Wildcats, welcome to another review of High School Musical The Musical The Series! This is the week the show finally feels like it is hitting the right notes, and the season is really picking up the pace. Forewarning — I am skipping the Ashlyn and Big Red story this week because I want to see how it concludes before I give my thoughts about where these two are going. We have three major storylines to follow, and a lot of drama to break down, so let’s get to it! 

Gina & EJ

Season 2 has its issues, but the one thing it has done really well is adding layers and depth to Gina; this week she is trying to be the supportive awesome friend/maybe girlfriend to EJ. EJ’s dad visits on career day, and tells EJ that he pulled some strings to get him into the University of Duke. EJ is confused as to why he doesn’t feel great about going to the school his entire family has gone to, so he turns to Gina for advice. EJ confesses to Gina that he feels like the bad guy, and isn’t happy with the life he is living; Gina reminds EJ of how he stepped in to help her when she felt lost. Gina shows EJ that even though he made a few mistakes he has come so incredibly far, and has become a huge influence on her life. I love that just three weeks after we see Gina really struggling with some mental health issues, she is able to help EJ with his own, and help build him back to the former villain we all love. Gina and EJ are lowkey couple goals for this season, and I can’t wait to see where they go the rest of this season. 

Kortney & Howie

Last week we watched as Kortney became head over heels for Howie, only to discover that Howie goes to North High and is playing the “Beast” in their production of Beauty and the Beast. This week Kortney deals with the fallout of not only breaking up with Howie, but having to work with him at the pizza shop. Howie tries to convince Kortney that he wanted her to get to know the real him before he told her who he was, Kortney is having a hard time believing him, so of course in traditional music fashion Howie explains how he feels in song:

Nini & Ricky

Nini and Ricky have looked so awkward together on screen this season, which is reminiscent of Hideo Kojima and Geoff Keighley when they’re together. This week Ricky “accidentally” deletes a comment off Nini’s Instagram from someone who wanted to collaborate on a song together. Ricky hits the realization that he and Nini haven’t been on the same page since she returned from Denver, so he attempts to talk to her about how he feels. Nini and Ricky meet up in the treehouse that they grew up playing in, and together they talk about how they have changed over the last few months.

“I don’t like who I’m becoming chasing you down all the time”-Ricky

“I am so tired of running away”-Nini

Ricky and Nini look into each other’s eyes and it finally hits…they break up and end with one final hug. 

It has finally happened; Nini and Ricky have finally broken up. This entire season has been building to Nini finally saying she wants her space and needs to discover who she is outside of “Nini & Ricky”, and it hits Ricky that he has been holding her back while making himself miserable. In season one and continuing into this season, we have watched as Ricky has strived to be the guy that Nini would want, which had him changing himself in so many ways that he finally says in this episode that he doesn’t like who he becoming. I think this episode, and specifically this breakup, is where HSMTMTS finally got their magic back. The beauty of season one of HSMTMTS is that it wasn’t like High School Musical, and full of fake moments designed around musical numbers; it has real moments that lead to songs that feel organic, which carry the story of the scene in ways that dialogue can’t. If there was ever an episode that I would recommend to someone of why I love HSMTMTS, it would absolutely be this one. This episode is one of the most well-rounded and perfect episodes that Disney has produced for HSMTMTS. 

What did you think of this week’s episode of High School Musical The Musical The Series? Comment below and we will feature it next week!