‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ Season 4
Season 4 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is a return to form for the show after a slightly chaotic third season that took members of the main cast to summer camp and left others offscreen entirely. When Season 4 picks up, it’s a new school year and a blank slate for the drama club. Hollywood also comes calling in the form of original High School Musical movie cast members taking over East High to film the fictional High School Musical 4: The Reunion with new young stars padding out the cast and causing some drama of their own within the East High drama club. With Olivia Rodrigo‘s Nini officially written out of the series, Sofia Wylie gets the space to fully come into her own as Gina; Wylie has been a series regular since Season 1, but she’s on another level entirely in Season 4. Her scenes with Joshua Bassett made me wonder why I hadn’t shipped Gina with Bassett’s Ricky the entire time because their chemistry is so lived-in and believable. The new original songs (particularly Julia Lester and Saylor Bell Curda’s “Call It What You Want”) are all great additions to the HSM:TM:TS canon, and the drama club’s versions of High School Musical 3 musical numbers breathe new life into those familiar songs. The final season is bigger, funnier, and more romantic. As Season 4 wraps up the new-gen Wildcats’ story for good, HSM:TM:TS goes out a high note.