The World Meets "Girl Meets World"

by Daniela

I have a confession to make. I am 21, I watch Girl Meets World, and I have no shame. Yes, I actually haven't watched Disney Channel religiously since I was about 14. Okay, that does sound a bit out of the demographic but Hannah Montana was my thing. If you ask a lot of people today, many would say that Disney Channel shows are on the decline as the quality of the shows aren't what they used to be. I might even go out and say that Disney Junior is probably better than the main channel. But that's just me.

So why is 21 year old me watching a show that's aimed at tween girls? The answer may be no surprise to you, but growing up, I was huge fan of it's predecessor, Boy Meets World. Boy first aired in my birth year but growing up, you could always find a timeslot where they aired episodes in order from season 1. Although some of the themes may have gone right over my head, it was still entertaining and memorable. Who could forget Cory and Topanga's first interaction and Topanga smearing red lipstick all over her face? Naturally, when word of sequel started circulating, this peaked my interest and I was anxiously waiting for a premiere date. But has it lived up to the hype?

The cast of Girl Meets World

After the events of Boy Meets World, Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) move to New York where they raise their daughter, Riley (Rowan Blanchard) and son, Auggie (August Maturo). Girl Meets World follows the life of Riley Matthews as a normal 12 year old girl who also has her father as her middle school teacher. But with best friend Maya (Sabrina Carpenter), at her side, the girls find themselves in multiple sticky situations.

With a new series comes a slew of new characters. Riley is pretty much Cory, with Topanga's hair. She is full of heart and blind optimism that leads her into always trying to fix things. Maya, the best friend with an attitude, bears a big resemblance to Shawn from Boy. Coming from a broken home, Maya carries a lot of baggage and often turns to Riley and the Matthews family for support. Farkle (Cory Fogelmanis) is the genius of the group and in love with both Riley and Maya. Although he often shows a lot of his evil genius and psychotic side, ultimately Farkle is all about loyalty and being a good friend. Lucas is the new kid in town and shows an interest in Riley. He's the overall nice guy who everyone wants to be around. And let's just take a second to acknowledge all the 20+ year old females in the world who don't know what to do with their feelings towards him because he's a good looking middle schooler, No this does not include me, but this especially goes out to someone specifically *wink*. And then there's Auggie, who's just a little ball of adorable.

These young actors show so much potential and already come to the series with large amounts of talent. It's fun to see how much they have already grown since the pilot and how well they have nurtured their craft. Rowan is quirky but knows when to tame herself. Sabrina knows how to bring the attitude but still leave Maya as a likeable character. Big kudos goes to the writers as well. No doubt that by the time the series ends, these young actors will have a world of experience (excuse the pun) under their belt.

Episode clip of Girl Meets Father

The storylines seem typical of normal children's shows with the characters often being in the middle sticky and unrealistic situations. Yet, there's something that sets the show apart from these other programs. There's always a theme or moral that although simple, is presented in an impactful way. In the pilot, Maya starts a homework rebellion against Cory but we find out it's because she has no one at home to help her. Girl Meets Maya's Mother shows that Maya doesn't expect much from her mother because she's always half present. In Girl Meets Father, Riley wants to go to a school dance rather than uphold a family tradition. But we also learn that Cory doesn't want her to go because he's scared of losing their cherished father-daughter relationship. Amidst the crazy subway adventures and strange homework tasks assigned by Cory, there is heart.

I understand that many people were skeptical leading into the series. I for one thought that it was basically going to be Boy Meets World all over again except with a girl. In some ways, yes, it became that but in other ways it builds from Boy but weaves in out of Riley's and Cory's storylines. Although the title says Girl Meets World, it's very much so Maya's world as well. Now that the Boy is all grown up, we still get glimpses of his world and his part in Riley's world. Cory takes on a whole new adventure. He's now a father to two (one being almost a teen) and he has to learn deal with it, while trying to be a Mr. Feeny type figure in his children's lives. I like how the B plot usually at least involves the happenings of Cory and Topanga's world rather than leave them as side characters. It's something that draws in old audiences who are checking in on their favourite 90s couple.

It would be unfair to ask for incredibly serious storylines because the series is still in in its first season. I think Riley should be dealing with issues that relevant to her age. Remember that they're still testing the waters and that the show is now on Disney Channel and not ABC. The writers have given indication that they will try to tackle serious and real plots in the futures such as sexuality, digging deeper into issues about body image etc. So sure, the show may be childish, but give it time to find its legs and eventually grow its wings. Season 1 of Boy marched to the same beat before it picked up. And if we're looking carefully, there have been hints along the way regarding things like broken homes and blended families that look like they'll be explored in more depth in the future. The characters are growing up and the show will follow suit.

Episode Clip of Girl Meets Flaws

There are many parallels between Boy and Girl which have been utilised very well. The homework rebellion was something that was dealt with in Boy as well. We're treated to some familiar faces making appearances throughout the season. I for one, did not expect them to pull out the Feeny card in the pilot! I had no control over my jaw hitting the floor and my inaudible gasp. There's enough there for old audiences to pick up on yet it doesn't deter from the now. For example, when Harvey Kiener makes an appearance as the school's janitor in Girl Meets the Forgotten, the new audience meet him as a new character who weaves in and out of the storyline but don't get any confirmation that he's an original character from Boy till the end of the episode. And that's perfectly okay. The acknowledgement is what keeps old audiences watching.

Although I may be out of the target audience, Girl Meets World is entertaining and provides just the right amount of nostalgia without shoving it in your face, The world at 2014 is very different compared to the world 1993. Even though we may deal with the same issues, the way we tackle them nowadays may be a little different. Girl Meets World caters to the needs of a new generation while still tugging the hearstrings of 20+ year olds.

Plus, that is one good theme song.

"Take on the World" - the Girl Meets World Theme Song

Notable Episodes

Girl Meets Father
Riley wants to attend a school dance but the consequence is breaking her father-daughter tradition of riding the last roller coaster ride of the season. This makes Cory feel like he is losing his connection with his daughter. At the same time, Cory struggles with giving Maya an "F" in his class.

Girl Meets Flaws
When Farkle is teased for being different, he begins to retreat and finds solace in Janitor Harvey. Riley, Maya and Lucas are concerned with their friend's well-being and work on rallying their classmates to accept one another's differences.

Girl Meets Home For the Holidays
It's Christmas and the Matthews family are hosting the holidays at their place. Riley's grandparents, Uncle Josh and Cory's best friend Shawn (Rider Strong) are visiting and Topanga works on creating the perfect dinner. Shawn learns more about Riley and comes to find out that he has many things in common with Maya.

A Sneak peek of Girl Meets Home for the Holidays

For more behind the scenes information on Girl Meets World, you should follow the writers on twitter @GMWWriters where they reply to fan questions.