HSMTMTS Review: The Storm (Season 2 Episode 4)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season 2 Episode 4, “The Storm,” may center itself around a power outage, but it’s the burst of energy needed to bring this show back into the light.
“The Storm” is the perfect storm of satire, teen angst, and flawless comedic timing. Somehow, HSMTMTS remembers what it’s supposed to be, and new life is breathed into an otherwise forgettable season.
It’s clear the actors feel it too, and everyone breaks out their best performances.
Sofia Wylie especially soars. Gina is gifted with one of the most complex character arcs of the season thus far. She is dealing with her first crush, and her first real stab at female friendship. The growing pains of learning how to simply exist as a teenager are hard to watch, but only because of how relatable they can be.
The emotional range Wylie conveys as Gina is truly impressive; she is both boastfully confident and painfully insecure every moment she’s on-screen.
The theme of “The Storm” truly is relatability. The show — and particularly this episode — is painfully accurate in its portrayal of the teen experience. Its willingness to highlight how each character handles their journey — even if it also highlights their flaws — never fails to impress.
Ej, thankfully, is given a bit of a meatier storyline in “The Storm.” Usually the comic relief, Ej gets to deal with a common high school senior obstacle. The pressure to constantly be perfect is a trait his character has possessed from the pilot, but the curtain is finally peeled back to reveal it all stems from his family.
The sheer panic and devastation in Ej after being rejected by Duke creates a deeper level of empathy for the character; everything he’s done, he’s done to live up to his family’s standards.
Cornett is still given far too little time on screen, and while his scene opposite Cyr is phenomenally executed, a lot of his time is wasted on a conversation opposite Nini.
The two have history — using her as an emotional outlet for Ej does make sense. The show is just so desperate to center every narrative around Rodrigo, the lens almost immediately flips to Nini’s problems, leaving Ejs issues by the wayside.
Nini’s decision to return to East High does feel accessible; we may not all attend famous acting conservatories at 16, but high school is all about finding out where you belong, where you don’t, and figuring out the best way to achieve your dreams.
Watching Nini take that journey separate from her relationship with Ricky is satisfying. It’s refreshing to watch a female character make decisions about her future regardless of the boy in her life. Both characters handle the long-distance with zero angst, which brings Nini back to East High in a justifiable way.
YAC just simply isn’t the right place for her, and that’s okay.
The kids all come to impress in “The Storm,” but the adults in HSMTMTS routinely go underappreciated (and at times, criminally underused).
Both Cyr and Reinders are flawless at their jobs, delivering some of the best comedic beats of any comedy in recent history. They bring their respective characters to life in colorful ways that allow them to be both the punchline, and genuine sources of guidance for the younger generation.
That’s never more prevalent than in “The Storm.” Ms. Jen may begin the episode by recalling how her mother once hog-tied a repairman, but ends it with a poignant conversation that helps Nini find her way back home.
Cyr does the same amount of labor; nailing an entrance that contends for the funniest moment of the show to date, he settles down long enough to instill hope back into Ej about the prospects of his future.
Being the two adult leads on a show opposite a hoard of teenagers can’t be easy, but Reinders and Cyr sure make it look that way.
There really isn’t a single off-kilter moment of “The Storm.” The music is still underwhelming, but the humor makes up for that shortcoming. Layered and self-aware, it’s the type of comedy that works for multiple demographics.
From “Farmers Almanacs” to “speaking passionately (not yelling),” every single joke lands with roaring success.
That’s because HSMTMTS is always at its best when it’s not afraid to make fun of itself a little bit.
Random Thoughts:
- Watching Ricky make a joke over the Valentine’s Day chocolates is painful. Teenage boys are dumb.
- Kourtney and Seb are the ultimate friendship duo.
- Rodriguez and Wylie deliver the episode’s strongest scene with their vulnerable conversation around confidence.
- I admire Gina’s passion and talent, but I’m Team Seb on this one: Lumier should be the center of “Be Our Guest.”
- Now that Nini is back at East High, let’s put the Rini romance on the back burner for a while, shall we?
- One star off this episode’s rating because I am still waiting for an iconic bop to come out of this season!
What did you think of this episode of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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High School Musical: The Musical: The Series airs Fridays on Disney+.
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Kat Pettibone
Kat Pettibone is an aspiring TV writer, artist, and poet. As a Pacey Witter Fan Club lifer who never missed a TGIF, she has dreams of becoming your generations small screen Nora Ephron. She's also an avid lover of coffee, dogs and all things spooky.
One thought on “HSMTMTS Review: The Storm (Season 2 Episode 4)”
Just me, or an iconic bop did come out of this episode. “Granted” is one of my favorites.
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