TGI – Episode 605 “Better Than Your Average Cory”

Summary

Pod Meets World: Episode 605 “Better Than Your Average Cory” Summary

Released on March 20, 2025 by iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In Episode 605 of Pod Meets World, titled “Better Than Your Average Cory,” hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong dive deep into Season 6, Episode 5 of the beloved 90s sitcom Boy Meets World. This episode, which originally aired on October 23, 1998, centers around Corey Matthews grappling with feelings of inadequacy after encountering a prodigious young artist. The trio rewatch the episode, sharing their memories, behind-the-scenes insights, and heartfelt discussions that resonate with both long-time fans and newcomers.

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Overview of the Episode

“Better Than Your Average Cory” presents a dual storyline. The primary (A) plot follows Corey Matthews as he develops an inferiority complex upon meeting Alexandra Nikita, a 13-year-old art prodigy. Concurrently, the secondary (B) plot involves Rachel almost choking, leading her to express deep gratitude to Jack for saving her life.

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Initial Reactions and General Thoughts

At [09:45], Danielle Fishel sets the stage by introducing the episode summary. The hosts immediately engage in their reflections:

• Will Friedle: “This was an acid trip of weirdness. I didn’t get it.”
• Ryder Strong: While initially unsure, Ryder later shares, “I love Corey. He’s hysterical.”

Their candid reactions highlight the mixed feelings many fans might share about this particular episode, balancing appreciation for character moments with critiques of the storyline’s execution.

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A Storyline: Corey’s Struggle with Average

Corey’s journey begins at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where his teacher, Mr. Feeny, encourages each student to interpret abstract art. Corey eagerly volunteers, revealing his frustrations about feeling average compared to Alexandra’s extraordinary talents.

• Corey (in episode): “I see hands staring at the fabric of America. You can almost see the old and bitter artist as he predicts total anarchy and higher taxes and the death of the American way.”
• Alexandra Nikita: Challenges Corey’s perspective by asserting, “You’re totally wrong.”

Guest Star: Alexandra Nikita

Alexandra Nikita, dubbed the “Petite Picasso,” delivers a standout performance. Danielle Fishel provides a comprehensive background on Alexandra:

“At just eight years old, she traveled around the world displaying her pieces and became the youngest artist ever to sign with international art publishers.” ([23:42])

Their admiration for Alexandra’s character underscores her impact on Corey and the episode’s exploration of talent versus effort.

Analysis of Corey’s Character Development

Corey’s feelings of inadequacy stem from his belief that his upbringing has kept him average. The hosts discuss the nuanced portrayal of his struggles:

• Danielle Fishel: “How come you didn’t push me to be anything great? You let me fall out of everything.” ([66:52])

This heartfelt confession by Corey prompts deeper discussions about parental expectations and self-worth.

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B Storyline: Rachel’s Near-Choking Incident

Parallel to Corey's storyline, Rachel almost chokes on a hot dog, leading Jack to perform the Heimlich maneuver. This incident raises questions about Jack and Eric’s relationship dynamics.

• Rachel (in episode): “I owe you anything you want for saving my life.” ([50:03])

Hosts’ Perspectives on the B Plot

Will Friedle finds the B storyline perplexing yet humorous:

• Will Friedle: “This is one of the first characters I ever did.” ([51:31])

Danielle and Ryder add that while the scene is comedic, it feels somewhat disjointed from the main narrative, reflecting the episode's overall tonal shifts.

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Themes Explored

The episode delves into several profound themes:

1. Giftedness vs. Average: Corey's envy of Alexandra’s talents highlights societal pressures to excel.
2. Parental Influence: Alan Matthews’ confrontation with Corey emphasizes the impact of parental expectations and self-perception.
3. Self-Worth: Corey’s journey is a poignant exploration of finding one’s own value beyond societal standards.

Corey’s Resolution

In a heartfelt climax, Corey confronts his parents about feeling average. Alan’s response is both reflective and inspiring:

• Alan: “Maybe if my son thinks average is nothing, then I’ve done my job. I’m sorry that you’re not proud.” ([82:19])

Corey realizes that self-worth isn’t solely tied to exceptional talents but also to personal growth and happiness.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Will Friedle [11:06]: “What do you do? I don’t get it. There’s nothing.”
• Danielle Fishel [38:02]: “What am I supposed to do?”
• Ryder Strong [57:57]: “You won’t be coming to our restaurant. The PB&J with potato chip restaurant.”
• Corey (in episode) [57:10]: “There’s nothing about me that separates me from anybody else.”
• Alan [82:19]: “Maybe if my son thinks average is nothing, then I’ve done my job.”

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Behind the Scenes and Guest Insights

The hosts delve into Alexandra Nikita’s real-life accomplishments, admiring her dedication and talent. Danielle shares:

“She had to manage her career while being just a teenager, balancing her art and personal life.” ([24:53])

They also discuss Jesse D. Goins as Mr. Cup, noting his extensive TV background and how his character adds depth to the episode.

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Final Thoughts and Conclusions

As the discussion wraps up, the hosts reflect on the episode's strengths and weaknesses:

• Danielle Fishel: “Ben was amazing... This episode was just weird.” ([93:00])
• Will Friedle: “It felt like a dream... It was so strange, but good.” ([90:43])

They conclude that despite some narrative hiccups, the episode offers valuable lessons on self-worth and the importance of recognizing one’s unique talents.

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Conclusion

Episode 605 of Pod Meets World offers a nostalgic and insightful rewatch of “Better Than Your Average Cory.” Through candid discussions, personal anecdotes, and memorable quotes, Danielle, Will, and Ryder provide a comprehensive analysis that honors the episode’s emotional depth while acknowledging its quirky moments. Whether you’re revisiting Boy Meets World or discovering it for the first time, this podcast episode is a treasure trove of fan insights and thoughtful commentary.

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Key Takeaways

• Corey’s Journey: An exploration of self-worth and the pressures of feeling average.
• Alexandra Nikita’s Impact: A portrayal of prodigious talent and its effect on personal relationships.
• Parental Influence: The powerful role parents play in shaping their children's self-perception.
• Humor and Heart: Balancing comedic elements with heartfelt moments to convey meaningful messages.

Recommendations

For fans eager to delve deeper into Boy Meets World or those seeking heartfelt discussions about classic TV shows, Pod Meets World continues to deliver engaging content that bridges nostalgia with contemporary insights.

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Notable Quotes Summary

1. “What do you do? I don’t get it. There’s nothing.” — Will Friedle ([11:06])
2. “What am I supposed to do?” — Danielle Fishel ([38:02])
3. “You won’t be coming to our restaurant. The PB&J with potato chip restaurant.” — Ryder Strong ([57:57])
4. “There’s nothing about me that separates me from anybody else.” — Corey ([57:10])
5. “Maybe if my son thinks average is nothing, then I’ve done my job. I’m sorry that you’re not proud.” — Alan ([82:19])

These quotes encapsulate the episode's core themes and the hosts' candid reflections, enriching the listener's understanding of both the podcast and the original sitcom episode.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

This is what you do when you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like a Dior saddlebag or that diam tennis bracelet. You go to ebay, there you'll find.

[Ryder Strong]

New loves that will never disappoint.

[Danielle Fishel]

Expertly authenticated. Whether it's that vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings, a Prada crossbody bag, or classic watches like that Rolex oyster or that Cartier tank on ebay.

[Ryder Strong]

There are no limits to your high standards. Yeah, ebay, the place for new pre loved, vintage and rare fashion.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay. Things people love.

[Will Friedle]

Had any weird dreams lately, Danielle?

[Danielle Fishel]

On our way to lunch yesterday, I, I told Will, Will asked me, you know, I've started my medication, my anti estrogen medication and it's called tamoxifen. There's all kinds of potentially awful side effects like joint and muscle weakness and aches and you know, all the menopause symptoms. So like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability, just weight gain, like you name it, there's a laundry list of things and if you research it online, you will inevitably find that people seem to react horribly to it and nobody likes it. And it's awful, it's horrible.

[Will Friedle]

Great, great.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I was like, okay, so I'm, my doctor gave me a little bit of like a positive pep talk about it before I started. He said, don't Google it.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, no, what he said, what he.

[Danielle Fishel]

Said was this is my, my medical oncologist. He said, how did you react to pregnancy emotionally? Like what were your side effects of pregnancy? And he said, were you. And he said, because I from. And I don't know. Well then when I told my, my practitioner, my general practitioner, he said that she's like, I've never heard that. I don't know where he came up with that, but whatever she's like, hopefully it'll be true for you. So he just said like especially emotionally, mood swing wise, if pregnancy really affected you, this might do the same thing to you. And I said good news was I didn't, I wasn't strongly affected during pregnancy. So I'm going to go into this with all the optimism in the world that I'm not going to have any of these major side effects. And in conjunction with that, to avoid any of the joint pain and muscle weakness stuff, I'm going to start working out every single day, like at least five days a week. I'm going to do something physical. Where I had pretty much lived a very sedentary lifestyle for the years before this. I'm going to just start being really physical. And so I started working out regularly. I have now been on it for almost 30 days. And I have truly no awful side effects thus far. Doesn't mean some can start. But I, so far, am feeling really great. I am having the occasional night sweats, but all right, I can live with that. I haven't noticed that I've had any incredible mood swings. If anything, dare I say I think it made me nicer. I don't know, but I actually think I feel better. Jensen just wrote the chat. Seconded. I think I'm happier since I've started taking Tamoxifen. I don't know why, but I feel. I feel actually better. I feel like I'm on an antidepressant, even though I've never been on one. But the one pretty awful side effect for me is that I am having very vivid, weird dreams.

[Ryder Strong]

That's fun, though. That could be fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Are they.

[Ryder Strong]

Are they bad dreams or.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're anxiety inducing. And I was telling Will one yesterday when we drove to lunch, because it's just so weird. I had a dream that I kept going back into. So I'll wake up from a dream because I'm all anxious in the dream. I'll wake up from it and go, danielle, it's just a dream. You're not really in the situation. You can just go. Go back to sleep and just, like, think about something else. And then I went back into it over and over again, and you want to know what it was? You want to know what my dream was? Grover the Muppet. Grover the Muppet had a knot in his fur that I needed to get out, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I was so close. I had my hands in there.

[Ryder Strong]

You couldn't have picked a better, like, acid trip dream to have a Muppet. I mean, it's like.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's like he was, like, on his.

[Will Friedle]

Head, starting to sweat in the car when she was telling me about it. She's like.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I couldn't. She couldn't. Detangler. I was using my Be Free detangler. And I'm, like, spraying it in his head. And I'm like, oh, gosh, it's so close. It's so close.

[Ryder Strong]

Was he talking to you?

[Danielle Fishel]

Was he communicating? You have to get this out. And I was like, I'm trying. I really. I'm trying. I'm trying. Chill out, dude. Grover, I'm gonna. And then I would, like, wake up, and I'd be sweating to death. I was like, oh, God, poor Grover. And then I'd be like, danielle, Grover is not here. Grover's fine. It's okay, Just go back to sleep. And then I'd fall back asleep and I'd be in Grover's fur just trying to work on the knot. And literally, it was all night. I woke up my favorite thing ever.

[Will Friedle]

Sorry, but it's such. For the side effects you could have had. You having anxiety inducing Grover. Muppet Dreams is my favorite thing ever.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I love it so much.

[Ryder Strong]

I think from now on, when we're having, you know, when we're having a creative challenge, when we're all working on something, we can call it a Grover's Knot. We gotta figure out what to come with the Grover's episode of Pod Meets World. It's, you know, we're really in a Grover's Knot situation. We have to make this quick, and it's stressful and weird.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, if cameo. If Grover is on cameo, I'm getting you. Oh, I hope you're just saying thanks.

[Danielle Fishel]

For getting the nuggets.

[Ryder Strong]

What is the Grover voice? I'm trying to.

[Will Friedle]

Grover sound like.

[Danielle Fishel]

He sounds a little like Cookie Monster, but not as deep. Okay, a little. A little. A little like that, but not quite as deep. So I will say that. That one of the reasons I dreamt about Grover is that Jensen has a book from his childhood called Grover Goes to School and My Children. I've been reading it to my children for the couple of nights. Keaton loves it, and it's about Grover's anxiety. He goes to school and he wants everyone to like him. And so to get everyone to like him, he does all these things that he doesn't want to do and then ends up having a hysterical, hysterical breakdown in school.

[Ryder Strong]

Puts himself in a knot. He twists himself in a knot. Somebody like you to.

[Danielle Fishel]

To get it out. So anyway, there's my Tamoxifen update.

[Ryder Strong]

Here's Grover, guys, here's Grover. Oh, hello there. This is your old pal Grover.

[Will Friedle]

That's right.

[Ryder Strong]

It's a little Kermity, too. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Kermit mixed with Cookie Monster. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

This is your old pal Grover.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, okay. I thought he played it again. I thought he played it again.

[Will Friedle]

You know, that was.

[Ryder Strong]

Will, you should maybe work in voiceover.

[Danielle Fishel]

Have you heard about doing voiceovers?

[Will Friedle]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

That was incredible.

[Danielle Fishel]

Gosh, Will, I think you. I think you've got something there.

[Ryder Strong]

That's. By that.

[Will Friedle]

By the way, that's essentially you just saw a voiceover audition. If you have to match somebody, you just keep listening to it, and then you just try to keep doing the mic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Will Friedle]

Just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, mimic.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm Ryder Strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedel.

[Danielle Fishel]

So today we are recapping Will Friedel.

[Ryder Strong]

Got a little grovery. I'm going to say it was like. It was like you still couldn't get out of it.

[Will Friedle]

Sorry.

[Ryder Strong]

I'll do my own voice. It's Will Friedel.

[Will Friedle]

Kermie, I really.

[Ryder Strong]

I want to hear it back because I swear you kind of went like.

[Will Friedle]

I got a little crack.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm in.

[Will Friedle]

I'm a method voiceover after.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. Okay. But today we are recapping Season 6, Episode 5, Better Than your Average Corey, which originally aired October 23, 1998. The synopsis, after Corey is introduced to an art prodigy, he develops an inferiority complex and blames his lack of skills on his average upbringing. Meanwhile, when Rachel almost chokes, she says she owes Jack anything he wants for saving her life. It was directed by David Kendall, and it was written by Lara Runnels and Patty Carr.

[Ryder Strong]

Yay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yay. So, before I jump into guest stars, what were your overall thoughts of the episode?

[Ryder Strong]

Go ahead, Will. I want to hear you. You go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

I don't know exactly what ayahuasca does, but I imagine it would make me feel like watching this episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

This was an acid trip of weirdness. I didn't get it. I, I. It was that. You know what it was is this. This episode, to me, had. It has produced so many different memes that have become famous that it seemed more like meme beats than it did, like, an entire episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Celery. Celery for sure.

[Ryder Strong]

Celery.

[Will Friedle]

Me. Me lying down, looking like I'd been electrocuted as one. Matt. Matt trying to Heimlich. Maitland is another one. I mean, there's like four or five moments in this that were just. The moment has become something I'm. I'm over already. The love triangle of just running down.

[Danielle Fishel]

The stairs only episode five. You're over it?

[Will Friedle]

I'm over it. I'm over every time he touches her. Just running down the stairs screaming, like, what do you do? I don't get it. There's nothing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Any of you. Something. What Something?

[Will Friedle]

I don't understand it. I thought the A story. I got what they were going for. I also got the why we wanted Alexander Nikita to come on. I thought she and Lindsay together look like they were not even the same species. Like she. She does. Lindsay looks like she's, you know, 11 footy pajamas.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

In footy pajamas still. And now she's got her friend who drives On. In a motorcycle. It was like.

[Ryder Strong]

It just.

[Will Friedle]

It didn't. Visually, it looked very strange to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

It was just a weird episode all the way around. I don't even know if I liked it. I really don't. It's like when you finish an acid trip, you're not like, was that fun?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

You're just like, thank God it's over at this point.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, that's funny. I did not think this was that weird.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, I thought it was. I thought it was weird. Just all of a sudden, the famous artist just comes back home and is now just living with them.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Why is she just a member of their family? Part of the family.

[Will Friedle]

So weird. It was just weird. This entire episode, I thought was. Was weird. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So did y'all.

[Danielle Fishel]

What did you think? Okay. I completely agree with Will about how random and off putting it was that the entire first multiple scenes are all centering around this young girl. She's 13 at the time.

[Will Friedle]

Is she really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay? She looks like a contemporary.

[Ryder Strong]

Lindsay was 11.

[Will Friedle]

No, I don't think so. I think by this point, she was probably 12 or 13.

[Danielle Fishel]

What year Lindsay Ridgeway was born? We'll get to that. Yeah, but that's. Let's look up what year Lindsay Ridgeway was born. We'll figure it out. But Alexandra Nikita is 13. I googled that last night because in the scene with Ben, I could not believe that they made so many little girl jokes and references. And by the way, he is being so rude.

[Will Friedle]

It's.

[Ryder Strong]

It's weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so Lindsay was born in 1985. So she also was 13.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, 12 or 13.

[Ryder Strong]

They're just very different.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Physically very different. But despite their best efforts of pigtail braids and overalls, she looked like a contemporary of Ben's. Like, she looked like. Like she could be another person in just a normal conversation with Ben, but they had to make a big deal about the fact that she was a little girl. But she doesn't look like a little girl. She doesn't carry herself even like a little girl. All of. If I get past all of that, because all of that was. And I joked, when did she just become a part of the family?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I actually loved the A storyline.

[Will Friedle]

Me too.

[Danielle Fishel]

I loved it. Me too. Interesting. Really, really didn't even know where really it was going. Just.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. Cause it was weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

But loved where it ended. Just loved it.

[Will Friedle]

I could watch Rusty act all day long, and I'm fine with. I love all that. I love it just. It Seemed to, it seemed to kind of come out of nowhere. It was another one of those episodes of like, this is just the Cory we need right now. And so this is the Cory we're gonna give you and completely disagree. Oh yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I feel like this gets back to Essential Corey in the best way. This is Raging Corey. It's a sister episode to Raging Corey. Yeah, to me. I. Yeah, no, I, Yeah, no, I mean obviously the B story was snubbed at the Emmys that year.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just can't believe it.

[Ryder Strong]

Truly groundbreaking. And yeah, I mean it's awful at this point.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's embarrassing.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm like embarrassed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Me too.

[Ryder Strong]

For our show. And I'm like, why are we doing this? And I. But then I was having this weird thought of like actually, actually, like there's probably people out there who really did enjoy this. They're just not Boy Meets World fans.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

Does that make sense? Like there are people who were like tuning in on a Friday night who probably really thought that the, the, the love triangle was like funny and like this sort of like it's not funny, effortless romp. But, but it does. It's not funny because we're looking at it 30 years later wanting it to be part of an important show that has these really well developed characters and, and actually most people want from their Friday night sitcoms, like people that are good looking making jokes and like doing stuff like, you know, and I think.

[Will Friedle]

The same jokes for now, five episodes.

[Danielle Fishel]

But it's a riff.

[Ryder Strong]

It's like if you, if you are stuck watching your kids show, like if you have a teenager and, or an 11 year old and you. They want to watch their kids show and you're 30.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean paw Patrol has a meteor coming to the planet every single episode. Every episode. I'm like another meteor.

[Will Friedle]

Writers is literally defending the fact that it's a romp.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, here's what I started thinking. Well, it's not even that it's a romp, it's a riff. It's a riff. Exactly. It's a sketch. It's like a. It's like a. And actually there's probably a contingent of people for whom the Jack, Eric, Rachel storyline was a relief from what otherwise was a kind of oppressive self serious show.

[Danielle Fishel]

But I agree with you.

[Ryder Strong]

Those people just don't remember it because.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why couldn't they use Jack, Eric and Rachel and still have this thread of like they're being a little bit of jealousy and we're interested in her something give them another storyline. The entire. All of their B storylines for five episodes straight have been the same thing.

[Will Friedle]

Eric walks in, they're about to touch. He screams, wait.

[Danielle Fishel]

Freaks out. Don't do this. I'm gonna get her alone. Slipper and over. Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Scene 17.

[Ryder Strong]

I agree with you, but I feel like I put too much pressure on my shows. And I was just saying that, like, there's probably a lot of people, like, I don't know, because I didn't watch sitcoms, especially not at this time. Like, I don't know. Was Full House much better? Was. Was your average Saved by the Bell storyline much more, like. I don't think so. I think they were.

[Will Friedle]

Saturday morning, that was a different thing. Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

But you know what I'm saying, like, the idea of, like, having characters stuck in their ways doing the same jokey thing was, like, a reason that a lot of people watch television and watch sitcoms in particular.

[Danielle Fishel]

But we've just.

[Ryder Strong]

We just are used to. We're putting this pressure of, like. And Boy Meets World put. It's a pressure on. You know, we have a child prodigy and a discussion about what this means to be average. Like, we are a very intense show. So I don't know. Anyway, did you like the B storyline? No, it's not right. Of course. But that's not what I. You know, I also think that Three's Company is, like, just the worst thing that was ever produced. Like, and there are people that love Three's Company, but I love Company.

[Will Friedle]

Three's Company is great. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, that has no interest to me. And so if, like, that's what they're riffing on. I don't know. Like, I don't know. I mean, I know that the actors on Three's Company were good and comedic.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

But, like, were those storylines memorable? Do we care about the consistency of characters from episodes? No.

[Will Friedle]

I would say, though, it's. You got. When you are now in episode five, and it is literally the same scene in the same set of exactly the same thing happening. Whether it's a. It's fun, whether it's easy, whatever it is, at some point, you got to go, dude, give us something else. At least put us in another place. Like, all right, this happens at a gas station or. So it's like, how many times can I now run in and scream because they're touching?

[Danielle Fishel]

And do none of you work? Do none of you go to school? Do none of. Like, what? Why are you just always home hanging.

[Ryder Strong]

Out, eating hot dogs?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, okay.

[Ryder Strong]

Besides the first scene, which I was like, wow, this is what are we doing?

[Danielle Fishel]

What are we doing?

[Ryder Strong]

As soon as Mr. Feeney was like, let's talk about classical art and renaissance, I'm like, stop. Like, I'm gonna. Like, I'm throwing up in my mouth of how cheesy and bad and poorly written and everything about this.

[Will Friedle]

Then they kidnap the girl and make her part of the Matthews family.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, but once. Once you just accept that ridiculousness, Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

I freaking. I think Ben Savage's best performance of Boy Meets World, maybe. I think this might be my favorite. He was having so much fun. He is hysterical.

[Will Friedle]

Ben is very funny.

[Ryder Strong]

Jokes on top of jokes. So they're writing this anxious, stressed out Corey, which is still my favorite. Corey. I love that. The, like, wheel spinning. He's making it everybody's problem. I love that. Corey. And then Ben was adding so many. Like, he was, like, putting curveballs on every joke. And, like. Like, there was one moment where he has a line to me and he raised his eyebrow.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And I was, like, crying, and I was sitting there going, he did that for me. And, you know, and I just. It was that classic, like, oh, my God, Ben is so funny. And I think they wrote to Corey. Well in this episode. And then I think Ben delivered one of the best performances of the show.

[Will Friedle]

Maybe that's my problem with the episode then. Maybe the B story's so tainted. It's like somebody delivered this beautiful souffle and took it on top of it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Whipped cream on top.

[Will Friedle]

Right, Right. Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, come on. When he gets up to sing at.

[Will Friedle]

The end, it's brilliant.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, that's, like, funny.

[Will Friedle]

And Rusty's amazing. Yeah, absolutely.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, yeah. And then they're seen. I mean, it's just like, oh, this is. This is all clap. And then the celery beat. I mean, all of that is, like, some of the most memorable. Most.

[Will Friedle]

That's what I'm saying. Very Mimi.

[Ryder Strong]

So good.

[Will Friedle]

This episode is very Mimi. And again, I didn't. The A storyline was good. Again, I can watch Rusty act all the time. So I said I didn't hate this episode. It was just weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And maybe it's weird because of. You know, Lindsay looked so strange next to Alexandra. She did. She really looked like she was Ben's age, even though she wasn't. And then it just. The whole B storyline, it's like, I couldn't. I couldn't get over it. It was just. We got to do something else with these characters.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. This continues to be the B storyline. I don't know what I'm going to do. I really don't like.

[Will Friedle]

It's bad. It's bad.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so. All right. Get you right.

[Will Friedle]

Ben is hysterical.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ben is so fun, and I love this whole A storyline. I really do. Once you get past the awkward first scene and all the setup required.

[Will Friedle]

I can agree with that. I can agree with that.

[Ryder Strong]

And even in the awkward first scene, Ben's doing his. Like, he's like the whole time and.

[Will Friedle]

All the stuff he's doing with his.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hands and he's, like, pointing at you. I was like, little girl, tell me what it is. I know, little girl.

[Will Friedle]

It's.

[Ryder Strong]

It's. And it's just. I just love getting away from the Cory Topanga stuff, too.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's nice.

[Ryder Strong]

It's great.

[Will Friedle]

You know what it is? I might have done it first, but now all of us seem to be acting the way we were acting with each other behind the scenes now. On camera.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And I think that's what I mean. That's Ben. I was watching Ben last night. Like those conversations with Ben.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

So there was. That's what I think a lot of it is, is us trying to make each other laugh the way we would when we're around craft service and all that other kind of stuff. So that's what it was. So, yeah. No, Ben was great. You're right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ben was guest starring Alexandra Nikita, who's playing herself, dubbed the Petite Picasso. At just 12 years old, Alexandra was born in Vasloui, Romania, and her father escaped communist rule when she was just three months old. Her and her mother had to wait two years to join him in California, where she quickly learned pen and ink, then was working with watercolors. By 5, by her seventh birthday, she had mastered oil and acrylics, and her first solo show was at the Whittier Public Library. At just eight years old, she traveled around the world displaying her pieces and became the youngest artist ever to sign with international art publishers. And by the time she was on Boy meets World At 13, she had delivered 16 solo shows and at least 1.5 million in sales. And in 2001, a school in her hometown of Veslui, Romania, was named in her honor.

[Will Friedle]

Cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Collectors include Oprah Winfrey, whose show she appeared on Calvin Klein, Little Richard, Alec Baldwin, and Whoopi Goldberg.

[Ryder Strong]

Michael Jacobs.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, of course.

[Will Friedle]

That's right.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. I went to his house in Aspen, and I remember he had her paint one of her paintings on the wall. So I'm sure that's where this came about, because Michael is so into art. Art and collection. Collecting art that. Yeah. And I think it's funny because he probably wanted to do this episode based on, you know, the idea that this kid was a kid. But then by the time we actually got her for the episode, she just was older.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, she just looked older and.

[Ryder Strong]

She'S so self possessed and like, you know, she just has like a very mature pres. But yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Do you guys still have your scripts?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, it's the only script I guess I kept from Boy.

[Will Friedle]

I think I still have mine.

[Danielle Fishel]

I have to find.

[Ryder Strong]

She signed a script and she drew on it.

[Will Friedle]

She drew on all our. She each gave us each a script that she signed and she drew like a little like a painting.

[Ryder Strong]

Maybe you don't have one of those.

[Will Friedle]

Maybe it was just for writer. But no, I think you might have.

[Ryder Strong]

A Jonathan Taylor Thomas signed script. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Maybe. I don't know. I have a Jonathan Taylor Thomas tattoo. Yes, me too.

[Ryder Strong]

Me too.

[Danielle Fishel]

The good news is she will be appearing on our podcast this season. So upcoming. Upcoming podcast guest.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's awesome. Oh, I can't wait.

[Danielle Fishel]

So she would eventually graduate from UCLA and she is still painting today at 39. She has two children of her own and exhibits her work regularly. So I. Do you guys have any memory of her being on set this week? Do you remember this episode? You do? I do.

[Will Friedle]

I do. I absolutely do.

[Ryder Strong]

I just remember liking her a lot. Like, I just remember thinking she was cool and also looking back and like this is. They gave her a lot and she's.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, you know, she's obviously not an actor and so to have to not be an actor and do this much is so hard.

[Will Friedle]

She did very wonderful.

[Ryder Strong]

And I was like, I know. And I remember thinking at the time, yeah, she was very cool and nice. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Imagine how bad it could have been if she wasn't capable. Like if she wasn't a decent actor, this would have.

[Will Friedle]

This isn't a drive by. This isn't. You've got three lines in one scene. And hey, we brought the famous person on to say two. You know, we loved him and he was great and. But it wasn't like Jim Abbott who did a scene or something like that. You know, she carried this thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, absolutely did. Well then we also have Jesse d. Goins as Mr. Cup. You may know him from movies like Robocop and Patriot Games, but has appeared in almost every TV show of the 80s including Different Strokes, Hill Street Blues, Alf and Seinfeld. But he's best known as Kyler Johnson on the cult TV show the Greatest American Hero.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, I wasn't gonna. I wasn't gonna say anything, but since you just mentioned alf, I will. I had one of the most intense nightmares of my childhood was alf. So, second cover. Yeah. ALF was eating people. And I, like, I still have memories of the. Like, I was terrified, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Ryder Strong]

And I think I'd only seen alf, like, once or twice in my life as a kid.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what I was gonna ask. Where did it come from? Like, for me, Grover's in the books I've been reading. Will, do you have any dreams about Muppets?

[Will Friedle]

No, but they dream about me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Got it.

[Will Friedle]

That's.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's okay.

[Ryder Strong]

Are you a puppet in your dreams?

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

For our listeners, we know that firing up old Boy Meets World episodes is a surefire formula for some happy nostalgia.

[Will Friedle]

Which we could all use these days.

[Ryder Strong]

Whether it's my middle part haircut, my.

[Danielle Fishel]

Middle part haircut, or me standing near their middle part haircut, we all want.

[Ryder Strong]

To be reminded of a time when.

[Danielle Fishel]

Things were simpler, when we had home phones and listening to a Sublime CD after school made you feel like a million bucks.

[Will Friedle]

Well, we have a more personal way for our listeners to bring back some more of that happy nostalgia home movies.

[Danielle Fishel]

But in 2025, since none of us have a VCR, it feels like they're lost forever.

[Will Friedle]

I still have a vcr. Well, with Legacy Box, you finally can do something about it.

[Ryder Strong]

You can digitize these trapped memories, whether VHS or camcorder tapes, film reels or photos. You just throw them in the Legacy box and send it in.

[Will Friedle]

Then they professionally digitize it all by.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hand in the US and get it back to you. Easy to watch and share. Especially now that every Legacy box comes with 90 days free access to Legacy Box Cloud.

[Ryder Strong]

They've been around now for 10 years and they've helped over 1 million families relive their wedding days, baby's first steps and middle part haircuts.

[Will Friedle]

Just go to legacybox.com meetsworld to get an incredible 50% off and 90 days free access to Legacy Box Cloud.

[Danielle Fishel]

Go to legacybox.com meets world.

[Ryder Strong]

That's legacybox.com meetsworld. You'll thank us later.

[Danielle Fishel]

Anyone who knows me knows I am a Samsung phone. Girly, tried and true over 10 plus years and you could never convince me to leave. And now I'm excited to tell you about my newest phone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung. Just when I thought they couldn't improve perfection, along came this game changer. It's a true AI companion that can evolve with you shaping to your everyday, making life easier and more efficient. And let's talk pictures. Samsung has always been a step above its competitors and now with the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens, they've taken it a step further. Perfect for when you need that extra scenic touch or a little more room to get your whole family in the shot. And Audio Eraser with Galaxy AI with its help you can isolate and reduce unwanted sounds including wind, crowd noise or voices and videos. So if I'm filming my kid at the park and there's a dog barking nearby ruining the shot, I can easily remove it. So instead you'll just hear my child repeatedly asking me for a new toy. You can decide what's better. Are you ready to let this mind blowing new phone do more for you so you can do you? Then trust me and get your Galaxy S25 Ultra now at samsung.com Audio Eraser is compatible with common video formats. Accessible in gallery helps minimize six select sounds. Results vary. Galaxy AI features by Samsung free through 2025 and require Samsung account login the New Year's Here it's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive.

[Will Friedle]

From toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house.

[Ryder Strong]

Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, hello Irish Spring, Fabuloso and Toms of Maine.

[Danielle Fishel]

And right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products.

[Will Friedle]

Here's how it works. Spend $20 on their products, get $5 spend $30 get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy.

[Ryder Strong]

That's cprewards.com so grab what you need.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping.

[Will Friedle]

And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards.

[Danielle Fishel]

Available while supplies Last, limit supply US only January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025 for full terms and conditions, visit cprewards.com the name of this product is is the Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo. That's a lot of name, but it's also a lot of card.

[Will Friedle]

It earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog. Purchases big and small earn unlimited 2% cash rewards.

[Ryder Strong]

No limits, no categories to track, just straightforward rewards that keep adding up.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you might stumble a bit while saying it, but paying with it will make you stumble upon so much more. Shopping, dining, cooking, gardening. You get the idea.

[Will Friedle]

Let's say it together.

[Danielle Fishel]

The active cash credit card from Wells.

[Ryder Strong]

Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know what? It does have a ring to it. No, seriously, try saying it out loud. The active cash credit card from Wells Fargo.

[Will Friedle]

Ooh, that sounds nice.

[Ryder Strong]

Learn more@wells fargo.com forward/activecash terms apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is what you do when you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like an iconic Dior saddlebag or that diamond tennis bracelet. You go to ebay.

[Ryder Strong]

There you'll find new loves that will never disappoint. Expertly authenticated in everything, whether it's that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings. A Prada crossbody bag to be besties with your other handbag. Even an eternally classic watch like that Rolex oyster or that Cartier tank. You know the one.

[Ryder Strong]

And when you find it, eBay has their expert's eyes to make sure you're getting the real deal. That way you can be confident that the designer finds you came for the luxury wardrobe you've always wanted. It's all real. In fact, it's verified authentic.

[Danielle Fishel]

So bring your high standards and never limit what you can find.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, Ebay.

[Danielle Fishel]

The place for new, pre loved, vintage and rare fashion.

[Ryder Strong]

EBay. Things people love.

[Danielle Fishel]

All right, jumping into our recap. We start in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Feeny is leading a class of college students through his favorite room of the museum. The abstract pieces lining the walls are open to interpretation. So he asks that each student pick out a piece of artwork that speaks to them. And then speak to us about how it speaks to you.

[Will Friedle]

So Feeny is now an art teacher at the college.

[Danielle Fishel]

Of course at the college.

[Will Friedle]

That's so true.

[Ryder Strong]

It don't even occur to was like, all right, we're just Mr. Fes taking museum making sure.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, that's right.

[Ryder Strong]

And why we're all together there?

[Will Friedle]

No, well, I mean, you know the thing that colleges do all the time is field trips.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, exactly. They. Those are big.

[Will Friedle]

The college field trips are really well, really well known. It's like, what? Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. So then Sean and Angela excitedly walk up to Cory and Topanga. Angela reveals they have great news. Corey chimes in, hey, me too. Angela starts Sean just got into the photography program. And Sean adds back to photography.

[Will Friedle]

This is now a thing. We didn't. None of us remembered this. And this is now.

[Ryder Strong]

It was on Girl Meets World. I. I was like, a photographer and I traveling. No, I was like, oh, this is a thing. Okay. But now looking, I thought, like, yes. Sean becomes a poet. Not too far from now.

[Will Friedle]

Like, what is happening? Well, a poet photographer, you know, just.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, like, you did whatever art we need.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. What rhymes with F? Stop.

[Danielle Fishel]

So. And Angela got an A on her essay, maintaining black identity when you have three very white friends.

[Ryder Strong]

One of the few jokes we made, and it's hilarious.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is it the first time we directly mention race?

[Ryder Strong]

Probably because I feel like there's one joke where she says, I gotta get more black friends than. We're doing the, like, soap opera game. We have to have your middle name, whatever.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's in the future, right?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

That hasn't happened yet. But that's the only one I remember.

[Will Friedle]

Well, she said to Ben last episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are so down, my brother.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. When he said this, Stella got her groove grappling. You are so down, my brother. So they're.

[Danielle Fishel]

But I think this is the first around the edges. Yeah, they're. This is the first very direct one, though. Topanga congratulates them both and then asks Corey what his news was. Corey shyly reveals, I found a penny. Feeny asks for a volunteer to offer their interpretation of one of the bigger pieces in the exhibit. And Corey's hand shoots up. Pick me, Mr. Fe, please. Please. Fe asks, how can I turn down that kind of enthusiasm? And he lets Corey take the floor.

[Ryder Strong]

Why does Corey want to listen so bad? I was like.

[Danielle Fishel]

To set up a joke. To set up a joke.

[Will Friedle]

How many art museums have we been in?

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

Couldn't you easily just implied that, like, Cory's been too quiet? And Topanga says to him, like, why are you ever volunteering for, you know, I don't know. Set it up in some way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Topanga made a big deal about Cory needing to be able to interpret art in order for her to love him because of the other guy. So I kind of like the idea that Cory's like, so that it is.

[Will Friedle]

He's now studied it because.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. He pays attention. He. Yes, he's good. He's like, listen, my lady's into this. She's made it clear.

[Ryder Strong]

Then say that he could have so easily just had. They weren't even thinking that. They weren't thinking that. I'm sorry.

[Will Friedle]

No, I want to know Where Ricky Faris was this entire time.

[Ryder Strong]

He's saving puppies.

[Will Friedle]

I came back from France because Alexandra, Nikita and I are friends.

[Ryder Strong]

Busy making berets.

[Will Friedle]

I have a beret made out of a croissant.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey stands in front of the art and he takes a deep breath. Meanwhile, a girl with pigtail braids, overalls and braces is unexplainably following him very closely. Corey declares to the class, I see hands staring at the fabric of America. You can almost see the old and bitter artist as he predicts total anarchy and higher taxes and the death of the American way. The pigtail girl interrupts him. You're totally wrong. Corey chuckles at her. Are you lost, little girl? And this is where I was like, she looks exactly the same age as Corey. I were, I mean, and they are trying so hard. Were the footy pajamas in the laundry? Is that why she's not wearing those?

[Ryder Strong]

I was expecting her to be showing two kids on a tricycle. Like she really should just happen to.

[Will Friedle]

Be right licking an ice cream cone. You're wrong, mister. They're both 13. When we, when you sit in standing next to Lindsay, they're both 13. Which just shows how different people can be, especially at that age. I mean, man, that's crazy.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, how old is Morgan supposed to be? 11.

[Danielle Fishel]

11, I would assume.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, she looks like she's 11. That's what I thought. I was like, oh, she's an 11 year old mom.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

She suggests that the painting is about hope for the future and the joy of life. And the artist is not bitter. Corey is still angry for no reason at all. Look, little girl. You're a little girl. I'm 18 years old and you're gonna try and tell me something. Feeny is now tapping on Corey's shoulder, trying to get his attention.

[Ryder Strong]

This is where I'm like, the writing is like driving me crazy. But Ben is making it work. It's like this is like where the writing is so heavy handed and on the nose and make, you know, set up, set up, set up. But I don't care because I'm like.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you listen, I care a little bit.

[Ryder Strong]

But I'm like, Ben's having fun like this. Funny to me that he's like a little girl and like doing all his little stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's just like imagine him doing it any other way though. When the lines are, look, little girl, you're a little girl. I'm 18 years old and you're gonna try and tell me something. You just take your little joy for life. And pipe it, sister. Like, imagine him saying that. Not like I know somebody like me.

[Ryder Strong]

Like as an actor back then, I wouldn't have thought to do do that. Like I would have played it straight. I would have been like, well, I'm so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, why am I so angry?

[Ryder Strong]

Why am I so angry? And then. Yeah, and it would suck and it would not be funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

And you'd be like, how did you play it exactly?

[Ryder Strong]

I'm like, you have want me to say that. And you know, of course, Ben just had the wherewithal as an actor to be like, we have to put a lilt to it, like a. Make it a joke.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like turn him into a clown a little bit, which is the only way.

[Ryder Strong]

To do this kind of thing. And like I was not capable of that, you know. Anyway, I appreciate it so much. And Ben, like really weirdly written.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, it is. If he had done it in any other way, he found, in my opinion, the only way to make this funny.

[Will Friedle]

It's the only can do it. You had to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey finally asks Feeny what his problem is. And Feeny just shakes his head. No problem. Keep talking. Now I'm going to enjoy this. The girl butts in again. Excuse me, Mr. Mean man, but I know exactly what's in the painting. Corey mocks her. Oh, was I Mr. Mean man? Was I too mean to the little girl? Go ahead, tell me. Me. You, you tell me how you know what's in the painting. The girl simply states, I painted it. The crowd and Cory's face down the road and road. Okay, it's a button wheel shirt and throw some water.

[Will Friedle]

We're friends. We're friends.

[Ryder Strong]

Damn it. We're friends.

[Danielle Fishel]

We come back from commercial. Still at the Museum of Art, Corey is still not convinced about this little girl. You painted it and I got your nose. He grabs at her face and Feeny cringes. Mr. Matthews, give her back her nose. Corey insists that he's just playing with the kid, but Feeny breaks it to him. Corey, I believe the kid whose nose you hold is Alexandra Nikita. Yeah. Corey turns.

[Will Friedle]

She's 35 years old.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey sees that she is listed as the artist and displays a picture where she does look younger in the picture.

[Will Friedle]

Looks better than. Yes, it did. Yeah, it's not better or worse. She just looked younger.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

She just has so much presence.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's.

[Will Friedle]

She just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, after. She's also tall. Yeah, let's just, you know, she's tall. After a couple double takes, things finally click. He nervously laughs. Hello. He explains he didn't actually take her nose. Then he pretends to give it back to her. Feeny steps in and whisks Alex away. He's a great admirer of hers. I'd be very interested in hearing your thoughts about classic versus modern technique. Did you see what she did first? What?

[Will Friedle]

Where he hands her back her nose and she puts it back on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, and she. Yeah, she goes.

[Ryder Strong]

She did.

[Will Friedle]

She literally, like, staring at him, like, takes the beat to put the nose back on.

[Danielle Fishel]

I thought that was good. I know. And he finishes. And the impact of the Renaissance on the modern palette. Sean notices his enthusiasm.

[Ryder Strong]

Let's look up sophisticated things that art people would talk about.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your opinion on classic versus modern technique.

[Ryder Strong]

Just stop. Like versus dictionary.

[Will Friedle]

What are you thinking? Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Feeny admits he can't help but get carried away when he sees a young person with such extraordinary gifts. Then, for some reason, Corey pipes up. Are you saying we don't have extraordinary gifts? Gifts? Feeny assures him, of course not. You also have extraordinary gifts. Corey isn't satisfied. Like what? Feeny responds, you have your health. Good for you.

[Ryder Strong]

For you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then he pulls Alexandra away again. Step aside for the genius. Alexandra explains she's in Philadelphia because there's a showcase of her earlier work. And Shawn laughs to his friends. Wow. She has earlier work. Corey realizes, I'm 18 and I have no work at all. Topanga explains, everyone can't be a great painter. But Cory is still shocked. She's, like, as old as my sister, and she already knows what she's good at. I wonder what I'm good at. Alexandra has heard his concern and made her way back to her harshest critic. She asks, you have a sister my age?

[Ryder Strong]

Blocking is so weird. And I was just like, what is happening?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Did you see the hand acting that Alexandra and Bill were doing in the background? Like, they're both just, like, pointing at the table.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then my technique dictionary versus thesaurus brushstroke. And yes, Will, that's That hand acting is called hacking.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yes. Well, that makes sense. Acting makes sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Corey's eyes widen. And then we cut to the Matthew's kitchen. Morgan is sitting at the table doing some coloring of her own. When Corey and Alexandra walk in. Corey takes one look at Morgan's artwork and crumples the paper. Don't even bother. But it's great.

[Will Friedle]

Joke. But now is this poor girl. Was she at the place by herself? She was at the museum by herself. And now if she had a family there, they're just like, yeah, go with this strange girl.

[Danielle Fishel]

Totally oh, there's another little girl in that home. You can hang out with her. Exactly.

[Will Friedle]

And then she's there for, like, the.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whole episode, the whole week. And then she changes clothes. Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

It's really strange.

[Danielle Fishel]

I also love the idea that she lives at the art museum, just walking around her paintings, looking for people to argue with.

[Will Friedle]

It's such a good. So bizarre.

[Ryder Strong]

That is really weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, what could they have done? Like, I'm trying. I'm trying to think, like, could she have been on an exchange program? Or, like. Like, is there some rationale that could have made for, like, Feeny's hosting her at his house?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. All they would have needed is an adult there with her to talk to Feeny and for, you know, for her to be like, you have a friend for her to be like, you know, the one thing that is hard about what she does does is she doesn't have a lot of friends. She doesn't have a lot of, you know, like.

[Will Friedle]

Or you have her coming. You don't have her come in with Corey. Corey comes in, goes, don't bother with this. He goes, hey, I met somebody. And her. Her parents said you guys are going to hang out this week. And then she knocks on the door and you open the door and she comes in.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Like, her just getting in the car with Corey and going home is, like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really weird or something.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, it's really weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

Morgan recognizes the painter, which also. What? What? Morgan goes, hey, I know who you are. You're that painter girl I saw on Rosie O'Don O'Donnell. Is it Rosie O'Donnell, a daytime show during the week?

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

She's at school. Okay. Anyway, Corey introduces her and then tells his sister, for some reason she wants to hang out with you. Alexandra admits, when I go on all these tours, I don't get a lot of time to spend with kids my own age. Morgan asks if she's really been painting since she was 2, and Alexandra nods her head. My parents gave me a coloring book and crayons when I was 2, and I guess I just never stopped. Corey gasps. Really? When Morgan was 2, she gained almost full control of her neck. We're all real proud of her. Go ahead, Morgan, hold up your head.

[Will Friedle]

This is again where the ayahuasca was kicking in, where I was like, okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're like, what? I know these first two scenes are interesting.

[Ryder Strong]

Is like, what's funny about this scene? It's weird that it's funny. Like, the joke is funny. Like, what Ben is saying is funny, but it doesn't make sense that Corey would be cynical about how she's so talentless when he's already supposed to be spitting out about his own lack of content.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's all about him. If he's like, two, when I was two, I had just gained control of my neck.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly. But instead he's, like, insulting Morgan.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Ryder Strong]

You know what it is for this episode?

[Will Friedle]

It's funny. Ben's great. This episode feels like a dream that Danielle would have on her medication. Yeah, that's what this episode feels like to me. It just feels weird. It's just, I bet you this little artist we met, let's bring her into the family. Like, it seems Feeny's now leading a class school field trip where he is a teacher of art. All of a sudden, it just felt like a big fever dream to me.

[Ryder Strong]

I know. Well, it's always when. And it's always when the episode is led by ideas first and the story has to fit all these different ideas. And, like, it's clear that, you know, Michael Jacobs loves art. Like, he loves visual art. This is one of his passions in life. He actually wrote after Boy Meets World, he wrote a play called Impressionism that was on Broadway. Oh, really? Yeah. So if anybody is interested in if Boy Meets World fans who like Michael's writing, there's a play called Impressionism. I never saw it. I read it.

[Will Friedle]

No, me neither.

[Ryder Strong]

But, you know, like, this is a thing for him. And he obviously liked her. And it was like, well, let's get her in here. You know what I imagine happened is that the poor writing staff has to figure out all these parts while Michael's rewriting three episodes behind or whatever. And by the time they get to this week, they're like, do we really need Dude? It's like, make it work. Figure it out. And it's like, yeah. So it's just cramming in a lot of ideas. Like, story wise, I don't know. But I do like where it ends up.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And again. But you're right.

[Ryder Strong]

Lindsey kills me.

[Will Friedle]

Lindsay's great.

[Ryder Strong]

The idea of, like, bringing her singing in, which obviously she as a person could sing as an actor could sing, and using that and the talent, it kind of worked for me.

[Will Friedle]

It works.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

It's. Again, it didn't. I didn't dislike it.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's just like a fever dream. Morgan has her own rival in school who's better at her than something. She doesn't need Corey to be the one putting her down about her, you know what I mean?

[Will Friedle]

Like, oh, by the way, we'll get to that. But the girl that's arrival at the school is another 35 year old woman.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, also, why, why did it. Why did it have to be fire batons? What? Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Also, Alan, I'm just glad you saw it.

[Ryder Strong]

Twins.

[Danielle Fishel]

Double. Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I'm just glad you saw it too. That's what I mean by ayahuasca. It just seemed like it's such a strange.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. A lot of weird. A lot of weird pieces of this.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Morgan tells her new friend, when I was one and a half, I learned to ignore him. She performs a 90s staple by placing an L near her forehead and saying lizard.

[Ryder Strong]

There's a few things I hate more than that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like really?

[Ryder Strong]

Like I hate that more than anything. All right. More than anything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Topanga won't do it to you.

[Will Friedle]

I was gonna say Topanga wouldn't do it to you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Topanga won't do it to you.

[Will Friedle]

I was going the same place.

[Ryder Strong]

I knew you were going there.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, Topanga will never do that.

[Will Friedle]

John, Eric thinks you're a loser.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh my gosh, you guys are losing. Whatever.

[Danielle Fishel]

She then asks Alexandra if she likes video games. Corey scoffs. Yeah, she likes video games, Morgan. She's a cultural icon. She's got lots of. Alexandra cuts him off. Banjo Kazooie. Morgan shouts, Got it. Alexandra.

[Ryder Strong]

I had to go back. I was like, what did she say? Because I think it's a real game. Banjo Kazooie is a real game.

[Will Friedle]

It's based on Crash Bandicoot Coot, which was a real. Oh yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Banjo Kazooie sounds like something our writers would make up. Totally funny. Nope.

[Will Friedle]

Banjo Kazooie.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Banjo Kazooie was a video game. Is a British platform gaming series where players control Banjo the bear and Kazooie the bird as they thwart the scheme of the witch groom.

[Ryder Strong]

Til it was a witch's child.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. So she asks if you got into the witch's channel.

[Ryder Strong]

Here you go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Me too.

[Will Friedle]

I assumed it was totally real.

[Danielle Fishel]

Morgan reveals twice. Then the girls take off upstairs to play. Corey sits at the table, shocked. The silence is interrupted by Shawn entering to ask what he's doing. Corey answers, do you think I'm talented? Sean pauses, then lets out a sigh. Oh God, what now?

[Will Friedle]

What now? Oh God, what now?

[Ryder Strong]

That's what I love about like, that's when the story kicks in for me. And we're now just gonna have to deal with Corey spinning out. I love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

But before we get there. Here's our first scene of the B storyline. So before you can enjoy the show, we've got to get through this.

[Ryder Strong]

We got the Heimlich.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Jack and Eric are sitting on the couch when Rachel walks over. She's eating a hot dog. She asks, can you. I'm just so on the nose.

[Will Friedle]

It's just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Guys, it's so on the nose. She asks, can you believe how tough Peterson's econ class is? The guys just gawk at her, not engaging in any conversation whatsoever. Rachel makes a joke about the class and Eric lets out an over the top laugh in response. She makes her way back to the kitchen for condiments and Eric rocks back and forth in pain. Jack tells him to just go pee already. Eric sneers, oh, you would love that, wouldn't you? Rachel? Over.

[Ryder Strong]

I thought I'd missed something. I was like, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Are we supposed to know that? I was like, wait, are we?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. What's going on?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I didn't know.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, it was. It's a weird beginning. It ends up being like, oh.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, at least it makes sense that it's like, oh, no. For five episodes I haven't peed. Because the idea is I've never left them alone.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

For any length of time. So Rachel overhears them and is confused. Jack explains he's afraid to leave us alone for a couple of minutes. Eric isn't embarrassed. Oh, yeah, like you've never ever left me alone with her for any minutes. Eric wiggles around in discomfort, but assures them I'm okay. I'm good. Jack decides that they should make a toast to Eric being okay. They cheers some cups of water together, and then Jack forces the water down Eric's throat with water still in his mouth. I love that you can do this even with water in your mouth. I love. This is your chipmunk. This is your very famous chipmunk face.

[Will Friedle]

So this is. This is one of the first characters I ever did.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

There was a kid who was the loveliest guy in the world. I won't say his name when I was growing up with him, who had very big cheeks. And he would always want to skateboard. So it'd be a dude, you want me to skateboard?

[Ryder Strong]

Me?

[Will Friedle]

Hang out?

[Danielle Fishel]

What we. What are we going to do, man?

[Will Friedle]

What's going on? And so it was like the first.

[Ryder Strong]

Start of your comedy, unfortunately. Bullying. Bullying. It was.

[Will Friedle]

He was a friend, a chubby kid. It was a. I was the chubby kid. He just had big, big cheeks. And so that he would always. And then the sound just became part of the thing. So I would. We would be in a, you know, a sleepover situation and you just hear. And. And that was the sound is the sound of me filling.

[Danielle Fishel]

Filling your cheeks up with air. I love that you can do it even with water in your mouth and still talk. I. I don't. Yeah, okay. With water still in his mouth, he. We thought it was Cartman. We thought it was a little bit of a Cartman. He tell that is the meanest thing you've ever done to me. He then runs through the stair banister like that. Was that. Was that just something you did? Yeah, just that one take. He dives through the stair banister to make it to the bathroom just in time. Rachel laughs and throws her arm around Jack. He's so funny. Like he has to worry about us being alone together, right? Jack grins. Yeah. Then he casually adds, I want you to marry me. Rachel laughs. What? So Jack doubles down. Marry me now. Before he comes out of the bathroom. Bathroom. Rachel takes a bite of her coffee.

[Will Friedle]

Didn't the last episode they just realized that they're gonna treat her with respect and no one's gonna ask her? I mean, she's a roommate. And that just happened, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

She just said, we are gonna be like girlfriends, right?

[Ryder Strong]

No, that was two episodes.

[Will Friedle]

No, that was two. That was the first episode. She said we're gonna be like girlfriends. But then it was.

[Ryder Strong]

Last episode was, yeah, we don't need to try. Well, like Eric has the whole laundry.

[Will Friedle]

Room putting in the laundry room and we don't need to do that. I mean, it was. It's like we just did this where we're gonna treat her with respect and oh, I gotta be myself. And. And then it's just forgot all about that and we're just doing exactly the same thing again.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rachel takes a bite of her hot dog. Well, I hope you want kids, because I want six boys and six girl. Then she pauses and urgently grabs her throat. Jack doesn't notice her panic. I know this is very sudden, but I need you to hurry up and answer me. Before he comes out of the bathroom, Rachel tries to speak but can't. She points to her throat and Jack grins. That's right, cutie pie, I'm talking to you. She's struggling to breathe, so she quickly grabs a piece of paper and feverishly writes something down. Jack tries to read it out loud. Loud, I'm chucking to death. Then it finally registers. Oh, God. He quickly starts the Heimlich maneuver, throwing Rachel back and forth. She's screaming with the movements. Then Eric walks out of the bathroom announcing that monsoon season is officially over. Then he sees Jack embracing Rachel and shrieks at the top of his lungs. He bolts to the couple and just as he arrives, Rachel spits the bit of hot dog right in his face. He recoils in disgust and then lashes out in anger at Jack. You said you weren't gonna do anything thing. And Will, you're like covered in water too.

[Will Friedle]

I noticed that too. It had to be from when I was chugging. Like we must have went back and watched it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh no, no.

[Will Friedle]

And I don't know where it came from.

[Danielle Fishel]

So like it's almost like when she spit out the hot dog.

[Ryder Strong]

Spit out a hot dog on you.

[Danielle Fishel]

So maybe I know she had water in her mouth. You're covered.

[Will Friedle]

It's like covered. Yeah. So I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

It just must be a continuity thing.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, we might have maybe in one take I got the water spilled on me and then we used the.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, the second half of this.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that'd be my guess.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Jack argues, she was chucking to death. Rachel is so thankful. You saved my life. Eric shouts, no he didn't. Jack humbly responds, forget about it. Okay. You would have done the same for me. But Rachel insists, if I can do anything to repay you, I will. Cuz I owe you big time. Eric screams. I am never going to pee again. So we got through that scene.

[Will Friedle]

It's just not a good scene. It's just this is. I. Hopefully this isn't the start of.

[Danielle Fishel]

The two shows for you guys. I just want more for you guys. There's so much more. There's so much more. And like you said, at least get him out of the apartment. Come on. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm looking forward to the Tommy show set. We've got the museum set. We've got like they're overdoing the swing sets. We also had to bring the boys bedroom back for this week.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Speaking of which, here we are. Corey's new room. This is the first time we've seen it this season since the boys moved out. It's rather confusing.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, yeah. Why?

[Will Friedle]

I. I figured it out because everything. Eric is gone.

[Ryder Strong]

Why are we back in the room? Just to have him look at through the. Yeah but like Corey still has a room at his parents house even though he's living in a dorm room.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what I'm saying. Wouldn't this have been the nursery?

[Ryder Strong]

It doesn't.

[Will Friedle]

Some parents keep their kids bedroom exactly as it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

It should be a nursery. Wait. Oh, I know. We know. We've heard of that. We've heard of those people. Yeah, but. Yeah. I don't know. Also, like, yeah, we could have done this in the boys dorm room. He could have had his little trophies in a box in the boys dorm room.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, and the celery up there and everything else. I mean, you could have done all the same stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

Celery is amazing. So Corey pathetically shows Sean his 8th place trophy for enthusiasm from fat camp. Sean doesn't get it. When were you fat? Corey says, well, my parents applied to the good camps. Too late. Late. Man, those guys could eat pie.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, my God, he's f. He's hysterical.

[Ryder Strong]

Ben is the eyebrow. After he destroys the.

[Will Friedle]

Destroy the trophy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Shawn wonders about another trophy. Corey reveals, my baseball team came in last. Sean can't believe they gave out a trophy for that. Corey says, they wanted everybody to feel a sense of pride and achievement. Sean examines it and wonders, where's his head? Corey calmly explains, I smashed it off with a hammer.

[Ryder Strong]

Summer I broke us up. So funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, love it. Sean admits, I know I should be trying to make you feel better, but what kind of loser saves all these things? Corey says, because this is me, Mr. Average. My room is a shrine to my mediocre life. Sean shakes his head. You don't have a mediocre life. Corey stands with his back against the wall, revealing a poster of a single bunch of celery. He sighs, there's nothing about me that separates me from anybody else.

[Will Friedle]

So good.

[Ryder Strong]

Genius level. It's so good to have a visual that you don't even have to hit the joke. It's just a visual. While he's saying a line, and the way it's framed, it's exactly how this happened.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's also giant. It's such a big poster of celery.

[Will Friedle]

It is.

[Ryder Strong]

And it's perfect in every way. A wonderful joke.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like me too.

[Will Friedle]

A real next to. But it's absurd. It's. Oh, God, it's great. It's great.

[Danielle Fishel]

So funny. Just so funny. And is an absolutely iconic boy meets world moment. He complains, nobody ever helped me find out what I was talented at. Sean quickly reaches for a ukulele, reminding Corey he used to be good at it. Corey takes the instrument and begins to strum, singing off key. My dog has fleas. Sean fakes enthusiasm. Wow. Corey strums and sings again. And my dog has fleas. This time. Sean exclaims, yes.

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, it's so funny. Anyone who knows me knows I am a Samsung phone. Girly, tried and true over 10 plus years and you could never convince me to leave. And now I'm excited to tell you about my newest phone phone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung. Just when I thought they couldn't improve perfection, along came this game changer. It's a true AI companion that can evolve with you shaping to your everyday, making life easier and more efficient. And let's talk pictures. Samsung has always been a step above its competitors and now with the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens they've taken it a step further. Perfect for when you need that extra scenic touch touch or a little more room to get your whole family in the shot. And Audio Eraser with Galaxy AI with its help you can isolate and reduce unwanted sounds including wind, crowd noise or voices and videos. So if I'm filming my kid at the park and there's a dog barking nearby ruining the shot, I can easily remove it. So instead you'll just hear my child repeatedly asking me for a new toy. You can decide what's better. Are you ready to let this mind blowing new phone do more for you so you can do your Then trust me and get your Galaxy S25 Ultra now at samsung.com Audio Eraser is compatible with common video formats. Accessible in gallery helps minimize six select sounds. Results vary. Galaxy AI features by Samsung free through 2025 and require Samsung account Login the New Year's here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive.

[Will Friedle]

From toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list list and in your house.

[Ryder Strong]

Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, hello Irish Spring, Fabuloso and Toms of Maine.

[Danielle Fishel]

And right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products.

[Will Friedle]

Here's how it works. Spend $20 on their products, get $5. Spend $30. Get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com com it's so easy.

[Ryder Strong]

That's cprewards.com so grab what you need.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping.

[Will Friedle]

And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards.

[Danielle Fishel]

Available While supplies last, limit supply us only January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025. For full terms and conditions, visit cprewards.com the name of this product is the Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo Ago. That's a lot of name, but it's also a lot of card.

[Will Friedle]

It earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog. Purchases big and small earn unlimited 2% cash rewards.

[Ryder Strong]

No limits, no categories to track, just straightforward rewards that keep adding up.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you might stumble a bit while saying it, but paying with it will make you stumble upon so much more. Shopping, dining, cooking, gardening. You get the idea.

[Will Friedle]

Let's say it together.

[Danielle Fishel]

The Active Cash Credit Card from Wells.

[Ryder Strong]

Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know what? It does have a ring to it. No, seriously, try saying it out loud. The Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo.

[Will Friedle]

Ooh, that sounds nice.

[Ryder Strong]

Learn more@wells fargo.com forward/activecash terms apply this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is what you do when you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like an iconic Dior saddlebag or that diamond tennis bracelet. You go to ebay.

[Ryder Strong]

There you'll find new loves that will never disappoint. Expertly authenticated in everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whether it's that vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings, a Prada crossbody bag to be besties with your other handbag. Even an eternally classic watch like that Rolex Oyster or that Cartier tank. You know the one.

[Ryder Strong]

And when you find it, ebay has their expert's eyes to make sure you're getting the real deal. That way you can be confident that the designer finds you came for the luxury wardrobe you've always wanted. It's all real. In fact, it's verified authentic.

[Danielle Fishel]

So bring your high standards and never limit what you can find. Yeah, ebay the place for new, pre loved, vintage and rare fashion.

[Ryder Strong]

Ebay Things people love here's to those.

[D]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Then we're back in the Matthews kitchen. Morgan and Alexander are at the dinner table playing a Game Boy while Amy and Alan unload grocery bags. Amy tells Morgan, this is the moment where I was like, oh, she's just. She just lives here now. She's just inside the family.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, family.

[Danielle Fishel]

Amy tells Morgan that they ran into Mrs. Eichelberger. Mrs. Eichelberger.

[Will Friedle]

That is a great name, though.

[Danielle Fishel]

At the store. And Ellen remembers her daughter's the reason you she didn't enter the talent show at the youth center, isn't she? Morgan shrugs. Eloise Eichelberger wins that talent show every year.

[Ryder Strong]

The names, man.

[Will Friedle]

I love it.

[Ryder Strong]

Everybody. Every name is like an opportunity to describe character.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why should anyone else bother to try? Amy encourages her. You are such a good singer. It would be a shame for you to not even try. Alan tries to help. I'm sure Alexandra would want you to try. Do you think she'd stop painting because there are other girl girls that could paint better than she could? Alexandra tries to agree. Oh, sure. There are many girls who can paint better than. And then she stops herself and turns back to Alan. I'm not supposed to lie. What do I do? Alan waves them off, telling them to go play in the living room. So funny. And she does it. So she does it great.

[Will Friedle]

She does. Because she plays it earnestly. Yeah, it's like not played for a joke. It's like, I really don't know what.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm supposed to do. What am I?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, what do I do? Yeah, it's great.

[Danielle Fishel]

But Morgan lingers behind. She asks her mom if she has to sing. Amy shakes her head. Nobody's gonna force you to do anything you don't want to do. Do. Allan agrees. If you don't want to sing, you don't have to sing. Corey and Shawn have walked downstairs and caught their heart to heart. Morgan leaves and Corey pipes in. That's right. Tell her she doesn't have to continue with her ukulele lessons either. He points to Sean who strums a nice little tune on the ukulele in response. Allan's lost. So Corey explains. Way to groom another eighth place honorable mention, nothing special. Also ran dad Alan size. Okay, what now? Now. Corey rattles on, what now? I could have been one of the greatest ukulele players in the world. Sean chimes in. Are you getting that this isn't about the ukulele? Amy nods. I.

[Ryder Strong]

This scene is great.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so good.

[Will Friedle]

I love this scene because it th. This really surprised me. Like I thought they were going to take it. Pure comedy, the whole way of just I'm. I have nothing. I can't believe you did this to me. And then he's going to spiral out in the dorm room and then all of a sudden it got real and it was like, oh. Oh. I mean, every time, every body blow to Alan was just like, yeah, I wasn't expecting this. This again. Fever dream. It just came on out of nowhere and just kept changing direction and it was strange, but good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey tells his parents that he could have been great at something, but they stopped him. Alan says they didn't stop stop him. He just lost interest. So Corey asks, how come you didn't give me a paint set when I was two?

[Will Friedle]

Hokum. Hokum.

[Danielle Fishel]

Does he say it?

[Ryder Strong]

No, I just when I heard you say how come? I wanted him to come.

[Will Friedle]

Who come? You Jackson Hole?

[Ryder Strong]

I'm ukulele boy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Amy reminds him. You were more excited about your toilet training. Corey big boy now. You would say. Sean lets out a big laugh. Oh, Corey big boy now, huh? I love this. I love that. That Sean remembers it. That's what it feels like to me. Like Sean was there. Like, oh, remember when he did that? That was a cute. Ah, Corey, big boy now.

[Will Friedle]

Eating your pudding.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your putting.

[Ryder Strong]

Put in business.

[Will Friedle]

Put in business.

[Ryder Strong]

Gonna tap it?

[Will Friedle]

No, just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey presses his parents again. Why didn't you push me to be anything great? You didn't help me find what I was good at. I don't want to be one of those people who has no first place trophies and no special talents. Why didn't you want me to be better? Allan questions. Better than what? Corey shouts back, Better than what I am. Allan is disappointed. What are you saying? Corey motions to everything around him. I'm saying better than this. Allan needs clarification. You mean better than me? Corey nods. Yeah, better than you. Amy tries to jump in, but Corey continues, I'm never going to be great at anything because I was raised to be average. And he looks at his dad, I'm average. Because you're average. Allan hangs his head in shame. And Corey realizes he may have taken it too far.

[Will Friedle]

That was harsh. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Intense commercial break.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. When this Boy Meets world.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what the song sounds like. When it's intense.

[Will Friedle]

When it's intense.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. The Elliot Smith version.

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

All right, so we go to an intense commercial break, and then we come back and we're in the Penbrook dorms. Shawn is sitting outside and gives a light knock on the door. Core, you gotta come out sometime. After no response, Shawn reaches into his pocket and jiggles his keys. Hey, look who it is. It's the ice cream man. He says he has Corey's favorite flavor. Inside, we see Corey sitting on his bed, unamused. Vanilla.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

This ride is good.

[Ryder Strong]

It's. Can't find the ice cream. Come on. It's good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, so good. Yeah. Outside, Topanga and Angela walk up to see Sean on the floor. He explains that Corey's locked himself inside and won't come out for any. Anyone. Apparently, he's searching the caverns of his soul. Topanga's terrified. Oh, no. Not the caverns. Corey, open this door. On cue, Corey flings it open and the girls file inside. Corey takes a look around the hall. There's no ice cream man.

[Ryder Strong]

I love it.

[Will Friedle]

I also, one thing I did like about this was it wasn't Topanga that talked him down from anything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I know Topanga by.

[Will Friedle]

By the way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Living her best life with Angela.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And Sean is left to deal with him, which is great.

[Will Friedle]

Which I liked that I liked. It was like going back to an old school storyline where it's not Cory and Taback. It was Cory and Sean, which is. I liked that. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now they're all in the dorm room when Corey announces, I did a terrible thing. I did the worst thing I could possibly do. I told my father he was average. Shawn says, I told my dad that once. He was thrilled. Corey, Cory, sequel.

[Ryder Strong]

This is the thing. It's like the same story in a lot of ways. It's Cory spinning out about after an event with his dad. It's great.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love it.

[Ryder Strong]

I love this. I love this. Corey.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey says his dad wasn't thrilled. He was crushed. I crushed my father. Topanga suggests we all say things we don't mean. He'll understand. Just apologize. But Corey's realized something. I meant what I said. I feel like I'm just a regular guy. Like my father's just a regular guy. How do I apologize for that? Angela consoles him. You are not just a regular guy. You're very good at a lot of things. Corey wants to know like what Angela gives up. Don't press me on this. I'm just trying to make you feel better. So funny. Corey points out that everyone else knows what they're good at, but he doesn't. He's just standard issue in a plain rapper. And I'm curious, what do we know that Angela is good at? Writing. I guess she got an A on her paper earlier in the. In this. In the episode. What have. What do we think Topanga is good at that. What?

[Ryder Strong]

Good at school?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

She's a good student. Okay.

[Will Friedle]

She's a good virgin.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. A virgin. Virgin. A virgin at school. Okay. Because we haven't got virgin.

[Will Friedle]

She's kind of. She's supposed to be the catch all because remember it's like you go to the law firm, it's like. And now it's going to be a law.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

So it's like kind of everything you do, everything you attempt, you're good at I would think is what or Topanga.

[Ryder Strong]

Is because you're news reporting. Was she good as a news report? No. She was sweating like a glistening.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was glistening like a pig. Yeah. I got so nervous this. Yeah, I just, I'm wondering because like they haven't really spent a whole lot of time telling us what the women are good at.

[Will Friedle]

No, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

Anyone who knows me knows I am a Samsung phone. Girly, tried and true over 10 plus years and you could never convince me to leave. And now I'm excited to tell you about my newest phone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung Samsung. Just when I thought they couldn't improve perfection, along came this game changer. It's a true AI companion that can evolve with you shaping to your everyday, making life easier and more efficient. And let's talk pictures. Samsung has always been a step above its competitors. And now with the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens, they've taken it a step further. Perfect for when you need that extra scenic touch or a little more room to get your whole family in the shot. And audio eraser with Galaxy AI with its help, you can isolate and reduce unwanted sounds, including wind, crowd noise or voices and videos. So if I'm filming my kid at the park and there's a dog barking nearby ruining the shot, I can easily remove it. So instead you'll just hear my child repeatedly asking me for a new toy. You can decide what's better. Are you ready to let this mind blowing new phone do more for you so you can do you then trust me and get your Galaxy S25 Ultra now at samsung.com Audio Eraser is compatible with common video formats. Accessible in gallery helps minimize six select sounds. Results vary. Galaxy AI features by Samsung free through 2025 and require Samsung account login the new year's here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive.

[Will Friedle]

From toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house.

[Ryder Strong]

Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Softsoap, hello Irish Spring, Fabuloso, and Tom's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Of and right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products.

[Will Friedle]

Here's how it works. Spend $20 on their products, get $5 spend $30 get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy.

[Ryder Strong]

That's cprewards.com so grab what you need.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shop shopping.

[Will Friedle]

And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards.

[Danielle Fishel]

Available while supplies last. Limit Supply US Only January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025 for full terms and conditions, visit cprewards.com the name of this product is the Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo. That's a lot of name, but it's also a lot of card.

[Will Friedle]

It earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog. Purchases Big small earn unlimited 2% cash rewards.

[Ryder Strong]

No limits, no categories to track, Just straightforward rewards that keep adding up.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you might stumble a bit while saying it, but paying with it will make you stumble upon so much more. Shopping, dining, cooking, gardening. You get the idea.

[Will Friedle]

Let's say it together.

[Danielle Fishel]

The Active Cash Credit Card from Wells.

[Ryder Strong]

Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know what? It does have a ring into it. No, seriously, try saying it out loud. The Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo.

[Will Friedle]

Ooh, that sounds nice.

[Ryder Strong]

Learn more@wells fargo.com forward/active cash terms apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is what you do when you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like an iconic Dior saddlebag or that diamond tennis bracelet. You go to ebay There you'll find.

[Ryder Strong]

New loves that will never disappoint. Expertly authenticated and everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whether it's that vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings, a Prada crossbody bag to be besties with your other handbag. Even an eternally classic watch like that Rolex oyster or that Cartier tank. You know the one.

[Ryder Strong]

And when you find it, eBay has their expert's eyes to make sure you're getting the real deal. That way you can be confident that the designer finds you came for the luxury wardrobe you've always wanted. It's all real and in fact it's verified authentic.

[Danielle Fishel]

So bring your high standards and never limit what you can find. Yeah, ebay the place for new, pre loved, vintage and rare fashion.

[Ryder Strong]

Ebay Things People Love Getting diagnosed with.

[D]

Metastatic breast cancer, or mbc, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, can feel scary. But you're not alone. Real women across the country with HR positive HER2 negative MBC are taking Ibrandt's Palbociclib, a Pfizerprom prescription Ibrands 125mg Tablets with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with HR positive HER2 negative NBC is the first hormonal based therapy. Ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. Ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. Both of these can lead to death. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough or trouble breathing before taking ibrance. Tell your doctor if you have fever, chills or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems are nursing pregnant or planned all medical conditions you have and about all the medicines you take. For more information about side effects, talk to your doctor. Talk to your doctor about Ibrance, the number one prescribed FDA approved oral combination treatment for HR positive HER2 negative MBC. Visit ibrance.com or call 1-844-9-IBRANCE.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Corey points out that everyone else knows what they're good at, but he doesn't. He's just standard issue. In a plain room, rapper Sean says, so are dirty magazines and everybody loves them. Angela elbows him and Sean admits, okay, not you. Topanga urges her fiance to go home and speak to his dad. An average father may be angry with Corey, but his father isn't average. She assures him they'll be behind him the whole way. Corey opens the door to leave and Allan is standing right there. There's an audible gasp and Topanga asks, how you doing? Allan grabs Corey's arm and tells him to get in the car. Car. And then we're back at the apartment. Eric's pacing behind Jack, who's doing homework. Eric won't leave him alone. What are you gonna ask her for? What are you gonna ask her for? What are you gonna ask her for?

[Ryder Strong]

What is finally happened?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know.

[Ryder Strong]

Story. We are so excited to find out.

[Danielle Fishel]

I can't wait.

[Ryder Strong]

She choose a man. Will they have sex? Will they do the sex?

[Will Friedle]

Thinking. Is that what Eric's thinking? Like, oh, he's gonna ask her that.

[Ryder Strong]

That's.

[Will Friedle]

Because when she said, I would do anything for you, he's assuming he's going to ask for a sex act.

[Ryder Strong]

Is that. Yes, they're going to do the sex?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, they're going to do the sex? Yes, they're going to. What he's going to say is, do the sex with me.

[Will Friedle]

So I saved your life and now you're going to have sex with me?

[Danielle Fishel]

That's.

[Will Friedle]

That's.

[Ryder Strong]

She'll do anything. So that's the.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's the whole truth. She'll do anything.

[Ryder Strong]

You heard the hot lady say she'll do anything. That shit's so enticing and fun.

[Will Friedle]

I was hoping I missed something.

[Danielle Fishel]

But I don't think you didn't miss anything. Okay, he didn't. What are you gonna ask her for? What are you gonna ask for? Finally, Jack answers. You want the truth? And Eric screams. I can't handle the truth.

[Will Friedle]

Everybody was doing that. It's a joke or something like that in a sitcom. Some. Some. I can't handle the truth. You can't handle the truth everywhere.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then Jack calls Rachel into the kitchen. Eric can't believe this. Wait. It's pay up time right now. In front of me. Rachel hops down the stairs, looking chipper and exposing another building. Mike. She asks Jack if he's decided what he wants for saving her life. And he reveals, yes, I have. I appreciate your gratitude. So I've decided what I would like is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Eric pushes Jack out of the way. No. He grabs onto Rachel's legs. Don't give yourself to him just because he saved your life. Life is to live. Then he stops himself and slowly gets off the floor. The floor. Did you say peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Rachel is shocked too. That's all you want. Jack gives her a polite nod. Eric pulls him in close. She'll give you anything you ask for. And you ask for a pb. And Jack just doesn't want Rachel to feel like she owes him something. Eric doesn't get it? Then why did you save her life? Jack says he would have done the same thing. Eric asks, oh, what? Just because I like her and I respect her and I wouldn't want to take advantage of her? Jack says, yeah, that. Eric gets it. He turns to Rachel and meagerly asks, could I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich too? Rachel smiles but shakes her head no. She's already making one. Why couldn't she make two?

[Will Friedle]

I love. I love peanut butter and jelly. I just want this episode to end so that I can make one. Because they're wonderful.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's all. We're almost over wasted calories. If you put some Doritos in it.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, with the crunch or a regular Ruffles.

[Ryder Strong]

Disgusting.

[Will Friedle]

I like cheese.

[Ryder Strong]

Amazing in a situation.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ruffles. Ruffles inside. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Incredible writer.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so good, guys.

[Ryder Strong]

Just.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I'm sorry. You don't have good taste.

[Will Friedle]

It's. You won't. You just won't be coming to our restaurant. The PB&J with potato chip restaurant.

[Ryder Strong]

Just garbage food restaurant.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's called a diner writer.

[Ryder Strong]

All you do is put mayonnaise on bread and everything that you could buy in the aisle.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's whatever. How's your flaky skin car?

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

How's that working out for you?

[Ryder Strong]

What can I get from Costco in bulk and make.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, seriously.

[Danielle Fishel]

How's that working out for you?

[Will Friedle]

Huh? How's it working out for you?

[Ryder Strong]

Huh?

[Will Friedle]

We're gonna start with a chain restaurant.

[Ryder Strong]

That's it.

[Will Friedle]

We're not even starting with one place. We're starting with starting with locations all.

[Danielle Fishel]

At the same time. A pop up on the same day.

[Will Friedle]

Yes. Love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we have returned to the streets of Philadelphia. Alan and Corey walk along a street of small business businesses. Corey is nervous. I realize you're angry and I want you to know I said a terrible thing and I have no idea where to even begin to apologize. Allen simply states, I'm sorry you meant it. He stops in front of a boarded up stores. Do you know what this is? Corey guesses the abandoned warehouse where no one will hear my screams. Alan says his first job was sweeping up here at Drew's Hardware. He took over after his father retired. In fact, his father spent 40 years with a broom in his hand. Allen earnestly says, I wish he could see all I have now. He turns his attention to Corey. Why are you so ashamed of being average? Corey stutters. So Allan demands him to look at the store. Look at it. Touch it. Get some dirt on your hands. Try and see what average looked like from here. To me, average was a dream. That's why my father worked his butt off. So maybe. Maybe his son could have something more. Allen says he respected his father because he did the best that he could. He was proud of him, and he knows he'd be proud of him, too. Corey's speechless as Alan continues. Maybe if my son thinks average is nothing, then I've done my job. I'm sorry that you're not proud.

[Ryder Strong]

I like that line a lot. I know, because it's an interesting, like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

It's very nuanced, but it's a good point. Like, if my son is able to be dismissed of average. Of average, then that means I've actually done something. Really. And that. That's kind of more to the point to me, because this whole time I was like, why doesn't Corey have a job? Like, Eric had to have a job, and Corey has not ever had to have a job. We've never seen him work ever. Right. Have we? Well, that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Only when he was in the restaurant and you took over for the mob.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And Topanga worked in the restaurant. Topanga and Angela have had jobs. But, like, Corey is like, what, Gonna go to Colin. I don't. There's been a lot of emphasis on Eric working and none on Corey. And part of me was like, well, maybe that's because Corey, you know, does have something going for him. Like, that's better than Eric. I don't know. Like, it was. This is. Yeah. This scene brought up more questions than answers for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Why? Where do they work now? Do they own the store? Yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

We don't. We. They don't really acknowledge that our show.

[Ryder Strong]

Is an interesting relationship with class because it was like, Sean's supposed to be the, like, blue collar dad, worked his whole life to survive. You know, I like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sean flat out says it. You do not have a mediocre life.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

He. Sean says it when he talked. When in that previous scene where he's talking to Corey when Corey says, like, my mediocre life. And he goes, whoa, you do not have a mediocre life. And so you get the sense that, like, Sean would kill for Corey's life. Not necessarily. Not like he wants to actually be in his place, but to have had the security and comfort that Corey's had and has taken for granted.

[Will Friedle]

Sean's never had parents still there, parents together, average, you know, income coming in. I mean, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sean roof over his head.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. But again, we've said this a billion Times. How good is Rusty?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh my God.

[Will Friedle]

I mean, he hit 92 beats in this, in this monologue and he's just so good.

[Ryder Strong]

There's this weird thing that I was thinking about, like, and I don't have a conclusion or any real good thoughts about it, but it's so. Like, on one hand you're talking about cultural production, like art.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

Like the production of art and singing. And on the other hand you're talking about work ethic and like taking a job. Just. And I don't know that this episode makes sense of those two impulses being the same. Like, is it like, is Alexandra a great artist because she worked hard or is she a great artist because she's naturally talented and genius? Like, I don't feel like the episode really. Like, that's a tough question to answer. Like, I don't. You know, I don't. And I feel like it's not. Ends up not being about that. Like, because like there's no recognition that like Lindsay can sing. Like, Morgan's ability to sing is separate from her willingness to do it. Like the actual work ethic. Like, I don't know, I just feel like there's. That's why I think it's almost scene hit me. I was like, wait, it's not a. About Corey not working hard. It's about Corey being good at something. Like, I don't know this.

[Will Friedle]

I think there's a. There's. They're also trying to say that it's like not everyone is born with a gift, but you can still find happiness in your life even if you're not born, quote, unquote special.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

So it's like, you know, rusty, fat.

[Ryder Strong]

But you still have to work hard.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct.

[Ryder Strong]

Or still have to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sure. I have no doubt that Alexandra Nikita worked hard to be a painter. But like when you're giving a two year old old paints and they're obviously, she was better than other two year olds. She was. She has a gift that most do not. And then in conjunction with working hard at it and continuing to do it, she became a prodigy. She became a phenomenon. And so in this case, Corey is saying, well, no one ever pushed me to find if I had a gift, you let me fall out of everything. What if I. If you pushed me hard enough to insist on pursuing things like the ukulele, what if I would have then been the best ever at it and instead look at me. I'm just average.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And Alan is think. And you know, and then it ties into Alan's point, which Is like, wow, when I was a kid, average would have been. The average was my biggest dream.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And here you want to make me.

[Will Friedle]

Feel bad about it almost once again, showing that, in a way, Alan. Alan was like Sean more than he was like Corey.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

So it was like he turned his life around and look what he was able to do for his kids. And now my son doesn't appreciate that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Now my kid's saying it's garbage.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Yeah. It's very nuanced.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's a lot of.

[Will Friedle]

A lot of different levels.

[Danielle Fishel]

Maybe if my son thinks average is nothing, then I've done my job. I'm sorry that you're not proud. He gestures to the store of him. And then he points to himself and me. And then he lands on Corey and yourself. Sad music plays as Alan walks away, leaving his son alone in a very sketchy neighborhood of bankrupt businesses and litter.

[Will Friedle]

At night.

[Danielle Fishel]

At night.

[Will Friedle]

Just get your. Hopefully you'll come home. Exactly. Let's see how your average skills do against knife attacks.

[Danielle Fishel]

Maybe it's your skill. Maybe that's what it is.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're gonna be a ninja.

[Will Friedle]

Maybe that's what it is. You're a secret assassin. Let's find out.

[Danielle Fishel]

The 6th Annual Quaker Ridge Youth Center Talent Show. Everyone knows that one Corey Allen and Amy are in the front row while.

[Ryder Strong]

A talented younger that they show too. I was like, where are we? It looks like a performing arts center.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. It's a. Yeah. The youth center talent show.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

A talented young girl who we can now assume is Eloise Eichelberger twirls flaming batons gracefully in the air.

[Ryder Strong]

And this is a big choice because when you have flame, open flame on a set, you have to have a fire marshal permit. It's like a big deal.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's a big deal.

[Ryder Strong]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why did we. Why was it that? But I guess they had to do something big. Yeah, big. Because the whole joke is that she's just gonna sing. A woman next to Amy, presumably Mrs. Eichelberger, nudges her with arrogance. The two women give each other fake smiles, and then Amy leans to her husband. Big deal. She twirls batons, but Allan's in awe. Wow. Look at all that fire in the air. Corey nudges his dad, but Allan shoos him away. He's loving this. Morgan and Alexandra watch Eloise from the wings. Alexandra admits she's good, and Morgan agrees. She's the best fire fire juggler in the county. She's gonna win. I'm not gonna Sing. Alexandra is shocked, but Morgan insists, I don't want to. Aren't there times when you don't want to paint? The Prodigy admits, when people first started to make a big deal out of it, I didn't want to be different from all my friends. But I love to paint and that's why I do it. Don't you love to sing, Morgan? Drugs. Yeah, I do. So Alexandra declares, then that's your gift. And if you're lucky enough that God gave you one, I think you should share it. The Fire Juggler finally ends her performance and the crowd applauds. A host takes the stage and thanks, Eloise. That's going to be a tough act to follow. We've had quite a night. They had fire batons, that little boy that juggled ducks. And a special thank you to the double jointed Plunkett twins. Alan stands up and gives a rowdy.

[Ryder Strong]

Applause for that ovation because he really liked.

[Will Friedle]

Yes. Standing ovation.

[Ryder Strong]

School girls.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what I was gonna say. Do we. This is just a talent show. We don't know. Because my first thought was this is a high school talent show. But actually, actually it is the 6th annual Quaker Ridge Youth. Nope, it's Youth Center. Gross. It's just as gross as I thought. Okay.

[D]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

No, it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

All right. Would have loved someone to make a different choice there. Okay. Alan stands up, gives a rowdy applause for that act. The host continues. And now our final entry will be Morgan Matthews, who will sing a song. Alexandra gives her friend a big hug, and Amy shoots to her feet. Yay, Morgan. Mommy loves you. On stage, Morgan presses play on her CD player and then takes the microphone to sing Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler. In the audience, Corey turns to his ad. I can't live like this. I'm sorry. Alan whispers, don't worry about it.

[Ryder Strong]

He's so rude.

[Danielle Fishel]

So rude. His sister's thing. And he just can't. I know, but it is funny when he jumps.

[Ryder Strong]

His voice too. Man, it's so cool to hear. I was like, wow, talent, you know?

[Will Friedle]

Did you remember her singing on the set? I mean, she was really so nice to hear.

[Ryder Strong]

I was like, oh, my God.

[Will Friedle]

And they gave her something to do. And then halfway through her thing.

[Ryder Strong]

I know, but it is. Once Cory started singing, it was funny, but like this whispering, like, interrupting her. I kept. I was like, where's this going? Once he got up and sang, I was like, great.

[Will Friedle]

He totally forgot he was singing. I totally forgot this happened.

[Ryder Strong]

Me too.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

When he just kept Interrupting. I was like, oh, God. But then it ends up being very funny.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Alan whispers, don't worry about it. Before returning his full attention to Morgan's performance. She gets to the chorus of the song, and Corey can't contain himself. He sings along, directing his words to his dad.

[Ryder Strong]

See, I would have loved. I would have loved if he doesn't say anything. And it's just a shot of Corey and his dad. And you watch Corey listening to the song and realizing this is me singing to my dad and then being inspired. And then you just watch him jump up, jump up. Because there's no moment where you see Corey realize that the song doesn't make the decision.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, right.

[Ryder Strong]

If we've seen him make the decision have been a million times funnier. And it wouldn't. He wouldn't have to say anything. You just see a closeup of him going, this song is me. This is what I need.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is how I can do it. He could also have jumped up on stage and pushed her out of the way, taken over the microphone and just done this. You know.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, that's what Will Fredell would have.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uhhuh.

[Will Friedle]

You know, I. I command the stage. What can I say?

[Danielle Fishel]

Morgan Allen and Amy are flustered, but she continues to sing on the stage. Corey jumps to his feet now, pumping his fists, singing to his dad, disturbing the audience and stealing the thunder from his sister. Allan and Amy are slumped in their seats, mortified, but Corey doesn't stop, turning the song into a duet with Morgan. Corey even acts out some of the lyrics. The talent show is now over and the crowd is gone. Morgan hops down to meet her mom, and Alexandra, the painter hugs Morgan and tells her she did an amazing job. Corey asks, how was I? Alexandra whispers to Amy and repeats from earlier, I'm not supposed to lie. What do I do? Amy whispers, let's just go. And the girls leave. Allan starts to go with them, but Corey stops him. I think I said all that stuff earlier because I was afraid about my life. When you meet somebody great like Alexandra, you begin to wonder if you're worth anything. And if I'm not, it was easier to blame you. I know it's up to me to make my life something I'm proud of. Alan shrugs. That's what life's about. You spend your time searching for something to give your life. Me. Meaning. Some people find it in their talent. Corey wonders, what if I'm not talented? Alan answers, other people find it in other ways. He pulls his son in close.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, when I just disconnects those lines.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

This is the sort of. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is the blurring of the two.

[Ryder Strong]

Where it's bringing them together.

[Danielle Fishel]

Whatever gives you meaning. For some people, it's a gift or.

[Ryder Strong]

A talent to work at it, no matter what.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct and nurture it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

He pulls his son in close. You know, when I knew my life was worth something. Something. Alexandra appears again, and she finishes interrupting. Always.

[Will Friedle]

She loves important family conversations.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. She's the cousin.

[Will Friedle]

She lives there now.

[Danielle Fishel]

She finishes Allen's sentence, when I held you in my arms. Alan asks how she knew he was going to say that. And Alexandra smiles. That's what my daddy always says to me. And then she pulls out a lollipop.

[Ryder Strong]

She really say Daddy? Does she really? No, she says dad. Dad. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think she says daddy.

[Will Friedle]

I think she says daddy. Yeah. And big wheels off the set.

[Ryder Strong]

That's what Papa says to me right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Before he puts my diaper on.

[Will Friedle]

She goes on tour.

[Ryder Strong]

And Morgan has one more scene in the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. And then we're back at the apartment for the tag. Eric is on the floor with his hair standing straight.

[Ryder Strong]

What is gonna be the conclusion?

[Danielle Fishel]

So Eric's on the floor with his hair standing straight up, mouth wide open, eyes closed. He's holding a toaster, and the bar stools around him have toppled over. Rachel walks out of her room to find him and panics at first, then realizes what he's trying to do here. She plays along. Oh, Eric, my poor Eric. Are you okay? Wake up. Then Jack walks into the apartment, unmoved by his friend's shenanigans. He asks what's going on and Rachel. Dead. Headpans. Eric's dead. Jack shrugs. Cool. Then Eric jolts his body and Rachel gasps. I think he's alive. She asks Jack what she can do and then perks up. Oh, I know. Mouth to mouth resuscitation. Eric can't help but smile at the sound of that, but tries to maintain his deadness. Rachel sighs. Oh, shoot. You know what? I don't know. Mouth to mouth resuscitation. Do you know cpr, Jack? Jack catches her signal, so he responds, yes, I do. So just move aside, sweetheart. He gets close enough to Eric to elicit gay panic, forcing Eric to come to life and jump away. He looks at both of them and shakes his head. Oh, that's right. Make fun of the dead. And he walks off.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, I do like it when Rachel's smarter, you know, like whenever she's messing with them. It's just better like, yeah, her being clueless in the first two scenes of the storyline. It's like really?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Well, that's fine. I'm glad you like it because you're probably gonna see it again next week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails. Pod meets worldshowmail.com and we've got Merch.

[Will Friedle]

Did you ever know that you're my.

[Danielle Fishel]

Merro Merch Merro Merch as opposed to hero.

[Ryder Strong]

I thought you were going to say merch man.

[Danielle Fishel]

Merch miss I don't know where merch.

[Will Friedle]

Miss that's a good one too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pod meets worldshow.com will send us out.

[Will Friedle]

We love you all. Pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fischl, Will Friedell and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbaks, producer Matty Molly, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon and you can follow us on Instagram @podmeatsworldshow or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com the New Year's Here.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Visit cprewards.com will I'm excited to announce I am on a seafood diet.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, I remember this joke. You used to always tell it when we were kids. Whatever food you see, you eat.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, this time I mean it. Thanks to Gorton Seafood. I absolutely love their fresh tasting fish sticks and so do my 3 and 5 year old. We made the butterfly shrimp into tacos one night and it was so easy to prep and it was the perfect excuse to break out the air fryer.

[Will Friedle]

I love the quality of Gorton's. It's a brand you can trust. Susan and I made a butterfly shrimp bowl for lunch and it was seriously restaurant quality, but in the comfort of your own home and for a fraction of the the cost. I'm going to join you on that seafood diet as long as it's Gorton's.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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