#hsmtmts analysis

I’ve made countless of posts about Ricky’s growth over the course of the show and there’s some points I won’t be focusing too hard on but check them out for context: (X) (X) (X) (X)

Let’s start with the first song we hear from him on the show: I Think I Kinda, You Know. When we start the show, one of the things we learn is that the reason Ricky and Nini broke up is because she made a post on Instagram singing him this very song and telling him she loves him. She was expecting him to say it back but he freaks out and runs away. Then, the first day of school, he expects things to get back to normal with Nini but she’s dating again, has flourished (Nini’s words) and wants to audition for the lead at the school musical. Ricky decides to join too and sings this song to her during auditions in hopes of getting her back. He mentions during his little monologue that the reason he didn’t say it back is because his parents don’t say those words to each other anymore. Ricky’s parents relationship and divorce did affect the way he viewed his own romantic relationships.

Some lyrics: “It’s just three little words, yeah, it’s not a big deal, it’s not like I can’t help felling all that I feel and by now I’m sure you’re thinking it’s too obvious but just in case it’s not what I’m saying it’s I think I kinda, you know” and he closes with “guess I’m saying I don’t not love you.” He does not directly acknowledges that he loves her in front of people. He feels unsure. Nini doesn’t take this as a good sign.

Ricky gets the role of Troy. Nini gets the role of Gabriella. Still, Nini isn’t convinced that Ricky is serious and calls him out for invading her space and taking the opportunity from others. In the next episodes, Ricky tries to be a good Troy to prove Nini he is being serious but she isn’t impressed. Nini breaks up with EJ due to his jealousy (and that he food poisoned someone). Ricky takes Nini’s words about not belonging on stage, thinks he is making it worst with her and wants to drop out of the musical. But later, a conversation with Gina about how he has his own style makes him change his mind. In his family unit, everything is a mess. He finds out his parents are getting a divorce and his mom might be leaving SLC for good. He goes to talk to Nini and they share a nice moment where they agreed to still be there for each other as friends despite the chaos around the musical. He tells her about how different everything is and how scared that makes him feel. In Ricky’s mind, he wishes everything would go back to normal (and that includes Nini as his girlfriend).

I don’t even need to explain how much Ricky hates changes. It’s a statement he drops every episode until he has to overcome it full on.

By the homecoming episode, he is convinced him and Nini are over because she friend-zoned him. He goes to the dance with Big Red. In this episode, he is unreasonable annoyed that Gina brought EJ as her date (and can’t even understand why) and after a bit of a setback with Gina, he goes to apologize and their first connection occurs. Both of them have some family drama so she can relate to his situation. After, when he drives her home, he discovers a new side of Gina and confesses the reason he stayed on the show is because of her. The school musical, Troy, and having that space has allowed him to cope with his family issues and so her encouragement is something he needed. Ricky becomes the first person that gives Gina another chance instead of thinking she’s the bad seed, which brings up another song: When There Was Me And You.

I always wondered why they’d give this song to Ricky when is a Gabriella song so it must mean something for his arc. And does. On 106, Ricky offers an acoustic idea of the song which gets rejected by the drama club, except for Gina who asks to hear it. You’d think it doesn’t mean much but the song implies a lot of things with the camera blocking. It subtly implies that the idea of his relationship with Nini is related to his internal issues. We first have Ricky singing the first lines to Gina as: “I thought you were my fairy tale. My dream when I'm not sleeping. A wish upon a star that's coming true. And everybody else could tell. That I confused my feelings with the truth. When there was me and you” all of this while Nini is outside. And just when Nini enters the frame, here comes the lyrics: “I'm only left with used-to-be's and once upon a song. Now I know you're not a fairy tale. And dreams are meant for sleeping. And wishes on a star just don't come true.” Back to Ricky and Gina: “'Cause now, even I can tell…” and then frame changes on Nini leaving: “That I confused my feelings with the truth” and lastly, back to Ricky looking at Gina: “because I liked the view when there was me and you”. It subtly implies what the show keeps telling you. He feels like he needs to be with Nini because it’s the status quo in his life. Gina represents different and new and that’s scary. Nini feels steady…safe.

By 107, Ricky and Gina have become closer and their connection is very apparent. Ricky learns his mom has a new boyfriend and doesn’t know how to deal with the situation. He thinks about calling Nini since he thinks she’s the only one able to ease his mind. Just for Gina to show up and be what he needed, by understanding him and encouraging him. At this point on the show, he is very focused on his friendship with Gina, not on getting back with Nini, even when he knows she’s single now. Thanksgiving ends badly when Gina gets a call from her mom telling her they have to move again. In Ricky’s perspective, the one person that has helped him and encourage him is leaving him too. And in a way, this validates his biggest fear: Good things won’t last and changes aren’t positive.

The next episode, Gina had already left. She’s not even in this episode. Ricky is insistent and keeps texting her despite Gina not responding. In Gina’s absent, he bonds with Nini over their childhood memories and when his parents were together. They almost kiss (after Gina finally texts him she’s gone). And he is then basically back to normal now. Nini still likes him. Everything will be fine. He is back to status quo. This is when Ricky and Nini’s most important duet comes: Just For A Moment.

This song isn’t featured on the show (just on the soundtrack) but it’s acknowledged on 109. Ricky’s singing the first verse of the song to Big Red and it says: “I feel in love with the only girl that knows what I’m about…” but then Big Red thinks is about Gina. And I just think it’s funny the first and only time this song is mentioned, it’s used to remind the audience of Ricky and Gina's situationship. And the song itself is self explanatory, it’s about two people that still have feelings for each other but the most important thing is that the song talks about momentary feelings. Not long lasting. It goes: “When we're underneath the lights my heart's no longer broken. For a moment, just for a moment. When we're singing side by side there's so much left unspoken. For a moment, just for a moment. A moment in love. A moment in love. But is a moment enough?”. That’s the question. The song also talks about giving it another try in a better place and a better time. It’s basically about Season 2 and their second attempt.

The season finale has some moments such as Ricky singing Get'cha Head in the Game and getting distracted over his mom bringing her new boyfriend. This causes Ricky to drop out on the second act and seeking Nini from advice, only for that to be Gina (a recurrent theme). During intermission, his mom tells him not all couples are meant to be together and some people change. This is foreshadowing to Ricky and Nini. And just when he thought he was ready to step back and just watch, Nini is singing Breaking Free with him. Everything in Ricky’s life is changing but Nini is a constant. And you’d think him finally saying i love you on the finale is a full circle moment but is it, truly? I’ve said this, Ricky blurting out the words was more of a desperate attempt to hold onto something safe (X) since everything else in his life was changing. Gina came back only for one night (or so he thought). His mom has a new boyfriend and a new life in Chicago. He said the words Nini wanted to hear and talks about childhood (the thing he won’t let go of). Everything about Ricky’s confession feels a bit fearful and unsure. Just like that very first song.

Ricky ends Season 1 in denial about himself. He went backwards because he thinks getting back with Nini is what will make his life right again. He said “Maybe I’m just who I’ve always been” but that’s not true. He changed. He met Gina. His parents are not together anymore. And he cannot cling to Nini (who’s changing too) to achieve that desired normalcy/safety.

Season 2 is the lowest point emotionally for Ricky. He is back again with Nini but despite saying the big 3 words their relationship just proves to be out of sync. Does not help that his abandonment issues (because his mom thinks getting a divorce is running from your child) makes him clingier and paranoid while Nini wants to try new things. It doesn’t help that his life keeps changing and he can’t find a sense of fulfillment. Or the fact that Gina is back and he knows their relationship is still a big question.

Season 2 starts with Ricky and Nini’s second chance at their relationship. Everything seems to be perfect. The first song Ricky sings for the season is “Perfect Gift” which is a very cliche Christmas song. But it foreshadows one of their issues thought out the season. The lyrics are: “The perfect gift that I could give to the perfect gift (…) You were a home for me when I had no one there. I promise you that I’m not going anywhere…” and continues: “When seasons change and I’ve lost my way it’ll be okay with you by my side”. This sentiment later explodes with the song Nini wrote about the Beast (Ricky): The Rose Song. Nini felt like the Rose, trapped inside a glass. Ricky views her as this perfect girl. She feels like a something and not someone with deep layers. Ricky is holding onto Nini to maintain some sense of normalcy and this makes her feel trapped which leads to their communication issues. Ricky learns two things in 201: Gina is back at SLC for good and Nini is leaving for a music school in Denver.

Side note but I spoke about how funny it is that the same episode Ricky calls Nini “home” in his childhood home, he finds out he has to move. Talk about symbolism. So, for the following episodes, Ricky and Nini’s relationship is not compatible. It doesn’t seem like either of them know what the other wants or needs. Ricky is trying really hard to hold onto the remaining of Nini while he keeps falling apart and looking for a sense of happiness that he isn’t getting. This season, especially the first half, it feels like he cannot connect with the drama club and Gina, who used the only person to motivate him to exist in that space it’s not speaking to him. And I won’t try to repeat myself too much, I’ve said this before, Season 2 Ricky wasn’t trying to be insensitive on propose. I feel like Ricky didn’t think he had that much of an impact on Gina, probably due to his own insecurities. He had a girlfriend. He was scared and in denial. Ricky was not emotionally ready to be with Gina. And he tried really hard to avoid their situation and ultimately accepted her choice to be distanced.

On the Valentine’s Day episode, we get that very nuanced scene between Ricky and Gina that I’ve explained before (X). During this day, Ricky has been trying to sing a song for Nini but he does not find the motivation to do so since they have been out of sync the whole day. It’s Gina who gives him the idea of singing it to her over the phone. I don’t know if I could say “Even When/Best Part” is an important song because lyric wise it tells us what we already know about him clinging to her but I love the fact they sing the songs separately and they never manage to sing it together. It represents their relationship at this point extremely well.

This season actually draws a lot of parallels between Ricky and The Beast. He spends the majority of the first half kind of isolated and you can see he isn’t trying to connect with anyone except for Nini. He laches out constantly and isn’t putting effort on his own happiness but relaying on Nini. He even makes that comment to Miss Jenn. They were metaphorically The Beast and The Rose. And Gina’s arc was in a way also paralleling The Beauty/Belle (X) and this is reflected in how “Home” a song for Belle is used to point out Ricky and Gina issues from Gina’s view. So, in the next 5 episodes we don’t get Ricky related songs but emphasis on Ricky and Nini’s deteriorating relationship. We get songs like Granted and The Rose Song that are basically reflections of Nini’s desire to branch out and be herself. It all reaches the climax for Ricky’s arc on 108 when he decides to break up with Nini. He points out what we’ve been saying: he wants to protect what feels safe and by doing so he isn’t a better person. All of this takes form with Let You Go. It’s a song Ricky needed to sing to close off this part of his arc.

As the song says, he is letting go of Nini and the fantasy because their romantic relationship is broken and there’s not way to fix it without further hurting each other. Some lyrics that are key: “Tear the treehouse down, give up the fantasy”. The treehouse that represented their childhood, what was keeping their relationship alive. And “I'm pickin' up pieces left and right. Now that our hearts are both untied. It'll take time. No one can say we didn't try”. I’ve said that it was important for Ricky to have the reassurance that he at least tried to safe their relationship which is why he needed to get back with Nini on Season 1 so they could discover for themselves that they were not longer compatible and it wasn’t helping them.

Funny enough, the next episode after that it’s titled “The Transformation” making reference to The Beast “transforming” into the Prince. They even rehears this very scene. After Ricky breaks up with Nini, there’s notable differences. It’s like as he sings, picking up the pieces of his life. He helps Carlos make a song for Seb and opens up. He fully commits to the show and it’s actively taking part in it. He apologizes to Miss Jenn and accepts her relationship with his dad. The only relationship that seems to still be at odds is his relationship with Gina. And I feel a huge part of that has to do with the fact he learns EJ had a crush on her and wants to take her on a date and he might’ve thought he was doing Gina a favor by keeping the distance. It’s important to understand here that Ricky was respecting her choice to put boundaries w him.

The songs that Ricky sings as The Beast, aren’t particularly expressing something about him but I think the fact he managed to fully finish the play in the second act speaks about him understanding that he made a commitment to the group and I think it was important for him. Lastly, Ricky’s very complicated Season 2 arc ends with “Second Chance”. A song that is not just meaningful for Ricky’s arc but the others as well. For Ricky’s arc, it’s all about starting over.

In the last episode, Ricky speaks to Miss Jenn about how difficult everything has been for him and how he still isn’t sure about what he is, he came as a skater and is leaving with his second opening act as part of the drama club. He says he isn’t happy yet but it’s getting there. At this point, he is looking to move on and be a better person for himself now that his chapter with Nini is over. Ricky is finally accepting changes are impossible to avoid and that he needs to go along with it and embrace new opportunities. His part for Second Chance is very especifit: “Who knew that love could be so bittersweet when it finally meets the end? But there is somethin' in this summer wind. A moment to begin again” check notes: summer with Gina. And it continues with Ricky repeating “begin again, begin again” and another thing I think is interesting is how at the end of the full version there’s a question Ricky and Gina seem to be the only ones to sing about “what can make the fire burn? what can make the tide turn?” And you hear Ricky’s voice asking “what does it take?” As I said, Second Chance is Rina coded.

General Info

So just from Promotional Material for Season 3

Maddox:

Techie Who always follows the rules.

The most excited person for Camp.

Hates Change

Comes to the same camp every year

From these, we already can see the building blocks of a targeted interest and a need for routines. The always following the rules is reminiscent of Autistics not breaking rules due to simply not thinking to.

Once the show itself aired, Maddox pretty quickly showed multiple indicators as well. For the sake of organization, I'm going to break these down as Tics and Tendencies and give a few examples, rather than by episode.

Irritation/Panic at unexpected changes in schedule

Saylor mentions frequently that Maddox is really struggling in Season 3 because for the first time, something is drastically disrupting this yearly escape. Unlike Ricky who, while panicking at the change, is able to actively work against it, Maddox struggles with fighting the change and usually must physically remove herself to prevent a more extreme reaction.

Maddox begins already thrown off due to Jet being sent with her to camp.

Dislikes when the Auditions is interrupted by Jet arriving an hour late.

She isn't hanging out with EJ this summer, likely due to feeling thrown off that he brought an entire troupe of friends.

Literally everything in Woman in the Woods - and going to her hiding spot to avoid a full meltdown.

RCOSL changes how she normally does the set direction in order to cause drama - again runs off after her and Jet's fight.

Really struggles with Madison's initial appearance at camp.

Realizes she signed to go to NZ before getting with Ash, and completely removes herself from the post-production celebration that LITERALLY every other character attended.

Very Literal Speaking

Several times when Maddox accidentally gets herself in trouble its because she says something that doubles as a pointed metaphor, even though she was being literal.

"...that kind of bond is....Forever"

"...you just got to commit to one side, of the boat....or else you'll fall in..."

"You have two minutes" - and actually timing it

"....and well, life has other plans..." - not realizing Ash could take this as an attack on her relationship.

"...Yeah my crystals haven't charged in like a month" - thinking Jet is literally taking about what she was actively doing.

Scripting

Maddox has multiple moments where she communicates using a clearly practiced script, and a few where she struggles once someone doesn't react how she expected and she did not have a response ready.

Shallow Lake Welcome Song

Introducing herself in the Honeycomb

The automatic little Thank yous when that one kid compliments her at a few points in the season.

The safety information on Newbie Night

The Woman in the Woods story is scripted - she gets interrupted and starts mixing up scripts when trying to get back on track.

Truly awful improvised scripting during RCOSL. Also not having the words to tell Carlos to lay off the whole 'hot for Jet' thing.

Memorizing all the lines she would need as a PA on the flight.

We literally see her scripting her confession to Ash.

Fumbling through talking to Ash about the NZ move, as she didn't think it was a conversation she was going to need to have.

Info Dumping

When Maddox gets excited, she frequently starts info dumping without thinking about it, usually while also kind of tuning out whats happening around her.

Several times in 3x03

Talking about her favorite nigh before she realizes no one is listening.

again when leading the group to the tents, when she is giving the rules and safety information.

Info dumps about rising signs before Ash gets upset and leaves.

general tips for color wars with Gina in 3x06

Snapping

Maddox tends to snap when deciding what to say to someone.

When she calls out Carlos for changing the cast list

We can hear a snap when she first asks Ashlyn if she was a Leo rising

She snaps when getting annoyed at Jet and Ricky when she directs them

She snaps after finishing her script for confessing to Ashlyn

Tapping/Clapping

Maddox claps and taps things when idling or when she is in between actions. Generally, if she's not got her hands in her pockets and isn't holding something, then she's doing this.

Maddox taps her hands together after Ashlyn catches her attention about the letter.

Clapping hands together as she talks when entering the honeycomb.

Taps on the set pieces when not using the drill.

Claps her hands with the paper star when Carlos suggests she likes Jet.

Taps on the bunk beds while talking to the girls after Camp Prom.

Taps on the broom while cleaning after Opening Night.

Claps her hands while talking to Ash in the hallway when walking to set.

Taps the tree stump that Ash hands her.

Shaking Things

Not as common as the tapping, but if Maddie is only using one hand she tends to shake the object she's holding.

The Letter to Big Red

The Markers after signing the wall.

The pamphlet on PA barking

Facial Expressions

Maddox's face tends to either be way more expressive than expected for the response she is giving, or way less. When she is alone, or with friends/Jet, her expressions are more free. she spends less time guessing and just lets her face to whatever its going to.

During RCOSL, her expression is almost unchanged, probably due to having to think about it constantly.

Once Newbie Night started going downhill, she paid more attention to seeming fine.

She is a lot more open in the fourth season, except with Quinn, where she remains professional.

Special Interests

More than pretty much everyone, Maddox has clearly defined interests

Camping

Set Design

Production

Possibly 80's style Camp Humor/Horror

Avoiding Adverse Stimuli

Okay so Maddox has exactly ONE coping mechanism, and its removing/Distancing herself from the situation.

Stands by the stage instead of joining the crowd on Welcome Day.

Does not return to the Bunks until very late.

Sits alone brooding when Jet takes off

Goes to hiding spot after scary story is interrupted

Stays by the wall for much of movie night

Building set/Managing costumes alone, instead of adjusting to help.

Operates more or less ALL of stage alone using a switchboard. Including in Season 4, when we know she has stagehands available.

Goes to hiding spot after argument with Jet.

Goes to probably commit balloon homicide before Jet stops her.

Hides from Ash to avoid NZ conversation.

Mentions that she doesn't actually attend Camp Prom all that often and normally goes to prank the boy's bunks.

Its okay, she'll probably get better about this with her now robust support system.

Which, wow, it was a very convoluted storyline, just type it down, now, I can see how long it was.

So for my recap of it, you can see that I really don't see Seb and Big Red as cheating, because again it was a PLATONIC kiss. That being said, Seblos and Redlyn should have talk about what is cheating for them, and is platonic kisses are part of it, well that changes things a little bit. But yeah. For me what Seb & Big Red did wasn't cheating.

Now lets get into what Seb and Big Red did wrong.

Big Red, you did things very good actually, just don't try to act so proud of it "my coming-out origin story" to your girlfriend? Dude, a bit more tact next time.

Seb, Seb, sweet, sweet, Seb. Do you even know your boyfriend? You did everything wrong. You IGNORED Carlos, a person which craves attention, you make him feel your own guilt about cheating even when he didn't, and make him feel like he did something wrong in the relationship, when you thought it was you who did the wrong thing.

And then, instead of explaining what ACTUALLY happened, you say it in the way that will be MISINTERPRETED and cause a lot of insecurity, insecurity which you HAVE/HAD by the way.

Like I know you aren't good at talking things out loud, but this is a whole other level.

Now, why do I love the storyline? As I declared in the title of this post.

Well 1st CARLOS. I love how this plot allows us to go in deeper with Carlos' insecurities, and even a throwaway line of the exuberant body standards of/in the gay community.

It also gave us a Carlos that fought for Seb, when he wasn't talking to him. Like in S2, he would have just give him the cold shoulder too, called it a day, and if they never talk again, well it would be more self-pity to drown himself into.

It gave us Miss Jenn & Carlos bonding over their broken hearts, Ashlyn & Carlos moments talking about their partners (and queerness), Carlos & Kourtney caring for each other.

It gave us a freaking Seblos duet (though I know we could've get this any other way).

2nd Seb. Like I know that I have been to harsh on him, and that's because he messed up. And I LOVE that about him.

Like Sebastian has always been this perfect character ("Sweet Perfect Innocent Seb" as Carlos call him), but now we know it isn't always easy to be sweet, perfect, and innocent.

And he messed up in a way that was actually in line with his character, like he is definitely the person that drags out the problem until he can't ignore it (Points to S2), and doesn't want to deal with it.

Carlos messes up a lot, but now we find out that Seb does too.

3rd Big Red. I love his outlook in this whole situation. How he looks back at the moment and doesn't think "I cheated on my girlfriend" but rather "Wow, cool bi awakening". Because again, he wasn't into Seb, it was a platonic kiss, all it did for him was making him realized that he likes kissing boys, and boys in general as well as girls.

Which brings me to the fact that we finally got to know Big Red's bi awakening. Is it controversial? Yes. Does it perpetuates stereotypes? Depending on how you look at it, because although Big Red doesn't look at it as cheating, Ashlyn has more mix feeling about it, and the guy he kissed definetly thinks they cheated.

4th, it was a freaking queer storyline. Like normally I hate cheating as a way to cause more drama into a relationship, plus being the reason the character break up. But the way HSMTMTS queered it all the way.

Like I definitely can SEE this happening on a queer friendship group irl. Like the Redlyn break-up is the queerest scene on the show ever, Big Red's whole different out look on the situation, Carlos' insecurities about why Seb cheated, how Seb reacts to the whole thing, and the uses Halloween to try an fix it. The fact that it was a platonic kiss, which both parties know didn't meant they were into the other person, but that they just like to kiss.

Very, very queer my friend.

Lastly, I have mostly been talking about it from my own interpretation and my feelings about it. But I want to talk about how I saw it was received.

And that was, not so good.

Which I do and don't understand at the same time. On the one side, I am in part of the crow that says that relationships don't need to have drama to be interesting. Especially, when the only drama mainstream authors can think about is, cheating, fear of being cheated on, and jelousy. Like very boring my friend.

Then there's the whole "Bisexual Stereotipe" in the room, which true (most people don't even care about Bi men) is not the best. However, I want to ask, why are we so insistan on looking good? Why do we crave acceptance so much?

If a may I would like to bring attention to this next excerpt from Bi Notes from a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Esner:

The idea of unfaithfulness also brings into light the metaphor of the bisexual as traitor (one of my personal favorites). The dictionary defines

treason as “a betrayal of trust,” or as “an attempt to overthrow the government . . . or to kill . . . the sovereign,” a definition that betrays, if you will, bisexuality’s function as an agitator. We can think about bisexuality as betrayal of the trust imposed on us by power structures, as well as embodying an attempt to overthrow or “kill” hegemonic order. We can then use this as a gateway to betraying monogamy, patriarchy, governments, countries, and wars, betraying the “LGBT” (meaning, the GGGG) movement, for promoting the assimilation of our communities and cooperating with oppressive structures. We can be traitors to anything that confines us, and to anything that stands in our way: all power structures, all oppression.

Which actually brings me to the last idea of why I think people are reacting badly to the storyline, we are not used to see queer people mess up in media. With this I mean that we are either demonized or made into paragons.

Let me pick another quote from Will Williams, amazing creator of Valence a super duper queer Urban Fantasy Podcast:

So like, there’s this — there’s this idea of “bad representation”, of showing queer people in a negative light as complex and fucked up characters. [...] There’s this idea that showing queer people like this gives cishet people more reasons to hate us. 

And I understand that. I absolutely do. [...] But where I am right now, my philosophy is, cishet people will always hate us. They’ll always find reasons to think that we’re abhorrent even if we’re the most morally upright person in their eyes, regardless of being queer. [...]

I don’t — I — because I’m a mess, and because I’m a queer person, and because I have huge monumental flaws as a person, I really struggle to feel represented by most things [...] So when I think of the media that matters to me, and makes me feel seen, and gives me catharsis, and makes me feel represented as specifically a queer person, I always think of really fucked up, messed up queer characters hat other people might point to and be like, this is bad representation. I just don’t think that there’s any such thing as good representation.

for ricky and nini, this here is opportunity to try to live for themselves and not one another, for what’s probably one of the first times in their lives. and like, that’s a big deal. 

the difference will be who’s ready to step into that part of their journey, and the answer is very clearly, not ricky. he knows he can’t live for nini at this point, but as we’ve seen with ricky’s arc, he thinks love is the answer. so he’s probably going to try living for someone else, see where that gets him. (spoiler alert, it won’t end well. and then ricky can have his self worth / personal growth era)

i know nini’s gotten this arc before, of living for herself, and this is another chance for her at truly doing it, but ricky hasn’t quite been able to do it at all yet. hopefully the latter portion of season 3 he will, but he’s clearly still not ready yet. it’s a complicated balancing act because ricky needs both to learn to open up to other people more and to live for himself as an individual more. 

nini’s good with her connection to others more or less, she’s at her best when she’s supporting other people and sharing nice moments with them. what she’s in pursuit of is her own voice. and while she’s been walking this road to different extents in both previous seasons, i think this time it’s going to have to stick, particularly given her reduced screentime as she potentially gets written off the show. like i know they’ve tried the ‘nini seeing herself through the eyes of boys’ thing, but i think she’s very clearly past that. ricky doesn’t really even do that to her at this point either, but regardless, it’s time for her to set out for herself. be her own person. not depend on others, because she doesn’t want to. she doesn’t want to be safe, and familiarity is safety. 

nini’s ahead in her journey, and its why she’s able to sort of let go faster in 2.08, though it’s obvious from later scenes she’s not like- done with him necessarily... just- taking steps. she gets her feelings out immediately as she cries in ricky’s arms, then looks at something she’s made for herself (as superficial as it is to see her scrolling through instagram comments after the breakup as ricky sobs in big red’s basement, it’s something that’s about her, and that’s nini’s journey, finding what’s hers), and then sets on forward. maybe one day ricky can be part of what’s hers, but right now, what’s hers has to be different from him, and she can’t be projecting from him, as he projects from her. the big thing with nini’s framing in second chance is that nini has hope. nini’s music is her big opportunity this season, and after trying to find a way to embrace her individuality, this may just fit the bill. 

and that’s kind of where ricky falls short. he holds himself together for nini, like he did at the start of the season when she went to yac, which- shows what progress he’s made. like... we hear him say “i’ve got you” to her. and while we see the pain in his face, in his eyes especially, i truly love joshua bassett’s acting, ricky doesn’t let himself start to cry until he gets to big red. he’s holding nini up. and she doesn’t want to be sheltered anymore, as she says about yac. but then, there, in this place that’s theirs, she takes that comfort from him, that safety, for what’s at least for the moment, their last time. ricky doesn’t have the same hope of something that’s his own. the only thing that he really feels he can rely on in his moment of grief is big red. and we love ashlyn, but even big red isn’t his alone right now. ricky interrupts their movie night. (which obviously this whole situation isn’t an issue in any way, but it’s something worth pointing out imo bc it plays a role in what i think is ricky’s potential isolation for the future season). 

ricky still doesn’t see himself as a theatre kid in 2.12, he’s really a lost soul in a lot of ways, and without nini as his tether to theater (and honestly to the broader friend group too), it’s not a surprise to me that he’s clinging to lily, a person who also represents this theater interest, but also largely represents someone who goes after what she wants, whether that be him or her other ambitions. my hope is that she can help him find something that’s his. whether it be theatre or not, i think it could go either way, because maybe it’s just a ricky struggling to accept himself in general thing, but i think it would make a lot of sense if theatre just isn’t his thing and music is. 

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when nini’s in a place where she can be comfortable and firm in her own individuality, which she’s gained a lot of strength in, and ricky gets to that same place, they’d likely be very apt to be good for one another. 

this couple works best reuniting when they no longer need one another (nini’s pretty much there, ricky less so), but they still do want one another. 

ricky and nini make a lot of sense to be each other’s long game down the road, but they don’t make sense right now. they have to wait until they are truly ready for one another before they do get back together. because they will move in the same direction. they both are people who need to leave the comfort and safety of home, grow and explore, live for themselves, and additionally they share a common passion for music, which nini’s allowed herself to embrace and i hope ricky will too. their paths should by all means intertwine again one day, when they’re prepared for it.

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what’s kind of cool about the way ricky and nini are framed in 2.12 is that both in their second chance entrances (when he walks in down the stairs and when she walks in through the door, please enjoy my photoshop skills), and when they make their respective phone calls for their second chances, lily / second chance at love & jamie (music) / second chance at finding her passion with a new opportunity, they’re crossing each other. the two of them are heading in different directions, and while they visibly cross already in their second chance entrance, they’re just angled oppositely when they make their phone calls. they’re going different ways, but maybe one day their paths can still intersect. i think i’ve mentioned before that ricky and nini’s overall stories can be read in parallel, but that he’s fallen behind... and i do believe that. they’re eventually going to sail their ships in the same direction again, but right now they’re going on different journeys as he sidesteps himself as an individual and chooses romantic relationships as a source of satisfaction. 

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when the characters make their entrances into the auditorium portion with the ghost light, nini’s the very first onto the stage, so confident compared to where she stood in the pilot, but it’s cool to see that this time she’s daring to dream of her own accord. and how fitting that once she’s said her “i’ve got a second chance to fly”, the person coming in after her, is none other than ej, the person who let her know she could in the pilot, but sort of ended up ripping her confidence from her later. this time she has to go it alone, and that’s why she’s first, stepping on the stage by herself. she crosses up to be front and center, and ej comes after, no longer so confident, they’ve practically traded from 1.01 as he relents that he’s “got a second chance to fall”. 

nini’s coming in for her second chance to fly- it’s not YAC, and it’s not gabriella, like she was auditioning for in 1.01 in this same outfit, wearing her lucky sweatshirt no less, but it’s still resonant of that moment. maybe in 1.01, nini was hiding behind the hoodie, especially when you consider nini doesn’t exactly wear just like- a sweatshirt like that typically, and when you consider ej’s bold suggestion she show up in costume. the lucky sweatshirt is safe and familiar. she pushes that relative familiarity or safety off both at the audition in 1.01, and here in the back portion of season 2 (though to a much greater extent as she progresses). she folds her hands nervously in front of her, while ej’s are behind his back here, presenting himself chest forward. and yet she’s singing about flying, and he falling. oh how the tables have turned...

nini’s the person in this scene with the most hope and optimism, her refrain is “i’m finding who i wanna be”. she’s looking for something, but she’s sure she’s got something good coming for her. her entrance verse is “i know that every time a door is shut, a window opens up for me... it’s all wide open down this road i’m on, i’m finding who i want to be.” nini’s even looking up as she enters, not looking to the camera for answers. 

ricky’s the last one on stage, and unlike the three others, who cross the stage to take their places, ricky merely steps up into frame, staying on the edge, on the opposite side of the ghost light. (the ghost light is a thing in theaters, there’s a superstition to go with.) it fits that he’s 1) last, given he’s run in behind the time for both his auditions in the show, and 2) that he doesn’t cross the stage, because he’s not quite ready to set out on his journey. he’s not even all the way lit up like the rest of them are. maybe nini was his light, the way he was hers at that audition, then she was his at the hsm performance, but regardless, he’s in the dark now that it’s over.

and it’s neat because his entrance line is “what can make the fire burn?” and i think we can take a second to get into what that means. i personally see two possible ways this can be taken, but honestly maybe it’s a bit of both? because one is something ricky needs to work towards, the other is something ricky is looking to in the present moment. he’s a very one day at a time type of person it seems like. 

so the first “fire burn” thing that i could interpret this as is burning in terms of like- passion in the sense of motivation, drive. for example, if you’ve ever heard of lighting a fire under someone? one of the biggest things ricky seems to lack is a will to go forward, that driving force is something he struggles with. ricky lacks ambition. like nini told him in 2.02, he has to do it for himself. and she did convince him to audition, but it wasn’t really for himself yet. ricky’s main motivation when he does act to actually do stuff, even stuff he does care a lot about, is typically nini. love usually drives him, even beyond nini and beyond romance. so his asking “what can make the fire burn?” could be him asking, what can give me the will to go on?” which sounds dark- and maybe it is... but i don’t think this is the /whole/ situation. 

the second “fire burn” interpretation is less what ricky’s overall story arc goes towards, but more where ricky sits right now as we conclude season 2. “i burn for you”- bridgerton anyone? (lowkey i haven’t actually seen this show in any real capacity). fire and burning, passion, can be also associated with love and probably even more strongly with lust. but this is obviously a disney show, so we’re talking today about love. fire is hot, passionate, overwhelming, etc. love can be the same, and if you’re not careful, you can get burned. i’m not going to get into it about the self sacrificial, i’d light myself on fire to keep you warm type of thing, since that’s not where we’re at obviously, but i just want to extend the metaphor to explain what i’m taking about. considering ricky starts the song singing about love being bittersweet when it ends, i don’t think it’s a stretch to say he’s thinking about the potential next love. (to make a massive overstatement for the sake of the metaphor) what/who can make his heart burn with desire? he wants to love and be loved. “what does it take”- for him to feel that way about someone else that he has for nini?

ricky’s the most lost of the four in this whole mess, i mean his part of the four part harmony is “begin again, begin again, begin again.” he repeats it three times each time, so it’s this cycle for him. he’s LOST. and he’s trying to latch onto the fact that he can try again this time. 

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i think there’s something to be said for why ricky starts singing before he enters the dream, and the fact he doesn’t like- sing... his first line. ricky’s face is blank but josh is singing in the background. “Who knew that love could be so bittersweet, oh when it finally meets- the end” 

ricky right now is coming to terms with the fact that this is, for all intents and purposes, the end. he’s letting nini go because he loves her and knows he’s not right for her right now. as with his song, let you go, ricky’s cherishing their shared memories, it’s not like these two are suddenly on bad terms, but they’re cutting the cord before they can wreck things between them. their relationship was years of memories in the making. 

and then to go with the second chance theming with lily, what does ricky sing about in his entrance? the line that we hear when we actually shift into the dreamlike sequence of the hallway with the 1.01 outfits is “But there is something in the summer wind, a moment to begin again...” and season 3 is a summer season, following the ricky calling lily cliffhanger. so ricky talks about love- and then summer as beginning again. lily is his “something in the summer wind”.

when he comes down the stairs and walks past the door nini walks through, he looks downtrodden, but more than that he just looks empty. conscious ricky tries to bury that, but subconscious ricky just can’t anymore.

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ricky and nini in the final locker shots are in focus, in contrast to gina and ej who are blurred out. nini’s the first one we see, gazing up as she takes a breath, admittedly with some trepidation, contemplating the future, looking to the sky. nini has an answer for what she wants to do with her new beginning, she’s pursuing music, taking her songwriting, something that’s hers, to the next level. she’s pursuing what she wants, and she knows that if this isn’t what she wants, she can find a new opportunity from there ala “every time a door is shut, a window opens up, for me”. she doesn’t have to be afraid to chase a dream.

then we get ricky who’s staring out with a sad and almost empty gaze. ricky is the character that spends the most time looking into the camera like he’s on the office, and while i don’t think that this is that... he’s definitely looking for validation. he’s searching for something but he doesn’t quite have an answer as to what. ricky’s- working on that. he wants to know if he’s doing the right thing, and unfortunately no one can tell him that but himself. ricky doesn’t quite have a dream right now, he’s more just reeling at the moment.

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the side view:

when we see the group from the side, they’re singing their individual refrains, creating the beautiful four part harmony. 

i’ve already mentioned ricky and nini’s individual refrains, but i’ll cover them here again for the sake of completionism. 

nini sings “i’m finding who i wanna be”. she’s looking up some of the time, but it’s more just the way she looks out, and there’s such a passion in her face, her voice, as she sings her part. nini’s passionate and driven and now she’s using that instead of letting fear keep her down. she has a voice, and she’s finding it, stepping into her power. there’s a reason nini’s voice carries through the others refrains, we pretty much always hear her. she’s finally decided to be heard, it is no longer inaccessible to her the way her lola brings up in early season 1. 

ricky sings “begin again, begin again, begin again”. and this group of three distinct vocalizations of the phrase is repeated each time. ricky’s more searching, and while he seems more hopeful than ej does for sure in this whole number, he’s not quite convinced as to how he goes about going on from here. the second to last set of ricky’s singing his refrain at the end of the number has him finally looking determined. he’s trying to build himself up and say yes, i can go on. i will. i must.

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background vocals: 

ricky sings in the background: “what does it take” when the group sings “what can make the tide turn, what can make the fire burn?” lined up on the stage in the front facing shot. this is his pondering moment, he wants to know what he’s meant to do. 

something kind of interesting about this is that ricky and nini actually sing solely with one another when they take their turn singing at the lockers before ej and gina enter. “i’ve got a second chance to fly, i’ve got a second chance to fall. what can make the tide turn, what can make the fire burn? a second chance is all”. they create their harmony together, without anyone else backing them up. all they need is one another, and then there’s the aspect of going it alone, even if they are technically singing together.

but, when it’s gina and ej’s turn, ricky and nini sing together behind ej and gina’s exchange of “i’ve got a second chance to fly, i’ve got a second chance to fall. what can make the tide turn, what can make the fire burn? a second chance is all”. their lyrics go “a second chance to fly, a second chance to fall”, and they together, support ej and gina’s portion of the song. i’ll get into ej and gina in the song in another post.

to be fair- this whole thing could very well mean nothing story-wise, and just be because of the fact that olivia and joshua are much stronger singers than sofia and matt (and i say this with love), so they can carry their own section, and support matt and sofia’s to make up for that. but regardless, i thought i’d touch on it for a second. 

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now for some fun color / costume stuff:

ricky and nini wearing blue and red respectively in 2.12, and blue and like- pink for 1.01 / the second chance hallway portion, is a consistent color story thing for them. they usually wear red or blue, each of them, or some variation on that color story. i love when shows play with that kind of thing with couples. they can compliment one another with their own individual parts, shared and contrasting. and then sometimes the different colors aspect shows how far apart they are too... so like when ricky and nini wear red together in the season 1 finale, we see that they’re in the same place. 

also you know what’s kind of cool that you can’t see in this image? they’re both wearing green, under their main outer layer. you can see nini’s green romper, but not ricky’s green t-shirt. so you can’t see that they’re the same at their core. under the shell of the different choices they make. when ricky calls lily, we don’t see his core, his flannel is tucked around him, but nini’s jacket is open when she calls jamie. she’s going towards her own core purpose. finding herself. as he should also be doing, but isn’t yet. he’s protecting himself instead.

it’s kind of interesting because like- nini tends to wear a LOT of layers. in this case she has the red jacket, the green romper, some colorful top under the romper, and then what i’m going to just go ahead and say i think is the tie from 2.07 in hopes it’s not an additional shirt. plus the tights, but those aren’t really part of what i’m talking about, so it’s not super relevant. but- i’ll say this, nini’s not so guarded at this point, even with her three (possibly four) top layers. and considering there’s only a hint at the colored shirt, and i do think that’s her tie, i’m willing to consider the green romper her core layer. her jacket is open, i don’t even know if she could close it if she wanted to, but the open button sort of makes it such that nini isn’t clutching her armor tight. she’s open, using her core value in pursuing her core purpose.

you know when we do see ricky’s shirt- in the card scene, when he’s talking to lily in the entryway, and when he’s the only one besides howie (interesting to consider that for a second, ricky being separate from the others) who doesn’t jeer at antoine and lily when they walk into slices. he’s not like- inviting them to stick around, he walks them out remarking that it’s a private party, but he’s being friendly compared to his own friends’ behavior. he looks to almost feel sorry for them... 

because ricky, at his core, cares a lot about people. this isn’t to say the others don’t, they really do, the love the wildcats share is a vastly important part of this show. it’s the love for each other that has them shunning north high in the first place. but when it comes to ricky, he’s keen on people, but especially people who put themselves forward. he admires that nini does this, even when it takes her away from him, even though it hurts him that it takes her away from him. he lets her go. and right now, he sees that lily was vulnerable with him, telling him about her family, as well as being so bold as to ask him to hang out some time, in 2.11, and even though he shut her down, he feels a bit bad that his friends aren’t being kind to her. 

when he calls lily, his green shirt is covered by the flannel, but here, talking to her, we see it. he tries to shut lily down in the nicest way he can, “... lily, look”, looking back at his friends, presumably at nini who he’s still hung up on, a bit unsure of himself. he’s loyal to east high, it’s part of why he rejects her essentially twice in these last two episodes, before finally making the call at the end. he uses that core value of loyalty. and his core- his shirt under the flannel, is exposed.

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that felt like a very unsatisfying place to end the post, but i figured putting the costuming pieces at the end would make the most sense, now i’m less sure about that but i don’t think i have anything else for this post, so- it’s just going to have to stay this way i think haha. 

i’m getting into the significance of the ricky and lily stuff regarding 2.12 / second chance in a separate post, that i’ll probably link here when i finish it, because honestly i don’t need it all clogging this post. i had a good many revelations though, so i want to post them. trust me, it’s not as frustrating to see him call lily when you see just how much went into setting that moment up as basically the only rational decision for his character.