“I’m not sure I’m auditioning for the musical this year. You know… ‘once a skate rat, right?’”
So I’ve been rewatching the show to prep for s4 and I’ve been thinking a lot about how Ricky doesn’t skate anymore. I think Ricky transitioning into a theater kid is his way of showing he’s changed/chose gina.
A) Nini gets him a skateboard for Christmas. He tears up over this saying this is the first gift his mom ever got him. Nini has known him the longest, so it would make sense she would get him the gift she’s always known him for.
-when I was in high school I was obsessed with pandas. But as I got older I grew out of them. Those who don’t spend time around me or see that I’ve changed, still think I’m obsessed with them to this day. Years later. It’s not that I hate them by any means, I’ve just… outgrown them (sound familiar? Ricky’s ily speech *cough*)
B) Ricky makes the comment I titled this in when he says he’s thinking about not doing the show. Since Nini’s not in it and he’s reverting back to his old self, it makes sense for him to stay the same. Be a skate rat.
C) (and what I believe might be the biggest hint of all) I found it peculiar the dialogue around using Ricky’s skateboards to create the beast changing-machine. First, his skateboards aren’t at his house… they’re at reds. Wouldn’t he want to keep them closer? Second, he doesn’t even seem bothered when EJ asks red if he can use one (because red kind of covers that they’re his). Ricky turns around and I believe EJ is holding Nini’s skateboard to him, but Ricky must have added a checker pattern to the bottom. Ricky’s just like “yeah I can stay all night and help [throw away the skateboard lol]”
-smushed between this scene and the next with the boys is where Nini finds out about the chocolates. Kind of an interesting placement where Ricky’s feelings are starting to transition here and Nini is realizing there might be more going on
-the next scene Ricky is literally sitting on a CHANGING MECHANISM (please see the metaphor!!) that contains the skateboard. He’s using his past self to create his new self. This same scene is where they’re first talking about EJ’s feelings for Nini but then Carlos makes the co-choreographer comment and RICKY goes, “wait Gina?” Then we get the zoom in on Ricky’s face when Carlos is like “just because it didn’t work out with the first girl, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the next that comes along”. Interesting for both EJ and Ricky this works with the same girls.
-not to mention this episode is literally called “the transformation”… also symbolic of Ricky.
D) since Nini has been out of the picture has Ricky mentioned skating once? Mentioned Nini? Nope. At least, he wasn’t the first who did. It was other people bringing her up to him. And only in the last episode of s3.
I miss skate rat ricky™️ sometimes too, but I also think his movement toward theater/gina has been very intentional on Tim’s part. Skating was a private thing, the old him. But theater is a community, “family” as he puts it. I could see him pulling a Troy and maybe finding someway to do both (going to college for theater and skateboarding to his classes? lol) but I don’t know that it will be addressed last season.
Maybe he’ll ride his board to Gina’s house.
(Also the gif came from google, so feel free to credit if you know who it belongs to!)
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