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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S02.E23: Girl Meets The Forgiveness Project

RedFire2000

By RedFire2000
in Girl Meets World [V]

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grandemocha

grandemocha

(edited)

Man I would love it if Maya was like "Uhm, no asshole, I don't forgive you for abandoning my mother and I years ago, having a second family, and leaving us to struggle financially on a waitress's salary." I know forgiveness is often more for yourself so that you can move on and not carry bitterness within but a teen girl would probably be half "What did I do wrong for my dad to abandon me?" and half "Fuck him straight to hell for being such a deadbeat". Of course this is Disney, so the dad will probably have a really good excuse or there will be a giant misunderstanding blah blah blah. 

 

ETA: Again, I know that this too would never happen, but I would love to hear someone, anyone say "Where the hell is the child support deadbeat?!"

Edited by grandemocha
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Skyfall

Skyfall

Man I would love it if Maya was like "Uhm, no asshole, I don't forgive you for abandoning my mother and I years ago, having a second family, and leaving us to struggle financially on a waitress's salary." I know forgiveness is often more for yourself so that you can move on and not carry bitterness within but a teen girl would probably be half "What did I do wrong for my dad to abandon me?" and half "Fuck him straight to hell for being such a deadbeat". Of course this is Disney, so the dad will probably have a really good excuse or there will be a giant misunderstanding blah blah blah. 

 

ETA: Again, I know that this too would never happen, but I would love to hear someone, anyone say "Where the hell is the child support deadbeat?!"

Maya's mom would say it. Shawn would say that she doesn't need it.

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David-

David-

yeah it'll go all New Age, acceptance, forgivness and friendships rammed down our throats (these are good things don't get me wrong) but the over emphasis of one and not dealing with real world (like hey scumbag you left me amd mom with less than nothing, our asses hanging in the breeze WTF happened to you??) Don't think thats going to happen lol.

While not established who the teacher is, (that I can see yet) hoping it's not a history teacher giving an assignment about forgivness.

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SmithW6079

SmithW6079

(edited)

While not established who the teacher is, (that I can see yet) hoping it's not a history teacher giving an assignment about forgivness.

Of course it will be. There will be something on the board like "Japan and America" and Cory will start in with "Should Japan forgive the US for dropping the atomic bomb?" Then Riley & Maya will force their problems du jour on the class, and we're off to the races again! Edited by SmithW6079
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CheetaraThunder

CheetaraThunder

Got to see this episode early, and really the best part of it was how they handled Maya and her father. How they handled the situation was what I was worried, but they did it beautifully. Sabrina was brilliant.

But, honestly Riley went back to being annoying Riley in this episode.

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grandemocha

grandemocha

(edited)

 

How they handled the situation was what I was worried, but they did it beautifully. Sabrina was brilliant.

Ooh, I'm intrigued :) Could we/I get spoilers please? Does Maya forgive him? Where has he been? Do they say why he left? Mention of the new family he has? Why has he come back? LOL, does anybody mention child support? 

 

ETA: Never mind, I guess spoiler bars can't be used. If you feel like posting any tidbits in the spoiler thread, that'd be nice!

Edited by grandemocha
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madfortv

madfortv

 I liked this episode more than the last 5 or 6.  I much prefer the mix that includes the parents. It was good to see Katie again, and Topanga had more to say than in recent episodes. The teens handled their roles well.

 

It was so nice that Ava and Dewy were not in the episode. Ava is not written well especially with her over the top reaction to teen boys. Her character is being written as if she were twice as old.  I can't stand Dewey.  Also, what kid today wears suspenders hanging off his butt like Auggie?  I am around young people and I don't see kids dressing like  him. This is the first time he really annoyed me. When everyone used to complain about him before, I liked him but am gradually going in the other direction and wish there was a different actor playing that role. BTW, I actually like him in the season 1 halloween show.

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blugirlami21

blugirlami21

(edited)

Well I thought the season was over for some reason, so this episode caught me off guard lol. I thought it was really well done.

I read the recap and I think that the recapper missed the point of Cory setting forgiveness between Maya and her father in motion. The point wasn't for Maya to forgive her father, she needed to forgive herself of any blame or fault. Children usually internalize parental abandonment.

I'm glad that Maya was able to hear his excuse and is no longer angry. Hopefully she can move toward forgiveness of him in the future.

Edited by blugirlami21
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kalamac

kalamac

I did like that they didn't have Maya forgive her dad in this episode. It's always annoying to me when parental abandonment issues are all forgiven with smiles and hugs by the end of an episode. Maya realising she wasn't to blame, but still not forgiving him for leaving was much more realistic. And I did tear up when she cried and hugged Cory.

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

This episode made up for SO many other recent bad ones.

 

If every episode was even 3/4 as good as this one, they'd have something.

 

I know people will still hate that this is The Maya Show, but when Sabrina turns in a performance like this, it's hard to mind. Plus it's not like Rowan gets shorted here either. She won't ever hold a candle dramatically, but showed some very good comic chops this episode with that truly funny subplot with the "Bear Bear". Heck, as others have said, even Auggie really worked this episode, and Corey HAD A POINT! (although what it has to do with History, which is filled with very little forgiveness is a real mystery)

 

Even the stuff at the bakery with Katy and Topanga was funny.  And the subplot with Farkle, Zay and Lucas also was pretty funny and well done.

 

Bravo.

 

The only bad thing is that the actor playing the Dad? Had some kinda shitty line readings. Which up against Sabrina was even more noticeable.

Edited by Kromm
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Perfect Xero

Perfect Xero

 Corey HAD A POINT! (although what it has to do with History, which is filled with very little forgiveness is a real mystery)

 

Well, he could have easily tied it in to how the Allies learned from the mistakes made after WWI and offered forgiveness to Germany and Japan after WWII and the world is probably a better place for it today.

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SmithW6079

SmithW6079

Meh episode. Don't care at all about Maya.

I started watching the episode, but didn't finish it. It's not that I don't care about Maya, I don't care about Maya's family drama. I don't care for Katie, and the show trying to force a Katie/Topanga friendship on me makes me dislike her even more.

I like Riley, but this was another episode where they make it seem that she belongs in the remedial class -- still carrying around her faceless teddy bear.

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

I started watching the episode, but didn't finish it. It's not that I don't care about Maya, I don't care about Maya's family drama. I don't care for Katie, and the show trying to force a Katie/Topanga friendship on me makes me dislike her even more.

I like Riley, but this was another episode where they make it seem that she belongs in the remedial class -- still carrying around her faceless teddy bear.

Wow are we reading this episode differently. 

 

Even if it's not a very emotionally complex portrayal, I thought it was a great episode for Riley. I think this episode crystallized for me why Rowan actually got the lead on this show. She was damned funny in this episode. Considering the show is technically a comedy and not any kind of drama, that's a good skill to have. 

 

Sabrina is, and IMO always will be, a better actor, but so what? This is Disney, where that's only a second or third level priority. It was a really good episode for Riley because I think it showed that the over the top quality to her pays off. In the worse episodes it comes off as child-like, but in the better ones I'd argue it's more to make her the Lucy (as in the Lucille Ricardo). I think it just has to be accepted in that way.  She's a goofy, weird person, and the dividing line on the episodes is when that comes off as infantilizing, vs. when it just comes off broadly comedic.

 

The Maya stuff on the other hand?  If people have already (before this episode) gotten to the point where they're actively bitter about everything having to do with her, I suppose this won't have changed that. If they were still on the side of accepting it (even if somewhat tired of it), then I bet this bought that aspect of the show some points back (because again, I'd argue it was really well done.... if the viewer wasn't inherently against it by this point, in which case I'm sure it was just noise).

 

As for the Katie/Topanga stuff?  It's been awkward on previous episodes, but I think felt a lot more natural this time. Sure they had to shoehorn in some mentions of how intimidating and (in some ways bad with people) Topanga is... and that felt like a bit of a convenient reinvention (she's only really been proven to be bad with kids who aren't her own before this), but if you just accept the premise I though the scene with them (before the ex-husband showed up) was really charming.

Edited by Kromm
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TVFAN

TVFAN

Wow are we reading this episode differently. 

 

Even if it's not a very emotionally complex portrayal, I thought it was a great episode for Riley. I think this episode crystallized for me why Rowan actually got the lead on this show. She was damned funny in this episode. Considering the show is technically a comedy and not any kind of drama, that's a good skill to have. 

 

Sabrina is, and IMO always will be, a better actor, but so what? This is Disney, where that's only a second or third level priority. It was a really good episode for Riley because I think it showed that the over the top quality to her pays off. In the worse episodes it comes off as child-like, but in the better ones I'd argue it's more to make her the Lucy (as in the Lucille Ricardo). I think it just has to be accepted in that way.  She's a goofy, weird person, and the dividing line on the episodes is when that comes off as infantilizing, vs. when it just comes off broadly comedic.

 

The Maya stuff on the other hand?  If people have already (before this episode) gotten to the point where they're actively bitter about everything having to do with her, I suppose this won't have changed that. If they were still on the side of accepting it (even if somewhat tired of it), then I bet this bought that aspect of the show some points back (because again, I'd argue it was really well done.... if the viewer wasn't inherently against it by this point, in which case I'm sure it was just noise).

 

As for the Katie/Topanga stuff?  It's been awkward on previous episodes, but I think felt a lot more natural this time. Sure they had to shoehorn in some mentions of how intimidating and (in some ways bad with people) Topanga is... and that felt like a bit of a convenient reinvention (she's only really been proven to be bad with kids who aren't her own before this), but if you just accept the premise I though the scene with them (before the ex-husband showed up) was really charming.

I think Rowan and Sabrina are both fine young actresses.  But much to my surprise, I've come to the conclusion that the adult Rowan may go farther than the adult Sabrina.  Sabrina is playing a conventional role and doing a lovely job of it.  Rowan's character is much more complex.  On some occasions, Riley is beyond spacey, but on others, such as when she took on the evil vintage clothing store clerk and when she discussed her passion for the Knicks with Lucas, Riley is sharper and more articulate than any of the other characters.  She very much reminds me of Eric.  She plays both over the top and subtle well.  For instance, she has done a very nice of job of subtly conveying Riley's mixed feelings about giving up Lucas.  Rowan has been forced to stretch in ways that Sabrina has not.  I could see her enjoying the type of success that Ann Hathaway has had.

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David-

David-

Kudo's to great acting MS Carpenter very well done.

I'm in the Maya meh camp for all her "bad past" it's nothing more than Daddy issues which she's acting out on. Maya has it good and better than most. BUTTTT the thing with her Father had to be addreessed sooner or later.

From Auggies mouth at the start by the bay window came the best assessment of Rileys behaviour I've seen to date. Right out of the mouths of babes.

It was fairly obvious from the amount of times this was mentioned in this ep that even the writers were aware that they were stretching the "Why is a history teacher doing a lesson on forgiveness?" boundries. Apparently the lesson plan went right out the window that day.

if this was all about forgiveness why did no-one challenge Katy who had the best response via food attack on her X, given that why was she not confronted about her forgiveness or lack thereof?

Farkle.. there is nothing more annoying than some know it all smart ass sitting in the movie and yelling things out. I'm suprised that Farkle has any friends at all with that attitude particulary that he was made aware of it and still kept doing it.

Great acting..And it could have been worse. I'm not bitter about maya but this is GIRL meets world not GIRLS meet world.

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coyotedelmar

coyotedelmar

Well, he could have easily tied it in to how the Allies learned from the mistakes made after WWI and offered forgiveness to Germany and Japan after WWII and the world is probably a better place for it today.

 

That'd been great, even WWI could be used with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and it's contempt of the Serbians after the assassination (Serbia agreed to all but one of Austria-Hungary's demands). Though WWII probably ties much better, and more well known, just been reading up on WWI lately =p. 

 

Anyways related to the lesson, I liked that the point was made about listening to the other person and trying to at least understand their reasoning then just jumping to conclusions. That and the one about criticism not being the same as bullying have been two of my favorite lessons so far this season. 

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ladyrott

ladyrott

This episode was kind of heavy (like the Farkle/autism episode), but I did think it was well done.  I agree with kalamac that there is nothing more annoying than when shows tie up parental issues in a nice little bow at the end of 30 minutes.  This is a real issue in the real world being faced by a lot of kids.  Maya's reaction was age appropriate and very realistic.  Personally, I was glad to see her realize it wasn't anything she did that caused dear old dad to leave.  That's the first step and maybe, when she is older, she will be able to forgive.  Cory was right....she doesn't need to forgive dead beat dad right now, she just needs to forgive herself (or rather, realize there is nothing to forgive herself FOR because none of it was ever her fault to begin with).

 

I don't have an issue with the Topanga/Katie friendship.  It actually makes sense to me that they would get to be close, considering how close their daughters are.  I actually think that makes more sense than this sudden super close friendship that they seem to have with the Minkus family.  It seemed as though Cory hadn't seen Minkus in years when he showed up at career day and even at the beginning of the autism episode, it seemed like he was just finding out that Stuart had married the monster.  But then "that's what friends are for" and all this closeness while they waited to find out Farkle's diagnosis?  THAT made little sense to me.  I understand why Farkle would have wanted to be with his besties at that time, but I would have thought his parents would have close friends that they would have wanted to share this stressful time with.

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grandemocha

grandemocha

 

Another Maya centric episode.  Is she going to take over the focus of the series a la Urkle and Gamily Matters ?

As previously noted beforehand by several several people, the show runners/ Disney have been airing the episodes out of (production) order. So the way they filmed them in that particular order is not the way we (the audience) are seeing them. 

 

It's not like Riley was absent this episode. She had her own plot with forgiving Auggie, Riley's parents were present, and pretty much the entire cast was in the episode. 

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

It's not like Riley was absent this episode. She had her own plot with forgiving Auggie, Riley's parents were present, and pretty much the entire cast was in the episode. 

And again, I'd argue that Riley wasn't shafted at all in this arrangement in the least. It was a really good episode for her if you can get past the fact that it was a comedic plot and Maya got the dramatic one. Because unlike some other episodes, it was a comedic plot that equaled the dramatic plot in terms of quality. It was on the same level as the talking tater tot, and the stuff with the sorority girls. Comedy that just worked.

Edited by Kromm
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CheetaraThunder

CheetaraThunder

Another Maya centric episode.  Is she going to take over the focus of the series a la Urkle and Gamily Matters ? 

 

Yes it was Maya centric, but Riley had just as much plot as Maya. Her plot was more comedic, but she wasn't shun out of the episode. She had her deal with Auggie and was there for Maya as a support system.

 

And, both actresses are going to have good careers outside of Disney. No use in trying to pigeon hole one or the other, or even try to make it into a competition.

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vanillamountain

vanillamountain

I think Rowan and Sabrina are both fine young actresses. But much to my surprise, I've come to the conclusion that the adult Rowan may go farther than the adult Sabrina.

I really liked Rowan in the recent Disney Channel movie "Invisible Sister," and that was a very different role/character than Riley. I think she has some range as an actress, and that may take her far.

But it's always hard to predict these things. Over on Nickelodeon, Melissa Joan Hart, for example, was a very natural child actress as well when she was Rowan's age, but she grew up to be very one-note as an adult.

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CheetaraThunder

CheetaraThunder

Like I said, I think both girls will end up being successful. Sabrina has the acting/singing route, while I honestly think Rowan might drift away from acting and go more into the activist role.

 

But, really all the actors have improved over the season, especially Peyton and Rowan.

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DarkRaichu

DarkRaichu

Yes it was Maya centric, but Riley had just as much plot as Maya. Her plot was more comedic, but she wasn't shun out of the episode. She had her deal with Auggie and was there for Maya as a support system.

 

And, both actresses are going to have good careers outside of Disney. No use in trying to pigeon hole one or the other, or even try to make it into a competition.

I was not comparing the 2 actresses, both were fine in their own rights.  The rest of actors and actresses in Family Matters had fine acting skills too.  They were just put to the sideline in favor of Urkle-centric storylines due to ratings.

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Kromm

Kromm

Face it. Urkel wouldn't have taken over that show if those others were really all that fascinating. Really if we're being honest. Carl is the only other character who had any punch, any impact.

 

I don't really see Girl Meets World as a very parallel situation to Family Matters.

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Winston Wolfe

Winston Wolfe

Both young actresses are great IMO.  I can see Rowan maturing into a Zooey Deschanel-plus actress.  There might be some Anne Hathaway upside there.  As a sporadic watcher, I really wish the writers weren't so wedded to the Riley/Maya = Cory/Shawn trope.  In later seasons of BMW, Shawn's daddy issues weighed the show down and I can see that quickly happening here.  Better to explore other dimensions of Maya's character.

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