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gracestone · 2 years

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Do you think it was out of character for Gina when she asked EJ to be her first kiss why or why not? I am just curious what you think because I have seen haters talk about how it was so out of character for Gina to say that.

If you can tell that it was a hater who made that argument against a ship, it's VERY likely the argument is wack.

Gina asking EJ to kiss her wasn't out of character. If anything, it was her being more herself than she's ever been before. It's the culmination of the journey she's been on for the past two seasons. She started her journey in 1x01 by putting up this front of being professional and ambitious, without having any ties to the people around her, and she made it seem like she liked it that way. But as we got to know Gina, that front disappeared. Slowly, she stopped putting on that act and started showing her real emotions to the people around her, as well as opening herself up to lasting connections. One of the first hints we get of how happy the Wildcats make Gina is when we see her reaction to Nini asking her if she wants to stay for a sleepover:

Already, you can see that giddiness that she's been hiding shining through! She wants to make human connections! She wants to make friends! She wants to go on dates! The only reason she never allowed herself to have any of that before was because she knew she would eventually have to move and lose all of it again. But now, she has the possibility of making connections that last. While her staying in SLC isn't quite yet permanent, Gina has already been given more stability than she ever has before.

Which is why she's able to further open up in S2. She had a setback when Ricky didn't reciprocate her feelings, but Ashlyn, EJ, and the other Wildcats helped her work through that and didn't let her close herself off to them again. And eventually, after making lasting friendships AND falling for a guy who does reciprocate her feelings, we get to see Gina express how excited she feels without any walls up:

She's no longer hiding her giddiness in testimonials, because she feels safe and happy. More importantly, it feels like her happiness could actually last.

Which brings me about my second point I wanted to make about this. In Gina's first confession of feelings, she didn't feel that way yet. Not only was she getting clear signs from Ricky that he didn't feel the same way she did, she also knew she had to leave again. Even if, by some miracle, he did feel the same way, it couldn't last. So when she confessed to him, she didn't want anything in return.

What she ultimately needed, imo, was closure. She needed to voice how she felt, even if nothing could come from it because Ricky didn't feel the same way and she was moving away. As she tells Jack:

"The no-strings confession." That's what she did with Ricky. No strings attached, cause nothing could come from confessing her feelings. So she simply stated how she felt, told him nothing could come of it because she was moving away, said she would hug him and then left. The only reason it blew up in her face was because she then got the opportunity to stay. So, suddenly, she had to deal with the rejection she tried to avoid hearing.

The same no-strings confession happened with Jack in 2x09. She told him he's cute, but she didn't want anything more than the day they shared, so she simply voiced her confession as a statement. Gina now had a solid base, so she wanted more for herself. Instead of having her first kiss with someone who she would likely never see again, she wanted it to be with someone who would stay around.

At this point, Gina was done with no-strings. Those kinds of flirtationships could be nice while they lasted, but it's no longer what she wants. She wants more for herself. She wants something that lasts. And she now has something she didn't have before: she has the time to wait for the right guy. No longer does she need to constantly keep pushing forward and rush her decisions. There's no ticking time bomb hanging over her head that can blow up her life at any moment.

All of this culminates in her final scene in S2. Gina finds out that EJ was the right guy after all and that he does have feelings for her, but that he thought she didn't have feelings for him. After the heartbreak she just experienced over him canceling their date, of course she's elated to realise that she can get what she wants after all. And of course she's absolutely giddy as she runs after him and tells him how she feels, a giddiness that reminds me of the gifs above. But she doesn't just leave it at simply stating how she feels, because this isn't a no-strings confession. She wants more from EJ. She wants something reciprocated, something that lasts. She's ready for her first kiss and has found the right guy. So she asks if she can kiss him. And then leaves no room for doubt by asking him if he'll be her first kiss, making sure to let him know what a big deal this is for her.

This isn't Gina being out of character. This is Gina, with all her walls down, putting herself out there and being more herself than we've ever seen her. It's Gina going after what she wants without a foot out of the door, as she still had in 2x06. It's Gina putting her feelings into both words and actions, because she actually wants this relationship to happen and to last. And not only does she put her feelings out there, she does so in a question instead of a statement. A question EJ is meant to answer, because, like I said, she wants him to reciprocate and now knows that he does. But she still leaves the choice to him, because she's finally at a point where she's willing to put her heart on the line like that. That's amazing character growth and absolutely wonderful to see, because it means she's finally happy and has the roots she so desperately wanted and needed. Anyone who calls it "out of character" either doesn't understand or like canon!Gina.

#hsmtmts #gina porter #portwell #hsmtmts meta #gina porter meta #portwell meta #ask #my gifs #hsmtmts fandom discourse

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hushhushplzzz · 8 months

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An Underrated Rina Moment II

(and an exploration on Terri’s shifting perspective on Gina and Ricky and Gina&Ricky and how that is largely due to the Ricky Effect)

(aaaand a slight defence of Terri Porter; don’t kill me lol)

Ricky’s super power is 100% the ability to charm the pants off the most prickly, scary, take no ish, rough around the edges, I-wear-the-pants divas and it’s hilarious. All three of the girlboss characters in the show, Gina, Lily, and Dani, became romantically interested in him, and it’s because he exudes trophy boyfriend, malewife, earnest puppy dog vibes and their instinct tells them he’s their compatible opposite.

Ricky has a habit of melting the hearts of the most prickly of women, and Terri Porter is no exception. She was definitely charmed by his care for her daughter, both when he sassed her and when he professed his love in front of the press conference.

But joking aside, Ricky managed to change Terri’s mind about him in only half a day, 1.5 conversations, and a declaration of love. And that’s because, much like he did for Gina, Ricky was the connecting point—a bridge, a catalyst—that allowed Terri Porter to finally reconcile the old Gina she knew with the current Gina who’d grown and become a stronger version of her former self.

And this is why this moment hits so juicy to me:

Will come back to this in a bit!

Incredibly long post ahoy :3

I’ve watched s4 about 8 times now, and I’ve come to the conclusion I actually kind of like Terri Porter as a character.

(Yes, controversial, I know. Please put down the pitchforks 😅).

Don’t get me wrong, she could definitely learn a thing or twenty from Michelle Greene (who wins Best Mom Award™, no contest), but Terri is a well-written archetype of the Overbearing Mother. And having grown up with a similar type of mom, it was pretty refreshing to see a storyline of someone navigating that type of relationship with their own mother and how it affected their upbringing. And above that, it was even more refreshing to see Terri’s mentality start to transform.

With Terri, undoubtedly, her motivations and her love for daughter inspire her actions, however questionable those actions may be. But she clearly wants nothing more than her daughter to be successful and become a star as she was always meant to be. As Michelle and Lynne stated during the HSM 3 performance, kids don’t know how much their parents worry about them. And Terri, no matter how misguided, I truly believe that is how she translates her uncontested love and worry for Gina, through pushing her to be the best and extremely successful. Terri just has a homogenous view of what constitutes success and primarily attributes success to the amount of tangible ambitions and subsequent accomplishments fulfilled.

Is this the best way to approach raising children? No; too much and this is how kids develop anxiety and imposter syndrome, among other issues.

Should Terri let Gina make decisions about what’s best for her in her own time? Absolutely.

But do I understand where Terri is coming from by pushing about New Zealand? Very much, yes.

Terri Porter has tunnel vision and singleminded focus on the future. A mentality of eyes on the prize and a focus on securing future goals. She views each action taken in life as yet another step up the stairwell leading one to their ultimate goal/success. It’s an admirable quality to have—the ability to plan so substantially every step you take to reach the top of your goals—but that tunnel vision often prevents one from living in the moment, or in Terri’s case, from seeing the importance of Gina’s journey to growth and balance and not just the final destination.

She raised Gina with this mentality and this is the root of where overly ambitious Gina 1.0 comes from: the desperate pursuit for lead through sabotage and manipulation, only for her to realise it wasn’t what she’d been looking for at the time. (Now confirmed to have been purpose and acceptance that she was actually seeking.)

But don’t get me wrong about Gina: she wanted a stable community and people who saw her and understood her, but she herself is also a naturally ambitious, driven girl who has the chops and desire to go after her dreams with no hesitation. She gets straight As, has no problem stepping into the spotlight, and is an insanely talented triple threat. Could you argue that this is potentially nurture over nature because Gina has been conditioned by her mom to be as ambitious as possible through her upbringing? Perhaps, but s2 and s3 we saw a Gina not under the influence of her mother’s overbearing nature, and we were explicitly shown how much her confidence was negatively affected by not pursuing the lead in s2 versus how well-balanced and satisfied she was in s3.

Gina is meant to be a star, and she loves the limelight and pampering of stardom. Her mother is also overbearing and pushes her to be in the limelight. They are not mutually exclusive, but undoubtedly, Gina’s motivations are still her own in a large capacity. Of all of Miss Jenn’s students, Gina is the one who acclimates to the changes with the film and navigates this new world with ease while also managing her growing fame and school with relative ease. We see Kourtney struggle with college apps and the filming, even almost dropping out of HSM 3; Carlos quits being Miss Jenn’s assistant; Ricky is trying hard to accommodate change, but it makes him uncomfortable.

(And Ashlyn is just a hot mess overall because of Maddox 😂).

Gina is on top of everything, though, and is in her element and doing amazing to boot, but the caveat to that is she’s found balance and has a loving and supportive community courtesy of her golden retriever boyfriend and the theatre crew family with which she’s strengthened bonds.

But Terri was not there for that journey in s2 and s3, a roughly 7 to 8 month interval of time during which Gina pushed aside her drive and was at her lowest in confidence only to figure it all out and bounce back stronger than ever. And she was not there for the fall and stronger rise again of Gina’s relationship with Ricky. So from Terri’s perspective, the last time she lived with her daughter, Gina was 1.0 and had no desires for anything but her ambitions to be the best.

I give Terri some grace, because though it really is up to her to try to learn and understand her daughter and who she is and who she is becoming—something Terri failed to do more than once—to be fair, Gina kept all these things from her. And I give Gina a lot of grace for not being able to express her truth in all this time because it can be very hard to stand up to overbearing moms who are inflexibly focused on one plan. But for someone who isn’t very observant about what is happening in the now, there was no way Terri would have ever known about all these changes and balance Gina found. And the biggest problem is that this season, Terri refused to open her eyes to see the growth Gina has exhibited to become 2.0 and therefore failed to understand her daughter.

Therefore, I can only imagine Terri’s sheer confusion and discomfort when Gina finally revealed the truth about the journey she’s been on and what has been the most influential in making her this happy every day. There’s no way it didn’t feel like it was coming out of left field for Terri—and she doesn’t get it at first—and for an overbearing, relatively inflexible mother, this type of confession would definitely inspire pushback.

Which we end up seeing.

The way I see it, Terri emphasises no boys in her lecture because she doesn’t want Gina’s success derailed by a relationship. She’s an adult who’s had two kids; I’m sure Terri knows what being in love is like, how unhinged it can make you, and the types of choices you make and types of distractions you have when you’re in love. And in one evening, her daughter, who had likely been telling her everything in the past and has always been under her thumb, tells her she’s been lying to her for months, is in a secret relationship with another boy, has been sneaking him into her room at night, and then rushes out of the house in the middle of dinner with a guest to make out with said boy in the rain.

But above that, the biggest thing is this secret boyfriend is the one person responsible for making Gina the happiest Terri has ever seen, something monumental, and Terri has never even conversed with him, let alone had a substantial, proper first introduction.

She knows nothing about him besides what Gina has likely told her—which is not a tangible thing Terri can confirm—but in her view he probably doesn’t seem driven, doesn’t seem particularly ambitious the way Gina is, hasn’t particularly made a mark on the world, and if we are to go by the implication of her “Gina has been waiting for you to step up for a long time” line, then she also has knowledge of how much pain Ricky inadvertently caused Gina in s2.

We all have seen Gina’s journey throughout the show and know this is the true Gina, but Terri was not there for those events. So from Terri’s perspective, everything she’s learned in one dinner has to have made her think these are all bad choices and decisions she incorrectly believes to be out of character for Gina. All she sees is a Gina who is hesitating and slow to sign a contract for a leading role in a big-budget movie in a way the daughter she remembers never would have. And I have no doubt that she believes that if Gina can make bad decisions like this about a boy without much thought, then she could just as easily make rash decisions that could negatively affect her future.

Like, for example: giving up a once-in-a-lifetime leading role as a brand new actress for a boy who can easily sway her to lie to her mother and sneak around behind her back.

I can only imagine the disapproving panic that started setting in because—beyond the potential implications of sneaking a boyfriend into your room at night—the optics do look pretty bad.

And that’s why I think she told Ricky about New Zealand. I really don’t think she has anything against him personally as she said. Her issues stem from his presence in her life and what that means for Gina’s future compared to Mack, which I’ll get back to a little later.

Again: Terri has tunnel vision and believes Gina has to pick either the movie or SLC. The only right choice in her mind is the movie, and she doesn’t want Ricky to be in the way of that decision because in her eyes, he will impede Gina’s success. But I still didn’t sense strong malicious intent so much as I sensed an inflexible mother trying her hardest to grasp onto the last vestiges of control over her daughter’s life however means necessary. Gina gave her heart to Ricky, and her clear love for him is enough to make Gina hesitate about the direction her career is taking her. Terri overheard Ricky preparing to tell Gina he loves her, and in my opinion was close to “panicking” over the fact that Ricky confessing could very well have been the final nail in the coffin in Gina giving up the acting gig to stay in SLC instead. This is the same mom who encouraged Gina to stay in SLC in s2 and not make any big decisions because she doesn’t know what the universe has in store for her. In Terri’s view, Gina was never attached to SLC, and now she’s having trouble leaving it because of Ricky, so the Ricky panic and pushing Gina to sign the contract faster kind of checks out.

I do believe mentioning Mack was a bit of a malicious dig though, but in the sense that she was trying to tell Ricky that he’s not on the same level as Mack and Gina in drive, ambition, and success. But I interpret her overall behaviour in that scene as a last ditch Hail Mary to try to make Ricky recognise what’s at stake for Gina and how influential his decisions could be in impacting how Gina makes her choice. Ricky, to her, is an obstacle and the biggest barrier at the moment to Gina jumping right into doing the movie so instead of approaching Gina, she opts to target Ricky to reconsider his attachment to Gina.

I truly believed her when she said she doesn’t have anything against Ricky, because it really isn’t about Ricky. It’s always about Gina—and who Terri thinks would best match Gina—and she just doesn’t get Ricky’s impact in Gina’s life because she probably never asked.

Terri, though overbearing, clearly does want what’s best for Gina’s success, but she doesn’t know what is best for Gina because she hasn’t been there enough to recognise Gina’s needs in the first place. And she tends to bulldoze over Gina, sometimes not even listening to what she has to say.

That’s why the confrontation with Ricky in Gina’s room is so, so important, because it’s the first pivotal moment where Terri is confronted for the first time on how important the theatre community is to Gina, no matter how small and non-famous. The moment she first realises why this idiot boy has such a strong impact on her daughter in the first place. The first moment she starts to see how Gina started to and had a safe, comfortable space to change. And the first moment she is met with the very real threat that Gina is no longer as tethered to Terri’s idea of success and stardom because Gina has people in her corner who she has placed at a higher ranking in importance than her mark-making goals.

Even when Ricky was being denigrated for not stepping up, his mind was still razor focused on Gina and being her biggest supporter and cheerleader. His response is very much a “you can say whatever you want about me, but I won’t tolerate you hurting Gina again” kind of thing. And however small, he did get through to Terri in some capacity. In some ways, I think he also gained a little bit of her respect with his Caucasity audacity.

This is the face she makes when he calls her out on her hypocrisy:

That’s a face of guilt with bits of shame. Maybe a bit of understanding that she deserves that one.

And these are the faces she makes when he asks her to turn around while he tries to get out:

Terri Porter is not a warm woman. She is driven, she is ambitious, and she pushes her daughter so hard because, to some extent, she likely views Gina’s success as her own too. And she wants nothing to get in that way, come hell or high water.

And yet, nothing about those expressions indicate a dislike of Ricky. If anything, I’d say she kind of looks fond, amused, or even impressed during a lot of that interaction. And there is no way Terri did not recognise at least a bit of the aspects of Ricky we viewers have watched him develop. His admirable complete devotion and protection of Gina. His drive to grow and improve so he can be a better partner to Gina. His desire to fully support her ambitions so she can become the star he knows she was always meant to be.

There’s no way that at that moment, Terri didn’t see an inkling of exactly why Gina has been so happy. There’s no way she didn’t recognise that Ricky is not just some random dude her daughter is dating for fun. This is not a similar relationship like the one she had with EJ over the summer. Ricky is the real deal. And he has potential to really damage the choices Gina can make about her life. She’s wrong, of course. Ricky is no longer the type to try to make everything else go away so he can have control and stability over his own life and relationship. But I think from that brief moment in Gina’s room, she at the very least now has the tangible evidence to back up what makes Ricky so important to Gina. And that informs her subsequent “panic” and the New Zealand reveal.

But again, she doesn’t know him. Just sees that her daughter is in love with a boy who doesn’t fit her own idea of strong future ambitions for success and thinks him unworthy and a possible deterrent to Gina becoming a star.

The thing is though, as I mentioned earlier, it’s not Ricky personally who she has a problem with: it’s what Ricky represents versus what Mack does.

Ricky is the theatre community—dinky, small school club, nondescript, can’t acquire fame through it—while Mack is the world of Hollywood—big-budget movie and fame, potential for successful stardom, glitz and glam and glory.

Until the end, she doesn’t care for the theatre community, because like most of her approach regarding success, a small school club is unlikely to match Gina’s drive and allow her to reach her fullest potential in a more public sphere.

(I’m gonna get over-analysy and philosophical for just a second).

The show, whether intentional or not, makes it a point to reflect this idea of the theatre community versus Mack/Hollywood as it pertains to Gina’s home and life. All moments with the theatre group and anyone having to do with it were relegated to scenes in Gina’s attic bedroom only. The cast reveal is in the attic, and they only got in because Emmy stole the garage code and they snuck in while no one was home. The Halloween party is not in the house proper, but confined to Gina’s attic, and Terri’s interaction with them is to remind them to keep it down. Ricky sneaks into the windows at night to see Gina and all his visits are also confined to the attic.

Compared to that, we have Mack, the representation of fame and stardom, gets full-blown concierge service of a dinner and is treated like royalty in the main part of the house. His presence is not only invited, it’s also encouraged and unhidden.

(Quick aside: after Ricky takes off during the Halloween party, we see Gina melancholic and at war with herself on the stairs, a middle ground/point between the main house and the attic. One foot in each world and a reflection of the start of the conflict she has to resolve in the second half of the season).

Following this metaphor, it reflects the view Terri has of Gina’s communities. How she disregards the theatre group and kind of ignores them, pushes them to the side in her mind. How much importance she places on Gina’s Hollywood gig, even going as far as not attending any stage performances but showing up to the movie set. I don’t think she even would have tried to watch most of the HSM 3 production had Ricky not called her out.

Terri prioritises success in a larger scheme of the world, choosing to ignore how much Gina’s community means to her and how much Gina means to the community too until the press conference. Until the moment when Gina talks about SLC being her support network and home. When Gina spontaneously changes the film location to stay in SLC so she can have both her found family and her future fame. When Ricky shows up and with no hesitation boldly declares his love for Gina. When her friends and castmates and found family (the bridesmaids and groomsmen 😜) come to the front to share in this moment and protect their moment and their moment alone from the prying eyes of the press.

It's not hard to see Gina’s sheer joy and bliss at all her dream's realised with Ricky and her community through her smile and tears, and the room is quite literally brightened up.

And Terri gets it: what Ricky was sassing her about, that Ricky wants nothing more than Gina’s happiness, and that Gina’s happiness is not just success in her ambitions but more so the people who have been there for her when Terri wasn’t there. She finally reconciles the words Gina likely told her at dinner and what Ricky alluded to with Terri’s absence from the opening nights with what she sees as tangible evidence right in front of her eyes.

So this is why this:

Is such an underrated moment for me, not just because her personal invitation is a seal of approval for their relationship and her acknowledgement that Ricky is worthy of her daughter. It’s also because Ricky is the reason why Gina found and joined this theatre community in the first place, and in many ways, represents exactly what this community means to Gina: finally being seen, known, understand, and accepted for who she is.

Terri telling Ricky he’s welcome in her home without having to sneak anymore represents to me that understanding and approval of this community to Gina, and in turn, a desire for Gina to continue to have this group present in her life. It’s Terri finally making an effort to listen to what Gina needs and wants and making the effort to accept Gina’s decisions and what makes Gina happiest with open arms.

Gina showed her that beautiful balance Gina 2.0 achieved without her mother’s influence by figuring out a way to have her cake with the movie and eating it too in SLC with her family. Something Terri would never have thought of as an option, given her tunnel vision. And this was definitely a strong factor in Terri recognising the influence and importance and benefit of Gina’s theatre community. And now that she is taking active steps to get to know Ricky and the community, I can only imagine her relationship with Gina, her relationship with Ricky, and her understanding of Gina’s relationship with Ricky will improve.

Within 12 hours, only two short prior conversations, one of which was Terri talking at Ricky, and Ricky publicly declaring his love for—and proposing to 🤭🤭🤭—her daughter, she’d changed her mind about him. Which is pretty insane to think about considering the type of mother Terri is: a bit controlling and not very flexible. And I attribute Terri’s change of heart mostly to Ricky, who put into action the words she’d heard from Gina and Ricky and showed her so easily that he has every quality she values and rewards:

Single minded focus and pursuit of a task when it counts.

Guts and gumption.

Ambition and drive to go after what he wants.

Never gives up.

Her machinations (twice!) did not deter him from expressing his utterly romantic, swoonworthy love song for Gina, and she definitely respects that. And it helped her see that Ricky’s drive is to make sure Gina is always happy and that Gina knows she’s loved and cared for.

Despite the fact that he is not a traditional “successful” by her definition, Terri still thinks and understands he’s worth the wait Gina went through since Thanksgiving s1 to finally be with the love of her life.

All this to say a woman like Terri Porter does not change her mind for any old reason—it has to be significant—and Ricky gaining her approval was such an excellent way to emphasise just how truly perfect Rina is for each other. How worthy Ricky is of Gina, not based on some arbitrary definition of success, but because of how significant he is in Gina’s journey of growth and happiness. I could go on and on about Rina being perfect soulmates, haha, but I digress. I foresee a great friendship between Ricky and Terri in the future because above all else, the both of them are driven by a staunch desire to see Gina successful and happy.

I originally was going to name this post “Ricky’s Effect on the Porter Women” because he truly does play a significant role in changing both of their perspectives. He was the first to allow Gina to find a home, a place where she can finally be known, something which kicked off her growth which ultimately gave her the strength and courage to make her choice at the end of the season. And he was the first to transform Terri’s mentality on success and the ultimate reason she finally saw the real Gina and the importance of this whole community that has impacted her life the most.

Ricky is an instrumental catalyst in both of their lives. He’s the reason why Gina stood up to her mother and stood her ground on her own desires and what is important to her. He’s the reason why Terri Porter will likely continue to learn who her daughter is from now on, step back, and trust Gina to make her own choices knowing she is safe with the friends she loves. He’s the reason Gina and Terri will be able to have a more equal, open and honest relationship where Gina’s desires are understood, listened to, and met because he won’t ever let anyone hurt Gina again. He’s the reason that Terri is starting to understand and reconcile who her daughter has been and who her daughter is now.

Terri is a complex character, but I feel it is doing her a disservice dismissing her choices as her being a terrible person. Her priorities are far more intense than current Gina necessarily needs, and she is a flawed human being who has definitely made mistakes in motherhood, but she’s also been an amazing mom in other ways:

She understood how much pain Gina would be in when they had to move on Thanksgiving and tried pre-emptively to keep it from happening. She gives her a bear every Valentine’s day. She let her 16 year old daughter stay in SLC by herself upon request because it was the first time in 5 schools in 7 years that Gina wanted to stay somewhere. She encouraged Gina to stay in SLC in s2 and keep making new experiences when Gina was about to give up. She moved her whole life back to SLC and decided to stick there for her daughter so Gina could have a stable home this school year. Even if too strong a push at times, she is an unwavering supporter of Gina’s talent and rise to fame and does not hide from her daughter how incredibly talented she views her. And though an incorrect assumption on Gina’s happiness, she immediately waived her no boys rule in case Gina wanted to pursue Mack. And once she accepted Ricky, she did the same again, allowing their relationship and telling him he’s welcome in their home and welcome in her and Gina’s life.

She’s a bit of a messy mom, kind of clueless, misguided in the direction she was taking parenting Gina, and has a lot to learn about a more hands-off and trusting parenting style, but she is very much there for her daughter.

And when Ricky and Gina get married in ten years, I can guarantee you Terri Porter will be right in the front, proud as hell that her daughter is marrying the perfect person for her, who cares for her beyond himself and makes her the happiest she’s ever been.

#hsmtmts #ricky x gina #rina #ricky bowen #gina porter #terri porter #meta #yes she does speak sometimes

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blues-valentine · 7 months

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I've always loved how when Ricky sees that Gina is back in 1x09 it directly followed the status quo chorus that might as well be s2 Ricky's theme song "stick to the stuff you know, it is better by far to keep things as they are , don't mess with the flow"

You know, while I was doing the analysis for Season 1 (x) and the song analysis for Ricky (x) I did take notice on this but I didn't want to make the post even longer so I skip it but I dont think the placement on this is random. We know they are very meticulous with Rina. The fact 108 is the episode where in Gina's absents he is able to connect with Nini over memories together as kids and go back to how things were and then, the first time he sees Gina again after is when she is singing "Stick To The Status Quo". It feels like a remainder of what he’s been trying to do with his life. And it also reminded me how one of the only featured Gina and Ricky posters that they promoted for Season 1 had them with the catchphrase "don't stick to the status quo".

Thats not random at all. In fact, it tells their arc.

Because all Ricky has been trying to do is stick to the status quo, not allowing change to enter his life because he wants to mantain things the way things are. He wants to keep his status quo (due to his fears) and Gina represented at that moment the opposite of that. Nini was Ricky’s status quo, what he knew. Gina pushes Ricky to move forward and walk outside of it. The reason he connected with theater in the first place was because of Gina, not Nini. He thought he was just a skate rat until he was not that anymore.

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts s4 #hsmtmts season 4 #rina #ricky bowen #gina porter #ricky x gina #asks #meta

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27emailsicantsend · 8 months

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did anyone else notice the secret notes in gina’s locker were written on camp shallow lake paper?

also did anyone remember that troyella did a secret note before they met up in the rooftop garden? (they also passed some other secret notes in all of the movies)

I’m not ok rn 😭😭

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #rina #ricky bowen #gina porter #ricky x gina #troyella #parallels #meta

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rinaforreal · 2 years

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It’s just the way the thing Gina wants and needs is stability after a lifetime of constantly moving and changing and Ricky finally being open to growth and change and them being exactly what the other person needs. Like in order for Ricky to grow he needs to move on and start fresh, to be free of his past and what Gina needs is a constant and the way they are that for each other. Like who is doing it like them. This is a Disney ship, please.

#rina #hsmtmts spoilers #hsmtmts #ricky x gina #ricky bowen #gina porter #hsmtmts meta #like with him finally ready for change he can be that constant that Gina needs because he couldn’t be that before but he’s ready now #they make me insane insane!!

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yeah-fo-sho · 2 years

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Gina is worried about the future but EJ IS building a future for them.. by making sure that the musical is the best it can be so that they can be neighbours and stay together!

Gina's feeling this overwhelming fear of going in too deep into a relationship where she gets too attached and could get hurt in the future if EJ were to lose interest in her. So, she would rather end it now before its too late.

But little does she know how much EJ loves her! They just don't know how much they mean to each other 😭❤

#portwell #hsmtmts spoilers #gina porter #ej caswell #wonderstudies risotto meta #please they need a love confession

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partiallypearl · 2 years

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no bc i have been saying for YEARS that nini doesn’t see kourtney as competition in s1 and that’s why she doesn’t have any inkling of negative feelings towards her but gina is an active threat to her “status quo” and that’s why she treats her like that. nini didnt ever see kourt as a threat but gina was one!! gina got ricky in a way nini NEVER could! she was also more talented than nini in terms of dancing and singing abilities but nini was used to getting things handed to her and that shook her confidence. similar to ashlyn in s3,, nini saw gina as a threat and that’s why she stole her shit and got defensive whenever ricky brought her up. that’s why gina and nini imo could never truly be friends in s1 bc they saw each other as competition!

#nini salazar roberts #gina porter #hsmtmts #hsmtmts meta #oh the feelings i have about these two #tw anti blackness #sort of??#a twt thread inspired this #nini salazar roberts crit

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cantshinebrighterthanyou · 2 years

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Parallels and Contradictions: Gina Porter (S1E1 / S3 Trailer)

"My first time really going up for the lead." That line stood out to me immediately. Because the first time we meet her character back in S1, it's established that she's been the lead in every other musical she's been in.

Right?

Well, no. Not exactly.

It's established that she's never been an understudy. The implications of those scenes side by side are fascinating to me. We know that Gina would have liked to play the lead in S1 (re: Wonderstudies) and S2 ("playing a part I didn't want"), so the key word is "really going up for", which she also emphasizes. The way I see it, there are really only three possible (interesting) interpretations:

1 - Gina has played leads at other schools before, she just never had to try out.

Or at least, she never had to try very hard. Cause she's just that good of a performer. This could be either literal (unlikely), or Gina might have thought that there was never any competition at her old schools (similar to the way Lily thinks during S2 auditions.)

While that would be in character for the persona that early-S1 Gina portrays herself as, the way S3-Gina emphasizes that this is the first time "really going up for the lead"... if it was about not having had competition before East High, that would be uncharacteristically mean for the version of her that we've gotten to know since Homecoming. So in my mind, this is probably the least likely interpretation.

2 - This is the first time her heart is in it.

We know from Season 1, that Gina has been raised in a way that puts her under a lot of pressure to be perfect. Even after she lets down her guard around the Wildcats, her difficulties adapting to being co-coreographer and one of three people in her, Ashlyn and Kourtney's audition show that this mindset is something she still struggles/struggled with.

Maybe, after all that character development across two seasons, she's finally ready to audition for a lead - not because she feels that's what she's supposed to want, because for the first time it's what she does want.

3 - Gina was lying in Season 1.

When the audience meets her, she is portrayed as both fiercly talented and really condescending to Nini, who has mostly been cast in ensemble so far. Gina says "I've never been an understudy" and the implied reading is "I've been the lead every time I've tried." Except that's now been contradicted. So has she either been an understudy or has she never been a lead or an understudy?

Over the course of Season 1 we learn that being the new transfer student all the time has left Gina feeling like she has to put up a facade in every new place. Appear confident to the point of coming across as a bit intimidating and unapproachable. She's essentially accepted being labelled 'mean girl' as the price she pays for the respect and admiration she needs to make her mark - to make sure she's remembered for something once she inevitably leaves. Even if what she'll be remembered for is a persona that crushed dance solos and the short-term goals of people like Nini. Having the reputation of someone who plays leads all the time would certainly fit and help with the persona she's putting forward in the first few episodes of the show.

Now that she has close friends she can be vulnerable around, if she was lying/lying by omission, has it just not come up again? Is she still struggeling to break free from her perfectionism and has kept that secret until now? Is that an arc we're going to see?

(It could also just be bad inconsistent writing. But that's the least interesting theory, so I'm not gonna bother with it when I could be having fun with headcanons instead lmao)

Maybe it's one of the first times she thinks she has competition. Maybe it's the first time she thinks she has a chance. Maybe it's the first time she's doing it just for herself. Maybe it's something else entirely.

Whatever is going on with that line, I'm so damn fascinated by it.

#hsmtmts #gina porter #hsmtmtsedit #hsmtmts analysis #hsmtmts meta #hsmtmts season 3 #also none of this was meant as gina-bashing! in case it came across that way #she's one of my favorites and might be the most interesting character to me #the musical the series the tumblr tag

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chemical-irwin · 9 months

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oohhhhh i need to spill some thoughts about hsmtmts because the brainrot is real. as a lover of Gina Porter and a day 1 Rina warrior, i LOVED watching Gina getting everything she every wanted, and watching Rina be so amazingly disgustingly in love all season was more amazing than i could’ve imagined

but i also feel like most of the conflict i actually wanted to see maybe be addressed was just… sidestepped?

Rini had a lot of faults as a couple, but i think the bottom line for why they wouldn’t work was because their life goals and levels of ambition made them not compatible.

their communication with each other got bad because they were afraid to tell each other the truth. Ricky tried the long distance relationship and came to the conclusion that he found it difficult. and i think Nini came to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be able to fly and fully be herself while being by his side. (also ricky had feelings for another girl, sooo)

okay but Rina are literally soulmates. the difference is that they love and understand each other so much they are willing to fight through all the hardships and insecurities. they were going to find a way to have it all (and i believe they can)

that’s why i wish that they went through with Gina not being able to be Gabriella. it actually does seem like an alright sacrifice to make when she got the role in the film. just like it wasn’t important for her to be Gabriella in s1, Ricky and Gina making time for each other even though she was on set all day would’ve been a nice thing to see. (but also what is more meta than Gina coming in halfway through the show to sing a Gabriella hsm3 song?)

it would’ve been good to show that Ricky wasn’t worried about their limited time together like he was Nini. and he didn’t need to feel intimidated by Mack, whose ‘at the same level’ as Gina and wouldn’t hold her back. it’s one of Ricky’s biggest insecurities, and he still feels like that in the final.

i also think it would’ve been awesome to see Ricky help Dani. having Ricky’s plot be so Gina focused the last two seasons is fine for showing his character growth with relationships- but i also feel sad a a Ricky fan that he still feels somewhat lost by the end.

i wish somebody would turn and say to him that he’s a leader, and he has this super power to see through peoples hard exteriors and gets them to come out of their shells and connect with others (i loved his and Jets friendship in s3). Dani is supposed to be ambitious and business savvy, she couldve been a good foil for Ricky, instead we got a half baked story with Kourtney that was dropped. Ricky is talented! he should monetise it! (also it would’ve been good to see gina work through jealousy)

the fact Ricky’s conclusion was ‘as long as Gina can help me study, i’ll be able to get A’s go to college’ is definitely a conclusion. Gina getting to film the film in SLC is cool but what about the next film where she won’t have a clever plan for her conflicts? i feel like the show presents these situations to say ‘would this be tough for them? well Gina Porter can move mountains so you won’t have to know!’

sometimes love isn’t always enough for a couple. they actually might be Romeo and Juliet, where they are star-crossed, or they might not be, i feel like we never really got to put them to the test. (the fact that their rain kiss is about a miscommunication about her moms house rules, rather than the actual angst in their relationship was interesting!)

but also this is an 8 episode Disney Plus show soooo y’know

#hsmtmts #gina porter #ricky bowen #hsmtmts rina #these are just my thoughts on what i didn’t like because i have so much more that i did #they are the loves of each others lives but are their dreams compatible #one day? absolutely because Ricky will be a trophy husband and Gina can take way less jobs and they can vacation 2/3 of the year #good for them

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seek--rest · 1 year

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2022 Year in Review

Thanks for the tag @starkravinghazelnoots

1. Number of stories posted to AO3:

2. Word count this year:

761,576

3. Fandoms I wrote for:

Black Panther

First Kill

High School Musical: the Musical: the Series

Marvel Universe

Spider-Man 616

Spider-Man Fusions (MCU, 616, Insomniac blends)

4. Pairings: (keeping it romantic since the platonic list would be too long)

PeterMJ

Calliope Burns/Juliette Fairmont

Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter

5. Stories with the most:

Kudos:

Solo

Lost in Translation

Collab

Desperate Measures

Bookmarks:

Solo

Lost in Translation

Collab

Desperate Measures

Comment threads:

Solo

from the sidelines

Collab

the slowest moving train

Word count:

Solo

from the sidelines

Collab

the slowest moving train

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why):

a treacherous gain

It’s not the first “fix-it” I (co) wrote but it’s one of my favorites because it took all the details and meta that had been circling around and made it into a fic that 1) deals with the ramifications of the memory spell and not so subtly addresses frustrations with fandom/meta about the end of NWH 2) made it clear that neither Peter nor MJ and Ned were utterly lost without each other and 3) added in the PS4 game in a way that makes me scream.

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

If I wasn’t proud of it, I wouldn’t post it??

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

This comment from when you help someone, you help everyone that so perfectly GOT it.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

It’s felt like the Spider-Man fandom all but dried up and died post NWH (which is eminently fascinating to me since it made a bajillion dollars and it felt like the entire world was obsessed with it but we move). That being said, I didn’t come to fandom for anyone else so even in times of drought, I don’t stay for anyone else. But it IS nicer when others want to create too.

(Even if they don’t, that’s okay. I love Spider-Man.

I’ll outlive everything you love.)

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

The entirety of should’ve known better was a surprise. Read the Giant Sized Gwen Stacy and had big feelings Darius LeClerc. I’m still the only person on ao3 that’s written him BUT SO HELP ME I WONT BE THE LAST.

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

This bit from into the dark:

“I really thought this one would work,” Peter says, as if no one’s spoken to him– staring off into the side as he softly shakes his head. “I thought I’d finally figured it out, how to make it work, how to keep you all safe and it just…”

He trails off, May frowning and the other Peter looking confused– looking to both her and Ned for help as she puts her hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“Peter?”

“I was so close,” he says, looking over to her with a smile. “Maybe this’ll be the last one then.”

12. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I wrote for fandoms that weren’t marvel related! Look at me go!

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

To continue to write to my exact, specific whims 😌

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

This is gonna sound cheesy as hell but the commenters who stuck with it. Our fandom is small but mighty. We are in this TOGETHER.

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Put a lot of my own grief into when you help someone, you help everyone. I’ll never shut up about NWH and never stop being annoyed at the whiny complaints of how it’s “too sad” and “too depressing” and “lacking hope” — what a profound show of privilege to have never lost nearly everything and be faced with the crippling decision to fall into despair… or get back up.

No Way Home you will always be famous.

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Write what you want and enjoy what you write!

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

without a trace with my beloved prem

finishing the midnights series

Famous!Peter and Publicist!MJ obvi

the finale of my irondad but make it MJ series

continuing I Almost Do

several MTH fics

a special crossover (or two)

my long suffering Kraven fic

about a dozen more WIPs in various stage of completion

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read:

@promiseofthepremise @weezly14 @abc2411 @watsonmj @bluepinstripes @momentofmemory @novasforce @kitausuret

#seek speaks #petermj #spideychelle #rina #first kill #Shuri #I used to not do these because I was told it made people feel bad #I’ve decided that the insecurities of others are no longer my problem #WHY diminish myself to make YOU feel better #I’m proud of what I’ve done actually!#your lack of confidence will no longer dictate how I express my own!

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insomniactalks · 2 years

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So I just noticed something with the 1.06 (fight on stage) and 2.10 (risotto date plans) Portwell parallel and I need to fangirl some more over them (what's new?🙄🤣) 🤷🏽‍♀️

First off, I'm never getting over the fact EJ asked Gina out in the exact same spot they had their last fight (and the very fact the writers even chose to parallel that 😭🥰). Now, let me draw your attention to what I noticed:

See the background in both scenes? In 1.06, when EJ goes to confront Gina about “what changed” b/t HoCo and picture day (and why she’s backing outta their Wonderstudies plan), behind EJ, you can see the curtains partially drawn, somewhat covering the stage. Behind Gina in that scene, you can see a ladder, which I think is meant to signify her working on herself b/c in that very moment she admits “everything” had changed for her b/c she and Ricky are becoming friends and Gina’s allowing the other Wildcats to become her friends too. 😊 Gina’s starting to open up to the possibility of making friends in 1.06, so the ladder sorta marks her progress for the start of her growth. For EJ in that same scene, the curtain being partially drawn shows he’s not quite prepared to open up to everyone just yet. He still thinks he needs to “play to win” and that feeling like he had to get something was the same thing as wanting it. Interestingly, in the wide shot of Gina and EJ in the 1.06 gif (when they turn to Carlos) you can see exposed beams and the other workings of constructing the set. That very much seems to me that in the moment, both Gina and EJ are a work in progress! 😙

In 2.10, while EJ is asking Gina out for their risotto date, I noticed it seems to be an open stage, with the curtains drawn back (or at least not clearly in sight)🧐. Gina and EJ are being completely vulnerable with each other in this moment and are taking a chance, at the risk of getting hurt, b/c it’s worth it for them. For EJ, she was worth the risk of “getting rejected” again. For Gina, he was worth the risk of “misreading the signs” again. I think the open stage in 2.10, that seems mostly bare, as opposed to the 1.06 scene, signifies Portwell baring their hearts to each other. Plus, they even have purple stage lights set in the background to add to the vulnerability and softness (and romantic setting) of that scene! 🥰💜

They coulda had both scenes play out in any setting (esp having EJ ask Gina out. Could've happened anywhere) but the show chose to have the PW fight and asking out scene happen on-stage. 🤔 Given Gina and EJ are theater kids who are used to playing the lead/being the center of attention, I get the feeling they've spent most of their lives living for the stage, metaphorically and literally. What I mean is, usually they're used to playing a role when on stage or keeping up a certain image, but this time they are just genuinely themselves, more so in the 2.10 scene. 🤗 One last thing, as is the case with many Portwell parallels, I love that these scenes highlight a significant change and positive progress for both EJ's and Gina's characters, and their relationship. 😭💖💜💙

#portwell #hsmtmts #hsmtmts analysis #hsmtmts s2 #gina porter #ej caswell #ricky bowen #gina x ej #ej x gina #carlos rodriguez #hsmtmts meta #gina porter meta #ej caswell meta #thanks for reading!

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gracestone · 2 years

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HSMTMTS Rewatch Thoughts | 1x02

It took me a bit longer than I expected to properly write this post (for various reasons), but here it finally is! I wanna say thanks again to the people who messaged me about my rewatch posts. It still means a lot to me that you're so interested in reading my thoughts on this show ❤️

THE CASWELL COUSINS

I really love their scene at the beginning of the ep! It's a great introduction to their dynamic and tells us quite a bit about EJ and Ashlyn. While we already saw a bit of him feeling insecure about Nini and Ricky's relationship in 1x01, we delve a bit deeper into his insecurities in this episode. The show makes it very clear that he's not your stereotypical jock character: EJ is putting up a happy front to his online followers and most people around him to hide his own negative feelings and insecurities. But the one person he is open and honest with is Ashlyn. This scene is the first time we actually see EJ voice how he's feeling.

Ashlyn mostly plays a supporting role in this scene and tries to give EJ some advice. But even in her advisory role, we can still see that she's more in touch with her feelings and able to go along with the curveballs life throws at her than EJ. EJ is still in that mindset of feeling like he needs to achieve every goal he sets for himself, especially when he feels other people expect him to succeed. Which is why the following advice didn't resonate with him at this point in his arc:

However, that advice foreshadows the rest of his character arc. Because what he wanted at this point wasn't what he needed. He didn't want these things for the right reasons and these wants were making him really insecure, so it was ultimately for the best that he didn't get them. Because it taught him how to be the person he wanted to be, made him a lot happier, and ultimately led him to fall for Gina.

It's adorable how EJ immediately hyped up Ashlyn to his online followers, btw 🥺 He's so supportive of the women around him.

Ashlyn seems to think that people either don't really see or notice her, because when Nini runs into her at the piano, she assumes Nini won't remember her and is surprised when Nini does. It's a small detail but I think it does a good job of giving Ashlyn some depth this early on. And I think this also plays into why Big Red's compliment of her singing in 1x07 has such a big impact on her.

PORTWELL IN SYNC

Not only is this the first episode where we get a real Portwell scene, they're also in sync the entire episode, without even knowing it! They both spend this episode eavesdropping on others:

And they both end up coming up with the same plan to get what they want: steal Nini's phone. Without even knowing it, Gina helps EJ get what he wants by putting Nini's phone in his backpack. She tells EJ that they want the same thing, but it's gonna take a little teamwork. Little do they know that Team Wonderstudy will come to mean a lot to the both of the and be the foundation of their future relationship 🥰

EJNINI

One thing I found pretty interesting in this ep was that the writers had EJ get insecure about Nini in moments where it wasn't warranted (the texts that were later revealed to be from one of her moms and Miss Jenn adding a kiss to the show) while not seeing the moments where that insecurity would be warranted (Nini not being thrilled that EJ would be playing Troy, the way Nini looked at Ricky as she saw that he had practiced the dance, and her moment with Ricky during Wondering). I think it helps us see that this relationship doesn't work on both ends. Nini definitely isn't all in and still loves Ricky, while EJ is still struggling with his own insecurities and wants this relationship for the wrong reasons. He tells Ashlyn that Nini makes him better. Of course, this is right after he asks Ashlyn to steal Nini's phone for him. So it's clear that being with Nini doesn't actually make EJ better. In fact, right now it's making him worse. Because he's giving in to his worst tendencies out of insecurity.

Nini also isn't fully herself with EJ. When EJ asks her who texted her, she says it's nothing. While she obviously doesn't have to tell EJ who texted her, I do find it interesting that she had no trouble sharing it with Ashlyn without any prompting. I can't help but wonder if we're meant to see this as Nini not fully being herself with boys she's romantically interested in. We know she's that way with Ricky, and I think this may be an indicator that she was that way with EJ too. She keeps seeing herself through their eyes, rather than simply seeing herself for who she is, and I think that affects how she behaves around them. As Kourtney tells Nini in 1x05, "ever since [she] discovered boys, [she's] spent way too much time trying to see [herself] through their eyes." This comes back in The Rose Song too, where Nini admits that "all [her] life [she's] seen [herself] through [Ricky's] eyes." It's one of the character flaws Nini needs to work on.

But her hiding that one of her moms was texting her could also be an indicator that she simply didn't feel as comfortable around EJ as she should've, because I do think she would've told Ricky this. They have a long history and know each other's families well, after all. Or maybe it's a combo of both of these things. Either way, it's a sign that EJ and Nini never would've lasted, even if EJ hadn't totally messed up.

THE THROB RUNNING JOKE

Initially, I was just gonna make a quick note about how this episode started my favourite running joke on the show, which is Ricky's obsession with Throb. But as I thought about it some more, I started thinking about how it symbolises some of Ricky's personal struggles in relation to romance.

Ricky says that he initially didn't want cologne to be sprayed on him, but he completely changed his mind about it once he found it Nini liked it. This kinda reminded me how Nini admitted in 2x06 that she always used to order the pizza Ricky liked best, even if that wasn't necessarily the pizza she wanted. This isn't a flaw in their relationship, necessarily, as it's more a character flaw that stems from their similar insecurities. While it's more true for Nini than Ricky, they tend to do things solely for the other, even if the other never asked them to do so, instead of compromising or even just voicing their own opinion. Which plays a part into why they both haven't really figured out who they are as individuals. They've always seen themselves as part of a duo, rather than two individuals together.

Then there's also Ricky using Throb to win Nini back. He's not thinking about why Nini broke up with him and what he did to break what they had. He would rather try and get Nini back by reminding her of something he thinks she used to like about him than do the hard work of reflecting on your own flaws and changing for the better. Which plays into my next topic.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NINI CHALLENGING RICKY

Nini calling out Ricky on his tendency to coast is SO IMPORTANT! Because Ricky, at this point, would rather fail because he never tried than try his very best and potentially still fail. No, he didn't sign up for the musical because he wanted to play Troy. But he got the role now, so he has a responsibility to the rest of the drama department to give it his all. And especially to Nini, the person he auditioned for in the first place. Ricky tends to joke around when he's feeling insecure, but that's something he has to unlearn, because as Nini rightfully points out, it gives the impression that he doesn't care. And we know that Ricky cares deeply about the things that matter to him, even if he has trouble voicing it.

To Nini, it seemed like Ricky only fought for her because she had met someone else. He would've kept coasting if she hadn't. But now, he's forced to try new things and change if he wants to show her that he does love her and wants to be with her. Wearing Throb won't do the trick.

Initially, Ricky defaults to his defense mechanism: he quits. He'd rather not try than try his best and fail. He thinks so highly of Nini that he would never want her to quit the musical. He knows how much this role means to her. And he doesn't think that he's cut out to be the leading man she deserves. This comes back in 1x09 and 1x10, when he gives up playing Troy after he freezes on stage.

But as Gina points out to Ricky: he has his own style. He shouldn't let himself be brought down by others telling him that he's doing it wrong. He should embrace his own style. That's a lesson I think Ricky still needs to learn. Because I don't think this scene really taught him that, even though I do think it was meaningful for Ricky to hear that from someone with a lot of theater experience. Instead, it just got the ball rolling in his head, and he realised he could prove to Nini that he's not a quitter on them by not quitting on the show. At this point, doing the show = fighting for Nini in his head.

So he goes home and practises the dance. Because no one can motivate him like Nini does. He calls it a test to Mike, which again reinforces that he sees it as a way to win Nini back and not something he himself is passionate about. It is cute, though, that he calls it the "most important one in [his] life", because that's how much Nini means to him 🥺

Note how while Ricky is taking babysteps here, they're still going in the right direction. Nini is making him better, just by motivating him to improve himself. Contrast that with EJ saying that Nini makes him better while being at his worst in his character arc.

Nini, on the other hand, is visibly upset about Ricky quitting. I think she secretly hoped that Ricky would prove her wrong and keep fighting for her and the show. She wants to do the show with Ricky and she wants to get back together with him, even if she can't admit that to herself yet. She just can't give him another chance if he's unwilling to change and put in the work on himself. And that's why she looks so happy when she sees him showing Carlos his improvement.

WONDERING

Ricky and Nini share a moment as he sees Nini sing with Ashlyn. As we know, he's loved Nini since she wrote her first song. Their love for music has always connected them, and it does so again here. It wasn't Nini's own song, but she could still relate very strongly to the lyrics. She and Ashlyn were both being vulnerable in that moment about how they were feeling, and of course Nini didn't expect Ricky to hear all of that from her.

I also just really like how they had Ricky come in during the lyrics "It feels like I might've broke the best thing that I had." There was no room left for doubt that Nini was thinking about him when singing these lyrics, and that he too could relate to them. Because if he had been a little braver than he had, he and Nini would still be together.

One thing that stood out to me is that Ricky is separated from Nini and Ashlyn by a lamp here, just like he is from EJ, Nini, and Gina during Second Chance. While he wasn't part of the performance in Wondering like he was during Second Chance, I think it still has similar symbolism: Ricky isn't ready yet in joining them in their character growth. He wasn't ready to explore himself by reflecting on his past like Nini and Ashlyn did during Wondering, and he's not ready to go for a second chance that will actually help him grow as a person in 2x12. But I will come back to that at the end of my rewatch.

SHORTER THOUGHTS/NOTES:

I still really want to know what inspired Ashlyn to write Wondering. What personal experience did she draw from?

While from Carlos' POV it's heartbreaking that he thought Ricky may want to harm him in the library, from an audience's perspective, it's hard to look at Ricky and imagine him being intimidating in any way sdlkjgfsdklj

Corbin signing EJ's HSM DVD when???

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hushhushplzzz · 2 years

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An Underrated Rina Moment

This:

That whole coat check scene was of course amazing and Ricky’s selflessness and their chemistry as usual really shines through. But the underrated aspect I’m specifically talking about is Gina��s willingness to hear Ricky out, despite her current heartache. Will come back to this in a bit.

Hella long post ahoy :3

This whole season, we’ve watched Rina repair their friendship, converse more freely, goof around, make each other smile and laugh, and replace awkwardness with that typical unresolved tension always underlying their interactions. We’ve also seen Gina’s subconscious trust in Ricky start being restored. This started in the barn in s3e3 when Ricky unintentionally tells Gina the very words she’d definitely needed and wanted to hear. (Still getting her innately). After their adventure, we start seeing her actively seek him out. The bucket list moment is the first time Gina has taken initiative to approach Ricky to talk or hang since Valentine’s Day in s2e3. And then we see her continue to easily confide in him her relationship struggles after WDYKAL, and in the Colour War, she has no reservations hanging out with him, joking around, telling him everything going on with her, and asking him for assistance with her plan. And through it all, Ricky has selflessly and actively wanted to help her/support her and does just that, even pushing aside his breaking heart for the sake of Gina’s happiness this summer. And he regains her trust.

But there’s a common theme here:

The repair in their trust and confiding in each other has all pretty much been Gina to Ricky. As in, Gina finally opening up to Ricky about her inner struggles again. But not the other way around. As we’ve seen, Ricky has been largely reserved with sharing his own struggles with Gina. In their interactions, he holds back whatever he’s feeling, whatever is on his mind, and makes sure to allow Gina full space and time to share what she wants with him at her own pace, and he matches what she needs in full.

Ricky clearly spent his time in Chicago introspecting and dissecting everything that had changed in his life including with his family, with his relationship with Nini, with becoming part of theatre. That probably also includes his fall-out with Gina and every interaction they’ve had, likely in an attempt to figure out what it is that he did that put Gina off. He probably remembered treating her like some dirty little secret on Valentine’s Day, the jokes about the chocolates, confiding in her about Nini, Gina shutting him out, closing her door on him, and ultimately concluded he’d been selfish with her and took her for granted.

As much of a chocolates truther as I am lol, I think this strained expression?

…was more rooted in a sense of awkward guilt because I do think that while working on himself last season, Ricky retroactively realised what events coincided with Gina becoming more subdued around him and ultimately not talking to him anymore. I feel like he’s cringing at the reminder of how he behaved and how oblivious he was to everything but his Nini issues.

And this season, we’ve seen him selflessly going out of his way to be there for Gina, supporting her, hearing her out, helping her with every one of her endeavours. Not just out of a sense of guilt from the Spring, but also because he likely grew to understand how one-sided their friendship had started to become when he got back with Nini. He’s working to right that wrong by being there for Gina 150%. Plus, he definitely missed her, her vibrant laugh and smile, her energy, how in sync they were, and wants her in his life in any capacity, even if it means being a cheerleader for her relationship. And in doing so, I think he has decided to keep everything to himself, most likely to make sure he doesn’t commit the same mistake from the school year when he drove Gina away by being a bit self-involved. I think he’s definitely scared to lose her again so he’s approaching their friendship more carefully and selflessly now, through making sure only her needs are met.

(I headcanon that Ricky’s comment to Nini in the breakup—that he didn’t like who he was becoming—also in part had to do with how much he was prioritising his relationship to the detriment of his friendship with Gina, but that’s another post for another day).

So that brings me back to this wonderful moment:

He checks first if she wants to hear it. And Gina is 100% willing to listen to Ricky’s important news despite her heartbreak.

This is the first time this entire summer/season and since mending their rift that we’ve seen him commit to confiding in Gina or open up to her and actually approach her with something troubling him.

And I’m positive Gina has realised this too. From her perspective, this is the first time Ricky has tried to open up to her, an avenue that signifies renewed reciprocal trust. From her perspective, Ricky is willing to put his faith and trust in her again too through sharing something that matters to him. From her perspective, this is the first time he's needed her for anything since their falling out at the Quinceañero.

Here, she turns around and faces Ricky with undivided attention the moment he tells her he has something important to say. And above that, responds with what I interpreted as a hopeful tone that he’s finally opening up to her. Even earlier this episode, she kinda tries to get him to open up to her and tell her how he feels via “Hey Ricky, you okay?” (His brain is fried so he can't respond).

But going back to coat check, of course, he reasonably backs off because she’s crying and emotional at the moment. But this is the second time he’s clearly backed off from saying something. The last time he’d somewhat hinted at having something he wanted to say, he kept to himself. And Gina gives him this borderline suspicious glance:

So I believe she’s already had a feeling that he’s been holding back on her or withholding something. But now that he’s finally ready to talk, she’s adamant on meeting him halfway and hearing what he has to say. (They do that for each other).

Even though she avoided him, I think Gina highkey missed Ricky too, his humour and good-natured goofiness, the way he enjoys her presence just as she is, the way she can turn to him for things she struggles with that he just understands and she never really has to explain. Especially as camp took off and her friends briefly shunted her in a 1.0 box and her boyfriend, though gave her cute flowers, didn’t really understand or listen to the deeper aspect of why being cast as Anna means so much to her.

(Again: Ricky knew without prompting, and right after that, Gina consciously starts spending more time with him).

All that to say, Gina clearly wants Ricky to confide in her too, to truly re-establish their bond, start over the way they used to be, and recreate that give and take that made them get so close so quickly in s1. The moment they reunited at camp, she was immediately ready to put it all behind her and be friends again, so I’m pretty confident that she wants him in her life in a larger capacity. We see that throughout the season and especially in Camp Prom, where she is much more proactive in trying to hang out with Ricky or talk to him.

By the end of the night, despite everything currently pre-occupying Gina’s mind and time: her fresh breakup, the time she needed on the swings to compose herself, focusing on supporting Kourtney through her beautiful journey to overcome her fears…

She happens to run into Ricky and immediately:

And then encounters her recent ex-boyfriend and the wave of sadness hits her again, but even so:

Ricky’s important something has clearly been on her mind too. This moment after the water bucket challenge is pretty much s3’s equivalent of “say it” reversed, but I think it goes beyond just that. She continues to gently prod him to tell her what he needs to say, and I think her reasons why are threefold:

1) Because EJ withheld from her this whole camp, making her feel disconnected from him, making her feel insecure about her place in his life, and after the breakup, she most likely wants to feel needed or trusted by someone in a way her ex didn't make her feel,

2) because Ricky has spent these past weeks being there through all of her concerns and helping her, prioritising her, wanting nothing in return. He helped her when she needed someone and now she wants to return the favour,

And 3) despite the fact that they have started over, Ricky and Gina still haven’t worked up to being mutual confidantes as they used to be. So it seems to me that by persisting, she’s trying to let him know he can trust her. That she’s forgiven him for his selfish blunders in s2. That she’s opening that door fully between them and that it's okay for him to share with her again.

You can’t rebuild a deep friendship on a one-way street, so in order to truly confirm their reconnection, Ricky needs to open up to her now and fully let her in his life just as she’s committed to fully letting him in her life again.

And I think that is so beautiful and subtle a moment because it is not told, but shown in how Gina insists on wanting to support Ricky through whatever important information he has been keeping to himself. This moment of her attention to Ricky is a genuine indicator that they've moved past the imbalanced and uneven relationship of s2. That now they both are ready and willing to be each other’s person again, give and take, after 3-5 months of being far away both literally and metaphorically.

Given that they both tend to be able to get each other or read each other without much prompting, I do think Gina has an inkling of what Ricky might have been wanting to say and her looking back (and Ricky missing that she looked back !!!!) was included for a reason. But she was definitely disappointed, as we can see here:

I think her disappointment may possibly stem from her feeling like he’s still holding back from letting her in. That maybe he hasn’t yet grasped the fact that she's opened a channel between them because she wants him to confide in her again just as she's been confiding in him. But that’s a process in progress and may take time since Ricky is unwilling to encroach on her after losing her friendship in s2.

But, Ricky did give Jet advice that sometimes when theatre kids have trouble expressing themselves, they sing it out. So I’m expecting a callback to this, this time with Ricky being forthcoming to Gina through song.

I might be looking into this scene too much lol, but thass what I do. Either way, no matter what happens, I’m really looking forward to seeing how this hanging thread between them eventually gets resolved, even if it takes all of next season.

#i love these two dorko cuties #ricky x gina #rina #ricky bowen #gina porter #hsmtmts #meta #yes she does speak sometimes

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