BIG RED: Previously on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series...
I was starting to see myself as a ladies' man.
Or like, a man who's with a lady.
But when we visited North High to see if they stole our Beast mask,
Napoleon over here tried to win over my girlfriend.
That man looks ridiculous and you should dump him and date me.
These people made us do a dance-off
just so Ashlyn could literally fall in love.
But we have bigger problems.
Just feels like a lot's about to change around here.
Redhead's intuition.
Hi. Thank you all for coming to rehearsal in the morning.
I know it's a crazy day with the career fair and all,
but given all your behavior last week,
I believe we are lucky to be rehearsing at all.
For future reference,
singing and dancing, good.
Breaking and entering, bad.
Miss Jenn, we didn't break anything.
-Would you like me to be the first? -I'm good.
Okay. I'm just going to say it.
Zack Roy stole our Beast mask. Why are you not freaking out?
Because winners don't freak out, Carlos.
They rise.
When they go low, we sing high.
-(VOCALIZES) -(GROANS)
-(CLEARS THROAT) -BOY: Wow!
(INDISTINCT MURMURING)
Uh, have you seen Nini?
-Every time I open Instagram. -Yeah, thanks.
I mean, here in school.
No. Nini and I didn't leave things on a great note last week.
And, uh, no, over the weekend we didn't exactly talk.
But, look, I'm...
Well, I'm not sure what's gonna happen when I see her today.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay. Let's rehearse.
EJ, remember where you are emotionally.
Belle has just rebuked your marriage proposal
and LeFou is rallying the guys to boost you back up. Let's hit it.
Don't forget to start on your left foot at the top of the chorus.
Thank you. Anything else?
Don't fall over.
You dance people have all the best tips.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
Go get 'em, Biggie.
Thanks! All good!
I wasn't saying you weren't.
Just know that I am loyally rooting for you, okay?
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
(IN ENGLISH) He's a little upset about the French kid.
We're, uh, working through it.
Big Red, whenever you're ready.
-(MUSIC PLAYING) -(ALL CHEERING)
(SINGING) Gosh, it disturbs me to see you, Gaston
Looking so down in the dumps
(ALL CHEER)
Every guy here'd love to be you, Gaston
Even when taking your lumps
There's no man in town as admired as you
You're everyone's favorite guy
Everyone's awed and inspired by you
And it's not very hard to see why
-No one's slick as Gaston -(ALL CHEERING)
No one's quick as Gaston
No one's neck is as incredibly thick as Gaston
For there's no man in town half as manly
Perfect, a pure paragon
You can ask any Tom, Dick, or Stanley
And they'll tell you whose team they'd prefer to be on
(ALL SINGING) No one's been like Gaston
A kingpin like Gaston
No one's got a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston
As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating
My what a guy that Gaston
When I was a lad, I'd eat four dozen eggs
Every morning to help me get large
And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs
So I'm roughly the size of a barge
No one shoots like Gaston
Make those beauts like Gaston
Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Gaston
I use antlers in all of my decorating
Say it again
Gaston
(ALL CHEERING)
Dancers, glorious.
Big Red, hilarious.
And, EJ,
victorious.
(ALL CHEERING)
Nice emotional connection to the material.
-I've got no notes. -MISS JENN: Oh.
MAZZARA: And as much as I hate to break that connection,
I'm afraid I'm the bearer of some hard news.
We just got a call from the disciplinary board
of an organization I'm not sure really exists.
"Effective immediately, this production will shut down rehearsal for one week
"as punishment for trespassing by order of the...
(ALL MURMURING INDISTINCTLY)
"Monkeys."
-GINA: Wait. -It's pronounced Menkies.
MAZZARA: Oh.
For the record, your competition has been punished as well.
North High is benched for the week.
Okay. Feels generous.
What are we gonna do? We can't lose a whole week
when we haven't even started blocking the second act yet.
We're... (CLEARS THROAT)
We are going to keep our heads down and our chins up.
I don't... I don't think that's physically possible.
MISS JENN: It's an expression, Sebastian.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)
How're you gonna forget to tell me
that you moonlight as an amazing singer at North High.
Was he deep undercover?
It's crazy.
I thought you and Howie were couple goals.
We were. For a hot second.
Until he came out of the castle and showed his true colors.
I should have known there was a reason we never hung out with his friends.
(SCOFFS) Shady.
(CELL PHONE CHIMES)
Oh. Speaking of personal reinvention...
(CHUCKLES) Oh, come on!
I'm getting recommendations of your song from people who don't even know me.
That's like famous adjacent.
I'll admit, feels good to put myself out there.
I'm all about it.
But, what does you-know-who think about your new brand?
We actually haven't talked much. So, maybe he didn't even notice.
Oh, he noticed.
Yo, Nini.
Ricky, hey.
(CLEARS THROAT) Oh, what was that, Carlos?
You need me for a costume fitting
even though you're not even here so this makes no sense. I got you.
Duty calls.
You're not returning my texts.
I've been really busy.
For three days? I mean we haven't talked since North High.
Yeah, crazy weekend.
Because of your new music account?
Uh, it's not actually a big deal.
Your music's fire, Nina!
Oh. Thanks.
Okay, maybe it's sort of a thing.
So, I'm just going to ask,
did you make that channel
because of everything I said about keeping yourself under glass?
I mean, is this you un-glassed?
No offense, Ricky, but it's not actually about you.
Okay,
then, why is the channel called "Nina?"
MAZZARA: (OVER PA SYSTEM) Good morning, East High,
and welcome to Career Day.
Juniors, stop by the booth
in the AV club hallway for a career aptitude test.
I'm just saying, when you make a point of changing your name on social media,
it feels kind of personal.
It is personal. To me.
Nina's my given name.
I'm being my own person
and that seems like something you can maybe be happy for me about.
There's so many people who are inspired by my channel.
Like this girl in London
said that the rose song helped her through a rocky time.
Wow.
-Seriously? -Literally those exact words.
See, just, like, scroll down.
Neen!
Phenomenal Woman apparel
-is handing out swag. -(KOURTNEY SQUEALS)
-Please. -NINI: Oh. (CHUCKLES)
RICKY: Who is this guy?
"Let me know if you're down to collab."
(PHONE BEEPS)
-Oh, God. Oh, no. No, no, no... -BIG RED: Hey.
I'm heading to my parents booth. You want some pizza?
Unless it's magic pizza that can help me go back in time.
Wait, what?
Dude, I think I just messed up. Big time.
I just deleted a, maybe, very important comment on Nini's Insta.
Yeah. "Oh."
So do you guys have any guesses on the guest speaker?
Unless it's Alan Menken himself
coming to apologize for what just happened to us,
I'm not here.
Ooh, I would die if it was, like, Greta Gerwig.
You know you're not picking the person, right?
Whoever it is, I'm sure they'll remind us to "seize the day and then let it go."
Every year, same speech.
Wait. What does that even mean?
I was hoping that you knew.
-Since... -(LAUGHING) No.
(SNORTS) Oh.
No one heard that.
Yeah. Gina and I have gotten a little bit closer
since North High when we were pretending to be together.
(CHUCKLES) But, no, that was just pretend.
We're friends.
Why? Did she say something?
Oh. Class, class.
I am thrilled to present
one of East High's most generous benefactors,
Mr. Cash Caswell, with tips on success in life.
Well played, Caswell.
-CASH CASWELL: Surprise. -(ALL APPLAUDING)
Thank you, Mrs. Day.
Anytime.
Students.
It's an honor.
Success is all about legacies.
The ones that we inherit.
And the ones that we build.
I'm lucky to have a son that carries the Caswell name with pride.
In fact, I wasn't gonna do this today,
but... (CLEARS THROAT)
come on up here, Eej.
(EJ CLEARS THROAT)
My father gave me this when I got into Duke.
Now it's yours.
(CHUCKLES)
Wait, what?
Congratulations, EJ.
-BOY: Whoo! -(ALL APPLAUDING)
Whoo!
Made some calls, son.
They changed their mind. You're in.
Now, how many of you are familiar with the phrase,
"seize the day?"
Way to go, "Eej."
-What do you think? -MAZZARA: Looks good.
-Too business? Jacket off? -Other one.
Too sexy? Okay.
Business-cas. (CHUCKLES)
It's been three long hours since East High was barred from rehearsals
and I must admit, I was going just a little stir-crazy.
But then it hit me.
Oh, wait. That's awkward.
It's Career Day.
And I thought it might be fun
to dust off the old Meisner and tread the boards a little.
(SINGING) Coffee
Coffee
(CLEARS THROAT)
Benjamin has generously agreed
to help me shoot a commercial audition for a local coffee shop.
It's just one line.
"The taste of coffee, the feeling of home."
How hard can it be?
Curtains up.
Uh, I think you mean "action."
Just roll it.
(CAMERA BEEPS)
"The taste of home, the feeling of coffee."
Uh, don't you mean...
Yep. Yep. Do-over.
-Take your time. -(INHALES DEEPLY)
Mmm.
Let me just... (FLUTTERING LIPS)
(VOCALIZING)
Lucie Locket lost her pocket.
Yes. Okay.
(SNIFFLES) Curtains up.
Action!
(INHALES AND EXHALES)
The taste of feeling.
No. The coffee of...
Oh, my God. What is happening?
Is it me? Is it Zackey Roy?
And curtains down.
Thank you. Five.
Of course, we cannot rehearse
on the day we were supposed to run Chip's big scene.
Does Chip have any big scenes?
Do you maybe wanna rephrase that?
Well, there are no small parts, only small tea cups.
I just made it worse.
Excuse me. I'm going to get glitter.
The thing is, after everything's that happened,
I don't know where her head's at.
I mean, I don't even know if I'm supposed to call her Nini or Nina.
Yeah.
But admitting that I deleted that comment will just make things worse.
-Right? -Right.
On the other hand, I don't wanna keep things from Nini.
I should come clean.
She'll be mad, but then she'll forgive me and everything will be fine.
Preach.
You really think it's going to be fine?
Oh. (CHUCKLES) I was talking to a podcast.
I was saying,
maybe this thing with Nini gets worse before it gets better,
but then we'll fix it. Right?
-You've been here before, Ricky. -Yeah.
It's just...
I'm gonna head over there.
(CELL PHONES CHIMING)
Junior class! Our career test results are in.
"Big Red, you are a quiet introvert
"whose selfless nature is perfect for a career in the service industry."
The service industry?
That's what it says.
"Jobs you might be well suited for include mail delivery and hospitality."
Okay. You wanna take the test again?
Should I?
Well, I'm just saying, they haven't seen you tap dance.
That's true.
What did Miss Jenn say?
"Chin up and head down."
Ignore the test.
Come on.
-I'm fine. I don't need a bodyguard. -(EXHALES SHARPLY)
I'm not your bodyguard. I'm your mother. And part-time therapist.
Well, I don't need a therapist either.
But, like, did Howie even like me
or was he just trying to get intel on East High?
Have you considered askin' him?
It sounds so simple when you say it.
Well, I have lived through a couple of relationships in my day.
But Dad never made a mistake.
No, he made plenty. And I made a few myself.
I think the point is, if you're really working together,
you'll make fewer mistakes over time.
And your father always had a gift for begging.
The thing is, I just...
I just don't know if I can trust him.
Kourtney...
You the same girl who started designing all your own clothes
-when you were just three years old. -And?
And you have always known what's best for you.
Trust yourself. I know I do.
(MRS. GREENE LAUGHING)
(INHALES DEEPLY)
All right. I gotta...
I know. But you got this.
(KOURTNEY CHUCKLES)
Cannoli on the house, Ms. G.
How'd you know I needed this right now?
I live to serve.
Thank you.
(CLEARS THROAT)
I made all the afternoon deliveries in record time.
Okay.
And did some side work.
I... cleaned your desk a little.
Maybe you cleaned my desk. Or you don't even work here.
Who can say what's true anymore?
Kourtney, uh,
-what do you want me to do? -Take a hint.
I didn't tell you the truth because I wanted you to get to know me.
Not the competition from North High, just me.
-Howie, I don't do this. -Don't do what?
The boys. The drama. Not my thing.
But I made an exception.
I let you in, and you couldn't even trust me enough
to be honest about who you are?
You know who I am.
I know who I am,
but I didn't even know you could sing like that.
So, who knows what else you're hiding?
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
NINI: Hey.
-I'm fine. -(CHUCKLES)
Yeah, I can tell.
Hey!
Thought you're helping out with the crew.
Yeah. Turns out I can't paint, or hammer. (CHUCKLES)
Which shouldn't surprise me since my career aptitude test
revealed that I have no profitable skills.
I should...
I'm gonna get back to work.
Nini, look. I'm here to, like, try and fix whatever's going on between us.
I mean, like, obviously we both wanna make this work, right?
We're doing everything we can.
-That's why you came back from YAC... -Ricky, stop.
I love you. And I missed you, but I did not come home for you.
But when I called you, you...
I was already in Salt Lake.
Got off the bus before you ever called.
So, what are you saying? You came back in spite of me?
No. I didn't wanna hurt your feelings.
So, being honest is a problem now.
Look, where are we?
I don't know. But hearing you say you wished I would come home
and leave my dream behind was, like, a lot of feelings at once.
Okay, I'm a little lost here, too.
What's going on with you?
Honestly, it's kind of freaking me out.
First, you wait till the last second to tell me you're leaving for YAC.
You asked Miss Jenn to give me a part in the show
even though I told you I didn't want one.
Then you wrote that rose song instead of telling me how you feel.
-When my song got cut, you didn't care. -You didn't come home to be with me.
I was trying to do the right thing.
So was I.
Guys, you might wanna take it down a couple notches.
-You're scaring the real customers. -I'm out of here.
(DOOR BELLS CHIMING)
Okay. Come on in.
I'm opening my eyes.
Oh. Wow.
Are you the new Career Day speaker?
Actually, I kind of am.
You may not know this,
but you are looking at the vice president of the Nostradamus Society,
devoted to future sight and prognostication
throughout the Greater Salt Lake Unified School District.
You and your pillow talk.
I saw your future, Big Red.
And I'm here to tell you, it's bright.
Voilà!
(CHUCKLES) Oh.
Wow.
I know.
Is that...
-Is someone running an ultra-marathon? -ASHLYN: You're wiry.
Uh, what about food service?
Oh. Three Michelin stars, baby. You are the toast of Paris.
You okay?
Is that really what you want for me?
To be in Paris?
No. Look, I didn't mean to...
It's not for me, it's for you.
If you can dream it, you can do it.
May I?
This is my dream, Ash.
Being with my friends and family and working in the pizza shop.
But you can be anything you want.
Honestly,
the only other thing that makes me happy is you.
But, like, I know you're gonna be a big star.
So, maybe it's not enough.
Okay, that's...
-That's not what I was trying to... -I've gotta, uh, I gotta go home.
You can keep this. I don't need it.
(ASHLYN SIGHS)
Okay, I just wrote a backstory for my character
and spent six minutes as an actual coffee bean.
-I am ready. -(CAMERA BEEPS)
(GASPS)
Wait, what's happening?
I just thought you might wanna take a load off.
Stop thinking about the competition for a second.
(MISS JENN GASPS)
(CHUCKLES)
French roast, your favorite.
And, uh, what was the line again?
"The taste of coffee, the feeling of home."
(GASPS)
Well, now I just have to do it again for the camera.
(CAMERA BEEPS)
You just did.
(GASPS)
Benjamin.
This may be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.
MAZZARA: Oh.
I... I'm sure your boyfriend has a trick or two up his sleeve.
Actually, um, we put the brakes on everything.
In light of preserving my student-teacher relationship with Ricky.
I would imagine that
colleagues aren't supposed to fraternize for similar reasons.
Well, anyway, uh...
(CLEARS THROAT) I... Good luck with your audition.
I... They would be crazy not to hire you.
I'm gonna put this together and I'll send you the video tonight.
Thank you, Benjamin. For everything.
You don't get enough credit around here.
I don't think you need a fallback, by the way.
I think you are the most dedicated teacher at this school.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
It's open, Ash.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
-EJ. -Hey, what are you doing here?
Um, I live here?
Right. Sorry. I... Little out of it.
Is my cousin around?
Oh, she went out to buy some kind of new shirt.
-Yeah, I didn't ask. -Oh, okay.
You wanna help me with this?
It keeps getting tangled.
Sure.
-Okay. Yeah, just hold that. -All right.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Congrats on Duke.
Why didn't you tell anyone?
I didn't really get in.
But your dad...
I mean, I did, but only because he made it happen.
So, you're in, right?
Isn't that what you always wanted?
Look, I don't wanna say this the wrong way.
I am incredibly grateful for the privilege, but...
But you didn't earn it.
Yeah. Um...
It's just that my entire life has been mapped out for me
for as long as I can remember. You know?
Not really.
I'm always one natural disaster away from landing in a new place.
Yeah, what is that like?
Sometimes stressful, sometimes freeing.
I don't really worry much about the future 'cause I can't control it.
I just try to forge ahead wherever I land.
Well, you always seem to know what you want.
Okay, so what do you want?
I don't know. (CHUCKLES)
Okay. Close your eyes.
Yeah. (CHUCKLES)
So, EJ, when you think about your life, what do you see?
I see a guy who cheated at water polo.
And who tried to bribe Miss Jenn into giving him the part of Troy.
And there's more.
My turn.
Can't wait.
When I think of you,
I see the guy who bought me a plane ticket back to East High
so I could be a part of the show.
A guy whose birthday video for Carlos made everybody cry.
I see someone who tries really hard to do the right thing.
He fails a lot.
But he keeps on trying.
That's what you think of me?
EJ, you are a really good guy.
Maybe if you just forgave yourself a little, you'd see what I...
the rest of us see,
and maybe then, you'd recover from all your exhausting good fortune.
-(BOTH CHUCKLE) -Yeah, that's fair.
(GINA CHUCKLES)
You wanna know what I see right now?
No, you don't have to do that.
I see one of the bravest people I know.
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)
-(CLEARS THROAT) -GINA: Hi, roomie.
Hey, I just got your text, EJ. You wanted to talk?
Uh, thanks. I think I'm okay now.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
RICKY: Knock, knock.
No boys allowed, unless your name is Ricky Bowen.
-Hi. -Hey.
(CHUCKLES)
Man, I can't believe this treehouse is still standing.
Mmm. My moms build stuff to last.
(LAUGHS) No kidding.
(NINI CHUCKLES)
Do you remember how big this thing felt, when we were little?
-The Forest Palace. -(BOTH CHUCKLE)
Thanks for comin'.
Yeah. I'm glad you texted.
I thought it'd be good or meaningful,
I guess, to meet in our old...
-Hideaway? -(CHUCKLES)
Man, I'm having flashbacks to the...
I knew this was gonna happen.
We were kids, okay? I didn't know braces could interlock.
(LAUGHS) It was still a solid first kiss, though.
The best.
Feels like 100 years ago.
So? What did your results say?
-Hmm? -Your career test thing?
Oh, um... Just that I should be my own boss.
That I'm independent-minded, go figure.
-Oh. (CHUCKLES) -Um...
Look, Ricky, what I said before about leaving YAC,
part of it was for you,
but part of it was because it just didn't feel right.
But lately, I've been thinking a lot about how I liked who I was there.
Uh... It didn't feel right, but you liked who you were?
Yeah. I mean, I got in trouble a couple of times,
but at least I was taking risks.
You know, I had a new name, fresh start.
I've never had that here.
Always been Nini and Ricky. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
I mean, it's literally painted on the wall.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
Yeah, I think I've been trying to protect that.
It feels safe.
See, the thing is, I don't wanna feel safe.
(CELL PHONE CHIMES)
Oh, um, that's gonna be my moms asking if you wanna stay for dinner.
I deleted a comment on your new Insta today.
-What? -When you gave me your phone,
someone was scouting you for a music showcase thing,
and I erased it,
and then I couldn't unerase it.
Ricky, that's not okay.
I agree. I know. I know none of this is.
I'm just...
I'm sorry at this point.
I've been trying to do everything I can
to make things work because I love you so much.
(SNIFFLES)
(SIGHS)
Honestly, I don't like who I'm becoming,
chasing you down all the time.
(SNIFFLES)
(SHAKILY) I don't like running away.
Look, uh...
(SIGHS)
it seems like we've been out of sync ever since I got back home.
Maybe we both just, uh, need some space to figure things out.
Last time we took a break, we ended up broken up.
(SOFTLY) Are we breaking up?
(SIGHS) I don't wanna hold you back.
(CRYING)
(SHAKILY) I don't want to hold you back either.
Can I just hold you now?
-(CRYING) -RICKY: (WHISPERS) It's okay.
You know, I got you.
-(NINI SNIFFLES) -(SIGHS)
(CRYING)
Goodbye, Nini.
(CRYING)
I'm gonna head out for the night. Unless you need something else.
I'm good. Thanks.
Can I say something to make you reconsider?
Honestly, I think we're done talking now.
(SINGING) Hopeless, as my dream dies
As the time flies
Love a lost illusion
Helpless, unforgiven
Cold and driven
To this sad conclusion
No beauty could move me
No goodness improve me...
No power on earth
If I can't love her
No passion could reach me
No lesson could teach me
How I could have loved her
And make her love me, too
If I can't love her
Then who
Long ago I should have seen
All the things I could have been
Careless and unthinking, I moved onward
No pain could be deeper...
Hi, Dad. Uh, we need to talk.
I'm not going to Duke.
HOWIE: (SINGING) If I can't love her
No spirit could win me
No hope left within me
Hope I could have loved her
And that she'd set me free
But it's not to be
If I can't love her
Let the world be done with me
If I can't love her
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)