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

Episode 18: “Girl Meets Master Plan”

Overview

With it being Maya’s birthday, it seems the Matthews’ family tries to give Maya the ultimate present: a family similar to their own.

Topic 1: Reasons For The Plan – Maya & Riley

Topic 2: Setting Up The Plan – Cory & Riley

Topic 3: Final Results – Shawn, Katy and Maya

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Topic 1: Reasons For The Plan – Maya & Riley

With it being Maya’s 14^th birthday, Riley is quite excited. For not only is Maya the older one, who can tell her the ways of the 14 year old, but also it is a special day for her. One which, so it seems, her mom forgot. Which naturally leads to Riley wanting to confront her. That is, until Shawn is spotted, it is noted how close Shawn and Maya have gotten, and the wheels start turning in Riley’s head. For with Shawn being unattached, since Angela broke up with him, and Katy, Maya’s mom, being single, Riley sees a relationship in the making.

Commentary

While Riley’s plan likely was selfless, and more so to give Maya the same love and affection she gets, a small part of me does feel that with Riley being so close to her parents, she doesn’t want to split them three ways. For she already has to share her parents with Auggie, but during that father and me dance, quite a few episodes back, you could see this weird look on Riley’s face. One in which as much as she was happy to see Maya get the father treatment, she didn’t want it to come at the cost of her losing time, and access, to her father. So I do feel, as much as she probably made this plan to make a more permanent bond between Shawn and Maya, it isn’t solely for the benefit of her bestie.

Topic 2: Setting Up The Plan – Cory & Riley

Being that Riley is meddling in the lives of adults, on a sensitive matter at that, she calls Cory and Topanga to help. Though, in the end, Topanga just smiles and plays the wife as Cory works with Riley to set things up. The idea is to get Shawn to meet Katy, keep Maya away from the situation, and then let things fall into place. All of which happens since Lucas ties Maya up, and thanks to Topanga and Cory seeming like they care about Maya, but not to the point of confronting Katy and really going beyond, Shawn ends up doing it. For, after all, he knows what it is like to feel abandoned, and pretty much between Cory joking about Shawn’s mom, and Shawn having a long conversation with Maya about being left, you can see he doesn’t want Maya to have the same amount of baggage he has.

Commentary

As always, Maya is the catalyst for this show being more than a silly tween comedy. Though, unlike past Maya focused episodes, I can’t say any tears were shed sadly. If only because this whole, “Let’s set Shawn up with Katy” thing seems so forced. Especially in light of how the Angela situation is handled. For, I’m sure, many of us liked the idea of them maybe lasting and being happy, and with that being shut down in the matter of a few sentences, I must admit I feel a bit wronged.

Thought perhaps my main issue with Shawn and Katy is because nothing about it seems romantic. It all seems done for the sake of the plot so Shawn has a reason to stick around, they can bring Katy more into the fold, and eventually bring out Maya’s dad. Making it seem there is a formula in place.

Topic 3: Final Results – Shawn, Katy and Maya

When Shawn confronts Katy, he is a bit nasty with her. Thus leading to her returning his attitude and it being revealed that the reason Katy didn’t say “Happy Birthday” to Maya that morning, and took an extra shift, was because she was trying to pay for a locket. For with Maya, earlier in the season, falling in love with one she found, her mom seemingly wanted to give her one of her own. Something Shawn gives $50 towards since Katy was short.

Leaving the final moments in which we see that while Katy hasn’t fallen in love with Shawn, Maya certainly has become as close as possible to Shawn. For with him taking the picture for Maya’s locket, participating in her birthday, and he asking her to be his partner in crime, since Cory has Riley, you can tell they are going to go through quite a lot together. Now, as for whether Katy and Shawn may go through stuff together, who knows?

Commentary

While I am not fond of Shawn and Katy being together, solely because I like Angela and this show needs someone not pale, I must admit there is some potential here. For with both of them having serious baggage, perhaps they can be the opposite of Cory and Topanga. In the sense that they won’t have that ideal perfect relationship, but one which requires work, effort, and isn’t always smiles and giggles. For with both having abandonment issues, and troubled family history, a twisted part of me wants them to get together and it be tumultuous. For while I really do hate Maya being whatever the antonym would be for “comic relief,” at the same time, what show besides Girl Meets World could possibly handle topics like couples fighting, and how the child is involved, with it showing just enough so that it is appropriate, understandable, and relatable to children, yet not off putting for the adults watching it with them?