Season 5 being the senior year of high school until the end of college (which was Season 7). I've heard the argument that in the first four seasons, it was much smarter with how the story moved along and the characters seemed more three-dimensional. But in the last three seasons, it became ridiculously goofy and reliant on slapstick. Basically, they threw away any character progression for cheap laughs.

And of course, Eric went from having a real arc and real growth to being an utter buffoon. Sure, that can be funny, but he's hardly a character. Cory meanwhile, seemed to become obsessed with sex and how Topanga wouldn't until they were married.

It didn't help that help that continuity wasn't a strong suit of the show but that's another story for another time. Was part of the issues was that the 'adults' (i.e. Mr. Feeny, Alan, Amy, Mr. Turner, etc.) weren't around as much to ground the characters?

I recently came across the theory that once Ben Savage went through puberty and the producers/writers realized (with all due respect to Ben) how homely he was likely going to be, they made his character more like him - a needy, insecure, narcissistic jerk - instead of the adorable, too-cool-for-school wisecracker he was when the show started. Simply put, the older that Ben got, the less likable Cory became. Which is of course, ironic because the show was centered around him.

I recently came across the theory that once Ben Savage went through puberty and the producers/writers realized (with all due respect to Ben) how homely he was likely going to be, they made his character more like him - a needy, insecure, narcissistic jerk - instead of the adorable, too-cool-for-school wisecracker he was when the show started. Simply put, the older that Ben got, the less likable Cory became. Which is of course, ironic because the show was centered around him.

Not a bad theory but one has to wonder why Cory somehow wound up more still likable at the end of his show than his daughter Riley in the sequel GMW. Riley was even more needy, insecure and narcissistic in addition to being overwhelming, meddlesome and nosy but the difference was that Topanga, Shawn, Alan, Amy and Eric,etc. called out Cory on his stuff yet the rare characters who did that to Riley were one-shots who were considered unredeemable bullies while everyone else on the show (parents, peers,etc.) treated Riley as though she was totally adorable and could do no wrong. It's even more ironic that the latter show was centered around her but she was the least likable character on it.

First four seasons of Boy Meets World were definitely the best. Season 5 was still watchable, but the final two seasons were terrible. When the lousy Rachel character came was when Boy Meets World totally jumped the shark. I hated how they dumbed down Eric's character. It is one thing if a character is dumb from the start of the show like Lowell on Wings, Bull on Night Court, or Waldo on Family Matters. But Eric was a lot smarter at the start of the show, he made mistakes but was still normal.

First four seasons of Boy Meets World were definitely the best. Season 5 was still watchable, but the final two seasons were terrible. When the lousy Rachel character came was when Boy Meets World totally jumped the shark. I hated how they dumbed down Eric's character. It is one thing if a character is dumb from the start of the show like Lowell on Wings, Bull on Night Court, or Waldo on Family Matters. But Eric was a lot smarter at the start of the show, he made mistakes but was still normal.

Agree- and how Eric was supposed to have graduated college at the end despite seeming to too . .. challenged to have graduated nursery school was a bit much!

I will admit that I eventually lost interest in the show, but in my defense, it was because the kids were aged ahead of me when I was the same age as they were when the show first began. We were both in the 6th grade when it all started. When season two started, they were high school freshman when I was only going into the 7th grade.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. I did come back before the show ended though.

First four seasons of Boy Meets World were definitely the best. Season 5 was still watchable, but the final two seasons were terrible. When the lousy Rachel character came was when Boy Meets World totally jumped the shark. I hated how they dumbed down Eric's character. It is one thing if a character is dumb from the start of the show like Lowell on Wings, Bull on Night Court, or Waldo on Family Matters. But Eric was a lot smarter at the start of the show, he made mistakes but was still normal.

It appears that the show (https://web.archive.org/web/20140405031626/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/1692442-boy-meets-world/?view=getnewpost) peaked (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125231/http://www.jumptheshark.com/b/boymeetsworld.htm) when Mr. Turner was a part of the cast. That would've been about Seasons 2-4. It was when the writing was spot-on with both the comedy and drama. So there was an healthy balance.

Eric wasn't completely Flanderized yet. He also had a nice middle ground between being cool and stupid. Also, Topanga felt the most similar to a real-life teenager. What I mean is that wasn’t too strange like her Season 1 incarnation, but she wasn't too straight and narrow either from Season 5 onward. And while Shawn still had personal problems, he hadn't completely turned into this brooding personality and the show's resident "Woobie" (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Woobie/LiveActionTV).

As for Cory, he like Topanga felt the most like a real-life teenager. He was figuring out how to talk to girls and how to have a serious relationship, while not holding these impossible ideals.