High School Musical makes up pretty much the majority of my childhood memories. I still remember the day it aired on Disney Channel — they had done so much promotion for it, and I was ready. I was just nine when the first movie premiered, eleven when we were blessed with High School Musical 2, and twelve when we got some closure with High School Musical 3: Senior Year. I’m pretty sure I was Disney’s exact target demographic, and man oh man did they hook me.
I enjoy re-watching the movies every now and then (both for nostalgia’s sake and because I genuinely enjoy them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). However, as I’ve grown older, I have noticed a few red flags in many of the major Troy-Gabriella plot points. Nine-year-old me considered them ultimate #relationshipgoals, but 21-year-old me is more like #ehhh. Sure, they have their moments, but some of their more overlooked, problematic moments leave me hesitant about their relationship.
High School Musical
Ah, the beginning of it all. I don’t have much negativity to bring here. This film was more about following your passions and showing who you truly are to the world despite any negativity that may come your way. Troy and Gabriella’s relationship seemed more like a subplot, if anything.
Or should I say “relationship”? Strangely enough, we never see either refer to their relationship as a relationship, or to one another as significant others. It’s kind of just assumed. Which is cool for them, I guess, but it would have been nice for young viewers had they DTR’d (defined the relationship).
Other characters mention crushes and dates (i.e. Taylor’s “Like on a date?” at the end of the movie when Chad asks her out), but Troy and Gabriella are pretty silent on this aspect. I mean, it’s pretty easy to assume that they were definitely a thing, but still.
High School Musical 2
Troy and Gabriella are still together, and seem to be happier than ever. So happy, in fact, that Troy gives Gabriella a necklace, leading to the iconic line, “‘T’ as in Troy?”, to which Troy is like umm… yeah.
Image source: Buzzfeed
While the gesture of giving Gabriella the necklace is sweet, older me wonders what his intentions are. First of all, why did he give her a necklace with his initial on it? Why couldn’t it be a ‘G’ for Gabriella, or even just a simple heart? Egocentric much, Troy? It’s almost as if he is branding Gabriella as his property, putting his mark on her and claiming her as his.
My issues with their relationship quickly begin to heighten. The two have a conversation early on about all the stuff they’re going to do during summer, but it gets a bit awkward here:
Gabriella: Hopefully some of those activities will include a job.
Troy: Hey… whatever happens, as long as we’re together, it’s cool right?
While that is a cute sentiment, no Troy, that isn’t how life works. However, Troy quickly redeems himself when he gets offered a summer job and accepts on the condition that other East High students, including ~Gabriella~ of course, also get jobs.
This summer job starts to turn sour as Troy gains special attention from Sharpay’s father and other influential men who could impact his future. He begins to attend lunches, dinners, and play basketball with members of the University of Albuquerque’s basketball team. To sum it up, he’s networking — something vital for his future.
Gabriella and Chad view Troy’s lack of complete attention on them as Troy “changing.” Gabriella states, “It just doesn’t seem like new stuff, it seems like a new Troy.”
Troy, of course, is baffled. This poor boy is trying his hardest to balance his high school friends and girlfriend with all of the new opportunities he has been given, but it isn’t enough for them. Gabriella proceeds to leave (both Troy and her job that she previously needed so badly) because she doesn’t like the person Troy has “become,” and that he is ultimately choosing to put his future ahead of his friends. (P.S. how much time has even passed? I swear it’s only been a few days in HSM time.)
Gabriella’s exit visibly affects Troy. She leaves right away, too, giving them no time to talk about their issues further or communicate with one another in any way. She literally just drives away after saying her piece. This leads him to have this interaction with Sharpay:
Sharpay: Troy, this could change your life!
Troy: I’m more interested in about what my friends think of me, and what I think of myself.
I am personally interested in why his “friends” abandoned him so quickly after just a few days of special treatment. Sharpay seems like the only person who is actually trying to help Troy with his future prospects.
High School Musical 3
This movie is about everyone’s favorite topic: graduation and figuring out what’s next. Fun!
Gabriella is accepted into Stanford’s Freshmen Honors Program (yay!) but doesn’t tell Troy (boo!). These two seriously have some major communication problems. When Troy eventually finds out (from Sharpay — classic), he surprises Gabriella at her house with pizza and tells her how amazing this opportunity is for her. He literally does everything right.
Gabriella brings much of the drama to this relationship. She leaves for Stanford while school is still in session. (Side note: I don’t think this is even a thing? She can’t be a freshman until she graduates, right?)
Anyway, after Troy gets his tux for prom, Gabriella calls him to say that she won’t be coming back for prom or graduation because, and I’m paraphrasing, “I just got used to being away from you and then I’d have to come back and leave and come back and leave. It’s too many goodbyes.”
I won’t even go into how disingenuous and dumb I find this excuse, but whatever, it’s her life. Except for the fact that she isn’t taking Troy’s feelings into consideration at all! Not cool, G!
Troy is the only one who puts in the effort, foregoing prom and driving however many miles are between Albuquerque and NorCal to see Gabriella. (Editor’s note: 1,065 miles). In case you haven’t noticed, this relationship is disturbingly one-sided.
Troy eventually chooses to attend UC Berkeley. His reasoning? He chooses both basketball and theater, but more than anything he “choose[s] the person who inspires [his] heart. Which is why [he] picked a school that’s exactly 32.7 miles from you.”
The “you” is, of course, Gabriella. While Berkeley is obviously a wonderful school, I am troubled by the fact that Troy’s main reason for choosing this school is because it was the closest one to Gabriella. She would not have done the same — and she shouldn’t! College decisions should not be based on where your significant other is going; it is an extremely personal choice.
So while Troy and Gabriella are adorable and perfect and have perfect harmonies and on and on, they have their issues, too.
Communication, it seems, is their biggest deficiency. Gabriella, you need to start considering how your actions affect others. And Troy, I think it’s about time you got that girl a proper necklace.