Boy Meets World is a type of traditional exhibits that is grow to be much more common because of streaming. Amid that, the present has been re-evaluted, with sequence solid members Danielle Fishel, Rider Sturdy and Will Friedle even rewatching it for a podcast. The trio have used their platform discuss concerning the highs and lows of filming the beloved ABC sequence. One low for Sturdy, apparently, was the notorious alcoholic episode, and he defined simply why it marked such a “depressing” expertise for him.
Regardless of Boy Meets World being a family-friendly present, the hilarious sitcom featured dramatic moments sometimes. One may recall the time that Eric Matthews determined to not undertake his little buddy, Tommy, or when Shawn and Jack Hunter’s father died. On prime of all that, it is laborious to overlook the episode that handled alcoholism. It was truly so uncooked that Disney Channel banned the “particular” episode from its syndication. Rider Sturdy did not maintain again about what it was like filming the installment when discussing it on the Pod Meets World rewatch podcast:
I’m simply half-assing it this complete episode. I’m so depressing.
Within the episode, “If You Can’t Be With the One You Love…,” Cory Matthews is depressed about his breakup with Topanga, which ends up in him stealing his dad’s whisky flask and convincing Shawn to drink with him at a highschool social gathering. Shawn and Cory then proceed to do handstands and pee on a cop automobile whereas intoxicated. In the end, after getting busted by Cory’s dad and mom for ingesting on the social gathering, Cory and Shawn vow by no means to drink once more. Whereas Cory sticks to that, Shawn finally ends up ingesting for an entire week following the social gathering.
By the tip of the 22-minute episode, Shawn after pushing his girlfriend, Angela, in opposition to a door. That additionally got here after his brother, Jack, reminded him that alcoholism ran of their household. Rider Sturdy stated he felt confused filming the episode, on condition that Cory may very well be humorous whereas drunk whereas Shawn was like “a extra excessive model” of that. The previous little one star spoke extra about why he did not really feel younger audiences would do effectively to be taught the risks of alcoholism following that individual episode:
The actual downside that I see is it’s truly a disservice to individuals. The actual challenge with ingesting is that always it’s sneakier, it’s weirder, it’s slower. It slowly takes over individuals’s lives … to try to cram a whole alcoholic journey and sobriety journey into 22 minutes — that’s not ever what it truly is like. That’s by no means the way it occurs in actual life. So in a bizarre method, it’s hurting the problem that it’s making an attempt to deal with.
The veteran actor additionally identified that he didn’t discover it reasonable that at a highschool social gathering, teenagers wanted to sneak alcohol there. The Kim Doable alum stated that if something, everyone on the social gathering could be ingesting. Plus, he wished the sequence might have proven that typically it takes one social gathering for somebody to develop a lifelong habit.
I perceive the place Rider Sturdy is coming from in that alcoholism is a really complicated challenge that may’t start and finish so rapidly. It could have been attention-grabbing to see the toll that Shawn’s rising alcoholism might have brought on. It might’ve resulted in Angela breaking apart with him or if Cory’s dad and mom sticking by their rule that their son could not see Shawn once more. Perhaps there even an episode by which Shawn is shipped to rehab, and it might’ve illuminated the experiences of those that’ve recovered from alcoholism.
Though Boy Meets World didn’t get too intense with its alcoholic storyline, Rider Sturdy beforehand stated some time again that the beloved sitcom linked with followers a lot due to its darkish storylines. Whereas the humorous family-friendly present’s precedence was making audiences chortle with its humorous conditions, it additionally featured “particular” episodes as a method to educate youths on critical subjects. Sturdy admitted that even when that notorious episode didn’t delve an excessive amount of into the heavy, he realized it was extra centered on the message the creators have been making an attempt to convey to audiences — that ingesting is unhealthy and to not begin.
I’ll say that the message did hit with me. Once I first watched that memorable episode as a toddler, it was nonetheless scary for me to see such respectable characters like Cory and Shawn drink and be so disorderly. Though the episode did not educate me concerning the critical repercussions that got here from alcoholism, it positively left an impression on me. With that, I thank Rider Sturdy for powering by means of the “depressing” expertise of filming it.
You possibly can relieve the episode and extra by streaming all seven seasons of Boy Meets World with a Disney+ subscription. Additionally, make sure you hearken to new episodes of Pod Meets World on iHeartPodcasts and different locations the place podcasts can be found.