When Boy Meets World finished Cory and Topenga took off to New York, and Girl Meets World picks up there about 14 years later. The show is supposed to follow their daughter Riley and best friend Maya (who is a mirror of Cory's best friend Shawn Hunter). I say supposed to follow becuase while the scenes with Riley, Maya, their other friends Lucas (Topenga's mirror character), and Farkle (Minkus' mirror character AND son) can be entertaining; really most of us are focusing on and enjoying the scenes that include Cory and Topenga,
Cory is now an elementary school teacher and has followed in the footsteps of his lifelong teacher and mentor Mr. Feeny, and this creates an interesting dynamic in the classroom between him, his daughter and her friends. Topenga, works for a law firm, as expected from the end of the parent series, and has also bought out a local bakery to save it from being bought out by another company and being demolished. She is now the owner there and it is the kids hangout spot.
It's always a real treat to see the parent series regulars return to the show to guest star.
So far to date we have seen
- Cory's parents Alan and Amy Matthews (boy have they aged),
- Cory's brother Jacob (who if you remember almost didn't make it out of the hospital as a baby; he has been on for a few episodes as Maya's crush),
- Cory's brother Eric
- Cory's best friend Shawn, who has now been promoted to a series regular.
- Mr. Feeny, who is now retired and living in the same home as they road tripped back there during an episode
- Angela, Shawn's now ex-girlfriend who is currently married.
- Mr Hunter, Shawn's father who gives him advice from beyond the grave
- Stuart Minkus, Farkle's father
- Harley Kiney, Cory's highschool bully, but now friend and elementary school janitor
Now Shawn has been promoted to a show regular, which means the we will be seeing a lot more of the original trio. He has found a kindred spirit in Maya, and is stepping in almost as a father figure to her. This has helped kick off a story line for Shawn as he won't just be Cory and Topenga's friend, but a mentor to Maya AND possibly Maya's mother's new boyfriend. In the most recent episode titled "Hurricane", Angela returned to talk to him. She is now 4 years married and tells him that their relationship together prepared her for the next step. As she leaves she points to Maya and her mother Katy, and the episode finished with Katy asking Shawn out, and Shawn's father telling him not to pass up or mess up this opportunity. This was a great way to naturally integrate Shawn back into the show, rather than throwing him into Cory and Topenga's lives/storyline with their kids.
This series is doing a great job by keeping the original Boy Meets World fans interested by constantly bringing back alumni, and keeping them very much the same characters that we remember; while at the same time growing new fans who will follow Riley, Maya, and Lucas' storyline.
