While a middle school production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seems unlikely, I can’t deny how awesome it made the first few minutes of this week’s episode. Just before Lucas-as-Romeo kisses Riley-as-Juliet, Farkle-as-Spear Carrier stops the show to declare Juliet as his. “Yeah, you kiss that girl you crazy spear carrier!” Maya encourages. Farkle beckons her forth for her own kiss, so Maya hops on stage and joins Riley-as-Juliet on the altar and crosses her arms. The best friends marvel at how they end up in situations such as these.
The theme of this week’s episode is the truth, and damn it if they don’t beat you over the head with it. First: Maya wants to tell Farkle that he killed the play with his outburst, but Riley lies to him about his acting process in an attempt to be nice instead. Farkle would have believed her if she told him he was terrible, but her encouragement has given him the support he needed to become an actor. He quits all of his other clubs to pursue his brand new acting dreams.
Second: Maya is sporting a (tacky) gold locket “from her father.” Riley is convinced she stole it. Maya has cried to her before about her father never sending her anything. Maya explains she found it in a store’s lost and found and took it after a few months when no one claimed it. Riley freaks out: “I love you. Why do you want to go to the slammer? You won’t do well in prison.” Maya then argues that she would do well in prison. The writers know what they’re doing when it comes to creating believable best friends.
Third: dinner at the Matthews’ apartment. Cory doesn’t want the chicken Topanga made, since he’s convinced it’s going to kill him. Later, Cory reads a chicken cookbook out loud. Cory expressing concern over the chicken is one thing; going out of his way to enrage Topanga is too much. “If you stop right now, nothing bad will happen to you,” Topanga explains, trying to help him. Cory compares Topanga’s chicken to the pterodactyl in Auggie’s dinosaur book, so Topanga locks him out of the apartment. Sorry Cory, you had that one coming.
Cory climbs back into the house via Riley’s window and asks that she and Maya not tell anyone that he lives this way in his own house. Riley appeals to Cory for help. Cory informs Riley that it’s not the locket, but what’s inside the locket that’s important to Maya. Maya reveals a picture of two parents with their daughter—she’s keeping it because she likes that they’re together as a family in the picture. On their way to return the necklace to the lost and found, Maya and Riley see the family from the locket. Maya gives the locket back to the little girl with the advice to never lose it again.
Auggie brings Cory some spaghetti, apologizing for its cold temperature. Cory says he doesn’t care—it’s the thought that counts, after all. Auggie says “Why couldn’t you say it like that to mommy?” Schooled by a five-year-old! Cory makes things up to Topanga by telling her, “It doesn’t matter what you make for dinner. What matters is that you’re in this house with me.”
Back to the Farkle situation: Riley’s boost of false confidence finally comes crashing down. The casting directors banish Farkle from even watching the next play. He’s thankful to Riley anyway, since her lying gave him the confidence to go outside of his comfort zone. He kisses the side of Riley’s face, to Maya’s delight. Despite Farkle’s missing Riley’s mouth, Maya declares that to be Riley’s first kiss. Lucas shows up to finish the Romeo and Juliet scene. “I can’t believe that little guy stole my moment… No, my moment will be MY moment.” He takes his leave (sans kiss) and Maya once again rejoins Riley on the altar.
While Girl Meets World already had the tendency to be a little lesson-of-the-week-y, this truth-themed episode took it to a new level. Parts of it seemed forced, but Maya and Riley’s friendship managed to save the day.
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