Girl Meets World is back! Why they chose a June premiere date only to suspend the show over the holiday weekend, I’ll never know, but whatever. This week, they’re tackling isolation in a technological age, or as Cory breaks it down, “You’re an unfeeling generation of zombies.”
Riley refuses to talk to Lucas face to face, even though they’re standing ten feet apart. According to her, a lot can go wrong outside of a text message. Girlfriend, that prediction will become reality if he catches you smelling him. Maya asks to talk about Riley’s communication issues, but Riley shoots her down via text.
History class: Cory’s lamenting this generation’s inability to connect in person, making his zombie comparison. Riley and Maya display a Cory and Shawn likeness when they pretend to eat one another. Cory gives them their assignment: they have to do research at the New York Public Library sans modern technology. What kind of research? I don’t know. To make sure they don’t break the rules, he confiscates their cell phones for this week’s Unbelievable Teacher Move.
Family dinner! Auggie’s had a great day since he found out he’s growing. Riley complains that her history teacher took away her cell phone, so Auggie offers his plastic barnyard phone with a goodhearted moo to replace hers. When Maya picks Riley up, she explains she doesn’t mind the assignment at all—she didn’t have a smartphone anyway, this assignment levels the playing field.
The New York Public Library, where everyone acts like they’re visiting another planet: I really hope this is an exaggeration of what middle school kids are like these days. For example, Maya hands Farkle a book and says, “Farkle. Do whatever you do with that.” Then we have Riley, who asks if libraries rent phones.
Farkle pontificates on the futility of libraries—with his smartphone, he doesn’t need to look at the sky to know the phase of the moon. This is so depressing. Go outside, kids! Without a smartphone, Maya only has the sky. She reveals a detailed drawing of their view, shocking Farkle and herself with her artistic abilities.
Riley is still under the impression that she can’t speak to Lucas without the viel of texting between them. The librarian lectures her about her communication issues and sends her back to the boy. Lucas tells her about his twenty-four horses back in Texas and the time he helped with a foaling. He tells Riley he wants to be a vet when he grows up, something he’s never shared with anyone before.
Auggie colored some pictures on the walls and refrigerator in the Matthews’ apartment, featuring “Mommy, daddy, Auggie, and no Riley.” Topanga compliments the pictures because she thinks that’s what they are supposed to do. She’s wrong, unless she wants Auggie to treat the rest of the apartment as his canvas.
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Presentation time: Farkle tells the class he’s been keeping Maya’s drawing in his pocket where his phone used to be, imploring everyone to not forget their imagination. I could ship Farkle/Maya one day, I’m just saying. Riley declares you don’t need phones to connect with real friends.
Cory and Maya have a clandestine meeting in the library, in which Cory gives Maya a smartphone ostensibly to update him on Riley and Lucas’s activities. If this wasn’t a purposely veiled way of giving Maya that cell phone, Cory really crossed a line. He also gifted her colored pencils, which had no strings attached.
Even though this Girl Meets World episode was a bit heavy handed with its life lesson, I appreciated the message at hand. Riley and Maya were both charming and Lucas was fleshed out a bit more. Oddly enough, the weak point is starting to be Cory—his role as Riley’s teacher requires a suspension of disbelief and there’s that whole weirdness with spying on Riley. I’m hoping they find their way with Cory soon, because I’d like to see the original characters fit in seamlessly.
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