@@kubat4925 We were just talking about tropes and how the “You should really tell this to your PARTNER” line/trope was used multiple times throughout the series, not Ricky specifically.
@@SabrinaTwyla I know, I'm just saying and pointing out the irony with Ricky not only skipping it but getting straight to the point the worst way possible.
Even though Ricky's character was all over the place for most of the series, I actually liked the build up for Gina here. She went from being the typical obnoxious mean girl to a very caring and loving person, her character development was very well done imo.
@@jayngb I agree. Ricky, Nini, Carlos, and Gina were the ones who were handled the best, in my opinion (from what we got is what I mean because I think that there are some things that could've been improved).
I didn't like EJ that much, tbh. But, he grew on me overtime and I do agree for the most part. I like that we see him in S4 having the courage to do what's best for him and getting the girl (in my opinion) that he deserves. And, that he was able to be friends with Ricky more so than in seasons past. If that didn't happen, then I would've been upset given what he went through in S3.
@@sava898huh? “the girl he deserves”? i didnt watch season 4 i assumed ej ended up single at the end of the show cuz tim federele stopped caring ab him as a character the second he put ricky and gina tg lmao
@@randomaccount3574 He ended up with Val after S3 (she was formerly an old friend of EJ's and was introduced in S3, played by Meg Donelly). Which even though I like seeing male/friendships without any romance behind it, I do like the idea of them dating. They're a good fit.
I got so frustreded by the fact that EJ lost his whole summer trying to make a great show for everyone, he did't even wanted to be the director and then he got all those responsebilitys and no one to acctualy help. And by the end no one said thanks or "good job! You did a great as director even tough you had no prior experence at all". He really deserved better... (girl you look stuning! drop a make up tutorial right now)
@@alice-lw7ib They could have just done something else! It didn't have to be a musical. If it's too much to handle, be honest to yourself and others and tell someone you can't do it right now. And if no one else wants to step up, then they have to choose something else to do during their summer. Or maybe ask other people to help out, so he doesn't need to do the work all by himself? Like there are ways, if you COMMUNICATE PROPERLY!
This. Because he didnt want to be director it was just thrown at him like the entire plan was for him and Gina to be together the whole summer!! And that being said I love Gina but the way she acted toward Ej in s3 was not it like she never gave him a chance to speak!!
season 4 was hands down my favorite season, the show has always been funny and self aware, but the writters and cast knowing its the final season and really embracing that was such a breath of fresh air
2:25:32 This where I finally understood why you have the perspective that you do on Ricky's feelings for Nini and Gina, and I think you misunderstand Ricky's true motivation. He's motivated to keep his life the same - to hold onto his childhood and all that he saw as "the way things used to be" amidst his parents divorcing and his life fundamentally changing. Nini is his childhood best friend, his first crush, his first girlfriend, and someone who he saw as a constant in his life, which leads him to want to maintain the status quo in their relationship to have some semblance of consistency and control in his life. His clinging to his relationship with her is not as much about /her/ as it is his childhood and holding onto that. This is also why the lottery ticket /does/ symbolize him closing the door to his childhood by finding closure with Nini. (There are also so many examples in both S1 and S2 that directly link his relationship with Nini to his changing home life) In S3 and 4, he finally has begun to accept change in his life by accepting a change in himself. By breaking up with Nini for good, he began to accept that maybe they need to outgrow each other, and then he started to accept new changes, little by little. S3 we see him excited and motivated to audition for the play for himself for the first time, we see him openly call himself a theater kid, we see him build friendships outside of Big Red and Nini (even takes a new kid under his wing), and most importantly, he finally confronts his feelings for Gina. I think by letting this idea that Nini is his motivation go, you'll see that his character arc is much bigger than her, and it's consistent and complete long after she leaves. (It's also so strongly tied to Gina's S1-4 character arc, but I don't need to touch on that now) I know Rinas might seem intense (I think we feel strongly because most of us truly believe it's a /really/ well-written slowburn), but I only mean this to be a friendly critique :) You put a lot of work into this video, which I respect and applaud!
Love square was definitely messy, but I can’t deny my love for the pairing of Ricky and Gina I thought they were perfect together and really helped show the growth each character went on
oh how i miss this show 😭 i swear rina is quite possibly one of the best written slowburn everrrr. not only that but the character development both ricky and gina had to go through to get to where theyend up together is just chef's kiss!!
This was my comfort show back in high school it came out when I was 17 and ended a month before I turned 21 it literally felt like I grew up w them the friend group I always wised I had… I remember I solely got Disney+ just so I could watch this show 😭🤣 I was on the Rina train from the jump best couple and ship idc what people say RINA IS FOREVER 🥹
i was surprised when you said you feel like ricky’s character became dull when nini left. in my opinion, ricky and nini thrived when she left. nini was pursing her dream happy. ricky himself didn’t like who he was when he was with nini and became so much better when she left. he’s happy and learning that sometimes change is okay. he actually enjoys theatre now and isn’t doing it for a girl. he found a family in theatre. he found gina who is used to things changing. isn’t it amazing that the boy who is afraid of change ended up with the girl who’s used to things changing
I agree with your take on this. However, I believe what Cailtin had mentioned was that it felt like he lost his purpose because all of season 1 and the majority of season 2 was about his parents separation and him and Nini. Getting her back, holding onto her, and letting her go. Then in season 3 he was just coasting and starting to develop feelings for Gina, but he didn't really seem to have much purpose in the season, outside of being a "friend" for Gina. I really like the character development and purpose he had in season 4, but in season 3 it just felt like the writers weren't really sure what to do with him. It made sense though because Ricky's whole life revolved around Nini. Even when they split in season 2, she was still around him. But this is the first time he was going off and doing something on his own without having her there for him to confide in. Even when they were broken up, he went to her time and time again to confide his feelings. His character felt like it didn't have a puropose in season 3 but that's because Ricky didn't know his purpose in season 3. It took him basically the whole season to really find himself. If you think about it, it's sort of a callback to Nini in season 1 when she mentions she went to camp and "found herself". Ricky basically did the same thing in season 3.
you so get it!! I get so emotional seeing his character development from a someone who did things to protect himself to someone who lets things happen and embraces them
Caitlin! Never feel ashamed for opening up to your viewers. We care about you too not just the topics you talk about. I also come from a pretty traumatic background… it’s nice to know I’m not alone 💜
ricky and nini were truly an awful pairing, if they didn’t break up then ricky would have never grown as a person by learning to accept change, and nini would have been held back in pursuing her passions. a lot of people don’t notice, but rini were meant to be projections of ricky’s parents relationship (first love, high school sweethearts) and if they stayed together, they would’ve grown up to end up like ricky’s parents where they just end up resenting each other. i feel like rini’s don’t wanna accept that because they still see them as josh and olivia and can’t move on from them. ej and gina were cute, but did not fundamentally understand each other and weren’t right for each other in the long run, and gina’s monologue during their breakup scene literally explains that. gina was in a point in her life where she no longer wanted everything to be a “maybe” she needed and deserved concrete stability since she was deprived of that her whole life. meanwhile ej was literally in a stage of his life where he was changing and moving onto to new things, hence why all he could offer gina was empty promises (which isn’t anyone’s fault it’s just life) and gina doesn’t want empty promises anymore cuz that’s exactly what her mom gave her. and ej and gina don’t really relate to each other on a deeper level cus of their different upbringings. ricky and gina on the other hand, instantly related to each other from the moment they started speaking to one another (hence the car scene after homecoming), they connected on a deeper level. the creator of the show literally has their endgame planned since s1 ep5, and you can tell because there are inklings of rina throughout the entire series, even when they weren’t speaking to each other in s2. they had to go their separate ways and take chances on other people to figure out what they really wanted, which was each other. and if you actually pay attention, ricky and gina are literally parallels of troy and gabriella!!!! like it’s so clear, people have even made edits of rina and troyella paralleling each other. ricky was someone who was scared of change and abandonment, gina is someone who has only ever known change and was never given stability. because of this, they fit like puzzle pieces, ricky is someone who clings onto the people he loves and fights for them, which is what gina wants-someone who will fight for her. gina is someone who helps ricky grow and change healthily as a person, and motivates him (remember he literally said in s1 that she’s the reason he stayed with the show, which changed the trajectory of his life). their chemistry is so palpable and effortless it’s sooo electric, in s4 when they finally get together they’re SO IN LOVE, that’s what a good slow burn will get you
im kind of surprised you never analyzed ricky as a character deeper when it comes to how his outlook on love evolves based on what he saw in his parents. like am i the only one who understands what his thematic arc is and what both nini and gina signify in his life? it’s kind of funny that people like to hand wave it off of bad writing when if u look past what is fed to you the writers play with some interesting developments here..
Ricky’s concept of love arc is honestly very well written and realistic, especially with what Nini represented from fighting for someone to being vulnerable to knowing when to step away for the better of both people. The focus on Ricky’s parents & the parallels were so interesting. I’m disappointed it’s never touched on as well
No literally. Nini was the one thing in his life that was a constant in the midst of his parents divorce and home situation which is why Ricky was so attached to Nini in the second season. His whole arc why about accepting that things change. His mother emphasized how not all couples are meant to be together in the season one finale and Rinis want me to think that they were endgame? No way 🤣
Ricky and Gina are the true spiritual successors to troy and Gabriella in every way. I loved how well built up this was. Mind you, the journey there was very rocky, but still satisfying once you get to season 4
As a huge lover of EJ + Gina I really hate how they choose to regress EJ's character to make them break up. Especially since their relationship realistically had a natural end set up with EJ graduating and Gina just starting Junior year. I'm not upset she ended up with Ricky, I'm upset at how sloppy it was. Great video tho!
Yeah, S3 dampened things for me. I don't think EJ necessarily regressed (it was the stress of everything he was dealing with that caused him to make certain choices), but I do think he showed that he developed as a person and not as a boyfriend. His mistakes were very similar to what made him and Nini break up. It mirrors in a way, which was possibly intentional (or not, I'm not a writer of the show). But even with that, Rina's path back to each other did feel mishandled (they haven't spoken much since 2x06, so it made it weird despite them starting over in 3x02).
This show was a mess but it was my comfort show and I got rina endgame so that’s all that mattered to me! But a couple things: 1) every line of the rina confession was a reference to scene/moment in their past development (one line is even a reference to a cut line from Ricky’s confession that the show runner posted in instagram) 2) the reason why the songwriting for maybe this time works is bc it’s Ricky sharing something he cares about with Gina. Just like them practicing choreography is something Gina cares about, them working on the song together is bonding
it was confirmed that all the scenes during “maybe this time” were moments that they were almost a thing, which confirms the emotional cheating during valentine’s day
exactly! So the whole thing where Gina said the whole chocolates thing wasn't a big deal. Like Nini is not wrong for not wanting another girl to think that her boyfriend would give her that, like it does seem iffy. Ricky and Gina had lots of moments that teeter the line of them flirting while one was in a relationship, so it just makes it harder for me to root for them, when they're kinda doing bad stuff and not taking accountability for it. I do still like them in season 4 though for the most part
I feel like Ricky and Gina tops Ricky and Nini in my opinion. They're the definition of She fell first but he fell harder. Plus the point you made about no other scene topping the i love you scene in season 1. I disagree, other then gina's confession in season 3 (which also parallels her confession after ricky's ily scene), the graduation scene in season 4 when it looks like gina's about to leave (which is another parallel) is just so much more genuine and doesn't feel calculated. Which makes sense because Sofia Wylie and Joshua Bassett's chemistry as Ricky and Gina is the main reason why Tim Federle decided to make Rina main couple which he stated in an interview. Their trajectory was truly beautiful, and honestly i couldn't imagine not rooting for them the entire show.
I still watch Gina's speech scene in season 4 and it makes me emotional every time. That just felt so genuine and honestly what she said to Ricky really summed up why their characters were perfect for eachother. The "I feel so seen, so understood, so known" really touched on many times that she eluded to being the outsider or being misunderstood. Ricky has always seen her for the person she is and has always been able to relate to her with being an outsider and being someone that lacks stability in his life. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the I love you scene in season 1 and it will always hold a special place in my heart. But that honestly felt more like a last ditch effort to win the girl back and spill the feelings he was holding inside. With Gina's it's not feelings she ever hid but really was just a sum of the rock and stability Ricky provided for her and felt more like true love than the I love you scene. Also, it wasn't something that felt like it was necessary on Gina's part because she wasn't trying to "save" her relationship. It was just from the heart because she was leaving and wanted to express her true feelings. You could argue the I love you scene was similar because it was Ricky's "last chance" to win back Nini, but they had school together the next day so it wasn't like an all or nothing thing.
The flashback scene between Ricky and Gina in season 2 was even better than the Rini confession scene lmao. The speech was so corny to me and the material was stuff the audience didn't see, whereas with Rina, we get to grow with them which made their confessions more impactful.
I started watching the series because of my love for the movies, I had high hopes for the "main couple" but what did I find? A toxic and boring couple from the first episode, I really couldn't stand them, in fact there were moments when I was about to to skip their scenes and not only that, I was also about to stop watching the series UNTIL I started seeing the chemistry of Gina and Ricky, THEIR STORY, in my opinion, was what saved the series
it’s really funny because the show really has been building up to rina the entire time. from the moment they spoke in the car, it was going to be them. as frustrating as it may be that rini and portwell didn’t end up together for some people, the show was very obvious about planting the seeds for their downfall even in their “happy” moments. and even when rina was on the rocks, there were always hints that they’d come back together. their story is the best written part of the show, indisputably.
@@sofia-nv9yf it was the creator/showrunner of the show, tim federle! and as early as s1, he stated that the hoco scene was pivotal for the grander story. so I do believe once he saw that scene he started planting the seeds.
It’s interesting how easily the intention of this silly little disney show gets so misunderstood. Because all it took for me to 100% know that rina was going to be endgame was the flashback scene in 2x06 as the camera pans to gina walking in to the dressing room after nini walks out post getting back together with ricky at the end of s1 (a scene that was filmed in s1 and before the whole OR/JB/SC drama btw). Like the audience is shown that ricky has an emotional, teary-eyed, *romantic* moment with another girl who ISNT his gf where regret is expressed over their relationship not getting to go anywhere because she is moving away. Like ??? That was literally the most obvious, in your face foreshadowing moment in the show and the fact that so many people in the audience brushed over that and instead focused their attention on slut shaming gina (yes, i was on twt. that very much happened) for making a move on “nini’s man” is crazy. It’s also crazy that in said scene gina tells ricky she never does anything right the “first time” and then flash forward to portwell getting together, gina asks ej to be her “first” kiss. (it all leads back to the 2x06 flashback scene when you think about it lol). They were literally set up to fail which is why, again, i’m confused as to how that foreshadowing went over the audience’s head lol
@@arimonefranklin8753 Yes Tim, the showrunner, said this before they knew Olivia wanted to leave. He wanted Gina and Ricky to be a couple due to the amazing chemistry between the actors.
I am a Rina stan through and through. Honestly, Ricky and Nini's relationship felt weird to me. The whole first season is about them falling back in love. Then they get back together and break up again? I know this might be tied into the IRL drama at the time, but it just seems dumb from a writing standpoint.
Imo Ricky and Nini never fell back in love, they just got back together because it was the safe choice. His feelings for Gina were obvious, even in s1 but he was afraid of the unknown and chose what he knew which was Nini, even though they had already outgrown each other.
I am a Rina stan as well and my biggest issue with Ricky and Nini were the fact that they just didn't feel like they had a real connection. It almost felt like they grew up together so they felt like they had to be together. Very much so for Ricky at least because it was constantly referenced in season 1 that he felt like "everything was changing" and that she was his "home". To me, this just felt like a way for him to not have to face the emotions of moving on from her. But even throughout the first season, I felt more chemistry between his interactions with Gina than I did his interactions with Nini. And for her to express her love for him and then move onto another guy during the summer, I mean I know he broke her heart but it still felt like maybe she wasn't fully honest with herself when she told him that.
See how he said “oh..” when she initially told him that she loved him and then notice how when he finally said it he just said “I love you…” he never said “IN love” meaning 2 different types of love because usually when you tell somebody you love them usually you say IN love Especially if it’s the first time saying it… And I guarantee you if she never said it first he probably would have never said it in the first place
Ngl I’m a little surprised that you really overlooked Ricky’s entire character arc. Ricky’s whole arc was about accepting that things change and that sometimes change can be a good thing. With his mom leaving and his parents getting divorced, he was trying to cling onto Nini as she was the only constant in his life. In the season one finale, his mom talks to Ricky and tells him that not all couples are meant to be together. Throughout the second season, you see Ricky struggling with change where he tries to constantly remind Nini that she used to like certain things and when Nini would say that she doesn’t like those things anymore, he would be really confused. He was clinging onto an old version of her and imo was pressuring her to be the same Nini as she was before they broke up the first time. When they finally did break up again, you see Ricky fighting against his mother on how he didn’t like change and how he hates change even more now that that’s what caused him and Nini to break up. Where Gina comes in is that Gina was the one change in his life that he was starting to accept. If you rewatch the first season, the second Gina and Ricky start their situationship, he’s completely ignoring Nini. But the second Gina moves, what does Ricky do? He runs right back to Nini. Ricky going back to Nini goes against everything he was learning through this first season. And it is for good reason! He was not meant to learn his lesson immediately since his arc was not complete. Him finally accepting his feelings for Gina was the full circle moment for him to finally accept change and learn what his parents’ relationship was meant to teach him. Anyways still love you girl. Just a bit a constructive criticism because I’m big on media literacy lol.
I loved Ricky’s arc throughout the whole show. His breakup with Nini was the best thing to happen for both of them. They were toxic for each other. I agree with everything you said here
Both Ricky and EJ spent their first arcs of season 1 chasing after Nini, so why would Gina be considered Ricky's second choice and not EJ's? I always found this reasoning weird, especially in defense of Portwell.
Imo there was a good chance that Ricky was gonna choose Gina if she wasn't being forced to move (even tho she stayed, him and nini were basically already at that point)
EJ was already dating Nini when he met Gina and they didn't get to know each other well until after his breakup with Nini. Ricky, on the other hand, was already close with Gina and then still continued to date Nini... and then Lily... Only after that, Gina came into the picture.
I just wanted to say thank you for keeping the moment of you being vulnerable with us in the video. It takes guts to post and my heart breaks for u and ur family 💔 pls remember to take care of urself
It's funny because the producer of the show said that after he saw Ricky and Gina's car scene in s1, he sensed they had to be together. That's why the 180 happened. They already had the whole script for s1 ready so he couldn't change anything in the first season. The scene where Gina says she wouldn't gave up on him was actually filmed at the same day as the Ricky/Nini love confession. Tim wanted to have it ready to use in S2. After that, he said everything he wrote in the following season was so that he could have a Rina kiss in the last episode in S3. I actually believe that's why S2 was so longer than the other, so that he could show coherently why Rini didn't work as a couple anymore and Ricky's process of coming in terms with his break up with Nini. You can even see than even back in s1, everytime there were a romantic scene with them, a specific romantic background song started playing. It was clearly planned. I also believe he got kinda lost in S3/S4 because even tho he had a whole ass plan to make a smooth transition, he got caught up in fan serving the Rina shippers. Their first meeting scene is a example. That was clearly fan service. The ideia in general makes sense, but it was kinda rushed idk. Anyways, I really really love my friends to lovers slow burn ship and I'm really glad they are endgame!
The scene with Gina saying she won’t give up on him was not filmed the same day LOL. Please compare the lighting in the Ricky/Nini S1 I love you scene and the Ricky/Gina ‘I wouldn’t give up on us scene’. No way was it filmed the same day, the lighting is entirely different. S2 was very dark haha
@@lauraj6694 It's probably filters, saturation and etc. Movies are shooted darker or brighter, they are modified to fit the vibe in the edit dep. But anyways, it was confirmed by the production so
I think the discrepancy between ricky's character is less from nini leaving the show and more about how they steered away from his family situation. Like that was the driving factor for a lot of his decisions in the early seasons and then suddenly in season 3 we didn't hear about it at all. Not even like him missing his parents. I get that they weren't there and it was a dynamic shift but I think that's part of it. Also in the later seasons they focus more on the ensemble, which is nice but it definitely loses its focus. Ricky is still main but not as much. I think they could've focused on his fears for college and the future wayyy more. It kinda sucks we didn't get to see them graduate because I see that being a big deal for ricky (just like troy lmao). I also thought it was weird how they basically dropped his friendship with big red.
i disagree tbh i feel like it was more of an ensemble show in s1/2 and then tim(the mf who wrote the show)completely made it the ricky and gina show in s3/4💀
I hate that they made everyone at cheater in this show and FOR NO REASON -gina (emotional) cheater -Seb cheater cheater - Big red cheater cheater - Ashlyn (emotional) cheater -Ricky (retcond into an emotional cheater)
I think this is one of the ways the Glee influence comes through. I had seen others make comparisons, but I had no context for them beyond “musical show” until I watched Seamus Gorman’s deep dive into Glee, where one thing he points out is all the cheating and partner swapping. He also interestingly said that Glee seemed inspired by the original HSM, but with more mature themes, so this series kinda brought it all full circle.
If I had a nickel for every time Sofia Wylie played a character on a Disney show about her mom telling her she has to move again, I'd have 2 nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice 😂😂😂 Speaking of Sofia, I would love if you went over her and Peyton's relationships (Andi and Buffy) in Andi Mack. I was OBSESSED with that show! It was so dramatic, but very interesting lol
yeah i remember being so confused. I think they were amicable at that point but brothers was reallyyy pushing it- which sucks cuz I would've loved to see that friendship blossom since matt and josh r clearly besties
@@sabahk yeah for sure i would've also loved that for them!! But it did't make any sense cuz 3 episodes before ricky was slaping ej in the face and ej was telling him to stay on his lane.
It sounded forced coming out of his mouth, lol. I think EJ was kind of unfair to Ricky in S3 because it's not like he came to camp to intentionally get with Gina. I get why he was feeling jealous and somewhat threatened, but he should've talked to Gina more so since (in my opinion) she was being more flirty to Ricky than Ricky was with her.
@@sava898 yeah and ricky was also unfair to EJ when he said loudly and proudly that EJ "stole gina" from him, even though they never dated. That show was just a mess and writers were lazy af
Covering something from Andi Mack would be awesome! Obviously, Andi and Jonah deliver so much content with their toxicity, but I'm also a sucker for Marty and Buffy or of course TJ and Cyrus.
The flashback in S2 will forever be my one of my favorites because apparently they filmed during S1. So I believe they had it in case the show wouldn't get a S2. (source: Jacob Haren's 206 reaction with Joe)
EJ was done so dirty, especially season 3. Nobody ever realized just how stressed and unhappy he was by being forced to direct. That along with the fallout with his dad. Val was the only one who acknowledged and noticed him, and nobody could wrap their heads around why he wasn’t agreeing to hang out with them when he was put in charge of an _entire show on his own._ Even Dewey didn’t actually do anything, and he was in charge of the camp! (I think) Also, I got super burnt out on the show by season 4 and couldn’t stand the repeated storylines and triangles/squares/pentagons that started popping up more after season 2. On top of that, Ricky’s only purpose in season 3 was to drive a wedge between Gina and EJ (same with Val), and he really just becomes a punching bag for the rest of the series. (Everyone should've just been single for the final season.) Not to mention all the cheating that goes on (emotional and literal).
Season 3 EJ was basically Mitchie in Camp Rock 2 but instead of everyone realizing he was drowning and pitch in to help like in CR2, everyone was annoyed he was “distant, busy, and no fun” then left him high and dry 😢 EJ was done so dirty
@@kathryno3051 Literally! It really comes out in the Susan Fine episode when Gina is trying to get him to leave his tent and join the others at the shrine Ricky finds
I can't say that this is a wrong take. I did like Nini's character for the most part, but Ricky finding purpose oustide of her really felt like it made his character whole. And her leaving really seemed like it started to give the other characters more of the spotlight.
I think a good ship too go over would Andre and Tory from Victorious, and how it can both be interpreted as either a ship that never truly came to be or just one of the best Nickelodeon friendships
Caitlin I just wanna say ever since finding your channel last year it made me nostalgic for my childhood Disney Channel Shows and now I’m binge watching all of them for the first time in years. Also I’m watching Soy Luna for the first time and I’m already addicted to it so thanks for that.
Caitlin you’re such a lovely person! Seeing you empathise about the topic of divorce was heartbreaking… I really hope you’re doing well, God bless you and your family ❤
1:59:46 To put it simply, Ricky's bucketlist was things he wanted to do before turning 18. As we know, 18 years of age means you legally become an adult. Nini, as we know, was a major part of Ricky's childhood...as they quite actually grew up together and were pretty close from an early age. So, Nini getting Ricky the last thing he needed is showing that she will always be the biggest part of his childhood, they will always know everything about who the other was when they were kids. But it's now time for Ricky to grow up and move on, and Nini closes out that chapter of his teen/child years since she was the biggest part of that stage for him. Ok, maybe I didn't explain it in simple terms, but I hope that made sense anyway.
I honestly didn’t think it was meant to be that deep. I took it as just Nina showing she still cares for him and that their connection might be different but it’s still there.
RIGHT?! THANK GOD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE AND I WAS SOO HEARTBROKEN THAT THEY DIDN'T WORK OUT EVEN THO I DESPERATELY WANTED THEM TO WORK OUT😢😢😢😢 I DIDN'T WATCH SEASON 4 CUZ I'M LIKE WHY BOTHER, RINA IS THE COUPLE THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO HAPPEN AND THEY DID ANYWAY😤😤😤
1:29:46 I love that this scene was added, like you said, it was really nice to see a bit of a friendship between Nini and Gina instead of having them continue to be put against each other. And I absolutely love that it's the lead into Second Chances, one of the most iconic sequences in the show (and the best song from season 2)
yeah everyone seems to have a different opinion about what exactly the lotto ticket thing was supposed to mean lol. my stance is more inline with the third explanation u gave. i saw it as ricky and nini recognizing that they know so much about each other and they will always hold a special place in the others heart, but it’s ultimately time to leave that period of their life in the past. i feel like this is highlighted by the fact that ricky was turning 18, leaving his childhood years, and nini was such a major part of said childhood years. they will always have those memories of each other but those times weren’t meant to last forever, they were “just for a moment”. i think that ricky getting real closure on that relationship was necessary for him to start his next chapter with gina and allowed him to get it right this time.
Sofia is honestly so talented, they could've made her love interest a potato and they'd still have insane chemistry. I loved Gina & EJ together and really wanted them to be end game, but season 4 is honestly so enjoyable, it's hard not to ship
to be fair the only reason they did write in a nasty breakup was because of Olivia leaving and everything that was happening behind the scenes...if that stuff didn't happen, they might have been end game
@@what-a-marvelous-tune no even if that stuff didn’t happen BTS Rina would have still been endgame because Tim seen the chemistry Josh and Sophia had as Rina and he always said Rini and Gina and EJ were always gonna be temporary those were learning relationships before Rina could actually become a real couple if anything, if Olivia stayed in the show, she would have most likely gotten back together with EJ or just stayed by herself
I was literally so upset that they had Gina think EJ wasn’t paying attention to her when literally everything he was doing that summer was for her. Like I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they would break up eventually (even though I didn’t want them to) but this really pissed me off. I really hated the writing that she says he doesn’t put her first but then she goes to Ricky who has literally always thought of her as a second choice.
she told him that they should take a break if it’s gonna be hard to balance his relationship and focusing on the camp and he made it seem like he’d manage to do it all and didn’t ☠️ ion think it’s that srs. pw was literally just a plot device for rina to end up together, tim basically confirmed this. it was never gonna go anywhere.
@@realestsienna it's just bad writing though, EJ cannot predict the future, he prolly saw that as just an insecure moment for Gina and wanted her to hold onto hope. But in regards to the plot device thing, EJ is a main character, very odd to use him as a plot device for not one but two ships...if they don't put that boy out of his misery
@@growingupwithdisneyej whole plan was for telling himself he was doing it for Gina but he was really focusing on his future to impress his father (seeking his fathers validation) its very obvious use context clues (at every opportunity he choose himself over Gina, that in itself should tell u he wasn’t doing anything for her)
He still kept stuff from her and Gina didn’t want a maybe and wanted to actually spend time in her first relationship also he definitely hard more things on his mind then to spend time with Gina
What’s wild about this show is that, as I watched it, it made me root for *every ship.* Homecoming-Thanksgiving, I was a full-on Rina shipper. Last two episodes got me fully back on board with Rini. Season two just amplified my dislike for Nini and got me rooting for Gina to be happy, and by those last few episodes I was a full-on Gina/EJ shipper. Over the course of season three, the writers obviously screwed them over, but my dormant Rina love was definitely reignited. The entirety of season four, I was just giddy at all the Rina chemistry, and I would definitely say that from all the way back in season one, they were my favorite ship. Also, it sucks that the love square got in the way of Ricky and EJ’s friendship, because they have such a wholesome bromance!
Three things I want to mention: 1. I've always viewed this show as the "Ricky Dates Everyone Who's Female Show", lol. 2. The large number of "and then they share a look" in this video made me giggle because it made me realize that basically everyone was having moments with, well, everyone, lol. 3. I completely agree about the hat reveal at the end because, yep, Gina and Ricky hadn't known each other long at all when she gifted him that hat.
they really don't lol, the beginning and ending were good. Like them in season 1 was a surprise but they helped each other, and season 4 portrayed a good relationship, however season 2-3 was very messy. Honestly season 1 was sorta messy too since he had unresolved feelings for Nini, and her leaving had him pursuing that. But them getting to the destination of being together was good, I enjoyed their scenes in season 4, and they have lots of the checks of a good story (like I love the flashback scene and them understanding each other, and not being the typical main relationship), however they have a lot of flaws that I dislike (like gaslighting Nini about being upset at the chocolates situation or having to antagonize EJ to try to justify them getting together). If their relationship had not negatively effected the others, I would've been better with them, but ultimately s4 was good
watching this show was such a roller coaster. i shipped nini and ricky during season 1, they got ruined during season 2, i then shipped ej and gina during season 2, they got ruined in season 3
i just started rewatching s1 and knowing s4 makes it clearer than ever that Ricky wasn't trying to win Nini back bc he loved her. He liked being in a relationship with her bc it was familar and easy and he could coast in it. I thought his inability to say i love you to her was mostly due to immaturity, but i'm not sure he actually loved her in a romantic way at all. Maybe that's too bold of me to say, but he certainly loved what he thought she represented more than he loved her.
If I tried to put all my thoughts on the relationships in this show in a comment it would be as long as a novel, so all just say this, season 3 ruined every good character/relationship left in the show...
everyone says season four is the best season but when season three premiered the show felt like such a slog. Characters didn’t feel like themselves, storylines seemed more convoluted and far fetched, and there was way too many characters 😭maybe one day i’ll get around to it but i started watching the show may just be too dramatic for me
After finding your channel and watched some of the videos,i realized that,disney sucks on love historys,and likes a lot a toxic relanshionship,and i loved watching all of then and was waiting for a new one
I’m a Portwell through and through and I agreed with basically all your takes on this love square. I would love to hear your opinions about other parts of the show!
IDC what anyone says, this show is a MASTERPIECE! RINA Nation forever!!! I genuinely love this show so much and Gina Porter is literally perfect!! I absolutely love the Rina journey!!
I would like to point out that the summer camp was literally 2 weeks long and she didn’t give EJ any grace at all when he was literally forced into directing and all of those responsibilities that he didn’t plan on. He planned on a whole camp (2 weeks) for HER.
I hear you but the conclusion I’ve come to with that is just that I really don’t think it’s a huge deal that this sixteen year old girl in her very first relationship EVER is handling the situation without perfect maturity😭😭. Even EJ himself was a mess in relationships just two semesters ago… she’ll get there. And while I DO think she was a bit petty in episode 5, I really did see her try to make up for that and be understanding after that. She even stayed with him after she stopped feeling fireworks in their relationship. But at the end of the day, she felt insecure in this relationship during the entire two weeks of camp, so much so that she even brought up breaking up in episode two. Why should she stay in a relationship she feels insecure in, and she feels no sparks in anymore? She held on longer than a lot of teenage girls would’ve I think😭. Especially because she would’ve put all of it behind her if he followed through with his promise of dancing with her once at prom. I just think that in Gina’s eyes, if he can’t follow through with things like “I promise we’ll hang out at color war tomorrow” (missed her basketball thing) and “I promise I’ll dance with you” , it makes sense why she isn’t able to trust “I promise we’ll hang out after camp.” Because she’s right! EJ’s world is bigger than hers! And considering her upbringing it makes sense why she isn’t satisfied with that right now. Sorry for the essay I just love my girl Gina and had to defend her a bit😭 I love EJ too and ultimately feel bad for him, it’s just not enough for me to want her to be in a relationship that wasn’t working for her yk
@@jules1095 Yeah I get that, I love her too and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they would break up, I just hate that they made EJ seem like basically the devil for having too much on his plate that was forced upon him (he definitely shouldn’t have been making those promises and should have told her about the letter). It feels like an open secret that Tim Federle hates EJ and would never let him be happy, so I wasn’t surprised, it just irked me that Gina immediately went to Ricky when he had treated her pretty much the same when he was just existing as EJ “treated” her when he had so much responsibility that he didn’t ask for.
What I meant to say in there as well is that Ricky doesn’t deserve her. Not that EJ necessarily *deserves* her, but he put in work to become a better person, while Ricky pretty much stays the same the entire time while cycling through different girls.
@@thetrashcan5558 I think it’s interesting that you think Tim doesn’t like EJ that much😭😭. Because like, obviously you do sympathize with EJ and I very much think that was the point. If the writing didn’t want you to sympathize with EJ then they wouldn’t have made his relationship with his dad SO heartbreaking (therefore making EJ’s actions understandable) and EJ wouldn’t have said that everything he was doing was for Gina so many times. Like yes, it was a tragic season for him, but it was also very deep for EJ! He had a well dedicated arc that had to do with growing up and parental expectations and becoming a leader!! He had MUCH more going on this season than, say, Ricky. Writers love to make their favorite characters suffer, and in fact, I’m pretty sure I read an interview once that said the entire reason they made s3 at summer camp instead of the next semester at East High was so that they could keep EJ/Matt around a little longer. Honestly, EJ wasn’t some villain and Gina even called him wonderful in her breakup speech. I know some of my fellow Rina’s can get a bit crazy with the EJ hate but I do truly believe you are supposed to love him.
I started watching this series because I saw an EJ/Gina edit and they hooked me. After the character assassination that is season 3 and their breakup, I didn't even bother finishing the series and never will. #sorrynotsorry
i’m glad there’s someone else that think EJ and Gina deserved better!! I’ve been so scared to voice my opinions on this hahaha the Rina shippers can be a bit louder sometimes 🥰
Hear me out , I completely forgot she was on this show or started out on Disney tbh😂 she is giving me that vibe Shawn Mendes does towards Magcon started there but ended up becoming an extremely successful musician Olivia is the same way except it’s with Disney
I'm so glad you said that in regards to Ricky and Nini in season 2, I didn't like Ricky until that season. In season 2, I genuinely saw him actually trying to make their relationship work. Although I do get her perspective, since a big part of her identity revolved around him and she wants to be separate from that, and I get what its like to try to build your identity and needed some space to do it, but she just has the worst communication skills ever. She completely avoids him, is rude, and I just find the way she talks as gaslighting. "The song is not about you at all Ricky", "Nina is my given name", "it's not that deep", just completely invalidating, just to try to cover up her meanness with, "you could be more supportive" as if he's the problem. He actually was communicating pretty reasonably, and was trying his best. I don't get that about this show, when Ricky was being mean to her and being selfish in season 1, he was victimized, but now they're doing that with Nini, I feel like they make the wrong people the victim
nah they ALWAYS portrayed nini as a saint when she was ALWAYS the problem. so stuck up, selfish, self-victimising, terrible friend, insensitive, fake sweet. gosh I couldn't stand her character from the start. she is such a one note character, no progression no character development. ricky ej and gina all eveolved so much they completely transformed by the end compared to where they started. nini on the other hand couldn't get over herself. "i dont wanna disappoint you by leaving when you're putting hsm3 like who will be your gabriella if im not there" be fr carlos could be a better gabriella than you miss ukelele
I haven't watched this but I keep hearing from fans that they either hate it or love it. You know it’s divisive when Caitlin Mckillop, one of the nicest RUclips critics, especially one reviewing Disney Channel or this show, is conflicted with this show. I remember arguing with Kristen Maldonado about the show’s quality in the comments of one review video and that she believed seasons 1 and 3, at least by the third episode, are great and the real reason season 2 sucks is because they were struggling to do what they could in the middle of coshit 19.
For the next ship video can you talk about at LEAST one h20 just add water ship either Ricky and Zane, Cleo and Lewis or Emma and ash(only talking about Bryon a bit) .
Every time I think about how they ruined Portwell and by extension, EJ as a character, I get really sad. I couldn’t make it through s3 because the way EJ was being written was pissing me off and to this day, it almost feels like I wasted my time watching the first 2 seasons because of how they massacred my boy.
@realestsienna it doesn't matter if they weren't gonna be endgame, they still could've taken the time to write a proper breakup that didn't completely go against everything the show had been building a character to. My main gripe isn't the ship itself ending (I actually liked rina until shippers like you came along and soured me on them because you're so antagonistic towards anyone who dare have a different opinion) but how they chose to go about it. They destroyed EJ for the sake of a shoehorned breakup instead of writing a natural conclusion that would have been better for all characters involved cause basically everyone looks like a complete asshole with how they choose to write it.
I don’t think his character was ruined though 😭 and he acted in his relationship with gina very similarly to how he did with nini, which was driven by insecurity, some founded but a lot of it nonsensical.
@@bookmovietvworm I COMPLETELY agree, you can tell the writers were trying to avoid holding Ricky and Gina accountable. All I wanted was for the break up to be fair, just like Ricky and Nini's was. Both sides being understood and able to express their perspective. But unfortunately they only showed Gina's, and a lot of what she was upset about was beyond EJ's control since he was thrusted into being director, and his dad clearly didn't allow him to have that good future he strived for with Gina. She didn't give him what he needed, always focusing on the now, instead of the fact that he has to focus on the future, was dismissive. But they only antagonized him for not focusing on the now for her. The break up should've been more mutual
They were a perfect example of "wrong time". I do think they were overall good together, but they grew apart and had different plans for their lives. Had they remained friends and Nini didn't leave Salt Lake in season 3, I do think them dating other people and learning the lessons they needed before getting together would have made their relationship better.
@@mysticwolftvThis is valid 100% but I also think that they were also just not right for each other. I’m possibly a little biased since I was a rina shipper from day 1 😭 However, like every relationship ricky & nini had their flaws. I never really think they ever were good on communication. Nini would tell ricky to “talk to her” & when he does she either gets upset or downplays it which was so aggravating . (I haven’t rewatched the series so maybe i’m a little off but this is what I remember.)
my only issue with rina fans is that they act like nini and ej are the most evil people to walk the earth like sure there were times when they were annoying or rude but so were ricky and gina💀
I don't think that's true. Most rina fans I know actually like Nini, and only some hate EJ. I personally don't have any hate towards either of them, I just prefer Ricky and Gina as characters.
what ☠️☠️ when has any rina acted like those two were evil lmao. most comments about ej are just jokes and bc of matt, but no rina hates nini. they just find her to be messy and a little weird at times.
i'm literally a rina fan and I've had to go through the trenches to defend EJ to ppl like 😭I don't think portwell was ever endgame but leave that man alone!!!
Gina and Ej end game is like when Sam and Freddie end game was shot in the foot. I hate that they don't let the couples show us what we saw in order to start shipping them. I will die on the hill that Gina and Ej are the superior ship. Disney, I will never forgive you! LOL I'm like almost 30 and shouldn't be this invested but it was such a cute ship with so much potential! They could've shown the idea of how EJ going to college a bit away from Gina could've still worked like they hinted Troy and Gabriella were going to do after graduation. 😢
i LOVE gina’s character. i wish she would’ve ended up with ej, the ACTUAL ej not whatever they decided to turn him into halfway through just so ricky won.
I tried so hard to like Gina and Ricky together but I never could. It's like they have all these things that should make them the perfect couple and all but something just feel off about those two. And EJ ughhhh I was so frustrated by how he was treated in the third season. The way they made it seem as if everything was his fault. Man didn't even want to be the director in the first place, first he's forced to do that then when he's reasonably stressed about it it's again blamed on him. The last season did do him justice in a way I feel like but still he deserved so much better. And I can't recover from Portwell (clearly the best ship in the show) if you can't already tell.
I really loved Gina and EJ and hated that they broke up at the end of Season 3. But I will say much to my surprise I did like Gina and Ricky together in Season 4. I just wish EJ’s character hadn’t been treated so badly. I also wish we saw Ricky more on his own and single since it felt like the entire show he was after someone.
I still want a video of Tj and Cyrus (Tyrus) from Andi Mack but I feel like I’m the only one who watched it considering I was like 17 or 18 and was obsessed with that show for the controversial things they’d talk about and for that ship 😭 I would loveeeee a deep dive into Tj and Cyrus’ relationship
I hated how antagonized EJ was in this whole thing. Ricky tried to home-wreck on his relationship (in s1), and Nini & Gina used him as a rebound to get over Ricky (I get EJ did things wrong, but the writing feels so biased, and refuse to put blame on anybody else besides him...little to no accountability for anyone besides EJ). I am very glad season 4 just didn't have him in it much, they finally put him out of his misery, and the show was finally actually good
Ricky never stole anyone and girls aren’t objects also ej messed his relationships with Gina and nini on his own he wasn’t the best communicator either
Feeling so validated in my opinions of this show. I was really rooting for EJ and Gina in season 3 from the build up during season 2. Although I came to really love Ricky and Gina together in season 4, mostly because of the character growth, healthy relationship dynamics and the music
Loved your opinions and analysis! I’m not sure if you would be open to something a bit darker but one of my favorite pairings would be from Lockwood and co, it’s a short 8 episode British show set in a world where teenagers are ghost hunters. The acting, action and dialogue are all👌🏽✨chefs kiss✨
I love watching 2+ hour retrospectives of shows I've never watched. Also, Sofia Wylie looks absolutely GORGEOUS in season 3, that hairstyle is made for her!!
This comment is regarding your previous video regarding Austin and Ally. I am thankful to have seen that video. It got me interested in that show again, that I binged the series in disney plus. Thank you!
Great video I have a suggestion for another video like this: I would love to see her POV on the ships in the Family Channel Canadian series THE NEXT STEP (Hopefully, I'm not the only one who would enjoy that video)
@caitlinmckillop Thank you for responding to my comment JILEY is probably My favorite ship of the series, and I've seen all eight seasons (as in 1- 8). I'm aware there's a 9th season coming, and I can't wait 😀
The worst is that the show treats them like real friends and a family when theres so much drama going on. Ricky did EJ dirty, but the show does not care at all, he still is the "hero".
@@literallyfiguratively5658i’m cryin like 😭😭 don’t nbgaf, ej ain’t innocent. and it’s ej’s fault for being a loser that can’t keep his girlfriends and make them happy 🤓
![Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 | Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) [5] vs. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) [2] | F](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EIjZybhsWqA/mqdefault.jpg)
I can’t believe they used the “i’m moving and i havent told my love interest” trope three times throughout four seasons
Not to mention the “You should really tell this to your PARTNER” line multiple times 🤣
@@SabrinaTwyla Only Ricky didn't do it. He just immediately left Nini and never did the same shit again.
@@kubat4925 We were just talking about tropes and how the “You should really tell this to your PARTNER” line/trope was used multiple times throughout the series, not Ricky specifically.
@@SabrinaTwyla I know, I'm just saying and pointing out the irony with Ricky not only skipping it but getting straight to the point the worst way possible.
SAGWA THE CHINESE CAT PROFILE PICTURE OMG
Even though Ricky's character was all over the place for most of the series, I actually liked the build up for Gina here. She went from being the typical obnoxious mean girl to a very caring and loving person, her character development was very well done imo.
agreed!
@@caitlinmckillop can you do a derek and casey video please
My fav
u think he was all over the place? i think he was one of the better characters in this series from start to finish
@@jayngb I agree. Ricky, Nini, Carlos, and Gina were the ones who were handled the best, in my opinion (from what we got is what I mean because I think that there are some things that could've been improved).
crazy how EJ fumbled 2 girls to the same guy😭😭
1:21:52 "andi mack's boyfriend shows up" 😭
Yes Asher Angel who plays Jonah Beck.
Yeah that episode was a mini Andi Mack reunion since Sofia Wylie and Asher Angel were both on that show together
I just hate how the writers treated EJ as a character...he deserved so much better.
I didn't like EJ that much, tbh. But, he grew on me overtime and I do agree for the most part. I like that we see him in S4 having the courage to do what's best for him and getting the girl (in my opinion) that he deserves. And, that he was able to be friends with Ricky more so than in seasons past. If that didn't happen, then I would've been upset given what he went through in S3.
bruh same
@@sava898huh? “the girl he deserves”? i didnt watch season 4 i assumed ej ended up single at the end of the show cuz tim federele stopped caring ab him as a character the second he put ricky and gina tg lmao
@@randomaccount3574you really are everywhere
@@randomaccount3574 He ended up with Val after S3 (she was formerly an old friend of EJ's and was introduced in S3, played by Meg Donelly). Which even though I like seeing male/friendships without any romance behind it, I do like the idea of them dating. They're a good fit.
I got so frustreded by the fact that EJ lost his whole summer trying to make a great show for everyone, he did't even wanted to be the director and then he got all those responsebilitys and no one to acctualy help. And by the end no one said thanks or "good job! You did a great as director even tough you had no prior experence at all". He really deserved better...
(girl you look stuning! drop a make up tutorial right now)
He could have said no and did not do it? Like there were other people around 😂
@@19Rena96 so you're saying he was wrong for not letting other people lose their summer?? And wanting to do it for his friends??
@@alice-lw7ib They could have just done something else! It didn't have to be a musical.
If it's too much to handle, be honest to yourself and others and tell someone you can't do it right now. And if no one else wants to step up, then they have to choose something else to do during their summer.
Or maybe ask other people to help out, so he doesn't need to do the work all by himself?
Like there are ways, if you COMMUNICATE PROPERLY!
@@19Rena96 bro its really easy to judge when you're looking from the outside
This. Because he didnt want to be director it was just thrown at him like the entire plan was for him and Gina to be together the whole summer!!
And that being said I love Gina but the way she acted toward Ej in s3 was not it like she never gave him a chance to speak!!
season 4 was hands down my favorite season,
the show has always been funny and self aware, but the writters and cast knowing its the final season and really embracing that was such a breath of fresh air
It also felt the most focused, they knew exactly what endgame was for each character
@@Danbo22987 100% agree, they wrapped everyones arc up with beautiful pacing (excluding ej maybe )
2:25:32 This where I finally understood why you have the perspective that you do on Ricky's feelings for Nini and Gina, and I think you misunderstand Ricky's true motivation. He's motivated to keep his life the same - to hold onto his childhood and all that he saw as "the way things used to be" amidst his parents divorcing and his life fundamentally changing. Nini is his childhood best friend, his first crush, his first girlfriend, and someone who he saw as a constant in his life, which leads him to want to maintain the status quo in their relationship to have some semblance of consistency and control in his life. His clinging to his relationship with her is not as much about /her/ as it is his childhood and holding onto that. This is also why the lottery ticket /does/ symbolize him closing the door to his childhood by finding closure with Nini. (There are also so many examples in both S1 and S2 that directly link his relationship with Nini to his changing home life)
In S3 and 4, he finally has begun to accept change in his life by accepting a change in himself. By breaking up with Nini for good, he began to accept that maybe they need to outgrow each other, and then he started to accept new changes, little by little. S3 we see him excited and motivated to audition for the play for himself for the first time, we see him openly call himself a theater kid, we see him build friendships outside of Big Red and Nini (even takes a new kid under his wing), and most importantly, he finally confronts his feelings for Gina. I think by letting this idea that Nini is his motivation go, you'll see that his character arc is much bigger than her, and it's consistent and complete long after she leaves. (It's also so strongly tied to Gina's S1-4 character arc, but I don't need to touch on that now)
I know Rinas might seem intense (I think we feel strongly because most of us truly believe it's a /really/ well-written slowburn), but I only mean this to be a friendly critique :) You put a lot of work into this video, which I respect and applaud!
tots agree with everything here.
Love square was definitely messy, but I can’t deny my love for the pairing of Ricky and Gina I thought they were perfect together and really helped show the growth each character went on
Same
Yes perfect way to end the show and i always shipped them so❤
oh how i miss this show 😭 i swear rina is quite possibly one of the best written slowburn everrrr. not only that but the character development both ricky and gina had to go through to get to where theyend up together is just chef's kiss!!
I resignate with this comment so much!! The wait just made season 4 all that sweeter!!
This was my comfort show back in high school it came out when I was 17 and ended a month before I turned 21 it literally felt like I grew up w them the friend group I always wised I had… I remember I solely got Disney+ just so I could watch this show 😭🤣 I was on the Rina train from the jump best couple and ship idc what people say RINA IS FOREVER 🥹
i was surprised when you said you feel like ricky’s character became dull when nini left. in my opinion, ricky and nini thrived when she left. nini was pursing her dream happy. ricky himself didn’t like who he was when he was with nini and became so much better when she left. he’s happy and learning that sometimes change is okay. he actually enjoys theatre now and isn’t doing it for a girl. he found a family in theatre. he found gina who is used to things changing. isn’t it amazing that the boy who is afraid of change ended up with the girl who’s used to things changing
Perfect description like wow
Exactly. Like his character when he was with Nini was awful. And they held each other back. With Gina he could grow as a person ans became better.
I agree with your take on this. However, I believe what Cailtin had mentioned was that it felt like he lost his purpose because all of season 1 and the majority of season 2 was about his parents separation and him and Nini. Getting her back, holding onto her, and letting her go. Then in season 3 he was just coasting and starting to develop feelings for Gina, but he didn't really seem to have much purpose in the season, outside of being a "friend" for Gina. I really like the character development and purpose he had in season 4, but in season 3 it just felt like the writers weren't really sure what to do with him.
It made sense though because Ricky's whole life revolved around Nini. Even when they split in season 2, she was still around him. But this is the first time he was going off and doing something on his own without having her there for him to confide in. Even when they were broken up, he went to her time and time again to confide his feelings. His character felt like it didn't have a puropose in season 3 but that's because Ricky didn't know his purpose in season 3. It took him basically the whole season to really find himself. If you think about it, it's sort of a callback to Nini in season 1 when she mentions she went to camp and "found herself". Ricky basically did the same thing in season 3.
Agreed
you so get it!! I get so emotional seeing his character development from a someone who did things to protect himself to someone who lets things happen and embraces them
Caitlin! Never feel ashamed for opening up to your viewers. We care about you too not just the topics you talk about. I also come from a pretty traumatic background… it’s nice to know I’m not alone 💜
ricky and nini were truly an awful pairing, if they didn’t break up then ricky would have never grown as a person by learning to accept change, and nini would have been held back in pursuing her passions. a lot of people don’t notice, but rini were meant to be projections of ricky’s parents relationship (first love, high school sweethearts) and if they stayed together, they would’ve grown up to end up like ricky’s parents where they just end up resenting each other. i feel like rini’s don’t wanna accept that because they still see them as josh and olivia and can’t move on from them.
ej and gina were cute, but did not fundamentally understand each other and weren’t right for each other in the long run, and gina’s monologue during their breakup scene literally explains that. gina was in a point in her life where she no longer wanted everything to be a “maybe” she needed and deserved concrete stability since she was deprived of that her whole life. meanwhile ej was literally in a stage of his life where he was changing and moving onto to new things, hence why all he could offer gina was empty promises (which isn’t anyone’s fault it’s just life) and gina doesn’t want empty promises anymore cuz that’s exactly what her mom gave her. and ej and gina don’t really relate to each other on a deeper level cus of their different upbringings.
ricky and gina on the other hand, instantly related to each other from the moment they started speaking to one another (hence the car scene after homecoming), they connected on a deeper level. the creator of the show literally has their endgame planned since s1 ep5, and you can tell because there are inklings of rina throughout the entire series, even when they weren’t speaking to each other in s2. they had to go their separate ways and take chances on other people to figure out what they really wanted, which was each other. and if you actually pay attention, ricky and gina are literally parallels of troy and gabriella!!!! like it’s so clear, people have even made edits of rina and troyella paralleling each other. ricky was someone who was scared of change and abandonment, gina is someone who has only ever known change and was never given stability. because of this, they fit like puzzle pieces, ricky is someone who clings onto the people he loves and fights for them, which is what gina wants-someone who will fight for her. gina is someone who helps ricky grow and change healthily as a person, and motivates him (remember he literally said in s1 that she’s the reason he stayed with the show, which changed the trajectory of his life). their chemistry is so palpable and effortless it’s sooo electric, in s4 when they finally get together they’re SO IN LOVE, that’s what a good slow burn will get you
You got it!
LET HER COOOOKKKK
exactly!!
exactly !!
this!!
im kind of surprised you never analyzed ricky as a character deeper when it comes to how his outlook on love evolves based on what he saw in his parents.
like am i the only one who understands what his thematic arc is and what both nini and gina signify in his life? it’s kind of funny that people like to hand wave it off of bad writing when if u look past what is fed to you the writers play with some interesting developments here..
No, it's pretty obvious. And tbh, i'm actually disappointed she didn't even mention it.
Ricky’s concept of love arc is honestly very well written and realistic, especially with what Nini represented from fighting for someone to being vulnerable to knowing when to step away for the better of both people. The focus on Ricky’s parents & the parallels were so interesting. I’m disappointed it’s never touched on as well
No literally. Nini was the one thing in his life that was a constant in the midst of his parents divorce and home situation which is why Ricky was so attached to Nini in the second season. His whole arc why about accepting that things change. His mother emphasized how not all couples are meant to be together in the season one finale and Rinis want me to think that they were endgame? No way 🤣
Def not the only one, but I think it's mostly Rinas who have understood this (and I wonder why.....)
Ricky and Gina are the true spiritual successors to troy and Gabriella in every way. I loved how well built up this was. Mind you, the journey there was very rocky, but still satisfying once you get to season 4
I completely agree!
YES.
YES!!!!
personality wise nini is closer to gabriella but i still love gina
Agreed. They work so well together and it's so cute!❤
As a huge lover of EJ + Gina I really hate how they choose to regress EJ's character to make them break up. Especially since their relationship realistically had a natural end set up with EJ graduating and Gina just starting Junior year. I'm not upset she ended up with Ricky, I'm upset at how sloppy it was. Great video tho!
Yeah, S3 dampened things for me. I don't think EJ necessarily regressed (it was the stress of everything he was dealing with that caused him to make certain choices), but I do think he showed that he developed as a person and not as a boyfriend. His mistakes were very similar to what made him and Nini break up. It mirrors in a way, which was possibly intentional (or not, I'm not a writer of the show). But even with that, Rina's path back to each other did feel mishandled (they haven't spoken much since 2x06, so it made it weird despite them starting over in 3x02).
This show was a mess but it was my comfort show and I got rina endgame so that’s all that mattered to me!
But a couple things:
1) every line of the rina confession was a reference to scene/moment in their past development (one line is even a reference to a cut line from Ricky’s confession that the show runner posted in instagram)
2) the reason why the songwriting for maybe this time works is bc it’s Ricky sharing something he cares about with Gina. Just like them practicing choreography is something Gina cares about, them working on the song together is bonding
it was confirmed that all the scenes during “maybe this time” were moments that they were almost a thing, which confirms the emotional cheating during valentine’s day
exactly! So the whole thing where Gina said the whole chocolates thing wasn't a big deal. Like Nini is not wrong for not wanting another girl to think that her boyfriend would give her that, like it does seem iffy. Ricky and Gina had lots of moments that teeter the line of them flirting while one was in a relationship, so it just makes it harder for me to root for them, when they're kinda doing bad stuff and not taking accountability for it. I do still like them in season 4 though for the most part
who really gives a fuck in the end
@@growingupwithdisneyi’m not reading all that i’ve seen your twitter opinions 💀
@@queenshanna you're welcome for allowing you to be in the presence of such genius:)
@@growingupwithdisney “allowing” trust me i don’t wanna read anything u gotta say 💀💀
I feel like Ricky and Gina tops Ricky and Nini in my opinion. They're the definition of She fell first but he fell harder. Plus the point you made about no other scene topping the i love you scene in season 1. I disagree, other then gina's confession in season 3 (which also parallels her confession after ricky's ily scene), the graduation scene in season 4 when it looks like gina's about to leave (which is another parallel) is just so much more genuine and doesn't feel calculated. Which makes sense because Sofia Wylie and Joshua Bassett's chemistry as Ricky and Gina is the main reason why Tim Federle decided to make Rina main couple which he stated in an interview. Their trajectory was truly beautiful, and honestly i couldn't imagine not rooting for them the entire show.
I still watch Gina's speech scene in season 4 and it makes me emotional every time. That just felt so genuine and honestly what she said to Ricky really summed up why their characters were perfect for eachother. The "I feel so seen, so understood, so known" really touched on many times that she eluded to being the outsider or being misunderstood. Ricky has always seen her for the person she is and has always been able to relate to her with being an outsider and being someone that lacks stability in his life.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the I love you scene in season 1 and it will always hold a special place in my heart. But that honestly felt more like a last ditch effort to win the girl back and spill the feelings he was holding inside. With Gina's it's not feelings she ever hid but really was just a sum of the rock and stability Ricky provided for her and felt more like true love than the I love you scene. Also, it wasn't something that felt like it was necessary on Gina's part because she wasn't trying to "save" her relationship. It was just from the heart because she was leaving and wanted to express her true feelings. You could argue the I love you scene was similar because it was Ricky's "last chance" to win back Nini, but they had school together the next day so it wasn't like an all or nothing thing.
@@mysticwolftv couldn't agree more!
The flashback scene between Ricky and Gina in season 2 was even better than the Rini confession scene lmao. The speech was so corny to me and the material was stuff the audience didn't see, whereas with Rina, we get to grow with them which made their confessions more impactful.
I started watching the series because of my love for the movies, I had high hopes for the "main couple" but what did I find? A toxic and boring couple from the first episode, I really couldn't stand them, in fact there were moments when I was about to to skip their scenes and not only that, I was also about to stop watching the series UNTIL I started seeing the chemistry of Gina and Ricky, THEIR STORY, in my opinion, was what saved the series
THIS! The Ricky and Gina dynamic brought life to this show.
it’s really funny because the show really has been building up to rina the entire time. from the moment they spoke in the car, it was going to be them. as frustrating as it may be that rini and portwell didn’t end up together for some people, the show was very obvious about planting the seeds for their downfall even in their “happy” moments. and even when rina was on the rocks, there were always hints that they’d come back together. their story is the best written part of the show, indisputably.
Yes!
i don't remember who it was, but someone in the team said they had the rina endgame in mind since the car scene. it was always going to be them
@@sofia-nv9yf it was the creator/showrunner of the show, tim federle! and as early as s1, he stated that the hoco scene was pivotal for the grander story. so I do believe once he saw that scene he started planting the seeds.
It’s interesting how easily the intention of this silly little disney show gets so misunderstood. Because all it took for me to 100% know that rina was going to be endgame was the flashback scene in 2x06 as the camera pans to gina walking in to the dressing room after nini walks out post getting back together with ricky at the end of s1 (a scene that was filmed in s1 and before the whole OR/JB/SC drama btw). Like the audience is shown that ricky has an emotional, teary-eyed, *romantic* moment with another girl who ISNT his gf where regret is expressed over their relationship not getting to go anywhere because she is moving away. Like ??? That was literally the most obvious, in your face foreshadowing moment in the show and the fact that so many people in the audience brushed over that and instead focused their attention on slut shaming gina (yes, i was on twt. that very much happened) for making a move on “nini’s man” is crazy.
It’s also crazy that in said scene gina tells ricky she never does anything right the “first time” and then flash forward to portwell getting together, gina asks ej to be her “first” kiss. (it all leads back to the 2x06 flashback scene when you think about it lol). They were literally set up to fail which is why, again, i’m confused as to how that foreshadowing went over the audience’s head lol
did the writers say this was the plan? because let’s be honest if olivia didn’t leave they would’ve stayed together
@@arimonefranklin8753 Yes Tim, the showrunner, said this before they knew Olivia wanted to leave. He wanted Gina and Ricky to be a couple due to the amazing chemistry between the actors.
@@arimonefranklin8753yes they did stop saying that. One person leaving is not the sole reason for a whole story change.
@@4everinthe4d💯
@@arimonefranklin8753 ricky and gina literally have their OWN background song since season 1
I am a Rina stan through and through. Honestly, Ricky and Nini's relationship felt weird to me. The whole first season is about them falling back in love. Then they get back together and break up again? I know this might be tied into the IRL drama at the time, but it just seems dumb from a writing standpoint.
Imo Ricky and Nini never fell back in love, they just got back together because it was the safe choice. His feelings for Gina were obvious, even in s1 but he was afraid of the unknown and chose what he knew which was Nini, even though they had already outgrown each other.
I am a Rina stan as well and my biggest issue with Ricky and Nini were the fact that they just didn't feel like they had a real connection. It almost felt like they grew up together so they felt like they had to be together. Very much so for Ricky at least because it was constantly referenced in season 1 that he felt like "everything was changing" and that she was his "home". To me, this just felt like a way for him to not have to face the emotions of moving on from her. But even throughout the first season, I felt more chemistry between his interactions with Gina than I did his interactions with Nini. And for her to express her love for him and then move onto another guy during the summer, I mean I know he broke her heart but it still felt like maybe she wasn't fully honest with herself when she told him that.
See how he said “oh..” when she initially told him that she loved him and then notice how when he finally said it he just said “I love you…” he never said “IN love” meaning 2 different types of love because usually when you tell somebody you love them usually you say IN love Especially if it’s the first time saying it… And I guarantee you if she never said it first he probably would have never said it in the first place
Ngl I’m a little surprised that you really overlooked Ricky’s entire character arc. Ricky’s whole arc was about accepting that things change and that sometimes change can be a good thing.
With his mom leaving and his parents getting divorced, he was trying to cling onto Nini as she was the only constant in his life. In the season one finale, his mom talks to Ricky and tells him that not all couples are meant to be together. Throughout the second season, you see Ricky struggling with change where he tries to constantly remind Nini that she used to like certain things and when Nini would say that she doesn’t like those things anymore, he would be really confused. He was clinging onto an old version of her and imo was pressuring her to be the same Nini as she was before they broke up the first time. When they finally did break up again, you see Ricky fighting against his mother on how he didn’t like change and how he hates change even more now that that’s what caused him and Nini to break up.
Where Gina comes in is that Gina was the one change in his life that he was starting to accept. If you rewatch the first season, the second Gina and Ricky start their situationship, he’s completely ignoring Nini. But the second Gina moves, what does Ricky do? He runs right back to Nini. Ricky going back to Nini goes against everything he was learning through this first season. And it is for good reason! He was not meant to learn his lesson immediately since his arc was not complete. Him finally accepting his feelings for Gina was the full circle moment for him to finally accept change and learn what his parents’ relationship was meant to teach him.
Anyways still love you girl. Just a bit a constructive criticism because I’m big on media literacy lol.
I loved Ricky’s arc throughout the whole show. His breakup with Nini was the best thing to happen for both of them. They were toxic for each other. I agree with everything you said here
Both Ricky and EJ spent their first arcs of season 1 chasing after Nini, so why would Gina be considered Ricky's second choice and not EJ's? I always found this reasoning weird, especially in defense of Portwell.
I think it's bc gina and ricky had a thing b4 he and nini go back tgt but portwell happened after ej was completely done with nini......ifykwim
Imo there was a good chance that Ricky was gonna choose Gina if she wasn't being forced to move (even tho she stayed, him and nini were basically already at that point)
EJ was already dating Nini when he met Gina and they didn't get to know each other well until after his breakup with Nini. Ricky, on the other hand, was already close with Gina and then still continued to date Nini... and then Lily... Only after that, Gina came into the picture.
@@juliav9067but its implied he probably would've dated Gina, of not for her leaving
I just wanted to say thank you for keeping the moment of you being vulnerable with us in the video. It takes guts to post and my heart breaks for u and ur family 💔 pls remember to take care of urself
It's funny because the producer of the show said that after he saw Ricky and Gina's car scene in s1, he sensed they had to be together. That's why the 180 happened. They already had the whole script for s1 ready so he couldn't change anything in the first season. The scene where Gina says she wouldn't gave up on him was actually filmed at the same day as the Ricky/Nini love confession. Tim wanted to have it ready to use in S2. After that, he said everything he wrote in the following season was so that he could have a Rina kiss in the last episode in S3. I actually believe that's why S2 was so longer than the other, so that he could show coherently why Rini didn't work as a couple anymore and Ricky's process of coming in terms with his break up with Nini. You can even see than even back in s1, everytime there were a romantic scene with them, a specific romantic background song started playing. It was clearly planned. I also believe he got kinda lost in S3/S4 because even tho he had a whole ass plan to make a smooth transition, he got caught up in fan serving the Rina shippers. Their first meeting scene is a example. That was clearly fan service. The ideia in general makes sense, but it was kinda rushed idk. Anyways, I really really love my friends to lovers slow burn ship and I'm really glad they are endgame!
The scene with Gina saying she won’t give up on him was not filmed the same day LOL. Please compare the lighting in the Ricky/Nini S1 I love you scene and the Ricky/Gina ‘I wouldn’t give up on us scene’. No way was it filmed the same day, the lighting is entirely different. S2 was very dark haha
@@lauraj6694 It's probably filters, saturation and etc. Movies are shooted darker or brighter, they are modified to fit the vibe in the edit dep. But anyways, it was confirmed by the production so
agree with everything you said
I think the discrepancy between ricky's character is less from nini leaving the show and more about how they steered away from his family situation. Like that was the driving factor for a lot of his decisions in the early seasons and then suddenly in season 3 we didn't hear about it at all. Not even like him missing his parents. I get that they weren't there and it was a dynamic shift but I think that's part of it.
Also in the later seasons they focus more on the ensemble, which is nice but it definitely loses its focus. Ricky is still main but not as much. I think they could've focused on his fears for college and the future wayyy more. It kinda sucks we didn't get to see them graduate because I see that being a big deal for ricky (just like troy lmao). I also thought it was weird how they basically dropped his friendship with big red.
i think you’re right
i disagree tbh i feel like it was more of an ensemble show in s1/2 and then tim(the mf who wrote the show)completely made it the ricky and gina show in s3/4💀
I hate that they made everyone at cheater in this show and FOR NO REASON
-gina (emotional) cheater
-Seb cheater cheater
- Big red cheater cheater
- Ashlyn (emotional) cheater
-Ricky (retcond into an emotional cheater)
I support it idk
emotional cheaters for the win #idk
Ricky was a home-wrecker from the very first episode, lets not forget, which I think is cheater-adjacent
Big Red, Ashlyn (emotionally speaking), and Seb cheating made no sense. It was out of character for them.
I think this is one of the ways the Glee influence comes through. I had seen others make comparisons, but I had no context for them beyond “musical show” until I watched Seamus Gorman’s deep dive into Glee, where one thing he points out is all the cheating and partner swapping. He also interestingly said that Glee seemed inspired by the original HSM, but with more mature themes, so this series kinda brought it all full circle.
caitlin girl i'm seated all 2 hours 26 minutes 38 seconds
If I had a nickel for every time Sofia Wylie played a character on a Disney show about her mom telling her she has to move again, I'd have 2 nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice 😂😂😂
Speaking of Sofia, I would love if you went over her and Peyton's relationships (Andi and Buffy) in Andi Mack. I was OBSESSED with that show! It was so dramatic, but very interesting lol
The fourth season is honestly my favorite season they just went all out with some of the gags
Yesss! It was meta AF, which was something I liked about the first season.
also ej calling ricky "brother" in the end of season 3 was really forced by the writers, they were't brother, they were bearly friends
yeah i remember being so confused. I think they were amicable at that point but brothers was reallyyy pushing it- which sucks cuz I would've loved to see that friendship blossom since matt and josh r clearly besties
@@sabahk yeah for sure i would've also loved that for them!! But it did't make any sense cuz 3 episodes before ricky was slaping ej in the face and ej was telling him to stay on his lane.
It sounded forced coming out of his mouth, lol. I think EJ was kind of unfair to Ricky in S3 because it's not like he came to camp to intentionally get with Gina. I get why he was feeling jealous and somewhat threatened, but he should've talked to Gina more so since (in my opinion) she was being more flirty to Ricky than Ricky was with her.
@@sava898 yeah and ricky was also unfair to EJ when he said loudly and proudly that EJ "stole gina" from him, even though they never dated. That show was just a mess and writers were lazy af
@@alice-lw7ib Yeah, you can't steal someone if you never dated them in the first place. I agree with that.
Covering something from Andi Mack would be awesome! Obviously, Andi and Jonah deliver so much content with their toxicity, but I'm also a sucker for Marty and Buffy or of course TJ and Cyrus.
That show was something else
The flashback in S2 will forever be my one of my favorites because apparently they filmed during S1. So I believe they had it in case the show wouldn't get a S2. (source: Jacob Haren's 206 reaction with Joe)
EJ was done so dirty, especially season 3. Nobody ever realized just how stressed and unhappy he was by being forced to direct. That along with the fallout with his dad. Val was the only one who acknowledged and noticed him, and nobody could wrap their heads around why he wasn’t agreeing to hang out with them when he was put in charge of an _entire show on his own._ Even Dewey didn’t actually do anything, and he was in charge of the camp! (I think)
Also, I got super burnt out on the show by season 4 and couldn’t stand the repeated storylines and triangles/squares/pentagons that started popping up more after season 2. On top of that, Ricky’s only purpose in season 3 was to drive a wedge between Gina and EJ (same with Val), and he really just becomes a punching bag for the rest of the series. (Everyone should've just been single for the final season.) Not to mention all the cheating that goes on (emotional and literal).
Season 3 EJ was basically Mitchie in Camp Rock 2 but instead of everyone realizing he was drowning and pitch in to help like in CR2, everyone was annoyed he was “distant, busy, and no fun” then left him high and dry 😢 EJ was done so dirty
@@kathryno3051 Literally! It really comes out in the Susan Fine episode when Gina is trying to get him to leave his tent and join the others at the shrine Ricky finds
I'm sorry but Nini leaving the show was probably the best thing to happen to ricky.
and to the show on a whole honestly. hsmtmts went from nini amd friends to an actual ensemble story with the theatre spice
I can't say that this is a wrong take. I did like Nini's character for the most part, but Ricky finding purpose oustide of her really felt like it made his character whole. And her leaving really seemed like it started to give the other characters more of the spotlight.
I love rini, but they were so toxic, and they held each other back. Ricky and Gina are meant for each other.
It really was tho like 😭🙌🏽 they were the most boring and toxic couple 😭
She treated him so bad! But also he was a much better partner to Gina than he was to Nini so I guess they were just not meant to be
I think a good ship too go over would Andre and Tory from Victorious, and how it can both be interpreted as either a ship that never truly came to be or just one of the best Nickelodeon friendships
i’ve never seen them as a ship at all just really good best friends
Caitlin I just wanna say ever since finding your channel last year it made me nostalgic for my childhood Disney Channel Shows and now I’m binge watching all of them for the first time in years.
Also I’m watching Soy Luna for the first time and I’m already addicted to it so thanks for that.
you’re very welcome
Caitlin you’re such a lovely person! Seeing you empathise about the topic of divorce was heartbreaking… I really hope you’re doing well, God bless you and your family ❤
2 hours?? oh hell yea i’m seated
1:59:46 To put it simply, Ricky's bucketlist was things he wanted to do before turning 18. As we know, 18 years of age means you legally become an adult. Nini, as we know, was a major part of Ricky's childhood...as they quite actually grew up together and were pretty close from an early age. So, Nini getting Ricky the last thing he needed is showing that she will always be the biggest part of his childhood, they will always know everything about who the other was when they were kids. But it's now time for Ricky to grow up and move on, and Nini closes out that chapter of his teen/child years since she was the biggest part of that stage for him.
Ok, maybe I didn't explain it in simple terms, but I hope that made sense anyway.
I honestly didn’t think it was meant to be that deep. I took it as just Nina showing she still cares for him and that their connection might be different but it’s still there.
please tell me i'm not the only one who wanted EJ and Gina to work out and that season 3 crushed me :')
this was exactly my thoughts
RIGHT?! THANK GOD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE AND I WAS SOO HEARTBROKEN THAT THEY DIDN'T WORK OUT EVEN THO I DESPERATELY WANTED THEM TO WORK OUT😢😢😢😢 I DIDN'T WATCH SEASON 4 CUZ I'M LIKE WHY BOTHER, RINA IS THE COUPLE THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO HAPPEN AND THEY DID ANYWAY😤😤😤
I loved Portwell💔
Same:( They ruined EJ and I hate it
@@sofiajimenez4978 Same girl same😭💔💔
1:29:46 I love that this scene was added, like you said, it was really nice to see a bit of a friendship between Nini and Gina instead of having them continue to be put against each other. And I absolutely love that it's the lead into Second Chances, one of the most iconic sequences in the show (and the best song from season 2)
yeah everyone seems to have a different opinion about what exactly the lotto ticket thing was supposed to mean lol. my stance is more inline with the third explanation u gave. i saw it as ricky and nini recognizing that they know so much about each other and they will always hold a special place in the others heart, but it’s ultimately time to leave that period of their life in the past. i feel like this is highlighted by the fact that ricky was turning 18, leaving his childhood years, and nini was such a major part of said childhood years. they will always have those memories of each other but those times weren’t meant to last forever, they were “just for a moment”. i think that ricky getting real closure on that relationship was necessary for him to start his next chapter with gina and allowed him to get it right this time.
Have I seen any part of this show? No. Am I completely invested in how you explain these show? Absolutely.
PORTWELL STANS: "ONE OF US, ONE OF US!"🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
You mentioned having a bad home situation right now
i'm so sorry that whatever is happening is happening to you
Sofia is honestly so talented, they could've made her love interest a potato and they'd still have insane chemistry. I loved Gina & EJ together and really wanted them to be end game, but season 4 is honestly so enjoyable, it's hard not to ship
If anyone was surpised that Nini and Ricky broke up, yall didn't get the show
it was obvious that they were going to break up because of the stuff that happened outside of the show ☠️
to be fair the only reason they did write in a nasty breakup was because of Olivia leaving and everything that was happening behind the scenes...if that stuff didn't happen, they might have been end game
@@what-a-marvelous-tune no even if that stuff didn’t happen BTS Rina would have still been endgame because Tim seen the chemistry Josh and Sophia had as Rina and he always said Rini and Gina and EJ were always gonna be temporary those were learning relationships before Rina could actually become a real couple if anything, if Olivia stayed in the show, she would have most likely gotten back together with EJ or just stayed by herself
Thiss!!
Ok
I was literally so upset that they had Gina think EJ wasn’t paying attention to her when literally everything he was doing that summer was for her. Like I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they would break up eventually (even though I didn’t want them to) but this really pissed me off. I really hated the writing that she says he doesn’t put her first but then she goes to Ricky who has literally always thought of her as a second choice.
she told him that they should take a break if it’s gonna be hard to balance his relationship and focusing on the camp and he made it seem like he’d manage to do it all and didn’t ☠️ ion think it’s that srs. pw was literally just a plot device for rina to end up together, tim basically confirmed this. it was never gonna go anywhere.
@thetrashcan5558 I agree with you
@@realestsienna it's just bad writing though, EJ cannot predict the future, he prolly saw that as just an insecure moment for Gina and wanted her to hold onto hope. But in regards to the plot device thing, EJ is a main character, very odd to use him as a plot device for not one but two ships...if they don't put that boy out of his misery
@@growingupwithdisneyej whole plan was for telling himself he was doing it for Gina but he was really focusing on his future to impress his father (seeking his fathers validation) its very obvious use context clues (at every opportunity he choose himself over Gina, that in itself should tell u he wasn’t doing anything for her)
He still kept stuff from her and Gina didn’t want a maybe and wanted to actually spend time in her first relationship also he definitely hard more things on his mind then to spend time with Gina
What’s wild about this show is that, as I watched it, it made me root for *every ship.* Homecoming-Thanksgiving, I was a full-on Rina shipper. Last two episodes got me fully back on board with Rini. Season two just amplified my dislike for Nini and got me rooting for Gina to be happy, and by those last few episodes I was a full-on Gina/EJ shipper. Over the course of season three, the writers obviously screwed them over, but my dormant Rina love was definitely reignited. The entirety of season four, I was just giddy at all the Rina chemistry, and I would definitely say that from all the way back in season one, they were my favorite ship.
Also, it sucks that the love square got in the way of Ricky and EJ’s friendship, because they have such a wholesome bromance!
After seeing S4, I really wanted to see more of Ricky & EJ's friendship throughout the series.
Three things I want to mention:
1. I've always viewed this show as the "Ricky Dates Everyone Who's Female Show", lol.
2. The large number of "and then they share a look" in this video made me giggle because it made me realize that basically everyone was having moments with, well, everyone, lol.
3. I completely agree about the hat reveal at the end because, yep, Gina and Ricky hadn't known each other long at all when she gifted him that hat.
ricky and gina have one of the best love stories of all time idc
wbkkk
exactly thank you.
they really don't lol, the beginning and ending were good. Like them in season 1 was a surprise but they helped each other, and season 4 portrayed a good relationship, however season 2-3 was very messy. Honestly season 1 was sorta messy too since he had unresolved feelings for Nini, and her leaving had him pursuing that. But them getting to the destination of being together was good, I enjoyed their scenes in season 4, and they have lots of the checks of a good story (like I love the flashback scene and them understanding each other, and not being the typical main relationship), however they have a lot of flaws that I dislike (like gaslighting Nini about being upset at the chocolates situation or having to antagonize EJ to try to justify them getting together). If their relationship had not negatively effected the others, I would've been better with them, but ultimately s4 was good
literally sorry not sorry.
@@growingupwithdisneyyap yap yap
watching this show was such a roller coaster. i shipped nini and ricky during season 1, they got ruined during season 2, i then shipped ej and gina during season 2, they got ruined in season 3
i just started rewatching s1 and knowing s4 makes it clearer than ever that Ricky wasn't trying to win Nini back bc he loved her. He liked being in a relationship with her bc it was familar and easy and he could coast in it. I thought his inability to say i love you to her was mostly due to immaturity, but i'm not sure he actually loved her in a romantic way at all. Maybe that's too bold of me to say, but he certainly loved what he thought she represented more than he loved her.
I love Rina don’t get me wrong but what the writers did to EJ just to make Rina happen was so hard for me💔
SAMEEEEE
as a team rina i like ej too so it was hard seeing his struggles being downplayed, im so happy he got away from his parents
Girl your hair looks stunning in this video!
If I tried to put all my thoughts on the relationships in this show in a comment it would be as long as a novel, so all just say this, season 3 ruined every good character/relationship left in the show...
this asf i didnt even watch season 4😭
edit: i watched trailers n shit but i jus refused to watch the whole thing lmao
@@randomaccount3574 yeah I didn't ether I gave up on the show in season 2 but watched season 3 just cause
everyone says season four is the best season but when season three premiered the show felt like such a slog. Characters didn’t feel like themselves, storylines seemed more convoluted and far fetched, and there was way too many characters 😭maybe one day i’ll get around to it but i started watching the show may just be too dramatic for me
After finding your channel and watched some of the videos,i realized that,disney sucks on love historys,and likes a lot a toxic relanshionship,and i loved watching all of then and was waiting for a new one
I’m a Portwell through and through and I agreed with basically all your takes on this love square. I would love to hear your opinions about other parts of the show!
I always refer to this show as the show with the too long name
this show is a fall out boy song title
@@_bebeboudeur_ oh my god it is 😂😂
IDC what anyone says, this show is a MASTERPIECE! RINA Nation forever!!! I genuinely love this show so much and Gina Porter is literally perfect!! I absolutely love the Rina journey!!
Ej and Gina deserved JUSTICEEEEEE. They were so perfect. I refused to finish the show once I found out they wouldn't be together.
SAMEEEE
I would like to point out that the summer camp was literally 2 weeks long and she didn’t give EJ any grace at all when he was literally forced into directing and all of those responsibilities that he didn’t plan on. He planned on a whole camp (2 weeks) for HER.
I hear you but the conclusion I’ve come to with that is just that I really don’t think it’s a huge deal that this sixteen year old girl in her very first relationship EVER is handling the situation without perfect maturity😭😭. Even EJ himself was a mess in relationships just two semesters ago… she’ll get there. And while I DO think she was a bit petty in episode 5, I really did see her try to make up for that and be understanding after that. She even stayed with him after she stopped feeling fireworks in their relationship. But at the end of the day, she felt insecure in this relationship during the entire two weeks of camp, so much so that she even brought up breaking up in episode two. Why should she stay in a relationship she feels insecure in, and she feels no sparks in anymore? She held on longer than a lot of teenage girls would’ve I think😭. Especially because she would’ve put all of it behind her if he followed through with his promise of dancing with her once at prom. I just think that in Gina’s eyes, if he can’t follow through with things like “I promise we’ll hang out at color war tomorrow” (missed her basketball thing) and “I promise I’ll dance with you” , it makes sense why she isn’t able to trust “I promise we’ll hang out after camp.” Because she’s right! EJ’s world is bigger than hers! And considering her upbringing it makes sense why she isn’t satisfied with that right now.
Sorry for the essay I just love my girl Gina and had to defend her a bit😭 I love EJ too and ultimately feel bad for him, it’s just not enough for me to want her to be in a relationship that wasn’t working for her yk
@@jules1095 Yeah I get that, I love her too and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they would break up, I just hate that they made EJ seem like basically the devil for having too much on his plate that was forced upon him (he definitely shouldn’t have been making those promises and should have told her about the letter). It feels like an open secret that Tim Federle hates EJ and would never let him be happy, so I wasn’t surprised, it just irked me that Gina immediately went to Ricky when he had treated her pretty much the same when he was just existing as EJ “treated” her when he had so much responsibility that he didn’t ask for.
What I meant to say in there as well is that Ricky doesn’t deserve her. Not that EJ necessarily *deserves* her, but he put in work to become a better person, while Ricky pretty much stays the same the entire time while cycling through different girls.
I think my thing might that I just don’t really like Ricky that much.
@@thetrashcan5558 I think it’s interesting that you think Tim doesn’t like EJ that much😭😭. Because like, obviously you do sympathize with EJ and I very much think that was the point. If the writing didn’t want you to sympathize with EJ then they wouldn’t have made his relationship with his dad SO heartbreaking (therefore making EJ’s actions understandable) and EJ wouldn’t have said that everything he was doing was for Gina so many times. Like yes, it was a tragic season for him, but it was also very deep for EJ! He had a well dedicated arc that had to do with growing up and parental expectations and becoming a leader!! He had MUCH more going on this season than, say, Ricky. Writers love to make their favorite characters suffer, and in fact, I’m pretty sure I read an interview once that said the entire reason they made s3 at summer camp instead of the next semester at East High was so that they could keep EJ/Matt around a little longer. Honestly, EJ wasn’t some villain and Gina even called him wonderful in her breakup speech. I know some of my fellow Rina’s can get a bit crazy with the EJ hate but I do truly believe you are supposed to love him.
I started watching this series because I saw an EJ/Gina edit and they hooked me. After the character assassination that is season 3 and their breakup, I didn't even bother finishing the series and never will. #sorrynotsorry
SAMEEE about not finishing the series
missing out on the best season of the entire show lol
i’m glad there’s someone else that think EJ and Gina deserved better!! I’ve been so scared to voice my opinions on this hahaha the Rina shippers can be a bit louder sometimes 🥰
I ALSO THOUGHT PORTWELL DESERVED BETTER TOO AND I WAS ALSO SCARED TO VOICE MY OPINION 😢
I like Ricky and Gina but I don't like how they completely destroyed Ej and Gina
Hear me out , I completely forgot she was on this show or started out on Disney tbh😂 she is giving me that vibe Shawn Mendes does towards Magcon started there but ended up becoming an extremely successful musician Olivia is the same way except it’s with Disney
I'm so glad you said that in regards to Ricky and Nini in season 2, I didn't like Ricky until that season. In season 2, I genuinely saw him actually trying to make their relationship work. Although I do get her perspective, since a big part of her identity revolved around him and she wants to be separate from that, and I get what its like to try to build your identity and needed some space to do it, but she just has the worst communication skills ever. She completely avoids him, is rude, and I just find the way she talks as gaslighting. "The song is not about you at all Ricky", "Nina is my given name", "it's not that deep", just completely invalidating, just to try to cover up her meanness with, "you could be more supportive" as if he's the problem. He actually was communicating pretty reasonably, and was trying his best. I don't get that about this show, when Ricky was being mean to her and being selfish in season 1, he was victimized, but now they're doing that with Nini, I feel like they make the wrong people the victim
nah they ALWAYS portrayed nini as a saint when she was ALWAYS the problem. so stuck up, selfish, self-victimising, terrible friend, insensitive, fake sweet. gosh I couldn't stand her character from the start. she is such a one note character, no progression no character development. ricky ej and gina all eveolved so much they completely transformed by the end compared to where they started. nini on the other hand couldn't get over herself. "i dont wanna disappoint you by leaving when you're putting hsm3 like who will be your gabriella if im not there" be fr carlos could be a better gabriella than you miss ukelele
I need you to talk about all the sapphic drama and evolution now
Gina and EJ was the best ship, i completely agree!!! That is why i could not be a Rina shipper...i just wanted Portwell to be endgame 😭
SAME GURL SAME😢😢
I AM LOVING THE PORTWELL STANS IN THE COMMENTS🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Learning that Caitlin is a Portwell is everything I needed
I haven't watched this but I keep hearing from fans that they either hate it or love it. You know it’s divisive when Caitlin Mckillop, one of the nicest RUclips critics, especially one reviewing Disney Channel or this show, is conflicted with this show.
I remember arguing with Kristen Maldonado about the show’s quality in the comments of one review video and that she believed seasons 1 and 3, at least by the third episode, are great and the real reason season 2 sucks is because they were struggling to do what they could in the middle of coshit 19.
I’m always gonna be mad about them fumbling the EJ and Gina arc. Even from s1 they had such a fun chemistry
Ricky and Gina had the superior chemistry since season one IMO.
@@literallyfiguratively5658 did they lmao
@@majeda_aa “big” plot line in the first season was how nini was a kinda jealous about how close Gina and Ricky were 😭
Same honestly gina and EJ were my favorite ship
@@majeda_awell … yes if you have media literacy !
For the next ship video can you talk about at LEAST one h20 just add water ship either Ricky and Zane, Cleo and Lewis or Emma and ash(only talking about Bryon a bit) .
No do Amber and Simon from soy luna
Yess would love to see her thought on those ships don’t see much content regarding them
Every time I think about how they ruined Portwell and by extension, EJ as a character, I get really sad. I couldn’t make it through s3 because the way EJ was being written was pissing me off and to this day, it almost feels like I wasted my time watching the first 2 seasons because of how they massacred my boy.
portwell was never gonna be endgame, hope that helps!
true
@realestsienna it doesn't matter if they weren't gonna be endgame, they still could've taken the time to write a proper breakup that didn't completely go against everything the show had been building a character to. My main gripe isn't the ship itself ending (I actually liked rina until shippers like you came along and soured me on them because you're so antagonistic towards anyone who dare have a different opinion) but how they chose to go about it. They destroyed EJ for the sake of a shoehorned breakup instead of writing a natural conclusion that would have been better for all characters involved cause basically everyone looks like a complete asshole with how they choose to write it.
I don’t think his character was ruined though 😭 and he acted in his relationship with gina very similarly to how he did with nini, which was driven by insecurity, some founded but a lot of it nonsensical.
@@bookmovietvworm I COMPLETELY agree, you can tell the writers were trying to avoid holding Ricky and Gina accountable. All I wanted was for the break up to be fair, just like Ricky and Nini's was. Both sides being understood and able to express their perspective. But unfortunately they only showed Gina's, and a lot of what she was upset about was beyond EJ's control since he was thrusted into being director, and his dad clearly didn't allow him to have that good future he strived for with Gina. She didn't give him what he needed, always focusing on the now, instead of the fact that he has to focus on the future, was dismissive. But they only antagonized him for not focusing on the now for her. The break up should've been more mutual
Ricky & nini always gave me a weird feeling 😭
they were so corny and cringey
@@literallyfiguratively5658 i didn't mind the cornyness cause they're kids. I just think they're just toxic for each other as the seasons went by.
They were a perfect example of "wrong time". I do think they were overall good together, but they grew apart and had different plans for their lives. Had they remained friends and Nini didn't leave Salt Lake in season 3, I do think them dating other people and learning the lessons they needed before getting together would have made their relationship better.
@@mysticwolftvThis is valid 100% but I also think that they were also just not right for each other. I’m possibly a little biased since I was a rina shipper from day 1 😭 However, like every relationship ricky & nini had their flaws. I never really think they ever were good on communication. Nini would tell ricky to “talk to her” & when he does she either gets upset or downplays it which was so aggravating . (I haven’t rewatched the series so maybe i’m a little off but this is what I remember.)
@@mysticwolftvthey are 100% wrong person and time is irrelevant
these relationships feel insane but all high school theater kids are sleeping together so it tracks
Facts 😂 I know this from experience.
my only issue with rina fans is that they act like nini and ej are the most evil people to walk the earth like sure there were times when they were annoying or rude but so were ricky and gina💀
I don't think that's true. Most rina fans I know actually like Nini, and only some hate EJ. I personally don't have any hate towards either of them, I just prefer Ricky and Gina as characters.
what ☠️☠️ when has any rina acted like those two were evil lmao. most comments about ej are just jokes and bc of matt, but no rina hates nini. they just find her to be messy and a little weird at times.
@@realestsienna have you ever been on twitter😭
I just despise nini!! She’s such a self centered character I’m fine with ej and I ship rina I just don’t like nini or Olivia
i'm literally a rina fan and I've had to go through the trenches to defend EJ to ppl like 😭I don't think portwell was ever endgame but leave that man alone!!!
Gina and Ej end game is like when Sam and Freddie end game was shot in the foot. I hate that they don't let the couples show us what we saw in order to start shipping them. I will die on the hill that Gina and Ej are the superior ship. Disney, I will never forgive you! LOL I'm like almost 30 and shouldn't be this invested but it was such a cute ship with so much potential! They could've shown the idea of how EJ going to college a bit away from Gina could've still worked like they hinted Troy and Gabriella were going to do after graduation. 😢
TIL THE DAY I DIE, I ALSO WILL THINK THAT PORTWELL WAS SUPERIOR 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾💖
PORTWELL IS THE SUPERIOR OVER RINA AND RINI🙌🏾🙌🏾 ALSO WAS THE SUPERIOR SHIP, I SAID WHAT I SAID.
Hsmtmts was MESSYYYY
i LOVE gina’s character. i wish she would’ve ended up with ej, the ACTUAL ej not whatever they decided to turn him into halfway through just so ricky won.
I tried so hard to like Gina and Ricky together but I never could. It's like they have all these things that should make them the perfect couple and all but something just feel off about those two. And EJ ughhhh I was so frustrated by how he was treated in the third season. The way they made it seem as if everything was his fault. Man didn't even want to be the director in the first place, first he's forced to do that then when he's reasonably stressed about it it's again blamed on him. The last season did do him justice in a way I feel like but still he deserved so much better. And I can't recover from Portwell (clearly the best ship in the show) if you can't already tell.
I really loved Gina and EJ and hated that they broke up at the end of Season 3. But I will say much to my surprise I did like Gina and Ricky together in Season 4. I just wish EJ’s character hadn’t been treated so badly. I also wish we saw Ricky more on his own and single since it felt like the entire show he was after someone.
I still want a video of Tj and Cyrus (Tyrus) from Andi Mack but I feel like I’m the only one who watched it considering I was like 17 or 18 and was obsessed with that show for the controversial things they’d talk about and for that ship 😭 I would loveeeee a deep dive into Tj and Cyrus’ relationship
I do not hate Rina but my heart will always be Portwell and Rini and, like you, I feel Portwell deserved more.
YESSSSSS ME TOOO I Completely Agree with you❤️❤️❤️
I hated how antagonized EJ was in this whole thing. Ricky tried to home-wreck on his relationship (in s1), and Nini & Gina used him as a rebound to get over Ricky (I get EJ did things wrong, but the writing feels so biased, and refuse to put blame on anybody else besides him...little to no accountability for anyone besides EJ). I am very glad season 4 just didn't have him in it much, they finally put him out of his misery, and the show was finally actually good
Ricky never stole anyone and girls aren’t objects also ej messed his relationships with Gina and nini on his own he wasn’t the best communicator either
ej ruined his own relationship with Nini by stealing his girlfriends phone…
you advocating for s2 warmed my heart because it’s my comfort season hhh i usually rewatch it
gina and ej will forever be my endgame, maybe in another universe 🤞🥹
Feeling so validated in my opinions of this show. I was really rooting for EJ and Gina in season 3 from the build up during season 2. Although I came to really love Ricky and Gina together in season 4, mostly because of the character growth, healthy relationship dynamics and the music
Loved your opinions and analysis! I’m not sure if you would be open to something a bit darker but one of my favorite pairings would be from Lockwood and co, it’s a short 8 episode British show set in a world where teenagers are ghost hunters. The acting, action and dialogue are all👌🏽✨chefs kiss✨
finding out caitlyn ships portwell just broke me 💀
frankly i can take pw shipping if you’re at least a gina stan but it really just sounds like she was there for ej mainly 😕
I love watching 2+ hour retrospectives of shows I've never watched. Also, Sofia Wylie looks absolutely GORGEOUS in season 3, that hairstyle is made for her!!
i would love if you talked about ashlyn and maddox (and that horrible jojo siwa cameo)
This comment is regarding your previous video regarding Austin and Ally.
I am thankful to have seen that video. It got me interested in that show again, that I binged the series in disney plus.
Thank you!
Great video
I have a suggestion for another video like this:
I would love to see her POV on the ships in the Family Channel Canadian series THE NEXT STEP
(Hopefully, I'm not the only one who would enjoy that video)
yes! i’ve been dying to cover james and riley
@caitlinmckillop Thank you for responding to my comment
JILEY is probably My favorite ship of the series, and I've seen all eight seasons (as in 1- 8). I'm aware there's a 9th season coming, and I can't wait 😀
1:25:52 hearing you quote EJ on “good clean fun with someone he digs” made me cackle at how corny he is😂😂😂I love him for it
The worst is that the show treats them like real friends and a family when theres so much drama going on. Ricky did EJ dirty, but the show does not care at all, he still is the "hero".
no one gaf
@@literallyfiguratively5658You do 💀 you’re replying to every EJ-Gina enjoyer’s comment getting pressed its not that deep
@@literallyfiguratively5658 apparently you do
@@literallyfiguratively5658i’m cryin like 😭😭 don’t nbgaf, ej ain’t innocent. and it’s ej’s fault for being a loser that can’t keep his girlfriends and make them happy 🤓
@@literallyfiguratively5658apparently u do if ur this offended by ppl simply not liking ricky and gina tg💀💀💀 pls go sit down somewhere tf