Girl Meets World – Girl Meets Goodbye

By: Kim Olson

It’s Farkle’s (Corey Fogelmanis) dream come true! It’s time to learn about Belgium 1831! The Netherlands was a group of friendly states who thought they’d stay together forever, until Belgium made the decision it was time to go. It was decided that Belgium would no longer be part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, but instead be its own independent country. Belgium was free. At that point, Belgium was no longer part of a group, but its own sovereign nation ready to meet the world on its own terms. After Belgium left, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands fell completely apart.

Belgium 1831 is Riley (Rowan Blanchard) and her friends. Farkle always wanted to learn about Belgium 1831 so he could warn his friends about what they’re up against. “It’s Farkle who’s always loved us and tried to protect us,” says Maya (Sabrina Carpenter). To thank him, Maya kisses Farkle! Farkle being Farkle, in love with Maya since the first grade, faints! Cory (Ben Savage) originally planned Belgium 1831 to be about his students’ freedom when they graduated. But, with Riley potentially moving away, the time is now. “Sometimes things happen in life earlier than they’re supposed to,” Cory says. “So, we do our best – like we’ve always done. We leave a good mark and we hope that people remember us fondly,” he laments. “I did my best. I hope that you remember me fondly,” Riley tells her classmates. Really, Riley is most afraid her friends will forget her. Riley and Maya used to have a third best friend, Kerri Abelson (Madison Kerbeck). But as soon as Kerri moved across the street, they completely forgot she existed, even though they were still in the same class. London is 3,459 miles away from New York! Riley and Maya are already too far away from each other when they’re standing right in front of one another! Is this the end of Riley and Maya?

Everyone is so sad. As Smackle (Cecilia Balagot) informs them, “If anything changes, then we’re simply not who we were. We are actually different. If you leave us we will actually be different.” Without Riley, will they fall completely apart?

Certain Topanga (Danielle Fishel) will choose to move, Riley and her friends say their goodbyes. Smackle thanks Riley for teaching her how to feel. She tells her, “I was feeling sadness… I was crying. I don’t cry. But now I know it was because nothing has ever made me sad enough before. I just wanted to say thank you for these feelings, Riley.” Zay (Amir Mitchell-Townes) swears he’ll take care of Lucas (Peyton Meyer). He tells Riley, “I’ll make sure Lucas is okay. I’ll walk him and feed him and make sure he never forgets about you.” Lucas says he’ll never forget about Riley and Zay calls him a “good boy,” like he’s a puppy dog. In return, Riley tells Zay, “Our circle of friends was never complete until you showed up.” Farkle appears to be downright depressed because the love of his life is moving away. He promises Riley he’ll always love her. He tells her, “I’ve loved you since the first grade. I always will, wherever you are.” Maya won’t say goodbye to Riley because she doesn’t believe her BFF is really leaving. She doesn’t think life is done with them yet. She says, “Life knows there’s no replacement for her because nobody cares about me as much as she does.” That is until her lifelong crush, Uncle Josh “Boing” Matthews (Uriah Shelton), walks in and pulls up a seat right next to her! She tells Riley, “Life is trying to replace you.” Looking back at who life is replacing Riley with, Maya adds, “Life moves fast. Life does a good job.” Maya gets her long game faster than she expected! Lucas wants to say his goodbye in private so he walks Riley outside and they sit on the steps. He tells her, “No matter what happens to me in my whole life, you will always be my first girlfriend. Years from now, whenever anybody asks me, ‘Who was your first girlfriend?’ I will always answer ‘Riley Matthews.’” She tells him, “And I will always answer ‘Lucas Friar.’” Riley hopes his secret dream of being a veterinarian comes true someday and he hopes that wherever she is she gets to keep being Riley. Girl Meets World started with Maya pushing Riley into Lucas’ lap on the subway. Now, their relationship is ending.

Riley’s little brother, Auggie (August Maturo), has to say goodbye to his girlfriend, Ava (Ava Kolker). Ava wants to go to England with Auggie. She even learned how to be posh! But her mom wants to keep her with her so Ava and Auggie have to say their goodbyes. Ava tells Auggie, “I’m Mrs. Auggie Doggie Matthews wherever you are,” and Auggie says, “And I will always be Mr. Ava Morgenstern.” Auggie and Ava will always be married, no matter where they are.

Topanga has to decide “is it tougher to leave something you love or stay when you could be missing an opportunity?” She has to heavily consider what she’d be leaving behind. To help her make this big decision, she seeks out the advice of her closest friends and family – Shawn (Rider Strong), Katy (Cheryl Texiera), Turner, Morgan, Feeny, Eric, Josh, Amy, Alan (William Russ), Minkus (Lee Norris) and Harley (Danny McNulty). Before she makes her decision, she will listen to what everyone she loves has to say. As much as Shawn would hate it if his lifelong best friends went anywhere, he has to admit that leaving Philadelphia for New York worked out. He says, “If we didn’t do that… I wouldn’t be happy.” If he hadn’t left Philly, he never would’ve met Katy and Maya, his wife and step-daughter. Or is it daughter? Shawn presents Maya with adoption forms! He wants to adopt her, officially making her Maya Hunter! Maya excitedly accepts Shawn’s proposal and starts calling him dad/daddy immediately! She says, “Hey, dad? I’m sorry for everything I’m gonna do. Oh, and I’m going to London with them.” In their first [on-screen] reunion since Turner’s motorcycle accident twenty years ago that left him presumed dead, Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn) admits he always regretted never adopting Shawn. Cory reminds everyone, “My parents tried to adopt Shawn, but he preferred to stay a street urchin.” Amy (Betsy Randle) and Alan’s advice for Topanga comes only from their perspective. Reminiscent of when Amy persuaded Topanga’s aunt to not take Topanga away (from Cory), Amy tells them, “You leave. You leave for college. You leave for New York. And now you’re gonna fly across the ocean and take away my grandchildren?” Meanwhile, Auggie is getting guidance from his Aunt Morgan (Lily Nicksay/Lindsay Ridgeway). She tells him, “In order to be the best person you can be, sometimes it’s good to stay and sometimes you gotta go.” Lastly, Topanga looks to her sage elder and lifelong teacher, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels). He thinks she’ll flourish in London, just as she did in New York! “You’re telling us to go?” she asks. “I told you to go to Yale, too. Why didn’t you?” he replies. No matter what, he’s sure she’ll choose wisely. “You were always the best test-taker,” he tells her. Then, unintentionally wise Eric (Will Friedle) barges in! Surprising Topanga with incredible advice out of his “idiot” mouth, he tells her, “Listen to your heart. Your heart is what’s gonna tell you what to do. And then go and find your favorite quiet place. Mine is under the ocean.” Without saying a word, Topanga gets up and leaves. “Don’t take my spot!” Eric calls after her.

Later that night, Topanga’s family finds her hiding in the dark at her restaurant, her quiet place. She’s come to a decision. She tells her family, “There are a lot of exciting reasons to go: A new place. A new adventure. My promotion. There are whole bunch of reasons to go.” She has only one reason to stay. “Every time I watch you girls in the bay window, I remember how much we wanted a place like it of our own. A place where important decisions are made and the best next steps of your life are planned and considered. We would do great in England. We would do great anywhere in the world. I could run the London office. Maybe someday I’ll get to run the New York office. But the place I love running is this place that we’re in right now, where your friends come in and you plan the best next steps of your life, like we’re doing right now. This is my bay window and I’m not leaving it…. We’re not going anywhere.” Topanga is not parting with her long sought after “nook.”

Belgium 1831 taught Farkle there comes a time when the right thing to do is to leave the friends you know, see what’s out there and face a new world, but… “Not yet,” he says, erasing it off the board. They still have three years until they graduate.

Riley and Maya’s parents finish introducing them to the world. Echoing the Boy Meets World series finale, they tell them, “You’re gonna learn from it every day. Gonna make mistakes. You’re gonna make good friends, too. And even though it’ll seem like the world goes out of its way to teach you hard lessons, it’s the same world that gave you your friends and your family. You’ll come to believe the world is gonna protect you, too.” “Girl Meets World,” says Riley. “Now I get it,” adds Maya. Mirroring the Girl Meets World series premiere, Cory metaphorically hands Riley the key to the world. “Big world,” she says. “Our’s now,” Maya replies. If it’s Riley’s world, the first person she wants in it, now and for always, is Maya. “People are gonna come in and out of our lives. Who knows where we’re all gonna end up. Who knows if the decisions we’re gonna make are right or wrong. Promise me this? Time and distance have no power over us. You and I are together for as long as we live,” she says. Thunder. Lightning. Done. Riley and Maya are forever no matter where they are.

Everybody was happy, forever. The End.

Best Lines:

• Ava: I’m going. I spoke to my mom and she said I could go. Auggie: Really?! Topanga: Don’t answer! I’m afraid of the actual answer.
• Eric: I’m not talking to you! Feeny: And I’m not talking to you. Eric: Fine. Feeny: Double fine. Eric: I taught you that. Feeny: And I taught you everything else. Eric: Then why I don’t know anything?!
• Maya: Wow, I’d really love to rewrite history but…
• Riley: You can’t just make life how you want it.
• Shawn: Can you hold your little Topanga horses?
• Auggie: Is there gonna be another me?!
• Morgan: Being the youngest is really important. You’re the one they hold onto…. or not.
• Riley: Mom got a job offer in England. Eric: What?! Who’s gonna play Topanga?! Wait a second, I can play Topanga!
• Zay: Smackle, I’m feeling somethin’. Smackle: Sadness! …I’m good at emotions now.