Student Blog: Has HSMTMTS Lost Its Charm?

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season one gave me so much more than I could have asked for. The casting was amazing and the plot was just cheesy enough. The original charm of the Disney Original Movie series was given a breath of fresh air, in a new way. The way the creators decided to take a path that was so perfect.

However, something about this new season just is not hitting the same way for me. Although the cast is the same, the style has not changed, and it is pretty much all the same, something about this season is off. There are a couple of things that I know annoy me, but there is still something that is not right.

For starters, I think there is too much of Miss Jen. The first season gave us this mystery about her. Is there a chance that she will get fired? Is she really a teacher? Is she ok? Her main storyline feels like it has been dropped and completely dropped. Now we are stuck with her love life. Will she date Ricky's dad? What about the STEM teacher? Or, even more scandalous, the rival school's drama teacher? I do not care about this. This was the same issue I had with Glee. The storyline about the teachers and adults in these kinds of show throw me off. It is the time in the shows where I go on my phone or don't pay attention. Don't get me wrong in season one the slight addition of this was fine for me. There wasn't too much about Miss Jen and the STEM teacher rival. It was a cute little side-side-side plot that was an enemies to lovers trope. Just enough. Now it feels like the B-Plot of this season. If I get another Will Schuester/Emma Pillsbury love story I might just scream. Not to mention Derek Hough is giving very much Mathew Morrison energy and I am NOT here for that.

Additionally, I am missing the original songs. Ya, you cannot change the classic of Beauty and The Beast , but they can easily add these new songs into areas of the plot that do not involve the musical. They have done this a little bit, but in my opinion the best songs came from Ashlyn who has not been given enough room to shine yet. This is honestly saying a lot given that she is the lead. Homie is Belle. She is meant for this role. I am obsessed with that casting choice, but give me more of her. Ashlyn is not only a talented singer, but an amazing song writer. You are not going to sit there and tell me you all forgot that banger she wrote in season one, Wondering. Give me more Ashlyn please. I am begging for this girl to shine.

Also I see them sprinkling a Gina/EJ romance, and I am all for this. Ricky and Nini are starting to annoy me if I am being honest. I get that they are the main characters and who we are routing for but Gina and EJ have such an amazing dynamic and their chemistry is through the roof. Gina is such a complex person. She is so lost this season and in my eyes she feels stable when she is with EJ. Ricky has everyone under his charm, but Gina honey, EJ is such a Gem.

Carlos annoys me. I was fine with him just being Miss Jen's assistant, but something about his character this season seems unauthentic. Him and Seb being the only gay representation in the show makes them feel like the token gays for Disney. Part of me feels like these two characters are just there to make Disney look good and woke, but to me that's all their characters do. Nothing more. I wish the writers could do more with Carlos and Seb because there is so much potential there to be had.

I am excited for what this season has to offer, but so far something about it just isn't doing it for me. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way, but maybe I am not. Let me know what you think!