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organic-guacamole · 3 years

Text

episode 210 here we go

awww seb doing the intro

congratulations to milky white and her baby chocolate milk😌

seb is so funny

but seriously, clean up that milk fast or else it will smell so bad in there....

was that Lauryn just randomly doing cartwheels? idk any theatre kids irl but that seems like it's a common thing...

is it just me or has ms Jenn been getting more harsh to Ricky and Seb mainly-

like what did they do to her

no because I actually snorted with laughter at the "you came back" WHAT IS THAT VOICE-

AND THE MASK OMG

yeah so my throat hurts now

I'm dying over here

KOURTNEY'S FACE

SAME GIRL SAME

Ricky's fake death got the whole place in tears /s

he looks like an asthmatic walrus

Seb's on piano, I love

we all know if he was the beast we'd all actually be crying✋

ok but I listen to Julia's version of home on Spotify when I want to cry-

right so gimme a second

is Ricky scratching his face.....while he's dying?

"belle i-" *flop*

round of applause to Ashlyn for trying to make Ricky's earthworm seizure look less.... yknow

Kourtney's just dying there

WAIT IS THAT NATALIE

did she really just disappear for 9 episodes just to come back and stare dramatically into the camera

WAIT SCRATCH THAT SHES HERE TO MURDER ASHLYN AND RICKY

oh so Ricky's wearing a gay shirt now too

so that's the real reason why Rini broke up, see y'all next season when Gini and caswen become canon /j

wait that was a long intro scene-

what was that look Carlos-

TALK TO MY BOY OR ELSE

carlos' run is so funny to me

therapist Ashlyn to the rescue

"that is...super" son you good?

ms Jenn call Benjamin, he would willingly put his loved ones on a rocket and blast them into Venus for you....

maybe

"I don't want you kids to be disappointed" girl you do realise you're the one that's most invested in this?

"a smooth opening night" wasn't there just 1 show though-

like their opening night was closing night too

"I think I was Troy at one point" PLEASE THATS THE MOST ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE SEASON 1 FINALE

me Jenn looks like a serial killer during that clap and I'm lowkey scared for zacky

"I have notes"

oo if you're taking suggestions, lemme get my list

"mother is freaking out" uhhhhhh

right....'mother"

"is everyone sitting down?"

*looks around awkwardly*

*big red slowly sits*

"no..."

please seb was the only one sitting-

does that mean Carlos looked at Seb as soon as he walked in and assumed that everyone else was sitting too or am I a seblos clown🤡

"is this about the transformation"

WOW MAYBE OT IS RICKY

WOW HES A DETECTIVE FOR FIGURING THAT OUT SO QUICK🤩

YO WHY IS NATALIE HERE-

she just shows up when it's convenient? is she gonna be at the sleepover too?

Seb's heavy swallow after Carlos shouts at him makes me so sad

"I never learned how to lie but I figure if I keep my mouth closed, I can't tell the truth" *nods and smiles at Nini when she asks*

why are they casually standing up all over the pizza shop, just sit at a big table and talk instead of blocking passageways and blocking off at least 6 tables-

"how about I invite myself" WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS FEEL THE NEED TO INVITE THEMSELVES TO ASHLYN'S HOUSE-

YOU CAN ASK BUT JUST FORCE YOUR WAY IN?

so Cash Caswell has a bigger house than... Dennis Caswell.... who would've thought

ah yes there's the good old EJ 1.0

Nini: "boys vs girls"

Gina: *looks devastated and glances longingly at EJ*

way to be inconspicuous

"but north high should be" *cracks her knuckles in the most uncomfortable way*

good for Ashlyn for getting more confident though

oo bossy big red

"i get bossy around the power tools"

is that why Ashlyn was holding up the drill in episode 8 orrrr 🤠

Lily, leave him alone please

she's literally not blinking, is that what makes her creepy?

the diss at big red and his face afterwards is priceless

isn't that similar to what Gina's mom said to her in season 1? hmmmm

but seriously please don't try to redeem lily, let us have a character to hate, or to love because they're evil.

not everyone's a good guy.

"im not liked here and I don't know what to do"

let antoine finish his salad and it'll fix everything

"hug emoji" *gags*

y'all realize Lily's literally 14?

why is she calling a 16/17 year old from another school for personal advice-

"he gets weird around tools"

I shouldn't be laughing so hard

"deja vu maybe?" awkward silence

I'm dying here I love EJ so so so so much

"where's seb"

*cuts to seb being held hostage hoping that they'd notice he's missing and go look for him*

"don't ask"

"oh ok"

"100% real faux fur" as you should queen

sponsored by target

Kourtney is singlehandedly saving the entire show.

Seb making finger guns make me happier than it should

why is this kinda making me want to have a co-ed sleepover with my non-existent theatre friends

YES YOU DO NEED TO TALK/SING TO SEB CARLOS THANK YOU FOR KNOWING THAT

wait what-

you haven't talked to him all WEEK-

Carlos are you stupid /hj

Benjamin is so adorable I can't

he turned around to come back for her instead of going home. you're "what do you want Jenn🙄X act isn't fooling anyone Benjamin 🙃

10101

1+4+16= 21st?

they placed 21st?

or do I just not remember how to convert to base ten

GIRL DON'T BE RUDE TO HIM, HE'S GONNA SAVE YALL

no ms Jenn, the kids are not eccentric 35 year olds.

aww sebby

is he thinking that Carlos is only with him cuz he's the only other openly gay guy at school-

son you are a perfect little bean don't put yourself down

yes they all ship portwell as they should.

they'll be throwing risotto at the wedding.

not the chocolates. stop there are no chocolates. please stop I'm dying.

Gina you don't have to explain yourself to her

it was a misunderstanding and it's in the past

why is Ashlyn still laughing-

exactly it wasn't a big deal please just move on Nini

Kourtney really be out here saving everything

WHY IS ASHLYN STILL LAUGHING

why do I feel like when Gina finally told Ash about it, she didn't think it was that funny but wanted to feel included in the inside joke so now she brings it up randomly to show that she's in on it....I totally don't do that...

"idk, the farmer type" oh son...

Ashlyn and big red are just spilling the secrets back and forth huh?

OOO EJ AND GINA SITTING IN A TREE K-I-S-S-I-

cmon guys don't look at me like that-

"she is the best" and "we're buddies" don't sound right together

"pretty boy" "sweet boy" best ways to describe EJ

I love him.

and aw he's scared of rejection so he'll hold back just to keep her happy and not awkward how sweet

is Ricky wondering if letting her go(literally his song from last episode) was the best thing he did for Nini because he doesn't feel like it now? hmmm this is getting good

why is everyone so invested in Kourtney and Howie's relationship

PACK UP THE LAZY RICKY THING

oh yes Benji, that's exactly what she's doing

she couldn't follow her dream or whatever so now she's using the kids to gain some of the success she craves. why else would she have that massive hsm poster with her name on it in huge letters in her office.

just casually grab his hand with both your hands and stare at him creepily 🥰

ship jennzzara y'all

the first bump was a missed opportunity to do the baymax "falalala" as a reference to the fact that they watched big hero six while committing arson✋

wait so big red and EJ just left Ricky in the basement and now Ricky invited Carlos when they're supposed to be at the stage?

help no Ricky looks like he's about to tell Carlos he likes him (I know it's about writing the song for seb but still, look at his body language and tell me it doesn't look like that)

Ricky is so mature about this, he really just wants Nini to be happy even though he's hurting-

baby you deserve love, maybe Nini isn't the one for you but don't say you don't deserve it

why does he keep adding bro to the end like he doesn't know how to address Carlos

PLEASE CARLOS HAVING TO ADDRESS THE BRO THING

"let's write a song when we have like 45 minutes to get to the place and help our friends possibly win $50000 at the show in 2 weeks"

"can you hit a high C?"

"that's like the bottom of my range"

why am I laughing

this is so cool to see friendship interactions that we don't normally get to see

Nini why are you being like this-

Gina did nothing wrong??

I saw that, EJ and Gina being the only ones going in the same direction👀

right so obviously Kourtney's waiting until after the menkies to get back with Howie just in case he really is just using her as a way in to east high... obviously... right?

CARLOS

OK ITS COMING GET READY YALL

Why is portwell so awkward all of a sudden

OMG EJ

OMG GINA SAY YES or not, do what you want.

the way she doubts that EJ would genuinely ask so she has to make sure it's not Ashlyn behind it

THE "NOT THAT I KNOW OF"

LIKE WHAT GINA SAID TO JACK ABOUT EJ BEING HER BOYFRIEND

GUYS THEY'RE SOULMATES

I want risotto now please

THEY'RE SO SWEET AND ADORABLY AWKWARD ITS LIKEEK LITTLE KIDS

OOOOOOO what is this place that seblos is in, looks fancy....and secluded

oh wait no Ricky's just standing there

wait is it the bomb shelter

it looks so good what

HSKAGSJAGAJAGWISGSKAUASBWKSVAIWBAISBQKSHIQBWOABWOABDOQBZIQBAIAQBSIWBQISVQKSIANSGOQBSAISBKASBKWBAIABQOSBBSJAHAJAVAJSBAJHSKAHSJAHAJAJAAJAHHHHHHHH

@youranxiousnerd ARE YOU OK?

CUZ IM NOT OK

LOOK AT SEBBY'S FACE

LOOK AT HOW ADORABLE IT IS

THE LYRICS ARE KILLING ME

SEBLOS IS KILLING ME

I AM DEAD

PLEASE SEND HELP

I like to imagine that Frankie and Joe practiced this in their apartment and just had a blast with it.

or maybe that Frankie practiced in secret like what Joe did for the climb

OH THE SUITS

THATS WHERE THAT CLIP IN THE PROMO WAS FROM

AWWW SEBBY'S SO CUTE

HE'S A LITTLE MARSHMALLOW

they're still so awkward with the dance I cant

let's appreciate Frankie's voice though

this episode really was made just for the seblos and portwell stans and you gotta love it

BIG RED GET OUT

WHY DOES HE ALWAYS DO THIS

Seb's little "yeah" IS ADORABLE

you can't tell me that wouldn't have been the best time for them to say I love you....IF FREAKIN BIG RED WASN'T THERE

ok but wait Ricky needs more hugs like that, look at his face

the boy needs love

"bro" please don't let Ricky and Carlos go back to not talking because their friendship is amazing

EJ laughing at Ricky sounding like a cat coughing up a furball is so funny to me

RICKY'S FLOP GETS ME EVERYTIME

I knew it was too good to be true

ok so Ricky's dead, next in line please

this episode was so short but I love it so much. this is what I signed up for for season 2✋

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts season 2 #ej caswell #ricky bowen #gina porter #hsmtmts spoilers #seblos #seb mathew smith #carlos rodriguez #big red #ashlyn caswell #kourtney greene #lily hsmtmts #ms jenn #mr mazzara #natalie bagley #guac's episode text blocks :)

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courtesanofdeath · 3 years

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I am still waiting for the day that we get a few panels of all of the magic knight captains and their squads going out to a Black Clover equivalent of a Karaoke Bar and we get to see the captains get up on stage together all singing blank.

__________________________

So I Challenge YOU to BLACK CLOVER KARAOKE

__________________________

Finish this by filling in the following:

(AND THE CATCH?… classic karaoke songs 60s - 00s or Disney soundtracks are your only options)

(If you can, provide gifs or headcanons of at least some of the characters in each scenario to prove why this would work or be utterly hilarious)

What song would Julius and all the captains sing together on stage?

What song would the The Golden Dawn all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Black Bulls all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Silver Eagles all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Blue Rose Knights all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Crimson Lion Kings all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Green Praying Mantises all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Coral Peacocks all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Purple Orcas all sing together on stage?

What song would the The Aqua Deer all sing together on stage?

__________________________

After answering this, please copy and pass along to your favorite BC blogs and let’s see what we come up with (if you choose to add other side characters and what they would sing, that’s fine as well btw) and please sound off in the comments if you wish to play along

#BlackCloverKaraoke

anon you really got my brain working here and i got a little carried away lmao so sorry it's pretty long. it's full of headcanons! thanks for this, it was very fun!

1. Captains

ok so everyone would have different song choices

julius wanted to do what's this from the nightmare before christmas

rill wants to do we're all in this together from hsm

dorothy suggested supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and everyone was like ??????

nozel just wanted to get tf outta there but is being forced to join

so at the end marx told them to sing don't stop believing by journey bc it's a safe and fun choice for squad captains

in the middle of the performance he be like "julius you're doing amazing sweetie" just because the wizard babie boy actually stayed still for three mins

2. Golden Dawn

stayin alive

david suggested walking on sunshine and immediately gets bonked by langris

patri: let's do a circle of life because reincarnation arc -

william: patri nO

they decided to do bohemian rhapsody by queen because it's the ultimate karaoke song and they are the ~ ultimate brigade ~

3. Black Bull

100% gonna do a rock/punk song

killing in the name by rage against the machine

the lyrics + overall sound is perfect for them

it'll be magna's idea. with nacht going 'you're all gonna sound like shit but i guESS' but he's secretly happy bc he most defintely sang that song in his bedroom when he was 15

featuring a very drunk yami and vanessa

canonically, noelle, magna and asta are 3/5 of the worst singers in the series so it's gonna be really funny

luck: open up the fucking pit !!!!

*cricket noises*

4. Silver Eagle

this one's hard bc nozel doing karaoke is wild to imagine. to convince him to go you'd have to either blackmail him or be noelle

nebra jokingly suggested under the sea from the little mermaid and everyone just agreed

so like they do it very reluctantly with only nebra and solid knowing all the words

nozel is dying on the inside while singing

5. Blue Rose

just a girl by no doubt

song choice by sol, who I headcanon as a pop punk kinda lady

charlotte had to take some shots (like one and half so she's still conscious) before partaking

6. Crimson Lion King

"LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS !! TO DEFEAT !! THE HUNS !! "

i'll make a man out of you from mulan, mereo's song choice (she sings it every time they go training)

even though fuego and leo wanted to do hakuna matata

7. Green Praying Mantis

hungry like the wolf by duran duran

it's very jack-like, i think

sekke would probably wanna do something like take on me by a-ha but jack'll threaten him to go with his song choice

8. Coral Peacock

originally dorothy wanted to do sweet dreams (are made of this) by eurythmics but she ended up falling asleep before karaoke night so

kirsch decided to make everyone do mamma mia by abba

he just seems like the type to like abba lmao

9. Purple Orca

they're pretty chill so something like africa by toto

10 . Aqua Deer

friday im in love by the cure (if that counts as a classic karaoke song)

chosen by rill, dedicated to that one mysterious dark haired woman ✨

#i've imagined a black bulls karaoke night before so i was prepared lol #black clover #asks

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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 7 years

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Troy Bolton: Things We Ought To Know (HSM I)

I've had a writing epiphany: I need to begin where the story actually begins. Without delving into mundane details, I have been struggling with one of my Trelsi fics, because I was dead set on beguinning it during the latter half of HSM III, simply because I had envisioned plenty of great scenes for that period. The problem was, I couldn't make things gel together, and all I had was a bunch of great scenes bridged together by pointless conversations that did nothing to advance the plot or increase dramatic tension. For someone who drinks writing advice like a fish, I definitely can neglect the basics! Start where the story actually starts, and there needs to be dramatic tension and stakes from the first chapter. I think I've fallen too much on the "It's just fanfiction" excuse, which is inexcusable, because I want to tell a good story, which means good writing, and I'm currently writing original works, too. What's the point if I give myself reasons to slack off?

Having come to this grand epiphany, I've significantly sped up my writing process, and made it easier to write the synopsis. Furthermore, I was worried about repeating myself when I wrote other stories which would also be set during the latter half of HSM III, but here's the thing: those stories ended up having something to say during that period. So I could transfer my scenes there, and therefore cut the flab from the big one. And to be honest, the only reason my "major" Trelsi fic was even major was because I'd added a whole load of flab to the beginning before getting to the middle part. I literally could not figure out why the middle was better conceptualized in my head than the beginning, before I realized that the middle actually WAS the beginning. So now I don't have to worry about repeating myself, because I'm dealing with different time-frames. I had always suspected this story would be better off beginning after graduation, but I'd read another Trelsi story with a similar starting point and thought I might be copying. That's ridiculous, as my story is completely different, as it should be.

Anyway, why is this relevant? I'm currently rewatching HSM I in my beloved Google Play. Ever since realizing that Dropbox allows you to save and back up Screenshots, I've been hitting the Print Screen button like a maniac all through my favourite movies and TV shows. I like having visual images available when writing. And this is actually helpful for HSM, because I'm British and therefore relatively unfamiliar with the American school system and other things. I once spent an entire lunchtime reading about American roads because I needed this information for the scene where Troy insanely drives 1053 miles to see Gabriella. Another piece of great writing advice I read recently was that all fiction writers should read nonfiction. Truth is stranger than fiction, and this can help spark new ideas and provide necessary research that maintains reality in fiction. I have NO patience for writers or screenwriters who don't take the time to research the topic they're handling.

Why is HSM I important? It demonstrates the reason for Troy's attachment to Gabriella and to his illusions. If you want to detach Troy from Gabriella, you first have to understand how and why he became attached in the first place. Troy strikes me as idealistic, particularly when it comes to romance. You have to experience the twinkling lights, the innocence, the romantic music, the shy laughter and their final performance before watching it unravel and wondering why Troy wants to be trapped under the wreckage.

This is why I am updating huge chunks of my story, cutting out loads of unnecessary flab that I'd previously considered good/attractive, but serves no purpose whatsoever. I realized that I need to focus on TROY's evolution, his goals and his final redemption, when he is emancipated from his relationship with Gabriella. That's the whole purpose. (Other than him being with Kelsi). So I rewrote the summary to reflect this. So HSM I makes for important referencing material-- more so than HSM II, because if the story begins in HSM III or later, then the damage sown in HSM II was already done. But knowing how it all started will increase Troy's emotional conflict and pain later on. And emotional pain and conflict make good stories.

There are so many interesting things about Troy Bolton in HSM I that have nothing to do with Gabriella. For example, the rooftop garden scene is not memorable because Gabriella was invited there; if you watch carefully at the end, you will see that they run out of things to say to each other, and stare awkwardly in different directions. That already demonstrates that despite their obvious attraction to each other and one mutual interest, they don't have much else in common. No, this scene interests me because it shows how desperately Troy craves solitude, and even enjoys it. It shows that Troy isn't fully comfortable around his friends, not because they aren't his friends (although their behaviour certainly suggests this sometimes), but because they don't understand him enough. Note that he says of his rooftop hideout: "which means that my buddies don't even know it exists." He doesn't make any distinction between his regular buddies, and Chad, who has been his best friend since childhood. I'm a huge fan of Troy and Chad's friendship, but you can't ignore the significance here.

Interestingly, Troy does actually share many nerdy memories with Chad; in HSM III, we find out that the two used to play in Troy's treehouse and visit Riley's Salvage, pretending to be spies and superheroes. Chad says "I was a much better superhero than you were"; so maybe Troy was telling the truth when he said the red cape in his treehouse belonged to his friend. Why does Chad not know about the rooftop gardens (until it was convenient for the plot in HSM I)? I think it's because Troy does share many interests with Chad and when they're hanging out, they're not retreating from the world. They're being a part of it, considering themselves as brothers-in-arms. The big difference between them is that Troy is "The Basketball Guy", the one whose actions affect the "entire school" and who must lead his team to victory, presumably every time. Chad enables and encourages this pressure, whilst also becoming resentful when he feels Troy enjoys too many perks, too much praise, too many advantages. A further reason is that revealing the rooftop gardens would mean revealing his friendship with the Science Club, which is social heresy in Chad's book.

There are many other things that build a picture of Troy's life outside of Gabriella in HSM I.

[Gabriella] "Well you sound like you've done a lot of singing too!"

[Troy] "Yeah, my showerhead is very impressed with me."

Again, this picture of him singing in the shower demonstrates the freedom he experiences when alone. Although he admits this to a girl that he's just met, which is significant, he downplays it. I initially believed this was because of his dorkiness, but maybe it's because he's modest about his talents and because he actually does enjoy singing in the shower, or takes it seriously. But ever conscious of this new girl who has sprung out of nowhere, he thinks that coming off as a dork will work better. He certainly seemed more interested and impressed by her experience singing in Church choirs and encouraged the notion of her having a solo career. Perhaps he isn't confident enough in his singing, even when clearly capable at it, and would never allow himself to dream outside the "Hoops Dude/Playmaker" box. The screenwriters could have explored all of this at the beginning, instead of giving the impression that only Gabriella awoke his interest in the Performing Arts.

Here's the thing: that whole beginning sequence is utterly forgettable. Sure, they kept each other's numbers, but their meeting could equally have had no effect whatsoever, had they either not kept in contact, or been too far away to get to know each other well enough. Meanwhile, information about Troy singing in the shower and his enjoyment of performing could have been triggered by a more meaningful meeting. Might I suggest one? His meeting Kelsi, 35 minutes later into the film lead to longlasting repercussions, all of them positive, for both characters. As I will explain in my Trelsi series (it IS coming), if the screenwriters wanted a more romantic beginning, this scene would have worked far better for several reasons. Firstly, it's not coincidental. Sorry, but I dislike coincidences. I still can't decide whether Troy intended to become friends with Kelsi, but he definitely made an active decision to help her pick up her manuscripts and to build her confidence after seeing Sharpay tear it down. Secondly, Troy and Kelsi clicked right away, whereas Gabriella just wandered off after their supposedly romantic first meeting without even saying goodbye, perhaps a sign of her subsequent behaviour towards Troy. Thirdly, meeting Troy made Kelsi open up (with enthusiasm) and brought about a change in her character, whereas Troy and Gabriella simply chatted about their singing experiences and agreed that karaoke was fun. Fourthly, meeting Kelsi led directly to Troy realizing his newfound interest in singing-- please note this scene could have happened with or without Troy meeting Gabriella. Fifthly, as I have said before, Troy's reaction to hearing Kelsi's song was far more profound than his reaction to singing "The Start of Something New".

Just saying.

By the way, Gabriella completely misinterprets the need for Troy's rooftop hideout.

[Gabriella] "So this is your private hideout?"

Sounds innocuous, but later on she says:

[Gabriella] "You pretty much have the school wired, don't you, Troy? Seems to me like everyone on campus wants to be your friend."

She thinks that he gets the rooftop gardens thanks to his status, that he gets anything he wants and that the world is in his hands. This might explain her lack of patience with him in HSM II, and her willingness to believe that he's wearing Italian golf shoes to show off, rather than because they were given to him. Perhaps there even might be some longing in her voice; she was previously the school's "freaky math girl" and would love to be popular and admired instead. She gets this without any struggle whatsoever, mostly thanks to Troy and Taylor. So even Gabriella doesn't understand Troy on the spot. Is that a crime? No. And certainly later on in this scene, Gabriella demonstrates that she knows Troy better than his friends. But again, it's worth pointing out that the "Playmaker" scene demonstrated instant understanding between two people. On the other hand, Gabriella eventually proves to be just as (deliberately) ignorant of Troy and his feelings as everyone else around him. Again, just saying.

What other interesting facts about Troy are revealed? "Unless we lose." This demonstrates that despite the adulation heaped on Troy's head, he's no longer interesting if he can't deliver for East High. This fits in well with Coach Bolton's later claim that "what you do affects not only this team, but the entire school." Remember even Principal Matsui expects Troy to get the team "whipped into shape". If Troy loses, the whole school has lost. If Troy can't focus on each and every game, then he's letting down the whole school. If you view these two lines of dialogue together, you get a sense of the overwhelming pressure that Troy, at this point only sixteen/seventeen, faces every day of the basketball season. It's insane to put that kind of pressure on a kid's head, particularly when he's so sensitive and doesn't have a picture of his own future, as he proved in HSM III. "Unless we lose," means that Troy has faced the consequences of losing many times. How do we know this? Later on, Coach Bolton says that the "West High Knights have knocked us out of the Playoffs three years running." Now although he later says that everyone must given 110% to the game, you have to take into consideration his later words directed only at Troy: "And without you completely focussed, we're not going to win..." Losing is not simply a part of life for Troy Bolton. It's failure, it's disappointing his team, his school, his Principal... his Coach AND father. And he's faced this several times. When he says "Unless we lose", he smiles in resignation and shrugs as though it's not a big deal, but we know that it is-- not just because it hurts Troy to lose, but because he shoulders everyone's hopes and expectations.

Small wonder that he doesn't "see my life as a ball game anymore" later on?

Thing is, Troy loves basketball. It wouldn't make sense for him to choose it (and announce it first) in HSM III otherwise. His eyes light up whenever he sees a hoop. One of the first advantages of the job at Lava Springs was basketball: "We got a hoop out back..." He takes any opportunity to work on his free throws at home. His bedroom, often representative of a character, is filled with basketball memorabilia, all collected of his own accord. Basketball is a source of bonding between him and his father-- sometimes the only way they can communicate. Basketball is what he shares in common with his best friend. He enjoys sports on the whole. You can see the genuine delight when he wins in HSM I and HSM III. It's not the game that he doesn't like, but the unnecessary adulation, the pressure, the insistence upon him being everyone's superhero when, as he quite reasonably stated, "there's twelve people on this team, not just me." He might not be as passionate about it as Chad, because he definitely sees his identity as being more varied than just being a basketball player. Chad's future is easy: "Hoops all the way!" But he certainly is invested in it.

I'm just rewatching Gabriella and Taylor's conversation about the Scholastic Decathlon right now. It's ironic that Gabriella is the voice of reason here, stating that Taylor should get to know Troy before making judgements about him. Calling someone a "particular sub-species" just because they play basketball is absurdly unfair. Taylor is bubbly and fun and intelligent, but intensely prejudiced and relies heavily on her preconceptions of other people. Furthermore, she expects other people to accept her judgements, hence why she constantly tells Gabriella what to think about her relationship during HSM II. (Gabriella (apparently later) forgets that she ever told Taylor to be more open-minded and decides to just swallow whatever Taylor feeds her).

Anyway, what's interesting about this scene is the cheerleaders in hysterics over Troy's looks. What's even more interesting is that Troy is not in the slightest bit interested in any cheerleader, and for most of the movie, doesn't appear to acknowledge their existence. This is a marvellous feat, given that they presumably sit at his lunchtable with the basketball folks. You can see this right before "Stick To The Status Quo". Troy has a notable flaw of ignoring people when he's engrossed in something, like during HSM II when he was showing the Redhawk player how to hold a golf club and ignored Chad and Jason. They found this insulting. Apparently, Troy's lack of interest in any single cheerleader (some of whom must surely have thrown themselves at him) does not insult them, judging by their giggling. And does this interest die down after Troy begins dating Gabriella? I don't think so. At the beginning of HSM III, as Troy is wading his way through dancers at his house, Martha and another cheerleader congratulate him. So I guess he's still their hero.

This is very interesting to me; because I ship Troy and Kelsi together, I have to work around his complete blindness to any other girl, which canonically includes Kelsi. I wrote loads of notes about what Troy's taste in Gabriella said about his romantic tastes, and then applied these to Kelsi, and then had to think up scenario's where he might notice Kelsi more. It was challenging, but stimulating, because I realized that this would actually make their romance better. Why? Because it falls perfectly in line with the first song of Kelsi's that Troy ever heard: "It's hard to believe, that I couldn't see, that you were always right beside me."

Again, just saying. The unexpectedness of meeting Kelsi, plus Troy's reaction to hearing her song and his ability to connect to it instantly speak volumes. No scene of such emotional intensity exists between Troy and Gabriella before perhaps their performance of Breaking Free.

Okay, back to Troy Bolton.

By the way, I've noted before that during HSM I, Kelsi wasn't in Troy's homeroom class. By HSM II, she's there, her desk directly to his left and she gives him a quick hug after the bell goes! (CUTE!) I'm still waiting for an explanation.

When Troy tells Chad that he's off to do homework instead of, *gasp*, practicing during free period and directing his team, the audience is supposed to take this as an excuse. Of course, Troy was using homework as a diversion. However, later on in the movie, we see Troy spending what I presume is a free period to check out some books in the library and take notes. Chad, on the other hand, is tailing him and filling his head with all kinds of nonsensical threats and meaningless anecdotes. This does demonstrate that Troy is, outside of basketball, a conscientious student. Chad* is not, and proud of this. He boasts about having been behind on homework since preschool, an untenable position for someone hoping to attend college. I understand that in the American college system, you spend the first year studying all the basic subjects to build credits. I've already discussed the importance of Troy hanging out with the Science Club, unnecessary if he doesn't care about academics. He also won a scholarship to Berkeley, impossible without having sufficient credits and having performed exceptionally well. In HSM III, he is seen holding a thick textbook which I think says "Literature" on it. Of course, by that point, Gabriella probably watched over his studies like a hawk; she orders him to "come on" so they can do homework. But I don't think Troy slacked off at other subjects (even though he is rarely ever seen carrying a bag, or holding books and pens!). It does counter the accusation that he simply sat around waiting for privileges, as his friends and girlfriend so insultingly assume during HSM II.

There are many other things I'd like to know about Troy Bolton, but the final thing I want to note here is his modesty. Like I've said before, he doesn't even know arrogance, let alone display it. Can he be inconsiderate? Yes. He put several members of his class into detention just because he wanted to speak with Gabriella, when he could simply have waited until they were dismissed. He can forget things that are important, be late, have a tunnel vision with regards to unreasonable goals, as well as ignoring sensible advice to attain said goals. But is he ever arrogant? Not that I can think of. During the first scene between him and Gabriella, he tells her she has an "amazing voice". He then repeats this to Ms Darbus, not even mentioning that his own voice is pretty good too. When Ms Darbus offers him (and Gabriella) a callback audition, Gabriella is delighted, he is astonished. On the rooftop garden, Gabriella says "You're a cool guy, Troy. But not for the reasons your friends think." Troy's reaction isn't even bashful; he genuinely appears astonished by this revelation, that his quirky, dorky character is a positive thing, and not something he should hide from others. That there are people who appreciate him without making him conform to their expectations, like (ostensibly) Gabriella. You can see him contemplating her words there, not even seeming to notice her until she thanks him for showing her the place. Later on, he gives his Game Ball away to Kelsi, whom most people either don't know or don't notice, and lets everyone cheer for her after the basketball game, which is what they actually came to see. It's actions like these which make me love Troy Bolton and enjoy writing about him.

More musings upcoming.

*FOOTNOTE-- Interestingly, Chad won a scholarship to the U of A, which would have been impossible had he done no homework. Is it fair to assume that he buckled up and studied hard? Did Taylor, a conscientious student, have a hand in this change? If so, this would prove her a good influence on him, and beg the question of why they may have split up after graduating. I'm still infuriated by this.

#TroyBolton #ILOVEHim!#TroyBoltonIsAwesome #Trelsi #OTP #Playmakers #AmWriting #Deb'sAnalysis #IMightContinueThis #WritingProgress #GabriellaMontez #ChadDanforth #OffToBed

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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 7 years

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The Marvel of Trelsi (Part III)

Because this image NEVER gets old. It also epitomizes the relationship between Troy and Kelsi as complete equals, quite unlike a certain other relationship.

In this instalment, I want to discuss the introduction to Trelsi, which will include scene analysis, comparative analysis, musings and headcanons. I love this scene primarily for what it says about Troy Bolton as a character, as well as for how radiant and confident Kelsi becomes throughout the rest of the canonical movie series. I will demonstrate the superior importance of this scene in establishing relationships thus far, particularly in comparison to Troy’s introduction to Gabriella, and how this scene represents everything the movie was supposed to support.

Now, first of all, I must start by noting the unrealistic spectacle of every other candidate being laughably inept at performing except for Sharpay/Ryan and later, Troy/Gabriella. I must presume that this is all in aid of plot-related reasons. In real life, although it is more believable that Sharpay still would have reigned as Queen of the Drama Department (with Ryan as her Page Boy), there would have been plenty of decent candidates for this role. After all, there is a Drama Club and I refuse to believe that this is populated by incompetents. Nonetheless, Kelsi’s patience throughout, playing whilst people mess up her song, is both hilarious and endearing.

As I write this analysis with the film playing, I often have to fast-forward or rewind to see which parts are visible to Troy throughout this to explain why he decides to reach out to Kelsi. Remember, he appears not to know who Kelsi is prior to this moment, as she is not shown in his homeroom class. (This begs the question of how Kelsi came to be there during HSM II and HSM III). After being denied the opportunity to rehearse, Troy would have had no choice other than to leave and return to his other lessons. Instead, he stands there in disappointment for a moment until distracted by Kelsi tripping over in an ironically dramatic fashion. So if we rewind and view the Auditions scene from Troy’s viewpoint, is there any reason to speculate that Troy might have intended to make friends with Kelsi? Personally, I don’t know. Obviously, I am biased and like to think this was the case, but it may well have been a spur of the moment decision. However, there is room, in my view, to speculate otherwise.

So, how much does Troy see prior to this grand introduction? (I say “grand”, because Trelsi :D). As we recall, he has performed an elaborate ninja routine in order to get to said auditions, which involves throwing Chad off his back, cutting through a D & T room, dashing downstairs, confusing his dad by doing a Houdini and hiding behind a mop once he reaches the Drama stage.

It is very important to note that Troy did this himself, as much later, in HSM III, Troy will make a grand speech in which he falsely claims that: “Problem is, East High changed when you got there. Now it’s changed again because you left.” As you can see here, the decision to check out the auditions was of Troy’s own making. Gabriella had even told him prior that she had no intention of signing up for anything, and just wanted to get to know the school first. This forward-thinking on Troy’s part explains his decisions much later on in the movie, not least his decision to make friends with Kelsi.

Obviously, Troy sees Kelsi introduced by Ms Darbus, but I don’t think he makes anything of it. He sees the slew of embarrassing performances throughout. It is interesting to note that, despite the glaring incompetence of many in East High, Troy is STILL nervous about trying out for the auditions. Having sung with Gabriella in karaoke over the holidays, it is clear that his confidence soars when performing, but in East High, it’s almost nonexistent. This is most likely due to Chad shooting him down earlier*, basically implying that Troy won’t make it as a top basketball player if he spends (wastes) time doing School Musicals. (“You ever think LeBron James or Shaquille O’Neill auditioned for their school musicals?”) It is also because Troy is scared of being sent off in disgrace by Ms Darbus and laughed at by everyone else. (“Ms Darbus is a little… harsh.”). After this, a thoroughly exasperated, but now somewhat hopeful Ms Darbus introduces Sharpay and Ryan who will “give us a sense of why we gather in this hallowed hall”. Given that Troy reluctantly agreed to watch Sharpay in the musical earlier, I assume that he is not looking forward to this performance. His expression throughout is priceless. But he doesn’t appear aware of how much dismay is caused to Kelsi by this performance, at least not until afterwards.

I had to rewind this a lot to make sure, but Troy does see Sharpay’s mean and condescending jabs at Kelsi afterwards. During this scene, Sharpay belittles Kelsi for being a heretofore unknown composer who has no right to question someone as seasoned as Sharpay, even though Kelsi wrote the music. “And you should be glad that me and Ryan are here to lift your music out of its current obscurity! Are we clear?”/”Yes, Ma’am! I mean, Sharpay!” Dismayed and subdued, Kelsi is knocked back onto the piano stool and accepts Sharpay’s Reign of Terror without question. However, as I discussed yesterday, it surely is significant that Kelsi overcame her shyness for one short moment of resistance by telling Sharpay that she hadn’t captured the meaning of the song. Hence why Sharpay was so insulted: “IF we do the part?” Anyhow, because Troy is such a decent and fair guy, he would clearly object to Kelsi being pushed around like this. However, as I asked earlier, did Troy have any intent in reaching out to her just then? Not long afterwards, he tells Gabriella that they should leave, presumably before Ms Darbus discovers them peeking round the corner like spies. So I suppose not, and the ensuing meeting was probably by chance.

I criticize Gabriella regularly, but I think she displayed real initiative by conquering her stage fright to audition. So now we need to zoom out of Troy’s perspective and into Kelsi’s perspective for this scene, as she spends the entire time at the piano, probably despondent as she arranges her scores. But she is within earshot when Troy, quite commendably, puts himself forward as Gabriella’s singing partner. We are not given Kelsi’s reaction to this, which would have been very interesting. Troy Bolton, King of East High, agreeing to audition for a part? Stop the world! It would have been more effective if Kelsi had turned around at this point in astonishment, before getting up to leave and then tripping over. But that’s just my viewpoint. She definitely hears the ensuing exchange, as Ms Darbus makes no secret of her astonishment when Troy shows up from behind the corner. Had Kelsi shown some engagement with this scene, it would have made her tripping over seem a lot less contrived for the purposes of introducing her to Troy. Again, my opinion. But what the hell? My analysis, too. :D We can only speculate as to her reaction, which I believe would be of astonishment. I exclude Gabriella from this part, given that Kelsi does not know her name, presumably not until Ms Darbus gives the two a callback audition.

Kelsi’s trip is marvellous! Gasp of surprise, papers flung everywhere… Really well done! :D

And Troy’s first instinct is to run over and help her, even though he is a considerable distance from the stage. Now, if you watch this carefully, look at Gabriella’s reaction. Troy does not hesitate to rush over and help, but Gabriella actually hesitates. In fact, I see unwillingness in her expression for a moment, before she runs over after Troy. I may be wrong in this, but if you get the time, please look over that scene and tell me what you think. In any case, Troy reaches the stage before Gabriella does. It’s almost as though Gabriella is either a mixture of unwilling/exasperated and yet resigned before deciding to help Kelsi. I usually rewind minute by minute to be accurate, and that is what I see. It therefore seems to me that were Troy not present, Gabriella would either have hesitated to help Kelsi, or not done so at all. That may seem a harsh assumption, but at the very least, it does provide more proof as to why Gabriella is not in ANY WAY responsible for Kelsi’s character development. She’s friends with Kelsi because Troy is. That’s it, really.

You’ve got to love Kelsi’s stunned disbelief when Troy fricking Bolton comes and helps her pick up her manuscripts. Remember, Kelsi is limited by the status quo: cool guys don’t come within throwing distance of nerds like herself. You may see, by pausing at selected moments, that Troy catches her staring and smiles in a friendly manner, which makes me SQUEE! But again, if someone stares at you like you’re the Loch Ness Monster, some people might be pretty annoyed or self-conscious. I think this is Troy trying to break the ice, once again demonstrating that he sees Kelsi as a complete equal, and not some specimen from a different social class.

“So you’re a composer?”

Kelsi’s mute nods are cute. She cannot believe this moment is happening.

“You wrote the song Ryan and Sharpay just sang? [*nod*] And the entire show? [*nod] Well, that’s really cool. I uh-- [*holds out hand for her to shake*] I can’t wait to hear the rest of the show!”

I can’t get over the SWEETNESS here. Yet more evidence that Troy is nowhere near the arrogant and entitled jerk some “fans” allege him to be. Remember, Kelsi has just been put in her place by Sharpay, is despondent that two people who have ruined her song will most likely get the leads and has probably been discouraged from offering any suggestions in future, since Sharpay has made it clear that Kelsi would be nothing without her. After having had her musical ideas rejected time and time again by the Drama Department, this doesn’t feel like much of a reward, hence the resigned way in which Kelsi cleared her manuscripts from the piano earlier. So for Troy to tell her that what she does is “really cool”, and to express genuine admiration for her ability to write “the entire show” is everything. It is completely superficial to assume that Kelsi’s stunned disbelief is due to her having a massive crush on Troy. Whether this may or may not be true is besides the point; we don’t have any information about that. What is far more important, is the obvious fact that prior to now, very few, if any people, have ever spoken to Kelsi like this. With respect, admiration and friendly encouragement. We know this, because Kelsi is too astonished to respond. She must have felt like a complete idiot, just nodding instead of speaking, but Troy does not try and goad her into conversation. He just takes her as she is without judgement. It’s almost as though he understands her shyness and will let her speak when she’s ready. This is one of the first signs that Troy and Kelsi are attuned to each other on such an instinctive level that is impossible to ignore.

Furthermore, Troy tells her that he “can’t wait” to hear the rest of the show. Think carefully about this. Not long beforehand, Sharpay said “I hope you can watch me in the musical”, and made Troy promise to do so. He only nodded, clearly unable to bring himself to say anything. He nodded to get her off his back. His discomfort around Sharpay is self-evident. Now here he is, telling Kelsi, a girl with whom he has NEVER spoken before, that he is excited to hear the rest of her compositions. Up until now, he has only heard a few measures of ONE song. For all he knows, the rest might be mediocre or terrible. (I doubt it, but that’s always a possibility). Her compositions have never been selected before. There’s no discomfort here for Troy at all. He comes across as completely genuine in his interest and willingness to support Kelsi. So we can infer that Troy must like the little he has heard and thinks she has untapped potential. And prior to now, has Troy ever watched a musical? I tend to assume not, given his complete unfamiliarity with the Drama stage, and his lack of knowledge about Broadway: “Who’s Michael Crawford?” For heaven’s sake, he spent the entire audition hiding behind a mop! He has never seen the preparation it takes to write a musical, and I assume he has never been to one of the school productions, given how reluctant he was to watch Sharpay perform. Add to that his supreme status as East High’s Primo Boy, the significance of his offer is HUGE.

All of this underscores how accepting Troy is of everyone around him. He accepts Gabriella, who is extremely intelligent and always comes top of her class. He accepts Zeke’s interest in baking. He presumably accepts Martha’s love of hip hop, and the skater dude who likes the cello… All in all, Troy never expects anyone to change who they are for anyone. Troy never judges people, unlike Chad. He is always happy to extend the hand of friendship (quite literally in Kelsi’s case, and later in Ryan’s case), irrespective of the alleged social divides. Troy doesn’t think that anyone should be limited just because of who they are: “[Chad] You ever think LeBron James or Shaquille O’Neill auditioned for their school musicals?”/ [Troy] “MAYBE.” (Capital emphasis my own). And later on: “Look, I just did it! [auditioned for the musical] Who cares?” Furthermore, Troy always takes an interest in other people’s lives and admires their achievements, even if he knows nothing about what they do. We are not told whether Troy plays any musical instruments, but I assume not. We are not told whether he reads music, although I have to assume from his excellent, and sometimes unrealistically good sight-reading skills, he must have had availed himself of school music lessons. Either way, I wouldn’t call him an insider in the music profession. Yet he immediately takes an interest based on very little information other than a couple bars of Kelsi’s song.

I reiterate again: this is significant.

I love the hand-shake, as Troy helps her to stand again. The metaphorical significance of this is beautiful; he is raising her self-esteem, pulling her up, lifting her mood, making her feel like an accomplished young lady, instead of a nobody. The friendly smile remains even though Kelsi seems unable to detach her hand from his-- again, I think the reason for this is stunned disbelief first and foremost. Clearly, she is unused to such friendliness from anyone, let alone Troy Bolton. And remember, he’s just told her that he wants to hear her other compositions.

At this point, having helped Kelsi pick up her manuscripts, Troy could have left. After all, free period is now over. He should be getting back to class. Instead, he has something else to say, which fuelled my earlier query about whether he had intended to speak to her beforehand. And remember, Kelsi has not said a word thus far, so he might have concluded she was too shy and gone back to class. Yet he is still keen to engage with her, whether she might answer or not.

“So… why’re you so afraid of Ryan** and Sharpay? I mean, it is your show.”

I love Troy telling Kelsi, in effect, that she doesn’t have to be afraid of the Evans twins. He’s offering her a way out. He’s offering her options she had never previously considered. He’s reminding her that these are her songs and she is therefore a lot more than a Sideshow Bob.

“It is?”

The fact that Kelsi questions something that is so OBVIOUSLY true shows how little self-esteem she has up until this point.

“Isn’t the composer of a show kinda like the Playmaker in basketball?”

“Playmaker…?”

“You know, the one who makes everyone else look good. I mean without you, there is no show. You’re the Playmaker here, Kelsi.”

First of all, just look at the effect these words have on Kelsi:

For the first time since being introduced into the movie, she looks delighted. Given her crippling shyness and introverted nature, I feel fairly certain that she has probably rarely, if ever, been made to feel like this. Empowered, confident and worth something. The utter delight on her face, the way she completely lights up, shows her unfamiliarity with such praise. It further highlights that very few, if any people, have taken an interest in her music, or have given her the chance she craves to be heard and understood, as I explained yesterday. Compare this to her intimidation, disappointment and dismay when Sharpay belittled her earlier. THIS is the moment that the deal is sealed: she takes to Troy in an instant. Her excitement is brimming beneath the surface. And make no mistake, this is entirely directed towards Troy. Gabriella, up until now, has not said a word, and neither is she the recipient of this delighted expression.

The most important thing to note here is “the one who makes everyone else look good,” as the inimitable teamwork between Troy and Kelsi throughout all three shows in movie canon is a living demonstration of this. Again, I must reiterate that Troy has barely heard any of Kelsi’s music, and is saying that her compositional skills make everyone else look good. Ms Darbus, whom I presume had previously rejected many of Kelsi’s ideas and now selected these ones, is never shown to have given Kelsi such high praise, despite having considered these songs on their artistic merit to her play. (Correction from last post: Ms Darbus wrote the plays. Credit to BoltonEvans). And because Troy doesn’t treat sports like a religion (unlike a certain Mr. Danforth), he doesn’t judge her for being ignorant about sporting terminology, either, which is a small but once again noteworthy point.

This scene basically launches the term “Playmaker”. Let’s discuss this. Troy is not only giving Kelsi a nickname (something he hasn’t done for Gabriella or indeed anyone else), but it is the very same name that others in his team use to refer to him. More importantly, it is a term with which he has a love-hate relationship. We know this because later on, Troy’s father tells him, “but you’re Playmaker. Not a singer.” Troy’s reaction to this is one of rising frustration; in other words, he appears tired of hearing about his Playmaker/Basketball Guy status ALL the time. A lot of viewers seem to, in their haste to judge/belittle Troy for his mistakes, ignore the effect of constantly being praised and touted as the Top Gun for the team. He is, around this time, between 16 and 17 years old. Adolescence is a time of self-doubt and learning to figure yourself out. Coming of age. The pressure that Troy’s father and his team-mates put on his shoulders by such honorary titles must be immense and counter-productive.

So I feel it is very important to note that the term “Playmaker” does not necessarily have very positive connotations for Troy, as it reminds him of the pedestal upon which he is placed, and how much is expected of him by everyone else. In which case, it is somewhat unusual that Troy deems this nickname appropriate for a composer, let alone a girl he has only just met properly. But he chooses “Playmaker”, for several key reasons: 1)- he sees the value of Kelsi’s work, 2)- he believes she deserves it more, 3)- he senses that she needs it. Troy himself suffocates under all these honorary terms and wishes he could “just be a guy”. Like I said yesterday, Troy is running away from his pre-destined status and longing to be ordinary as well as try something new. Kelsi, on the other hand, thinks her path as a composer is predestined and is longing to be extraordinary. The title “Playmaker” and its special significance gives her precisely that. ALL of this is communicated from Troy to Kelsi with precious little dialogue. Troy just instinctively understands what she needs right then and can encapsulate all of this with the nickname “Playmaker”. This seals the deal, folks. It makes their bond esoteric, rather than transparent-- later on, when Troy calls her Playmaker in front of a cheering crowd, only he, Kelsi (and Gabriella) know what he means. Again, Kelsi’s delight here says it all. It underlines all their later scenes together and is the centrepiece of their friendship. They are both Playmakers in their own respective fields. So Troy demonstrates his ability to take something with difficult implications for himself and turn it into a positive for someone who would otherwise be unheard. This is a special moment in the movie, and definitely the most significant up until Troy revealing his love for performing later on.

The movie makes a great deal of hullabaloo about Troy meeting Gabriella, using twinkling lights, night skies and romantic music. We’re meant to believe that this is a once in a lifetime meeting, when in fact it is a fateful night that starts Troy on the path of self-destruction. This is supposed to be the centrepiece of the movie: boy meets girl. But I assert that this is NOWHERE NEAR as relevant, inspiring and special as when Troy meets Kelsi. There is barely any significance in Troy meeting Gabriella, other than the plot. He could have sang that karaoke with any other girl. There is no evidence that Troy would not have had chemistry with any other of the many girls standing there. But Troy meeting Kelsi is relevant, because this is how Troy is introduced to her music and how he gets to practice the musical. It’s inspiring, because it involves the hero at his very best, reaching out to make friends with an outcast, and showing that he values everyone based on their merits and not based on transient constructs like social hierarchies. It’s special because they forge a bond together near instantly that to me, is far more poignant and deeper than that between Troy and Gabriella. Their bond leads to a solid music partnership, but even more importantly, a strong friendship, UNFAILING loyalty and support for each other throughout the entire movie series. Troy and Gabriella’s meeting leads to a solid music partnership, but not a friendship, and definitely not unfailing loyalty or support, with Gabriella more than happy to abandon Troy when things aren’t going her way. We will discuss more of this in later instalments. But bear that in mind. Furthermore, Troy and Gabriella do not have an esoteric bond. There is nothing between them that only they can understand, except for the fact that they’re together! :D On the contrary, we see Troy and Kelsi totally attuned to each other when performing in ways that are not demonstrated with anyone else. That’s why Troy always looks to her for a boost/confidence. It might just be me, but I don’t see this with Gabriella at all.

All this does is just demonstrate how the screenwriters accidentally did with Troy and Kelsi what they should have done with Troy and Gabriella.

“You’re the Playmaker here, Kelsi.”

[*beaming*] “I am? Do you want to hear how the duet’s supposed to sound?”

So they’ve clicked instantly. Kelsi now decides to trust Troy, a complete stranger, with her music. She is definitely speaking to Troy directly here, even though Gabriella is the first to move towards the piano. She wants to prove herself to him, now that he has given her the confidence to believe in herself, her talent and her music. More importantly, she has decided, in just a few moments, that Troy is the one. Don’t assume I mean this in a romantic way. Sure, it has romantic potential, as I will discuss later. But what I mean is that she just knows-- instinctively-- that Troy is the one who can interpret her songs as she envisions them. He has proven that he gets her, understands her vision and thinks she has potential. Therefore, she sheds the shyness and excitedly offers to play her song, finally getting a chance to show someone what she can do. Please note that Kelsi is not shown to have done this with anyone else. This is why, like I said in the introduction, she only has to NOD at Troy to begin singing a song with which he is relatively unfamiliar. (He certainly hasn’t read the score before). That’s just a silent way of stating that she trusts him to take the music and roll with it. And Troy is surprised by this, as well as her offer to play her song, but notably NOT hesitant. Compare this with when Gabriella found him hiding behind a mop. His expression is wary, awkward and shamefaced, even though they are just spying on the auditions. But when confronted with Kelsi’s song, he gives it a go without thinking, and clearly gets it right, because Kelsi is smiling throughout. I don’t like to speculate, but it appears her smile at the end may be directed more towards Troy than Gabriella.

The fact that she barely needs to prompt Troy to begin also explains why, in HSM II, she felt confident enough to teach him a new song on the very night of the Talent Show at Lava Springs. Previous to that, she had written “You Are The Music In Me”, with the expectation that Troy would participate-- again, I emphasise Troy given her pleading expression is directed at him. In HSM III, she is so comfortable with his style of performing that she lets him incorporate her into his dance routine, which I think is just genius and the mark of a true performer, such as Troy is. I’m sure that Troy needed coaching practicing to sing (vocal runs etc), but their rapport is demonstrated in HSM I when Troy is energetic and riveting whilst PRACTICING the song; so much so that Kelsi feeds off his energy and is standing up, dancing/miming along. Given that Troy does appear more nervous about performing than Gabriella, it would perhaps seem likely that the scene where Kelsi is rehearsing with Gabriella, during which Kelsi shows Gabriella how to breathe properly when singing the chorus, would better apply to him. Maybe it’s just me. I’m making assumptions, but I wonder about these things.

At the end of the duet between Troy and Gabriella, the latter is pleased by the song and how well it went, even though she hasn’t received a chance to audition. Troy, as I have said before, is moved. “Wow… That’s nice.” I have to make this point: THIS is the point at which Troy discovers his love of performing. He did NOT react this way after singing karaoke with Gabriella-- sure, he was surprised, but here he seems stunned, as though he has just released a part of himself. I think this is due to the very emotional and personal nature of the song, and Kelsi’s undeniable talent in expression an emotion into words and music. This is when he realizes that he’s good at this singing thing, and that he can express himself in a totally new way. Remember, performing becomes a part of Troy’s identity, because it’s his method of projecting his true self, his therapy, his way of releasing pent-up frustration and anxiety. And if you think about it, the lyrics have some significance to Troy’s situation himself, but not in the way that the screenwriters want you to think. We’re told to believe that because Troy and Gabriella keep looking at each other throughout, that they are what they have been looking for. But actually, given how powerfully Troy reacts to the song, what he has been looking for is the ability to express this strong talent that he has. In other words, it’s hard for HIM to believe that he had this strong and natural ability to express himself in song: it was there the whole time (when he was singing in the shower!), but he never noticed it. This seems a better interpretation than the unrealistic spectacle of him falling in love with a girl he just met. Therefore, I argue that Kelsi is the reason that he discovers his love of performing, and this seems realistic to me, given their intense chemistry when performing. And taking into consideration how Troy not only takes to Kelsi’s songs in an instant throughout the film series, but makes them uniquely his, I feel certain in stating that Troy’s development is possible without Gabriella, but impossible without Kelsi, who understands him instinctively.

“Bolton! Montez! You have a callback. Kelsi, give them the duet from the second act. Work on it with them.”

How far did Ms Darbus get before hearing them sing? She either has VERY good hearing, or decided to stick around for some reason.

Kelsi excitedly rattles off a list of places where Troy and Gabriella can come and rehearse including her house. Now, there are several other roles available for this musical, meaning several other people auditioning. Kelsi must surely have time with other people on the show, and the natural question is, has she ever invited anyone else to her house for breakfast and rehearsal? It appears that her excitement and openness is entirely down to how Troy has liberated her, given her a chance to prove herself and raised her self-esteem to its highest. Of course, Troy is too bewildered by his sudden opportunity to sing to hear half of what she says, including her “basketball class” comment (it’s basketball practice!), but it remains relevant nonetheless. This sets the precedent for Kelsi’s endearing excitement about all her musical ideas from here on out.

In short, this AMAZING scene is vital for plot and character arc progression, and is therefore the most significant meeting in the movie. Some of the points here are relevant for upcoming instalments, particularly when I discuss the friendship potential and romance potential for Trelsi.

TO BE CONTINUED

(*FOOTNOTE-- Of course, Chad mocking show tunes in musicals is amusing, as later on, he tells Troy that his mother has seen Michael Crawford in “Phantom of the Opera” 27 times. How could Chad have come by this information, unless he too, had been either watching or counting the times his mother watched? I don’t believe a word he says, given that he arrogantly claims that he doesn’t dance, after having danced when school finished for the summer!)

(**FOOTNOTE-- (”So why’re you so afraid of Ryan and Sharpay?”) We can ignore the inclusion of Ryan here, as throughout this movie, he is just Sharpay’s unwilling accomplice. That being said, Kelsi was visibly timid when she asked him “What key?” and didn’t even question him when he told her that HIS rehearsal pianist had done a new arrangement-- a.k.a completely changed KELSI’S song without her prior approval at his and Sharpay’s behest, and chose to just randomly reveal this information to her at the audition. We know this because, Kelsi wanted to know whether they had a particular preferred key. This leads to Kelsi’s surprise and disappointment (she doesn’t even question him on this creative decision with her own intellectual property), making her look useless and unwanted throughout. So actually, I suppose it is fair that Ryan is included here, but I would place Sharpay’s name first, given that, despite Ryan’s complicity in the ruining of Kelsi’s song, his intentions are never malicious or even mean. He simply wants to win the role of Arnold and thinks Sharpay knows best. Later on, when Troy and Gabriella win the roles, he is good-natured about it and doesn’t question the decision.)

#Trelsi OTP #TroyBolton #KelsiNielsen #HSM1 #Playmakers #IFrickingLoveTheseTwo #Deb'sAnalysis #ThisSceneisSOImportant #ToBeContinued #WhatI'veBeenLookingFor #TwinkleTownMusical #MsDarbus

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