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100. Pilot, Season 1, Episode 1
This episode is an excellent intro to the series. It is about growing up in the context of love. Eric gets a date and decides to take his date to the Phillies game instead of his brother, even though it is their special thing. Both sides of the conflict are understandable. Cory feels passed over. Eric feels this is important, as it is his first date. Boy Meets World also ties this love storyline into school, where Cory's class is learning about Romeo and Juliet.
All this leads Cory to question the value of love. At home, Cory makes it clear he would rather move out than be understanding to his brother. At school, he would rather listen to a baseball game in his headphones than pay attention to the Romeo and Juliet lesson, and it gets him detention.
At home, Amy explains that Eric prioritizing girls and leaving Cory behind is like when Cory got friends and stopped hanging with his dad. At school, Feeny breaks down why love is essential and basically says to Cory that the point of life is to love. Feeny also explains that Romeo and Juliet is about the all-consuming power of love. Cory also learns the importance of love at home from Eric and all the changes Eric makes due to the girl he is dating.
I think this episode is creative and well done. I like how the show had Cory travel on this journey at home and in school. It was also a great introduction to Feeny. I loved Feeny's speech, and the dynamic between Feeny and Cory is interesting right away. I also think this is a good lesson that stands the test of time. I just do not think it was very dramatic in comparison to the rest of the series, but it sets up the whole series by establishing the characters, tone, and heart of the show.
Grade B+
99. Road Trip, Season 6, Episode 15
In this episode, Cory and Shawn are on a road trip, and they stop at a truck stop and meet some people who knew Shawn's late father Chet, and Cory and Shawn learn a lesson about grief and letting go. In the b-story, Eric, Jack, and Rachel deal with the fallout of Rachel and Jack's kiss.
I think this episode does a really good job of tying in the story of Shawn's search for meaning with these girls leaving a small town, but that's at the end. In the middle, it felt really cliche. It's a truck stop, yet they recognize everyone at the truck stop, Even though they should be getting new people all the time. Also, the girls don't know Cory and Shawn at all, but they trust them to help make a huge choice just because they are from the city. At times the girls feel like NPCs who aren't paying attention to the things Cory and Shawn do and are just continuing the storyline. Like they walk in on them fighting and completely ignore it and ask them about getting out of their town. It's like Pokémon, where only Shawn and Cory have the power to help them for some strange reason.
However, this was an entertaining episode lesson about Shawn finding a connection with Chet, which was heartwarming. It was also sweet to see Cory let go of Shawn so that Shawn could go through his grieving process. Also, Boy Meets World kept the jokes going throughout, and it kept it light, which wasn't easy considering this had to do with grief.
In the end, Chet returns as a spirit/manifestation(you decide), and that was certainly a moment. In the b-story, I think they did a good job advancing the story in a funny and entertaining way. My only complaint is that Rachel and Jack sneaking around behind Eric's back was kind of crappy. I wish Rachel and Eric could have had heart to heart one on one about how things ended up the way they did. However, the small-town girl's group was a way bigger aspect of the episode, and If Boy Meets World had tightened up their story, then the episode could have been an A.
Grade B+
98. The Plays The Thing, Season 1, Episode 20
In this episode, Cory gets the lead in the play, but he quits the play when Feeny declines his suggestions. In a B-plot, Alan considers quitting after his boss cuts his worker's pay. Cory is super obnoxious in this episode. It did not bother me as much as it did in the later seasons because Cory was young. Cory also makes up for his obnoxiousness by learning the error of his ways through his father and Feeny.
There are many great aspects to this episode. Alan's story of trying to do right by his employees and their families while also trying to do right by his family was a great tie into Cory's story. They both have to weigh whether or not they should quit or not. Also, Alan's monologue with Fruit Bob was one of his best in the series. Feeny was also outstanding in his Hamlet monologue. Both are clearly great actors. Feeny, in particular, really leaves you wanting more.
Plus, Feeny teaches Cory a hard but valuable lesson when he sticks with Minkus even after Cory returns to the play. Minkus was hilarious throughout the episode, especially his southern Hamlet performance. This episode does not have much emotional weight. It was a great lesson packaged in a tightly written episode that was creative and shined through the A and B storylines. This episode highlighted the acting skills of several of the cast members in a way unique to this episode
Grade B+
97. The Grass Is Always Greener, Season 3, Episode 12
This episode was funny at the beginning, with Cory realizing he was in a rut. Dramatic at the end, when Cory and Topanga broke up. However, what stops this from being an A to me is that it was not as dramatic as it could have been. Boy Meets World capitalizes on this breakup in better ways after this episode. At the time, the breakup did not even feel like that big a deal till the last moment. Now I will say this seemed like an intentional choice. I get the angle. You don’t know what you got till it’s gone. However, from a subjective enjoyment standpoint, I would have preferred a more dramatic breakup.
Also, if they both thought they were making a mistake, either one of them could have made a phone call or gone to the other's house that night, but they did not for the plot. Side note this episode led to one of the most frustrating continuity errors of the series. Topanga later claims Cory broke up with her (to keep her as the good one ) when honestly it was her idea, and when asked, Cory said, no, we are not breaking up(something that Topanga brought up) I do not want to do that ever. Then Topanga persuades Cory that they should break up. At best, the breakup was mutual. At worst, you can say Topanga broke up with Cory because it was her idea. Cory did not break up with her as she would later claim.
Overall, this episode is significant and was a great change of pace at the time. It set up some fantastic episodes, but as a stand-alone episode, it's not quite a home run.
Grade B+
96. The Provider, Season 7, Episode 13
This episode is one of the better ones from season seven. It was not Cory and Topanga's first fight ( as they claimed), but that can be excused. Here is the rundown. Cory gets a job as a telemarketer, which I like because many of these types of jobs are thrown at you in college. So I thought it was a good placement in the episode. Topanga kind of lucks into a great job that same day too. She tells Cory, and suddenly he is not so excited anymore about his news, but while he feels that Topanga's announcement makes his not a big deal, he tries to press on.
Then he has a bad day at work. He does not sell a single magazine (his sales pitch is terrible), and Topanga just comes into his workspace with no care for the fact that he is working. Again she is just excited to tell Cory how her day went, so whatever Cory excuses it. Then Topanga, for no reason, decides to pick up his line and do his job and sells eight magazines pretty much by luck.
Cory says he did not sell any magazines, then Topanga comes to him and says wow, I sold eight, how many did you sell, and he reminds her that he has not sold any. This pretty much goes on for the rest of the episode, with Cory feeling progressively worse and Topanga one-upping him in everything that she possibly can without realizing that it is bothering him. Until Cory asks Topanga to leave him alone cause he is not in a good mood. However, she will not go away. So the situation escalated into a big public fight. They say nasty things to each other, and you can tell they are aiming below the belt. In the end, Topanga leaves crying. Shawn talks to Cory, telling him in his experience, it is bad when someone leaves crying and that Cory should go after her.
I thought this was a great use of Shawn. He does not have much to do in this episode, but he was used very effectively. Eric, who has been enjoying a hilariously lucky day because he found a penny gives it to Cory for luck. Then Eric gets struck by lightning, and things go wrong for him. Cory and Topanga have it out, and after hours they reach the heart of the matter. They apologize and conclude they should not be competing because they are a team, and Cory and Topanga have a cute moment where they team up, and Cory makes a sale.
I think the lesson of this episode was communication. Cory is feeling emasculated, and that is a challenging issue to talk about. Topanga was oblivious to how she was making Cory feel with some of her actions. To be clear, I do not think Topanga needed to diminish herself at all. It is fine for her to achieve the peak of her ability. However, doing Cory's job and correcting his speech in the middle of an argument, those kinds of things can go.
I think this episode showed uncomfortable issues to impress upon the viewer the idea that even when it is uncomfortable, it is important to communicate because the lack of communication could fester and erode your relationship. Also, this episode did a good job of developing the conflict without making a villain of Cory or Topanga. This choice allowed the audience to focus on the conflict instead of blame. It is a pretty good episode, but it is a version of something they have done before (A Very Topanga Christmas). However, it's not in the A club because we knew Cory and Topanga's relationship wasn't in serious danger plus the balance of serious salt and comedic pepper was a little off.
Grade B+
95. Chick Like Me, Season 4, Episode 15
In this episode, Shawn and Cory go undercover as women to experience dating from a woman's perspective. The episode was a little bit pandering, but it is ok because the lesson was solid. This one is not an A because it was not as full as some of the other episodes. Topanga's friend Debby just sprouts up out of nowhere, complaining about men. Cory also has a column out of nowhere, and suddenly Gary (the most stereotypical creepy guy, what a casting) exists. Shawn and Cory get through this experience pretty easily. Also, this episode is self-contained. If you removed it, it wouldn’t affect the other episodes.
The episode is funny, and the lesson is important and taught creatively, but it was too conveniently thrown together without much adversity and not much else happening in terms of a B-plot. I do appreciate Boy Meets World teaching this lesson about how to treat women and respecting boundaries and consent. I also liked how the show set this lesson up as a battle of the sexes, but by the end, Shawn has seen Debby's perspective and has reconsidered his original pov. Shawn has a decent arc. Also, having Cory and Shawn dress up as women in the context of this episode provided some comic relief during a serious topic. Sidenote, The Bruh Meets World Podcast(episode 84) has an excellent discussion about this episode that I highly recommend you check out. All in all, the good far outweighs the bad in this episode.
Grade B+
94. The Truth About Honesty, Season 6, Episode 20
This episode manages to be an episode where the plot barely moves forward while also being pretty crucial to each character involved. Rachel throws her first adult dinner party and gets Eric to come back to the apartment ending his avoidance of the place while also getting Jack to be more honest with her. Cory and Topanga have a breakthrough after admitting secret resentments to each other.
It's consistent with Topanga's character, but it's still sad that this whole breakthrough about sharing everything only came about through her attempt to manipulate Cory into letting her use his toothbrush and things (gross). Shawn and Angela try to initiate a situationship, but Shawn cannot just be with Angela like it does not mean anything. Eric is hilarious in this episode telling his date ridiculous lies throughout the night while everyone else gets more honest. This episode was a good character-driven story. Eric, Jack, and Rachel provided the comedy, Shawn and Angela carried the drama, and Topanga and Cory's story was a little bit of both. This was a well-rounded episode.
Grade B+
93. On The Air, Season 2, Episode 17
This episode was entertaining and funny. Once again, Cory and Shawn are trying to find their place, and this time they become popular (somebodies) with a radio show and segment called Lunchtime Lust. However, Feeny yanks them off the air right at their peak. Cory and Shawn don't want to go back to being nobodies. So they ask Turner to get them back on the air, and he says he will ask Feeny. They don't believe in Feeny, so they go rogue. Turner, the adult in the room, was correct. Ironically, Feeny did listen, but they ruined their chances of getting back on the air when they went rogue.
Shawn and Cory get caught eventually, but before they are hauled off and silenced, Turner secretly records them being vulnerable, showing the real reason they got on the air. Then the phones start ringing off the hooks showing that they are not the only ones who feel lost, which is an important lesson. You are not alone in your struggles, and other people do not have it all figured out either.
Also, we learned that in order to be worthy of trust from others, you have to first and foremost, be trustworthy yourself. I think Turner displayed this type of dynamic a lot in season two. His way of teaching the boys versus Feeny's. Turner‘s presence on the show would often provide additional layers to the lessons. This episode was creative. It tied into the season thesis about finding your place and learning to be yourself, and it was logical. The only thing that holds it back is that the way Boy Meets World told the story was different, but the lesson has been done better in other episodes in the same season.
Grade B+
92. The Witches of Pennbrook, Season 5, Episode 5
This episode was delightful—one of the few episodes where we get a story that focuses on Eric and Jack. The lesson was comical yet important, and it solidified the friendship between Eric and Jack. Jack learned not to let anyone get in between him and Eric and that even when the chips were down, Eric had his back. Eric learned that even though Jack made mistakes, he was willing to return Eric's friendship. In this episode, Shawn was hilarious, being aware that Milly was a witch, yet hilariously oblivious to how much danger he was in at the same time.
Topanga and Cory's plane ride, advice from Feeny, And even Morgan were squeezed into this episode in entertaining ways. However, it was strange that Jack would allow Eric to stay with him while believing he tried to force himself on his girlfriend.
Also, I appreciated the Sabrina crossover, but I am surprised they did not give her a more significant part, as this was a massive crossover at the time. Ultimately, this episode is a really good one but not quite an A because it is an entertaining episode, but it's a more straightforward story that is not as deep or hilarious as some other episodes.
Grade B+
91. I Am Not a Crook, Season 2, Episode 14
This episode does an excellent job of blending social commentary with the framework of the show. The school election is reflective of politics. For example, making promises you have no plans to fulfill and launching character assassinations, instead of running a policy-based platform. Also, they showed candidates pretending to be who the people want them to be, instead of who they are. Also, there is an examination of power and the way it corrupts people.
Alvin jumps out of character, making character assassinations to be president. Shawn leads Cory down a negative path, something his character does not want to do normally. Cory also leaves his character and friends behind for power. Even Topanga makes a ridiculous campaign promise to grasp power, and she is not even facing anyone at the time. This episode ties into the individual character's framework. This election is yet another way for Cory and Shawn to find their way In high school, and when they leave their morals behind, it turns them against each other.
Until in the end, when they learn their lesson and come back together as friends leaving the power of public office and the perceived benefits behind in favor of what is important, which is their friendship and staying true to who they are. I think this is an underrated episode in general because of the deeper character & political plot points, but it does not have the emotional depth to push this into the A category.
Grade B+