Likes, Dislikes, and General Impressions

[Lord Kira]

I decided to make this thread instead of cluttering the individual episode threads, especially as some of these either span all of the episodes or none of them. Instead of making multiple posts and topics, I decided to post them all at once. I figure we can all post our general likes, dislikes, and other thoughts about Girl Meets World. I apologize if this isn't allowed, I am relatively new here. 

 

My thoughts on Girl Meets World and the comparisons to Boy Meets World:

 

1. Cory Matthews is still awesome and a huge part of the show. I love it. Especially his relationship with Maya; his experience with Shawn gives him the knowledge of the right way to treat a person like her. Him being the new Feeny imparting wisdom is awesome.

 

2. I don’t care for Riley. I’ve seen 3 episodes and still don’t know anything about her outside of her friendship with Maya and her crush on Lucas. So far she is defined by them and I have no reason to care about her as a character. In the pilot she was trying to be Maya, why should I care? At that point in the series I had no handle who Riley was as character before she wanted to re-invent herself, so that plot had no impact on me.

 

3. Maya is the standout new character for me. The actress is just amazing, and as someone who doesn’t have all the newest things her character is one I can relate to. Between the talents of the actress and the characters charisma and troubled life, I think Maya is in a prime position to steal the show away from Riley.

 

4. While I liked Lucas well enough in the first episode (I didn’t love him, but didn’t dislike him), the following two episodes made me change my tune. He exists solely as a love interest. There is nothing else to him.

 

5. I don’t like the Riley/Lucas romance. It is way too soon and way too forced. In Boy Meets World we were given time to get to know the characters as individuals before romance became a thing. When I don’t know who either character is as an individual why should I root for them to hook up? Not to mention the actor playing Lucas looks like he’s 5 years older than her.

 

6. Farkle. I hated him in the pilot, but he was toned down a bit in the next 2 episodes. His obsession with the girls is creepy and over-the-top. “Farkle Time” is stupid. I’d rather see Cory able to teach a class without this little kid interrupting every week. I did like his scene with Maya mostly and he has a good scene or two in next week’s episode. Just tone him down to Minkus levels at the minimum.

 

7. Topanga has been marginalized. While she was never a favorite of mine, it would kill them to cut out some useless scenes of Riley mooning over Lucas and give her something to do other than be Auggie’s mother.

 

8. I don’t like the sets and wardrobes. Everything is too bright and Disney-ish. It looks like every other Disney Channel show. The sets and clothes on BMW were more realistic.

 

9. The complaint some people have about Girl Meets World not tackling tough subject matter like Boy Meets World did. That complaint is only made by the incredibly impatient. Am I the only one who actually remembers the first season of Boy Meets World? The hard-hitting topics that so many are praising mainly consisted of Cory wanting a new squirt gun, getting a perm, obsessing over baseball, etc. Granted there was some more mature stuff too later with Shawn’s episode, but that was later in the season and GMW is already tackling the subject of a difficult home life with Maya. The topics that Boy Meets World touched upon matured with the characters. I think the same will be true of Girl Meets World.

 

10. The complaint that it is unrealistic storyline wise. This baffles me. Boy Meets World was hardly the most realistic of shows. Cory taking cell phones from his class is ‘unrealistic’ and seems to make some people angry. Yet Boy Meets World had disappearing characters, timeline issues, time travel episodes, witches, a talking cat, Eric’s mental retardation, etc. Complaining that Girl Meets World is unrealistic in comparison is mind-boggling to me.

 

11. The complaint that Cory giving Maya a phone is inappropriate behavior for a teacher. Really? While I love Feeny and Turner they too had inappropriately close relationship with their students. Hell, Feeny followed Cory around throughout every step of his education. Does anyone remember Feeny threatening to flunk Shawn unless he went to the Super Bowl? Don’t forget about Shawn actually living with Mr. Turner. I don’t get how those are ok but Cory’s actions are condemned.

 

12. One major issue with the show for BMW fans is the POV and tone. Fans of Boy Meets World grew up with Cory over a span of 7 years, and the series matured with him. Now we have a new show with Cory and we have once again latched on to Cory as our POV character. We know him, we relate to him, we love him. But he’s not the series POV any more. Though Cory has aged, the current series he is on is in its infancy. We won’t see him and Topanga discussing mature topics as we did in season 7. Its a disconnect for BMW fans everywhere. Cory is there, but the show isn’t matching his maturity anymore. He’s still our POV character, but not the series’. We are adults unable to latch on to Riley’s POV because while we matured and grew with Cory, we cannot with her.

 

I do my best to remember that this show is for the younger generation at the moment, and as these kids mature the series will mature with them. So, I enjoy the so far. Mostly for Cory and Maya, but I have faith the show will only get better as it goes along.

 

What are your likes, dislikes, and general thoughts on this series?

Edited July 14, 2014 by Lord Kira

[maraleia]

@Lord Kira great post however can you think of a more specific topic title to go along with what you posted?

[Lord Kira]

@Lord Kira great post however can you think of a more specific topic title to go along with what you posted?

 

@maraleia I've never been good at titling things. How about "Girl Meets World: Likes, Dislikes, and General Impressions"? 

Edited July 14, 2014 by Lord Kira

[maraleia]

Perfect...changing the title right now.

[purpleflowers]

Great thread! My general impression from the show so far is that it is trying too hard. Perhaps viewers who grew up with Boy Meets World or are long-time fans of it get this vibe more than the younger target audience (because I'll admit I can't help making some comparisons to BMW while watching), but still the show is mediocre to me even putting that aside. 

 

While I can see how this show is probably less over-the-top and annoying than other teen shows on Disney and Nickelodeon (Sam&Cat, for example), it doesn't reach the likability and humor of, say, The Suite Life shows, which are surprisingly witty for being on the Disney channel.  I need to remember that it is in its infancy and that it'll take time to settle in and smooth out its rough edges; but then GMW sure isn't making that easy with strenuous dialogue that suggests that we the viewers are already supposed to be fully invested in these characters and their life lessons. Something just doesn't add up yet. 

 

Most notably, in Girl Meets Sneak Attack, the exchange between Lucas and Missy and the others in detention was cringe-worthy. Something about it just seemed like an after-school special. Like others before me have said, less telling and more showing is what GMW needs. 

 

Overall, there have been some sweet moments, and I do like Farkle. I'm gonna keep watching and see where it goes!

Edited July 16, 2014 by purpleflowers

[TVFAN]

I think the show has gotten off to a very good start, but like every other show will need to evolve to survive.  

 

I like all the characters, including Farkle, who was not my favorite in episode 1.  

 

I agree with those who say Lucas and Maya should be endgame.  (And given their ages, endgame should be a long way down the road!) They play incredibly well off one another.

 

I also agree with those who say that Topanga needs to be more than the Mom.  It would be nice to see her in her work environment.  Maybe the show could do a take your daughter to work day?

 

My key suggestion for change is to make Cory grow up.  Mr. Feeney would never have tolerated the behavior of the students that Cory permits.  Running in and out of class because you're upset is okay.  Really???  You can leave detention when you've learned your lesson.  Really???  They are writing Cory as if he is a student not a teacher and a father.  He wants to be everyone's friend, and that's not his job.  Corey and the others learned from Mr. Feeney because he did not let them off the hook.  He acted like an adult.

 

I think that's the biggest issue.  The show does not have any adults.  Cory and Topanga both have a way of still acting like they are part of the gang.  On Boy Meets World, Cory's parents acted like grownups as did his teachers.  (Granted, they jumped the shark with Eric and Feeney a bit.)

 

I would love to see them bring in another adult, perhaps a vice principal or principal, who would whip Cory into shape as a teacher and serve as a Feeney to the students.

 

Again, I think the show has gotten off to the a good start, but it still needs to find itself.

Edited July 27, 2014 by TVFAN

[AntiBeeSpray]

I think the show has gotten off to a very good start, but like every other show will need to evolve to survive.  

 

I like all the characters, including Farkle, who was not my favorite in episode 1.  

 

I agree with those who say Lucas and Maya should be endgame.  (And given their ages, endgame should be a long way down the road!) They play incredibly well off one another.

 

I also agree with those who say that Topanga needs to be more than the Mom.  It would be nice to see her in her work environment.  Maybe the show could do a take your daughter to work day?

 

My key suggestion for change is to make Cory grow up.  Mr. Feeney would never have tolerated the behavior of the students that Cory permits.  Running in and out of class because you're upset is okay.  Really???  You can leave detention when you've learned your lesson.  Really???  They are writing Cory as if he is a student not a teacher and a father.  He wants to be everyone's friend, and that's not his job.  Corey and the others learned from Mr. Feeney because he did not let them off the hook.  He acted like an adult.

 

I think that's the biggest issue.  The show does not have any adults.  Cory and Topanga both have a way of still acting like they are part of the gang.  On Boy Meets World, Cory's parents acted like grownups as did his teachers.  (Granted, they jumped the shark with Eric and Feeney a bit.)

 

I would love to see them bring in another adult, perhaps a vice principal or principal, who would whip Cory into shape as a teacher and serve as a Feeney to the students.

 

Again, I think the show has gotten off to the a good start, but it still needs to find itself.

Agreed. It would be nice to see Topanga in her work environment as well.

 

As for Cory, they need to balance that some more. It doesn't mean getting rid of who he is entirely, it just means being an adult and handling situations like one. It would be nice if there were other adults there that would balance this out too.

[Oscirus]

WeMy key suggestion for change is to make Cory grow up.  Mr. Feeney would never have tolerated the behavior of the students that Cory permits.  Running in and out of class because you're upset is okay.  Really???  You can leave detention when you've learned your lesson.  Really???  They are writing Cory as if he is a student not a teacher and a father.  He wants to be everyone's friend, and that's not his job.  Corey and the others learned from Mr. Feeney because he did not let them off the hook.  He acted like an adult.

 

We've also had two episodes where a student jumped on a teacher's back. In one of the episodes, Corey goes so far as to shake Maya's hand for doing so. I think the problem with the show is it leans too heavily on Corey when it's not his story.

 

I also agree with those who say that Topanga needs to be more than the Mom.  It would be nice to see her in her work environment.  Maybe the show could do a take your daughter to work day?

 

Another problem with the over-usage of Corey is that it makes Topanga's use seem meager.  I'd say that Corey's use should be about where  Topanga's is. That's about where Amy and Allen was for the first season.

 

I think that's the biggest issue.  The show does not have any adults.  Cory and Topanga both have a way of still acting like they are part of the gang.  On Boy Meets World, Cory's parents acted like grownups as did his teachers.

 

We definitely need more adults.  Especially older female role models for Riley. Riley  needs same sex role models to go to.  On the first season of Boy Meets World, Corey had Feeny, Eric and Allan, Riley has Topanga.

 

That being said, it is a well casted show (Maya being the standout of the new people) and the writers know their characters.

[spanana]

 

My key suggestion for change is to make Cory grow up.  Mr. Feeney would never have tolerated the behavior of the students that Cory permits.  Running in and out of class because you're upset is okay.  Really???  You can leave detention when you've learned your lesson.  Really???  They are writing Cory as if he is a student not a teacher and a father.  He wants to be everyone's friend, and that's not his job.  Corey and the others learned from Mr. Feeney because he did not let them off the hook.  He acted like an adult.

 

I agree with this.  After this latest episode, I came to the conclusion that if I were one of Cory's students I would absolutely despise Riley and Maya since they are basically allowed to get away with whatever they want in his class.   Farkle too I suppose.  If Riley needs to leave the room because she's sad over a boy, fine.  If Maya walks out, fine.   If Riley needs to go after her to make sure she's okay, fine.  I know there is no way to not give your own kid preferential treatment, but it also comes off like no rules apply to them while they are in Cory's class because personal relationship trumps all else.  Whereas Mr. Feeney had his favorites of course, but he still made them all adhere to the same rules.  Cory didn't get to just get up and leave anytime he felt the need and if Shawn walked out there were generally consequences.

 

My other thing that I need to get past is seeing the really obvious age difference between Rowan and Sabrina everytime they are on screen.  It's not that Sabrina looks so much older, but she carries herself so much older than Rowan.  The show tries to make it work since Maya is supposed to be the Shawn here or who has been through all sorts of things in her home life, but it's not quite working for me.  It's just the difference between 15 and 12.

[Fostersmom]

My key suggestion for change is to make Cory grow up.  Mr. Feeney would never have tolerated the behavior of the students that Cory permits.  Running in and out of class because you're upset is okay.  Really???  You can leave detention when you've learned your lesson.  Really???  They are writing Cory as if he is a student not a teacher and a father.  He wants to be everyone's friend, and that's not his job.  Corey and the others learned from Mr. Feeney because he did not let them off the hook.  He acted like an adult.

 

I think that's the biggest issue.  The show does not have any adults.  Cory and Topanga both have a way of still acting like they are part of the gang.  On Boy Meets World, Cory's parents acted like grownups as did his teachers.  (Granted, they jumped the shark with Eric and Feeney a bit.)

 

I would love to see them bring in another adult, perhaps a vice principal or principal, who would whip Cory into shape as a teacher and serve as a Feeney to the students.

 

 

I've been catching some old Boy Meets World repeats lately and this difference is glaring. It's like watching Corey and Topanga play house instead of be adults. I think half the problem is they are both just young, like a decade younger than the original parents were, and the other half is if you watched the original, it's easy to still see them as kids instead of adults. Mix that with Corey being written as an overgrown child and its just hard to see any adult presence on the show, not matter how old Corey and Topanga are now. The original show started in 1993, IMDb lists both mom and dad being born in 1950. That would have made them 43 vs. the 33 the parents are now. 

[Kromm]

Like:  Maya. Although she's given a lot of heavy-handed stuff to speak about in her background, this girl (the actress I mean) is the clear champion/find of the entire show. She's got that "it factor"/spark that's extremely rare in the business, and basically every single moment of her on screen is interesting.

 

Dislike:  Topanga in Apartment Hell.  I recall hearing they had some pre-show lame plan to make her quit being a lawyer and open some kid-patronized business to get her into episodes.  I'm glad they didn't do that.  But they're left with how to involve her, and it's getting more and more obvious it ain't working like it is.

 

Accepted (half-way between like and dislike): Farkle.  Was painfully bad in the Pilot.  Has been much better since.  Hasn't climbed to full like status yet, but I have to commend them fixing ONE show problem pretty quickly.

 

Like:  I actually like the precocious little brother.  Yes, he's a typical little Disney Channel Quote Machine, and in some ways is being used to keep Topanga chained in the apartment, but he's a cute kid with good delivery.

 

Dislike: Too much Corey.  Corey's great, honest, but he needs to take a backseat for a few episodes.  Even if still confined to the apartment (eeek) give Topanga the primary role in a few interactions with Riley.  Have the inevitable classroom scene with Corey to deliver some life lesson tie-in, but that should be his only real role in such episodes. 

 

Accepted (mostly): Lucas.  IF they make the right decisions with his character. I was hating what they did with him until Episode 4. Then those few interactions he had with Maya made the character of Lucas come to life for me.  It wasn't just her charisma, as big as that is.  The setup gave HIM something to do, and he actually did it fairly well.  If the show is brave, they'll find a way to use him to stir up a little conflict between the girls, and wind up with Maya (and a Meets World type lesson about friendship delivered).  If they're less brave he'll still wind up with Riley, but at the very least maybe they can be more clever and find other ways to actually get a spark out of the actor than Maya needling him and his (actually quite charming) passive-aggressive responses.

 

Like: It's awkward and heavy-handed how they've marched out Maya's life troubles, and the sad music of sadness they put in the background didn't help much, but I applaud them daring to have those troubles in a Disney show.  They need to stick with this and not simply let it fade into the background.  We need to meet one or both of Maya's parents, for example, and the show shouldn't duck the idea that maybe shitty parents DO exist in the world.  It can't apologize for these people.

 

Dislike: Where the ****** is the rest of the school?  I know the show is on a budget, but they need to at least have a Vice-Principal or something. It's a school-show cliche, sure, but a useful one--the VP is a point of conflict.  Corey can't really be the heavy with Maya, so it would be a good tweak to have a school VP be that, and have Corey be the one who has to go to bat for Maya.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Kromm

[magpye29]

My daughter and her boyfriend (avid BMW fans) hate nearly everything about this show.  They hate all the stuff that's too much like BMW, and all the stuff that's too different.  Topanga looks weirdly detached from everyone else, especially Riley.  Auggie's cute, but it took me a while to figure out his name.  Riley looks like a cuter Meryl Davis--she has a lot of sparkle, but she doesn't have the depth that the girl playing Maya has.

 

The episodes need to be smarter, too.  For instance, in what universe would Cory (Who teaches at the school his daughter attends) NOT know that the school dance was on the same night as the last night of Coney Island?  How would that catch him off guard?  It just didn't make sense.

 

And I don't know how other schools are run, but in my district, a student would be in a lot of trouble for leaving class without permission.  It's a big safety issue since all the school shootings and whatever.  If a child flounced out of the room (and it does happen), the teacher would press the buzzer for the office, report the child, and there would be some sort of consequence.

[Kromm]

I guess the question is if the stuff that's wrong is SO wrong that people can accept it for another 16 or 17 episodes.  Because I doubt anything people say could change anything on the show until Season 2 starts shooting.

 

We have to hope the showrunners found a lot of this stuff themselves or were just pacing things somehow.  Maybe, for example, there are some big Topanga/Riley episodes to come, for example, and we just don't know it.  We can hope, can't we?

 

The stuff about how unrealistically the school is run I can overlook, as long as they fix the one aspect I can't accept--that it appears to be a school run by exactly one adult--Corey.  Again, even if he or she is just a representative, all we need is a Vice-Principal character and maybe the sign of an occasional adult extra in a Teacher's lounge or school Hallway.  Even a wacky wise Janitor or some stupid cliche like that.

 

I'm okay with Maya being the breakout star, because that tends to happen on shows unplanned, and it's how they roll with it that's the issue, not the fact that it happens.

[ladyrott]

I agree with Kromm that they seriously need to show another adult or two at the school.  I thought for sure they would cast Feeney as the principal that we see oh so rarely or something (with no explanation as to why he is working in NYC when he owns a house next to Corey's parents).  I get that the show is on a tight budget, but it's not like they need to get some big name actor to play a second teacher or vice-principal or wacky janitor.  I would think any unemployed unknown actor would jump at the chance to be on a Disney Show....and especially actor's of a certain age who grew up on BMW (I would love to do anything with this show and I'm not even an actor LOL). 

 

In addition to the obvious problem of Corey running a school all by his lonesome, I would actually really like to see him (or Topanga even) interacting with another adult (and I don't mean guest spots by Minkus or Sean).  I know the show isn't about them, but my BMW loving heart thrills each time they are on the screen and I would like to see them as more than just "the parents".  We saw Corey's parents interacting with Sean's dad back in the day.  It might be interesting to meet Maya's mom who is struggling to raise her daughter alone or even Lucas' parents....maybe they are wealthy and disapprove of their son hanging out with a lower class of kids (look down on Maya because she comes from a single parents family or something). 

[AntiBeeSpray]

Dang man... just saw part of an episode of BMW on ABC Family, and it made me realize just how much GMW needs to step up. The writing was much more crisp on it and the pacing was better. They need more grown ups to balance things out. That helped BMW with its pacing imo.

[Delofran]

I wanted to like this show, and I may give it another chance, but my initial impression is the same as a previous poster: they are trying to hard.  Every line doesn't have to be a joke; every episode theme doesn't need to be such an obvious trope. 

Part of the problem is that since Corey is such a central part of the show, we who love BMW expect this to BE a true extension of BMW, and it's just not.  The central character of the show is meant to be Riley, and she is adorable but I can't yet care about her to the extent that I do/did care about Corey.  The other characters are mostly OK, although I think Lucas seems to be a talking Ken doll and Topanga is reduced to the Queen of Snark instead of the multilayered lady we knew her to be on BMW.

My two favorites are Maya and Farkle, although even they have, so far, seemed to be stereotypes.  I see the actress who plays Maya is trying to bring individuality to the character, but she is (obviously) a female Sean.  And Farkle, while adorable, seems to have adopted the persona of the missing Eric. 

I haven't given up on this show yet, but if the episodes I watched are an example, I can't see it lasting too long.  Young viewers who did not see BMW are not going to get why they are supposed to care about Riley and/or why Corey being a teacher is so significant.

Lastly, kudos to the posters above who pointed out that Corey needs to - at least briefly - interact with other teachers.  And they DO need an authority figure in that school, because it is, so far, a model of "do your own thing and pretend to listen to/respect the teacher"

[BaggythePanther]

Not sure if this is the right place to mention this, but the other day I was reading a tumblr post listing similarities and differences between Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World. They brought up the quote "The heart is a lonely hunter" and noted that BMW had Shawn Hunter and GMW has Maya Hart. Not sure if the creators did that on purpose or if it's a happy accident.

[AntiBeeSpray]

I wanted to like this show, and I may give it another chance, but my initial impression is the same as a previous poster: they are trying to hard.  Every line doesn't have to be a joke; every episode theme doesn't need to be such an obvious trope. 

Part of the problem is that since Corey is such a central part of the show, we who love BMW expect this to BE a true extension of BMW, and it's just not.  The central character of the show is meant to be Riley, and she is adorable but I can't yet care about her to the extent that I do/did care about Corey.  The other characters are mostly OK, although I think Lucas seems to be a talking Ken doll and Topanga is reduced to the Queen of Snark instead of the multilayered lady we knew her to be on BMW.

My two favorites are Maya and Farkle, although even they have, so far, seemed to be stereotypes.  I see the actress who plays Maya is trying to bring individuality to the character, but she is (obviously) a female Sean.  And Farkle, while adorable, seems to have adopted the persona of the missing Eric. 

I haven't given up on this show yet, but if the episodes I watched are an example, I can't see it lasting too long.  Young viewers who did not see BMW are not going to get why they are supposed to care about Riley and/or why Corey being a teacher is so significant.

Lastly, kudos to the posters above who pointed out that Corey needs to - at least briefly - interact with other teachers.  And they DO need an authority figure in that school, because it is, so far, a model of "do your own thing and pretend to listen to/respect the teacher"

Very, very good points.

The show has been so Captain Obvious in that regard that at times it can be rather annoying. It's sad to see Topanga get reduced to the Queen of Snark too. There's a little hope there in regards to finding her past self again, but I hope that the writers don't screw that up. It would be a shame :(.

[Kromm]

Very, very good points.

The show has been so Captain Obvious in that regard that at times it can be rather annoying. It's sad to see Topanga get reduced to the Queen of Snark too. There's a little hope there in regards to finding her past self again, but I hope that the writers don't screw that up. It would be a shame :(.

Yeah, but again, I think at least some of that is coming from Danielle Fishel herself.  It would be too big a coincidence that the snarky persona we're seeing from Topanga is pretty much the same type of humor that Fishel has shown herself in the projects she's done in the past decade or so.  They're writing to suit her current real world personality, in other words, and she has to have been part of that decision (if there was even a conscious decision, which the whole mirror gag and plotline about the "old vs. new" Topanga suggests there probably was).

[AntiBeeSpray]

Yeah, but again, I think at least some of that is coming from Danielle Fishel herself.  It would be too big a coincidence that the snarky persona we're seeing from Topanga is pretty much the same type of humor that Fishel has shown herself in the projects she's done in the past decade or so.  They're writing to suit her current real world personality, in other words, and she has to have been part of that decision (if there was even a conscious decision, which the whole mirror gag and plotline about the "old vs. new" Topanga suggests there probably was).

Good point. 

 

At least that plot line suggested that the two sides can live under the same roof so to speak.

[kia112]

I don't know what "old" Topanga everyone is speaking of.  Like, season 1/2/3(ish)/4(ish) Topanga?  'Cause I definitely saw a switch in her around seasons 3 and 4 and this Topanga seems like the natural progression of seasons 5-7 Topanga.  Which makes sense because I remember Rider saying that by the end of the series, there was basically no distinction between him and Shawn.  I also remember Ben and Danielle saying that the writers put so much of their personality into the characters as they got older.

 

But anyhoo, one of my big dislikes with "this many" year old Topanga is that she doesn't feel like she's been a mom for 12 years.  She seems like a cool older sister or a lady who was just given a 12 year and a 5 year old a couple of weeks ago.  Which is probably how Danielle relates to those kids, so I get it.  It just doesn't feel authentic.  However, like I commented in the E7 thread, she seemed way better in that episode so hopefully that part is settled in.

[DrSpaceman]

I find the show just OK. I was never a huge BMW fan but saw some episodes. I always thought it was more of a B grade comedy at best, but not really relevant here.

This show I just find a bit cloying with over the top sentimentality and all too obvious lessons and writing that lacks subtlety or much originality.

[bettername2come]

I hate to admit it, but I really like the theme song. I find myself singing along every time.

[prican58]

Just watched eps 9 and 10 today, as i haven't really watched any episode in full. I was in my 30's when BMW was on and I fell in love with it. I was curious about Ben because I loved The Wonder Years and wanted to compare him to Fred. I got hooked around S2 and I consider it to be one of the best sitcoms ever.

 

That said, I am really not  way impressed with GMW but I accept it for what it is. I'm looking for improvement over time.

Like others, I believe Sabrina is the real deal. She is crazy good. She really reminds me of Hayden Panettiere. I think she can have a similar career.

 

I like it. I will probably continue. BTW, I just bought S1 of BMW and I can't believe how much I still love it. 

[Aliconehead]

So Disney usually ends its shows after 4 seasons, so does that mean we will only get GMW through 11 grade or will Disney let it run its course and continue on if the ratings and such are still good?

[Kromm]

So Disney usually ends its shows after 4 seasons, so does that mean we will only get GMW through 11 grade or will Disney let it run its course and continue on if the ratings and such are still good?

If they're smart they'll match it exactly to the end of their high school (rather than past it--which BMW did and arguably shouldn't have).

[methodwriter85]

I feel like this show does a lot of off-the-wall quirks...it doesn't always land but I like that they seem really willing to experiment.

[allonsyalice]

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I think you nailed it in your last sentence. I don't think they have any clue what they are doing. The concept of the show was great (Cory and Topanga having kids that are learning about the world like Cory did in the original), but the execution has been so bad. Nothing seems authentic. The characters are over-the-top, the scenes are unrealistic, the stories are either unrealistic or bordering ridiculous in its melodrama, and there does not appear to be an end game for anything (the triangle storyline has been stretched out so long that it appears they don't even know where to go with it).

Having watched this episode, at what point did they ever explain that Maya used to hang out with a bad crowd? I know BMW retconned a lot of things like this as well, but it's just lazy.

I never watch Disney shows, so maybe this is Disney's fault as much as it is the writers on the show, but I truly thought we'd see improvement when the cast went to high school. So far, I am very disappointed. The potential is there. They might just need to change networks or something. 

I think I have a different perspective, because I actually started watching with the week long, new-episode-a-day-for-a-week S2 premier. Then I went back and watched season one. 

I was originally very excited about this concept and I as I got deeper and deeper into the show, the less it made sense. I definitely want to say that there have been good, even great episodes of the show (like the one with Mr. Turner, and Girl Meets Popular because that slammed cultural appropriation and was pretty good for doing so,) but now? I've been trying to watch while remembering that this show isn't for me (because i am 21 years old) but it just seems so....unnecessary. We've been told that Riley is intelligent, but we've never really seen that. It's been 3 seasons and nothing seems real about it. Every character is a caricature of itself. None of them have real depth or layers (I mean, I guess except Maya, and I don't know why the show focuses on her so heavily. Carpenter is a great actress, sure, but what on earth?)

I watch other Disney shows (mostly Liv and Maddie, to be honest) and I know that the writing there is strong and has been for the three years the show has been on air. Liv and Maddie, plus their brothers, parents and friends are all strong, distinct characters, and I get none of that from GMW, which, honestly, is dissapointing. 

The writers are trying way to hard to make me believe in this love triangle (even though I honestly think neither girl would still be into Lucas after moving schools) or Shawn and Katy even as a concept (ridiculous) and it's such a reach they must have dislocated their shoulders. I honestly think that they might have some type of end goal, but I couldn't tell you what it is. Honestly, they writers are trying too hard to make me believe in their day-to-day activities. These children need more supervision.

okay sorry i had a point here. I think that point is "I agree, they do have potential. They honestly have an amazing cast. The writing is lacking. Big time." 

[Misslindsey]

1 hour ago, allonsyalice said:

None of them have real depth or layers (I mean, I guess except Maya, and I don't know why the show focuses on her so heavily. Carpenter is a great actress, sure, but what on earth?)

I concur with your whole post, but this stands out. I agree that none of the characters have any real depth. It is disappointing, especially with Riley and how they keep making her into an idiot. I would never believe Cory and Topanga's daughter would be as naive and idiotic as the writing keeps showing us. I will be at my table for one when I say that Sabrina Carpenter is on par acting wise with the rest of the cast, but she gets more to do to actually showcase some skills. Though I might be biased because I have been over Maya since season two.

[Mabinogia]

I feel like Riley started up as just a very sheltered, optimistic girl. I liked her then. I really think the Pluto ep is where it really started to change. Now I honestly don't know how she manages to feed herself.

I am at the point now where I wish Riley and Lucas would run off together and we could watch Maya, Farkle and Zay tackle high school without them. Farkle has grown so much (which is surprising since Maya growing seemed to be the worst thing imaginable!), Zay is an awesome addition and I love some of his outsider observations. (I realized I adored him when he commented on them all just climbing through Riley's window because seriously, you're okay with your daughter keeping her window wide open for people to climb through in the city? Have these people never watched Law and Order, or CSI, or, you know, the news?) And though her story is all over the place, I still quite like Maya.

I actually liked Riley too, but they are trashing her character so badly in the attempt to get a laugh. Rowan has grown a lot as an actress since the show started that it saddens me she is getting less and less to do.

This show used to make me smile. It wasn't deep or realistic, but it was cute and innocent and brightly colored escapism. But now it just saddens me. So much potential squandered on the oddest story choices, character anti-development and the dumbing down of everything.

[maraleia]

I think I've finally outgrown shows like this. The only show I watch with teen characters other than this one is The Fosters and it's mostly because of the moms.

I'm finding it harder and harder to watch a show set in NYC that doesn't reflect real life NYC in any way shape or form. Literally no one keeps their door unlocked even in Chicago where I live so it bothers me that the Matthews' house isn't locked.

Also, the way they are depicting Riley is so inconsistent and that bothers me so much.

[Mabinogia]

Locking the door is pointless when their idiot daughter leaves her fire escape accessible window wide open at all times for her friends (and anyone who wants to really) to come in at any time. I just can't get over how irresponsible it is to not teach your teenage daughter to lock her freaking window when it is so easily accessible from outside.

It was cute at first, when it was just Maya, because I could assume that Riley opened her window when she knew Maya was on her way. But clearly she just leaves it open for anyone to come in.

I usually enjoy kids shows, and they don't have to be good ones, I actually am enjoying Backstage and the acting on that makes Degrassi look like it's being performed by Oscar winners, but they have dumbed this show down so much it is barely watchable. Farkle, Zay and Maya are really all that keep me coming back. Shawn, sort of, but this whole Katy thing is ruining him for me.