High School Musical: The Musical: The Series 4X8: Born to Be Brave

This is it, you guys. I'm assuming there will not be a S5. However, I think they ended it in a satisfying way while leaving the door open for stuff in the future.

So, Ricky tells Gina he knows her secret. And that he's proud of her and she, of course, has to go and do this movie. She's relieved that he's being cool about it, but also a little disappointed that he didn't fight for her to stay. The two of them seem like they are most of the second act, so we see them on stage and it really mirrors what it happening in real life for them.

Jet pushes Maddox and Ashlyn together by getting Maddox to read her balloon out loud. They are from Maddie and say something like, 'Give these to Ashlyn. You look at her like I want you to look at me.' Ashlyn overhears this, but then Maddox claims to Jet that she's back with Red. Ashlyn insists that she's not. And the two of them contemplate being together. But, they are afraid of ruining their friendship. In the end, they decide to go for it, and make out a bit in the hallway.

Turns out, French kid who was after Ashlyn, is not French and also not after Ashlyn. He's got a thing for Red. That really feels like it came out of nowhere, but I don't really mind.

After the performance, they all gather backstage. Ashlyn (maybe) asks where Gina is and Miss Jenn tells them she's going to come in looking like a movie star and just to support her. Before that happens, Ricky gets up and expresses to the club how much they've changed his life and he's grateful for them all.

Then, Gina shows up, looking like a god damn movie star (Jenn did not oversell this) and tells everyone about the movie and New Zealand. And then, the writers made her do, like, a 20 page monolog about how much she loves everyone that this poor girl was sobbing through. I have no idea if it's the actress getting emotional about leaving the role behind, or that she's just that good. But it must have been exhausting for her.

Eventually, Maddox pops in and tells her that she and Mack have to get on a plane in 20 and they need to go. That's when Ashlyn seems to put it together that she is also leaving for six months to go to New Zealand and she starts crying.

Gina heads down the hall to the press conference where she is signing the contract live. When she gets up to the mic, Quinn asks Maddox where Mack is and we find out that he's live streaming his exit from the movie (that hasn't even been announced yet) because he's going to do a reboot of the dog show. Which means, the movie now needs a leading man. Hello Ricky Bowen.

The drama club cottons on to what's happening and they race down the hall to watch the press conference, while Ricky is frantically trying to get his guitar so he can sing his 'I love you' song to Gina. And it's lovely (Have we heard this song before? It sounds familiar. Maybe we saw him practice it?). Turns out, Gina is crafty. She tells Quinn, on live TV that she's grateful she's moving production to Salt Lake so she can finish her schooling and East High and be in the next semester's musical. Quinn is on board with all of that. Made for great headlines.

Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara decided to use Gina and Mack's tickets to New Zealand for themselves and explore there relationship. (Oh yeah, and Jenn has decided not to do the Broadway show and stay teaching at East High).

Things were wrapped up nicely. I'd love to see a bit of a peek into the future of these kids, but I can't complain about the finale we got.

I shocked at how much I ended up caring for these kids.