Warning: Spoilers ahead. They’re headed to camp! High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 is all about growth — and fans are going to see what it’s like when the Wildcats leave East High for the wilderness.
“You come to Shallow Lake one way and just become something else,” E.J. — played by Matt Cornett — tells the East High Wildcats during the third season premiere as their summer officially starts. “It happens to everyone.”
Right off the bat, fans watch as E.J. heads to camp alongside Gina (Sofia Wylie), Kourtney (Dara Reneé), Carlos (Frankie Rodriguez) and Ashlyn (Julia Lester). After they arrive, they’re met with trees, bunks and some new friends.
“Kourtney is just you know, stepping out of her comfort zone this season. She does not do trees. She does not do woods. Very much likes the mall to be within walking distance. So it’s a little different,” Dara told J-14 exclusively ahead of the show’s season 3 premiere. “She just learns that it’s OK to step out of your comfort zone, have fun, be vulnerable and just enjoy the friends that you have. I was really excited to talk about certain topics with my character, especially anxiety. She really goes through that this season, and I go through that too. So to be able to bring that to the screen and to show that representation was really dope and also bringing some humor to Kourtney this season, I love it.”
E.J., for his part, is ready for a new start at Camp Shallow Lake this time around.
“He’s at this summer camp that he has a lot of history at. He grew up going to this camp,” Matt told J-14. “So, it’s definitely a lot of history that he has to go on with, but also he’s excited for this new fresh summer, and he’s wanting to come into the summer with the thought of … I just want to be a kid and be able to have fun with my new relationship and all of my friends.”
Of course, the Olivia Rodrigo of it all will also be acknowledged. HSMTMTS showrunner Tim Federle told Entertainment Tonight ahead of the season 3 premiere that her character, Nini, would be getting “a proper sendoff.”
“I think she’s ready to explore the world outside the halls of East High,” he explained. “And Olivia herself was having such a monumental explosion in the music industry that it felt like the right thing to, frankly, work with Olivia to say, ‘How do we get you out there into the world with us taking a little bit more of a backseat?’ Which we were all proud to do to support her.”
Scroll through our gallery for the biggest bombshells from HSMTMTS season 3.
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
