S02.E13: Girl Meets Semi-Formal

[grandemocha]

 

Like can Riley come to her own conclusons please? And in my opinion it's not painting Maya in the best of lights, it's kinda skeevy to me and I can't stand the writers for going in this direction. Maya likes Lucas so she all of a sudden is convinced Riley and Lucas are a bro-sis type relationship so she could go after Lucas and not feel bad about it?

 

If you are reminded of One Tree Hill (because of the mention of guys named Lucas) I think you might be a bit off in this particular instance.

 

#1 Who said Riley isn't going to come to a conclusion on her own?

#2 Why is Maya being painted as the slut who is going to steal her best friend's guy when absolutely nothing has indicated that is what will happen? Maya isn't some black widow who goes around stealing taken guys. It takes two to tango, if these characters were 23 or 13. There's little difference.

#3 Again, this is not a show on the CW, so the teen angst is not going to overpower the show. It's Disney. Everyone will end up happy.

#4 Maya has had ONE epiphany when she was pretending to be Riley. Who knows if it's even correct? If anything will come of it? If Lucas will feel the same? What Riley will think? Maybe Riley will mature into someone who doesn't feel the same way for Lucas anymore or vice versa?

 

People are jumping the gun majorly IMO.

 

 

I can't even be mad at Lucas here, Lucas didn't go after Maya.

...and Maya hasn't gone after Lucas. It's like the character is being blamed for things she hasn't done. Unless people have had a sneak peek at the scripts for the rest of the season, I am really curious as to why it's being stated as though it's fact that Maya is going to start dating Lucas  or steal him away (BTW, no one can steal anyone, people make their own decisions). As far as I can see, the show is the same as it has been, Maya and Riley are still best friends who support each other, Lucas and Farkle are also friends, and they are all tweens who are just trying to figure out their lives. 

[beetlesoda]

If you are reminded of One Tree Hill (because of the mention of guys named Lucas) I think you might be a bit off in this particular instance.

 

#1 Who said Riley isn't going to come to a conclusion on her own?

#2 Why is Maya being painted as the slut who is going to steal her best friend's guy when absolutely nothing has indicated that is what will happen? Maya isn't some black widow who goes around stealing taken guys. It takes two to tango, if these characters were 23 or 13. There's little difference.

#3 Again, this is not a show on the CW, so the teen angst is not going to overpower the show. It's Disney. Everyone will end up happy.

#4 Maya has had ONE epiphany when she was pretending to be Riley. Who knows if it's even correct? If anything will come of it? If Lucas will feel the same? What Riley will think? Maybe Riley will mature into someone who doesn't feel the same way for Lucas anymore or vice versa?

 

People are jumping the gun majorly IMO.

 

...and Maya hasn't gone after Lucas. It's like the character is being blamed for things she hasn't done. Unless people have had a sneak peek at the scripts for the rest of the season, I am really curious as to why it's being stated as though it's fact that Maya is going to start dating Lucas  or steal him away (BTW, no one can steal anyone, people make their own decisions). As far as I can see, the show is the same as it has been, Maya and Riley are still best friends who support each other, Lucas and Farkle are also friends, and they are all tweens who are just trying to figure out their lives. 

And I did state in my post I could be wrong and things could go differently but with how things are being rewritten....I'm sure nothing is going to happen between Maya and Lucas at all.

 

And I'm not comparing the show to one tree hill as a whole just that there were two bestfriends a blonde and a brunette who happened to both like a blonde named Lucas which ruined their friendship that they had for many years....see the similarty there? don't you think it's kinda ironic? I did. I'm not saying it's gonna end up like that.

 

And slut? That word was never used. ruining a great friendship sure but not a slut. This isn't an attack on Maya's character, this is more an attack on the writers for what they will be doing to Maya's charcter IMO if they go there this way. Erasing and rewritting things to immediatly changing direction is never good writing and they should be called out for it. I like this show enought to call them out on it because it does the charcter of Maya no favors in my opinion.

 

And my biggest qualm again is why did Maya have to have the epiphany and how Riley feels before Riley has that herself. Juding by this episode it looks like it's right, all I wanted was for Riley to come to that conclusion herself and for the writers to come up with a better way to go about this. I just don't see how you can go about this without ruining a great part of the show and I don't understand why it's needed, and if it is needed there were plenty of other not rushed ways to go about it. I'm speaking from the view that the show is going there with Lucas and Maya, I can see it happening and a lot of people see it too, we could be wrong and if we are I'm sure we'll own up to it, so far it's doesn't look like we're wrong but that's could change, things change. When I first started watching this show one of the things I did not want was for the two girls to like the same guy (which I would've forgave if it was like an episode or something with some random dude) and for it to not be a triangle.....I'm disspointed it's happening in the worst way.

[grandemocha]

And slut? That word was never used. ruining a great friendship sure but not a slut. This isn't an attack on Maya's character

 

90% of what I have seen HAS been an attack on Maya as a character. People saying Riley should dump her as a friend, and almost calling for her head because of no good reason. Someone in the episode thread called her a bitch..a 14 year old girl is now a bitch because..why exactly? Because she had some random epiphany about her friend's relationship? That she hasn't even done anything with? She has kept it to herself, exactly as she should. I myself used the word slut as an exaggerated term, but Maya has been described as a scheming harlot who is going to go around stealing guys. That's not a flattering description, and it's completely 100% unfounded.

 

Riley will either come to the realization herself, or she won't. Either way, I feel comfortable stating with a good bit of certainty that the girl's friendship will be fine in the end. 

 

 

And my biggest qualm again is why did Maya have to have the epiphany and how Riley feels before Riley has that herself.

What? I don't know..they're two different people who learn things at different times? Because Maya is an outside observer of Riley's relationship with Lucas? The only person who can tell Riley how to feel is Riley. If she is actually looking to her friend to tell her what to do, how to feel, or what to say..then Cory and Topanga need to sit her down and have a long talk about independence and teach her how to retain her individuality even among friends or boyfriends.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grandemocha

[beetlesoda]

90% of what I have seen HAS been an attack on Maya as a character. People saying Riley should dump her as a friend, and almost calling for her head because of no good reason. Someone in the episode thread called her a bitch..a 14 year old girl is now a bitch because..why exactly? Because she had some random epiphany about her friend's relationship? That she hasn't even done anything with? She has kept it to herself, exactly as she should. I myself used the word slut as an exaggerated term, but Maya has been described as a scheming harlot who is going to go around stealing guys. That's not a flattering description, and it's completely 100% unfounded.

 

Riley will either come to the realization herself, or she won't. Either way, I feel comfortable stating with a good bit of certainty that the girl's friendship will be fine in the end. 

 

What? I don't know..they're two different people who learn things at different times? Because Maya is an outside observer of Riley's relationship with Lucas? The only person who can tell Riley how to feel is Riley. If she is actually looking to her friend to tell her what to do, how to feel, or what to say..then Cory and Topanga need to sit her down and have a long talk about independence and teach her how to retain her individuality even among friends or boyfriends.

You seem personally offended that people might not like Maya if she goes after the guy her bestfriend liked. Just like I seem personally offended by this ridiculous storyline. What other people think of Maya has nothing to do with my post it's their own opinion to think so, althought I will admit I am the one who wanted Riley to dump Maya. Extreame, sure. But if the writers idea is to erase history and tell us to forget Maya helping Riley regarding her feelings for Lucas and pushing them together I will not do that. If you're going to do this don't insult our intelligence by doing so. I am attacking the writers. Bros over hos writers (not calling Maya one btw)

[grandemocha]

 

If you're going to do this don't insult our intelligence by doing so.

..This show isn't for us though ( I admit I am assuming you're an adult). It's a Disney show targeted toward 8-12 year olds I believe. I'm way way out of the age range of the intended audience, so things that would irritate you or I concerning character motivations or what not likely wouldn't occur to children.

 

 

You seem personally offended that people might not like Maya if she goes after the guy her bestfriend liked.

That is a gigantic IF. If any of that happens at all, like I said earlier, it takes two to tango. I personally despise the old chestnut that it is the woman who should solely be blamed for relationships ending, if a guy doesn't want to go, then he won't go. I'm not personally offended by anything concerning GMW just to let you know. I see it as silly to get worked up over what could possibly happen concerning the dating habits of 13-14 year olds, and don't see any great betrayals occurring. I see this show for what it is: a cute Disney sitcom with semi-passable actors that has occasional callbacks to one of my favorite TGIF shows.

 

I think it's ridiculous for a tween character to be called hateful things for something that may occur but likely won't but yeah, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.. It is extreme to me that Riley should trash and get rid of her best friend that she has known for years for again, something that hasn't even occurred. This is ALL conjecture, melodrama, and overreaction. Characters mature and evolve and who knows what the show will be like in Season 3. The writers aren't idiots and know how their characters are going to be perceived by the kids who watch the show, they'll make everything amicable and work out in the end.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grandemocha

[coyotedelmar]

The Maya knowing before Riley may have been meant as a way for the writers to inform the viewers so we know Riley is struggling to understand what her feelings for Lucas are. No idea if that is actually the case obviously, just throwing it out there. 

 

Saying that, it's also not the best way to do it. I feel the notebook in this episode would work much better for that, but maybe the writers thought their target audience wouldn't get the hint? *shrugs* 

 

A lot of the hate, I feel, is due more to the revelation being out of left field rather then the fact Maya knows before Riley. Think if it was better set-up prior to Maya figuring it out, less folk would have issue than now. Granted, still be some, as peoples tolerance for plausibility when it comes to TV/Movies differs (if that makes sense).

[chuhulil]

..This show isn't for us though ( I admit I am assuming you're an adult). It's a Disney show targeted toward 8-12 year olds I believe. I'm way way out of the age range of the intended audience, so things that would irritate you or I concerning character motivations or what not likely wouldn't occur to children.

Exactly. This show is geared towards children. That's what's really irritating me about this whole thing.  I mean the only thing that Maya kept saying right before her realization that Lucas and Riley "are like brother and sister" is that they're two sunshiney rays from the same sun and that all of a sudden that means that they're relationship is more like siblings. I mean, what? So basically what the writers are saying is that Riley and Lucas are both nice, optimistic, good people who like to help others and value friendship and stuff like that and because of that they don't make a good couple. Basically they're teaching kids that two good people can't have a romantic connection, which is quite dangerous. I've seen way too many teens think that abusive relationships are okay because "relationships are always dramatic." Whether or not it's a good thing, television does influence how people act. Disney has established itself as a channel for the little ones, and to me, this means that it's responsible to put out content that's appropriate for its audience. Why 8th graders need to be dating on this show is beyond me and that's already influencing kids in not great ways, but portraying two similar people as incompatible? It may not seem like a big deal to some people, but that's actually a dangerous notion, especially for adolescents.

 

I didn't even have a school dance until I graduated middle school (it was like a graduation celebration type dance) and no one even asked anyone to it, people just hung out with their friends and had a good time. That's why I was so happy when Jack told Riley to hold onto her friends as long as she could. Because there's no reason for the writers to make such a big deal about 8th graders dating. But unfortunately it's pretty obvious that there's much more relationship drama to come. 

[kalamac]

What I find ridiculous is the idea that the network is pandering to 'a bunch of shippers'. If a network is going to do any pandering, it's not going to be to a small amount of people. It'll be to whomever they consider to be the majority, because first and foremost, they want ratings. (For the record, I don't care who any of these characters end up with on the romance side of things, I just want them to stay friends.)

Edited August 19, 2015 by kalamac

[Mabinogia]

Because Maya is an outside observer of Riley's relationship with Lucas?

 

I think that's the point. Maya is able to look more objectively at the Lucas Riley thing. Riley is so caught up in having a crush on Lucas that she is missing that he is a great friend and that if she's not careful she could lose that. She will never lose Maya as a friend. That relationship is solid. They may fight, but they will make up. That's what friends do. But romances, when they have a fight or break up it could be forever.

 

IDK, it seems so obvious to me but not to many others so I could be wrong, but this is how I am going to see it until I see the show go in another direction. Right now the show fits my interpretation too well for me to ignore.

[Kromm]

What I find ridiculous is the idea that the network is pandering to 'a bunch of shippers'. If a network is going to do any pandering, it's not going to be to a small amount of people. It'll be to whomever they consider to be the majority, because first and foremost, they want ratings. (For the record, I don't care who any of these characters end up with on the romance side of things, I just want them to stay friends.)

There is no way in hell this show will ever take the route of Maya and Riley not remaining friends.  Heck, I'd be surprised if they even have an arc where they are fighting for a few episodes--but if they ever do it won't be for very long.

 

Also, what's this with "the network".  I'd bet solid cash money that the writing decisions are coming from Michael Jacobs (or possibly Frank Pace, who seems to be the showrunner). I'm sure the network sends notes with suggestions, and we know at the very least occasionally pushes the show to make theme episodes for channel-wide events, but really we don't have any proof of anything more hands on from them.

[Mabinogia]

We did have that one ep where they were kind of fighting about the Little Stack of Pancakes comment Lucas made to Maya. But being friends, they worked it out. And that's what I want to see. I don't want them to never have a fight. That's unrealistic. Friends fight. Friends hurt each other carelessly once in a while. And then friends make up. They realize the other person didn't mean to hurt them or realize how they hurt their friend and they say they are sorry and they move on.

Based on the characters as we've seen them, and how very important Riley and the Matthews family is to Maya, there is no way she's going to date Lucas without Riley's approval. There is no way she's going to go after Lucas, even if she does realize she likes him, unless Riley is okay with it.

To me, that's fine. If Riley does realize she isn't interested in Lucas romantically or (more likely) just isn't ready to date him and doesn't want to hurt their friendship, then I see no reason why Maya and Lucas can't try to date. It might be an utter disaster. It might be a one and done thing. At this point we just don't know.

For me, the only ship I follow is the friendship between the core four, and that is probably what draws most of the kids to the show too. Kids will pretty much go with what the show does and not get as hung up on shipping wars so I don't see the show pandering to any group of shippers. I bet Riley and Lucas are actually more popular with the demographic this show is actually for so I don't see them pairing up Lucas and Maya to satisfy us oldies when that is what Sean and Eric and the odd other former BMW character is for.

[KerleyQ]

Saying that, it's also not the best way to do it. I feel the notebook in this episode would work much better for that, but maybe the writers thought their target audience wouldn't get the hint? *shrugs*

 

 

That just reminded me of one of the little moments that made me laugh (and showed how much Peyton has grown into playing Lucas) - when Charlie mentioned her notebook, and Lucas said to Riley "you showed him the notebook?" It was mostly in his delivery.  

[CheetaraThunder]

Man, this is escalating quickly...I hope you guys remember that these characters are meant to be like 13-14 year olds, so expert decision making is not really a trait they have master yet, most adults have not either. Maya is not trying to steal anybody's first crush, she came to a realization, and wants Riley to figure it out on her own. A realization that she doesn't even know if its correct or not, just her observation from afar. I bet if Maya did tell Riley, then people would then say she is being nosy or trying to steal Lucas away... in my eyes, Maya isn't doing anything wrong, but that's my opinion. Obviously, others might see her as a horrible friend or the devil, but... what can you do.

 

Remember: they are teenagers. This is a whole new world: Riley might realize that her idea of Lucas being the perfect man and the Topanga to his Cory is false and she moves on from him or they work it out. Who knows? Everyone, including me, is thinking wayyyy to hard about a Disney show about 8th grade kids lol.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Girl Meets Charlie / When Lucas fails to ask Riley to the dance, a new guy steps up the plate and some serious #FEELS ensue.

[Maximum Taco]

Does Lucas even like Maya? Opinions on chemestry aside he always seemed into Riley to me, and was cool with Maya but I never got the impression he liked her like that. But I'm sure now he'll be playing it up like he never rode a freaking horse with Riley and asked her dad to take her out on a date.

 

 

It did seem like that at first, but if this episode is any indication he sure fell out of that mood fast.

 

I mean how does he go from horse riding and asking her dad for permission to date her to just assuming they are going to the dance together and not even mentioning it to her until the day before? He has to know Riley cared about being asked. I mean Charlie figured out exactly the way she wanted to be asked, and he doesn't interact with her everyday and have the exact same circle of friends.

 

Could this be one of those situations where one person is driving the relationship and the other is just along for the ride? Charlie's reasoning is pretty sound he waited for Lucas to ask her and when he didn't he figured there was a problem. He could easily be right here.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Maximum Taco

[David-]

Well, If nothing else it's inspired a lively debate :)

[Mabinogia]

I never got the impression Lucas was into Riley. The only instance I ever saw was the horse thing and that seemed to come out of nowhere to me. It always seemed like RIley had a crush on him that he didn't seem to mind too much so he kind of encouraged her but more as if he thought it was kind of cute that this little kid liked him. Of course it never helped that he looked 16 and she looked 13. Now that Rowan is looking more mature it's not as bad but I still don't see romance between them. More like a cute crush on her side and him just going along with it because he's not into anyone else so why not.

 

I don't really ship any of them because they are way too young for me to feel comfortable shipping lol But I do think that he has more chemistry with Maya (of course, who doesn't? Sabrina just ooozes chemistry) and that is mainly because he seems more alive/awake when interacting with her while his scene's with Riley he just kind of seems there but not as engaged.

 

No matter which way they go with this, as long as the core four stay friends I am along for the ride.

[JellyFishQueen]

Um...Sheppard is on this show...

[Spencer Hastings]

I'm really, really, REALLY thankful for the fact that we didn't have Maya leech on to Jack to hammer home the "Shawn is my new daddy" point. Thank you, Will Friedle. If Michael Jacobs had written this, it surely would have been half of Jack's appearance.

I like Charlie better than Lucas already. Can we keep him? I kept getting him confused with NuLookFarkle at the dance through.

Matthew Lawrence's face held up pretty well, considering.

[sallyellen]

I can't wait til next season when Lucas gets Maya pregnant, and her and Riley's friendship is shattered!