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Danielle Fishel
It's Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Are you a small business owner launching a company or dreaming of starting one?
Will Friedle
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Ryder Strong
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Danielle Fishel
You don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the Business Small business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
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Danielle Fishel
I want to thank everyone who emailed us to let us know about some alleged Boy meets world plagiarism on a little show. Yeah. So do either of you watch Love is Blind?
Ryder Strong
Oh my God. Indy has become obsessed with Love is Blind, which is the weird. Yes. It was one of those things like. Yes. We somehow turned on the TV and it was like an option. He was like, what's that? And we were like, oh, it's this crazy show. And he's like, let's watch it.
Danielle Fishel
He.
Ryder Strong
He has now devoured a whole season.
Will Friedle
And it's so interesting.
Ryder Strong
Well, and you know what's so interesting about is that he's still like, doesn't. He's not one of those kids who ever cares about romance. Like people kiss in a movie and he's like. But for whatever reason, Love is Blind is like his jam. And he just, he think he's fascinated and it's kind of like, okay, we sit and talk about like why these people like each other and what kind of risk they're taking and it's really. I'm like, okay, if this is how we're going to talk about romance and like talk through stuff, why not?
Danielle Fishel
I guess. Yeah, sure.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, it's interesting.
Will Friedle
Now wait, love. Love is Blind. Is that the Nick Lachey one?
Danielle Fishel
Yes, I think. Nick. Okay, because there's also married at first sight, right? Yeah. No, this is Love is Blind Nick. I've never seen.
Will Friedle
And by that I'm lying. I've seen most of the seasons.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, okay.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
Ryder Strong
It's mostly people just sitting in rooms talking and they can't see each other.
Danielle Fishel
They can't see each other.
Ryder Strong
I spend like a month or whatever getting to know and then they just like get down on the knee and. And get engaged and. Yeah, it's. Well, at least we have some awkward moments.
Danielle Fishel
But many a Korpanga fans ears perked up this season when a contestant, Dave, professed his love to a woman he has never seen before. And somehow that's not the craziest part of the episode. So the craziest part is the connection to our show. So let's play a TikTok from user Lewberger Music who points out the issue.
Ryder Strong
I'm sitting here watching Love is Blind.
Will Friedle
And this moron Dave just stole a line from from Boy Meets World. Listen, if I could dream up the perfect woman, she wouldn't even come close to you. That is from Boy Meets World.
Ryder Strong
That is when Cory asks Topanga to be.
Will Friedle
I think that's when he proposes to her.
Ryder Strong
It's either a proposal or when he.
Will Friedle
Asks to be his girlfriend. That is from Boy Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
You, Dave.
Ryder Strong
Wow. Yeah, we actually haven't. We haven't seen that line yet on the show, have we? He hasn't said it.
Will Friedle
No, not yet, I don't think, but. Oh, God, that's great.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Will Friedle
If he just ended with. With and I love you and then a Feeny call, that would have been the great proposal. Oh, my God.
Danielle Fishel
So apparently he was not happy with the amount of attention that he got from his first TikTok. He didn't think people were taking this seriously enough, so he created a song and I'd like to play it for you.
Will Friedle
Have you heard about Dave on Love is Blind?
Danielle Fishel
No.
Ryder Strong
Love is Blind is a reality show.
Will Friedle
For people like me who love to make themselves sad. 20 to 30 something singles blind date.
Ryder Strong
And get engaged and act like they're.
Will Friedle
The most important people and they all get really drunk and experience unique love.
Ryder Strong
And say a bunch of nonsense.
Will Friedle
Well, this season, with the magic of.
Ryder Strong
A child's wish, they brought a potato.
Will Friedle
To life named Dave. And his poor fiance Lauren had to endure his insecurities about his sister and annoying friends. And suddenly, without warning, I'm pissed because.
Ryder Strong
He stole a quote from Boy Meets.
Danielle Fishel
World to propose to her.
Will Friedle
And nobody is mad enough about it for my liking. I've seen you, dude, like two.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, we've all seen.
Ryder Strong
If I had to dream up the.
Will Friedle
Perfect woman, if I could dream up the perfect woman, she wouldn't even come close. You can't get away with this.
Ryder Strong
You can't get away with this, Dave.
Danielle Fishel
You can't steal a line from Boy.
Ryder Strong
Meets World, you potato.
Will Friedle
For all we know, he said, that's from Boy Meets World.
Ryder Strong
No, no, he didn't.
Will Friedle
What if when he meets her, he.
Ryder Strong
Says, topanga.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, he calls Dave, you're a potato. So anyway, I just. I wanted you guys to know about that, the update. Thank you so much to everybody who sent that into us. And yeah, There, there, there we are on Love is Blind.
Ryder Strong
All right, what do you guys think? Do you think that that's conscious plagiarism, or do you think he had just absorbed that line and actually has no idea where it came from in his life and he just thought it was a cool thing to say?
Danielle Fishel
I think he knows. I think if you. If you absorb a full quote like that, because, like, if the idea of, like, you're the most perfect woman. You're. You're more perfect than. Than my imagination could, you know, like, you would reword it if it were just idea you absorbed. It wouldn't be if I had to dream of word for word.
Will Friedle
Dave, Dave. Dave.
Danielle Fishel
It's also weird because later he said, you had me at hello. And so I know for a fact this guy just.
Will Friedle
This guy's just ripping things off.
Danielle Fishel
He's just ripping things off left and right. Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel.
Ryder Strong
I'm Ryder Strong.
Will Friedle
And I'm Will Friedle.
Danielle Fishel
We're back on the road. The Kids Still Wanna Jump tour is coming to all new cities, and we wanna see you starting in June. We'll be in Denver, Phoenix, and Austin, Texas. Then we'll be in Columbus, Ohio, Las Vegas. That's my city, baby. Portland, Oregon, Seattle, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Ryder Strong
That's my city.
Will Friedle
That's my city, baby. I gotta light a cigar at the.
Ryder Strong
Blackjack table Topanga wants.
Danielle Fishel
You can learn all the dates and get tickets, which could include a meet and greet package to hang with us in real life. If you go to podmeatsworldshow.com right now, we would love to see you at Pod Meets World Live. Come hang out. Get your tickets@podmeatsworldshow.com for our listeners. We know that firing up Old Boy Meets World episodes is a surefire formula for some happy nostalgia, which we could.
Will Friedle
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Ryder Strong
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Danielle Fishel
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Danielle Fishel
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Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
Will Friedle
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
For many, the American Dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
Ryder Strong
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Danielle Fishel
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkwitz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Ryder Strong
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Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
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Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
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Danielle Fishel
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Will Friedle
Ooh, that sounds nice.
Ryder Strong
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Danielle Fishel
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Danielle Fishel
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Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
So today we are here to recap season six, episode seven, Everybody Loves Stewart. It originally aired November 6, 1998. The synopsis. Corey faces possible expulsion from college when a creepy teacher pushes the boundaries with Topanga. It was directed by our very own William Rusty. Russ.
Will Friedle
Rusty.
Danielle Fishel
It was written by Matthew Nelson. And before I jump into, our guest stars. What did you guys think of this episode? What did you. Did you remember all the details of the episode? What did you think? What?
Ryder Strong
A romp?
Danielle Fishel
Just a romp. Just a romp left and right.
Ryder Strong
Let's have some fun. Let's just have some fun.
Danielle Fishel
Just a giggle fest.
Ryder Strong
Yeah. I mean, no, it's just the.
Danielle Fishel
The.
Will Friedle
The.
Ryder Strong
The exact opposite of a romp. Yeah, very.
Will Friedle
It's a rump.
Ryder Strong
I'm trying to pronounce romp backwards more.
Danielle Fishel
It's. Yeah, it's just.
Ryder Strong
Yeah. I don't know. It's it's really heavy handed, didactic, and, and kind of painful to watch, so.
Will Friedle
I don't know.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, not, not a fan.
Danielle Fishel
Not a fan. Okay, well, what did you think?
Will Friedle
I, I, yeah, I didn't like, I, no, it was, yeah. How, how Topanga just sits there quiet through the whole freaking thing, like, never speaks. It's not about her at all. Even though it's happened to her. I did. Sean is a completely different human being. Sean has changed more than Eric has changed, in my opinion, by this episode.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, you're right.
Will Friedle
I did not get it. I don't know what's happening. I, I, I just, I didn't get it. I didn't get it.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, I definitely liked it more than either one of you did, that's for sure. I, I did not appreciate how much of it felt like it After School Special. It definitely was like real. You know, those can be good, though. Sure. I, and I also. Exactly. Will, you took the words out of my mouth. I felt like this thing that happened to Topanga became about how is the man in her life going to feel about it and what's he going to do about it? Like, Topanga's agency was completely just taken away. It was, I did not appreciate that at all. With that said, the idea that our show is a show where you have followed us from the time we were little kids until the time we are now in college and the importance of doing an episode about what happens when all of a sudden people in positions of power take advantage of your trust. I think the, what this, what the goal of this episode was somewhere is so important and, and, and kind of.
Ryder Strong
Ahead of its time.
Will Friedle
Right, Correct.
Ryder Strong
In the nuance of it. You know what I mean? Like in the, in the idea that, like, it's not completely clear.
Danielle Fishel
Correct. You know, it's just the bad guy's not going to be in a trench coat with a hood stalking you. He's going to present himself as a friend and you may think he's really cool. And even if you think he's really cool, that doesn't mean he's actually a good guy. And even if you have a good experience with him, it doesn't mean he's a, he's a good guy to everyone. Like, those things are so important.
Will Friedle
That's something our show often did well because the, the episode with Ariana Richards where she was getting abused by her dad, her dad was a banker. Her dad was an upstanding guy and somebody that everybody likes. So our show often did things like this. Well, yes.
Danielle Fishel
And we personally have experience with it. It's so.
Will Friedle
We do.
Danielle Fishel
It's such a personal. It's so important. So for me, what I walked away from the episode with was like, I empathized with the writers who have a very good idea to tell a very important message.
Ryder Strong
A great ambition.
Danielle Fishel
Yes, a great ambition. And then you do have to find how do we thread this needle? How do we get across how important this is without being too heavy handed and without trying to seem like we're making. Making light of it. They. I don't think that goal was achieved. I do think they just decided, let's lean into the melodrama of it. But anyway, I did at least walk away from it going just on what we've seen so far in the college level of actual. Anything really important going on, real lesson happening. Nothing. Nothing's happened. So I walked away from the episode going, I at least appreciate that. I see. Let's. Let's share an ambitious, good message, even if it wasn't handled the best.
Will Friedle
That's what I would say. That's literally what I said. I watched it twice and I said that to Sue. I said, important message, not great execution. Which is. Which is what I came away. There's a lot. I mean, the one time Topanga opens her mouth, she's told to be quiet by the dean. It's like, wait, I'm.
Danielle Fishel
Exactly.
Will Friedle
She never tells her story to anybody that. That can help. Literally never once. Corey doesn't even tell his story. It's Feeny who takes charge, who wasn't there.
Janice Torres
Right.
Will Friedle
The parents are that Shawn is not on Corey's side. It was strange character moment after strange character moment in a very important message. The one thing I did love, which I think this is the start of, and we're going to see more of which I enjoy just because I remember shooting them. Was all of us together on the couch, like we were in friends, which I remember having a lot of fun doing that and enjoying that dynamic of us just sitting there in the student union, having some dialogue, sipping on coffee like we felt like adults. So that I liked that aspect of it, but a lot of it, I was just like, what? Wait, what the hell is going on?
Ryder Strong
Yeah, Sean's completely different to that point. Trina gets the best laugh of the episode.
Will Friedle
Oh, she does?
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. By far.
Ryder Strong
The way she says it with like such honesty and like.
Danielle Fishel
And she's truly laughing. She's like, it's because that's true.
Ryder Strong
She means it.
Will Friedle
She means it's so well Delivered.
Ryder Strong
It's like, oh, and it's. Yeah, I love that.
Danielle Fishel
It's genius. It's my favorite moment for her, for sure. I also did love that even like that it is at the end when it's all of us kind of standing around. It does. Even though Shawn and Angela are broken up, there is still that foursome of us as friends. Like that still. That is really nice. Well, to your point, all of us being together is really nice. I will say, like. And I don't necessarily. When you think back to that time, the 90s, I don't know that women felt as comfortable speaking up. I will not agree with you more. No. Like, if you look at the Monica Lewinsky. Oh, yeah.
Will Friedle
No, I'm sure they didn't. And they were lambasted when they did a lot of times. So awful. But I mean. And we'll get into it. But I mean, she doesn't tell anybody in power to the point where. When it's already the. Is hitting the fan, she goes to. To. To Stuart and essentially says, unless you stop this right now, I'm gonna go tell somebody. Like you haven't already said something. And I know it wasn't a safe space at the time, but I thought that was an odd way to put it. And she's like, almost like blackmailing him with something.
Danielle Fishel
That was so weird. Why he. Like. I loved another thing I loved. I loved that the paper they're discussing is about gray area and about, well, when. When is it crossing the line? When is it not? And so I was confused why he then turned it around and was like, well, you came on to me. As opposed to just gaslighting her and going, I didn't do anything.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
We were talking while you were talking about your paper, while you were describing that, I was like, he's actually kind of the anti Feeny in that. He's like teaching you a life lesson through experience.
Will Friedle
Yes.
Danielle Fishel
So like, he's like, watch me come on to you.
Ryder Strong
Exactly. And at the end of the episode, he could be like, and now you've learned your lesson. Class dismissed. And it would have been like, oh, the dark Feeny.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, he's.
Ryder Strong
He's kind of. I had the same thought. I was like, is. And. And it's. And that scene is interesting in the way that he's playing with. Like, could he be teaching? Could he be just doing.
Will Friedle
You know, And Fred plays a great dick. I mean, he plays a great. I mean, it's so. It's so creepy, this guy. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
But then later in the student union. He's like, you came on to me. And I'm like, wait. Wait a minute. There's a. There's a better. There's a better argument for this, which is. I have no idea what you're talking about.
Will Friedle
Yeah, we're discussing your paper. The door was open. I asked your roommate to stay. Like, what's.
Danielle Fishel
What's the problem? If anything, you wanted me to come there. You told me. You know, it was just. It was a little weird anyway.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, well, hold on. I want to say one other thing. Like, this weird feeling that I had, like, taking this episode and thinking about the last episode, which is when Topanga and Sean kiss and Corey freaks out, right? I was like, what is going on here? There's actually a theme building here, and they're very different episodes. Obviously, one is played for comedy and one is played for this drama. But they're both about Cory's anxiety around regulating Topanga's sexuality. Like, regulating her.
Janice Torres
Is this my woman?
Ryder Strong
And it's like. It's played for comedy in one case and played for, like, an important life lesson in the other. But in both cases, the focus is on his sort of trying to get her. Like, what right does he have to own Topanga now that they're engaged?
Danielle Fishel
What are you thinking? What are her thoughts? What is it? Is it that you like this guy that I'm gonna. For. Yeah, it's like.
Ryder Strong
Or just, how is he gonna manage that she might want somebody else? And then how's he gonna manage that somebody else might want her? And those are sort of both questions about, like, now that we're engaged, now that I own her or have her, like, how do I regulate or manage this relationship personally with this? And it's like, it was right up against this, like, this notion of female sexuality, where it's, like, the property of the man that she's with, which is, like, legally coverture or female chattel. And it's right up against it, where I'm just like, what are we saying? Why is it Cory's responsibility to stand up for her? Why is it Cory's responsibility to take the fall when he does stand up for her? And it was clearly. That's the concern. The concern is not how Topanga feels. It's about how the violation of Topanga is reflected through how it violates Corey's rights and Corey's rights to her sexuality or. Or to be involved or deciding or. I don't know. And it just made me so uncomfortable. I was like, there's, you know, like, why. You know, to. To the point that you guys are making, like, why isn't she speaking up? Why in. And it's like, right. And I get that. Like, in the time that might not have been possible or understandable, but taken with last week's episode, I was like, there's something going on here where it's like that. It's a. It's all about Cory's.
Danielle Fishel
It is Boy Meets World.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
So it's gonna be through boy. The boy's pov. But I think had there been even a little bit longer of the scene between Cory and Topanga where we at least hear Corey say, what do you want to do about this? This happened to you? What do you. What do you want? How can I best support you?
Ryder Strong
How can I be an advocate for you?
Danielle Fishel
How can I. How can I help you? And by the way, this is up to you. If you don't want to say anything, which he can say, I don't agree with, or whatever, but, like, let me support you there. If you do, how can I be there to support you? Whatever. This is about you. What do you want? Because I thought of that when. Then in the. In the scene where he pushes Stuart, I thought. Did Topanga say, I want you to confront him. Yes. Go talk to him. I. I want. Yes, please do that for me. We don't know. We don't even know whether or not Topanga wants this to happen or is expecting him to say something like it. Topanga becomes unimportant. That's what I. For the rest of the episode, even.
Will Friedle
When the parents come in, they go, oh, my God, Corey, you hit it. Not like, panga. Are you okay? Like, what. Tell us what happened, Topanga. My God. And there was that one little moment at the end where Betsy comes in and puts her shoulder on. She's like, hey, I'm glad you wrote something like that. And I'll bet you Betsy added that in. That was a conversation where she said, I want to say something to Topanga. I will guarantee you that was not in the original script.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. Yeah. Well, it was. It's definitely an interesting episode. All right. Guest starring Fred Savage as Stewart, the brother of our star, Ben Savage. Fred was one of the decade's most recognizable young actors of the decade, from the hit TV show the Wonder Years, where he played Kevin Arnold. He also starred in movies like the Princess Bride, Little Monsters, and the Wizard. He would later turn his focus to directing TV on dozens of sitcoms, including Boy Meets World, with two episodes in season seven. Kicking off his career behind the camera. And then Bonnie Bartlett returns as Dean Lila Bolender.
Will Friedle
Funny.
Danielle Fishel
She is.
Ryder Strong
She's really given a great, great chance in this episode to shine.
Will Friedle
Yeah, she's awesome.
Danielle Fishel
Really wonderful. Even though I can't believe she told Topanga to, like, shut up.
Will Friedle
Well, you were about to tell what happened.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, yeah, I was about ready to open my mouth. You know, this is not right. This is Danielle Fischl, Ryder Strong and.
Will Friedle
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
Ryder Strong
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business. Small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Danielle Fishel
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
Will Friedle
From tracking money in and out to.
Danielle Fishel
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
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 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 Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. 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 at Wells Fargo.com/forward/active cash terms apply.
Austin Hankwitz
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Janice Torres
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Danielle Fishel
Nyx.Com hey, it's Amy Brown from the Bobbi Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 2025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 3rd. Hosted by Bobby Bones. We're going to hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits, and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer. And you're going to be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more. All right, so we start in the Penbrook classroom. Standing in the back of the class, Topanga confidently expresses her views. And that's why I believe a person is responsible for her own destiny and can be anything she wants. Once her speech is concluded, her teacher Stuart proudly responds. Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Topanga Lawrence, the next President of the United States. Corey speaks up above everyone's applause. That makes me the first lady. You see how secure I am in my sexuality. He turns to the boy sitting next to him and gives him a small wave. Hello.
Will Friedle
Hello. Such a Michael Reed.
Danielle Fishel
I don't know what that is.
Will Friedle
I don't get it. I don't get the joke.
Danielle Fishel
I Don't get the joke.
Ryder Strong
And then he kind of gives him a look like. Like he's flirting or something. I'm like, yeah, it was a strange.
Will Friedle
It was a strange.
Ryder Strong
Well, it was kind of a callback to last week's. Because doesn't he say hello when the guy walks in?
Danielle Fishel
Yes, he does, but I don't.
Ryder Strong
Like. Guy confronts him and. Yeah, so I think they just liked the way he said it.
Will Friedle
That could be.
Ryder Strong
Let's put it in here now.
Will Friedle
And then, exactly what it was. I'll guarantee you it got a huge laugh. They loved it. And so with the. I'm this boy, I'm that boy, you know, they would. We would hit a joke one week, and then they try to do it in another episode. And that's exactly what this was.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, but okay, it's like it came off of the sexuality joke, and then I was confused if that. If it's somehow connected to that or. I. I don't. I don't really understand. The professor asks, asks Topanga if she really believes in all that little merry sunshine stuff. And she doesn't hesitate. Yeah, I do. He smiles back. So do I. And then he adds to a point. He quickly swivels to the other side of the class. Sean. Sean shouts back Stuart. The professor points out, nice haircut. And then the hair, the hair, the hair. Comments and jokes for the next several lines just. They keep a coming. Sean thanks him. Yeah, it's been a while since we've.
Ryder Strong
Had some hair, you know, I know.
Will Friedle
Hair combo, hair change, but also some hair changes.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Will Friedle
Big on Boy Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, I know. And then Stewart fires back, it looks like, like an $8 haircut. So I guess he didn't really like your haircut. Okay. I think he's just ribbing.
Will Friedle
He's just. They're just showing that he's just ribbing like he's.
Danielle Fishel
Fun guy.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
One of the guys.
Will Friedle
One of the guys. Yep.
Danielle Fishel
Yep. He asks Sean what philosophical belief Topanga just spouted. And Sean responds, free will. Stuart's impressed, calling him a big deal. With the new hair. Sean adds, she's in charge of her own actions, therefore creates her own destiny. Stuart wonders if Sean agrees with her belief. And Sean admits, in my experience, you don't bet against Topanga or you'll get your butt kicked.
Will Friedle
Sean, now a studious intellectual. Well, just intellectual.
Danielle Fishel
We cannot be surprised, because when Sean went to college, when he was still in high school, he learned about free will, and he loved it. It's true. So here we are.
Ryder Strong
What if I had brought up, like, you know, Schopenhauer and it is.
Will Friedle
It's just. It's just. But Sean is different this season. He's just. I think I just have to get used to him.
Ryder Strong
Yeah. Like, I'm just. I'm sort of non existent as a character, you know, like, there's no, like, no recognition of the Angela situation or, like, what I'm doing outside of that situation. Yeah. I'm kind of just a sounding board in this episode.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Yeah. And, yeah. Low energy. Sort of like, what is.
Danielle Fishel
If anything, this season has actually supported the hypothesis that Feeny and high school was stopping Sean from living his best life. Because the implication so far seems to be that Sean got to college. Lived. Lived lives with his best friend, is thriving in classes, is thriving socially, broke up with Angela. Hasn't even mentioned it. Just hooking up with girls.
Ryder Strong
Sean is doing really well off camera.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, exactly.
Ryder Strong
That he's stuck with this friend group is, like, to his detriment.
Danielle Fishel
And he has to, like, Sean needed off of Boy Meets World. Yes.
Ryder Strong
If you were with the dog, Ryder had already left. I'm gone. Like, this is just my body. My soul is way on the other side of town of Occidental Cross.
Will Friedle
It's true, though. You can see it. Because I know you. You can see that you are dead, dead inside. It really does.
Ryder Strong
No Joy. There is no. I can tell that I'm not. And I feel it, watching it. I'm sitting there going, oh, I remember this feeling of, like, gotta say the thing. Gotta get that fake energy.
Will Friedle
It does. You're going through the motions. You're going through the motions.
Ryder Strong
It's.
Will Friedle
It's.
Ryder Strong
Yeah. It's too bad that there's not. I. You know, I. Yeah. When I think about, like, when we started this rewatch and we hit, like, goofy, confident, funny Sean in, like, second season, and I was like, oh, whoa. I forgot that this Sean existed. Now I just want him back so bad, you know? And I, like, wouldn't it be great if, like. And I hope this comes because I don't remember, but I hope that like. Like Corey and Sean get into some kind.
Danielle Fishel
Something.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Some sort of hijinks to be like.
Ryder Strong
Oh, Sean's caring about his friend again and actually involved in the storyline, like, in a real. Yeah, I miss that.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Topanga nods in approval at what Sean said. The professor turns to Corey now, how about it, Romeo? You buy what Juliet is saying? Corey nods. I think you have to have some control over the things that happen to you. Stuart's surprise.
Will Friedle
Romeo and Juliet. What is it with us? Romeo and Juliet?
Ryder Strong
Well, I was in the pilot, man. It's like.
Will Friedle
I know, but it's like, my God. You, Topanga. Romeo and Juliet. It doesn't end well.
Danielle Fishel
Leon and Juliet. Wiping this couple.
Ryder Strong
But there's so much like, you know, this is just to establish, you know, that they're married, that they're together, that everybody knows it.
Will Friedle
Exactly.
Ryder Strong
So committed. They are like the real love thing.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
And I think that's what they're doing.
Will Friedle
They went out of their way to show that Stuart knew that Cory and Topanga were together.
Danielle Fishel
Right.
Will Friedle
That's. That's what all this is about is. You've got it. Because that just ratchets up the scumbag. One more clip.
Ryder Strong
Someone else's woman.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
I mean, that's kind of.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stuart's surprised, and he gives Corey a hypothetical. Corey Matthews wakes up one morning. He kisses his lovely wife, he leaves his nice suburban home, and then he gets hit by a bus. Sean blurts out, I'll miss you, buddy. Corey isn't fazed. I don't get hit by a bus because I use crosswalks. I memorize the bus schedules, and if I got a wife like Topanga, I ain't leaving the house. Stuart isn't backing down. Bus hits you. Anyway, he asks the class, what's that called? And Angela answers, fate. Your life is predestined, and there's nothing you can do about it. Corey's worried that bus is going to drive right through my house to get to me. Sean shouts out, again, I'll miss you, buddy. Stuart reveals that most of the class's recent papers were pretty bad. He reminds them this isn't high school anymore, and he encourages them to free up their minds. With that, the students start to file out. Corey beelines to Sean, this guy is awesome. I've been waiting a thousand years for a teacher like this. Shawn agrees. He's not like Feeny at all. He treats us like equals. Feeny was like a parent. This guy's like a friend.
Will Friedle
Also, did it bump either of you that there's eight bajillion names to pick from? But they took Stuart. As in Stuart Minkus again.
Danielle Fishel
I know. Why would they do Stuart?
Will Friedle
Why double up on. But this is also a TV trope. Everybody on MASH is married to someone named Louise, so. Or Mildred. There's only two names of any women on the entire show, so it's like you could have picked anything. Go, Stuart again. I'm Just curious. I like to know why that is.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, it's a. I did not think of it. And it's a very valid question. I did not know.
Will Friedle
Yeah, that's what I was thinking of.
Danielle Fishel
I was like, why?
Will Friedle
Why Stuart again?
Danielle Fishel
Well, then we're in the student union. Stuart is playing pool with the gang, and Angela makes a shot. She tells her professor he owes her a coffee. Stuart knows the drill and asks if anyone else would like one in response. Cory, Topanga, and Sean. I'll take him up on his offer. The professor jokes that he only has two hands, so he asks Topanga for a little help, and she happily agrees.
Ryder Strong
The person sitting. You asked the woman. Nine people around you. Hey, you over there, get up and come with me. Well, I know it's all part of the plan. It's part of the plan.
Danielle Fishel
I know. And if they could have gotten away with it, this would have been beers.
Will Friedle
Of course. Yeah, that's what it's supposed to be. Did either of you have a teacher like this either in high school or college? The teacher word, now that you look back at, you're like, like, wow, that was actually super creepy that this guy or girl was showing up at parties or hanging out with friends or any like, like, did you have any of that?
Danielle Fishel
I did not have any teachers showing up at parties or, or pretending to be our friends, but that doesn't mean I didn't have any creepy teachers. I very much had a creepy, creepy history teacher who had a reputation for putting all of the young girls in the front couple of rows and all of the other kids in the back rows. And he regularly wore pre fitted short shorts and then would sit on the desks of the girls in his class. And it was, it was like a well known thing that everyone's like, oh, you got that guy. Yeah, sorry. And it was just like uncomfortable for everyone involved. Like, oh, man. Yeah, I'm stuck with this guy. So, yes, those teachers, that kind of teacher existed for me.
Ryder Strong
Show us your balls. That's awful. I had a teacher who, you know, was very. Seemed very young and cool to all of us, but always maintained a level of, like, authority and was a great teacher in the classroom, but he was only 23, you know, in retrospect. So I think a lot of that vibe was actually just a function of his age.
Will Friedle
His age.
Ryder Strong
But then I found out he ended up dating somebody from my grade after she graduated. And I don't know anything about it because, like, you know, I wasn't around, like, for that. But that's When I was like, oh, maybe. Maybe he was crossing lines in ways that I just had no idea. But that was only retroactively. Like, at the time, he was always still very much an adult, you know, like, he's different than the other adults, like, but he was still very much a good teacher and an adult in my life. But, yeah, he was, like, 23, 24. So there was a sense of, like, oh, he's kind of. He's kind of cooler and one of us and talk to him about, like, Right. I don't know. So there was that vibe. And then I find out that he. Yeah, yeah.
Will Friedle
Well, there was a guy in our high school that we always thought he'd always, like, every year be very close with one or two of the younger girls. So there was always rumors that it's like, is that inappropriate?
Ryder Strong
Is that weird?
Will Friedle
And then, like, 10 or 15 years later, he was fired for that exact thing where they. They proved that something had happened and he was out. Made the papers and all that kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Creepy. Once out of earshot, he thanks Topanga for taking his class and challenging things. He admits, a teacher likes a student who participates and shakes things up. Up. It makes class more exciting. Topanga's surprised and earnestly thanks him for the compliment. Stuart orders the five coffees and then says to Topanga, if we don't challenge our leaders, we have no right to complain over how they lead. Topanga recognizes that that is a quote from her paper. He tells her it was a good paper, besides the area where she got a little lazy with the summary, but they'll go over it. He asks, so what is the paper about?
Will Friedle
Why is it about free will?
Ryder Strong
They're discussing leaders, but is it about free will?
Will Friedle
Or then what does that have to.
Ryder Strong
Do with ethics with leaders?
Will Friedle
Is that so it's about ethics is what the paper's supposed to about, I'm.
Ryder Strong
Assuming, based on the expectation.
Will Friedle
Okay, gotcha.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. It's ethics with people who are in positions of power.
Will Friedle
Okay. That's got to be what it is. Yeah. Okay. Because I was like, wait, is it about free will, or is it about being the lead? It's like. And that's why it made no sense when you brought the cat at the end. Like, wait, what is this paper about?
Ryder Strong
So whatever it needs to be about for the lines.
Will Friedle
Exactly. I was just curious. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
He asks how campus life is going, and Topanga shrugs. Angela and I are in McKay, so small rooms, lousy food. He sarcastically responds, welcome to college. As they leave with the coffees. Dean Bolender and Mr. Feeny walk by and say hello. Now at the counter, the dean asks George what he'd like, but Feeny insists it's on him. He reminds her he's the new teacher on campus. It wouldn't be professional to accept a drink from his boss.
Will Friedle
And you see Matt in the background. Matt is just sitting. Matt's on the. The couch in the background waiting for the next scene to start. And at times he's just watching the scene.
Ryder Strong
He's just.
Will Friedle
You just watch him.
Danielle Fishel
He's just.
Will Friedle
He's watching the show. He's just watching the show take place in the background. He's like watching for a little while and then he turns away. Then he's like kind of watching a little. It's like, all right, yeah. Matt's just watching the show like everybody else.
Danielle Fishel
The dean asks again what he would like to drink, and Feeny swiftly answers, double blended, non fat, no whip frappuccino. Feeny shrugs. I usually take care of myself. She encourages him to relax, and he takes a deep breath in response. Now more relaxed, Feeny speaks up. Do you think I could have a biscotti too? She shoots him a look. I'm not rich, Feeny.
Will Friedle
Oh, there's so. I want to watch this show.
Danielle Fishel
I know.
Will Friedle
I want to watch Feeny and Bolender have a show. I know their age group. You. You focus it towards like the same kind of Golden Girls era kind of people. And that's a television show I would watch every.
Ryder Strong
Totally. Watching them try and figure out youth culture and like. But like, not understand them. Yeah, that's a great idea. It would have been so great.
Will Friedle
And them dating and what's dating that age like, and what does that entail? And the first time they have to hook up. Oh my God, there's so much to mind there. That would have just been incredible. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Meanwhile, Eric is sitting with Corey and his friends, looking in Stuart's direction. I don't like him. Corey says he doesn't even know him. But Eric argues. I'm telling you something. I have a gift. I know people. Then he notices a girl in the distance from behind and shouts, hello. Wow. How would you like to come home to that every day?
Will Friedle
Such a weird joke, too. Forget the just the creepy part. It's just a weird joke that it's clearly her. I mean, she's five feet away.
Danielle Fishel
She's also seven feet tall and red hair.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, yeah, it's.
Will Friedle
I get what they're going with, but it's just A weird joke that was kind of like, why that joke?
Danielle Fishel
I don't know.
Will Friedle
I don't know.
Danielle Fishel
I also am. I get that they. I'm a little confused about. I love that Eric has this perception and that he picks up on it, but how does it. What's the benefit of it in the storyline? That I don't think there is one. Also didn't like him or have a good feeling about him that Topanga's not making it up. I don't know what is.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, I think it's to plant the seed. Because so much of this episode is about arriving at a moral conclusion and in order to make that conclusion correct. So there's no doubt at the end that Stewart is an awful person who has done a bad thing. But it's like they wanted to also represent the possibility of ambiguity. They wanted it to be like, people that take advantage of situations like this are often the friendly one. And so you kind of can't have it both ways, especially on a kid's show. It's like you can't have it be crystal clear that this person's bad. And also. So if you notice by the end of the episode, everybody's literally on one side of the room against Stuart. It's like everyone that we know, our family, who we identify with, is able to see this guy for what he is, but the rest of the world might not. And it's like the whole episode is about everybody coming to that conclusion and reaching it with absolute certainty and inviting the reader or the watcher into that certainty, but then leaving the window open that like. And we have to be careful because arriving at this certainty could be difficult sometimes. And so, like, you have to plant that seed with somebody like Eric, who, even though he's the dumb one or never can see things, he kind of instinctually knows. And it's. It's like an interesting. You know, it's.
Will Friedle
I had a weird realization during this episode. Eric is a dog. Meaning he's got a great heart. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
People want to rough.
Will Friedle
He's a golden retriever. They always say, like, if you have a dog, if. If a dog doesn't like somebody, you. You trust that. And I swear to God, Eric is like. He's got the long, shaggy hair.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
And he's a golden retriever.
Danielle Fishel
Golden retriever. You're smart. You're super playful. You're loyal as hell.
Will Friedle
Good heart, really loyal intuition.
Danielle Fishel
You like to swim? Yes. I'm on the grass. It just keeps going.
Ryder Strong
Might hump your leg. I might have, you know, but well intentioned. Well intentioned.
Danielle Fishel
But you just have to tell him that it's not the right place.
Will Friedle
I'm telling you, Eric is a dog.
Ryder Strong
Really is.
Danielle Fishel
That's cool, man.
Ryder Strong
I wonder, like. Yeah, yeah, that's so cool. I had this weird. I'm having this really hard time with, like, the way that Eric's comedy is responded to by the other characters is getting really boring to me. Like in this episode, it's twice that people go, go, Unbelievable.
Danielle Fishel
You're just a comment.
Ryder Strong
You're just a mo. And it's like that beat that sort of is. I don't know, it's a.
Danielle Fishel
It's like it's the opposite of yes. And we just. It's no. Shut up. It's no.
Will Friedle
But.
Ryder Strong
I was thinking about in relationship to like cringe comedy or like, because I think, like, what now? What the an Eric type character would be, you know, in later comedies is like Zach Galifianakis in the Hangover or somebody who, like says the crazy inappropriate thing that you're just like, what? And in cringe comedy, that's played for discomfort and everybody being like, we don't know what to do with this awkward energy or whatever. And in our show, it's like this explosive awkwardness and out of touch. And then we have to cap it down and immediately be like, shame it. That's not right. And shame it. And I'm like, stop shaming it. I don't care. We don't need to contextualize it. Let's just let him be crazy. And it. I'm hoping that we. We lose that as.
Danielle Fishel
As he's just doing.
Will Friedle
Because when the dog gets too yappy, you've got to sit there and tell.
Danielle Fishel
Him to sit in his place.
Will Friedle
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Well, Jack cringes. We do come home to that. It's Rachel, you unbelievable, incredible buffoon. Eric goes back to his original point. He has a feel for these things. And Stuart is no Feeny. He couldn't even clap Feeny's erasers. Then Eric yells, over with the Feeny call, Feeny, yo. Having coffee with the Dean. Woo. Feeny. Feeny shrivels in his chair and Dean Volander gives a little wave. Sean tells Eric, sooner or later, you're gonna have to cut this cord from Feeny and see what else is out there. Eric isn't hearing it. If there's one thing I know, it's people. I've lived among them. It's my fifth sense. Jack corrects him, you mean your sixth sense. Eric responds, no, that Smell. You gotta be real lucky to get that, which is so cute.
Will Friedle
Strange. And you notice you're. You're trying not to laugh as you and I are speaking. This is right now. Ryder Peak. Us can't be in the same scene together.
Danielle Fishel
You guys cannot. I thought of it when it was happening. I was like this. There are reasons why you guys thought we can't work together. And this is one of them.
Will Friedle
And it seems like this. Yep.
Danielle Fishel
Eric reiterates this Stanley guy. Jack corrects him. Stewart. Eric adjusts Stuart. He's bad news. You trust me. We see Topanga now playing pool alongside Stuart. And everything seems fine from here.
Will Friedle
Little camera move there. Notice we all become the camera. We turn towards the back, and the camera follows our gaze up. Clever, Rusty, clever.
Danielle Fishel
Will's picking up on it now, huh?
Will Friedle
I get it.
Danielle Fishel
Well, then, we're in Topanga and Angela's dorm. The girls are hanging out when there's a knock at the door. Okay, you want to know something? That's stupid. That really bothered me. Angela is sitting on the bed and she is painting her nails. And she has her purse on her shoulder, just ready. Just ready to go. Just. Why? Why she's. She's painting her nails. She is not. I know that. Later, Topanga says we were getting ready to go to the dorm, and I guess the argument could be, once your nails are wet, you don't want to have to put your arm through the sleeve. But the minute the shot was on her, I was like, why is she. Where. Where's. Where's she going? Why is her purse on her. Her shoulder? Why she's sitting on the bed painting her nails? Drove me nuts.
Will Friedle
Gosh, relax.
Danielle Fishel
I know it's not.
Ryder Strong
It's a TV show.
Will Friedle
It's a rump. It's a rump.
Ryder Strong
Danielle, It's a Pamour.
Will Friedle
It's like, I have a pomor here.
Danielle Fishel
You're right. I did take it too far with that one. There's a knock at the door. It's Stuart. They are surprised to see him. He notices one of his students in the hallway. Hanson, you owe me a paper. I don't believe in grades, but I'll flunk your butt. Topanga and Angela laugh as Stuart enters. Topanga, I was in the neighborhood and we talked about going over your paper, so. Okay. I think it's okay.
Will Friedle
I'm in the neighborhood.
Danielle Fishel
This guy's shady. Stuart tells Angela, I don't have your paper, but we can discuss what I remember. Topanga explains. They were actually about to head to the Student Union. She tells Angela to go ahead without her and she'll meet her there. On her way out, Angela jokingly comments, you two leave the door open. Both of them laugh it off. Which is weird. I don't know why this joke was made.
Ryder Strong
I think to make it clear that the door is left open, but yeah.
Will Friedle
Oh, maybe that's just.
Ryder Strong
We have to make it clear that that was never. Yeah, but it is weird that Angela would even make the joke.
Will Friedle
Right?
Danielle Fishel
Cause then it implies that, like, you guys want to hook up, right? Yeah.
Will Friedle
Right.
Danielle Fishel
It's just kind of weird.
Will Friedle
So, I mean, is this okay? Are teachers actually allowed to date their students in college?
Ryder Strong
Well, it's actually. I mean, I think it varies somewhat from school to school, but, like, I know that, like, in my faculty handbook, it's you. You cannot have a relationship with a student that you are teaching or that you're in a supervisory role of any sort. And then relationships with students in general are just kind of discouraged, like, because there's the potential. It's like in. It's spelled out, like. But the only real prohibition, like, that's a actual rule is, like, if you're in a supervisory role or you're in their. Or you're teaching their Cl. Them in class, there can be no relationship.
Danielle Fishel
Well, what about if you. What about if they have end up in the future in your class? Is it then. If you're in a relationship with somebody, then you shouldn't be that person's teacher, and you shouldn't try to take that person's class.
Ryder Strong
That part I actually don't know.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, because that's what's interesting is, like, sure, this semester he's not my teacher, but next year he could be.
Ryder Strong
Well, I think that's why there's the overall, like, discouraged. Like, we can't prevent two adults from doing it, but you need to. You have the responsibility as a teacher. You have to know that we discourage. This is not what we. You know. So I think if there was ever a complaint, it's on the faculty in that visit to be like, okay, you know, we cross the line here. But definitely you cross the line. If somebody. If you're in a class together, there's any sort of actual power over one another.
Danielle Fishel
Right.
Ryder Strong
But there is a general power dynamic that is like, just avoid this at all costs, basically.
Danielle Fishel
Okay, well, good to know. It's nice to have a professor on the podcast. Thank you for our questions. Thank you, Professor Ryder. Well, now alone. Stuart points to a picture on Topanga's desk and Asks if it's her mom. She says it is. The photo was taken at Martha's Vineyard.
Will Friedle
He admits, no, no, sorry. Topanga and Jedediah and Chloe are not going and hanging out in Martha's Vineyard.
Danielle Fishel
This is another one where I was like their family. Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but Topanga is no longer The Topanga of 1993.
Will Friedle
Topanga's different. Sean's different. Different. Eric's different. Corey's the only one that's basically kind of the same character now than he used to be. I mean, entirely different. That Chloe and Jedediah and Topanga are hanging out in Martha's Vineyard.
Danielle Fishel
I know.
Will Friedle
No way.
Ryder Strong
Make it Woodstock, New York.
Will Friedle
Exactly. I was thinking the same thing. Make it Woodstock. Make Prescott, Arizona. Make it anywhere. Slightly hippie ish, but they make it the most highbrow. Like Martha's Vineyard.
Danielle Fishel
Really?
Will Friedle
I was amazed. I was amazed by that.
Ryder Strong
Here we are in the Hamptons, right?
Danielle Fishel
It's like our annual summer trip to the Hamptons.
Will Friedle
Seriously, Your dad was one of the monkeys and then was in Spinal Tap and then was the other guy and.
Danielle Fishel
It'S like, come on. He admits, she's real pretty. Topanga thanks him. Then Stuart tells Topanga to sit down. Topanga gets comfy on Angela's bed, and Stuart explains, this paper was too good to fizzle out on the conclusion. You're too smart for that. He begins to read a section aloud. It's. It's possible to cross the line morally and yet not cross the line. Actually, it's too vague. He doesn't know what she's talking about. Topanga explains, well, the paper was on morality and ethics, and I was just saying there are definite gray areas. Stewart jokes, I know what the paper was about because I assigned it. He sits next to her on the bed and encourages her to be more specific. Because the devil's in the details. He asks. I'm sitting here with you, right? I'm your teacher and I find you attractive. But we're talking about the assignment now. Have we crossed the line? Topanga stays calm, considering his newest statement.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
And she shakes her head. I don't think so. No. So Stuart takes it a step further. I'm your teacher and I find you attractive. And now we're not talking about the paper. Have we crossed the line? Topanga's confused. What? Stuart scoots closer to her and grabs her hand, which is resting in her lap. What if I said to you that I think about you and I'd like To see you more than just on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Topanga's in shock. Stewart asks, see where it gets gray? It gets quiet. He quickly stands up and directs his attention back to the picture on her desk. When did you go to the Vineyard? She nervously says, two summers ago. And he asks, beautiful, isn't it? He gives Topanga one more example. We're adults, and I'm telling you that I'd like to get to know you better. He sits back down on the bed and moves a piece of her hair behind her ear. And that's what I'm going to do.
Will Friedle
Weird. Creepy.
Danielle Fishel
Topanga admits, you're making me uncomfortable. I want you to leave. He shakes his head. That's not what you want. She's flabbergasted. What? Just then, Corey knocks on the door and enters. He jokingly admits, if I wasn't such a trusting boyfriend, this would look bad. Topanga looks very worried as Corey asks, how come you don't make house calls on me, Stuart? He stands up and playfully ruffles Topanga's hair. Cause I'm talking to the brains of the family. He declares, I'm gonna leave you two alone. And he assures Topanga they'll finish this later. Corey watches him leave with admiration. Boy, you gotta love that. I mean, Feeny wouldn't be caught dead in a dorm room. Sean's right about this guy. He's in a whole other league. Topanga's still in shock. She tells Corey that she didn't like him being there. She didn't like it at all. Corey notices her demeanor and asks if she's okay.
Will Friedle
And from this moment on, it's no longer about Topanga.
Danielle Fishel
Nope, that's it.
Will Friedle
That's why I think I was so thrown by this episode, because they've completely set it up. This is going to be a Topanga storyline. Topanga is going to deal with this. She's going to deal with it. The help of her friends. She's going to find the strength. She's going to bump. And then it's no longer about Topanga. From this point, the second Corey walks in, it is now. Cory's taken over the story, and it's about how he's gonna deal with what happened to Topanga. And I thought that they should have stayed with the Topanga storyline, which to me is much more interesting.
Danielle Fishel
Totally. This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
Will Friedle
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
Ryder Strong
If you're a small business owner launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Danielle Fishel
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
Will Friedle
From tracking money in and out to.
Danielle Fishel
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the Business Small business Success stories on the Iheart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
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 cards.
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 Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchase. 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.
Austin Hankwitz
Does this podcast make you happy? Of course it does. That's why you're here. But it only comes out once a week. For happiness, every night. You need Adam and Eve. Yes, I'm talking about sex toys. It's cool. It's cool. You have earbuds in right? Adam and Eve, America's most trusted source for adult products, has been making people very happy for over 50 years with thousands of toys for both men and women. Just go to AdamandEve.com now and enter code IHEART for 50% off. Almost any one item, plus free discreet shipping. Shipping. That's AdamandEve.com, code IHEART for 50% OFF.
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Danielle Fishel
Off nyx.com hey, it's Amy Brown from the Bobby Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 2025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 3rd. Hosted by Bobby Bones. We're going to hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits, and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer. And you're gonna be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more. Then we are back in the student union. Rachel's laughing. You take your middle name and you put it with the street that you live on. Jack asks, and that's your soap opera name. I thought we were going somewhere else.
Ryder Strong
The soap opera name is your middle name and the street you grew up on, which is, I think, what we do in this. Right? That's what we say.
Will Friedle
Actually, it's kind of great because then it's such a soap opera name. Mine would be Alan Redrock.
Ryder Strong
King Barnett.
Danielle Fishel
Christine. Via Del Tecolote.
Ryder Strong
Yes. See, that sounds like a soap opera.
Will Friedle
It does.
Ryder Strong
She's.
Danielle Fishel
You are.
Ryder Strong
You are Telemundo.
Will Friedle
You are on Telemundo.
Ryder Strong
Yes, Telemundo. There you go.
Will Friedle
Great.
Danielle Fishel
It does work.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, it does work.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, my God. Oh, my gosh. That's so funny.
Ryder Strong
That's great.
Danielle Fishel
Okay, and this is where we get.
Will Friedle
Another middle name for Eric.
Danielle Fishel
This is. Yes, Randall.
Will Friedle
Cause did we have. We said Neil before, but then she's like, that's not your middle name?
Danielle Fishel
I don't know.
Will Friedle
I don't know either. Yeah, they can't. I. This is. I think this is the second or third time we've heard a middle name of Eric now. So I thought it was Eric. I say at One point. My name's Eric Neal Matthews. And then.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Will Friedle
Betsy says, that's your middle name. But then maybe we don't ever say, right, maybe.
Danielle Fishel
Maybe she was thinking it was Randall.
Will Friedle
Randall. Eric Randall Matthews.
Danielle Fishel
She nods. Mine's Kimberly Beaumont. Eric chimes in with a smolder. Jonathan Cumberland. Jack bursts his bubble. Eric, your middle name is Randall? He tries again. Tony Randall. The Odd Couple. Jack asks if he ever listens to the rules, so Eric corrects himself. Who is Tony Randall? Jack sarcastically answers, right. You win. Eric giggles. I always win. I always win, huh?
Will Friedle
I always win.
Danielle Fishel
Then Corey spots Stuart over by the pool tables and runs up to him. The professor greets him with a smile. Hey, Romeo. Corey wonders if they can talk on the patio for a second. As Corey leads him outside, Stuart comments, your paper was pedestrian. This isn't high school anymore. You gotta take chances. Corey cuts him off. We're not talking about the paper. Stuart's surprised, so Corey flatly tells him. Topanga's real uncomfortable about your dorm visit. Stuart wonders why. And Corey scoffs. She thought you were hitting on her. So Stuart lets out a little laugh and asks, what if I was? Corey can't believe what he just heard.
Will Friedle
Do you hear the audience, by the way, throughout this entire episode, the second he puts his hand near you on the bed or any of that stuff, the audience is going. Or. I mean, they're there the entire time for this.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, yeah. So Corey repeats it back in shock. What if I was? And then from inside the student union, Shawn tells everyone his soap opera name, Patrick Trailer park, which gets a rowdy laugh. Angela offers hers. Shanae Nae, Martin Luther King Boulevard. No one laughs at that one. So Angela laughs to herself. Gosh, I gotta get some black friends.
Will Friedle
Get some black friends.
Danielle Fishel
Best joke of the whole show.
Ryder Strong
And maybe the last laugh of this episode.
Danielle Fishel
Correct? Correct.
Ryder Strong
Actually, no. Will coming into the courtroom.
Will Friedle
Oh, yeah. That's good. Yeah.
Ryder Strong
So do. I mean, do you guys remember this week, like, the whole.
Will Friedle
Sure.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Yes. I remember the discussion being very detailed in the original script. Corey decks, like, punches him in the face. Right.
Will Friedle
In the student union. Right. Like, is it.
Danielle Fishel
No.
Ryder Strong
Oh, was it still?
Danielle Fishel
I think it was always outside.
Ryder Strong
It was always outside.
Danielle Fishel
I thought.
Will Friedle
Okay. I didn't know if it was off camera or. We actually saw Cory, like, in the background, punch the teacher in the face.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
And so they. Ben felt very strongly as an actor that Corey would never punch anyone. And he felt comfortable enough. Good. For him to say something and notes.
Ryder Strong
And the reason it kind of became a big Deal is that surprisingly, TV Guide was there that week.
Will Friedle
Probably because Fred was there.
Danielle Fishel
Because Fred was.
Will Friedle
Fred and Ben were working together. And so TV Guide was there. This is the first time TV Guide had ever been on our set. And we were once years in. Right.
Danielle Fishel
Were they the whole week? Were they there one day?
Ryder Strong
I don't remember probably more than one day because I remember the. The resulting article had interviews with people.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
You know, outside of having been there that one day. I think so. Or maybe they just did follow up calls. I don't know. But it was a really interesting. Because I remember thinking it was very unfair the way that TV Guide portrayed Ben.
Danielle Fishel
I agree.
Ryder Strong
Because the point of the article was kind of can you believe that a child actor, which is ridiculous considering he's 18, I think at this point is pushing back against his writing staff or, you know. And what was great about the article to me was that they interviewed Michael and Michael was like, Ben has every.
Danielle Fishel
Right to do this.
Ryder Strong
Like, this is our process. And like he. Michael was like, no, it's okay. You know, we disagree and we. Cause they did. They disagreed. And that was the thing. We all in note session had this out like for. I remember like an hour of discussion and it was like, who's gonna give? And like, because Michael was insistent that Corey would be upset enough to punch this teacher. And Ben was like, I know Corey and I feel like I have a right to speak for this character. And Cory would never hit somebody, you know, in this context. And that was, you know, it's a debate. And it was kind of like, how does the storyline exist without that? Which is tricky. And so this, the compromise that we ended up with is this push. And then they still refer to it as a hit.
Danielle Fishel
Correct.
Ryder Strong
But it's never a punch.
Danielle Fishel
It's never a punch. Which is to me does make it very weird later when it's you hit a teacher and I hit a teacher and the bottom bylaws about hitting a teacher. And it's like, but that happened. And then also, I mean, I haven't gotten to it yet in the recap. It's. We're about ready to get there. But the way that Stuart leans into Corey right before too, he. He touches Corey. And whether Jensen and I talked about it and Jensen is convinced he's touching him. Like, like, Corey, don't worry. Like in some sort of. In a calm down or like placating sense from my. From what I felt like it looked like he pushed Corey. And the fact that the last thing we see Stuart say Is what if I was? And then Corey says back, what if I was? To me, that's on a tense note. The idea that, that it's anything other than Stuart escalating it by like, hey man, get away from me or something. I don't know, it just, it felt, it. It felt like an odd choice for there to be any contact between the two of them before it's Corey just shoving him.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Well, the. Is that we don't see the scene.
Will Friedle
Right?
Ryder Strong
Right. We don't hear it. We don't know what was actually said. We don't know why. And I was thinking about this in relationship to the use of violence against Mr. Mack.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Where Alan pushes him. And it was clearly written to justify Allen. It was clearly written to say, we're on his side, it's okay that he did this. And the choice here to not see the specific dialogue, to not see the ramp up to it is really interesting because it implies, I guess on one hand it was a choice to leave it somewhat ambiguous. So you weren't just immediately on Cory's side. Cause otherwise why do we have to watch the rest of the episode to learn? But also, I don't feel like anybody is ever not on Cory's side for the rest of the episode. Cause we are all sort of like, he had the right. He did violate the policy, but he was in the right to have hit this guy.
Danielle Fishel
Right.
Ryder Strong
Like that's sort of the double standard. Ish, weird sandwich that our show is doing. And. And by not showing the scene, the audience is sort of left to assume that's the gray area.
Will Friedle
That's the gray area that the paper was about. Was that the ethical gray area. Is it okay to, you know, is violence ever okay? And the answer to that, of course, is sometimes yes. And sometimes it's necessary. But we didn't.
Danielle Fishel
I think Ryder would disagree with you.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Will Friedle
You don't think violence is ever Okay.
Danielle Fishel
I was going to say, I think this is really interesting because I do think will is of like, if somebody were to do something to sue, we'll be like, sorry, the only thing, I'm going to kill you.
Will Friedle
Yeah. And I would have been fully justified to do it.
Ryder Strong
Right. And I think that when you're creating fictional universes, Right. In a fictional situation, it's beholden on you to represent that situation. And then, you know, you're creating everything. Right. You're creating the whole situation. You're putting these people in a position. And that's like, was my problem with the Alan, Mr. Mack thing is like, you could easily create a situation where Mr. Mack pushes him and, you know, and justify it. And. And so I just sort of roll my eyes at situations where violence is, you know, fictionally created in order to showcase somebody's heroism in their willingness to go to violence. And I just find that to be easy to manipulate. And so in this case, it's really interesting that we don't see what actually triggers Corey to do the thing. And I don't know. Like, I don't. I'm not sure if it was a good choice or bad choice, but it's clearly a choice. Right. As opposed to the Mr. Max situation where you see Alan inspired to violence. And we are supposed to be like, yeah, do it, man. That's a bad person and you are a good guy. And in this case, we have the space, this absence of what explanation? And then we spend the rest of the episode saying, well, Cory has to have been in the right, because it's Cory, but we don't need to see the actual justification. I don't know. I'm not quite. Like. Like, I don't have all my opinions about it. I just found it fascinating. And then there's another absence later, which is when Stuart talks to. We don't hear what he says.
Austin Hankwitz
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Yes.
Will Friedle
And that was another weird take.
Ryder Strong
These two absences that actually trigger the next beats or the way the characters interact. And it's like by not seeing them, it was clearly a choice. And I'm not sure what exactly that choice was or why, if it had to be that way or what, but it's something I'm thinking about. Yeah, really interesting. And this one seems like a big one.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, this is a big one.
Will Friedle
Well, because when he does say it. Well, he does say during the thing, what he says to him.
Danielle Fishel
Him.
Will Friedle
But what. What that. That triggered him to put. I mean, maybe not the exact trigger. Corey. Corey, he says to him, he says. Not only does he say to me that, yes, he was hitting on her, but he said he was never going to stop. And so he. Corey actually says it. So. So. So Stuart apparently said to him, yeah, I was hitting on her, and I'm gonna keep on hitting on her every day until I. She ends up in my bed and blah, blah, blah. And so that's. That was the. At least they allude to that with what Corey says. Yeah, he told me he was never going to stop top. And it's like, yeah, then he shoved them through a glass window.
Ryder Strong
Right.
Danielle Fishel
Well, Rachel asks Topanga what her middle name is, but Topanga says she doesn't want to play. She's fixated on Corey and Stuart getting animated outside. Jack wonders why she doesn't want to play, and Topanga makes an excuse. I have a weird middle name. Jack isn't buying it. Your first name's Topanga. What could your middle name be?
Ryder Strong
Yeah, I don't think Jack's the one to say it, too.
Danielle Fishel
I know. I don't really know her.
Ryder Strong
He's like, I don't really know her.
Will Friedle
Oh, and Maitland has apparently now met everybody. Rachel knows everybody because she's never met anybody before. And now she's. Now she's in the gang.
Danielle Fishel
This is the first time. You're right.
Will Friedle
Well, she met everybody when we shot opening title sequences.
Danielle Fishel
Exactly.
Will Friedle
And now here. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
In the background, we see Stuart reach for Corey, and Corey aggressively shoves him, sending Stuart right through the door and straight to the ground.
Will Friedle
Good start, by the way.
Danielle Fishel
I know.
Will Friedle
I mean, that was. That was a violent shove the camera angle. You really see him fly. You see him land. I mean, that was. That was a good stunt.
Danielle Fishel
Everyone jumps up from the crash, shocked to see what's happened. Stewart brushes himself off and says, congratulations, you just got yourself kicked out of college. No one knows what to do. And then we're.
Will Friedle
What would you do if. Sorry, different show. Different show.
Ryder Strong
My bad.
Danielle Fishel
We're in Cory and Shawn's dorm. Topanga, Shawn and Angela watch a worried Cory pace. Sean asks, how could you do this to Stuart?
Will Friedle
That. I was like, wait, what? Sean is. Is not on Corey's side. Just blindly and automatically. Of course he would be. That's Sean.
Danielle Fishel
I know.
Will Friedle
It's like, it. It wouldn't matter what he did. It's like, hey, I shot the teacher. Like, yeah, he had every right to. What did he do? I don't know, but Corey did it. So, I mean, the same way he's like, I would never root against Topanga. He's. How could you do that to Stuart?
Ryder Strong
Sean says this.
Danielle Fishel
It's so weird.
Ryder Strong
Well, I do think, now that I'm. Now that you're saying this. Shawn's storyline, Shawn's arc in this episode is that he is, like, just all about Stuart. Like, he is completely serious.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, Stuart might as well be Mr. Mack, let's be honest.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
And I guess, actually, I don't know how much of that is maybe in my performance, or maybe it could have been written to a little bit more to imply that, like, from the beginning, when Stuart leaves the class, you just see Shawn, like, following him out And Cory being like, sean, Sean. Oh, oh, oh, okay. You know, like, then we would have been like, shawn has gone astray.
Danielle Fishel
Yes.
Ryder Strong
But, yeah, I would have. Maybe it could have been a little bit stronger because now I'm realizing. Cause then he. The point of the courtroom scene is that Shawn finds himself having to betray Feeny and feels bad about it and goes, oh, my God, that is like, so. Yeah, it could have been. Maybe that's just on me. Performance wise. I should have been more like, Stuart's my best pal, and this is so fun. And Cory, you're being.
Will Friedle
Yeah, I don't know. But I found that changed really weird.
Danielle Fishel
It is weird.
Will Friedle
By the way, I would love if they. If somebody would do this for me is the second Stewart comes flying through the door and lands on the ground in the student union, it just freezes on him. And then Daniel Stern's voice comes in. It's just like, I couldn't believe that Corey shoved me to the ground. That would have been so awesome. Just to see that for two seconds would have been great.
Danielle Fishel
Corey gets defensive. I don't know. I've never hit anybody before. Sean says that his out of control moments are usually funny, but this was too far. He could get in trouble. Then Amy and Allen burst into the room. Allan is flustered. Hey, no matter what happens, we're behind you. No matter what. Corey summarizes. The first time in my life I hit somebody and it's a teacher. Allen sighs. You idiot. I thought you hit a student. Amy wonders what could have possessed him to do such a thing. Corey defends his actions. He made a move on Topanga. Allen asks in class. And Corey corrects him. No, in her dorm room.
Will Friedle
And she doesn't speak up, she doesn't say anything.
Danielle Fishel
No.
Will Friedle
Topanga's just sitting there. It's like, how does Amy not go to her? How. You know, how do we not see part of that scene?
Danielle Fishel
Like, are you okay? That a phone call was had to let Amy and Alan know they needed to get here. And none of what happened to Topanga was involved in that phone call. It was just, hey, Corey, Corey, punch somebody and you need to get here because. And no, like, listen, nothing. Just.
Will Friedle
It's no longer. Topanga is. Is an accessory to her own story all of a sudden. Which I found really, really off putting.
Danielle Fishel
I know it was strange.
Will Friedle
I don't know. And again, they clearly changed the punch to a shove for the stunt and for what Corey does, but didn't change any of the dialogue at the end about it. It was still hit, hit, hit.
Danielle Fishel
This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
Will Friedle
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
Ryder Strong
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Danielle Fishel
In every episode, help hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
Will Friedle
From tracking money in and out to.
Danielle Fishel
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
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 and small earn unlimited 2% cash rewards.
Ryder Strong
No limits, no categories to track, just straightforward rewards that keep adding up, 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 Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. 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 ActiveCash terms apply.
Austin Hankwitz
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Danielle Fishel
Brown from the Bobbi Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 2025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas, on May 3. Hosted by Bobby Bones, we're going to hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer, and you're going to be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more. Amy and Alan look at each other, befuddled. Then Eric runs into the room, breathless. Okay, I saw the whole thing. I can testify in court that teacher hit, I repeat, hit young Corey Matthews. Corey can't lie. No, I hit him. Eric proudly grins. Yeah, I know, dude. I saw the whole thing. That dude sailed. He forces a five on Corey, then turns to his parents. You guys know about my fifth sense, right? Amy is unamused. You've told us about it. Yes, eric reveals. Well, it's working overtime right now. I can feel it in my veins. This guy's bad. Then Feeny storms into the room complaining. You can't talk to that woman. She's the dean of the university and you can't reason with her. He mimics her. This is a university. The university has rules. He shouts down the hall. Well, I have rules too, missy.
Ryder Strong
Angry Feeny, I know, but I don't like.
Danielle Fishel
I don't like it.
Ryder Strong
Like, I don't get it. Intervening, naturally, because Corey's his guy and, like, Feeny would be very much about university Rules and protocol and boundaries and, like, I just feel like the Feeney response would be much more where, where it sort of ends up, which is like, Corey, you violated, you know, a university policy and you shouldn't have, and you will take the consequences for that. But I'm on your side for xyz and, you know, whatever.
Danielle Fishel
Like, Feeny would have been the first person to bring it back to Topanga. Of course. He would have been like, corey, we will deal with your behavior later. The problem here is what happened to Topanga. And that's what needs to steward, because then that is his entire focus in the courtroom. Why are you alone with her? Why are you doing this? He wouldn't be coming in going, I have to defend Corey. He'd be saying, what you did was out of line. And we'll get to that. But you off to the side, Topanga, this is about you. I also do not like I want to say it. It's a thing we write. It's in Boy Meets World a few times. And I know it comes back around in Girl Meets World as well. Well, I have rules to Missy. Calling a woman Missy. I, I, it feels like you are calling her a child, like you're making her a child. Feeny, in my opinion, it is a belittling way to address somebody. Unless it's like, I don't know, I just didn't like it. I really did not like it with Feeny. To the Dean, it just feels icky.
Ryder Strong
No chicks can be sensitive.
Danielle Fishel
So, yeah, listen here, Missy.
Will Friedle
Well, that's the other thing you don't understand. He was actually talking about the Dean of admissions, which is different. Whose name is Missy Slaughter.
Danielle Fishel
Missy. Right.
Will Friedle
So, yeah.
Danielle Fishel
So he's literally calling her name a different person than Missy.
Will Friedle
Exactly.
Ryder Strong
That's interesting.
Danielle Fishel
That's Missy.
Ryder Strong
Does anybody, anybody use Missy anymore?
Danielle Fishel
No, it's a very old school thing and it's very, Talking down to, it's very. Listen here, Missy. It's like, and for Feeny to do that to the Dean just feels gross.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Corey speaks up. You know what? This guy knows what he did, and he deserves what he did.
Ryder Strong
And she called you Little Miss Sunshiny. What was in the beginning?
Danielle Fishel
Little. Do you really believe all that? Little Miss Sunshine.
Ryder Strong
Miss.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
It's weird that it, like, feminizes just ethical values in the beginning and like, whatever. So that's so weird.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, it's odd. Little Mary Sunshine.
Ryder Strong
Little Mary Sunshine.
Danielle Fishel
Little Mary Sunshine. Yeah. Okay, gotcha. Corey speaks up. You know what? This guy knows what he did and he deserves what he got. This is all gonna go away. Feeny has bad news. The dean has scheduled a hearing. There's a possibility that Corey could get kicked out of school. Corey and Topanga look petrified. We're in the student union. Eric, Jack and Rachel enter. And Eric immediately spots Stuart doing some paperwork at a table. Eric tries to turn around to leave, but Jack stops him. Eric tries to act inconspicuous, but demands his roommates come with him. Jack groans. Why? Why are you, my friend? Why can't I have better friends? Rachel asks Eric what he's doing. Eric points to Stuart. That's the guy that hit young Corey Matthews. So he's come up with a plan, an extremely complicated plan. He tells Jack to go over and flaunt himself. Jack says no, so Eric asks Rachel to do it instead. She's taken aback. So Eric encourages her. Tease him. Trap him. Do what women do. It's ingrained.
Ryder Strong
This whole scene is just like, why?
Will Friedle
It's completely and totally unnecessary. Take this out and give us more of Topanga trying to figure out what the hell's going on. Longer scenes everywhere else.
Ryder Strong
Or just have it connected. Like, if Eric is preparing his defense of Corey and Jack and Rachel are helping him do that, it would have been. You could come up with a million other things. This scene has nothing to do with the plot other than giving the three of you something to do and hopefully inserting laughs.
Will Friedle
That's what it's about.
Ryder Strong
Which is fine. I get the balance, the need for balance. But I just don't like this scene. This scene is not.
Danielle Fishel
I do think that's what the idea was, that he's building his defense. Which is if you go over there and throw yourself at him, he'll come on to you.
Ryder Strong
Let's entrap.
Danielle Fishel
Let's entrap him. So that is what the point is.
Will Friedle
It just wasn't executed very well.
Danielle Fishel
Well, he. It also could be done without the insults to just to women. Like, here, I have a great idea. He obviously likes attractive women. Go over there. See if you can get him to come on to you. Instead you're like, do it. Trap him. Do the thing that you women do. It's ingrained in you. And then Eric imitates a girl giggling and rests his hand on her face. I'm a pretty girl. But Rachel is not interested in this plan.
Will Friedle
Yeah, give it to give. Give the joke to Rachel. So what you do is Eric goes, I'm gonna entrap him. I'm gonna go over there. I'm gonna hit on him. He's gonna. And Rachel, she goes, hey, why don't you leave this one to me?
Danielle Fishel
I think I could do this.
Will Friedle
Yeah, that. You know, if you give her the power in the scene, you can get the same thing. But she's the one.
Danielle Fishel
Instead of, for some reason, Eric being kind of insulting and gross, let her be like, okay, Eric, I see what you're doing. Good idea.
Will Friedle
Hey, let me ask you.
Ryder Strong
Anything interesting where she gets rejected and is upset about it would be much funnier because she's so confident. She's like, I, like, can always get.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, there's one thing I know. It's how to get a guy. You know?
Ryder Strong
Right. And then it backfires and she's flustered. That would have been.
Danielle Fishel
Yes, that would have been much, much funnier.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
So she is not going to go over there and flaunt herself. That's the other thing is that her not wanting to help makes it extra gross that he's forcing her to do it. Let her be like, ooh, I see what you're doing here.
Will Friedle
You're my new friends. Let me show you what I can do for you. And then it's like, you don't want to what? And then she's got a big. Yeah. Big change. Yeah. Yeah, it's great.
Danielle Fishel
Eric demands. You will flaunt. If there was ever a problem in your family, there's nothing I would not do to help them. I would go to prison for your family because we live together and I feel like I am a part of your family. Except when I dream about you and you're in that little pink robe and you start doing that thing. Rachel cuts him off and reluctantly agrees. Eric wants her to practice on Jack, but they're not enthused. Rachel kicks it off. Hi, Stuart. How are you doing? I hear you're a really good teacher. Eric laughs. I'm more woman than that. Rachel tells him to shut up and walks toward the professor. She sits at his table and starts off quite awkwardly, shuffling papers, adjusting herself, but lands at a smile. We see Eric and Jack. Watch closely. The next thing you know, Stuart is whispering something in Rachel's ear as she giggles. But Rachel turns on a dime and angrily stands up. What did you say? Am I too tall for you? Is it the fiery red hair? Is the little boy afraid of commitment? Well, you know what? I will not allow you to reject me. I'm gonna reject you. You will not hurt me. She walks out of the student union with her head held high. Eric starts to give Jack the same spiel about helping anyone in his family. But Jack quickly stops him. I'm not flirting with a guy, okay? I don't care if they give your brother the chair. Right? Then Topanga cautiously makes her way up to Stuart. He notices her, and she says, you did cross the line. You used a position of power unethically. And Corey protected me the only way he knew how. And now it's my turn to do the same for him. She demands that he leave Corey alone and make this go away, or she'll tell the dean that he came onto her. Stuart thinks it over and responds, if. That.
Ryder Strong
If that's an option. Because now, I mean, I. Corey confronts him. He says, what if I was hitting on her?
Will Friedle
Right.
Ryder Strong
Well, then you're violating your. Your. The school policy and let me go.
Danielle Fishel
Go.
Ryder Strong
Let's go talk to the school policy. Like, we'll get you fired. Like, confrontation over. Right? And so, like, the second that this. Like, why does Topanga need to go talk to Stuart about this now? Like, she should just go to the deep.
Danielle Fishel
She should just go.
Will Friedle
That's when she says, I'm gonna tell somebody. If you wait, you have plenty of.
Ryder Strong
Witnesses, or, you know, like, hopefully you have a good enough case. I don't know.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, I know. It's like she wants him to keep his job. I'll let you keep your job here. If you just make sure Corey doesn't get in trouble for it. Then you can just go about your.
Will Friedle
But maybe this is exactly what you were talking about where, you know, especially back in the early 90s, a young girl might not just didn't have the support system or the idea that going and reporting somebody maybe was not done as much. I mean, I just don't know. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, later, when she tries to tell the dean something, the dean shuts her up. So I. I guess.
Will Friedle
Yeah. She literally never tells her story to anybody but Corey. And we don't even see that.
Danielle Fishel
We don't see it. Yeah. Stuart thinks it over and responds, you came on to me. Topanga is blown away.
Will Friedle
Hear the audience. They're like, oh.
Danielle Fishel
Stewart shows no empathy as he gets up and leaves. See you at the hearing. And then we're at the hearing. Dean Bolender is surrounded by people. As she takes a seat for the hearing. She reminds everyone that this is not a trial, so they should not make a courtroom drama out of this. And then, right on cue, the theme from People's Court plays as the door doors swing open to reveal Eric in a suit, carrying a briefcase. He Opens it to reveal a tape player. He presses stop. And the music abruptly ends with everyone staring at Eric, including Feeny and Corey sitting together. Jonathan Cumberland for the defense, a nearby random comedy simply utters unbelievable. Before distancing himself from his roommate. Feeny demands Eric to leave, but Eric insists they're partners. Feeny and Cumberland, Cumberland and Feeny, Feeny and Feeny and Feeny and Eric. But mostly Feeny, because I love my brother and I want to help. Corey earnestly thanks, Eric. Eric tells his new partner, Feeny, I know you've got a thing going with the dean, so if it looks like we're going to lose, just play the love card, okay? Feeny tells him to shut up, and the dean sighs. Unbelievable.
Will Friedle
Now, they clearly cut something here because you see me, I take a breath and I'm right about to say something. And they cut away to her saying, unbelievable.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, wow.
Will Friedle
So I don't know if that was a Disney thing, that maybe. Maybe there was something inappropriate that I said said, but that. That. Eric says, but clearly there was a line there that they took out.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, that's so funny.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Well. The dean begins the hearing. First, she asks Stuart what happened? Why would they not ask Topanga what.
Will Friedle
Happened ever, by the way? In the entire thing?
Danielle Fishel
The professor explains he was at the student union when Corey asked him to step outside. He thought it was to talk about a grade, but it was to accuse him of making a move on to penguins. And then he hit him. Feeny jumps in with a question. What were you doing in Topanga Lawrence's room? Stuart explains he was going over her paper. And Feeny's quick to follow up in her room. That sounds odd to me. Stuart defends his teaching style. He has a relationship with his students outside of the classroom, which allows them to connect better inside the classroom. He encourages Feeny to ask any of them. Stuart looks around the room and points out Sean. Does he have any problem with his teaching method? Shawn answers, no. In fact, Stewart remembers Shawn saying he's the best teacher he's ever had. Shawn admits he did say that, but he doesn't really think his opinion matters. But Dean Bolender is interested in Shawn's perspective and asks him to continue. Shawn nervously clears his throat. You treat us like equals, like adults, when a lot of teachers treat us like kids. Stuart calls out, Mr. Feeny, for example. Shawn pushes back, Mr. Feeny's a really good teacher. The professor smirks. Yeah, but he treats you like a kid. Shawn tells Stuart he made his point. He explains that Feeny's been their teacher in grade school, then in high school, so he may feel like he needs to protect them. He turns to Feeny and apologizes, but Feeny tells him not to worry about it. Feeny questions Stuart again. Why?
Ryder Strong
Is this about Sean?
Danielle Fishel
I know I don't know.
Will Friedle
Everybody talks about Topanga.
Danielle Fishel
Dean Bolender's like, sean, I need to hear more from you. Please, please. Can you tell us more about your opinion of Stuart?
Ryder Strong
Yeah. And what does that have anything to do some guy whose friends likes this teacher? I don't know how that's a defense or an excuse complete.
Danielle Fishel
Who cares? His opinion means nothing. Feeny questions Stuart again. How did you know what dormitory Topanga was in? Stuart insists that she told him she lived in the McKay dorms. Completely unprompted, he asks Topanga, isn't that right? Topanga begins to explain, yes, that's true. But Stuart cuts her off. Thank you. Feeny asks Stuart if he truly thought it was proper to be in a young female student's bedroom. Stuart corrects him, a dorm room also serves as a living room, a TV room, or a study. It was not a bedroom when I was in there. Feeny raises his voice. Stuart, do you believe, as a college professor, that it is okay to be alone in a dorm room with a young female student? Stuart shrugs. The door was open. I even asked her roommate to stay. In fact, it was Topanga who shooed Angela away. Isn't that right, Topanga? Topanga responds, she was on her way to the student union. I didn't feel. Cuts are off again. Thank you. Stuart asks Feeny if he has any more questions, and Feeny answers just one. Is it okay if I rip your head off and roll it down the hallway? The inmates in the audience laugh, breaking the tension. Stuart tries to reason with him. George, you and I both know that a teacher is only as effective as the respect he is given in. And Corey's show of disrespect undermines me and this university. Topanga shouts back, and your show of disrespect undermines me. The dean raises her voice, Ms. Lawrence. But Topanga keeps her eyes on Stuart. You know what you did. Stuart insists, he didn't do anything. Corey jumps in. He made a move on Topanga. On my fiance. Dean Bolender doesn't tell him to shut up.
Will Friedle
No, I was gonna say. The only person she tells to shut up is Topanga.
Danielle Fishel
The entire time, he uses his power and authority to take advantage of her. And he told me there was nothing I could do and that he was never going to stop. So I did something. I realized that this wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do, but it was all I could come up with at the time. The dean states, striking a member of this faculty is inexcusable, no matter what the provocation. Sean asks the dean if he can say something, and she allows it. Sean tells the story.
Ryder Strong
The guy in leather jacket in the back row. You know what?
Danielle Fishel
Because you're not Topanga, I'm gonna let you speak. Sean tells his best friend, it's okay with me that you hit him. Corey thanks him and turns to the dean. It's okay with Sean, the dean explains, but it's not okay with me. According to the bylaws of this university, I am bound to expel or suspend any student for striking an educator for any reason whatsoever. Feeny begs her to reconsider, but she shoots him down. You can't protect them anymore. Feeny takes a seat without saying another word. Dean Bolender continues. Corey Matthews, I hereby suspend you from this university for a period of one day. Stuart looks at her in shock. One day? The dean adds, you are, however, under probation for the remainder of this term, and I will not take kindly to your solving any other problems with anything but words. Corey assures her she won't need to worry about that. Stuart argues, dean, he hit a teacher. Dean Bolender raises her voice back at him. A teacher must be someone a student can trust. The second the teacher uses pressure on a student for any reason whatsoever other than academic, that trust is destroyed. Stewart thinks there must be some sort of misunderstanding, but Dean Bolender cuts him off. She points at Mr. Feeny. This is a teacher. I'm not sure what you are, but you can be certain I'm going to find out. So it's clear she believes Topanga without.
Will Friedle
Having heard her side at all. She just. She just needed to hear the men talk it out.
Ryder Strong
Right? So. Right. But I guess all she is supposed to be addressing right now is the fight.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Will Friedle
Correct.
Ryder Strong
Yeah. The charge that Stuart brought forward.
Will Friedle
Right.
Ryder Strong
But couldn't she then, after this meeting, go to Topanga and say, if you would like to file charges against Stuart, yes.
Danielle Fishel
We could open that. Yes.
Ryder Strong
Because obviously there seems to be enough evidence. And I believe you. And I believe you. Because she seems like she does. So if she believes her, that would be the.
Danielle Fishel
By the way, you could do that in one line? In one line, she could say, but you can be sure I'm going to find out. Topanga, I would love to talk with you.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, right, right. If you like to file a thing, come meet me. Let's go. Let's go do that right now. I am correct. Glad to do that. And we will have a whole nother trial then.
Danielle Fishel
We believe that Topanga gets a whole thing for herself, that there gets to be a side of this that's about Topanga. But first, apparently, they had to get through this. You know, this shoving, hitting a teacher situation. It would have, for me, made all of this feel better.
Will Friedle
With just one little line, Cory walks into that dorm room. The entire show shifts. It's no longer about Topanga. It's now about Corey, which I found odd.
Danielle Fishel
Stuart stares back at the Dean as she adjourns the hearing, telling everyone to go home. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief, and Amy makes her way up to Topanga. I'm so sorry you had to go through all this. Allan thanks Feeny for sticking by them. He asks his son how he's doing, and Corey says he's okay. Allan and Amy leave just as Shawn and Angela approach. Shawn tells Feeny, I don't know how I could have compared him to you. Feeny is unaffected and pats him on the back. Corey exclaims, I guess college is a lot different than high school, huh? Feeny nods, I'm afraid so. And I'm also afraid that the dean is right. I've tried to protect you for too long in the shelters of high school. This is a major university. This is life. And these things happen. And you're not children anymore. Melancholic music plays as Corey, Shawn, Topanga and Angela all stand together and let his words sink in. Corey repeats, we're not children anymore. Topanga wonders, when did that happen? Angela explains, I don't know. Today, I think. Shawn thinks for a moment and says, you guys want to go get ice cream or something? They smile and nod, and then they leave the room together. And that's the end of our show. There's no tag.
Will Friedle
No. It's like the special episodes of MASH that just ended with no music, just the credits. This was a special episode. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. Our next episode recap will be season six, episode eight, called you're married, you're dead, which originally aired November 13, 1998. Thank you all for listening to this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails. Podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.
Will Friedle
Buy some merch, missy.
Danielle Fishel
Podmeetzworldshow.com Writer send us out out.
Ryder Strong
We love you all. Pod Dismissed Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Wilfred L and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbash, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superban Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or or email us at podbeatsworldshowmail.com.
Danielle Fishel
Does this.
Austin Hankwitz
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Danielle Fishel
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Danielle Fishel
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Ryder Strong
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Danielle Fishel
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Ryder Strong
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Danielle Fishel
A cootie that'll probably take down our whole family.
Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
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Ryder Strong
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Danielle Fishel
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Pod Meets World – Episode 607: “Everybody Loves Stuart”
Podcast Information:
In Episode 607 of Pod Meets World, titled “Everybody Loves Stuart”, the hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong delve deep into a pivotal episode from season six of the beloved 1990s sitcom "Boy Meets World." Originally airing on November 6, 1998, this episode tackles serious themes of power dynamics, consent, and ethical behavior within academic settings. The hosts provide a comprehensive recap, critical analysis, and their personal reflections on the episode's handling of these sensitive topics.
“Everybody Loves Stuart” centers on Corey Matthews, who faces the threat of expulsion from college after a disturbing encounter with his teacher, Stuart Minkus. The premise revolves around Stuart overstepping professional boundaries by making inappropriate advances toward Topanga Lawrence, Corey's fiancé. As a result, Corey reacts by physically confronting Stuart, leading to a heated hearing that questions both Stuart's conduct and Corey's response.
Key plot points include:
Danielle expresses mixed feelings about the episode, appreciating the ambition to address serious issues but critiquing its execution. She comments on the "after school special" vibe, noting that while the intention was commendable, the delivery felt "heavy-handed" and "didactic."
“I felt like this thing that happened to Topanga became about how the man in her life is going to feel about it and what's he going to do about it... Topanga's agency was completely just taken away.”
— Danielle Fishel [15:07]
Will shares Danielle's reservations, highlighting the lack of depth in Topanga's character during the incident. He points out that Topanga never vocalizes her experience, leaving it to Corey and Stuart to navigate the fallout.
“She never tells her story to anybody that can help. Literally never once.”
— Will Friedle [19:15]
Will also addresses the inconsistency in Corey's character development, feeling that the episode forced Corey into a protective role that didn't align with his established persona.
“It's all about Cory's anxiety around regulating Topanga's sexuality... it's all about Cory's.”
— Will Friedle [23:02]
Ryder delves into the ethical gray areas presented in the episode, questioning the portrayal of violence and the ambiguity surrounding Stuart's misconduct. He critiques the narrative choice to not fully explore Topanga's perspective, leaving much to interpretation.
“I don't like this scene. This scene is not... it's just it's the opposite of yes. And we just. It's no. Shut up. It's no.”
— Ryder Strong [47:34]
Ryder also appreciates moments where the episode hints at deeper themes but feels frustrated by the lack of resolution or true exploration of these issues.
“It's a weird sandwich that our show is doing.”
— Ryder Strong [69:40]
The episode attempts to shed light on the abuse of power within educational institutions. Stuart's inappropriate behavior towards Topanga serves as a catalyst for exploring how authority figures can exploit their positions, and the complications that arise when students retaliate against such misconduct.
Ryder and Will discuss the gray areas presented in the episode, particularly regarding Corey's decision to shove Stuart. They debate whether violence is ever justifiable in self-defense or as a means of protection, especially within the context of a teacher-student relationship.
A significant critique revolves around Topanga's agency. The hosts feel that the episode sidelines her voice, focusing instead on Corey's reaction and the institutional response, thereby diminishing Topanga's role in narrating her own experience.
“It's about you. What do you want?”
— Danielle Fishel [25:00]
The hosts reflect on how "Boy Meets World" integrates heavy topics into its narrative structure. While the intention to address real-life issues is praised, the execution is seen as lacking in depth and sensitivity, reducing complex situations to oversimplified plot devices.
Danielle Fishel at [15:07]:
"So for me, what I walked away from the episode with was like, I empathized with the writers who have a very good idea to tell a very important message."
Will Friedle at [19:15]:
"She never tells her story to anybody that can help. Literally never once."
Ryder Strong at [47:34]:
"I don't like this scene. This scene is not... it's just it's the opposite of yes. And we just. It's no. Shut up. It's no."
Danielle Fishel at [25:00]:
"How can I best support you?"
Will Friedle at [89:22]:
"But maybe this is exactly what you were talking about where, you know, especially back in the early '90s, a young girl might not just didn't have the support system or the idea that going and reporting somebody maybe was not done as much."
Episode 607: “Everybody Loves Stuart” of "Pod Meets World" offers a thorough examination of a critical and controversial episode from "Boy Meets World." While the hosts commend the show's attempt to tackle significant issues like power abuse and ethical conduct, they collectively express disappointment in the episode's handling of these themes. The lack of agency for Topanga and the forced narrative on Corey's reaction were primary points of contention. Danielle, Will, and Ryder advocate for a more nuanced and respectful portrayal of such serious topics, emphasizing the importance of character focus and authentic dialogue in storytelling.
Overall, the episode underscores the delicate balance sitcoms must maintain when integrating profound life lessons, highlighting both the strengths and shortcomings of "Boy Meets World" in navigating this terrain.