‘I just hope they can figure that out’: ‘HSMTMTS’ showrunner reveals rocky times ahead for Gina and Ricky in final season

One of the weirder hits of the past few years is the meta TV nostalgia experiment High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. It’s been four zany seasons of dancing, high-school drama, and teenage angst. Since this is the show’s last season, it looks like post-kiss Gina and Ricky have some hardships on the way.

Besides that, showrunner Tim Federle told Hollywood Life that he made sure the final season was one of total “celebration.” The Gina and Ricky drama had been reaching a boiling point all season, and when they finally kissed it opened up a whole new avenue for writers to explore – a more difficult avenue than they’re used to.

“They’re hit with challenges for sure. Many of them external. This is what I think about Ricky and Gina: they’re the right couple, and the question of the season is, but is this the right timing? Because on stage, as in life, timing is everything. That’s the fundamental question, but gosh, they’re really good for each other, and I just hope they can figure that out.”

Because this is a Disney Plus show, something tells me they’re going to figure it out. Federle also mentioned that he “had a hunch” this was going to be the final season and that “vibes were so good on set” he called Disney and said, “I’m going to turn in the final script, and when you read it, it’s going to feel like the end. That’s on purpose because after 4 years it’s time to graduate.”

It was important — Federle said — to have the characters go out “on top in a real mode of celebration and with the opportunity to complete the story sort of on our terms with real endgames.”

Not every show gets that opportunity, especially not the actors. Federle said he broke the news to the principal cast delicately.

“I took them out to dinner the night before the final table read, and I was like, ‘Every last table read of the season, we all cry a little bit because it’s the end. I just want to tell you guys it actually is, and we should hold each other up tomorrow and go out on top.’ They just really delivered and I hope the audience really feels that when they watch the show.”

Doing it that way “allowed for some real closure” and an ability to say goodbye and thanks to Salt Lake City.

The final season of HSMTMTS premieres on Disney Plus on June 29.