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

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Episode 19: “Girl Meets Farkle’s Choice”

Overview

With Farkle having an award program to go to, he needs either Maya or Riley to go. Of which the girls originally would rather volunteer each other, until they realize how much they meant to Farkle and how much he means to them.

Topic 1: The Children’s Book Club – Topanga & Auggie

Topic 2: We Don’t Want To Go Farkle – Farkle, Maya, and Riley

Topic 3: Choose Me Farkle – Farkle, Maya, and Riley

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Topic 1: The Children’s Book Club – Topanga & Auggie

Topanga and Judy (Reagan Pasternak), Ava’s mom, stage a book club for some kids and it leads to Judy and Topanga butting heads. Mostly because Judy tries to uplift Ava while putting down the rest of the kids, especially Auggie. Leading to Topanga, naturally, to first be defensive, but eventually, with Cory’s help, she wins everyone over. For with Judy trying to present herself as the mother who cares more about intellect than doing stuff like Topanga and Cory does, like reading to their kid in funny voices, it leads to Ava turning on her mom for she gets the affection she desires, even if it is a hug before a door slam, that her mom doesn’t give.

Commentary

While often Maya gets a lot of the focus when it comes to lacking a good parental relationship, due to her dad abandoning her and her mom, and her mom working constantly, you can see Ava is in a similar circumstance. For with her noting, a while ago, her mother and father argue like cats and dogs, and us now seeing her mom isn’t as affectionate as Topanga is with Auggie, it makes you wonder what the long term plan is for Ava. Will we see her parents remains bitter and she, like Maya, seek Topanga and Cory for normalcy, will something happen which leads her to live with them, or will she remain this sort of random character who pops up?

Topic 2: We Don’t Want To Go Farkle – Farkle, Maya, and Riley

Being that Farkle loves Maya and Riley, like Roger loved Tia and Tamera on Sister, Sister, he overestimates sometimes his relationship with them. For while they will stick up for him when bullied, and show they care for him, at the same time they don’t share many of his interest. Plus, at the end of the day, while they love him as a friend, he tries to pursue more than they are willing to give. Making him present this idea he has to choose between them to be a date for a bug awards program almost laughable.

Commentary

Sooner or later I would like to see, in some sort of flashback, how did Farkle become friends with Maya and Riley. Much less, I think we need to see how Riley and Maya become friends as well. For with, as mentioned in topic 3, there being birthday parties, among other events, you have to wonder what led to these three latching onto each other specifically. At least in the beginning.

Topic 3: Choose Me Farkle – Farkle, Maya, and Riley

In the episode we are reminded why, despite how odd and off putting Farkle can perhaps be, both Riley and Maya care for the kid. For with him bringing out items from their past, defending them when two odd boys try to hit on them, and him seeming genuine about everything he does, the girls decides they want to return Farkle’s kindness by being the one he takes to an award show which is important to him. Thing is, rather than simply let it be Farkle’s choice, and leave it at that, they begin to compete with each other. Almost to the point you aren’t sure if this is solely about the award show, or something long term.

Either way though, with Farkle hating the idea they are fighting over him, he just says he is going to pick neither and goes alone. Leading to the girls, and Farkle, being upset, but the girls reconciling and showing up anyway to support Farkle. Something which he needed since, for the upteemth time, Smackle won the award he has lost again and again.

Commentary

Though I fully recognize that likely Riley/ Lucas and Maya/ Farkle maybe where the show is going, for now, I do wish Farkle and Smackle could be a thing. If only because they are cute and awkward, and honestly I still don’t see Riley and Lucas with the same chemistry as Lucas and Maya. Personal feelings aside though, bless Mr. Fogelmanis for his ability to come off both annoying and deserving of being hit with a rubber mallet, and yet being able to switch things up to the point he pulls at your heart strings a bit. For while we long have known Farkle liking the girls wasn’t shallow, each time he explains the whys and how deep it is, it is both beautiful and sad. Beautiful for it presents the idea of a nerdy character not just liking girls because they are attractive, but sad since you know neither girl really is into him like that. Though, as seen, they are appreciative.