TGI – Episode 404 “Fishing for Virna ”

CORKY RETURNS! This week things get heavy as we say hello to Shawn’s mom, Virna, and farewell to our favorite lunch lady from Speed.
 
Analyzing what could be a dramatic stage play, 2 hosts sing the script’s praises, while one can’t get over the daily breakfast buffet Amy is making. And we find out which Girl Meets World guest star was a bit of a…wild card.
 
The gang also tries to get to the bottom of a very confusing moment in the opening credits and find out that BMW truly is the show that will never die - on the newest episode of Pod Meets World…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:18):
You guys want to hear a crazy press release that
recently came out. Yes, Starting on Monday, February fifth, the
hit nineties sitcom Boy Meets World will air throughout the
Freeform formerly ABC Family schedule at various times, mostly between
ten thirty am and one thirty pm on certain weekdays

(00:40):
and early mornings on weekends. The series will be the
channel's weekday mid morning sitcom.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Now, whoa wait before? Actually, I think in.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
The past we had I think been on free Form,
but it is being newly added on February fifth as
a new show in their mind up to be airing
Monday through Friday and then on early morning weekends.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
This is the show that never ends.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Friends.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
This is.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Not Girl Meets World, but.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Boy Meets World. So they will be selling advertising against
You know, we've got this show, it's called Boy Meets World.
Have you heard of it? Where we could do ads
for during that so, I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Freeform where we're supposed to then do our new sitcom
apparently so well, write from the Boy Meets World into
the new show. Think they produced, do they not?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
No? They do like single camera stuff, really, I don't
think they do any multicam Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well, now that it's going to be on free form.
What are you guys gonna do with all the money.
What are you gonna do it? What are you gonna
do with it? What are you gonna do with it? Writer?
You canna buy more books.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
I'll buy a book. I'll get some more used books.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
And well my free forms show, that's no ormshelf, two books,
this is.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
This is the book the used book. Used So we
got an email recently from Lauren C and she wanted
to say, first off, she loves the podcast and she
loves all three of us so much. She said, I
have a question, though, there is something I noticed in
the last episode of season three, Brother Brother, when the

(02:26):
whole gang is in Chubbies for Eric's goodbye dinner. When
Alan steps over to ask Corey if he wants to
say something to Eric, Corey responds that he doesn't have
anything planned. But at the same time we see Sean
pull a folded piece of paper out of his pants
pocket and I know, writer, you noticed that, and it
made Lauren wonder if Corey did actually have something prepared

(02:48):
and he lied about it. No comment has ever made
about what the paper is, and Shaan never does anything
with it except gesture to Tapanga with it, So she
just wanted to know what we all thought about it,
or if we even noticed it. From I'm a super
detailed fan.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I think that makes sense that that Corey that
there was Corey had a plan, and then based on
how he's feeling, he decides to bail on doing a speech,
and then because then later in the scene he says, Okay,
I actually do have something to say, right right, So
I think the idea is that they're all supposed to
say something at some point, maybe even Sewn's supposed to

(03:22):
have his own sp I don't know, but that probably Corey.
And then the idea is that he doesn't want to
do it because he's feeling so abandoned by his brother
and abandoned Topanga. So he's in a horrible mood. So
he decides not to do it when Alan asks him to,
and then later in the scene says, you know what,
I do have something to say and does his whole
life does off kil trivy.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yeah, I thought it was just a grocery list.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
M h, guess eggs, milk, eggs, he needs to Yeah, I.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Mean it's it's actually apropos to the episode we're about
to talk about, because I have no idea what I'm
doing in one scene. Really, I watched it four times
and I'm fit. I could not see what is physically.
I'm at the table with my dad and I can't
figure out what my character is doing. It looked like
I'm dealing with props and I can't figure it out.

(04:10):
I freeze framed it. I went back. I watched it
like five times. I was like, what am I? It
looks like I'm painting something or working on a model,
like I have a paintbrush or a pen in my hand,
and then there's this white thing on the table. So weird.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Still, So anybody does any idea When we get to
the scene, I'll point out.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
The way, please do Wow. Well, yeah, I agree with you, writer,
I think it would make sense.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
I'm not sure.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
I'm not sure if they There must have been if
it was something Corey was supposed to read or hit
what he was going to say. There must have been
a line that then eventually got cut where it was
somehow explained why Sean has it, or just some sort
of like, what are you talking about, Corey? You wrote
this something that must have gotten cut. I have no
memory of it, but I know that you did point

(04:53):
out the piece of paper. You were like, did you
guys see this piece of paper I have in my hand?
What is it? What do you think it is?

Speaker 2 (04:57):
I'm sure there was a line. I probably had, line
like Corey, do you want to give your speech? Or whatever?
And they just cut in editing, you know, I mean,
so much stuff gets cut, yeah, in the script stage,
but also stuff gets cut at the editing stage, you know,
especially when things are running long, because you can only
account for so much in an episode, and then the
laughs and the audience reaction adds time. So in the

(05:19):
edit you end up pulling stuff constantly, like just little lines.
You're like, oh, that doesn't actually pay up. Oh it
doesn't matter. And I guarantee you that it was one
of those examples.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, I think I think you're probably right, So thank
you for pointing that out. Lauren. Welcome to Pod Meets World.
I'm Danielle Fishel, I'm rather strong, and I'm Wilfordell. Today

(05:47):
we are recapping season four, episode four, Fishing for Verna.
It originally aired October eleventh, nineteen ninety six. The synopsis
at long Last Sean's mother, Verna, has returned to town,
but she's not quite ready to return home, and Corey
learns to appreciate loved ones when the school's beloved lunch
lady unexpectedly passes away. It was directed by Jeff McCracken.

(06:09):
It was written by Matthew Nelson. I am I continue
to be amazed by Matthew Nelson's scripts.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Oh you love this episode?

Speaker 1 (06:23):
Love it interesting? Do you not like it?

Speaker 3 (06:25):
I this was not one of my favorites. Wow on
this episode really really weird, just really really like solid.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
I mean, I just feel like Season four is firing
on all cylinders and this one was just con in
a great tradition of very It wasn't bad.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
It was just very bizarre to me. A lot of
really a lot of the character choices were very weird,
a lot of storylines that went nowhere. It was very yeah,
very strict. Again, I didn't dislike wasn't like God, this
episode was terrible. It just was very jarring for me.
It was very very Oh.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
I I cried first of all, cried three times. I
absolutely love I think every single moment of the script.
I just love it. I loved everything about this episode.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
It is a pretty perfect script. I think it doesn't
there the balance.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
There's nothing was funny in the entire show.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
No, but I don't think it was intended to so yeah,
I mean, I agree, it's it's a more dramatic episode.
But I thought like in terms of everything, China and
I thought it tied up everything except for the Frankie stuff.
That was like the only kind of.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
Stuff was there was no nothing for Betsy at all.
I thought that whole thing was very strange where there's
no but there's no resolution in any way. Shake a
thought him one person sitting down and eating breakfast with
her of where she's making a ridiculous amount of breakfast
every morning, with people running out was very weird to me.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
Storyline, that's what.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
The y I didn't no, I get. I got that
they were going with it. It was just very all
of a sudden, the cafeteria being a giant cafeteria lunch
room which had never existed before. A lot of it
was very weird. Ben wearing a suit to the thing,
but then not a suit at the end, like a
lot of it was. There were some really weird choices

(08:13):
made in this that some of them were very small
but really weird, kind of like why that. Yeah. Again,
didn't hate it by any stretch of the imagination. Acting
all on point. Blake's amazing. The woman who played Verna
was incredible. I thought Ben was good in the episode,
but I thought a lot of the storylines were just
very strange. Wow.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
Okay, well let's jump into it. Let's go through our
guest stars. We have mister Anthony Tyler Quinn is back
as Jonathan Turner. But don't blink you might miss him.
He's in the Choice.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
Well, Clark returns triumphantly as Chet Hunter. Sharene Mitchell as
Verna Hunter in her first of three Boy Meets World episodes.
She has appeared on Melrose Place, Er, Charmed, and in
the movie Out for Justice? Writer, do you remember working
with her? Much about her?

Speaker 2 (09:03):
When I saw her on screen, I was like, oh God,
she's a good actress. Like I remember thinking like, oh,
I remember looking at this person's face and loving working
with her. But I don't remember anything about her personally,
if that rights sense? So like I have like a
I have a sense memory of enjoying being in scenes
with her, and but I don't. I mean, and I'm
sure we got along, but I don't really you know, no,

(09:25):
I don't remember her personally, not the way, not the best.

Speaker 3 (09:28):
It's not the best movie in the world. But if
you want to see a great performance out for Justice
with Steven Siegall, she doesn't have a huge part, but
she's really really good.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
She's an incredible activity and she's just got the perfect face,
like you, just the sadness and she's just she just
has this look about her that's it's perfect for Verna.
I mean, you just see her in that hotel room
in the first I was like, oh, yeah, there it is.
That's Verna. She's perfect.

Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah. And then Ethan Sipple returns as Franky Stacchino. E
J Lapaina as hermann Stachino, Frankie's little brother. Ej was
also seen in Jingle All the Way and as teenager
Number nine in Some forty one's fat Lip video Oh Okay,

(10:13):
yeah a music video. And then we have Loretta Jean
as lunch lady Brenda Hibbert. She was in the movie
Speed as one of the bus passengers that are on
the brink of explorining.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
I've got a great story about that. By the way,
I've got a great story about that.

Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, oh, please tell it right now.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
We jumped in.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
Okay, do you want to save it for a seaton? Want? Fine?

Speaker 3 (10:33):
No, it's fine. So in Speed she's the woman who's
you know on the bus and obviously do you know
one of the passengers on the bus. I'm not sure
she even has a line. I don't think she does.
And in Speed they is Bust twenty five twenty five.
So when we're doing trope, we did the movie Trojan War.
He ends up, my character ends up on the bus
for a lot of the night, and we did Bust

(10:55):
twenty five twenty five, and to make it a synergistic thing,
they brought her her back and sat her in the
same seat. So in Trojan War on the bus twenty
five twenty five, it's the it's her sitting there like
like she was in Speed. So I got you actually
in the movie before you shot this episode. So yes,
I think he worked with her already before, Yes, before

(11:16):
she got there. So I the second she popped on screen,
I was like, wait a minute, she was in Speed
and the Trojan War. Yeah, so same lady.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
That's so cool. She also appeared on Fresh Prince of
bel Air Ally McBeal and the Shield. And then we
have Mike Grief as Mort. He's a real I know
that face kind of guy, featured in movies like Liar
Liar and shows like Home Improvement.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Which one was more?

Speaker 1 (11:38):
He's the guy who does the Why can't I think
of it?

Speaker 3 (11:44):
Because I thought the same thing at the end, I'm like,
which one was more?

Speaker 1 (11:46):
Oh, lunch lady replacement?

Speaker 3 (11:49):
Okay, but he didn't have any But he didn't have
any lines? Right, he didn't.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
I don't think he says any.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
Probably he's accredited.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, because I thought the same thing. I was like,
who was Mort? So yeah, they must have he must
have done something and then they cut it out.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Okay, gotcha. Yeah. Now, before we jump into the show recap,
touching on the intro, we got a lot, I mean
a ton of emails from listeners, but I'm going to
single out one now, David Caster, who told us that
the shot of Ben Ryder and myself singing and playing

(12:24):
guitar in the sky is from a season three syndication
promo commercial for the show where we are all in
a band and Will is also there playing drums. In
that clip, I still have my long hair and I
am playing the symbol and it also has a totally
unhinged song playing about boy meets World, airing five times

(12:47):
a week on Fox. So that's where that little clip
is from Mystery Solved. Yes, airing one hundred episodes yet
have I think? Yeah, I don't. We hadn't. We must
We couldn't have reached a hundred anisode because it.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
Wasn't until we reached one hundred that we sold the
syndication pack season season No. Right with season four? What
did we if we two?

Speaker 1 (13:14):
Can we? I actually have the song? Let's play the
song thet a girl on a Monday Tuesday.

Speaker 3 (13:21):
On Day Wednesday, I think we can't show. So there
they be on.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
Funny Broady, on Free, on High School, trying stay like
this g five time and we went five four second
on Fox.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Wow. Okay, But at the start of season four, we
wouldn't have had that.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
We wouldn't have had that.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
Because I remember that shoot. I remember the shoot when
we were all the band, because I remembers then setting
down at the drums and you actually playing.

Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's not definitely from it because my hair is long.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
It's not that your hair grew out. No, of course,
of course because it's in the bangs.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
I have bangs and long hair.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
Did you watch the promo or just listen to it?

Speaker 1 (14:16):
No, I've seen the promo before too.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
Well, I mean maybe we were just airing five days
a week without a syndication package like some.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
On a Fox.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yeah. Like, well, Fox wasn't a full network, so Fox
would have been at that point. Fox wouldn't have been like,
they wouldn't have had to pay us as much because
they were a syndicated network. So you know, Fox was
a collection of independent networks throughout the country, so they
could have were affiliates, thank you, so they could have
they could have had to shoot a promo to then

(14:49):
sell to the affiliates that wanted to buy our show
for five you know what I mean. I also think
because there was one, Yeah, because there was one that
I wasn't in where everyone's in leather.

Speaker 3 (15:02):
Oh, then there's one too, Yes.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, there's one. There's also a promo that you've since
seen that I wasn't in, where you guys are like
in a high school and it's like kind of well shot.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
Yeah, that's what it's like.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Banging on the lot when I was thinking of.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
Okay, let's see this, this is it when it says
September nineteen ninety eight.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, that is definitely pre season four.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
Look at my hair and all the clips are just
the first three pre seasons.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yeah, so they must have put us in front of
a green screen on set someday.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah. I don't think we were technically a syndicated show yet,
but they must have.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
You know, for Fox, it had to have been because
they would have if we'd made it to season five,
there would have been season four clips in there, and
there weren't so weird, all.

Speaker 2 (15:42):
Right, so they decided to pull from that.

Speaker 1 (15:44):
Right for the opening credits.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah. Correct.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
By the way, it does say in that clip September
of nineteen ninety eight, So that promo clip thing they
put together was from September nineteen ninety eight, which is
after this EPP which is after season four. Very confused,
it's so confusing anyway, that's where it's from. At least
we now know it's they we did that at some point.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Suggestion maybe we did that as a potential like opening
credits thing that then got repackaged when we sold into syndication.
In other words, we could have done a shoot on
our set for cresits that never got used, and then
when we sold into syndication in nineteen ninety eight, they
decided to use that shoot and the clips from that.

Speaker 3 (16:32):
The only problem is but the only problem is I
remember that shoot and it was not on our set.
We went to a stage and actually shot.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
That, So maybe it was part of our photo shoot photoshoots.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
Yes, like a photoshoot stage. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
I bet you that was repurposed for the Fox syndication
package if it was nineteen ninety eight, because there's no
way you would have no clips from season four by
nineteen ninety eight exactly.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
Have we ever talked about Chris Volcare on this show?
Do you guys remember Chris full Care?

Speaker 2 (16:57):
Of course?

Speaker 1 (16:57):
Do what he did my calendar?

Speaker 2 (16:59):
He's amazing.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
You remember UA zero and three.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
Yeah, he's gone. I mean he's since passed.

Speaker 1 (17:04):
I know he was.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
Did he He was in an accident. Something happened and
he was in a wheelchair.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
He was in a wheelchair. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:11):
Every year we would do our photo shoots, and he
was the photographer for our photo shoots, and he would
always then pull us each aside and do like one
artsy picture.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
It was awesome. Ever our photos for Points Wirl. That
was it was outside that we were hiring him independently,
Like he did work with us as a group at
some point, but it was never it was not an
ABC shoot something else. And then we all kept hiring him,
like my brother and I hired him from multiple photo
shoots because he was so talented and his wife was

(17:40):
so nice and was awesome. That was, yeah, he was.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
He was amazing, And I still will stumble upon some
of those pictures like, hey, bring a suit, and you'd
be like, why we were doing an He's like, just
bring a suit, and then you'd do some random like
in the mirror or something that he had thought up,
and it was just the greatest pictures I've ever had
taken in myself.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
He was agreed. He was so cool there, and his wife,
like you said, was amazing. And zero and three I
was I zero remember their names, Yeah, yeah, I was.
I was super super into those little doggies. All right,
let's jump into our recap. We start in the Matthew's kitchen.
Amy is setting out a full breakfast spread as Eric
quickly runs down the stairs saying he has to go.
It's his morning to open the store. Amy points out

(18:20):
that she made a big, nice breakfast. Eric looks at
the dining table and enthusiastically says, Oh, he sure did.
Then he proceeds to walk right out the door. This
is really the only thing there is for you to
do in this whole Yeah.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
And again I'm fine with them running out, Like I
I like the setup of that, of that they're just
kind of, you know, bailing on breakfast. They're just starting
the store there.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
I thought this was When I first saw this, I
was like, Oh, this is the most obligatory, cheesy, one
off cold open. And then the fact that it paid
off in such a cool way. I was like, yes,
what because like I feel like a lesser show because
there are there are cold opens for a lot of
sitcoms that have no connection to current storyline. It's like

(19:04):
a like we just have to put some casts and
have a one off joke. And I thought that's what
this was. At first. I was like, Oh, this is
just like a one page scene to get us in
and give Betsy something to do for the episode. And
the fact that it comes back, you know, two more
times and really pays off at the end. I loved.
I was like, oh, man, this is solf.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
Could have been better. Yeah, I thought the payff could
have been better. I thought there, you know, I think
by the fifth time this is happening, you shouldn't be
making nine hundred pancakes in the morning.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
You know.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
It's like you know that they're going to be running
past the door. So at the end, for some reason,
everyone has three giant pancakes on empty plates, but she's
eating a bowl of fruit.

Speaker 1 (19:42):
I ideally that she had one point, just a giant
bowl of candalop. I was like, does she will not
eat anything else?

Speaker 3 (19:48):
It's just a lot of It didn't make any get
what they're going for.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Yeah, but it was.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
It was very Morgan is the next to walk down
the stairs as Amy shows off the breakfast again. A
car horn beeps from outside, and Morgan excitedly says, there's
Tina's mom. She has candy, and she also runs out
the door. Then Alan comes downstairs, asking Amy if Eric
already left because he forgot the keys to the store.
Amy pleads, can't you just sit for five minutes? Alan
immediately tells her he'll think the store's closed and take

(20:12):
the day off, and then he quickly leaves. Corey is
the last to run down the stairs, and it's worth
saying here. I love Ben's new hair highlights his hair.
I know we commented on it last episode with hair Today,
Goon Tomorrow, but I love his hair. It's long, it's
got a little bit of like blonde in it. I
think it looks so great. He says, hi, and Amy

(20:32):
says rhetorically, you're interration, you're late, and you got to
meet Topanga. Let me just make things easier for you
and open the door. Cory smiles and tells her had
a way to think ahead. And then we're in the
John Adams cafeteria. We see the exterior of the high
school with some of that brand new surfer acid rock
music we've got for the open playing. Corey and Tapanga
are in line for lunch and Corey grins at the

(20:53):
sight of the lunch lady Brenda. She responds, Hi, Corey,
but we've never seen it.

Speaker 2 (21:00):
We've seen that side of the cafeteria a thousand now
you were on stage. We were just at a different
level of tower.

Speaker 1 (21:06):
Dude, exactly.

Speaker 3 (21:08):
It's like the things that I didn't like, it's where
it's it was just like, okay, what we didn't notice
a giant half of the cafeteria.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
Question, how do we have we had any hallway scenes?
Like I guess we are with the hair today going
tomorrows in the hallway. I just the school is as
we've had so many new sets like we haven't like.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
This episode were rolling in dough a just take it,
just take it.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, Disney had been purchased whatever.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
We were like, yeah, Disney bough ABC.

Speaker 1 (21:38):
They were like take all the money.

Speaker 3 (21:40):
I am going I'm going to throw something out here, okay,
and and we can talk about it. You can call
me crazy whatever, but you're crazy, thank you. I'm sure
I am. Something went through my head where if you're
gonna do it with the character, this to me is
how it should have been done. The brend of the
lunch room lady stuff, I get it. I understand it's
the overlooked person. Totally get that, make sense.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
And next to uh, that's in the morning with the
breath right, I mean totally understand where totally understand that.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
But if you're not bringing back mister Williams anyway, why
not have it mister Williams that's killed.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
That's too. I think that would be too devastating for
the audience wouldn't it.

Speaker 3 (22:19):
Why really? Why?

Speaker 2 (22:21):
I mean, because the point is it's somebody that Corey it's.
The point is that it's somebody that you took for granted.
And I think if it was mister Williams and the last.

Speaker 3 (22:29):
Year talking about how essentially mister Williams was taken for
granted the entire time he was there.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
Totally, But I think for the audience that would actually
like the whole point is that it's somebody that that
the audience hasn't has has has not known.

Speaker 3 (22:41):
No. I mean again, I get it, I get they
would have to tweak the story, but I think there's
something more that could have been, something super impactful about
a character we actually knew a little bit that had
been overlooked, then somebody they're just introducing.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
Think the other thing too, though, is that one of
the tie ins for this, because at first it kind
of bumped me a little bit, where, uh, Corey's like,
you know, making breakfast for all those kids, some kind
of life, huh, And I thought that's a weird assumption
that somebody's job is their entire life, that like her,
she didn't have any sort of life outside of it.
And then in the next scene about it, they specifically

(23:18):
address it. Did she have a family? It was like
they they talked about that. So it ended up not
bumping me at all because it ended up being more
of a conversation too. For this to land as much,
it really has to be that this person loved it,
but it was kind of their entire life, and we
had already established mister Williams as having a big producer job,
and and.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
Again you'd have to tweet the whole story.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
But I just I don't think it is the same story.
I mean, that's that becomes about the loss of somebody
that you know that we're not supposed to feel the
loss of Brenda. That's the point, Like as an audience,
we're supposed to feel like Corey's sense of like, but
I didn't even really get to know this person. It's yeah, right, but.

Speaker 3 (23:58):
There's two But but then led to this as thing
and I get how they and again the writing is
very interesting how they did this, but it led to
something we have yet to see on this show. And
I'm not sure I dislike it. It's just there's essentially
two a stories, which is Brenda dying and then Verna
leaving there's not really a B story because those two

(24:18):
stories end up tying in together.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
Well, but I would say Corey, I would say a
story is that's a good point. Yeah, I mean, I
guess you're right, they are equivalent, But I would say
Corey is in both right, He's he's the leader of
both of them, which is really good writing. I mean
for him to navigate two different storylines's.

Speaker 3 (24:38):
Two a storylines that then have to be connected. That's
why the balance fe felt a little off to me
a little bit, because it was it seemed like it's
not that you needed to focus on one. But then
I would have personally, and I get the payoff with
Amy and Allen all that stuff, but there are episodes
that I wasn't in. I would have personally either taken
out Frankie and the Little Kid, which didn't make any s,

(25:00):
or take out the whole storyline with Eric and Allen
and Amy and do.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
That late Rinky and Herman are literally there only for
the misdirect of both times you think it's Verna. Both
times there's a knock at the door, the audience goes
there she is.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
And I think they just needed last too, because there's
no humor otherwise. Now they were like, I agree with
you about the balance, but that's that's only if you
think of this as a sitcom. It is, but no,
I know, but I'm saying like, I think this episode
is an example of Boym's World reaching and I think

(25:36):
you either like that or don't. But I feel like
this is it's it's interesting that Matt Nelson episode. I
didn't quite realize that because I was thinking of it
in terms of Michael J. Jacobs. This is a play.
This feels very much like this, and Matt Nelson was
a play right went before he joined Boyman's World. And
I think that they were really feeling a if you

(25:58):
think about the nineties theater scene in which both Michael
and Matt came from, it was dominated by Sam Shepherd,
which is which is sad families and parks with Southern accents.
Absolutely there's a there's like I kept feeling this longing
for the show to be this sort of something that

(26:18):
it wasn't yet you know that it could be. And
I saw our writers and our whole team me and
included sort of stepping into this idea of like let's
have a stage play, Like let's have a dramatic stage play,
and it's you know, it's in her performance in particular,
she's carrying it. But even if you look at the
way Chet is acting, you know, Blake is kind of

(26:38):
wasted in this episode in the sense that he's not
he's he's not doing he's not doing Chet the way
we were introduced to Jet. Chet is suddenly the sort
of like sad patriarch of a like a Sam Shepherd play.
And that was I was like kind of fascinated by it.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
It felt it did feel a little off, but I
have to say, like because of her performance, Blake's performance,
and like all the stuff with the Highway, like, I
feel like it kind of tied together. I thought it
kind of worked well. Again, I don't disagree. But when
you when you're coming into a show, when you've now
got you open with a new character that's dying and
a new stage, a new set we've never seen. You

(27:17):
then go to the second set we've never seen, introducing
a new character with Frankie's little brother, and that's now
the comic relief, this dynamic that we've never seen before.
There's no there was no anchor to the world of
Boy Meets World that we knew. No, but no, no, no,
but but Corey was not in anywhere we'd ever seen
him before. Corey's in camera angles we'd never seen before,

(27:39):
talking to characters we've never seen before. He's in a
funeral set we've never seen before.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
No, I agree, it's a stretch, but I think it
works like I would much rather stretch in this direction
than like Disney World.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
Oh no, you are agreed, But that's I think. Then
you do some sort of a B story that's still
anchored in some sort of comedy and anchored in the
boy meets World world that we knew. I think I
just think it would have helped the balance of the episode.
I know what you're saying, but I think that, Like, yeah,
I think they pulled it off. I think there's something
really interesting about this this episode.

Speaker 1 (28:09):
And also didn't feel bumped by the cafeteria as much
as you guys did. I know we've done a bunch
I remember stuff with the bullies back kind of in
that corner where at one point in time we did
pretend that there was a lunch person back there. Sure,
I didn't feel as bumped. To me, the cafeteria felt
just like normal school like.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
Yeah, it felt weird to me because again, it's angles
you've never seen before, it's Corey.

Speaker 1 (28:28):
And it's a different shots the thing, all.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
Those different shots.

Speaker 1 (28:31):
That's true.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
And again it wasn't. It's that like, I didn't dislike
the episode. It just it felt like a completely different
television show to me. Yeah, and that's not necessarily a
bad thing, but it was one where it took me
out of.

Speaker 2 (28:41):
It a little bit.

Speaker 1 (28:54):
So she responds, Hi, Corey, my little tiger likes his gravy,
doesn't he? He responds, Corey likes the way Brenda does it.
Corey starts to narrate her every move. She builds a
nice potato mountain, and then she turns it into a
horrible volcano of doom. Tapanga looks at him confused. He continues,
look at the lava running down the volcano. Run piece,
hide behind the roll. He asks a disturbed to Panga,

(29:15):
what you don't see that? Tapanga asks if there's any
more cherry pie, and Brenda tells her she's sorry, but
they're all out. And then Brenda realizes she accidentally hid
a piece under it.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
I just know she's gonna die, right, I mean special
Cory but she is also super sweet Aga.

Speaker 3 (29:35):
The only thing she's missing is the red Star Trek shirt.
Like this woman's dead, like exactly.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
I was surprised.

Speaker 4 (29:42):
This is.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
I directed an episode of Girl Meat's World that was
essentially this hole. Do you remember this with Chross Leachman
Girl Meats Pluto. I think it was the name of
the episode. Yeah, same thing. It's again. Somebody's serving food
in missus the you guys and it becomes to hang out.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
Kowski, she's a Polish. It's a Polish and she's money.
It's Claus Leechman. I got to direct Chloris Leachman and
one over last school was great.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
God bless you.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah, she was a lot so funny.

Speaker 1 (30:19):
God love her.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
She flashed. She was in a movie with my brother
when he was twelve, and she flashed him.

Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah. I was told a really incredible story and I
was told by everybody, Uh, hide your hair. I'm sorry, what,
Hide your hair as much as you possibly can. She
does not like women with good hair. Just keep your
hair away from her. And I was like, I don't understand.

(30:44):
And then I heard a story and I won't I'll
tell you the story, but I won't tell you who
the celebrity is that it happened to, because the celebrity
I don't think is ever publicly told the story, so
I won't say who it was. But on a show,
Chlorus Leachman was on the star of the show, was
in the hair and makeup room and was getting her
hair done and she had all of her hair over
her shoulder and Chloris Leachman walked up to her and

(31:05):
was like, you always fussing with your hair and messing
with your hair, and she picked up a pair of
scissors and just literally chopped a chunk of this celebrity's hair.
And then they had to do extensions and the whole
thing and didn't.

Speaker 2 (31:24):
Get fired because Cloras Leishman don't give up.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
She does not.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
And then want to be one of those old actors
who just likes.

Speaker 1 (31:32):
Be an actor writer, you'd have to know exactly.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
Hey, I'll do it again if it could be like
sixty plus walk on a set and be like, no,
I'm gonna cut people's hair. She was so I mean,
I love directing her. She was great to me. We'd
have cue cards for her. But she was sweet and
funny and you never knew what the day was going
to bring in a rehearsal. I loved it.

Speaker 1 (31:49):
Yeah, but yeah it was fun anyway, Yes, you're right there,
there was a Girl meets World tie into all.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
This anyway, So not only was that that storyline recycled,
like almost Beatyan, you know the fact that this old,
older woman who's like serving food disappears and the kid
has to sort of come to terms with the fact that, like,
I always took this person for granted. So like repeat
that the set, the trailer set, the Shawn's house set
is exactly the set when we did Girl meets Texas,

(32:16):
where like we did going to a text which you
probably don't remember. Dane, Sean and I directed two episodes
of Girl. It's the same living room. It's like the
exact same layout that one happened a porch. But otherwise
I was like, this is crazy. Anyway, two things recycled
than Girl in Me World that I'd never realized we're recycled.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
So Sean comes running into the cafeteria telling Corey he
has a major problem. Corey, I'll out to Panga and
Brenda tells him you never let me down. Sean. Sean
asks a question we all wonder when thinking of the
Boy Meets World timeline. How long has it been since
I've seen my mother? Corey scoffs, you mean since she
took her a little vacation. Sean barks at him. She
ran away for a year. Deal with it, Corey, I have,
Corey comments, and you're doing much better. Sean blurts out,

(32:56):
I saw my mom, Corey. She was right across the
street at the Trailer View Motel. She was looking through
her window at our trailer. He tells Corey, his mom
is back.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
Now this it has to have been at least a
year and a half to two years, because it was
the end of season two that she took off, right, So.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
We are working for her all season, right, all season.
I think they're just looking at her.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
I established the season three lasted way longer than a year,
because there was like I don't know, sorry, and because
we had.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
And then there was the whole Then there was the
whole summer because we you know, you were so.

Speaker 2 (33:28):
I think it's been two years since Vernon left, but.

Speaker 3 (33:31):
There was a summer where Sean and Tepanga were hooking
up the whole time while Corey was gone.

Speaker 1 (33:34):
Right exactly as we all we all know that we've
set that up. Then we get emotional commercial strings going
into the Hunter's trailer with an exterior shot. Sean and
Corey tell Chet the news. Chet is confused. He searched
for her all last year over the United States and
you find her right across the highway. Sean is positive
it's her. Chet asks more questions how long she been there?
How does she look when she coming home? And this

(33:57):
question that he asks, how does she look? Could have
been played so many ways for comedy, But I feel
like the choice that whether it was Blake or he
was told how to play it this way, I feel
like it was like a concerned line read like how
does she look? Do you think there's ever a possibility?
And you we end up finding out later in the episode.

(34:18):
Doesn't seem like it's being played that way at all.
But my first thought when he read it that way
was are they trying to say, like, maybe she has
a drug problem?

Speaker 2 (34:26):
See it's funny?

Speaker 3 (34:28):
Sue asked if they were trying to imply as the
episode went on that Blake had been physical with.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
Her, right, well, I think, but when when Chet is dying,
I make references to him having been drunk a lot
of my child.

Speaker 3 (34:46):
Okay, so I he was in drinker.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
The idea is that Hugh's the drinker, He's the one
with the substance abuse, and potentially I don't I don't
think that he's been physical with her. That seems a
little dark.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
The fact that Verna mentioned so many times, she never
even says that he needs to be a better husband.
Her big thing is the father thing. She mentions like,
we were all unhappy. We were three people who were
unhappy living under the same roof. And if I'm gonna
stay there, I need I want to be a better wife,
and I want to be a better mother. But if
I'm gonna stay I need to know that he also

(35:19):
wants to be a better father.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Right, which is what he sort of does through the
course of this episode. But looking at if she becomes
more interested.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
In me because and that's what she says, she wants
to see with her own two eyes. That's why she's
watching from across the way. She wants to see is
he really engaged?

Speaker 3 (35:32):
And I think that's it was very interesting how they
brought that up. But it if you and again, families
are families. But if they allude to the fact that
Chet is a drinker, and she doesn't want to be
around that. Why leave your kid with that to see
if the alcoholic becomes a better dad, Why don't, know,
take your kid with you.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
I know, the only thing in this whole episode that
bumped me is when Corey compliments her for being a
good mother, right. I bumped me because I was like,
let's not go too far. You might say, it's really
great that she's come to the realization that she and
she knows that she did the worst thing ever by leaving.
Like it's self aware and yes, for she.

Speaker 3 (36:15):
Saw it a little with the letters she'd actually been
writing Sean the entire time.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
Though, But if you're gonna leave, you take that kid
with you. The abandon your husband, you don't abandon your kid.

Speaker 3 (36:24):
That's what I thought too.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
Yeah, but I think that that's the point, right, And
I think she's she's trying to be I mean, that's
what I love about I mean, that's what I think
Shawn's family offers that you know, Corey's family can't like
the idea is that the Matthews are the platonic ideal
of the American family. Like that, and and so to
a degree that they can be flawed. They can't be

(36:47):
like bad parents ultimately, whereas Sean's parents can be bad
parents ultimately. And I think that that that's sort of
a great diconomy that boy Mean's world offers. And you know,
this is why I think people them up to me
all the time and are like, you're You're the one
I related to on the show because I felt like
I had messed up parents or I you know, even

(37:07):
if I felt loved, they couldn't do it. They couldn't
do their job the way they knew that they should.
And that's what I love is that. But both Chet
and Verna are not actually bad people. They're not villains.
They're actually funny, they're charing, they're sensitive. They just also
can't do the thing that.

Speaker 3 (37:25):
I think that's great actually, but they also I agree
if they'd written to that more, but it seemed like
they wrote it in a way where they tried to
make it towards the end seem like what she did
was actually altruistic. I left my son because it was
the best thing for our family, and it's like, no,
you just ditched your kid.

Speaker 1 (37:41):
Yeah, no, I agree, I don't. I don't think they
tried to make it. See. I I don't think they
tried to make it seem altruistic. I do. I agree
with writer that I do think they I think they
did a really good job of making them extremely flawed.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
Oh yeah, I love the brokenness.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
It's great without. But here's the thing. It's brokenness without
because if it had been too specific, like if it
had literally been like you beat our son, or you
punched me that one time, or you drank too much
and got in jail, like, then we're veering into I
think what's positive about the sort of Like usually in
good Storytaellling, you say specificity is better, right, Like you

(38:18):
want to be as specific as possible. But in this case,
on a kid's show, if there's any really like solvable
problem or something broken that one person did, it becomes
too specific and kids are no longer going to be
able to relate to it. And I think the way
it's sort of written for Sean and Corey's point of view,
it's written for a teenager to be able to look

(38:38):
at their parents and say, my mom might still love
me even though she did this thing that hurt me
a lot, and that is more valuable overall at the
storytelling than like detailing why exactly she did something right
or wrong?

Speaker 3 (38:52):
Do you remember? Do you remember in the next couple
episodes she's in Do you remember at all? Because Sean
is obviously gone after Blake a few times with you
weren't there for me? Or you did this or you
took off? Does he ever have that moment with Ferna too?
Do you remember if is.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
There ever a moment of like I remember, I don't remember.

Speaker 3 (39:09):
Yeah, I wish he has that for some reason, And.

Speaker 2 (39:11):
Maybe it's just because I watched this episode. I feel
like Ben ended up interacting with Vernon more well way
more did not just in this episode. I feel like
that happens a lot like for the rest of you. Yes,
I'm trying to remember. I don't know, Like I don't. Yeah,
I wonder.

Speaker 3 (39:25):
If he goes after her too, where it's like, you know,
yeah he was a bad father, but you you also
took off.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
Yeah, I wont be interesting to see if that comes up.

Speaker 3 (39:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
So Sean admits he hasn't gone over there yet. He's
afraid he's going to chase her away again, and Cheat
assures him, you didn't chase her away. You're the only
reason she stayed here as long as she did. Sean
feels touched by this, and he thanks his dad for
saying it. Jet questions why she's over there spying on them.
She's probably after his secret plans. Corey's confused. What secret plans?
Nice try, Corky, Jet replies. Corky returns, I was I

(39:55):
love that.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
Me too, Daniel screamed, I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Corky, I love it. But I also love this distinction
because then she remembers Corey perfectly. And I love that,
like we've already established a chit as nice as he
is as Truman is no clue who Shawn's best friend
is whereas And it's a really good technique to make
her instantly more sympathetic because she did run away, right,
But then she's giving.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
Her likable qualities.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yeah, yes, keeps track of Sean's life. She knows who
his friends are, and you know she is mothering in
a way that Chet has not been fothering. I don't know,
it's complicated, it's complicated absolutely.

Speaker 1 (40:29):
Corey reminds them, you've been looking for this woman for
a year and now you found her. Now go get
her before she leaves again. Chet immediately turns this down.
He compares Verna to a beautiful butterfly that sat down
on a branch next to you. If you so much
is breathe wrong, it'll fly away and you'll never see
it again. Sean agrees it's a very delicate situation. He
tells Chet what they need is someone who won't be
thought of as a threat. They both look over at Corey,

(40:50):
who magically has two monarch butterflies perched on his hand
and his shoulder.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
It's the shoulder one that got me on the hand,
that's first, and then it's just the shoulder too.

Speaker 1 (41:01):
I didn't even see it at first, and then I
went back. I was like, oh my gosh, there's a
second one talking sweet to the little creatures. This is
peak Ben Savage. It is just beautiful, brilliant. Sean and
Ched are both thinking the same thing. Corey unknowingly asks what,
And then we're at the Trailer View Motel, another news set.

(41:22):
Corey knocks on hotel room number nineteen and Verna new
character reveal alert answers. She says, come on in, Corey,
I've been expecting you. Corey asks her you were Yeah,
She explains she saw him through the window crossing the turnpike,
Corey touches his heart and earnestly says, then you know
how lucky I am to be alive. Verna kisses his cheek.

(41:42):
It's nice to see him. He's growing up to be
real handsome. And then I love this moment because Charene,
the actress, notices that she left the lipstick mark on
his cheek, and she reaches over and she wipes it
off his cheek.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
Naturalistic acting moment, just real.

Speaker 1 (41:59):
Moment where she also knows if I don't get this
lipstick off his cheek, it's gonna screw up continuity and
it's and it's a maternal thing to do. It worked
so perfectly. Actor love it. Corey awkwardly explains, look, I'm
just here to tell you on behalf of them, and
then under his breath he says, couple of chickens, which
I thought was great. That they miss you very much.

(42:22):
She tells him she misses them too. Corey questions, well,
if they miss you and you miss them, then why
aren't you guys together? And she sighs she could just
go over there for a big emotional reunion, but after
five minutes, then where would we be and Corey answers,
you'd be a family. Verna shakes her head, saying no,
we'd just be together. I left because we were three
unhappy people living under the same tin roof. Just being

(42:44):
married doesn't make you a good husband and wife, and
just having a little boy doesn't make you a good
father and mother. I love this, I love it.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
It's great. It's great. It means so much more with
Chet too, when you remember, which is something that is
used as a joke, but it's part of the continuity
that there's also a Stacy, and there's also a Jack So,
and there's also an it was it Eddie. He's got
like four kids, right, so that's you know, he's maybe
trying to make it okay with Sean now, but you

(43:13):
forget that this man has fathered four children. So yeah,
there's there's a lot more there, a lot of layers.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
So Corey understands. Verna admits, I know I have no
right to hope for anything because I left my family.
But in that time I learned that all I want
to be is a good wife and a good mother.
But I need to know that Chet wants to be
a good father too. Corey says, he can go back
and tell them that Verna breaks it to him. It
doesn't help coming from you, but for my family, I
need to see it happen in its own time. Corey

(43:43):
asks how long that'll be, and she smiles, telling him,
if you want to take back a message, tell Sean
I love him, and you give him a big kiss
right on the lips for me. Corey awkwardly nods, assuring
he will do some version of that, And then we're
back in the Hunter's trailer. And in this scene, I
don't know if you noticed it too, but I noticed
the skyline of New York on his wall.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
The wall pictures are so interesting, but I'm weird. Pretty
sure this is the one where he comes back in
and I'm at the kitchen table with Jet.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
There's no idea what I'm doing.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
What am I doing.

Speaker 3 (44:15):
I'm sitting didn't even notice.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
It looks like I'm holding it, looks like I have
a model in front of me. Something white is on
the table, and.

Speaker 1 (44:21):
Maybe you're putting together a paper airplane.

Speaker 2 (44:23):
I have no idea. I thought I was waiting for
it to come back, like, oh, I got to get
back to my school project or building my model of
the trailer park or whatever, and it's like, never reverent.
I'm clearly engaged with something at the kitchen tables, Like
that is the weirdest.

Speaker 3 (44:36):
I wonder if it was you or it was props.
I wonder if it was you going like I need
something to do.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
Yeah, I definitely need something to do because we're just
sitting around waiting. He's like reading the paper, I think,
and I'm at the kitchen table. But there's like I
was like, what what what? Why? What am I doing?
So weird? But I guess Sean couldn't be reading right,
that doesn't fit the character.

Speaker 1 (44:54):
So these these these pictures on the wall. One of
the reasons I always notice them. There's such time capsules
because the skyline of New York is very obvious. Twin
towers photo.

Speaker 3 (45:05):
There's a car, there's there's around bus, there's a desert scape.
It was a weird like, yeah, it was all like
sort of generic like stuff. I was like, there's no
family photos.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
And also like, I don't know, it felt like Chet
would have a little bit more of his own personality
in there, like a little I don't know what, but like, yeah,
it's generally felt that they dialed back the chetness of
this entire episode and Blake. I can tell that Blake
is you know, I mean he he I remember him
telling me that like he felt changed by the experience

(45:35):
of Boy Meets World as an actor because he had
never done he was always playing joke characters, you know,
he was always and especially when we did his death,
I remember him like, you know, giving me a big
hug and being like this has been a life changing,
Like this has been so great to be able to
act with you, and and and I could feel him
in a good way, uncomfortable, do you know what I mean,

(45:57):
in a way that that like Chet is not you
to this, and I think Blake wasn't quite used to
it doesn't act for these kinds of scenes to be
having to like have these conversations and and and look
an actress in the eye like her, and you know,
it's just it's good. It's like yeah again, I feel
like we're stretching in a way that is weird for sure,
but I I know where it's coming from, you know

(46:18):
what I mean, Like it's coming from the play. The
play tradition that the and.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
I love that I love that I still think would
like to have had a little bit of a boy
meuts world anchor to it.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (46:26):
But here's the other thing, logistically, is that the trailer
that you grew up in she took off with that.
Did Jet ever get that back? Because yeah, because there
wouldn't be family photos like it would just be like
they moved into another trailer at the at the trailer park.
Right if he didn't get I can't remember if he

(46:48):
says he got it back or now.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
I mean, none of it makes any sense because the
real the truth is when people live in a trailer
in a trailer park, you're talking about mobile homes or
like prey fab homes, and they're not built on wheels
most often, like they're usually just like the way this looks,
you know, they're they're not ready to roll. They're actually
just prefabouts.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
Actually there are wheels.

Speaker 1 (47:07):
Yeah, sometimes there are.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
Sometimes there are most of the time.

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Apparently we got a lot of Instagram comments from people
saying that Chet did get the trailer back. It was
apparently at some point other people heard we did not
remember it, but that there was like a throwaway line
about him getting the trailer back.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
Okay, it might be when he was on the phone
at the gas station. Maybe yeah, something like that. Okay,
So it's so it is the trailer.

Speaker 1 (47:30):
So the idea, the fan theory is that it is
the original trailer.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
So this the first time we saw this trailer, I
think is the first time we saw the inside.

Speaker 1 (47:40):
So Chet and Sean here angry car horns, just as
Corey angrily pushes his way into the trailer. Eight lanes
and not one stinkn island. You gotta be Moses to
get across that highway, and it's just recurring.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
I love and again this feels very theatrical, like the
idea of having an off screen action sequence that you
just reference with dialogue were referring to, and then it
becomes a joke, and then it becomes kind of a metaphor. Yes,
that's great writing.

Speaker 1 (48:04):
I love I love it.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
I would have added car horns. I would have added
the car screeching in the car horns and then him
coming like all disheveled like.

Speaker 2 (48:13):
And when Frankie is like saying goodbye and giving off
his worm. I hope that I'm not the idea of
this like terrifying frogg Or freeway right outside the door
I love it so brilliant.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
I know it's so good. So Chet cuts right to
the chase. Well, Moses, is she in or is she out?
Corey tells them the only thing I can tell you
is she's going to be watching you from right where
she is. Chet declares, that's creepy and somewhat exciting.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
I love it. I love so clever, totally tossed away.
But I was like a little love it. I love
a Disney show, but I love it.

Speaker 1 (48:56):
Here Sean asks what now, and Chet answers, guess. We
stand next to the window and try to look appealing.
They get real close to the window and force a smile,
arms around each other trying to get her attention.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
And you're right, there are awkward camera angles in this
and this is one of them. They're like outside of
the trailer, and there is the idea that we literally
turned towards the cameras and the windows right there. Yeah,
so like yeah, yeah, felt very close, right, felt like
we were a little too deep into the set for
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (49:22):
But I mean, but it is a trailer, so you figure,
how deep could it possibly be?

Speaker 3 (49:26):
Right?

Speaker 1 (49:26):
You know, it's it's not going to be It's not
going to be a house. It's not gonna be the Matthews.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
I just wish we were taking a step towards the
cameras and then moved off camera and then you cut
to outside. Something about it just as awkward. But yeah whatever,
anytime sitcoms try and do fourth wall stuff, it gets weird.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
Yeah. Well, I I thought this was so cute, and
I love those little smile and the way Blake does
little like it is just it. I loved it. So
then we're back at John Adams Cafeteria to Pega wonders
where Brenda is. She's never been s a day in
her life. Corey, back in a collared shirt, tight jeans

(50:02):
and a structure belt, thinks she's probably playing hooky. Topanga
asks where would a lunch room lady play hooky, which
is just a weird thing to ask. She would play
hooky where everyone else plays hooky, which is at the
Tapanga Mall with an ice splendid shopping for bras at
the Tapanga Mall. Like that's yeah, that's where she would
everyone does.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
That's three thousand miles from Philly to Tanga Mall.

Speaker 1 (50:23):
That's just me, that's just you interesting. Well, Phoenie walks
into the cafeteria asking for everyone's attention. He informs the
students that Brenda Hibbert their lunch room lady Steve Hibbert away.

Speaker 2 (50:33):
Yeah, Steve Hibbert, who's joined our staff this year. I
think so.

Speaker 3 (50:36):
He's a new writer.

Speaker 1 (50:38):
They used his last name, A.

Speaker 2 (50:39):
Great writer of chick like me.

Speaker 3 (50:40):
And again not to not to do the things that
we did. All I know, people are getting sick of
us talking about why Alex was an on a Rining visit.
But Tony Quinn is obviously in this episode. Why not
throw him into the cafeteria scene right or two? He's there?

Speaker 2 (50:53):
Probably did, man, I mean, there's so much dialogue in
this episode. They're just cut. But I mean, just if he's.

Speaker 3 (50:58):
Just there wine in the time, I mean, there's no
reason for it, no reason for it.

Speaker 1 (51:04):
Honestly, probably a favor to him, the fact that he's
not there, if he's not going to speak, the fact
that he's not.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
Well, he's a guaranteed amount.

Speaker 1 (51:12):
Of episodes exactly they were we.

Speaker 2 (51:14):
Guaranteed like nine out of thirteen or whatever, you know, whatever,
put him in.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
Nine efforts, then actually put him in nine episodes. Don't
put him in for one line at the end of
a tag, It's like, come on.

Speaker 1 (51:23):
Yeah, so Cory's in disbelief, mister Feoenie, she was just
here yesterday doing the lava on my mashed potato volcano.
He apologizes and asks for a moment of silence and
her remembrance. Everyone bows their heads and closes their eyes.
Once the moment of silence is up, the students go
right back to their daily routine. Corey is still rattled.
Phoene starts to walk away, but Corey stops him. Aren't
we going to do something here, like have an assembly

(51:44):
or a ceremony. Phoene pats him on the shoulder. No,
there's nothing planned At the moment, Corey and Tapanga are
both rattled. Back in the lunchline, Corey gets served his
mashed potatoes from a tatted man. It's possibly even an inmate.
I don't know. He's taking Brenda's place.

Speaker 3 (51:59):
Did you notice by the way this poor woman passes away,
there's nothing planned for her, and yet the blood drive
is still going on.

Speaker 1 (52:08):
There as two posters behind. Everybody happen no matter what.
I don't know what happened to her, but she did
not need.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
To transfusions because there was a blood at John.

Speaker 1 (52:17):
And I'm sorry, so there's no gravy lava flow. Corey
is shocked. It's a sad scene.

Speaker 3 (52:24):
This is.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
We give a lot of flack to Corey when we
think he's unlikable. I find Corey so likable.

Speaker 3 (52:35):
Yeah, very sweet, And this whole episode is.

Speaker 1 (52:41):
At every step he is caring, concerned, questioning. I even
love I wrote it. Later, when Verna does ask him
for his opinion, it removes any possibility that anyone could
say he's overstepping his bounds with with the Hunter family.
The fact that she says, well, you've been watching us

(53:04):
for a while, now, what do you think this is?
Truly makes me love Corey. Everything about this episode I love.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
I would say this is probably Ben's best performance so
great since season one, and I think maybe the best
performance ever. And it really starts in the next kitchen scene.
After this, I was like, I wrote down, oh my god,
Ben is killing the scene, and then it just kept
getting better and better, and that, like his stuff with

(53:35):
vernon the hotel, Like as the episode end, I ended up,
I was like, this might be Ben's greatest performance of
Boy meets World History. I think he's so good. It's
not just the writing, it's Ben's performance. It's phenomenal, and
his balance between those like goofy Corey moments we've already
seen a couple of them, and then his ability to
thread the needle of sentimentality, like because it's a very

(53:56):
sentimental episode, totally very full of expositional dialogue. Everybody's just
sitting around talking about how they feel and analyzing themselves
as characters in that very boy meets worldway, and that's
hard to do and Ben nails it in this episode.
And part of it is that he really responds to
the actors that he's working with. They just have a chemistry.

(54:16):
But he is so solid, so solid.

Speaker 3 (54:19):
Well, the thing that's interesting is, at the end of
the day, with everything going on, it's a Corey episode. Yeah, yeah,
which is which it doesn't it shouldn't be, and it's it,
but it is. It's a Corey it's Corey finding new things.

Speaker 1 (54:30):
But it is the anchor that you need. It is
like you had said, it is. It does feel like
he's the thing that anchors you, reminds you this is
boy meets World. So then we are back in the
Hunter's trailer. Chet and Sean are still standing by the window.
Chet says, this look and appealing is starting to hurt
my face. Sean reminds his dad they just have to wait.
Chet declares, I don't wait. Well, I say we get her.
You go around the back so she can't escape. I'll

(54:51):
steal her tires. Chet tries leaving, but Sean blocks him.
You chased her across the country for a year, and
that was no good for any of us. Check questions,
what do you mean any of us? Sean admits it
was bad enough losing mom, but I figured at least
during that time you and I could have gotten to
know each other.

Speaker 2 (55:06):
Mope, Mope, Sure, I don't think you're mope. It's a
little it's these moments. It's the guilt trip be like
and you don't love me. It's like, just like the
second it becomes about the letters, I'm like, great, now
I have like an actual thing to say, like, look
here's your mom did that I you didn't do, and

(55:26):
like when I have an objective in the scene, it's fine.
But when my objective is to just give puppy dog
eyes and like I know that my mouth or I
am hating it. I hate it.

Speaker 1 (55:37):
Writer, not your objective. Your objective is Listen, I'm really
happy you're back, but can we have a dialogue about
the fact that you left? Like he chat's all about
Vernon and I'm chasing her and let's we got her here?
What about you?

Speaker 2 (55:52):
What about?

Speaker 3 (55:53):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (55:53):
I love that, But I want as an actor to
have a real objective, like if my objective is to
just look somebody in the eyes and make them feel bad,
which is what often happens with Sean me as an
actor playing Sean, which is both a fault of the
writing sometimes but mostly it's a fault of my acting.
It's just bad. It just feels like, oh, God, slap
the kid like I don't know, like or just like

(56:14):
let him go cry, like why like why are you
making it everyone else's problem? Whereas when I go and
grab the letters and I'm able to say like here,
here's here's you know, then I have like concrete, actual objective,
like I'm trying to show you something and get something
from you. I don't know, you know, of course I'm super.

Speaker 1 (56:30):
You're too hard on yourself because also you say the
same thing basically like three times in the scene, which
is my point that your real objective is to not
let him weasel out of the answer, right, And you
go at the end of the at the end of
the scene, you flat out say why didn't you want
to stay? Dad? So to me, you bring it up,
and he goes, hey, I made the decision that school

(56:52):
was best for you and starts to walk away, and
you go, no, no, no, no, come back. I want to
talk to you about it again. Look what mom did,
because even if you had to leave, look what mom,
Even the way.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
You're saying that is better than my performance, because like
I feel like I feel like I feel like writer
the actor is aware like what you're because like what
I wrote is like asking rhetorical MOPI questions and and
and because I know that the scene's gonna end before
I'm gonna get an answer, and so you can see
me as an actor telegraphing to the audience. I want

(57:22):
to ask my dad this tough question and nail him
to the wall. And that's the whole point of the scene,
as opposed to, hey, Dad, can you answer me? Can
you tell me what the hell? I'm not proplaying it
that way. I'm playing it like.

Speaker 3 (57:33):
I want you to know that I feel bad, and
like that's just a different object that's just bad acting
as opposed to being like, can you answer me?

Speaker 2 (57:40):
Why won't you? But I know as an actor that
the scene's gonna end, the sitcom's gonna fade away, and
we're not gonna get that answer.

Speaker 1 (57:46):
I'm so teenager, You're you're talking from the perspective of
a forty four, forty three year old man who can say, listen, dad,
I'm not like, this is the day. I'm not gonna
let you weasel out of the conversation. But you're not
that prepossessed as a teenage boy. Sometimes you just have
to Sometimes you do go, you hurt me, daddy, And

(58:08):
then he doesn't answer you, and you go, but did
you hear me? I said, you hurt me, daddy?

Speaker 2 (58:12):
Right, So then I guess the better way it would
be like to actually play the moping Like I guess
I'm kind of caught in between this like direct confrontation
where I'm seeking an objective, I'm seeking an answer and
a sort of demonstration of my emotionality, which would have
been slamming a door or taking a sight or you know,
like that actually makes more sense. Dramatic dramaturgically is that
the word yeah, Like it makes more sense for Sean

(58:34):
to to storm out or like be upset with him
or whatever. But instead the show's kind of trying to
have it both ways, where it's like I'm nailing you
to the wall, but I'm not gonna let it sit
for the next twenty minutes until we can resolve the
situation in a good sitcom form it, you know, like
it's just a def. I don't know. Yeah, I know
what you're saying.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
I loved it. I felt like I got it. I
knew what you were doing, I knew that there was
This is the this is the way teenagers demand when
they know that they don't really it's hard to demand
from a parent when you're a teenager. You don't feel
like you have power. And so the way I demand
is I keep saying, I keep repeating myself until you
maybe show me that you're gonna give me an answer

(59:10):
or not. So I liked it. So I just think
you're too hard on yourself. But okay, Chet laughs this off,
saying they know each other fine. Shawn tells them, if
you knew me at all, you would have known not
to leave me. Or at least taken me with you.
Check gets defensive. He wanted to keep him in school,
and besides, he called every couple of weeks to check
up on him, and Sean nods, yeah, every twenty three
days like clockwork. Chet makes the excuse that he was

(59:31):
out of state. Maybe candas Bergen can make all those
long distance phone calls, but he can't worth noting kandas
Bergen was the spokesperson for Sprint long distance calling from
nineteen ninety one to nineteen ninety eight. So anybody who
doesn't understand that joke, that's where a costar'm long distance
calling Candisburgen Sprint. Sean tells Chet a postcard might have
been nice. Chet responds, hey, am I here? Am I

(59:53):
better than a postcard? Did your mother send you any postcards?
And Sewn tells him no, no postcards. He then but
she sent me letters. Though, love this bombshell that we
find this out, do you?

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
I felt a little revisionist to me, hold on, where
did where did she send the letters? After? Yeah? I
was like, and also every day is a little much.

Speaker 3 (01:00:14):
I agree again they're trying to save her. This is
where to me? It got a riddle like you were
just trying to make her to redeem her, and and
I thought it would have been more interested, more interesting
if she wasn't really fully redeemable yet where it is
something where it's it's you know, Sean coming back with yeah,
and trust me, I'm gonna have a conversation with her
about that when I see her. But we're talking about

(01:00:36):
us right now, you know, something like that where yeah,
she wrote me a letter or two, but the kind
of now they're trying to make her seem like she
was this you know again, I did this for you,
and I'm gonna I miss you, Sean, I'm writing you
every day and again it's just trying to make her
seem like she wasn't all that bad and and well but.

Speaker 2 (01:00:52):
The take the take that that Chet, you know, maybe
not necessarily abusive, but was a horrible husband, right, you know,
and that that she can't say that to Sean without
also ruining his dad and his eyes. It's sure interesting.
So yeah, it's.

Speaker 3 (01:01:06):
So it's very complicated.

Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
It's tricky. You know, it's a calm format. How do
you so basically show a dysfunctional family without actually making
all the characters unlikable that's the challenge of this episode, right,
It's like, you have to want Sean, to want Verna,
Verna to want to be back to Sean, but also
have a complicated family dynamic where none of that's possible, right, right, right?

Speaker 3 (01:01:26):
I didn't, But the whole life she's written me a
letter of days.

Speaker 1 (01:01:28):
I liked it. It's like, Okay, I'm hook line and
Sinker for the entire thing. I like it. I agree
that one a day feels like one too much. One
a day is a little too much, but still I
love it. I love that that Sean hasn't been has
the box has saved them all.

Speaker 3 (01:01:44):
So she knew when he went when, she knew where
to send the letters. She knew when he went to Turner,
she knew when he was at Cory, she knew when he.

Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Was really had an eyeball from across the highway the
whole time. I don't know. I don't know where she was,
but yeah, I know. Maybe he didn't receive one every day.
Maybe she wrote one and then wouldn't know where he
was for a while, and then would find out this
is where he is, and she'd mail thirteen of them

(01:02:10):
at it. Once she knew and he would then get them.
All we don't know. But all I'm saying is none
of that bumped me. Even if I think it's a
little obsessive or a little too much with every day
I love it, I still just love it. So Chet
is surprised how many letters Sean tells him one every
day she's been gone. Chet laughs, thinking it's a joke.
Sean grabs a box filled with letters and slams it
against Chet. They say she loves me, that she thinks

(01:02:33):
about me every day, and how sorry she is about leaving,
and she hopes that one day I'll understand.

Speaker 3 (01:02:38):
And she took their house, and she took where this
kid lives, who like bankrupted the family. Then you grab
your kid and you take off him out.

Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
Of schools, away from his family.

Speaker 3 (01:02:52):
Absolutely, if you're going to take the kids, she took
his home. She didn't just leave. She took his bed,
she took his clothes, she took every possession. But that's
where the revisionist stuff comes in, where it's like we're
forgetting that. As she was written, this woman, you woke

(01:03:14):
up one day and she had not only left you,
but taken everything you owned. And now they're casting a
great actress and they're trying to bring that back. But no,
actually she wrote a letter a day and she didn't know.
Don't do that and make her that complicated lady who
took your bed like that's that's a big thing. Where

(01:03:35):
now all of a sudden they're trying to sit calm
it up to me.

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
Yeah, well it's also interesting. I mean, yeah, you're right.
I can't wait to see if Sean ever confronts her.

Speaker 3 (01:03:43):
Because that's what I wanted.

Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
This episode is about Sean confronting Chit, which is such
a weird little slide of hand.

Speaker 1 (01:03:48):
Yeah, you're but it's a good slide of hand because
it's exactly Verna's pov. Is it Sean is doing Verna's
work without even knowing that that's what he's doing. Her
whole thing is are you going to be a parent?
Do you know what it even means to be a parent?

(01:04:09):
And and you are the person who has that conversation
that brings that out of him, that shows him that
even though he thinks he's he's a victim of Verna
as well, he also victimized you. So anyway, but the way.

Speaker 3 (01:04:23):
You're the way you're going to find out how to
become the best parent is by leaving your kid for
a year and a half.

Speaker 1 (01:04:28):
I'm not saying she's right. I'm just saying she says,
I just want to know before I come back. I
want to know whether Chet knows what it means to
be a father great and said, And because she did
say that, she did say that, I I want to
I need to eye, she said. I all I've known
on this, on this year away or whatever is that
I want to be a good mom. And she said,

(01:04:49):
and just having a kid doesn't make you a good mom, right,
So this is obviously your intro, her intro.

Speaker 2 (01:04:54):
They will maybe they will help, Yeah, because you're right,
it's it's it's a weird thing that but in a
in a way we have to make it about the
character we already know, which is sure, right, Like, if
we're going to redeem a character, a parent figure, let's redeem,
let's have it be the one who we already know.
Love that, Yeah, I love that, But look how much
we're talking about it's great, it's great. Think about that.

(01:05:15):
That's what I mean. It's like we're cramming a Sam
Shepherd play into Yeah, and Corey, I mean Corey is
the one like, we haven't even talked about what he's
going It's yes, it's a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:05:24):
Again, there's a lot, a lot going on.

Speaker 1 (01:05:27):
So then there's a knock at the door and we
all think slash, hope it's Verna. But Chet opens the
door to reveal Frankie, welcome back Ethan's plate. Frankie says,
I come to you and hopes that you might watch
my little brother Herman. He steps aside to reveal a
miniature version of him, dressed like silent Bob. Herman politely says,
in his perfect ethans to plea read. I hope this
will prove no inconvenience, As some would say, I am

(01:05:48):
unreliable when left on my own. Sean tries telling Frankie
this isn't really a good time, and Frankie tells him
I know. It's a rush hour on the interstate. He
gives Herman his watch in case he doesn't outrun the trucks.
He warns it's a little slow. I hope I am not.
Herman tells Frankie god'speat and they hug goodbye. Sean, Chett
and Herman are now all in the trailer and Chet

(01:06:08):
sits down to start reading some of Verna's letters. Chet
tells Sean he's sorry he didn't call more or write
him letters.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
What is what is this all about? Like, what is
the whole Herman thing?

Speaker 3 (01:06:17):
Nothing?

Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
Nothing, It's funny and it's.

Speaker 1 (01:06:22):
The door, and I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:06:24):
Kind of like, oh, they're taking care of a kid,
you know, like a kid, Like it does kind of connect.
But but when he just sits down, and then I
was like, yeah, shouldn't.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
It's just it's just the misdirect both times. And then
obviously they come in and they have a couple of
funny moments.

Speaker 3 (01:06:42):
Literary storyline that went to somebody else. That's it was
just the funny trying to be It made no sense,
It had nothing to do with the episode, and it
was just it. I loved seeing Ethan back. The kid
was the little kid was great, and none of it mattered.
It was just very strange.

Speaker 1 (01:06:58):
So Sean emphasizes his mom was gone. You and I
could have been together, we could have been a family,
but you didn't want that. Why didn't you want that? Dad?
And I again, you're not gonna let him off the hook,
even though now there's Herman here and whatever. So I
like it. Then we're in the Matthew's kitchen. Amy's back
at the dining table with another huge breakfast spread laid out.
Eric runs down the stairs, no time to eat. I

(01:07:19):
got a catch Dad for a ride to work. Alan
runs down next. Where's Eric? She just points toward the
door and he's gone. Morgan strolls down. Good morning. Amy
asks if she'd like some breakfast. Morgan pulls out a chair.
She'd love some, But just as she's about to sit down,
a car horn honks and Morgan has to run out.

Speaker 2 (01:07:34):
Doesn't she say it? Because she says, I'm.

Speaker 1 (01:07:36):
Sorry, But Tina's mom gets really upset if.

Speaker 4 (01:07:38):
I don't have bread, She cares more very funny with
the eight hundred pancakes on the table, It's like a
Vegas buffet in the morning.

Speaker 1 (01:07:48):
At the Matthews family, Corey walks down last in a
shirt and dress pants. On his way out, Amy asks,
aren't you're gonna have something to eat? Corey tells her
the news about Brenda and admits food would hurt too
much right now. Amy's She tells Corey she's so sorry.
Corey explains all those years of serving food to kids
who never appreciate her and then she dies some life huh.

(01:08:09):
Amy takes this to heart, looking at the breakfast she's
made for her family that no one has touched, and
I know, will you love it?

Speaker 2 (01:08:17):
I think this is where it Ben shifted into a
new gear as an actor, and it was just like,
he owns this episode for the rest of the episode.
And it's not MOPy and performative. It's like now genuinely
searching and confused and sad and just awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:08:33):
Yep, momy, Yeah, I like it too. Then we're back
at the Hunter's trailer. Sean and che are sitting on
the floor wearing the same clothes we saw them in yesterday,
eating pizza. Looking at old pictures, Chet pulls out a picture.
Here's when me and your mother were teaching you to
write a two wheeler. Sean smiles. So our family wasn't
messed up all the time, was it, dad? Chet tells
him no, they had a Kodak moment or two. Corey
looks at the photo and notices it looks like he's

(01:08:54):
writing indoors. Chet nods, yeah, that's toys r Us. That's
Sean writing down Aisle five. Sean explains that couldn't actually
afford a bike. Chet apologizes money was pretty short that year.
Sean tells him, doesn't matter to me. Fun is fun.
Corey asks, you guys have been up all night looking
at pictures, and Chet nods. Time really flies when you
stick around and hang out with your son. Chet pulls

(01:09:15):
out another photo showing Sean on a bear rug. He
laughs and points, there's your butt.

Speaker 2 (01:09:20):
I forget. Oh yeah, I don't know, but it is
so funny.

Speaker 3 (01:09:26):
It was.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
So cute, and Corey is clearly touched by this father
son moment. His best friend is having uh and again,
these Matthew Nelson's scripts. I was like these these moments.
Matt knew how to write about family, complicated family in
a way. I don't know if, like anybody else did.
I just I love that.

Speaker 2 (01:09:52):
He had a way of like I mean again, it's sentimental.
He has a very sentimental streak, but he has also
dark like dark right, but also like declarative declarative sentimentality,
like I care you know, like this certain like Matt
was a very sensitive person, and he was always so
open with his positive feelings and his negative feelings, but

(01:10:15):
mostly his supportive positive feelings, like as a person. He
would always writer, you think like this, and you really
are good at that. And I always noticed it, and
I can hear that in this you know. I mean,
he's the dream try do good writer like that is
Matt Nelson, right, And you can hear it in the
rhythm of these lines like sometimes fun is fun and

(01:10:36):
fun doesn't matter money, you know, like these very like
you know it's it's moralizing to a certain degree, but
in a good, in a very positive way. Ah, I
love it.

Speaker 1 (01:10:44):
I love it too. And then funeral home sad news
set alert. Peneus stand in front of Brenda's casket as
Corey walks in, and Corey thinks he's the undertaker. Uh,

(01:11:04):
it's my first time in a funeral home. Could you
please tell me what it is that I'm supposed to do.
Phoene turns around and responds, you're supposed to be in school,
mister Matthews. Corey is startled. Mister Feeney, don't do that
to a person, especially in a place like this. He admits,
I didn't even know her. All I know is that
she served us food.

Speaker 2 (01:11:20):
Were choice to not just that the audience sees phoene.

Speaker 1 (01:11:25):
Before instead of to also not think it's someone else.

Speaker 3 (01:11:29):
Yeah, it should have just been his back, right, That's
the way I feel like it was written.

Speaker 2 (01:11:33):
And then at some point Jeff McCracken or whoever was
decided it's not worth it, you know what. It was
actually kind of refreshing, I have to say.

Speaker 1 (01:11:40):
Tried to put a side pony on Phoene with a beret,
but they figured they decided it was Yeah, it was
two friends.

Speaker 2 (01:11:50):
I guarantee you they tried it and they were literally like, well,
it's so obvious that it's Bill. That's That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:11:56):
Instead of putting a beret on a pig, let's just
lipstick on up big.

Speaker 3 (01:12:04):
But Corey is also in a suit and tie here
can't suit and tie very nice? Decides not to wear
it at the end when he comes back to the
same funeral home.

Speaker 1 (01:12:14):
I feel like, though it's because well, I don't know,
we'll talk about it, because I actually didn't notice it,
but I'll talk about now. I just thought of a
reason why that maybe it.

Speaker 2 (01:12:22):
I know why, because all the other kids are coming
in from school.

Speaker 1 (01:12:25):
I think it was a last minute plan. I think
it was also it was it wasn't his plan all along.
I think he he when he asked Phoenie, there's nothing else, Like,
there's nothing else. He at some point in this day
thought I'm going to do this, and at that point
he had already taken off his tie and his jacket.

Speaker 2 (01:12:40):
It's the next So is this supposed to be the
same day? You know, it's the next day. They put
her body on ice.

Speaker 1 (01:12:46):
That's what I'm saying, Like, how long has this been
very cold in there? The airs conditioning is blessed?

Speaker 2 (01:12:53):
Poor woman.

Speaker 3 (01:12:53):
It's like she's a president and she's she's remaining in state.

Speaker 2 (01:12:57):
It's like, what the hell is.

Speaker 3 (01:13:01):
I mean?

Speaker 2 (01:13:01):
Can we talk about just I had this thought where
watching this sea and I was like, how many kids sitcoms?
Just out of Coffin.

Speaker 3 (01:13:08):
Freight Center is right there. It's the whole set built
around a dead body. I was like, Wow, blay meings world.
That's good with nobody there. That was the other thing
is very They also made the choice to have nobody there.
That's very done on purpose.

Speaker 1 (01:13:22):
And well, Corey says, there's got to be more to
a person's life than that, and Phoene assures him, don't
lightly dismiss something that meant the world to this woman.
When anyone would ask her if she had children, she
always said, I have nine hundred. This makes Corey smile.
She didn't have any kids of her own, and he responds,
not everyone's that blessed, And you get the sense that

(01:13:42):
Phoene is also talking about himself. So there too. Yep,
he continues, but she did have a place where she
where she was cared about, a place where she knew
she belonged. I for one, will miss her, and I'm
gonna start crying now, Corey adds. Now, all her nine
hundred kids are going to miss her too. Corey stands
and looks at the casket before walking away. How do

(01:14:04):
you make sure people feel that they're wanted and they
should be together even if they don't recognize it? And
Phoene simply asks, do you recognize it? Corey says he does.
Phoene says, then tell them that's what friends are for.
Corey thanks him and walks off. Phoene calls after him
and be careful crossing that highway, proving once again Phoene
always knows what's going on in the life of everyone

(01:14:25):
he cares about.

Speaker 2 (01:14:26):
Home right across from the trailer, Park, which.

Speaker 1 (01:14:29):
Is no, I don't think, No, I don't keep saying
when you go to Sean. He knows what's going on.
He knows Verna's back, he knows where he's going, he
knows what this entire show.

Speaker 3 (01:14:39):
That's why he says that's what friends are for, because
he knows he's talking.

Speaker 1 (01:14:42):
He knows he's talking about Sean, and he doesn't.

Speaker 3 (01:14:44):
But the one thing he doesn't say, though, is if
you ever want to see the lunch Leady again, just
watch Speed. And he never said that, and he should.

Speaker 1 (01:14:51):
That's shocking, missed opportunity.

Speaker 3 (01:14:54):
Just watch Speed.

Speaker 1 (01:14:57):
And then we're back at the Trailer View motel. Corey
knocks on Verna's number nineteen door, and she answers with
a smile, if it isn't the little go between boy,
and what message do you carry today? Corey admits he's
there on his own. Verna points out, you're awful dressed up.
Do you intend on asking me to a picture show?
Corey says he's dressed up because he just came back
from saying goodbye to someone he really cared about. Verna
says she's sorry, tells.

Speaker 2 (01:15:17):
Her who's slightly poor, and boy meets world has a
Southern accent?

Speaker 3 (01:15:21):
Why is it a picture show? Who doesn't go to movies?
He's bringing me to a picture.

Speaker 2 (01:15:26):
Show love, getting the fevers, getting the vapors, and I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:15:29):
Gonna go to a shout.

Speaker 2 (01:15:32):
Yes, it's a Pennsylvania. Poor people can be less like
lower middle class and not have Southern accent. You're either from.

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
The South or you're from New York. That's Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (01:15:45):
No actual feeling accents, of course not.

Speaker 1 (01:15:49):
Corey tells her, Look, I know you left because you
guys weren't a happy family, But you wouldn't have come
back this far to this place unless you felt like
they were still your family waiting for you across the road.
Verna confesses, I did the worst thing somebody can do.
I gave up and left.

Speaker 3 (01:16:03):
She says it admitted, She admits it. That's great.

Speaker 1 (01:16:06):
Corey counters, they felt like they drove you away. Verna asks,
you've been back and forth between us, what do you think?
And again, I'm so glad she asked. I love that
she asks, and I feel very much like she cares
about what.

Speaker 2 (01:16:22):
She wants to know.

Speaker 1 (01:16:24):
She wants to know. She's truly talking this out with him,
which is a way on sitcoms, you never see adults
and children engaging with each other where the adult is
putting as much weight on this kid's opinion as if
they were talking to mister Feenie. It's to her, it's

(01:16:44):
the same, and I love it. It also removes any
possibility that Corey is stepping over stepping his bounds. I'm
not even sure if she didn't ask, I would feel
like he's overstepping his bounds. I don't think I would.
That she does ask is just beautiful.

Speaker 3 (01:16:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
I think the things that are left out are like
what's actually going on between her and Chad and what's
actually going on in her personal life, which.

Speaker 1 (01:17:05):
Is vague for a reason, yeah, because you.

Speaker 2 (01:17:07):
Can't get into it on a kid's show. But I
do think that we can fill in the blanks substance abuse, cheating,
you know, any sort of like awful thing that he
adults are doing to each other that are outside of
the purview of Corey, Sean and the children watching. And
that's that's fine, you know. But yes, if this were
a real play where a kid is going across a highway,

(01:17:27):
she would be sitting there snorting lines of coke and
like having this conversation with him while she, you know,
like whatever, it would be like this crazy drama theater piece,
but instead it's like we're able to still have those
complications without necessarily going full bore, which is right cool.

Speaker 1 (01:17:43):
So Corey stutters, I think you can make a hole
in somebody's mashed potatoes, and you can make that gravy
come down just like lava, and you can do it
three thousand times and they'll never appreciate it until the
first day it's not there. But you, missus Hunter, are
so lucky because you get to come back and find
out that they've learned to appreciate it. Now. Verna asks

(01:18:03):
where the hell Corey got that metaphor, but instead asks,
oh no. Verna should ask where the hell Corey got
that metaphor, but instead asks you think they want me back?
Corey tells her, I think you'll never find out until
you cross that highway and knock on the door. Verna
starts to tear up, telling Corey, you know it's dangerous
crossing that highway. He says, I know, but maybe once

(01:18:24):
you get there you'll be happy, so you'll just want
to stay. Gosh, you know, it's dangerous crossing that highway
is so beautiful, right great. Corey makes his way toward
the door and Verna says, Sean's got a good friend.
Corey responds, he's got a good mom too, lucky guy.

(01:18:44):
And I was like, h hold it, hold a friend.
Let's not say he's got a good mom and he's
lucky to have his mother. Then we're back in the
Hunter's trailer. Chets on the phone asking questions, and once
he hangs up, he says, uh oh. Sean asks, what's
the matter? Check confesses I could never lie to you,
so I'll just tell you the truth. Your mama exploded.
Sean doesn't get it, obviously thinking literally so funny. Chet

(01:19:09):
follows up she checked out of the motel this afternoon.
Lord knows where she is by now. Sean asks will
you be chasing after her? And Chet says not this time.
Just then, there's a knock at the door. We all
want it to be again. It's Frankie. He tells them,
I am here with a heavy heart. Somebody has something
he would like to return to you. Herman appears behind

(01:19:30):
his big brother with his head hung low. He's holding
a pink bottle. Chet asks all the valuable things we
have in this trailer, and you steal our shampoo. What
kind of weird little thief are you? Says Chet.

Speaker 3 (01:19:40):
What kind of weird weird Blake is being wasted in
this episode in some degree because just.

Speaker 2 (01:19:46):
That weird little thief. I was like, yes, I want
to hear more of that.

Speaker 1 (01:19:50):
So Herman says, I am sorry for my transgression and
the betrayal of your trust. With that said, I return
your g Your hair smells terrific, which is a real product?

Speaker 3 (01:20:00):
Is it really?

Speaker 1 (01:20:01):
It really is? Yeah? And then Chet leans in and
smells the boy's head. You use some didn't je Herman nods,
I am shamefaced. Frankie announces, come, Herman, we have other
trailers to visit. Chet assures Sean that everything's going to
be okay because they still have each other and they've
got his secret plans. Sean laughs, don't start with the
secret plans. Chet responds, No, all your life, I've been

(01:20:21):
telling you that I had these secret plans that could
make us rich. Well, I think it's time I let
you in on it. For the rest of my life.
I'm gonna be the best father you could have. But
I guess till now I've been keeping it a secret.
Chet hugs his son and we see Sean's eyes get wide,
and Sean tells him, I think your secret's out. Chet
turns around and we reveal Verna has been standing in

(01:20:43):
the doorway. She asks, with tears in her eyes, if
she can come in. Chet and Sean just stand there, speechless,
and I was in tears.

Speaker 3 (01:20:51):
I was in tears because I hope Chet is as
good a father too as other children.

Speaker 1 (01:20:57):
We don't care as much about them. They're not there
about her. This show boys meet World exactly. And then
we're in the Matthew's kitchen. Amy is setting up yet
another breakfast spread for her family, but she already knows

(01:21:19):
she's defeated. We hear a car horn honk, and Morgan
comes running down the stairs. Amy's one step ahead of her,
opening the back door for her to run out. Eric
and Allen walked down together. Eric's asking his dad if
he can close up the stork back door. He said it,
I did, I said, I did. The back door. Side door,
not a side door, it's a back door. It is
definitely a backdoor. Eric and Allen walked down together. Eric's
asking his dad if he can close up the store
tonight because he scored a date with sweet Cinda. Alan asks,

(01:21:40):
why do you talk like that? Why can't you just
say the young lady's name Cindy. Eric clarifies because her
name's Cinda. Alan rolls his eyes, kisses Amy goodbye, and
the two we ride.

Speaker 2 (01:21:49):
Now we'll have this entire episode.

Speaker 3 (01:21:51):
She's like, where as Will I didn't like see this
is what I didn't like about this is I didn't
like the only person that has any kind of respect,
it seems like for Amy after all of this is Corey.
I would have loved for Corey to do what he
obviously did with all the people at the school, which
was to get them to go and pay their respects

(01:22:13):
to So Amy comes down and all of a sudden,
all the sitting around they're all sitting around the table
waiting for her to come down. Maybe they've made breakfast
for her. Something to where Corey went to the family
and was like, yeah, we can't be overlooking this person anymore.
The way he obviously went to his friends in school
and did that and the whole family around the table
is to me a better way of doing it.

Speaker 2 (01:22:34):
I disagree because I feel like that would have been
Corey trying to get props for it or to make
a scene, whereas this is like he's making a personal
choice to like respect the person who has been feeding
him or to just like let somebody know, one to one,
I appreciate you. And I think that's way more of
a personal arc.

Speaker 3 (01:22:51):
But then why not do the same, Why get all
his friends to come at the end to go pay
respects to her?

Speaker 2 (01:22:55):
That's just because that yeah, I agree, Like, but he
already went to the funeral home. He already did the
personal thing there, right, you know, recognizing his mom and
her effort here is to ye.

Speaker 3 (01:23:07):
I would have preferred it was if the whole family
came together and realized because it still makes Eric look
like it still makes.

Speaker 2 (01:23:14):
Alan, to be honest, I just think it's just the
way none of them, everybody the fourth or.

Speaker 3 (01:23:21):
Fifth time now, none of them have noticed a huge
table full of food and Amy just resigned with her
head down opening the door. Not a single person in
the family notices that one not that.

Speaker 1 (01:23:33):
I just think they don't necessarily know that everyone is leaving.
Eric's usually the first person out the door, so he
doesn't know necessarily that Alan doesn't stay and eat something
that Corey doesn't stay and eat something that Morgan doesn't
stay and eat something.

Speaker 3 (01:23:44):
And I think the.

Speaker 2 (01:23:47):
Countertops in my house every day all I like, all
our obsess over count clean countertops, like I want the
kitchen table, all the tables. No one in my family,
the two other people in my family ever notice. They
never say people walk into our house and they're like, wow,
house looks great, writer, And I'm not thank you every
single day of my life. And I will do it

(01:24:09):
until the end of time, I guess.

Speaker 3 (01:24:11):
But it's a totally different thing. Clean house is a
different thing than coming down, than walking past a table
full of set plates with food covering the entire table
every single morning.

Speaker 2 (01:24:26):
Well, it's a sitcom, so it's cartoony.

Speaker 3 (01:24:28):
I think it doesn't. That's what I'm saying. You know,
I would have liked them to sit and have a meal.
That's all I'm saying. That's it. I just I would
like to have said because again, I.

Speaker 2 (01:24:37):
Would have removed Corey's It would have removed the power
what Corey is doing because and what I love about
band's performance is it's subtle. He just sits down. He's
just like Hi, Mom, I'm just gonna eat with you
and appreciate you today. It's not a huge thing. Amy's
not that upset about it. It's I.

Speaker 3 (01:24:53):
Would like to have had it bend the whole family.
I just I would have.

Speaker 2 (01:24:56):
You just don't like the way it makes you look.

Speaker 3 (01:24:59):
That's one of the reasons I don't like the way
it makes Eric look. I also don't like the way
it makes Alan look. I mean, Morgan is one thing,
but we just we just got off of an episode
where Alan where Amy made this sacrifice for the family
and is like, I'm gonna pick and pick this store,
and it's this beautiful thing. And now we're cutting to
everybody blowing by her every morning, not giving, not caring

(01:25:20):
at all about this woman. And so I think at
the end, them sitting down and taking a moment as
a family with Amy is a nice thing. So the
fact that Corey's the only one who recognizes it and
doesn't pass by the three hundred dollars worth of food
she makes every morning is a little was a little
much for me, and I would like, Yeah, I would
like to have seen them all around the table at

(01:25:41):
the end, and then Amy just kind of like looking
around as her entire family is there. I think that
would have been nice.

Speaker 1 (01:25:48):
So Amy sits at the dining table by herself, looking disheartened,
surrounded by the fruit plates. Then Corey walks down the stairs,
Polo ty Jean's belt and goes straight to the table
to eat breakfast. He looks her in the eyes and says, Mom,
thanks for making me breakfast. Amy stares at him, shocked
until they said cut, which appeared to be a very
long time. Y, there was long time I would have

(01:26:09):
My one thing was I would have wanted to I
wanted to see the shock go to appreciation and like
there was like a she was like this, hold oh,
I was like smiled something, Yeahray feel good? Like let's
I want to know that you feel good in this moment.

Speaker 3 (01:26:26):
I mean the calculations in her head of if you
notice how many nights again, everybody getting fourteen scrambled eggs?

Speaker 1 (01:26:34):
How many did I send on the seat?

Speaker 3 (01:26:35):
Same amount of food on the table.

Speaker 1 (01:26:37):
And then we're in the tag. We're at the funeral home. Corey, Phoenie,
and mister Turner are all at the funeral house together.
Phoenie admits to Corey, normally, your little schemes alarm me,
but I must say with this one, you've outdone yourself.
Turner agrees. I still think you take your mashed potatoes
a little too seriously, but nice work. Corey says the
woman did have nine hundred children. I just thought they
should all get their chance to say goodbye. And then

(01:26:59):
the camera pans to s on to Panga, Frankie and
all of Brenda's children, each holding a lunch tray with
a flower on it, took place on her casket, and
I cried for a third time.

Speaker 2 (01:27:09):
A very clever idea look at what a what a
what a great writing like metaphor whatever. I don't even know.
It's not metaphorical. I guess it's just like what a
great writing thing like? Did have the tag be lunchline
with flowers?

Speaker 1 (01:27:24):
Very clever, so just beautiful. So I just want to say,
I know for me, season four episodes must be very
impactful because, and I mean this with absolutely no disrespect,
I have barely noticed that mister Turner is not in
the episodes. I until I shot him in the tag

(01:27:47):
and I was like, oh gosh, Tony. And so the
fact that we we all through season two, Season two
and three. It is Sewn and Turner, Shawn and Turner,
Shaw and Turner and now just out of it. And
I haven't even gone, you know, I really am missing.

Speaker 2 (01:28:04):
These episodes are so strong, there's so much going on,
there's so I mean, everybody, yeah, no, I mean we
have just hit our stride as a show.

Speaker 3 (01:28:12):
So what do you think happened? What do you think
happened to make such a difference between the last season
in this season, because again I have my problems with
this episode, but it's still a solid episode that's essentially
four for four, yes, where it's really good everything. Did
producers change? Did writers change? Like what happened? Is Kendall

(01:28:35):
still with us in season four?

Speaker 2 (01:28:39):
Good question?

Speaker 3 (01:28:39):
Or did he only do two and three?

Speaker 2 (01:28:41):
He was directing after season four, but I'm not sure
if he was still producing. I know that Michael had
left seasons two and three to go work on other shows,
so he might have recommitted to coming back to our show,
and so he might be overseen season four more. We
had more money, obviously, that makes I think we were
more confident. I think the show had just hit its stride.

(01:29:03):
I think every every you know, I think it's just
the time it takes to become a team and to
become a confident show like you can. You could see
in season two and three, these like forays into oh,
let's make it a Sean episode, Let's make it an
Eric episode, Let's make it to Panga. We're kind of
all and now I feel like we've done a lot
of exploring and everybody's pretty So it's like we built

(01:29:23):
the foundation for all these characters, right, and all these
different you know, even even Alan, like having the store.
Now it's like it just feels like the foundation has
been laid. Now we can just do good storytelling.

Speaker 3 (01:29:35):
I don't know, yah, I just didn't know if there
was some kind of change. And by the way, I'm
not saying that, Oh God, Kendall left so it got
better Kendall. We loved Kendall. It's amazing. I'm just wondering
if there was any kind what kind of the changes were,
because it's I mean, you look at the first four
episodes of season three next to the first four episodes
of season four. I mean there's no comparison. I mean,
season four is nailing it every week. So I'm just

(01:29:57):
wondering what the differences were The money helped.

Speaker 1 (01:30:00):
I'm sure, yes, throwing money at us seriously, yeah, And
I do just think we've all hit our stride as
far as feeling comfortable, and we're all yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:30:09):
You know, I feel like Danielle and I are acting
like we're we have characters, were there. Danielle is a regulars.

Speaker 1 (01:30:17):
This is the episode of We've hit it. This is
peak Danielle, this was this was This is all downhill
from here at this point. No, no, this, this probably
the rest of the season is all the best it'll
ever get.

Speaker 3 (01:30:30):
Oh okay, so we got some more time before you
just start really starting.

Speaker 1 (01:30:33):
You'll eventually start to see it where it's just wow,
turn it off. But this from from this moment on
is where it's just gets better.

Speaker 3 (01:30:43):
Okay, all right, fair enough, So join us.

Speaker 1 (01:30:45):
For our next episode. Season four, Episode five, Shallow Boy.
This is the episode we have been told the most
about by fans going into season four. I don't remember
one thing about it.

Speaker 2 (01:30:58):
I can quote. It's like Shallow Boy and Chick Like
Me are probably two of the greatest, like just tight,
perfectly written episodes, perfect remember everything.

Speaker 1 (01:31:08):
I don't remember a single thing. I can't wait to
watch it because maybe stuff will come back to me,
but I don't remember. I don't know anything about what
the storyline is. I know nothing. So I'm very excited
to see it and thank you all for joining us
for this episode of Podmeets World. As always, you can
follow us on Instagram Podmeets World Show. You can send
us your emails Podmeets World Show at gmail dot com,
and we have.

Speaker 3 (01:31:26):
Merch where you merched to a picture show.

Speaker 1 (01:31:31):
Pod Meets Worldshow dot com writer send us out.

Speaker 2 (01:31:34):
We love you all, pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is
an iHeart podcast producer hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfridell and
Ryder Strong Executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, Executive
in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tarasubash, producer,
Maddie Moore engineer and Boy meets World Superman Easton Allen.
Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow

(01:31:57):
us on Instagram at Podmets World Show, or email hello
us at hodbeat World Show at gmail dot com