OH! And I also thought some of the business with Cletus arriving at the house and hearing about Lucas and the bull were really awkward and weird and slow and just... off.
OH! You know what else in this episode sucked?
Nothing at all. This was a great episode. We've complained about this show telling rather than showing, but they showed everything here. Both in terms of the bull-riding and in everyone's feelings.
This was a very very cool way to handle the revelation of Maya's feelings for Lucas. Some people have seemed upset about the idea of Maya "stealing" Lucas from Riley, and in some cases it's because this is Riley's show and it feels wrong or like Maya's taking over it to have her get Riley's love interest. But, despite Maya now having feelings for Lucas, it all still felt like... Riley's story. Riley slowly figured it out, and Riley made the big move in the episode. This show is Riley's story, but sometime in your story things don't go the way you plan. I really enjoyed Riley in this episode, and I like her moves and how she handled things.
I like that they seemed to bring up the idea that Maya may *believe* Riley has no feelings for Lucas and thinks of him as a brother, but that doesn't actually mean it's true. Maya didn't talk to Riley about it, she could be wrong. I almost thought she was going to reveal that this was true when Riley said "I know you think I think of him as a brother, I know you've thought that for a while." And even though Riley confirmed it when talking to Lucas, she almost seemed to be doing that for Maya's sake. Which, if that is the case, I'm extremely impressed by Riley here. I was all concerned we'd get a story where Riley finds about Maya/Lucas, gets jealous, and Maya casts Lucas aside for Riley's sake. Since she had, like, dibs. But if Riley does that for Maya? (Even though, I grant, Maya never even slightly asked her to.) Then Riley's just the fucking cat's meow, you guys. Rowan gave a really good performance here. So did Sabrina. So did Peyton. My MVP will be one of them, but I don't know which.
Now, I don't know if it actually is that Riley's faking her disinterest for Maya's sake. It seemed that way, though, which is an odd wrinkle. And it also seemed like Lucas was totally not on the same page. He definitely seems into Maya and had the moment with the girls' clothes where he seemed attracted, but he also didn't seem as upset about Maya's declaration of never speaking to him again as she was, and it was Riley he wanted to watch him ride the bull and Riley he wanted to talk to after. It may be that he's sort of just... playing ball with the status quo, but I don't know. While he and Riley still don't have much chemistry, and he and Maya still have plenty, it did sort of seem like Riley was where Lucas' head is canonically at. I'm very interested to see how this resolves itself.
Lucas was good in this episode in general, and Peyton was. His fear over riding Tombstone was something they took their time with, really fully fleshed out, and it all worked, and he worked doing it. Really, Texas itself felt a lot more fleshed out than I thought it would. Pappy Joe wasn't the caricature I thought he'd be. He had some of that good ol' boy vibe, but he also felt like a real dude, thanks to the real portrayal of his actor (whom many may recognize as Mr. Friendly from Lost) I kind of wish this was just Lucas' father, not his grandfather.
Zay was good in this, and Amir Mitchell-Townes was good in this. But because of the Texas nature of this story, this is a story that lends itself to Zay. I'm still not convinced he works in the show in general. As evidenced, despite Farkle coming to Texas, he had almost nothing to do. Five is still one too many. Still, a good episode for Zay. He's fourth-in-line for MVP. He was legitimately entertaining throughout.
This is our first episode of Girl Meets World without Topanga, and I was wondering when they'd get around to doing that (considering how many episodes, like, might as well have not included her.) It brings the "Never missed an episode" crew down to just Cory, Riley, and Maya. That's cool by me. But I really don't want Cory to miss an episode. This is Riley's show, but this is Cory's franchise. He's never missed any episode in this universe, and I don't want him to. As for Cory? He was fine in his scene. Whatever. It kinda felt like the show also knows that not including Cory is sacrilege and so they wrote a scene to include Cory.
Lastly, my favorite part of the episode was Riley and Maya's different takes on Lucas riding the bull (once they properly understood the repercussions.) Maya was mad he'd even consider jeopardizing himself like that and tried to get him not to do it, Riley (though still seeming to understand the dangers) thought this was something he had to do and encouraged him, with trepidation. I like that neither was obviously right or wrong. Maya was understanding the dangers better than Riley did, who didn't seem to get that Lucas was really scared about this too and seemed to be a little enamored by the romanticism of it all. Maya was putting Lucas first, Riley was sort of putting.... the story of it all first. At the same time, Riley seemed to understand what Lucas was about and what he was going to do, and decided encouraging him was a better path than pouting and storming out, and I think she was right.
Based on Maya's concern, I felt certain we were really getting a "Lucas is hurt" story, but.... nope, Lucas was fine. And the bull-riding business was over. Because of that, it's kind of hard for me to see how we still have two episodes worth of material - besides that Farkle needs to try ribs for the first time. Sure, there's fallout because of the romantic stuff, but we don't have to be in Texas for any of that.
BUT WE WILL BE!
Sean?
No no no Christian, you've got that scene all wrong. It went "Gaze upon my Bay Window, ye mighty, and despair." I'm pretty sure anyway.
Let's slow things down just a little bit. A slow bass line, a chilled out groove. Smooooth, daddyo. It's time to get technical. This episode didn't have a live audience. Does that make it a single camera sitcom? I'm not sure. I'm not an expert on cinematography, but obviously a lot of these angles (and the outside shots, obviously) wouldn't be possible in front of an audience. The best I can say is that it felt different, cinematically. Better, honestly. The lighting, the framing... It didn't feel like a Disney show, if that makes any sense. On the other hand, it's pretty weird knowing for certain that every instance of laughter is fake. I really wish they hadn't bothered at all. Why did they bother?
My biggest complaint coming into this episode was the inevitability of "Hollywood Texas," where literally everyone is a cowboy/girl and speaks with an accent. Zay doesn't have an accent. HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT HE'S FROM TEXAS? It's just silly, and it looks silly, but it actually does serve a purpose. We know exactly where we are the whole time. The exaggerated Texas-ness emphasizes the change in location. We're supposed to feel like we're somewhere else. It would get tired after a while, but for three episodes it works. And it raises an interesting point. Does the setting of New York even matter? If no one ever mentioned that they were in New York, I wouldn't know where they are, outside of stock footage. Did being in Philly really matter for Boy Meets World? I guess not... Interesting.
Regardless, that was my only real complaint, and I couldn't even hold on to it because of this line from Pappy Joe, "Sorry Riley, stereotypical cultural reductions are all I have left." That is fucking amazing. Point to any other show on this network that could pull off that line- that would have the gall to even try to pull it off. The writers for Dog With A Blog don't even know what that means.
Christian made a critical observation last week about Zay. Even when he works, and he worked spectacularly in this episode, he necessarily forces someone to the background due to the limits of a 20 minute show. Last week he neutralized both Lucas and Farkle, today it was just Farkle. Farkle may as well have not been there. (And that's okay, since he got Meets Farkle all to himself.) Christian thinks that this is grounds for dismissal, that this means he "doesn't work on the show," but I disagree. When Alan became the role model on BMW for an episode, it forced Feeny to the background, and those are still great episodes. "DID YOU JUST COMPARE ZAY TO AL-" Shut. Up. I'm comparing the situations, not the characters. If Zay wants to trade off with Farkle as "Male who I'm not 100% sold on yet," then I'm down to party.
Yeah yeah, don't let it go to your head, Zay.
As always, I would have preferred to hear about Lucas's sheep incident some few episodes ago. Why not show us Zay telling that story to the girls just as some throwaway joke? It's funny enough on its own, that would have worked. Regardless, they set up the groundwork extremely well to make us sympathize with Lucas in a way we never have before. Having the entire community look down their noses at Lucas makes us root for him. We want to see him succeed now. And who could have EVER POSSIBLY IMAGINED that it would be something that Lucas is
*******BAD AT*********
that would bring his character to life. Just like how Rah Rah breathed new life into Riley by showing us her inability to do cheerleading. You would have to be some kind of CRAZYMAN to suggest introducing things the characters are bad at, crazier still to, I don't know, write a blog every week saying THAT EXACT FUCKING THING.
YOU WOULD
HAVE TO BE
CRAZY.
That's a haiku.
Somehow, though, that's not even the best part. As Christian explained, that award goes to The Conflict between Riley and Maya, regarding whether Lucas should ride Tombstone (an amazing name, by the way). I won't reiterate his points, but I will add something that it sounds like he overlooked. Cory didn't just serve as "Include Ben Savage" here. He set up the thematic throughline for the whole story.
 |
| Pictured: Cory's "I just taught you something" face. |
"When you see how other people live, it changes you." This comes to fruition during The Conflict between Maya and Riley because Riley has seen how other people live. She's heard what everyone has to say about Lucas's past, so now she wants him to redeem himself. In particular, Pappy Joe's line "In my opinion, it's about facing life, which runs harder than any bull." This is their philosophy. Riley has been swayed. Meanwhile, Maya represents the "other people" that Lucas has seen who change him. Here's why this is mindblowingly awesome:
It's a matter of Past vs. Future. Riley not only represents Lucas's romantic past, but has now sided with his past lifestyle as well. Maya represents his romantic future, as well as his present/future lifestyle in New York. In conquering the bull, Lucas has conquered his past (and his fears), enabling him to move forward, in the exact same way that he is moving forward romantically. That is fucking beautiful. That is some Boy Meets World level shit, my friends, we're working on multiple levels here. We have transcended. I knew they could do it.
This is a story of Lucas moving his whole life forward, not just his romance. It's a damn shame that the entire world is like "Lucaya Lucaya!" when this episode means so much more for his character. But hey, that's what this blog is for.
I can only hope that the next two parts will represent "Present" and "Future" the way this one was about "Past." That seems likely, since Maya and Lucas will almost certainly have some sort of romantic development by the end. We despised Lucas for quite a while, but somehow he ended up with what looks like the most satisfying story arc (as much as three episodes is an arc) in the whole show. Quick mention goes out to Lucas consoling the "rival family" kid who fell off the sheep. That was a very sweet moment, showing us that Lucas is a good person, rather than having Riley and Maya gush about it while Lucas stands around. I'm looking at you, Season One.
Oh and it's crap that Riley is calling Maya out right in front of everybody at the end, although I'm sure they'll be interrupted or something. And I like the gigantic misdirect from this episode's preview commercial. Cunning.
I want to give it an A+, I wrote that at first, but the scene that introduced Cletus really wasn't very good... The Bay Window was oppressively stupid... I think I have to settle for an A. Still processing for MVP.
Christian?
It's late and I'm a sleepy boy. So, I'm not sure I'm going to respond to everything here. I haven't even read everything here. But I felt I should get this in - a lot of sitcoms feature filming in outdoor settings. It's not wildly uncommon for the odd episode to have that. Yeah, it's still a sitcom and NO the laughter is not fake. What they do for the live-taping of those episodes is they film the scenes they can in the studio and then when they get to other scenes, they show them on a TV monitor for the audience and record their laughter. They do NOT do entirely laugh track. I think that's more or less something no one does anymore, since there's a huge stigma to it, and no one wants to be the show that did that.
Yeah but allegedly there was no prescreening at all. What you said makes perfect sense for shows with outdoor scenes, but for this one in particular I'm not sure what they would have done. Surely there would have been spoilers somewhere if anyone had seen this episode beforehand.
And if you're going to bed then I'm putting you on blast. Christian didn't follow proper blog protocol so I lost my entire write up the first time I wrote it and had to redo everything (which is why it went up late). And now homeboy ain't even gonna read it. Hard times.
Alriiiight, alright. I'm back!
While I agree that they could have shown us, not told us, Zay telling the girls' the story, I think they made the right call here for a few reasons. 1) We were already pressed for time here, and that may have been one beat too many, delaying the arrival in Texas. 2) Zay telling them that story had to happen a while ago for them to have time to discover the rodeo, enter Lucas in it, and get accepted. 3) I thought Zay's joke there about them making him was his funniest part.
Speaking of Zay, I have two things to say in reply to your comparison to Alan. I don't think it's totally apt to compare him to Alan (and not just because he's no Alan) because Alan and Feeny played very different roles to Cory. Father and teacher are very distinct relationships, and Cory's relationships with each were very unique. I never begrudged Alan because it meant time away from Feeny. BUT, you know who I DID sometimes begrudge because it meant time away from Feeny? Turner. Because he was another teacher, and in Season 2, all the good teacher moments came from him, while Feeny was largely left in the background (at best, at worst he was the lame conservative teacher) Turner was largely a successful character who added a lot to the show, but there's no denying that Feeny was best served in seasons where Turner wasn't around. I do think that may hold true for Farkle.
Still, like you noted, it's not like we're all on-board the Farkle train either. I'm still 'meh' on both characters, with larger loyalty to Farkle likely only because I've known him longer. But maybe if there was just one guy here, instead of two, I wouldn't be meh on two characters and instead would be all-in on one. Either way, this episode didn't bother me as much as last week's. Last weeks the overuse of characters made them all feel interchangeable and pointless, which is a big problem. In this one, Zay still felt distinctly like Zay, and Farkle distinctly like Farkle. It's just that there was almost no Farkle. And that's fine.
While I like your Past, Present, Future ideas in theory, it does seem like you maaaay be giving them a little too much credit. Still, it seems we're largely agreed on what worked and what didn't work in this episode.
Oh yeah, I can't believe I didn't say anything about Riley at the end. I thought Riley saying all that in front of everyone (just for purposes of upping the drama for the scene) was totally ridiculous and uncomfortable, and is a bad omen for today's episode. We will see. But it's totally not cool that she did that, it just embarasses all three of you. I loved the look on Zay's face though when Riley came out with that though, like "Whaaaaat? Is she really talking about us with Farkle and I here?!"
I also wanted to make sure I say I liked the establishment and mini-resolution of the Friar/McCullough feud. I like when shows have well-handled little F-plots like that. They didn't get too into it, didn't get into the backstory, didn't have a grand resolution. It was just a small little thing also going along on the sidelines, and they even took the time to resolve it. Nice.
Episode Rating: A- (It lost points for the same things you thought. But I'd say this is the fourth best episode of the season after Semi-Formal, Pluto, and Yearbook, in that order)
Episode MVP: I'm giving it to Rowan Blanchard, who I thought was really funny and entertaining throughout the episode's beginning, and then was suddenly thrust into emotional stuff at the end, and delivered. This was a GREAT episode for Lucas, and Peyton was good, but it was more the material that worked for Lucas. I'm not sure Peyton's *performance* was that impressive. Bronze to Sabrina. ...Tin? to Amir.
I knew you'd say I'm giving them too much credit. And you think YOU'RE the Mulder here, pshaw. I Mulder'd the hell out of this one.
I agree about the mini feud. It added some extra flavor without taking away from anything else. Great choice.
I'm giving a solid A, probably top 3 for the season.
Sarah wasn't in this one so MVP goes to Tombstone.
I skimmed through Part 2 (up on Watch Disney Channel) and you will be disappointed about something in particular.
ReplyDeleteI skimmed through this part as well and I have to say, it looked pretty slow but I guess that's what we get when it's a 3-parter. However, it looked a lot better than I had anticipated. "Friends" did some really good episodes when they left New York and it looks like Girl Meets World is following that path.
Is the thing I'm going to be disappointed in no Cory in Part 2? It did seem like there wouldn't be an organic way to get him in Part 2. :(
DeleteThey should of had a scene with Riley calling her parents or her parents calling her to check in on how she was doing in Texas. It could have been a quick natural way to do it maybe.
DeleteChristian, in case you haven't been counting, Texas Part 2 is the 200th "Meets World" franchise episode to air. Let's just say the other 199 have had something number 200 will not have.
DeleteI just had seen texas part 1 , and it is a crazy and suprising episode it is really good
Deletere. 1960: Noooooooooo!
DeleteBut tbh it's not unexpected and if that's the worst thing about the episode then it should be another good one.
Didn’t that old-timey-train-map-graphic thing show Cory and Topanga?
DeleteI heard that Charlie's in Part 3. That should be interesting. I'm a shipper of Charlie and Riley (Chiley? Rarlie?). Sabrina Carpenter and Peyton Meyer just have a lot of chemistry together. They'd be a good on-screen couple. I guess that leaves Farkle and Smackle. Not that I'm complaining by how things are ending up.
ReplyDeleteI'm okay with Farkle and Smackle for now, and Charlie and Riley for now, but only until Riley and Farkle grow up a little and realize they are mean to be together.
DeleteKeep Charlie around for a while. He makes things interesting.
DeleteI have to remind myself that I am no longer a 13 year old girl and understand how maya reacted is how a 13 year old would react. I was SO annoyed at her melodramaticness and NOW how all of a sudden she can care? Really? No, she doesn't deserve to care! she's been a bully to him this whole time even though I get hats how she is.
ReplyDeleteI did like that they finally moved forward with these two because I'm a fan of Lucaya for sure! I just didn't like how abrupt it was and how much of a snob...I mean, come on, a 13 year old girl giving an ultimatum to a 14 boy right before he's going on a bull!? Are you kidding me? Poor form maya. But then I need to remind myself I am no longer 13.
I thought riley was her fantastic cute as a button self and Peyton stepped up his game big time.
I wasn't a huge fan of 'I only love you if you win,' storyline with the adults but that's neither here nor there.'
Overall solid episode with awesome character development, and riley being able to have control on how to movie the story a long!
I liked this episode a lot. We had some really good performances here, and I agree that the story was pretty well written. The pre-class scene had the vibe that a lot of BMW episodes had when the kids were in the halls before class. For a show that revolves around school, we don't get enough of that.
ReplyDeleteI wish that we saw how and why Riley/Maya/Farkle came to Texas. That was kind of out of left field. I don't understand why the writers couldn't have come up with something reasonable for that, unless they did and the scene was cut for time.
I agree that Farkle wasn't underused, but totally not used at all. I will assume he plays a bigger part in part 2 (I've actually already seen Part 2 but no spoilers from me). Cletus was great in a totally stereotypical good-old boy way. It was shocking to actually see Pappy Joe admit to Lucas' friends that he is disappointed in him and will remain so if he doesn't ride the bull. For a Disney show that is way out there and I'm surprised they were allowed to do it. But sadly, for some people that sort of thing is true.
Lucas' fear of the bull seemed real, and I was amazed at how good Peyton was in this episode. Rowan and Sabrina and Amir were also top quality. I may be starting to believe that Peyton's performances are directly tied to how the character is written week to week. I feel his strongest performances this year have been in the 3 episodes where Lucas was written with real emotion (Yearbook, Creativity, Texas 1). Maybe he isn't into Prince Charming Lucas.
The one thing I didn't like here in an almost perfect episode was right after Lucas gets up after being thrown from Tombstone. They just couldn't go an entire episode without giving us a 30 second reminder of Disney platitude Lucas. He had to stop and tell little Tommy that failing was ok, but not to stop trying. While the message is correct, they just got done telling us that in "Rah-Rah", and I was loving real normal boy Lucas, but that put a little damper on it for me. Not much though. For me this episode is just behind "Yearbook" and "New Teacher" and just slightly better than "Pluto"
MVP: Peyton To me this was a no doubter. though the girls were great as well, this was his best performance by far, and I thought he deserves to get this.
Grade: A This could have been a little better, but not much. My only issues were those I touched on before and Riley suddenly realizing what was going on and deciding to take the bull by the horns (pun intended) and step aside for Maya. While she certainly can decide for herself, she never considered Lucas' feelings about this whole mess. I guess we will see more tomorrow (or right now if you have the Disney app - part 2 is already up)
Oh, and I loved how at the end of the classroom scene Lucas turns and point to Riley and Maya and says "you did this" just like Cory did to them in "Meets Gravity"
DeleteAw, I loved Lucas consoling the kid. He wasn't just spitting platitudes this time, he was actually speaking from direct personal experience. I think that makes a big difference.
DeleteFair enough Sean. We see that Lucas all the time and here we were getting to see another side of him, one that to me was much more realistic and interesting. If we didn't get "Mr. Perfect/Moral Compass" Lucas every week then I would have agreed that this was a nice gesture, but to me here it felt forced in to point out that Lucas is still Prince Charming and not just some 15 year old kid.
Delete1960poster-An actor can only work with what they've been given. If they're working with a bad script, there's only so much they can do. I know what you mean, there are other shows where I've wondered if the actor is bad, or the writers just didn't the actor decent material.
DeleteLoved this episode. I loved this episode so much. Easily one of the best of the season, if not the best.
ReplyDeleteLet's see,
I think the Riley/Maya scene was their best scene of the series. Up until now, it was always "We're BFFs. We love each other." But it seemed so much more real this time. Riley giving up on Lucas so Maya could have a chance with him? Wonderful. Rowan and Sabrina brought their A game. Now, I don't believe for a second that Riley's completely over Lucas. It's a precarious situation where she wants to her make her best friend happy. Sabrina did a great job of being mad. We've talked about being mad works well to show character and it did here.
Amir was great again. Kid's just funny. I loved how they're starting to mention how tall Corey's gotten. Seriously, what did that kid eat? He's grown like eight inches since the show started. I also don't know if it was the writers or Corey himself who fought for a wardrobe change but it worked. And he doesn't have a Coconut Head haircut which also works great for him.
I would have liked Zay and Farkle to do stuff together but that bit at the end seemed very natural. I do believe Farkle's gets some sort of B-Plot for tomorrow's episode and I saw an image on Ben Savage's Instagram that suggest he's a big piece for Part 3, so we'll see how this goes.
My one nitpick has to do with Austin. Yeah, Austin's a way bigger city than that but whatever. The only time I've been there was to the airport when I was 6. Cletus was odd, but I'm guessing he's "Uncle Cletus" and was a big part of Lucas' childhood.
Grade: A
MVP: Peyton Meyer, you son of a gun, you finally got one out of me.
I have my weekend job so I'll be working until midnight Saturday and Sunday so I won't be around to give my immediate responses on the episodes.
Yeah Austin is becoming a Mecca for startups and technological entrepreneurs. It's not the best example of the "down home ranch" that they were going for.
DeleteStill I give them credit for continuity, as Lucas *was* already established as being from Austin. Plus they brought up the vet thing again, humorously.
DeleteBut on the other hand, there's no rule that says that Lucas' grandfather's ranch had to be in the exact same town as he lived. It could have been that he visited his grandfather's ranch every summer, and that's where he did the mutton-busting.
"It could have been that he visited his grandfather's ranch every summer, and that's where he did the mutton-busting." That works for me as an in universe explanation.
DeleteExcellent point Christian. I currently live in a rural town about six miles outside of "the city" as far as my very rural state goes. The train station was probably in Austin and they're a little bit outside the city limits.
DeleteAs someone who lives and works in Austin they definitely weren't in downtown Austin proper. That a genuine high-risey mini city. However, when events like the rodeo or PBR (Professional Bull Riders) come to Austin, they're usually located at event spaces 30 minutes to an hour outside. Once you go 20-30 minutes straight out from the center of Austin in any direction you can find some middle of nowhere looking, "deep Texas" properties, so I'm giving the okay for authenticity on that front!
DeleteWow. I really, really loved that episode. Was it perfect, no. Yet, it didn't have to be for what it was. 1st off, my MVP will either be Rowan, Sabrina, or Peyton. These 3 each were so strong in this that they make the episode move. From the opening scene, they were all on their A game and ready to go. The comedy didn't feel overshadowed by the drama, and the drama here was believable and real. I bought the fear from Lucas and Maya. I'd be scared shitless too. Riley was awesome in this episode. She was very understated the whole time, but we could tell she was taking everything in. Learning as we went, and as she went. And when I heard her say "I know you think I love him like a brother", I was kinda taken aback. Playing w/ the idea that Riley knew, she's had time to adjust to Maya's behavior, which makes her potentially falling on the sword for her make so much sense.
ReplyDeleteI loved Pappy Joe in this episode. The second he started talking, I was hooked into the character. And what hooked me was that he was a total prick. He was an asshole to his grandson in front of people, and he didn't care. No one called him on it. I've never seen DC write a character like that. One who's connected to one of the protagonists, but is a total douche. This isn't a Chet character, cause Chet was likable. Pappy Joe was mean, and spiteful, but did it w/ a southern charm that was kinda cool. The only person who called him on it was Riley in the tent, but that was brief. I'll take in every moment w/ this character during this saga, cause we won't see him for awhile after this.
I like where this episode is leading us, and by the promos it looks good so far. This episodes job was to get us interested, and I think it has done that and more for me. Really excited to see where this is heading.
Episode Grade: A. Outside of the brief "keep on riding" message, everything felt real and not forced. The kids crushed it in this part, and Pappy Joe was a fun revelation to me.
Episode MVP: Peyton Meyer. Yeah, he was the focal point, and he didn't wilt under the pressure of it. He for some reason shines when the episode focuses on him, and he's written w/ any sort of emotional depth. Take this as a hint, writers. This kid is good if you give him a chance to be. Runners up are Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter. And its by a hair.
Pwfan, after reading your comments it seems like you and I had exactly the same response to this episode, down to our opinion of when Peyton's performances have been really good. The one thing that I am not fully in agreement on is that Pappy Joe is a "total douche". While I agree that the entire "embarrased of Lucas" thing was shitty, even Riley pointed out how she had talked to other people and they all had the same opinion of Lucas. It seemed to be a cultural "tough love" thing. Except when talking about that, he seemed like a great guy to everyone. I mean he even brought Zay back to Texas with them so he could see Lucas ride, and I didn't get the impression he was doing it to embarrass Lucas should he not ride well and Zay seemed to love the guy
DeleteSee, if they were going with a cultural "tough love" route, I think it could have been initially shown better. However, when we first see Pappy Joe, he's blatantly making fun of his grandson to the point Riley is even taken aback. And that continues until we hear the ultimate "life is harder than any bull" (I'm paraphrasing) message. Yet, between those two points, Pappy Joe is not shown in a favorable light.
DeleteBased on the title and what little I knew ahead of time, I was predisposed to dislike this episode. It caught me off guard, and I’m relieved it wasn’t just me that responded to it. Don’t always trust my first reactions.
ReplyDeleteMr. Friendly help get me through the frankly preposterous set up, as did Maya.
Ascribing magical properties to physical locations and types of locations has been around since the Dawn of Man. I accept the mythic import of the “Bay Window.”
Honours seem divided between Rowan Blanchard, Sabrina Carpenter, and Peyton Meyer. Wouldn’t argue against any of them for MVP. I have never been quite as down on Lucas or the actor as some, but this still was easily a new personal best.
The thing about the "Bay Window" is, I think, tied into Riley and Maya growing up in New York. Big city, no yards. No yards, no clubhouse or treehouse. Bay Window is essentially their clubhouse that they got emotionally attached to.
DeleteI get it that riley's bay window is significant to the girls. But thay doesn't mean we need to start having these OTHER ones. Oh we need a haunted one, oh we need one in Texas, oh cory's old kitchen had one. Enough already, damn.
DeleteI get it that riley's bay window is significant to the girls. But thay doesn't mean we need to start having these OTHER ones. Oh we need a haunted one, oh we need one in Texas, oh cory's old kitchen had one. Enough already, damn.
DeleteThat's a fair point, Sean. And it's not that I don't agree with you in principle. As it happens, I actually find it a little surprising that a house in nice, sunny Texas of all places doesn't have a sun room that would essentially function as a Bay Window.
DeleteWell, it does look like they are going for the "old school ranch" aesthetic w/ the house, so I actually buy there being no sun room/bay window. It wouldn't look right for the style.
DeleteConsidering the "bay window" bit seemed to be more of an one-off joke, I'll let it slide.
DeleteThe bay window's a one-off joke? I don't understand. They keep talking about it ad nauseum....
DeleteOops, you're right. It seemed that it was one-off for this episode. We didn't see Riley say "Maya, bay window" when she went to talk to her about Lucas
Delete"Well, it does look like they are going for the "old school ranch" aesthetic w/ the house, so I actually buy there being no sun room/bay window. It wouldn't look right for the style."
DeleteEhhh...actually, Shipping Wars and I have an aunt and uncle who have one of those old-timer houses and darn it if they don't have a seat in their living room that could function as a Bay Window.
Well, they could have not done it and I wouldn’t have missed it. But it didn’t induce any kind of gag reflex.
DeleteTexas (Part 1) didn’t lock in for me until the refreshment tent scene. My high regard for the episode is largely based on what transpired in the second half. On first viewing, I watched the first part in fair degree of befuddlement and apprehension.
Natural light did nice things for this episode.
Wow. I mean, wow. This was, to my mind, the best episode of the series so far. The first scene in Texas with Uncle Cletus was a little weak and the actor was bad, but that was about all I have as far as complaints. Like everyone else says all of the actors seemed to really step it up.
ReplyDeleteSean is dead on with the characters still working, even if they don't always line up front and center. I think for the whole of the series it will be a net positive to have more characters to go to and more angles to play with. Plus after Lucas was so good in this episode, I wouldn't want to stop seeing any of them.
Both of the girls were excellent, though I had a different interpretation of their actions before Lucas rode the bull. I thought Maya was more believable than Riley in that instance. I get that she's harassed him before, but there were never any real life stakes before. Her realizing he could get hurt for real snapped her out of it and she responded how I think most people would. Riley pushing him seemed out of character for me, though I suppose it could be said that her reaction to it was that of a sister, rather than a girlfriend. Either way, I liked the acting from all of the kids in this one.
I have to say I was really quite surprised, pleasantly so, that they not only let Riley have her epiphany but let her actually be bold and sure enough to take action. Her acting choice didn't seem forced to me at all, but rather to convey her being sure and forceful. She has always been the flighty, breezy one to the more sure of herself Maya, so I really enjoyed the role reversal. Maya was taken aback and not sure how to act, but Riley was sure and smart and good enough to tell people what was up. I love that this ties back to the Semi Formal episode. The slow build to this was done well. I'm still surprised they hit us with all of this in part 1. I'm excited to see what comes from this, but having Riley be the driving force behind it as opposed to any of the cliches most would have gone for is a really nice choice.
As a side note, if it's true there' s no Cory in the next ep I will be as bummed as anyone. Sad to see the streak end, but I get it story-wise. Oh well. Let's just never let this happen again!
Solid A episode for me. A plus if it weren't for the stupid bay window and Uncle Cletus. MVP goes to Rowan, but I enjoyed everyone else too. Can't wait for more and can't wait to hear from Cryptid!
Aw shucks, I love you too Tim.
DeleteI worked the late shift last night so I didn't get to see this episode till later. I left a more detailed review below but for the most part I really enjoyed it. This is probably in my top five, and top three for this season.
I wouldn't consider Riley's behavior out of character. Remember, we just had "Rah Rah," which was all about rising to the occasion. And Riley's friends had actually encouraged her to quit. Riley encouraging Lucas is a nice reversal there.
And I agree with you on the characters. "Girl Meets Texas" has, to paraphrase TV Tropes, rescued Zay from the Scrappy Heap. While a case can be made that a group of five is too many for one class, the writers have proven that they can make it work. Maybe that's just it--seeing Zay outside the classroom has revived him.
I agree. A great episode and a great Lucas episode. Watched Part 2 and it was better. If Part 3 follows up and concludes in a great way, then I must say, Texas lived up to the hype.
ReplyDeletelink to girl meets texas part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmDKQWrdbO0&feature=youtu.be
ReplyDeleteIt has been available on the watch Disney app and watchdisney.com since last night in much better quality.
DeleteThank you Anonymous. You are a gentleman/gentlewoman and a scholar.
DeleteOk. Thanks for that. Can't wait to delve into it later.
DeleteFantastic.
DeleteDang, you work the late shift at your second job and look at what you miss.
ReplyDeleteNitpicking here. Agree with what everyone has posted above, and appreciate all of the thoughtfulness of everyone. One part of a scene still bugs me, the rest was excellent. But the "You're my sister. I always wanted a sister," from Riley was cringe-worthy. In my opinion, it was throwaway, cliched, has been done to death, was unnecessary, and I think untrue to their characters as we know them. This is where the "You're my BFF. You've always been my BFF. You always will be my BFF" talk goes. A BFF is its own thing, it does not have to revert to 'sister' automatically. They are two different relationships. Just like loving "Lucas like a brother" is weird for me. Why can't Riley love him as a dear friend, as a best friend even, if her feelings are platonic. Why 'brother'? So she loves him like she loves Auggie? I just find these 'familial' labels to be forced. Just a personal opinion. And for me, I felt Riley's support of Lucas riding the bull harkened back to Rah Rah and was totally in character. She's a cheerleader by nature, but to become an official school cheerleader, she did something dangerous (for her), she didn't give up, she saw it through to the end, and in the end, she was not hurt and she made the cheer squad. I think she wanted that outcome for Lucas. An early life even had marked him, and she wanted him to take his chance to transform that into something positive.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree about the sister comment. They really are sisters. Cory and Topanga are practically Maya's parents. She hasn't seen her father in 9 years and her mother is always out working. She seems to eat a majority of her meals at the Matthews' house. Cory always considered Shawn his brother. Shawn on the other hand needed Feeny to teach him the lesson "You don't need to be blood to be family" before he got it. Perhaps Riley knows and Maya just needs to be made to realize what is clear to Riley.
Delete*event*
ReplyDeleteI have bean reading the reviews.
ReplyDeleteStill haven't watched it as I'm still sad about I Didn't Do It being abruptly cancelled/ending last night.
ReplyDeleteI just checked Wikipedia. Man, I never really got into "I Didn't Do It" but that doesn't even seem like a finale.
DeleteAnd Jessie ended last night too.
What do you think is going to happen? "Austin and Ally" ends in January, I can't see "Bunk'd" lasting past next year.
This leaves them with "GMW," "Liv and Maddie," "Best Friends Whenever," and "KC Undercover." Good as these shows can be, it isn't enough to keep up a channel.
I did hear that there's a show currently in production that features a Latino family with several children. I think you commented it on IMDB a while back. I know very little about it, but it does remind me a bit of "The Brothers Garcia."
IDDI was funnier than GMW imo so that's what I'm going to miss about it. As well as the cast's incredible chemistry.
DeleteJessie's ending was long overdue, lol. Never cared for that show.
When A&A ends, there will be 5 shows left... GMW, LaM, BFW, KCU, and B'd. I think B'd is going to be a 2-season wonder. It just can't last that long. Not as long as Jessie did.
BFW I feel is going to turn out like DWAB. A horrible show in the beginning but somehow it'll grow onto fans and Disney and go far (3 seasons). Hopefully not, though...
There's Latino family show coming and it's actually a /single-camera/ series... a return to the days of Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens, or like you said, The Brothers Garcia. I don't know what to expect but I love the diversity.
They just announced a new show yesterday that was picked up: two girls who write funny songs and post them on their YouTube channel, Bizaardvark (yes, that's the name of the show too. yes... bizarre...) The hook of the show is the simple fact that it stars a Latina and an Asian-American. Good job Disney for nice casting... but wtf is up with these premises? Reasons I'm going to miss IDDI and reasons GMW is the only show I'll watch regularly.
That new show sounds like something Nickelodeon would do. And has done. Breadwinners...*shudders.*
DeleteI took a film class in college and I'm still not sure about the significance of a single-camera sitcom compared to multi-cam. It could mean longer cuts in shots for scenes, but I'm not sure what big a role that will have on a half-hour show.
DeleteCasual observation about the dynamic playing out with this triangle...
ReplyDeleteRiley is falling on the sword for Maya.To put it simply.Riley is trying to believe her own bullsh*t about liking Lucas as a brother. And now that Lucas is really starting to come around and like her and show it, my thought is she is 2nd guessing her choice to back off. But she won't say anything, because she wants her best friend to have her moment.
Riley is using the brother thing because she has a belief that that's the only way she can keep Lucas around. She hasn't learned enough about the world to recognize that that means she DOES like Lucas because she feels so strongly about losing him. So she's doing what she thinks is appropriate and is giving Maya her shot which I don't think is going to pan out. Remember, Maya's mom said when two people are close...they can't play the other person accurately. So this is all part of the crossed signals of Maya thinking something about Riley that isn't true. I really think Riley and Lucas are still a distinct possibility.
My theory gains a lot more traction in the 2nd part, but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched. It's much stronger in moving the plot along than the first part.
To expand on my above point, when watching Part 2...note Riley's hesitation and hint of uncertainty at any point when she is trying to explain everything to confused Lucas. Rowan does a bang-up job of showing that she's not 100% sold on herself.
ReplyDeleteCaught the Saturday morning re-run.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot to like here, and not much at all to dislike. It was wonderful to see the kids get out of the city for once. Texas was a breath of fresh air in that regard.
And some real development too. For all the talk of "People change people," this was the first time in a while that we actually see the kids have an affect on each other. Unlike "Rileytown," where the status quo was encouraged, change was advocated here.
Pappy Joe is an interesting bloke. He seems hard on Lucas, perhaps unnecessarily so, but he did acknowledge that his philosophy was based on hard knocks. And that's actually fantastic for these kids to learn--Cory's classroom presents a bubble-wrapped world with glitter and confetti and rainbows and purple cats. Pappy Joe says "No. This world is going to eat you. Fight back, face things head-on." So, bravo Pappy Joe. Bravo.
Farkle didn't get much to do here, I agree. I actually raised an eyebrow during the tag scene, when he remarked that he wished he could have grown up with Lucas and Zay in Texas. Farkle did grow up with Riley and Maya, and so far this season, he's actually not had much to do with them. The Core Four...or, is it five now, since Zay appears to be around to stay? Whatever. So far this season, the Core tends to function as a collective group, and it could be argued that it took away from recent episodes. So the writers experimenting with small groups that are part of a bigger group is something I'd love to see.
Bull-riding Tombstone? All I can say is "Thank you, Lord, that they didn't drag this out." It happens in the first episode, rather than waiting until the second episode. Lucas is thrown, but is no worse for the wear. No hospitalization, no amnesia, no "Michelle Rides Again."
Riley realizing her feelings about Lucas being like that of a brother. On its face, I'm inclined to believe that what she feels for Lucas are most similar to what she feels for her Uncle Josh, as opposed to what she feels for Auggie. That being said, I have no idea when these feelings developed, but let's face it. Sometimes that stuff just sort of happens.
On the whole, a very good episode.
Grade: A-
MVP: I flipped a coin to decide between Rowan and Peyton and the coin landed on its edge. I couldn't decide.
YOU WILL RUIN THIS SHOW IF YOU DO THIS! This is a big no no, what kind of message are you sending to these kids. "Take your bff boyfriend?" It's not because I believe maya is stealing the spotlight this show is about the both of them, but how are you going to hurt both Lucas and Riley for maya, it's not fair. At least on my opinion and ik others who've said this that if that happens we will no longer like to watch this show
ReplyDeleteI... think it's a little more nuanced than that...
DeleteI like sarcastic Lucas/Angry Lucas. I definitely think Riley was lying about only liking Lucas as a brother, and it sort of reminds me of when Eric told Jack and Rachel he knew that they liked each other. He still had feelings for Rachel, sure, but he cared enough about Jack to tell them he didn't mind (or something, I can't remember exactly.) Riley really is her uncle's niche.
ReplyDeleteI also like how Cleatus was willing to do anything for his nephew to keep him safe.
I also like Zay's character. Girl Meet's World can be pretty heavy on the whole "as long as we're together, nothing can go wrong" aspect, and I think you kind of need someone like Zay to point out the craziness of the situation and go all meta ("Why does everyone break in through the window?").
And Farkle's just loving Texas.
The thing I didn't really... Like, not from a storytelling standpoint, but from Riley, is that she chose Lucas over Maya. At that point, Lucas was ready thanks to Riley's reverse psychology (Seriously, I'm impressed, didn't think she had it in her), and for those 4 seconds Lucas was out there trying his hardest. He would have beaten the record even if Riley hadn't been watching. But for 4 seconds, I imagine time would have slowed down for Maya. She would have been worried for Lucas' life and it would have been Hell for her to wait for it to be over.
But, yeah. I kind of wish there was a better explanation for Maya running away than "I love Lucas", but it's not bad I guess. Zay buys less into the "friendship is magic" thing than Maya, but he's Zay. He believes in Lucas more than anyone else (though I doubt he'd ever admit it). So it works. Maya was the only one who was honestly worried that Lucas would get seriously injured (Farkle might be more optimistic than Riley in my opinion), so I guess it works. And I guess she could be that annoyed at Lucas for putting her through Hell...
But I think that it's more than that.
Sometimes, I think Riley is more similiar to Eric than she is to either one of her parents.
DeleteKIT'S RIGHT. BLOG REGULARS, WHY DO WE THINK THAT IS?!
DeleteChristian-I am honored that someone who's an expert on this show thinks that I am right.
DeleteRiley IS the new Eric, by Michael Jacobs' own admission.
DeleteCommon ancestry? Actually, I'm only 11 episodes into BMW and Eric just seems like an amiable kid making his way through an impressive list of early 90s starlets. So, unless we're comparing Riley to the bizarre GMW Eric, I have yet to see it.
DeleteI think it's likely that Riley most resembles Eric due to the role he had in her early life.
DeleteI think Eric, having graduated from college, was actually Riley's caregiver while Topanga and Cory were still in school. Late Series Eric is kind of spacey, an "idiot genius" to quote Jack Hunter, but has a heart of gold. So, that makes him a natural fit to care for Baby Riley while Mommy Topanga and Daddy Cory are still at school. Unlike Uncle Shawn, who ran like a scared rabbit when Riley was born, I'm betting Uncle Eric embraced the opportunities that having a "little niche" provided.
When GMW gets biological. :o
DeleteI've been thinking about it, and remember how season 1 Riley basically wanted to be Maya because of the emotional support they provided for each other. I mean, Cory and Topanga let them do their own thing really. But before Rilely met Maya, who looked after Riley emotionally? Uncle Eric. She already had some aspects of him, like being fun-loving and stuff, but knowing how Eric had cared about her, and how he knew her better than anyone, she WANTED to be like him. And that's why she's always trying to fix everything. To be like her Uncle Eric.
Yeah, did they ever say when Eric moved up-state to St. Upidtown? I can't imagine it being when Riley was still a toddler. I'm betting it happened when Riley started kindergarten and had her first teacher. Eric recognized that his little niche had started to meet the world.
DeleteI think Uncle Eric as a babysitter/nanny while Riley's parents were in graduate school is a great idea. I can picture them having adorable little kid adventures in the apartment, or fun places in New York City.
DeleteRiley reminds of Eric because both are silly and zany. Each one seems as if they are off in their own little world of their own creation. They are aware of what is going on around them and want to help their friends, however they can.
Could anyone please possibly post the link to the episode again?? I'm sorry to ask but it's not on youtube for some reason and I don't have access to a tv to watch it live. I dont know why it suddenly got so much harder to find these episodes online.
ReplyDeleteI think Disney might be cracking down, or fans are listening to the stars and not putting them up anymore.
DeleteYes but parts 2 and 3 are both posted so it is so weird that there is no part 1. I also have not seen it btw if anyone has a link!!
DeleteMaya would be a nightmare to have as a best friend. So artsy, so cool, so beautiful and broody.. Riley has to bend over backwards just to get her to have some hope. Then she gets a father figure via Riley because she pouted about it endlessly. Now she likes Lucas and will probably get him too. The best would be for Lucas to reject her and choose Riley, Maya gives nothing back to Riley. I know they said without Maya, Riley would just sit with her hands in her lap. I doubt it. Riley tried out for the cheer team and didn't give up despite the lackluster support from Maya & co. I'm over Maya and how the unspoken rules don't apply to her. No matter what she does, she gets away with it. Screw that. Riley deserves a better friend. And sacrificing herself for Maya & Lucas makes her the kind of person everyone walks over. She can be positive/fun Riley and still stand up for herself. No girl would be ok with this in the real world.
ReplyDeleteUm... Maya has always tried to protect Riley's INNOCENCE. She doesn't always support Riley like when she wanted to be a cheerleader because she knew she'd fail and didn't want to break Riley's heart again. It's why she didn't want to tell Riley about Pluto not being a planet. Riley has the impression that everything's a fairy tale and everyone will get their happy ending, but Maya knows that's not always the case, and honestly believes it's better to not try at all than try and fail.
DeleteAnd Maya always pushes Riley into situations she doesn't like because she knows it will help Riley out in the long-run. And Maya loves Riley more than anything, probably more than Riley loves Maya.
Besides, you're forgetting that at some point, Maya realsied she thought Riley wasn't a good fit for Lucas (long before Yearbook) and kept it secret to protect Riley. She doesn't fully understand love yet, so of course it might not be like that, but it's a big mess. I don't think Maya like likes Lucas or the other way round. But they DO care about each other, and that's where the whole confusion comes in.
And Riley realises just how long Maya's been keeping this a secret for her sake, so of course she'd lie for her, no matter how much it hurts her inside. That's friendship.
It turns out, where I live, Parts 2 & 3 are airing back-to-back tonight, 10:30-11:30, and I have an early flight Monday morning. Leaving me free to further ruminate (get it?) over Part 1, fearful of going on the “Review Delay” thread, even to comment on Sean’s awesome explainabrag, and unlikely to have much to say in timely manner about the remainder of the Texas trilogy.
ReplyDeleteSo, I have a few questions.
Does Riley, Maya and Farkle not knowing what a bull is strike anyone else as preposterous? That is the sort thing I have always just gone with, and it didn’t stop me from loving Part 1. But, if that level of collective ignorance had served as the starting off point for either Rileytown or the Farkle episode, it surely would have topped the list of grievances about them.
(If not, it would have been to make room for a gripe about a jumbo-sized elision equivalent to the “yada yada everyone is in Texas” business. I sometimes think you guys are moving the goal posts on me.)
Does Hambone have some BMW resonance? As a name, based on Urban Dictionary, it doesn’t seem particularly cool. I have only ever heard it used in reference to a person in a line in Rear Window, but that really can’t be it.
Maya’s Beatles shirt. This is the first time since I have watching GMW in synch with you guys that the character has sported 60s/70s musically iconography. I have always wanted to ask about it. I can’t imagine my generation is a demographic to which the show would think it needs to pander.
Is this just an extreme case of older writers investing their tastes in younger characters? Does 50-year-old music have some sort of cachet with the young? While aware of the many differences, I can only imagine my 14-year-old self, walking around in an Al Jolson T-shirt and it all ending very badly.
I also wondered about the Girl from Ipanema sheet music in her locker.
Milestones, before Maya's wardrobe transformation in "Meets Hurricane" shirts with old bands and NYC references were her common dress. I don't think it has any meaning other than that was her style. It certainly has no call back to anything in BMW.
DeleteAnd yes it seems totally unrealistic that the girls wouldn't know how dangerous riding a bull was or what they looked like. But sometimes on a sitcom, you really have to suspend that disbelief a little more than you should have to.
Classic rock appeals to people of all ages. I'm a millennial, and starting in high school there were people who were classic rock fans. I can totally picture Maya getting into that sort of thing early.
DeleteQuick note about Riley and Maya not knowing what a bull is, Milestones and 1960.
DeleteFirst, I don't recall Farkle not knowing, but either way, the three of them are city kids--the absurdity of that blasted horse in "Friendship" aside, the largest critter any of them has seen is likely a racoon or maybe a coyote.
They are city kids--and seeing farm animals on television is as much as they know. Riley said that a bull was a "boy-cow," which indicates that she might think that a bull as a dangerous creature is something from storybooks or a cartoon. Or, she may be basing all bulls on "Ferdinand," a popular children's story about a little bull that does not want to butt his head or fight anybody.
I doubt the Central Park Zoo has much in the way of farm animals or a petting zoo with anything larger than a small sheep. So, in lieu of a field trip, it's entirely plausible that Riley and Maya have not actually seen a bull before.
So their ignorance doesn't really bother me. I'm actually a little surprised, considering how much of a stickler I can be about this sort of thing. It's not that they don't know what a bull is; they simply can't comprehend how dangerous it is. Heck, even the Running of the Bulls in Spain is actually rarely fatal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_of_the_Bulls#Injuries.2C_fatalities_and_sanitary_attention
Reading in books and seeing things on television is nothing compared to seeing things up close.
Cryptid456-I think you are exactly right about their understanding of what a bull is. They know it's "boy cow," and they've probably read "Ferdinand" or had someone read it to them. They probably had no idea how large bulls can be, or how dangerous they are.
DeleteNot only that Kit, but there's a real difference between reading about how a bull can be eight feet long and five and a half feet tall at the horns and weigh two thousand pounds and then seeing it up close and personal.
DeleteNowhere near the same thing, but a gray wolf can be five feet long and weigh a hundred and twenty pounds. Much larger than a coyote, but until you see one up close, you really have no idea.
Source? My junior year of high school, I had a science teacher for anatomy and then the next semester for ecology. He had worked in the Fish and Game Department for twenty years and one day at work he walked by one of the necropsy tables where his co-workers were analyzing a wolf. His first thought was "Oh, another coyote. And a big one." His second thought was "Holy $%@&! It's a wolf! It's huge!"
See I am not a fan of this love triangle. I guess I am corny and liked things they way they were. What I got from this episode was two selfish girls not even considering how the guy feels. Just because Riley bows out does not mean Lucas will automatically be with Maya. It just means she is only trying to make Maya happy with no consideration for Lucas who she is suppose to care about. I do believe Lucas thinks Maya is pretty and cares for her only because she is a part of Riley who he truly cares for in a romantic way. I mean seriously a teenage boy would not want a obnoxious girl who always makes fun of him and is in his face saying Aharrrr all the time, especially when he has another girl who lifts him up and believes him and enjoys his downhome stories sincerely. Aside from all this Maya is completely selfish in this with Riley being so selfless. Call me corny and predictable but I prefer to see happy endings and a show where everything is solved in thirty minutes. I understand that this is not reality, however if I wanted reality I would watch one of the 200 currently playing reality shows. The acting however was great!
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of your post. I don't know, I thought it was weird that Maya forced Lucas to talk to her. Why couldn't she have started the conversation, especially after her little speech to Riley in Meets First Date where she said you go out and get what you want or whatever. I know it has to do with confused emotions and feelings and etc, but that didn't feel like Maya at all.
DeleteAnyway, what do you mean Maya was selfish in this? I'm wondering if I missed something, but then again, I only watched each episode once.