Thread by @ematthemoment, why carlos’ “forest of boys” idea was brilliant and debunking all the [...]

why carlos’ “forest of boys” idea was brilliant and debunking all the other suggestions given by the hsm cast

a “forest of boys” actually pays great homage to the original HSM film.

in the “when there was me and you” sequence, gabriella wanders around east high, a school littered with reminders of the star basketball player who broke her heart. he’s literally everywhere.

a big theme of this sequence is that troy was the person that welcomed her to east high. the school is inevitably a reminder of troy and her love for him. it’s also a reminder of the pain he caused her and the embarrassment she feels at believing in “her fairytale.”

i mean, look at this slow transition. he’s literally filling the hallways of east high. he’s everywhere in that school because he’s the first person who welcomed her in and, again, the school practically worships him.

therefore, carlos’ decision to have her wander through a forest of boys directly mirrors gabriella’s wandering through east high, a school that basically worships the boy who broke her heart.

with the small budget they had and the film->stage transition, this idea was fantastic.

as a young woman, i’m fully about female empowerment, but this song isn’t an “i hate troy” song. it’s introspective. she’s ashamed of herself for falling so blindly for someone “because [she] liked the view.” this song isn’t about self empowerment, it’s gabriella blaming herself.

making the song about female empowerment is a nice idea but it changes the entire meaning of it & negates like half the lyrics. it’s not an empowering moment, it’s a sad one. regardless of what that says about gabriella or women, it’s a canon in the film and carlos stuck to it.

and finally, carlos is a 15-year-old boy who’s obsessed with hsm so of course he’s gonna wanna directly parallel his stage version to the film version he loves so much. he wasn’t being sexist or oblivious or cheesy he was literally just adapting what was on screen to the stage.

now let’s break down why all the helpful suggestions weren’t necessarily better ideas, at least when reflecting the themes of the song and the original sequence!

ASH: “what troy did was kinda unforgivable. respectfully, carlos, i think the last thing anyone wants in this moment is 4 more versions of him.”

exactly ashlyn. that’s the last thing gabriella wants too. but again, the wtwmay sequence is full of troy because east high is.
(...)

the whole school is Troy! Troy! Troy! which only adds to gabriella’s feelings of shame in this song. again, she’s upset with herself for being blinded by the fairytale that was Troy Bolton

NATALIE: “maybe she could chop down the trees?”

that would probably look very weird

idk what else to say about this one

KOURT: “or what if she’s surrounded by a forest of loving and supportive sisters.”

i adore kourt & this would be a good idea of all of gabriella’s female friends had not also set her up to get her heart broken as well. literally everyone gabriella considered a friend hurt her.

RICKY: “is it better if she just sings a solo acoustic version?”

if he’s inferring gabriella whips out a guitar then Big No. if he means a guitar in the pit, that ~could~ work but this is supposed to be a big ballad so i’m not sure it would capture the tone.

in conclusion:
- “when there was me and you” is not an empowering song it’s an introspective song full of shame and self-blame
- “forest of boys” directly mirrored the sequence in the original HSM film
- to many fans, this “forest of boys” scene is more about the cast not
(...)

taking carlos seriously as a choreographer than it is about him needing miss jenn there to put on a good show. he largely needs miss jenn there because she respects him and would back him up. she “gave [him] a shot.”
- troy isn’t the only one who was awful to gabriella.
(...)

her female friends willingly hurt her to get her committed to the academic decathlon team just like troy and the guys hurt her.
- “forest of boys” probably wasn’t the best way to describe carlos’ idea but it was still a good concept & faithful to the original sequence in HSM

and last but not least:
i think it says a lot about carlos that he came up with a good idea but that nobody took him seriously without miss jenn there. i think it also says a lot that he later walked back his idea and started to doubt it as a result of the episode 6 backlash...

he said miss jenn was one of the only people to give him a shot and not see him as a punchline.

imagine fearing that person in your corner is going to be fired while all your classmates confirm your fears that they don’t fully take you seriously? carlos was Stressed.

anyways, i think that the “forest of boys” incident is one they can tie back in brilliantly in future episodes if carlos is ever shown doubting his incredible choreography.

it was a good idea!!!!!!!

end of thread! stan carlos!

(sorry i had to do something with this doodle)

anyways, i think that the “forest of boys” incident is one they can tie back in brilliantly in future episodes if carlos is ever shown doubting his incredible choreography. it was a good idea!!!!!!!end of thread! stan carlos! (sorry i had to do something with this doodle)

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