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Episode 3: “Girl Meets the Secret of Life”
Overview
Lucas’ past comes to John Quincy Adams and it leads both Maya and Riley to have a totally new perception of him.
Review (with Spoilers) – Below
Characters & Story (with Commentary)
Topic 1: Friends Don’t Keep Secrets – Lucas and Riley
A new kid named Isiah, who is from the same Texas town Lucas came from, begins hinting at the life Lucas used to have. Something both he, and Cory, try to keep on the hush-hush. However, being that Riley is slightly entitled, and has a crush on Lucas, she wants to know what is this secret? Thus leading to her being a little bit bratty toward Lucas.
Topic 2: I Am Not The Boy I Used to Be – Lucas, Riley, and Maya
However, with time, and mostly thanks to Isiah, Lucas’ past is revealed. For, you see, like Lucas, Isiah’s father leads to him moving around a bit, and it seems Isiah has an issue with making friends with the right people. An issue which comes up for with him seeing how tight knit Riley’s crew is, he looks for a bad boy to hang out with. Thing is, said bad boy doesn’t want Isiah around and threatens to beat him up. This leads to Isiah calling out for Lucas and Lucas revealing that he was quite a bad boy in the past.
Well, maybe not a bad boy, but due to Isiah he seemingly did get into fights and, because of said fights, he was kicked out of school and seemingly that caused him to be left back a grade possibly. Thus revealing Lucas secret and changing both Riley and Maya’s perception of him. For now Riley feels she knows him better, and sees how much he will put himself on the line and, in the case of Maya, she sees a bad boy and it seems she likes it.
Praise
Being that Isiah has now transferred into Cory’s class, and is one of Lucas’ old friends, I’m so hoping he is joining the cast. If only because this show has 0 diversity and it really doesn’t make sense. That thought aside, I also like the idea that Lucas isn’t made to be a clear cut good guy. For while him defending his friend is noble, we also see that the boy may have anger issues, occasionally likes a good fight, and certainly isn’t as pristine as he seems.
Alongside that, and maybe this is just wishful thinking, a part of me still dearly hopes for a Lucas and Maya pairing, and I think her seeing his dark side may push the idea into a possibly reality. For, no matter what is argued, sometimes it really does seem, despite the kiss and all that, Riley and Lucas are on two different maturity levels, from two different worlds and, at best, they are like big brother and cute annoying little sister. As for Maya and Lucas, they just seem like the perfect opposites attract type of pairing. Though, with Riley liking Lucas, there is the plethora of issues which could come from Maya speaking, much less acting on, how she feels.
Criticism
Mostly because of how entitled, if not whiny, Riley is. Which, as the show goes on, is becoming more and more apparent. After all, her going to “Rileytown” over Lucas having a secret, which could destroy her fantasy of him, just continues to push the idea Riley is neither naïve or innocent, but simply spoiled. Almost to the point it makes the idea of the show being named Girl Meets World not dealing with the fact a girl is a lead of the show, but the show perhaps trying to feature a girl who slowly has to come to realize she isn’t the center of the universe, what she want can’t always be gotten on a whim, and eventually she may one day not have this supportive team to always fix her messes, pick her up when she falls, and push her to do things.
Well, at least I hope that comes to pass. For, as said in the last episode, right now Riley has everything and, even if it is just not having Lucas, I think the child needs to be denied at least one thing.
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