Girl Meets World is a Disney Channel original show released in 2014. The show is a spin-off/pick-up of “Boy Meets World”, a hit 90s Disney Channel TV show. Girl Meets World picks up a decade later with Cory and Topanga Matthews trying to guide their daughter Riley through her middle school and high school years. This show ran for 3 seasons with 60 episodes until 2017. I have never previously watched Boy Meets World so I couldn’t connect it to how well it is compared to the spin-off. But Girl Meets World has some problematic plot points in the show now that it’s been almost a decade since its original release.
“Once Riley and Maya both found out they gaslighted him into thinking it was absolutely nothing. One of their closest friends was brushing off a diagnosis as “beings Farkly”? Throughout the show they are trying to do research and gather more information on Autism in general. ”
By Marleena Banks, mb403@uakron.edu
In season 2, episode 3, a brand new character is introduced to the cast. His name is Isaiah Babineaux. He’s one of Lucas’ old friends from Texas before he moved to New York City. Lucas had never previously said much about his hometown but, when Zay arrives it’s a completely new shift in the environment. Throughout the episode, Riley is constantly pressing Lucas to reveal why he initially moved away. Riley is a completely invasive peer pressuring him into revealing why he left. Her approach at new information is invalid, and then continues to use her crush on him as an excuse to know what happened.
In season 2, episode 15 Farkle is diagnosed with Autism. Once Riley and Maya both found out they gaslighted him into thinking it was absolutely nothing. One of their closest friends was brushing off a diagnosis as “beings Farkly”? Throughout the show they are trying to do research and gather more information on Autism in general. They even go through a list of symptoms and Farkle begins to mark them off like they’re a check-list. Maya is still in denial that Farkle is Autistic and repeats “he’ll stop doing that”. At one point, Smackle (Farkles' arch-nemesis that attends Einstein Academy, a school for geniuses) tries to tell the group that she has Autism as well. She was diagnosed when she was a kid long before he was. Before Smackle can even finish the sentence, Riley interrupts her and says that they already knew that. Just a few minutes ago you were denying that Farkle even has autism, but all of a sudden you’re a trained professional? This episode was completely ableist and the term used in the show to describe what type of Autism Farkle has is incredibly outdated.
Girl Meets World does not stop there, a weird class lesson on Communism, an incredibly unnecessary love triangle between Riley, Maya, and Lucas and a weird Pro-Christianity episode. Not to mention the love triangle spans for a good portion of seasons 2 and 3. They ended up writing it off as Maya trying to see if Lucas is a good guy by becoming Riley. A couple of unnecessary plot points that barely progress the plot. Girl Meets World could’ve had so much potential to be great. It’s trying to connect with the younger audience, teenager audience and the parents as well. Since millennials know Boy Meets World so well, they also need to grab their attention and bring them in as well. They tried to grab the attention of three different generations. I easily enjoyed it as a kid but not as teeenager. .
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