Opinion Time Y'all

opinion time y'all

my thing is, i don't hate rina. i don't hate rina stans. i don't hate ricky. in fact, he's one of my favourite characters. i was actually a huuuge hardcore rina stan until s2, and tbh i still think they have absolutely unbelievable chemistry. i still enjoy rina fics and edits.

i think ricky really cares about gina, and it's obvious gina had feelings for him. however, rina would never be a healthy relationship because ricky will always put nini first. and that's ok, that's no one's fault! that doesn't make ricky a bad person/character, it just means he's not gina's person. he can never give gina the relationship she deserves. she is always chasing someone who can't love her the way she wants him to. while i think they have amazing chemistry, and definitely would be good together in different circumstances, it wouldn't be fair to gina to put her with someone who would never fully emotionally commit to her. nini will always hold more of ricky's heart than gina can, and rina getting together wouldn't be fair to any of them.

the reason i am a portwell stan through and through is because ej has already shown how he puts gina first and will be the person who loves her the way she deserves to be loved. she doesn't have to beg for his affection and break her own heart, he is standing ready to give it to her. it's part of both of their character development, but especially gina. she is learning she doesn't have to compete and "be the best" to be worthy of love, she just has to be herself, and ej has shown her that is more than enough for him.

also the only relationship ricky should be in is with therapy

Because I am DESPERATE to get Alyson Reed as Grandma Caswell….. let EJ and Ashlyn’s grandma run the theater camp (since her Broadway dreams got cut short) and the Caswell Cousins invite the drama club to the camp. And Grandma Caswell wants to put on a SUMMER MUSICALE (said in ms darbus’s voice ofc)

TIM!!! IF YOU ARE LISTENING!!! ALYSON REED AKA MS DARBUS AS GRANDMA CASWELL! I BEG!!!

she just gives off theater camp owner vibes

gina running towards ej instead of running away (I’m safer when I’m on the run)!!!!!!

portwell x something there

soo since i literally cannot wait to see if something there will be portwell related, i wanna connect the lyrics of the song to some of their moments. i'm like 99.9% sure that this has been done before and isn't a new thing so yea.

There's something sweet, and almost kind But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined And now he's dear, and so unsure I wonder why I didn't see it there before

since this verse is supposed to be from gina's perspective, it might refer to the change that she sees in ej from season 1 going into season 2. i think back to how ej was portrayed as a villain and used as an obstacle for both rini and nini. despite his struggles, he became much more open not only to himself, but also to his friends.

She glanced this way, I thought I saw And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw No, it can't be, I'll just ignore But then she's never looked at me that way before

the entire verse absolutely screams heart eyes. cue portwell lovingly staring at eachother:

1. carlos's quinceañero

2. north high lookout

3. during career day sitting close to eachother

4. the couch convo

5. airport scene

6. right after gina thanked him for the plane ticket

i absolutely love the line she didn't shudder at my paw because it could be so easy for gina to just reject ej's sweet gestures (like a metaphorical paw) and see him only as the guy in season 1. instead, she's so warm towards him. that's not only called love, but also deep affection and care. i also feel like the line has the meaning that despite their differences (like belle being a human and the beast a mix of animals), they are willing to work together and understand eachother. ex. ej asking gina to describe moving around a lot and gina not not relating to ej having his life planned out.

New, and a bit alarming Who'd have ever thought that this could be? True, that he's no Prince Charming But there's something in him that I simply didn't see

while they have some nice moments in season 1, i feel as though ej and gina have only just now started to realize their feelings for each other and how immense they actually are. i love true, that he's no prince charming because it kinda goes back to the couch scene in 2x08 when gina acknowledges that although he fails a lot, ej keeps on trying to be better.

i also love how in 2x09, gina admits that things may be different between her and ej, something that she’s never seen before.

honestly OBSESSED with the fact that matt and sofia have the ability to act out such intense and striking emotions so perfectly. they literally speak with their faces and their eyes. every single smile, every single laugh, is so genuine and means something beyond what words can say.

ex. 1: when ej does a sweet gesture for gina, sofia knits her brows and acts surprised in the most adorable way.

that alone shows that ej goes above and beyond her expectations and what any guy has done for her before. something so simple has such a strong meaning.

ex. 2: their eyes light up during a close moment.

like during the couch scene or career day in 2x08, matt and sofia's eyes just totally light up. i'm honestly not sure how they do it, but it really shows how happy and comfortable gina and ej are with each other. they give one another compliments and make each other feel safe.

ex. 3: their reactions to the date

wether it's sofia's little walk afterwards or matt's nervous face when ej asks gina out, both portray something so authentic and so real. it fits perfectly with their characters' fear of rejection and putting themselves out there.

ex. 4: leaning in

the way matt puts his arm around sofia and she naturally leans into his touch, like at north high in 2x07 or the shoulder tap at the pizza place in 2x10, is the perfect depiction of 2 people with a friendship rooted in trust. ej and gina both comfort each other and are a safe space from the world beyond.

behind every perfect ship are the perfect actors :D