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myfandomtopia · 2 years

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Matt Cornett is not listed as a season regular for season 4, which means we wont get any resolution or happy ending for EJ’s whole struggle in season 3 we’re really just left with his dad hanging up on him, his girlfriend breaking up with him, and him feeling like he has no support system. The show painted him as the bad guy all season, let everything go downhill for him, had everything he worked for all season fall apart, and then demoted his role in the show.

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #ej deserves better #portwell

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ejcaswellblog · 11 months

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EJ’s wasted potential

I feel so sad when I think about how poorly EJ has been treated by the writers. I remember after s1 ended I was so excited about his story. I really thought they were gonna dive deeper into his home life, his fear of not being enough, his insecurities and give him the anxiety storyline (there were little hints in s1, also his first character description said that he was secretly prone to anxiety attacks). Also, I wished he had a bff who was one of the wildcats (and is not his cousin).

Instead of doing what I was expecting, the writers used him again as a plot device for Ricky's romance… Portwell should've never happened if R*na was planned since Homecoming… I get that they paralleled the batb story in s2, but they could have had only Kourtney and Howie to do that (and let Gina recover in 2b after how much she was hurt by Ricky, without throwing her to another love interest). In s3 they could have easily introduced a new character for Gina's love interest who parallels Hans. It was so easy to keep EJ out of the love triangle plot (which was a redo of the s1 triangle) and let him deal with his own problems… They should have given him a love interest that is a new character, without his romance being the main focus of his story (as much as I love Portwell, I hate that he got more focus only when he started to have feelings for Gina)… His storyline with his father was extremely rushed. They treated the Duke storyline as a joke in most s2a (I liked ep 4 and that one got me really excited about his story, and then it was handled so poorly). They treat EJ as a joke in general. They revealed his name in the worst way possible. They casted him as Sven and put him in THAT costume just to humiliate him for no reason... He has no serious solo, NONE. And we saw that Matt can sing very well if he is given the right song. Also, the lack of EJ POV during most of the show is so frustrating. I've never seen writers wasting such great potential for a character…

He would’ve definitely been a fan favourite character if the writers had done what I was expecting...

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #wasted potential #ej caswell protection squad #ej deserves better #portwell #portwell deserved better too

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caswensworld · 1 year

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The similarities between these 2 characters

Both have parents who don’t care about them

Both have enemies who love to torture them (maybe torture is a strong word but you know what I mean)

Both of them should’ve had this romance

Both of their backs hurt from CARRYING!

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portwellbabes · 2 years

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set after episode 7, directors room

Ricky walks into the directors room looking for EJ.

“Oh there you are Elton, Val is looking for you she needs to check off the “In Summer” choreo.”

Ricky gets no response from EJ, so he moves closer to him. “Hey? You good? Whats…” He notices EJ has tears stained on his cheeks and his voice shifts to a softer tone, “EJ... whats wrong?” Ricky sits next to EJ putting an arm on his shoulder as EJ wipes away his tears.

“Gina broke up with me tonight” he says without making eye contact with Ricky.

Ricky looks at him speechless. He knew that Gina and EJ were kinda tense throughout the night but he had no idea it went this far. “Oh. EJ, I…”

Ricky is cut off as EJ starts to ramble anxiously, “I’m just stupid! I’m so stupid for thinking that I could be good enough for her.”

“No EJ don’t say that”

“No it’s true!” EJ makes eye contact with Ricky before continuing, “first Nini, now Gina! I’m just, a horrible person…I’m not- I’m not worth it” he concludes feeling extremely defeated.

Ricky looks at him upset, with a pang of guilt as he realizes that he unintentionally ruined two of EJ’s most treasured relationships.

EJ looks down at his feet, smiling wryly, “I mean, I’m such a failure that I’m not even good enough for my own father to say that he’s,” he stops for a moment staring at the wall blankly, “that he’s proud of me.”

A moment of silence passes until Ricky speaks up, unable to see EJ in such a weak and vulnerable position. He’s almost shocked to see the graduate so insecure of himself. Maybe he’s not as perfect as he seems to be?

Ricky turns to face EJ. “No you know what, that is absolutely not true you are not a failure EJ, you are so worth it, you are worth so much more than you know. and you know what? If your dad and Gina can’t see that then it’s their loss, because you are so incredible EJ.” EJ looks at him through his teary eyes as Ricky rambles on with a distant smile on his face. “I mean you’re talented, you’re kind and smart, and if I’m not wrong you were voted most likely to become a hollister model” he chuckles and EJ scoffs with a smile. “I see it, Maddox sees it, Val sees it! you’re the one who can’t see it.”

“Ricky you’re just saying that”

Ricky looks at him seriously, “I’m not! and EJ you don’t need someone else to prove that you’re worth it. I get it trust me, we all need validation. But EJ, you need to believe you are worth it. and as for Gina” Ricky sighs, “if you guys really are meant to be, she will come back to you. But EJ, maybe you just need to let her go first?”

“Yeah, i guess you’re right” EJ smiles back sadly.

Ricky smirks proudly to lighten up the mood, “when am i not?”

EJ punches his arm lightly as the two laugh quietly.

“Hey, it’s kind of like in frozen when Kristoff lets Anna go to Hans and when she realizes she loves Kristoff she comes back to him!” Ricky suddenly realizes, making a perfect analogy to EJ and Gina’s relationship. However, EJ doesn’t register this, choosing to focus on the fact that for once, Ricky actually got the plot of Frozen right. EJ looks at Ricky stunned, turning his body to face him.

“You- you actually know the script?” he asks.

Ricky blinks, “I mean, you did tell me to study it,” he replies referring to a couple hours ago at the camp prom.

“And you did??”

“Yeah…?”

“I- wow… thanks Ricky”

“No, thank you. You’re the reason we’re not gonna make a fool of ourselves on national television tomorrow. You might not think so but, I do appreciate you EJ.”

Ricky stands up and walks out, giving EJ a small smile and leaving him feeling a little more confident in himself than before.

i always pictured ricky and ej having some sort of heart-to-heart conversation in s3 after they’ve finally put their differences aside. this headcanon is where i imagine ricky discovering his sexuality for the first time after realizing he’s some what attracted to ej? and where ej realizes that ricky’s not that petty junior he was at the beginning of the school year and they can actually be friends. and it kinda leaves things open ended for portwell, rina, and caswen which they could’ve explored in season 4🤪

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #ricky bowen #portwell #gina porter #caswen #matt cornett #joshua bassett #jatt #rini #gina x ej #ej x ricky #wylett #east high school #headcanon #ej deserves better #ej caswell defense squad

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aroundthewaygirlao3 · 2 years

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I'm so mad that they all just left EJ like that! Yes, he snapped, but he still took time to answer Ashlyn's question and specifically tried to explain himself to Gina and she kinda just blew him off. I know she needs a fun summer, but still! The boy is going to crack.

The betrayal of EJ Caswell by these writers will be my villain origin story, ISTG.

#hsmtmts season 3 #gina x ej #ej x gina #portwell #ej caswell #ej caswell protection squad #ej deserves better

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lonelylittlebookworm · 2 years

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the fact that ej caswell STILL hasn’t gotten a serious solo song (apart from a billion sorrys which is still a bop) is my villain origin story

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #ej deserves better #give ej a song #ej hsmtmts

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stari-sometimes · 2 years

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Why couldn’t EJ have gone to a community college? Like still getting an education so his dad doesn’t think he’s doing nothing. (His dad won’t be happy but his dad wouldn’t be happy with anything EJ did.) Also he can still be around his friends. Yeah he wouldn’t be around them as much but he graduated he never was going to be around them as much.

The way the story twisted and bent for EJ to get screwed over is insane

#hsm the series #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #ej caswell #EJ #EJ deserves better

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livelovecaliforniadreams · 9 months

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#A Travesty

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haven-of-dusk · 7 months

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Admittedly, I'm using my babies to segue into a related topic, but ah, HSMTMTS did not have a love triangle. In fact, unless you're willing to canonize headcannons like EJ being gay and down bad for Ricky like I am, it never did in all four seasons. A love triangle implies three sides. Even at its maximum number of points in the shape, HSMTMTS had a love...constellation? I think? Ricky and EJ both had arrows pointing to Nini, who had an arrow pointing to Ricky, and Ricky had an additional arrow of Gina pointing to him. At most, if you wanted to argue EJ also pointing an arrow to Gina, then it would become a love diamond. However...

Once Nini left, it was a love...corner. At least according to what the show told us, Ricky and EJ were both pointed at Gina, and Gina's arrow just pivoted from one to the other by the end of the season. A true love TRIANGLE would be if at least one of the boys was in love with the other, and Gina happened to be in love with that point of the trio.

Is this semantic complaining? Maybe, but especially with teases like the GIF above, can you blame me for being peeved at Tim just expecting the world to see Ricky and EJ as straight men with the one love interest? He dangled a golden opportunity to buck decades of stereotypes and standards in front of his own nose, and then chose to ignore it in favor of a bog standard plotline.

And that's not even getting into the really concerning possibly biphobic elements of him writing the two out bisexual cast members to be the two characters that cheated on their partners, immediately after confirming one of those characters was also bi. Or the way we brush past Maddox the neurodivergent lesbian to focus on her boring as dirt, straight brother. Or the fact that we brush past EJ being HOMELESS AND DISOWNED AND NONE OF HIS FRIENDS SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING HIM HELP.

But you know, we really needed to focus on the love triangle that was really just a corner. That was much more important.

If HSMTMTS gets a spinoff, I hope they change the showrunner to someone who'll actually appreciate the arcs they've been given rather than putting all the eggs in one boring basket.

#hsmtmts #hsm the series #ricky bowen #ej caswell #gina porter #ej deserved better #joshua bassett #matt cornett #sofia wylie #love triangle #love triangles are b***sh*t #caswen #rj

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snoopdog11 · 2 years

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the core difference between ej and ricky is that ricky is loved unconditionally and ej is not.

For basically the entire show ricky is a kid with no responsibilities other than to the musical but also no pressure to be anything other than who he is: a kid. he’s a slacker with bad grades and commitment issues but his parents and friends love him regardless. He’s just loved for who he is.

EJ on the other hand is the exact opposite he has a perfect grades, a mountain of responsibilities from student body treasurer to water polo captain not to mention directing a musical in season 3. EJ also isn’t a slacker but he also isn’t loved unconditionally by his family who seem to just put up with him (ashlyn) and his father who wouldn’t even see his show or tell him he’s proud of him. Most if not all of ej’s actions have been to prove that he’s worthy of love and that if he’s successful he’ll be worthy of love wether it be from friends or partners or family

#anway time to cry #poor ej #he deserves so much better #at his heart he’s such a good person but he’s just in a bad environment #hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 3 #ej caswell #matt cornett #caswen #ricky bowen #joshua basset

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thstarsofsilver · 2 years

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i still don’t think we talk enough about how heartbreaking it would be for ej caswell to be not his best self and lose a girl to ricky bowen, then go on a long hard journey of self-development and self-improvement, learning to be a more outward-looking & genuine person and finally begin to gain confidence in his new, better self and STILL lose a girl to ricky bowen.

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sparklyseblos · 11 months

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i find it so sad how in s2 when ej was falling for gina he was scared to make a move with her bc he had a fear of being rejected like he had been with nini and the whole “i wonder if he’ll ever learn to love anyone after belle” yet he decided to take the risk and ask gina out.

and then in s3 he does get rejected again and in pretty much the same way with gina running to ricky just like nini did. LIKE THATS SO HEARTBREAKING?!?!? 😭

anyways i’ve said it once and i will say it again JUSTICE FOR EJ CASWELL.

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #portwell #he deserves sm better #writers make ej happy in s4 challenge #ej caswell protection squad

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erinchristmaselvis · 2 years

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One heart broke, four hands bloody

#portwell #portwelledit #hsmtmts #hsmtmtsedit #gina porter #ej caswell #gina x ej #ej x gina #hsmtmtsdaily #sofia wylie #matt cornett #mine #blogging from my grave #maybe my last gifset #who knows #they deserve better

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caswensworld · 1 year

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No cause where’s EJ?

#portwell #hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 3 #high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts second chance #matt cornett #ej caswell #gina x ej #ej caswell protection squad #ej deserves better

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olivias-rodrigos · 1 year

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you're on your own, kid

#hsmtmtsedit #ejcaswelledit #ej caswell #hsmtmts #making myself cry with this #my boy deserves better #hsmtmtsdaily #elton john caswell #mattcornettedit #shards gifs

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aroundthewaygirlao3 · 2 years

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And for my next rant...

For a show as DEEPLY self-referential as HSMTMTS is, why did we get almost zero in-references for Portwell this season? No ‘babe,’ or risotto, or Duke sweatshirt. No Wonderstudies. No mention of EJ being the one to buy the plane ticket.

Because to make the path they chose make sense, they had to downplay EVERYTHING they built in season 2 between EJ and Gina.

You will NEVER convince me that the series endgame was supposed to be anything other than Rini. Plans change, and that’s fine. But even Gina’s speech to Ricky stalled out at the end of season 1. They had to disregard literally a whole season of their own canon to make it fit. That’s not an epic slow burn, it’s a hard left.

And the lovely thing they built between EJ and Gina was the casualty.

#hsmtmts #portwell #portwell deserved better #gina x ej #ej x gina #gina and ej #ej and gina

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