TV Show review
Stream on Disney Plus
Based on 4 seasons, 38 episodes · through August 9, 2023
This show is a mockumentary about students at East High School putting on their own stage version of High School Musical. The story follows their friendships, romance, and teen drama. The show features strong identity themes and a heavy focus on LGBTQ relationships. Many characters explore their sexual identity, and characters frequently discuss feminism and dismantling the patriarchy.
Why 97%? See the score breakdownBreakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Woke representation / casting
The cast features a highly diverse lineup of actors. About a quarter of the characters are confirmed as LGBTQ+. The show has Disney's first openly gay teen couple with Carlos and Seb. Other queer characters include Ashlyn, Maddox, Big Red, and a lesbian couple who are Nini's parents. The casting strongly emphasizes identity and representation in almost every major role.
88%
Woke political dialogue
In the very first episode, characters use words like dismantling the patriarchy and intersectional values. Dialogue throughout the four seasons frequently focuses on gender identity, feminist topics, and modern progressive viewpoints on teenage relationships.
65%
Identity-driven story themes
Coming out and exploring sexual identity are major parts of the story. Multiple seasons follow characters like Ashlyn as she realizes she is queer, and Big Red coming out as bisexual. The show also explores the ups and downs of gay and lesbian teen relationships. These themes are central to the plot and can not be missed.
90%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show lightly critiques traditional gender roles and family models. It promotes progressive ideas of family and relationships. Traditional views on romance are framed as outdated compared to the modern viewpoints of the Gen-Z characters.
55%
Woke character or canon changes
The show makes a major change to the original High School Musical world. Ryan Evans, a main character from the original movies, is brought back and officially shown as a gay man with a male partner. This confirms a long-running fan theory but changes how the character was presented in the original family films.
80%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Right-leaning media outlets and conservative parenting groups criticized the show. They argued that Disney took a classic family franchise and used it to push LGBTQ and feminist agendas on young audiences. Many parents expressed frustration online about the heavy focus on gender and sexual identity.
70%
Creator track record context
Series creator Tim Federle has a woke score of 56 and is known for writing books about gay teen experiences. Several directors and writers on the team also have a history of working on progressive and queer-centric shows, which is reflected in the series.
58%
Production
