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pluviophile-bookworm · 3 years

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High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Rewatch pt.3

Ok, full disclosure: I should not be doing this right now. But I've been thinking about it since yesterday and, well, I reckon I can go over 1x4 and 5, and then move on to my actual work. So here we are. I'm really, really excited for these two, so without further ado, I'll dive right into:

1x4: It's hard to believe that I couldn't see... the majority of what happens in this episode when I first watched it

Why is Nini such a pro at making a scene with whoever her current boyfriend is in the middle of a public place? I mean, I get it that she's upset about EJ going through her phone — who wouldn't be — but maybe - and this is just a friendly suggestion — she could try and discuss that in private, not start a shouting match within view of all their classmates. Just saying.

'Ricky would never steal my phone' — well, perhaps not, but he's not quite above deleting stuff from it, either... I wonder if whoever is writing this show knows that there are many other ways to make a relationship unhealthy... it's not funny anymore. Just repetitive.

Ahhh Natalie and her emotional support hamster! At least there's one good thing about this scene.

Sure, Ricky, blame Big Red for the fact that you misplace your stuff... a very nice best friend he's got, indeed.

Gosh, everything is so awkward and there is just so much tension all over the place — Ricky's parents, then EJ and Nini, and then Carlos just being oblivious to the fact that they just broke up... you know, that last part just made me laugh. And then Ricky's reaction to his parents legally separating just broke my heart. That boy's been through too much.

Big Red being completely clueless about theatre terms is super funny and endearing, but let me just put myself in his shoes for a sec. He's followed his best friend into a badly thought-out scheme to get back together with his ex, got dragged into joining the crew, and is now expected to know what everything is. I would not put up with that... ok, who are we kidding, I'm a massive pushover and would put up with anything, but my point is... he shouldn't have to. At least people are doing the bare minimum to help him learn and nobody's laughed at him for not knowing. That's the good thing about this crew.

Ok, so I have posted about my thoughts of their take on What I've Been Looking For before, back when the episode was brand new, so I won't go into detail about that. In short, I think they've got the arrangement all wrong considering that it is a plot point in the original movie, but... the execution is funny. The scene is about Nini and EJ's post-breakup tension and it shows. I just kind of wish now Miss Jenn had pulled Nini out and put Gina in, even just for this rehearsal — and I might or might not be saying this as a Portwell shipper.

Miss Jenn is done with the students' personal drama and honestly, I'm right behind her. These kids are being completely unprofessional — and well, I realise that we can't expect them to be professional at this stage, but... they could at least try to concentrate on rehearsal and not their personal lives for a second.

Ricky hugging a cushion is my spirit animal. That's it, that's the comment.

Ahhh the tension between EJ and Gina though... 'around here seniors don't follow sophomores' — well, we'll see how it goes, Mr. Senior.

What gives Nini the right to shout at strangers about their relationship? I am honestly so frustrated with her these days. Wonder why I never was during season 1. The reasons are all there.

'He loves you' — yeah, like a little sister, he does. Also, Ash is so precious, always trying to see the good in other people. EJ 1.0 is so lucky he had her as an example.

Ok, I'm not going to go into what an amazing best friend Big Red is because we all know that (plus I'm saving it for a certain scene in 1x5), but this must be so hard for him. I mean, he's trying his absolute best to help Ricky feel better and distract him from his problems, and Ricky is turning everything down. I mean, I guess I understand where he's coming from too, but I'm unable to look at things through the lead-centric lens alone anymore. I'm more aware of non-lead characters now (some more so than others) and this is putting a whole new spin on my perception of everything that happens.

I've got no idea how Big Red can sleep with all this noise, though. I could never. But to each their own.

'perfect on paper' — that's EJ 1.0 to a T. I've got to give Nini that.

Ricky wearing the pride t-shirt... we love to see it.

See, this is why I keep forgetting why I ever shipped Rini and then remembering again... their chemistry is just so on-again-off-again, and here it's definitely present, but I just need a couple with consistent chemistry, you know. Hey, isn't that kind of what All I Want is about? Kind of. I don't know. I've been unable to listen to that song ever since it got big irl. I have this... problem with media that becomes popular and mainstream... I mean, I never hold a grudge against things just for being popular, but I just... relate to underrated stuff much easier. Not because it's underrated, but it just so happens that nearly everything I like and relate to is underrated in some capacity. Even HSMTMTS itself — it's practically unheard of here in Bulgaria, so I would not have found it if I hadn't been looking for it specifically. Ok, this comment got derailed several times. I guess I'll just stop here and move right on to 1x5 at this point.

1x5: A bedazzled tablecloth, a perfectly balanced unicycle and bad reception at the barn... not the perfect ingredients, but they can still... Work This Out

'Miss Jenn says that's a life in the arts... well, that and almost constant unemployment' — alright, I know this line is not supposed to be funny, and that it's a painful reality for a lot of people, but... maybe it's the delivery. I just laugh every time.

See, this is what I mean when I say I want to see consistent chemistry — Seblos have it. I mean, I really don't want to jinx things, but... they do.

Big Red seems to be in a more... outspoken mood today, I guess you could say. Too bad Ricky is still shutting everything he says down. Seriously, Big Red and Seb should start a club for people who try their best to be there for their loved ones and still keep being shushed.

I might be super frustrated with nearly everything Nini says and does (can somebody please tell me why that is?), but... flushing her dress down the toilet? Major mood.

Listen, I love Miss Jenn and that she's close to her students, but... emerging from a toilet cubicle and inviting herself to Kourtney and Nini's girls' night was... Will Shuester level of questionable.

Ricky being the mature one about his parents separation is... I mean, it's admirable, but how did he move past the impending depression of last episode and towards being the one who tells his dad to get up and move on? Well, I mean, good for him. But I think the issue is far from buried yet.

'Friend of the year'? Ricky? I don't think so. First of all, if he were, he'd know that Big Red does not have two left feet. Wasn't it you, Ricky, who was stumbling over the steps in HSM a couple of weeks ago? You're one to talk. Plus Big Red's been listening and trying to help while you've just been spouting off about your personal problems for... how long has it been now? I get it, Ricky has issues that he needs to work through, but he's almost legally blind in both eyes when it comes to Big Red.

Ok, but Ricky is the epitome of 'cannot solve his own problems but has a suggestion on how everybody else should solve theirs' in this episode. Maybe take a step back and listen to your own advice?

'My parents think I'm bonding with the livestock' — I've got no idea why I find this line so funny, but I do. And I've got so much love for this entire scene. Carlos' reaction to Seb's response to his invitation is just... the most adorable thing ever! My heart might just burst. Especially given what we're about to go through tomorrow in 2x10... I am. Not. Ready.

The entire karaoke scene just reminds me of... pretty much every extended family reunion on my mum's side. Her cousins love karaoke and are also completely tone-deaf. I love it that they're able to have fun with it, but my ears are still recovering from my great aunt's birthday party two years ago.

'When did you become Nini?' — Why does Mr. Mazzara know so much about his students' dating lives? I mean, Miss Jenn does, too, but he doesn't strike me as someone as invested in them as her. Idk, it just struck me as kind of weird.

'I didn't agree to photos' — please, EJ, I'm sure you'll want memories from your first fake-dating gig with Gina... once you're no longer fake-dating, you know. Boy, these two are going to have stories to tell to their grandchildren.

I've said some stuff about Nini, but... 'a bedazzled tablecloth' is the funniest description I've heard for Gina's homecoming dress.

'Maybe it's not actually about you at all.' Yeah, you tell him, Reddy! Ricky needs to get over himself.

The way Big Red sniffs out the drama, though... I was not-so-randomly reminded of that moment in 2x9 where Seb was like Carlos. and Big Red was like, 'Are you guys fighting?'...

Big Red doing a comedic lip-reading of Gina and EJ's dramatic scene is absolutely hilarious. I might or might not have sold my heart and soul to him after seeing that scene for the first time. But I just remembered how he said earlier that maybe he can't read lips and that just makes this 100% funnier — he was basically like a child who can't read yet making up a story based on the pictures in a book, and I mean it in the best way possible. He's a theatre dark horse, this one, and they should all be intimidated — or inspired, whatever they choose — by his hidden talents. Gosh, I love this guy. But can you blame me?

'You think I'm actually going to confide in you?' — Absolutely. You can't bully someone from your position of authority over them and then act like you're their friend. I do know now that Mr. Mazzara has hidden depths, but he had no right to be as rude to Carlos as he was in 1x3. He was right about one thing, though — Carlos doesn't need a dance partner to dance.

Ricky saying he was going to apologise to Gina and counting that as an apology is giving me major TJ/ Buffy flashbacks. I wonder why that is... * sarcasm *

Nini feeling like a fraud makes me actually sympathise with her for a second. But I feel like Nini's flaw of defining herself through boys and Ricky in particular has been addressed one time too many now, since it was first addressed here in this episode. If they make her and Ricky get back together again in season 2, I will riot. [side note: I feel like the Born to Be Brave scene says a lot about both Rini and Seblos as couples. Nini and Carlos both feel, in the moments leading up to the song, like they are incomplete without their partners. Ricky, too, has built his personality entirely around Nini at that time (and is still not completely over that in s2). And then the song comes in to remind them that they don't need a partner to be happy. I'm just thinking of Big Red's 'perfectly balanced unicycle' comment from the promotional materials, and of how he and Ashlyn, even when they're dating in s2, are never portrayed as being incomplete without each other. I guess there's a reason why they're the Beta Couple of the show — their relationship drama is nearly non-existent, and when it does exist, it's just caused by them caring too much about each other. Every other couple on the show should learn from them.]

Everybody supporting Carlos during the Born to Be Brave number just warms my heart so much... I am actually crying real tears. And then the end, when Seb finally shows up, right in time for the slow dance... I have a lot of feelings about this scene.

Seblos' dialogue here still kind of makes me cringe a little... but like, in a good way.

Yikes... Miss Jenn's getting into trouble... I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later. But she's lucky she's had enough time with her students for them to love her enough to fight for her. Still, this is a topic for another episode, and so I won't expand on it in this post.

Well, that's it. That was 1x4 and 5. Those were pretty much my favourite episodes when season 1 was airing. And I can definitely see why, even if my views on some things have changed due to stuff that happens later. But, as I constantly say, that's what rewatches are for. In other words, 'once more, with feeling this time' as my choir director used to say.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts: the rewatch #nini salazar-roberts #ricky bowen #gina porter #ej caswell #ashlyn caswell #ashlyn moon caswell #big red redonovich #carlos rodriguez #seb matthew smith #kourtney greene #hsmtmts miss jenn #hsmtmts mr mazzara #rini #seblos #redlyn #portwell #jnk

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petersthree · 4 years

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Aww! I love your Arya & Dany head canon. What other thoughts do you have for Modern Starks au?

Aaah thank you Angel!! And sorry this is a bit very late I needed time to sit down and actually write this out without distractions

Sansa is a karaoke fiend, but she sings horribly. The more people groan, the louder and worse she sings, and if she’s drunk, you can bet your ass that she makes it worse and starts mumbling through the songs. She has definitely drunk-karaoked with Theon and they both scream-sang the chorus of Don’t Stop Believin’ and mumbled through the rest and bowed through the boos.

Rickon!!! My feral son is VERY into Tik Tok and he’s just. Constantly dancing (god I love him but he...dabs....constantly....), playing pranks on his siblings (with mixed results), and those like, informative social justice posts that start out with a meme until he hits you with a “did you know human rights are being violated?” factoid.

Actually you know what vibe Rickon gives me with Tik Tok and his eventual youtube career? Chad Goes Deep. I can’t link it bc Tumblr will make my posts not show up in the tags again but seriously youtube Chad Goes Deep mask shortage you’ll see what I mean this is Rickon’s vibe to a T.

I feel like Arya tried Tik Tok because she really loved Vine and wants to recapture that magic but she just. Absolutely hates it lmao. She does not get it at all and if she sees another lip sync she’s going to scream. Ironically enough, she makes a Tik Tok about how hard it is for her to use it and obviously that becomes her most popular video.

Bran LOVES reading which shockingly I’ve??? Never mentioned in a Starkling headcanon post before??? He and Sansa are Fancy Siblings(TM) and will have their own little book club where they pick a random book and then find any random day in the month to talk about it (they used to try and make official days, but what happened would be that they’d either completely miss the deadline OR finish the books week before they were supposed to and there’s really no middle ground there).

Also, while Bran DOES read the Classics(TM), he likes just you know...fun books too lmao. He’s a sucker for YA fantasy books in particular and gosh you know what, he and Sansa definitely hate read books (without giving the authors money bc screw them) and will sarcastically read out portions and have in depth conversations on how something could have been written waaaay better, because they are Petty(TM)

Jon is a big fan of painting his nails. He used to get Sansa to do it for him during his emo phase but then he was like hey, why am I making my 11 year old sister do this when I can just learn it myself? Also, Sansa would always try to sneak in a bright color instead of the dark blacks and blues that Jon wanted so he had to fire her from doing his nails anyway. He’s v good at it now but they’re ALWAYS messed up because he’ll put them on and then inevitably Robb or someone will be like “you want some cheetos?” and Jon will plunge his hands in and boom all ruined because he didn’t bother letting his nails dry.

Robb was a jock and a theater kid in high school. Totally the kid who watched HSM and went, “Huh, is that hard?” and proceeded to try out for both.

Also speaking of HSM, they all totally rewatched HSM 2, saw, “I Can’t Dance”, and proceeded to pause the movie to scream about how Chad and Ryan were clearly in love. The conversation went on for 2 hours, and they did not finish the movie.

#game of thrones #got headcanons #starklings #angel-starbeam #janie has headcanons #long post for ts #janie gets asks

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seblos · 4 years

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right now, there’s you and me

words: 1,018

series: snippets

read on ao3

It’s late at night sometime in early June, the actual time currently unknown, and Seb has yet to fall asleep.

Usually, he’s pretty good at going to bed early. His sleep schedule follows 9pm when he finishes his homework to 5am when he wakes up to feed the cows. School, followed by rehearsal every other day, and then a night of chores and homework tires him out enough to follow a schedule that’s very different from the rest of his classmates.

The house creaks as it settles. While that’s usually something that lulls him to sleep most nights, they seem louder and more frequent within the past 15 minutes, sounding more like something is creeping around downstairs.

(The likelihood of that is very small, considering how in the middle-of-nowhere their farm is compared to the rest of Salt Lake, but it still makes Seb’s skin crawl at the thought. He used to be very afraid of the dark when he was younger, and maybe that fear hasn’t totally gone away yet.)

That, mixed with the rumble of his stomach after accidentally skipped dinner trying to finish his half of the project for Chemistry before the weekend, has kept Seb awake.

Eventually, it’s too much to bear. Accepting that he isn’t going to fall asleep any time soon, he does his best to quietly slip downstairs for a midnight snack.

Seb reaches the bottom of the staircase, using his phone as a flashlight, as to not disturb any other members of his family. That almost backfires, though, when the dim light reflects off of the glasses of a person standing in front of him.

Thankfully, his shock is conveyed through a silent gasp and tripping backwards onto the stairs. It hurts his back when he lands on the hardwood, but at least he didn’t scream and wake up his entire house. It also gives the figure standing in his living room the chance to hold their hand out to Seb as an offer to help him back up.

Not just any figure. Carlos. Realizing it’s just his boyfriend that broke into his house in the middle of the night, he allows for himself to be pulled up.

Seb’s heart is still slightly racing, but he manages to get some words out in a quiet hiss.

“What the heck are you doing here?”

Carlos grins, holding up the basket in his hand that Seb hadn’t previously noticed. “I wanted to have a picnic!” he says, matching his whisper as if nothing was abnormal about the situation.

Seb glances at his phone. “At 12:46 in the morning?”

“Okay, well, do you remember that scene in High School Musical 3 where Troy brings Gabriella pizza and chocolate covered strawberries,” Carlos starts, voice giddy.

“Obviously,” he rolls his eyes. “Still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.”

His boyfriend grins even wider. “Well, I always wanted to recreate it. I even made the chocolate covered strawberries! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the pizza, because nothing is open right now, but-”

“Wait, how long have you been planning this?” Seb cuts him off.

Carlos glances at the ceiling. “Since, like, two hours ago,” he says after a moment.

“And you didn’t think to text me?”

“Well, that would have ruined the surprise,” he responds like its obvious.

While it’s incredibly sweet, and his heart is melting at the idea of Carlos doing all of this for him, Seb can still barely wrap his head around what is happening. He still has so many questions.

He ends up grabbing Carlos’s free hand and bringing him back upstairs to his room with him. When they’re safely inside, Seb locks his door and turns on the light. Heathen turns to face his boyfriend again, who is busy laying out the blanket he brought on the floor for their makeshift midnight picnic

“Okay,” Seb says, settling down next to Carlos. “So explain to me again what’s going on.”

“Well, I was rewatching High School Musical 3,” he starts, opening his picnic basket and taking out a Tupperware container as well as a few napkins. (Seb had made them watch it together once he found out Carlos had never seen it, and it had since become his favorite.) “And there's that picnic scene that’s kinda like Troy’s last big romantic gesture, and I wanted to do something for you. So I wanted to recreate it for you.”

Seb reaches for one of the strawberries. “How did you even get here?”

“Kourtney drove me,” Carlos grins, and Seb can’t help but laugh a bit. Ever since they got together at the end of HSM, the cast has been nothing but supportive. Apparently, when Kourtney offered to drive them anywhere until one of them gets their license, Carlos took it to heart.

“Well, I love your surprise,” Seb tells him. “I guess I’m just curious, like, why now?”

He notices Carlos’s smile drop for a moment. “I dunno,” his boyfriend says, shrugging as he pulls up one leg to his chest. “Summers get complicated. We might have opposite work schedules. I just want to hang out with you as much as possible.”

It hits Seb harder than he’s expecting it to. He hasn’t really thought about the summer at all, but he supposes there are only two weeks or so before the year is over. Even with his dream that has been Sophomore year ending, though, losing Carlos with it never for a second crossed his mind, nor will it.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” he says, sliding closer to Carlos and resting his hand on his boyfriend’s knee. “Just because we might be busy doesn’t mean it’s all going to stop.”

Carlos laughs slightly. “But what if it does just… stop?”

“Then we’ll start it up again, okay? We still have two years left at East High, so you’re not getting rid of me any time soon,” he says, leaning in to kiss Carlos.

“Though I have to say,” Seb adds when he pulls away. “I do like the midnight picnic.”

Carlos grins, handing him another strawberry. “I thought you might.”

#seblos #seb matthew smith #carlos rodriguez #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #my writing #snippets

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mellifluousoctopus · 3 years

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Rewatching all the Halloween towns reactions

Halloween Town

strange man comes up to you and gives you candy? from his ear? and you you trust him completely? and actually want the candy? huh?

why does this movie feel so disconjointed? but make sense?

Zombie elvis?

how did this mans know marnie’s name?

we’ll fly it out then flys it in a circle

if halloweentown is a town why is it local government building called cityhall

how come dylan never showed signs like marnie and sophie of magic

does sexism exist in halloween town? I mean it was ruled by a matriarchal family of witches for a very long while

yEaH BAbY

yes let me just sit alone in a sweatbox while children just walk around me and i will not say anything

the betrayal on this mans face as he gets punked

why do villans openly believe themselves evil I dont get it especialyy when they think they are doing right?

Halloween Town II: Kalabar’s Revenge

*bouncey music as i describe actual life or death situations*

i cant tell if the costumes got better or worse

look at that dinosaur of a computer and chatroom

*angrily chops lemons*

cindy is a mood

marnie’s relationship with her mom is a mood

*flirts with showing a guy my grandmother’s room*

why did they link the town with a giant decoration thats in the center of town? who thought this was a good idea

a spell that turns you to a normie is kinda scary

why is he so monotone?

was merlin a cromwell

dylan doesnt know what a amphibian is? out of character

elevator music fitting yet jarring

i wonderif there are any matching socks just by sheer probability

hackers? offline? update? whats with the intentional computer references

WHAT ARE you doing in my swamp

baby cockroach

its a plot block but what about aggies friend (glorck?) sats he’d sell his junk

cindy is no longer a mood

marnie darling he clearly is in emotional distress whyare you playing around

instead of playing cool gwen decides to openly shout at her daugther to not do magic

oh god its a family of science nerds

the magic of french

why are they counting down til midnight for halloween

“you can do it”, yeah thats well established why was she doubting herself at all

maybe you could use another spell to hellp your mother idk two witches and a warlock seems like you could brain storm a bit

IM reALLY THiRSTY

are warlocks/witches/sorcerers/etc considered human they are the most human looking

what! are! the! rules! of! magic!

why is kal just chillin that spell didn’t turn ALL humans

lemme just glow real quick

...why did they explain it this way.

why did dylan decide to use magic during his 13th birthday if he didnt want magic

nice credits song

Halloweentown High

Knights??? Aggie made it sound like they chose to do it out of choice why didn’t Marnie know about them, why wasn't Aggie

what is the counsel?

are they a clan or a coven?

why does everybody have the hots for the mom?

Marnie is at level one but has bent space and time before??

Aggie is Ms. Frizzle

I forgot that Ryan from HSM was in the Movie omg als o is that Chelsea?

what happened to the cloth bag

CANADA

2! red berets!!

Small school but its larger than my large school

Is chemistry different for witches??

SCIENCE 101

imagine having your first day of school having a strange teavher who makes a parrot and then gets chided by a student as if the student is in charge

I think marnie actually just wants to experience life in Halloweentown seeign as she has no plans to introduce humans to halloweentown

where are the Head phones

marnie you narcissist

I remember this scene! (marnie hitting the bag)

Aggie x DiVinci is my new otp

oh? what is the legality of catching a ball with your mouth

considering women couldnt be actors and plays were signs of indecency Aggie was an absolute legend.

(trans aggie???? :))

Aggie x Divinci x Shakespeare

yells secret stuff out in a busy mall

whys this dude where chainmail at the mall if this was 2020 id see it but...

matching black and white stripes

so im confusion about what constitutes as human

Marnie’s room in a whole different section of the house than the last movie

does ever school have the same hallway tile

hes ugly in two worlds lol mood

a witches training ends at 13 so really why is cassie going to marnie she knows so much more than marnie

there is no way this gym is that quiet

WHAT CONSTITUTES AS HUMAN

this is legit trying to be Sabrina the Teenage Witch which is weird because they were own by the same company at the time

And the twist is...unsurprising

the mirror has a popsocket

how? did? a? child? lose? an? ear? in? Gym?

i dont understand why people hated the walk through if people watch those walk through doll villages during Christmas and like then theyll like the Halloween version

theres just a spell to take magic? and he can just take it without any witnesses?

He steals aggie’s and marnie’s but not sophie’s, Dylan’s or mom’s thats not very smart

fucking food boy has magic, not cromwell magic but hes got it and has been done with his trainng for at least 3 years why doesnt he use it

how can you use a spell with no magic

#halloween #all hallows eve #halloweentown #halloween town

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justkimberley · 4 years

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HSMTMTS Thoughts Episode 1

Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5

Ms. Jenn watching HSM in her car is a mood

Ricky seems so excited to “start over” (oof)

She sounded neutral, that’s good right”

Ok, here’s the thing though… announcing that you love someone FOR THE FIRST TIME should be a private thing, not posted for the world to see (in my opinion).

Oof, Ricky’s face, that baby is not sure how to deal with love

“oh,”

So here’s the thing, at this point the audience doesn’t know this yet, but as I am rewatching this, I know what’s going on and Ricky at this point has no frame of reference where “love” works. He thinks that his parents are still in love (or at least he hopes), but his mom has been going away for long periods of time, he knows that their marriage isn’t doing too hot, and he is in the middle of it. Of course he couldn’t say it.

“It was a BREAK it wasn’t a break UP.” “ I’m sorry Ricky, but it’s a break UP now.”

*strong independent Nini face**sad and confused Ricky face*

Ok so like, I love Courtney and she gets better as the season goes on but the “I’m dismantling the patriarchy this year, and I’m not afraid to start with you,” was just,,, I don’t know I guess it just reminds me of the people that I went to high school/worked with that were all talk and buzzwords and no actual sustenance

The “interviews” where Nini’s like: “everything is great” and Ricky is like; “everything is terrible, love is dead” is hilarious and I love it

I love Big Red

Ugh… Miss Jenn is too much, (she might be my least favourite character I’m sorry) “triggered as a millenial” line also gross, thanks

Carlos - BABEY

Nini has some serious imposter syndrome

Carlos is NOT a HSM historian. You can’t have only seen the first movie all the way through and not seen the other ones.

BROADWAY

Mr. Mazzara, the epitome of my least favourite type of teacher

“We don’t call colleagues sweetie,” you know what? Point to you Mr. Mazzara, that is a thing we shouldn’t do. Very patronizing.

I feel like Mr. Mazarra would be more likable if he didn’t have a mustache? Weird thought but okay

“Looking this fabulous while also fighting for intersectional feminism IS my job” again, buzzwords and no sustenance

V hudge - uhhhh??? No one says that.

All the talented senior girls graduated last year” that is probably the most realistic line in the series

Yay finally good Courtney, actually showing us a little bit about who she is

EJ noticed Nini two years ago, why did he not talk to her until the summer?

I know what he does later is not good, but he does really like her and he cares about her, so at least that counts for something

Natalie! I forgot about her, I wish she had a bigger part in the rest of the show

Nini’s grandma and her moms!

Nini’s imposter syndrome returns

Ricky’s dad! He’s trying so hard to give Ricky’s mom space, and he’s stressed and obviously Ricky is aware, but at least his dad is trying to be reassuring “it’s gonna be fine bud”

Also why does nobody talk about how what Ricky’s mom is doing is kind of really shitty? Like she left her child for weeks at a time, without explaining what was going on?

“Shouldn’t he be fighting to save this?” *goes to fight to save his relationship*

“I’m actually bummed that we don’t have any competition here” - also a very realistic line but the cockiness needs to go (I’m guessing it might be a major point in his redemption. He’s definitely used to getting what he wants all the time, so it would be good to see him start to accept that that’s just not how life works)

Gina! - Sofia Wylie’s dancing, so good

Also, who is the guy with the grey/white hair? He’s one of my favourites.

Also how do they think that Gina should be Gabriella? She’s definitely more of a Sharpay, and if they want to go with a boy for Sharpay (we love Seb) then she should at least be Ryan (why not genderbend the both of them?). She should be someone who is super out there and has lots of musical numbers so she can dance and show off her talent and personality, Gabriella just isn’t that kind of character.

Also miss Jenn’s type casting is really not my thing (you look like a Taylor, you’re a Chad, etc. Should they not just choose who they want to audition for and then be put where they actually fit?)

“I dabble…” (Ashlyn, we love you) also why would Miss Darbus have a power ballad?

“This is my nightmare” *getcha head in the game on repeat *

That Armie Hammer comment is creepy, Miss Jenn

Once again, Gina is too much of a powershow for Gabriella. She’s not showing the vulnerability

Also a look into Gina’s home life that I forgot about. “If you’re not the best don’t do anything at all,” Yikes, total stage mom living vicariously through her daughter? Maybe?

That british accent thing is very strange and also never addressed again (so far) whyy? Why did they do it?? Does anyone in real life actually do this?

“That is why I love you” - *wide eyed flashback* also EJ, its been like one month, slow down tiger

“That’s a really big thing to post online” my thoughts too, Ricky

Okay so here’s my thoughts about Ricky calling the break. His mom has been away for a long time (because of the whole divorce thing) so in his mind, being far away from each other means that the love thing will kind of be messed up and also like his mom texts him right before and definitely reminds him.

It also gives us sight into what Ricky thinks will happen with his parents. He thinks as soon as his mom comes home for good that it will all be fine with his parents, and that’s not what happens (as we know from episode 4). This is also mirrored in Ricky and Nini’s relationship.

Also long distance for teenagers? (grade 10s going into grade 11 at that point) like that isn’t something they’ve ever been told could work

I’m not saying that Nini’s reaction isn’t valid, I’m just trying to explain what I think is going on with Ricky

Although Nini is the only person Ricky goes to for advice, so shouldn’t she kind of be aware of these issues? Although I guess Ricky’s not even very aware of what’s going on at this point either

“Troy would have arrived on time” incorrect - many people have mentioned this but like, Troy was always late. It’s a major plot point in all of the movies.

EJ’s “You got this babe,” is what caused Miss Jen to spill on the light thing and then made the lights go out → metaphor? EJ is actually stifling Nini by being so “supportive” (by accident)

“I’m not thrown,” queen! Literally 1. Boyfriend tells her he loves her causing slightly traumatic flashback 2. Ex boyfriend runs in to auditions for something he’s said he hates and 3. Lights get messed. We stan. Not thrown, what a legend. (and then proceeds to sing and face her dream fears)

Ricky! With the flashlight first, because he believes in her, EJ with his light because he needs to one up Ricky.\

RED! Coming to support his friend.

Temp -tress girl → then immediately improvises lines just to tell Nini that he loves her

“Was this in the movie?” Miss Jenn and Carlos → fake fans

“Cause that’s like not even a word your parents say to each other anymore” → he’s trying to explain his actions (or lack thereof). Also ow, that is a hard thing to hear.

I like Ricky’s version better than Nini’s oops

Also Nini is charmed by it, even though she doesn’t want to be → cue jealous EJ

Everyone subtly impressed, and also are like “awww”

“Don’t not love you” so quietly, this boy has emotional intimacy problems and he needs to talk to a therapist or something cause his parents are really messing him up with their divorce, or “legal separation” I guess. I don’t really know what the difference is.

Ricky’s face when Nini tells him he broke her heart → immediate regret

“I… don’t… not… love you,” oof

Nini and Ashlyn’s faces, my babies are so excited they got their parts!

Gina, shocked

“She thinks I’m a ChAd?”

Ricky looks so impressed with himself and he’s also like *play ball, let’s go boys*, Nini’s like *uh oh*, and EJ’s like *maybe I’ll slip him a rotten egg too*(oop ep. 4 spoilers)

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts spoilers #episode 1 #kimberleysthoughts #mypost #feel free to come yell into the void with me about this show #(the void is the name of my askbox lol)#kimberleyreacts

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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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