When Hannah Montana premiered on Disney Channel in 2006 the series became an instant hit, doing not just excellently in terms of ratings, but also in selling the show’s soundtrack and merchandise. Known for its upbeat music and comedic characters there was one overall question: Will anyone ever find out that lead Miley Stewart is also teen pop sensation Hannah Montana?
Over the years, the title character within the show, as well as the series itself only got larger. With all its success, it is easy to overlook that certain storylines did not get the resolution that was expected from it, leaving plot points, characters, or questions unresolved.
DISAPPEARING CHARACTERS
As a television show and a movie, Hannah Montana introduced many fan-favorite characters and story arcs. However, certain series’ recurring characters were not given resolutions or explanations as to what happened to them when they would disappear randomly from the show.
Roxy the bodyguard is never seen again after season two, even though it was never established that she was fired or had quit. Hannah Montana: The Movie characters Travis and Lorelai are never mentioned again after the film either. While all three were relevant during their time in the world of the series or movie, influencing the main characters, there is never an answer as to what happened to them, or their relationships with Miley, Robby Ray, or Jackson.
SUSAN STEWART
From the first season, it is made clear that Miley and Jackson’s mother is not present in their lives, as she had passed away three years prior. However, throughout four seasons, it is never explained how this happened.
In the episode “He Could Be The One” Robby Ray gives Miley a video Susan had made from years ago giving Miley advice. In the video she states that if Miley is watching this, that means Susan is not there now, but had she been with her, to have expected the same advice. This gives the appearance that her tragic death may not have been a surprise to Susan and that she knew there was a chance of it happening.
AMERICA’S TOP TALENT
Oliver’s desire to be a musician becomes a problem for Miley when Hannah is a guest judge on the competition, America’s Top Talent.
Oliver does a good job, impressing the judges and getting the approval to move on to the next round. The plot then takes a turn from the competition itself, becoming about how Oliver’s new fame is affecting the way he treats Miley and Lilly.
While it is an important moral lesson to stay grounded and remember the people who truly care, it forgets to follow through on if Oliver does win America’s Top Talent.
GONNA GET THIS
In the episode “Hannah’s Gonna Get This” Miley must write one last song to complete her new album, and after almost a week of writer’s block, she completes the task. The song is catchy, upbeat, and according to the music producer, not a Hannah Montana song.
After failing a focus group test, Miley eventually decides to sing the song anyway. When Iyaz walks in the recording booth and hears the song, he loves it immediately and they turn it into a duet. While the episode concludes the show’s conflict of if Hannah will sing the song or not, it does not answer the main question asked by the music producer: Will it sell? After the episode ends the song is never mentioned to be a hit or miss to conclude which one of them was right.
JACKSON’S APARTMENT
After Lilly moves in with the Stewart’s, Jackson decides he has had enough and becomes determined to move out of the house in order to have his own space. He can accomplish this quite quickly, renting out an apartment. However, it is never resolved how he managed to get the apartment.
As explained later, the apartment building is owned by Rico, who planned to use Jackson’s apartment as storage space. In addition to this, a constant storyline has been Jackson’s desire to have money since he never has any. Jackson would confirm this later in the show that he does not have a lot of money and must work to be able to buy expensive presents.
LOCATION CHANGE
When Hannah Montana changed their title in season four to Hannah Montana Forever this was not the only thing that changed in the series’ last season. In addition to the loss of Oliver as a main character, the show also lost two of its main locations, Miley’s beach house, explained by her wanting more of a connection to Tennessee, and the beach itself.
Season four introduces the pier to be the new hang out spot amongst the main characters, but it does not explain why they no longer go to the beach. Rico’s Surf Shop is not mentioned either unless in the context that Jackson used to work for Rico.
HANNAH’S SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
At the start of Miley’s senior year, she discovers that her registration papers were never sent in, preventing her from attending school until the second semester. Not to be denied her senior year, Miley returns to school as Hannah to register as a new student and is accepted.
For the most famous teenager in the world, Hannah Montana’s one day at Seaview High School is short-lived and ignored once Miley goes back to school as herself. It is never brought up or questioned why Hannah Montana was attending the school, or why she never came back after one day or less.
OLIVER’S TOUR
When season three was wrapping up, and the writers had to come up with a way to write Oliver out of the show, he was allowed to go on tour with a band that lives above Jackson. Oliver explains that the world tour lasts six months. While this is a fantastic opportunity for Oliver it does not add up with the rest of the last season.
Oliver supposedly leaves right before the beginning of the senior year of high school, and then is still on tour about a year later when Miley and Lilly would be starting college. The status of Oliver’s career during the tour is vague and does not mention if he is gaining his following, calling the future of his career into question.
LILLY’S WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE
Lilly is beyond ecstatic to know that she and Miley will be attending Stanford together once they both receive acceptance letters. While anyone would be excited to go to college and share a room with their best friend, Lilly takes it a step further, claiming that her dream has always been college. While she says that the next logical step after high school is college there is nothing in the entire series that backs up Lilly’s statement that her dream is to attend a university.
Of the original main trio, Lilly is the only one who was never given something of her own to be passionate about that would be found as a college major. While it is important that Lilly follow her path rather than follow Miley around throughout her career, Lilly’s future and interests were never answered for themselves.
SATISFYING REACTION TO THE HANNAH SECRET
The four years leading up to the Hannah Secret getting revealed was a big part of watching the series. After many close calls and few reveals it had become difficult to keep the two identities separate. Feeling time has genuinely come to an end, Miley pulls the wig off on The Jay Leno Show telling the world the truth. However, the only genuine reaction of shock received is Rico’s existential crisis over how the Stewart family had succeeded in tricking him for years.
Unfortunately, the series ignores the immediate reaction of anyone else Miley had gone to school with. Instead, it shows them a few days later asking her for pictures and autographs. This does not resolve anyone’s actual reaction to such big news about a person they had known for years.
