TGI – Episode 711 “What a Drag!”

Summary

Pod Meets World – Episode 711: "What a Drag!"

Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, Will Friedle
Theme: A candid, critical, and humorous rewatch and breakdown of Boy Meets World season 7, episode 11, “What a Drag!”, with behind-the-scenes stories, cast reflections, and sharp contemporary perspectives.

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Episode Overview

The hosts—Danielle, Will, and Rider—return to analyze what they collectively agree is one of the most notorious episodes of Boy Meets World: "What a Drag!" The episode features Eric and Jack going undercover in drag to hide from a thug after accidentally busting an illegal rave, while Cory’s latest attempt at redecorating drives Topanga up the wall. The hosts discuss why this episode is regarded as one of the worst in the series, dissecting the writing, performances, and the context of the show’s waning final season, all while sharing personal stories and reflections.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Revisiting 1999’s Episode: Plot Recap

• A-story: Eric and Jack (Will & Matt Lawrence) pose as women to evade a vengeful student gangster, Crazy Luther, after busting his illegal rave. The episode leans on physical comedy and questionable jokes rooted in cross-dressing and "gay panic."
• B-story: Cory surprises Topanga by overhauling their apartment… without her input, resulting in more slapstick and a marital communication subplot.

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Hosts’ Initial Reactions & Episode Quality

[13:34 – 15:22]

• Ryder: Immediately dubs it “...top five, probably top five...really, pretty bad—if not the worst—episode of Boy Meets World.”
• Danielle: Shares that even her husband Jensen (a relentless optimist) “absolutely hate[d] it”—the first time in their full rewatch.
• Will: Mocks positive expectations before sighing, “It was awful.” Describes shooting the episode as "borderline unwatchable."
• Group consensus: The episode felt phoned-in, bereft of “redeeming qualities,” filled with ham-fisted gags and characters far removed from their original arcs.

"This was just...borderline, and I mean real borderline, unwatchable." – Will Friedle [15:15]

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Why Did It All Go Wrong?

[18:23 – 21:20]

• Seventh Season Malaise: Danielle articulates how earlier years felt “protected” by cast and crew, with a shared goal “to make a good product.” By Season 7, that nurturing was gone: “...they didn’t feel the need to protect us or the characters. So it just became, ‘You write a script, you write a script, you direct an episode, you direct an episode.’”
• Diminished stakes: The knowledge it was the last season resulted in “just lit a match to [everything] we worked six years to build. And yet we all still had to go out there and do it.”
• Unmotivated plots: Will and Ryder critique the drag plot for dangling on a joke premise (Eric being an “ugly woman”) with zero narrative build-up or heart, calling back to how earlier episodes (e.g., "Chick Like Me") handled gender issues with far more thought and authenticity.

"All the good that [earlier, thoughtful episodes] did...this kind of undid. None of it made any sense." – Will Friedle [20:17]

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Guest Star Deep Dive

[21:48 – 23:37]

• Andrew Levitas (Luther): Now a respected multidisciplinary artist and film producer/director, but here “got screwed” with a thankless role.
• Brad Everett Young: Background gang member, later a famous photographer and arts advocate (died tragically in a car accident).
• Hosts reflect on the recurring BMW trope: why are all the show’s “gang” leaders portrayed as “hot, leather-jacketed guys”?
• Meta-commentary on TV Casting: “50s bully archetype”—leather jackets = bad guys.

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Writing & Production Problems: Backstage Stories

[25:07 – 27:54]

• Will describes fighting with showrunner Michael Jacobs about the script, objecting that two adult men wouldn’t need to dress in drag to hide from a single student thug—“We could crush this man.” The compromise: adding more “thugs” to increase threat level.
• Will admits partial blame: he’d asked Jacobs for more opportunities to play “multiple characters” that season, with Jacobs pushing him toward an SNL-style showcase. But “a lot of it was not …motivated.”
• The tone of the show had become cartoonish and random, lacking the “over-the-top” sense that earlier comedic episodes nailed.

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The Ugly Woman Gag & Its Politics

[33:41 – 37:01]

• Repeated, forced “Eric is ugly” jokes: hosts agree it doesn’t land, especially since Will doesn’t look that bad in drag; Matt Lawrence’s makeup is actually “more disturbing.”
• Will: “That’s all it needed. Matt Lawrence: pretty, ’cause thin.”
• Host confusion and disappointment that the show leans so heavily on body-shaming and cheap physical humor, without the satirical edge of “Chick Like Me.”

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Dissecting the A-Story (Drag/Rave) & Missed Opportunities

[45:10 – 64:51]

• The plot hinges on Eric & Jack’s “ugly women” personas; not only is it painfully drawn out, the punchlines are shallow and repetitive.
• Feeny’s cameo becomes an OOC vehicle for a “double D” joke, undercutting a character typically defined by warmth and guidance.

"Feeny recognizes right away and specifically calls Eric over...to insult him. Just like Feeny would do." – Will Friedle (sarcastically) [45:13]

• “Gay panic” jokes abound in Jack/Luther scenes; hosts call this “the worst scene in Boy Meets World history.”
• The drag payoff—blackmailing the gangster with a compromising “incriminating” photo—reads as both nonsensical and retrograde.

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B-Story: Cory, Topanga, Yellow Paint and Cork

[38:12 – 42:56]

• Cory’s redecorating subplot is derided as silly but at least (slightly) more grounded. The hosts note Cory’s “yellow” as a signature character color—a rare spark of continuity.
• The emotional payoff is rushed: Cory redoes the apartment “in half a day,” and the resolution feels unearned (“character change off-screen”).
• The “mirror over the bed” joke devolves into comedic riffing on the awkwardness of mirrored sex, led by Ryder and Will.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ryder: "I was probably trying to make her jealous." [05:13]
• Will (reflecting on the drag plot): "I think this is the worst scene in Boy Meets World history… and I think the Danielle/Will scene is second." [51:39]
• Danielle (on Feeny): "Nobody is their character anymore… None of our characters are our characters this season." [41:09]
• Will (about cross-dressing/fat jokes): "My arms were not covered much, which I think is to show, like, I look big and awful…like, look at the fat guy in the dress." [36:01]
• Will (on the season overall): "I realized I was conflating how much fun I was having on set with the quality of the show." [47:46]
• Danielle (final thoughts): "I feel sad for those of us on that screen." [71:21]
• Ryder: "I'm very glad I had such a small part this week." [71:27]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening personal stories/Teen Beat diary: [03:05–08:53]
• Immediate reactions to "What a Drag!" [13:28–16:35]
• Analysis of Season 7’s decline & feeling unprotected: [18:23–21:20]
• Behind-the-scenes fight about the plot: [25:07–27:54]
• Drag costuming/makeup and "ugly woman" jokes: [33:41–37:01]
• Feeny’s out-of-character insult: [45:10–46:45]
• Worst scenes verdict: [51:31–53:19]
• B-story breakdown (yellow paint and cork): [38:12–42:56]
• Meta reflection on season, show’s tone shift: [47:46–48:27]
• Concluding thoughts/discussion of next episode: [71:03–72:26]

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Themes & Tone

The episode is a raw, often biting look back at Boy Meets World’s late stages— equal parts playful, self-deprecating, and earnest. The hosts maintain their signature chemistry and openness while refusing to sugarcoat what they see as creative missteps and painful choices in the show’s final year. Moments of affection for castmates and glimmers of fun contrast with a clear-eyed critique of lazy writing, missed opportunities, and dated humor.

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For Listeners Who Missed This Episode

• Expectation check: The hosts rate this as one of the weakest Boy Meets World episodes and don’t hold back on their criticisms, making for a lively, cathartic dissection for series fans.
• Behind-the-scenes gold: Insider stories about production disagreements and the realities of 90s sitcom writing, plus the rare instance of actor dissent.
• Cultural reflection: Open criticism of the episode’s reliance on gender stereotypes and “gay panic” gags, sharply contrasting with earlier, more progressive BMW episodes.
• Strong camaraderie & humor: Even in disappointment, the trio’s rapport shines through, leading to laugh-out-loud asides (mirrored sex, 90s nostalgia, guest star trivia).
• For hard-core fans: Get ready for a definitive, honest post-mortem on “What a Drag!”—and a teaser for the next recap: “Family Trees.”

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Closing

The hosts wrap up by gently roasting themselves and the show, expressing real regret about the episode’s failings but also reinforcing their love for each other and the BMW legacy. “Pod dismissed.”

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Next up: Season 7, Episode 12 “Family Trees” Follow: @PodMeetsWorldShow
Contact: podmeetsworldshowmail.com
Merch: podmeetsworldshow.com

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed human Hi, you're listening to Meditating with Jan from Toyota. Soften your focus and visualize yourself off roading in a Tacoma. Now engage your senses. What do you hear? A donkey? Because you're driving the kids to a farm sanctuary in a Grand Highlander. Breathe in, breathe out and go from dreaming it to driving it today.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

Toyota let's go Places this Women's History

[Danielle Fishel]

Month the podcast Keep It Positive Sweetie celebrates the power of women, choosing healing, purpose and faith even when life gets messy.

[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Keep It Positive Sweetie creates space for honest conversations on self worth, love, growth and navigating life with grace and grit, led by women who uplift, inspire and tell the truth out loud. I have several conversations with God and

[Will Friedle]

I know why it took 20 years

[Danielle Fishel]

to hear this and more. Listen to Keep it Positive sweetie on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi everyone, I'm Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things. I'm excited to share that I have a new podcast called Mind Over Mountain. In each episode, I interview athletes, adventurers and adrenaline seekers to discuss the inner landscapes that informed and inspired their extraordinary feats so we too can better understand how to face our own seemingly insurmountable challenges. Listen to Mind Over Mountain every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts on the adventures of Curiosity Cove. Podcasts what if the right fit isn't what everyone expects? In the case of the Right Fit, Ella explores movement, confidence, and belonging and learns that not all strength looks the same. This Women's History Month story introduces kids to women who change sports by trusting themselves and moving different. Listen to Adventures of Curiosity Cove every Monday from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryder Strong]

It's the new me and it's the old them.

[Danielle Fishel]

This Woman's History Month the podcast if you Knew Better with Amber Grimes spotlights women who turn missteps into momentum and lessons into power.

[Ryder Strong]

My like, tunnel vision of like I

[Danielle Fishel]

gotta achieve this was off the strengths

[Ryder Strong]

of like I wanna make a better life for us.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you knew better brings real talk from women who've lived it unpacking, career pivots, relationship lessons, and the mindset shifts that changed everything. Listen to if you Knew Better with Amber grimes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I had Rachel Leigh Cook on Teen Beat.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, geez, here we go.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it was so fun and so good to see her, but she shared a story with me. Oh, no. That I wanted to bring here to my podbeats World universe.

[Will Friedle]

So excited.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't want this.

[Danielle Fishel]

So to give you a little bit of backstory, I told her, I said, you know, I've been reading snippets of my teenage diary on pod meets world. And I said, and the thing that struck me, one of the things that struck me as being so funny, is that I have all these diary entries from the time that Rachel and Ryder. That you two were dating. And it's.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Cause you talk about going to acting class with us.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, right. And I said, and it's so apparent that I just have the biggest crush on Ryder, but I like Rachel too much to hate her. But, like, I'm seething inside. Like, in. In the writing. It's like, hung out Ryder and Rachel today. She's so cool, right?

[Will Friedle]

I don't want to punch her at

[Danielle Fishel]

all, but I don't think she understands him. And so I said, did you. Just curious. Did you ever pick up, like, when we were hanging out, did you ever pick up on the fact that I had a crush on Ryder or that maybe, you know, somewhere I was jealous of you? And she goes, no, but I have a story. And now I'd like to play the clip.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, what?

[Danielle Fishel]

I remember one time he said to me, like, if you weren't with me, you know, who would you want to be with? And I realized in retrospect that he was probably thinking I'd be like, oh, I don't know, James Dean if he was still alive or something like that. But instead I say the name of my ex boyfriend, and he takes it on the chin. And I was like, I realized that I've probably answered wrong. And then I say, well, what about you? And he goes, danielle.

[Will Friedle]

What?

[Danielle Fishel]

Stop the presses. I think I didn't remember. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Was like, I was.

[Ryder Strong]

I was probably trying to make her jealous.

[Danielle Fishel]

You were trying to make her jealous.

[Will Friedle]

I knew it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I knew it. I was like, you were probably trying to make her jealous.

[Ryder Strong]

We were definitely hanging out all the time. I know, but yeah, she's probably right that, like, I expected her to say, like, some, you know, celebrity dead guy. When she said that, I was like,

[Danielle Fishel]

fine, well, how about my friend that, you know, that we hang out with every day with? Oh, my God.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

How about that?

[Will Friedle]

Just for the record, have you guys ever kissed anything on tv? No. Other than that. Other than that, you never had a moment when you were hanging out? Nothing. It never crossed the line. Nothing ever happened. Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Never. Like we've talked about. We were cuddly the way teenagers. The way teenagers are cuddly.

[Ryder Strong]

Which would probably cross the line now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now, in terms of. Yes, I would not ever go over to your house and lay on with my head on your chest and my leg draped over your leg listening to Counting Crows. But we definitely did.

[Ryder Strong]

We would work the car seems normal and look at stars and listen to

[Will Friedle]

music and talk and run in the

[Danielle Fishel]

rain together holding hands. We wouldn't do that.

[Will Friedle]

Now, that seems totally normal. You were dating and you just didn't know it.

[Danielle Fishel]

But my favorite part of the whole thing is that when she finished the story, I. We started laughing and talking over it. But she looks right at the camera and she goes, do you think I forget? Oh. And I was like, oh, my God. Anyway, I just felt like my Teen Beat world fully crossed over into the pod meets world universe. And I had. And I had to share.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

So. So you can hear the rest of the Rachel Leigh Cook interview over on the designated feed at Teen Beat. Yeah, it was. It's so much fun to talk to her. I've had so much fun doing that show and just getting. Hearing people's stories of what they were like as kids and teenagers. Also getting Rachel's per. Like the way Rachel felt about herself. She's like, I was such a Try hard. And I was like, it's so crazy

[Ryder Strong]

because she was like the definition of cool. But she was always. She. I mean, the thing about Rachel is that she was. She was always kind of. She thought of herself as like a dorky.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Person. And it was like, you're. There was nothing ever dorky. I mean. Yeah. No. I mean, except she was earnest. She was not like. But she just always had the best taste in clothes and music and movies and art and like. Yeah. She was so sophisticated. But she never, like. She never thought of herself as sophisticated, which.

[Will Friedle]

That was you.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Ryder Strong]

Maybe I just described yourself and describe.

[Danielle Fishel]

Writer is into cool clothes, per se.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, see, I think he was back in the day.

[Danielle Fishel]

He was I. Birkenstocks and Jenko jeans. I mean, Jenko jeans.

[Ryder Strong]

I think in retrospect, I can say graduation. I was a pretty cool kid in some ways, but I didn't feel the cool like.

[Will Friedle]

No, but nobody does. No. There's one thing I imagine, Danielle, you're gonna learn from your show is that there's something wrong with you. I think honestly, if you look back and you're like, my teenage years, I was awesome. And the world was at my doorstep and it was the best time of my life. Like, everybody hates being a teenager. At the end of the day it's so tough and you're going through so many changes and so it's like you look back, but you were totally cool and sophisticated and you know, we, you drove a BMW and you wrote poetry and you were friends with Adam Duritz. I mean, of course your teenage years were awesome.

[Ryder Strong]

I think part of it was that I was always hanging out with older people, you know, not just like even in my hometown with some of my brother's friends. And like, so I just always felt like sort of the younger kid crashing the party who like was lucky to be there. Do you know what I mean? When in retrospect, like, yeah, it was pretty cool doing cool things and I just didn't feel that way, you know. But yeah. God, that's interesting.

[Will Friedle]

You're right.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

When I think of important phone calls, I think about one from 30 years ago that changed my life forever. I remember getting word that I was cast on a new Friday night sitcom called Boy Meets World and a phone call from the agent and the rest is history.

[Will Friedle]

Well, did you know that 2026 will mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever phone call? It took place on March 10, 1876.

[Ryder Strong]

And from the call that sparked it all, from the first long distance phone

[Will Friedle]

lines to the first lines across America and the first lines across the Atlantic

[Ryder Strong]

to the first round the world call, the first commercial cell Service and the

[Will Friedle]

first 911 system, AT&T has been connecting people for 150 years in so many different ways.

[Ryder Strong]

Can you imagine all the important phone calls that have taken place over 150 years?

[Will Friedle]

How many lives were saved?

[Ryder Strong]

How many people asked if your refrigerator is running?

[Will Friedle]

You hang up first.

[Ryder Strong]

No, you hang up first.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, let's just hang up at the same time.

[Ryder Strong]

It's been 150 years of connecting an absolutely mind blowing stat.

[Will Friedle]

And one of the reasons it's come this far is AT&T. Thanks. AT&T and happy birthday phone calls.

[Danielle Fishel]

Connecting changes everything.

[Ryder Strong]

AT&T.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Today. We are recapping Season 7, Episode 11, what a Drag.

[Ryder Strong]

The greatest episode of Boy Meets World World history. May this go down. Let's proclaim it now. Let's. Let's just before we say it again,

[Will Friedle]

yes, we know what Ryder thinks.

[Ryder Strong]

Gold star, man. The Emmys just snubbed us in our final year with our greatest ever. Do you think Bill Daniels looks at his entire career and says, but that one time when I made a double D joke to Eric Matthews?

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

It originally aired December 3, 1999. The synopsis, Corey decides to redecorate the apartment while Eric and Jack pose as girls to hide from a rave throwing thug.

[Ryder Strong]

You can't even like.

[Will Friedle]

I think you're gonna be surprised.

[Danielle Fishel]

I like to call this episode the Leather Jacket Gang is alive and well.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was directed by Jodi Binstock. It is her third and fourth final episode of Boy Meets World. It was written by Carlos Aragon. Before I jump into, our guest stars, Ryder, take it away with your overall thoughts.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, no, I. I think this is pretty bad. Pretty, pretty up there. And you know, definitely top 10 worst episodes of Boy Meets World. If not top five, probably top five. I would say it's hard to remember all of them, but I would say this is pretty bad. I mean, actually the B story is cute. And again, we're in the. The Cory Topanga era, which I do like, so that's cool. But yeah, it's. It's really.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, I mean, and it's one thing, like, it's. It's. It's just. I don't know. I found it really insufferable.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, well, I.

[Will Friedle]

It surprised me. I actually really liked this episode. I thought this was fun and kind of out of the box. I like the. I'm kidding. It was awful.

[Ryder Strong]

Jesus, when is he going to drop? No, I thought maybe I was like, maybe he was really into his own performance so much. God, the fact that you're doing a French accent the whole time and crying

[Will Friedle]

in a French accent the whole time because somebody helped me. Ugly. It is. This is so. And I realized just halfway through, it's what we've talked about. It's. This is the biggest drug trip. Nobody kind of cares about the stories. It's. It's so. I don't. I don't know what to think. I don't know what to say about this episode. I really don't. None of it makes any sense. I remember shooting this week. I remember specifically some stories about this week. But I remember getting into a fight with Michael at one point. But this was just. It was. It was borderline and. And I mean real borderline unwatchable.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. No, I actually found myself looking at my phone.

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Which is, you know, like I don't do in life in general, but, like, especially when we're watching shows for the

[Will Friedle]

podcast and for 22 minutes. This is not six hours checking the news. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And I was like, what's going on? I had to like, stop myself, be like, keep watching.

[Will Friedle]

It is everything about this. And I know you said you like the B story. It was so lost in the quagmire of whatever the hell was happening in the A story that I just didn't.

[Ryder Strong]

The real ruin of the B story is the fact that they actually try to have like a Boy Meets World sweet moment where Eric as a woman gives the advice for the lesson of the B story. And I was like, what is happening here? It's like a.

[Will Friedle]

Nobody realizes that it's Eric. I'm sitting there talking to Topanga and

[Danielle Fishel]

she doesn't get it that everyone has to pretend that we don't recognize you two. Also, I've never seen a more hideous woman than Matt Lawrence in my life. And you are substantially better looking than he is.

[Will Friedle]

Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

I. What I do have to share. We've now watched however many episodes. We're coming up on 140 some odd episodes. We're in 145 episodes of Boy Meets World, if not more at this point.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Jensen has never hated any of them. He's always been able to. He's always like, listen, here's the. The silver lining I really like. Even when we've all been like, I hate it. No redeeming qualities. He's found. Redeeming qualities. This was his. He said, I. I absolutely hate it. I didn't hate it as much as he did.

[Will Friedle]

Can I tell you also that I think that this episode, more than any episode that we've seen, which is now almost all of them. You're all furious. You're all clearly out of. You're not even there. There are parts where Danielle feels sad. Yeah. Will, you're doing what you've done well this whole season, which is like, try not to drown. And you drown. Yeah. No, it's bad. It's bad. It is. And it's. You almost want to. And again, from an actor's standpoint of us working, getting to spend the year with each other, making more money, which is, of course, important, giving the fans something else, which is great. Season seven, great. I'm glad we got a chance to do it and all be together for the legacy of Boy Meets World. It almost feels like we would have been better to end after season six.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, you know what bothers me about it is it feels. There is a part of me that when I watch it, and I do feel sad. I feel like I'm looking at Danielle being sad. There is a sense. And I remember feeling that way that season that felt like we had been raised and nurtured in kind of this. Not that it was all pleasantries, obviously, but we had been protected as a show, and we had the same goal, and it was to make a good product, and we were enjoying doing it. And then for some reason, in the seventh season, because they knew it was over anyway, they stopped caring about us, and they didn't feel the need to protect us or the characters. So it just became, you write a script. You write a script, you direct an episode, you direct an episode. Let's bring this person and throw that character out the window. Who cares anyway? And now this thing we worked six years to build, they just lit a match to. And yet we all still had to go out there and do it.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. So. And it was also the thing that also made me sad was it kept just. I kept just thinking about Ryder's performance and Ben's performance in Chick Like Me. And it kept just making me go like, you know, all the good that did this kind of undid. And it was just. None of it made any sense.

[Ryder Strong]

It was so well motivated. It was just so poorly motivated. And then.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, and it was even worse at the beginning. That's why Michael and I fought. I will get into that, because, I

[Ryder Strong]

mean, but it's just like the idea that Eric is, like, motivated by being upset that he's an ugly girl. Like, that's literally what your character is supposed to be doing for like, three scenes. Not one. Not one moment, but, like, it's the entire character arc. And it's like, actually could have been set up pretty easily if you were talking about looks in the beginning, if you were talking about how women look or, you know, the way you feel about your own looks, or don't even think about your own looks standing next

[Will Friedle]

to Jack, how, you know, used to look better any. There's ways you could have done it,

[Ryder Strong]

but instead it just becomes this jokey motivation that then we're supposed to carry through so many scenes. I was like, I don't care. I don't believe this.

[Danielle Fishel]

So why not make it Jack, who is an ugly woman and he's never been told he was ugly in his life.

[Ryder Strong]

Wonderful, great. So much better.

[Danielle Fishel]

And he all of a sudden is like, but wait, you know, and you could then help him through like that. It.

[Ryder Strong]

Right. And then he's pursuing the guy because he wants the guy to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Validation.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, validation. Even though it puts him closer to getting caught. Ye. No, it's.

[Will Friedle]

But this is. Was just.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, it's too bad.

[Will Friedle]

This was a very, very tough watch.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, jumping into our guest stars, we have Andrew Levitas as Luther. He had appeared in the movie In N Out and TV shows like the Nanny and Party of Five, but has since become quite the renaissance man. As a multidisciplinary artist, his work spans all types of mediums. Visual art, sculpture, film, and installation, with an emphasis on experimental mixed media. He's best known for his signature metal work photography process in which photograph photographic images are chemically transferred onto sheets of metal, blurring the line between painting, photography, and sculpture. His work often explores themes of environmental decay, human fragility and urban transformation. Exhibited internationally in numerous galleries and museums, he's also produced several films including the White Crow, directed by Ralph Fiennes, Georgetown, directed by Christoph Waltz and Lullaby, a movie he directed.

[Ryder Strong]

So good for him, man. Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Awesome.

[Ryder Strong]

And he got screwed in this episode. Man, did he.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can you imagine having to do commit to this character? Also, why are the leaders of all gangs hot?

[Will Friedle]

Well, because we like to. No, I don't. I was never part of.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, why. Why they, like, why did they put that in the minds of young women?

[Ryder Strong]

50s bully archetype, right? Like, they clearly just liked the, like, bad boy leather jacket, James Dean wannabe greaser. Because it's like such a clear archetype. It's like you have Harley. You have Harley's replacement Griff. To a certain extent. You have this now. It's like always these like, handsome, gorgeous guys, but it's also the leather Jacket

[Will Friedle]

instantly signifies, you know, there's three guys with leather jackets. You're bad. You just need that. That's all you need to see. And we know. And it wasn't three guys when we started, so. Yeah, right. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then there's Josh Lamb as gang member. This appears to be his first and only credit in the entertainment business. And also we have another featured background actor in Luther's Gang, played by Brad Everett Young. This was uncredited, but he also appeared on shows like Felicity and Grey's Anatomy and in movies like Love and Basketball and the Artist. He'd eventually become an always working celebrity and red carpet photographer, published in magazines like Vanity Fair, Vogue, People, Variety, and with celebrities like David Harbour, Sarah Michelle Geller and Seth Green. Sadly, Brad collided with a car going the wrong way on the 134 freeway and died at the young age of 46. Oh, God. Young also founded Dream Loud Official, a grassroots initiative dedicated to restoring and preserving music and art programs in schools nationwide. So jumping into our recap, we start in the student union. It's late at night and Eric and Jack are working overtime behind the counter. Eric is spit shining the register when they're startled by a rattling at the glass doors. The boys hide and watch on as a handful of guys in leather jackets, which still means they're up to no good. Load in sound equipment. These hooligans are putting together some sort of secret event and they've sent out over 300 flyers. So they're expecting a big turnout. The main thug, Luther brags. Big crowd, big money, lots of beautiful women and none of it's legal.

[Ryder Strong]

Just in case we didn't know.

[Will Friedle]

Breaking the law. Breaking the law. Love it. Awesome. I love it. Yeah. So the original script, it was just him?

[Ryder Strong]

Really?

[Will Friedle]

Okay, it was him. He might have had a couple that like he. There was people that were helping him set up the rave, but it was just him. And I went to Michael. I'm like, michael, come on. And he's like, what? What? What's the problem? I'm like, what's the problem? We're going to dress like women to get away from this one guy. I'm like, matt's shredded and I'm £200.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Will Friedle]

We could crush this man.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. Two against one, two against one.

[Will Friedle]

And like what? That? Well, well, you know, it's all about you. Or you're the good guys. I'm like, no, Michael, this is. And we ended up getting into a fight about it. I'm like, I'm not doing it. I'm Not. There's no reason why we're getting dressed like women to get away from this one guy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And so we got into this whole thing. Well, then we'll give them guys. We'll give them thugs. I'm like, do something, because I'm not doing it this way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And it was the first time of really starting to stand up, where it's like, this is insane. And so he would. They went the other guy, and then they gave him 10 guys around it where it's like, at least make us feel threatened because this one little guy comes in, is like, I'm gonna kill you. Well, then we're gonna beat the. Out of you, because there's two of us.

[Ryder Strong]

But you were okay with being cooked

[Will Friedle]

in a pot again, at least? That was so absurd that it's like, this is fine. But it's. It's just. It was. All of it is just. I think it was also building up by this point of, you know.

[Ryder Strong]

And then it culminated to do this season.

[Will Friedle]

Man, oh, man. It culminated in me wanting to leave with the lotto tickets. I mean, that got. That goes later. But it was like, I just. It was. It was starting to build and build and build. And I remember Michael and I going at each other because this was. Made perfect sense to him. Made perfect sense to him that he's the bad guy.

[Ryder Strong]

And it's like, as a point of comparison, you think about players with squirrels, like, how much of a slam dunk that over the topness was.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

Versus the over the topness that they've been making you do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

In other episodes. It's too bad because it could have been, you know, it's fine to go over the top. Going big is great.

[Will Friedle]

I take some of this blame because I remember specifically asking Michael this season to let me play multiple characters. So I know because I had that conversation with him where I want to play more things. And I think Michael in, you know, the road to hell being paved with good intentions. I think in Michael's mind, he was truly writing me stuff to try to get me on snl. I absolutely believe that he would tell me that, I think you can go on snl. I think you can do stuff. So I believe in his mind, he was giving me the opportunity to do multiple characters because he thought that's where he wanted to see me go. And I asked for it. But it was. A lot of. It was not like, you know, playing the other. The. The other hotel manager that's motivated, you know, plays with squirrels. Motivated.

[Ryder Strong]

Or it's just one scene that it's like, funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

It doesn't have to carry a story right?

[Ryder Strong]

This.

[Will Friedle]

They have to.

[Ryder Strong]

You have to carry a whole story. In French accent.

[Will Friedle]

Yep. But I did ask. I remember specifically, so I take some of the blame. I specifically asked him to play multiple characters. And I do believe he thought he was doing something for my career that was going to be helpful. But this was just. This was a tough one to get through.

[Danielle Fishel]

A wide eyed Eric whispers to Jack, dude, this must be that floating rave the school has been trying to bust. He wonders if they should call the cops. But Jack reminds him, that's Crazy Luther. Montolfo. He's insane Montolfo.

[Will Friedle]

Now they're just starting to put in other people's names.

[Danielle Fishel]

We had Aragon, Erica, Montolfo. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And we had Eragon from Carlos. And now we have Erika Montalfo. Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

Erica asks Crazy Luther, the guy who sells the stereo products at low, low prices. Jack explains, no. Crazy Luther who chewed off his own brother's finger. Jack begs him not to go near this psycho man. But Eric has a different plan. If they catch Crazy Luther, they're heroes. Jack fantasizes off in the distance. Hmm. That would look good on my resume. Get a new job.

[Ryder Strong]

Was about to break this entire scene. I was watching him. Like, I think it's the line right before this, he could not. Not saying, like, he's just not looking at you. Trying to.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's when he said, crazy Luther who chewed off his own brother's finger.

[Ryder Strong]

It's not. I could tell.

[Will Friedle]

Is Crazy Luther supposed to be a student?

[Danielle Fishel]

I think so. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

He's not.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just like a neighbor.

[Will Friedle]

So he's a multiple felon who's done all this stuff and yet still a student at the university.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, he cares about his education.

[Will Friedle]

Copy that.

[Danielle Fishel]

That would look good on my resume. Get a new job, buy a beautiful house, and hire a security guard to shoot you on site if you ever come near my property. I don't like that joke.

[Will Friedle]

Well, most of them. Most of this episode is people making fun of Eric. Of how he looks or how he sounds, or even before he's a woman. Jack's like, I'm going to have you killed if you come near my home.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. So it's followed by a sweet moment, which would have been funnier if you guys had actually just kissed.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I was waiting for you guys. You're like, oh. I was like, oh, my God, just go for it. That would be so funny if.

[Will Friedle]

If you guys.

[Ryder Strong]

If we had any balls in the night. We would have just said, like, oh, just have them kiss and then never

[Will Friedle]

reference and never mention it again.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, my God. It would have been the way you look at each other. I was like, is this. Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

You would have made so many fans happy.

[Will Friedle]

No kidding. Yeah. Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Eric notes, sounds a little hostile, but I wish you well. Jack feels bad about his dream now, so the friends hug it out. After this little love fest, they sneak out from behind the counter, and we quickly flip to the result. Crazy Luther has been apprehended, held back by two cops. The rave impresario stares down Eric and Jack, who are proudly gloating about the arrest. We dropped a dime. We 911 your hoodlum butt. Jack tries to calm him down, but Eric's just getting started. He gets in Crazy Luther's face and taunts him with his fingers. Not so tough now, are you? You want to chew him off. Crazy Luther stares back with scary eyes and a creepy smile, a look that terrifies Jack. But Eric shows no fear. Come on. They're never gonna see the guy again. He threw a rave in the student union. He is. Is so expelled.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, yeah. So he's a student. Here you go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Jack points out that Luther didn't technically throw the rave. In fact, they turned him in before he could do anything illegal. Eric scoffs. If that were the case, then the cops would have no reason to hold him. They have to let him go. They'd have to let them all go. On cue, the cops release Crazy Luther and walk out of the building without another word.

[Will Friedle]

No. Or no, they don't. It's not. By the way, it's apparently not illegal to. To break in. They basically broke in while. Yeah, no, that's fine. That's fine. Also, the cops don't leave. The cops stand there with the rest of the gang while Luther then says, I'm going to kill you. And then they walk out with the gang.

[Ryder Strong]

Just join the gang.

[Will Friedle]

So the cops literally.

[Ryder Strong]

I was like, wait, they're not even

[Will Friedle]

having the cops walk out.

[Ryder Strong]

This is.

[Will Friedle]

This is literally all done in front of the police. Good luck. I'm gonna kill you, Matthews. You're dead. Let's go. Cops. Cops. And then they all walked out together as a gang. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

It was like, let's go get donuts.

[Will Friedle]

What the hell is going on? They did this in front of the police. The police don't do anything. It was like, wow, we'd give it up. At this point, I think we'd given up. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

His posse of hoodlums now flank Luther clearly angry at the student union employees. The inmates.

[Ryder Strong]

Ooh.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sensing trouble just as Eric turns around to spot the predicament. Eric and Jack cower in fear. But crazy Luther surprises them. I'm not gonna kill you today. Eric is pleasantly surprised, but quickly is brought back down to earth. I'm gonna let you go home and think you're safe. And when you think you are, you're not. Enjoy what's left of your lives, boys.

[Will Friedle]

Right in front of the cops that have now joined his gang. Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

Leaving Eric and Jack quaking in fear. Eric asks what's going to happen, and Jack breaks it to him. He's going to kill us.

[Will Friedle]

Dun, dun, dun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also, doesn't he smack you on the stomach?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Who? Luther. Did he, like, whack you? He, like, does that.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, God. Anyway, yeah, I was counting the books. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then we're in the guy's apartment. Sean's making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, when Jack bursts in the front door and quickly locks it behind him. He nervously scans the room. Where's Eric? Did Luther come here? Jack fears the worst. He got him, didn't he? Eric's gone.

[Will Friedle]

That was funny in this scene. Yeah, there's a couple scenes there where Matt was very funny. This is one of the.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, poor Eric.

[Danielle Fishel]

He sobs on Shawn's shoulder. He was so young and stupid. Shawn tells him Eric's okay, and Jack quickly snaps out of it. Great. Well, he won't be for long if we don't come up with a plan. Something very smart. And on cue, a woman walks out of Eric's room. And sure enough, the viewers and the screaming inmates realize it's Eric dressed in drag. He's wearing a wig with bangs, red lipstick, and a tight red dress and red heels to match. Also fake boobs.

[Will Friedle]

Well, that's my chest.

[Danielle Fishel]

What do you remember about the prep to go into this outfit? Nothing.

[Will Friedle]

I literally remember nothing about dressing up.

[Ryder Strong]

I just don't understand why they didn't make you uglier if the joke is consistently that you're so unattractive. I mean, it's such a weird predicament to put yourself in.

[Will Friedle]

I remember you and I rider having a ton of fun this week for this scene. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Really.

[Will Friedle]

You and I just kept cracking up. And. Because it's you and I in the mirror together, and you're the.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're, like, down there hemming my shirt. You're almost breaking, too.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, we. You and I had a lot of fun this week. I remember that specifically.

[Ryder Strong]

This was all I Had a very small part this week.

[Will Friedle]

This was. Thank God. Thank God.

[Ryder Strong]

What am I doing with this thing on my wrist?

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

I reach back.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And I grab this.

[Will Friedle]

Ah, there you go.

[Danielle Fishel]

So it's a needle.

[Will Friedle]

It holds the pistol.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're a tailor. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So I'm gonna.

[Will Friedle]

Gotcha.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're hemming.

[Will Friedle]

And then you get down on your knees behind me, and you're hemming my dress.

[Danielle Fishel]

Get into this. Yeah, you're right.

[Ryder Strong]

I was like, what am I doing with a watch? That's like a special. It's like. What is this thing? Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, you're.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm an idiot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sorry. No, not an idiot. That is. That's cute.

[Will Friedle]

A pincushion.

[Danielle Fishel]

A pin cushion. Correct. So Jack immediately responds, not that he'd rather die than follow this plan. So Eric notes, fine. After your funeral, I'm going shopping. Eric turns to Sean, adjusts his dress, and asks, how do I look, babe? Shawn looks him up and down. Yes, on the dress. No, on the face. Ryder, to your point, why didn't they make him uglier? Michael didn't think he needed to be uglier because he doesn't have a very feminine body.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I'm not fat. I'm big.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's not.

[Will Friedle]

So I'm ugly.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's not skinny.

[Ryder Strong]

So therefore, that's just.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's it.

[Will Friedle]

That's why Matt Lawrence was pretty. Matt Lawrence is pretty because of his body, and I was ugly because of mine.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's what it is. Also bangs, which don't work on anybody except Taylor Swift.

[Ryder Strong]

That's what I mean. You could have put you in, like, an awkward. I'm like, what we did with Ben on the chick like me episode is, like a bad wig. Bad. You know, like, it didn't work until he was Korra.

[Will Friedle]

Later.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's built like a bison.

[Ryder Strong]

Right?

[Will Friedle]

That's 100% it. It's 100%.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's it.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's all it is.

[Will Friedle]

That's it.

[Danielle Fishel]

He doesn't have a feminine body, and

[Will Friedle]

my arms were not covered much, which I think is to show, like, I look big and awful. And, like, check it out. Like, look at. Look at the fat guy in the dress. That's what it was. That's truly what it was. And that's all it needed. Matt Lawrence. Pretty. Cause. Thin.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

But Matt's face with the makeup stuff is actually more disturbing. Like, you are totally the. Much more pleasant to look at.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. You're gorgeous. The strip they put above, like, to block out and Then the thin painted.

[Ryder Strong]

There's something about his wig just doesn't match with the vibe. There's something off.

[Danielle Fishel]

Eric wonders what. Too much makeup. Sean clarifies. Too much ugly. Jack is still disturbed and shouts, eric. But Eric corrects him. Whoa. It's not Eric. Don't ever call me that again. Sean asks who he is, but Eric's not sure yet. He tries on a deep foreign accent. My name is Olga Svetlana. I am a shot put champion. I don't shave my armpits.

[Will Friedle]

My bad Schwarzenegger.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sean explains he needs to find his own inner woman. So Eric stares at himself in the mirror. Inner woman. Discover my chickness. He tries some seductive facial expressions as sexy music plays and Shawn watches closely in the background. And you're fully breaking. Finally, he lands on Chantal. Chantal du Bois. I'm a little French girl. He turns to Sean and adds, and I'm very shy. Sean sticks out a hand to greet his new Persona. Enchante, Chantal. Mid curtsy, Eric turns off the voice and grunts to Jack. Now you. He pulls a blonde wig out of a bag and hands it to Jack. You're La La Nelson. You're a trollop. Former drug addict. Jack whines, no.

[Will Friedle]

That made me laugh. That is very funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Trollope.

[Will Friedle]

Former drug addict.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, there's no way I'm doing this. He suggests that they leave town. But Eric reminds him, we can't leave town. We have midterms all week. Jack can't. No, no. I'm a man, and I'm staying a man. And I'm facing him like a man. Then there's a knock at the door, and he shrieks and then hides behind Sean.

[Will Friedle]

Great shriek, too. Matt had some moments in this one. That was great. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we're at Cory and Topanga Hole. Corey has painted the entire apartment bright yellow.

[Ryder Strong]

No, it's not a hole. It's a stink hole.

[Danielle Fishel]

A stink hole.

[Will Friedle]

A skank cavern.

[Danielle Fishel]

Trying. Trying to protect you guys. He confidently sings, my favorite color is yellow. I'm such a happy fellow. It makes me jiggle like jello.

[Ryder Strong]

Now, this was so cool to realize. Corey is very yellow. Isn't yellow the Corey color?

[Danielle Fishel]

It is. He is yellow.

[Ryder Strong]

Think of. And it's exactly this yellow. And it goes back to, like, the sweater. The sweater. Like, he has that yellow in the.

[Danielle Fishel]

But there's just.

[Ryder Strong]

When I saw it, I was like, this fits.

[Danielle Fishel]

This fits.

[Will Friedle]

So Corey. I love it.

[Ryder Strong]

It's so funny to have, like, a color for a character. And, like, I Was like, yeah, that's right.

[Danielle Fishel]

He is. Then Topanga enters and is shocked. Unaffected. Corey waves, hello. Who's the most wonderful husband there is.

[Will Friedle]

And that was such a mis. Joke how he does not turn around and say yellow. I don't understand.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Funny. Topanga doesn't know what to say. What did you do? Corey's not reading the room literally and suggests, go ahead, put on something sexy and thank me. Topanga states the obvious. You chose yellow. Cory brags, not just any yellow. This is the same yellow they used to paint those lines in the street. How about that? Topanga sarcastically repeats, how about that? Corey holds up the paint can and brags, $3.99 a buck.

[Will Friedle]

It.

[Danielle Fishel]

Same as the city pays.

[Ryder Strong]

My favorite line, like all the, like, low key. Corey's like, got a deal.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Same as the city pay. Like, so, like, hey, that's. You got to do that.

[Will Friedle]

I want to see 7th grade version of this. Cory and Topanga. I know, like, that would have been so wonderful to see old married couple at. When you guys are 11.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. They did some stuff like that.

[Will Friedle]

Some. But it was. I mean, I get what they were going. But I would love to have seen more this Cory and Topanga over the entire entire series because.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Well, we. The funny thing is this is a storyline between Corey and Topanga they've done before, which is Corey not listening to Topanga or not reading Topanga at all. But normally it has an outcome where we're mad about it. In this one one, he comes to the real. He's. The realization ends up being his. Topanga never needs to say anything.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

What does he do? I don't understand what happens.

[Will Friedle]

He. They try to. They try to explain in a way where he says, I've known you long enough to know you didn't like it and you were lying to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly that. I saw the reaction on your face. So why he lies throughout the whole episode. I love that look on your face when deep down, what he actually felt. As I know.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know why he did that. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

But yeah, it's like character, character, character change. Off. Off screen. Correct.

[Will Friedle]

No explanation.

[Ryder Strong]

No motivation. Oh, I never really felt that way.

[Will Friedle]

None of our characters are our characters this season. None. Feeny's not Feeny, for God's sake. Nobody is who they were. Nobody thrown away.

[Danielle Fishel]

Topanga realizes he's worked really hard on this, and Cory admits he has. Once we decided we were going to fix this place up, I really wanted to put my heart and soul into it. You know he wants her to be happy there. Topanga tepidly agrees. I want me to be happy here, too. Well, Cory announces he has a lot of ideas. Topanga quickly chimes in, sensing more trouble. Let's talk about them. Of course, Cory isn't hearing it. No, I want to surprise you. I mean, that look on your face when you walked in meant so much to me. Topanga wonders this look and shows off a fake smile. He beams. Yes. I've never seen you look like that before. It makes me want to surprise you every day for the rest of our lives. She grimaces. How long do you think that'll be? He shrugs. I don't know. It's a surprise. He gives her a kiss on the cheek and hands her the bright yellow paintbrush. On his way out the do door, she nervously asks where he's going and he responds, cork world. That's the button.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I didn't. Yeah, I don't.

[Will Friedle]

What don't you get?

[Ryder Strong]

Think. Yeah, I mean, I like the cork jokes, the cork coffee table stuff, but why he's decided that cork is what

[Danielle Fishel]

they need right now, right in this

[Will Friedle]

moment, I. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's a better button. We could think. Yeah, we.

[Ryder Strong]

You think there's a better show. There's a better episode.

[Will Friedle]

There's a better episode, yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Maitland and Trina got the week off though, huh?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm actually surprised because it, you know,

[Will Friedle]

wouldn't call it the week off so much as the reprieve. They got a call from the governor right as they're driving.

[Ryder Strong]

But it does seem like an. It seems. It doesn't. It seem like an obligatory scene to have the. Especially Maitland's character interacting with you guys as women. Like, it's interesting that they chose to just.

[Will Friedle]

She's a pretty one. Do that. Yeah, that wouldn't work.

[Danielle Fishel]

That wouldn't work. Chantal walks in with a high pitched bonjour. Crazy Luther and his posy happen to be sitting on the pool table, most likely planning their next illegal rave. Luther sees Chantal Sachet past him and she has caught his attention. Wow. Which goes against all happen and he's not interested in you, but yet you walk by and he goes, wow.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I think the wow is supposed to be how ugly I am, right?

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, really?

[Will Friedle]

I think it's supposed to be like.

[Danielle Fishel]

It doesn't play that part.

[Ryder Strong]

That makes a lot more sense because I was like, the fact that, you know, the sort of. What's supposed to be happening is that everybody that sees her is like, shocked by how ugly she is, right? And like that. The fact that he.

[Will Friedle]

I thought that's how I read that. Yeah, I think that's what he meant.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was with Ryder. I was like, wait a minute. He very clearly is interested in her. But then, okay, so maybe it's, wow, how ugly. Okay. Chantal rattles off, you see, Lala? You see how simple it is? He turns around and Lala is nowhere to be found. Chantal gallops back outside and calls out, lala, girlfriend, I believe it's time for you to make your debut. Jack, AKA Lala, walks in wearing a blonde wig, leopard print top, black miniskirt, black tights and leather boots. Boots. The audience screams at the outfit and Lala awkwardly twirls her hair for the hoodlums and then angrily beelines to Eric. This is crazy. Eric responds, it's not crazy. And don't call me Eric, Jack. Then the posse makes their way over to the women and Luther asks, how you doing? Instinctually, Jack responds in his normal voice, how you doing? But quickly realizes his error. Chantal quickly jumps in. This is my friend Lala. She's shy. Luther clarifies with an attitude, Well, I want to talk to just her. Okay? Chantal is offended. You don't want to talk to me? And Luther bluntly breaks it to her, no. Then all of a sudden, Feeny appears. I, however, do wish to talk to you. So does he recognize you?

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so he does.

[Will Friedle]

Feeny recognizes right away and specifically calls Eric over because the character has been so supportive for. For seven seasons. So he specifically calls Eric over to insult him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

Just like Feeny would do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Chantal responds, Ooh, it's Monsieur Feeny. Haha. Don't be a batinsky. It's a very long story. You will not figure it out. Feeny asks Eric, what's the figure? He's pretty and you look like a bison. Feeny shifts his attention to Eric's chest

[Ryder Strong]

and then his layer just disappears.

[Danielle Fishel]

He was.

[Ryder Strong]

Was hitting on Matt, making the moves. Feeney calls Eric over and then Luther goes away, just disappears.

[Will Friedle]

I also. It's so funny. I don't. Just because of the way, you know, it's. It's obviously not crystal clear on the screen when you're watching it. The whole time I'm sitting there with Sue, I was like pausing and I'm like, unbelievable. They got an extra in the background that looks so much like Danielle. It is unbelievable. I'm like, that is the craziest thing. No, it was you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, right.

[Will Friedle]

It was you sitting there, but I'm, like, sitting there the whole time going,

[Ryder Strong]

like, oh, my God, it's your bo.

[Danielle Fishel]

Comes in in the cork.

[Will Friedle]

Like, she looks so much like Danielle. That is crazy. And Sue's. No, no, no. The hair's shorter. I'm like, no, I don't. I think it just. God, it looks so much like. He's like, no, that's definitely not. And then it was like, oh, yeah, it's Danielle. I'm pausing it. I'm like, that's amazing. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, that is so funny. So Feeny shifts his attention to Eric's chest on his way out. Hmm. Double D's. Just like your grades.

[Will Friedle]

Doesn't ask, is anything wrong? What's going on? Do you need to. I'm always here for you, Eric. Do you need to talk? Nope. Throw Feeny under the bus, too.

[Ryder Strong]

When Sean does it in chick like me, that's the joke. It's like, if they ever need to talk, which is so funny because it's so in character sensitive. Feeny being a good teacher, taking this seriously. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

No. Literally calls Eric over just to insult him. I mean, nobody is their character anymore. And this. This is when I was watching it, when I made kind of a startling realization, because before I started watching the show and doing the podcast in my head, season seven was my favorite season. Like, I thought this was the best season. I walked out going. We got. I've talked about it in interviews. We were getting better as we were going on, we should have kept going. And what I realized was I was conflating how much fun I was having on the set with the quality of

[Ryder Strong]

the show and also just how in charge of the comedy you were. You know, like, the way you were leading these storylines finally, like, really leading storylines with just pure comedic performances probably was making you feel so good. It's just that, unfortunately, the scripts were not there to support you.

[Will Friedle]

And I didn't remember that at all. I remember walking away like, man, we were getting stronger and the scripts were getting better, and it was so funny. And watching it now, it's like, oh, God, no. We were just having fun. But the scripts are. It's just a totally different show.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's weird. Yeah, totally. Also, the audience loves when Feeny calls you a bison, but Chantal's spirit is crushed. I look like a bison. Jack assures him. No, he was just saying that. Don't take it so hard. In the scene right before this writer, Sean calls you ugly. No, too much ugly. And you have zero reaction to it. At all. But when Feeny says the word bison, that's. That's what happens.

[Will Friedle]

And drop the accent when you get. When you get upset. I mean, like, stop speaking in French and crying and be like, wait, am I really that, like. Like, make it. If it's. That's what you got. Make it a moment. Don't keep it in that French. I'm like, why am I.

[Ryder Strong]

When you go to, like, Topanga in that other scene, have one of the thugs nearby. So that's why you can't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

You have to do character instead. It's like you're just choosing to stay in character to have a real emotional experience as a woman. That is a relate. But again, it could have been set up if you were just insulted as Eric or feeling bad about your looks as Eric.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

So then you're like, oh, well, at least as a woman it's okay. And then it's like, suddenly not okay. And, you know, like that something set up?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, anything.

[Ryder Strong]

Voices are hard, man. Like, whenever you're stuck doing a voice, like a character voice for too long, I know it, like, it wears out. Its welcome.

[Will Friedle]

And that's what you pick and choose. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

It's something about on camera. Voices can be really. I think that, you know, a lot of really good movies have fallen prey to this. Like, even, you know, people swear by Zoolander. But I think part of the reason that Zoolander didn't. Wasn't a huge hit is because Ben Stiller was doing a voice the whole time. And, you know, that's when you know somebody's actual voice, it's very hard to buy in on them doing a character voice.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Even Cable Guy, which is a brilliant movie.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

When it did, it did not do well commercially. And I think part of the reason is that Jim Carrey decided to do a voice. He's doing a lisp, and everybody knows that's not real. And it's a little hard to just buy in. And so it adds this artificiality, reality. And I think, again, in both these storylines, you guys are doing a voice the entire time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And it's just.

[Ryder Strong]

You just lose your patience with it.

[Will Friedle]

You're like, okay.

[Ryder Strong]

And then you'll never buy it. You'll never believe it.

[Danielle Fishel]

CHANTAL CONTINUES IN HER FRENCH ACCENT how can I not take it hard? I see all the men look at me and point at me and avert their eyes and choke back their vomit. Jack BARKS at him dude, dude, keep it down. All right. But Eric won't listen. No, I am. But ugly Jack tries to comfort him, but she just shouts, don't look at me, Lala. Just let me die here. Jack responds in a rushed high pitched voice. Okay, okay. Ha. But Chantal can't stop. I don't know how much more of this I can take. He turns around and burps directly into Crazy Luther's face. Luther waves a hand in front of his nose and winces. Damn. Again, don't burp.

[Will Friedle]

I don't. Yeah, I don't. It's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Chantal explains, excuse me, it must have been the bad crepe. Then cries and runs away. Now alone with Lala, Luther hands her a calla lily and asks, you got a boyfriend? Jack responds in his high pitched voice,

[Ryder Strong]

he's hitting on a girl with a flower.

[Danielle Fishel]

Positively not. That's where he left. He went to go get the calla lily.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, that's right.

[Will Friedle]

That's what it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

Luther shoots his shot. You want one? And Lala loudly repeats herself, positively not. Crazy Luther sits her down on the couch and says, come on, Lala. I'll take you places you've never been before. Lala lets out an extremely nervous laugh. Bet you've never been there before either. Clever.

[Ryder Strong]

It's just one long gay panic joke for the rest of the episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Clever.

[Will Friedle]

I tell you. I think this is the worst scene in Boy Meets World history.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, this one right here.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. And I think that Danielle alone with Will is second. I think the first and second worst scene is in this episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Meanwhile, nearby, Corey runs in carrying a bunch of. A bunch of cork knickknacks. Topanga. Topanga, you are not going to believe this one. Cork World is going out of business. Can you believe that? Topanga doesn't get it. Cory is thrilled. Yeah, I bought everything they had. This is a cork coffee table. Do you realize the money we're going to save on coasters? She asks, what if I want coasters with that? He pulls some out. Got them anyway. He turns to leave, but Topanga wants to know where he's going. Corey laughs. I just bought two tons of cork. Where do you think I'm going to?

[Will Friedle]

Did you notice the books behind you, by the way?

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Will Friedle]

Number of books about Fleetwood Mac.

[Ryder Strong]

Really?

[Will Friedle]

There was music books and then just Fleetwood Mac. Rumors or dreams is behind you. Just books of it.

[Danielle Fishel]

And like, let's invite what's her name back. Maybe she'll remember them.

[Ryder Strong]

I love that.

[Will Friedle]

You can't even remember her name. Nope. There you go.

[Danielle Fishel]

She answers, I wouldn't know. And Corey shouts, wrong thumb to Tax City. He then excitedly scurries off.

[Will Friedle]

Yoo hoo. Oh, sorry. I thought we were just buttoning the scene.

[Danielle Fishel]

Topanga reminds herself, you love him. Just remember you love him. Do not forget you love him. She walks over to the coffee counter, passing right by a sobbing Chantal. Topanga is startled when she chimes in. At least he still finds you attractive. I just don't think the way a person looks should make them the object of ridicule. Topanga tries to comfort her by squeezing her shoulder, but when Chantal turns around, she gasps, yeesh. She quickly walks away because she's ugly.

[Will Friedle]

I'm not that ugly, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, you're really not. You're actually really pretty to the point

[Will Friedle]

where people are literally going, wow. And ugh. And I mean, is it that bad?

[Ryder Strong]

Like you could have had clown, like, bad makeup. Like, bad. Like you put on eyeliner. That is bad. Like, I hate to say it. Like Matt, Like Matt is overdone with his makeup and his eyebrows and so that looks like a thing has been done to his face. So you're like, what's. Something's off here. Which is of course, that he's a chiseled masculine face. But you actually. They did the makeup, so it actually makes you look like a decent looking woman. You're like, yes. There's no. It's believable.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're.

[Ryder Strong]

You're passing more than he is, which is so. I don't understand all the ugly stuff. It's really, it's.

[Danielle Fishel]

It makes no sense.

[Will Friedle]

Well, no, you're right. You're 100% right though, Danielle. It's that I'm bigger

[Danielle Fishel]

assumption was that

[Ryder Strong]

with your body, you would automatically be an ugly woman. With Matt's body, he would be a better pretty woman.

[Will Friedle]

Yep. Yes, 100%.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. Back on the couch, Crazy Luther is still trying to make a move on Lala. He grabs her hand and suggests they go somewhere more private. Lala responds, ooh, no, no. We must get off this CR train. Luther gets excited and throws an arm around her. Yeah, let's get crazy. Come on, I'm taking you to dinner. Lala follows his lead and manages to get free from his grasp. And sidebar with Eric. He thinks I'm pretty and he's taking me out. Chantal breaks into hysterics again. Oh, sure, rub it in. Lala and Crazy Luther walk off into the sunset as an accordion plays and Chantal complains. Who's going to take me out? The zookeeper. Also, why did they go to the student union? Why? They. They obviously didn't have to work work. Why not just hang out in your dorm?

[Will Friedle]

Because.

[Danielle Fishel]

Got it. Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we're on the student union patio. Topanga is reading a book when Corey comes sprinting up. She has to come to the apartment to see what he did. She insists she doesn't have to see it, but he insists after the yellow and the cork. I had an idea. Topanga is sure it's beautiful. Corey adds, it was my best idea yet. Want me to tell you? You. Topanga is sure she'll see it, but he wants to know when she pacifies him with someday. He's fine with that, but he needs to go back and finish. Then she half heartedly tells him to have fun and he reminds her on his way out, can't wait for you to see it. She flinches in disgust and is then joined by a still sobbing Chantal, who passed Corey like two ships in the night. Chantal takes a seat at the table and when asked if she's alright, Shantal exclaims, no, Topanga, I'm not. Not. How does Topanga think Chantal knows her? How come, Topanga?

[Will Friedle]

Well, she says, do I know you?

[Ryder Strong]

Do I know you?

[Will Friedle]

She says that's her next line. She's like, I'm sorry, do we know each other? I know.

[Ryder Strong]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

How.

[Will Friedle]

How you don't recognize your brother in law in a wig with some lipstick. With some lipstick on. Is. It's. It's so absurd. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Eric quickly catches himself. You're Topanga. Everyone knows you. You're beautiful. You have a wonderful husband who loves you. And I'll never have a husband because I'm a shy, ugly little French girl. Topanga insists that she's not.

[Will Friedle]

Even though before you recoiled totally.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, and Chantal is so happy to hear that. Really? Topanga plasters on that fake smile and laughs. We all have our problems. I mean, my husband who loves me also. Tamanga's just gonna make this about her. Just. You're crying. Listen, we all have our problems. I mean, my husband who loves me also. Chantal interrupts her. Corky. Topanga corrects him. Corey, our house is corky and yellow and I really don't like it at all. But I don't have the heart to tell him. Chantal suggests you should. He would not want to do anything that would make you unhappy. Happy. Topanga sighs, still fooled by Eric barely dressed as a woman. But he's so excited. Chantal insists what would make him really excited is to do something that would make you happy. Topanga asks, you think? And Chantal prompts her with a question, do you love him? Topanga admits, more than anything. Chantal follows up with, does he love you? Topanga reveals, for our whole lives.

[Will Friedle]

You also notice every time I talk to you, every single time, I lean forward and take your arm, and then I sit back, and then I lean forward and take your arm, and then I sit back, and then I lean. By the fifth one, I was like, dude, what the. Like, every single time I speak, I lean forward and grab your arm, and then I sit back and then lean forward and grab your arm, and then I sit back. Ugh. It was upset.

[Danielle Fishel]

So bad. So crazy. So Chantal declares it right then. Trust him. It will all work out okay. Topanga earnestly thanks him for caring. And Chantal notes, you seem like such a nice girl. Topanga returns the favor. So do you. They shake hands, and Topanga yells out in pain as he squeezes her hand a little too hard. She tells Chantal, it's nice to meet a new friend, especially one with such a beautiful spirit. Chantal gasps, did you just say that I was beautiful? Topanga contemplates her answer for a moment, then says, yeah, I did. And I meant it. You are beautiful. This would all mean a lot more had Topanga not recoiled in horror at the sight of your face.

[Will Friedle]

It's very much in keeping with her characters.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, exactly.

[Will Friedle]

She's not finding inner beauty at all. It's all surface stuff. And I'm fat, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Chantal's voice shakes. I am. Topanga nods. Yeah. Maybe we could be friends. I'm only friends with Hottie.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I noticed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Chantal sobs again. We would be such great friends, But I'm sorry, I can't. I'm sorry. Chantal gives Topanga a little slap on the arm, and again. She's hurt by his strength. She wonders, why not? Why? Why can't we be friends? Oh, well. Chantal reveals, because soon I will be gone. Either back to France or killed by Crazy Luther. Topanga's surprise. The stereo guy was this. Did the. Who thought this was funny enough to be a runner.

[Will Friedle]

What the crazy. The stereo take off on Crazy Eddie.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

I don't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Chantal clarified. No. The guy who bites off the fingers. But before Chantal leaves, she wants to thank Topanga one more time for calling her beautiful. She gives her new friend a big hug, rocking her head back and forth, almost suffocating her. Topanga responds, au revoir, Chantal. But she continues to cry. Cry. I don't know what that means, but goodbye. Chantal bends down so we can see all up her skirt and the inmates

[Will Friedle]

I ad lib that because you can see your face. You can see your face where it's

[Ryder Strong]

like a funny moment.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was like, and I cover you. I yank your skirt down. She walks off as generic French music plays in the background and Topanga looks disturbed. Later that night at the student union, just returning from their date, Crazy Luther leads Lala back to the couch and she's very obviously trying to keep her distance. Distance. He cuddles up next to her and asks, I bought you dinner and shoes. You coming back to my place or not? Lala gasps, no. You think you can buy me for a pair of slingbacks? Luther asks what it'll take and Jack thinks for a moment. She finally responds, some hockey sticks and some baseball cleats and okay, it's all men's stuff, right?

[Ryder Strong]

Because only men play sports. So it's all men's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it's men's stuff. Yeah. And cars, cars, cars. And everyone has a price. Luther brags, 89 Firebird T top. She adds, I'd want that. He quips back, well, you ain't getting that. And Jack snaps a sassy finger. Then you ain't getting nothing again. The inmates get rowdy, but Luther shakes it off fine. You're nothing but a big distraction anyway. Lala is shocked. Distraction from what? Crazy Luther answers, From killing those two inmates. Idiots.

[Will Friedle]

Because what you do is you tell your date that you're about to go kill people. Yeah, I love how he's just talking to people like in a crew. I'm gonna go kill these two guys that you don't know at all from before that you weren't there for. And I'm gonna go kill him.

[Danielle Fishel]

This episode. Yeah, those two.

[Will Friedle]

I'm gonna kill them.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, okay, I'm gonna get a couple of my boys and pound those too. Thanks to you. I'm very frustrated. Jesus Christ instantly tries to calm him down. Oh, oh. I wouldn't want to be responsible for any violence. What does violence solve? Luther explains. It solves that I'm not disrespected in front of my boys. I will not be made to look the fool. Jack betters him up a little.

[Will Friedle]

Reading it like Mr. T. I pity fool don't dress like Eric.

[Ryder Strong]

It's totally. You're getting into wrestle mode. So you're like WrestleMania speechifying.

[Danielle Fishel]

I see you don't want to be embarrassed in front of your pal. Luther nods. So Jack runs with it. When Lala hears all that he man talk, it gets her feeling a little snuggly. She nestles up to crazy Luther and bites her finger for emphasis. Luther likes what he's hearing and she calls out for Chantal. Oh, look at us. Aren't we just as pretty as a picture? Get a camera. Go get a camera. Eric does as he's told and scurries off to the student store. Luther questions a camera and Lala explains. Oh yes, I just love taking pictures, don't you? Luther shrugs. Whatever turns you on, baby. Then Chantal reappears with a camera. Jack commands her, let's get a picture of Luther and I documenting our passion. Chantal wonders why and Lala leads her friend to water. Because Luther values his reputation more than anything. And I'm sure his friends would just love to see a picture of him and me. Why did Eric need to be. Why did. Why didn't what? Why did they didn't think the audience would get it? Eric bends down and whispers to Jack in his normal voice. But dude, you're not even. Lala cuts him off and screams, just take the picture. Chantal does as she's told and Lala sets up Luther for the big payoff. Pucker your lips and close your eyes and you'll get a big surprise. Luther does as he's told, blinded but ready for a kiss. Jack whips off his wig and poses for the picture, flexing his muscles to emphasize his manliness. She tells Luther to open his eyes and he's greeted by Eric now with his low pitched voice. How you doing? Luther's eyes widen and he lets out a horrified grunt. It's you. Jack is unrattled. Let's discuss your reputation. At the same time, Eric pulls off his wig. Hello. Luther threatens to kill them both, but Eric grins. I don't think so. Jack holds up the Polaroid. You even look at us wrong again. This picture is going on the school web page. Web page. Internet mentioned web page. Luther tries to steal gay panic revenge porn. Luther tries to steal the picture back, but Eric snaps another picture of the two grappling for backup.

[Will Friedle]

Ding.

[Danielle Fishel]

A defeated Luther gives up. Fine. I won't look at you. Wrong. Eric puts back on his wig as the bully leaves. On his way out. Out. He looks at the bison. I won't look at you at all. Chantal barks back. Oh yeah, I'm beautiful on the inside. And on the inside, you're a pig. Luther storms away and Eric grinds up on Jack and again.

[Ryder Strong]

What a Thing.

[Will Friedle]

Same thing. Pig again. Pig and Tushy would be the name of our British bar. The Pig and Tushy.

[Ryder Strong]

The Pig and Tushy. We should do a pop up. We'll do a pop up of Chubby's and the late night spot will be Piggy the Pig. The Big Tushy dance.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, yes. The Pig and Tushy. I love it. We're there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Jack sighs in relief. Man, I cannot wait to go home and get out of these clothes. Eric doesn't say a word. He just continues to seductively dance around. Jack asks Eric and he responds, still in his Chantal voice, I've never felt so alive in my life. I just want to. He touches his fake boobs and continues to shimmy as the French music plays once more. And then we're outside Cory and Topanga's apartment. Topanga's at their front door practicing what she's going to say to Cory. Corey, I just want you to know that I love you and no matter what you did to the apartment, it's fine with me. She knows she's lying, but she walks in anyway and notices there are no yellow walls and no quirky furniture. The walls are blue, the furniture is normal, and Corey's just lounging on a nice couch. Topanga's startled. What did you do? He scoffs. You know. You know. You keep saying that. She looks around and declares, it's beautiful. He has asks, oh, what? It wasn't beautiful before? She tells the truth. No, actually it was hideous. Corey wonders why she didn't tell him, and she admits, because I know you. I know how much work you put into this and I didn't want to make you feel bad. Corey explains, well, Topanga, I know you too. I've known you my whole life and I know you didn't like what I was doing.

[Will Friedle]

He did this in half a day. He did this in half a day. All the furniture which they couldn't afford. Also at the beginning, which you didn't talk about the fact that he painted even the stove and refrigerator refrigerator yellow. But now by the end of the day, it looks like this. But they complain. He complained for two episodes about what it what the stank palace it was. What a shithole it is. But half a day.

[Danielle Fishel]

Half a day and it looks like this.

[Will Friedle]

And it looks like this.

[Ryder Strong]

Beautiful.

[Danielle Fishel]

Gotcha.

[Will Friedle]

Copy that. Still more believable than the A story.

[Danielle Fishel]

She says she loves it now and wants to see what else he's done. It's not enough.

[Will Friedle]

Enough.

[Danielle Fishel]

She runs off to the bedroom as Corey assures her, if there's ever something that I do that you don't love, all you have to do is tell me. It's not like it's going to hurt the marriage here. We're a team. And if you don't like something, then I don't like something. It's unhealthy, but okay. She walks back into the living room and matter of factly states, I don't like the mirror over the bed, but that's not going anywhere. He yells, tough. And in response, she playfully jumps on top of him.

[Will Friedle]

I never got mirrors over the place.

[Ryder Strong]

Bed.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, I mean, again. So you're looking it. If.

[Ryder Strong]

If you don't want to watch yourself, you want to watch yourself having sex. That's right.

[Will Friedle]

Right. But then you're watching. You're on the bottom to watch, to look at the thing. So she'd have to be on top.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. So you'd get to see

[Will Friedle]

her back, though, is what. Okay, but have you. You've watched yourself in an overhead mirror having sex?

[Ryder Strong]

Nothing terrifies me more than the. The thought of myself having sex.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, me too. I feel the same way. Can we cue the video? Cue the video of writer having sex.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm very comfortable. I'm very comfortable with a lot of aspects of it, but the thought of seeing what I actually look like, Horrified.

[Will Friedle]

I just never. I never got. I mean, I could see on the side or in front of you, but like, overhead. I don't, I don't. It's like you had to be in very specific positions for that to do. Anything to matter. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Back at the student union.

[Will Friedle]

No, Danielle's not touching that.

[Ryder Strong]

Danielle loves watching herself have studies.

[Will Friedle]

She does, she does. She's just in a big mirrored room, like, everywhere, Mirrors, floor to ceiling.

[Ryder Strong]

Nice. I did, when I was a kid, the f. The first time we looked for a place in la, we were looking at houses in Encino to rent for the second season of Boy Beats World. And I remember going in and with my mom just seeing in the bedroom, they had like this giant mirror above

[Will Friedle]

the bed, being like, why would you ever.

[Ryder Strong]

My mom be like, it's a thing. It's.

[Will Friedle]

It's a sex thing. Don't worry.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, real estate agent being slightly embarrassed to show us, like, yeah, right. Never got that choice.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Back at the student union, Jack and Sean are playing pool, and Jack's putting on an over the top wise guy accent as he calls his next shot. All right, we got the three ball, inside pocket. He makes the shot, but Sean Just stares at him. Why are you talking like that? Jack is offended. What do you mean? I'm a man, all right? This is how a man talks. And this is how a man dresses. And this is how a man walks. He struts while grabbing the front of his jeans. And this right here is how a man shoots stick. He lines up his next shot. But Sean has heard enough. You're overcompensating. Without warning, Jack gets defensive with a student walking by. What are you looking at? You want a piece of me, my friend? Get out of my eyesight. Sean notes. I bet Eric's adjusting to his manhood better than you. On cue, Eric walks in, still dressed as Chantal. Hello. Sean admits, maybe not. Chantal announces, hello, you two boys. It is such a beautiful day outside. But not as beautiful as me on the inside. Jack reminds him they're in the clear. He doesn't have to be a woman anymore. Eric's fully aware, but he just discovered how beautiful he is. So he's decided to stay like that forever, even though on the inside is where he's burning. You could still be you, right?

[Will Friedle]

I. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

He looks off in the distance. It's so satisfying and rewarding to be in touch with one. One's feminine side. Sean and Jack stare in disbelief. Then a cute girl walks by, and Eric immediately reverts back to his normal voice. Now I'm going to get in touch with her feminine side, so excuse me. He calls after her in the French accent. Hello. We can be best friends. Then he switches back to Eric. Come on. Everyone experiments in college.

[Will Friedle]

I hate to say I think I ad libbed that. I think that one's on there.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think you're probably right.

[Will Friedle]

Yep, that one's on. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, there was an episode, guys, that's an episode of Wormey's World. You had remembered more about this episode, Will, than I think writer I did because you had been like a few seasons ago you started saying like, oh, there's an episode where we. You remembered hating it.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I did. I hated, I hated doing it. This is very rarely did I read an episode and, and, and, and hate what I had to do that week. It was rare because I was like, all right, I'll find the comedy here. I'll do this, I'll do that. I hate, I hated this. I hated this from the second I read it. I fought with Michael about it. I hated this. I truly, truly hated this.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I feel, I feel sad for, for those of us on that screen. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm very glad that I had such a small part this week.

[Will Friedle]

I just.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, just make a sandwich and pick up some pool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Hemisphere skirt.

[Will Friedle]

Emma skirt.

[Danielle Fishel]

Our next episode is Season 7, Episode 12, Family Trees. It originally aired December 17, 1999. 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. Podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.

[Will Friedle]

Sorry, merch.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pod meets worldshow.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 Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sugbash, producer Matty Moore, engineer and boy meets world superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email. Email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com

[Danielle Fishel]

this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.