Girl Meets World 3.12 Girl Meets Bear

• On one hand I am super excited for this episode because we might get Zaya. On the other hand, it seems the entire premise of this episode is Riley’s lost, stuffed bear. You remember that one? The one with no face because Auggie bit it off and she never forgave him . . . yeah we’re going to get a healthy dose Auggie . . .
• So, we open in Riley’s bedroom (with the bay window in the background) where we learn Maya (and apparently Corey) are excited about Taco’s because Paco’s Taco’s 25th Anniversary Special 25 cent taco today is the next day. Also, Maya can’t do fractions. Riley has her bear and when it is bed time, the two girls decide to sleep in the bay window (yes, the bay window and not the bed! Why? Because it’s the bay window, why not?! Everyone sleeps in the bay windows!) Also, Riley has the faceless bear, sets it at her feet when she goes to sleep by a closed window!

  

  This has to be the most uncomfortable sleep over ever!

• The next morning, everyone is ready for Tacos (why are they going to for Taco’s at sunrise) and the bear is gone. So, Riley ropes everyone into putting the early morning Taco run on hold to search for her missing bear. Then her friends show up! They want taco’s too (though Zay does ask for pancakes) and I guess the Matthews are the only family in the city crazy enough to be making this run, but of course Riley ropes them into search too.

  

  Everyone's face when learning they'd be spending the day searching for a faceless bear!

• Then, we’re treating to one of the worst scenes in GMW history- the flashback of little Auggie biting the bear’s face off while little Riley screams for what feels like forever. Oh, and little Maya was there too.

  

  She 's sooo upset!

• No one really wants to look for the bear, but they do. (Also, Lucas is still not acting like Riley’s boyfriend).Riley remembers how her parents gave her the bear with Cloris Leachman was her babysitter (albeit in the next room). This one was much better than the face eating flashback, but still I am so over the younger versions. They worked for one episode and that was it!

  

  I guess Smackle doesn't like taco's . . .

• Oh God, now that everyone is searching, Maya can see their younger versions. I hope she didn’t fall and hit her head while searching for that stupid bear.

  

  Riley ain't got time to relive the cookie eating episode!

• While searching, Auggie finds Corey’s silver boxing gloves that Allen gave him back on BMW. The little things like this make this show so much better. Zay has his first moment with Maya and he so has feelings for her. Farkle and Topanga share moment, reflecting on the past and it was so awesome you guys. More of this please. Oh, and Lucas tells Riley some sort of stupid story.

  

  "I can't wait until you're my son in-law!" Topanga to Farkle

  

  Zaya!

• Josh then shows up (because this episode couldn’t get any better) to do laundry and tell everyone not to give up on things that want to hold onto most. He wasn’t ready for college (maybe because he isn’t college age).

  

  No one is looking forward to the Auggie losing the silver boxing gloves episode . . . 

• Everyone including Riley accepts the bear is just gone (seriously where did it go? I know the past versions took it, but did they literally show up and take it?) and Rucus got everyone tacos.

  

  New Triangle! (Don't worry there was or will be a triangle you guys)

• The biggest and best moment of this episode was when Zay, brazenly in front of Josh, tells Maya “in order to not feel like a third wheel” he’d basically be happy to double date her with Riley and Lucus. Maya accepts, all ends happily and now we have the groundwork for Zaya planted! Success!

  

  That look when you realized you found your soulmate!

Extra Tidbits:

• I was going to be so upset if this was another taped out sequence episode that should have happened before ski lodge, but it was not!
• August Maturo’s younger brother, Ocean, played younger Auggie- which I guess worked well, but since I hope this is the last time we see the mini me’s, I don’t really care.
• Zay is most realistic, down to Earth character on the show.

IF I WROTE THIS EPISODE

Instead of focusing on the past and the stupid lost bear, I’d make that a subplot and instead focus on Zay’s feelings for Maya. I still think he really likes her, which can be seen when he sat on the bucket or basket and tried to talk to her. I am so glad he sees how crazy and gross her “relationship” with Josh is. I’d have him trying to approach her more and maybe even Farkle figure it out first, so we’d have a nice Farkle and Zay scene (which we never ever get). Plus, I’d have Riley and Lucus acting more like a couple. Lucus would be happy to help his new found love search for her precious missing security object. They still wouldn’t find it, but Josh would show up, Zay would see how infatuated Maya is with him and that is when he works up the courage to ask her out. She would say yes at Josh’s pushing because there is just too much of an age gap between them and maybe Josh would bring back a girl he was interested in, instead of visiting to do laundry. Zay and Maya would have been the stars and Zaya would so be thing, if I wrote the show!


Girl Meets Teddy Bear

I am just not into these episodes lately. I hope I don't come across as too negative (lol) because I really do still like the show, but I don't like it right now. Sure, that's what I mean. I really don't know what it is. I know this is a Disney show and it's gonna be corny at times and a bit ridiculous, but lately? What is it? It's like there is a Brady Bunch or Leave it to Beaver quality to everything. Perfect parents and nearly perfect children. These people are in Rileytown 99% of the time. I guess it worked more for me when they were like 10, rather than teenagers. 

Stops in Rileytown were prohibited this episode according to Maya's instructions she went over with Riley the night before the most important day in their young lives. They would be spending the day at Paco's Tacos when the sun came up? How long does it take to consume 8 tacos and why were they starting at the crack of dawn? Questions unanswered, but we do know that everyone was really excited about it. Well, Corey and Maya especially.

So the girls go to sleep, not in the bed but in the window, already dressed for the next day so that they can be first in line for tacos. The sun goes down and then inevitably comes back up and Riley finds that her teddy bear, Barry, is gone. He just vanished. Like, seriously. If you wanna know where that thing went, just don't even ask because there is no logical explanation. 

Morotia M. Black made an appearance. Now that I'm really looking for her, she pops up often. 

And Maya appeared to be just as upset to see her as I was. 

Anyway, they somehow end up in the living room. The rest of the Matthews clan spills out of the hallway, led by Topanga and her stopwatch. It doesn't take them long to realize that something is off and the girls tell them that Barry is missing. Forget those plans for the day, guys, you are now going to spend the rest of your entire day searching for a teddy bear with no face that was jacked by some little girls from the past. 

Thing One

And Thing Two

That's mean, I know, but I don't like little Riley and little Maya. I just don't think they are very good at what they do. There. I said it. Or typed it. Anyway, they aren't cute and they annoy me. 

So they cancel their plans so that they can spend the day looking for the bear. Maya invites the boys over, I can't really remember why, and they all tear the apartment apart for Barry.

Once again Zay is the sense of the entire group, parents included. It's early in the morning and while all others are craving tacos, Mr. Babineaux's first line (I think) is "can I have pancakes." What a beautiful character. Once again, thank you Zay for being one of the only grounded characters. I appreciate you.

I also appreciate how upfront and real he was with Maya and Josh. "Now here's what I was thinking back here on earth" was such a good line. I like that he called out the ridiculousness of the Josh/Maya arrangement, and that he did it in front of everyone. Way to go, Zay. He doesn't play games and he is pretty candid. I think it's very "Angela" of him to be this way and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. 

Girl Meets World 3.11 Girl Meets The Real World

• Okay, so the preview is building this episode up as Riley has some kind secret that could destroy our core group! (Let’s be serious, we know whatever issue she has will be taken care of by the twenty minute mark). The episode is called Girl Meets The Real World and I really wish this would happen.

  

  Learning can happen outside the bay window!

• We begin in the classroom, which is a welcome change from the bay window (have no fear, we’ll see it soon and probably like ten times), where Farkle schools Riley in a debate about if the sun shines during the day. When Riley doesn’t understand why she lost, because she debated what she believed, Corey makes them switch sides, and Farkle easily wins again. I must also point, Farkle’s use of big words are apparently turn on to Smackle. After arguing with her father, Corey decides to make the class about his daughter once again, and make her debate the people are naturally evil while everyone else argues they are good. Zay comments he loves Corey’s class, and I bet he does- everyone else but Riley and occasionally her friends probably coat by the lessons that are tailored towards her.

  

  Why must they always be on opposite sides?

  

  No one is less thrilled than Maya when the class becomes Riley 101!

• Next the bay window scene! I was sooo worried we may not get one . . . anyway, Maya is showing Riley the real world news, which Riley has never ever, somehow gone all of her life without hearing about . . . Maybe she never uses Yahoo as a search engine or have an equivalent to facebook . . . I don’t know . . . Auggie walks in and they ignore him, as everyone should.
• Auggie goes to Topanga because he overheard Riley and Maya reading about how the beach trashed and wants to clean it up. They make plan to do so.
• So, while hanging out with her friends in Topanga’s, Riley announces she can no longer see the good in anything because she has discovered the real world. Zay comes in bragging about how his near death grandmother sends him cookies in the mail but only one at a time so he will appreciate them, so Riley, now evil, eats it, and everyone literally loses their crap.

  

  #ThatMomentWhen Farkle realizes Smackle likes Lucas more than him!

• Riley refuses to apologize, believing she is evil now. Topanga tells a heartfelt story about helping starfish back into the ocean, and how saving one makes a difference. This spills over into the Riley vs everyone debate where Zay refuses to forgive Riley. Riley’s view on an evil world actually win her the debate, and then Corey makes her switch sides, and Riley learns her lesson, that people can choose to be good or evil. Riley apologizes and Zay forgives her. End!

  

  Farkle be like "one day that is going to be Riley and I!"

Extra Tidbits

• You guys, I thought I’d never say this, but Smackle is turning into one of my favorite characters. She was the best part of this episode, from her antics in class, her in voice inside her head, to her WTF moment, which I only caught on a second viewing, she has been great this season! I want to see more!

  

  Smackle be like "WTF!" No literally that's what he stopped her from saying!

• I also wouldn’t mind more Zay focus. It was nice that he and Riley had an issue that didn’t involve Lucas
• Speaking of which, isn’t Rucus a thing? (After some research, this episode's production code put it being taped before Ski Lodge, so technically, Rucas was not a thing when this was shot- why do they air them out of order?).
• While I did not mind this lesson, it was completely shoved down our throats every which way we turned. I enjoyed the good vs evil lesson, and wish we could have seen Angel Riley and Sassy Halter Top Riley.
• Did we really need to see Two-Shoes Lou? No . . .

  

  Go away Two Shoes Lou!

• This could have been such a more serious episode and still delivered the message that it did. I liked the conflict Riley and Zay, I just wish the show was a little more serial and things carried over from one episode to the next.

IF I WROTE THE EPISODE

This episode was what it was mainly because it’s shown out of production order (if there is ever a DVD release, I hope they are in the correct order). Instead, I want to use this space to discuss the preview for the next episode. It looks Zay-centric, which i really hope for, but what is even better is that it looks like we may be finally be getting Zaya. I would love if one of the couples I ship would actually happen (I ship Riarkle, Smackus, and Zaya). If Zay confesses that he likes her, this could get us away from the awful and creepy Joshaya (you know, where high school freshman Maya sort of dates college freshman Josh- ew). I read a theory that states Josh should actually be 17 and Maya 15, which would put both of them in high school, but not be as creepy. I really hope this is what Zay tells Maya. This could be such a great, drama filled episode if he does. I am excited and cannot wait for it! Check out the promo for yourself!

credit for video: youtube

Girl Meets Real World/Sassy Halter I'm not really interested in dragging this review out with my words, I have plenty of pictures, so let me just jump right in. I didn't really care for this episode. There wasn't even that much Auggie and it was too much. Riley's unicorn loving, rainbow seeking act is getting old. And when Riley isn't chasing rainbows on unicorns, she is channeling Morotia M. Black.

Remember her from Girl Meets Yearbook? It was no bother when I thought Morotia was going to stay trapped in that episode, but now that she has escaped and shows up in every other episode, it's too much Morotia. I noticed several eye rolls and or face twitches from Maya when Ms. Black came out...

I'm really glad I'm not the only one. Even if this wasn't a Maya heavy episode some of her reactions were my favorite parts.

Smackle was the other highlight for me. I really can't explain why I like flirty and silly Smackle so much but I really, really do. She was hard for me tolerate her character in the beginning, the one they jacked from a Big Bang Theory script, but she is amazing now.

She's losing her filter and it's very enjoyable. I think I can now say with confidence that I welcome more Smackle with open arms. I don't dread seeing her in scenes anymore. I can't say the same for a certain other character.

Seeing this little guy walk in with a grin stuck on his face saying "hi guys" is my nightmare. I think I'm kind of harsh on Auggie and Topanga in my own head, but their interactions and stories aren't my cup of tea. It's just not what I wanna see. And it's really just the same ol' thing most of the time. Auggie says something intentionally cute and Topanga gives us these faces:

STAAAAHHHHHHP! It's awful, so awful. I hate seeing it. I hate hearing Topanga talk to Auggie like he's two. I hate all of it so much. Honestly, Ava is my saving grace when it comes to Topanga/Auggie time. At least when she's there she brings some sass and I actually kind of like seeing Topanga respond to it. It amuses me. But there was no Ava this time. No, instead we had to watch Auggie try to combat pollution with the help of his mom. Auggie was super optimistic about his cause and was thrilled to report to the rest of the Matthews family that he had cleaned up a tiny section of the beach in one morning. Although Riley is usually as idealistic, she was not in this episode.

Riley was a pessimistic cookie stealer for the first time in her life. She ate Zay's grandma made cookie and looked at a few news articles and all of a sudden she was a different person. Evil Riley. And apparently eating a cookie that isn't yours is a gateway crime to other serious offenses such as eating popcorn and other junk foods for breakfast and skimping on Two Shoes Louie. This guy is saving up for some matching shoes so I suggest he trade in those Abercrombie distressed jeans so he can go get his matching shoes.

Maybe they aren't preppy Abercrombie pants, but that wasn't supposed to be the point, I just wandered off the path. The point is watch out Riley, because before you know it you'll be spray painting beautiful murals on the side of crappy buildings, making them look nicer, and getting hauled in by the cops for it. I shouldn't be making light of these situations, I'm just being a little punk, I should stop.

Back to the cookie.

Riley ate it.

Zay's grandma made it. Zay got mad.

The whole group got mad at Riley and attempted to force her to apologize in the bay window. No apology came from Riley. It didn't really matter because the debate was the next day and Riley won and also became optimistic Riley again and all is now right with the world.

Yaay!

Another one down. I'm genuinely excited for next week's episode. Less life lessons and more teen drama for me because I'm petty like that.

Girl Meets World 3.10 Girl Meets I Do

Girl Meets I Do 

Katy and Shawn get married. Mr. Feeny wears many hats. Cory is jealous. Sounds like a writer tweet, doesn't it? That's all that happened this episode, though. One big event dominated this one and Maya worried for 3/4 of it. 

Girl Meets I Do managed to be all about Shawn and Katy getting married and being in love while simultaneously focusing on Maya and her concerns about this union. While sleeping over, Maya admits to a sleeping Riley that she use to stay up with her crying mother all night when her father left Katy. Maya witnessed a very lonely Katy and now Maya fears that Shawn, because he is human and humans have the capacity to abandon, might pull out of his relationship with Katy in the future leaving her in the same position that Maya's father left her in. The fears and anxiety she has over this situation are understandable and even believable, especially since NO ONE has EVER seen Katy and Shawn go on a date. Maya is constantly saying "prove it" throughout this episode and now I know why she can't accept it. Because no one can! The viewers can't, and now the characters in the show are letting us know that they are having a hard time accepting this relationship too because there isn't anyone that is really even sure if Katy and Shawn have been going out this whole time. Now that I think about it, wasn't Cory grilling Shawn for a hot minute about his feelings? And Topanga to Katy as well? Hmmmmm....

Maya gets it.

This show. They drag out the things that we don't want dragged out and they rush the things that shouldn't be rushed. We spent a year on love triangle drama and yet they devote one episode to Shawn and his true love? And they really crammed it down our throats. And is this the first time we've ever seen Shawn and Katy holding hands? It went from nothing to everything so fast. Don't even make Shawn finding his true love a thing unless you're willing to spend an adequate amount of time on it. It's a little disappointing is all. But I've complained about this before so I'll stop now. 

You know what wasn't disappointing? Cory and Shawn together. Cory being jealous of Katy and all of his childish devastation was really silly and yet really satisfying. Ben Savage is so good at being genuinely goofy. Storming out of rooms, having pillow fights with Shawn and wearing globe pajamas are all things I like about Cory. There really isn't much I dislike about Cory, though. 

I was half expecting to see Cory interrupt the actual ceremony that took place on the roof (?) of the Matthew's apartment. It's their go to venue for everything. I wonder if their high school graduation will be held up there? Anyway, the Matthews and Ava were all invited to the wedding ceremony and Mr. Feeny married the couple because Mr. Feeny can do anything. The ceremony was probably the best part of the episode. Mr. Feeny walks in and hilariously cuts the girls off before they can get the Feeeenaaay jingle out, and Auggie explains to Ava that Feeny is, he thinks, his grandpa. LOL. Maya has no beef with the marriage by this point and everything goes pretty smoothly from this moment on. Feeny leads a short and simple ceremony with Shawn and Katy reading their vows to one another followed by their I do's. 

And then Maya jumped in to give Shawn her blessing one last time by telling him that she is now with him and ready to jump into this new relationship. Maya saying to Katy "I've always been with you" was really touching, I must say. It was really sweet. Feeny thought so too. 

Directly after the ceremony we see the wedding party moved to Riley's bedroom to enjoy the wedding reception which is hosted by the bay window. Good lord, why? That's the most worn out set in the history of television.  

This wasn't my favorite episode but I guess it served its purpose. I'll be glad next week when we get Zay, Farkle, Lucas, and even Smackle back. Although I probably shouldn't get my hopes up because it looks like Riley and Zay get into a fight over a cookie in our next episode. There has to be more it to it than what I'm imagining. Please don't let me down, GMW!  

This is it. Shawn Hunter is finally getting married. It’s been a real whirlwind romance. Boy asks girl out and then literally the next time we see them together, boy asks girl to marry him! Now I guess they they will say I do or will Maya interrupt the proceeding as hinted at in the promo or will Corey repay his his bff by interrupting his wedding and throwing a tantrum as Shawn did all those years ago.

"Will we be married? Yeah it's a safe bet . . ."

• We begin in the bay window, because there always must be a bay window scene. I would hope this is the only one, but I know better by now. Riley is excited about planning Shawn and Katy’s wedding, while Maya is nervous about it. She doesn’t want to believe something this good is happening to it, despite seeing how happy her mother is with the man she wants and has been looking to as a father figure.

  

  Maya's face when she realizes that she is all of sudden scared about the wedding!

• We’re next treated to two scenes that are suppose to show the similarities between Riley and Maya and Shawn and Corey’s friendship. Still nervous, Maya needs a late night bay window session, while Shawn awakes to find Corey has snuck onto the opposite end of the couch for an impromptu slumber party and to see if Shawn’s heart is in the right place and it is. Now one of these scenes is better than the other and the better one didn’t involve a bay window.
  
• The next day, Maya and Riley find themselves in Topanga’s where Topanga is giving Katy one of those wedding magazines quizzes because . . . I don’t know why but we learn what has been my only gripe with the Shawn and Katy pairing (that is happened way too fast) because Katy doesn’t know Shawn’s last name. Could it be because we’ve only seen them together a total of what four times and a picture from one fictional time that allegedly happened off screen? End Rant.

  

  Katy and Topanga's friendship happened just as fast as her relationship with Shawn!

• If this was BMW I’d be more concern that this wedding may not happen, but since this is GMW, I have no doubt that it will.
• Maya asks them to prove they are ready for marriage, so Shawn takes Maya and everyone else to the roof where asks Katy to marry him that night, despite the fact neither of them have what they will wear or have invited anyone, but just to prove to Maya they are ready.
• While this came off as a last minute thing for Shawn, I guess he must have prepared this because he already had Feeny on the way to marry them.

  

  "That's Father Feeny to you" Mr. Feeny

• FEENY! The best part of this episode! He marries Shawn and Katy, and like their relationship, it was fast, no suspense, not nearly enough of Feeny, I kind of wish it was a 2-parter, but the vows were sweet.

  

  We then returned to the bay window for the reception party.
  Yes, everyone but Feeny ran back to the bay window (sigh).

Extra Tidbits:

• The wedding music reminding me of Titanic so much I was waiting for Celine Dion to begin singing.
• Auggie and Ava were once again used properly and I hope this  continues in future episodes. Also, Auggie believing Feeny was his grandpa was funny because he might as well be.
• Topanga had a nice reaction to Ava catching the bouquet and I hope everyone caught it.

  

  I need more people being pushed out of bay window scenes, please!

IF I WROTE THE EPISODE

I keep saying I wish there was more suspense or build up to a two-parter. Can you imagine how interesting it would have been if Shawn and Katy both had cold feet and didn’t show or if Shawn was a runaway groom? Or what if, we got a two-parter where Feeny asks if anyone objects to the wedding, and no one does, but at last minute, Angela walks in. Cue black out and then to be continued. I wouldn’t have Angela want him back, but having another crises of her own and arriving at a very bad time, where she needs to learn to make these decisions herself.

I also buy Shawn having a small wedding, but Jack was missing, his ghost dad didn't make an appearance and Turner, who at one point raised him (and is Corey’s boss)! I guess I’ll still have to wait for that Turner and Shawn scene!