Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Overview
The world tries to teach Riley not everyone is going to like her, but Riley fights back!
Main Plot (with Commentary)
Topic 1: Health Class (Riley and Cory)
Finally a class without Cory, that is until Riley complains, Cory tries to talk to the teacher, and ends up teaching the class. Something he isn’t comfortable with for the topics of young people’s bodies just isn’t his forte. Yes, he thinks the topic should be handled with the sensitive touch he gives, but he himself is too sensitive to lecture a bunch of freshmen. Especially when one is his daughter.
{Commentary}
In the health class segments, we see Farkle faint, Smackle give a lesson which is completely bleeped out, and the only thing taught is we have control over our minds and bodies in terms of how we care for it and what we do with it. Being this show is on the Disney Channel, can you expect much else? Even if the cast is at that age when puberty starts and I’m sure they have some non-G rated questions to ask?
Topic 2: Why She Don’t Like Me? (Riley)
Being that it is high school and Riley wants new experiences, naturally, she wants new friends too. So, she decides to approach someone, say she wants to be their friend, compliment them and is shocked when the girl says she doesn’t like her. Well, shocked is an understatement. She has a breakdown and Maya finds herself calming her down and trying to help her re-find her happy place.
Which is a bit difficult for Riley doesn’t get why she isn’t liked by this girl. Much less, her friends aren’t of much help since they seem fine with the friendships and relationships they have. Leaving her dwelling on this one girl who didn’t insult, didn’t critique her appearance or personality, but simply said she doesn’t like Riley and doesn’t want to be her friend.
{Commentary}
You know, I sometimes think Maya uses some of the methods she learned while helping her mom with her mental break after her divorce from Kermit. Because, at this point, Riley more and more reminds me of Katy, before she likely got disenchanted with life. So, at times, I wonder if part of Maya’s loyalty deals with her not wanting Riley to veer down that road.
That thought aside, I can’t with Riley. She has a breakdown or throws a fit over something nearly every episode now. To be honest, it is getting tiring. I get she is growing up, she has been coddled all her life, and she is naively optimistic, but it is like all the lessons and things that have happened over nearly 3 full seasons have hardly changed her a bit. Granted, there are times when it seems maybe she has learned something. But it is like there is a constant need of a reality check for her to get to the point where you think she has consistently grown as a character vs. is a girl with a serious case of arrested development.
Topic 3: Control Issues (Topanga and Riley)
Control is a major issue no matter whose life it is. But there is this feeling you should be able to control your own world and those in it. So when you are told no it is a shock to the system. For Riley, she seeks answers from anyone who will listen and when she asks Topanga we see the problem with trying to control everything. As Topanga notes “when you try to control life, life does its best to teach you not to.” Something you’d think would be the lesson of the episode. That and learning to adapt when you don’t get your way. However, in the end, Topanga goes overboard in trying to make her kid happy by having the girl’s parents investigated by a tax lawyer friend and while Riley doesn’t get a new friend, the writers leave things off with Riley noting that despite the girl not liking her, Riley likes her anyway. Leading to not the girl continuing to seem like she finds Riley to be a bit too weird for her taste but seeming like she could be her friend because, you know, Riley always has to have a happy ending.
{Commentary}
Sometimes with this show, honestly it is hard to just do a simple summary because it makes you feel so passionate. Granted, usually, I’m more frustrated than joyous or crying over something that happened, but a reaction means someone is doing their job right? Right? Anyway, I just need consistency. That and for Riley to just grow up. I get the show is all about her meeting the real world, but it seems that between her friends and parents, she is so protected from the real world that all lessons become voided. It is like whatever she learns is learned by accident and her memory gets wiped of it. Making it so every day is a new one and we ultimately will never get anywhere.
Which honestly wouldn’t be such a problem if it wasn’t for everyone, besides Lucas, progressing since we’ve met them. Maya’s storylines still reverberate with that characters, Farkle’s shift has been maintained, as has Smackle’s, and arguably even Auggie has had more consistent growth than Riley. Making the usual excuse of Disney being to blame seeming like a cheap scapegoat.
Things To Note
Anyone else wonder who comes up with these outfits? Granted, I’m no fashionista nor know what teenage girls wear, but often I’m left in a consistent state of “What the ?”
Collected Quote(s)
The truth is, when you try to control life, life does its best to teach you not to.
[…] as much as we think we show everybody who we are when we’re completely in charge of what happens, we find out who we really are when we’re not.
I’m not in control of anything. That’s what makes life so easy for me. [Because] when you think about it, nothing’s really my fault yet
Highlights
The quotable moments when the health teacher was speaking and Topanga was being serious and not comical about being able to control things and people in your life.
Low Points
The lack of consistency when it comes to Riley growing as a character.
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
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