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Another 'HSMTMTS' Character Came Out During the Season 3 Finale
The HSMTMTS finale featured another coming out, the start of a queer love triangle, and a goodbye!
It was a packed season 3 finale for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as the campers put on their debut performance of Frozen: The Musical, discovered new secrets, and made some big changes.
Ashlyn (Julia Lester), who had one of the biggest summers and discovered that she's bi, was surprised to see her "male boyfriend" Big Red (Larry Saperstein) show up at camp to watch the production of Frozen! But this is also when we learn she hasn't come out to him yet.
Thankfully, the drama over her coming out doesn't last long. The campers put on a great production of Frozen, complete with Carlos (Frankie A. Rodriguez) in costume as Olaf singing "In Summer" (Carlos deserves better!!!) and Kourtney (Dara Renee) bringing down the house with her rendition of "Let It Go."
The show then picks up later at the premiere for the fictional Disney+ docuseries on the making of the first-ever high school production of Frozen: The Musical.
All the campers are there, both Wildcats and not, and they're excited for the debut of the show. That is, until they see the preview for it.
In that preview, the editor makes it seem like EJ had a crush on Val, like Kourtney and Nini were feuding, like Carlos cheated on Seb, and even completely exposes Maddox (Saylor Bell) having a crush on Ashlyn. (The one correct thing in the trailer!!!)
\u201cfor me is the way maddox looks at ashlyn. #HSMTMTS\u201d— \ud835\udc5a\ud835\udc4e\ud835\udc5f\ud835\udc61\ud835\udc56 (@\ud835\udc5a\ud835\udc4e\ud835\udc5f\ud835\udc61\ud835\udc56) 1663167222
It also features another wonderful coming out for one of our characters! At the end of the trailer, Big Red comes out and says, "Hi, I'm Big Red, I'm Ashlyn's boyfriend, and I'm bi."
Ricky (Joshua Bassett), Big Red's best friend, looks to Ashlyn for confirmation, then nods, and says, "good for him!"
The show now has five out queer teens on it! And it seems like all of them are played by queer actors! Let's go Wildcats!
\u201ci love ashlyn and ricky\u2019s reaction to big red revelation #HSMTMTS\u201d— jade\ud83e\udeb7 (@jade\ud83e\udeb7) 1663145959
Maddox can barely breathe when she sees the footage, and as soon as it's done, she runs out. Hopefully, she'll be back next season, even joining East High, so we can see more of her adorable crush on Ashlyn. And so we can see what happens with bi Ashlyn, bi Big Red, and gay Maddox in this adorable queer love triangle.
The episode also had a tearful goodbye, as "Driver's License" singer Olivia Rodrigo bowed out of the show after appearing in just two episodes this season. This year, Gina had gone to California to meet her birth father and work on songwriting, and it seems the move agreed with her.
So, next season will be one with a lot of change. EJ has graduated, Nini is gone, and Gina and Ricky are together now!
We recently learned that season 4 of the show will follow the students as they put on a production of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and also as they become extras in the all-new movie High School Musical 4: The Reunion! We can't wait to watch!
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is currently streaming on Disney+!
RELATED | 21 Disney Stars Who Came Out As LGBTQ+
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
