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Episode 17: “Girl Meets Rileytown”
Overview
Girl Meets World ups revisits the topic of bullying, and while the first time things focused on Farkle, this time Riley is the target.
Characters & Story (with Commentary)
Topic 1: You’re A Bully Maya! – Maya and Riley
Though Riley has always been strange, her trying to avoid school, fake sick, and is probably the oddest thing she has ever done. After all, Riley loves school. So, naturally, Maya is very suspicious. Problem is though, she doesn’t ask the right questions. Instead, she begins to pick with Riley to try to get her to smile and life and there comes the trigger: Rileytown. A place which Maya may find weird, silly, and whimsical, and love it for being so, but Riley disagrees. In fact, she hates Rileytown and kicks Maya off her bed after Maya repeats the phrase. Leading to Maya to try to justify and uplift the idea of Rileytown as a good thing, but with Riley despising the idea she is weird, goofy, and etc., she considers Maya a bully for associating her with such adjectives.
Topic 2: The Truth Is Revealed – Lucas, Riley, Maya, Farkle, and Zay
With Maya being called a bully, among other shenanigans, it makes it so only the genius Farkle can know what is going on. Not necessarily because of his book smarts either, but his social intelligence. For with Riley trying to not be seen, not act weird, and yet act out in such a way which could only draw attention to herself, he realizes she is being bullied. A topic which he first mentions to Maya, who goes right on it, but he is a little more hesitant with Lucas. After all, even with all the Lucaya moments, Lucas still does care about Riley. For whether she is like a little sister to him, or maybe something more, we already see what he would do for Zay, who probably deserved whatever was coming to him, so innocent Riley he is going to go full on Ranger Rick for [1].
Topic 3: Welcome To The Dark Recesses of Rileytown – Riley
Leading to the question: What is Riley being bullied for, much less by who? Well, the answer of who is not answered, despite Cory going through the list of everyone in his class [2], but the reason why may make you roll your eyes. Reason being, everyone knows Riley is an odd pickle. I mean, who else would call their father “daddy,” in front of the rest of the class, in middle school? Much less, considering all the transformations and scenarios Riley has been through, I’m sure everyone knows she is weird one way or another. So when it is revealed her bully is torturing her because she does a fake awards ceremony every Friday, which Riley has been keeping a secret, I was done.
If only because, there was such a build to the reveal, which included Riley and Maya getting emotional and crying, that I was expecting to see this bully, for maybe Lucas to go off, and everything was anti-climatic. For, as noted, we don’t see the person and, if it wasn’t for hearing them walk away after Riley, with the whole class, confronted them, I’d think they weren’t real and this was a dream. Much less, considering that we saw this topic with Farkle, I was surprised it was basically a rehashed storyline with a bit more in the way of tears.
Final Thoughts
While I won’t pretend bullying isn’t a serious subject matter, it just seems odd considering Riley has so many acquaintances in school, then her dad, and I’m sure Harvey looking out for her, that someone didn’t see said bully. Much less, being that the bully got Riley’s number, you’d think they would have used one of the kids in the class something to do besides be an extra. After all, I’m sure, like Farkle, they may be sick and tired of lesson being hijacked, much less them being utterly ignored for the sake of a handful of students’ education.
Which, granted, maybe a bit over the top to say, and think about, but considering there is a more diverse class than I ever noticed before, it would have been a cool way to introduce, or reintroduce, someone. Think about it, when was the last time Yogi had a moment, be it as a comic relief or otherwise? Much less, considering this show keeps a slightly stable group when it comes to kids in the class, it would make up for Farkle’s bully being in like, what, one episode, then disappearing. Which I’m still made about because, before Zay, it seemed like he would have been this series’ Angela, meaning the token.
Things To Note
[1]: Which, when Maya sees, seemingly excites hers in ways which are comical, yet shows how much she enjoys the dark side to Lucas.
[2]: People in Cory’s class, outside of the main cast, in order of Cory saying their name: Sarah (Spoke up when the students had detention and noted the need to balance the properness of Riley with the madness of Maya); Darby (I believe Yogi’s girlfriend); Jade (Hasn’t done anything I can recall); Kendra (Hasn’t done anything I can recall – Only Black Girl in the class); Wyatt (Hasn’t done anything I can recall); Jeffrey (Hasn’t done anything I can recall); Hayley (Hasn’t done anything I can recall); Nate (Hasn’t done anything I can recall); Yogi (You know Yogi); Dave (Hasn’t done anything I can recall); Clarissa (Hasn’t done anything I can recall).
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