#nini salazar-roberts

[anthonyfoster]

rini + slut!

#olivia rodrigo #joshua bassett #oliviarodrigoedit #orodrigoedit #joshuabassettedit #jbassettedit #rini #riniedit #hsmtmts #hsmtmtsedit #hsmedit #disneyedit #ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #rickybowenedit #rbowenedit #ninisalazarrobertsedit #nsalazarrobertsedit #high school musical: the musical: the series #dailyasian #wocedit #wocdaily #wocsource #romancegifs #dailyolivia #userpcultures #userstream #usercreate #dailyoliviarodrigo #userblorbo

[queer-as-in-slightly-odd]

🤨🤨

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 3 #nini salazar-roberts #ricky bowen #gina porter #ej caswell #ashlyn caswell #kourtney greene #carlos rodriguez #big red #seb matthew-smith #portwell #redlyn #seblos

[previously-on-hsmtmts]

Big Red: You need to get over Nini and get out and do things. It's been weeks.

Ricky: Well, I went to the park today.

Carlos: Hey, that's great! Did you get anything out of that?

Ricky, opening his bag: This duck -

Big Red: NO

#big red #ricky bowen #carlos rodriguez #nini salazar-roberts #incorrect quotes #source: unknown #hsmtmts

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

A reflection on season 1

Going into this rewatch, I really wanted to challenge my old opinions of it (specifically the opinion that s3 takes what was best about s1 and improves it) and see if I could walk away with a new perspective.  I know that there are plenty of fans who believe that there’s something special about s1 that hasn’t been recaptured in following seasons, so I also wanted to identify what it is distinguishes s1 from the rest of the series and decide, as objectively as possible, if it truly is the best season, as many have claimed.

To get to the point: no, this isn’t the best season in objective terms.  It has flaws and weaknesses, just like the next two, but I definitely notice a big difference in the overall feel of the show compared to s3.  In this regard, I can understand how personal preference might sway viewers to prefer one over the other.  It’s far simpler in its concept, so it ends up just being a show about some normal theater kids putting on High School Musical.  Its simplicity allows for some moments to breathe a bit more than s3 does (though I think the 10-episode season helps), but there’s also a lot more awkwardness and emptiness between moments in the earlier episodes.  I was really surprised at how slow the first few episodes felt to me, and it wasn’t until 1x04 that I felt as though the show was going somewhere.  My personal feelings on this are largely due to Nini’s storyline being the focus in those first few episodes, and it’s not until Ricky’s struggle with his home life (which I would consider the emotional core of the show) gets more focus that things felt like they were starting to move.  There’s a clear shift in the direction of the show in 1x05 (and in my opinion, a shift towards something much deeper), but the show doesn’t fully commit to this shift through the rest of the season.  This shift is threefold: the positive progression of Ricky’s growth from his relationship with Gina, the expansion of character focus beyond Nini or Ricky, and the reveal that Nini lacked a sense of true identity in her romantic relationships.  The direction of Ricky and Nini’s arcs are never resolved, and they’re actually regressed by the conclusion of this season.  While I believe this is intentional, the framing of the conclusion is still trying to evoke a sense of celebration and triumph, making the conclusion feel really manufactured and jarring when it stands on its own.  This is why, after my first viewing in 2019, I didn’t rewatch the season until s3 aired... it simply cannot effectively stand on its own.  I’ll get to my opinions on how it compares to future seasons in those analyses, because I do have more to say on that.

Something very interesting I wanted to point out: Gina is always shown to offer the consolation and comfort Ricky is looking for in Nini, and when Nini has the opportunity to give Ricky emotional support, it’s shown that she doesn’t understand his struggle.  Throughout the entirety of 1x04, every person Ricky turns to for comfort are incapable of giving him the emotional support he needs, and this includes Nini.  The emotional poignancy of the episode is that the only thing that can make Ricky feel safe is returning home to his mom and listening to HSM, signaling that theater is becoming a new safe space to him.  This is notion is made deeper in the next episode, when Gina, to his surprise, empathizes with him in a way no one else had.  In 1x07, Ricky wants to call Nini after Todd answers the phone, but Gina shows up and offers him the comfort he was never expecting.  Then in the last 2 episodes, we see Ricky frantically try to contact Nini after Todd shows up, only for Gina Porter to give him the consolation he needs and also successfully encourage him to show up for his cast and walk back into the gym.  In 1x08, we see Ricky’s eyes light up with surprise for a moment when Nini says “I get it,” when he apologized for his behavior on Thanksgiving, but her next lines reveal that she actually doesn’t get it at all.

Last comment: I was shocked at how little Gina was actually in this season.  EJ actually leads more plotlines than she does, technically making her more of a supporting character (even though her character arc is much stronger than his, imo).  She is the antagonist the first 4 episodes, so she really only has focus when she’s disrupting Nini’s storyline or scheming with EJ.  Then, she becomes the character to further Ricky’s growth and storyline for the rest of her appearances.  Despite her appearances being more limited, her presence is so strongly felt this season, which I think really speaks to Sofia Wylie’s screen presence and strength as an actor.  Honestly, not a single minute is wasted with her screen-time.  It's seriously to the show’s benefit that she becomes the female lead in the following seasons, because her character was already upstaging others.  I honestly think Sofia’s performance is what gave Gina so much depth and richness in s1, so she is without a doubt the MVP of this season.

#I do have a more thoughts as the seasons go on #and fair warning: I believe s2 has a lot more to offer than people give it credit for #but we'll cross that bridge when we get there #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #Ricky Bowen #Gina Porter #Nini Salazar-Roberts #EJ Caswell

[hsmtmts-daily]

HSMTMTS Casts (Oldest to Youngest) - p. 2/2

Julia Lester as Ashlyn Caswell (1x01-4x08) - January 28, 2000

Dara Reneé as Kourtney Greene (1x01-4x08) - November 7, 2000

Joshua Bassett as Ricky Bowen (1x01-4x08) - December 22, 2000

Olivia Rodrigo as Nini Salazar-Roberts (1x01-3x08) - February 20, 2003

Sofia Wylie as Gina Porter (1x01-4x08) - January 7, 2004

Saylor Bell Curda as Maddox (3x01-4x08) - May 19, 2004

Adrian Lyles as Jet (3x01-4x08) - January 4, 2005

Thank you for watching!

HSMTMTS: The Final Season

#hsmtmts #julia lester #ashlyn caswell #dara reneé #kourtney greene #joshua bassett #ricky bowen #olivia rodrigo #nini salazar-roberts #sofia wylie #gina porter #saylor bell curda #hsmtmts maddox #adrian lyles #hsmtmts jet #hsmtmts casts #hsmtmtsdaily #hsmtmtsedit #hsmtmtsgifs

[portwellrisotto]

I don’t think I’ve seen a season of hsmtmts get this much back lash. And I do agree with a lot of what is going around. While the season had some great stories, the negatives outweighed them by a long shot.

#hsmtmts #portwell #high school musical: the musical: the series #ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #rini #gina porter #ej caswell #rina

[livebloggingkidshows]

Flufftober (@flufftober) Day 9

"Come on Ricky, we still have to decorate it," Nini says, already halfway up the ladder that leads up to the treehouse her moms built in the backyard.

Her best friend scrambles up after her, the rope ladder swinging behind him once he makes it onto the landing. Her moms helped her get all the lighting fixtures into the treehouse in a box, but Nini insisted that she and Ricky needed to be the ones to actually put them up.

The first thing she pulls out is a string of fairy lights, she holds them in place around the edge while Ricky tapes them up. They don't have quite enough to go all the way around, which is why the next thing Nini grabs is an old camping lantern she's not even sure she knows why her parents own. And she sees Ricky take out a battery-operated candle and put it on their shelf, the one that also houses stickers from their first time at pride together.

Once they're done it doesn't actually look like much in the light of day, but they stay up in the treehouse until the sun sets and it gets illuminated with all the various light sources they spent the afternoon littering around.

#high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts #not liveblogging #mattie’s fics #flufftober2023 #day 9 #alt 4 #ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #this one is platonic because they're babies #and haven't started dating yet

[rinisbowen]

i know everyone’s here to talk about the triangle but can i just say how downright thrilled i am that they haven’t gone the cheap ‘oh my gosh the rose song’s viral so nini’s going to be a popstar now’ route for nini’s sendoff storyline. like they’re giving her an emotionally rooted, character driven story. it’s what she deserves and it genuinely gives me joy. 

nini's last storyline being about her family and learning more about where she comes from is actually perfect and i'm literally just SO so grateful they're not just going to have her be a popstar bc it truly just doesn't fit with the rest of her story arc... like i'm still not over the fact this is what they chose to do so thanks tim i appreciate you <3

i’m so excited to watch her last story... and hear her last song. she deserves to know about her past as she steps into her future. it’s going to be positively lovely. 

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 3 #nini salazar roberts #nini salazar-roberts #HSMTMTS: nini salazar roberts #//like can we talk about this!!! talk about her!!! #//i love that she's getting such an emotionally driven story for her final arc #hsmtmts spoilers

[freddieslater]

HSMTMTS: Nini Salazar-Roberts x Gina Porter

Requested by @childofsquidward

"Do you have to go?" Nini whines down the phone, bottom lip sticking out ever so slightly in the hopes that if she looks pathetic enough, it'll change the answer she knows is coming.

While Gina practically melts at the sight, her shoulders slump sadly and she says, "I do. I'm sorry. The next activity is starting, like, right now and I don't think the counsellors will be happy if I'm late. And I can't let the team down."

Nini waves off the sincere apology, feeling bad for guilting her. She gives her best reassuring smile, ignoring the heavy weight already settling in her stomach.

"It's okay. Go, have fun! Tell me all about it on our next call."

"Definitely. And you need to tell me how it's going with Jamie."

Nini nods, forcing herself to contain the sudden surge of words that flow into her mouth, having to bite her tongue to stop them from spilling. Their calls are few and far between with how busy they've both been lately, so there's a lot she still needs to tell her.

For now, though, they say their goodbyes. Nini blows a kiss and Gina giggles, and plays along, pretending to catch it before blowing one back. There's a muffled shout from Gina's side and she glances over her shoulder.

"Coming!" she calls back, then turns to Nini one more time. "I love you, neen. Talk soon, yeah? Okay."

"I love you!" Nini quickly says.

They end the call with them both grinning to themselves. Nini sighs deeply and holds her phone to her chest as she locks it. Her own name is shouted from the recording studio. Back to work.

#hsmtmts #gini #gina porter #nini salazar-roberts #gina x nini #nini x gina #high school musical: the musical: the series #myedit* #childofsquidward #they're just a good ship okay #like this is a 'screw the love triangles screw the boys we're dating each other' situation and I love that for them

[kabbiewrites]

REALLY hoping that the person ej called was nini so that i can spread my maddini agenda

#hsmtmts #maddox hsmtmts #nini salazar-roberts #maddini #uhhhh its either nini or seb im pretty sure #or miss jenn!! #i would love to see miss jenn again but she is on the boat with richard’s father #wait what if it’s madison

[nini-ricky]

the chapter all of you have been anticipating for is finally here! make sure to read my little authors note in the beginning just has a tiny little warning for some of my readers. 

anyways, i hope you all love this one! it’s been a long time coming honestly but i’m so excited to share this one with you.

see you soon loves xx

#hsmtmts #rini #ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #nini x ricky #high school musical the musical the series

[anthonyfoster]

HAPPY 3RD ANNIVERSARY, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL: THE SERIES ↳ november 8th, 2019

#joshua bassett #olivia rodrigo #joshuabassettedit #jbassettedit #dailyjoshuabassett #oliviarodrigoedit #orodrigoedit #dailyoliviarodrigo #hsmtmtsedit #high school musical: the musical: the series #jolivia #joliviaedit #rini #riniedit #ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #g* #do not reupload #do not add to gif hunts

[queer-as-in-slightly-odd]

Following a painful break-up which left them both with emotional scars, Carlos and Seb have spent six months on opposite sides of the country. Suddenly, though, a high school reunion thrusts them back into each other's lives, and they're forced to pick up where they left off - whether they want to or not.

Chapter 4: At a Fourth of July house party, Seb and Carlos find themselves navigating some inconvenient truths, and some uncomfortable challenges.

#carlos rodriguez #seb matthew-smith #seblos #kourtney greene #ashlyn caswell #nini salazar-roberts #gina porter #ej caswell #ricky bowen #big red #miss jenn #hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 2 #disney+ #fanfic

[previously-on-hsmtmts]

Ricky: I've started seeing someone.

Nini: Dating or hallucinations?

#ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #incorrect quotes #source: unknown #hsmtmts

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

Season 2 in review....

Surprisingly, there was a lot that was improved from s1 when this season started, but unfortunately those improvements weren't consistent through the whole season. The character work for the leads was much better than the first season, and I do think how the story was being told (i.e. literary devices, visual and musical cues, etc.) was stepped up (shoutout to Ilana Wolpert for 2x06, which I think is the best written episode this season). I also really liked how the music from BATB was incorporated into this season, which I think was used more effectively to tell the stories of the wildcats than the music from HSM in s1. I also thought the season was better paced in the first half than s1 (up until 2x07 or so), but then it started spinning wheels in the 2nd half a bit before coming to a screeching halt in the finale. The finale doesn't even really have a narrative, technically. For that alone, this is the weakest season as a whole.

The season's tone is noticeably darker than either s1 or s3 (and presumably s4), which I think really makes it stick out. I don't necessarily think the darker tone is a bad thing, since many of the characters are experiencing some really painful things this season, and it matches the gravity of the pain and trials they face. However, it's not tonally consistent with the rest of the show, and I think the inclusion of the North High crew makes this even worse. For the most part, the North High students were the ones who provided comedic relief this season, and the rivalry plotline simply did not work. The plot did nothing to further the arcs of the main characters, so as a framework for the overall season, it just felt superfluous. At least Nini's YAC arc had relevance and moved along her and Ricky's storylines, but the rivalry helped no character move from point A to point B in their growth. I think it could've been used to challenge Ashlyn's insecurities about being a leading lady, with Lily being her foil in fitting the "ideal" (I think maybe this was the original idea?), but there was almost no conclusion to Ashlyn's storyline as Belle. In the end, I think the North High rivalry felt much more like the Vocal Adrenaline rivalry in Glee than fitting in the very meta world of HSM or HSMTMTS.

If Ashlyn's storyline was so unfinished, then how can I possibly say the character work was improved from s1? Well, the storylines of Ricky, Nini, and Gina were done very well this season. I think there was a lot more intention and vision of how these characters needed to grow this season than in s1, and the writers do honor each one of them in their storylines. Ricky is continuing to be challenged to confront changes, and the more this happens, the tighter he clings to his past with Nini. Nini is discovering her own voice for the first time in a long time, and YAC and her relationship with Ricky are showing her that she needs more freedom and space to be her true self than they both provide. Ultimately, Ricky and Nini's breakup arc is the best written storyline of the season (even if its dragged out an episode too long). Ricky's arc still can't move forward until he confronts his mom (who it all leads back to), and overall the writers hit the perfect balance with his story. He was held accountable for his mistakes, but we the audience know exactly why he's making them and can empathize with his painful struggle.

Gina is figuring out where she actually fits in at EHS, and her growing insecurity and doubting of her instincts all ties back to her uncertainty in her relationship with Ricky. This all makes sense, given he's the first friend she ever made in SLC, effectively being the tether to the rest of her relationships there. S2a focuses on her struggling to navigate these new relationships and emotionally separate herself from everyone. The performance of "Home" is her turning point, but even after choosing to stay, she still continues to question her worth to others. Her conversation with Nini in 2x12 reveals that she still has insecurities about her true self, calling herself "off-putting". The one character I can't figure out if his storyline is written with intention or ultimately fumbled is EJ's. It's clear this season is supposed to start him on his journey of finding his own story, but rather than continue down this path, his storyline shifts to focus on his relationship with Gina. It could be intentional that the writers wanted EJ to think that his relationship with Gina was his new story, allowing him to learn in s3 that his story can't be defined by his father or a girl, but maybe that's a generous interpretation. I have more thoughts on his s3 storyline later.

I really appreciated the attempt to expand the scope of storytelling to be more ensemble-focused than s1, but I don't think enough attention was given to the rest of the characters. I loved that Kourtney had a significantly larger role this season, and her stories meshed better with the rest of the cast this season than Nini's, tbh. I actually loved seeing her work with Big Red and them as scene partners. Save for Kourtney's storyline, I don't think there was enough payoff or conclusion for the rest of the characters' individual arcs this season (Ashlyn, Big Red, Carlos, Seb).

Last comment: I was incredibly impressed by Joshua Bassett's performance this season. He gave a good performance in s1, but he reached a whole new level in s2 as Ricky. I think the clarity of Ricky's character and arc this season really helps, but I was blown away at how he was able to portray all these complex emotions so sensitively and believably. Sofia's undoubtedly the best actor, but he also really held his own this season.

#this was MUCH longer than I was intending #I just have a lot of mixed feelings on s2 #I think it has more emotional depth than s1 but then falls flat on its face in the end #hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 2 #high school musical the musical the series #Ricky Bowen #Gina Porter #EJ Caswell #Nini Salazar-Roberts

[mattie24601]

What is up with costumers and this sweater? I've seen it in three shows now (HSMTMTS, Ghosts (US), and Single Parents). I'm sure there are other clothing items like this is numerous shows, but it's just such a distinct sweater that it's obvious when it shows up.

#mine #high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts #ghosts cbs #single parents abc #single parents tv #nini salazar-roberts #sam arondekar #angie d'amato