TGI – Episode 420 “Security Guy”

The gang tackles yet another SAT centered episode, and our #2 pencils are sharpened and ready to disappoint Alan.
 
We dive deep into the high expectations the audience has for Eric’s future and the surprising truth that his storyline starts, and ends, the season!

Though not the most shocking moment on the BMW set with the vegetable, there’s an all-time record made when Topanga becomes the first character to eat an entire head of broccoli in mere minutes. And now her son is having an existential crisis.

So be sure to study, and fill in every Scantron bubble, for a brand new Pod Meets World…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Every night when I put Adler to bed. It's some
of my favorite times with him because Jensen hangs out
with him in his room while I put Keaton to bed,
and then I leave Keaton's room and I go into
Adler's room, and then Jensen says good night to Adler
and he turns off the lights, and Jensen leaves, and
Adler and I just stay there in his room in

(00:40):
the pitch black, and we talk and we can't see
each other. So there's a whole new freedom, he feels.
It's one of the reasons I think kids talk when
they're in the car, like there isn't that direct eye contact,
so they feel more free to talk about things. And
every night he starts the same way moms talk about something,

(01:01):
and I say, Okay, what do you want to talk about? Now?
Adler will be five at the end of June, so
he's not quite five. He says to me the other night, Mom,
did you know that Damien, who's one of his best
friends in his class and is also in his karate class,
did you know that Damien had a dog named Angel?
And I said I did know that, Yeah, Yeah, Damien

(01:24):
had a dog named Angel. And he goes, yeah, an
angel died.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Oh no, And.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
I said yeah. I said, it's you know, it's unfortunate,
but dogs don't live forever. And he goes, well, not
Brunch and Bill, right, Brunch and Bill, They're not going
to die, oh no, And I go, well, uh, you know, yeah,

(01:48):
they will die. They will die, and he goes no,
And I just I feel the anxiety and the social
just dread Phil in his little body. And I said, well, honey,
nobody knows when that time will be. The good news
is neither Brunch or Bill are sick. There's no reason

(02:11):
to think we have any reason to worry about them
dying anytime soon. We don't know when it will be.
But you may even be ten like that, you know,
because to him, the idea of when he's going to
be ten, he feels like he's been hearing about his
fifth birthday forever. So no need to go into the
fact that we had the radioactive cat.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
And I wasn't even you don't.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
I didn't even I didn't even bring it up. I
just said, you know, absolutely not, no no problems there.
He goes, well, are you I mean, are you sure?
I really don't think I don't want Brench and Bill
to die. I don't. I just don't know why that
needs to happen. And I said, but honey, nothing lives forever,
which was a no, because his next question.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Was what about you and Dad? No, what about me?

Speaker 1 (03:02):
I'm not gonna die, right, And I just silent, And
he says again, Mommy, I'm not gonna die, right, And
I again silent because I'm in my head. What do

(03:27):
I say?

Speaker 2 (03:29):
The terminator going through all the possible things you can say.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
You know, I really pride myself on being able to
tell him Mommy and Daddy don't lie to you. When
Mommy and Daddy tell you something, it's because it's the truth,
or at the very least, it's what we believe. When
I tell him something I believe, I say, I don't
know for sure, but this is what I believe. Other
people believe other things, and they don't. Also they also

(03:56):
don't know for sure, and people are allowed to believe
different things. It doesn't mean you have to try to
change somebody's beliefs. So I'm also I'm very clear about that.
And if he asks me something and I truly do
not know the answer, I just say I do not know,
and if there is the answer to be found, I say,
but let me find out for you, and then I
can go on the journey of finding it out. So
I'm like my gut, which is to immediately just stop

(04:20):
the no, not you, you're court because I because that's
all I want in this moment is for him.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
I don't know, let me find out. I don't let
me go.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
And I also I refuse to lie. And so he
says it a third time, Mommy, I'm not going to die,
right And then what came out of my mouth was, honey,
these are adult problems. And he said, what does that mean?
And I said, you're talking to down the road. Yes,

(04:52):
I'm punching it down the road.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
And I suppose you're the concept of death. So I
don't have to do.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
And I said, these are these are not the things
that for almost five year olds should be thinking about.
You don't need to think about this right now, I said.
And he said, well, I said, there are adult problems
and there are kid problems. He said, what's a kid problem?
And I said, at your age, you're learning to read.
Learning to read is your problem. That's a kid problem.

(05:18):
Making friends, being kind to people, learning to regulate your
big emotions. Those are all things that you should spend
your time thinking about and working on. And these things
that we're talking about are things that mommy and Daddy
think about and and not him. And he, thankfully that
worked very well for him. He said I love you, mom.

(05:40):
I said I love you too, and then he said
you can leave now, and which is always what he
says when he's done, when he's done, when he's ready
for me to leave because he's ready to go to sleep. Yeah,
I've been dismissed. And then he's never brought it up again.
He did bring up Angel again. He did bring up
somehow something came up. I think I said to Keaton, well,
thank you Angel, and he was like, Mommy, Damien's dog's
name was Angel. And I was like, I know, but

(06:00):
but he didn't bring up any of the other stuff.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
So I remember this moment from my own childhood. I
really yeah. I was playing war with Keith Stackhouse, my
best friend, and we were running around.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
The war or is there a different.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
In War?

Speaker 3 (06:17):
And we were like running around in the woods at
my house and and we were like and I like fell.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
I was like, oh, and then I die and.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
I fell on the ground and played dead and started bowling,
and I remember poor Keith being like, right, are you okay?

Speaker 2 (06:36):
What happens after I died?

Speaker 3 (06:38):
And then I walked in and I was like and
he he like probably helped pick me up. And we
walked to my dad in the garage, and I remember
my dad was like working us up, and I was like,
am I going to die?

Speaker 2 (06:49):
And in classic kings run.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Yeah, everything does here just like and I just remember this,
you know, And then we just sat and talked about
it all afternoon. And but it's so interesting, like I've
off thought of that as a good example of how
important play is, right, like how important imagination is, because
it probably had been told some version of death or thought.
But like, for whatever me, acting out death made it

(07:12):
real for me, and like I was able to like
have to like realize, oh, I can't imagine what happens
after I am there, I was next, and what happens next?
And I didn't know how to act it. I didn't
know how to play it in my imagination. And it
was like and yeah, so I just this, like I
still still see the grass like sideways laying on the ground,
like trying to and being like.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Oh, there's there's nothing beyond that. I don't know where
to go. Yeah, I think yeah, play is important. Man
with your friends.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
Thankfully has handled it well. He wears all black now
and he listens to nine inch nails, and I don't
think there's nothing that nothing eyeliner.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (07:51):
No, my parents told me I am going to live forever,
and I believe them, So I'm good.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
You'll carry on the podcast in ant.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
I'm just gonna keep going the entire time, gonna do
the re listen of the re listen of the re listen.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
It'd be great, be like, yeah, this is so here
we are. It's twenty three forty.

Speaker 1 (08:11):
Arcause he's also never gonna die.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yes, just Adler and I together. I love it.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
An angel wherever rest in peace angel right now. Yeah,
like luckily, our luckily, our cat and dog aren't sick
at all. It's like you just irradiated your cat where
you had to be at arm's length away.

Speaker 1 (08:29):
Listen. We did it so we could buy the kid
like five or six more years. And by the cat,
I mean the cat, I mean this cat's now gonna
live forever. We've we've taken care of the one thing
that was causing him to be at rich. Oh, welcome
to Pod Meets World. I'm Daniel Fischel, I'm.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
Right or Strong, and I'm wilfordell.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
Well. Welcome to this episode of Pod Meets the World.
It's season four, episode twenty Security Guy. It originally aired
April fourth, nineteen ninety seven. The synopsis. After getting fired
from Alan's store, Eric gets a job as a security guard,
but mister Feenie and his family think he's wasting his potential.
All the while, Cori and Tapanga try to convince Sean

(09:18):
to take an sat prep course. It was directed by
Jeff McCracken. It was written by There's a story by
Mark Bluman and Howard Buskang and a teleplay by Matthew Nelson. So,
before I jump into guest stars, did you guys have
any overall thoughts? I can start if you want. I know,
I always ask a question, and you guys feel like

(09:39):
I'm putting you on the spot. I okay, I'll get
my complaint out of the way first. I find it
a little off putting that no matter how many different
things Eric tries to do, everything is presented as he
will end up being a loser unless he takes the
SATs and goes to college. I know, I find that

(10:00):
a little off putting. Like I just and I know
that it was the nineties, and I know that it's
you know, one of the things that especially back then,
you know, going to college and getting an education, did
feel like if you didn't do that, your life was
at risk, Like, well, what could happen to you? Yeah?
So I know that. I know that I'm not judging
the show by it, but it does just every time

(10:22):
every time we have an episode about it, I get
a little irked because I'm like, geez, is there nothing
anyone can do without this? With that said, I loved
this episode.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
Oh cool.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
I really loved it. I thought it was I thought
the performances were great, I thought the I thought the
there's some you know, kind of maybe outdated stuff with
the parents and who the blaming and what the roles
are of parenting that's outdated whatever, But none of that
really bumped me. I just I loved it. I loved

(10:55):
the episode. I was very entertained. I thought it was
really well done and I just enjoyed it.

Speaker 4 (11:01):
So I agree with you one hundred percent. I had
the same problem. I also think, and again looking hindsight
being what it is and what we're learning more about
today when it comes to four year schools and things
like that, I think it's a big missed opportunity to
show that you could do other things. Eric didn't need
to go to college, that you know, he could have
learned a trade. Would have been a very interesting way

(11:22):
to go about it. I thought would have been empowering
for the character. But that being said, it was a
fun episode to watch. I remember, unfortunately can't remember the
actor's name, but the guy who played the other security
guard I remember. He and I got along very well
this week. I love episodes where I just got to
work with Rusty and Betsy and Bill. I felt like

(11:44):
as an actor, and again I had my own little ooh,
I wish I could have done that moment over ooh,
I hamm that up a little bit.

Speaker 2 (11:50):
I had that a couple times.

Speaker 4 (11:51):
But for me, it felt like, ooh, they're putting me
with the adults, and there was something I liked where
I was like I was now a member of this cast.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
With the adults where it was always kind of floating.

Speaker 4 (12:02):
And so to be in that kind of realm as
an actor of It's Gonna be You and Bill and
Rusty and Beat. I mean that to me was was great.
Like I felt like they were kind of hating me
on the back, like you're gonna go You're gonna go
play with the big kids this week, right, So I
really love that. But yeah, that was my only other
problem was I thought they they really do, really are

(12:23):
harping on that you need to go to college. And
we talked about this in the other episode, which is
really interesting because Michael didn't and so it was I
thought a real opportunity to show that you do not
need to go to a four year school.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
You don't.

Speaker 4 (12:35):
You know, sets are what they are, but you know,
you don't need to go to a four year college.
And having Foene say things like, yes, I think you're settling.
I think you're doing that, it got a little much.
But I loved I thought the episode was fun. I
thought it was funny. There's times I was I felt emotional,
which I don't normally do that with Boy Meets World episodes.

Speaker 2 (12:54):
So yeah, I very much liked it. Yeah, it was
you know, it's funny because it's not even the college thing,
which we've talked a lot about.

Speaker 3 (13:00):
It's specifically distilled to SASA over and over and over again.
I had no idea our show. I mean, this is
probably the seventh episode of Boy Meets World dedicated to
taking the SATs as the locus of all of your
academic energy and the benchmark. And I mean, I.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
Guess, you know, I guess that's.

Speaker 3 (13:23):
A an oversimplification, probably because it makes for just a
very easy story point. Yeah, it's like are you going
to take them? And then what's your score going to be?
And it becomes this like a sort of condensed, distilled
way to be, like, you know, here's a very clear choice.

(13:43):
But yeah, it doesn't age very well because it's so specific.
And of course, like colleges haven't been requiring the SATs
for like the last ten years. It's now coming back
in vogue, but like, you know, there's all these questions
around SAT this is a thing, but back then it was.
And I guess it's just fascinating that our writing staff,
our creative team really decided to just hammer this home

(14:05):
and like make that all the focus. And yeah, it
just it just kind of I was like rolling my
eyes at that. But I wonder if I had been
if I'd seen this episode without having seen going back
to season one, you and Jason Marsden studying for the SATs,
if I wouldn't feel that way, if I would just
be like, oh, this is good storytelling because the sat
is here actually have a result. We get the number

(14:27):
like we see it, and it does play well within
the context that it's just I'm a little exhausted by
sat talk. Your performance is unbelievable in this world. I
think I think that you have a lighter touch than
in other dramatic episodes. It's a dramatic episode, but you
play it with such a lighter touch. It's really effective.
And like you said, you're just in it with the
adults and you're holding your own and like watching you

(14:50):
when you walk out in the security guard outfit, it
just gets a laugh. It's just a great It's just great.
I find the episode really really really sweet. Yeah too sweet,
Like there's just not enough sour for me. I need
a little I need a little bit more conflict, a
little bit more like I don't know.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
It was just it was just like, well, that's it's
a lot of.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
Sweet moments in a row, like oh yeah, and now
we're gonna tell Feenie what we think, and now Eric's
gonna tell a Feenie what he thinks. No, Russy's gonna
tell Eric what he thinks. And now it's just like, oh,
gets all.

Speaker 1 (15:20):
And there's just a little bit of minor confrontation between
Eric and Amy, but we don't really ever see it.
It's like because he's talking, but you're you know, we
see Alan say you're not mad at me? No, daddy,
I'm not mad at you. So the conflict is like, yes,
but inside roiling, but it's off screen.

Speaker 4 (15:36):
But the other thing, but it's also it's it's again
like if we're going to nitpicky stuff, it does show
and they and she was in the episode a lot,
but maybe a more powerful episode if instead of going
to Alan and talking to Alan about how he's mad
at Amy, it's the scenes with Amy, like you know, why,
why is that not the focus? We've we've established that

(15:57):
like if it was and again machine wayback machine, all
the stuff we always talk about, but if we if
it was still Alan trying to protect him and keeping
him at the store, and it was Amy who just
flat out as like, no, he has to go, this
is now bad.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
He has to go.

Speaker 4 (16:13):
It does add another layer of everything that's kind of
going on, so I get that. But yeah, overall, I
thought it was great and I remember, and we'll get
into it as we get to the especially the opening scene.
But I remember, especially the opening scene with Rusty and
us just losing it with the one armed bear trainer
and how we.

Speaker 1 (16:31):
Speaking of which it was mentioned the one arm bear
trainer with Rusty when we did the sleepover and I
thought the real bear trainer had one arm. I didn't
realize you guys were talking about the show. I was like, wait,
you mean to tell me the bear trainer only had
one arm, And you guys were like yes, And I
was like, this is the That's one of the craziest

(16:53):
Hollywood stories I've ever heard. Then there was a bear
trainer with only one arm. No, no, of the show, right.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
Yeah, this is how Hollywood lawa is birthed.

Speaker 3 (17:01):
Right here, the misunderstanding of what's in scene out of scene,
and the story gets told and retold.

Speaker 2 (17:06):
Until my cousin knew that the.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
Hospital Danielle was on the show, she would and she
said that there was a one bear was one, that
the trainer only had one arm. You guys like you
was scared.

Speaker 4 (17:23):
Oh, yes, exactly how it would be to it's how
it works works.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
So guest starring Troy Evans, who returns to Boy Meets
World Now as the Bear Trainer and yes, you recognize
him as the hilarious Ranger Marker, he says, the pod
meets world favorite city Slackers. He's a legendary character actor
with a hey that guy face and credits like a spentcher,
a pet detective, teen wolf E r and Bosh And

(17:50):
then the guy you remembered so well Will Chris Eyer
as Ronnie. He played Nigel on two episodes of Buffy
and Doctor pran Jeep on four episodes of Two and
a Half Men. So, jumping into our recap, we are
in the Wilderness store. There's a line outside to get in.
Eric explains it's because he called a little lady named
Hollywood and arranged for all those customers to meet TV's Bear.

(18:15):
The camera pans to a real grizzly bear sitting in
the store. This is the first of two bears. I
have no memory of being on set. Apparently, Alan politely
whispers to his son what shows he was on. Eric
guesses Grizzly Adams, gentleman, national geographic. It doesn't matter. He's
been on TV, which means he's famous and people love that.

(18:36):
And then a bear trainer walks up to Alan and
Eric and we see he's missing one of his arms.
The man would like to discuss the business portion of things,
as Eric has agreed to pay twenty five hundred dollars
for the bear's appearance. That's a lot of money.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
That's a lot of money, especially in bear money, because
I can get I can get you a bear right
now for seven hundred bucks and a great one, really
so crazy.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
What's the day rate for a set? It's less than that.
It's not that, it's not that that I mean, but
it's you. I think it's less than two grand for
a day. So the bear's, you know, command on a
salary here.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
So it's a steep price. But Alan assumes these people
are going to buy enough merchandise to make it worth it.
The bear handler stops him. Those customers can't come inside
his TV bear can't be around people. Allan is confused.
It's a TV bear, isn't it trained? The one armed
man shouts back, you can't train a bear, Alan forces

(19:34):
Eric to fix this mess. So Eric brings up the
fact that this bear was on little house on the prairie.
The man knowingly tells them, sure, he's great with children,
so Alan is somewhat relieved. Well, great, then they can
have the kids come in and play with the bear.
And then the bear trainer warns them, oh, I wouldn't
do that. They need another twenty five hundred dollars for
the female bear as well. Alan is not happy about

(19:56):
this five thousand dollars mistake. Eric inches his closer to
the grizzly to assure his dad this is just a gentle,
meek TV bear, and then the bear stands up on
his hind legs, looking furious. Eric looks up as if
he's looking at the bear about to strike, and we
hear a terrifying roar from just the sound. Eric's hair
blow's in the wind, and he's screaming at the top

(20:18):
of his lungs. Alan and the bear handler are screaming
as well. Eventually, the bear calms and Eric slowly walks away,
his face still in horror and his hair all messed up.
We hear the trainer frantically trying to calm the bear
down and Alan sternly tells his son to get out.
Eric reminds him he works there, and Alan tells him
not anymore. Will What do you remember about shooting that
with the bear?

Speaker 2 (20:40):
I mean, I remember that it wasn't a real bear.

Speaker 4 (20:43):
It was an actor named John Smoles who was actually
in the costume.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
I'm not kidding you. It was you know it was.

Speaker 4 (20:52):
I mean, I remember committed to that was great.

Speaker 2 (20:59):
He looks realistic. I remember were you know, it's a bear.
You're sitting there with a bear, and I'm thinking it's
fun and all this kind of stuff.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
And I was just googling because I this is one
of those Hollywood stories that I had heard over and
over again that I thought it was the same bear.
I don't think it is the same bear. But the
bear then that Will Ferrell wrestles in Semi Pro, which
wasn't that much later than this four or five years
killed its trainer on the set. So, I mean, these
things where the guys like, you can't train a bear.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
Is kind of accurate. You can't. It's at the end
of the day, it's a bear.

Speaker 4 (21:34):
So they brought him into the Wilderness Store, which again
they decided to use the set finally, and there.

Speaker 2 (21:41):
Was a full sized bear. And I mean, it looks like,
unless they've shot it in a way that I haven't
been able to figure out, it looks like there's a
bear about three feet from all of us. So yeah,
I'm pretty sure there was. Just Hey, this is the bear.
Have we talked about Barth the Bear on the show?
I feel like we have. On this podcast we talked
about Barth the Bear.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
Was it on this podcast or was it just personal?

Speaker 2 (22:00):
That's probably just in our every day of talking.

Speaker 3 (22:02):
So barta bear was like the most famous working bear
through the nineties, and he was huge, but he was
trained because he had been raised from a cub with
his trainer, and he was the only, as far as
I know, one of the only bears that could wrestle
with his trainer on camera.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
So Legends of.

Speaker 3 (22:19):
The Fall, the Edge, there's like these classic movies where
Bart was the go to bear because he was he
was well trained and he never never killed anybody but
his trainer. His trainer had worked with him from when
he was a cub to wrestle the trainer. So whenever
you see a bear wrestling a person in the late
nineties with Barth the bear. It's the trainer himself in

(22:42):
costume doing, you know, stepping in for the actors. But
as far as I know, that's the only bear that's
been able to do that on camera or like relar, Yeah,
we have a bear.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
Yeah, and I'm sure the shot that we get where
the bear stands on his hind legs and he growls
and all that, nobody was probably on set for that.
The trainer camera, you know, isolated and then obviously your
shot there's really no bay like they they did as
little with the actual bear as possible, but man, just

(23:12):
so crazy. Bart the bear too is also dead now
with a note I got.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
Early adds, I think, wait, so animals.

Speaker 1 (23:24):
Die, You're not going to die?

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Hurry? Am I going to die?

Speaker 3 (23:29):
No? No?

Speaker 1 (23:29):
No, well okay these are adult problems.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
Okay, you can go now.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
So then we're in the Matthew's kitchen. Amy reminds Alan
that this isn't the first time Eric's messed up at
the store. He's given him enough chances. It was time
to let him go, and I was like shaming Amy.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
Season four has been like a real, like practical hardcore parent. Yeah, yeah, definitely,
I mean not like you know, I correctly so in
some way, you know, like it's al she never it's
not like she's just being vindictive or that.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
She's done taking exactly.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
She's like, I'm finished, I'm finished with this now, I'm.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
You know what my patient's gone.

Speaker 2 (24:17):
Do you think she has a job at this point?
It's really interesting that they don't know.

Speaker 1 (24:22):
We see her serving food a lot now.

Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, and it's like an eighth of a glass.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
Of milk orange.

Speaker 2 (24:29):
She only pours like a little bit.

Speaker 4 (24:31):
I was like, get shots of stuff, yes, okay, But
now I was wondering that.

Speaker 2 (24:36):
I was like, is she working herself now or I
don't know what's happening.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
She might maybe they make so much money at the
Wilderness Store. She just helps out at the Wilderness Store
because she's there later behind the counter, you know, right,
so maybe she's working there anyway. Morgan's size, I don't
want you to let Eric go. I love Eric, Alan
explains Eric's still living with them, he's just no longer
working at the store.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
Amy did she I'm sorry, did she?

Speaker 4 (24:58):
Did Lindsey look like seriously older this episode to anybody else?

Speaker 2 (25:05):
No? I just noticed her hair was like I know, she.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
Really kind of done up or like it was like
that's what it was.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Was older to me, all of a sudden, she's now twelve.

Speaker 1 (25:15):
I noticed the same thing about the hair she had,
like a it almost looked like an actual natural beach wave,
like the way your hair really does look if you
go in the ocean and then come out and let
it air dry. I thought, this doesn't look like it
was done with a curling iron. It really has this
like cool natural wave to it.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Yeah, she looked older to me. I was like, Oh,
she's okay, growing up. They're growing her up. She wasn't
in the footy pajamas.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
Well.

Speaker 1 (25:38):
Amy hopes their son understands it's just tough love and
he needs to learn his lesson. Alan assures her he
made it very clear to Eric he was fired right on. Cute.
Eric runs down the steps, Come on, daddy, Oh got
to get to work early. Get that get out that
bear stink. Amy stops him and asks Eric if he's
going to work. Eric quickly responds, oh, yeah, put a
little food on the table, keep you in pretty things.

(25:59):
Let's go pop. He opens the door to leave, but
he remembers he forgot one detail. Oh I've got to
take an early lunch and then not come back at
all because I met a really nice girl and I'm
gonna have a second lunch with her. He laughs and
nudges Morgan. Working for your dad is so great. Amy
has seen enough. Eric, you're fired. Eric turns around and
disregards his mom's comment. Amy doubles down, telling Eric she's serious.

(26:21):
Eric smiles, you can't file fire me. You're the mama.
I work for the data. He pats Alan on the back,
but Alan doesn't respond. Eric's uneasiness begins to show as
Alan stands up. You really don't help yourself, pal, and
then he walks out without him leaving.

Speaker 2 (26:35):
I was waiting. I was waiting for you to actually
quote back to the future here right, dad, Daddy.

Speaker 1 (26:47):
And then we're in the Matthew's living room. Corey, Sewan,
and Tapanga are hanging out and Topanga is eating a
whole broccoli because Ioli phil leads apparently.

Speaker 3 (26:56):
Who does that? I was waiting for her to be referend.
I think probably what happened is they were like, Sean
should be eating licorice because I'm in the Brad Pitt
Wilford El School of Acting. Now where it's like, of course, casual,
don't care, you're sitting here chewing on my liquorice. And
then they were like what if god eating? It's such
a visual gag to be like.

Speaker 2 (27:17):
The difference between these two characters. One just thinking ahead
and being healthy, the other is going.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
For the sugar.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
Why is it? Also? What is it with broccoli? It's
healthy on our show, right, but no, but then again
later vergetable tray. I know you're just holding a crown
of broccoli. I'm saying. Later we have the broccoli poster
behind Ben Clary Celery right, sor I'm making I don't
need any that's why. Just go for the liquorice.

Speaker 4 (27:45):
I'm a militarian. Danielle, by the way, loves liquors. Everybody
out there.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
I cannot as much licorice as is possible. Your favorite.

Speaker 1 (27:56):
It's the literally the only food you could name or
mention red licorice. It doesn't matter. It can't beat me
in the house. It's the only thing.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
What about redes discuss twizzlers? I told you this little matter.

Speaker 1 (28:11):
Those are just like strawberry storage.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Yeah. Oh god, she's driving driving in.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
The car, but I okay, driving the car and.

Speaker 4 (28:19):
Just driving in the car and I just hear a
wrapper being undone, and then i'd hear Jensen, Jensen, is
that licorice.

Speaker 2 (28:27):
He's like, well, yeah, but it's god, oh god, and
she has to roll down all the windows in the car.

Speaker 1 (28:33):
And there was a licorice flavored taffy. So we just
had a bag of taffy and he was just reaching
his hand in and eating piece after piece after piece,
and all of a sudden it just the waft of
licorice smell, and I was like, is that licorage? Oh
my god, it's the only thing. It's the only thing
I disgusting. Anyway, that's my favorite. So Sean hands Corey

(29:06):
a note with a list of colleges on it. These
are the schools he wants to Panga and Corey to
go to. Even if Sean isn't going, the three of
them should still be together. Corey reads the first Entry
University of Italy, good old you of it. Sean nods
he'll be taking tourists around in his big canoe while
the two of them are studying hard in school. To
Panga correct him, it's called Gondola, Sean states, and that's

(29:27):
why you're going to college. Shawn attempts to leave, but
Corey stops him. You've worked too long to throw it
all away. Now, why don't you take the SATs. I
bet you do really well.

Speaker 2 (29:36):
Two two characters, two characters that.

Speaker 4 (29:40):
Your life is going to be completely ruined if you
don't take this test and go to college.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
What are you going to do?

Speaker 4 (29:45):
You're gonna end up on the streets alone selling drugs. Yep,
those are your two options. You go to college, or
you're a drug dealer. That's it.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
That's it. Or just a big old loser doing a
normal job. Yes, like it.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
Like my god, oh my god.

Speaker 1 (29:59):
Sean siys, and I'll take your test. What's ten minutes
of my life? Right to Panga is shocked. Ten minutes Sean,
they take it? Least frantically cuts her off before she
says too much.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (30:10):
He encourages Sean to take Phoene's review course so he
can knock the test out in five. Even Sean's not
up for it. Too much school and too much Foenie.
He walks out the door, telling him he's going to
go canoe shopping, and I hope he's going to the
Matthew's wilderness.

Speaker 2 (30:24):
You're having a great sale right now. Kind of a
weak button to the scene. It just ended. The whole
scene just ended. It was like, oh, I bet you.
There was another couple lines. I bet you.

Speaker 3 (30:34):
I went out and then Corey and to Panga said something.
Topanga had a line of it, and for whatever reason
they cut it for time or it just didn't work.
But it really felt like a weird out.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
And I was like, ye're right, that is you usually
want a button to be a hard laugh. And I'm
going canoe shopping as you wander out, and.

Speaker 3 (30:48):
I was walking on a laugh, which is not what
you're ever supposed to it. And it's true, you feel it.
That is the like, because I'm walking, you're waiting for
something else to happen. You're like, oh, Sean said a joke.
We can laugh at it, but you the laugh has
to like it's it's it feels like lead to something
because I'm moving and I'm walking, and then it doesn't.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
Yeah, yeah, well then we get a little weird transition
back to the Matthew's kitchen, Alan laments there were so
many times he should have fired Eric, but he didn't.
He was too scared to admit he was a lousy
boss or worse, a lousy father. Amy scoffs, how could
you look at Corey and Morgan and think you're anything
but the best father? Again, harsh thing to say.

Speaker 2 (31:26):
Wow, I mean just wow. You just found out you.

Speaker 4 (31:30):
Had this kid like half a season ago, and now
you're already just kicking him to the curb.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
Well, and like, you know, it's such a my, it's
such a weird thing to think as a parent that
your whether or not you have done well as a
parent is determined by one characteristic, which is is your
kid smart? Like, is your kid classically smart in the

(31:56):
sense of gonna go to college and then quote unquote
be successful, and that if that's if that's not the case,
if even let's say Eric was lazy, doesn't like school,
isn't the way we think of classically smart. Man, I
really failed as a parent as opposed to all the
other things we are supposed to be instilling in our kids.

Speaker 3 (32:18):
Like yeah, Well, in the Phoenie conversation later, it was
interesting to me, you know that he Alan is seeking
reassurance that Eric is actually good at school, is actually smart,
And I feel like that it's an opportunity to say,
there are different types of intelligence, different types of like
if you actually think about it, finding a bear, getting

(32:38):
it from Hollywood to Philadelphia, like.

Speaker 2 (32:42):
Inventive, that's an inventive.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
And of course Eric is incredibly witty, uh like he
was witty and your kids, But that could also just
be another option in life, right, But instead it's just well,
then he could also take the SATs. He could will
fit this already predetermined notion of intelligence and evaluation.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
So it seems like a missed opportunity. And I agree in.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
Terms of and in terms of what a wonderful person
Eric is. If you look at the three kids, I mean,
one is clearly more like a better person than the
other two I don't know, like snarky and like and
like you guys are self.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
Obsessed and erotic, and Eric just gives him himself. And
Eric's just giving and funny and entertaining that he won't.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
Take the SATs. So Alan says, then why is he
having such a difficult time with Eric. It's not like
he did anything different with him. Amy reminds him, we
did everything different. We coddled him. Alan says, Eric is
different from their other kids. He needs to be protected.
Amy wonders, would you be willing to listen to someone
else's opinion and not overreact? Alan looks at her suspiciously,

(33:54):
and then we get an optical flip. And I do
like this part, the idea that at what did I
do differently? And it's just the age old question nature
versus nurture. My mom says, for sure, she had to
raise my brother and I differently. My brother was much
more sensitive and didn't take took any sort of took

(34:17):
everything as criticism instead of and I had a much
thicker skin, and I talk back and my mom had
to be a little harsher with me. But she couldn't
talk the same way to my brother that she was
able to, you know, So she just she knew she
had to adjust. And I like that idea of being
like somebody pointing out to you that, no, you may think, well,
if I'm the person that I am, I must do

(34:38):
the same things with everyone I know, But no, you've
probably done different things and that could lead to different outcomes.

Speaker 4 (34:44):
It's also I mean, I think by the time your
first child, from what I've heard, I've had friends that
are like, oh, our first kid, you know you drive
home from the hospital at five miles an hour.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
You think the kids made of glassed or like.

Speaker 4 (34:53):
By the third or fourth kid, you're like, they're with
a babysitter, their fourth day, their home when you're out
of dinner, like you get there, they're fine, They're going
to be so of course you're gonna, I mean, anything
you do more than once, you're going to do differently.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yep, it's just so absolutely. And then we're outside of
Phoenie's house, a turtle necked and cardigan. Phoenie states the
obvious Eric is lazy. Alan gets in his face, that's
my son you're talking about. Corey appears and addresses Phoene
the reason I signed up for your SAT prep courses
to prep, possibly even review. He then flips through a
gigantic prep book. But you've gone way beyond that, haven't you.

(35:26):
Phoene crosses his arms. Too much work for you, mister Matthews.
Corey responds, Oh, I'll do it. I'm not afraid of you.
You remember that while I'm in the kitchen working and
watching you. He walks away without breaking eye contact with Phoenie.
Amy apologizes their son should not be talking to him
like that. Phoenie assures her, No, No, I like his determination.
Corey works hard for his grades despite just the other

(35:49):
week on a quiz show episode where he was a
certified slacker and a dumb dumb.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Ni He also, are they insinuating they seem to do
this several times that in a way a Feenie wrote
the s a T prep book. I know, because they're
always like in your course, Phoenie, and it's like that's
everybody's a saty pep book. It's like standardized. That's the
whole point point of it.

Speaker 1 (36:14):
I know, because later when he wants to flip there,
let me see that as if he wrote the questions himself.
It is interesting. Uh so, Alan wonders, and Eric Peoene replies,
Eric could get passing grades in his sleep. In fact,
he did, which is a shame because I'd be hard
pressed to come up with a handful of students who
are brighter, wittier, or smarter than Eric. So there was

(36:38):
also that time that Eric's brain activity was more stagnant
than a rats but.

Speaker 3 (36:43):
More active, No more stagnant, right, yes, I think that's
what they're referring to, was that he did in his sleep.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
Right, Yeah, and he does say that he actually slept through.
You know, whenever Amy feels vindicated, see Alan, Eric is smart,
which proves we haven't been too hard on him. He
is capable of reaching their expectations. Just then, Eric walks
outside wearing a full on security guard uniform. Alan asks
why he's wearing a costume, and Eric clarifies he's found
his calling law enforcement. Alan a shock. You took a

(37:12):
job as a security guard. Amy asks why would you
possibly want to do that? And Eric lifts off his
ten reasons talking. I mean, it's this smious one walkie talkie,
two partner, three dog, four partner sometimes they switch partners.
Five Do you want me to keep going? Six? I
pack heat your time? Maybe?

Speaker 3 (37:35):
Oh my god, that's one of those things you write.
You look at the script, you go, can we pull
this off? And then somebody like Will does it and
you're like, just keep.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
Going, exactly how many more can we to this guy?

Speaker 2 (37:45):
It's so brilliant. I would also like to point out
that Eric got fired yesterday, has a new job.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
Yeah, he's so capable about not lazy.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
I know.

Speaker 1 (37:57):
Also you're talking about getting a bear. It's not lazy
calling Hollywood finding the bear, getting in touch with the bear,
getting the bear on there.

Speaker 2 (38:04):
Interesting.

Speaker 1 (38:05):
Now, Amy gasps, you carry a gun. Eric clarifies, nope,
a heater gets cold out there in the shed.

Speaker 2 (38:12):
Great.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
Eric doesn't understand what they want from him. He got fired,
so he got another job? Valid question?

Speaker 2 (38:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
Eric tries to get help from his dad, but Alan
takes Amy's side on this. They're tired of him taking
the easy way out. From now on, the free ride
is over. Eric needs some help here. He asks Foene
if he thinks he's taking the easy way out. Phoene says,
oh God, not another question, Yes, Eric, I do. Eric
realizes he's defeated, although he'd love to stay in debate.

(38:41):
He's late for work. But before he leaves, one more thing,
don't wait up for me tonight. I won't be coming home.
I'm moving out. And then he casually swings his baton
as he walks away. So question, is he going to
be looking for apartments all night like overnight? Is that
why he can't come home? Uh? Is he? When's he planning?

(39:01):
He has to come back to move out unless he's stuff.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
He doesn't. He doesn't necessarily.

Speaker 4 (39:06):
He makes a lot of declarative statements that may not
really be able to be backed up that quickly, right,
But but you.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
Know he's stand stand firm, stand in firm with it.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
I liked the idea. And by the way, you don't
have to worry about me for much longer. I'm moving out.
It's more about like, don't wait up for me tonight.
It's like, what are you going to be doing in
the middle of the night. I'm a little concerned.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
Well, I'm going to I've the night shift. That John
Adams the night shift.

Speaker 1 (39:28):
Yeah, that's right. Yeah. So then we're in the John
Adams hallway. Corey and Tapanga are studying their s a
T prep book, and Corey spots Sean headed their way.
He cues Tapanga and she says, very loudly, Okay, Corey,
give me another one of those tough sat questions. Corey warns,
or this one's a doozy. It kept him up most
of the night. Shawn's listening as Corey reads which of

(39:48):
these ingredients does not help you make mud, dirt, water,
or turkey. Sean walks over to them curiously and answers
turkey turkey. Corey, he says, correct, and Ta Panga pretends
to be in awe. I didn't even know that one.
Sean's confused that came from Phoene's prep course. Corey confirms

(40:09):
it was well, one of the tougher ones. Phoene's been
nearby listening to the entire conversation. He asks to see
this question. Corey points out it's right beneath the question,
which is sweeter, sugar or salt. Sean answers again, sugar.
Tapega congratulates him. Wow, two in a row. Phoene fumbles
around for his glasses. What is going on? Corey explains,

(40:29):
we're just trying to show Sean that through your review course,
a student builds a certain level of confidence through a
series of not quite questions. Sean excitedly asks, is it
really this basic? Phoene admits, I don't want anyone misleading you.
My prep course involves a lot of hard work. Sean shrugs, well,
and I want to do it. Corey adds, but it's
fun to Panga encourages mister Phoene to tell Sean all

(40:51):
about the carnival like atmosphere of his prep course so
Sean will join. Corey takes him aside.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
And I love this.

Speaker 3 (40:57):
This whole What follows is just I mean, it's a
perfect setup for SNI. I love Phoenie under pressure, and
this episode has a couple like Phoenie under pressure is
so fun. And to see him do this calculation and
then this run for the rest of the same bill's performance,
I mean, god, it's it's it's it's broad and big

(41:20):
and yet entirely believable and well delivered, and it's so funny.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (41:26):
I love the fact that we see that Phoenie trying
to come up with what is.

Speaker 2 (41:34):
Fun yes, and just not knowing there's not.

Speaker 1 (41:37):
Really knowing Cake And the fact that Cake is a
runner in our show is so strange but wonderful, and
you know what, so much So I love that.

Speaker 4 (41:48):
I love what Phoenie's gonna do. I've seen him do
it before. It's phenomenal, it's amazing. But you know what,
I loved even more about this scene. I loved seeing
finally Corey and Topanga working together as like a team,
pulling a caper themselves. I want to see this fifty
times during the show, and we're finally getting that that.

Speaker 2 (42:10):
Relationship between the two of them. Sean's involved. So I
loved seeing Phoenix Coy was great, but think about great
the super Bowl up, the super Bowl coming.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
It's definitely to Penga hygiene. That is a big one.
So I think we're gonna get more of this, I.

Speaker 2 (42:24):
Think, I hope.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
So maybe they've settled down on the love stuff, you know,
so that Topanga can just.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Be part of the crew now. Yeeah, you're right. It's
so cool.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
I loved that about the scene. It's like, oh, they're
working together, they're doing.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
All this, like that's what. I love.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
The faces while Bill is doing his thing. Yes, seeing
our faces looking at each other, like all right, yeah
it is. It's so much fun.

Speaker 4 (42:45):
It was finally another level, finally another level of relationship.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
It was great.

Speaker 1 (42:49):
Loved everything about this, loved all of us working with Bill.
Just just so much fun.

Speaker 2 (42:53):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (42:54):
So Corey takes Phoene aside. If Sean doesn't get into college,
he starts washing windows, playing lotto. Then he loses his tea,
becomes a ward of the state and moves in with
you no SATs moves on the touthless and then Phoene
racks his brain. Well if I tell him about the cake,

(43:16):
well then everyone will want to take the class and
again the return of cake. I'm just so excited about
it and excited, Sean asks cake. Phoene nods, it's delicious
cake actually from the Westchester Bakery. That's where they get
the cake.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
Sean is intrigued, like just having to be created under pressure,
not like they get the cake.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
He's just rambling and it doesn't even.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
Say what else, and he realizes.

Speaker 2 (43:45):
He has to keep goings.

Speaker 1 (43:46):
Not enough, I have to I didn't I thought I
was going to be done. He continues, Well, we have
a talent show some.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Nights, some nights, and Sean is loving this this.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
Why didn't he know about it? Phoene butts back in,
Well between the hooplaw there will be learning going on.
Sean blows him off. Yeah yeah, cake right, Phoene says, yes, cake.
Sean happily walks away, and Corey thanks him he did
the right thing. Phoene shrugs. I suppose. I suppose, after all,
what good is it if you can't get the butts
in the seats. So then we're back in the Wilderness

(44:23):
store and Alan is tagging items when Eric slyly walks
in uniformed up and he's brought a fellow security guard
with him. He awkwardly asks his dad, in a while,
hasn't it Alan responds about twelve hours. Eric shrugs, seems
longer when you're on your own. He introduces his partner,

(44:43):
Ronnie Patel, to Alan. Ronnie compliments Alan on the store.
He hopes to own his own business one day too.
Ronnie is letting Eric crash at his place. They're gonna
be roomies. Ronnie admits he knows about the family crisis.
He's sorry to hear about the mother going insane and
throwing people out of the house.

Speaker 3 (44:59):
Yeah, I wanted this to be a little bigger, Like
I wanted the story like the story that he spun,
and I also just it it's it's an interesting story
point that Eric blames Amy even though it was clearly
driven by Alan, right, And like, yeah, I think there
could have been a little bit more on that, like
a little more expansion of like the the you know,

(45:21):
blame factor, Like why does he write why?

Speaker 2 (45:24):
But a little bit? But I want to be.

Speaker 4 (45:25):
Another strange runner for the show though, because Corey blamed
Amy when he didn't support she seemingly didn't support the
conversation with Japan, So why is the blame always tend
to go on Amy, Right. Yeah, it's very strange where
it's just kind of like, all right, well, no, you
were fine, Alan, But Amy, it's like, oh, okay.

Speaker 1 (45:46):
I will say that I did think right to your
point that I thought. This episode actually did a pretty
good job of explaining this in the way that Alan
is saying, Listen, i know why you're mad at your
mom because I've always been the play shover basically, even
though I'm the one you screwed over technically, even though
it's a family business, but whatever, it was me who

(46:08):
you put in the position of having to pay a
bear trainer five thousand dollars. And even though I said
to you you don't work here anymore, the only reason
you felt comfortable the next morning waking up and saying,
come on, dad, let's go to the store is because
anytime in the past I've tried to put my foot down,
you've barrel ran over me, and I've allowed it because
I'm wearing these gloves, I keep protecting you. And so

(46:29):
it's such a good speech and it really felt very
much to me in that moment where I was like,
I feel the Matthew nelsonness of this script, which like
I feel this, I feel the Matthew Nelson theme, and
so I actually thought that was that ended up being
pretty clear about your mom's the one who when she

(46:50):
says something, you know to take her seriously for some reason,
not for some reason. The reason why you don't take
it seriously when I say it is because I have
been using these kid gloves with you. I've allowed you
to walk all over me because I feel they need
to protect you. So I kind of I kind of
liked that part.

Speaker 3 (47:07):
I just I like the exaggeration of like mom is
Mom's crazy, and I wanted that to be a bigger thing,
Like I wanted that to be a runner that keeps going.
And then in the scene with Amy have even more
details tumbling out of like how Eric misinterpret or took
Amy's like pretty much normal mother aid and made it
into this like she's a crazy, hysterical woman and because

(47:28):
that does happen, right, and like the sexism inherent, and
that is interesting to me, And like we didn't really
go there, and.

Speaker 2 (47:35):
I think we could have.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
I mean, we just don't have time, of course, But
I just like that because I do think people do
that especially back then, you would be like, mom's nuts,
girlfriend's mad.

Speaker 2 (47:44):
She went, you know, and it's like, well is she
is this?

Speaker 1 (47:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (47:48):
Right?

Speaker 1 (47:48):
Because later Eric does say my mom's not insane, when
really the truth would have been that he'd be like, oh,
I know it is, No, she's not. She's still baddy. Yeah,
you know, whatever it is. So Eric tells Ronnie to
check out the store. Wants to confirm Eric is mad
at Amy, but he's not mad at him. Eric agrees.
Alan admits, you should be mad at me because as
much as you messed up, I messed up even more.

(48:09):
I should have fired you a million times. Eric tells
his dad to ease up. They're friends. Alan says he's
a goof off. Eric frowns, well, I don't want to
be friends with you anymore. Alan doesn't hold back. Do
you know when I really started messing up? The day
you were born? Alan remembers being in the delivery room.
Eric admits the only thing he remembers is the cute
nurse who slapped him on the tushi. Alan says that

(48:30):
in the delivery room he was told to put on
gloves to be safe, and when Eric came out moaning
and groaning as he still does. He checked all of
his fingers and toes and made sure he was healthy,
which made Alan happy. But then Alan had a realization.
It's twenty years later and he's never taken off those gloves.
It's not Amy's fault or Feoene's fault, it's his. And

(48:50):
that's the moment when I was like Matt now Elson.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
Yeah, Matt Nelson. It's a sweet trap. Great analogy, Yep, great.

Speaker 1 (48:58):
Analogy, Eric saying all he did was love him. Alan agrees.
He still loves Eric and he loves his other kids,
but since Eric was the firstborn, he loved him differently.
He lets Eric take advantage of him without preparing him
for the real world. He let Eric take advantage of
him without preparing him for the real world. Alan questions
what will happen with Eric when he's not around someday?

(49:19):
And we get some very dramatic strings and Eric ponders
this worry, and then we're in John Adams High Eric
and Ronnie are on the beat, walking with a non
mandatory guard dog that Eric thought would be a good
backup for the rough and rowdy John Adams High School.
It's a cute.

Speaker 2 (49:34):
Beagle amazing dog, no point in being there whatsoever. And
we had an animal. They were like, we could probably
get a dog for half fime. Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (49:46):
I mean, if they're in there anyway, they're probably like,
what else you got in the truck?

Speaker 2 (49:50):
Great, bring the dog, because there's literally have been what happened.

Speaker 3 (49:54):
They might have just been like, oh, you know, the
animal trainer also has this dog in the truck, so
let's just write a whole scene for that, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
A scene where Eric has a guard dog. And it's yeah, exactly, yeah.

Speaker 4 (50:06):
Because there's no point in it means nothing, there's no
point whatsoever. It's a cute little aside like, oh, and
by the way, I have this little dog, and that's it.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
So I think you're right.

Speaker 4 (50:14):
It was just it's like, oh, it's in the trunk,
so let's just go grab it.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
He needs some air anyway, he.

Speaker 2 (50:19):
Needs Let him out, Let the dog out.

Speaker 1 (50:21):
Ronnie doesn't think the dog is very threatening, and Eric
proves him right by talking to poppy Seed in a
Baby boys. Ronnie asks if Eric's mom is back from
the insane. Eric breaks it to him that his mom
isn't actually insane and asks if he can just keep
that between them. While the boys wait around for trouble,
Ronnie asks Eric if he can help him with his studies. Apparently,
Ronnie is looking to get into college, so he's preparing

(50:43):
for the entrance exam. Eric's confused. He thought Ronnie was
an engineer back home. Ronnie says he was, but since
he's moved here, it's time for him to start over
and try something new. Eric's flabbergasted. Ronnie wants to go
to college for a second time. Ronnie explains anything of
value is worth that hard work. He points out that
in this country there are so many opportunities. He uses

(51:03):
Eric as an example, fulfilling his dream of being a
security guard. Eric questions, you think this is my dream?
Ronnie nods, well, sure you're doing it. Eric gets defensive,
pointing out that Ronnie also has this job, but Ronnie
shakes his head. No, I'm an engineer and soon they
will know it.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
Now this was okay. So I really liked this scene.
I I like the guy.

Speaker 4 (51:25):
I love the message of because we hear about this
all the time. You know, a hard working immigrant comes
to this country, there's somebody in their own country and
they have to start over here.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
I mean, you hear it constantly.

Speaker 4 (51:37):
The one problem I had with kind of the entire episode,
and actually Eric's entire arc, is I don't know if
anybody ever asks Eric what he wants? Right, Nobody ever
says what is your dream? What do you want? We're
telling you you have to go to college, You're thinking
you're lazy, maybe you want to be a security guard,

(51:58):
you get the world at your feet?

Speaker 2 (52:00):
What do you want? And I don't think that ever happens.

Speaker 3 (52:04):
Right because the answer would probably be too complicated for
the show, right because because if the answer is I
don't know, then it opens up the possibility that maybe
you don't need to go to college. If the answer
is I want to be a you know, birthday clown
for birthday parties, everyone would be like, well, then just
go do that, right, you know? But they really needed
to channel everything into the SATs.

Speaker 4 (52:24):
So I would just have loved the sum scene of
somebody saying what it should have been FIENI at some
point going Eric, what do you want to do?

Speaker 2 (52:35):
And then they figure out whatever, you know, whatever the
answer is could have still led to absolutely.

Speaker 1 (52:41):
So they do think the idea was you figure out
what you want to do in college you go to
college to figure out what is.

Speaker 3 (52:48):
Also a good answer, Well that could have been the
answered then, like if Eric just says I don't know,
and it's like, well, college is a great way to
find fit, yeah.

Speaker 4 (52:54):
You know, or even if it's just like you know, well,
the only thing I ever really, ever wanted to be
in my life was a weather man.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
It's okay, well that's how you do it.

Speaker 4 (53:04):
This is like, you know, this, this is your step forward.
It would it would have just been nice to have
somebody ask Eric what he wanted, which just never happened.

Speaker 1 (53:12):
Good point. Well, then we hear a wrestling from the
side of the school. Eric panics and he tries to
get poppy Seed to help. It's Feenie. They both scream
when they see each other. Eric explains he needs to
go buy the book.

Speaker 3 (53:33):
You were like looking right at Phoenie, sneaking up on
him from a foot away.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
What's that? What's that? You're like, well, you see, it's
a human being.

Speaker 1 (53:46):
The fact that he didn't cross in front of camera.
We know he came facing you, and so you would
have seen or felt a person come up. He didn't
just pop up from the ground. But you know, listen, you.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
Never know, you never never know the blood of all
his victims has serious powers exactly.

Speaker 1 (54:04):
So Eric clears his throat, So what are you doing
at John Adams High School after hours? Phoene size he's
there for his SAT prep course and from the hotbed
of criminal activity raging out here, I think your time
would be better spent inside with us. Eric responds, take
the class. No, I don't think I'm gonna do that.
Phoene asks Eric what he's afraid of, and Eric says
he's not afraid of anything. But PHOENI knows that's not true,

(54:26):
and this thing Eric is afraid of is stopping him
from becoming what they all know he's capable of. So yeah,
interesting point will that they don't ever ask him what
he wants, but they do ask him the deep question
of what are you afraid of? They know there's something
more going on, but they haven't actually said, like, what
do you want?

Speaker 2 (54:43):
It's also the way what are you afraid of?

Speaker 4 (54:45):
Is like everyone knows this is right for you, right
except you, And it's like, well maybe it's not right.
I mean again, yeah, we can talk about that forever,
but it's yeah, strange.

Speaker 1 (54:55):
So Eric is always hearing the phrase what you're capable
of and he's sick of it. He took the essay
teas last year and he blew them. He's just not
meant to be in college. Phoene counters, maybe you're just
someone who gives up to easily. What'll it be, mister Matthews,
who are you? And then more sad music begins to
play as Eric's partner goes back to working on his
SAT prep book, helping cement that the SATs are the

(55:18):
most important thing that has ever existed in the world,
in the world. And then we're inside John Adams. Eric
gazes into Poenie's classroom with even sadder music playing. He's
watching mister Foenie teach the prep course. Eric takes out
an SAT prep book of his own and apparently can
hear everything through the closed window.

Speaker 2 (55:38):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (55:38):
As he watches the class, he notices Sean in the
back happily eating a slice of cake.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Eating cakes. Best joke of the show, by the way,
just like you see Sean eating cake, thrill my god,
You're like, yep, this is so great, went out and
actually bought cake.

Speaker 3 (55:58):
It could have been a whole epis the whole separate
storyline of like Corey into Panga having to procure the
cake for and then we got to do a talent show.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
Like what you guys do for your talent? Sean tap
dancing for everyone.

Speaker 1 (56:12):
Is like, how why are you doing? Corey sees his
brother outside and smiles, and then we're outside Phoene's house.
Corey bangs on Phoene's door, with Sewan and Tapanga behind him.
Phoene's surprised to see them as Corey yells, We've got
a few issues to discuss with you. Shawn shouts yeah.
To Panga jumps in, we just came from taking our
SATs and Shawn shouts again yeah. Phoene asks, how did

(56:34):
you do? Shawn shouts yeah, yeah. Corey is on a
mission for years. You've driven us nuts by filling our
heads with dates and ideas and numbers and concepts to
Panga picks up where he left off and with the
last three weeks of that course of yours, drilling us,
pushing us to the edge, and Seawan adds, yeah, and
making me eat cake. He pats his tummy. He's gained
five pounds right here, baby. Corey concludes, and now that

(56:59):
it's all over, and we taken the test. We had
to come here and tell you to your face. Sean says, sincerely,
thanks a lot, man. Corey admits, we understand why you
pushed us so hard to Panga tells him, we're really
glad you did. They all give Feenie a warm smile
as they walk away. Phoenie couldn't be prouder. And then
we're at the Wilderness Store. Amy is at the counter

(57:20):
and proving that you definitely have to wear plaid if
you work at the Wilderness Store of blaid shirt.

Speaker 2 (57:26):
And so is the uniform has to be done.

Speaker 1 (57:31):
Eric approaches her and asks if she fired him. She
says she did. He admits that I deserve to be
fired because she loves him, and he knows it must
have been really hard to fire her son. Next, Eric
points to Alan, and you said something wrong to me.
Alan looks at Amy. I was the good guy in
all this, and you turned it around, didn't you. He
smiles and gives her a kiss. Good for you. Eric
tells him you said there would come a time where

(57:52):
you weren't going to be around anymore, and that's not so.
I remember everything you taught me and I'm going to
teach that to my children, so you're always going to
be around and again, Maddie Nelson, I just feel it.
Felt it very much there. Alan genuinely thanks him. Eric
remembers one of the things Alan tought him was that
he could be anything he wanted to be. He asks

(58:13):
his dad if he still believes that. Alan nods, yes,
I do, if you don't take the easy way out
and try as hard as you can. Eric hopes his
dad is right, because he did try as hard as
he could. He slaps an envelope down on the counter,
and Amy realizes it's his essat score. Eric thought they
should all open it together. His parents look at the score,
and Amy says, it's a good thing you're not working

(58:33):
for your father anymore, or I'd have to fire you.
He got an eleven twenty. That's two hundred points higher
than last time. Eric is in shock. Alan ecstatically tells
him a little semi out of character, I am so
proud of you. I knew you could do it. This
is the happiest I've seen Alan in any scene in

(58:55):
any point of going.

Speaker 4 (58:56):
Kind of catching Rusty's voice got me, and it was
just as a great great moment.

Speaker 1 (59:01):
Eric smiles. I knew I could do it too. He
and Alan give each other a big high five, and
the shot freezes on the three of them looking over joyed,
and I got emotional.

Speaker 2 (59:11):
Yep, me too.

Speaker 1 (59:12):
I loved it. I really did well up. And then
we're at the tag outside of Phoenie's house. Here it is.

(59:32):
Did you remember this was the moment?

Speaker 2 (59:34):
No, no idea, but this is like, this is not
the moment, guys, it's still this is already he's already done.

Speaker 1 (59:43):
No, he's never yelled at this high of a pitch
in this.

Speaker 2 (59:47):
No, yes, he is. We could go back. It's that
other episode he did exactly. It's he hasn't extended the
name yet. It's just I think maybe I did with you.

Speaker 1 (59:58):
I don't think of the Phoenie call as just being
the extension of the name. That's that's it at the
at its height, for sure. But like, this is so
clearly the call, the Phoenie call. There's no the other
ones have felt like, ooh, I could see how this
led to the Phoenie call. But this feels like this

(01:00:18):
is the first Phoenie call. And then the other ones,
Oh wow, you just think it's just the extension.

Speaker 2 (01:00:23):
I think.

Speaker 3 (01:00:23):
If they ask Will to do the Phoenie call at
a convention and he goes better, that's not what they're
asking for.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
If he goes that's it, sir.

Speaker 1 (01:00:34):
That one is definitely I think the peak. But I
don't know that to me still isn't I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:00:39):
I still call.

Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Oh wow, I disagree with you. This is a sideyard, backyard.

Speaker 3 (01:00:45):
Uh, this is the toddler toddler Phoenie call. It still
has yet to grow.

Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
So we're outside Phoene's house. Eric is standing outside and
he yells mister Phoenie a couple of times, but he
gets no response. He yells it at the top of
his lungs in a high pitched voice, for wherever, in
my opinion, changing the trajectory of boy meets world. In response,
mister Phoene comes stumbling out of his house looking like
a dishevelled Hugh Hefner Eric. Eric greets him, Hi, it's

(01:01:11):
me Eric, What are you doing right now? Phoene explains
he was sleeping. It's something he's gotten accustomed to in
the middle of the night.

Speaker 2 (01:01:17):
The middle of the night.

Speaker 1 (01:01:19):
Eric tells him to get dressed, Phoene shouts, are you crazy?

Speaker 4 (01:01:21):
Man?

Speaker 1 (01:01:22):
Eric nods, confirming he is, but he's got a book
of colleges and he needs help picking out a good one.
Phoene pats him on the shoulder. First thing in the morning,
we'll go a college pickin'. Eric really needs his help.
Now those spaces are filling up fast. Eric asks about Penbrook.
Phoene tells him that's a really great I know, and
we know from Jeff Sherman he said he named Penry yep.

(01:01:44):
Phoene tells him that's a really great school. Eric asks
how about Harvard? Any good? The audience lets out a
big laugh, and Phene realizes this boy does need his help.
He tells Eric to put the coffee on and he'll
meet him in the kitchen. Eric begins to walk away,
but he stops himself. I heard you told my parents
you thought I was smart. Feenie nods and Eric says,
just knowing you said that was worth about one thousand

(01:02:04):
s A t points and I welled up again, and
I got it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
Now. See for me, it's like we've had three scenes
of just sweetness. Like just the entire last ten minutes
of this episode have just been and now we're gonna
express an't right for one another. And it's just a
look I want.

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Come on, come on.

Speaker 2 (01:02:30):
Since the cake, it's just been all sweet.

Speaker 1 (01:02:34):
The cakes in the cake.

Speaker 2 (01:02:35):
Want you see cake on.

Speaker 3 (01:02:36):
The screen, It's all sugar for the rest of the episode,
I wanted a little more.

Speaker 1 (01:02:42):
They both give each other a smile, and that is
our show. I absolutely loved it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
Another great one for season four.

Speaker 1 (01:02:51):
Gosh, really, I really enjoyed it. I know writer wants
there to be some, you know something.

Speaker 2 (01:02:57):
Some some to the door because it's fall upstairs. He's
heard himself just going through the episode. Now it's like
it's Bill's biggest part maybe all it's so great and
he is and of course a legend.

Speaker 1 (01:03:13):
Join us all for our next episode, recap it You'll
be Season four, episode twenty one, a little episode called
cult fiction.

Speaker 2 (01:03:20):
Oh here we are people.

Speaker 4 (01:03:24):
This is a big episode for Ann like a number
of reasons, it's a big episode.

Speaker 1 (01:03:28):
It originally aired April twenty fifth, nineteen ninety seven. As always,
you can follow us on Instagram pod Meets World Show.
You can send us your emails pod meets World Show
at gmail dot com. And we've got merch We're all
Gonna Live Forever March writer send us out.

Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
We love you all, pod dismissed.

Speaker 3 (01:03:48):
Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast producer hosted by
Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and Ryder Strong executive producers, Jensen Karp
and Amy Sugarman Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo,
producer and editor, TaRaSu Bosch, producer, Maddie Moore engineer and
boy Meets World Superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is
by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram at

(01:04:08):
Podmets World Show or email us at podmetsworldshowat gmail dot
com