8 Questions We Have After the ‘HSMTMTS’ Season 2 Finale
Season 2 of the Disney+ hit High School Musical: The Musical: The Series has come to an end. Veering off the High School Musical track set up in Season 1, the second season followed the East High students as they put on a production of Beauty and the Beast against their rivals at North High to compete in the Alan Menken Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater (or the Menkies, for short).
Full of drama, friendship, and a lot of romance, the season finale left many questions up in the air for a potential third season. Which couples will get together or stay together, what is in the future for the characters’ stories, and will we find out who won at the Menkies? Below are 8 burning questions we have after the HSMTMTS Season 2 finale.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Streaming Now, Disney+
Who Won at the Menkie Awards?
After opening night, the judge for the Menkie Awards who attended the performance gave Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders) an envelope containing their nominations. However, the cast decides that they don’t need to know the results to feel like they’ve won, so they agree to throw the envelope away and drop out of the competition. Will it ever be revealed who went on to win at the Menkies? Was North High’s over-the-top production enough to win, or will Lily ever face consequences for stealing Ricky’s Beast transformation harness? Could East High’s production have won if they hadn’t dropped out?
Will Miss Jenn Choose Mr. Bowen or Mr. Mazzara?
With 3 love interests in Season 2, Miss Jenn decided to pursue a relationship with Ricky’s dad, Mr. Bowen (Alex Quijano). However, their unofficial relationship came to an end after Ricky felt uncomfortable about his dad moving on from his mom not long after their divorce. In the finale, Ricky took back his disapproval and gave his blessing for the two to date. With Derek Hough’s Zack Roy out of the running for Miss Jenn’s heart, the only thing holding her back from Mr. Bowen is Mr. Mazzara (Mark St. Cyr), who expressed his feelings to her at the cast party. Which guy will she choose, or will she choose any at all?
Are E.J. and Gina Officially Together?
The “will they, won’t they” couple of the season, E.J. (Matt Cornett) & Gina (Sofia Wylie), finally expressed their feelings for each other in the season finale, with Gina catching E.J. before leaving the cast party and asking him to be her first kiss. Their kiss isn’t shown on camera, most likely due to COVID-19 filming restrictions, though it is implied that it happens. Does this kiss mean the two are officially together? If so, we can’t wait to see how their relationship continues in a potential third season.
Will Season 3 Take Place During the Summer?
Though a Season 3 has yet to be announced, the finale hinted at the show’s return with a potential summer setting. As Natalie (Alexis Nelis) says in the closing scene, “Buckle up, Wildcats. This summer’s about to get hot.” Could Season 3 be set during summer vacation? It would make sense, as it would be the only way for E.J. to return, since he was a graduating senior this season. If the summer setting is the case, we would love to see some High School Musical 2 songs be featured!
What Will Happen Between Ricky & Lily?
Given the episode’s title, “Second Chances,” Ricky (Joshua Bassett) appears to be getting a second chance at love, as he called Lily (Olivia Rose Keegan) after she crashed the cast party and told Ricky she liked him. On her way out of the pizza place, she told him, “Sometimes people deserve a second chance,” and it seems like Ricky might be giving her one. Lily has been one of the main antagonists throughout the season, even stealing Ricky’s harness on opening night to ruin the Beast transformation. Is she to be trusted going forward, and will Ricky ever find out about the harness? Will that revelation be enough for Ricky to forgive her?
Will Nini Work with Gina’s Music Producer Brother?
As Ricky calls Lily, Nini (Olivia Rodrigo) calls Gina’s music producer brother, Jamie (Jordan Fisher). Nini comforted Gina after the performance as she was upset about E.J. bailing on their date. After telling Nini she should have gotten to sing her Rose Song during the show, she puts her in touch with Jamie so he can help expand her songwriting career. Nini’s passion for songwriting has been one of her driving forces throughout the season, so the chance to work with Jamie would be huge for her. What will this potential collaboration mean for Nini going forward?
Will Mr. Mazzara Take E.J.’s Offer?
E.J. and Mr. Mazzara were one of the best new pairings of the season. Mr. Mazzara comforted E.J. after his rejection from Duke by sharing his own story of not getting into his dream school, Caltech, in Episode 5. E.J. takes up his offer of joining the AV club to lift his spirits, becoming a mentor-like figure for him throughout the season. In the finale, we find out that Mr. Mazzara’s mysterious phone call during the show was about a spot in Caltech’s doctorate robotics program, as he was recommended for it by E.J. and his father. When Miss Jenn asks if he will accept the offer, he states the only thing keeping him back is a potential relationship between the two of them. Will his feelings for Miss Jenn keep him from pursuing his dream?
Did Anyone Look at the Menkies Nominations?
Offscreen, Courtney (Dara Renée) and Miss Jenn threw the Menkies nominations envelope into the pizza place oven after the group decides the drop out of the competition. Although Miss Jenn claims she didn’t peek inside, it’s hard to imagine that she wouldn’t find a way to look at the nominations since the competition was her focus all season long. Perhaps she or one of the students could have saved the envelope from its fiery doom to look at the results, despite agreeing to exit the competition.
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