GMW 3.20 Girl Meets Sweet Sixteen

• So, here we are, one away from the end, the actual end-end unless the Disney allows GMW to be taken over by some other network. This is probably one of the show’s strongest episodes that I can remember. It showed us what kind of show that it could be, while reverting back to the show that Disney has made it!
• We begin in the bay window where Maya and Riley discuss turning sixteen. (Maya gets a great jab about how Riley is really eight and she is fifteen- I feel like that was for people like me). Riley announces she wants her sweet sixteen party despite not turning sixteen anytime soon.

  

  LOL, still not teaching History!

• In school, Cory’s lesson this week is on Landmarks . . . of your life (LOL like he’d actually teach History). Smackle and Zay are also present have genuinely funny lines as they discuss landmarks of their lives. (Maya gets another great jab about age when she tells everyone they’re going to have their sweet sixteen celebration right now when they are fifteen and Lucas is twenty four).

  

  Zay got it . . .

• This is how a show should make fun of itself. In the past it was too much jab, the wink, wink towards the audience . . .
• Cory assigns the class to tell him what will happen next in their lives. (Easiest class ever)!

  

  It's like they caught on that they're not getting a normal education . . .

• At Topanga’s some issues are finally brought up that make me LOL. First, Riley and Maya mean more than Riley and Lucas! And they’re finally going to to address Smackle and Lucas!!!! (I’m still rooting for Riarkle!) Riley and Maya also realize that more than likely, due college, they aren’t going to be together forever. (This show has all of sudden became really good!)

  

  I am certain this group would be here or in the bay window in 4 years . . .

  
  

  

  Zay looks like how we feel . . . 

  
  

  

  Smackle represents us while Zay represent's Disney!

• Farkle tells Lucas if Smackle really wants him he will step aside, ala Riley when she thought Maya liked Lucas.

  

  Even Farkle supports Smackus!

• For the first time ever, Riley and Maya seek advice from Topanga. She tells them no one can ever know but kind of be prepared and that if she had her life to do over again, she wouldn’t change a thing.

  

  Going to Topanga for advice surprised them too . . .

• The next scene, is the best set up for what could have been a great storyline that could’ve ended with us finally having Riarkle and Smackus! Riley and Maya walk back to Topanga’s and walk-in on Lucas telling Smackle they are finally alone! Instead we got Smackle admitting that she only says things like she and Lucas are going to end up together because she is insecure about her relationship with Farkle. (High school freshmen are not this mature, but whatever, Disney teased us and that is evil!!!!)

  

  The prefect setup! #Smackus

• Seriously, at this point I am so let down . . . They go back to school and Riley realizes she shouldn’t rush growing up, live in the present, blah, blah, she knows  they will all be where they are now for the next four years and she will enjoy it! Until . . .

  

  Everything is butterflies and rainbows!

• Cory, Riley and Maya go home to find Auggie upset at Topanga. Topanga announces she has been promoted to head of her firm! In London . . . To Be Continued!

  

  They do have emotions!

• So, we ended on quite the cliffhanger that could see the whole Matthews family shipped off to London! Will they go? (If so I am certain Maya will go too and they will find English versions of Lucas, Farkle and Smackle) Or will they stay (Because I never knew Topanga could practice law in another country . . .) This type of cliffhanger is so appropriate for this show, it’s just too bad it could be the season finale instead of leading to the series finale!
• One more to go! This one should truly be good!

OK, so this episode had a few really awesome moments. I really wanna focus on those moments, if I can. I'll still probably complain because it's somehow in my nature and  apparently a very unyielding part of my personality that just won't stop or go away. 

Farkle

Farkle is great when they let him be. And they rarely let him be, especially lately. They really cut him back. They used him most in the beginning when he was portrayed as an over-the-top nerd with tons of energy. Since then he's calmed down and his role seems to have shrunk. We haven't been given nearly enough Farkle over the span of this series, and sadly we probably won't be seeing much more of him. We got some pretty special Farkle time this episode and I am grateful. As usual, Smackle was being flirtatious with Lucas and the teasing led to Farkle pulling Lucas aside to talk. 

Seriously, these kids are the wisest, most mature high school students to have ever existed. Farkle tells Lucas that Smackle has feelings for him and he wants him to know that if Lucas were to ever return the feelings, then he would step aside and let them move forward. Lucas responded to this by telling Farkle he was similar to Riley and he remarked on how passionate the two were, or something along those lines. I know this is petty love drama, but it's also the closest thing to a mature topic we are gonna get with this show so I appreciate it. I also really enjoy the moments of interaction between the boys. Riley and Maya have little to no character development, but the boys really have none. They are basically just there. I mean they are supposed to be best friends with the girls, and yet I know very little about them. Of course if you aren't allowed to sit in the bay window, then you get demoted. Bay window talk is all that matters.

Smackle and Zay I've always been a big fan of Zay, so anything he does I find it charming and/or entertaining. Even if it isn't. The Smackle/Zay moment where Smackle shuts down and Zay puppets her was fun. It wasn't much at all. It wasn't some deep meaningful moment, just a fun moment. I'm at the point now where I adore moments between characters that don't usually interact, and in settings that are not the bay window. Moments CAN happen outside of it regardless of what this show has led us to believe.

And anyway, remember that time at Christmas when Smackle and Farkle gave Zay that game so they could all play it together in their free time in hopes that it would make them closer friends? Yeah. I do. So moments like this kind of confirm for me that off screen they were able to hangout and become closer.

Auggie Auggie was used so appropriately. He didn't get his own segment with Ava where they do something completely useless and silly. He sold me on his sadness regarding his mom's new job offer too. Good job Auggie!

Speaking of Topanga's new job offer...

WTF? Topanga has been the most irrelevant character this whole series. They have never known what to do with her, sticking her in the apartment to baby-sit this whole time, but now? Now they make the whole freaking finale based around a decision she has to make? I just don't get that. It was fun to have a cliffhanger and it's nice to see the girls faced with this potentially very horrible scenario of losing each other, but I'm still irked that they just now found a way to make Topanga apart of the story in a way that doesn't involve looking after Ava and Auggie. I'm excited to see what happens next week. With the reunion I half expect to see them introduce Eric Matthews as president of the country and Feeny as Jesus Christ. We shall see.

GMW 3.19 World Meets Girl

• Okay guys, let’s discuss the elephant in the room. Last week, Disney officially dropped the cancellation ax on GMW. What does this have to do with the episode, you may be asking yourself? Don’t worry, I will get to that as I think it has everything to do with the episode.
  
• The Cancellation: As a fan of the show I am sad. Overall, I enjoy GMW, even though sometimes it is unrealistic and silly, I love things like that, and as a now 30 something, I knew the lesson before they even begin beating us over the head with the lesson. I’m also sad because this show has so much potential to not only be like it’s predecessor, but become a true coming of age show for kids of this generation. It could have been a show that we hold dear to our hearts as we do BMW and though some might, there is the other hand . . .
• GMW is a very stereotypical Disney show, not unlike many of the shows that currently air. I know I’m 30, but I have enjoyed a few Disney shows in my life, as an adult, mainly Good Luck Charlie (Love it, highly recommend it). GMW has always been too Disney. What is too Disney? Too Disney is when you have characters that rarely grow and when they should grow, it is squashed by a mountain of rainbow, butterflies and everything working out perfectly. Too Disney is when a talking potato tot that comes from left field and is given a whole episode that would have been better if it more realistic. Too Disney is when you turn bullies into lesson givers that are never seen again. Too Disney is when you tease us with continuity but then the only continuity that we get is that time Riley ate Zay’s cookie. Too Disney is when a show is too immature.
• This episode: World Meets Girl (get it?) seemed like an ode to all of that stuff and the writing on the wall. It is my understanding that this was taped much earlier than it aired, so the show was not officially cancelled yet. I found myself thinking as I watched, how or why would they use an entire episode for this? A behind the scenes/what GMW means to you . . . send off is the only phrase I can think of. It struck me as someone was forewarned, “hey, this might be your last season” so they wanted to provide an hour of fan service to prepare us for goodbye.
  
• The episode was fun and I love to see bloopers from my fave shows. It was fun watching the cast interact with the fans and to see the entire cast get to do so. I thought it was awkward that they seemed to purposely ignore their older fans and only talked to the kids, which was nice, but come on, we’re fans too!
  
• I have to talk about the heartbreaking moment that they gave us and then in true GMW fashion, never, ever went back to!: Cecilia Balagot (aka Smackle) saying she believes she wasn’t in the show enough! I agree! That was so sad, yet so random and oddly so GMW . . . I wish they had elaborated on this!
  
• From the get go, I never believed the actual Disney Channel was the right home for this. Maybe the first season and possibly the second season, but during season two, you could, or at least I did, see that show could grow and be not only mature, but continue tackling problems faced by today’s youth if they weren’t on Disney. Some of the issues they covered were great, but they stayed PG the whole time. Despite living in NYC, starting high school, and with the exception of one girl, no one ever encountered a bad person or a person that disliked them. Riley and company’s class went from history to current events and always evolved around them. They constantly poked fun at themselves without ever trying to improve on what they were making fun of.
• Disney is an odd beast (no pun intended as it is a beast in the world. Just ask anyone who produces a theatrical version of one of their shows. Disney will know if you changed one world and yank back the rights if you do not do it as they intended). A lot of past shows, That’s So Raven, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Good Luck Charlie last 4 season with total episodes counting to mid 90’s. A few other shows like Suite Life on Deck, Dog with a Blog, and soon to be joined by GMW lasted on 3 seasons with episodes counting to the high 60’s. And it’s even worth mentioning that Recess, our beloved cartoon while boasting 127 episodes (they’re really segments) paired down to half hour shows average 36.5 . . . I had long heard the magic number for Disney to be done with a show was 65. Is there evidence of this? Yes? Is it always the case? No. One thing we do know is that if we ever want to see more GMW, we better hope Disney allows, (yes it must allow another network) to save it and hopefully help the show grow a little more.
  
• Two more weeks until the end and if you have seen the previews, we actually get a real dilemma that should have lasting effects on the BMW/GMW universe as we know it! Until next time!
  

GMW 3.18 A Christmas Maya

• Based on the promos, this episode looks ridiculous, like not a good ridiculous, but a we’re on Disney Channel ridiculous. Bright Side: At least we get an x-mas episode this year (and we probably will not see a new one until 2017).
• So, we begin in the places of all places, the Bay Window, where Riley and Maya spend their life! Seriously, when they grown old I still expect them to be sitting in the bay window.
• Riley is excited for her group of friend’s Secret Santa and she is the only one. Maya announces she’s going to spend Christmas with Riley despite the fact this will be her first Christmas with new step-father, Shawn. She fears that if she is there, Shawn will see how crazy they are and the marriage will be ruined.

  

  Not excited for Secret Santa!
• Riley and friends, including Zay and Smackle but no Lucas (he’s spending Christmas in Texas) gather at Topanga’s for secret santa name draw.

  

  And the group fared well without Lucas!

  The breakdown is Riley draws her true love’s name (Farkle), Zay gets Smackle, Farkle gets Zay, Smackle gets Maya and Maya draws Lucas. So this means Lucas has Riley, but we’ll never see that. Smackle is also the best during this part, spoiling it for everyone she can!!! Love her!!!

  

  When you draw your true love's name for Secret Santa . . .

• Topanga reads to Ava and Auggie because she decided to punish herself for some reason, but that went as good as you can expect . . .

  

  Babysitting . . . (see next pic)

  How did Topanga feel about that?

  

  My face when I saw this episode promo . . .

• OMG it must really be Christmas because we get a Farkle and Zay scene that points out that he doesn’t really know Smackle or Farkle and they don’t know him. More of this please!

  

  New BFF's!
• Also, I though this would be funny.

  

  I suck at using MSpaint . . . but I imagine too much time with the Matthews could do this to you!

• Now we get back to main plot, Maya avoiding her home for Christmas. Maya tells the story of how Katy dresses as an elf and gives her whatever she worked enough for at the diner to get her. So, the Matthews decided to put on a reenactment of of Katy and Maya’s Christmas past to help them make their “Christmas present” better.

  

  Topanga as Katy is the best!!!

  And Katy was there too for the slightly offensive reenactment. Katy did the best she could . . .

  

  This is your life Katy Clutterbucket Hunter . . .

• The next part of this episode focuses on how horrible the secret Santa goes.

  

  "Worst gift ever" -Smackle

  It’s so bad that it’s really funny, but once they explain their gifts, we get the best moment of GMW ever: Riley tells Farkle she loves him! #Riarkle/#Farley Forever!!!!

  

  When you embrace your true love after you confess your undying love . . .

• We go back and finish the Christmas play, by peeking into the future. We see Shawn’s Christmas past, where Cory plays Chet and Auggie as Shawn and Maya realizes how lucky she was that not only did she have Katy, but her mom actually gave her gifts that would make her life better. Katy and Maya take their leave because Shawn is waiting for them at home (but who’s home? Theirs? His cabin in woods? They never say . . .) The End!

  

  "Merry X-Mas to all and a goodnight" -Maya

*****EXTRA TIDBITS*****

• Riley became a noun as Christmas time is the best time to be a Riley.
• I loved the story about Maya throwing snowballs at the ice rink and Corey having been injured by one!
• Riley had this bit where she kept throwing glitter from her pockets because butterflies didn’t work and at the end, the glitter turned into blue and yellow butterflies . . .
• Auggie as Shawn is NO!

  

  Just NO!

• For a moment I almost shipped Zay and Smackle . . . for a moment, then I moved on.
• And Riley told Farkle she loved him!!! So, I am also guess by order of elimination Lucas got Riley but her boyfriend skipped town without telling her . . .

PS: My little attempt at photoshop in MSpaint came from https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/wine-bottle


It's been way too long. Being punctual about getting GMW reviews in on time for me this season. I was really into it before the ski lodge episode and then something happened. I'll be honest, I haven't enjoyed many episodes since then. One. There was one. Girl Meets Her Monster was my jam. Anyway, here we are now with just a few episodes left and no guarantee for a fourth season. I'm getting ahead of myself, though, let me go back to Girl Meets a Christmas Maya.

I really enjoyed the secret santa story from this episode and I wish it had taken on a bigger role, like the entire episode kind of role. It was great to see the gang struggle to pick out gifts for one another, especially since they also acknowledged the fact that they don't all know one another well enough to know what to get. Much of the show focuses on Maya and Riley's relationship (not that is a problem because the show is pretty much about them) so we don't get to see what goes on with the others.

I hope in the future we get to see more of a presence from the rest of the group. The focus can still, and should be, on Riley and Maya, but I want to see more of Farkle, Lucas, Zay, and Smackle. I need them to come into focus a bit more. The second half of this season those characters haven't been much more than the spares in the classroom and I can't handle that.

Something else happened in this episode. Something to do with Ava and Auggie, right? I really can't remember so I'm scrolling through Shane's review to try and jog my memory. Oh, Maya and her mom had to have some sort of ridiculous play put on for them by the Matthews family. What was that about? Something to do with Shawn, but what I really think happened is the writers just wanted to name drop "Shawn" to remind us that he is married to Maya's mom. I'm not interested.

And now I'm going to take a moment to explain my feelings about the show at this point, and how I feel about its future. I don't mean to sound as if I'm bashing the show, if I do. The thing is, I want the show to grow up. I want it to grow with its characters, like BMW did. Isn't that what we all want? Maybe not, but it's a nice idea to entertain in my own head. The thing is, this show has a really great cast of young actresses and actors and I want to see more of them. And by this point I am rather attached to all of them and I need to see them grow up. This season has been disappointing for me because, for the most part, there hasn't been any continuing storylines for any of the characters (with the exception of the love triangle and its resolution). It's just been one stand alone episode after another and it's just felt shallow. I have grown very tired of seeing the group face a situation that is resolved in five minutes. Where are the more serious issues that young people their age face that can't be overcome with a Riley pep talk? We haven't seen any of those. I want those.

Happy Holidays, you guys. We'll see you back here in 2017 to discuss the few episodes of GMW that are left to air.

2017 News!!!

Windowless Reviews 2017 News!!!

• First, we from Windowless Reviews want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!!
• I hope everyone is enjoying the small break from our TV shows. It’s so close to Christmas that I do not miss them yet, but give me a couple of days afterwards and I will.
• So, as the title says, we have some exciting news for the upcoming year, but I will start with what some may consider, not so great news.
• Not So Great News:
• Windowless Reviews has decided that we are no longer going to review review Once Upon A Time. It's kind of became like eating your vegetables for us; something we must do, but don't really want to (I actually eat my veggies, but you get the point). We made it through the first half, but will not be picking it back up for it’s March 2017 return.

  

  Sad Regina be sad . . .

• Better News:
• We will continue to review GMW! I know this season does not have many episodes left and right now, off the top of my head, I have no clue when we will see the next one. We are committed to reviewing this show as it is the one we started out with and even though we wish it’d morph into a little more of a mature show like it’s predecessor, once new episodes play, you can bet we will review them.  

  

  More GMW reviews in 2017!

• Good News:
• Since we are dropping OUAT, one thing I know that I really wanted to do, was to begin to review a show from the beginning, as it airs and we have decided on a new show to review; Windowless Reviews is happy to announce that starting January 30, 2017, we will be reviewing Riverdale (premiering Jan. 29, 2017)!!!

• We hope you will join us in this new adventure that this show will surely be. Let's discuss the drama, crazy and weirdness that will definitely be in the show.
• For those who are not familiar with the show, check out this trailer below, taken from the CW's youtubepage:

Obviously this is a darker, more dramatic version than the comics, but it's a show I cannot wait to dive into!

Stayed tune, for sometime in mid January we will have a post discussing Riverdale before it premieres! For now, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and have a wonderful New Year! Thank to all those who read and please never be afraid to leave a comment!!!

OUAT 6.10 Wish You Were Here

• It’s the Winter Finale and I’m kind of more excited for a break from OUAT than I should be. Let’s dive in!

• 

  One of these things is not like the other . . .

  #SwanQueen amd #CaptainHook confront the Evil queen at Robin’s grave. Threats are made and Emma cuts her with her own death-blade she found in the previous episode and we learn this sword can kill the Evil Queen without hurting Regina.
• To add insult to injury Gold slaps a tracking bracelet on the Evil Queen.

  

  When Bae gives a slap-bracelet but it's 2016 . . .

• All of this leads to the Evil Queen kidnapping Jasmine (off screen) and using the Genie of Agrabah aka Aladdin to grant Emma’s wish she made however many episodes back when she first met Aladdin, to not be the savior anymore. Emma is transported away to land, far, far away!

  

  Finally a use for these two- plot device!
• Regina takes matters into her own hands and uses Aladdin to transport her to the same place Emma was sent to.
• Emma was sent to a fantasy where Snow White and Charming defeated the Evil Queen in the enchanted forest and she is their princes. Henry still exists because Neal is his father but Neal is dead here too. (Que the creepy moment where they talk about how he is always watching and everyone stares up at the camera before it is revealed they are staring at a portrait.
  

  

  He's always watching . . . always . . .

• Regina arrives in Fantasy Enchanted Forest and surprise, everyone believes she is the evil queen. She is forced to make a deal with Fantasy Rumple (to let him out for a magic bean to return to Storybrook) and decides to play the role of Evil Queen to make Emma realizes she is the savior. This ends up with Regina killing fake Charmings and Emma saving her from fake Prince Henry.

  

  Look, they're just like the Storybrook versions! 

• Meanwhile in Storybrook, nobody knows how to save Emma, Snow sleeps, and Gold and Belle discovers something has actually happened to their child and Blue by default. Mother Superior tells Belle the black fairy took her baby.

  

  Your face when you realize your mother in-law kidnapped your baby . . .

• A stranger in the cloak that kills Emma in her visions appears, easily doing away with the Evil Queen by turning her into a cobra, is revealed to be not only the black fairy and Emma’s killer in her visions, but it’s Gold and Belle’s son! What a twist!

  

  ANd the killer is . . . .this guy!

• In the fantasy world, just as Emma and Regina open the portal (so fake Rumple kept his world), an arrow whizzes by them, revealing fake Robin. Regina forgets literally everything and Emma will not leave without her true love, so the portal closes, leaving them trapped . . .forever! Or until March 2017!

*****EXTRA TIDBITS*****

• Jasmine finally wished for her and Aladdin to go back to Agrabah.

  

  Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

• #SwanQueen moment: When Emma is singing “Once Upon A Dream” the song where the princess usually meets her true love, guess her Emma met? Regina!! Well played OUAT!

  

  Me thinks this portal might lead to Oz!

• Those statues of the Charmings are just as ugly as Arrow's Laurel statue.

  

  OUAT's very own Love Triangle- Coming soon 2017!

A few good things happened this week, like Aladdin and Jasmine disappearing. The evil queen got turned into a snake by Rumple and Belle's son, which was nice to find out who the hooded murder is, and Regina and Emma got locked in a fake dream world because Robin popped up and attempted to rob Emma and Regina. Actually he still might rob them or shoot them with his bow because we were left off with the two leading ladies being held at bow point. 

So Aladdin and Jasmine are gone, possibly for good! This is exciting news! These two have hardly had a story in what should have been their half of the season. This is how it goes, right? But there hasn't been much there for Aladdin and Jasmine. They had maybe one full episode of "flashbacks" if I am remembering correctly, and that was it. Every moment they have existed on the show since then has seemed spotty and forced in there. I'm glad they have gone back to Agrabah but I fear we haven't seen the last of them just yet. I'm fairly certain they will show up again before the season is over. 

Why do people keep trusting Blue? When she was a tiny fairy with an ass on her chest she was somewhat powerful and seemed to evade dangerous situations, but now in Storybrooke she is fails at every turn. I'm pretty sure the last baby she watched, baby Robin, got dragged to hell while in her care. And yet Belle sent her new born baby flying off into the realms with Blue. Why? Within the last five minutes of the episode we find out that Blue lost Gideon to the Black Fairy at some point and he's probably evil now. Well, he's most definitely evil since he's the hooded figure that kills Emma, right?

Emma and Regina are stuck in a fake dream world together after the evil queen snatched up the Genie's bottle and wished for Emma to have never been savior. Regina, loyal and in love, wishes to be where Emma is and she is granted that wish. When Regina gets to the enchanted forest (where non savior Emma is) the people hate her because they think she is the evil queen still. Regina finds a crazy Rumple still caged and asks him for his help in rescuing Emma. He advises Regina to act like the evil queen in order to bring out the savior in Emma. Regina does this by stealing Snow and Charming and threatening their lives, which makes Emma cry, but nothing more. However, when Henry comes in and attempts to kill Regina, Emma reacts! She remembers. They try to say that it's because Regina wouldn't hurt Henry that Emma remembered and reacted, but we all know it's really because the love of her life was almost stabbed. 

Once Emma remembers, the two meet Rumple at the lake for a bean so they can get back to Storybrooke. It's at this time that Robin shows up with his bow and arrows. He's attempting to rob them when their portal opens and because Regina is so overwhelmed with him being there they lose their moment and the portal closes. It's probably better that way since evil Gideon is now back in Storybrooke waiting to kill Emma. I guess. If that's why he's really there. 

Back in Storybrooke David gives the genie bottle to Jasmine to use to get home. Why didn't she do this in the first place? Didn't she have that thing for a little while at least before Evil Queen took it? Anyway, she wishes for her and Aladdin to find Agrabah or be in Agrabah or something to do with Agrabah. And then they vanish. Bye guys. 

This wasn't a terrible episode, in fact it was possibly my favorite of the season. The reveal of the hooded figure and Robin's way of coming back were kind of fun to see. I'm not a big Robin fan, I'm just impressed they thought of a way to bring him back. I'm kind of thinking they will find out that the "fake" world isn't as fake as they thought, otherwise how are they going to get  a not real Robin back to Storybrooke, which I'm just assuming they will do. I'm probably giving OUAT too much credit. He'll come back to Storybrooke, good as new, with no explanation of how he's a real boy. 

Well, that's it. Mid-season done and another half to go. I'm saying ciao to Hyde, Jekyll, Aladdin, and Jasmine. Hopefully the second half of this season will bring some cool new characters for us.