Boy Meets World: Difference between revisions

[[File:boymeetsworld.jpg|frame| [[Ensemble Darkhorse|Oddly enough]] [[The Woobie|that's Shawn,]] not Cory, taking center stage.]]

 

 

Cory Matthews is the middle child of a typical suburban family. His parents bicker, but are generally [[Happily Married]]. His older brother Eric is at best a [[Seinfeld|mimbo]] and at worst a raging idiot, while his sister Morgan is... well, hardly touched upon. But the show's not really about her, so that's fine. Cory's best friend, Shawn, lives in a trailer park and has eternal problems with his father. Living next door to the Matthews is Cory's teacher Mr. Feeny, always there to spout wisdom to Cory, Eric, his parents, or whoever else might need it. Rounding out the regular cast is Topanga. Originally a free-spirited [[Granola Girl]] in Cory's class, she develops into his nerdy love interest and eventual wife.

The show added several more characters to the main cast as it went along, including [[Cool Teacher]] Mr. Turner (who later [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome|disappeared]]), Shawn's [[Long-Lost Relative|long-lost half-brother]] Jack, who becomes [[Heterosexual Life Partners|Eric's best friend,]] Shawn's first long-term girlfriend Angela, and Eric and Jack's roommate Rachel.

 

 

In 2014, the [[Disney Channel]] began broadcasting a sequel series, ''[[Girl Meets World (TV)|Girl Meets World]]'', which focuses on the adventures of Cory and Topanga's [[Spin Offspring|daughter Riley]].

* [[Aesop Amnesia]]: Lampshaded as part of the [[Show Within a Show]] "Kid Gets Acquainted with the Universe.":

{{quote|'''Ben Sandwich:''' You know, how could I learn so much, every week, and ''still be so stupid?!''"}}

* [[The Alleged Car]]: It's mentioned a few times in the earlier seasons that Eric has one, but it is never seen onscreen.

* [[All Girls Want Bad Boys]]: [[Kidanova]] Shawn has a troubled home life and and somewhat of a "bad boy" image. However, the bad boy aspect of his character became less prevelent as the series went on, and was basically dropped by the time he got a steady girlfriend in season five. There are also several times when Cory tries to impress girls by acting "dangerous", usually failing at it.

* [[Aloof Big Brother]]: Eric started out this way, and even had shades of this later on.

* [[Amazingly Embarrassing Parents]]: Alan and Amy Matthews usually avoided this, however in one episode Amy decides to take a creative writing class at Pennbrook and happens to enroll in Eric's class. She proceeds to write artsy short stories about her and Alan's wedding night and Eric's birth.

{{quote|'''Topanga:''' There was a guy shot in our apartment over a salad, the remains of which are still on the wall!

'''Angela:''' ...the guy or the salad?

'''Topanga:''' I don't really want to know. [[Squick|I ate it anyway]]. }}

* [[American Gothic Couple]]: In "Angela's Men", Eric poses as the farmer in front of a copy of the painting in order to sneak up on Topanga.

** Probably too much, because in later seasons Eric becomes convinced that Mr. Feeny is some sort of [[Spirit Advisor]] / messiah figure that he literally begins to stalk him and worship like a religious prophet.

** Eric would also provide a few Aesop moments to Cory throughout the series.

** And as if to ''really'' drive the point home Cory would then turn around and deliver the same one to Eric before the episodes end.

* [[Armchair Psychology]]: In "Cult Fiction", the leader of the cult Shawn joins speaks like this.

** Topanga went from being a recurring character to one of the most important characters on the show.

** Angela is a more literal example. She first appears in season 5 episode 2 as a student in Feeny's class who has one line of dialogue, and then in season 5 episode 7 she is introduced as Shawn's girfriend and from there she becomes a recurring character and then a main character.

* [[Asleep in Class]]: The show had several humorous situations involving Cory and/or Shawn falling asleep in class. A particularly funny example involved Shawn waking up thinking he's still at home and while half-awake stumbling out of the classroom to "go to school". A few minutes later he walks back in utterly confused, saying "I don't know where I am".

** An example of them both being asleep occurs in Mr. Turner's class, and Mr. Feeny walks in. When Shawn and Cory wake up, Shawn complains that "Now I don't know which class I slept through!"

* [[Attractive Bent Gender]]: Shawn makes for a very pretty girl. Cory, on the other hand, not so much. Cory can pass easily as a crusty waitress stereotype, though. It apparenly runs in the family for both, Jack makes an good girl, Eric... nooooot really.

* [[Back for the Dead]]: {{spoiler|Chet Hunter}}

* [[Bad Guys Play Pool]]: Frankie "The Enforcer" is a noted pool champion at Chubbies.

* [[Behind the Black]]: Used to [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshade]] Minkus and Mr. Turner's disappearance.

* [[Beta Couple]]: Once Angela was added to the show, Shawn and Angela became this to the [[Official Couple]] Cory and Topanga, except when they break up during season six.

** ABC took notice and changed the timeslot back not long after this.

* [[Black Comedy Burst]]: "And Then There Was Shawn" and "The Psychotic Episode".

* [[Blind Without'Em]]: Minkus

{{quote|When a crime breaks out, all the cute girls shout,

Get the...good looking guy!

When there's a crime out there, he's gonna...

Comb his hair, cause he's the...good looking guy! }}

** For one example, see [[Title Drop]].

** At the end of the episode "They're Killing Us", Cory and Topanga directly invite the viewers to their wedding.

* [[Brilliant but Lazy]]: Eric; who has Rain Man-like counting skills, is able to manipulate many scenarios to his own advantage, gives Cory and his other friends sage, reasonable advice, and has Mr. Feeny constantly going on about his "true potential."

* [[Broad Strokes]]: Although the major story holds together week to week, many things tend to be forgotten from episode to episode. There are at least two explanations of Eric and Cory's hair styles(one episode says Cory's hair is curly because of a Blonde Babysitter curling it on new years eve, stating the norm is like Eric's, and a few episodes later, Eric's straight hair is attributed to taking a ride in the dryer in the 5th grade, stating that the norm is like Cory's). Other variations include the embarrassing first name of Vader(being Leslie or Francis). Don't even get started on the various relations that pop in and out of existence.

''<a police siren goes off in the background>''

'''Cory:''' [[Lampshade Hanging|Well we all saw *that* coming]]. }}

** Eric hurts himself this way.

** Like brother like... brother. Cory did the same in an episode when he joined the wrestling team. In the same episode the members of the wrestling team as well as their girlfriends play this straight.

* [[Check, Please!]]: "CHECK! For the love of God, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE BRING ME A CHECK!"

* [[Cheek Copy]]: In "How to Succeed in Business" when Shawn and Cory are working in an office mailroom Shawn starts to do this before Cory stops him.

* [[Christmas Episode]]: "Santa's Little Helper" from season 1, "Easy Street" from season 4, "A Very Topanga Christmas" from season 5, and "Santa's Little Helpers" from season 6.

** Morgan disappeared for the first half of season three but returned mid-way through the season played by a new actress and her disappearance was lampshaded when she says "That was the longest time out I've ever had!".

** Similarly, Minkus disappeared after season one but made a return appearance in the last episode of season five and lampshaded his disappearance by saying that he'd been on the other side of the school the whole time.

** Shawn loses two siblings over the course of the series. He has an older sister named Stacy in the first season, never mentioned after, and we meet his half-brother Eddie in Season 3 and he's never mentioned again. Although, in the case of Eddie, they're so estranged it's understandable Shawn may never encounter him again... and if Virna (rather than Chet) was the half that was related to Eddie, that would make even more sense.

** In the ante-penultimate episode "Angela's Ashes," Angela leaves with her father who has been stationed in Europe for a year. However, in the two-part series finale which immediately follows this episode, everyone acts either as if Angela was never a part of their lives, or her departure wasn't that big of a deal. This is especially manifest in Shawn, who seems to be emotionally stable in the finale. Normally, when even the slightest negative thing has happened to him, he goes into emo mode.

* [[Clip Show]]: The finale. It also included [[Fully-Automatic Clip Show|Fully Automatic Clip Shows]] of the various [[Big Yes]] moments throughout the series and of Eric's "[[Running Gag|Feeny Call]]".

* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: Topanga in the first season, Eric later on.

{{quote|'''Clerk:''' I'm sorry, we don't give that kind of information.

'''Eric:''' Really? Well... ''[produces $1 bill]'' Perhaps my friend Mr. Washington will help you change your mind. }}

* [[Coming of Age Story]]: The whole show, for the most part.

* [[Compressed Vice]]: Shawn's drinking problem in "If You Can't Be With the One You Love...". He gets drunk for the first time and then has a drinking problem for about a week before his friends convince him to give up drinking altogether. However, he does turn back to alcohol in an episode two seasons later after he learns some devastating news, though only for that episode.

* [[Concussions Get You High]]: In "Easy Street", Eric gives himself a concussion trying to escape from a car that was buried in the snow. Upon recovering Eric is loopy, cheerful and generally appears pleasantly intoxicated.

* [[Continuity Creep]]: Most of the episodes of from the first two seasons were standalone episodes. The first major story arc began at the end of season two involving Shawn being abandoned by his parents and having to go live with Mr. Turner. From there on continuity gradually became more important.

* [[Continuity Nod]]: a few here and there, most notably Shawn's pet pig, "Little Cory" and Morgan's former teddy bear, Fluffers, who shows up in Jack and Eric's apartment a few times. A [[Jerk Jock]] that Eric was forced to tutor (raising his own grades in the process) showed up later as the pilot of a plane Cory and Topanga booked. There were also several references to the time Shawn blew up a mailbox in season one.

* [[Cool Loser]]: Cory

** Mr. Turner

** And his buddy, Eli Williams

** Hell, even Mr. Feeny counts.

* [[Cosmetic Catastrophe]]: In "Cory's Alternative Friends", Cory leaves a hair care product in his air for too long and ends up having a really bad hair day.

* [[Costumer]]: The episode "No Guts, No Cory".

* [[The Couch]]: The Matthews home, Mr. Turner's apartment, and the Hunter's trailer (okay, two ratty recliners, but a couch in spirit). Jack and Eric's apartment had a couch, but it was off to the side next to the front door, their kitchen table was used more often

'''Shawn:''' * cough* Sorry! }}

* [[Crossover]]: Two semi-crossovers with ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'':

** The second was part of a night where in Sabrina, Salem had swallowed a ball that allowed the holder to travel to a different time period, and also saw Salem turn up in the other shows on the TGIF lineup at the time, ''[[Teen Angel]]'' and ''You Wish''. However, the other shows were [[Fantastic Comedy|Fantastic Comedies]] but ''Boy Meets World'' was not, so the crossover created a [[How Unscientific]] episode.

* [[Creator Breakdown]]: The episode "Shallow Boy" involves Eric dating the aspiring singer/songwriter Corinna, whose songs are [[Tastes Like Diabetes|saccharine]] and completely unappealing. When he dumps her, she immediately starts writing dark and angry songs clearly directed at him; ''these'' sell, and she becomes a huge success. After a while she meets with Eric, ostensibly to apologize, but he quickly realizes she's just run out of material. Refusing to give her any, he acts nice to Corinna and manages to revert her to mindless schlock mode, by singing the song "Tomorrow" from ''Annie'' with her. At the end of the episode, Eric gives an evil snicker once her cheerful album bombs. The character was a parody of [[Alanis Morissette]], who had a similar transformation. The episode even openly references Alanis.

* [[Daytime Drama Queen]]: In "How to Succeed in Business", Amy Matthews is shown to be one, which gets Eric to convince her to get out and do something. Later in the episode, Cory becomes this after getting fired from the work-study program.

* [[Dean Bitterman]]: Dean Borak of Pennbrook University, who appeared in a couple of episodes in season 5. Bonus points for him being played by Paul Gleason, who played a famous [[Dean Bitterman]] in ''[[The Breakfast Club]]''.

** Mr. Feeny. Also a [[Gentleman Snarker]].

** Eric in early episodes. Later ones too, this is one trait that he never quite grew out of.

* [[Deliberate Values Dissonance]]: [[Played for Laughs]] in "I Was a Teenage Spy," where Cory dreams he is sent back to the 1950s. When he says "butt" in class, Mr. Turner and all the other students react as if he'd said a horrible curse word.

* [[Delusions of Eloquence]]: In the episode "Honesty Night", Eric gets a word-a-day calendar to improve his vocabulary and he tries to use these words in conversation but repeatedly fails at it. By the end of the episode he gets the hang of it but annoys everybody by using big words in mundane conversation.

* [[Department of Redundancy Department]]: From "We'll Have a Good Time Then...", when Cory tries to write his wedding vows:

{{quote|'''Cory:''' Sometimes two people who love each other are in love, and because of that love, they love each other. }}

* [[Do It Yourself Plumbing Project]]: In "Picket Fences", Cory tries to fix the rusty pipes in his and Topanga's rundown fleabag apartment. Unusual for this trope, he is actually able to fix the pipes without many problems though he does get quite messy in the process.

* [[Drowning My Sorrows]]: Cory does this once after his break up with Topanga in season five. In a later episode, Shawn does this after {{spoiler|he is unable to find his real mother.}}

* [[Elevator Failure]]: In "The Psychotic Episode", Cory has a nightmare where he pushes all of his friends down an empty elevator shaft in Jack and Rachel's apartment building.

* [[Elvis Lives]]: One episode had a one-off gag where Elvis is one of Alan Matthews' poker buddies.

** Cory's real name is Cornelius.

{{quote|'''Cory:''' Shh! Mr. Feeny! Come...''not even Topanga knows that''!}}

* [[Failed Attempt At Drama]]: In "My Best Friends Girl", Cory tries to walk out on Shawn in Mr. Turner's apartment and [[The Exit Is That Way|walks into a closet by mistake]], but saves it with "And I'm taking my sweater!"

* [[Feud Episode]]: Cory and Shawn go through this in the episode "It's Not You, It's Me..." after Shawn accuses Cory of leaving him behind because Cory wants to apply for a higher level college than Shawn can get into.

** Eric Matthews went from simply dense, self-centered and girl-crazy to just plain dumb. He also became the funniest part of the show for most viewers, so make of that what you will. Oddly enough, he seems to temporarily revert into something resembling his original characterization in one of the last episodes, the one where he's mad at Cory due to thinking that they don't get along as brothers. His stupidity is almost nonexistent throughout the episode, which the other characters [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshade]] repeatedly:

{{quote|"Wow, he's really sharp today. Must be well-rested."}}

** Shawn got dumber and wackier throughout seasons two and three. However this was later reverted through a combination of [[Character Development]], [[Hidden Depths]] and [[Break the Cutie]]. By season six he was one of the more sensible ones in the group.

** All of the characters, especially in the college years, with the exception of Shawn.

* [[Friends Rent Control]]: How Jack and Eric afford a three-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia is a little bit fuzzy considering that they are seemingly unemployed college students. Jack does have a rich stepfather but he claims that he is able to pay his own bills because he worked hard every summer for his money.

* [[Full House Music]]: Well, this ''is'' a 90's TGIF sitcom.

* [[Fun Personified]]: Eric. He ''really'' hits his stride as the most entertaining part of the show after he doesn't get into college at the end of Season 3 crosses over into just plain weird when he cuts his hair in Season 7.

* [[Genius Ditz]]: Eric is so ditzy it's a wonder he can feed and bathe himself. However, the series is full of episodes where it turns out Eric possesses hidden insight and depth and that his behavior is more a result of his combined eccentricity and inability to apply himself and reach his true potential. And then everyone feels all bad about underestimating him.

** Shawn in the season 5 Halloween special that spoofed the recent spate of slasher films at the box office - He correctly points out everything that will happen.

** Shawn also is sure that Topanga won't end up moving away because that never happens in these episodes. He's sort of right, as she moves away but then comes back in the second part.

** In 3x03 Shawn comments on Cory's "big hands" while Shawn's pretending to be Topanga.

** In 5x15, when Shawn's ex-girlfriend [[It Makes Sense in Context|handcuffs him to a pipe]], he says "Wow, ''your'' tastes have changed since our last date when we went skating."

** Happened more and more as the series went on. One [[Halloween Episode]] (which included an [[Homage]] to ''[[Scream (film)|Scream]]'') involved a discussion of [[Sex Equals Death|who was a virgin and who wasn't]]. Shawn [[Technical Virgin|will get as sick as you can without actually dying]].

* [[Ghost Extras]]: The other students in Cory, Shawn and Topanga's classes often seemed to be in a whole different place altogether. They never interacted with the main characters or reacted much when the main characters made a scene in class, and the teachers (Mr. Feeny or Mr. Turner) would only call on Cory, Shawn or Topanga in class and were never seen talking with the other students. The latter point was lampshaded in the series finale:

'''Shawn:''' That's the sound of our beating hearts. It signifies our heightened fear, and the fact that something horrible is about to walk in that door, right NOW!

''(door opens, revealing Eric and Jack standing there)'' }}

* [[Heartwarming Orphan]]: Tommy from season 6.

* [[The Hermit]]: In "Seven the Hard Way" Eric imagines himself as one in the future.

** Cory and Shawn. More often than not, theirs is [[One True Pairing|the relationship with the most depth]], with Cory's relationship with Topanga taking the back seat.

{{quote|'''Cory''': Shawn, are you there?

* [[Hilarious Outtakes]]: During [[The Tag]] of the episode "Angela's Men", the outtakes replace the scene itself because the cast couldn't get through it without [[Corpsing]].

* [[Hollywood Nerd]]: Minkus in the first season is classic Type 1; Topanga, after [[Character Development|evolving]] out of the [[Granola Girl]] role, becomes classic Type 2.

* [[Homoerotic Subtext]]: Cory and Shawn. Topanga and other characters point this out relentlessly, especially in the episode "Seven the Hard Way".

{{quote|'''Topanga:''' You should ask Shawn, his luvah!}}

** The episode "It's Not You, It's Me..." was basically dedicated to this.

*** As was "An Affair to Forget."

{{quote|'''Topanga:''' Shawn, you're afraid to make commitment.

'''Shawn:''' I'm not afraid to make a commitment, I've been with Cory for 15 years!

'''Corey:''' Hey, it takes two. You know...

'''Topanga:''' Stop it! }}

{{quote|'''Cory:''' You know what Shawnie, I always thought that Topanga was the one person I could never live without. But she's gone, and, and you're here, and I'm alive, so it must be you!

'''Shawn:''' I'd take a bullet for you.

'''Eric:''' I'm not ready. }}

** Eric's obsession with Mr. Feeny got quite... ''weird'' at times, especially in the graduation episode when he affectionately lays on Feeny's lap singing "To Sir, With Love" (much to Feeny's horror).

* [[Hot Mom]] and [[Hot Dad]]

* [[If We Get Through This]]: Shawn's father, in the hospital after a heart attack, promises his sons that he will stay with them for good after he recovers. {{spoiler|He promptly dies.}}

{{quote|'''Cory:''' Ohhhhh, you're a smug one aren't you George huh. You know you know, I know you know, I don't know how you know, but I know that you know.

'''Mr. Feeny:''' Alright I know, I know everything. Now what in the world are you talking about?

* [[The "I Love You" Stigma]]: This is the focus of the episode "What I Meant to Say". Cory tells Topanga he loves her despite the fact that they had only (officially) been going out for a few weeks and Topanga reacts with shocks and leaves immediately. She later breaks up with him and starts avoiding him. Cory confronts her about the issue and she explains that she was scared of those words and what they meant. Cory explains what exactly he means by "I love you," and she replies that she loves him, too.

* [[I'm Mr. Future Pop Culture Reference]]: In "I Was a Teenage Spy", when Cory has a dream where he is sent back in time to the 50s, he introduces himself to the Mr. Feeny [[Expy]] as "[[Brad Pitt]], sir.", only for Feeny to respond "Well, Mr. Pittser...".

** Eric gets one at the beginning of season seven. He even lampshades it.

{{quote|'''Eric:''' EVERYONE LOOK AT MY HEAD!}}

* [[Incoming Ham]]: Eric enters season 7 this way. He jumps on the student center pool table and yells "EVERYBODY LOOK AT MY HEAD!" (because he got an [[Important Haircut]]). This sets the tone for his [[Flanderization|every more over the top]] [[Cloudcuckoolander]] personality that season.

* [[I Never Got Any Letters]]: (Part of) why Shawn was initially so angry at Jack, and also why he eventually gave him a chance.

** Used as a [[Rule of Three]] [[Running Gag]] in the episode "Her Answer". Alan and Amy are up in the middle of the night and Alan says that they should go to bed because "only creeps and weirdos are up now". Eric then walks in the door. Eric then says the exact same thing and Shawn walks in the door. Then Shawn says it and Mr. Feeny walks in the door.

** Used twice in "Train of Fools": Mrs. Matthews says "Now guys, be careful tonight, you know new years eve brings out all the crazies.", and then Shawn burst through the door saying "Come on everybody, let's get crazy!". Later, Cory says "You'd have to be an idiot to have a good time down here", and then Shawn walks in with a party hat on and says "I don't know about you guys, but I am having a ''great'' time."

* [[Interrupted Intimacy]]: A comically extreme example: Cory and Topanga are about to consummate their marriage when the police burst in to the hotel suite and arrest them (because they inadvertently stole someone else's wedding thanks to Eric).

* [[Ironic Echo Cut]]: From "Train of Fools":

{{quote|'''Cory:''' Oh Eric, don't you worry about that, I'm not gonna do anything stupid.

* [[It's Not You, It's Me]]: Shawn says this to Cory when they "[[Does This Remind You of Anything?|break up]]" their friendship in the episode appropriately titled "It's Not You, It's Me".

* [[It's What I Do]]: Upon warning Cory that Topanga is about to become more beautiful after going to a salon, Shawn tells him that she'll dump Cory and hang out with other beautiful people because "It's what we do."

* [[Ivy League for Everyone]]: With Topanga's admittance to Yale, then her decision to attend [[California University|Pennbrook College]] with Cory and their friends.

* [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]]: After Jack and Rachel get together, Eric moves out of the apartment for awhile to let them explore their relationship. He later insists that he was never really in love with Rachel, and more interested in the competition with Jack, but there are hints that he's still very much attracted to her.

* [[Kidanova]]: Shawn. Also a [[Chick Magnet]]. He also managed to avert [[A Man Is Not a Virgin]] for almost as long as his best friend Cory (see below) did.

* [[Killed Off for Real]]: {{spoiler|Chet Hunter}}

* [[Lame Comeback]]: In "Honesty Night", Cory and Topanga [[It Makes Sense in Context|pretend to be mad at each other in front of Shawn]] and when they trade fake insults Cory proves he's not very good at ending them:

{{quote|'''Topanga:''' I can't believe you said that to me, you stunted little whiny brillo-head!

'''Both:''' *[[Aside Glance]]*

The reason behind this was that Rider Strong and Will Friedle could ''not'' keep it together when their characters interacted outside of the more somber scenes, so the writers tried to keep Eric and Shawn from interacting. }}

{{quote|'''Minkus:''' For the last four years it's like I have even been in the same school as you guys.

'''Shawn:''' Well you know we just never saw you around.

* [[Lights Off, Somebody Dies]]: Used in "And Then There Was Shawn".

* [[Limited Social Circle]]: For a lot of the show's run it is just Cory, Shawn and Topanga. Cory is a [[Cool Loser]], and it is implied that Cory and Shawn [[Heterosexual Life Partners|spend so much time with each other]] that they don't make time for other friends. In Topanga's case it is sometimes alluded to that she has other friends but they are never actually seen. In a couple of episodes in season three she has a weirdo best friend named Trini (played by a pre-fame [[Brittany Murphy]]), but that character is [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome|dropped]]. When Angela becomes Shawn's girlfriend in season five she joins their social circle and eventually becomes Topanga's best friend and roommate. When they all go to college, they form more of a social circle with Eric, Jack and Rachel.

** In "Band on the Run", Cory comes up with a name for his band this way. He considers "Blood Drive" and "Sex Ed" before choosing "The Exits".

* [[Living Prop]]: Most of the other students in the main characters' classes. See [[Ghost Extras]].

* [[Local Hangout]]: Chubbie's for seasons 2 through 5, later replaced by the Pennbrook University student lounge.

* [[Long Lost Sibling]]: Jack

 

 

* [[Malaproper]]: From the episode "The Grass Is Always Greener":

{{quote|'''Shawn:''' "Cory, I'm no rocket Scientologist but... I'm sensing there's something wrong." }}

* [[A Man Is Always Eager]]: Cory feels ready to have sex, and is frustrated when Topanga decides to wait until marriage. To his credit, though, he ''does'' wait, even when presented with opportunities with other women.

* [[A Man Is Not a Virgin]]: In the Season 5 Halloween special, [[Genre Savvy]] Shawn points out that only virgins survive slasher movies. Eric and Jack proudly accept they're going to die, while Cory thanks Topanga for saving his life. Eric & Shawn then realize that Feeny had just been killed, so start dancing in his memory:

'''Eric:''' Jack, maybe it was and maybe it wasn't. There are some things just too big for our puny heads to comprehend. }}

* [[Meaningful Background Event]]: In "Everybody Loves Stuart" the characters are sitting around in the student center having a comedic conversation while Cory gets in a fight with his teacher in the patio outside. The event is brought to the foreground when Cory shoves the teacher through the doorway.

** In one episode Cory gets caught in a [[Two-Timer Date]] scenario and Shawn teaches him to play it out like Fred did in one episode of ''[[The Flintstones]]'', leading to this exchange:

{{quote|'''Shawn:''' ...and Fred never spent more than 75 seconds at either location.

'''Shawn:''' ''Trust'' me, it's the same thing. }}

* [[Men Can't Keep House]]: It's occasionally mentioned that Jack and Eric are slobs, Ironically the girl's attempt to decorate the apartment when they stole it from them made it even more cluttered and messy [[Double Standard|This is never brought up.]]

** This is averted when Rachel moves in with Eric and Jack. They go out of their way to keep everything neat and clean and adopt fake manners to impress her. She objects and demands that they act the same way they normally would when she's around.

* [[Middle Child Syndrome]]: Cory suffers from this early on. It diminishes after Eric gets dumber and becomes [[The Unfavorite]].

* [[Mistaken for Pregnant]]: Topanga in "She's Having My Baby Back Ribs", who was just going on a diet. This mistake happens via a [[One Dialogue, Two Conversations]].

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Especially prominent in the more serious episodes when a comedy relief scene is injected between the serious scenes.

'''Harley:''' Tires. Steel belted. }}

* [[Nice Character, Mean Actor]]: The lead actor on ''Kid Gets Acquainted with the Universe''.

* [[Noir Episode]]: "As Time Goes By", complete with a [[Deliberately Monochrome]] picture and a [[Private Eye Monologue]] by Eric.

* [[Noodle Incident]]: From "Heartbreak Cory", when the characters are going on their school's senior ski trip:

'''Cory:''' Why's everyone looking at me? }}

* [[No Sparks]]: This happens at least twice:

* [[Nothing Can Stop Us Now]]: Said by Alan after he sells a tent ''after'' [[The Blair Witch Project]] [[It Makes Sense in Context|has been released]]. Then Eric decides to "join the family business." Causing Alan [[Little No|this reaction]].

* [[Not So Above It All]]: Mr. Feeny at times.

* [[Not What It Looks Like]]: In one episode Cory and Topanga are working late on a project at school and they [[Sleep Cute|happen to fall asleep next to each in the same room]]. When other students see them the next morning they think they had sex.

* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: There's evidence that some of Eric's stupidity and wackiness is put on, sometimes to get out of work, but mostly for his own enjoyment.

* [[Official Couple]]: Cory and Topanga.

* [[Only Known by Their Nickname]]: Cory

* [[Or Was It a Dream?]]: The episode "And Then There Was Shawn" turned out {{spoiler|to be an extended dream Shawn was having of some maniac in a skull mask killing everyone in detention to make sure Cory and Topanga stayed together. The killer was revealed to be Shawn... by Shawn. After he wakes up and everyone leaves Mr. Feeny's classroom... the killer emerges from behind the computer stand and departs the room.}}

** Morgan's original actress Lily Nicksay was swapped out for Lindsay Ridgeway between the second and third seasons. The latter doesn't show up until midway through the third, delivering the classic line "That was the longest time-out I ever had."

** Topanga's parents also went through several sets of very different actors (three for her father and two for her mother). The contrast is pretty evident when Jedidiah goes from being [[The Monkees|Peter Tork]] to [[This Is Spinal Tap|Michael McKean]].

* [[Papa Wolf]]: Alan Matthews

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: Shawn. His mother takes off (taking the family trailer with her) and his father goes off after her leaving Shawn to the Matthews and later Mr. Turner. Both his parents return and stay together as a family for a while but then his mother takes off, again and his father follows after her, again. {{spoiler|Eventually Mr. Hunter dies and Vera sends Shawn a letter (from Honduras) telling him that she is not his biological mother. Shawn later learns (from his father's ghost no less) that his "real" mom was a stripper that abandoned the family very shortly after he was born.}}

* [[Parental Issues]]: Mostly Shawn again, though Topanga gets her share when her parents divorce, leading her to call off her engagement with Cory.

* [[Parody Episode]]: The "Kid Gets Acquainted With the Universe" episode (see [[Show Within a Show]])

** Not to mention the excellent ''Scream'' parody episode.

* [[Pro Wrestling Episode]]: "The Thrilla in Philla" and "Sixteen Candles and Four-Hundred-Pound Men".

* [[Promotion to Opening Titles]]: Danielle Fishel in season 2, Lindsay Ridgeway in season 4, and Trina McGee-Davis in season 6.

* [[Psychologist Teacher]]: Mr. Feeny

* [[Pun-Based Title]]: The show's title is a pun on the expression "[[Boy Meets Girl]]". Also, several episodes have this type of title, such as "No Guts, No Cory".

* [[Radio Contest]]: Shawn enters one to get Superbowl tickets. However, he finds out the contest involves standing on a billboard platform for the longest amount of time, in the middle of the Philadelphia winter. And one of contestants is an eskimo.

* [[Ready for Lovemaking]]: In "Getting Hitched", Cory tries to do this for Topanga when he thinks she is finally willing to have sex with him. Unfortunately, Eric walks into his dorm room before she does.

** With just a light remodel Mr. Turner's apartment from seasons 2 and 3 becomes Jack and Eric's apartment for season 5-7

** For a little while Mr Turner and Mr Feeny had the same classroom, just flipped around with a few different props.

** The school hallway from seasons 2-4 is almost exactley the same as the Senior hallway from season 5 but shot from a different angle

* [[Retool]]: Three big ones:

** Season 2: Cory, Topanga, and Shawn start going to John Adams High. Mr. Feeny follows them. Eric has a much larger role, and begins to take on traits of his "modern" persona. Topanga abandons her [[Granola Girl]] roots and becomes a [[Hollywood Nerd]]. Mr. Turner, "the bullies," and [[Local Hangout|Chubbie's]] are introduced. Also, the show loses [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome|Minkus]], and abandons the old theme song and credits sequence.

** Season 5: At the start of their senior year, Shawn reunites with his [[Long Lost Sibling]] Jack, who joins the main cast. Shawn, Jack and Eric (now attending college) move in together in an apartment, and Jack becomes Eric's best friend and comedy sidekick. Heretofore [[Kidanova]] Shawn gets a steady girlfriend Angela, who becomes a recurring character. Mr. Turner falls victim to [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]] and main high school set is changed to the senior hallway. The show gains an increased focus on running storylines, something it had already been experimenting with. Finally, the classic [[Theme Tune]] (with lyrics!) is introduced.

** Season 6: Cory, Shawn, Topanga, and Angela graduate and go to [[California University|Pennbrook University]]. [[Running Gag|Mr. Feeny follows them]]. Angela becomes a member of the main cast. Cory and Topanga get engaged, but don't exactly make a mad dash for the altar. Rachel joins the cast and moves in with Eric (now a full-on [[Cloudcuckoolander]]) and Jack, setting up a [[Love Triangle]]. Alan, Amy, and Morgan are reduced to [[Commuting on a Bus]].

* [[Right Behind Me]]: Used in the episode "An Affair to Forget" when Cory insults Shawn's girlfriend Jennifer.

* [[Running Gag]]: Eric's "Feeny call". Also, Mr. Feeny following the gang to ''every'' school they go to.

* [[Say My Name]]: Again, the Feeny call.

* [[Screaming Woman]]: Also parodied in the slasher-themed episode. Angela takes on this role and after several big screams Jack says "You know, you are really good at that." and she thanks him. Later, when Jennifer Love Hewitt's character shows up she lets out a big scream of her own and Angela then tries to out-scream her because she "is the screamer around here".

* [[Self-Parody]]: The [[Show Within a Show]] "Kid Gets Acquainted With the Universe". It included [[Parody Names]] of the characters and actors: Cory became Rory, Shawn became Shane and Eric became Derek. Ben Savage became "Ben Sandwich", and Rider (Strong) became "Schnieder". However, the most punny name came when they mentioned that Ben Sandwich has a brother named "Bread Sandwich", a reference to Ben Savage's brother Fred Savage.

* [[Sex Sells]]: In-universe example. In "How to Succeed In Business", Shawn gets a job as the assistant to an advertising executive and is asked to come up with ideas from a toothpaste campaign. Shawn think of a "sexy fresh breath" campaign but Cory recommends he choose a bacteria-based campaign because "sex does not sell". Shawn of course chooses the sexy breath one which the boss ends up liking.

* [[She's All Grown Up]]: Cory has this reaction about Topanga.

* [[Shipper on Deck]]: Shawn for Cory and Topanga, Cory for Shawn and Angela, and ''everyone'' for Mr. Feeny and Dean Bolander.

* [[Snap Back]]: A few of the wackier Eric plotlines in the final season had endings that led to this. For example, "The Honeymooners" ends by showing him being [[I'm a Humanitarian|boiled in a big soup pot]] by Hawaiian natives, yet he's back at home with no mention of this in the next episode.

* [[Somebody Doesn't Love Raymond]]: The episode "Friendly Persuasion" features a more serious version of this plotline. Cory discovers that Angela keeps trying to avoid him and spends the entire episode trying to figure out why she doesn't like him. Eventually it is revealed that she is only avoiding him because she is hurt over her breakup with Shawn and being with Cory is a painful reminder. The revelation brings the two of them closer together.

** The second actress who played Morgan was clearly several years older than the first one.

** Josh, who was born halfway through the sixth season, and was a child of at least three in the finale.

* [[Stern Teacher]]: Mr. Feeny

* [[Story Arc]]: Probably the only show in TGIF history to attempt such ambitious and ([[Mood Whiplash|mostly]]) dramatic story arcs.

* [[Stuffed Into a Locker]]: Harley and his goons like to do this.

* [[Stupid Sexy Flanders]]: Topanga has a moment of this in the episode "An Affair to Forget":

* [[Ten Little Murder Victims]]: "And Then There Was Shawn"

* [[Ten-Minute Retirement]]: Mr. Feeny's retirement at the end of season 5.

* [[That Makes Me Feel Angry]]: Done humorously. Harley Kiner, [[The Bully]], was supposed to be tough and emotionless, so whenever some sort of event would happen, he would state his reactions to them by saying, [[Delusions of Eloquence|"I am hysterical" or "I am distraught."]]

* [[Thematic Theme Tune]]: The theme tune for seasons 5-7.

* [[Think Unsexy Thoughts]]: In "The Last Temptation of Cory", Cory mutters the words "lunchroom lady" to get him to stop thinking about a pretty girl who is trying to seduce him away from Topanga.

''<[[Beat]]>''

'''Shawn:''' I'm gonna need more words. }}

* [[The Unfair Sex]]: A few times, but it was mostly limited to the more immature teenagers than the adults.

* [[The Unfavorite]]: Eric later on, sometimes his parents are none too shy about it.

* [[Unlucky Everydude]]: Cory.

* [[Unusually Uninteresting Sight]]: Neither Eric nor Mr. Feeny seem to notice that the actors on the show "Kid Gets Acquainted With the Universe" look just like Cory, Shawn, Topanga and Jack.

* [[Valentines Day Episode]]: "The First Girlfriends Club"

** "Cult Fiction", in which Shawn joins a cult due to feeling misunderstood by the people he knows.

** "If You Can't Be With the One You Love...", in which Cory turns to alcohol to deal with his breakup with Topanga and convinces Shawn to try it, and Shawn has a hard time stopping once he gets started.

* [[Wacky Guy]]: Eric in the later seasons.

* [[Wall Glower]]: In "Cutting the Cord", Shawn, who is going through an identity crisis at the time, stands outside the college coffeehouse looking on sadly as Cory, Topanga and the rest of their friends sit around laughing and talking.

* [[Wall Slump]]: [[Shout-Out|Kenny]] gets killed this way in "And Then There Was Shawn".

* [[Wondrous Ladies' Room]]: In one episode Cory goes into the school's ladies room to talk to Topanga and he is surprised to learn they have a couch in there.

* [[Worst News Judgment Ever]]: [[Played for Laughs]] in the episode "The First Girlfriends Club". The news of Cory and Topanga's breakup takes up the whole front page of the school newspaper.

** One episode had a hopeful variation. Eric took a job as a security guard instead of trying to do his SATs again to get into college. His partner turned out to have been an engineer in wherever he came from, Eric asked him why he was reading the SAT prep book. The response: "So that I can let this country know I am an engineer."

** In another episode when Eric teaches a citizenship class he says he is the smartest one in the room, and a student says that in his country, he was a nuclear physicist, but Eric tells him that, in America, everyone starts with a clean slate.

* [[Wounded Gazelle Gambit]]: Jack's girlfriend Millie pulls one on Eric in "The Witches of Pennbrook".

* [[Writers Suck]]: The writers of the [[Show Within a Show]] "Kid Gets Acquainted With the Universe" are shown to be small children.

{{quote|'''Cory:''' Let me ask you this: In all the time that you were with Shawn, did he ever call out the name "Topanga"?

'''Cory:''' (flattered) In what context? }}

* [[Yoko Oh No]]: This is invoked twice within the show, both times done to add hints of humor to otherwise serious scenes. {{spoiler|Shawn indicates he feels this way toward Lauren when she shows up at Cory's house, calling her Yoko because he is troubled over the friction between Cory and Topanga. Ironically, Shawn later does the same thing to Topanga herself when she bitterly refers to him as Cory's "boyfriend" due to her feeling less close to Cory than she should be when compared to Shawn.}}

* [[Zany Scheme]]: Cory and Shawn were fond of pulling these, though this diminished in the later seasons as the characters grew up and the show got more serious.

 

[[Category:Disney Channel]]

[[Category:American Series]]

[[Category:TV Series]]

[[Category:Kid Com]]