Buckle up, Wildcats! High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is back with season 2, bringing a whole new world of drama to Disney+. The first episode is a lot to take in, but it holds promise for the rest of the season and sets up many interesting dynamics.
We left off on an uncertain note, with IT couple Ricky (Joshua Bassett, Lethal Weapon) and Nini (Olivia Rodrigo, Bizaardvark) finally back together, only for Nini to discover she got accepted into a school for young actors in Denver. She grapples with this specifically how to break the news of her moving to Ricky, which comes as a difficult task since Ricky is still dealing with his parents’ divorce and doesn’t want to face any more change.
It’s hard not to root for Ricky and Nini, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they were split up once again this season. EJ (Matt Cornett, Alex & Me) may not get in the way this time, considering the fact that he’s dealing with this being his last year at East High. He also spends a lot of time talking about his beard because apparently, that’s really interesting. It doesn’t seem clear what’ll happen with him this season, but Gina (Sofia Wylie, Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron) still seems to have her eye on Ricky. This will likely build up this season, especially if Gina gets the lead opposite Ricky in their upcoming play, which is seeming more and more likely considering Nini’s departure from their high school.
Speaking of the upcoming Spring semester play, Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders, Grudge Match) and Carlos (Frankie A. Rodriguez, Modern Family) discuss what it should be, hinting that it might be the next film in the HSM series, High School Musical 2. Ricky even gives his best shot at one of the movie’s classic songs “Bet On It.” But upon running into her ex-high school sweetheart and now rival drama teacher from North High, Zack Roy, played by Dancing with the Stars’ Derek Hough, Miss Jenn has a change of heart. Miss Jenn wants them to win an Alan Menken award for excellence in high school musical theater, and that means picking an Alan Menken musical.
At the end of the episode, at the New Year’s party the whole crew attends, we find out that the Alan Menken musical is Beauty and the Beast. Exciting stuff, until everyone starts immediately picturing Nini as Belle and she can’t take it anymore. And so, she can’t help but blurt out her secret about why she can’t be in the play.
The first season brought with it impressive musical numbers, exciting and hilarious characters, and a generous amount of drama. Sure, it always has its corny moments, but it’s High School Musical! It’d be a crime not to. This season, creator Tim Federle brings much of the same. The first episode’s dialogue might seem a little more “rehearsed” rather than “natural,” but we’re also still getting used to the characters again. They’re also trying to make the series relatable for a younger audience, so it makes sense why some conversations sound like a bunch of tweets being read aloud back and forth.
Although there’s a lot that is unknown right now, the first episode seems like it’ll be followed by others that are even better. It was nice to see the characters sing some High School Musical 2 classics, but also to see them commit to performing another musical that might elevate the series past its HSM roots. It’s also pretty exciting to see Olivia Rodrigo back in East High post- “Driver’s License” fame; this also makes the show’s soundtrack even more anticipated.
The episode develops the new couple Ashlyn (Julia Lester) and Big Red (Larry Saperstein, First Wives Club: The Series), and everyone’s favorite pair Carlos and Seb (Joe Serafini, Scientastic), too. It’s great to see a strong LGBTQ+ romance like Carlos and Seb’s, especially on Disney+, and hopefully, it continues to grow. Other hopes for season 2? It would be great to give Courtney (Dara Renee, Black-ish) more screen time and keep the drama up as Nini grapples with her move.
Along with all of the tension that has already taken center stage this season, there’s no doubt there will be more “awkward” moments to remind viewers of the feeling of being in high school. That’s one thing this show does particularly well, which makes the show feel organic and new. This season might be bigger and better than the first, but one thing’s for sure: it’ll be a wild ride right from when the curtain lifts on the school play all the way up to the roaring applause at the end.
