My fellow aca-people, as we wait for Pitch Perfect 2 to be released on DVD and, god-willing, streaming on Netflix, let's focus on what's next: Pitch Perfect 3. The third film in the musical series has already been confirmed, and, let's face it, after the box office success of Pitch Perfect 2, there's no question Pitch Perfect 3 will be big. However, before potential screenwriter Kay Cannon gets too busy, there are a few things I'd like to take up with her first. Specifically, there are a few Pitch Perfect 2 plot holes that Pitch Perfect 3 needs to address.
To be fair, you don't watch a movie like Pitch Perfect 2 for the intricate plot details. It would be like watching Back to the Future and expecting scientific knowledge. Still, there are a few serious plot holes in Pitch Perfect 2 that need filling in the third movie. I'm sure it'll happen, though; original stars Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are already signed on to reprise their roles as Beca and Fat Amy, respectively, and Hailee Steinfeld, who joined the group in Pitch Perfect 2 , will also be returning to the franchise, so the new film will clearly contain plenty of throwbacks to the first two movies. So, Kay Cannon and the rest of the Pitch Perfect team: please note these plot holes, and get to work in making the third movie as big a hit as the first two.
What's Up With Benji And Emily?
OK, this sounds like I don't like Benji (Ben Platt) and Emily (Steinfeld) together, which is not true. I loved their awkward flirting in Pitch Perfect 2. But, as a (recent) college graduate, I can't help but wonder why Benji — who graduates from Barden University before he and Emily actually start dating — is so eager to start a potential relationship the summer after graduation. Is nobody leaving the Barden University area? Sure, Benji and Emily could just have a casual, aca-summer fling, but that seems inconsistent with their characters and the romantic build up. It's unclear whether or not Platt will return for the third film, so, hopefully that relationship will be explained, whether with Platt or a few lines of expository dialogue.
Jesse And Beca... Forever?
In Pitch Perfect 2, Jesse and Beca had like, one scene together, which struck me as odd considering they have supposedly been dating for almost four years, and are rapidly approaching graduation, a time of great emotional (and physical) upheaval. So, Jesse and Beca have been dating since their freshman year, meaning they've been together for almost four years when Pitch Perfect 2 begins at the start of their senior year. And yet, the two are rarely together. While Fat Amy goes off to have romantic (or not so romantic) meetings with Bumper (Adam DeVine), Beca sits at home, alone in their shared room. I'm not saying I need to see a full on Beca-Jesse sex scene, I'm just saying it's strange that a college couple wouldn't spend any of their free time together.
While we're on the subject, what was Jesse doing his senior year? Does he still want to score films? Were the Treblemakers just not competing? Is he planning on staying in the Barden University area after graduation? Assuming Beca is hired full time after her internship, then she'll likely be staying in the area post-graduation. What does the future hold for these two aca-love birds? What about the aca-children?
The Barden Bellas' House
In Pitch Perfect 2, all of a sudden the Barden Bellas and Treblemakers are Barden University rockstars that have their own houses on campus, not unlike traditional sororities and fraternities. This sudden wealth isn't all that odd, but it begs a lot of questions. Most obviously: how and why? Also, if all of the Bellas, save Emily, are seniors, does that mean that next year, Emily is going to live there by herself? I cannot imagine a college campus being cool with that.
Why Are All The Barden Bellas In The Same Grade?
Speaking of the graduating Barden Bellas, why were they all seniors in Pitch Perfect 2? I get that most of the girls were recruited in Pitch Perfect, and only one new member, Flo (Chrissie Fit), was added in the three years between the events of Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. But, why didn't the Bellas take a new member that was younger, to ensure they could carry on the group? If they were planning to recruit new members during their senior year, that implies that they could have added new Bellas at any time, no matter how many members they already had in the group. Why didn't Beca and Chloe ever add more members to give the group a wider age range? This isn't necessarily a plot hole that can be fixed in Pitch Perfect 3, but it would be nice to see a new group of Barden Bellas be a bit more diverse in age (or, as diverse as one can be in college).
Side note: Chloe (Brittany Snow), who was a senior in Pitch Perfect, says she failed a class three years in a row so that she could remain a Barden Bella — is she loaded? I mean, three extra years of tuition don't come cheap.
Trebels
This isn't so much a plot hole as it is a general complaint (and an excuse to use the above GIF): the Treblemakers were not in Pitch Perfect 2 enough. Let's hope that is remedied in the follow-up.
Hear that, writers? Now, get to work — I want Pitch Perfect 3 to be here before I know it.
Images: Universal Pictures; Giphy (5)
