Girl Meets World: Season 3/ Episode 5 "Girl Meets Triangle" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

A lot of the episode is fluff, but it seems there maybe the ever slightest chance it is a setup for something big to happen. Though don’t cross your fingers and toes thinking the question we have been asking since season 1 may get answered.

Major Characters

Maya | Riley | Lucas | Katy | Cory | Topanga

Main Plot (with Commentary)

One of the major things you may get out of this episode, or at least stayed with me, is that Katy is a low-key bad parent. Granted, she works hard to provide a roof over Maya’s head, but with her seeming all but willing to let the Matthews raise her daughter, influence her, and basically turn her into a 2^nd Riley, you have to turn your head slightly and squint your eyes. I mean, as a joke, she even talks about seeing Maya next month. Which, I know, is basically poking fun on how rarely we see Katy, but if you think about it, it kind of isn’t.

Katy isn’t really talked about, is rarely seen, and based off this episode, her influence is slipping. Something that many are having trouble with figuring out – is that bad or good? Granted, Maya still isn’t much for academics, but you can see Cory and Topanga giving positive reinforcements is slowly changing that. Having a parent capable of being active in her life, and over her shoulder, is changing who she is. Yet, from Riley to Topanga, there is this problem of her changing. They want dance on teacher’s desk Maya, get in detention Maya, and you have to wonder if maybe she outgrew that? She is in high school now, and perhaps of the diminishing influence her mother has, the bit which remains is that Maya doesn’t want to end up like her. She doesn’t want to struggle to make ends meet, she doesn’t want her dreams to fall to the waste side and become a sad joke, she doesn’t want to be that Maya who was insecure and unsure of everything.

As Riley notes, Maya and Riley have been slowly becoming more and more like each other for years, it is just now Maya has crossed over. Which Riley can’t take, I think, because now how can she make herself feel better? Yeah, Maya is still poorer and at a disadvantage, but she is catching up quick. Lest we forget, all Riley has had is her sweetness, her naivety, but she was never book smart, and while she has shown emotional intelligence, it isn’t always consistent. Maya on the other hand, she had the gift of gab, was less inhibited, smart but lazy, and had artistic talents.

But perhaps what this may sadly all boil down to is Lucas. Our generic pretty boy is what both girls want and Riley makes claims that she saw him first, liked him first, and she could talk about their kiss, their attempt at dating, and so much more. All the while, it seems Maya just wants a good guy in her life. Someone as good as Shawn, but more consistently able to be there. It seems a part of Riley believes that is the driving force behind the change, Maya once again adopting Riley traits to be her view of, if not a better, than a more fully formed person. What about Maya though? Well, in all this she seems to know something is off but doesn’t appreciate everyone telling her so. Be it her art teacher or Riley, it seems everyone is trying to stunt her growth and it is leading her to question things. So with Lucas ending the episode revealing he knows who he may choose, after Riley tries to reconnect Maya with her bad girl past by sneaking out, one can only hope the love triangle ends and true character development gets to fully begin.