Been thinking about TMF Season 2 a lot, and I have a lot of thoughts.
Since S2 has been promised to be about double the length of S1, I’d love to see a more character-driven storyline, and my biggest hope for this season is that every character ends off on a positive note. I want every ‘main’ character to undergo some sort of development, and improve themselves in some way. Considering they’re all high school students with their whole lives ahead of them, I want their stories to end off on a hopeful note. And if we’re getting very specific, I’d love it if TMF ended with all the characters dancing at Prom. It’d be silly, a little cliche, and absolutely on-brand for this show. I just want to see all these characters I’ve grown to love dance and have a wonderful time while the credits roll and the theme song plays. I think that would complete me. Now, time to talk about my hopes for each character specifically. (Because I have a LOT.)
Considering everything Jake went through in S1, I believe his character deserves a little break. He’s already been through his development, so I think it’d be nice for him help other characters develop instead, while also perhaps trying to repair the damages left in S1. Namely, his relationship with his old friends.
Another thing I’d like to see done with Jake’s storyline is having him let go of his feelings for Daisy, considering she doesn’t even like him back. And I think it’d be interesting if Jake’s crush on Daisy was actually more of an idolization of her character. He’s only ever seen the good in her; he’s seen her stand up for him time and time again, and she stayed by his side when no one else would. She’s only ever been sunshine and smiles when around him, so it’d make sense for him to idolize her. And while it’s important to be able to love and adore every aspect of your partner, it’s also important to recognize their short-comings, which is something he doesn’t seem capable of doing. Because to him, Daisy’s nothing short of perfect, and while that may sound romantic, it isn’t the best foundation for a relationship. So for him to be able to realize this about himself, and let go of his feelings for Daisy while learning to appreciate and respect her as a whole rather than admiring her for being this perfect figure would be very rewarding.
Finally, another idea I had for S2 would be for the Music Club to start performing at local venues around Rosemeadow, which would parallel what Micheal said in Episode 6. And I could see Jake absolutely loving it. He eats up all the attention, and I could definitely see him taking center stage and becoming the main face and voice of the group. There’s all sorts of avenues you could take this. Perhaps this gets to his head, or perhaps it’s more than he’d signed up for? Either way, it’d be fun to see.
Similar to Jake, I feel Hailey went through quite a bit of development in S1, but I’d love to see her past relationship with Lia finally be addressed. I’d like to know how they met, and what ultimately caused their falling out. I want to see Lia to finally stand up for herself, officially cut Zoey out of her life, and navigate the social consequences of doing so. I want her to discover who she is and what she wants, and ultimately decide to set things right between her and Hailey. I want Lia to apologize, and while I don’t see Hailey forgiving her right away, I do believe she’d be willing to give Lia a second chance, just as she did Jake. I want things to be painfully awkward between them. I want a tension that comes from seeing a stranger in who was once your best friend. But I hope they’ll be able to rekindle their friendship eventually.
Zander and Luke’s developments would likely be intertwined considering their relationship. For Zander, I’d want to explore how his depression and abandonment issues affect him, because similar to the Hailey and Lia situation, this aspect of his character was brought up once and never again. I think it’d be interesting if Zander was put in a position that left him questioning Luke’s loyalty. Not because of anything Luke himself did, but because Zander knows there’s so much better out there, and is scared of Luke leaving him behind. Not only would this allow for Zander’s abandonments issues to be explored, but his trust issues, too. It’d also be nice to learn about where these issues stem from. I assume his biological father, which I hope we learn more about as well.
Now, for Luke, I’ve seen many people suggest that Luke could have this complex that he is nothing without Zander, and I think that would be fascinating to explore. It also makes a lot of sense, considering we really don’t know anything about him outside of his relationship. Perhaps he places an unhealthy amount of pressure on himself to be this perfect boyfriend, and feels worthless when he’s alone? It would add a lot of dimension to Luke’s relatively simple character, and it would be fun to see him grow into his own character and find worth in himself outside of his relationship.
Milly is probably the character I have the least amount of ideas for. She seems to be a bit snippy with her parents in multiple episodes, remarking how they scream at her when she plays her music too loud or yelling at them when she’s on the phone. I think it’d be interesting to learn more about her dynamic with them. I also think it’d be fun to explore her relationship with Elliot, and with the Gardening Club as a whole. The Spin-Off laid some fantastic ground work, and I would love for it to be expanded on.
For Sean, I want angst. I want this man to have a break down at least once in S2. To me, Sean has always come across as someone who struggles with feeling like a burden. He worries if he shows weakness, he’ll drive people away. So instead of talking through his problems, he bottles them up and forces himself to stay strong for others. I also believe he worries deeply about the future, considering he’ll be graduating in a few months. Perhaps he worries about the Music Club forgetting about him when he graduates? I would love for all of Sean’s fears and anxieties to spill over at one point, and instead of facing ridicule like he expects, he’s met with comfort and support by the Music Club, who tell him he could never be a burden, and they could never forget about him. I think that’s just something Sean needs to hear.
For Henry and Liam, I’d like to learn how they met, and who they were before Drew. I’ve seen several people speculate the potential of these two being unpopular or even the victims of bullying before Drew, which could potentially be an interesting parallel to Jake if this route was the one taken. I would also love to know their opinion on Drew, and how the viewed the whole situation between him and Jake. Considering the state Drew was left in after the events of S1, I think it’d make sense for Drew to cut them off out of fear, and it’d be interesting to see how they navigate that situation. Who are they without Drew? Who are they when it’s only them and they don’t have to worry about anyone else? I want them to be able to grow and reflect on how their actions affected those around them, and be able to grow as characters. I also like to imagine they’d develop before Drew does, so perhaps they could rekindle their friendship with Jake first?
RosyClozy has promised us Drew angst in S2 and I am absolutely holding her to that. And as much as I want this boy to be redeemed by the end of this show, I want this man to be insufferable initially. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there is no way the events of S1 left him in a good headspace. I want him to be horrible. (To the point where only the strongest Drew fans survive.) I want this man to be petty, vengeful and jealous most of all. I want him to push everyone away, and I want him to hit absolute rock-bottom. And that is when I want Drew to develop; to pick himself out of that hole he dug himself in and move forward. I want him to be able to apologize for what he did to Jake, and very begrudgingly apologize to the Music Club. And I do not want him to be forgiven. I want his redemption to come not from forgiveness, but from him trying to do better. From him no longer talking down on others and learning to control his anger. From him putting in the effort to do better, both for himself, and those around him.
Finally, Zoey. The biggest thing I want is for her to get the hell away from that sugar daddy of hers. Because it’s creepy, no matter how you slice it. But the second biggest thing I want is to understand why she did what she did. Why did she cheat on Drew, and why did she feel the need to go after someone else for money when she was already dating someone capable of providing for her? None of this is explained in the show, which sort of paints her as a very one-dimensional villain, but there has to be some sort of motivation there. Is she struggling at home? Does she feel the need to obtain physical possessions because she’s terrified of never having enough? Or is she genuinely just greedy and has no concept of how her actions affect those around her? I want to know, and somehow, in some way, I want for her to at least acknowledge what she did as being wrong.
TDLR: I want all these characters to develop and get a happy ending. They’re all in high school, and I want them all to have a bright future ahead of them.
