Girl Meets World: Season 1 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Episode 10: “Girl Meets Crazy Hat”

Overview

In an episode filled with lessons, but lacking story, we learn not to judge a book by its cover and how corporations work.

Review (with Spoilers)

For this episode the whole lesson within a story method of the show is nonexistent. If just because the whole “Don’t judge a book by its cover” lesson, in various forms, never seems to evolve past a cheaply made lesson. One which makes this episode purely feel like an after school special.

Topic 1: Everything the Shines isn’t real – Topanga & Auggie

Ava is back and once more is a pain in Topanga’s side. If just because in his pursuit to have a relationship like his parents have, he has picked perhaps the worse girl to focus on. For with Ava using Auggie for all he could possibly give her, making me wonder what her parents are like, Topanga can clearly see her son is being used. So, in order to try to correct his problem before it becomes a terrible habit, she sits Auggie down and tries to explain how not all things that shine are a good thing. Though, somewhere in her lesson, also you get the sense that she also wishes to explain to Auggie that love goes beyond buying people things. Which is shown through him perhaps getting more out of a hug from his mom than whatever joy he should have gotten from giving Ava material things [1].

Topic 2: All Natural vs. Sugar – Riley, Maya, Lucas, and Farkle

Once again, as Farkle notes, the education of the children gets derailed thanks to Riley’s mood. So rather than talk about Belgian’s independence, or continue with the 1960s, things switch to talking about corporations. Leading me to wonder what the hell is Cory’s lesson plan since he bounces around history far too much.

I digress though, in the episode we see Farkle and Riley team up against Maya and Lucas. Both have muffin businesses and while Farkle and Riley’s muffins are stocked with sugar, and profitable, Maya and Lucas have all natural muffins and their business utterly fails. Leading to perhaps the most basic explanation of how companies work. The giant corporation which produces an unhealthy product, which taste good and is profitable, buys the small, and failing, company which offers a healthy alternative. By buying them they now have access to their market and then comes the negative parts of the two companies merging: downsizing. Meaning that, to make up for the cost of buying the small company, likely the small company’s employees will be fired, and maybe even the profitable company may drop some people to make up for whatever money was spent.

Topic 3: Crazy Hat Lady – Evelyn (Jackee), Riley, Maya, and Farkle

Evelyn returns and, since apparently Maya and Riley forgot meeting her in the pilot, they think she is some homeless lady with a crazy hat. Something they believe for usually they just find Evelyn sitting on a bench on the subway observing people. Why? Well, to find out what they need to be happy, which in turn makes her happy. Though, due to it not being revealed until the end who Evelyn is, the girls, especially Riley, see her as a crazy homeless woman who they may end up like since Maya’s business with Lucas failed, and Riley got fired since she disagreed with Farkle’s all sugar products and what they did to the students.

However, with the girls observing like Evelyn does, they find a way to create a business they can stand behind. One in which they put umbrella in subway stops so that when it rains, people can take one, and hopefully return another so there is a continuous cycle of umbrellas for use. Something the chairman of the board of Rand industries, Evelyn, finds to be a good enough idea to invest in.

Leaving us with an episode which seemed geared toward being about healthy business decisions. Such as not allowing yourself to be used, and knowing your worth, shown in Auggie and Topanga’s story; knowing that there are two ways to do business: for the customer and their well-being or meeting the people’s demands, but without their best interest, as shown in topic 2; and taking the time to observe the world around you and find what it needs so that you may find a purpose in this world, as well as don’t judge people by their appearances.

Things To Note

1. Imagine if this series lasts as long as the original and Auggie remains head over heels in love with Ava and she continues to use and abuse him.