Girl Meets World – World Meets Girl

By: Kim Olson

Disney has officially canceled Girl Meets World and the extremely raw, real, and personal episode “World Meets Girl” is the beginning of letting go. “World Meets Girl,” the last episode of Girl Meets World ever filmed, is all about the fans of the beloved series. In the special hour-long episode Rowan Blanchard, who plays Riley Matthews, and Sabrina Carpenter, who plays Riley’s best friend Maya, give fans golden tickets and welcome them to join the “Girl Meets World Experience.” Literally and figuratively referring to the fans who wait to see them, Sabrina says, “There’s a lot of people that come before we do.” This sweet and heartwarming behind-the scenes production, partially filmed by “camera extraordinaire” Rowan Eleanor Blanchard, is juxtaposed with home videos sent in by fans from all over the world and moments from the show like compilations of Farkle (Corey Fogelmanis) falling, Topanga (Danielle Fishel) slamming the door on Auggie’s “wife of three years” Ava (Ava Kolker) and Girl Meet World referencing its predecessor Boy Meets World. There are montages highlighting beloved characters and relationships like the love triangle between Riley, Lucas (Peyton Meyer) and Maya. And the show airs bloopers of the cast being silly and fun while messing up scenes. In a touching moment, lines said by the cast of characters are cut and edited together to quote the series’ theme song. “I feel alright. I’m gonna take on the world. Light up the stars. I’ve got some pages to turn.”

The cast of Girl Meets World gives the fans watching from home a behind the scenes tour of the set of the show. They show off their craft services, classroom, dressing room, hair and makeup and prop room. Fun fact: The cast actually loves going to school and learning because they get to be with each other and learn from one another. According to Sabrina, they spend too much time in the classroom talking rather than doing their work because they love each other so much. In the classroom, they have a fan wall where they’ve hung letters and drawings from fans. The prop room is where Corey Fogelmanis (Farkle), Peyton Meyer (Lucas) and Amir Mitchell-Townes (Zay) hang out. It’s their bay window, where they go to gossip! It’s also where production keeps everything from the yearbook, Maya’s paintings, treats from Topanga’s, Mr. Googly, the “famous” teddy bear with no face and the talking tatter tot. After the tour, the creators call the cast to the stage. Instead of filming an episode, the cast is going to do something special and interact with the fans in the studio audience! Making the dreams of everyone in the audience come true, the actors climb into the bleachers where the audience is sitting and interview them about their opinions on the show.

In case anyone was ever confused, at its core, Girl Meets World is about friendship. In one scene clipped from the show Maya asks Riley, “How is it possible that you can still have hope for me?” and Riley tells her, “I have hope for something 4 billion miles away (Pluto). You have always been right here.” Then, in another scene when talking about wearing their friendship rings for their whole life, Riley brings up the heartbreaking and fatal end to all of life – when girl has finished meeting the world. She tells Maya, “You’ll probably die before me since you’re older.” Girl Meets World really drives home its theme that friendship is a diamond when, in a segment Rowan calls “Bay Window Confessions,” Rowan and Sabrina “help some people figure out their problems.” In the most poignant moment of the episode, Rowan and Sabrina bring real life best friends from the studio audience into the bay window to have heart-to-hearts. “The bay window brings out the truth serum in everybody,” says a producer. While holding hands and sitting on each other’s laps, Rowan and Sabrina watch as one friend tells another she’s so grateful to have her in her life and doesn’t know what she’d do without her and another tells her friend she used to be jealous of how smart and fast she was in 5th grade, but she’s glad she moved past that and they’re even closer now. At the end, once the audience is out and the set is empty, Rowan and Sabrina have their own heart-to-heart in the bay window. “Thunder. Lightning. Forever,” they tell each other.

How could Disney say they JUST made the decision to cancel Girl Meets World?! This episode was clearly set up for the end. Danielle Fishel, who has played Topanga since 1993, says goodbye to the young actors of Girl Meets World and tells them how much she’s enjoyed watching them form real, everlasting friendships. She finishes off her speech telling them, “I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all of you.” Ben Savage, who has been Cory Matthews for twenty-five years, leaves parting words similar to his on the original series Boy Meets World – “You are going to learn something from life every day and make mistakes… When the world has taught you how to be… then you’ll still make mistakes. But your family, and all those good friends you’ve made along the way, will help you. And even though you’ll think the world has gone out of its way to teach you all the tough lessons, you’ll realize that it’s the same world that’s given you your family and those friends. You’ll come to believe that no matter what happens, somehow the world will protect you, too. Boy Meets World. Now I get it.” Ben tells the young actors and viewers of Girl Meets World, “You never stop meeting the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5, or you’re 15, or you’re 35. Every day is a journey. It’s an experience.” How can Disney cancel Girl Meets World when they want the audience to be a part of the show and experience it for themselves?! This does not compute. As a fan of Girl Meets World, this episode touched my heart. My heart hurts so much and is so full at the same time after watching this episode! I’m so thankful I found and fell in love with Girl Meets World! Its cast, characters, stories and lessons will forever be in my heart.

Best Lines:

• Fan: We’re not going anywhere! Sabrina: Spunky!
• Peyton: This is wardrobe. Corey: Where the girls will be… Amir: For four hours. Peyton: We’re ready right now. Corey: Well, it’s not really a competition. Amir: Yes, it is.
• Corey: This is hair and makeup. Where all the magic happens. Peyton: Yeah, we were done in like two seconds. Amir: Yeah, some people take a little longer. Corey: I mean, well, they have more hair. Amir: Yeah, that’s it.
• Peyton: What about Corey? Amir: I don’t like Corey. Peyton: You don’t like Corey? I don’t like Corey either. Cory: Me neither.
• Fan (about her friend): She kinda has a crush on Ben (Savage).

Next week: Riley is moving to London????