Girl Meets World 3.5 Girl Meets Triangle

Key: Shane Lee is blue Syd is brown

• I am not going to lie, I would not be surprised if this show gave us an episode that deals with a literal triangle as opposed to Lucas liking both Riley and Maya who both like him!
• Okay, I have to point something out that really bugs me. Normally I don't care too much if continuity, like set pieces change from episode to episode, but then this happened:

  

  Riley and Maya in the hole . . .again

  

  Now there's a bench right in front of the hole! (Before they got up stairs!)

  
  
• So we begin! With break up Monday?! Seriously? I get why this is happening and yes high school is nothing but drama, but this is a bit much. This could have been done with Riley and Maya walking the bathroom and seeing the two girls that are suppose to be them.
• Wow, Lucas has finally announced that he's going to pick either Riley or Maya!
• I get that the jellybean bit is a throwback to BMW without the flashback but I am so over this triangle.

  

  Lucas thought Farkle and Zay were giving him candy!

• This high school has better teachers than their middle school. Riley and Maya deviated from the assignment and painted what they wanted (like true millennials that they are). Of course the teacher is going to have issues with this!

  

  "Did your friend finger paint?"

• I love that Riley wants Maya to fight and fight her, not just follow her. Maya really has not been herself for a while.
• I am glad they finally brought Katy in to deal with Maya’s issues. I hate that they are all of sudden regressing back to when when she was an awful parent. She has grown more than this!

  

  Katy's face when she read her part in this episode!

• I laughed far too hard at Riley’s line “Of course I like what you’re wearing Maya, I’m wearing it too!”

• 

  Twinsies!

  I am enjoying the theme of finding your voice and being your true self. Maya's not the same girl we met, but she needs to keep her grades up and stay out of detention- that’s OK!

  

  Your face when you realize the episode has 5 minutes left and they have not addressed Lucas's decision!

• I should have known . . . they Sopranoe’d us!!! Seriously, mid sentenced and everything!!!! Grrr!

***Extras and Tidbits***

• No Auggie story!!! He doesn’t need to face the same, less serious issue every week and I am more than okay with him just popping up every now and then!
• I am still not sure Farkle and Zay are actually friends. I would like this explored in a future episode, when they have to do something that doesn't involve Lucas.
• Smackle is MIA again!

  

  She seriously has trouble in the hallway . . .

• Sean is going to be in next week’s episode! They’re always better (or stronger- no pun intended) when his character is featured.
• Are they really going to make Maya have “liked” Lucas because she was too busy “being” Riley and Lucas only thought he had feelings for her because he actually likes Riley? Sigh. Farkle and Riley Forever!!!!!!
• The message I took away from this week’s episode, personally, was too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Maya should follow in Riley’s footsteps, making good grades and overall doing well in school. She should not become her.

IF I WROTE THE EPISODE

To start off with, I would not have dragged this "triangle" out until now, just saying . . . I would begin with Maya and Riley seeing the two girls end their friendship over a boy, then begin worrying about their own friendship. Seeing this, Lucas announces (maybe because of Farkle’s pushing or I don’t know, because he’s tired of it) that he’s deciding who he wants to be his girlfriend. Then, they could realize Maya is acting way more like Riley because of art class and everything. I would have had Katy come in and be more like “where is my independent daughter who thinks for herself?” As far as the cliffhanger, I would have had Lucas telling Farkle and Zay he’s made up his mind and going to go to his girlfriend! He would know a door and as it opens, we fade to black.

We've waited so long for this moment, love triangle resolution. Needless to say the ending was disappointing, especially so since there was no episode last week. But anyway this episode was not just about love triangle this week, right? Right. This episode was also about Maya and her struggle to realize that she had become Riley and completely lost herself in the process.

And apparently who Riley is these days is Robert Carlyle's Rumplestiltskin

My apologies for the picture and reference above if you are not familiar with the show Once Upon A Time.

Maya and Riley are given an assignment in Art class to paint a bench, or something. Riley, of course, paints a gigantic purple cat, and Maya paints a big purple cat too but isn't aware until this guy...

points it out. Riley and Maya are so lucky to have this art teacher who apparently holds some sort of masters in psychology along with his art degree. Although he doesn't even know Maya very well yet, he knows she isn't herself. I guess it's believable if you imagine that Maya's middle school art teacher told him about her and showed him some examples of her previous artwork. I could probably get on board with that, but there's something about this guy that irritates me so I'd rather make fun of him.

In other places, the boys were trying to jellybean their way out of a situation. This was a fun nostalgic moment during this episode initiated by Zay. Farkle and Zay are really insistent lately that Lucas pick one of the girls and end the triangle. Well, Farkle has been tired of the triangle for way longer than anyone else.

Please just pick one so I know who I end up with

Of course this little test ended the way it started, Lucas still being confused and not knowing who makes him feel all balagalooo (was that it?). Oh well, you tried, Lucas. And it's not like it's going to matter anyway, because while you were over here jellybeaning, Maya was discovering that she isn't even herself and hasn't been for some time. So she might not even like you, Lucas. Yeah. What about that? How are you gonna feel when you find out that you had a crush on both of them, but only Riley has ever liked you? Awkward? Are you gonna feel awkward?

Ah well, who cares? Katy was in this episode! She was displaying some of her inferior parenting skills in front of the almighty Corey and Topanga. I liked it. I liked the exaggerated absent parent she played for the few minutes at the end of this episode, it was funny and I don't mind seeing Katy this way. It's nice to see her spending some time with Corey and Topanga, too. We don't get to see much of Katy, so when she's there I want to see her interact with every single character to make up for the time we lose with her. And she gets to be present for Lucas' announcement! For some reason this makes me really happy.

Hooray for Lucas finally making up HIS mind. I feel like I can relax a little just knowing that he has made up his mind even if I don't know who he picked, but I still really want to see what conclusion the girls come to about their feelings. I guess we will find out next in the upstate.

Girl Meets World 3.4 Girl Meets Permanent Record

Key:

Shane Lee is blue
Syd is brown

• So, we are still in the early weeks of their high school career and we know this by several things in the episode, but if this is the case, isn’t it way too early to have  a Spanish class where they only speak Spanish, if they are suppose to be learning it?
• I love this show because it is so easy to relate to. I am totally Riley from this episode. Freshman year I took Spanish one and the teacher only spoke Spanish and expected the same of us during class. My midterm, I made a D- first time (and only time) ever! I too was devastated and struggled, but managed to bring my grade up.

  

  A Scarlet letter!

• I am glad Zay and Lucas did not make the football team, I wish there was more of a story there, but also Zay never strikes me as an athlete. But okay they’re going for baseball next . . .
• Why do they all believe that one test/quiz grade decides where you go to college?? Who believes this?
• The refrigerator ceremony is actually really funny.

  

  This is teaching my son that he can always be replaced!

• Now Corey is acting like her one grade decides her future!!!! WHY?!!!! It doesn’t!
• Finally! Thank you Topanga for explaining how grades work!
• I like that Maya is thriving in a subject where Riley can’t and the reason why is because Maya's neighborhood is predominately a Spanish speaking neighborhood. (I have to ask, how does Maya live from the Matthews?)
• I can’t believe Corey (who is a teacher) just asked another teacher to go easy on his daughter.
• I like that Corey is struggling in high school, just as much as Riley is with adapting to high school.
• Smackle’s joke about the quadrilateral being better than the triangle actually made me laugh because the execution was so good.
• I also really enjoyed the you’re on this side of the room, part!

  

  Together they're Zaya!!! I kind of like that . . .

• How close do the Matthews live to the school that Topanga quickly goes there and back before school even begins?
• We get a Farkle/Riley scene and it so good. I was waiting for Farkle to lean in and kiss her!

  

  "One day we shall kiss!"

• I am so glad the the Spanish teacher actually took the time to explain to Riley how the test grades actually works.
• This was a surprisingly strong episode and I liked nearly everything about it.

***Extra Tidbits***

• Auggie was used very little in this episode and I like it. This is the way they should use him
• It isn’t often we get Riley and Topanga dialogue, but when we do, it’s so good. Topanga is obviously the stronger parent!
• In Girl Meet High School Parts 1 & 2, I was upset that they took away a lot of Smackle’s characteristics and she was just all of a sudden one of the group, without her quirks. They returned in this episode and I liked them. I'm still not her biggest fan but if she is going to be featured, I want her quirks too.

IF I WROTE THIS EPISODE

So, when I first saw the preview, I totally expected this episode to be a bad dream of Riley’s. That could be fun, so I’m rolling with that. Riley would still get her bad grade and Maya would get an A. Zay would make the baseball team and Lucas would not. Farkle would also start getting bad grades as Smackle excels. I would go full blown ridiculous, have Corey and Topenga view Maya as their daughter and Riley as her troubled friend. Riely and Farkle would be placed in a remedial class/study hall where they are treated like they don’t know anything by Corey. Lucas would continue to fail at sports and then decide he should go back to Texas, thus resolving the triangle and still making a joke about it. Just as everything goes crazy, Riley wakes up, sees that she still made the D on her test but decides, with help from her friends and family, to work to bring the grade up!

Girl Meets Permanent Record

In Permanent Record, Riley gets a "D" on her first Spanish test, Maya earns an "A", Farkle discovers he's no longer the most intelligent being in school, Zay excels during baseball tryouts, and Lucas finds out he isn't as good an athlete as he once was. Fun!

So Riley makes a "D" on her first test in her Spanish class and it's a really big deal because it will go on her permanent record and no wonder, "Today, I ham a-wearing sandals" is her idea of speaking Spanish in the class.  I did find it a little irritating that everyone in this episode thinks that ONE bad grade on ONE test will ruin your chances at success forever, though. That's a little dramatic.

You know what else is a little dramatic? Corey going to talk to Riley's teacher about giving her a bad grade. C'mon, Corey, this is ridiculous. A good grade on that test you think is so hard isn't impossible just because Riley Matthews could not get one. You're a teacher, I expect you've had to deal with many parents like yourself right now and I'm sure you didn't like it, so why are you doing this?! I really hate that he did this because I feel like he should know better. I am glad, though, that Senora Fein-Stein Chang handled him so well. Thankfully Topanga came in after Corey to smooth things over, not that things got out of hand, but she redeemed the situation somewhat. Topanga handled the situation as I imagined she would since she's much more competitive when it comes to grades than Corey and knows what it takes to maintain higher grades. This is also why I wasn't outraged by her action of clearing off the refrigerator for Maya's A.    

Her response to the entire situation was as Topanga's should be.  

On the other side of campus, or wherever Zay, Lucas, Farkle and Smackle are, Zay and Smackle were busy being good at things, while Lucas and Farkle failed themselves. Farkle seems sad this whole episode. He's sad because he's Smackle's intellectual inferior and possibly because he doesn't get to play with Lucas and Zay. Look how sad he is these days...

They never even let him sit beside of Lucas and Zay, instead he's almost literally joined at the hip with Smackle (see picture above). I just want Farkle and Smackle to have their own lives and be happy. I don't want them as a couple, either. Is it a good fit? I feel it isn't because they're too similar and competitive with one another. I'm trying to find chemistry between Maya and Farkle but there aren't enough scenes of them together to tell. Shane, what do you think? Would you accept these two together? 


After finding out that the gang is split into two groups, the group of losers and the group of achievers, we see Riley and Farkle have a lovely moment as they discuss what they need to do to move on from their slow starts in this new school. Time spent with Riley and Farkle is usually really genuine and meaningful, so why was this moment so short and why did Farkle jump out of the window so abruptly. I wish the scene would have faded with him in the room so that we would be left to assume that the two spent a little more time together. How quickly I forget, Farkle spends most of his time with Smackle these days. We miss you, Farkle.

The episode wraps up about as quickly as I am going to wrap up this review. Riley gets her sh** together and makes an A- on her next exam, Corey gives his lesson to Riley and Friends before the rest of the students even get to class (he isn't even trying anymore), and Lucas and Zay say some things about their baseball team that I can't even remember anymore.

Did these two move their desks closer together? 

Girl Meets World 3.3 Girl Meets Jexica

Key:

Shane Lee is blue
Syd is brown

Initial Thoughts and Reactions:

• LOL at Riley realizing she has no interests- it’s so true! I have composed a list of her interests: Sitting in the bay window, talking in the bay window and talking about sitting and talking in the bay window. That’s literally all she does!
• Is the first Farkle/Lucas/Zay scene we’ve ever had they wasn’t dealing with one of the girl's problems? Are Farkle and Zay actually friends?

• 

  The common denominator of Farkle and Zay is Lucas! 

  Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t it implied way back when in season two in the Eric and TJ episode that they all had some sort of social media? If they did not, then why were they all recording Eric standing up to the senator? For funsies? Maybe Riley but Lucas and Farkle would have no reason to want to remember that if they weren’t going to share it.
• I am glad Riley and Maya don’t have the same classes. This is how real high school works.
• This episode is pointing out a lot truths about the show- we’ve only been introduced to about 5 guys: Farkle, Lucas, Zay, Charlie, Yogi and Joshua. I know that’s six, but Riley said Lucas is not one of Maya’s five husbands.
• The shots of everyone “knowing” and being Jexica’s bff were very Mean Girls and I like it!
• 1-2-3! It’s so nice to see Corey and Topanga being Corey and Topanga! Not lesson preachers!
  
• Charlie Bit My Finger is a bit dated now and I really wish Corey would have pointed out how long ago it was and how they (me included) still know it!
• I get that the social network was the school’s social network, but I am also pretty sure they would have flagged if not deleted Jexica’s account since they have no record of her as a student.

  

  "I snuck a fake sword into school!"

• 

  "We all got our fake swords by security today!" - literally everyone else.

  Wow, you guys, Topanga didn’t have to wear that pant suit that she’s been in since the first episode! I am sure Danielle Fisher appreciated the wardrobe change!
• Why is Yogi pretending to be Jexica? I never noticed he is in their class again. Everyone shouldn’t have Corey again.
• And as I feared, the triangle is more or less a joke. We’re all tired of it too, Lucas! Here’s an ideal, decide already!

****Extra Tidbits***

• So Auggie tackled spam this week. I was very fearful his little dream at the end would have turned out true, because it’s Disney and stuff like that happens all the time, but it did not. So, does that mean Corey and Topanga’s making up was a dream too? Or did that really happen but then Auggie dream the rest? I choose the latter!
• If Marley were in class, I bet she would not have brought into Jexica.
• Did Corey seriously release class so they (Riley) could go to the bay window? Also, what time is his class? I thought it was a morning class, but this has to be afternoon? Right?
• Wouldn't Smackle would have wanted to be Jexica's friend? Where is she?

  

  Found her!

IF I WROTE THE EPISODE

I would have Riley still create the Jexica persona because she realizes she has no other interests outside the Bay window, but Jexica would not have blown up in popularity in the school. It’s so obviously fake and no one has ever seen a blue hair girl walking around school with a weapon that I am pretty sure would be banned. Anyway, everyone would still realize it’s Riley and to teach her a lesson, all three guys would “fall in love” with her. This may be over the top but they would teach her that they know her and like her no matter what and that it’s okay to have your favorite things change as you learn who you are. People will forget those things anyway and if they truly want to know you, they will.

Girl Meets Jexica

Not a bad episode. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it either. It had small doses of Auggie and Ava and Corey and Topanga gave us a flashback! Win! However, another week goes by and we still do not have love triangle resolution, which just sucks. I want to get past it so I can stop thinking about it. It's a big deal and, as a human being, I need closure on this big deal. At this point it's just torture. Moving on...

So the students at Abigail Adams have to (are encouraged to?) set up a profile on their school's social network. I remember being in high school and having to write down things about myself on an index card that I would later have to pass to the teacher who would discuss my interests in front of the class, or I would be forced to trade my little card full of details about myself with the person sitting next to me to discuss with them. The times they are a changin'. Anyway, Riley and Maya struggled to come up with their interests which, can I say, really bummed me out. I was looking forward to finding out Riley's favorite movie or Maya's favorite song. These characters hang out with me in my living room most Friday nights and I want to know them better. Is that so wrong? I don't think so, in fact I think I kind of feel a little entitled to that information. The boys knew themselves better, though. Farkle likes a Star Wars movie and that should be no surprise, but Lucas choosing Desperado as his favorite song? Who's favorite song is Desperado? I didn't know those people existed, except for that guy that Elaine dated on Seinfeld. And later Zay chimed in saying his favorite movie was The Notebook which seems legit. 

It's always nice to see the boys bonding a little more each week and although it wasn't a lot, I'll take what I can get. I also really enjoyed Riley and Maya in the opening scene. Do we get many scenes of  just Riley and Maya when it's not in Riley's bedroom? It feels like we don't so it was nice to see them being genuine friends in the hallway of the school, talking about themselves and trying to advise one another. Something about it confirmed their relationship for me. And they were HAPPY. They were goofing around and Maya was picking on Riley in the friendly way. It was all so real. And then Maya found out about Riley's imagined alter ego and brought Jexica, who resembles Ramona Flowers a bit, to life for her friend by drawing her. 

But seriously, Riley and Maya were super cute during this whole clip. I also noticed that while the girls were really believable in their friendship during this episode, they were also the most competitive in this episode when it came to Lucas. Riley had several quips ready for Maya when there were suggestions that Lucas might like Jexica. It was all fun and entertaining though. 

I don't have much more to add. The rest of the episode, for me, was just everyone wanting to meet Jexica, all of the Jexicas coming out to reveal their identities, everyone getting over Jexica, and finally Corey teaching a lesson to his class that focuses on the internet and society and posting under anonymous names because the lesson has to revolve around Riley. And sometimes Maya. 

Although his lesson this time wasn't as bad as some in the past.

Dessert pieces:

• Auggie was limited
• Smackle wasn't there (this shouldn't make me as happy as it does) 

Girl Meets World 3.1 & 3.2 Girl Meets High School Parts 1 & 2

Season 3 Episode 1

Girl Meets High School Part One

• I really like the new intro! I’m as happy with it as Maya is being in it.
• I am glad they kept the same song, but secretly hope one day we get BMW remix where girl is substituted for boy. That would be awesome!

Initial Thoughts and Reactions:

• This exactly how high school is, depressing, scary and different!
• It’s like my high school experience. My grade school was a K-8 school so it was quite a culture shock when most of classes were with strangers, most bigger than me, and several I did not like.
• Thor, Nikki and Francesca-seriously, who names their kid Thor? Is this an ode to Marvel because they are owned by Disney too?
• The hole is just a staircase . . . so they really should have kept walking and the problem would have been solved.
• Everyone is blaming Riley for everything? Why? She isn’t controlling them . . .
• The best part of this fight, was later one when Lucas finally admitted that Riley was too much for him sometime.
• Why is the triangle a joke now? It’s not okay and not normal. Make a decision and move on with life.
• I have mixed feeling about Smackle joining the group:
• Positive: Another girl in the group gives us a different dynamic than Riley, Maya and the guys
• 
  Negative: They stripped her of everything that made Smackle unique- her superiority complex, her social awkwardness and fidgeting at being touched or hugged. She’s like a female Farkle and it doesn’t work.
• I believe the Topanga scene was a missed opportunity for at least Maya to stand up to the seniors: I imagine a scene that goes like this:

Thor: Actually, you’re following us, this is our place?

MAYA: Really? Is your mom named Topanga? No, guess what her’s is. That makes it our place!

• The Farkle/Riley scene was my favorite. It hurts to see them fight (and he is unjustly blaming her) but it’s so sincere which is why it hurts even more when they fight? Is the first time they have been on opposite ends of the argument?

We are going to be together forever! We just don't know it yet!

***Extra Tidbits***

• I really like Marley and love that she calls out Corey out on his teaching methods or the lack thereof. I hope to see more of her.

• This may have been the best Auggie and Ava story yet. I don’t think we need to see anymore of them in part 2, but I just know they’ll probably be back to shenanigans soon.

IF I WROTE THE EPISODE

There isn’t much I’d change about this one. I felt the tone and storyline for the most part was right on. The only thing I would have done differently would be to ax the seniors and the stupid hole bit. I would focus more on them being in a new environment, having different classes and no longer being the smartest or tallest. The first day of high school is never really that fun and everyone is kind of shoved in their own direction. The seniors could still be included to show they aren’t as good as they think they were, but the hole was just too much for me, especially since they could have just kept walking down the stairs and away from the seniors. Uhg Thor.

*****

Season 3 Episode 2

Girl Meets High School Part 2

Initial Thoughts and Reactions:

• I am so glad they changed the opening intro. I like it so much!
• I am so happy that Riley’s first thought was a hope for Farkle and her last one was for Lucas to have a bad day.

  

  This is what it's like being in the triangle!

• I like Lucas going out for the football team and Zay following, but in what world would Zay make it too? In fact he should not and that would make for a better story.
• So, I watched twice and the second time around, noticed the Nikki and Francesca were with the Intellectual club- are they a part of it or just there?
• Everyone should feel bad for blaming Riley that high school is awful because it is and it’s not her fault.
• Major questions about this bay window scene: why would the seniors really visit them? And how did they know where they live? (Corey is a new teacher at the high school and would they have known Riley is his daughter to ask if they could come over)? This is all confusing. Oh, look, they really aren’t bad guys.
• Enough with the triangle jokes. They aren’t funny and no Thor, you need to pick one!
• Marley is really fun to have in class, but only because it’s Corey’s class and she will question his methods, which sometimes Corey needs. He isn’t only teaching Riley and her friends, but that is exactly what he does.
• There were several good messages from this episode about high school: You’re going to get massacred, your friends are your safe place, stick together, etc.
• The most important message was of course the Feeny message and I am glad they remembered it!
• They’re starting a legacy (just like from season two when they left one).

***Extra Tidbits***

• Auggie and Ava were cute, but the invisible dog was too much.
• Ava is clearly the stronger actor.
• Marley is super fun, but totally going to need help getting Corey’s desk.
• This clearly a Disney channel show and clearly a Disney high school.

This is how I'll always remember Thor!

IF I WROTE THE SHOW

I said in part one I would ax the seniors all together and focus the change that high school really is. I am fine that everyone fought (even if it was so unjust- we had a bad day- it’s all your fault)! I still would have had the group make up, but have their separate interests/classes and come back together showing that they can still be friends and change. They aren’t the “kings” anymore but they will be just fine. It can never be the same, but a good kind of different. Sadly, they chose to go back to the same, when something should have been different.

*****NOTE*****

Moving forward, our episode reviews  will be in one single post- Shane Lee