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27emailsicantsend · 2 years

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Season 3 Episode 8 Thoughts

I am SO sorry this took me so long to write. My week has been a lot, so it’s just taken me a little longer to get to this. But I have been so excited to write my thoughts! A lot of things I might have already discussed on my blog, so if it seems like I’m missing something go back through the last few days on my blog and I’ve probably talked about it already :)

Ok… heads up this is my longest one yet… buckle up, wildcats 😂

I love that for the last couple of episodes they’ve had jet and Maddox doing the opening lines. It was a good subtle hint to the casual viewer that we were going to be seeing them again. If they weren’t a part of the larger cast this season then it wouldn’t make sense for them to do the opener

ANY TIME I hear the rina cue I will call it out. And guess when it played during the opening credits?? When jet said ej and gina broke up (so literally over that scene) AND when he was reemphasizing the coat check 👀

I’m going to be honest… the set up they made for Channing going “full reality show” last episode made it seem like there would be… more this episode? I thought it was going to be more of a repeat of episode five but it felt a little lackluster

LMAOOO the way ricky is sleeping has me 💀 what does josh think fake sleeping looks like 😭 he is so perfectly posed I don’t know how he thought we wouldn’t know he is acting hahahaha

But his jump scare was funny. I’ve loved his “scared” moments this season, like when he and gina were going through the woods and then when they found Ashlyn 😂 so funny

BIG RED I MISSED YOUUUUU

I’ve seen a few people throw around the idea that big red and jet might have a “fighting over who is the best friend” arc next season which would be so funny. But then I saw someone else say what would be even funnier is if ricky just said “gina” so both of them lost 😭 Tim please I’m begging for the storyline

Also when ricky asked if red bought the lotto ticket bc it was the last thing on the list and then red asked if ricky walked on the moon. It kind of made it sound like red got him something for THAT instead which makes me wonder what it would have been… 🤔

Oof jealous Maddox 👀 listen I’ve been calling the Maddox and Ashlyn romance since the episode where they were painting the set and Val and ej since ep 2. I’m impartial to Maddox and Ashlyn because I also love Ashlyn and red equally.

But I am VERY much a Val and ej stan. To me they GET each other. Who did he keep going to for serious talks this season? Who gave him comfort instead of his girlfriend? It’s been Val the whole time. Tim said we won’t get a ton of ej next season because we’ll be focused more on the high schoolers, but it would be cool if his “outside plot” was that he started dating Val :)

RICKY AND GINA MADE WISHES FOR EACH OTHER I REPEAT THEY MADE WISHES FOR EACH OTHER

And I KID YOU NOT: the first time I was watching this (1 am and delirious from just waking up), I watched ricky make the wish, said “where’s gina?” outloud and not even 2 seconds later ricky said, “where’s gina?” That was a little spooky if you ask me hahahaha

But also the fact that he had literally every other friend in the cabin he cared about INCLUDING red who traveled all that way and all ricky could notice in the chaos was where gina is, is so ��🥺

It just sends me back to some of my crushes and I KNEW I had it bad when I could spot in a crowd of 100 people if they were there or not and it completely influenced the night. Yeah mr bowen has it BAD

Ginaaaaaa you look so pretty my dear!!! Her outfits made the show feel grounded in reality. It feels less disney. Just something I appreciate in general :)

the only time it felt disney was that AWFUL outfit they had nini in when she was singing “What I’ve been looking for” at the piano with EJ. That one was cruel from the wardrobe department

But also this scene makes me want to do yoga in the woods. Fun fact I actually love yoga and have been doing it for a few years now. Ive just never gone to a remote location to do it 😂 only a gym or at my house

this is superrr random but Val looks EXACTLY like one of my friends from the back with her hair in that updo. I had to do a double take at first when she walked up to gina 😂

“When the right person comes along you’ll know, the timing will just make sense” and then LOOK WHO SHOWS UP MR RICKY BOWEN HIMSELF.

And Val is SO right for this. Rina has been right person, wrong time for the last two seasons. They just kept barely missing each other because of dating other people (FUNDAMENTAL to their growth arcs though). It’s cool seeing them go through all those lessons about who they aren’t supposed to be and be with, so when they DID understand it they got together. 🥹

Kind of a cool parallel from ep 1 this season 😏 “nobody’s gonna get in our way” and then “nobody” shows up asking for a group hug lol

RINA THE LITTLE YOGA POSE THAT WAS SO CUTE NO ONE SAID YOU HAD TO DO THAT

And then gina talking about knowing where she stands with people and that it’s “over and done” she’s ok… Ricky THOUGHT she was talking about himself kinda fibbing last night (he knew that she knew he fibbed), but then she mentioned ej and you see SO much relief on his face. He was so scared he messed up 😭 sweet boy

RICKY PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU LEARN YOUR CHARACTERS JUST A LITTLE FASTER THAN RIGHT BEFORE OPENING NIGHT. Personally I find the joke of him getting main guy without doing anything significant to get it SO funny. I know other people say others deserve it more, but he really is just being Troy Bolton because that’s exactly what Troy does. He doesn’t really do anything and still gets the lead 😂

That little “happy birthday”. Part of me wishes she would have said it a little louder so ricky would have heard and then maybe we see him walking away, pause when he hears it, then shakes his head and smiles a little. The other part of me likes how quiet she said it because it really gives off that vibe of “things left unsaid” which has just been the two of them all season

One of my favorite running things in the show is that we were told it would never be a “spontaneous song and dance”. There would always be a REASON something would happen. So it’s been so funny watching the show runners jump through every single freaking hoop they can to get a song in 😭 this song, by far, was one of the biggest reaches to me. We go inside Emmy’s mind for a song lol

She has a really good voice but I still am having a hard time seeing why she sang it? I guess I don’t have much of an emotional attachment to her character. She was only shown a couple of times in the show so it felt kind of… off balance for her to get such a large song when there’s other characters (like EJ or Gina or Kourt or even little Elsa after the talk about anxiety) that probably could have had a more emotionally charged version of the song for the audience? Idk it just threw me a little that she got a song in the finale. I’m pretty sure she’s a main character next season so I think a song after we learn her character more will make more sense then.

But regardless I did enjoy this rendition. It was fun seeing everyone prep for opening night to this song and them looking at their costumes. I also LOVED the little ricky and gina opening night looks during the circle. It very much was a direct parallel to s1, but this time felt more authentic because it wasn’t Ricky fighting for gina because he was anxious and needed security. He just loved her and was so proud and happy to be there with her in that moment. The lines about “letting the light shine on me” is very metaphoric to gina this season because she finally feels seen as an actress and ricky shining the light on her saying how proud he is of her… 🥹 this song just comes full circle back to those moments of him celebrating her as Anna.

I will say I LOVED their black and white outfits for this number though… especially Ashlyn’s. WOW she looked STUNNING in that top. Literally like an angel. They all just had these beautiful modified versions of outfits that made sense with them and their characters (for instance, EJ’s was just this sportsman jacket). It was cool because to me it felt like they were all smaller parts of a larger whole symbolically. We could see their essence through the individual outfits, but they were all black and white making them seemingly the “same” as everyone else’s. Costuming is just so, so cool because there is actually a LOT of thought that comes from wardrobe departments when you start doing more investigating in it. It’s all veryyy intentional.

This song was nice too because it really does make sense for every character. We watch their reactions to their costumes, being part of the greater production as a whole, and we know from their individual arcs that “this is where they’re supposed to be”. Gina is supposed to be in a spotlight she earned, ricky is supposed to be in theater camp with gina (not with lily back home), kourtney is supposed to be learning more about her potential, jet is supposed to be a part of the theater kids and making amends with Maddox, Maddox is supposed to be with her friends who consider her part of the same team, ej is supposed to be directing the show and learning about his potential in the film and production industry, etc. etc. etc. it’s just cool watching all of their storylines add up to this part and make SO much sense with this song

Ashlyn being so happy as an ensemble member and practicing with them is so 🥹🥹 the growth

“Gotta figure that one out” lmaooooo Maddox your crush is showing

oof can you imagine if Red, Antoine, Maddox and Ashlyn were all in a room together 😂

I can’t imagine how gina felt when ej was like “that’s tomorrow’s problem” about his dad and them trending. Because one of the MAIN contributors to their fighting and break up was how paranoid and stressed ej has been trying to impress his dad with the show. It’s why he kept blowing gina off and had so much anxiety and more. Now literally a day later after they broke up he doesn’t care? It’s fine now? I’m sorry that would have been SO upsetting for me. The whiplash of it all. And you can see the upset on her face ☹️

Miss Jenn and her singing I can’t 😂

OK this scene in particular how did we NOT see frozen coming?? Miss Jenn and nini here is a DIRECT callback to the “snowstorm” episode where they get stuck in the car. Snowstorms=frozen. Miss jenn talked about how the reason she became a teacher is because she was so stressed over getting that part in frozen and then she saw “let it go” on the score which helped nini decide she wanted to come back to east high. And now she is singing that song and nini is back and they’re talking about letting things go again (nini with east high going to California). Gosh it just makes some cool parallels doesn’t it

But also… Nini’s arc feels a LITTLE counterintuitive because she made this big deal about coming back to east high because that’s her family and that’s what made it so hard to leave and be in Denver. But now she’s leaving again. I mean I understand why, since Olivia is leaving. I guess I just find the irony a little funny 😂

On a lighter note I loveee nini’s top. UGH have I mentioned how obsessed I am with the wardrobing this season?? Because I am 😅

“It’s just a high school musical, nini” 😭😭😭

It’s a small detail, but I love (for the most part) how consistent this show stays. It’s cool that they reminded us from back in s1 that nini used to go to that camp. Of COURSE she would know where the firepit is. I just like when little things like that stay consistent in shows because it makes the characters feel more real. Another example of this is when Carlos at the beginning of the episode was like “on 3” and kourt says, “on 3 or after 3” and then Carlos goes “not this again”. The audience might not remember, but of course Carlos would remember being annoyed trying to get those numbers right from taking pics s1. It’s just fun little details like that that, again, make us feel like these characters really exist.

I love how they’ve decorated the barn from episode to episode 🥹 so cute

For the most part, I like how they’ve addressed kourt’s anxiety storyline. I work with anxiety professionally, so I think they’ve done a good job. Gina asking about what happened to kourt’s bravery the night before might have seemed a little insensitive but i get why they did it. It was so kourt could explain that they don’t go away in a night. The only thing i would have liked to have seen is maybe gina helping kourt take some deep breaths or kourt doing a grounding exercise or something. They’re doing this storyline to show kids they aren’t alone and everyone experiences anxiety, so yes while having a friend HELPS, not everyone has a friend that can “talk them out of it” or be there for them. It would have been a simple way to model, for kids, how to cope with anxiety on their own too if no one is around to talk to. (But this is just the professional in me coming out 😂)

Carlos not being ready to say good bye when he first came to camp not happy to be there 🥹 the growth!!!!

I liked watching Carlos do the “in summer” song but I also kinda wish we would have gotten “fixer upper”. But that’s just my selfish rina heart talking 😂 this was still a cute song either way, though

Lol you can tell nini was filmed separately from the actual opening night. They have no cameras behind her watching so we can see her WATCHING the play. It just LOOKS like she is. You can just tell there were time constraints they were trying to work around with filming with her and it’s just funny watching how they work around that 😂

The little “I’m gonna tell him” “don’t you dare” is VERY much something actual rina would say if there was something happening with one of their friends. Oh yeah they are so kristanna coded 😂

The little red and Ashlyn picture before she walks in on her mirror 🥹

This scene is why I am so neutral about Ashlyn being with red or Maddox. I think she and red work really well together. And with both of them discovering their sexuality and red still knowing regardless he wants Ashlyn, makes me SO happy for them. (Like imagine them checking out girls and guys together on dates lol).

I think this scene was supposed to be confirmation that she was happy with red and wants to be with him too? But the line delivery didn’t totally make me feel that way? And we know Maddox is still going to be around next season, which I really love their arc this season as well, so I would be ok seeing her with either :)

I appreciate that they both went through similar arcs on their own though :) it would have been cool to see red have that parallel to Ashlyn in the episodes… like showing his self discovery back at the pizza shop. But I also love the end of the episode when he’s just like “oh and I’m bi!” And ricky goes “good for him”. 😂 comedy gold. Just so unapologetically themselves. I love it :)

Also, I just realized remember how Carlos and seb had that whole plot last season about being the only queer characters in the school (that they knew of)? It makes the pin scene last episode so much more special because now they’ll have at least 3 more people a part of the LGBTQ group in just their theater club (there could be even more in the school they don’t know about yet) 🥲 that makes me so happy to know they won’t feel so alone

Ok I do like this scene between kourt and little Elsa but my one gripe with it is, isn’t kourt’s mom supposed to be a therapist?? The show did so well keeping storylines accurate up until this point (and I guess a little with nini as I mentioned before). So I don’t know why kourt is so surprised little her has a therapist? It makes it seem like kourt doesn’t know kids her age have one?? Idk and some of the advice little Elsa gives her seems like something her mom could have said to her at this point? This scene was a little confusing to me ig 😂 it was sweet, don’t get me wrong. It just seemed a little counterintuitive to what we already knew about kourt from episodes past hahaha

But also WHEN are we getting a convo with ej and kourt about anxiety?? I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it til it happens. Im waitinggg 🤨⏱

“The feeling you get right now is the feeling you get right before you’re about to do something brave” I’m crocheting that and hanging it up in my office fr, fr. One of the best lines of the entire show

“You’re my supernova ash” 😭😭

KOURTS PERFORMANCE OF LET IT GO 15/10 STARS

Literally SO good. Her vocal runs, some of the changes to the delivery of notes, the acting, the contrast of lines as she’s building up to the main part… this was absolutely one of the best performances of the entire show. Hands down. Like BRAVA Dara.

Also normally I absolutely CRINGE when the audience pulls out their phones or starts singing to help the main character, but I actually was ok with it here. (I would have DIED if they would have sang though soooo thankful they didn’t). I think shining that light on kourtney was kind of like what little Elsa said about using her anxiety to help her be brave. At first the lights scared her but then she used them to power through her stress. It was a cool parallel to that convo

The audiences gasps are killing me though 😂 i can’t take them seriously they’re so funny hahahaha its giving mii audience during wii tennis

And their nodding while they’re holding their phones 😭😭 PLS they look like npc’s I’m cryingggg

Also GINA YES FREAKING ANNHILATE CHANNING OMG I LOVED her coming to the rescue for kourt there 😭 really showed that “power of sisterhood” that’s been mentioned a few times in the show. So good

That was such a cool wardrobe change!! AHHH I WANT TO PERSONALLY MEET AND THANK THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT

gina being so willing to punch Channing i cant 😭😂 she’s my FAVORITE

Ricky saying he’s never felt so much like a kid. When I think of kids I think of how happy and playful they are. How they can just move through life and accept things as they are. They are VERY resilient. This carefree and happy version of ricky makes me sooo happy. I know he’s been hurt by not being with gina but he’s not hurt BY gina. She makes him SO happy and you can see that so much through this season. I just really loved this line. It feels very special to me ❤️

Listen nini and I have had our beef but her doing the little cards each season and this little balloon set up is so sweet to me 🥹

Also… low key (like others have pointed out on here) I kind of forgot nini and kourt were best friends 😬 watching them sing born to be brave together was really cute and you could definitely tell some of that emotion from nini was just Olivia sad to actually say goodbye, but I don’t think I’ve ever really felt a friendship chemistry from them? I’ve seen it a lot more with kourt and carlos, gina, and ash. This scene just didn’t have a ton of impact on me which makes me a little sad? I think I would have liked to have seen their friendship a little more in the past two seasons to make this feel more deep. I’ve seen other people say the same thing so I know I’m not alone on this

I know ricky is just watching offstage but you can’t see that from the angle of this so it looks like he is just walking over and idling, staring at a wall 😂 it’s giving npc energy hard hahahhaa

YES RICKY END HIM. I love that it’s ricky and gina who stand up to Channing. Yet another parallel. Rina being the protective parents of the theater… our protagonists 🥹

Also “for the first time in forever”. You can tell that gina was not at all upset about what ricky said about “acting” like he likes gina. That she knew he was just saying that to get Channing to leave her alone and that he was defending her. It’s a cool contrast between him and ej because ej was just like “yeah we’ll give you drama” which upset her and ricky was like “we’re faking it and we want you to leave us alone. We’re not going to give you more of what is hurting us” which was comforting to her. ahhhhhhh

And then him immediately turning to her and asking her if she’s ok??? He’s so protective of her 😭

KRISTOFFS LULLABY

This was SO sweet

I also fully expected ricky to sing “you’re what I know about love” while looking at Gina so I was taken back when the only line he sang TO her was, “everything I thought I did, you’ve gone and changed it kid”, but after thinking it through this line makes WAY more sense. And the fact that he sang that BEFORE the “you’re what I know about love line”, helps us to know that the following line is STILL referring to gina. He didn’t need to look at her for us to know who he was now referring to because he already did. But lets break down the other line, shall we? Everything he thought he knew and did for love, she changed. Gina represents change. He doesn’t act like old ricky in love situations anymore. We also know that she said ricky came to her as a surprise, he was not part of her plan either. She helped him see that he doesn’t have to be stuck in what he’s known forever to feel love. Also, him calling her a kid refers to my point a few bullets ago about him feeling like a kid again this summer. They are two kids in love. He feels happy, carefree and childlike with her. Not stressed or anxious, like he did with nini. He may have grown up because he’s 18 now, but gina keeps him in that young and happy state of mind. Not in an immature way either… but more in a relaxed way where he doesn’t feel so much pressure on the relationship. “It is what it is and I’m happy if you’re happy”. It’s a very innocent and calm state of mind and I just love seeing them (him) that way together. 🥹

I’ve got some thoughts about why ej and nini were shown during this song, but I’ll keep it short. I think a lot of it is the context of the lines and their stories. For example, “braver than the bravest of us” when showing nini. She sings about “born to be brave”. Her entire arc is about bravery and taking risks and trying big, life changing things which has helped her grow into who she is as a person. I can break down the rest of these if you guys want, but I think that’s what a lot of that is during this song is ricky just explaining their arcs each time a person is shown along with the line that’s sung.

Again, Val and Ej!! I’m telling you people, they’re meant to be!!

Val looks BEAUTIFUL here. I want to know every place these outfits came from, I’m so serious about this

This scene was HEARTBREAKING. Ej needed his dad so much in this moment and for him to turn that love away was hard to watch

You can see Ej just trying to do everything he can to make things right and it just isn’t working.

I know Josh has wanted to sing “scream” and he is absolutely the Troy of the show but with EJ’s arc I actually think he’s more suited for this song? And it would be his first serious performance. Maybe he and Josh could duet it? I’m not sure what Ricky’s story line would be for him to sing this but I’m sure if josh really wanted to sing this, Timberly could make something work for both of them to duet

But the lyrics about losing yourself to get what you want, getting on a ride and wanting to get off. Ej lost everything this season. Himself, his girlfriend, his dad, last season he put away college…. His world is completely upside down and he is being told from every direction how he should be or trying to be everything he isn’t (we saw him go drastically in both ways when he lied all the time to being honest all the time in s1). The song just MAKES SENSE for his character arc

And you can’t tell me when Val sits by him and holds him close they don’t look like husband and wife!! Like they literally look like an old money couple and the wife is comforting the rich husband. I bet this is what cash and his wife look like after a difficult night lol.

Ricky didn’t even seem that upset about not getting a card? Like he did earlier and then in this scene he doesn’t? Lol I can’t read him

PLS TIM IS SO MEAN TO ELTON. WHY ARE YOU MAKING HIM BE IN THAT COSTUME AGAIN 😭😭 I can’t imagine Matt’s face when he’s saw that the first time lmaoo

So I could have sworn in interviews I’ve seen Olivia say she was contracted for 4 seasons? I wonder if she was able to get out of that somehow?

CORBIN REMEMBERING JENN 😭😭 well… Jessica lmao. But that was so sweet

And then the wildcat cheer!! That was so sweet seeing how excited gina was about that 🥹 and right after she said “he’s doing it” Ricky was the first to chime in. He loves her sm fr

Gosh this whole scene with the cheer and then Corbin starting the song made me feel soooo nostalgic. I’m going to be an absolute mess s4 with all of the og cast coming back 😭😭😭

“Sometimes the really good stuff begins only when something ends” to Gina then Ej walks away. I’m so sorry p*w is bones 😭😭 that was so rina coded I’m-

And tbh I liked this song better than the “this is me”. I did like this is me but it didn’t feel as natural to me as “Everyday”. This was such a unifying song for the group about holding onto each other and being a family. And then all of the scenes of them being together were sweet

Also did you notice that the scenes where Ricky and Ej are just goofing and gagging were only at the beginning and end of the season? When Ej didn’t feel his relationship was threatened? It’s like their friendship is good when Ej isn’t worried about Ricky swinging in. I think Ej having a girlfriend that isn’t also Ricky’s love interest could be really good for them and I actually think they could be good friends (brothers even 🥹). This is another reason I want the Val and Ej agenda!!!

Favorite performances from “Everyday”: Ricky and Gina, Ashlyn (literally outsang everyone and for what) and Jet

“Because this moments really all we have” as rina stare into each others eyes 🥹🥹 we’ve seen so much talk about just enjoying high school and living in the moment and that’s what they do when they’re with each other. Time slows. It’s actually very metaphoric idk idk

RINAS NAMES NEXT TO EACH OTHER IM SO SERIOUS ABOUT THIS (especially ricky putting his name AFTER Gina’s, boy is smitten)

Ej signing with Elton 🥲😂

Corbin wearing his s2 shirt 😭😭

Also rina ran under the sparklers together… you know who else runs under sparkler send offs together?? Married couples. I’m just saying 😌😌

RICKY IS WEARING HIS JACKET 🥹🥹

Ok I’ve explained this in an ask so just go down my blog a little bit I’m very much a gina got the lotto ticket and not Nini truther and that’s all I’ll say on that

This time jump is EVERYTHING. Again, I explained my thoughts on how mature they are in another ask so scroll down a bit and you’ll find it :)

Ashlyn’s line delivery here and then her taking pictures 😭😭😭 it’s gets me EVERY time. Soooo funny

Carlos I LOVE

Maddox looks so cute here!!

Ricky 😭🤣😂😂 lmaooo this was such a funny joke and I feel so people who haven’t seen the meme behind it because I think the meme of hilary doing this makes it 10x funnier

Them just screaming in unison: same

This commercial and all of their reactions was such a great way to close up the storyline of the doc finishing but leaving tons of cliff hangers for next season. I LOVE that Tim did this

The Val and Ej/rina/Maddox and Ashlyn/Jetney agenda this doc is spreading 😭😭

Also what the HELL was that innuendo of Carlos and the camper 😭 where did that come from. Apparently this is disneyPLUS adult jokes lol

I’m so sorry but the part where gina is talking about her eyes being on “one thing only” and they just show Ricky with his “no thoughts, head empty” smile 😭😭😭 it’s so unserious 😂😂😂

Like Gina is soooo determined there and he is just completely clueless. That is PEAK humor 🤣

“Good for him” 😂😂

Ej saying he would slap Ricky but he’s his brother feels a little vindictive to me idk

“It’s all gonna work out in the end. Probably”. And then his little wink at the camera? Wtf was that Corbin hahahaha

And I’ve been wanting to point this out forever but notice how they made it a point for Corbin to turn off the camera before rina has their scene?? This was intentional!! I think this was to show the audience (us) who might have thought their relationship was “acting” for the cameras. Of course there is tons and tons of evidence for this otherwise as well, but this was such a nice small touch. Corbin knows they have more to say, so he gives them a private moment. Where they can just say what they need to. Unfiltered, not acting. I just LOVE this little touch 🥲

RINA CONFESSION

NO THOUGHTS, HEAD EMPTY

I’ve said my piece and I agree with sooo many other rinas about this scene that I think it went the way it should have. I’m not going to go into it, just scroll through my blog over the past week and you’ll see all of my opinions :) because there is A LOT

I was just as emotional as rina through this scene. They are everything to me. 😭

This was just perfect and everything it should be and I’m really, really happy with how this season ended ❤️

Rinas, especially my rinas who have been with me since there was literally like, 5 of us, we WON ❤️❤️❤️

Do not worry friends, I still have some drafts and asks I need to post so I’m not going anywhere for a bit :) I just wanted to make sure I got my episode thoughts out here because I know you’ve been waiting for it and I’ve been waiting to do it! :)

#rina #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #ricky bowen #ricky x gina #season finale thoughts #woof

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