TV Review: Girl Meets World (Special) “Girl Meets Demolition”

Riley’s window seat: Riley and Maya ponder their latest get-rich-quick scheme—a bat mitzvah. After all, “There comes a time in a young girl’s life when she wants to sit in a room and open envelopes.” Topanga disagrees—money is something for which you work. New scheme: they’re going to sell all their clothes!

Demolition: Salesgirl Aubrey (Debby Ryan, star of the Disney Channel series Jessie) manages to sell a distasteful dress that can only be described as two flavors of cotton candy smashed together to Riley for $300 (plus shoes). Riley breaks out Topanga’s emergency credit card, so you know shit’s about to go down.

Apartment Matthews: in the face of Cory’s freak out, Maya insists that since they got themselves into this mess, they’ll get themselves out. Cory deems this “stubborn in the way of stupid,” and beseeches them to follow “another road at the corner of ‘young and vulnerable’ and ‘ask for help.’” Rather than face Topanga, they acquiesce to Cory’s request. They should 100% ask for Topanga’s help over Cory’s, I just know it.

Demolition: “Who is the hip handsome young guy who is way too handsome to be their dad?” Aubrey asks, charming Cory in an instant. Cory is lost to dreams of a wardrobe that matches Justin Timberlake’s. I hope he was aiming for the NSYNC era, because that’s what he got.

Apartment Matthews: the girls claim that Topanga will know what went down, but Cory disagrees. “Your mother’s not going to know. I’m only wearing this with Shawn.” That part made me laugh really hard, so I’m writing about it regardless of it not affecting the story at all. Topanga finds out about their reckless spending and freaks out—rightly so, considering Cory’s new popstar look set him back $1200.

Demolition: Topanga breaks out the lawyer talk on Aubrey, citing laws that protect consumers. Aubrey fires back her own that protect merchants, causing Topanga to give her some credit: “You’d make a pretty good lawyer if you weren’t such a little criminal.” Aubrey plans on owning the store one day, bringing in someone like Maya to be her protégé. Topanga argues that won’t happen with Maya, as she has Riley’s good influence to keep her in check. Aubrey’s primary influences are the equally greedy and devious owners—her parents. Ostensibly, she didn’t have anyone to set a better example.

Riley’s window seat: Riley tells Maya she needs to not be a chump for a minute, since she has a plan.

Demolition: a familiar voice calls Aubrey, asking to buy back the cotton candy dress her daughter sold, as it’s a family heirloom. Aubrey bargains her $2500 offer to $4000. Riley, in turn, bargains to return the dress if they can get all $1700 back, plus the clothes she and Maya initially sold. When Evelyn Rand (Jackée Harry) shows up, Aubrey quickly agrees to the deal and pushes the price to $5000. Unimpressed by Aubrey’s tendency to take advantage of her customers, Evelyn asks Aubrey’s parents how much they want for the place. When they find out how much she’s willing to pay, they basically throw it at her, disregarding Aubrey’s plans to one day take over the business and devastating her.

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Evelyn withdraws her offer—she wanted Aubrey to learn that what comes around goes around. “I’ve got friends who I can depend on, who can depend on me,” she explains, motioning towards Riley and Maya. Slowly learning, Aubrey gives Riley the astronaut riding a horse a peace offering.

Apartment Matthews: Aubrey visits, asking Topanga if she meant what she said about Aubrey having what it takes to be a lawyer. “If you want to be a good lawyer, you have to be a good person first,” Topanga argues. I don’t necessarily know if that’s a real thing, but sure. Riley and Maya are going to serve as her good influence, and invite her to talk at the window seat.

The Girl Meets World “What the What Weekend” special was an excellent episode—the humor was on point the entire time. I’d be happy to see Debby Ryan guest star as Aubrey again. Event the life lesson wasn’t quite as cloying as they can be, though the whole “Matthews child as savior” syndrome runs strong in this one. That is an unfortunate carry-over from Boy Meets World that I’m sure we’ll continue to see throughout the series.

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