Should be sleeping. Eh. Let's talk about Boy Meets World!
Yes, this is random. But I must write it! I was cleaning the kitchen and this whole THING popped up and wouldn't let me go. I've also committed myself to writing down all the blogs I mentally compose in my head, then never put down on (virtual) paper. Here goes. You have been warned.
Okay. Boy Meets World. This is in my eyes one of the most underrated and awesome shows of the 90s. Now, those of you who stopped watching when the cast was in middle school will probably think I'm crazy. But those that watched through late high school and college will (hopefully) feel me. The was incredibly silly at times, which was usually very fun with a lot of physical comedy, but it was also often very serious. Believably so. The credit mostly goes to cast that could sell it. The actors went from mostly so-so child actors to quite good adult actors. Especially Rider Strong. Aka Sean Hunter. But. Before we talk about what was good about the show, let's talk about the things that WERE NOT GOOD....
1. Hey, don't you hate it when writers change character histories and hope that you either don't notice or don't care?? Me too! Yeah, remember how the writers tried to make us believe that Corey (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) have been soulmates and practically married since the sandbox? Even though they spent the first few seasons not being able to stand/understand each other, but by mid-high school and college had totally forgotten about that and erased their own memories and replaced them with totally false revisionist history about their past? Fail.
2. Crazy character assassinations! (And no, I don't mean Tarantino-style assassinations that would at least be awesome, but deeply shameful ones that make you want to stab things--like Tarantino.) I think the most shameful one goes to Topanga. When we first meet Topanga, she is a Hermione-esque, socially conscious, free spirited child apparently raised by hippies. Awesome, right? Then apparently she is cloned and replaced by a girly, vain, uptight, neurotic thing that is MILES away from the girl we knew and loved. Feminist fail.
Erik Matthews, Cory's older brother. Erik was always a bit dim and kind of crazy. But he got increasingly more crazy every year until by 7th season he was certifiable. And dumb as a tack. WTF.
3. How they ended Shawn and Angele's relationship. She's going to move out of state or go overseas to be with her dad (can't recall which) and that's apparently insurmountable. If they were in high school, fine, I would buy it. But not college. Not in the 90s when email *did* exist.
NOW BACK TO THE GOOD STUFF.
1. Good acting. The cast, especially Rider Strong, gave incredibly good and serious and very poignant performances. He and Trina McGee (Angela) OWNED (and PWNED) their scenes together. And the rest of the cast also matured in ability. They definitely elevated the at-times super lame writing (though that improved and got more serious as well).
2. GOOD character changes. The decision to turn Shawn from a dumb, shallow pretty boy to a deeply feeling and soulful man was pitch-perfect. That's when we got to see his range. His complicated and heartbreaking relationships with those who tried to love him (Angela, Cory, Topanga...) were my favorite scenes/eps of the show.
3. Super gay subtext. Liek woah. I am convinced that the writers just ran with it to see how much they could get away with on an ABC show. We are talking Xena and Gabrielle soulmate stuff. The 7 year running joke was that Cory and Shawn *were* the real couple of the show. They couldn't live without each other. In fact, the show ends with Topanga relenting to let Shawn move with them to New York, even though she clearly doesn't really like the idea. Her and Shawn's competition over Cory was sometimes played for laughs, but sometimes it wasn't. The writers definitely made it real jealousy and resentment on both ends. One of my very favorite Shawn/Cory moments was at Cory and Topanga's wedding. The whole episode Shawn is unhappy because he things this is the end of him and Cory. Cory is kind of feeling the same way. Topanga is feeling threatened. Anyway, Cory and Shawn end up exchanging vows and having an elaborate flashback about when they first met, when Topanga has to forcefully push them apart and say "Stop it, you're both boys!" She also does this in the flashback. *If any of you stumble across ANY Shawn/Cory slash, send it my way, kay?*
Okay, I really need to sleep now. So on that note...if you have never seen BMW, give it a try. And stick with it until it gets better/more serious. If you *have* seen it, try looking at it with fresh and/or older eyes. It may surprise you. Really enjoy the heck out of William Daniel's role as Mr. Feeny, deadpan and put-upon mentor extraordinaire (seriously, from middle school to college, he is always there). I loved the hilariously self-aware humor the show used about his totally improbable role.
I feel like I should maybe apologize with this bit of WTF. I won't, but maybe I should.