In case you missed it, here’s my review of season 3 so far.

Last week, we got a fun episode in “The Real Campers of Shallow Lake,” which was a riff on how shows like The Real Housewives of Orange County portray a reality that isn’t quite real.

This week, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series returns to form with an episode reminiscent of previous episodes, “Homecoming” and “The Quinceañero,” with much of the episode taking place around Camp Shallow Lake’s 70s-themed annual prom.

So, is this episode groovy, or is it square? To put it simply, very square. Essentially, this episode, which I should remind you, is the final episode before the season finale, feels like a nothing burger. Sure, big things happen that have been building up all season long, but they feel like a whimper rather than a huge bang.

As opposed to the previous episodes this season, there are next to zero stakes…or at the least, I never felt those stakes. For example, the central drama between Ricky, Gina, and E.J. feels as though it’s been pushed to the forefront, but for how much it’s been set up, it feels like it never goes anywhere. That’s not to say that progress isn’t made, but for the episode before the season finale, the drama resolution we get here feels like a midseason resolution. Another bit of drama that feels like it went nowhere is the drama between Maddox and Jet. Like the Ricky, E.J., and Gina drama, this had been building up all season, and what we get here is a moment that I can only describe as the writers realizing they were running out of episodes and needed to do something about their shared drama.

These examples are different but share one common problem: the writers don’t know what to do with the drama built up this season. Sure, the writers only have eight episodes this season instead of 10 or 12, so they only have 4 hours instead of 5 or 6. So, they have less time to set up and pay off the drama.

However, the bigger problem is that several main storylines that felt like they’d be resolved by the end of the season are left wide open for further exploration in the fourth season.

That said, the cast does an excellent job in this episode. The best performers in my eyes are Sofia Wylie and Dara Reneé. Wylie gives a heartbreaking performance (for reasons I can’t spoil) where, despite the writing, at the end of the day, Gina is still trying to find out who she is and what she wants. Reneé’s performance is small here but makes a huge impact. We’ve spent all season wondering what’s been going on with Kourtney, and finally getting to the heart of who she is without Nini by her side made this cynical critic well up a couple of times.

Another highlight of the episode is something I don’t usually mention: the costume design by Toni Cunnigham, who’s been at it all season, despite not being credited for her work. The 70s theme of the camp prom allows for some suitably groovy costumes. My favorites are as follows: Ricky’s denim suit with a pineapple dress shirt with all the swagger to it, E.J.’s riff on John Travolta’s suit from Saturday Night Fever (or feels very similar), and Gina’s hippy dress. The others are great, but they weren’t my favorite - not for the fault of costume design, but because I can only have so many favorites. Nevertheless, the costumes are a perfect send-up of the wacky vibes of the disco era, and I hope something similar happens next season.

Sidestepping any potential spoilers, but there is a guest star in this episode that I did not like at all. The star’s delivery of the lines is as wooden as a plank you’d pick up from The Home Depot or Lowe’s, and the chemistry between the guest star and the person they are there to see is nonexistent. Everything grinds to a halt to support this guest star, and it feels like a moment where someone wanted that specific person on the show and couldn’t find an organic way to bring the guest star in.

So that’s my review of the penultimate episode of the season. I’d have preferred an episode that started to set up the finale rather than what I saw here. Hopefully, the season 3 finale delivers on the drama rather than fizzling out.

★★

“Camp Prom” is now available to stream on Disney+. Seasons one and two of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series are available to stream on Disney+, as well as two specials and a sing-along version of the first season.

If you’d like to listen to me watch the episode, click here to buy the audio commentary!

Until next time!

Thanks to Thomas Stoneham-Judge from Movies For Reel, Shane Conto, Joseph Davis, David Walters, Ambula Bula, Matthew Simpson, Thom Blackburn, Aaliyah, Libby Stephenson, and Roze for supporting Austin B Media on Patreon!