50. Girl Meets True Maya Summary
In this episode, Maya tells Riley that she is going to do something bad soon. In the side plot, Doy learns he has been stealing candy for a year. References
Two references in this episode. Maya being in the park with the rock is meant to mirror Shawn at the school with the bolt cutters in season 3. Maya being brought in by police is also meant to mirror Shawn. Specifically when police brought Shawn to Turner's house in season 2. Also, just like Shawn, it was vandalism. Review
This episode took a big swing by trying to recreate a pivotal troubled Shawn scene with Maya. I’m glad they tried, but they missed. They missed for many reasons. First, Maya has never been bad enough to earn her reputation. She spent a season and a half being Riley, but even before that, she has hardly been bad enough to be the terrible influence they want her to be.
In comparison, Shawn was more troubled than Maya. He got in real trouble, and even though he was a good kid at heart, he was impulsive, and he did make bad choices. He pulled a public prank on the principal, blew up A mailbox, skipped school, ran away, joined a gang of bullies, etc. Maya has taken a locket from a lost and found picked up and abandoned five dollars, and she set off the fire alarms accidentally and snuck out. This comparison is important because this backdrop informs the gravity of Maya's choice not to fall into her old ways with her old gang. When Shawn doesn’t use the bolt cutters to damage the school, it means something because we have seen him almost destroy Turner's bike in season two if not for Cory being there for him. We have seen evidence that he could have gone a very different way. We haven’t seen that for Maya. Also, even though the bad kids in the Boy Meets World Life Lesson episode are one-offs, they spent an entire episode establishing who they were and what they stood for, which made the bolt cutter scene more impactful. In Girl Meets World, Carla(lead bad girl) and her lackey appear when the plot needs them. They have zero credibility, and their actions have less weight because they aren’t established. It feels forced.
Also, I feel like this episode showed off one of Girl Meets World's worst attributes which is too much telling, not enough showing. Riley and Maya spend way too much time talking about what’s going to happen. When Shawn did bad things, he didn’t tell Cory before he did them. He just did them, and then Cory had to deal with it. That’s way more realistic to how kids operate. The more time they spent talking about their roles and what they would do, the more they felt like caricatures instead of actual kids. Also, I didn’t like the cop. He was super pandering. A black cop with the catchphrase the system works. But let’s look at how the system worked. Doy, A young white male kid, stole from a store for a year, and his parents paid 300 dollars in damages. I guess that’s literally how the system works, or maybe he is commenting that he isn’t taking the kid in because black kids just as young have been brought in or shot for way less, like picking flowers from their neighbors garden or being a kid at school.
Another time he says the system works is when he gives Maya a break. But this is literally an example of how the system doesn’t work. Maya is a good kid who did a good thing by decorating the park for free. However, the system would arrest her for vandalism, put it on her permanent record and have her mother pay a fine. To do the right thing, the officer has to break protocol (of the system) hide evidence of her crime to give her a break. Also, remember he could be fired for that or worse. He should say that sometimes the system doesn’t work, but because you are a good kid, I’m going to give you a break. Don’t make a fool out of me.
The thing I did like about this episode was that they tied it into history with Pompeii. Also, I think they taught an important lesson about relationships and that things will explode from time to time, and that it's important to understand the people around you and what you have signed up for. Also, l like that Maya complicated her character. I like that she said, hey, I don’t want to be the bad influence. I don’t want you to think of me as someone who would steal one hundred dollars or set off fire alarms. That’s my favorite part of the episode when Maya says; I’m a complicated person who doesn’t fit into this typecast of trouble, and I would hope my friends think more of me.
I also think Maya addressed a valid issue. She has been fading in the group. Maya is just a hanger-on to Riley. She just disappears in the friend group, unlike Maya from the beginning of the series. Lastly, I really liked that Maya got her adventure. She went off to do her own thing and had to be a good person all by herself without Riley. Riley won’t always be around. It’s good to see that Maya is a good person because Maya is a good person even though she gave Riley all the credit(ugh).
Grade C+ Streaming Assignments
Homework Life Lessons Season 3 Extra Credit; Home season 2 49. Girl Meets Jexica Summary
In this episode, Riley becomes popular under an anonymous name, and Auggie gets scammed.
References
There was only one reference, And it was to Topanga's infamous one two three tricks where she doesn’t say anything on three and Cory does. The episode theme is from Notorious, just like Shawn became famous for his prank without anyone knowing it was him. Riley became popular without anyone knowing it was her. Review
Cory teaches a good lesson in this episode. He teaches the kids to be themselves and not let the internet make choices for them and decide what they like because the values of the internet are superficial, and you shouldn’t be sucked in. I think that’s a valuable lesson that Cory learned in high school updated for today’s teenagers, but it’s just as valid for anyone. I like the episode premise that Riley becomes popular anonymously. I think it’s an excellent topic to explore. I also like Topanga and Cory fighting over whether or not to raise Auggie as naive or not; it was hilarious. However, where the episode falls short is in resolution and drama. It’s too many jokes.
Riley makes a joke of the plot without ever being in turmoil over her choice to be Jexica and getting in over her head. For example, in Notorious, when Shawn got popular, and nobody knew it, it bothered him, and that makes sense because he only did it in the first place to be popular. Riley should have been upset, too, but she wasn’t, which really affected the episode. Riley needs to get in over her head because it’s in those moments when she will learn and have character-defining moments like Cory. She was too in her element to take the plot too seriously. Also, it wasn’t funny enough to be carried as a comedy episode.
Also, Maya is dead in this love triangle. Her character has been a little flat, and Lucas has paid her no real attention. It’s clear his girl is Riley, and it has been since Maya dumped the smoothie on his head. If they were going to do an angle like this, I wish they would give Maya more of a chance like Lauren had in Boy Meets World. Lastly, I found the b story funny, but they never resolved it. They never chose what to do with Auggie. Final grade B- Streaming Homework
Homework season 2 Notorious Extra credit Santa’s Little Helpers season 6 48.Girl Meets Boy Summary
In this episode, Cory takes away the kids' cell phones in an attempt to get them to learn skills outside of technology. As a result, Riley and Lucas grow closer. It’s revealed Maya can draw and that she doesn’t have a smartphone like the other kids. In the end, In an effort to keep tabs on Riley, Cory gives Maya a phone which shows Cory is looking out for her even though Cory claims it’s just about keeping tabs on Riley. He also gives her color pencils to nurture her talent.
References
This episode is reminiscent of Cory's Alternative Friends, where Cory makes a connection when he stops being like everyone else, and he is weird. Riley and Lucas make a connection when they stop being like everyone else and put down their phones. Also, just like Riley's parents, it starts with a group project. The thumbs-up Riley gives Lucas is a call back to season three of Boy Meets World. Also, Auggie, who was once again hilarious in this episode, made a call back with his drawing. He drew them going to the jersey shore. In season one of Boy Meets World, Plays the Thing, it was revealed that the Mathews usually go to the Jersey shore. It’s nice to see that Cory has continued that tradition with his family.
A new dynamic is established in this episode where Maya and Lucas go back and forth. She makes fun of him for being country, and he rises above. This is not unlike the relationship Cory and Shawn had with Topanga in season 1.
Review
This episode taught a valuable lesson: spending too much time on technology can diminish your real-life social interaction skills, and you shouldn’t be too dependent on it. But Lucas and the episode also make the valid point that technology isn’t just one thing. It’s also beneficial to us, which is why Cory gives Maya a phone at The end, but it also can become a crutch which is why Riley and Lucas connect when they put their phones down.
This episode is memorable, but the pacing wasn’t good. It didn’t feel like an arc. It felt more rushed than episode one of Girl Meets World. They establish the problem. Cory takes their phones, and they learn a lesson. It was very simplistic, and there was no deep conflict, no complications. It felt way too quickly resolved. Also, Cory taking their phones feel super unrealistic taking the entire class's costly phones for a week seems like something parents would never allow and kids wouldn’t agree to. Also, the kids didn’t have their smartphones, but nothing stopped them from using computers.
Overall this episode could have been a better-constructed story that made the ending feel more deserved. That being said, I did enjoy Riley and Lucas opening up to each other in the library. It's honestly one of their best moments of the entire series. Also, smartphones was an interesting vehicle to explore Maya being poorer than her fellow students and establish her artistic skills. I also loved the moment between Maya and Cory at the end where Cory shows he is looking out for her too. Grade B- Streaming Homework
Homework: Cory’s alternative friends
Extra credit; the plays the thing
47. Girl Meets Bay Window Summary
In this episode, Riley wants to tear down the Bay window.
References
In terms of references, there were really only a few. First, the flashback to childhood references It’s Not You it’s Me when Shawn saved Cory from the lama pen just like Farkle saved Riley from the bowl of apples( lol). Also, Farkle wearing the cape as a kid references the weird kid with the cape in Boy Meets World Season 1. Also, Riley being a princess is a reference to Topanga's princess costume in the second season. Also, this episode is a big reference to the episode where everything changes in season 5.
Review
In the episode, Riley says, we are going to high school, and Maya retorts; we still don’t know that’s going to happen. This is a joke about Maya not passing, but it’s also about Girl Meets World not being guaranteed a high school season. I think that’s why they have been pumping up the third season by saying wait till high school and high school is coming. I also think that’s why season 2 seems out of order. Maybe they saved some episodes to get that third season. For example, they were supposed to go to the ski lodge this season. They talked about that in the last episode of season 1, but they don't go until next year. Also, the love triangle has been stopped and started many times.
This episode was cute and funny. My favorite joke was the one about Lucas always being as big as he is now. They show him at the same size, even in flashbacks. This episode also is heavy in the feels, and I like that part of it. Maya and Riley saying goodbye to their childhood was a good way to evoke emotion. However, I think they are thinking far too deeply about going to high school. I don’t think they would be saying goodbye to childhood before high school because most kids take childhood for granted. Also, there wasn’t much conflict in this episode. Even without the old bay window, Maya doesn’t lose her friends or even the bay window it’s still there. Also, to my eye, the bay windows didn’t really need to be changed that badly but still, it wasn’t that big a deal.
I liked that they flashed forward and had a scene with their future selves; that was fantastic. I think Joshua Jacobs, the writer of this episode, does a great job with the feelings of the episode like his father. I just wish the conflict of the episode was bigger. Also, at times I felt the drama was a bit heavy-handed when it came to the younger versions of themselves. Like when Maya suddenly brings up her dad as Riley's dad is going to the hospital. It felt more relevant in the present when Maya brought her father leaving up as a reason she didn’t like change. This is a good feelings episode but not so great in terms of conflict. I felt they could have picked something bigger than the bay window to represent change. Grade B- Streaming Assignments
Homework Things Change season 5 It’s Not Me It’s You season 5 Extra Credit Cory's Alternative Friends season 1 Who’s Afraid of the Cory Wolf season 2 46.Girl Meets Father Summary
In this episode, Riley and Maya are at odds with Cory. Riley wants to go to a school dance instead of adhering to their yearly father-daughter tradition, and Cory struggles to come to grips with the fact that Riley is growing up. Maya is upset with Cory for failing her, and she attempts to quit school. Topanga guides everyone to a peaceful resolution, and they make up.
References
This episode calls back to two strong themes for Cory and Shawn that show through Riley and Maya. For Riley, it’s Cory's theme of struggling with change and growing pains. Cory goes through this at various points in the show, but I think the episode that is most similar to Riley's struggle is Wheels when Cory gets his license. Because like Cory, Riley was growing up in a way that made her father fear that he was losing that bond, and they had to navigate growing up and not leaving their fathers behind.
Maya is most similar to Shawn in fraternity row. Because she doesn’t believe she is good enough, which has affected her performance in school which then became a self-fulfilling prophecy, and now she thinks her teacher doesn’t believe in her. Shawn went through a very similar thing in his senior year with Feeny, and he also quit school briefly, just like Maya. Also, like Shawn, in the end, we learn she is smart enough, and the people in her life do care.
Review
I like this episode. I think this is a valuable lesson or lessons. Riley's lesson is that just because you are growing up doesn’t mean that your father has nothing to teach you and that you should value your parents. Cory also learns he needs to allow Riley to grow and that traditions are supposed to change. It’s interesting watching as a Boy Meets World fan cause I see Riley learning and Cory learning lessons he learned as a kid but from a parent's perspective.
I also love Maya's lesson because it’s essential. Because even though it’s simple, believing in yourself Is crucial because your lack of self-esteem can really hold you back. Also, I like that the episode shows how important a support system is. At every point, you see Maya's support system helping her arrive at this lesson. Riley is trying to get Maya to come back to class and telling her to listen to Cory. Topanga assures Maya that everything would be ok without pushing her to do anything while allowing her to learn in a safe environment. Also, Cory reached out to Maya more than he was required to, and in the end, you see those key figures surrounding her when she gets back on track.
I think this episode was solid. My only criticism would be that if they wanted the A, they needed a little more drama. Riley and Maya need to be more convincing, and by that, I mean that it should seem like they might not learn the lesson at one point in the process. So have Riley determined to go to that dance regardless of her father's thoughts and be bolder about it. Riley did that in action but not in emotion.
Also, Maya, I want to feel like Maya may never come back to school. It would have been better if they had to get her. Like in the episode I compared to this one, Alan had to get Cory from a courthouse he was committed to his choice before he learned his lesson. Shawn was attending college he was committed to leaving John Adams. In the Boy Meets World, pilot Cory moved into the treehouse that shows commitment to a path. Otherwise, this was a good episode with a good lesson and some lovely moments of comedy.
Grade B
Streaming Assignments
Homework: BMW Wheels season 4, Fraternity Row season 5 Extra Credit Pilot season 1
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