Starstruck headcanon:
Starts off with Colt bringing Ryland to set, Tom falls bc Ryland "staggering waste of carbon" Grace is mean to him, Ryland ignores him, the usual
When Tom isn't being Tom Ryder, Ryland actually likes being around him bc Tom let's him rant abt science or other fun facts (100% "blah blah blah, proper name, backstory stuff") until Tom goes to flirt, and then Ryland is shook and walks away bs he thinks Tom is only doing flirting/being nice to mess with Colt
Ryland tells Tom he'll actually believe he's serious abt asking him out and isn't just messing with Colt if he wins Jeopardy (Ryland thinks that's the end of it bc there's actually no way he's going to go on Jeopardy) (meanwhile, Tom begs Gail to get him on the show bc "it's for true love Gail!" but she refuses)
Flash forward, Ryland forgets abt this challenge, but Tom does a science-y movie and is jokingly offered to go on the show to promote it
First round goes by, and Tom is shockingly holding his own??? Pre round 2 where the host interviews the contestants, and the host goes to Tom asking abt being on the show. Tom goes full loverboy mode and just rants abt "the most gorgeous teacher ever" and how he's "so smart and funny and beautiful and he tells me all these fun facts and-" until the host just moves on from him (cue Gail facepalming behind stage bc he had one job, promote the movie 🤦🏻♀️)
Last round comes, and Tom is in second place somehow (Ryland is just go attractive when he's smart, so Tom just absorbed some of his facts), and then he gets a question abt a knee tear. Head empty, no thought, he writes "what is IDK?" and in small text to the side "i ♡ Ry". He has accepted that he now is going to lose and never get Ryland to accept that he is serious abt dating him and just bets everything and is ready to go home, snuggle his pup, and cry
BUT WAIT!
They accept "IDK" as it IS IN FACT another name for a knee injury! He has just won celebrity Jeopardy (and is gonna go woo tf out of a cute middle school teacher)
Cut to Ryland's students talking in class abt "omg, did you hear abt Tom Ryder being on Jeopardy? And winning?! I wonder who the teacher he likes is". Ryland just has this moment of "holy shit, was he actually serious???" so he watches the episode (and holt shit, okay, maybe he is serious abt me??? I guess I'll give him a chance)
(Colt hates them both bc after Ryland watches the episode, he gets all giggle-y and blush-y when talking abt Tom and asks to visit set, and Tom just constantly bothers Colt on set bc "when's your hot brother coming to set? Did he see me on Jeopardy? Does he know I won?". He might kill them both by the end of this bc fuck, now Tom fucking Ryder of all people is going to be his brother-in-law)
Colt:
Ryland:
Tom:

















