Watching HSMTMTS as a 23-Year-Old Adult

I, like every other young adult, am addicted to Olivia Rodrigo. So, a few weeks ago I decided to see what the hype was all about and watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. I had been avoiding the show because of its stupid name, I don’t have a Disney+ account, and I’m not the biggest High School Musical fan. I know, controversial.

It was time for me to give it a shot since my roommate and I have been gossiping about the Olivia and Josh drama for the past few months. I needed to see what all the hype was about. I started watching season one before I knew that season two was airing its episodes. A bonus for me was that I could binge the entire series.

I’m 23-years-old. I graduated high school, I graduated college, and I have a real-world job. I owned the High School Musical: Dance Along DVD, I remember watching the premiere of HSM2 in my friend Hanna’s house, and a bunch of moms got together and rented out a movie theater for a bunch of us for the premiere of HSM3. I was there for it all, are they my favorite Disney Channel Original Movies? Like I said, no they are not. Do I enjoy them from time to time? Of course, nostalgia is my middle name.

My point is, I was going into the series expecting not to like it very much.

Let me tell you, I was on the edge of my seat after every episode. The writers really know how to write a cliffhanger. I’m glad I could watch all the episodes of season one in one sitting because I couldn’t handle waiting a week. Also, the mockumentary style was GENIUS. I don’t know why I expected not to like it. It combines all my favorite types of shows, teen drama, comedy, big ensemble cast, mockumentary, and musical numbers. My Bat Mitzvah theme was Glee for Pete’s sake.

My roommate heard me audibly reacting to every episode and she was so intrigued she came and watched a few with me. Of course, there are some storylines and characters that I’m not so hot about but that’s why having a big cast is so important. If you don’t like one character, there are 7 more to choose from.

What’s nice about this series is that none of the plot lines are stupid. I mean, there are some that are less interesting, but they’re all well thought out. I believe that these kids actually go to school together. Even though we never see them in class. I can appreciate that the characters don’t burst out into song randomly. This isn’t a musical, this is a TV show about making a musical. The songs are used sparingly, but they always have a huge impact.

So, this Josh and Olivia drama. It seems to have simmered down and everyone is happy and okay. Going into the series I was anti-Josh. Obviously. He soon won my heart. I thought that watching him would make me cringe, but he played the character of every boy from my high school. Well, kind of. Ricky, his character, was much more romantic and in touch with his feelings. Nevertheless, I felt like I knew him and was rooting for him to win Nini’s, Olivia’s character, heart. Ricky’s a good person and a good friend. He’s got his priorities straight. Well, I hope so. The end of season two has been nervous.

Anyway, these characters are fun to watch. They are all so different and unique. It’s been amazing to watch Disney Channel Original Series evolve throughout the years. HSMTMTS represents everyone. Every person can identify with at least one character in some way. My favorite characters are Ashlyn and Kourtney. They don’t fit the tall and skinny stereotype of leading ladies and they steal every scene they’re in. Ashlyn is an incredible friend and person to the whole group. Kourtney is unapologetically herself. I was really rooting for her until her season two story arc revolved around a boy. Like c’mon! She was just hired as the manager of a pizza joint. Give us some more girl boss storylines!

I’m happy that the show threw Gina and E.J. together. It was bound to happen; they were the two rejects of the drama department's hottest couple. I can appreciate Gina’s theme of never having a boyfriend and never been kissed. Usually, when we see those characters on TV, their whole personality revolves around them being undesirable. Gina knows she’s awesome, and she’s got other personal problems to dwell on. With E.J. being the only senior and going to college, I’m excited to see what the writers do with their relationship. I hope that they don’t stay together when he leaves. That’s been done. We’ve seen it. They always break up after a few months or someone gets hurt.

A gay relationship on Disney where their whole dynamic isn’t centered around the fact that they’re gay? Seb and Carlos did that. They are their own unique characters. It is possible for TV characters to be homosexual AND have a personality. Honestly, their scenes are some of my favorites because the two characters genuinely care for one another. They come from different worlds but are in love, nonetheless.

The point is, the show is good. Not just good for teenagers who weren’t born when the first HSM came out, but for people like me who have been through it all. I’ve seen every episode of Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, both iterations of The Suite Life, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Liv and Maddie, and more Disney shows. This one is different. There isn’t a live studio audience, and it seems more real. Even at 23-years-old, you can still relate to the trials and tribulations of high school theater kids.

I’m pumped to see what season three will bring us. Twelve episodes a season are not enough to give me everything I need from these characters, but I’ll take that up with Disney+. Time to get back to listening to SOUR for the third time today.