Girl Meets World All 71 Episodes Ranked and Reviewed. The countdown continues with two new entries.
65. Girl meets Fish
Summary
In this episode, Cory’s class is tasked with taking care of a fish, and when it dies, Auggie investigates the case.
References
Very few references in this episode. There is a reference to the Boy Meets World episode As Time Goes By, also a noir episode. Then at the end of the episode, there is an announcement that the kids will be going to the same mountains that Cory went to in the 5th season of Boy Meets World. Also, Fish store Phil is the basketball coach from the B team of Life in Boy meets world Season 1.
Review
This episode is a filler episode masquerading as an actual episode with a point. The whole last scene is about fleshing out a lesson because nobody would have got it if they didn't. The kids say the lesson is that all living things deserve respect and proper care. This leads Cory to announce a field trip where he will take the kids to the mountains, and they need to take care of each other. But I’m not buying the lesson; it seems like a reach. I think this is just filler. The question is, why would you make the finale of your season filler?
The answer is complicated. Apparently, this episode aired in season two despite being a season one episode, so it could be a part of the Disney who done it weekend. However, it seems like Girl meets fish was not intended to be a finale. However, I can't deal with intentions, just what was. This episode is either an out-of-place season 1 episode in season 2 when it aired or a lackluster finale where it was immortalized on Disney plus. Granted, Boy Meets World had a questionable first-season finale, but that one at least built on the dynamic of Feeny and Cory, and it’s entertaining and actually worthwhile in retrospect.
This episode is a reference to filler and is its self-filler. Riley just had her first kiss and date with Lucas. Are they together now? Why not follow up on that? They interact as if nothing has changed. Shawn has entered the series; where is he at? What’s going on with that? Also, Riley said she wants to be with her friends more. What happened to that? Anyone one of those ignored threads would have made a better finale or been more worthwhile follow-ups.
There were positives in this episode as well. It's definitely not the most offensive filler the show has done. It's a charming and funny storyline. I liked that they made it a noir mystery that broke up the episode formula and made the episode interesting. This episode all gets everyone involved in the storyline, and that's definitely an accomplishment. I also love the whoooooo did it catchphrase. Also, I thought the boneheaded ways that the fish died were hilarious. Lucas hitting his with foul ball Farkle putting his in a birdbath. Also, having everyone, including Auggie, the investigator, be guilty of killing the fish was an interesting twist.
I think this episode was poorly timed and didn't develop the lesson well it was a wacky episode that pretended to be deep at the last second. Also, once again, it was a pretty low-stakes lesson you could have a class pet in like fourth grade. This episode is mostly redeemed by its charm and humor.
Grade C-
Streaming Assignments
Homework: As time goes by, season 7
Extra credit I dream of Feeny season one, heartbreak Cory season 5, B team of Life season 1
64.Girl Meets First Date
Summary
In this episode, everyone starts pairing off.
References
Pairing off is a reference to season 2, episode two Pairing off where everyone started dating. Riley flipping her hair was always a reference to that episode as flipping your hair was identified as a technique to attract a partner one Topanga perfected, but Cory didn’t because of his curly hair. A reference to Boy meets Worlds My Best Friends Girl occurs when Maya asks Lucas out to motivate him to ask out Riley. Shawn did the same thing to Cory In season three.
Topanga references her various origin stories with Cory in this episode when recounting how she and Cory met. Girl Meets World was poking fun at Boy Meets Worlds' continuity errors. Also, Auggie and Ava getting married refer to Cory and Topanga being basically married from a young age. Riley's first kiss refers to the first episode of Girl meets world at the train station when Maya pushed Riley into Lucas.
Review
I’m gonna start with the things I liked about this episode. I loved Ava and Auggie from the moment they enter until Ava is thrown out. They are cute, and hilarious Ava's rivalry with Topanga just keeps getting funnier. This time Ava has taken Topanga's ring and called Topanga Auggies grandma. Auggie is all Cory leading with his heart and marrying young. Their little fight about Auggie using Emma's cubby was really funny. I honestly thought their fake wedding was better than Riley's first date.
This episode had pieces I like, but it failed in a lot of ways. One of the major ways it fell short is that it doesn’t follow anyone's story long enough to make it meaningful. The kids are worried about parring off, but unlike Boy Meets World, they figure out dating pretty quickly without much effort. Also, Maya asks Lucas out, but why? There is no point Lucas was already raising his hand to ask her out in class. In the original, Shawn did it because both Topanga and especially Cory weren’t making a move. However, that gets lost in translation because we are shown that Lucas is ready to ask Riley out.
Then Cory flips out when Lucas comes to ask out Riley. So then he says Maya has to double with Farkle. Which Maya doesn’t want to do, but she does it for Riley. Also, speaking of continuity, just last episode, we were in Farkle's Choice, where the girls were fighting over Farkle, and they promised not to take him for granted. Still, in just the next episode, Maya isn’t interested, and she is taking Farkle for granted.
Also, comparatively, Riley and Luca's first kiss was nothing compared to Cory and Topanga's. It was cute but not very memorable. Also, we didn’t even get to see Riley and Lucas on the date. It felt like the most important part of this episode was missing. Also, there was no suspense or waiting to see if Riley could get a date or if Maya and Lucas actually clicked. There was No suspense in any of the main stories. I hated the side plot with Josh. They are trying to make it seem like 3 years isn’t that big a deal, but this Maya Josh relationship shouldn’t be encouraged.
Eric and Topanga were three years apart in the original, and Eric rejected Topanga and explained to her why, and yea, she was heartbroken, but she learned a lesson and then pursued boys her own age. The college junior who rejected Josh is absolutely right no way a 20/21-year-old should be entertaining a 16/17-year-old, and it's the same for Josh. No way a guy looking at colleges in his junior year should be entertaining a 7th grader. However, the show frames the situation as Josh was rejected as a minor by someone three years older who wasn't a minor, and it felt bad. So he should give Maya, a middle schooler who is three years younger than him, a chance, and that's just wrong, and it's especially bad when you consider who this show is for.
Overall I wish this episode would have picked one thread and developed it. This was a case of jack of all trades, master of none. This episode was somehow doing too much and not doing enough. They tried to have a date episode while devoting as little time to dating as possible to where the date itself isn't even in the episode. Compare Riley's date with the date in the homework this week, and I'm pretty sure you will notice some important differences.
Grade C-
Streaming Assignments
Homework: Boy Meets Girl Season 1,
Extras credit Pairing off season two, Cory’s alternative friends, my best friends girl, a long walk to Pittsburgh part 2, it’s not you it’s me season 5, girl meets world pilot, she loves me she loves me not,
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