Hey everyone, I know you're still waiting for the top 4, but in the meantime I've been very active on youtube the last couple months. So if you like the Kingdom Hearts series and/or profanity and/or me, definitely check out my channel https://www.youtube.com/KBManimations
There aren't actually any animations, sadly, but still. At least subscribe to make me feel good about myself. You all are an awesome and dedicated audience, and I'd hate to lose you.
That's all for now, have a great summer!
Don't really have a Youtube account, but I'll watch anything and everything you do.
ReplyDeleteDANCE WATER DANCE!!
ReplyDeleteNow, then, Sean, tell me-who is the toughest Organization member?
Haha, that's a good question. When they ported the game to the ps4, part of the Xemnas fight stopped working properly, and they still haven't fixed it, so I'd say xemnas, especially at level 1. Although Larxene has probably eaten up the most of my life.
DeleteIf we're talking character/lore toughness, it's gotta be MY BOY AXEL
Having played a lot more Kingdom Hearts II (and 2.5) than my brother, I have my own ideas.
DeleteRoxas is probably the easiest for me--my good friend Trinity Limit saved me a fair few times.
Toughest is harder to say. Xemnas in general is pretty darn tough, and has a long, long fight. Vexen can be a real pain with his shield and clones. And then Leaxeus with his GIANT tomahawk...
I'll check it out later. I'm not really into Kingdom Hearts, but I do enjoy your take on things.
DeleteWhat about your son, Will? Kingdom Hearts is a franchise that a lot of teenagers enjoy.
DeleteMy son is more into Minecraft and League of Legends.Especially Minecraft. Besides, the only gaming device in this household are the laptops.
DeleteJust watched your Level 1 battle against Data Roxas--it was awesome.
ReplyDeleteBut what made you decide to go through the whole thing on Level 1? Bragging rights?
Yup! Bragging rights. And just sort of seeing if I can do it. Glad you're enjoying it so much man! Both of your comments on this post make me genuinely thrilled, thank you
DeleteHmmm...maybe Shipping and I need to start playing Kingdom Hearts 1.5 again (on our last game, we were at Level 33 and still on the Islands...we wanted to see how far we could get). Just to see if we can...
DeleteAlso, you're my friend Sean. I'll happily partake in whatever you write or produce...
Speaking of independent works...I really should get back to my novels. Anybody want to read a novel where a Minotaur of royal lineage betrays his father after he forms an alliance with demonic beings?
Don't think I've heard of a protagonist minotaur before, could be interesting
DeleteYou're tearing me up there Cryptid. In theory that novel sounds interesting; but I do also need to focus on encouraging my partner to publish her stories. She's pretty fantastic, but also poor self-esteem. For a while she was putting up some movie reviews and fanfictions online; but various things have really played with her self-esteem lately.
DeleteI know I've said bad things about Reddit before, but r/worldbuilding and r/WritingPrompts are great places for budding writers to develop their skills.
DeleteBoy Meets World is my favorite show and Kingdom Hearts is my favorite game series, so you know I'm all over this
ReplyDeleteYou have IMPECCABLE taste. Always love to have you along man.
Deletecan u at least say when the top 4 posts will be out? or at least just when 4 will be?
ReplyDeleteGive. Them. Time.
DeleteThey. Will. Get. There. When. They. Get. There.
You would have to ask the C man. But this play that he wrote and produced and maybe directed opens next week, so he's still got his hands full for a minute. It's an unofficial sequel to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is cool.
Delete"It's an unofficial sequel to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is cool."
DeleteHow does that work exactly, from a copyright perspective? Is this a spiritual successor, focusing on a side character? Or is it furthering Bueller's story?
iiiiiiiiiii'm not really sure, sorry
DeleteSean, I must say I am having a blast watching some of these videos. I just watched the Monstro-Pegasus Cup, and enjoyed it immensely.
ReplyDelete^ i was just asking, calm down
ReplyDeleteOh, Sean. I just remembered a bit of advice. Shipping and I discovered some time ago that if you come across Black Fungus Heartless (the black and purple mushrooms), that using the Gravity spell is a very, very good idea to fight them.
ReplyDeleteYeah someone commented that on the video I think, definitely good advice
DeleteOf course, Shipping and I are also in the habit of level-grinding to obscenely high levels (we made it our goal to never leave the Islands without being on Level 12 or so), and then plowing through the Heartless.
DeleteI noticed you've been uploading a lot lately. I don't know what any of the words in the titles mean, but it's been nice to see that you're still around m8
ReplyDeleteYeah well grad school starts in september, so I gotta cram as much youtubing in as I can before then
DeleteJust watched the Atlantica play-through, Sean. Man, I've forgotten how hard Ursula could be.
ReplyDeleteMaya liked Lucas before she became Riley and that steamy campfire kiss was more electric than the subway kiss. He was looking at Maya the whole time. Do you think farckle could like Riley as more than a friend? His laugh is his fav sound. He only went out with smackle because she wanted to. Smackle us too perfect. Riarckle would be the most realistic coupke
ReplyDeleteI don't remember this part in Kingdom Hearts, but I haven't played 0.2 yet. Sounds like Aqua meets some interesting characters in the RoD
DeleteIm talkibg about gmw. Sean pls answer this. Was the campfire kiss had more chemistry than the rucas subway kiss? Do you agree maya liked lucas before she became riley? Do you think far
DeleteThis is an GMW question. Do you think farckle could like riley more than a friend? Riarckle would be the most realistic couple on the dc.so would lucaya and zaydora
DeleteI have no idea about any of these things. Watch Boy Meets World instead. I will answer any of your questions about Boy Meets World.
Delete"Watch Boy Meets World instead. I will answer any of your questions about Boy Meets World."
DeleteI already knew I liked your blogging style. I think you're my hero now.
Joy - in all seriousness; I don't dislike GMW. I just can't find myself moved to care so much about what the characters did that we never saw.
<3
DeleteSean is the hero the Feeny-verse fandom needs.
DeleteSo true. I remember finding Boy Meets World Reviewed; shortly after he'd wrapped it up. Then reading through every review.
DeleteIs that what brought you here, Will?
DeleteI remember back when Sean was only in Season One of BMW Reviewed. Yeah, Shipping and I have been following for a very long time.
Possibly. I do remember wishing I'd heard of it earlier so I could participate in the discussions. But it was also about that time that I ran into some real fanatics of another fandom; so it put me off participating even here for a bit.
DeleteYou guys are too good to me. When I first started I wondered if anyone else on earth cared about Eric wanting to go to college. But it meant so much to me that I had to get it out there, and people really responded to it.
DeleteI don't think that I personally have given either you or Christian enough credit for what you do. It was actually your reviews, even more than the hints in GMW, that got me interested into hunting down episodes of BMW. The majority of the fare that made it down here from America from the '80s and '90s that was aimed at kids/teens is not something I'd want to revisit now. Your reviews encouraged me to think that maybe I should give it the benefit of the doubt.
Delete"Eric wanting to go to college"
DeleteI think this is the kicker. This is one of the reasons why BMW holds up so well.
The trope of a older teenager who didn't study nearly as much as they should have, struggling to get into college is not an uncommon one. But to my knowledge, BMW is the only show where it was a genuine struggle for Eric.
Eric did poorly on the SATS and despite his best efforts, he did not get into college by the skin of his teeth. That's far more realistic, but it's also far rarer in sit-coms (On the "George Lopez" show and "Last Man Standing," similar plots occurred, but both times the slacker student wound up getting into college...which they frankly didn't deserve).
BMW really is such a great show. I love BMW. I love Eric Matthews.
Yo Sean, been watching some of the KH II videos, specifically the World That Never Was, No Damage, Level 1 (Seriously, what is it with you and bragging rights?)
ReplyDeleteWell, I am happy to say that I learned something. Counter Guard being extremely effective against Sephiroth was something I was not aware of, so kudos.
Level 1 No Damage is a category that's been around since the Final Mix PS2 days. I just wanted to prove I can roll with the best of them B)
DeleteAlso apparently Christian himself is playing Ferris, so I'm guessing it's mainly about Ferris
Acting and producing? Didn't he also write it?
DeleteHuh, Christian's putting his Creative Writing degree to good use. Kudos to him.
Okay, hope you don't mind another KH question Sean, but this doesn't have much to do with bragging rights. More, the franchise as a whole.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned in your play-through of Dream Drop Distance that you really didn't like "358 Days/2." I was curious about that--while it's not my favorite game to play, it's actually my second favorite story.
Also, when on earth do you think KHIII is coming out? I'm hoping it's before we're Feeny's age.
358's story is good, I'll take all the Axel I can get. The Organization has a lot of interesting characters. The inventory system was just really strange and trying to play with the Dpad on the DS was unbearable. If it were like a total overhaul on the PS4 where it played like one of the other games, I'd be down.
DeleteYeah...there's a reason why I literally haven't PLAYED 358 Days since I beat it.
DeleteBut I love the story. I love Roxas and Axel and Xion.
Halfway through the Neverland/Hercules Cup video Sean.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a lot of fun.
Also, for the record, in Hallow Bastion, when you fight Riku for the first time, he's actually much harder if you had beaten him on Destiny Islands.
I don't have much of an interest in Kingdom Hearts (I played the first game like a year after it came out, but never finished it), but I'll check this out.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm contemplating posting a link to my music <___< I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but I play a bunch of different instruments and uhh write stuff. No singing (I think my voice is awful and I hate trying to write lyrics) but I think it's okay.
plz convince me seanzie
also i'm pretty sure the top 4 will start on my birthday next week
Happy almost-birthday, literally will friedle!
DeleteI'd love to hear some of your jamz Will
Deleteaww jeeeeeeeeeeez
DeleteD:
D:
D:
YOU GUYS WILL FIND OUT MY REAL NAME D:
benposadas.bandcamp.com
it's free to stream there
I'd suggest listening to Two, Four and Five from Five, or like stuff from Least Awful Things (my "greatest hits"). My stuff is kind of folky-country with a prog bent, except I've moved away from the folky-country stuff.
also now that you've seen me you know that i'm the second most handsome guy in this community (behind seanzie)
Oh, and thanks, Cryptid!
Deletedude Two is MY SHIT! and i'm not just being nice, i was listening to Five like "yeah I can come up with something good to say about this" but then I switched to Two and I was like OH SHIT. Now I'm on Four, this one's awesome too. Dude. I'd throw like 5 bucks in for the download if I weren't living off my credit card right now.
DeleteGlad to see you're in the beard club too. And also the "first name that's one degree of separation away from Boy Meets World" club.
DeleteOf course, that is all balanced out by the confirmation that you are not actually Will Friedle, so yeah, it's a zero-sum
DeleteYeah, Two is my favorite song of mine. I think it's the best thing I've ever written and will probably never be topped. You can also download it for free <_< I'm really glad that you like it, though. It's always kind of a weird feeling when I share muh SHIT with other people, because I have no confidence in it or myself.
Deletealso in order:
a. i actually shaved my beard off last october when the giants lost to the cubs (partially because of that, partially because i was never really convinced that it looked good and mostly because uhh this girl that i'm completely infatuated with is really into beards and the only reason i kept it as long as i did was because i knew that but also she uhh isn't/wasn't interested in me so YEEEEEAAAHHHHHHH [although like BODY LANGUAGE says that she is but there's no point in dwelling on that right]). i'm thinking about growing it back, because like...it's getting hot and so i don't really want a beard, but i wet-shave with a shaving brush and safety razor and stuff, so i need to use hot water and FUCK THAT
b. yeah. i want to say that i was originally going to be "ben sandwich" on here (well, bmw-reviewed) but ben sandwich proper beat me to it.
c. I MIGHT STILL BE WILL FRIEDLE. I may have found some random dude's bandcamp page.
it's free -> i know, but i wanted to symbolically buy you a beer or a taco or something
Deleteit's hot -> don't go outside, like me
girls -> life is pain
ben sandwich -> that guy's brother? bread sandwich?
money -- download it for free and then pay me when you have some extra money in ten years <___<
Deletestay inside -- i walk to work D:
girls -- everything is the worst. also i genuinely don't understand women at all. i don't mean "I ASKED THIS BROAD IF SHE WANTED TO FUCK BUT SHE SLAPPED ME WHYYYYYYY" but like "she's looking at me what does that mean that girl smiled at me why i don't get it she's laughing and smiling WHAT IS HAPPENING"
bread sandwich -- oh, from that show!
I've started listening to it too, literally will friedle.
DeleteI like Track 5 quite a bit. It actually kind of reminds me of Eric, marching to his own beat.
Thanks, Cryptid! It's funny that you say that, because Eric/Will (obviously) wasn't on my mind, but I can kind of hear it a bit <___<
Deletealso, funny story about that track: it's a few different parts that are all in different time signatures (the first bit is in 5/4, and then uhhhhh I don't remember the others. I know the drums are 4/4 [pretty standard], but the rest are like 6/4, 7/4 and 9/4 and maybe more) and that just kind of run all over each other. It was inspired in part by Terry Riley's "In C" which is basically a set of melodic figures that are played in a progression by each instrumentalist in an orchestra. so basically like they all start off playing the same thing but then each person moves along through the figures at whatever pace he or she feels like (you can move forward whenever and even skip figures, but you can never move back). when you get to the last one you stick on it until everyone gets there. anyway, that whole idea actually reminds me a bit of eric too, in particular the "go ahead and move around whenever you want"
2deep4me
DeleteWoah super late reply here but Terry Riley is awesome and the comment section of this blog is the last place I expected him to be mentioned. You rock Will.
DeleteI don't really think there's such a thing as "super late" replies 'round these parts anymore Jacob.
Delete"Terry Riley"....must put it on the list....
And I do love how varied the commenters are here. We have most of the English speaking world--I've seen posters from Canada, Australia, at least once from Great Britain.
And one time, there was someone who was able to guess my favorite author from an off-hand comment I made on what I was writing.
I love it here!
Hey Sean, just saw your video on Xemnas and really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, remember Cowboy Bebop. Yeah, looks like a live-action version is in the works.
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/cowboy-bebop-live-action-tv-series-1202454831/
Yeah well we just saw how well Ghost in the Shell worked out, so I'm having a hard time getting excited about it
DeleteAlso thank you! I worked really hard on that xemnas video.
DeleteHey fellas.
ReplyDeleteApparently, in Philadelphia last weekend, there was a con of some sort, and Will Friedle and Rider Strong were both there. And there was a BMW panel too...
https://twitter.com/fangeeker/status/870007434491842560
Sean!
ReplyDeleteSince you're currently working on Kingdom Hearts 2.5, I thought it might interest you to check out the brand-new trailer for Kingdom Hearts III
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaHSpUZgW24
Oh my. My partner pointed out to me the other day, that my son is at risk of having a Feeny in regards to the same teacher throughout his entire high school career. Same English teacher for three years.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately; she's not really a very good teacher.
In other news, he's moving through season 5 quite slowly. He just saw the halloween episode. This -is- the season my partner starts getting very anti-Cory in regards to how he treats other people.
Season 5 is, as Milestones and Sean have put it, the first season that doesn't feel as if there's noticeable improvement between seasons.
DeleteThere are definitely elements of Season 5 I don't like very much--Lauren. But after that abomination of a Triangle in GMW, [How I hate Lucas Friar] I will never complain about Lauren ever again.
And there's definitely some very good elements in Season 5. "Eskimo" comes to mind.
I don't actually dislike Lauren for Lauren. I do dislike how Cory, and even Topanga, dealt with it. And well yeah; love triangles are well and good if they are done right - the GMW one was not. I didn't actually really hate Lucas until the triangle. I didn't really feel anything for him. But that the outcome was that he knew -all the time- who he liked, but held back out of fear of hurting someone?
DeleteWhat I -do- find interesting about Season 5 is that I think it's arguably the season where the characters other than Cory get their best chance to shine - if for no other reason than a lot of the Cory-centric episodes are not, this season, some of the stronger ones, but Shawn ones, and Eric ones as well, often are.
Oh, I don't dislike Lauren nearly as much as I used to. I disliked the Lauren Arc as a whole--or I did in high school and college, when I fell in love with BMW. But in the last couple years that's diminished somewhat. I guess it's just not the sort of stressor I would have done--though I'm not sure of what I actually would have done.
DeleteAnd that's a fair point--Lauren threw Cory for a loop, whether she intended it or not. Friar on the other hand strung Riley along since virtually the second episode which is when he first realized she liked him (not to mention his disgustingly immature behavior whenever a different boy expressed interest in Riley)
On the note of the Everyone-But-Cory-Gets-Their-Chance-to-Shine in Season 5. We did get "Eric Hollywood" which is one of the funniest episodes ever, and has a remarkably touching B-plot where Topanga and Shawn reconcile their strained friendship independently of Cory. And of course "Eskimo" is perhaps Shawn's very best episode (Amusingly, I once saw one GMW fan who was less familiar with BMW as a whole describe it as an entire season's worth of character development in one episode)
Exactly. I think I've stated a few times I didn't hate Lucas at first - and still quite like Zay. But with his attitude at the Si Lodge; both in referring to someone else talking to her, as well as not saying anything because he didn't want to hurt Maya, sucked. And way back in season 2, Charlie Gardner had a point. You do -not- get to be jealous when you're refusing to say anything. (Jealously isn't great at the best of times, but at least if you've stated your intentions, it is not necessarily the worst thing ever - Cory got jealous; though Topanga did a pretty good job of puncturing it most of the time).
DeleteI don't think Cory never, ever gets the chance to shine in Season 5; but the Eskimo is a pretty good example that the other characters shine a lot more than in previous seasons. But I definitely think that various episodes mean my partner isn't as keen to watch them this year - because yeah, there's "Eskimo" and "Eric Hollywood" - but there's also "No guts, no Cory" or "A very Topanga Christmas". Which given her growing dislike of Cory's relationship with Topanga, or more precisely, how he copes with it, is not a good episode for her. (So does this mean each season of BMW was an entire show's worth of character development in a single season?)
I still hold Zay in low regard not just because he wasn't funny at all for the first half of his appearances [he may have ended up being funny, but that took quite a while], but also because of his complete irrelevance to the plot [He has one conversation with Riley in between his intro episode and "Real World."]
DeleteI actually think the GMW fan was more referring to how "Eskimo" was more or less the growth we'd see from an entire season of GMW.
I liked "A Very Topanga Christmas." I grew up hearing my parents talking about how marriage is hard enough without adding another degree of complication like race or religion (It's not that my parents were opposed to it. They were wonderful and welcoming to the woman my older brother married who subscribed to a different faith). I didn't fully understand what they meant until I saw this episode. "A Very Topanga Christmas" very clearly put the issue into focus for me.
DeleteKit - I don't dislike "A Very Topanga Christmas" exactly. But really, it is one, mainly, for the Corpanga shippers. There may be some who like it despite it; but if you're not a fan of Corpanga, like my partner isn't (or more precisely, she's not a fan of Cory - and to be honest, even differing traditions aside, he's not at his best in this episode), it's not going to be one of your favourites.
DeleteHi Kit, long time no see. That's a fair point about the episode, and wasn't one I had fully considered.
DeletePart of the problem for "A Very Topanga Christmas" is that Topanga seems a bit too demanding--it's one thing for Topanga to drink cider over eggnog, and it's not something for Cory to fuss over. But insisting on a "real" Christmas tree, and demanding they drive hours to cut it down instead of getting it from a lot is ridiculous.
That said, I do enjoy Shawn and Jack trying to connect.
As I recall, 1960poster remarked a while back his disappointment that we never got to see some of the Christmas compromises Cory and Topanga made with their own family [Though Riley strikes me as more of a hot cocoa drinker than either eggnog or cider].
"...Topanga seems a bit too demanding..."
DeleteUhh, more than a bit <_<
Topanga is very demanding yeah. But what finally tips Cory over the edge is actually not really that bad - and he is guilty very much of not actually trying to talk to her about it. Just takes off. Jack and Shawn are finding compromises, when they still don't really know each other, and it take a crazy-stupid dream sequence for Cory to realise that compromises, rather than one way or the other, is what needs to happen.
DeleteI do think it seems they have an actual tree in GMW. To be honest, in my experience, what tends to happen is you start your own traditions when you have your own family; rather than it being a compromised mish-mash of the two.
Hey guys, interesting discussion. When I was first starting watching GMW, my working theory was that Lucas was being set up to become a bad, or at least unreliable, boyfriend, the eventual teen romance to end in disappointment for Riley. That feels like something I have said before, and I will never know now.
DeleteIt took a long while to warm up to Zay. As originally conceived, he was impossible to like.
I'm not sure; but that's partially because I have no faith in Disney letting something interesting like that happen. He was clearly, at least in season 1, being set up to be 'Prince Charming'.
DeleteOn the other hand, Jacobs has stated on more than one occasion, that Lucas+Riley was not going to be Cory + Topanga. I believe the words were something like 'there will only be one Cory and Topanga'. Season 3 in particular was not showing him in a good light in regards to good boyfriend material.
I always liked Zay. Whether a GMW-style show was a good showcase for that kind of character though... unlike, Friends for example, it did better with a small, very tight group of friends. In some respects, I think even adding Smackle as a somewhat regular didn't really work.
Milestones! My friend, it's been far too long1
DeleteDisney seems to operate in two basic storylines in regards to love, as far as the Disney Channel Live Action Universe is concerned [these are the shows made by It's A Laugh Productions). Usually, there's either the one romance interest that keeps coming around despite several breakups and occasional one-episode interests (Not unlike Topanga was...only usually far more generic. Friar is not the first in the line of boring-as-hell boyfriends on the Disney Channel) or else part of the group and they toe the line between friend and boyfriend and it takes forever and is annoying (Triangle aside, the will-they, won't they we got from Riley and Friar in Season One and Two is hardly unique, just far more singular)
I hated Zay at first--I dislike characters that delight in their stupidity and any character who sings about being a member of the D-D-D-D-D-F club isn't just someone to not like. It's a character to hate.
It took a long time to warm up to him--until Texas. And then the Triangle came around, and the realization that Friar had communicated with Zay in "Creativity" led me to conclude that Zay knew that his friend had feelings for both girls for a very long time. He knew what was going on, and did nothing to stop it. I do not like characters who stand aside.
Plus there was the fact that he had virtually no impact whatsoever on the plot of any episode apart from "Texas" after his introduction until "Real World."
I've made no secret of my hatred of Friar, and I think a fair bit of it spills over onto Say, for better or worse.
Say what you will of her role in Season 3, Isadora actually mattered a LOT in the episodes she was in before she joined the group in high school. And she tended to play semi-important roles when she did appear...though I would have killed for an episode that focused just on the three girls.
And yet, Maya responds to that with "I know that tune!" but we love Maya. Maya tends to delight in her stupidity too - though this is a real issue with kids shows today; not just Disney ones, that they don't draw the line very effectively between 'academically stupid' and 'streetwise stupid'. Maya... usually does okay with this; but we are still told constantly that it's only improving herself academically that makes her worthwhile.
DeleteThe point is that in season 3; Zay had no less of an impact than Smackle or even Farkle. I think Zay suffered quite majorly from the fact that all the storylines had to be about -all- the kids at once. It made it really hard to get development for the late-running Zay. I think he tends a little bit the way Jar Jar in the Phantom Menace suffered - he was clearly written as someone for the kids to laugh at.
"And yet, Maya responds to that with "I know that tune!" but we love Maya. Maya tends to delight in her stupidity too"
DeleteI knew the moment I posted the comment, somebody would rightly bring this point up.
I don't disagree for the most part--I've long loathed how laziness in academia is often treated as a joke. Sure there were plenty of jokes in the original show about how Cory and Eric and Shawn could be stupid-heads, and Eric's laziness and his realization that it isn't what he wants to be defined by later in life prove to be one of the things that made the original show so special. And there were several episodes where Feeny said "I know you can do better."
We get pieces of this with Maya, but it's often maudlin and then that stupid arc in Season 3 undoes so much work. But we never get any indication that Zay is trying to do better in school.
And I do agree that all of the characters suffered from having the group be so centralized, but at the same time, I never wanted a group that large in the first place, and I'd say half of them were not needed for the show at all [Power Trios are still my favorite].
I acknowledge your point about Jar Jar, but I think that better describes Auggie and Ava [Especially if we go with Jar Jar secretly being a Sith Lord]. Zay was introduced, in my view, to flesh out Bucky McBoring [instead of just banishing Bucky McBoring back to Boring Land].
I acknowledge that this particular show may have been better served with less; but I know my son for example, finds Zay hilarious. Now, whether he would have been a better character in a show which did better with a large ensemble, where people had individual arcs I admit we don't know for certain, I just think he may have.
DeleteAnd if you want to scale it back to a power trio of Riley, Maya and Farkle I have no real issue with this - I just don't think Zay is less deserving than Lucas particularly, or even what we saw of Smackle in Season 3.
Large groups of friends can work; but you need to be more along the lines of sharing the spotlight around, rather than trying to force them all into one story. Now whether having a large group of friends is too abrupt given the strongest years of BMW were probably when the show mainly focused on the Shawn/Cory/Topanga dynamic; or whether Jacobs is the kind of writer who does well with large groups (given BMW probably wasn't as good with the additions of Jack, Angela and especially Rachel); is a different question entirely.
Cryptid456-Topanga is going over the top to force Cory to adopt her family's traditions, and that's wrong. To me, the episode was never about who was right or who was wrong. Watching it, I wasn't taking sides, it was just one of those rare light bulb moments. It resonated with me, because it hit me that "oh, this was what my Mom was talking about."
DeleteCryptid456-"though I would have killed for an episode that focused just on the three girls." I would have loved an episode that split up the characters by gender. The girls go off in the city and have an age appropriate adventure, and so do the boys.
Will van Roekel-"Large groups of friends can work; but you need to be more along the lines of sharing the spotlight around, rather than trying to force them all into one story." I agree with this 100%. It's part of why "M*A*S*H" and "Friends" worked so well.
"To me, the episode was never about who was right or who was wrong. Watching it, I wasn't taking sides, it was just one of those rare light bulb moments. It resonated with me, because it hit me that "oh, this was what my Mom was talking about."
DeleteWell, you can't say fairer than that, Kit. "AVTC" is not my favorite BMW holiday episode by any stretch of the imagination (Turkey Day and Santa's Little Helper [Season One] take that honor) but if you enjoyed it so much then that's great
I acknowledge your point, but I think I actually would have preferred an episode with just Riley, Maya, and Isadora.
I agree with Cryptid on that one. If they were going to have a large cast; they needed to do more of having characters sitting out for the majority of the episode. Personally, given how blind Riley is about Lucas, I'd also want it to be about the other pointing out how controlling and jealous he is.
DeleteM*A*S*H is a good example. Friends... well; once the initial Ross/Rachel romance played out they didn't do a good job on that. It became the Ross and Rachel show; with far too much time spent on setting up their eventual reunion.
Yeah, I'm with Will. I don't object to mixing up dynamics, but there's still only so much time to tell the story. 22 minutes is not a long time, especially since a good minute is eaten up by the theme song and the tag scene is almost always inconsequential [not bad, but just inconsequential].
DeleteAnd while I'm certainly the last person to object that Lucas Friar is a controlling, jealous, coward, I'm not sure how many of the group would actually raise those points. Maya was right next to him when he threw his tantrum in Ski Lodge, and I don't see Zay doing it either.
Of course, the most logical course of action would have Riley and Friar double-date with Farkle and Isadora and using them as a foil.
I still haven't seen a full episode of Friends.
Cryptid456-"I think I actually would have preferred an episode with just Riley, Maya, and Isadora"
DeleteI'd totally be on board for that, but they would have to have a line or two to explain why the boys aren't there. It could be as simple as Farkle is at a family event while Lucas and Zay have tickets to one of the Texas teams playing an away game in New York and they're making a day of it.
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DeleteFair enough--throwaway lines to explain temporary absences are pretty common. Also, as a plot point, much as I loathe the Yankees, if they were to no-hit the Texas Rangers, or outscore them by thirty points to nothing (Or both), then that means the two Texans saw their team get stomped. I would laugh
DeleteIf we continue with Smackle not pretending she has a crush on Lucas anymore, I could see her stating it as she thought that's what boyfriends were meant to be like. "You know more about dating than I do. I thought it was normal!"
DeleteWell as long as the sporting event isn't against the Knicks. Because Lucas going to a basketball event and -not- inviting Riley... might actually make a point to someone.
"If we continue with Smackle not pretending she has a crush on Lucas anymore, I could see her stating it as she thought that's what boyfriends were meant to be like. "You know more about dating than I do. I thought it was normal!"
DeleteGiven that Isadora's first experience with "normal" students were Riley and Maya and Farkle, and seeing how Farkle was in full-on "Ladies" Mode, and later on seeing Maya and Lucas with their banter, I'd say that's a reasonable assumption.
As for the Knicks, I don't know--considering he went home for the holidays and went out of his way to avoid telling Riley, I'd say that's actually quite in line for Friar's character.
And now I'm imagining what Riley would do if the boys [sans Farkle, who I doubt would actually want to go to a basketball game in the first place] went to see the Knicks without her.
"And now I'm imagining what Riley would do if the boys [sans Farkle, who I doubt would actually want to go to a basketball game in the first place] went to see the Knicks without her."
DeleteEven worse - what if they won! I actually find it quite distressing that in Maya's big speech to Lucas about how he should go find her, she never warned him about hurting her. I just find Lucas' attitude in season 3 in particular to be disgusting; and I have this faint hope that Maya was meant to challenge him on it later during season 4 - that's the whole thing about how it's Maya and Riley's friendship that's the most important that was meant to be what Season 4 was about. It's the only that makes him not being called out on it during season 3 okay.
"Even worse - what if they won!"
DeleteAnd if Riley missed it....do you the the Minkus penthouse has a giant vault to hide in? [I'm actually amused by the idea that Minkus would get big money vault like Scrooge McDuck, but that's a topic for another day. Like tomorrow...]
"I actually find it quite distressing that in Maya's big speech to Lucas about how he should go find her, she never warned him about hurting her"
Which is especially strange, considering they "justified" the Triangle by Maya "testing" Lucas to see if he was "safe" for Riley. [Which is was just stupid, but made worse by there being relatively muted reaction to Friar's tantrum over Evan]
"and I have this faint hope that Maya was meant to challenge him on it later during season 4"
That'd be too long a wait, in my opinion. (But then, I wanted him gone in Season 2) Having said that, I'm completely on board with a confrontation. But although Maya's the obvious choice to do so, I'm not sure she's the best. And more to the point, in the event that a confrontation could turn physical (which knowing Friar, would not be unlikely), Maya would be squashed flat. Tough she may be, the girl is smaller than Isadora.
You think Farkle would actually let Lucas use his home to hide from Riley when he brought it on himself?
DeleteThat reaction to Evan was crazy. Topanga reacted to Lauren better even when she found out everything; and Lauren did seem at that point, a far more genuine threat to their relationship than Evan ever was. Not to mention, at the point she was talking to him, Lucas was still staying mum because 'I don't want to damage the friendship'.
If you want the kids to handle it; none of them could stand up to Lucas physically. Maya would do better than the rest; unless you want to recruit Billy Ross or Charlie Gardner. Though maybe Shawn stepping in wouldn't take away power from the kids the way Cory or Topanga would.
"You hurt my best friends daughter, who is also my kids best friend?"
"If you want the kids to handle it; none of them could stand up to Lucas physically. Maya would do better than the rest; unless you want to recruit Billy Ross or Charlie Gardner. "
DeleteTrue, but I wouldn't put it past Farkle or Isadora to just build a giant laser and melt him
"Though maybe Shawn stepping in wouldn't take away power from the kids the way Cory or Topanga would."
Which just goes to show that whether kids want to admit it or not, they need parents.
I'm not quite sure if I agree that Cory or Topanga stepping in would actually "take power away" from the kids, but even if it does, it'd be necessary, if such things were to occur. While Cory and Topanga did take a back seat in "Flaws" and "Rileytown," it was also clear that if things in those episodes got worse, then they needed to go to the adults.
I'd have no issue with Shawn stepping in in itself, mind you. Especially since he doesn't hold to the same One True Love mantra that Cory and Topanga set whether they meant to or not.
It actually be interesting to see Shawn go Papa Wolf--he's got an edge to him, an Alan-like toughness that Cory doesn't have.
Cory/Topanga stepping in would be a very calm, measured debate as it were - and Topanga pointing out legalities if Lucas did go as bad as it might.
DeleteShawn stepping in would be somewhat akin to Alan in "Cult Fiction". And yeah, he's a lot more aware of how exceptional Cory/Topanga was I think. Though they did admit how they weren't the norm near the end of BMW; I don't think they really (until recently, anyway) realised how their relationship can impact others around them, and their beliefs on love.
"Cory/Topanga stepping in would be a very calm, measured debate as it were - and Topanga pointing out legalities if Lucas did go as bad as it might."
DeleteEverybody. Loves. Stuart.
Cory does have a temper to him--it just takes severe provocation to piss him off. If a certain boy who strung his daughter along for two years were to actually hurt her physically, then all bets are off.
Yeah; but we're not talking, yet anyway, about him taking to hitting Riley. I mean if that's the case; Lucas has got more to worry about than Cory regardless; but yes, if it went that far that's an issue. I'm just not sure he'd find that part of himself if we're just talking about his controlling/jealous nature.
DeleteCryptid456-
Delete"True, but I wouldn't put it past Farkle or Isadora to just build a giant laser and melt him"
I would love to see Farkle or Isadora plotting some type of Bond villian weapon to get even with someone who hurt Riley or Maya. I think they would both be touched at the effort and thought, but would say they'd rather handle it themselves, but if it doesn't work, "I'll keep your crazy super-weapon as a back-up."
"It actually be interesting to see Shawn go Papa Wolf--he's got an edge to him, an Alan-like toughness that Cory doesn't have."
I would love to see Shawn go Papa Wolf for Maya or Riley.
"Cory does have a temper to him--it just takes severe provocation to piss him off. If a certain boy who strung his daughter along for two years were to actually hurt her physically, then all bets are off."
I would love to see Cory and Shawn both upset and ready to inflict serious damage on someone. Cory would be the type to go just plain crazy and crazy has no rules or limits. Shawn would be more methodical and just plain intimidating/threatening.
I actually think when angry Cory has been more effective than Shawn, it's just that he gets angry so much less often. Shawn's angry always tended to have a twinge of why pissiness to it. But Cory, when like furious, wasn't *scary* per say, but I felt it more. Angry Shawn always feels like he could start crying at any moment, Angry Cory doesn't.
DeleteBy the way, hi everyone, I'm Christian. I'm new here.
DeleteChristian! The Prodigal Blog Administrator returns! Welcome home!
DeleteHow'd the play go anyway? It was a sequel to Ferris Bueler according to Sean.
DeleteOh, and back to the subject at hand--Christian has a legitimate point. He articulates the WHAT of Angry Cory well. He isn't angry often, but when he is, watch out. [Unfortunately, we don't get to see Cory angry very often in GMW. Riley's a well-behaved kid but there were times when he should have been sterner. And there's definitely room for a story where Cory gets angry, for what he believes to be legitimate reasons, but
DeleteI actually wondering what role their upbringing has to do with this. Shawn may have been told growing up that "boys don't cry," so he resorts to angsty anger more readily than Cory.
And looking back to the earlier comments about confrontation, with regard to the Matthews family, I'm now pondering what Uncle Eric or Grandpa Alan would do if someone hurt Riley. Eric has a sort of angry-cry to him, with "The War" and "Brotherly Shove" coming to mind, but then "Brotherly Shove" also confirms that he is more than willing to use his fists to protect loved ones. And Alan...would likely EAT anyone who got him angry enough.
For angry-Eric if we're talking about Lucas treating Riley badly; I'm thinking more "Long Walk to Pittsburgh, Part 1". He doesn't get angrily easily; and now it's probably even harder to do so; but I feel there's a capability of a little bit of Alan in him if someone hurts his family. We saw goofy Eric mainly in GMW; but I don't think that means the Eric that threatened Shawn when he thought Shawn was trying to steal Topanga has just vanished.
DeleteAnd yeah. If Lucas thinks that he can hurt Riley and not have some problems with Alan, he's stupider than I thought.
Aah, all the missed opportunities.
Will van Roekel-" If Lucas thinks that he can hurt Riley and not have some problems with Alan, he's stupider than I thought."
DeleteIf Lucas ever hurt Riley his best chance for survival would be to duck out of the room while Alan, Cory, Shawn, and Eric were arguing about who gets first crack and who gets to kill him.
"f Lucas ever hurt Riley his best chance for survival would be to duck out of the room while Alan, Cory, Shawn, and Eric were arguing about who gets first crack and who gets to kill him."
DeleteAnd Topanga trumps the lot of them. She's fiercely loyal to those she cares about.
DeleteWill van Roekel-"And Topanga trumps the lot of them. She's fiercely loyal to those she cares about."
I love it! While the men are arguing, she handles things and Lucas never dares hurt another woman again.
We never really go to see much of Alan in GMW, which is a darned shame--though hardly surprising, as grand-parents rarely show up for more than an episode or two on any show on the Disney Channel, and even on the original show, we only saw Grandma Matthews once, and Nana Boo-boo once.
DeleteStill, Alan and Amy being the wonders that they are, I'd have liked to have seen them. I can't help but wonder what Amy would do if Riley asked for advice on romance. Amy never really bought into Corpanga as One True Loves, and I can't help but think she'd have a dim view of Bucky McBoring.
As for Alan, I think he'd provide something vital to the show's structure. He'd show that a strict parent, is not a bad parent. Hopefully. And I've said before, that I liked the idea of Alan appearing for a presentation for Veteran's Day at the school.
Also, if Topanga gets to destroy Friar, can she destroy Mrogenstern too? I acknowledge that her behavior improved (marginally) but Ava's gotten away with treating Auggie terribly, and even in Season 3 she treated him badly.
Amy could well have been the key to puncturing the myth about true love that Riley holds; last episode notwithstanding. I know Topanga tried with Auggie; but it's really quite hard to argue against "But it worked for you!".
DeleteI don't mind if she destroys Ava exactly. I just wish if they were going with her being like she is because her parents were constantly fighting, they did something with that rather than it fading into obscurity after it's announced they're divorcing.
As much as I despise and detest Friar in general, I do have to admit that the final episode, where he and Riley break up amicably and stay broken up, is superbly handled.
DeleteThe problem course arises with the Everything Else he's ever done--stringing both girls along for two years, knowing Riley had feelings for him when he did not return them and not making it explicit that he did not, describing the girls to Zay first by their physical appearances [Awful though his behavior often was, even Farkle at his earliest stages described them by their personalities], and his behavior towards anybody else who expressed interest in Riley--to say nothing of how he treated Riley in those situations, I'm still inclined to see him get his comeuppance. Preferably from someone with the surname "Matthews" though I'm open to "Hunter" or even "Minkus" and honestly wouldn't mind seeing "Keiner" or "Stechino"
Whilst I agree with Lucas getting his comeuppance, if we're willing to go for Minkus, Keiner or Stechino, I'd open the floor up to Turner or even Lawrence.
DeleteTo be fair; describing by looks alone is more how he describes Maya. Riley was 'the pretty brunette who never gives up on anyone or anything, and no sacrifice is too big for her friends".
I'm... actually unconvinced they would have stayed broken up if we'd had another season. They didn't break up exactly, just acknowledged that they weren't going to try for a long-distance relationship; and weren't going to go against Cory/Topanga on it. I suspect if we'd had a 4th season; they would have reunited over the summer, or in the first episode back.
"To be fair; describing by looks alone is more how he describes Maya. Riley was 'the pretty brunette who never gives up on anyone or anything, and no sacrifice is too big for her friends".
Delete...well, your memory is far better than mine.
But I think they would have stayed broken up. And given that the idea of a romantic relationship was at the heart of their friendship--and that Friar repeatedly proved to be a lousy friend otherwise--I don't know. [How the heck didn't he know that Riley was a Knicks fan? Even if Farkle and Maya go out of their way not to mention them (which is reasonable), did he never ask Riley so simple a question as "Riley, what'd you watch on TV last night?")
Speaking for myself, I wanted Riley to have several love interests and to learn something new from each. I wanted something genune to develop with Charlie--and I'm convinced that was Will Friedle's intention when he wrote "Semi-formal."
Yeah; but he'd been a pretty lousy friend for two years and Riley still wanted to date him. I dunno. My partner has issues with the Cory/Topanga relationship; but at the very least you can see how they got there. I just can't see how Lucas moved from initial attraction.
DeleteCryptid456 -"As for Alan, I think he'd provide something vital to the show's structure. He'd show that a strict parent, is not a bad parent. Hopefully."
DeleteI'm not sure I would describe Alan as strict. That being said, it would have been great if there was an episode where Cory was stumped at how to deal with a situation with Riley, and Topanga asked him, what would your father have done? We might have gotten to see a different side of Cory.
"And I've said before, that I liked the idea of Alan appearing for a presentation for Veteran's Day at the school."
That would have been good. Out of curiosity, did you have anything beyond the idea of a Veteran's Day episode? Did you have any ideas for what the plot might be?
"Speaking for myself, I wanted Riley to have several love interests and to learn something new from each. I wanted something genune to develop with Charlie--and I'm convinced that was Will Friedle's intention when he wrote "Semi-formal."
This would have been fantastic. Even Cory and Topanga dated other people before ending up together.
Will van Roekel- "I suspect if we'd had a 4th season; they would have reunited over the summer, or in the first episode back."
I hope not (although it probably would have happened). I like the idea of seeing them staying friends (realizing they work better as friends than a romantic couple). I like the idea of the two of them growing a little and realizing they are okay with dating other people.
If there had been a 4th season, I wish that Thor and his friends would make frequent appearances and be the someone who isn't related to them/a teacher to go to for advice. As a result of the divorce, Ava and her family move away. Auggie is seen at the dinning table and when his story impacts Riley, or when Riley's story is based on Auggie.
Also, in this hypothetical 4th season, they don't force all 6 kids into every subplot. The writers would start letting some of Riley's friends get subplots. Essentially make the show a mash-up of "Boy Meets World" and "Friends" for tweens.
I was talking what I thought would happen; not what I wanted. I'd prefer Lucas to go back to Texas. In fact, I'd prefer to keep Ava than Lucas; purely because she seemed to be improving. Lucas, if anything, was getting worse.
DeleteI didn't like Thor. Let a bully be a bully. He's either a bully, or a mentor, but that 'fake-bully' thing was such a cop-out. Most bullies, in my experience (and given I went to a private catholic school, I dealt with it a lot), don't start trying to get better till after high school.
I agree with your concept about not forcing all six kids into every subplot though. And as long as we keep the 'meant to be' angle that Friends had out of it, yeah.
Will van Roekel-I would have been okay with Thor and his friends being bullies/antagonists. It would have added something to the series. Having redeemed Thor and his friends, it seemed like a waste not to use them more.
DeleteKit - The problem was, they were never 'redeemed'as it were. They just said they were doing it all along to make sure Riley and co were 'ready'. I mean, come on. Even if I accept that a graduating student cares whether the school is 'in good hands' after they're gone, which is hard enough; if they're the sort of student that cares there -had- to be a better way to make sure Riley and her friends didn't drift apart. And that's not going to work anyway. Isadora is really Farkle's friend who hangs out due to association and she has problems making any friends; Zay is really just a friend-in-law. Lucas isn't likely to stay friends once the romance has played out in all honesty. Even Farkle is borderline. Riley and Maya would stick it out; but they have to acknowledge the fact their life -will- take them in different directions, and being forced to stay together by fake-bullying just isn't going to work long-term. And we're meant to buy that Thor isn't as dumb as he acts, so we have to question that anyone but someone truly stupid would think that would have an effect.
DeleteI'm back from my vacation! My, you two have been busy.
Delete"I'm not sure I would describe Alan as strict. That being said, it would have been great if there was an episode where Cory was stumped at how to deal with a situation with Riley, and Topanga asked him, what would your father have done? We might have gotten to see a different side of Cory."
While I do agree that would be a very natural way to re-ontroduce Alan, I'm a bit surprised to see you say that you wouldn't describe Alan as strict.
"Out of curiosity, did you have anything beyond the idea of a Veteran's Day episode? Did you have any ideas for what the plot might be?"
Well, we know that Alan served in the US Navy, and was stationed on a ship, possibly an aircraft carrier. But unless the timeline is fudged again (which would be certainly possible), it does not appear that Alan was actually in combat. But that does not negate the fact that he served his country, and his conduct should not be overlooked.
Given the somewhat romantic view a lot of popular culture gives the military [Call of Duty], it'd be entirely possible for someone, other than Riley of course, to say that Alan isn't a "real veteran." There could be an entire episode centered around that.
I actually got the idea from an episode of the show "Hey Arnold!" One of the characters was disappointed his father was only a pencil pusher in the Army. But the episode revealed that the pencil pusher had saved the life of a wounded infantryman he stumbled across by using some of his papers as a makeshift bandage. The infantryman and the pencil pusher during the duration of the episode, where the infantryman described the pencil pusher as "a real hero" and that "he'd been waiting twenty years to say thank you."
"I hope not (although it probably would have happened). I like the idea of seeing them staying friends (realizing they work better as friends than a romantic couple). I like the idea of the two of them growing a little and realizing they are okay with dating other people."
Personally, I'd rather have seen them break up, stay broken up, and then just not be friends anymore. It's sad, but the fact of the matter is that Friar and Riley have no foundation to their friendship whatsoever beyond her romantic attraction to him. To look back at Cory, he did not stay friends with Wendy, who was a very sweet girl, when they broke up, and unlike several of Shawn's old girlfriends was never mentioned ever again.
And Friar has made it abundantly clear that he resents the idea of Riley dating anyone else. Even though he knows damn well that he and Riley are not very good at dating.
"I was talking what I thought would happen; not what I wanted. I'd prefer Lucas to go back to Texas. In fact, I'd prefer to keep Ava than Lucas; purely because she seemed to be improving. Lucas, if anything, was getting worse."
That's where I stand, more or less, Will. Friar flunks out of ninth grade (I'm still convinced his grades were massaged so that he could stay on the sports teams) and moves back to Texas and has to work for Cletus, because not even Pappy Joe can stand him.
I'm perfectly okay with Ava moving away and never coming back, but I'd rather they address that her behavior was unacceptable. Have Auggie say that she's a meanie, and not nice to him, and he doesn't want to be her friend ever again.
I hated Thor. Hated him, hated him, hated him. I have no objection to a bully who has a mentality of "that which does not kill you, only makes you stronger," but Thor and the Valkyries was just stupid.
Cryptid456-I see strict as controlling, and Cory had a great deal of freedom.
Delete"it'd be entirely possible for someone, other than Riley of course, to say that Alan isn't a "real veteran." There could be an entire episode centered around that."
That would be a fantastic episode. It would be some sort of Veteran's Day event, where you would have a wide range of veterans. Someone who's had a little too much to drink starts mouthing off to Alan, and Alan leaves with this family before things get too bad/out of hand.
I could see Lucas and his family moving back to Texas, which might make it easier for Riley to meet and date new people. Here's a question, if Lucas goes back, does Zay go back as well, or does he stay and become a one man greek chorus commenting on the craziness around him?
"I'm perfectly okay with Ava moving away and never coming back, but I'd rather they address that her behavior was unacceptable. Have Auggie say that she's a meanie, and not nice to him, and he doesn't want to be her friend ever again."
This would have been a great subplot.
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DeleteI was thinking one of Riley's classmates, whether Friar or Zay or even one of the extras. We never really see Riley interact with her grandparents beyond "Hi! Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa!" but I can't imagine that she doesn't adore them.
DeleteAnd while I'm open to the idea of a grown-up insulting Alan, Alan is rather proud. I pity the fool who calls Alan a fraud.
If Friar were to go back to Texas, then Zay has no reason to. Their fathers work for the same company, and while it's implied that Zay badgered his father into asking for the New York transfer, I seriously doubt it'd happen again. But if their fathers were to leave whichever company they work for and go into business together, now that's a different matter.
You know me, Cryptid, I'm always busy here. On to the topic at hand.
DeleteI don't mind if Ava goes either; but I see a lot more promise for her than Lucas. So if we only get rid of one, it's Lucas for me. I actually think Auggie pointing out she's a meanie, and then her, in post-divorce times, actually looks at that. Hell, don't waste that brief exchange between Ava and Maya by having her consult with the only other child of divorced parents that we know she knows. I object to the mini-Cory and Topanga they're trying to make us believe in, but Ava -has- improved, and she could improve more. Lucas has gone from a boring Prince Charming to a controlling little prick of a boyfriend.
I'd rather Zay stayed. Let's see what he's like -without- being heavily linked to Lucas' best friend. Play with the fact that he's like the only one who apparently sees the problem in crawling into a girls bedroom.
And no. Don't have an adult insult Alan. He may see the problems inherent in violence, but he showed that that didn't necessarily mean he'd back down from someone who was questioning his honesty.
And I don't see strict as controlling necessarily. Alan let Cory do a lot, but he also made sure he damned well knew when he'd gone too far.
Cryptid456-"And while I'm open to the idea of a grown-up insulting Alan, Alan is rather proud. I pity the fool who calls Alan a fraud."
DeleteWhich is part of the reason why I want to see it. Someone in Riley's class can be chalked up to, "they're a kid and they don't know what they're talking about." It's a teachable moment. If it's an adult, the series goes to a much darker place, which I would be okay with. It's a great plot either way.
What I'm asking is if Lucas goes, would you keep Zay or would you want Zay to go as well?
Will van Roekel-
I want Zay to stay as well. I think it's fun to have a character who can comment on what's happening around him and point out how crazy it is.
This is way late to reply to both of you, but I've been a little busy.
DeleteI'd probably say that if Friar were to leave, I would prefer that Zay leave as well. I'm willing to admit that a lot of my dislike stems from his connection with Friar, but at the same time, I don't really have a reason to actually like Zay.
That being said, I have no objection to somebody leaning on the fourth wall about the absurdity of the show. [Remember when Shawn cursed "What the hell kind of tv show is this?" when Topanga moved away in "A Long Walk to Pittsburgh Part 1"]
I've made my points about Power Trios before, and I stand by them. The dynamic needs to be well-established before introducing new characters. [With that in mind, Isadora ironically probably had the smoothest transition]
"I don't really have a reason to actually like Zay."
DeleteHe's funny and that's good enough for me.
Oh, Will. There was something I'd forgotten. As amusing as it is to imagine various ways for Friar to get his comeuppance, we did forget something.
DeleteImagine how Riley would feel about this--the boy she idealized strung her along since pretty much the day they met, and now she realizes that he's a worthless prick....
Cryptid - Yeah, I know. It might be nice to see her talking to Topanga though and finally accepting that your first love probably won't be your last.
DeleteAnd it would definitely be fun to see Cory. "Knew I didn't trust that kid."
Will van Roekel- And it would definitely be fun to see Cory. "Knew I didn't trust that kid."
DeleteThat would have totally made it all worth it.
Kit - Not sure it would have made it -all- worth it; though it would have been a good start!
DeleteI'm not sure it'd have been worth it either.
DeleteNot really, considering Riley spent THREE YEARS pining after Friar, and he strung her along for two-and-a-half (We'd have to ignore the ending of "Goodbye" since objectively speaking, it's the best scene those two had together...which I'd find ironic even if I didn't hate Friar's slimy guts). She barely got to do anything else, really almost nothing by herself.
But a good, long heart-to-heart with Topanga (maybe even spanning the entire episode) is definitely something I can get behind. Especially if the conversation is clearly ongoing via changing sets--have Topanga put Riley's head in her lap, and then cut to them talking at the bakery over pastries with way too much sugar. and then back in Riley's room
Kill two birds with one stone. Also getting a really mother/daughter bonding episode - yeah, I know we got one; but bonding after a fight with each other is a very different experience than bonding over something like that.
DeleteJust watched the Hades Cup and Gold Match last night Sean. I laughed hard at the Ice Titan, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wish I had known ahead of time so I could have warned you about using Aero on the Titan.
Happy Father's Day everyone!
ReplyDeleteLet's all raise a glass to Alan Matthews, greatest of all sit-com fathers! In his name, let us watch "On the Fence," "Father Knows Less," "Model Family," "Kid Gloves," "Career Day," "Rave On," "I Ain't Going to Spray Lettuce No More," "Wheels," "Turkey Day," "Uncle Daddy," "Raging Cory," "Prom-ises, Prom-ises," "Better Than the Average Cory," and"I'm Going to Be Like You Dad." [I was tempted to include "Family Trees," but feel free to skip that one. Eric is too mean and Alan was NOT in Coast Guard]
Also, in Chet Hunter's name, let's watch "Janitor Dad," "We'll Have a Good Time Then," "Getting Hitched," and "Road Trip"
Oh, and in Jonathan Turner's name watch "He Said, She Said" and "I Never Sang for My Legal Guardian"
Have to wait for me to celebrate Father's Day. First Sunday in September in Australia.
DeleteI'll makes a note of that. Say, isn't your birthday in the first week of September as well?
DeleteYeah it is. It's on the 5th; so every few years they land on the same day.
DeleteCurrently watching the Live Stream of Sean playing Kingdom Hearts 2.5 on Level 1
ReplyDeleteGo Sean! GO!
Cryptid my friend, I will join you in cheering Sean on, even if I'm not really sure what this is (the internet says a computer game) and would never be able to figure out how to watch.
DeleteAh, Milestones...explaining Kingdom Hearts is complicated. There are entire hour-length videos describing it [Consider, that it would probably take ten minutes to describe Star Wars if we only use the movies].
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm-NoyqzGkY
If you want a shorter version, there's this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99hSFcl5LK4
This has nothing to do with GMW, but seeing as it is a holiday and I'm not one to miss holidays, I'd like to wish all of the Canadian readers of the blog a Happy Canada Day!
ReplyDeleteHey Cryptid, thanks! How was your vacation?
DeleteSplendid! Shipping and I and a third friend took a few days to go down to Washington DC. Sadly, we did not see Senator (Or President? One can dream) Eric Matthews.
DeleteBut we probably walked about thirty miles in three days. It was awesome. I'm still sore.
It's the Fourth of July, everyone! Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! There's no relevant episode for the Feeny-verse whatsoever, but if you have a spare three and a half hours, watch "!776" with Bill Daniels as John Adams.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fourth of July, Cryptid. I watched 1776 last year and enjoyed it, though I wonder if I would have ordered the disc if I knew it was a three and half hour musical.
DeleteThanks, Milestones. My Fourth was very nice and quiet. Still haven't seen 1776, but maybe this weekend Shipping and I will watch HBO's "John Adams."
DeleteHey guys, check it out. It appears that the ratings decline for GMW had quite a bit to do with streaming after all.
ReplyDeletehttps://news.fastcompany.com/basically-no-one-wants-to-watch-the-disney-channel-anymore-4042433
Streaming -is- a problem. Even ignoring netflix or the like, it's how fast the episodes would start appearing on youtube after the episode. It's also how fast internet connections are these days - even the 'slow' ones. I still think cancelling GMW for what was a channel-wide issue isn't necessarily the right way to go, because they still need to figure out how to stop it from happening with their next hit, and this something that all stations need to start to put things in place to deal with. The BBC has been arguably the smartest about it, with the vast majority of their shows simulcast world-wide - it doesn't really stop it, but it does stop a lot of people from doing it just to keep up. (There is a reason that Australia is known to do the most downloading in the world; and it's because mostly, we're way behind, if we get it at all).
DeleteYeah, that make sense. Even setting aside the legal streaming systems, there are episodes on Youtube with literally tens of thousands of views.
DeleteI don't like that the show was canceled (but then again, I don't think a lot of what happened was part of the original vision, so maybe it was for the best), but we would likely have had this problem with ratings, to a degree at least, no matter where the show aired.
But that's interesting about BBC's simulcasting. When there's major news events (debates, significant speeches, the Olympics) they tend to air co-currently here in America too. And sometimes, specific channels will air the same block of programming together [NBC has about six sub-channels, and they often air the same special program]
In Australia, we're anywhere up to six months behind most shows, so there is a lot downloaded here. I tend to buy DVDs of the shows I like; but there is no DVDs of either BMW or GMW here in Australia.
DeleteThe BBC started doing their simulcast with Doctor Who, as it was their flagship program, but too many people from foreign countries had already seen it by the time they aired. The attitude of the showrunner at the time was 'we can't actually stop it from happening, it's too difficult, so we'll reduce the appeal for doing so'; and this has now spread out to most of their shows that they sell overseas.
Illegal downloading is never going to stop - especially not for TV shows. Sure, Disney cracks down hard on anything on Youtube, but there are countless ways of getting them. I am against them, but especially in today's youth are all about binge-watching, it will be a problem from now on - it's hitting Disney hardest because they're a youth-based station, but the other channels will start getting more and more affected.
So what you saying is Lucas and Riley would have been a good couple? In the GMW there a lot of rucas fanfiction and lucaya and riarckle and joshaya and smackle those are the top 4 ships. So do you think Maya and Lucas could have been together romantically? There are a lot of lucaya fanfiction and shippers. Do you think riarckle could happen? They do compliment each other. They both said I love you to each other and Riley is Cory and farckle is Topanga. there is 2 articles why Lucas and Maya should be endgame and Riley and farkle Google it I'm asking Christian or a gmw fan
ReplyDeletenot to me carly is cory and freddie is topanga
DeleteI'm saying that Lucas wouldn't have been good for either of them. Lucas is too controlling, and Maya would have shut that down harder than Riley ever would have. Not a fan of Josh/Maya. I think Riley and Farkle's 'love' was purely platonic.
ReplyDeleteOh ok there are a lot of lucaya and riarckle stuff on tumblr.there were some steam lucaya and riarckle moments. I could swear that farkle liked Riley than more than just a friend. The looks he gave her. He looked at her with adoration with puppy eyes. He looked at the back of her shoulder in ski Lodge part 1 just Google riarckle on Tumblr. Do you think Riley and Maya could be a couple romantically? Why aren't you a fan of joshaya? Do you think if Lucas wasn't so controlling he would be better off with Maya? Do you think Lucas liked Maya than Riley? There has been lucaya and riarckle hints that was in the show. There's an article I would suggest you read why Maya and Lucas should be endgame and Riley and farkle should be endgame by bustle these are real articles. Please read them. There are videos on YouTube 100 reasons to ship rilaya lucaya and 90 reasons to ship riarckle. I think there were corpanga parallels in riarckle lucaya and rilaya. I need other people to chime in. Riarckle and lucaya hugged each other and wrapped each other arms. And Maya and farkle hugged each other side by side and Riley and Lucas gave a shoulder hug. There is a lot of rucas fanfiction and lucaya. Do you think rucas lacked chemistry? Do you think lucaya/ riarckle had more?
DeleteHonestly, I can give you -my- thoughts, but I'm not going to spend any time looking up why other people think so-and-so or such-and-such. Farkle -did- like Riley, and he probably still has a certain affection for her, but he likes Isadora more now. I... don't really see Riley/Maya as a romantic couple. It's just playing off the same kind of vibe Cory/Shawn had - I believe tvtropes calls it 'heterosexual life partners'. I don't like joshaya because it just doesn't jibe for me. Don't really want to get into a discussion on that as that's particularly polarising view points. Asking if Lucas and Maya could have worked if Lucas wasn't so controlling is I dunno, like asking if Cory could have been a good teacher if he didn't base all his lessons in our core group.
DeleteI'm also not a fan of shipping in general. I just tend to watch to see what works out - there are very few occasions I've supported a romantic couple that wasn't canon.
Lucas brought tacos for Maya he said he would bring food for his girl. Lucaya and riarckle had great potential of being of endgame. In chemistry lucaya and riarckle paired up. Maya wore the same necklace Topanga did when she realized she liked Cory. Her hair was the same. I think they were clues . Farckle said his favorite sound is Riley's laughter. He stares at her all the time. In girl meets bear when they are sitting at the table he's staring at Riley Riley is staring at Lucas Lucas is staring at Maya at Josh I think riarckle has something deeper. Joshaya didn't have many moments together. My bf wrote be my baby Riley and Lucas are married smackle say and Vanessa joshaya so Rucas is not endgame
DeleteI'm sorry but something in my heart telling me that riarckle could have been more than friends they hugged more than platonic Fri ends they are always staring at each other in a lovey dovey way. They say I love you the Pluto's reference s the stolen glances. So Rucas is not endgame because Rucas have no chemistry well romantic and yes Lucas would be with Maya if he wasn't so control ling abd yes Cory would be a good teacher if he didn't base lessons around the core group
DeleteYeah but I swear they could be gay they wear their rings like wedding rings. Their relationship is different from Cory and Shawn. So my bf wrong rucas is not endgame
ReplyDeleteSean, just watched the end of your most recent play through of Kingdom Hearts II.
ReplyDeleteGot to say--I completely, totally, 100%, absolutely agree with you on the final scenes. The catharsis in having stopped Xemnas and FINALLY made it home to the islands. And "Sanctuary" is a MUCH BETTER song than "Simple and Clean."
Only six days left till the new trailer for Kingdom Hearts III. Tetsuya Nomura describes it as a "god among games."
Chris tian what do you think about lucaya and riarckle? I think farkle was still in love with her he was always staring at her riarckle gave meaningful gifts the glances I love yous I think Riley and Maya are romantically connected too what do you think? There are videos on YouTube 100 reasons to ship rilaya lucaya and 90 reasons to ship lucaya what about joshaya
DeleteWill so rucas is not endgame and are not a good couple . I think Riley and Maya were gay for each other. She's her extraordinary relationship corpanga parallels they are going g o get married someday they are always there for each other. Farkle was still in love with Riley and was always staring at her before the last episode. If smackle wasn't his girlfriend... Like forces repel smackle and farkle are too perfect opposites attract
ReplyDeleteI just don't see Riley/Maya that way. I think they are trying, whether successful or not, to repeat the suggestive friendship that Cory and Shawn had. If Farkle and Riley got together... I'd be disappointed. Farkle and Riley were an avoiding of the 'men and women can't be friends' trope.
DeleteAlso, part of the reason that Riley/Maya might come across as other than platonic, is a common failing in many shows/movies. They rarely write strong female friendships well. Male friendships are done well; and don't get attacked nearly as often. This will continue to be a problem whilst most showrunners are male. Even BMW; despite doing a stellar job in a strong teen female role model in Topanga, struggled with this. They tried to claim Angela and Topanga were best friends - but it honestly came across more like 'well she's dating my boyfriend's best friend' than anything.
Hey look everyone, Adam Scott (Griff Hawkins) is in a new tv show. Looks pretty good. He may have only been in, what, three episodes, but Scott's still part of the Feeny-verse, so I'll probably give it a watch.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyHjyq8a_bs
Wil, Maya stares at Riley's lips in girl meets Riley town and when they talk about religion. Watch 100 reasons to ship rliaya I promise you Maya may not be straight she's project in her feelings onto Lucas and Josh because she loves riley
ReplyDelete... she's looking at -her-, not her lips. The way you do when your best friend is hurting. I'm not against it by any means; but there really isn't enough evidence, for mine, to prove it.
DeleteCory/Shawn would have been a very compelling argument if it weren't for the presence of Topanga.
Another Tweet - seems our lost show was again nominated for an Emmy.
ReplyDeleteGirl Meets Writers @GMWWriters
Grateful to be nominated for our 3rd Emmy in 3 years. We thank the Academy and as always our remarkably loyal audience, cast and crew.
12:01 PM - 13 Jul 2017
The shows nominated are:
DeleteMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 90th Celebration - (not sure how this is a childrens program)
Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas - HBO
School Of Rock - Nick
Star Wars Rebels - Disney XD (Rebels is an excellent show)
Girl Meets World - Disney
So looking at this list, GMW has a better shot this year than the last 2.
Sean...this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4y7UK4nqnQ
Cryptid - You mentioned this episode earlier; so I thought I'd mention that just before dinner last night, my son got to watch 'the Eskimo'.
ReplyDeleteNo Maya is starting at Riley's lips in Riley town look where her eyes go
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zylEooiTqyY
ReplyDeleteSean, you magnificent man. Blindfolded. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it for myself.
Thinking about trying any other bosses? Demyx could be a real challenge.
So rucas is not a good couple. Some think their romantic scenes are forced and awakard. They don't have much romantic chemistry. That lucaya face grab had more romantic chemistry than that rucas subway kiss am I right? What do you think fellow review ers? Does rucas have no romantic chemistry?
ReplyDeleteSomething I would have liked to see explored (and it could have been done through a super short scene or a few lines of dialogue) is why Isadora switched from a private school to a public school. There's no way her parents would have let her switch just because that's where her boyfriend was going to school. I get the writers did it because they wanted all the kids in the same class, but I would have really liked an in-universe explanation.
ReplyDeleteActually, given her social issues, it's quite possible they would have. Academics is just not going to be a problem for Isadora, no matter where she went to school. And this is a universe where her parents let Topanga stay where she was living to be in the same area as her boyfriend; which was worse. (Despite Amy's argument about moving her away from her school; that doesn't really follow - it's actually the one thing I don't mind about her parents separation; it gives a real reason why they let that happen; just Topanga's reaction was stupid).
DeleteThough it's not quite the same due to those extra few years; Topanga's decision not to go to Yale was similar. Both are smart enough that they will probably excel at whatever school; but Isadora has some major social issues, and having a boyfriend who has friends who will help her overcome them might be more important than going to the 'best' school. It's not as though public schools don't get good teachers.
Those are all very good points I hadn't thought of.
DeleteAh, Will! Kit! How I've missed thee!
DeleteIsadora's situation is rather interesting on paper. She transfers from a presumably prestigious private school to a public school.
As I understand it, New York City is notable in its public school system, in that it allows for something akin to school choice. Students going into high school put down their choices, and then enrollment occurs from their first choices onward.
I think I have some details wrong though.
In any event, Abigail Adams High School was a school that Isadora quite literally choose to go to. A public school, given proper funding, can provide many of the same opportunities that Einstein Academy would have offered.
More important is the effort Isadora would put into her education. Education is what you choose to make of it after all.
"Permanent Record" tells us she's taking an Honors Chemistry course as a ninth grader.
To put this into context, Shipping and I went to one of the best schools in the state--and despite it being a college prep school, I don't think a single student, not even the equivalents of Minkus, was that advanced.
But within the context of Isadora and her parents, it's curious. The one time I remember them being mentioned is in "Farkle's Choice" (ugh). Isadora brought her uncle to the Buggie Awards, because "Daddy said no" and had to correct people on it.
That was about it, but a couple posts on fan sites speculated there may be more (Probably not, since it was literally nothing else said on the matter)
As for "that's where her friends are," you never know. Shipping and I knew kids in grammar school that transferred because their best friends transferred.
And more to the point, Farkle's not just Isadora's boyfriend. Riley and the group were her first friends--"Smackle" implied that she was not actually friendly with her teammates outside of the debates.
Missed you too, Cryptid!
DeleteI find it hard to reconcile; because here in Australia the public schooling system is pretty atrocious. Partially due to the fact that private schools also get a measure of Government funding, taking away from the public schools. So it is somewhat hard for me to see this from Isadora's PoV, because a public, non-selective school in Australia just doesn't stack up to a prestigious, private school.
But social skills is really the thing I feel. Say what you like about Maya, and even Riley, in regards to their academic skills, they both clearly understand social skills, and both would have no problem in helping Isadora with this.
I suppose it would seem strange to people who are not familiar with the New York City education system.
DeleteOn social skills, you have a point. I just wish that the writers had really taken advantage of Isadora trying to integrate into the group.
While Riley was nice to her approximately seven seconds after speaking to her directly one-on-one in "Smackle," and that can't be something Isadora, would be familiar with.
It would have been nice to see the Isadora/Riley dynamic focused on more.
Cryptid456-"It would have been nice to see the Isadora/Riley dynamic focused on more."
DeleteIt would have been interesting to see Isadora and Riley together for an episode without Maya being there most of the time. At the start of the episode, Maya, Shawn and Katy are going on a trip (There are also other ways to get Maya out of the picture for an episode). Isadora and Riley spend time together getting to know each other better.
That'd be something I could get behind--and I agree that Maya pretty much can't be in the episode if we're to have any really strong character development between Riley and...well, pretty much anyone, but perhaps especially Isadora, since she's really the only other girl they're friends with.
DeleteOne idea I like is the kids splitting up for a science fair. We know that Isadora is in a chemistry course, while Riley is most likely in biology, I could by a project that is judged separately or graded as Independent Study being worked on by the two of them.
Or even a project, probably science but not necessarily, Farkle/Isadora and Riley/Maya were asked to work with different partners for a change. Farkle might be seen as someone who could teach Maya better because Riley has a tendency to just do the work (Girl Meets STEM not withstanding, I see Farkle as less likely to do this), and Riley could for once work with someone who would do their fair share of the work.
DeleteA school project would work, but it doesn't have to be science. Any assignment that gets the two of them paired up/alone together. Some type of assignment for english class where you have to deal with the characters emotions/feelings/motivations could work too.
DeleteWill van Roekel-I don't see Riley and Maya asking to paired with different people, but I could see the teacher requiring people to work with someone they haven't worked with before, and Isadora asking Riley to be her partner before anyone else does.
Why not? Cory and Shawn did - by Feeny no less. Given Cory keeps trying to be the 'new Feeny', no matter how woefully inadequate he is (at this point) to the task, I can see him stealing that one from Feeny's playbook.
DeleteAnd this might be for the better--I sometimes think that Cory might be a little too willing to go easy on Maya. Yes, it's true that she started trying harder in school, but at the same time, Cory is Cory...
DeleteIn any event, I'd like to see the interactions between Riley and Isadora because while Farkle is closer to Isadora in intellect, Riley strikes me as the one who actually likes to learn for the sake of learning (the abomination that is "Girl Meets Real World" aside). Farkle wants to take over the world.
Just imagine if they have to write an essay, and Riley and Isadora write much more than anyone else.
Cryptid456-I agree. I don't know why, but I'm picturing some kind of assignment were imagination and creativity is involved. Riley covers the imagination/creative part, while Isadora covers the fact based part. If it's history class, write an imagined conversation between two historical figures at a key moment. If it's an english class, write a missing moment that wasn't in the novel. They would make an awesome team and get the highest score in class.
DeleteSorry for the delay, Kit
DeleteI like the idea of them having to combine their skills. Isadora's extremely academic, and while Riley's a straight-A student, there's little question that she's a dreamer.
I don't even see her as a straight-A student. I don't think even now she's getting As in Spanish (though she's likely passing now); and I refuse to believe she can be getting As in art.
DeleteI don't think they'd get the highest mark in class though; at least, not the first time. Isadora is still very logically-minded, and the whole point of teaming them up would be to push Isadora to move out of her comfort zone - whilst that is a very good life lesson, it doesn't usually result in the absolute best marks in class.
Will van Roekel-
DeleteIsadora knows the facts and the history. She'd make sure the language was period accurate, and that all of the props are items that existed not only at the time the story took place, but also items that the person would have owned. I could see Isadora saying something like "item X was expensive. This person wouldn't have been able to afford it. They would have used item Y instead."
Riley understands human emotions, how events make people feel, how they react to things, how people speak and converse.
The combination of their talents is why I think they would get the highest grade in the class for this assignment.
I think there's merit to both your positions. Amicable though they may be, Riley and Isadora are very different people, and that may not translate well into a team project.
DeleteOf course, that depends on the project. We don't even know if they share any other courses besides History.
Of course it doesn't have to be classwork. What if Farkle and Isadora need a third person for their team for an Academic Decathlon?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see descendents 2 it was better than the first one. Chilling like a villain the space within song what's my name? Chyna McClain was very good.peopke shipped Jay and Carlos and nal and Evie Carlos and Jane seems a bit forced. I love all the songs costumes and the set were amazing and at the end they danced in the water
ReplyDeleteBelow is a link to a fantastic website to discuss Disney Channel Original Movies. I am active on other boards on this site, and it's a great group of people.
Deletehttp://forums.previously.tv/topic/9508-disney-channel-original-movies/
Here are my final thoughts about gmw. I wish Cory and Topanga acted more affectionate towards each other. Uncle Josh would be recurring. More zay/ farkle / Lucas episode s Maya/ Isadora/ Riley episode I wanted them to be in after school activities I would have liked the writers to show that more. Riley needed to get in trouble I wanted her to have a mean girl regular bully like Missy. Lucas and her break up . More zaydora moments. More zaya. Some Isadora and farkle centered episodes. And zay. Develop the minor character s like Charlie I felt like there were some missed opportunities. Have Cory be the new teacher still learning he was a bad teacher. Have Topanga at her work show that
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get on previously.tv dcom website
ReplyDeleteStrange. Try copying and pasting the link I posted.
Delete