Dissecting Girl Meets World

Fiction, regardless of the medium, gives viewers a glance into worlds that are vastly different from the ones we know and live. We get to experience worlds we might never see past our television screens. We are able to find something that we can relate to on some level or another. (even if the story and characters are a far cry from what we deem normal.)

Over the years Disney has crafted a large array of stories filled with dynamic characters, of both the human and animal variety, that can be related to as they may or may not tug at the heart-strings as they navigate (or at least attempt to) life and what challenges present themselves along the way.

Girl Meets World is a great example of this.

In a nut-shell, this coming of age story about a young girl and her friends as they try and navigate middle school- and life. The concept of coming of age stories has more or less been a staple within countless mediums of pop culture, needless to say it is plausible for any work to fall to the wayside; Girl Meets World is by no means a case of this.

Ever since news of a spin-off the very successful and beloved series Boy Meets World was reported to be in very early stages three years ago there has been a great deal of excitement from fans. Mostly for the fans of Boy Meets World it was in regards to being reunited with some of their favorite characters and the chance to pass down that love to the next generation. With all the buzz and passion from fans it is no wonder that the processor series is popular.

Even though returning faces of Cory and Topanga are major parts of the large cast- and both have yet to be absent for a single episode- the true heart of this story is that of their daughter, Riley.

Without a question Riley embodied much of her father as well as her mother both in terms of persona but as well as her outlook and approaching to ‘taking on the world’, but at the same time proves herself to be a very well-rounded character in her own right. Much like any other girl her age, Riley has her fair share of trails and tribulations. Some of which are internal like her desire to try and be bad when she is not capable of doing so, and other more externally driven by others and what life tosses her way.

Always standing beside Riley is her best friend, Maya, the yin to Riley’s yang that both helps guide her best friend as well as gets her into trouble in some instances. On many different levels their bond with one another mirrors very closely to the once that was shared between her father and his best friend Shawn. Yet the friendship the two girls have with one another, though strong, is not limited to that of one another. Farkle- son of Cory and Topanga’s classmate Minkus- and the Texas transplant Lucas round out the main cast along with younger brother, Auggie.

Together they face life and what it dishes out to them both at school as they deal with bulling and even having their arts programs shut-down to dealing with more personal issues as they grow-up and have relationships formed and change. Each episode we find the characters tested as they learn about things in the classroom that they later can see applied to their lives in a lot of different lights.

The series really offers up life-lessons that everyone can relate to and sometimes just be reminded of. Much like Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World has a very relatable core to the story as themes present from loss, family, friendship and everything in between are real and parts of life that we face day in and day out. They do a good job not only at mirroring life, but giving us an interesting cast and allowing them to develop and even focus in on what they count as flaws.

Clearly, there is a lot to applaud the series for. Even though we have good writing, developed characters and real life challenges of growing up- all of which are fanatic.  What really impresses me is how well the series pays homage to Boy Meets World. Minding pre-established canon from the past and having friends and family of Cory and Topanga weaving in and out is a great addition.

The first season of the series is now up for streaming on Netflix, so if you have not yet seen Girl Meets World now is a great chance to catch up as the heart of season two continues on debuting on Disney Channel. And if you are looking to a throw-back to days past, Boy Meets World is airing regularly on ABC Family.

Join the conversation; Boy Meets World, or Girl Meets World? We have seen a great deal of faces from the past return, but there are still some characters we have yet to see, so sound off with who you want to appear in Girl Meets World.