Girl Meets World All 71 Episodes Ranked and Reviewed. The countdown continues with two new entries. 69. Girl meets The Tell-Tale -Tot Summary
In this episode, Maya and Riley sneak out to college to intercept Josh before college girls can win him over.
References
There were a few references. The overall episode plot references Boy Meets World's Fugitive in season 1, where Shawn runs away to Cory's house, and Cory tries to keep it from his parents. When Maya calls the college girls witches, that is a reference to Boy Meets World's Witches of Pennbrook, where Jack's first college girlfriend is a literal witch. When Riley says she wants to stay in college, that is a reference to Shawn wanting to go straight to college in Fraternity Row.
Review
Now, this episode failed to live up to the episode that inspired it, and it is not because that one is so great; it just cannot be touched. It is about the choices that were made in this episode. Firstly I hate the way they encourage the relationship between Maya and Josh. The whole episode seems to be trying to convince Josh that Maya is not too young. This is particularly annoying because I like both characters outside of this terrible relationship angle. Topanga is three years younger than Eric. She had a crush on Eric in 6th grade. Go back and watch how the original handled that crush(She loves Me, She Loves me, not S1). Eric respected that Topanga was growing up, but he shut it down. I do not know why the show encourages Maya and Josh; it is just not appropriate. Why should Josh look at her differently? What would you say if you were a senior in high school preparing for college and a friend liked a 14-year-old 8th grader in middle school?
Girl meets world has this huge duality in the dorm room. Andrew, who is Joshes friend, starts walking up to the girls like he will hit on them when they walk into the dorm. Maya says we are middle schoolers, and he jumps back and says they got to go, and he is right; they do. However, right after that reaction, they basically all try to talk Josh into liking Maya, and it is like, why? These are the same girls we just recoiled from because they were so young. Also, two college girls encourage Maya, but let’s be real the girls in this scene are only treating Maya this way because she is young. If she were actually a prospect for Josh, they would not welcome her in and encourage her. Also, they would not accept her behavior. So while they tell her she is acting grown-up and brave, they contradict that by only treating her this way because she is young.
Also, Maya is not brave; she is creepy. She jumps on Joshes back makes advances toward him even though he has told her time and time again that he is not interested. She stalked him at his party and ruined his night. We would not encourage this behavior if it were a man, and we should not encourage this behavior with a girl either. Honestly, the only reason Josh did not blow up at Maya for sneaking into his dorm was that he was blackmailed. The college girls told him that if he were not nice to Maya, no girl at NYU would date him, and the girl he was with would make sure of it. Then on top of that, Maya said I know you will walk us home but did Josh really have any choice at that point? If he did not, his dating future was over before it started. When Maya is asked to justify her crush and prove she knows him, she says things Topanga said about Eric. He is good with his brother. He cares about his family; I still agree with Josh that Maya does not really know him. She knows he is the attractive cool uncle who is good with his family, but those are surface things. Does she know what he is like without his family around? No, because that is the only capacity they interact in. Also, the one thing she said to demonstrate he is a stand-up guy was that Josh would take them home is something he was blackmailed into doing. Also, even in college Maya and Josh should not date. He will be on his way out, and she will be fresh from high school.
Another huge part of the episode that did not work for me was the tot storyline. It is supposed to represent the conscience of the kids, and Riley is supposed to be battling her own after Maya convinces her to lie to her parents. Also, Riley is supposed to be helping Maya to listen to her conscience. I did not like that they insinuated that Maya does not listen to her conscience. She has not earned that rep. She does not do anything that bad, and if you think sneaking out to this college party makes her that bad, I would like you to consider the fact that Cory snuck off to Florida, and he was the moral compass of his show.
I did like the fact that they brought back The Tell-Tale heart reference, and I like that they introduced a manifestation of the conscience that was creative. However, I feel the storyline was not fully fleshed out. The college adventure goes off track from the morality tale with the tot, whereas in the original(The fugitiveS1), the adventure of harboring Shawn and the morality tale was more intrinsically linked. I liked Riley bits when she went to college. That part was hilarious. Riley joining the sorority and doing her comedy bits in the hall were my favorite parts of the episode.
I did not like how they wrapped this episode up. Once again, Cory and Topanga barge into Riley's space. This makes it feel like they do not have a world of their own. Also, Cory and Topanga are not even mad; I mean, their daughter snuck out they could at least feign some anger. I get that they do not think she will do it again, but she left the house, lied to them, and went to a college party. I have seen Cory flip over way less. I think what they were going for was the calm discussion that Amy and Alan had with Cory when he harbored Shawn in the fugitive. However, the reason that does not work is that Shawn and Cory were safe, and they just wanted Cory to admit what happened and understand why he needed to do the right thing. In this episode, they did not know what Maya and Riley had done. They were not safe when they did it.
Also, I like that Maya told Topanga and Cory what they did, but Maya should have told Riley she should not have let her parents catch her off guard. Especially since it was Maya's idea to go to the college party. Also, I want to see Riley and Maya figure things out that is the valuable part of the experience, not Cory and Topanga explaining what happened afterward. They did not really help guide Riley and Maya because once they found out, it was over. If they are going to say something, how about saying something about their brother's budding relationship with their daughter's best friend. Also, about how following Josh to campus took this crush from cute to something they needed to seriously discuss because Maya went too far.
Final grade D+
Streaming Assignments
Homework: The Fugitive season 1
Extra credit: Witches at Pennbrook season 5 Fraternity Row season 5 She loves me she loves me, not season 1
68. Girl Meets Rules Summary
In This episode, the girls get detention but are left alone to govern themselves. In the side plot, Ava tries to be nicer to Auggie to avoid losing him.
References
When Ava returns from school and screams out Auggie, that is a reference to Cory yelling out Topanga after watching her kiss Shawn for a student film. When Maya kicks the vending machine, that is a reference to Turner from the second season kicking the vending machine and getting a free drink.
Review
This episode was blatant, unapologetic filler. The lesson was very bland and pointless. Well, let me be more specific; the lesson that the rules are here to help you and that Maya and Riley both need each other is not bad, but the way they executed it was. I cannot take this Maya being a lousy influence plot point seriously when the stakes are so preposterously low. Running through the halls unsupervised at school is something most kids did; at one point, there was nothing dangerous here, no line crossed. Also, detention is not that bad. In the first season of Boy Meets World, Cory and Shawn got detention all the time. In the first episode, we meet Cory (the good kid) he gets detention. This episode was missing a worthwhile moral dilemma that would separate Riley and Maya. Sitting in detention quietly or running through the halls like a five-year-old, isn't it. This episode is meant to showcase the bond between Riley and Maya, and to an extent it did, but this is the second season, and they are showing this bond like it is the first season, and we do not know these characters the bond was established episode one and a more significant stunt was pulled. If you want to show the bond again, increase the stakes. What this episode ended up doing was exposing a flaw in the show. Riley and Maya never really get huge stakes, so this central relationship suffers. They come off like cartoonish caricatures because they rarely get put in high-stakes situations. How can I believe that Maya is a troubled, dangerous girl who is a bad influence on Riley when she never really does anything, does not get into too much trouble, and has a good loving mother who worked hard to provide for her? How am I supposed to buy Riley's good influence bit when her friend never really gets in really tough spots where she needs a good influence. Girl meets World does way too much telling and not enough showing. I want to be shown Maya and Riley's relationship. I wanted to be shown Maya being a bad influence and Riley being a good one. I do not want to be told that those are their roles. There is a difference.
I did like Ava and Auggie's storyline. It was cute and funny as always. Ava has always been wild and unique. It was funny watching her try to imitate her idea of being nice. Also, even though it was a short story, it taught an important lesson. Be yourself. Auggie does not want Ava to be like Emma Weatherby. He wants her to be herself.
Final grade C-
Streaming Assignments
Homework: Sister Theresa season 2; These episodes have similar themes about a good and bad influence coming together but look what happens when you show instead of telling, and you have stakes. Also, this episode occurs for Cory at the same age Riley and Maya are at in this episode. Extra credit: The uninvited season 2 Hogs and kisses season 6
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