Girl Meets World - 10 Years After

[TMC]

https://dekkareviews.wordpress.com/2...0-years-after/

June 24, 2024
Dave Cameron



You might not like some of the things I have to say for this one.

As time marches on, it’s funny how our opinions evolve. A decade can turn what once seemed like a masterpiece into a slightly blurry memory, viewed through the lens of maturity and hindsight. When “Girl Meets World” first premiered in 2014, and I’ll admit, I may have had my nostalgia filters on a little too tight. Back then, the excitement of Cory and Topanga’s return to the small screen felt like a great idea from childhood. But as the years passed, and the show concluded its run in 2017, it became evident that perhaps my initial excitement wasn’t entirely justified.

Now, let’s make one thing very clear: “Girl Meets World” isn’t perfect, not by a longshot however, I still stand by as it being one of the better shows on Disney Channel. Well, second best, but will get back to that later down the line.

Since the airing of the finale (actually the penultimate episode), my perspective on the show has since changed. With the filter finally lifted, I’ve come to appreciate the series for what it is: a charming continuation of a beloved ’90s classic, sprinkled with its own “unique” flair. As we celebrate its tenth anniversary, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on what has changed, and perhaps more intriguingly, what hasn’t.

Things I Liked:

The cast chemistry – One of the shining aspects of “Girl Meets World” was its remarkable teen cast, whose chemistry brought the show to life. Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter, as Riley and Maya, were the heart and soul of the series, their friendship radiating genuine warmth and authenticity. It helps that they actually developed an actual friendship as they started auditioning. The rest of the teen ensemble was equally impressive: Corey Fogelmanis delivered plenty of laughs as the quirky Farkle, while Peyton Meyer had his share of memorable moments as the charming Lucas. Later additions to the cast only enriched the dynamic further. Amir Mitchell-Townes as Zay added a delightful layer of humor, and Ceci Balagot’s portrayal of Smackle was both endearing and impactful, especially when her character’s Asperger’s diagnosis was explored. Uriah Shelton also stood out as Josh, Cory’s younger brother and Maya’s persistent crush, providing both comic relief and touching interactions, particularly in his scenes with Auggie. Speaking of Auggie, August Maturo and Ava Kolker, as Ava, shared some of the most heartfelt and humorous moments, with Ava shining brightly in the final season. The synergy of this talented cast undoubtedly played a crucial role in making “Girl Meets World” a standout show.

CorPanga – Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel effortlessly rekindled their iconic chemistry as Cory and Topanga, proving that even after 21 years, their on-screen magic hasn’t faded. Now portraying loving parents, they brought a new depth to their roles, passing on the wisdom and values they learned to their daughter Riley and her friends. However, while Cory frequently took center stage, guiding the teens through life’s challenges, Topanga’s involvement was notably less prominent. Though she occasionally stepped into the main plot or supported Cory, her presence felt secondary, further details, see below for everything I didn’t like.

The Returning Cast Members – The moment I saw those images of the returning cast for the holiday episode, I knew this show was going to be good. But then, I see other returning cast members, like William Daniels, Lee Norris, Danny McNulty, Trina McGee, Blake Clark, Anthony Tyler Quinn, Matthew Lawrence, Kristanna Loken, they even brought back JB Gaynor, as well as Lilly Nicksay (Gibson, now) and Lindsay Ridgeway for a great fourth wall breaking moment, between them and their nephew, that would’ve been great to had a seen a pay-off for had the show continued. The cool thing was when they appeared, it created a genuine bridge between shows without distracting from anything.

DARBY FREAKIN’ WALKER – If there is an award for greatest background extra in film or television, Darby Walker would take home that award with no problem. The role on an extra is a thankless, tireless job, but Darby took that task, she made the most of it, and she had fun with it! Darby was given one simple direction: sit in the back and just react to everything, and she did it beautifully. She was given more to do later on, like dating Yogi, and getting involved with Riley in her STEM crusade. Sadly, due to Darby’s involvement with The Voice, she wasn’t in Season 3 that much, but when you saw her look out!

Things I Didn’t Like:

That GODD*** Love Triangle – First, let me start off by saying, there is a reason I don’t like love triangles, it’s all because of Code Lyoko, I may talk about it in the future. Next, the love triangle took up a fair amount of the show’s story. I mentioned this before, but it got so bad, that early in Season 3, Farkle and Zay had to end the triangle themselves. And even when it was over, and Lucas chose Riley, they end up breaking up, making the entire subplot pointless. There’s a YouTuber named Caitlin McKillop who did a great video about the love triangle, I highly recommend checking it out.

The Poor Execution of the A-Plot – I know throughout the recaps, I was always singing the praises of how they tie the main plot with Cory’s class, but I never stopped to think about that fact that Riley is constantly stopping class just to set up the main story. I can count on one hand how many times Cory, Shawn, and Topanga hijacked Mr. Feeny or Mr. Turner’s classroom or that one time in Eli’s class for the sake of a plot. That being said, their are some A-Plots I liked, like in …Rules where Harley participated in the plot.

Zay – While I did find him funny at times and served as an excellent foil to his best friend, Lucas. He wasn’t very well developed. He’s funny, but I feel he had the potential to do more than be the comic relief, but they never did much with him. The writers were setting up a deeper storyline when Zay offered to take Maya out while Lucas and Riley out on their dates. Unfortunately, we never see anything come of this, due to the show’s untimely cancellation.

Topanga – Upon rewatching the show, I kinda feel Danielle Fishel got the short end of the stick when she signed on for the show. Despite her character’s personal growth and strong personality, Topanga was often sidelined, primarily seen taking care of Auggie and his friends or acting as a surrogate mother to Maya. While her nurturing nature was heartwarming, Topanga rarely had subplots of her own, leaving her character almost underutilized. Instead, she often played the straight woman to Cory or Riley, missing out on opportunities to showcase her own growth and complexity. This sidelining was a disservice to both Fishel and her fans who hoped to see more of Topanga’s independent journey. Speaking of her and Riley…

Girl Meets Her Monster – I never thought GMW could produce a truly bad episode, as the series generally ranged from pretty good to average. However, “Girl Meets Her Monster” was definitely a dud. The episode’s main plot revolved around Riley’s blatant disrespect towards Topanga, which felt completely out of character and unnecessarily harsh. The situation escalated when Riley, upset over missing her favorite show, “Red Planet Diaries”, decided to run away from home. This storyline not only seemed implausible but also undermined the strong, respectful relationship typically portrayed between Riley and her parents. It was a rare misstep in an otherwise enjoyable series.

The Crossover(s) -This couldn’t be helped. I feel Disney Channel would’ve forced them to participate in their annual crossovers weather they liked it or not. The only thing that’s odd to me is that now the Disney Channel Original Series Universe now shares the same universe as Family Matters (and the various other TGIF Shows, also Mego). For those unaware, Cory and Steve Urkel are Pen-Pals.

Airing Episodes Out of Order – This also couldn’t be helped. I learned via Alison Pregler through her Baywatching videos that sometimes networks will air what they feel are the strongest episodes first, but during Season 2, it was almost comical that they were doing this because of the development Farkle went through during that season, and to see him going back and forth from wearing black to wearing turlenecks again was just annoying.

Disney Channel – While I’m still impressed with what the writers and producers were capable of doing on the show despite the limitations of being on the Disney Channel, I feel they could have told a lot more intriguing stories if they were on Freeform or even ABC again.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED… or WHY IT WAS REALLY CANCELLED

So, in my Season 3 post, I briefly talked about how the show got cancelled, and I learned from various YouTube videos, other like-minded bloggers, and the GMW Wiki, that while lack of merch and declining ratings (something I didn’t bring up), was a factor in the show getting cancelled, the true reason it was cancelled was, there was a new show, and Disney had to make room for only one of these shows: this or Raven’s Home. The network ultimately chose the latter, and it ran six seasons (no movie), with a spin off currently in production.

CONCLUSION

While it may not have reached the iconic heights of its predecessor, “Girl Meets World” still carved out a special place in the hearts of its viewers. Over its three-season run, the show provided laughs, life lessons, and heartfelt moments that resonated with both a new generation and nostalgic fans of “Boy Meets World.” Though it may not have made the same cultural impact, its charm and positive messages ensure it will be remembered fondly and likely cherished as a cult classic in the years to come.

I know they’ll never see this, but I’d still like to give a heartfelt thank you to the entire cast (both generations) and crew for their dedication and hard work in bringing this show to life. Your efforts have created a series that continues to inspire and entertain. Finally, let’s remember to keep our respect and gratitude intact and refrain from directing negativity and hostile behavior towards anyone at Disney Channel or the cast and crew of “Raven’s Home” (or “Alice in the Palace”) for the show’s cancellation. “Girl Meets World” may have ended, but its spirit and lessons will live on…. primarily on Disney Plus, and a couple episodes that were uploaded on the channel’s official YouTube channel.

[JO Sweet Heart]

I wish that this show was on DVD. There are certain episodes that I missed.

God bless you always!!!

Holly