TGI – Episode 609 “Poetic License: An Ode to Holden Caulfield”

Summary

Pod Meets World: Episode 609 “Poetic License: An Ode to Holden Caulfield”

Release Date: April 17, 2025
Host/Author: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong
Producer: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In Episode 609 of Pod Meets World, titled “Poetic License: An Ode to Holden Caulfield,” the hosts delve deep into a pivotal episode of the iconic 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World. Originally aired on November 20, 1998, this episode marks Season 6, Episode 9, where a student's poem reignites the complex relationship between Shawn Hunter and Angela Moore. Directed by William Russ and penned by Erica Montolfo, this episode brings forth themes of self-expression, emotional vulnerability, and the struggles of young love.

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Episode Recap

The episode unfolds in Mr. Feeney’s classroom, where he introduces a student’s poem titled “An Unpublished Manuscript for J.D. Salinger.” This reading sparks a series of events that thrusts Shawn and Angela’s relationship back into focus. Shawn reveals his passion for poetry, a facet of his character that hasn’t been deeply explored before. Despite his friends’ encouragement, Shawn grapples with the fear of exposing his innermost thoughts, leading to tension and misunderstandings.

Key Scenes:

• [33:38] The poem reading triggers Angela’s realization of Shawn’s lingering feelings.
• [40:14] Corey Heckles out Shawn for sharing his poetry, leading to a heated confrontation.
• [67:11] The culmination of Shawn and Angela’s unresolved emotions comes to a head outside the student union.

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Hosts' Analysis and Opinions

Danielle Fishel commends the episode for its emotional depth and the exploration of Shawn's character beyond his financial struggles. She highlights the growth in Shawn and Topanga’s friendship, noting, “Seeing us in different pairings as real friends was a real high point.”

Will Friedle expresses mixed feelings about Shawn’s portrayal in this episode. He shares, “I don’t know how I felt about this episode, if I’m totally honest. I liked the B story, but the A story didn’t quite go where I expected.” Will critiques Shawn’s persistent angst, likening him to an “Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites,” and feels that the character lacks the depth needed to justify his turmoil.

Ryder Strong delves into the creative process behind Shawn’s poetry, reflecting on how the poems initially didn’t align with his evolved writing style. He mentions, “What they wanted Shawn to be as a poet is this very expressive, emotional, confessional heart… but I was writing very different poetry at the time.” Ryder emphasizes the disconnect between the scripted poetry and his authentic literary interests, leading to a mismatch in the episode’s narrative.

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Guest Stars and Behind the Scenes

The episode features guest stars Alexandra Adi (Audrey the Troll), Sebastian Tillinger (Dick), and Bo Sharon (Student). Danielle Fishel and Ryder Strong share anecdotes about working with seasoned actors like Sebastian Tillinger, who transitioned from TV roles to significant film appearances, including The Wolf of Wall Street and Boardwalk Empire.

Behind the Scenes Insights:

• Ryder Strong discusses the challenges in writing authentic poetry for Shawn’s character, recounting the negotiation with writers like Michael and Bob Tischler to incorporate his own poetic style.
• Will Friedle and Danielle Fishel reflect on unexpected moments during filming, such as Danielle being unexpectedly slapped by co-star Bo Sharon, adding a layer of spontaneity and humor to the production process.

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Highlights and Notable Quotes

• Shawn’s Poem Reading:
  “It is possible to assassinate my heroes with the scope of my individualism. However, by their own persistence to themselves, I believe that they have chosen me to pursue a self. What is literature but the illumination of that which I would write?”
  - Shawn Hunter [40:22]

• Will Friedle on Poetry:
  “I find it really pretentious.”
  - Will Friedle on his discomfort with poetry [08:22]

• Ryder Strong’s Recommendation:
  “There’s so many different ways… something that would grab you and you just have to be exposed to it.”
  - Ryder Strong on discovering poetry [09:50]

• Danielle Fishel on Shawn and Angela’s Relationship:
  “Angela can do better. Honestly, based on the way Shawn's acting now… I made the dumbest mistake.”
  - Danielle Fishel on the character dynamics [71:33]

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Conclusions and Takeaways

Pod Meets World's discussion of “Poetic License: An Ode to Holden Caulfield” underscores the complexities of character development in Boy Meets World. The hosts critique the episode’s handling of Shawn’s emotional struggles, emphasizing the need for deeper exploration of his motivations and relationships. They lament the missed opportunities for authentic dialogue and resolution between Shawn and Angela, revealing both frustration and appreciation for the show's enduring legacy.

Key Takeaways:

• Character Depth: The episode attempts to add layers to Shawn’s character through poetry, but may fall short in providing sufficient context for his emotional state.
• Creative Integration: Balancing actor input with scripted content presents challenges, as seen in Ryder’s experience with incorporating his poetic style.
• Relationship Dynamics: The unresolved tension between Shawn and Angela highlights the show's struggle to navigate young love amidst personal growth and external pressures.

The hosts conclude by expressing a desire for future episodes to better address the underlying issues affecting the characters, aiming for more coherent and satisfying narrative arcs.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ryder Strong on Poetry Discovery:
  “I just feel like there's so many different voices out there, and invariably there's a poet out there who's writing something that's going to grab you.”
  [09:35]

• Will Friedle on Shakespearean Anguish:
  “This is going to get to the bottom of this. He's going to be dressed down.”
  [75:44]

• Danielle Fishel on Episode Impact:
  “I loved seeing Shawn and Topanga navigate their friendship in a more mature way.”
  [26:55]

These quotes encapsulate the hosts' perspectives on the episode's strengths and areas for improvement, offering listeners insightful reflections on the beloved series.

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Final Thoughts

Pod Meets World Episode 609 offers a thorough exploration of a significant Boy Meets World installment, blending nostalgic appreciation with critical analysis. The hosts' candid discussions provide both longtime fans and newcomers with a richer understanding of the show's thematic evolution and character dynamics. By highlighting both the triumphs and shortcomings of the episode, Danielle, Will, and Ryder invite listeners to engage deeply with the narrative and its enduring cultural impact.

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This summary is intended for informational purposes and to enhance your understanding of Episode 609 of Pod Meets World. Join us next week as we continue our nostalgic journey through Boy Meets World, sharing more insights and memories from this iconic series.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

It's Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.

[Will Friedle]

Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

Cheers to all the toxic couples in the castle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Season 2 of Vanderpump Villa premieres April 24, streaming on Hulu.

[Ryder Strong]

One of my favorite things is, you know, we have our. Our group chat, our text thread among us. You guys have a thread. There's also.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, 4C. You're in it.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, but then there's also individual threads that we have going. Will, you and I are actually, like. We actually text one another because we both have iPhones, so that's easy, right?

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

Whereas Danielle and I have our own separate thread.

[Danielle Fishel]

A signal thread. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Signal thread.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Danielle and I have one of those as well.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh. Oh, you do? Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

I really do.

[Ryder Strong]

Of course. Well, one of my favorite things, and it happened again this weekend, is that Danielle and Yell and I send each other poems that we find because she's one of the few friends of mine who reads poetry, which I guess goes back to David Combs. David Combs, Yeah. We read a lot of the same poems with him when we were separately, actually, because you were younger. And anyway, I think it kind of goes back to that. And I just love that we. I'll send her a good poem that I like, and then we'll send some messages back and forth about it. But I thought I would share because, you know, there's. It's hard to find good poetry. It's hard to, like, know where to encounter it. I mean, I tend to like, get really into one poet and try and buy all of their stuff and read it, and then I just keep the books. And then hopefully they maybe, like, make reference to other poems or other poets. And I go, you know, kind of just keep going down these rabbit holes. But I also. And most of the poems that I end up sending to Danielle I find because I've signed up for multiple poem a day, so cool services. And so I just like. I highly recommend for anybody who's interested in poetry. It's a great way to just get a poem every day in your inbox, read it in your, you know, and if you like them, then you can go buy their book, which is what I do like. And I would say, like, every. I don't know, it takes, you know, most of the time I don't even like the poem. I'll read them. But every once in a while, a gem comes through, and it's usually a poet I've never heard of. And then I go buy their book and I get this whole new, like, part of my reading life. So there's two. There's poetryfoundation.org you can sign up for a poem a day there. And then poets.org, which is the Academy of American Poets, Both of those poets.org and poetryfoundation.org offer poem A Day. I highly recommend that if anybody has any interest in poems, just sign up. And it has been the gift that just keeps giving. It's free. And then I discover all these poets, and people don't really make money as poets. So I feel good because I'm like, hey, if somebody's dedicated their life to a form of literature that is essentially dying or it's like, so niche that there's only so many of us out there who really read poetry, you know, I'm supporting that art and keeping it alive because it's. It's valuable and it. And it keeps changing, it keeps growing. And like I said, there's going to be tons of poems that you're going to get in your inbox and just be like, well, this is junk. And that's fine. You know, it's not for everybody. There's so many different types of, like, I don't even know what is a good poem anymore. And I'm sure we're going to get into that a lot today with this episode. But, like, I just like that there's so many different voices out there, and invariably there's. There is a. A poet out there who's writing something that's going to grab you and you just have to be exposed to it. And this is an easy way to just keep them coming and, and find something that you really like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Similarly to books and movies for me, or even TV shows, I know that I like a poet or a Poem when I think about again after I've read it.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, if I. If I open up my email and there's a poem in there and I read it and I go, all right. And then I never think about it again. I probably didn't really like that one exactly, but a lot of poems you read, and then there's maybe even just one small sentence.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or the way something is phrased that you'll just keep going back to and keep thinking about. And then past lovers for.

[Will Friedle]

For everybody. Wait, what?

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm sorry, what? Will. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

There's people in your past you never think about again. But then it's like that. But that one person smelled really good. Like, there's one thing about.

[Ryder Strong]

About to shape your life. Or it's like, who are you still thinking about, Will?

[Danielle Fishel]

Who is it? Who smells?

[Will Friedle]

My wife has been my only lover.

[Danielle Fishel]

For my entire life. That's where I thought this was going. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I'm just trying to join the conversation because I hate poetry.

[Ryder Strong]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

Absolutely hate it. No. Notice I was not writing down those. Those website addresses.

[Danielle Fishel]

Y. Well, Poets.org doesn't need to be written down.

[Will Friedle]

Already forgotten it. Already forgotten it. Yeah. Not for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, Will. I do think. I think. Why? What is it? Because, listen, I don't want to. I do not.

[Will Friedle]

I find it really pretentious.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm the first person to say, I do not want to sit down and read something that makes me feel real dumb. I don't want to sit down and go, what? What? Hold on. I got to go back. I'm only on sentence two, and I'm already trying to figure out where we are.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

But that is not all of poetry. It just isn't.

[Will Friedle]

And I like epic poetry. I mean, the Odyssey is my favorite story of all time, so that's technically epic poetry, but it's not. To me, poetry is. I can say it in five words, but I'm gonna use 50. That's what poetry is.

[Ryder Strong]

So much of poetry is the exact opposite, actually. Maybe you can say, I remember talking about books and books on a subject, and then you just have one sentence that a poet is able to distill it down, and in five words, you're like, oh, my God, that says more. All of Buddhist literature or whatever. You know, I was. I finally got the thing in that one sentence. So I. Yeah, I know. Man. This is a problem, like, of the way poetry is taught, really. You know, like, we learn poetry usually in school, and it's usually with the teacher teaching, like, saying, like, what is this poem actually about? And it's usually older, difficult poetry with vocabulary that you either. That we don't use as a culture anymore. Cause it's like Shakespearean or, you know, it's literally hundreds of years old. Or it's just very specific, tough vocabulary. And then it's like. Gives you this approach to poetry where it's like a riddle you have to solve. And there's a right and there's a wrong reading of it. And that is horrible. That is like the worst way to approach poetry is whatever we want it to be. It's just taking language outside of our normal usage and saying, let's bend the rules a little bit. Let's push things a little bit. And so many people have different versions of that, right? There's. There's people that write the epic. Like, I'm going to tell the story of a great war through poetry. And then there's people that are like, I just want to talk about the way I feel about this one moment in my life through poetry. Or then there's people that, you know, wrestle with giant concepts that are very abstract. Then there's people that are just interested in language and the way it sounds. And they actually kind of are nonsensical. So there's so many different ways. So, like. Yeah, I just think that, like, when you say you don't like poetry, I think that mostly you just haven't found the one or the type of poetry that you like. And there's probably something out there that would be like, oh, you would want to carry that poem around in your back pocket and, like, look at it.

[Will Friedle]

I don't ever see happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

And you have to care enough to want to find it. For example, my mom will not eat anything that comes from the sea. She just will not. Guess what. There may be a fish out there my mom would think is the best tasting fish in the world. But guess what? She doesn't care enough to go find it. She's not willing. She doesn't want to. So for Will. Doesn't care. Doesn't wanna. I don't like it. I'm not gonna. Not gonna read the poetry.

[Will Friedle]

I understand the hypocrisy of the. Hey, there's. I don't like when you can use 5 words and use 50 by someone who reads books that are 12 pages exactly 1300 pages completely get that. I also am one of those people. I don't believe in symbolism. I don't believe any writer uses it on purpose. I think it's people after the Fact, I think Robert Frost was tired. He was deep in the woods, and he wanted to go to sleep. That's what. So to me, it's like, I don't.

[Ryder Strong]

Want to, which is a totally valid reading. And, like, Frost is way overrated, in my opinion. You like. There's so many different takes, you know, Like. I don't know. I just. I hate, like, hearing, like, I don't like poetry is sort of, to me, like, I don't like music. It's like, well, okay, I guess there are people who just don't like music.

[Will Friedle]

Saying, I don't like classical music.

[Ryder Strong]

But. No, you're talking about classical poetry then.

[Will Friedle]

No, but you're also talking about a specific type of literature. It would be saying, I don't like music is like saying, I don't like reading, which are two different things. I like certain types of music, and I don't like other types of music. I like certain types of reading, and I don't like other types of reading. So I don't like poetry, but I love, you know, fantasy. So it's. That, to me, is like saying, I don't like hip hop, which I do, but I do like, you know, in rock and roll. So to me, it's just a different type of. Of literature, and it's just not my thing. I don't know, maybe you're right. I remember you at one point with the. When we're talking about the basics, you had a poem that you wanted me to read that was like, your favorite poem of all time. And it was two or three lines. It was called the Little Red Wagon.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, William Carlos Williams, the Red Wheelbarrow.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, that's what it was. And you're like, it is the most basic. And I was like, yeah, it's a dude talking about his wagon for three lines. Like, don't give a shit.

[Danielle Fishel]

But have you read Giraffes Can't Dance?

[Will Friedle]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, just wondering.

[Will Friedle]

I've read Jurassic park, and that could happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to today's episode recap. We are at season six, episode nine, Poetic License, an ode to Holden Caulfield. It originally aired November 20, 1998. The synopsis When Mr. Feeney reads a student's poem in class, it triggers a series of events bringing Shawn and Angela's relationship back in the spotlight. It was directed by William Russ. This is his third now, right?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, he's.

[Will Friedle]

But he was, I think, became kind of one of our regular ones. How many do. Five, six, seven. He came, kept coming back, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. I was. I'm surprised. This is his third. I know where I didn't remember this one. It was written by Erica Montolfo. That's the first time we've seen her name on a script thus far. We're looking forward to having her on as a guest in the future. Before I jump into our guest stars, do you, you want to talk about your overall thoughts and feelings.

[Ryder Strong]

Will loves this episode, I'm sure.

[Will Friedle]

No, I don't know how I feel about this episode, if I'm totally honest. I liked the B story. I was hoping the A story was gonna go somewhere else. And I thought at one point it was and then didn't. And I was like, no, the acting all good. Like, I thought everybody was good. Again, I'm getting more used to this being Sean now. It's just a completely different, different character all the way around. So when I get into my head, I then once again tell myself there's a bunch of different boy meets worlds. And in this version of Boy Meets World, this is Sean, who apparently has always been writing down his thoughts and feelings, and we just never knew that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

But I don't, I know this sounds dumb, but I finished it last night. I then watched it again, which I very rarely do, and then I kind of said to myself, maybe listening to the two of you talk about it will help me more with how I feel about it. Again, B story, very basic, but I thought was good. Yeah, the A story, I, I, I didn't quite know what, where they were going, what they were planning, and then I thought they were going one way and didn't. And for the first time, especially in the very first scene, I thought Ben was really pushing it comedically, but the.

[Danielle Fishel]

Anger, but also just like, it was very caricature y.

[Will Friedle]

Like, I know he's putting on a voice now. And so, yeah, I don't know how I felt is my answer.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, writer.

[Ryder Strong]

I have so many thoughts. I mean, like, you know, I feel, yeah, there's so many layers to this episode for me. Like, there's all the personal stuff. There's my own writing in the episode with the poems. There's the memories of that experience, both good and bad. And then there was hearing my poetry for the first time, which I hadn't thought about or read in a long time. And that was, you know. But yeah, in terms of, like, as an episode of Boy Meets World, so. Because I feel like we're going to get into so many things, and I don't want to co opt the whole conversation today, but, yeah, I think the biggest thing is just the Sean question. Right. Like, who is Shawn? And I think this episode does a good job of finally bringing some of the things that we've been wondering about to the forefront, but then not bringing it to the forefront.

[Will Friedle]

I know we're going to talk about the same thing.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I would say that this is the angst era of Shawn. Right. And that is just not good. It's not great. It's unmotivated emotional misery and unmotivated. I don't mind the story. I just really wish that there was any reason that we understood what. Why Sean is so troubled, why. What Sean's going through. And, you know, we can make assumptions about that, right. We can say, like, oh, it's the way he grew up. It's his family. It's money problems. But he never says any of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or nobody even suggests it amongst themselves. Like, you know, he didn't have the best view. His parents didn't model the best. The healthiest relationship of love, like, for it to just be acknowledged. Yeah, it's so.

[Ryder Strong]

It's. It's like essentially, Sean has become Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites. Yeah. Which is like, just the worst type of character. It's like, it was. It was sort of an archetype at the time. The, like, slacker, genius artist who is just. Can't deal with the real world and jobs and relationships and just. It's hard. I'm not gonna sell out. I'm not gonna. But you look back on that character and you're like, but that's just a pretentious douche. Like, that's just somebody who. Who's. Who using this as, like, a shield to, like, cover up the fact that they might not be able to just do things that they need to do, like talk to other people, don't have a friendship, have a girlfriend. Yeah, right.

[Will Friedle]

Like, and everybody else is beneath them. Like, you just don't get the world the way I get the world.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly. And it's like, that is. That is. I'm. You know, I'm sure I was like that to a certain degree, but that's not, like, great to celebrate. And I feel like Boy Meets World is celebrating that aspect of Shauna, that version of Sean, and really centering it, as if it's like, this important, important thing that all these other characters, Angela in particular, but Corey and everybody, have to, like, sort of contend with. And. And I. I just wish he said at any point, like, part of the reason I can't talk about my feelings or share my poetry or express any of this is because X, whatever that is, I'm. I'm. I'm still messed up about my mom. I still have. You know, like, I would love it if it's just, like, I'm afraid I'm gonna get kicked out of college. I can't be a poet. Like, I'M not gonna be a poet. What are you talking about, Feeny? Like, I'm gonna. I need a job. Like, I need to make money. Like, I wish it was something real that was forcing Sean to avoid these feelings or avoid these artistic impulses or expressions or. Or like. Or I'm just scared to be in a relationship too early because now I'm. Any of it. Any. Any expression of, like, some specific. This is probably motivating my inability to be the guy that everybody wants me to be. And instead it's just this, like, blank angst. And I think that's just gonna stay that way for the rest of Boy Meets World. And that's really not cool. Like, that just bums me out. Cause I'm like, right. I remember playing that. I remember being in scenes like where I'm with Corey. Like in this scene where I'm like, you crossed the line. You can't do this. And it's like, okay, but what else do you have to offer? Like, what is the defense? What are you going through? What can you share? And it's just like, I can't.

[Unknown]

I can't.

[Ryder Strong]

I can't go there. I'm not ready.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And it's just gonna stay in that. Like, not ready. There's something big and deep and it's important and I'll get to it later in life when I'm old. It's like, thank you, I'm leaving. Right. And that's. I just think it's really unhealthy. It's an unhealthy thing to model. It's an unhealthy thing for a show to celebrate. Because that kind of. Is just very indulgent. And yeah, I also think they've been.

[Will Friedle]

They did a big disservice to the character where one of the things that was kind of defining about him was that they. He was poor and now it's one of. He's just another student. He's never talked about the economic difficulties of joining with his friends, of, hey, man, I can't go out every night and hang out with you guys. I don't have the money. I've used books.

[Danielle Fishel]

I have.

[Will Friedle]

All that was just blown. Blown away. Blown by.

[Ryder Strong]

And it could be that would be such a strong motivator for him to not do a lot of the things that he feels.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I like that one more than some of the other stuff you had suggested, Ryder. Just because I can totally see how Sean may not be self aware enough to know that a lot of what he's Dealing with is because of a difficult or a troubled relationship with a mom or a dad or a. He may not be able to make that connection, but the idea that Shawn is quote, unquote, different from the rest of us is something that was a regular point of subject, like a topic of conversation in multiple episodes at the beginning of the show, and now we've just let it go. And yet it could be a really great thing to acknowledge. Like, guys, you know, you guys get to hang out here every night. I have to go to work. You guys get to, you know, your. Your parents help you pay for books. I don't. I don't even know where my dad is. And I. Even if it were something like, Angela deserves the world, and I can't. I can't. I know she says she just wants. She's fine with, you know, burgers and. And fries, but I want to. I want to be able to do more, and I can't. And maybe she deserves better, something just to have that. So. Yeah. One thing I did really like about the episode, I am thoroughly enjoying that after we had the Corrie Angela episode about them not being friends, that now they get to interact more and we get to see more of their friendship and their interactions, and we got to see the same thing with Topanga and Shawn. I thought that was a real high point of the A storyline for me was seeing us in different pairings as real friends. So I enjoyed that.

[Will Friedle]

I don't normally notice this, nor do I speak about it, but it was so staggering to me in this episode. Trina is stunningly gorgeous.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. I know.

[Ryder Strong]

Did you just notice how beautiful she is?

[Will Friedle]

No. I always knew she was pretty, but it was like, especially the scene in it where she's sitting in the dorm room and Corey comes to talk to her. She's distractingly beautiful in that scene.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

It was. I was just sitting there watching her like she's. Oh, my God, she's a 10. She's stunning. Yeah, it was amazing. Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

So jumping into our guest stars, we have Alexandra Adi or Adi Adi as Audrey the Troll. She also appeared on 13 episodes of Step by Step as Samantha Milano and in the movies Eddie, American Pie, and Cop Land. Her last known credit was in 2012. And then we have Sebastian Tillinger as Dick. He was already a pretty seasoned TV actor by the time he got to us, appearing on Hang Time, Grace Under Fire, Step by Step, Weird Science, and four episodes of Smart Guy. He'd later appear in the Aviator, Eagle Eye, the Wolf of Wall street and Boardwalk Empire. He is still acting, he is writing and making art, which you can see on his Instagram. Sebastian Tillinger. T I L L I N G E R and then we have Bo Sharon as student, who I believe is the kid talking behind the books. Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

It's very, very strange, by the way.

[Will Friedle]

I did not. It was funny.

[Ryder Strong]

I didn't know what was going on.

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't either. I was very confused. I kept waiting for it to tie in somehow. It never, it never did. But. But it's, it was, it is very funny in just its insanely randomness.

[Ryder Strong]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Bo Sharon was on five episodes of the cult classic Get a Life as well as a slew of well known TV shows. Murder she Wrote, Beverly Hills, 90210, Murphy Brown and Moesha. Boy Meets World was his last acting credit. He would later become a chef and then open Lucky's Markets, a niche grocery chain that bills itself as organic for the 99% with investments from Kroger at one point and eventually they had 17 stores. It's scaled down to now just two locations in Colorado. But yes, that is our Bo Sharon from behind the books.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. EBay.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

EBay. Things people love.

[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]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Will Friedle]

Ooh, that sounds nice.

[Ryder Strong]

Learn more@wells fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply.

[Unknown]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

That's a lot of games all for free.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Introducing New Caesar Warm Bowls an excellent, exciting feeding experience for dogs and pet parents. Warm Bowls are made with fresh vegetables and real chicken as the number one ingredient and can be served as a complete and balanced meal or used to enhance kibble. As a topper. Just warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds to enhance the flavor and unlock the aroma of the product. Warm Bowls transform mealtime into moments of shared joy by providing irresistible taste and exceptional variety that all dogs will love. Choose from two flavors roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli or slow cooked chicken and beef with vegetables and a hint of cranberry. Your dog is an important part of your life, so treating them with the love they deserve means serving them meals they will love. Designed to be mess free, Warm Bowls are an exciting new way for pet parents to elevate everyday meal experiences. Shop New Caesar Warm Bowls online and in stores today. All right, jumping into our recap, we are in Feeney's classroom. Feeny is discussing a new poem with his college students that he finds to be quite special. The piece is entitled an unpublished manuscript for J.D. salinger. Were. Was this the names of your poems writer? Or did they. Did you. They changed the names?

[Ryder Strong]

No. So this one, I inherited the name because this was the name. So. Yeah. So what happened is the script, as was delivered on day one, had poems that Erica, I'm assuming, or the team, Someone on the team had written. And so the first one was called an unpublished manuscript to J.D. salinger. And since it was the name of the episode when I ended up writing the poems, I had to keep that one. And so it had to be that. And then the second one just had to be a love poem to, you know, Angela. So I was.

[Will Friedle]

But you wrote these for the episode. It wasn't like they had. The episode came out and you had already written these poems. So these were poems that you'd written before that you put in. You wrote them specifically for the episode, correct?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. And that's. Yeah. And that. That whole process was. Was a long story, which we can get into. And. And I think that, you know, a big problem for me of this episode is a pro. The. The. How incongruous my actual poetry is to the story functions of the poems. And I. You know, it's kind of a long digression, but I kind of have to go into it, like, just the idea that basically I feel like what they were. What. What they wanted Sean, to be as a poet is like this very expressive, emotional, confessional heart.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, just a confessional mode of poetry, which is what I like. When I was 15 or 16 or 17 even, that's what I was writing. You know, it was like, very, like. And that' the reason that they made Shawn a poet is because I was doing readings and publishing stuff and like. And for my. My graduation from high school as like a final project, I had put together a book of all of my poems and, you know, sort of just put it out in the world and, you know, gave it to friends and family or whatnot. And I don't know if our writing staff had read that or just knew about it. I think they just kind of knew about it. And of course, Michael was such a huge fan of poetry. And I remember we did talk a little bit about poetry, but so I think that. That it. When I was an early poet, I was in that. Very much in the Beat Generation. You know, like, you read it, you just. You're just pouring your heart out in a poem. First draft, first thought, very expressive stuff. You know, like, I. I was reading Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bukowski. I had been given a Bukowski, my first Bukowski book from Ethan Suplee. And so I think that they needed Sean to be that kind of poet. But then at the time that this episode came around, I was writing very different poetry. I was in college and I was really falling hard For Wallace Stevens, T.S. eliot, William Carlos Williams, Gertrude Stein, even like Baudelaire, French poet. And within the Beat Generation, which had kind of launched me on this path, I was more into Gary Snyder, who is more like a contemplative nature poet. Really just goes for metaphysics and Buddhism. And so I was writing poetry that was more idea driven and more conceptual. Like all these big ideas kind of wrestling on the page and these small narrative, personal moments. And then I was reading all this postmodern philosophy and literary theory like Derrida and Foucault. And so what I ended up writing for these poems is, like, really mismatch to what they have to function in the story, you know? And, like, weirdly, there's kind of a John Donne vibe to these poems. Do you remember John Donnell?

[Danielle Fishel]

I do, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

That was, like, one. Yeah. So there's something a little, like, old fashiony and rhymey and like, I don't know, like, it's just very vocabulary focused. They kind of might need to be read more than once to kind of get y. And that's just wrong. Like, that was just wrong. And. And it's. It's just interesting, like, to look back and be like, right. They kind of caught me at the wrong moment. Even though I wanted to write the poems once, the episode was a thing. Right. I wrote the wrong poems, you know, And I'm. I'm not saying that they're. They're bad. I'm actually very proud of them. Like, listening to them, I was like, oh, yeah, there's still a lot there. But.

[Danielle Fishel]

But, yeah, like the episode, you wish you had done a different style.

[Ryder Strong]

I think so, yeah. I think I. You know, and. And that. That became a huge debate, like. And that won that debate, right, because they basically.

[Danielle Fishel]

Michael told you flat out he wanted to change it. Right. He wanted to make adjustments. And you did not want that to the second poem.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, he loved the first one. The first one never changed a word. This was essentially what I wrote, like, the night before when I was well.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it's funny you say that, because in the first scene, when we talk about your poem, Topanga says, I can't Believe somebody our age wrote that. Which is, is perfect for the type of poetry you're talking about. Like, maybe. Yeah, you know, vocabulary heavy, a little maybe abstract. You have to about it. You have to read it more than once. So in the first scene, this idea of like, this is so deep makes sense. More so than in the second one. They wanted it to be like, I'm madly in love with my ex.

[Ryder Strong]

But no, but, but even, but even in this one, I'm like, In this scene, I say, like, I just write what I feel. Sometimes I just gotta get it out. And it's like, really? I don't, I don't know if this poem is that, you know, so. Yeah. And like, the irony is I didn't even really like Salinger. I, I've now I really like Salinger, but at the time I was kind of anti Catcher. I was so sick of Catcher in the Rye at this age. So the fact that I ended up writing a poem like that's named for J.D. salinger is just hysterical because it's, you know, it's not about Salinger. I, I, I just had to use that title. But yeah, I, it's, it's just wrong. But anyway, yeah, it was, it was a weird week, guys.

[Danielle Fishel]

Weird week. A lot going on. Corey leans over to Sean and whispers, nappy time. Feeney reads aloud. It is possible to assassinate my heroes with the scope of my individualism. However, by their own persistence to themselves, I believe that they have chosen me to pursue a self. What is literature but the illumination of that which I would write? Salinger speaks through me to me, whispers, where to, little boy? My answer is the dogged pen to page, which lights consistently the pathway home. It is on that road that I alone can trip my way back to myself. So Topanga is captivated by the words, and Sean is listening with a hint of nervousness. But when Feeny finishes, Corey heckles. Ah, come on.

[Will Friedle]

That's my response to every poem I hear.

[Danielle Fishel]

Unfazed, Feeny simply asks Corey if he'd like to analyze the poem. Corey's game. Yeah, I'll take a stab. He stands up by his desk, summonsing the voice of an old man yelling at the clouds. You call that poetry Fair and all right already with this J.D. salinger thing? I mean, hello, name dropping. And haven't we had just enough about Catcher in the Rye? I mean, what's he written lately? He pumps his fist in the air. Am I right?

[Ryder Strong]

This is basically a mirror version of him doing the artwork when we had Alexandra.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, Nikita on the show.

[Ryder Strong]

Bigger. It's like, even bigger.

[Will Friedle]

He's going, come on.

[Danielle Fishel]

What are you.

[Will Friedle]

He's kind of becoming caricature a little bit. And I love it.

[Ryder Strong]

It's better unhinged in this episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Totally unhinged.

[Ryder Strong]

Totally unhedged.

[Danielle Fishel]

And when we had Alexandra Nikita on, he was also a little unhinged when he was like, what do you mean? Little girl. Little girl. They did decide to really just let him go.

[Will Friedle]

He was going. And again, I think the more angsty Sean got, you had to make everyone else around them a little bit. It zany.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So I'm in a Dawson's Creek episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

But it wasn't just you.

[Will Friedle]

Yes. You gotta. That's where the balance came of. I remember by the end, it was. And now will dance. It was like that kind of stuff where it was like, oh, ye.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

So, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Feeny dismisses the class. They'll pick this up at the next session. As the students pack up their things, Angela argues, Corey, you're nuts. That poem was so incredible. It was beautiful. Topanga agrees. I can't believe someone our own age wrote that. Feeny approaches and hands the paper to sean. Someone like Mr. Hunter. Corey's confused, and Shawn timidly admits, yeah, I wrote that poem. Angela dramatically says, I knew it. Corey changes his tune, trying to backtrack to Sean, but nobody's buying it. I liked it.

[Ryder Strong]

One of the best parts about this experience for me was having Bill Daniels.

[Danielle Fishel]

Read it out loud.

[Ryder Strong]

Read your books. Well, come up to me and say, like, please let me know if I'm doing it correctly, if you have any notes, or. He, like, really wanted to do it justice. Oh, he took it so. And Ben did the exact same thing. And you can see it. Ben did it, you know. Cause he's as unhinged as he is when he's doing his own poetry or whatever. When he reads my poem, you can tell he's like. And Ben, he was nervous. He didn't want to, like, mess it up in a very, like, loving friendship way. He was, like, so respectful. He and Bill both, they were just so respectful of, like. Like the fact that I had written this stuff. And in a way that probably they wouldn't have ever done to any of our writers. Because, you know, they were like, oh, they're the writers. But because I was one of them, you know, the team, they. They wanted to know, like, just how do you want this read? Is there anything I should know or do you know? I. I remember just being like, no, like, I love what you're. Especially with Bill, it was like, geez, just open your mouth, man. It's great, you know, but, yeah, I think, you know, with Ben, it was this question of, like, how. How serious does Corey take this? And, you know, and the way Ben plays it was just so wonderful because you can see his. The pretense drops away as he's reading the poem. And he's just reading it. It's. Yeah, it was so. So. Yeah, it's heartwarming. And to see it back, I was like, oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

To watch it back and then to remember how much they cared and to see it reflected. That's so wonderful.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

When Feeny asks Shawn if he has any more poems to share, Sean explains, I wouldn't call them poems. I just write stuff down. I've been doing it since I can remember. Angela can't believe he. Exactly. What?

[Will Friedle]

Really? You didn't just find this, like, a couple episodes ago?

[Danielle Fishel]

Question. Angela says, I can't believe you. He never told her. Didn't you Wasn't there in the purse. Oh, no. She had a journal and she writes. Right, right, right.

[Ryder Strong]

That's right. There were sonnets in there, right? Where they.

[Danielle Fishel]

There were sonnets in there.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Okay. So, yeah, that is. That is then a very weird, weird thing that one of the reasons you fell in love with her was because she was interested in poetry. And then in your very really mature, for the most part, relationship you had with her, where you guys supposedly talked endlessly about all types of things, you never shared that. You also write well.

[Ryder Strong]

But this is. I mean, this is the. The problem. I mean, like, Sean's a photographer, right? Like Sean's. I don't. I mean, it's this. This insertion of this thing, and this is what was happening behind the scenes. Just. I don't know. I feel like this is the culmination of something that we've been seeing from our rewatch from episode one, which is, like, how much they were just taking from me to put into. Which is usually great because I think that it shows a flexibility on the writers and Michael in particular, to build to your actors. Right. To look at it as a give and take. And I think that. That. I think that that is really important. And part of the reason why Boy Meets World is good is because they wrote to us and they took care, you know, our strength. And in this case, you know, the reason I ended up writing the poems is because I. I was upset. Like, it seemed really like this. And in retrospect, I. I probably was Unconsciously aware of how much they had been taking from my life. And then this one just was really in your phase. Yeah, it was really blatant because I was giving poetry readings in la. Like, some of the writers would come to my readings. And, like, I. I don't know. Like, it was so clearly my thing like that, that, that I was an actor who was actually becoming more of a writer than I was an actor. And I was exploring this part of my life. I was going to college for literature and philosophy, like. And so then when this episode pops up where the character that I'm playing is completely that, and obviously just taking, like, this part of me and then using what, the original poems, which I would love to read now, but I remember at the table read, just being like, this doesn't feel good. This feels bad. And that's all I knew. And I actually talked to David Combs about it. He was the one who. I sat with him. Cause I think he questioned me. He was like, why are you upset? Because I was very upset. And he was like, what is it? And I said, I just feel like they're taking something from me. I don't feel like this is me.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're taking something from you, but don't like you enough to let you actually create the work.

[Ryder Strong]

I didn't even get there yet. Yeah. I just was like, I'm upset. I don't like this. And David said, go talk to Michael. He encouraged me, said, go. Go to Michael and, and tell him that you're upset. Like, tell him that you don't like this. And I did. And I remember being so nervous and going into Michael's office, which I never did.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And sitting there and expressing to him how it made me feel. And he was like, well, you know, we don't. We, you know, we just like the idea, that poem. You know, I like poetry, and we know that you like poetry. And I was like, yeah, but I actually do this. Like, I, I. And he's like, well, then why don't you do it? Why don't you write them? And I was like, well, is that okay? He's like, yeah, why don't you just write them? Like, if you want to write the. If you, you do this, let's take it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because.

[Ryder Strong]

And I was like, well, you know, Erica wrote the episode. He's like, ah, whatever. It's all, you know, the, the poems themselves can be yours. That would be great. That would be even better. Which in a weird way is like, just taking more. Right. But it. I was like, okay. Okay. I think that. Let me try. And then I went and I think the next two days I wrote the poems. And that was a whole process and figuring out how to do them and what I wanted them to be. And then bringing them to Michael and presenting them. And you had to print them out, bring them to his office and, like, hand over the poems. And. Yeah, the first one he was like, well, this is great. This is perfect.

[Will Friedle]

This is.

[Ryder Strong]

That's going in. And then the second one, he was like, let's try and make it more, you know. And then we got into it and that took. That was like a two day process up until the moment we were taping. Yeah, a lot of back and forth, but we'll get into it when we get to the next poem. But it was not fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Shawn says he's never told anyone. He does it for himself, to get his feelings out. Feeny is so impressed, he tells Shawn that he hosts poetry readings at the student union on Friday evenings. Because of course he does.

[Ryder Strong]

And also, is this a poetry class? Like, what class are we in? No, I think some sort of writing class.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. And you have to go to the poetry reading on that Friday night because. Thursday. Scuba diving class.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Still teaching scuba at the junior high.

[Will Friedle]

Still got the scuba class. So let's.

[Ryder Strong]

After the skydiving club and.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, yeah, Feeny does it all.

[Ryder Strong]

And yeah, because he's also teaching your class. Right. Because he posted grades for the.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's so busy.

[Will Friedle]

He's again the only university professor.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sean is unsure, but Corey butts in. Ooh, that sounds awesome. Perhaps I can read some of my poems, too. You. Feeny is shocked. You have poems? Corey copies Sean, I wouldn't call them poems. I just sort of write stuff down.

[Ryder Strong]

Great. I love that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Somewhere between earnest and sarcastic, Feeny says he can't wait and walks out. Corey hollers after him. All right, see you Friday night. Corey boasts to Sean, my poems are money because they are so funny. Sean isn't impressed. He walks out, telling Corey to have fun.

[Unknown]

Fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey quickly follows him into the hall. Sean, listen, don't just blow this off. But Sean doesn't want the pressure. Corey insists, if I don't pressure you, you're gonna flake. Angela decides to step in. If Shawn doesn't want to read his poems, then I think we should respect that. But Corey disagrees. No, because Sean never wants to do what's best for him. Topanga chimes in, telling. I know. It's so frustrating. Especially because it's. We have no reason to think that Corey suspects that somewhere in these poems is something about Angela. Like, it would be one thing if. If Sean had shared his poetry with Corey. And Corey was like, he knows the secret about Angela, that Angela has feelings for him. And now he knows that Sean still has feelings for Angela. And so he. He knows what's best is for you to talk to each other. And this poetry, like. But he.

[Ryder Strong]

Or even if he's just like, this would be good for you because this could be a career. Or this.

[Danielle Fishel]

You.

[Ryder Strong]

Any argument about what this might mean for Sean.

[Danielle Fishel]

He doesn't mention any of it.

[Ryder Strong]

He doesn't mention any of that. And. And also, Sean never says why he wouldn't want to do it necessarily. He's just shy. Suddenly, like, Sean is scared. What is he scared?

[Danielle Fishel]

You don't want. You don't want the pressure. The pressure, which is kind of like, I write this. You do make it very clear. I write. Write for me, not for anyone else. If I know other people are going to read it, I feel pressure about it. But you did write something for the class that then you were fine with Feeny reading out loud. So that.

[Will Friedle]

No, but that's the thing is that was what I was just gonna say. If you go back and you watch. They do cut to. To Sean when he says, I'm gonna read this poem. And he says the title, and it's. Sean like. Like, sits up a little like, oh, my God. I didn't know you were gonna read this out loud.

[Danielle Fishel]

He looks nervous.

[Will Friedle]

So I think they did have that beat of, like, him even being like, oh, wait, no, I handed this to you, Phoenix. Me. I wasn't expecting you to read this out loud.

[Danielle Fishel]

I.

[Will Friedle]

To me. It's just. I am now officially sick of Corey. I know what's best for everybody. It's like it was another episode of I know what's best for you, and you're gonna listen to me, and I'm gonna do it very intensely. And it was just like, even against.

[Danielle Fishel]

All your wishes, there's not even any sort of dialogue where it's like, no, I know it's.

[Ryder Strong]

And Sean calls him out on it, you know, but he doesn't. He calls him out on it, but he doesn't explain why. It's. It's just a violation of my angst space. No, you just took it. You walked into my angst space and showed it to the world. And I want it to be my angst.

[Will Friedle]

It's like, why not if you have worse than that? Because as I was watching I was like, finally Sean's gonna be like this dude, you have to listen to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Respect my feelings, be your friend.

[Will Friedle]

And then it went to. Do you even know what that poem's about?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right? Who gives it what the poem's about?

[Will Friedle]

It has nothing to do with that.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's.

[Ryder Strong]

It's about the violation of the friendship, right?

[Will Friedle]

Yes, violation of this friendship and then.

[Ryder Strong]

Gets resolved at the end of the episode. I'm with you buddy. I know, it was like, okay, I'm glad you exposed my, my poem. No, like it's still, still a violation.

[Will Friedle]

Sean was my. I thought Sean was going to be my surrogate and the audience surrogate and he was gonna lay into Corey. What the hell are you.

[Danielle Fishel]

You don't respect your friends.

[Will Friedle]

You don't know what it means to be a friend. How can you do this?

[Ryder Strong]

You're doing self righteous.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, but no, it was then instantly turned to do you even know what that poem was about? And like who cares? Like oh yeah, that one. That's where it lost me. That's why I mean, I don't know what I meant.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sorry. Tavinka chimes in telling Corey to leave him alone. Corey tells Sean to at least just go with them. If he doesn't want to read his poems, that's fine. That valid point. Hey Sean, why don't we just go see what it's about. Let's go sit. None of us will read a poem or I'll read a poem. You can, let's just go see. Okay, fine.

[Will Friedle]

You apparently like poetry. I just found that out five minutes ago. Sean, let's go on a poetry read together.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sean rolls his eyes but agrees if it'll shut Corey up. Sean walks away and Corey proudly walks over to the girls. He's gonna write a poem in his dorm and not his home. His talent shocks himself. This is so easy. Then we're at the apartment. Rachel, Jack and Eric are sitting around the living room. Each of them is focused on their own work but the concentration doesn't last. Eric won't stop clicking his pen. Rachel is hyper focused on Jack's very noisy apple chewing. And Eric can't focus with Rachel constantly twirling her hair. It's a roundtable of annoyance of the close ups.

[Will Friedle]

Rusty's got us like it's close on everybody.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's just super so funny. Her twirling her hair and glancing side eye and him, the way he takes a norm like a big normal bite of the apple but then takes two additional bites is so insane.

[Ryder Strong]

It was a pretty Bad episode for Maitland to get a hit. Haircut though. Like, you know, she's like a pretty severe haircut. That's right.

[Will Friedle]

I didn't even notice that.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're right. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh yeah. It's so much shorter and it's like. But this is about her twirling her hair. I wonder if they were like, oh.

[Danielle Fishel]

God, oh God, why'd we do that?

[Ryder Strong]

Why did we do that?

[Danielle Fishel]

What do we do? So funny. Eric can't take it and is the first to explode. Enough with the hair. Rachel doesn't get it, but Eric doubles down. You heard me. Jack pushes back. She couldn't hear you over that pen. Click, click, click, click, click, click. Rachel counters. I don't need you to defend me, apple boy. Eric mocks his friend. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Jack gets back to his argument. Click, click, click. Rachel begs them both to shut up. She knows these finals are worth 90% of their grades, but it doesn't mean they have to behave like wild animals. But Eric's not calming down. Talk, talk, talk. Will you just shut up and let me study? They all agree in various passive aggressive tones. But then Jack crunches on his apple one more time and Eric snaps. Well, that's it. He's going to the library. Because they are so uptight he can't even think. Which is already hard for him in the first place.

[Will Friedle]

Fair enough.

[Danielle Fishel]

He slams the door behind him and Jack lets out a sigh of relief. Finally. Now maybe we can get some studying done. Rachel agrees finally. But then, to their displeasure, Eric returns and admits, I don't even know where the library is. Jack and Rachel push him out of the doorway and they follow close behind. This is what you do when you have high standards and fancy. All the fancy things like an iconic Dior saddlebag or that diamond tennis bracelet. You go to ebay, there you'll find.

[Ryder Strong]

New loves that will never disappoint. Expertly authenticated in everything, whether it's that.

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, eBay.

[Danielle Fishel]

The place for new pre loved vintage.

[Ryder Strong]

And rare fashion ebay Things people love.

[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.

[Ryder Strong]

Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchase.

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Will Friedle]

Ooh, that sounds nice.

[Ryder Strong]

Learn more@wells fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply bring.

[Unknown]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Introducing New Caesar Warm Bowls an exciting feeding experience for dogs and pet parents. Warm bowls are made with fresh vegetables and real chicken as the number one ingredient and can be served as a complete and balanced meal or used to enhance kibble as a top. Just warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds to enhance the flavor and unlock the aroma of the product. Warm Bowls transform mealtime into moments of shared joy by providing irresistible taste and exceptional variety that all dogs will love. Choose from two flavors roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli or slow cooked chicken and beef with vegetables and a hint of cranberry. Your dog is an important part of your life. So treating them with the love they deserve means serving them meals they will love. Designed to be mess free, warm bowls are an exciting new way for pet parents to elevate everyday meal experiences. Shop New Caesar Warm bowls online and in stores today. And then we're in the Penbrook Library. Eric and his roommates enter the busy new set with Eric taking an open seat and Jack and Rachel sitting in an adjacent table.

[Ryder Strong]

Tons of background in this episode. In this scene, I was like, wow, it's crowded.

[Danielle Fishel]

Once we got into season six, between the amount of background actors we have had in the student union and now in the library, we are shelling out money for background.

[Ryder Strong]

Yep.

[Will Friedle]

And it's people we hadn't seen before, which I like. It's a whole new group of people. It's like in some of the classrooms we're seeing some of the people. But for the most part you get a whole new group at college, which is nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

Eric comfortably sighs, finally. Then every student in the library shushes him in unison. Eric sarcastically says, sorry. A student directly across from him points out, you don't sound sorry. You sound loud. Then everyone shushes her too. Thanks. Now they hate me too. A hidden man behind a bookshelf growls, shut up. The girl rolls her eyes and yells, shut up back. Then she tells Eric to shut up. Then she shouts at the entire library, shut up. And then she groans, I hate college.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. I couldn't. I just couldn't figure out what was going on.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Ryder Strong]

I think this is one of those scenes that really works as a play. You know, like when you hear a voice from nowhere yelling. But because there's so many people. I was like, where's that voice coming from? And then the close up of the eyes behind, I was like, is that the voice? It was just kind of like, I'm sure and run through this. Killed. But on camera it was a little like my head's hurting about. About what's happening here and trying to figure out. It all makes sense. But like this moment, I was like, what is going on? What is the scene about? Who is talking? I don't know what this. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

A student at another table is breaking down. Pressure, pressure. It's killing me. He jumps out of his chair and screams in agony. Jack jokingly asks Rachel what's wrong with him. But that original shut up girl doesn't find it funny. How would you like to have a Book shoved down your throat. Rachel jumps in for her friend, but the girl isn't backing down. Down. She stands up and asks, you want a piece of me? Then Rachel stands up, landing about taller than her new enemy. What?

[Will Friedle]

This was a missed joke. She should have stood up very slowly. Yeah, so, I mean, it should have just turned and just slowly stood up. Then she's eye level. Then she just keeps going for another foot, but she pops right up and it's like, okay, it was funny, but you cut your laugh. Like it could have been a much sharper laugh there if she stood up slow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, you're right.

[Ryder Strong]

Good taste.

[Danielle Fishel]

The girl pauses for a moment, then darts out of the library with Rachel quickly chasing after her. The inmates in the audience applaud. Meanwhile, the guy who screamed into the ether points at Jack. I don't like your face. Jack stands up to join this unexplainable royal rumble. Well, I don't like your pants. The faceless man behind the bookcase shouts again. Shut up.

[Ryder Strong]

I have a question.

[Will Friedle]

I'm sorry, I have a logistic question to see if. If you both remember. Remember this. How many episodes in. Of us shooting a season would we do before the first one of that season aired?

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, we would start in August, usually July, late July. And then the first episodes would air in fall, which I think at the time was September. So maybe four, if four or five, if you include the hiatus weeks.

[Will Friedle]

Because I was trying to think it's. It's peop. You know, when people are coming to watch our show being taped, for the first few episodes, they still had no idea who Rachel was.

[Danielle Fishel]

They would usually play an episode, the first, the first season of this. The first episode of the season for the audience when they got there. So like, say the show started at 5, the audience would have to be there at 4, and then starting at 4:30, they'd play the first episode of the season and then our show would start at 5:00. So they would, they would know because.

[Will Friedle]

With the audience reaction this episode, I thought to myself, like, oh, it seems like now they actually know who Rachel is.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, yes, I think that's true as well.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, so they know who she is by this point.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. I mean, this episode aired November 20th, and this first episode of the season aired September 25th. So, okay, by this point, it's been on for two months.

[Will Friedle]

Gotcha.

[Danielle Fishel]

The faceless man behind the bookcase shouts again, shut up. But the two men continue to argue, which causes the rest of the students around them to start bickering. Soon enough, the entire library is arguing, and Eric shouts to get their attention. Hey. Hey, hey, hey. What is happening here? Rachel walks back in. What now? With the mean girl slung across her shoulder. I'm about to beat the crap out of this troll. Eric returns to peacemaking. Look what we're doing to ourselves. These finals are turning us into monsters. The students, hidden behind the bookcase, asks, then what do we do? Eric praises his question and then declares, I'd like everyone to take off their left shoe and make a pile in the middle of the room. All the students oblige. Eric asks, what are you thinking about right now? The bookcase guy replies, my foot's cold. Eric nods. Exactly. You're not thinking about the you know what. What? He's not even going to say finals. He continues, the only way we can do well on the you know what's is if we're relaxed. He puts his arm around a random student and ruffles his hair. And who knows? Maybe we can have a little fun. That's what he calls the Eric Matthews foolproof study system. He turns to the kid he's now embracing. Hello, I'm Eric Matthews. Was this, like, a catchphrase attempt?

[Ryder Strong]

This isn't the first.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, this isn't the first time.

[Will Friedle]

We've done this a bunch of times. Hello, blue America.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm Eric Matthews.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Did you do it when you were the lawyer in. In the last episode?

[Will Friedle]

No, I did it because you were somebody else then. Oh, I forget. But yes, that's. This exact.

[Ryder Strong]

This is.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, this isn't the first time. And I don't remember when the other time was.

[Will Friedle]

I don't either. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also, I love that this kid that you put your arm around, like, cuddles up into you with a smile. He's like, oh, this. This feels nice.

[Will Friedle]

This is great.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Eric's plan is in motion. He tells Rachel to shake hands with the troll and for everyone to grab a shoe from the middle of the room. They will find the owner of that shoe and in turn, take them to the movies. The group agrees, and Jack picks up a brown butt.

[Ryder Strong]

But somewhere between a boot and a butt is a butt.

[Danielle Fishel]

Jack picks up a brown boot. His face sours. Ew. There's gum all over this one. 1. The screaming guy, who previously argued with him asks, do you like popcorn? Jack responds, do I? The guy threatens, crunch during the movie and I'll push your nose into your brain. Okay, then. We are at the poetry night. We hear the sound of bongos. A boy with a ponytail is Setting the mood for the next performer. It's Corey. He silences the drums, then takes a long pause. All day long I think of you. How do you do the things you do? Topanga watches him with amusement. And Cory continues. I love you, girl, with all my heart. Because you're pretty and you're smart. Topanga puts her hand up over her heart and then the bongos play a quick beat. Cory raises his arms to the air. Topanga.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. It's so good. This is. Yeah. And you know that Ben loved this.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, man.

[Ryder Strong]

This. And then the karaoke episode where you guys did the war like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, just loved it. So much fun.

[Ryder Strong]

Anytime to be a bad performer. It was just so much fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, so good.

[Will Friedle]

Whether it's bad acting, bad poetry, so good at singing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Favorite thing. It's my favorite thing. Also because he's so. As the character. He's so committed that he's good.

[Will Friedle]

That's the thing. He's committed, but also convinced he's a genius.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. That's exactly it.

[Will Friedle]

Great combination too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So good.

[Danielle Fishel]

The students give him a half hearted applause and he's disappointed with the feedback. Tough room. Tough room.

[Ryder Strong]

It's interesting to think it's a little bit of Eric in Corey. You know, it's very much Eric. A one woman show.

[Will Friedle]

I thought about that too. For the last scene, it was. It's Eric doing bad poetry like he's writing from his home. That's such an Eric thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. You're right. And having him do it is great. Oh, God.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Feeny takes the stage. The final poet of this Evening will be Mr. Sean Hunter. Sean's jaw drops and then he angrily turns to Corey. I can't believe you. When are you going to learn to stay out of my business? Business. Feenie calls for him again and Corey just pats him on the back. Come on, we're all here for you. Sean grabs his notebook and takes the stage. He holds the microphone and stares at Angela. You don't know it, but sometimes he stops himself. Clearly very nervous. He starts over and now with more conviction. You don't know it, but sometimes I. Angela is hanging on every word, but Sean is again stopping, stopped. He shakes his head. I'm sorry, I can't. And then he runs off the stage without looking back.

[Ryder Strong]

Too much angst.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, angst.

[Ryder Strong]

I can't do it. Hurts my pretentious soul.

[Danielle Fishel]

But honestly, it's not even about it hurting your pretentious soul. You don't want. You're not ready to bear your soul To Angela, especially not in front of everyone. But it sure would be nice for us to know why. Why? What is it? Anything that would be. That would be good.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, I mean, part of the problem is it goes back to, you know, what Will noticed either last episode or the episode before, which is that there's just. It's a given that Sean is a better person if he's in a relationship with Angela.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, right.

[Ryder Strong]

It's just. It's just the universe is they're supposed to be together, which is. Is frankly, what the audience does feel. Right. They want us to get together. We're like, you know, yeah, but they.

[Danielle Fishel]

Want you back together.

[Ryder Strong]

But without Sean having any argument why he's not ready or doesn't want to be in a relationship, it's completely like, well, then just do it. Or don't.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know, but stop.

[Will Friedle]

But I also think they're also. The audience is rooting for them to get together because they're told they should be together.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

You know, you go friends or any of that kind of stuff. You want Ross and Rachel to be together, they're writing it in a certain way where they're passing each other the ships in the night. You don't know. Here we literally have a character going, you're supposed to be together. And so because of that, that's why they're rooting for it a little.

[Ryder Strong]

Right, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also, similarly to Corey and Topanga, where Corey's like, we're supposed to be together. And I always have loved her, but all of his actions are showing otherwise. Honestly, they've made me not like Shawn for Angela. Angela can do better. Honestly, the best. Based on the way Sean's acting now. The way Sean was in the beginning of the relationship. Oh, my gosh. Yes, it was. He was. She. She was. He loved her so much. Now, the way he's acting. And by the way, I'd love for him to even address that in this episode. I, I, I, I made the dumbest mistake. I thought that I was going to get to college and I was going to be missing out. I didn't realize there's no one better than Angela. I can't. I, you know, like, he does say, I miss the way she makes me feel.

[Ryder Strong]

It's all about me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Which is a very Corey. A very Corey thing to say.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

But, like, I don't know. I just, I wish there, I wish he expressed. Because all he ends up saying is, like, I'm the one who said I wanted this, so I can't tell her that I don't want it anymore. But what would be great to hear is I'm the one who said I wanted this. And now that I have had it, I have pursued, I've met other girls, I've gone on dates, I've been in other situations. Nothing is as good as. As doing the. Those things with Angela. I don't have conversations with other women the way I have conversations. She makes me think she does this. I like to whatever. Instead, he's just like, I'm the one who asked for it, so I gotta stick with it.

[Will Friedle]

Well, they're doing the TV thing. They're trying to set up the arc now where now we as the audience both know they're still in love, but they don't know they're still in love. So we're now, for the next few.

[Danielle Fishel]

Episodes, going to be waiting for that to be revealed.

[Will Friedle]

That conversation where you just want to. Wanted to be two cats where you just cover them in tuna juice and throw them in a closet. Just go. That's how you get two cats who hate each other to like each other. Cover them in tuna juice and put them in a closet, and they have to lick each other clean. That's exactly what's. What's.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're waiting for themselves clean. But they. They.

[Will Friedle]

They always. Because that's how they get to know each other. You never heard.

[Danielle Fishel]

But if they don't like each other, why not just, like. Be like you go to here.

[Will Friedle]

They like tuna, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

But they have tuna on themselves and they clean themselves by licking. I don't know. I'm just. I'm just throwing a wrench into your fridge. I don't know that this.

[Ryder Strong]

When they bite one another, thinking, like.

[Will Friedle]

It seems the universal get cats to like each other thing. And now as a cat dad writer, you're gonna have to know this stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you Google that?

[Will Friedle]

No, that's an old. That's an old trope.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Everybody knows that.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. I think fundamentally what we're talking about is, like, it's the classic problem of tell, not show. You know, like, if they showed that. If we created a situation where Sean and Angela were perfect for each other, but they didn't know it or any of that. But instead, it's just, let's sit and talk about how they're perfect for each other, and Sean can just talk about how he's not ready without actually saying why.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Corey tries to save face, announcing to the crowd, it's okay, everybody. It's okay. Corey's here. Just a touch of Stage fright. Now back on the mic, Corey picks up Sean's poetry book. He's just gonna read the one he was gonna read.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

Unconscious, uncomfortable. I was annoyed that no one in the audience. Angela, Topanga, nobody was like, oh, no, no, no, no. Just go ahead and close that up.

[Ryder Strong]

Right. But also, like, I. The staging. I come in and listen to him finish the poem.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, I know.

[Ryder Strong]

And all the staging in this stuff, like, it's just. It's so clunky to me because then I have to, like, walk in front of everybody, grab Corey off of the stage, post palm. Not before the palm, not during the palm, but make a huge scene, which if I'm scared about exposing, like, drag him to another room, where then Angela and you can come and overhear us, like, not respecting that privacy, which is obviously something I'm trying to find. Like, all of this is so clunky to get to these plot points that it's just. It's bad. Like, this is, like, a genuinely bad scene. I feel like we could have figured out a way to still hit all these plot points without it being this just painful. It's not. Not good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, he says. This one's called Top of the World. He begins. You don't know it, but sometimes I go to a hill that overlooks the landscape's mask of city lights for a sip of momentary grace. On this brink of everything, I know I can gain an eyeful of the lost Atlantis in the human soul. The camera continues to dramatically zoom in to Corey and a breath that fills my lungs with the air between two stars. Angela is listening, completely captivated. Shawn enters the room again, hearing Corey and his words. Corey eventually finishes the poem, and Topanga is blown away at the beauty. Angela admits, I don't understand. And at that same moment, Shawn storms up to Corey and grabs him by the sweater, dragging him out of the room. Now, outside, Sean asks, who do you think you are? Corey doesn't take him seriously. That's a silly question. I'm your best. Shawn interrupted him. No jokes, no backpedaling. He's dead serious. We have a problem here. And Will, I'm right there with you. I was like, yes, we are going to get to the bottom of this. He's going to be. It's going to be. He's going to be dressed down.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, before we go on, I just want to talk about the poem for a minute, because it was really weird to be watching it now and hearing it and realizing for all the. The pushback that Michael gave Me, like, you know, and I get like, he wanted it to be much more clearly like a. I love you, I miss you. Right? Like, that's all it needed to say, right? Story wise, it just needed to say, I love you, I miss you. And he kept pushing back and kept sort of saying like lines that he wanted in there. Like, he. I remember him being like, in the quiet, in the quietest moments, you're still there. And I was just like, okay. And what I finally he said, like, look, I'm not going to tell you what to do. You're the poet, you do it. But that's the way I think. And I said, like, you just want it to be more immediately accessible. That's fine. Why don't you just go back and use the poem that you already had? Like the Erica poem. And he's like, no, no, no, now I don't want to do that. I'm like, okay, well, you either take my poem. Like, this is it, you know, it was literally tape night. It's Thursday. This is it. Like, I've got this. And he's like, I just. And then he sicced Bob Tischler on me. So then I had to go have a whole nother note session with poor Bob Tischler. And I remember him just being like, you know, and I. I don't even know if Bob likes poetry or whatever, but he's basically what Ryan. He's giving me. No, he wasn't. He was just saying the same things Michael said. It was like, clear that Michael had like, I tried. Writer's not backing down. And I said the same thing to Bob. I was like, look, just use the old palm. It's fine. I could have the first one. That's cool. That makes me happy. I'm fine. Like, let's just go. And they were like, no, no, the old palm's crap. I'm like, okay, well, you can't, you know, it'd be this, like, how? You know, but the irony. And then I finally, Michael was just like, well, just try and rewrite it and get it to whoever the writer's assistant was to type it up so we can print the scripts in time to actually do it. And so I just was like, okay. And I went and did it and they ended up using the poem. And like, I, you know, got the poem that I wanted. But the irony is, for all the pushback, this poem is completely just reformulated in the. If I could dream the perfect girl, she wouldn't even come close to you. It's the same Concept. I'm just using a place, like, I'm talking about going somewhere, feeling, you know, this amazing, like, perspective and overview and like, you know, this is based on a real place called Top of the World in my hometown, where I would drive and we would. I would just sit there and park and, like, think and whatever. So it's like saying, like, oh, when I'm experiencing this, like, really important, private, honest moment in my life, I'm, you know, I'm having this sort of transcendent thing, and that's not even close to how I feel when I'm with you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, that's the arc of the poem. That's it. Like, that's it. I can't even describe. I can describe this place, but I can't describe how you make me feel because it goes beyond even that. Even that beautiful experience that I have in that private time. And it's more than that, which is, you know, the exact premise of if I could dream the perfect girl, not even you.

[Will Friedle]

I was like, right, well, he got it. He got it from the guy. Guy at love is blind or whatever.

[Ryder Strong]

Right? Oh, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Time travel.

[Ryder Strong]

He time traveled back.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey begins to apologize, but Sean won't allow it. I want to hear that you were wrong, that I asked you to back off and you wouldn't take no for an answer.

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

You totally disregarded my feelings. Yes.

[Will Friedle]

I was, like, going, fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also that you lied to me. You said earlier, we can go and you don't have to read any poems. Then you signed me up.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey begins to admit, all right, I did that. But Shawn interrupts him again. There better not be a butt. Corey insists, I did this for your own good. Shawn scoffs. You have no idea what my poetry is about, do you? And that's where Will went.

[Ryder Strong]

What? I was like, what?

[Will Friedle]

What?

[Danielle Fishel]

What does that have to do with anything?

[Ryder Strong]

Right? Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

That poem that Feeny read in class, do you even know what that was about? Corey has no answer. Answer. Sean continues. I can't say certain things, so I write them down. That's how I get them out. I do that for me, not for anyone else. Corey argues, I heard the poem. Now, at this point, when he said that, I did think perfect, that that is enough for him to be why he's upset with Corey. I would never have. This is not. I. This isn't in a place where I'm ready for other people to see it yet. It's literally just for me. It helps me process. It helps me figure out my feelings, things I Would. I don't want. If I'm going to write something, if I'm going to read something out loud, I'm going to work on it. I'm going to do whatever like that.

[Ryder Strong]

And Sean probably could have just finished that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Monologue by. Or that moment by saying, and this one was about Angela. I definitely didn't want it to be.

[Danielle Fishel]

I wasn't ready for her. Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

And then she could overhear that and that's enough. But instead. Yeah. I'm like, why?

[Danielle Fishel]

Why?

[Ryder Strong]

Don't you get it? Don't you know it? I mean, I guess the joke that he thinks is about him is pretty funny, but.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, but it doesn't save any. It's like, oh, God, you were going. It was, it was what the conversation that needed to happen, and it was so close to actually happening. And then just went and went off in a whole different direction. I was like, what, are you kidding? Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey argues, I heard the poem. Shawn, now more frustrated, explains, you heard it, but you didn't listen to it. That poem you just read, do you even know who that was about? Corey earnestly answers, me, me, me, me. Sean sighs. It's about Angela. And then we notice that Topanga and Angela have completely disregarded any amount of privacy that Sean was clearly trying to attain by bringing him outside. And we are just nearby listening to their conversation. Corey was a little sad to hear the truth. And he throws his arms up in the air. Well, he walks away defeated as Angela walks up and Topanga joins them outside. Angela faces Sean and then slaps him like Cloton.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. And this is, this set is apparently the site of violence on World, because this is where Corey lost the teacher. And this is where she slaps me. I, I, I don't know. Like, it's really dramatic and I'm not sure why.

[Will Friedle]

It was also way too far. I, you don't. Why Violence is the answer in this situation.

[Ryder Strong]

And then we don't quite resolve it. Like, we don't acknowledge it later. Like, I wanted her to be like, I just got emotional. I'm so sor. I don't know, some sort of like, yeah, but we're not going to hit each other, right? Like, that's, you know. But yeah, between, like, me having pushed her with the drinking and now her slapping me really over she have just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Said, how dare you jerk or how dare you something and then storm off and be like, oh, she's mad.

[Will Friedle]

I still don't get what he did wrong, though.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, that's what I understand, that she's like, wait a minute. You broke up with me. Me.

[Ryder Strong]

Right. And then you're right.

[Danielle Fishel]

You went out and you've put rubber bands on doors. You've been on dates, and now you're. The. The poetry that you're writing is about how much, like, I can see how she would be like. And you haven't shared that with me. I've been devastated. We're not having honest conversation. I thought we were close enough that we could talk about this stuff. I could see that she could be hurt and also maybe a little embarrassed that, like, publicly now everyone just heard this poem. Maybe people.

[Will Friedle]

But Sean didn't do that. That Sean didn't do it publicly.

[Ryder Strong]

Corey made it public by writing private poems about how he feels. He does not under any obligation to share that with her. He's not under any obligation.

[Will Friedle]

How long have they been standing there listening? Because he clearly says, I write things down so I can figure out my own feelings. It's like somebody stole his journal, read his journal publicly. Then she went up and punched him for what he wrote in a private journal. It makes no sense.

[Ryder Strong]

That's why she should. Definitely. I can understand it as a character motivation. Exactly what described Daniel like, she has all these awful feelings and she doesn't know what to do with him. But the way that it's played and the way it plays out is as if Sean did do something wrong.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

He's failing as a person. And that her slap was actually.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because then she says, you probably deserve it later. And he goes, probably. I probably did.

[Will Friedle]

And it's like, wait, what? What?

[Ryder Strong]

It's very. I was like. The second it happened, I was like, this feels like a dramatic beat that's not earned and not explained. And then. Yeah. Totally rational, personalized. And she really slapped me, too. Do you guys remember that?

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I thought because they shot it from the back. You did your. Because you were always.

[Ryder Strong]

I was supposed to. I was supposed to do my fake sound slap and she just actually hit me. Yeah, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Did you know she was going to.

[Ryder Strong]

No, no, no, no. It was just a. Like, boom.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you think.

[Ryder Strong]

You know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you think somebody told her to do it, or you think she just did it on her own?

[Ryder Strong]

She was apologetic, if I remember. Like, she was like, oh, my God, I'm so sorry. Like, it was just. I was in. But yeah. Yeah. I don't know. Like, it was fine. Like, this happens all the time. Like, slaps. I. This has happened to me multiple times when I'm in a scene with an actor. Like, Okay, I was gonna say you.

[Will Friedle]

Slapped in the face multiple times.

[Ryder Strong]

No, I don't think I've ever been slapped in real life, but, yeah, because it. Yeah, but I. Maybe I'm misremembering, but, like, I feel like I had been rehearsing it, and then the night of, she actually just did it, and it was like, yeah, okay, it's fine. You know? Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Cause no, you were famous for. I mean, we would always joke with that.

[Danielle Fishel]

You were good at it.

[Will Friedle]

Do the. The fake slap. And you had it down pat. I mean, it was like. So I was like, oh, he did his fake slap thing because they shot it from behind. It's like, wow, she actually hit you. And they didn't even get it on camera. It's like, wow, what a double whammy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Shawn grabs his face in pain, and Angela storms away without saying another word. Topanga quickly follows after her friend. Shawn looks at Corey, sarcastically thanks him, and then walks away, leaving the boy in Boy Meets World alone with his thoughts. And then we're inside Angela and Topanga's dorm. Corey nervously admits, I don't know what to say. And unmoved, Angela answers, well, that's a first. Corey says he's sorry he read Shawn's poem. Then he quickly corrects himself. No, I'm not sorry I read Shawn's poem. Don't you see that he would love to tell you how he feels? Angela simply states, then he should tell me. So Corey's the one she should have. He should have slapped.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

And also, I. I get. Get it's Boy Meets World, and I get he's the star of the show. But there's no reason for Corey to be in a scene with Angela here. I'm sorry, this has nothing to do with Corey at this point. Well, this is between Angela.

[Ryder Strong]

It does if he apologizes and it's like, but he did it.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, but I mean, it's one of those things where it's just like this. This is a scene that should have taken place between Angela and Sean.

[Danielle Fishel]

This scene is, again, about Corey not knowing his place, and he's now going, okay. He even brings it up. You told me how you feel about Shawn. Well, now we know how Shawn feels about you. So if he's not ready to talk to you about it, you go talk to him about it. It's like he's just meddling.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey points out that Sean's writing poems for her. He's obviously still in love with her. And Corey knows that Angela's still in love with him too, because she admitted it to him in the bathroom. You know, where she was wearing a towel. Angela remembers, maybe I still do have feelings for Sean, but that doesn't mean we should be together. I'm finally okay. I've started to move on. Corey wonders, then, what was that slap up about? Angela asks, how can he still have feelings for me and not want to be with me? Corey doesn't know. She reminds him, he's the one that broke up with me. He's the one that wanted to meet new people. If he can't tell me how he feels about me, then what are we? Corey explains, well, it's not in my nature to interfere. Angela. And the audience laughs at this. Corey goes on, maybe his poetry is the only true way he can tell you how he feels. So meet him halfway way. Tell him how you feel. So that's what this is about. This whole scene is about. Listen, Shawn won't is mad at me for bearing his feelings. But we know how you feel. And so now that. Does that make you feel good? Because now that you heard Sean's poem, you know he likes you too. You go talk to him. He's just. Okay. Then we're in the student union. Shawn is sitting by the fireplace, rapidly writing his thoughts and feelings into the notebook. Angela appears, dripping down his chin as.

[Will Friedle]

Punched in the face.

[Danielle Fishel]

Face. Shawn scrambles to his feet. They both begin to talk at the same time, and Angela tells him to go ahead. He jokingly asks, you sure you're not going to hit me again, are you? Angela apologizes, I'm sorry I did that. Shawn admits I probably deserved it. She nods. You're probably right.

[Ryder Strong]

For what?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. No, for what I know, he confesses. Look, I've been going over those words in my head over and over again because. Because I want to say this right. Angela advises him to take his time, and Shawn says, we used to talk. I mean, really talk. I miss that. Angela admits she misses it too. Shawn continues, things just got weird. I mean, I got weird, but I don't want us to ever stop talking. I couldn't stand that. Angela agrees, neither could I. And when I heard that poem. Shawn cuts her off. Yeah, the poem. That's what I wanted to talk to you you about. I wrote that a long time ago. She lets out a laugh. You did? Shawn casually tells her, yeah, like way before we broke up. So you don't have to feel weird and you know, everything's okay. Angela is smiling, trying her best to hide her true feelings. Well, Great, because it would have been really awkward knowing that you still had feelings for me when I've clearly moved on. Sean's smile disappears. Right. There's a moment of silence before he declares. So I guess we've both moved on. Angela nods. Yeah, we can just go forward as friends. And he adds, good friends. They stare at each other with a fire burning behind them. Background actors crossing as we pull away on some sad ass.

[Ryder Strong]

So they're supposed to be together.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're supposed to be together. This is for me, the thing where I went. Why does. Why does Angela tell him to go first when maybe what the last scene was with Corey where he said, why don't you tell him how you feel? And then we see her approach him. So that's what she wants to do. So she's willing to do. But then she tells him to go first. And then when she's gonna say something about the poem. Why does Shawn cut her off? Why doesn't Sean let her finish what he's gonna to say? Why aren't they both more curious what the other person has to say? You know, this whole thing would be better.

[Ryder Strong]

Like they could have manufactured some miscommunication. Let's just. Manufactured miscommunication. We just gotta keep the plot line going, keep the audience.

[Danielle Fishel]

They need an Angela and Sean four episode drama arc the way Cory and Topanga had one. Everyone's sick of that storyline and they're engaged. So we can, you know, you're married, you're dead. And in this situation, we. We need this.

[Ryder Strong]

We need to be rooting for something to happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Gotta come back next week.

[Will Friedle]

Well, that's what happens too. When you get the couple together, the will they, won't they? Cory and Topanga. Now you've got to go to the next one.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And then what's. What the funny thing is, if you remember and if I remember, which I'm not sure I entirely do, but I think what then happens is Sean and Angela get back together. So then Jack and Rachel hook up behind Eric's back. Right now a third time of it happening. So they keep having to have like they're manufacturing. Okay, listen. Now it's a relationship, now it's this. So it's a relationship drama as much as they can.

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Ryder Strong]

EBay Things people love the name of.

[Danielle Fishel]

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.

[Ryder Strong]

Fargo earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchase purchases.

[Danielle Fishel]

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

[Will Friedle]

Ooh, that sounds nice.

[Ryder Strong]

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

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[Danielle Fishel]

Introducing new Caesar Warm Bowls an exciting feeding experience for dogs and pet parents. Warm bowls are made with fresh vegetables and real chicken as the number one ingredient and can be served as a complete and balanced meal or used to enhance kibble as a topper. Just warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds to enhance the flavor and unlock the aroma of the product. Warm Bowls transform mealtime into moments of shared joy by providing irresistible taste and exceptional variety that all dogs will love. Choose from two flavors roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli or slow cooked chicken and beef with vegetables and a hint of crepe. Your dog is an important part of your life, so treating them with the love they deserve means serving them meals they will love. Designed to be mess free, warm bowls are an exciting new way for pet parents to elevate everyday meal experiences. Shop New Caesar Warmbulls online and in stores today.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Danielle Fishel]

While we're in the Penbrook hallway, Jack sees Rachel and the troll she was arguing with in the library. He jokingly asks, are we ever going to see you two apart? Part. The girls enthusiastically respond in unison, not if we can help it. Then Eric runs down the stairs and shouts, hey everybody, when's the next test, huh? Hey. Who cares? Everyone gathers around Eric and Jack. Without a care in the world. Jack admits to his friend, I thought I'd be the last person to say this, but thanks for letting us all know. We just had to mellow out. The angry yelling guy with the gummy boots and movie date with Jack chimes in, what's the success rate of this system of yours? Hours. Eric is confused. System? What system? The troll clarifies. The Eric Matthews Foolproof Study system, Eric reveals. Oh, dude, totally made that up. All the students start to panic, but Eric tries to calm them again. Stop grumbling. I know you're all interested to see if this is going to work. And you know what? So am I. The mob starts to crowd him, angry and letting him know. Just then, Feeny walks out to announce the final grades. Okay, what has he done now? Now Jack explains. He talked us into this idiotic study system of his. Feeny admits that's quite interesting. And then he proceeds to hang up the results. They crowd around the piece of paper and everyone is pleased with the results. Rachel's tiny troll friend complains that she can't see, but Rachel tells her apparently her name is Audrey that they both got A's. The entire group of students march on, chanting, Eric. Eric Eric on his way out.

[Will Friedle]

Eric's chanting it too.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Eric, too. On his way out. Eric. Eric quietly changes his chant to Feeny. As the teacher grabs his arm to hang back, Eric quickly explains, well, I did nothing wrong. He questions if taking off your left shoe and taking a friend to the cinema is a crime. Feeny is confused. Take off your left shoe. Eric giggles. Not now, Feeny. Come on. Everyone was so uptight about finals, so he tried to relax them a bit. Feeny nods. Congratulations. I'm impressed with your insight. A recent university study showed that nonstop focusing on one's studies hindered performance. Performance. So it is a good idea to put down the books and clear one's mind. Eric grins with pride. Yeah. But Feeny adds the most important part after one has studied thoroughly and absorbed the material. Eric grins again, unchanged. Yeah. Feeny simply asks, you forgot that part, didn't you? Eric nods. Yep. Yeah. Then he figures it out. I didn't do so good, did I? Feeny copies his yeah and pulls him into his classroom.

[Will Friedle]

And I got Bill to ask ad lib.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I saw.

[Will Friedle]

I got Bill to ad lib. I don't think I've ever seen Feeney ad lib before. And I added this at the end. And Bill ad libs.

[Danielle Fishel]

Eric takes a peek at his grade and he said. He goes, no. And Feeny goes, I told you.

[Ryder Strong]

I told you.

[Will Friedle]

That was. None of that was in the script. So as he's walking me by, I just look at the thing and I did it. And I was like, oh my God. I got Bill to ad lib.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. I was so happy. And then we are in the student union. Sean's doing some homework when Topanga runs up behind him and covers his eyes. Eyes. Immediately he knows it's her and says, they're not here yet. Topanga whines, you're kidding. We're gonna miss the movie. She sits.

[Ryder Strong]

A movie going. This episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everyone's gone.

[Ryder Strong]

Movies. New release.

[Will Friedle]

Yes. Double impact.

[Danielle Fishel]

She sits and asks if everything's okay between him and Angela. Shawn nods, Yeah, I told her that I wrote that poem before we broke up and everything's okay. Topanga's relieved to hear that. Sean starts to pack his thing when Topega notices his notebook. Is that the book you wrote the poem in? He nods.

[Will Friedle]

Mm.

[Danielle Fishel]

She asks, isn't that the book I gave you for your birthday? He asks, what's your point? She responds, my point is you and Angela broke up before your birthday. You couldn't have written that poem two months ago.

[Ryder Strong]

Dramatic reveals the inmates.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ooh, the revelation.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

He sighs. Okay, okay, you got me. I wrote it after we broke up. Topanga wants to know how long after. He insists, not long. She pushes again. How long after? He blurts out, I wrote it two weeks ago. Topanga jumps up out of her seat and smothers her friend. Oh, Shawn, you do still love Angela. He reminds her to keep it down and admits, I can't get her out of my mind. I miss her. I miss the way she makes me feel. I miss the fact that I could tell her things that no one else understands, not even Corey.

[Will Friedle]

I miss how she hits me for no reason.

[Danielle Fishel]

Topanga encourages him to tell Angela, but he refuses. I told her that I needed my space. I told her that I wanted to meet new people. I did this. Topanga insists. Well, if you two love each other, you should be together. Maybe if Angela knew how you felt. Shawn interrupts her. It's too late. Angela told him that she's over him and wants to be friends.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. So this is where we just wanted to get to this place where Sean and Topanga have their secret. Angela and Cory have their secret. And it's gonna come back.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. And I do, actually. I kind of like that. At least there's the crossover of the relationship. Crossover of friendships. Totally agree. And where people are being good friends to each other by keeping a secret. And I love the Shawn and Topanga dynamic that Topanga bought. Topanga apparently does know that Shawn wrote, writes poetry or writes something. Because I got you a journal.

[Will Friedle]

Well, he's been writing his feelings down as long as he can remember.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's why my wife. Topanga knows, even though he didn't tell Angela and Corey doesn't know much more.

[Ryder Strong]

Appropriate to get him a camera or, you know, photo, maybe a pen that he.

[Will Friedle]

That he'd put in a book and.

[Danielle Fishel]

And lose. And just lose.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm gonna find it. It's gonna be somewhere.

[Will Friedle]

It's in the inside pocket of your leather jacket.

[Danielle Fishel]

At the same time, we see Angela and Corey outside of the student. Student un. Enter, but Corey stops her before they go inside. Are you okay with all of us going out? I hope I didn't mess everything up for you. Angela insists, I'm okay. You mean well. You always mean well. Corey adds it. Corey adds, you know I didn't tell Shawn about how you feel, right? Angela nods. I know. Meanwhile, back inside, Shawn begs Topanga not to tell anyone, not even Corey. He makes her pinky swear, and she does so without hesitation. Corey and Angela walk in And Corey asks.

[Ryder Strong]

Actually, that's a. That's an interesting point that hasn't come up. I think maybe if we had known that Corey knew that Angela. Like, like, in other words, if Corey was motivated by trying to get Shawn and Angela back, like, if that. If that would have been like, I know I'm doing the wrong thing, but I'm doing it for the right reasons. Like, if he could articulate that. Yes, I feel like it. But instead it's.

[Danielle Fishel]

That was my point earlier, is that he. He. He does know. Once he realizes the poem is about Angela, he. He already knows the secret about Angela, which is why then he's in the room, he's like, listen, right. Did you hear the poem? And you told me how you feel about him? So he is having a hard time telling you how he feels, but. So why don't you tell him how you feel?

[Ryder Strong]

And I guess the addition to that would be like, I can't do this because I can't break my promise to you. You know, if he just said that, then we. I would. I would probably forgive Corey a lot easier because it'd be like, oh, you're. You're confused, and you trying to do the right thing by Angela and the right thing by Sean. But it didn't feel like that. That's not. To me. I don't think that was articulated well enough until, like, this moment. I was like, oh, yeah, the two pairs. I see it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. So that's.

[Ryder Strong]

That would have been.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you. If you think about that through this whole thing also in the only way to justify. And it still doesn't even justify it at all. But Corey would need to know that that poem was about Angela in order for him to have any. Any in any way a motivated reason to decide to read the poem.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

If he. If he. If. If somehow. If Sean had shared it with Corey. And Corey's like, I'm not allowed to say anything because Angela told me not to tell him. But now I know my two friends love each other.

[Ryder Strong]

Maybe I'll just read this poem and it'll accidentally come out, and then everybody will love each other again. That's a great motivation to make that happen. Right?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I think what you're saying, and I agree it was of. Of kind of muddled way to end up at a good sitcom place.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Which is the two teams each holding a secret and being good friends to each other. And we as the audience know what's going to happen, and it's eventually going to get to that point of explosion.

[Ryder Strong]

It's actually very Shakespearean. You know, sort of like shenanigans of getting those people together.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it's farcical without the funny, right? Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Corey asks, what do you swear? Topanga quickly makes up something. I swear that I'm going to kill you if we miss this movie. Shawn asks, what took them so long? And Angela explains, we were just tying up some loose ends. Right. Corey agrees and then changes the subject. We better get going if we don't want to miss this movie. Topanga and Angela walk away, but Corey stays behind with Shawn. Are we okay? Shawn shrugs. You're my date, aren't you? He puts his arm around Corey and they walk out together. And then we're in the tag. It's poetry night. Corey's back on stage and he tells the audience his next poem is called Frustration. The bongos play an upbeat tune and Corey gets very serious. He wails, come on, Topanga. The audience hesitantly applauds. Corey looks at the bongo player and they simultaneously pump their fists in victory. Corey moves on. This next poem is called Feeny. The bongos play once again, and Corey does a little dance before starting. Mr. Feeny is very smart on many subjects, including art, and yet he can't help me with my frustration. Come on, Topanga.

[Ryder Strong]

Very funny, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

Very funny. Very, very funny. Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World Show. You can send us your emails podmeetsworldshow gmail.com and we've got Merch.

[Will Friedle]

As we slowly wither like the ancient birch, we ponder the query shouldest I obtain some merch?

[Danielle Fishel]

Pod Meets World Show.com writer send us 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 Carp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sugbash, producer Matty Moore, engineering engineer and Boy Meets World super Van Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com.

[Will Friedle]

This is an ad for the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Let's say it together the Active Cash.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

Learn more at wells fargo.com/activecash Terms apply hello darlings.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pack your suitcase for a new season of the Hulu original reality series Vanderpump Villa. Let's do this. Ciao. It's Stassi, of course. Lisa brought in her favorite to be resident chaperone of the castle. Darcy is an icon. She's my eyes and ears. I love this. Get ready for the luxury and drama that awaits us in Italy.

[Will Friedle]

Cheers to all the toxic couples in the castle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Season 2 of Vanderpump Villa premieres April 24, streaming on Hulu.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Spring is in full swing, which means it's time for spring cleaning. Don't worry, we've got everything you need to stock up on spring cleaning essentials because a clean home is a happy. Shop in store or online for spring cleaning favorites like Method All Purpose Cleaner, Swiffer Heavy Duty Mopping Cloths, Lysol Bathroom Cleaner, Scotch Brite Sponges and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and Save. Offer ends April 22. Promotions may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Unknown]

The Black Effect Podcast Festival is back. We're partnering with Nissan so pull up to their exclusive lounge to get a special look at the all new 2025 Nissan Kicks and Nissan Rogue. The Nissan Rogue S is more affordable than CR V and RAV4 and features available 12.3 inch touchscreen display while the all new Nissan Kicks holds it down with a totally redesigned interior cabin with features like available wireless Apple carplay and available panoramic moonroof. Relax and see how Nissan is leveling up the game. Come kick it April 26th at Pullman Yards in Atlanta. Get ready for culture, community and good conversation.

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