from their own bitter break up before it bleeds too much into their performances. I do wonder if Tim really has a clue what he's gonna do with them for the remaining 24-28 eps of the series, assuming S3 and S4 have 10-12 eps each.

Roman Banks killed If I Can’t Love Her and the montage of all the couples or ex couples was great.

It was nice to finally meets some parents other than the Bowen’s and Salazar-Roberts’. Kourtney’s mom was played by Dara’s actual mother and their dynamic was great as expected. It seems from their conversation that Kourtney's father is dead which I don’t believe has been mentioned before. Cash Caswell.... well it gets what the character is about across. He really looks and sounds like a rich Utah republican, I bet he knows Mitt Romney personally. I liked EJ going to tell his father that he’s not going to Duke and recognizing that he wants to build his own life on his own merits.

We saw a bit of that S1 Miss Jenn energy tonight which was fun though I didn't like how curt she was with Seb nor did I like how rude Carlos was to Seb although we know that blows up in 2x10.

Jazzara rising! I really liked how Jazzara and Portwell are sort of mirroring each other and since Mazzara knows about EJ’s feelings for Gina it wouldn’t shock me if helping EJ out is part of him showing a softer side in 2x12.

Of course Ashlyn is VP of the Nostradamus society. It's clear her family has some kooky new age beliefs (her parents are probably members of some naturopathic medicine group on Facebook that doubles as a gateway into Qanon)

It was nice to see Big Red being such a good friend to Ricky and the return of Ricky’s infamous pillow hugs. Lmao at Ashlyn just chilling while Big Red is comforting Ricky

Also Miss Jenn saying sexy and Big Red referring to pillow talk, the writers are adding a bit of spice when cooking up these scripts.

Looking Ahead:

Looks like Gina may be wearing EJ's duke sweater next ep according to some posts I saw. Jack presumably is there to somehow help Gina decide what she wants with Ricky and EJ though him having wanderlust might also feed into Gina’s thoughts on settling down in SLC or moving with her mom around the country.

Let's see what mom of the year, Lynne Bowen, has up her sleeves. Ricky’s bedroom at her place in Chicago looks much nicer than the apartment Mike Bowen has so perhaps she makes a lot more money than he does.

Not looking forward to the Zoom portions of the ep but I guess it was inevitable.

There’s only two paths for Gina’s story to go in the remainder of this season; either she decides to move on from Ricky and give EJ a chance or she decides that Ricky is worth trying again and squelches her budding feelings for EJ. The former looks much more likely after tonight’s ep but either way it needs to be handled with care. Inevitably Gina and Ricky need to talk about what happened between them but if Tim really wants Ricky to continue being a viable love interest or even a good friend to Gina then he needs to really have Ricky apologize and show a thoughtful, kinder side of him that’s largely been missing this season.

What I think Tim is doing is setting up Portwell getting together in 2x12 but Ricky pining over Gina until Portwell break up late S3 and Rina get together in the S3 finale before they break up later in S4 and Ricky gets back with Nini near the end of the series. If I had Tim’s ear I would tell him that he should pick which ship he wants to do, Rina or Portwell, but don’t do both. He wants canon Rina? Great then end Portwell before it starts and have Rina happen in S3 and introduce other obstacles to them getting together rather than having to damage EJ’s character and make him lose another girl he likes to Ricky. He wants canon Portwell? Great then have Gina and Ricky’s conversation be closure for the both of them and have Gina and EJ get together and break them up without Ricky being a cause of it or waiting in the wings to get with Gina soon afterwards. Doing both will be a disaster and I truly hope that Tim Federle carefully thinks over his mistakes in S2 and really plans out the remaining 2 seasons of the series while there’s still time to prevent things from going really off the rails like GMW and AM did thanks to the bad decisions of Michael Jacobs and Terri Minsky.

Until next week wildcats.

#HSMTMTS #Portwell #Rini #Gina Porter #EJ Caswell #Ricky Bowen #Nini Salazar-Roberts #Kourtney Greene #HSMTMTS Reviews

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fiddlepickdouglas · 3 years

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Hi - firstly, I hope you’re doing good! 💕

Second, thank god you are positive towards Portwell! I’ve had to avoid the hsmtmts tag since there’s so much discourse and just generally negativity, so I love seeing you put positive hsmtmts content on my dash!

Thank you! Sorry it took me a bit to respond to this! And after writing this I'm sorry it turned into a rant/essay, but I can't help but share my thoughts.

Honestly, with what I've seen of EJ and Gina, they're so cute! I will put the disclaimer that I don't interact a ton with the fandom, but on occasion there's some good stuff I find.

I remember during the first season, the focus on Ricky and Nini was so strong and EJ and Gina seemed to stand in the way of that and that's all they were there for as far as I could tell. Understandable! The writing was so obviously pushing for Rini to be endgame, and Josh and Olivia worked great together to make that happen. As far as Caswen or Gini, I can see the appeal, but not remotely enough content for anything to be addressed in canon.

It's been a minute since I've watched the season, but I never truly understood where EJ's feelings for Nini came from other than that she was cute and talented (which, not the worst but very surface level). Gina's chemistry with Ricky was already nice and fresh. I don't blame her for catching feelings. Anyone who's gonna go after her character for that after she established such a no-nonsense personality needs to understand the nuance of it. To quote Hadestown, "she fell in spite of herself." It was easy for her to be soft for someone who seemed to just get her. Gina is the one who is under pressure to always look put together and never giving up. Ricky is literally the embodiment of *not being that* and she found charm in his ability to be that expressive. Their moments felt personal because everything else to her was forced to be impersonal. Also, heaven forbid a girl falls for a guy, it's not a sign of weakness! Even more when it's a WOC falling for a white guy.

EJ just needed to wake up to a world where he couldn't control everything perfectly and the breakup with Nini did that. He went from being a classroom globe spinning on its axis to just some guy being held to the Earth with gravity like everyone else. Fallible, embarrassing, not the first pick. He wasn't exactly the self-centered jock like many stereotypes would've had him be, but he didn't have a hard time stepping into the role of Gaston for a reason.

Ricky and Nini, despite their challenges, still chose each other, for better or worse. I don't mind that this plot still went sour because it's such a realistic thing. They really cared and made so much effort! They were flawed and in different places and they couldn't truly blame each other for not working out in the end. I thought it was such a healthy thing to depict, them admitting that they just didn't work no matter how much they forced it.

Gina's falling out with Ricky sucked. They had good potential, but you can't force someone to take anything they don't want. She offered up what she had for him and it was like he played with the food on his plate before walking away from the table without taking a bite. It's genuinely upsetting.

Gina's arc includes how all the kids at East High are her friends and becoming her found family and her insecure attachment style is slowly breaking down into a more secure one. This is the first time she's had an opportunity to stretch and breathe and I am here for seeing her go from the mean girl to a protective bestie. It's what sets up why she's so good with EJ to me. She's very good at grounding herself - only before she would put down roots in defense instead of in vulnerability.

EJ is not used to being this grounded. He flies and he's good at it (okay WE'RE SOARIN', FLYIN', THERE'S NOT A STAR IN HEA- sorry I did this to myself). He and Gina thrive in opposite territories, but are currently living in the spaces they're weakest in. The middle ground for both? Theatre. That's where they begin their relationship as acquaintances and eventually move on from there. But after the respective fallouts with Ricky and Nini, they're slowly helping each other navigate what to one is hostile territory and the other is home.

That's really the point I wanted to make here. Everything they've been through created a natural environment for them to get together and have a shot at happiness in that. Why be mad? They deserve it.

#wow this is long #it looks like i care a lot more than i thought lmao #portwell #hsmtmts 2 #answered #stupidlittlenemo #ej caswell #gina porter #ricky bowen #nini roberts

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blues-valentine · 3 years

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Ricky and Gina haven't even interacted in half the season? Also Gina confessed and she was blatantly rejected? Ricky knew about her feelings but never tried to hint that he felt the same? He has spend years in love with Nini, and most of the season he spend sulking over her?

Even after they broke up and he was free to "follow his heart" he never even showed a hint he wanted to pursue something with Gina. EJ mentioned her and he didn't even bulge, but when EJ mentioned Nini he got sad.

I am sorry but I don't see how this is "not a normal Disney relationship" and how "their storyline is more mature". There's practically no story with them. Whatever they may had had is over.

Gina liked him, she got rejected, moved on and started to fall for a guy that genuinely liked her back and wasn't shy to show and admit it. Ricky is slowly trying to move on, but his feelings for Nini are way too deep so he may never even be able to move on and now just got a rebound, yeah he is an idiot.

Why would you want someone awesome like Gina to wait around for a guy that has not a 100% interest in her and is still pining over someone else. SHE DESERVES WAY BETTER THAN BEING A SECOND CHOICE.

Seriously do yall need a scene of Ricky blatantly telling Gina he doesn't like her to get it? Or are you gonna keep fooling yourself with the "they have a deep storyline, it's slow burn" bs? You are all so pathetic is embarrassing. Grow up.

This long ask riding hard for a ship that doesn't even have chemistry and will die on season 3 as the plot device they are setting them up to be? Couldn't be me. I won't even try to be racional with you and actually analize Ricky's character and his terrible tendencies of internalizing and misinterpreting everything that is in from of him and has a long journey to grow up and have "character development" (i know that's a wild concept for you all), as the teenager with home problems he is. I'm not even going to answer saying that Gina hasn't even gotten closure with Ricky. This passive aggresive ask is enough to tell me you are that person that takes shipping too seriously and can't even get off anon and be civil enough to have an open discussion. Instated I'm quoting Tim's latest interviews (where he involved Rina unprovoked in everything Portwell related):

"We wanted Gina to go on a journey of figuring out if she belongs in one place, in East High, figuring out if there's anything still left with Ricky, which I personally think is still not really a full story yet."

"Sofia contains such depth and Gina obviously pines for Ricky and has unrequited feelings for somebody who is maybe not yet ready to show it back because he's still clinging to the past with Nini."

"I would say about Rina, I think the reason people go to their high school reunions, even 50 years later, is because you never really graduate from high school. I do think there's a lot between those two characters that is very much still on the table, even if they're not quite ready to see what that actually means."

"I think you'll see a full-fledged Gina everything. She's still in high school, and there's a lot that Gina needs to discover about herself and other people. I think certainly the end of season 2 sets up the fact that I think there's a lot she needs to figure out about EJ."

The sooner you guys come to terms with the fact it is a plot device, the better. Even if Rina isn’t the endgame down the line, which I truly don’t might. They'll still have the best chemistry and best scene of the show and without any laughing backtrack with lines that the actors couldn’t take seriously. Also, isn't interesting how you Rinis (because I can tell you are literally a Rini like 80% of PWs "shippers") always use the same tiring excuse of "second choice", but are okay with PW despite EJ being exactly the same thing. So Gina is able to move on and out grow her deep feelings for Ricky (because I don't know how you can watch 2A and think Gina's feelings for Ricky were a childish little crush) but don't give Ricky the benefit of him maturing, growing up and getting his feelings right? Uhm.

Lastly, if you are having breakdowns on people's asks over their own theories of a show (a DISNEY SHOW) you are the one that needs to grow up. Side Note: Jacey didn’t get any romantic interaction on s2 of Dawson's Creek, barely crumbs, and still got the endgame, so lack of scenes does nothing to me.

#HSMTMTS #rina #ricky x gina #asks

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rickybowxn · 4 years

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let’s talk about ricky bowen again

dude ep5 and ep6 has crushed me. the way that they are alluding to ricky’s mental health these two episodes is so incredibly loud in the most subtle ways. and not to mention so damn relatable.

ricky bowen is crying for help and comfort rn and it’s so sad and incredibly heartbreaking to watch.

episode 5 mostly set up the emotion derivative and complexity for all of ricky’s actions in episode 6 to be as angsty and as wonderful as they were so i’m just gonna be pretty straight to the point with this first half of the post. let’s take a closer look and start with episode 5:

watching this sucked. he’s growing up, and bottling up all of these feelings to be strong for his dad. i love that they establish ricky’s response to conflict and trials: as someone who wants to be there for everyone else, even though it’s pretty sad to watch. he passively states what’s going in his life but never really talks about it, throughout the next few scenes, we realise that he deals with his conflict by being there for everyone else and well... not dealing with his conflict. he literally grows up and as fucked up as it is, becomes the parent. it made my stomach twist and it was written really well. my poor baby boi.

in his next two scenes with gina, we see exactly what was established with his dad:

in the first gif, he states his conflict in passing and then flips it to gina to talk about what’s going on with her. i’ve said again and again that he’s rlly bad with explicit verbal communication and this is a great example of how he’s good at being a support system for literally everyone, but has such a hard time being kind to himself. he uses ‘it’s a whole thing’ as a fast and sure way to dismiss his issue as not worth talking about and instantly wants to make gina the focus. the writers really did well with establishing that.

this gina and ricky interaction was great. not only did it establish rina’s chemistry, it also gave us the setup to ricky’s actions in the next episode - this play is what’s keeping him afloat rn. the people, the lines, the rehearsals are effectively helping him stay grounded and not lose his mind. it’s rlly heartbreaking to see how much he’s actually hurting, especially because he explicitly doesn’t show it throughout this episode or the next.

(i plan to do a rina arc post as well, and i’ll save most of my thoughts on them for that, but while we’re here, the last two scenes we broke down really established this strong and substantial connection between the characters really well. the writers pushed past the ‘we’re both outsiders’ arc and really gave ricky and gina substance and common ground for a solid dynamic. their motives and actions are very similar, and that’s why they have such a good foundation for gina’s understanding of, and being there for ricky in ep6, as well as where-ever the writers decide to take them - i personally prefer friendship but i know that some of y’all are rina shippers and that’s also very much on the table and i’m rlly okay with either! as much as i want rini to be endgame, they have established such wonderful characters with such amazing arcs and i want all of them to be explored and the writers are doing good work with it rn).

and now let’s look at episode 6, where they drive that stake into our hearts further. this is ricky’s reaction to carlos breaking the ms. jenn news to everyone:

you can see him unwind. you can see his world fall apart bit by bit as the realisation hits. the established safe haven he has, doubling down as a distraction for everything going on in his life right now, is being torn from under his feet. it was personally one of the hardest and heartbreaking things to see this ep, it’s just constant angst with him oof.

but then, in the most ricky bowen fashion ever, he jumps right back to wanting to fight and keep trying, he stays despite everyone else leaving (starting with nini, and i’lll mention why that’s important in just a second). he puts aside all the anxiety he has if the play (at that point, most probably bound to end) falls apart and commits to fighting for it, clinging desperately to it:

and now as for everyone leaving, the writers used it as such a good way to establish how significantly important the play is for especially ricky, carlos and gina - the three people who stayed. as a side-note, carlos’s attachment to the play is established and developed later in the episode with the string of dialogue in big red’s basement, so i’m not gonna elaborate, it was way more explicit than ricky’s arc that led to the climatic monologue(ish) he delivered towards the end of that same scene.

for nini, the play is the path to her developing her self-confidence and maturity so she embraces it to grow (and she’s slowly rediscovering herself just generally), not to run away from the rest of her life, unlike ricky and gina:

like nini, the rest of the cast uses the play as an opportunity rather than a distraction, and that’s what sets ricky and gina apart from them. this made it easier from them to walk away and wallow in the possibility of the show ending (also that look ricky gave nini walking way *my heart shattered*). ricky (and gina) is established to clearly not have that same luxury. this scene sets up ricky and gina having the play as this tether that’s keeping them at bay from things that they should be dealing with (we don’t know about gina’s issues yet and i’m very ready and excited to cry about that angst by the way), so their instinct is to stay and try and fight for the play/keep practising.

the next scene explicates why this play means the most to ricky, and as with everything about his arc rn, it’s heart-wrenching:

he’s in complete denial of the only thing keeping him together rn falling apart. it is sad, heart-breaking and gut-wrenching. this angst is delivered with such fucking excellence by joshua bassett that i kinda wanna punch him lmao

and here’s where it hits home. gina realises the reality that they might not come back to the show and is ready to face it (instituted by her even asking the question in the first place), but ricky’s denial contrast that so heavily this scene. that denial is what establishes the play meaning the most to ricky. just by watching the scene, you can tell how he’s unravelling, trying not to let himself be overwhelmed by the possibility of it. it’s so fucking angsty ugh.

(another side note, as i said before, i’m probably gonna make another entire post about the gina/ricky arc but i had to mention this. after this exchange, her supporting him and taking his mind off of all of this by asking him to do something he loves and perform the acoustic version of ‘when there was me and you’, grounding ricky for a bit, was one of my most favourite things to watch this entire episode, even being primarily a rini shipper - they rlly sold them i can see their growing popularity as completely justified, they were hella cute this ep).

now this moment is where i felt like sobbing and reaching into the screen to hug him:

he finally opens up about it. why he’s so desperate to keep this play alive and why saving ms. jenn’s job is so incredibly important to him. and i loved that nini helped him say the words he needed to say. the look of relief when he was assured that he didn’t have to do any of this alone, just with nini finishing that sentence for him - that nini, gina, big red and everyone else was going to be there for him, and hear him out - fuck, it was beautiful!! it also encouraged him to take charge and chant ‘what team?’, he was ready to fight and everyone readying with him was so magnetic to see. it was also clearly therapeutic to him bc during, and after the final number, he looks genuinely happy, and we see him fully smiling/laughing more than the last 5eps combined.

he finally gets a win and it may not solve all his problems, but being one of the motivating factors in saving ms. jenn’s job through his vulnerability in this scene really gives him a leg up and i loved watching it. i hope they don’t dismiss everything he still has to continue to have to deal with (making this an all problem solving cure as sometimes disney does) but that aside, i’m so glad they had subtle continuity in furthering his character’s development these last two episodes even though he wasn’t a primary focus. it was subtle, nuanced and genuinely so complex and enjoyable to watch.

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