Boy Meets World is definitely one of many best TGIF comedies. One of many causes for that’s that it sees Cory Matthews, Topanga Lawrence, Shawn Hunter and co. going through the ups and downs of life in an authentic-feeling means. And, because the BMW forged acquired older, their characters grew to become wrapped up in additional adult-like conditions, resulting in some dramatic moments within the sitcom. On that notice, Danielle Fishel is getting trustworthy in regards to the “painful” episode that includes Fred Savage, and her ideas on it align with mine in some ways.
In “All people Loves Stuart” (which will be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), The Surprise Years’ Fred Savage visitor stars alongside youthful brother Ben on the humorous, family-friendly sequence. Fred’s character is a bit unsavory, although, as he performs youthful school philosophy trainer Stuart, who Cory and his buddies view as cool. Their ideas on Stuart shift, nonetheless, after he makes a blatant cross at Topanga. Cory later retaliates (bodily) and faces suspension or expulsion from school.
Danielle Fishel and co-stars Will Friedle and Rider Robust reached that exact episode throughout an episode of their rewatch podcast episode, Pod Meets World. Whereas Robust discovered the episode “painful to look at,” Fishel likened it to an after college particular and defined that it did not successfully serve Topanga as a personality:
I felt like this factor that occurred to Topanga grew to become about, ‘How is the person in her life going to really feel about it, and what’s he going to do about it?’ [Topanga’s] company was fully simply taken away. I didn’t recognize that in any respect.
I fully agree that Topanga’s company actually was “taken away.” Throughout the episode, Stuart visits her dorm, holds her hand and is advised she’s “enticing” by a trainer who’s too overly assured along with his inappropriate actions. What’s represented there’s basically grooming on Stuart’s half. Regardless of that, the remainder of the episode is all about Cory and his danger of getting kicked out of faculty for hitting Stuart.
It jogs my memory of the controversy over Sansa Stark’s sexual assault scene in Sport of Thrones. Followers have been offended seeing the digital camera deal with Theon Greyjoy’s painful-looking face amid the assault reasonably than Sansa. If a lady’s traumatic expertise is glossed over to deal with a person’s perspective, then within the context of a TV present, a lady’s ache is just getting used to ahead a male character’s growth.
Danielle Fishel continued to speak about how “Topanga turns into unimportant.” She wished that there had been a scene the place Cory and Topanga spoke about what she may do in regards to the scenario and the way she’d like her fiancé to assist her. These are my ideas precisely, particularly contemplating that throughout the council listening to scene, Topanga wasn’t even allowed to speak, as Stuart and Dean Bolander have been always interrupting her.
Will Friedle agreed with Danielle Fishel about Cory taking up the story and that Topanga’s storyline would have been “rather more attention-grabbing.” What Fishel did reward was the “objective” of the episode, which to was to indicate that characters that viewers first met as youngsters may discover themselves in such uncomfortable conditions. Fishel principally has hassle with the execution, and Rider Robust introduced an argument that might clarify the intentions of the sitcom’s writers:
The priority just isn’t how Topanga feels. It is about how the violation of Topanga is mirrored by means of the way it violates Cory’s rights.
Fishel fairly agreed to Rider Robust’s argument. The present is referred to as BMW, which implies the sequence can be advised from the boy’s perspective. If the present was centered on Topanga, I’d prefer to imagine the ABC present would have taken a special method.
As a fan, I actually recognize the nuanced discussions Danielle Fishel and co. are having as they rewatch Boy Meets World. It is a enjoyable present, however it’s actually not good once you view it from a up to date lens. Fishel additionally says that she will “empathize” with the writers and the objective they have been attempting to realize. Nevertheless, they only did not pull it off in a means that fostered progress in Topanga. I personally hope that writers on present reveals study from this and search to take care of company for characters who’re positioned in such conditions.