#gmw parallels

[lgbtshawn]

cory/shawn + floor talks

[softbaymax]

like stepfather, like daughter

[piperslovebot]

Rilaya 🤝 Geia

Best friends with potential to be the best power couple yet the writers are more in favor of flavorless ships (*cough r*cas and n*ia)

[charlieconwayy]

why jay/leia is the intended endgame: an unnecessarily long post

the very obvious answer to this is the whole legacy argument. who didn't know when the character descriptions dropped that those two would be a couple just for the whole "haha the kelsos are still driving the forman women crazy" joke? (which they haven't even made yet, which also makes me think we have in no way seen the last of them. we are DEFINITELY getting an eric freakout) kelso was a joke character nearly his entire stint on t70s. they never portrayed him as a good bf or caring ab . . . well anything other than sex, and then eventually betsy (trans!jay kelso theory?). jay, however, they make a big point of showing/saying that he is not like his dad. there is an entire episode dedicated to red realizing that jay is a good boy and that is not kelso just bc he is a kelso.

this is the jay defining moment for me. i think if they had cast a lesser actor than mace this could've come off as 'haha jay trying to get into leia's pants' but mace delivered it so genuinely and sincerely that it is very clear to me that leia is not going to be someone that jay gets over easily. he's this "reformed playboy," yet we never see him be anything less than a gentleman to leia. i am pointing out this line in particular bc of it's OBVIOUS parallel to eric saying that he needed to go to africa so that he can deserve donna.

i have trauma from the gmw fandom debating to death who the corpanga was supposed to be (as if that was a good thing lmfao) but there is literally no debate that jay/leia is the new donna/eric. jay is the cool hot love interest who centers the neurotic dorky protagonist. plus, i mean, the car scene within the first three episodes? be so serious here.

the show spent sooooo much time on jay and it would be so weird to me if they suddenly were just like "actually nate is the male lead now!" i think he probably got the least amount of screentime of any of the kids.

i know the showrunner came out and said leia needed to find a ~deep connection not built on lust~ and that's where nate came in. i do agree with that to an extent, but nate/leia is clearly just to throw off the viewers. also, nate is the kelso archetype more than jay is, lbr. (i could do an entirely separate blog post on that). yes, nate and leia connected. they were able to confide in each other about their relationship issues. does that mean there's romantic chemistry there? no. it just means that they were there for each other in an important moment.

is a big proponent of leia/jay's relationship built on lust? i would argue moreso on leia's side than jay's, but also, leia didn't like jay bc of his looks. she liked him because he made her feel special and treated her with respect. she liked the kind, sensitive part of him. it was only once they had that moment where she began to ~lust after him. and for anyone to argue that jay's feelings for leia are lust related is fucking stupid because

like jay could get any girl he wants canonically. he likes leia for leia. he likes her for all of her little quirks and flaws. plus there is ANOTHER episode dedicated to her feeling she needs to put out and him saying he only wants what she is comfortable with. c'mon man.

this is not some lust related fling that was built on nothing but mutual attraction. i'm not gonna act like their convos ever get super deep or anything (mainly because we only got ten episodes in season one), but nate/leia rly didn't either. like. they were both just upset about jay and nikki. and then they almost kissed.

are nate and leia probably going to be a focus in season two? oh, for sure. but the obvious endgame is jay and leia.

like be so for real.

i could also talk about the difference in her expressions here for hours but i'll just leave all of this here.

[gryffinwall]

The Five Hills I'd Die on for Girl Meets World

Soooo, it’s been a minute since I’ve written anything. I fully intended to get this up on the blog at least a month ago, but you know how it goes. This has been sitting in my drafts for quite some time, so without further ado, I present to you the five hills I will die on when it comes to Girl Meets World. In (mostly) no particular order:

Lucas picked Maya originally

I’ve written about this in the past, so I won’t spend a ton of time rehashing everything. But to this day, I am fully, completely sure that Lucas originally picked Maya in Upstate. Go back and watch that scene with the perspective that he was going to pick Maya, and then watch it again with the perspective of him picking Riley. See which one tracks and which one doesn’t. It was Maya, 100%. If nothing else, that smirky, flirty expression Lucas has on his face when Maya grabs his shirt is a dead giveaway. That is not the face you make when you’re about to reject a girl for her best friend.

Of all the hills on the list, this is THE hill I will die on if I could only pick one, that’s how strongly I believe it.

Riley & Farkle were endgame

The above may be my number one hill, but this entry isn’t too far behind. I know I’m not alone in believing that had the show been renewed, even for one more season, we would have seen a development in the Riley-Farkle relationship. Throughout the show, and especially in the third season, we see Riley and Farkle have a deep connection, a much deeper one than she has with Lucas (and deeper than what Farkle has with Smackle. Yeah, I said it!). They truly, deeply, genuinely love each other, and based on what we saw in the third season, it looked like the writers were setting it up for them to develop romantic feelings as they got older. In Boy Meets World, Topanga’s dad admits he used to be scared that he’d find Topanga in the basement (i.e., making out) with Shawn but realizes it was Cory he should have been afraid of all along. My hunch is that we would have gotten a similar callback had the show gotten renewed.

There are also some fascinating parallels between Topanga and Farkle, and I’m totally sold on the argument that he is the Topanga of GMW, not Lucas. But that’s another topic for another day.

The girls’ friendship was actually kind of toxic

We can all agree that the Rilaya friendship was one of the best parts of the show. They loved each other, supported each other, and would do anything to help the other out or spare their feelings. However, they each did something to the other that was ended up being pretty hurtful.

Riley, of course, is largely at fault for getting Maya to believe that her (Maya) growing up, maturing, and wanting to be a bit more responsible was somehow a bad thing, something that needed to be “fixed.” Maya was finally embracing hope and taking herself more seriously…and Riley put a quick stop to that because it “wasn’t her.” Oof. It ended up reverting Maya to her season 1 self, which is not a place Maya really wanted to be.

Maya, meanwhile, was the co-founding member of the Riley Committee, which sheltered Riley from life’s harsh realities and disappointments to the point that her growth was stunted. Despite Riley being a smart girl living in New York City, she apparently had no idea about war, poverty, homelessness, famine, etc. Maya and the others made sure her feelings were protected – they didn’t tell her about Pluto losing its status as a planet because they knew she’d get upset - but it resulted in Riley being immature and naïve to the point of being ignorant. Not a good look.

Neither girl had malicious intent; in fact, they both thought they were in the right to say and do the things they said and did. They would never do anything to intentionally hurt the other, but it ended up happening anyway. I would have loved to have seen this get addressed on the show, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Girl Meets Belief is a super interesting insight into all dynamics of the core four’s relationships

Full disclosure, the original draft for this post ended up being significantly longer than it is currently, and it’s all because of this hill. It made me realize that I want to write a separate post about it, simply because I find said insights so fascinating. So I won’t go into too much detail right here and now. All you need to know is that I think this is a crucial episode to the series since it explores the relationships between our main four so perfectly. We see every iteration of the characters paired up together, and we see why every dynamic works the way it works. Idk, I’m kind of obsessed with it, and I will have more on that soon.

The story wasn’t finished

My last hill, and it’s a big one: I don’t think the story was finished. And not in the sense that it got cancelled somewhat unexpectedly; I mean that I personally think had the show gotten renewed, we would have seen some of the stories from season 3 come back in a future season. I wholly believe we were going to come back to the “Maya became Riley” story and find out that she, in fact, did not become Riley, that Riley was wrong about all of this, and that it was a simple case of Maya growing up. And that while Riley has undoubtedly been a significant influence on her, Maya did all the work herself to become a better person.

I also believe it was going to get revealed that Riley and Lucas didn’t act like a couple for a reason. They were going to learn the important lesson that perception of a thing doesn’t make it so, particularly when feelings are involved. In other words, they were going to find out that their sweet seventh grade crushes didn’t translate to genuine love between two teenagers – and that’s okay! Their lack of chemistry and lack of seeming like an actual couple, to me, was a pretty big hint that there was something more going on beyond “bad writing” and Disney channel restrictions. A shame we’ll never know for sure, but this is my gut feeling on the matter.

And there you have it! If you have any hills you’d die on, send them my way, I want to hear them. Hope you all had or are having a wonderful holiday season, and cheers to 2023!

[rilayaotp]

Okay, I am putting this out there. If you have read the 1982 book Annie on My Mind, it parallels GMW SO MUCH.

1- It is set in New York

2- The two main characters Liza and Annie meet at the  Metropolitan Museum of Art on a rainy day, and Liza is drawn to a room where she finds Annie singing. (Maya first comes to the bay window, having heard Riley singing)

3- Just like in GMW, one of the girls lives in a nice or wealthier part of New York, and the other lives in the opposite.

4- There is a scene in the book where they are roleplaying as a queen and a knight, in the middle of a different museum. This is the same antic we see during the Maya playing along with Riley being a princess.

Those are my biggest comparisons, though there are more. Seriously, you can't tell me that someone in the writers room had not read this book. What do you all think?

[sy5starplaty]

#every time I think I’m over them #pacey witter comes and hits me in the forehead with his perfection and undevoted love (@migumii)

[florida3exclamationpoints]

Sorry sorry but a lot of people talk about growing up with Taylor but im 13 years younger than her so I kinda grew up parallel to her ya know ?? How long has it been since 22 came out and I still have not listened to it as a 22yo!! But I LITERALLY grew up with Sabrina. Like soooooo seriously. And gmw lowkey probably saved my life a little. This means so much to me I'm so happy

[ambitionsource]

hi!! so it's taken me too long to actually send this and gather all my ambition thoughts together but the s4 finale was so insanely good!! like it was so compelling and I was grinning and gasping at my phone like I was actually watching an acted out episode 😭😭 the rl breakup was so sad but also I could feel it coming so it made it more satisfying somehow to actually see it happen after the build up and all I'm saying is 5 years is a long time who knows where they're at in s5 👀 zay and charlie my beloveds I'm so proud of them. maya I'm v concerned for u but I'm also so interested to delve into how she got there. farkle my boy my king u know I love u and even though I want de la minkus to happen I'm so weirdly proud of his growth and ability to move forwards. I was thinking when I finished it about how ambition has been so special to me and how grateful I am for it like I remember going through a gmw resurgence and finding the blog lucasjamesfriar (and all ur other wonderful fics maggie!!) and seeing something like #gmw arts au and being so happy there was still gmw content and it's truly exceeded my expectations I'm so excited to see where s5 goes 🫶🏻🫶🏻

hello rae!!! please accept my delayed welcome to The Other Side!!

thank you so much for the kind words, firstly. 💌 work on this season was a beast, so it is always really lovely to hear from you all and hear that it moved you in whatever way! i especially want to highlight "was grinning and gasping at my phone like I was actually watching an acted out episode 😭😭" because given the series, and it's... unique structure lol, this is like the absolute best hope we could ask for when you're experiencing the show. we're all delusional, but at least we're delusional together!

and again, as i've said to others, thank you for yet another reassurance that all the plants we'd been seeding re: rl paid off and felt satisfactory. i was gnashing my teeth all season hoping it would all fall into place and make sense for y'all -- since it's hard for me to know given i have all the context of past present and future lol -- so every time you let us know... so appreciated. thank you (and i'm sorry. except i'm not, because the story must be told. but i'm sorry for all of your collective damages).

omg invoking my past self... it is so crazy to see how far we've ALL come on this journey, isn't it? for as much as time, and its passage, is a big theme in season 5, it weirdly enough parallels the creation of this whole project too. somehow, even to this day, new readers are discovering ambition, but we are also so so lucky to have people like you who have been here for a long haul and truly gone on this adventure with us. our gratitude cannot be expressed -- though always a good time to note if you have friends who you think would Get this story and enjoy the journey, please continue to spread the word!! this is a better time than any to jump in before we embark on the final stretch!

it's pretty fascinating to think about how it's been over five years since we first started this (march 2019), and here we all are. somehow. for whatever force that brings us all together. and it's like you all, interestingly enough, keep echoing...

five years is a long time...

-- Maggie

[calciumcryptid]

I came across your post about Shawn and Angela married and being the parents of Zay in GMW and can you please post more about that AU?

I made that post in a sleep-deprived daze, but you know what? Sure. Anything to avoid revising a college assignment right now. This won't be entirely thought out, but I gave a shot.

The Zay Hunter Alternate Universe

The central change is Shawn and Angela stayed together and got married, with Zay being their biological son.

As their child, I don't think Zay would be much different. He'd perhaps be a little more laid-back and have an interest in the arts (I can see him a slam poet) but still his regular self.

Season One

In Girl Meets Home for the Holidays the new A-Plot is Riley meeting Zay for the first time since they were infants. It could be about the expectation that since their friends are friends they should be friends, but the two don't have anything in common.

At the end of the alternate episode, Shawn and Angela announce that they are moving into the vacant apartment and Zay will be entering Riley's class in the near future.

Since this is a hypothetical alternate universe where I don't have to worry about cast availability and production costs, I would have Shawn, Angela, and Zay in Girl Meets Game Night. It can serve as a peek into how Shawn and Angela's relationship evolved and to establish Zay further. Lucas and Zay could reunite for the first time, but their tense air doesn't have to be addressed right away.

Side Note: I'd have it be the end of Josh and Maya's "romance" because honestly what were the producers thinking?

Girl Meets Master Plan wouldn't happen, but I wouldn't mind it being replaced by Topanga and Angela befriending Maya's mother instead as a sort of women's night out vibe.

In Girl Meets First Date, Zay is dragged into the chaperoning alongside Maya and Farkle but insists they dip. Farkle refuses, taking his job seriously, but Maya agrees. To fulfill my younger ZayMaya heart and have them have a budding romance, perhaps having parallels to the LucasRiley date.

Season Two

In Girl Meets Gravity, Zay officially joins the class and becomes a regular. Him and Lucas are tense and are a bit passive-aggressive, but he stays to himself while the rest of the episode goes on.

In Girl Meets the Secret of Life, the storyline remains the same with some minor alterations. The tension between Zay and Lucas snaps and they reveal they were friends in Texas but something happened between them with Zay alluding Lucas is more violent than they all initially thought scoffing at the idea he is a moral compass. It comes to the climax where it is revealed Zay got in trouble a lot for being a rebellious free-spirit underneath his wallflower disguise, and Lucas took it upon himself to get him out of trouble. Zay shares his insecurities that in a world where everyone seems to have a second half, he just wanted reassurance Lucas was his.

In Girl Meets Pluto, Zay and Angela join the digging party.

In Girl Meets the Tell-Tale-Tot, I'd have the reason Maya goes to the party is to get proper closure on her former crush while referencing the fact she might have a new one but she isn't sure yet.

Girl Meets Hurricane doesn't happen, instead I'd make it seem like Maya is pseudo-replacing her mother with Shawn and Angela due to their artistic endeavors and her potential crush on Zay.

In Girl Meets Yearbook, Zay doesn't change.

In Girl Meets Semi-Formal, Zay asks Maya to the dance before Lucas asks Riley to the dance to kind of rub in his hesitance.

In Girl Meets Cory and Topanga, the Hunter couple gives Riley reassurance that she doesn't have to do it like her parents as it was nearly the downfall of their own romance.

In Girl Meets Texas, Zay is upset that Maya likes Lucas but resigns that he missed his chance and will continue being their friend.

In Girl Meets the New Year, Zay makes a brief visit but refuses to join the party as he knows how the holiday works. Farkle starts to pick up on Zay's feelings for Maya.

Season Three

In Girl Meets Ski Lodge, Zay confesses his feelings for Maya but says he doesn't expect her to return them. Maya says she doesn't know if she has feelings for him but wants to give dating him a chance as she had fun with him all the way back in Girl Meets First Date. They continue dating in the background for the rest of the series similarly to Riley and Lucas.

Since the Shawn and Katy's relationship plotline doesn't happen, I'd turn them into Zay and Smackle centric episodes.

In Girl Meets World of Terror 3, Zay would be there alongside Texan Lucas and seem to be feeding into each other's more negative personalities never having the blow-out in Texas that resulted in a change to both of them. Though he would be on somewhat good terms with Riley given their parents friendship.

In Girl Meets Sweet Sixteen, Zay and Maya discuss their relationship and show a more realistic but still hopeful view of it.

In Girl Meets Goodbye, Shawn and Angela reflect on their friendship with Cory and Topanga and share while they will be sad they go they would understand and still be here in New York.

[arcadiabay]

SABRINA CARPENTER as MAYA HART

GIRL MEETS WORLD ( 2014 - 2017 ) 1.01 | “Girl Meets World” vs. 3.04 | “Girl Meets Permanent Record”

[piperslovebot]

Imagine if Jade mocks Tori and Tori tells her once again that she doesn’t talk like that. But after that she asks why Jade sees her like that. And Jade says ‘of course I don’t see you like that’

And then they could have an ‘of course I like you’ moment similar to lucaya.

[sy5starplaty]

You know I'm not over the cancellation of Girl Meets World when I dream there's new episodes.

Or rather, 4 episodes that didn't air in its original run.

I'm vague on what the episodes were about - mostly remember fangirling about them on Tumblr :D - but I do remember these 3 things:

There was a Lucaya flashback to the night of the S1 art show (GM Maya's Mother)... It showed a little too clearly what Lucas liked about Maya.

One episode was for Halloween, which had the core four dressed up like their Wizard of Oz counterparts (as named by Eric in S2). Maya complained about being too hot in her lion suit...

There was a Riarkle scene somewhere too, where Farkle realised he liked Riley a lot more than he liked Maya (or even Smackle). It was set on the street, outside the Matthews apartment building...

[wontbyers]

And if I said the GMW fanbase prepared me to be a Byler truther, would anyone understand what I meant?

[ee-to-the-mah-to-the]

🌚

[27emailsicantsend]

Jean Jackets and I Love You’s

This girl meets world rewatch made me realize something... did anyone else notice when Riley and Farkle say “I love you” in GMT that Farkle is wearing a JEAN JACKET?

Oh yeah and that the immediate next shot is back to Maya and Lucas, of the which Maya is wearing a jean jacket?

I’m not saying the jean jacket is the symbol for love in this universe and that costuming and every other little thing is so important in this show, but that’s exactly what I’m saying