#gina 1.0 rights

[starrrbakerrr]

HSMTMTS Appreciation Week Day 1: Favorite Character

"I don't do anything right the first time, Ricky. My thing is that I just keep pushing and I never quit."

This scene occurred before Gina started to show vulnerability. At this point she was very guarded of her emotions and put on a mask of toughness. I dislike the "Gina 1.0" label because I think she has great qualities since her introduction that do not need to be stripped. Present-day Gina still has the confidence and drive of pre-Homecoming episode Gina, she's now just more open and comfortable in her environment – and that's why she's my favorite character. 💜

[nyikondlovu]

“This was the worst season”

“I’m not gonna watch season four”

“Ricky and Gina’s feelings came out of nowhere”

“EJ deserved better than Gina”

“I hope Gina and Ricky are miserable together”

“Gina 1.0 came back because she threw aside EJ for Ricky”

“Ricky’s gonna make her cry again”

Please listen to father and co-captain of Rina, Tim Federle:

And accept that he’s wanted and written towards Rina since 1x05. Like Rina’s his baby and Ricky and Gina are the peoples prince and princess, they were BOUND to get together 🫶🏾😁

“Y’all only like this season ‘cause they got together” no actually, Kourtney confronted her anxiety, Carlos took the first step towards accepting his body, Ashlyn figured out her sexuality, Jet and Maddox fixed their relationship, Gina and Kourtney finally got leads, RickyCarlosJet friendship rose. Like, a lot of positives happened outside of Rina, and the core four Kourtlosrina were ALL thriving😁🫶🏾

LIKE OH FUCKING BROOOOOTHER JUST LEAVE IF YOU HATE THE SHOW SO MUCH! UNSUBSCRIBE TO DISNEY PLUS IF ITLL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER! GO OUTSIDE! I GUARANTEE DISNEY WILL BE FINE WITHOUT ALL 8 OF YOU WATCHING.

And you can be disappointed that Portwell didn’t work out (even though Rinas have been telling y’all it’s a plot device ship meant to get Gina’s firsts out of the way because she doesn’t do anything right the first time and show how Ricky’s grown and ready to be the boyfriend Gina deserves)

and you can be pissed about EJ’s daddy issues and how unloved he is by his father but saying Ricky ‘always gets what he wants’ as though his mama didn’t abandon him, his daddy isn’t using money they barely have to take Miss Jenn on cruises, like his teachers telling him he has no profitable skills or prospects, like Miss Jenn telling him to jump off of something high isn’t CRAZY is nuts to me! but yeah, he’s ‘always winning’ because two girls that have always liked him still liked him and he got a couple of leads in musicals. Be fucking for real

But god please don’t threaten us with a good time about you leaving the fandom if you’re not going to.

[itsasweater]

Let's dissect EJ and Gina's relationship in S3, episode by episode. Who is at fault for the downfall of their relationship? Is one more at fault than the other? Is EJ, who had just graduated from high school, heading towards college and has had plenty of relationship experience more to blame? Is Gina, the 16 year old (?) going into her junior year, who also happens to be in her very first relationship more to blame? Are they equally at fault? Were too many promises made that were not followed through on/kept? And did the problems that they had in S3 just preview what the future would have looked like for them anyways if the relationship continued.

Ep.1 "Happy Campers":

The gang arrives at the summer camp, including EJ and Gina. They are excited, Gina mentions to Kourtney and Ashlyn that EJ promised the best summer ever (Obviously this promise was made before he knew he was going to have to direct the musical). The group finds out that a documentary is going to be made and EJ gets recruited to fulfil the role as director of the camp musical. This clearly brings a lot of responsibility and pressure on his shoulders. He tells Gina that nothing will ruin their perfect summer even though he was given this responsibility and she says who said anybody would. Ricky immediately shows up on screen right after she says that, so we are lead to believe that it might be him who does but was it actually foreshadowing to EJ possible being the one to ruin it.

Ep.2 "Into the Unknown":

Gina is excited for the musical auditions and is planning on going for a lead role, but Kourtney and Ashlyn think that she is reverting back to her Gina 1.0 days from S1. We get Gina singing the song called “Balance” talking about never going to dim her light or her power and how the real her is going to shine, not the old her or 2.0 her. She also mentions in the song that maybe before she was only half of herself, essentially insinuating that during S2 she wasn’t her true self and was trying to please other people around her instead.  We see Gina get a little jealous of the relationship that EJ has with Val during this episode, but it’s understandable since this is her first relationship and insecurities are going to come out.  Val helps EJ with the casting and takes over that part.  Gina notices that EJ is clearly stressed with having to direct the musical so she tells him that they can take a step back in their relationship if it’s all too much for him, but he reassures her that they are the one thing that he is sure about. This is where EJ starts making assurances or promises that get him in trouble even when Gina gave him an out, understanding that he has a lot on his plate.

Ep.3 “The Woman in the Woods”:

This episode is where we really start to see EJ really struggling with the demanding position as director of the musical, he comes and congratulates Gina on getting a lead role as Anna, but immediately starts spacing out when she starts talking to him.  The group goes on an overnight camping trip that is tradition for the new campers.  Maddox tells EJ that he needs to sing the camp song, and after initially saying no because he has too much work to do because of the musical, he gives in and does it anyway.  I think this is a situation that can be used as an example when it comes to not doing things Gina asked him to do for the future episodes because even though he was busy he still made time for something Maddox asked him to do.  Towards the end of the episode we see EJ in a tent working on the musical and Ricky comes in to ask him about going to see the woman in the woods shrine, followed by Gina also asking him to go but he refuses to do so.  Remember, he had just made time for something Maddox asked him to do, but not his girlfriend. 

Ep.4 “No Drama”:

This episode is where EJ and Gina’s relationship really starts to show its cracks.  Gina asks EJ where Corbin Bleu is and EJ in front of everybody basically embarrasses her by asking her why she doesn’t ask her late night hiking buddy Ricky about where he is.  Clearly, EJ felt a certain type of way about her hanging with Ricky even though he was invited by her to go with them.  The big conflict in this episode starts when we find out that Gina’s mom is moving back to Salt Lake and she is all excited because she and EJ will be living close to each other. However, we find out that EJ received a letter from his dad, who wants him to attend his succession school in St. Louis.  EJ’s plan is to not tell Gina about this until he fixes the problem, basically until he can get out of it, he says this directly to the audience.  When he finds a way out of it he will tell her, instead of telling her right away about it, he tells Val instead. Val even says to him that he has a girlfriend to talk about these things with.  We also see EJ apologize to Gina for not going with her and Ricky on the late night hike, Gina tells him that it’s okay and that it would have been more fun with him.  This is the first of 2 or 3 times where Gina forgives him for not being there and understands why but these kind of things start to pile up as the season continues.  At the end of the episode, we get Gina mentioning during movie night that she hates liars and then she finds the letter from EJ’s dad herself.

Ep.5 “The Real Campers of Shallow Lake”:

In this episode, the campers find out that they have to create drama, reality television style for the documentary.  We see that Gina really does feel a certain type of way about EJ’s friendship with Val because she found out at the end of the last episode that Val already knew about the letter EJ received from his dad about moving to St. Louis, yet he didn’t tell her even though she is his girlfriend.  Gina obviously uses this information to be petty in this episode and uses the performance with Ricky as way to make EJ jealous because of how she feels she is being treated.  After the performance she storms out and EJ goes after her.  They have a conversation outside and EJ asks Gina if he has done anything wrong.  Gina doesn’t mention the letter but neither does EJ, so he is clearly sticking with the plan of not telling her until he gets out of it, choosing not to properly communicate. Gina mentions how she feels like they are having two completely different summers and how she thought they would be spending more time together.  EJ tells her that he knows he has been neglecting her, but he promises that tomorrow will be better.  At the end of the episode we get Gina finally letting it out that she knows about St. Louis and she voices her frustration at being lied too.  This hits her especially hard considering how she told EJ that her mom was moving back to Salt Lake and they were going to live closer together so she was excited, yet he let her think everything was going to be perfect because he chose not to mention the letter to her.  She mentions how EJ is acting like an old version of himself by not telling her things, maybe referencing how he was in his relationship with Nini.

Ep.6 “Color War”:

Maddox and Gina open this episode discussing family problems/relationships with their brothers, EJ walks in wanting to speak with Gina.  EJ tells Gina that he is working on making sure the musical is perfect, he mentions he has a plan (we found out last episode at the end that he made a phone call).  Gina tells EJ that her reason for being mad/upset with him doesn’t have anything to do with the show being good or not, it isn’t about that.  Clearly, Gina’s problem is that EJ was making her feel like he was keeping things from her, like the letter and not telling her about it, but also just not spending time with her.  EJ hears what she is saying when she says that this whole conflict isn’t about the show being perfect and he tells her that putting on a good show means he can convince his dad to let him stay in Salt Lake with her.  Gina, who is feeling like they haven’t spent any real time together at camp doesn’t even want to talk about the future in that moment.  All she wants is to win color war together with EJ, have a win together, spend time together and he promises her that they will.  Once again, this is another promise that he makes to Gina.  We find out that EJ called Ms. Jenn to help with pointers on how to direct a show.  Ms. Jenn’s arrival pulls EJ away from Color War, yet he still promised Gina he would be there for her even though he knew Ms. Jenn would be coming.  We see Gina at the basketball court with Ricky practicing her shot, she mentions to him how badly she wants to win and especially win with EJ but he is nowhere to be found when she hits the winning shot.  At the end of the episode we see Gina ask Ricky to help her with something and it turns out to be a prom proposal to the camps dance.  EJ tells Gina that no dates are allowed to the dance because of the camps rule so that nobody gets hurt if they don’t have a date, so he turns Gina down.  Obviously, EJ isn’t at fault for this because it’s the rules of the camp so they can’t go together officially.

Ep.7 “Camp Prom”

We see Ashlyn, Kourtney and Gina getting ready for camp prom at the beginning of the episode.  Ashlyn asks Gina how she is doing about not being able to go with EJ and Gina mentions that even though it has felt like he has been ignoring her during camp, she is excited because he promised her that he would dance with her or save the last dance for her.  This is once again an example of EJ making a promise to Gina.  The gang is all at the dance and we see that EJ is still going through his binder for the show, asking people about their lines.  While Ricky and Kourtney are talking we see EJ come up to them and ask what Ricky is doing, he mentions that he is trying to become a super hero for his bucket list.  While EJ is talking to Ricky and Kourtney we see Gina join the group and ask EJ to dance but he tells her to wait as he is still asking people for their lines for the show, we see him ask Kourtney for a specific line. We can see that Gina is upset when she asks EJ to dance but he tells her that he will once he is finished giving out the prompts for the show, remember he promised her he would dance with her. Gina is clearly feeling deflated when EJ doesn’t dance with her and realizes that his distractions have made their differences apparent.  She tells him that he missed the last dance and tells him that he has made her feel like a maybe all summer, which results in her breaking up with him.

EJ obviously was given an extremely tough task with having to direct the musical for the show, that wasn’t his fault.  Gina was sympathetic to this seeing how she even gave EJ an out by saying if directing the show and being with her was too much they could take a step back so he wouldn’t be as stressed.  EJ reassured Gina that he could do both, direct the show and be with her (Promise 1).  EJ didn’t tell Gina about the letter yet she forgave him for that, she just wanted to win with him at color war and he promised they would (Promise 2) yet he wasn’t there for her big win.  Gina’s bummed about not being able to go to the dance together with EJ but he promises that he would dance with her (Promise 3), yet he doesn’t.  So yes, EJ was busy with directing the show but very early on Gina was understanding of that, suggesting that they even take a step back so that he could focus on the show but he kept making Gina promises the whole time that he never kept.  All these promises not being kept may seem to be a silly reason for Gina to end things with EJ for some people, but it’s the accumulation of promises made that were not acted on that ultimately became too much for Gina.  For people to put more blame on a 16 old girl in her first relationship is crazy too me.  She said that EJ made her feel like a maybe, and people say that she was never a maybe to him but he certainly made her feel like that.  Her feelings are valid.  EJ made promises all camp and never followed through on any of them yet Gina kept trying until she had enough.  Remember this is a girl who has been told things all her life by her mother, yet her mother never followed through on anything she said.  Actions mean more to Gina than words, and EJ was saying he was going to do this and that with her yet never followed those words up with actions. 

I would advise people to re-watch season 3 because it really helps to see just how this relationship broke down and how they were doomed from the start.  I feel like people forgot things or didn’t notice things during season 3 especially because it was a weekly release.  I am always so surprised when I see people in the fandom put most if not all of the blame on Gina....... really?

[blues-valentine]

I don’t want to add to the discussions with Ashlyn and the Gina 1.0 thing but it seems to me no one really understood Gina 1.0 and why she was acting that way except Ricky. He misjudged her like everyone else but was actually willing to give her a chance and was able to understand her and see beyond her persona. This is why 105 is so important to me.

The group sees Gina 1.0 = bad and Gina 2.0 = good and that lacks nuance to me. I’m not saying Gina was right on S1 because she did things she shouldn’t have done but we quickly were able to understand throughout her conversations with Ricky it was a defense mechanism. Gina 2.0 dimmed her light a lot (as said in Balance) and tuned down her competitive nature in favor of others. She went along with the "let’s just have fun on the play and audition as a group" even when she wanted the lead role, same with the co-choreographer thing. Gina being competitive, ambitious and having goals is not a bad thing. She’s in her right to want to stand up on her own this summer because the Frozen musical is a huge opportunity for her. This is probably why the scene annoyed me so much, it felt accusative – as if having goals for yourself makes you selfish.

It makes me wonder if the group would’ve been able to accept Gina if she remained with some of her "Gina 1.0" qualities (ambitious, outspoken and driven) like Ricky did. She needed to "change" in order to be accepted. Would they continue seeing her as the "bad seed" if it wasn’t for Ricky helping her break those walls? Gina doesn’t have to be defined or constricted to Gina 1.0 or Gina 2.0, she’s just Gina. She can have both of them. It makes me interested to see how some will react to Gina being a lot more outspoken and competitive this season.

[sunbeam000]

HSMTMTS FANDOM DISCOURSE

I don't make posts, BUT the Ashlyn slander annoyed me very much... I will start by saying: WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOME PPL IN THIS FANDOM???? 

We forget so easily that Ashlyn was the reason Gina stayed (TWICE) (and also was the one who tried to be there for her when she felt miserable in the first half of s2) and we really jump on hating on her just for that Gina 1.0 remark??? This fandom is really sth...

I agree that Ash overreacted and was wrong when Gina said she wanted to do a solo audition... BUT Ash was right when Gina gave that advice to the younger girls and you can see, from the auditions, that it backfired on one of them... Both of them were wrong and right... See how easy it was to say that both of them were wrong without insulting either of them?

I won't accept any character slander in this show bc I love them all. But I'll admit when these characters do sth that I think is wrong...

Ps. Look how cute is their friendship. Did we really forget that so easily? We are so quick to find excuses for or favorites and talk bad about others... Next time when you want to say sth bad about a character, think it as your favorite did that and then see if you can still say sth bad...

[frostluvrs]

almost every portwell literally does not give a fuck about gina and we all knew this but it’s been proven so much after ep 5 😭😭 i was going to wait to say something but they’ll probably be making up in 3x06 so i want to say it now while the gina slander is still up and running.

“gina is being immature she needs to communicate with him ” this is her first relationship and she’s 16 and she HAS been communicating with him. he’s the first person she’s been going to with anything. she’s been asking him if he’s alright and if everything in general is alright. he just says yes and talk to val about it instead. she has been more than obvious she’s upset and he’s either being purposefully oblivious and/or he can’t read her AT ALL. asking RICKY what’s wrong and if his own gf is mad at him (after taking digs at him and their friendship for 2 days straight) instead of continuing to try to communicate and get her to open up? 😭😭

“she’s making a scene in front of everyone” and getting mad at her for talking about it in front of everyone. so was ej right for making nasty digs at gina and ricky for hanging out for 2 days straight? implying they’re sneaking around and then trying to tell ricky he got lost with her purposely? in front of everyone embarrassing them both but especially his gf who doesn’t even know he’s jealous of ricky and has no idea what’s going on. he can be jealous that’s normal but not the way he goes about it. and then they say it’s character regression but he’s been like this since s1 and even s2 (with cancelling his date with gina) where he assumes something and then doesn’t communicate his feelings and self sabotages instead. he never grew from it.

also let’s talk about how they want want to claim she’s been emotionally cheating on him this whole time. but i thought she’s over ricky? is that just not true anymore? and if it’s not true then they shouldn’t be together at all considering she never got over him? gina and ricky have not been intentionally flirting at all they’ve been friends. only during the duet did she flirt with ricky and i support her!

they don’t understand why she’s so upset either. it’s not overreacting and it is a big deal to her. she’s 1.) been abandoned by so many ppl in her life (with them never showing up or showing up but not staying) and she has trust issues because of it 2.) she said she hates liars and he KNEW that but continued to put it off. the fact he was going to tell her is not good enough he needed to set everything aside to tell her and he didn’t. he’s doing this “for them” but cant he bothered to communicate with her since they got to camp he’s been going to val instead and probably now miss jenn instead of gina. every single one of their conversations this season has been about him and her supporting him but she’s not supportive? he needs to be a grown up (yes he’s only 18 that’s hardly a grown up but i mean in the context of what he’s going through right now) and face his dad and put his foot down with the play. gladly he seems to be doing that by admitting he needs help to miss jenn.

does her doing the same things he’s doing make it right? no but shifting it all on her and acting like it’s not a reaction to the wrong things HE’S been doing is crazy. he’s been in so many relationships he can take the reigns and fix this. but it doesn’t really matter because at the end of the day it all goes back to them just not getting each other at all and them being in 2 different life stages

they “loved” gina during 2b (once she was away from ricky) and especially during 3a because she was a watered down version of herself who was trying to make herself the perfect gf. now that she’s showing her true self and what has made her her since s1 and is not perfect anymore they’re turning on her because they never liked her in the first place.

she’s not gina 1.0 or 2.0 or having character regression she’s GINA like she said in 3x02 and THEY DONT LIKE HER. but we all know they’ll pretend to like her again when they make up and potentially say they love each other.

[qveenpoppy]

oh and i feel like i was right about the portwell “break”, as i mentioned in response to that anon last night. like, i don’t think they’re officially on a break right now but things are obviously tense between them and ej owes gina an apology over what happened and, i dunno, maybe also a grand gesture to show he’s changed? or give her some kinda proof that he’s not the ej 1.0 she’s accusing him of being.

i think/hope all these rina teases are merely teases not meant to really go anywhere. ej will prove himself to gina and everything will be okay. ricky’s feelings will remain one-sided or he’ll develop feelings for someone else. i mean, his confession to carlos will probably be seen by the rest of the gang when the show airs and maybe it’ll cause some awkwardness between him and gina but, again, hopefully it leads nowhere. rina stans will point to the flirtiness in “what do you know about love” as some sort of rina foreshadowing but forget that gina was acting that way on purpose to make ej mad. i really do think she’s over ricky and just wants things to work out with ej.

[insomniactalks]

I've been thinking about/meaning to write this meta for several months, even before making a Tumblr LOL. 😅 I finally found the time this week, so here we go, folks! The main point of this meta: Portwells, I think we should prepare for a possible love confession for EJ and Gina by the S3 finale. Why? Keep reading! 😚 (I'll be analyzing episodes 1.10-2.12 and a bit of S3 bts for this meta. This is deff super long. Read at your own risk! 😓🤣 Sidenote: I think I’m getting the hang of this gif-making haha😁)

1.10: "Breaking Free"

Here’s the stanza that Ricky and Nini are singing when we see EJ and Gina talking about the plane ticket in the S1 finale:

More than hope, more than faith

This is truth, this is fate

And together we see it comin'

More than you, more than me

Not a want, but a need

Both of us, breakin' free 

I’ve bolded certain lines and phrases I wanna focus on. While Rini are singing these lines, Portwell are further solidifying the fact that they are a unit, a team, a fact established as early as 1.02. They are “team Wonderstudies” (2.06) after all, and while they both contentedly watch what they’ve done (meaning Gina got Ricky back in the show and EJ stepped aside for Nini to choose her Troy), they stand as a team. I believe at some point in 1.09 and 1.10, both EJ and Gina knew deep down that Nini and Ricky were always gonna choose each other. So they had to let them go. Doing the right thing was about “more than you, more than me” for EJ and Gina b/c they ultimately put their selfish goals aside for the ppl they care about. As Gina thanks EJ for “buying her the plane ticket,” the last three lines are being sung in the background. Bringing her back for opening night was more than just EJ wanting to look good in the public eye (which is what he was tryna do with his Instagram confessionals LOL). It’s a private conversation b/t the two of them where Gina quietly thanks EJ for his kindness and he simply says it wasn’t “fair for her to miss all this.” The “both of them” are finally “breaking free” by that point, together, whether they know it or not. They even look at each other at the exact same time while Nini sings “together” in the background!           

2.01: "Something in the Air" and Happy Ever After

Here’s the exact stanza EJ and Gina sing in the video/song:

The end and the beginning of another year

Takin' in the memories that we've made right here

The tree is goin' up

And my roots are goin' down

All around I'm feelin' it

Are you feelin' it?

I’ve once again bolded the lines I wanna focus on. While Gina and EJ 1.0 is in the past, the first half of S2 (and the new year) sees the two of them struggling with old habits. Thankfully, by 2.05 and 2.06, EJ and Gina are embracing and loving the support around them from the other Wildcats and are slowly but surely opening up to them. They no longer operate as strong-minded independent individuals, interested in their own selfish desires, they are now real team-players, having the Wildcats’ backs. The “feeling it” lines could refer to the “it” as the love and support from their friends, or the holiday spirit, etc. In my opinion, for the purposes of this meta, I think the “feeling it” lines are referring to future love between Portwell, esp b/c they sing the last two lines together. Besides Seblos, Gina and EJ are the only ones to walk down the stairs in the video. Gina is a little ahead of EJ (just like in their character arcs hehe) but EJ eventually catches up and they meet at the landing, together. Also, Gina crosses her hands over her chest (heart?) as she sings those lines (“I’m feeling it”):

Gina also sings about “finding happy ever after” right besides EJ in the “HSM 2 Medley”:   

Maybe she finds her happy ever after by the S3 finale (*hint hint clue clue* LOVE CONFESSION!!!)? She even looks in EJ’s direction as she says it.    

2.05: EJ Opens His Eyes to Love

After dropping by the AV Club for a few weeks, EJ is tasked by Mazzara to “figure out his story” and “try to find more interesting ppl to learn from,” which is an assignment he takes seriously. EJ never stands in front of the camera or even have his phone out this episode. His focus is entirely on the ppl around him, even when the camera’s not on (like his tender moment with Gina)! What’s important about the progress of Portwell’s relationship in this episode is EJ’s moment of realization. He starts to fall for Gina b/c of what he learns about her. She, along with Seb, just spent the last few days planning out the quinceañero Carlos always wanted. EJ also learns more about Gina’s life during her speech on stage, where she admits she “keeps on dancing” to “escape” from whatever is going on in her life. Not only that, she recreates one of Carlos’ dances to honor him as her friend and fellow dancer. Whether they know it or not, Gina and EJ work as a team once again to show Carlos how much they care about him:

I think there’s something to be said about the fact EJ starts to realize his feelings for Gina when she does something really kind and selfless for someone they both love.      

2.06: Learning to Love Again / 2.08: Lessons Learned

A while ago, I sent an anon ask to @gracestone about EJ asking his future self if he could ever “learn to love anyone after Belle” and how that connects to the lyrics of “If I Can’t Love Her” that are playing during the montage. Anouk even made an absolutely beautiful gifset about this. Check it out if you haven’t already!😍 I’m not gonna go into more detail about the foreshadowing of EJ and Gina falling in love in 2.06 and 2.08 b/c it seems obvious enough. Lmaooo. I think Anouk perfectly captured the moments I was talking about and it seems self-explanatory. In 2.06, EJ asks his future self if he can “learn to love anyone after Belle” before taking a seat next to his future girlfriend, Gina, who shows her sign of approval by patting him on the back:

In 2.08, after spending several hours together having heartfelt convos and watching TV on the couch, Gina eventually falls asleep while EJ takes care of her before he leaves. Howie sings, “no lesson could teach me how I could have loved her and make her love me too” during Portwell’s part of the montage. I mean, all signs point to EJ and Gina falling in love in S3 (with 2.06 and 2.08 being the most obvious!).     

2.09: Gina Opens Her Eyes to Love

Besides deciding her first kiss has to be "the right guy" who "shows up and stays around" (all things which apply to EJ), I wanna note what made Gina realize her feelings for EJ. After a really long, tho insightful day, he shows up with a granola bar in hand, the very thing she's been craving. Not only does he anticipate her wants and needs, he shows up with a plan to drive her back for her flight in the morning. Beyond that tho, it's the fact Gina realizes her feelings for EJ while wearing his sweatshirt, even before they start dating. She's waiting for her flight to Louisiana so that she can visit her mom over spring break, so the very fact that she's wearing his third-generation Caswell family Duke sweatshirt is very telling. Gina leaves Salt Lake and the Wildcats for the week, but she takes a piece of home with her in the form of EJ's gifted sweater. That Duke sweatshirt provides a feeling of home, comfort, safety, etc for Gina while she visits her mom in a place she's "never been" (2.06). Gina briefly takes the sweater off for the "Ain't Seen Nothing" video, but promptly puts it back on when she's heading back to Ashlyn's house. I'm not claiming EJ's the only one to make SLC feel like home to Gina because all the Wildcats have played a part. However, she's wearing his clothes even tho she admits she's not sure where they stand. And then she puts the sweater back on even though she has two suitcases full of clothes. She makes a conscious decision to have something of EJ's close to her. Also, the very thing that makes Gina realize her feelings for EJ is the fact that he shows up without having to be asked. The granola bar is just a small, sweet gesture and reminder of how much he cares. He pays attention to her. And he shows up. Plus, she looks down at the granola bar EJ just handed to her twice b/c that's the simple sign the universe was sending her and gave her her moment of realization:

I also think the "right guy has just gotta show up and stay around" line is foreshadowing EJ will stay local after S3. By S2 finale, Gina decides EJ has met the requirements for who she wants to be her first kiss. In her own words, EJ is the "right guy." I feel like the "staying around" part could be interpreted as foreshadowing for PW's relationship by the end of S3.

2.10: Romance in the Cards

Miss Gina Porter literally spoke the words "he kinda saved me" in this episode. Gina 1.0 would never admit she wants or needs anyone's help. She does not see herself as "a damsel in distress" (2.09) so for her to admit EJ "saved" her over the break is major. Unlike Nini, who never wanted to be the "kinda girl who needs to be saved," Gina appreciates EJ looking out for her and taking care of her. He finally gets "the chance to be a hero" (1.04), but this time for the right girl. By the end of the episode, EJ decides Gina is worth the risk of getting rejected again, while Gina decides EJ is worth the risk of misreading the signs again. They both take a second chance on each other.

2.11: "Something There" and Family Affairs

Gina looks over at EJ three times while "Something There" is playing, a literal love song, mind you!

The "something" Belle and Beast are singing about is love. This seems to be clear foreshadowing of Gina and EJ falling in love with each other some day. The lyrics of this song are perfect for them because neither one ever expected to fall for the other, they just happened to bend unexpectedly over the course of the year. The lyrics "who'd have ever thought this could be," which plays over PW glancing at e/o thru the curtains, perfectly describes their situation. A similar line comes up again in "Second Chance." Before getting into that, I wanna note the sequence of events before, during, and after "Something There." Gina talks with Jamie (where you can tell they love e/o but the sibling relationship is strained), then we follow her into the "S/t There" performance (with EJ and Gina constantly smiling/glancing at e/o), to Jamie's convo with EJ. The whole point of those sequence of events is to show how absent Jamie has really been in his sister's life. Jamie so badly wants to assuage his guilt for not being there for Gina that he tries to put off his responsibilities on to EJ. We obviously know Gina has romantic feelings for EJ by this point b/c she calls their risotto plans "a date." Regardless, the show made a point to have EJ and Jamie meet and have the audience hear from Terri on what she thinks about him (all good things btw!).

One last thing I wanna talk about before getting to the next episode is the first pic of Gina looking at EJ in “S/t There.” As much as I was rooting for PW as S2 progressed, I wasn’t quite prepared to call Gina and EJ 'soulmates.' However, the moment of EJ and Gina looking at e/o thru the curtains made me change my mind. It’s the very fact that they cannot physically see e/o, yet EJ and Gina can just feel the other’s presence and that’s enough for them. Ashlyn sings “who'd have ever thought this could be" and PW immediately stare in the other’s direction? I mean, come on! 😫That’s exactly it! If you told EJ and Gina they’d be falling for e/o someday at the start of S1, they’d have laughed in your face. They’re even in the same side of the wings as they were in 1.01 when EJ grabbed the basketball off the floor behind Gina right before Nini’s audition. In that scene, they’re glaring at each other LOL.😂 Fast forward to about 7 months later, and in nearly the exact same spot, EJ and Gina are sending e/o heart-eyes without even knowing it! (I can’t add pics of this parallel b/c I’m pretty sure I’ve reached Tumblr’s pic/gif limit. So, just take my word for it hehe.😅)   

2.12: "Second Chance"

Both EJ and Gina are completely devastated when they think the other doesn't return their feelings (thanks to the miscommunication brought on by Jamie):

Before they even go on their first official date, the above scenes show us just how much EJ and Gina already like e/o. Then, we get to hear their inner thoughts thru song in the episode's namesake.

EJ's lines:

Was I a fool to read between the lines?

Did I misread the signs that much?

Who would've thought we'd come this far as friends?

Maybe that should've been enough

During "Something There," Ashlyn sings the line "who'd have ever thought this could be?" while EJ and Gina looked at e/o thru the curtains. That's exactly it! No one expected Belle and the Beast to ever actually fall for e/o. Just like Gina and EJ never expected to agree to go on a date t/g and eventually start to have feelings. These are the same characters who angrily walked away from e/o in 1.04 during their Wonderstudies schemes. Several months later, in what looks like the other side of the hallways in East High, EJ and Gina unknowingly break each other's hearts in 2.12. So much has changed b/t them and they truly have come so far as friends.

Gina's lines:

Maybe I'm safer when I'm on the run

No time to open up my heart

Maybe I'll hide behind my walls again

Instead of tearing them apart

Before talking about Gina feeling "safe when she's on the run," I wanna talk about the second line. We know Gina will be at Camp Shallow Lake over the summer, so she certainly has time to "open up her heart" now! I think a part of opening up her heart in regard to her relationship with EJ next season will be Gina falling in love. In terms of Gina feeling "safe when she's on the run," perhaps it can directly relate to her running towards EJ in the S2 finale to have her first kiss. He makes her feel safe by that logic.

Once they're on stage, the first transition we see is from EJ to Gina singing the following:

In my opinion, with Gina finishing EJ's sentence, it makes me believe they both found another chance to "fall" in love. The "falling" next season for Portwell will be falling in love (in my mind at least LOL😅). And the fact Gina is "wondering" what it'll take to "make the tide turn" tells me her searching for answers shows how much she likes EJ. They both also sing "what can make the fire burn" which implies the burning passion of love b/t them some day...maybe in S3?

S3: Behind the Scenes

I took a screenshot of one of Sofia's TikToks while they were still filming S3 b/c I noticed something. Here's the pic:

It's totally possible this is Sofia's own style and she may not be in costume yet. However, given she has her makeup done, and she's wearing a jacket over her clothes while inside her trailer, I'm gonna take this look as Gina's wardrobe. That being said, you notice the headband? Its got hearts on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Gina Porter has only ever worn hearts on this show one other time in 2.03- the Valentine's Day episode. That makes sense given the occasion, but hearts aren't typical of Gina's fashion. Nini's and Ashlyn's sense of style have plenty of colors and patterns, including hearts. But heart-patterned clothes are rarely worn by Gina. Given the S3 sneak peek, it's fair to assume Gina and EJ have been dating for some time (a few weeks, maybe a month. Depends how long after S2 the next season picks up.) So the fact Gina has now incorporated hearts into her wardrobe I think is indicative of how EJ makes her feel. If she's in a lovey-dovey mood b/c EJ continues to show her how much he cares, perhaps that's reflected in the clothes she chooses to wear. The only time she wears hearts in S2 is in the Valentine's Day episode, which I'm just going to chalk up to the occasion. Now that she's dating EJ, and they're actually boyfriend and girlfriend, Gina wearing heart-patterned clothing items seems intentional. If EJ makes her feel cared for, taken care of, loved...maybe she'll present how she feels thru her clothes? Hearts usually only mean one thing...LOVE! I suspect (and am manifesting!!🕯🕯🕯) a Portwell love confession by S3 finale.

Further proof of a possible Portwell love confession are the kind of characters EJ and Gina are. EJ tells Nini he "was trying to hold onto what we had over the summer" (1.04). Gina tells Ricky she "wouldn't quit on us if I wasn't moving away" (2.06). In both scenarios, we learn more about the type of people EJ and Gina are. Once they have a good thing going with someone they like, they're willing to put in the work to keep it going. After just a few months of getting to know and falling for Nini and Ricky, EJ and Gina admit to wanting to continue to fight for the relationship. Both are hard workers who, once are sure of what they want, they are willing to put in the work to get it. They just keep going. They don't quit. Given the "leaks" for S3, the majority of which came from unreliable sources, I've seen some predict Gina may step out on her relationship with EJ b/c she has feelings for Ricky. I've also seen some ppl say EJ would cheat on Gina before she would cheat on him. If you truly believe either EJ or Gina would ever actually cheat on each other, you've mischaracterized the core of who they are. Plus, that just seems so disrespectful of their characters. 🤦🏽‍♀️

At their core, EJ and Gina are extremely loyal and protective of their loved ones. Once they've gained one's trust, and more importantly, once one has gained EJ's and Gina's trust, you can bet they've got your back. After experiencing and actively working thru their previous heartbreaks, EJ and Gina took a chance on e/o. They know how hard it is to gain their trust and to open up their hearts to one another. Why would EJ and Gina, after all the growth they've had, hurt each other by breaking e/o's trust? Now that they're finally dating, why would EJ or Gina ever hurt e/o by catching feelings for Val or Ricky, etc.? It took 2 whole seasons for them to agree to go on a date together. You expect me to believe they’ll be ruined in 8 episodes, in the first season they’re actually dating? 🤨

Besides sharing similarities to Troy and Gabriella, EJ and Gina are also a lot like Sharpay. By the end of summer in HSM2, Sharpay finally realizes how much the Wildcats really mean to her after almost losing everything. Tho EJ and Gina aren’t the one-dimensional kinda of antagonists Sharpay was in the HSM movies, they share similar character traits to her, such as being hardworking, ambitious, and talented. By the end of HSM3, Sharpay stays local by going to a state college b/c she’s willing to help Ms. Darbus with the Drama Department. She’s not ready to give up being a Wildcat just yet b/c it means too much to her. Both EJ and Gina learn over the course of S2 that true happiness is with the ppl they surround themselves with. Now that they both know that, wouldn’t it make sense for EJ and Gina to fight for what makes them happy (i.e. staying in SLC and wanting to continue their relationship b/c S2 has deff showed us they seem their happiest when they’re together [2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12])? 

I'm not saying Portwell won't be faced with tons of drama in S3. I'm sure they will simply b/c they're a main ship (plus they're the only couple at camp t/g). But that doesn't necessarily mean PW's relationship is completely and utterly doomed next season. Just like Troy and Gabriella, and Shane and Mitchie, EJ and Gina just might end their summer stronger and better, together. 🥰

(Last thing, I do think it’s only fair for Redlyn and Seblos to have their love confessions first b/c they’ve been dating longer. However, Ash, Big Red, Carlos, and Seb might be too scared or nervous to actually admit it out loud. In 2.08 and 2.10, both couples seemed to have trouble communicating (which is perfectly normal for teenagers!), but were able to resolve their issues soon enough. Gina and EJ had only one instance of miscommunication in 2.11 (which was entirely Jamie’s fault, btw. But they resolved it in just a few hours anyway). Portwell don’t seem to have any issues communicating. In fact, they’ve been shown to have really healthy, open communication skills. Because of that, I think once EJ and Gina are sure of their feelings, they’ll have no problem admitting to loving e/o. Seblos and Redlyn might let their fears take over and get a bit “tongue-tied” (2.10) when trying to admit they’re in love. But I deff think we can expect a Seblos and Redlyn love confession soon! Maybe even in S3 (thru phone call/facetime or night of the musical if Seb and Big Red come to visit! Could even happen really casually, as if they've been saying it. 🤔)).😊

[laylakeating]

hate to say it but it feels like gina softens every aspect of herself when she's with ej. which can be an ok thing with the right context! it's perfectly fine if you find yourself sort of becoming a softy and feeling gooey when you're with the person you love... but idk the way that it's not becoming a softer version of herself with ej, but instead filing down the sharp edges of her personality... am i taking small interactions and blowing them out of proportion? Probably. that's fandom baby.

i mean...yeah. i 100% agree. tbh i didn't even fully realise what was happening until the rina scene in 302 and even then it took the 303 sneak peek for it to really click. gina with ricky is a gina who is unrestrained and is unafraid to be exactly who she is. unfortunately i really do believe that this comes into the whole 1.0 and 2.0 mindset that ashlyn (and seemingly everyone other than ricky seem to share) that one version of gina is good and the other version is like. the devil. there is no nuance to be found, apparently, and everything is black and white.

[joondaya]

i loved gina right from the first episode. has been my favourite character every episode she appeared in and every episode she didn’t. and not once i ever doubted that no matter what she said or done. i understand some people didn’t like “mean” gina (which to me just means yall boring but whatever) but it could never be me. point is, i’m very excited for the auditions episode and to see the glimpse of gina 1.0 that i missed. a girl full of ambition, confident on her talent and skills, and not afraid to fight for what she rightfully thinks she deserves.

[ughitsl-ay]

Portwell alt Endgame

AN: So I fucked up lmaoo. So when I made the fic, Rina’s angst really strengthened and the writing I did for portwell endgame didn’t match. So I'm going to try a more angsty confession/ending. Enjoy :)

he gives a slight smile and walks away towards the barn. That was the last place she saw him at. Where she basically told him that they should call it quits. It’s probably too late. He’s probably asleep in bed and she’s wasting her time. A hollowness starts to form in her heart.

She opens the barn doors with a creak. She looks around her eyes adjusting to the dark, the moonlight through the big windows being the only source of light. That's when she sees him.

He's sitting at the table that was used for auditions. His elbows propped up on the table and chin against his knuckles. He has a candle lit on the table. giving off a huge shadow cast from him. He’s fiddling with the papers on the table.

He looks very un-EJ. Which makes a knot form in her throat and a rock settle in her stomach.

In this past year, she’s seen all sorts of EJ. She’s seen him snarky and mean. Seen him goofy and silly. Seen him insecure and in need of a hug. But she has never seen him so...desolate. It scares her more than anything in this world because...she knows that it’s her fault.

She walks into the barn in the dark, and her shoes hitting the wood floors causes EJ to turn in her direction. 

She stops in her tracks. Scared to move. Scared not to. 

“Gina.” He says. She cannot discern the tone in his voice. 

She can barely see his eyes in the dark, but the soft glow from the candle gives her a view of empty glassy eyes. Like he has become settled on something that was bothering him.

Which scares her and puts a lump in her throat because what If that means she’s too late? 

She tries to clear her throat before she speaks but it still comes out wobbly, “E-EJ...I am so,” She breaks off looking down in exasperation, “I’m so sorr-”

“Why should you be?”

She stops speaking; shocked into silence. 

He stands up, the shadow from the candle making his shadow appear larger.

“You got what you want. You’ve finally gotten the guy you want, after all these years. How can I blame you for that? I guess I’ve lost to Ricky twice now huh?”

He gives off a snort. 

Her eyes well up like she was slapped across the face. 

Was she just another prize to win or lose?

The person in front of her is a person she hasn't seen in a very long time. 

Hurt people hurt people. 

She knows exactly how it feels. To want to hurt the people that have wronged her. She knows exactly how spitting vitriol at people to protect them from the fact that her throat was in knots and her eyes were welling up. She knows the feeling all too well. 

“I was confused Ej, I didn't know how I felt and I th-”

he snorts again; interrupting her. His low voice carries in the empty barn. 

“It didn’t feel like you were so confused when you broke up with me It seemed you knew exactly how you felt. How you knew you didn’t want me.”

At the end of the sentence his voice breaks. That being the only indication that he’s not EJ 1.0. Just a boy that is deeply hurt at not being picked...again. 

She takes a step closer, and it seems like he wants to step back but something in her eyes stop him from doing so. She gets close enough that she is standing right in front of him. 

Her intense sparkly eyes looking into his watery green ones. 

His voice is low again, but this time it comes out small, “Why am I not enough?”

His head hangs as he lets it drops. 

Her own eyes well up and she shakes her head as her chin wobbles. She closes the remaining distance and wraps her arms around him. 

“You are enough, EJ...Eric...I promise you, you are.” She raises her hand to the nape of his neck. Laying his head on her shoulder.

His arms are limp and for a split second it seems like he was numb to it all. That he was going to pull back and untangle her arms in a second and walk away. And that...that would break her. Someone leaving again. Especially Ej. The boy who got her a plane ticket so that she could stay. Who’s been by her side and listened to her and made her laugh until she was sick. 

But after that agonizing split second, she feels him reciprocate. Slowly wrapping his arms around the small of her back. 

“Ej...I was confused because I’ve never stayed long enough to make connections. To have somebody on my side. So when he didn’t judge me, the first person to seem to see me. I clung on to him and the idea of him.  and-,” she stops and burrows her face into his shoulder, “and this was my first time...staying somewhere, my first time having a boyfriend, the first time trying out for a lead, I was scared. I thought I wanted something I didn't.”

He slightly nuzzles into her neck but makes no other movement or sound. She continues. 

“I want you with me EJ. Forever if I could. You are my favorite person in the world and waking up knowing that you’re there, knowing that I can trust you and depend on you...is the best feeling in the world, “ She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and inhaling in his natural scent of sandlewood and something just distinctly him, calming, “I’m sorry for having you doubt yourself. I pick you, EJ. I would a thousand times over.”

There’s another silence this time. It should feel suffocating, the teetering of something breaking and shattering into million pieces. Something she can never get back no matter how hard she tries. 

She wants to keep him.

No, this silence was calm. It was calm because she knew that at least, even if she has to leave half of her heart in this barn tonight, she told him the extent of her feelings to him. He had to know that he wasn’t expendable. That he wasn’t second choice. He was her first. 

Slowly, oh so slowly does he lift his head. He pulls back, and she is scared to open her eyes. Scared to see the thin line on his mouth, the hardness in his eyes. She’s scared to face a world where she never sees the look Ej gives her again.

What has her opening her eyes is the feel of warm palms sliding into holding her face.

She blinks her eyes open, a sole tear sliding down and what she is met with is a smile.

His smile.

She expected hatred or a numb and empty stare reflected back at her, but what she got back was a...smile?

His eyes weren't exactly the same eyes of what she knew. Before this. They used to shine at her with this sort of adoration that she never understood. Never understood how someone could ever look at her like that. She didn’t even know she not only got used to it but craved it until it was gone. Like now.

But his eyes weren’t empty. There was no hatred or glassiness. There was instead,  this severity to them she hasn’t seen before. 

“Gina.” His smile slowly drops to replace a more intense more important expression. 

She blinks again at the usage of her name. It was different to how he used to pronounce it. He used to say her name like she was destined for greatness. Like he could already see her name in lights. She loved that as well but it is also gone now.

We do things that we wish we could change and reverse. But we can’t. Only forward.

Only forward. 

He says it differently now, and she doesn't know why but it almost punches her in the stomach. He says it like he really sees her. Truly. Like he can see inside of her soul and knows her deep vulnerable secrets. Know what’s at the core of her.

She holds her breath, waiting for his next sentence. Scared it will be something that shatters her completely.

And shatter her it does.

"Gina.. I am in love with you."

His eyes look deeply into hers. Like he wants so badly for her to understand something. To understand this isn't just some love confession.

"I have been in love with you since Carlos quinceanera. I loved you when you were dominating the stage and taking everyone prisoner. ", she laughs which brings a smile to his face, "But also when I saw you smile that day. I don't know what it was that day. But I knew then that my heart felt stolen from me."

His eyebrows furrow. A desperated tone taking ahold of his voice.

His hands trail to the back of her head. Interwovening with her blonde braids.

"These past few months have transformed me into the type of man I always dreamed I could be. And you helped me see that. And become that. I'm not just in love with you because you're pretty, or that your talented or flawless on the stage. "

He shakes his head and inches his face closer to her's. So close that their lips were slightly brushing against each other.

"I love you because you're you, Gina Porter," he whispers the last part, "because you're always you, G".

At this point, Gina's eyes close and she shudders out a breath.

"Can I kiss you?"

[cadetcama]

did nina ever hear EJ's apology song "Billion Sorrys"? she didn't right? Now imagine if she had heard that song how would HSM have turned out? lololol

imagine if Gina heard that song.

Honestly, I don't think much would've changed if Nini or Gina had heard it. I think it would've just made Nini MORE mad like "THATS your apology??" So if anything, I think it would've just added to Nini's list of reasons to break up with EJ.

Gina meanwhile... I don't think she'd ever let EJ live it down. If "Gina 1.0" had heard it, she probs would've tried to encourage him to play it in front of the drama club, for maximum drama. If the more chill Gina heard it, I think she'd just sing it constantly at him, any time she needed to say sorry for anything. She bumped into him? "This is my fault, my bad!". She's late to a hangout? "If I said a million sorrys. How about a billion sorrys!"

[blues-valentine]

Some people be like "They've ruined Gina’s character. S2 Gina would’ve never done this to EJ" and yeah, you are right, but not because she was a better character but because S2 Gina was trying to put everyone else before herself and would’ve tolerated EJ’s behavior for that.

Gina's entire arc this season has been about finding balance between her S1 and S2 self. Gina sang a whole solo about it. The lyrics for Balance and her speech before that made it very clear that most of her behavior from S2 was a watered down version of herself made to please people around her instated of herself. She felt like she had to act that way to form those friendships and her scene with Nini last season confirmed she didn’t want to come up as too "off putting" because of her energy.

While Gina from S1 was an exaggerated version of what she thought she should be to protect herself. S2 was her tuning down all her ambition to please others around her. The only person that got to know the soft and caring but poised and spunky Gina, her realest self, was Ricky.

S3 Gina made a bow to herself that she will find balance within her, not longer Gina 1.0 or Gina 2.0 but Gina. You can still feel Gina trying hard to be accommodating for others the first eps of the season but can see her coming into her own as the season goes on. This shows in how her wardrobe progressively goes from flowery pastel pink to bolder edgier looks. The self assured, ambitious, fearlessly protective Gina that wants the lead role, is supportive of her friends, is sassy but also a secret romantic that wants a summer romance, tries to mentor Emmy, knows she is capable of shining and has learned what she desires of a relationship as well as her own worth is Gina at her very core.

S3 Gina is the perfect balance from S1 and S2.

If you need "S2" Gina to come back when she was arguably the most insecure and unlike herself she’s ever been — you don’t like Gina. You just want someone that panders to EJ's needs. Gina is finally getting what she wants and aware she doesn’t have to dim her light in order to be loved and accepted by her friends. Tim teased we will see a more assertive Gina that will be settling her own rules from now on and I can’t wait for her S4 main girl serve.

[27emailsicantsend]

Ahh the Gina 1.0 is starting to sound like Maya become Riley I sort of hate it lol I think there's nothing wrong with Gina being ambitious. I hope if she goes there Ricky is the one to don't mind about it and give us some beautiful line a la Riarkle 'You always been Riley that's your permanent record' something 'Gina 1.0 2.0 3.0 you always been Gina for me, the Gina I'm in love with' go Ricky give us everything and Tim too

Yes, I think the 1.0 is intentionally supposed to be like that maya being Riley thing. Gmw didn’t get a fourth season to explore this (😠) but that was EXACTLY what was supposed to happen. We were supposed to see that Maya was reflecting the best parts of Riley. Not that she WAS Riley, but that maya’s growth came from Riley and vice-Versa. That she was still maya, but a better version because of the people she was around. This is what we see with gina when she is talking about balance. She had 1.0 and 2.0, so now she is finding her middle ground. She knows she’s her best with some ambition and some leniency. What we see here is gina feels like she falls so far to either side that she is either “too much” or “not enough”. She’s probably felt this constant need to change and be different than who she is. This is where ricky helping her see that the way she is, the “constant” of just being gina, is good enough. It would be really sweet to have ricky say something about “it doesn’t matter what version you’ve been, every version of you is enough, because you’re gina. You’re just right.”

[clarabow-mp3]

at this point i think i kinda prefer gina 1.0 because i support women's rights but more importantly i support women's wrongs

[rinisbowen]

she stole a phone for an hour, she moved a phone from point a to point b, etc.

someday i may break down how that’s very much Not all that gina did…

because like if we’re going to over-exaggerate everything that all the other characters did (for example, nini only took gina’s shoes {which she shouldn’t have done, obviously, regardless of the fact she was right about the phone thing}, but it was kourtney that stole the rest)… we can at least be honest about the fact that gina did in fact do things wrong in season 1, multiple things, and even the phone thing is… kinda a bigger deal than it’s been treated as.

AND- we can also all agree that these characters have all grown and evolved since season one. and truly- isn’t that important too? we can criticize all of them, and recognize that they HAVE messed up. like gina was supposed to be the mean girl in season one, and she did in fact act like one, but we got to see the reasons why she’s that way, and we got to watch her learn to be kinder to others and form genuine connections with the people in her life.

the problem with gina in season one was never her ambition, she’s allowed to want to play the lead and focus on her own audition, etc; it was how she went about that. that part, the way she’s going about going after the lead, has obviously changed for her. gina is not 1.0 or 2.0, she’s just gina; a whole person. we can acknowledge her failings and her growth and successes. this season is her time to have the success she’s been expecting for herself since season one.

sofia said herself, gina’s not regressing this season. she may struggle to balance- finding the ways she can hold onto her friendships and give everything to her performance, but she’s not regressing. her ambition is not the problem, and it has never been the problem.