TV Review: Girl Meets World (3×09) “Ski Lodge Part Two”

Ski Lodge Bay Window: Riley talks about dreams with Evan, the ski lodge clerk. Evan wants to be a sherpa so he can help people get to places they never thought they’d reach. I guess this is a nice thought in theory, but the delivery comes off as a little insincere. Riley is horrified when she realizes that they’ve talked all night and orders Evan not to tell her parents. Surprise! They know already–they’ve been on the couch talking all night, not ten feet away. “She gets this from you” Topanga says, referring back to Cory’s all night chat session with Lauren on Boy Meets World.

Maya and Lucas come downstairs with Farkle and Smackle. Maya points out that Riley is wearing the same clothes, but Lucas is preoccupied with the company she’s keeping. “Who is that?” he asks multiple times, pointing at Evan. Riley insists that all she did was talk with him. “You can talk to whoever you want Riley” Lucas says, dismissing the issue with a blank face. This is a conversation-heavy episode, so bear with me here.

Fireside: “I know you lose your mind over me in the firelight, but is it cool if I sit down?” Maya asks Lucas, making him laugh. All of these actors have such great chemistry, that directly addressing potentially awkward situations comes off as natural and not forced. Maya asks Lucas why Riley’s all-night chat with Evan bothers him so much. He points to his failed attempt at dating Riley, then his failed attempt at dating Maya when she poured the smoothie on his head. He asks her why that happened. Riley sees the two of them talking and goes straight for the bay window again.

Ski Lodge Bay Window: Riley asks Josh if he can even believe that she and Maya like the same boy. “I’d be more surprised if you didn’t” he replies. He explains that Maya is going through some stuff and that Maya doesn’t actually like Lucas, she’s merely trying to protect Riley. Riley pulls Maya over to discuss this.

Fireside: Lucas tells Josh that he’s made a decision, but he’s not going to tell him what that decision is. Lucas asks him what Riley talking to Evan all night means. “You’re pretty insecure for a western hero,” Josh points out. Evan butts in to explain what he and Riley talked about, and it sounds super dull. He breaks out The Official Guide of Who Belongs with Who, which Cory says is evil. Of course, the kids ignore his warning and start playing the game. When asked what the most important part of a relationship is, Riley says romance, while Maya decides on adventure. Farkle and Smackle argue that it’s conversation and declare themselves the winners. “With the right person maybe you could talk all night” Evan says, further prodding Lucas. When Maya, Josh, Lucas, and Riley take their leave, Farkle and Smackle realize that Evan is making up questions to stir up drama among their group. Evan reveals that Riley spent all night talking about her friends and that there’s nothing going on with them.

Ski Lodge Bay Window: since Josh is so good at observing people, Maya asks him what he sees in her. He says that Maya is the best friend that anyone could have, probably because her dad leaving her gave her the greatest capacity for love. She cared about Riley so much that she wanted to make sure Lucas was good enough through her own feelings. She doesn’t actually like Lucas–she would never want to take anything from her best friend. Maya shifts gears, pointing out the importance of their ease of conversation–and that Josh let her hold his hand throughout this one. He’s not sure why he let her hold his hand. I am ALL IN for this ship.

Fireside: Maya confronts Lucas with the knowledge that he’s made a choice. After messing with him for a minute, she instructs him to go after Riley to tell her he loves her. He and Josh swap places. Maya points out that for six weeks out of the year, she and Josh are only two years apart–something that shouldn’t matter, considering he likes her and she likes him. Josh says he’d be stupid to think he didn’t need a friend like Maya because she’s younger than him. He agrees to play the long game, not saying no to dating eventually.

Ski Lodge Bay Window: “My favorite thing in this world is when you talk to me…you can talk to whoever you want because I’m a secure Western hero,” Lucas explains. He suggests that they start talking more seriously together and going on dates, presenting her with a ring box. Riley screams for Maya, but Lucas hasn’t lost his mind. He presents Riley with a jelly bean, explaining the scale and how the jelly bean symbolized him choosing her. “I really want you to choose me,” he pleads. Riley does, presenting him with a leaf.

The Lobby: Topanga is telling Cory that she had a great time at the ski lodge. “Mr. Matthews? My mother says hello,” Evan says. I KNEW IT, he’s Lauren’s son! How strange, is this like a family business? “I’m never coming here again,” Topanga asserts. A nice little lol moment for the end of an angst-ridden, feelings-driven episode.

Riley’s Bay Window: the girls update each other on their romances, Riley waxing poetically about their first boyfriends. “If there’s one thing I know for sure in my life, it’s that you are my extraordinary relationship” Riley asserts, bringing it back around to the Maya/Riley relationship in a nice way.

Where “Girl Meets Ski Lodge Part 1” failed, “Girl Meets Ski Lodge Part 2” succeeded. There was no filler; nearly every conversation served to further the relationships between Maya/Josh and Riley/Lucas. Any other moments were used for well-placed comedic purposes. Also–this is how you Boy Meets World throwback without being clumsy or forcing it.

Boy Meets World Throwback Factor: High, but not in a weird way! The ski lodge setting, the return of The Official Guide of Who Belongs with Who, the jelly beans, and Evan being Lauren’s son all recall back to Boy Meets World without being ridiculously obvious about it.

Episode Rating: 9/10.