Love is in the air at East High. Nini and Ricky are testing out their long distance relationship. Carlos and Seb have trouble communicating. Red and Ashlyn fire burns brighter than one of Lumiere’s flames. There is a lot to unpack here and there are spoilers ahead if you have not seen the series as of yet.
Valentine’s Day
Nini shows up at Ricky’s house to sing him a brand new song. As she starts to sing a stranger opens the window and we realise Ricky has moved. Strangely, Ricky showed up in Denver to do the same thing. He of course finds out she is not there.
Kourtney is beginning step one of The Dawn of Kourtney. She strolls into Salt Lake Slices as their new assistant manager. As she tries to fold a pizza box, a new face strolls in and challenges Kourtney. He takes garnishing way too seriously and expertly folds a pizza box.
Back at East High, Ricky and Nini are facetiming and he falls asleep. She wakes him up, the call ends and Ricky heads off to rehearsal. The students are preparing to rehearse the iconic waltz from Beauty and the Beast. Kourtney cannot seem to find the right key, Ricky struggles to dance and Ashlyn is feeling insecure about playing Belle. Ashlyn asks if they can “take a quick five”. Carlos gives Seb a gift and Red prepares Ashlyn for a Valentines surprise. Seb’s gift is a sled and Seb says he has something special coming from his family farm.
At Ashlyn’s locker, Red prepares to surprise Ashlyn but locks himself in instead. Ricky goes to get help until he gets a call from Nini. She is at the hospital as one of her mom’s twisted her ankle ice skating. Ashlyn and Gina walk to Ashlyn’s locker. Ashlyn shares with Gina that she doesn’t feel like a “natural Belle”, Gina reminds Ashlyn that Belle is a cartoon. Gina shares with her that she is expecting a Valentine’s gift from her mom. Red pops out of Ashlyn’s locker, he panics and tells her to come to Salt Lake Slices later.
Seb is playing the piano when Kourtney strolls in. Kourtney shares her nerves for playing Mrs Potts. Seb is using his piano time to think as he contemplates what gift to give Carlos. At his father’s new apartment, Ricky is playing his song he wants to sing to Nini. He hears a knock at the door and assumes it’s Nini. To his surprise Gina is at the door. The two share a moment and then the phone rings. Nini is still at the hospital and has to stay for a while. Ricky tells Gina he planned to play her his song and Gina suggests he play it for her over the phone.
Later that night, Miss Jenn is in her office and Lily quietly startles her. Lily informs her she is moving “up North”. She wishes Miss Jenn a “Happy V-Day” and disappears. Miss Jenn calls Mr. Mazzara into her office and asks if he has had dinner yet. Red is preparing his very special Valentine’s surprise for his girlfriend. The two sit down and Ashlyn shares with him her insecurities about playing Belle. He tells her that she is perfect and he shares his insecurities with her. The two hold hands and share the sweetest moment in the whole show.
At a table across the way, Seb gives Carlos his special gift. It is a plant, Seb tells Carlos it is so that it can grow with them. Miss Jenn and Mr Mazzara stroll into the restaurant and she sees her biggest crush a.k.a Ricky’s dad. She decides to go up and talk to him leaving Mr Mazzara in the corner alone.
Back at Ashlyn’s house, Gina opens the door to find a heart shaped box of chocolates on her doorstep. When she picks up the box she gets a text from Ricky and assumes the gift was from him. At the end of the night Kourtney is closing up and shares a moment with her troublesome employee Howie. She gets a voice note from Seb with a new arrangement for her solo in Beauty and the Beast. As she sings this Red and Ashlyn decide to waltz together.
Back in his room Ricky calls Nini but gets her voicemail. On the other end Nini is also leaving him a voicemail. We get a mashup of two great songs The Best Part and Even When. On her front porch, Gina sends Ricky a text thanking him for the chocolates but it turns out they were really from her mom. The episode ends to an incredible original song by Red and Ashlyn called Red Means Love.
High School Love Story
This episode filled me with so much joy and so much sadness at the same time. When Ashlyn shared her insecurities about playing Belle I was screaming at the screen. Ashlyn is incredibly beautiful and deserves that part more than anyone. Every time Ashlyn and Red appear on screen together my heart melts. They could not be any cuter and they bring out the best in each other. I look forward to more cute moments between the best couple at East High.
Another defining moment for Red and Ashlyn was their incredible Beauty and the Beast moment set to Kourtney’s incredible rendition of the Disney classic. Kourtney is thriving this season not only is she a working woman. She is playing the part of Mrs Potts and may have a blossoming romance with newcomer Howie.
Someone who was not at Salt Lake Slices was Lily. This drama queen is moving “up North” which can only mean she is transferring to North High. Let’s prepare for a true death match like The Wildcast Vs The West High Nights. Its Belle Vs Ariel but who will succeed?
Mr. Mazzara clearly has feelings for Miss Jenn but she is still hung up on Ricky’s dad. I felt so sorry for him in that moment. I hope Miss Jenn will open her eyes to see how great Mr. Mazzara is. Many cracks are starting to appear within some of the East High pairings. Seb clearly cannot keep up with Carlos’ high expectations from their relationship. The plant gift was a genius move to keep Seb in the clear. They are either headed for a huge fight or a break up. I of course would love them to stay together forever but this is a teen series so that can’t happen.
Long distance is clearly not working for Ricky and Nini. They are getting their wires crossed and many obstacles get in their way. They are going to break up, there is no question about it. However Ricky may confide in his good friend Gina. It was clear from the beginning of this season Gina still has feelings for Ricky and a Valentine’s chocolate mix up will only bring them closer. When Gina sent that text to Ricky I could feel the second hand embarrassment. I wanted to give Gina a hug and tell her it is okay. We have all been there. Gina and Ricky are growing closer and what is a teen series without a love triangle?
We are not even half way through this series and we are experiencing a mixture of emotions. Friday is now every Disney+ subscriber’s favourite day. Wildcats sing along and keep watching this amazing series because we’re all in this together.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is now available to stream on Disney+. New episodes every Friday.
