I don't think there's anything to say. You know these men. They are your friends. Your brothers. Vote well.
Oh my god. Miracles really do exist. What a surprising final match up. Who could have possibly predicted that such a matchup could have possibly occurred? If you would have told me that the finals would be between Shawn and Eric, I would have said "That is crazy. You are a lunatic. I will call up the doctor for you." What a turn of events.
But seriously folks, this match up is about more than just Eric and Shawn. They are mere avatars for myself and Sean, respectively. So, truly, you are choosing between us. Choose wisely. We are vengeful.
FINAL MATCH
WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS PEOPLE?
ReplyDeleteCan any helmet protect Eric from the toughness that is life? Will God blow Shawn off, even though Shawn specifically asked him not to? All will be revealed!
Is there another Eskimo standing in Shawn's way? Or will Eric lose one friend, lose all friends, LOSE THE CHARACTER BATTLE?
DeleteWill.... Eric..... not get into college? Or will.... Shawn's.... dad die?
DeleteI'm out.
Something about Eric's potential and Shawn storming out.
DeleteHmmm...oh, something about Eric's lucky tube socks and Shawn's pet pig.
DeleteMost ridiculous jokes I could think of.
Shawn - because he isn't Eric!
ReplyDeleteBAH! ERIC HAS OVERCOME YOUR HATRED EVERY TIME!
DeleteI have to be right once, don't I?
DeleteOn a completely different topic, it looks like Disney's Halloween episodes are all having cross series guest stars, and in the case of Best Friends - a crossover with GMW. RIley and Lucas will be appearing in their episode.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/39758/sneak-peek-disney-channels-halloween-themed-monstober-episodes-photos/#1
Riley and Lucas? It should be Riley and Maya. And they switch places with the blonde and the brunette fro Best Friends, and no one on either show notices any difference.
DeleteCory might, as then the blonde would be the smart one.
DeleteAh, true. They did make that ONE concession to be different from GMW.
DeleteBut seriously, if they're playing Riley and Lucas, then I guess we sort of have to review that episode of Best Friends Whenever. Does kill two birds with one stone, since that's one of the Disney Channel shows we haven't reviewed.
Also, Austin and Ally wins best costumes for me based on those pictures. They're all ingredients of a sandwich? That's awesome.
I assumed at first they just meant Rowan and Peyton, but after reading the story, it does appear they DO mean Riley and Lucas. Apparently this is one big Halloween party in Central Park.
DeleteBut now I need a BLT.
I'm going to put my hands together and pray that episode isn't canon. Best Friends Whenever....it makes Bunk'd look like a masterpiece.
DeleteI might be wrong, but I'm not sure it'll be all the shows at the one Halloween party. To my knowledge, "Girl Meets World" is not meant to be part of the Disney Channel Live Action Cinematic Universe.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/DCLAU?from=Main.DCLAU
The article said stars and characters, but that doesn't necessarily mean that those are meant to be the same crossover.
Oh, and are you guys going to be reviewing "Invisible Sister" as well?
As a matter of fact, we ARE looking toward Invisible Sister, albeit with anxiety and great pessimism.
DeleteWell Cryptid if you read the article, you will see that many CHARACTERS (not just the stars) from many of the Disney shows are all going to be at that one party and interacting with characters from other shows. I would have preferred it wasn't that way, but I don't get to make that call..
DeleteIt's Salem the Cat all over again.
I saw the trailer and while I'm not exactly excited, I don't have a very high bar for Halloween television movies in the first place. I'm not actually sure if there's any Halloween movie or TV special I would sit down to watch if it wasn't October--before you mention "Now You See It," while it was awesome, it was released in January.
DeleteOh yeah..Salem the Cat Crossover. I like to pretend that if they ever called back to the WWII flashback, that it'd be hand-waved as one of Cory's nightmares brought on by cafeteria mystery meat.
DeleteYeah...just checked the link again and actually read the tidbits from the slideshow. Crossovers galore. Yeah...this could be kinda grim. Then again, since "Boy Meets World" had no crossovers actually impact the plot, I think we can pretend it isn't canon.
DeleteTruthfully it looks like the GMW episode will maybe only have the guest stars, not the actual characters of Austin and Ally (at least that's what I hope). In most of the episode descriptions, they actually list the character names of the crossover guests, not in the GWM description though. The BFW episode though is definitely going to have Riley and Lucas.
DeleteI am someone who's said since the time this show was announced that I am flat out against GMW having a crossover w/ any of the DC shows. This show is having a hard enough time trying to continue the legacy that's being shouldered with. Not only that, this would lump in BMW into the larger DCTV universe, and that's not something I want. At all. So, since this looks to be happening, we really only have two choices. Not consider it cannon, or drink bleach. I'm leaning toward the bleach.
DeleteC'mon guys, does anyone actually consider this episode canon?
Deletehttp://boymeetsworldreviewed.blogspot.com/2014/08/episode-5x06-no-guts-no-cory.html
This is the same thing with Disney Channel. This won't ever be referenced or called back ever again.
I hope...
Should throw a bonus Eric vs. Shawn vs. Jason just to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteReally? I think Jason would lose overwhelmingly. Jack beat Jason and Eric destroyed Jack.
DeleteBut it's Jason Marsden! You know if this as a vote for your favorite BMW actor as oppose to character. He'd win hands down ;)
DeleteHeh, if you say so. I like Jason Marsden, but nah, I'd probably vote for Will Friedle for that too.
DeleteI don't know--Marsden is a very accomplished voice actor, but I don't know what he's done live-action outside of TGIF.
DeleteBill Daniels on the other hand is a legend. St. Elsewhere, 1776, Mr. Feeny...
While Shawn had his funny moments and Eric had some crucial character development in the middle of the series, when you strip the two of them to their essentials, Eric provided me with the most laughs, and Shawn just broke my heart. It's a hard one because I love them both and they are both equally important to the BMW landscape, but when it comes down to it, I sought out two different things from each of them. It's just a matter of which one holds more value to me. And as much as I loved Eric because he was so fucking hilarious, it was the intricate character of Shawn that gave the show unmatched depth and heart. Shawn Hunter, I love you so, and you get my final vote.
ReplyDeletePreach.
DeleteI gave it some thought.
ReplyDeleteWhat more can you say? How many of us watched these two boys grow into men, over and over? How many of us felt our hearts break as Shawn struggled with his family and struggled to find a home? The arcs he had with Cory, with Turner, with Feeny and with Alan. How many times has Eric made us laugh over and over again? Our hearts broke with him when he gave Tommy up. His "Am I good enough to go to college" arc is my favorite These are two great characters.
I decided to take a look at this another way. I thought about these two. I thought, "Who would I want as MY best friend?" So, for that reason, I voted for Eric.
*Slow clap*
DeleteThat is a genuinely compelling reason.
DeleteI thought about what I said earlier and I decided it was a little too harsh.
ReplyDeleteI love "Boy Meets World" and I love Shawn Hunter and Eric Matthews. As far as the original show is concerned, I genuinely don't know which I prefer. Shawn's struggle to rise above his status as the kid on the wrong side of the tracks, to achieve more than what anybody expected of him is heart-rending, as far as a half-hour sitcom can allow. And who among us has not been in Eric's position, desperate to prove our worth on our own terms? Eric's desire to get into college might be my favorite part of the original show...and who could forget his rapport with Mr. Feeny? Fee-heee-heeenay!
So where does that leave us? I was forced to look at their roles in "Girl Meets World." Shawn has had the better episodes on average, and he was in "Pluto," which remains my favorite episode to date. Which may or may not change, but at the moment, it is what it is. But Eric's been a delight to see, even if his first two appearances were more "The Eric Matthews Show" than "Girl Meets World." And more to the point...I've liked seeing Eric bond with Riley. When he and Riley bond over Coco Puffs and chocolate milk...it's apparent he adores her. And he helped nudge Riley towards the life lesson she needed in "Semi-formal." Shawn is awesome, but really, after "Home for the Holidays" he hasn't had much to do with Riley...at least independent of "Riley and Maya." So for that reason, I choose to vote for Eric Matthews.
What was 'harsh' about what you said before? I don't understand what you mean.
DeleteI said that Shawn's explanation of being in the hospital when Riley was born, while having very little to do with her after that, was a "half-baked apology."
DeleteIn light of the circumstances, I just think it was a little harsh. While Shawn didn't exactly give a good defense of his behavior, I still could have articulated my points a bit better.
The circumstances? I'm still not sure what you mean, but okay. At any rate, I agree with you on that point. I didn't think Shawn really articulated himself well or made it up to Riley. Just happening to remember the day she was born and her weight hardly makes up for being a dick to her for 13 years. And after that they had hardly no interaction. I was very displeased with Shawn in that first episode, and with Cory for not being less okay with how Shawn was treating his daughter.
DeleteBy circumstances, I meant the dynamics of this character battle. Shawn brings a lot more to the table than just "Dad's Best Friend Who Really Doesn't Live Up to Honorary Uncle Status." But it was the determining factor in this match-up for me. Shawn and Eric were such a part of the original show, that I couldn't compare them on those earlier merits.
DeleteThe episode was crowded as it was. I kind of think that maybe Shawn did need his own episode--maybe he comes up to New York for Cory's birthday or something.
With what we got, I think it would have been a bit better if Shawn had reached out to Riley, holding her face in his hands, to insist that he does care about her. Though it probably would have looked a little strange to new viewers, clasping a loved one's face to emphasize a point--"I've got your face; I've got your attention"--is a mainstay in the Feeny-verse.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA thousand pardons Tim, but I thought you said you voted for Eric last round.
DeleteHaha woops! My old man memory strikes again.
DeleteEasy, Eric!
ReplyDeleteHe's my favorite character in this franchise. Why?
Because never have I been able to relate to fictional character in such a profound way. Eric's story is my story. I didn't get into the collage I wanted. I was out in the real world for year. I worked for my family business. I struggled to improve myself. During that time Eric Matthews inspired me to continue with my dreams when no one else believed in me. Now, today, I hold a BFA in Media Arts and Animation. So thank you Eric, and thank you Boy Meets World.
Woah, that's awesome. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteMost people focus on Eric "getting in" at the end of season 4 while "...I didn't get in." at the end of season 3 is one of his most powerful moments. It's criminally overlooked, so I'm glad that stuck with you.
Eric. He was the only one I predicted correctly, so I figured I'd stick by my choice here at the end. I really do love the character Shawn, but Eric brought me just a bit more entertainment. So, he's my pick.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm definitely giving it to Eric
ReplyDeleteEven though I think Eric's gonna win, I voted for Shawn. I just feel like he grew more completely as a character over the series, even if Eric may have consistently delivered more laughs. It was a tough choice but I guess what happened is I asked myself "What three episodes of this show immediately come to mind when I think BMW?" And I decided that my three favorites are City Slackers, An Affair to forget, and B & B's B n' B. And those are all fabulous showcases for Shawn. My favorite character's Feeny though and he didn't even make it to the Semi-Finals so maybe my opinion isn't worth shit. Either way thank you guys so much for doing this it's been so much fun.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, the voting is CRAZY close, so I'm glad you voted with your heart. It definitely matters.
DeleteAnd those are great picks. Feeny would have SMOKED Riley, Maya, Alan, or Topanga. Cory was a tough break.
You're very welcome, thanks for playing along!
This is not what I expected at all. It's a major surprise. I thought Cory or Feeny would be in the last round for sure when this started. Thanks for running this fun game. I know this probably took a great deal of time and effort, and it was appreciated. Would you consider doing more polls as a way to discuss BMW and GMW topics that might not fit neatly into discussions of episodes?
ReplyDeleteIt really is amazing to me that anybody thought this was headed anyway but Shawn vs. Eric. They've always clearly been the most popular BMW characters by a mile.
DeleteI dunno, if Shawn and Eric had faced each other any earlier, it could be different. Marginally. We know Shawn can beat Cory, but could Eric? I think he could, but you never know. Feeny gave Cory a fight for the record books, after all.
DeleteWell, obviously, if Shawn and Eric had faced each other earlier, they couldn't have been in the finals together. And yes, based on these current results, Eric could absolutely beat Cory.
DeleteOf course, you said yourself that you wanted to be sure the finals would provide good matches. The quarter-finals saw to that. You know, I actually enjoyed this bracket competition more than fantasy football or the March Madness I've taken part in.
DeleteI voted. It was painful to choose, but I voted.
ReplyDeleteFor whom? Don't be coy.
DeleteI really feel like by saying this I'm gonna get put in a box til the end of time (or at least for the rest of this blog's existence). I go back on these two as my favorite BMW character constantly. We've talked about how great they are time and time again so I'm just gonna get straight to the weaknesses.
DeleteShawn just got more and more awesome as BMW went on but something has seemed off about him in GMW. Apart from his first appearance he's seemed kind of cold towards mostly everyone. We're supposed to buy that he's warming up to Maya but he's just acted more standoffish around her with every episode. The one with Angela was the absolute worst. I'm still wondering why tf he sort of randomly told her to change her wardrobe. He's still Shawn and therefore still awesome but idk. I'm not as interested in him here as I was in Boy.
Eric kinda derailed into a super goof towards the end of BMW and while that has carried on into GMW I feel like his character is actually going somewhere in a direction that intrigues me. I like that even though he's unfortunately not taken AS seriously by the others as in the past he's still managed to give us some emotional and profound moments (talking both Boy and Girl here). I'd get into what those are and maybe I will tomorrow but it's late here so...
I'm just going to cut to the chase and say I voted for Eric because I find him a BIT more consistently entertaining and/or interesting in some way. But don't hold me to this if in the comments for Shawn's next appearance on Girl I'm gushing about how he's totally my all-time favorite character. :P
It's interesting how many people seem to really be factoring GMW heavily into their decision making process for these two, especially considering they only have a handful of episodes each (4 for Shawn, 3 for Eric) in GMW, and over 150 each on BMW (Shawn was the only characters besides Cory to be in every episode of BMW, and Eric was next-in-line only have missed a couple like Heartbreak Cory where there was just no place for him)
DeleteTo be honest, while I'm certainly glad Julia and Cryptid have voted for Eric, because I voted for Eric, and I do legitimately believe Eric is better than Shawn (his poignant moments come less frequently and are less.... in-in-your-face and are somehow just as powerful without the emo-ness, and he's just way funnier and, frankly, probably played by the stronger actor) but I do question the wisdom in voting on GMW. It's a drop in the bucket.
I, actually, think Shawn has been better served by GMW than Eric has. They both have had strong moments, but GMW seems to be advancing Shawn's arc and story. Though I wish I felt like he'd developed some on his own in the last 15 years, I do feel like we picked back up on Shawn's journey. There's a cohension there. Eric feels like Eric and everything, and if he has more episodes like Semi-Formal I'll maybe take this back, but it sort of feels like "Oh, now Eric's up to a whole new politics thing" which is fun, and he's actually shining in, but it doesn't seem to be lending itself to character develop the way Shawn's stories are.
I had forgotten that you were pretty vocally opposed to Shawn's episodes on GMW. I actually tend not to agree. I think Pluto and Master Plan are two of the strongest episodes of the show, and while Home for the Holidays and Hurricane are not as *strong* they're not flat-out bad. Yeah, there's been some weirdness. (Him telling Maya to change how she dressed made no goddamn sense, you're right.) and he's definitely not.... all in... with anybody. But that's Shawn to me. Him and Maya are forced, yes, and maybe too much of her and Katy's story hinges on him considering the actual willinginess Rider is putting in to appear, but I do think he's had the strong episodes between Shawn and Eric.
Typos galore up there. Sorry, I type fast and have had a bit to drink. I watched the Republican Debate, see....
DeleteBooooooooooo
Delete"To be honest, while I'm certainly glad Julia and Cryptid have voted for Eric, because I voted for Eric, and I do legitimately believe Eric is better than Shawn (his poignant moments come less frequently and are less.... in-in-your-face and are somehow just as powerful without the emo-ness, and he's just way funnier and, frankly, probably played by the stronger actor) but I do question the wisdom in voting on GMW. It's a drop in the bucket."
DeleteIf I may, sir:
You make an excellent argument that makes me feel better about voting the way I did. Eric brought just as much as Shawn to the table in regards to what made Boy Meets World great.
Christian raises a very fair point about whether or not I placed too much emphasis on Eric and Shawn's roles in Girl Meets World. I actually considered whether or not it was justified. Let me say that it wasn't so much their roles on Girl Meets World itself--if that were the case, I'd probably have voted for Shawn. he appears to be getting an arc, while Eric is just sort of there. And I won't lie, I honestly preferred Shawn's episodes on the whole.
However, in voting between Eric and Shawn, I decided it might be worth seeing how they interacted with Riley. Like I said before, I'm honestly not sure who I'd pick had this been run when there was only Boy Meets World. Eric and Shawn are just that iconic.
So with that in mind, I wanted to see how Uncle Shawn and Uncle Eric interacted with Riley. And at risking of sending Shawn storming off in a huff, Eric squashed him like a bug in that regard.
Shawn's been in four episodes with at least one, probably two or more to come so far. But he still has very little to do with Riley; I don't think he even spoke to her directly in "Pluto" or "Hurricane." And that's a bit of a problem, considering Shawn's debut centered on his emotional distance from Riley, to the point where Riley asked him whether or not he knew her birthday, which indicates he never so much as sent her a card.
Eric, on the other hand, is much closer to his niche, as she's aware that he eats Coco Puffs and chocolate milk when he's upset. There was also the very nicely underplayed scene in "Yearbook," where Eric nudges Riley towards the lesson of the risk of losing a friendship over the potential of a relationship.
So Eric wins in my book. It's close--Shawn pretty much trips at the finish line and Eric edges by him, but Eric wins in my book.
*Politely hands mic to Christian*
If I may... *takes mic from Cryptid before Christian can*
DeleteFor me Shawn and Eric's contributions to GMW were just the tiebreaker. It was just too close a call with their BMW material, but I didn't want to get into all that because I was tired. :P I don't think I mentioned this before but I find Eric is involved with pretty much everyone in GMW, whereas Shawn is pretty much limited to Katy, Maya, and Cory. At the end of his first episode it seemed like going forward he'd be making an effort to pay more attention to Riley-THE MAIN CHARACTER-but that episode is still the one in which he interacted with her the most. I feel like a lot of the problems I have with Shawn and his story arc in GMW wouldn't exist if he was in more episodes (there'd be time for him to interact with more characters, the story wouldn't have to be rushed or contrived, etc.) but idk.
Oh, and for the record I liked Master Plan (even if I had to suspend some of my dislike for the contrivedness of it all). Definitely one of my favorites from the first season. :)
I agree that I don't like the Shawn/Riley thing. They shifted towards the Shawn/Maya thing way to fast, way before even establishing something strong between Shawn and Riley. And the fact that Shawn and Riley have no relationship, no bond, nothing unique, no memory, no joke, no experience that is just theirs, makes me feel kinda bummed out. I would have loved an episode where Shawn was being the cool and laid back uncle to Riley, letting her get away with some stuff, and Cory feeling a little insecure about Riley preferring Shawn over her dad when she wants to have a good time. I don't know, just anything individual to the Riley/Shawn relationship.
ReplyDeleteI mean, Maya is basically a stranger to him, but he's starting to look at her a surrogate daughter. Riley is the daughter of the "best people" Shawn ever knew, and he treats her like a stranger. Maya needs a dad, I get it, but Riley is just as great to be around. She's quirky and hilarious and cute, who wouldn't want spend time with her? I take issue with how they've handled this AFTER the Holidays episode, which established a weird history but was supposed to play as a turning point in regards to Shawn and Riley.
I still voted for Shawn, but when it comes to GMW, I give it to Eric.
Thank you kindly Anonymous.
DeleteThat's an interesting idea about Shawn being Laid Back Uncle That Isn't Too Harsh On Discipline. We saw a glimpse of that with Eric in the fantastic episode "Uncle Daddy," when he realizes just how big a responsibility taking care of a child is. Something similar could be done for Shawn. Or Josh for that matter.
From my point of view, I'd say that an easy way to beef up Shawn and Riley scenes is just have a little more interaction. They don't have to speak, necessarily. Take "Home for the Holidays." Suppose the tag scene, instead of Shawn inviting everyone out to the resort up north, has Cory...no, has Alan Matthews the Awesome reading aloud from "A Christmas Carol" to harken back to Feeny, and show Riley falling asleep on Shawn's shoulder.
I'm not sure I agree with your take on the Shawn/Riley/Maya situation. It's not that Shawn disliked or ignored Riley intentionally, he really never knew her, and that is all his doing. Shawn wasn't staying away from Riley, Shawn was doing what he always does when things go bad, he was running away from his own life. He saw what Cory and Topanga had, realized he had a void in his life, and instead of looking to fix it he ran from it. After Riley smacked some sense into his head he realized that he needed to fix himself, and that meant to stop running. And now that he is there and has time to spend, he believes that Maya needs him more than Riley. I don't believe that he is ignoring Riley (how can he, she is always with Maya) but trying to help Maya avoid the same problems that he himself had. I'm sure that if Riley actually needed him to be Uncle Shawn he would have chosen her over Maya, but lets face it, Riley has pretty much the best life any 13 year old girl could ask for.
DeleteI agree that Eric's bond to Riley is stronger right now, but it doesn't appear that he and Cory were ever estranged, so that is to be expected. Given more Shawn appearances (which I assume will be more frequent than Eric) I think that Shawn and Riley will continue to bond and regardless of how his relationship with Katy turns out I assume he will continue to mentor Maya which will also improve his relationship with Riley.
A fair argument, 1960. A fair argument indeed. Shawn certainly sees a lot of himself in Maya, more likely than not he actually sees more of himself in Maya than we actually see--thanks Disney Channel. I don't begrudge the Shawn/Maya dynamic. I don't even mind the Parent Trap aspects of it. I mind the pacing--which is probably tied more into Rider's availability than any writing constraints.
DeleteCome to think of it, with respect to pacing, it may have been nice to see Shawn's first episode just be the Cory-and-Shawn Show with Riley in the background, and then the audience realization of Shawn's aloofness towards Riley is all the more jarring.
And while it is certainly true that Riley leads a rather charmed life, the fact remains that for thirteen years she believed that Uncle Shawn, the person her father cares about most in the world, did not like her. And the episode seems to imply that Riley thought it was her fault. Shawn barely says hello to her and if anything, Cory seems more annoyed at Riley than he is at Shawn. Wait a second, Alan was in that episode...where was the Wrath of God on behalf of Granddaughter?
Eh, I digress, one of the nice things about this blog is the debates that circulate about the stories and characters.
Oh, and one more thing: I will say that the writers did confirm that at some point in the future--I'm betting either "New Year," "Bay Window" or "Graduation"--we'll see Riley use the camera Shawn gave her.
I do agree that the pacing isn't great, but that seems to be Rider's fault. Shawn would be in more episodes if he wanted to. They have to jam whatever they can in three 22 minute episodes a season, which seems to be all that he is willing to do. You can't blame that on the writers regardless of how we would like it to play out.
DeleteAnd I agree that too much was jammed into "Home for the Holidays". I know I wrote that on another post recently. I believe Sean mentioned the same thing. Trying to jam a family and friend reunion plus start a new arc and move that along was too much. Shawn should have returned alone in another episode and left Christmas for a family reunion.
I agree with you, 1960. That's why I said the pacing and the Parent Trap aspects were more tied to Rider's availability than the actual writing. Let's face it, as annoying as it is, it IS in character for Cory to play matchmaker and it's only natural that Riley would pick that up. And I doubt it'd be that much better on ABC--more than a few people complain about GMW airing on Disney, but that's a dead horse at this point.
DeleteThe question remains then, if the Christmas episode had been just with the Matthews, what on earth would have been the A-plot? Sean's brought it up, Christian mentioned it in his review, you and I have both mentioned it. But for the life of me, I can't imagine an A-plot.
Hey they could have just caught us up on what Alan and Amy have been up to for 15 years. They could have moved the Maya/Josh story along a little more without Shawn there. Truthfully, they could have done whatever they wanted.
DeleteAs a thought totally out of left field - would it have been better for everyone if the role of Maya's father figure was handled by a combination of Cory and Harley? That would have not forced the Parent Trap thing for starters. Also we know Cory loves Maya and thinks of her as a daughter. And Maya seems to have some respect for Harley. We know he is reformed and his family life was just like Mayas. We know his father left TK at the Phillies game and never came back, forcing him to be the "dad". He knows some of what she needs to hear, and I bet Danny McNulty is more available for episodes than Rider.
I try not to get carried away with what might have been, but that isn't totally unbelievable, at least to me.
Eh, so long as we use discernment with what might have been and not go beyond a paragraph or two of possible ideas based on what we've already seen, I think we're relatively safe, 1960. I understand your concern though, goodness knows I've overstepped my bounds on the comments before.
DeleteBesides, this conjecture is used as a counter to a big part of the show--Shawn's role in Maya's life. So what if Harley was used more often? Christian mentioned his disdain at there being ten episodes out of fifteen that had guest stars, but what if Harley appeared more often, and was a recurring star? What if his role was like the Janitor in Scrubs?
I think Harley could easily act as a father figure for Maya. He's got his share of demons, and I would not be surprised to see him in "Forgiveness." While Shawn may have forgiven Virna, I seriously doubt Harley...Harvey has forgiven his dead-beat father.
A more frequently appearing Harley could provide somebody for Cory to talk to, and a confidant for the kids. Harley strikes me as genre-savvy, so he might go out of his way to make sure history doesn't repeat the events of Cory's childhood so often with Riley and her friends.
Also, I wanted to mention for "Home for the Holidays" plot - since this was a fan service episode, they could have serviced the BMW fans more. They could have answered the questions from "A Very Topanga Christmas" - Cider or Eggnog: Open gifts on Xmas Eve or Morning. Do Riley and Auggie do anything special with their grandparents. In short, they had lots of things to do in that episode if they leave Shawn out. They could have done more with his story in maybe Master Plan while leaving Farkle and Lucas out of that.
DeleteGood points. You forgot whether or not they read "A Christmas Carol," though dialogue indicates they don't do Santa Claus. Auggie mentions specifically that it's time to open presents with the family. A little surprising, but hey, back in high school, the kids in my church debated whether or not they'd do Santa.
DeleteThough I have to say, the scene where Shawn meets Farkle Minkus never fails to be funny.
I thought about "A Christmas Carol", but truly they made that clear that reading that was Feeny's thing, and since he had no local family, he shared that with the Matthews. Though I'm sure they all thought of him as family.
DeleteAnd considering everything else Cory's borrowed from Feeny, you think he'd leave "Christmas Carol" alone?
DeleteI'm not saying that Shawn dislikes Riley, or that he was deliberately trying to make her feel bad, but what I am saying is that Shawn hasn't gone out of his way to create a relationship with Riley, his best friend's daughter who is also the girl in Girl meets World, and that bothers. In the Riley/Maya scenes, he's mainly interacting with Maya, not Riley. So, I don't see how his relationship with Riley is improving just by her being there when he's not actually talking to her. He didn't know much about her before Holidays, that's fine. He's forgiven. But, what does he know about her now? Probably nothing because they don't have scenes together. Basically my gripe is that I don't want Shawn to just become Riley's friend's dad figure. That shouldn't be the extent of their relationship. They should have a bond that's unique to them, if for no other reason but because she's Cory's daughter.
DeleteAs for Strong's availability, that's not really our problem. Just because Strong decided to do less episodes, doesn't mean I'm just going to forgive or excuse the rushed writing job. Maya and Shawn are rushed. That's just it. It didn't have to be. I don't think everyone was dying for Maya and Shawn to have this relationship that it could have waited to occur more organically. That's on the writers. I mean, I'd honestly wait 3 seasons for us to get to this point if it was done right. But, that's just me.
Here's the thing, Anonymous, they don't have the kind of time to slow burn the Shawn/Maya thing. They have 4 seasons of TV, at most.. That's it. It's all rushed, because that's how DC has always done things.
DeleteAnonymous, even if they had more time, why, other than us wanting it because we are fans should Cory's best friend have a "special" relationship with his kids. Should Shawn have treated Riley and Auggie better than he did? Absolutely. But now he is, and Riley seems fine with it. Maybe we as fans should as well. Just because we don't "see" what happens every minute of their lives on screen doesn't mean that things aren't happening. I understand you as a fan want to see that, but again, there is only so much time and too much for the writers to put in.
DeleteI agree a little with both sides. I suppose there's truth to the fact that Rider Strong's lack of availability isn't "our" problem, but, nonetheless, it's the reality of the situation and so corners have to be cut if they want to do what they're doing with him. However, really, I think the solution would have been to give him less story. Eric's appeared in one less episode than Shawn, and though his election was a bit rushed, there doesn't appear to be gaping holes in his story and it doesn't feel like anything's rushed because they don't have him establishing any new relationships, really. Almost everyone Eric interacts with is someone Eric already knows, including Riley. The only major new person he met is Maya, and they gave them a little running joke of Eric calling her by the wrong name, which paid off when we discovered Eric had known her name the whole time. Because it was small, they didn't bite off more than they could chew. They had three episodes with Eric, so they did three episodes with Eric. They didn't set it up so he's connected in an arc that screeches to a halt when he's not there and so they need to play rapid catch-up whenever he is. That was a smarter move and probably what they should have done with Shawn.
DeleteThat said, yeah, it's not really that important to me that Riley and Shawn have some big relationship. Shawn was uncomfortable around her, he got over that, now they're fine. They get along. But Maya is who Shawn had more in common with, and Maya's the one in need of a father figure, and Maya's the one with the single mom who's also a little broken and lonely, so it does make more sense to me that Maya is the one who Shawn is paired with.
"Eric's appeared in one less episode than Shawn, and though his election was a bit rushed, there doesn't appear to be gaping holes in his story and it doesn't feel like anything's rushed because they don't have him establishing any new relationships, really. That was a smarter move and probably what they should have done with Shawn."
DeleteAgreed. I understand why they did what they did with Shawn's arc, but the reasons don't diminish the fact that it's still noticeably flawed. But, whatever. It is what it is, and I guess I'll take it over no Shawn at all.
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DeleteAnybody know how to make it so that we can edit these without deleting them?
Delete"That said, yeah, it's not really that important to me that Riley and Shawn have some big relationship. Shawn was uncomfortable around her, he got over that, now they're fine. They get along. But Maya is who Shawn had more in common with, and Maya's the one in need of a father figure, and Maya's the one with the single mom who's also a little broken and lonely, so it does make more sense to me that Maya is the one who Shawn is paired with."
It's not that I really think that Riley needs a big relationship with her Uncle Shawn. i just wish the first Shawn episode had done a bit more with Shawn making it clear that he does care about Riley. A more convincing "This Is What I Know About You" speech would have been fine in that matter.
And you are right that it makes sense thematically, for Shawn to spend more time with Maya. But one could argue that it makes it seem like it's Maya's show, rather than Riley's.
Part of this may be that Sabrina's a stronger actress than Rowan, part of it may be a desire to make sure Maya's arc actually gets finished.
However, even with Shawn and Eric were having their arcs, the fact remained that Cory was the main character.
I don't agree that it feels like it's Maya's show, honestly. Just because she's got her own arc? When Turner was introduced, his bonding was mainly all with Shawn, not really with Cory, but that didn't make it Shawn's show suddenly. Yes, in Shawn episodes, Maya tends to be more important than Riley, but those are few and far between.
DeleteI actually think we've had more Riley-focused episodes this season than Maya-focused.
Maybe it's because Riley went through all of Season One and her only arc was Love Interest that it feels like Maya's show. Rowan has improved as an actress a lot, but she still hasn't gotten many long-running storylines. But I think I was being a little hyperbolic.
DeleteHave we gotten more Riley-centric episodes this season? You're probably right, but I think Maya's episodes tended to be better, while Riley's were hit and miss apart from "Yearbook." Case in point, tonight's episode.
This is changing the subject but was the World Championship of Shawn and Eric meant to go for four days? All the other matches went for three and it doesn't say how long this one will go in the blog post proper.
I just checked this season's episodes. Focal character list below:
DeleteRiley: Gravity, New World, Secret of Life, Semi-formal, Cory and Topanga
Maya: Hurricane, New Teacher, Creativity
Both: Pluto--leans Maya, Mr. Squirrels--leans Maya, Tell-Tale Tot--even, Rules--leans Riley, Yearbook--leans Maya,
Neither: Mr. Squirrels Goes to Washington, I am Farkle
Mathematically Impossible to be Canon even in Season One When it was Filmed: Fish
Huh, I guess you were right. Riley has had more episodes, but I think Maya's had more development. Riley's been a bit more fleshed out, but there's a difference between that and actual development.
The current championship leader has a lead of literally one vote. We're giving it more time.
DeleteDang! I didn't think it'd be that close!
DeleteYeah it's insane. The most decisive it's been was only 52 over 48 a couple times, but it always goes back to 50/50 real quick
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DeleteIt's up now. We just finished writing it.
DeleteReview just went up.
DeleteSo are you guys not gonna post the GMCandT review until you close the poll? I need something to distract me from the fact that I'm missing the Zoey 101 time capsule reveal because I'm Canadian and don't have TeenNick!
Delete...I swear I watch more than just old Disney and Nickelodeon shows...
Great I deleted my comment so I could edit it and you both already replied. Not sure if I'm happy about the timing or like gdi let me finish first! Lol
Deletethat is EMBARRASSING for you.
DeleteThe Zoey 101 time capsule thing was pretty funny.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YBNsRTtQI
Not sure where to put this, so here: http://www.bustle.com/articles/110658-why-cory-matthews-was-totally-better-than-shawn-hunter-on-boy-meets-world Did anyone ever really crush on Cory, though? I feel like this article oversells the debate from a crush perspective....
ReplyDeleteShawn's the guy most girls have a crush on, but Corey's the guy girls, once they get older, would want to marry.
DeleteWell, in theory, but that statement fails to account for what that article fails to account for too.... Yes, Cory's steadfast and loyal and devoted to his friends and family. But he's also the WEIRDEST fucking guy. He's fantastic as a character but in reality anyone who behaved as goofy and neurotic and over-the-top as Cory would be difficult to take and likely not seen as a catch. Plus, while he's still got issues, Shawn's matured a lot and is not nearly as broody.
DeleteIf Topanga and Cory split, and Cory and Shawn both hit the dating scene, I think Shawn would still fare far better.
That said, yes, I also like Cory better than Shawn. But for different reasons than the writer of that article clearly!
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