When Eric starts his own fraternity at Pennbrook, and forces Jack along for the ride, even some dated Love Boat cameos couldn't get the party started.
The gang wonders why a kid with a Magnum P.I. shirt didn't get a line, while they throw another moment of boys in dresses into the "Was this progressive?" pile. And which guest star had words with a director and never appeared again?
Danielle wonders if the show is currently an island, but more importantly - what happened with her headphones - on a brand new Pod Meets World...
I had something happen the other day and I want your opinion on it. I went to go get my nails done at this place that I've been going to for five years. I love them, They're great. And I had to listen to our podcast while I was getting my nails done because I was doing some editing. So I have my headphones in and I then finish the podcast, take my headphones out, put them back in their case, and put them on the armrest next to me, next to my phone, and think to myself, don't forget to put those in your purse. But it's right next to my phone, and I'm not going to forget my phone, So like I feel pretty confident about it. Then it's time for me to pay. I get up, I grab my headphones, I grab my phone. I walk up to the counter. I grab my purse to versus now on the other side, pick up my purse. I now have my purse hanging on me and my phone and my headphones in my other hand. I put them down on the counter so that I can pay, and I think to myself again as I put them down, don't forget to put those headphones in your purse. I pay I grab my phone, I leave, forget the headphones. I walk out, I get in the car, I drive home. I go through the rest of my day. So my appointment was at nine thirty. I was probably done about ten thirty, so I left them behind around ten thirty. Around three pm, I get a message from our dear Tara, who says, did you have any notes on the episode? I didn't see any notes, and I go, oh, I think I did. I think I left notes in there, And then it occurs to me, I have to listen to the podcast again to make sure I don't have any notes. Where are my headphones? Immediately, of course, Danielle, you left them on the counter. So I immediately text the woman who I book my appointments with and I go, hey, it's Danielle. Did I leave my headphones on the counter at check out? And realize I'm one hundred percent sure that I did, Like, I know that's what I did. I remembered multiple times thinking to myself, don't forget, and then I walked out, and I have no recollection of putting them in my purse or having them back in my hand, like I'm sure they're there, And she writes back I don't know, let me check. I go okay. She doesn't ever write me back. Then I leave and I have to go pick up Adler for karate. So on my way to karate, I stop in at the nail salon and I walk in and everybody looks at me, like, oh, weren't you just here earlier this morning? I'm like, yeah, hi, you know, I left my headphones here. And the woman I had texted with, who was the person who checked me out earlier, says to me, yeah, yeah, I said I would call you. I said I would call you, and she starts shooting me.
She was shoeing you away.
She showed me out of the nail salon. I said I would call you. I'll call you. I'll call you, and I said, oh, okay, I just I wanted to just I left them right here, and so I'm like kind of looking on the counter like they're not I look on the floor, and she's like, I don't know, maybe somebody took them, go go go. I said, I'll call you, and I'm like okay. So I leave and I get in the car and I'm.
Like, I can't.
I was just shoot out of my nail salon. Oh, because I left my head I don't understand what's going on. I don't hear from her. I go on Amazon, I order new headphones, so I'm like bummed about it. And then two three days later, hey, we have your headphones. I go, you found my headphones? Yeah? I said, okay, I'll come and pick them up right now. I get to the nail salon, I walk in, I go, Hi, you found my headphones. She goes, yeah, I put your name on them this time so you don't lose them again. And she had printed out oh, my name and stuck it on my case, as if the reason I forgot them was because my name wasn't on them. You were going to grab them, but you're like, are those showers? Yeah, maybe they're not mine, and she turns them back to me, and then I left, And now I want to know what happened my headphones for those days? Were they just on vacation? Did they what?
I bet somebody had the same pair right, Like? Were they kind of popular headphones?
Like?
Are the Apple iPhones?
They're not Apple? No, of course not the Galaxy buds in a clear charging case with one of those things. What are those things called the hooks that you could use for crapping hooks, grappling. It's basically grappling hook No one of the hooks that you can use for like grappling hooks, but with like a weird hook not common. Nobody else has it now because I was.
Going to say, maybe you know, it's just one of those things, like you know, she has an employee that also has the same pair. So there was a debate about no one.
No one has that. No one has sampsung earbuds. That's not a thing anyone in the world. Here's the thing about that story that amazes me because my head goes to a certain thing where I after being showed out, I could never go back again. Really yeah, to me, it's like you're I'm sorry. It's like somebody behind you going like as you're talking, going like either wrap it up or something to where you can't see it, where it's like no, no, no, you'll never get a dollar from me again.
I'm thought, oh no, that to me, after that, I couldn't. I couldn't. I mean, let me tell you something about nail Well, yeah, but let me tell you about nail salons. If you've ever been to a nail salon there, they don't necessarily treat their customers super great. My last nail salon really is, Oh sure, you're definitely pampered, absolutely pampered that you're and you're being and you are being charged for every single second of it, and any little thing they offer you comes with an up charge, so like, don't just go along with it. If they're like, would you like five extra minutes of a massage and you're like yes, they're like great, that's ten extra dollar.
It's giving me hard competition's just thinking about I can't do any I can't do any of this, any pampering spa, Like, oh my god.
Just because you don't like people being touching.
Me, I don't like I don't like attention, like lavish attention from people, like being served, and like waiting on just makes me so uncomfortable.
Like what, No, just just.
The way I don't like lavish attention, you know, like when people are massaging me and telling me I'm awesome.
I don't touch me, you know, massaging no freaks me out. It's so uncomfortable. Yeah.
My last nail salon, the woman. This was when in Orange County before I moved back up to La. The woman said to me, Danielle, when you first started coming here, you were so much younger, but you were very fat, and.
Now you are so hid but you are old god, and you're like the compliment. But it's like backhand forehand, which which way is compliment? Like the most devastating insult.
I can't take it. Oh my god.
Yeah, I mean that is true, that's accurate. Yes, and thanks. I feel great.
I went with Sue once and they said you got to get a pedicure, like you've got to.
Experience the rubbing of the no feet. And I was like, all right, what the hell, I'll do it.
I'm sitting in there and the women were in front of use, three women, you know, one on each chair, and the woman in front of me is massaging my foot and then she turns to her two cohorts and says something and I believe Vietnamese, and they start going back and forth Vietnamese, just back and forth, back and forth for a good five minutes.
And then I looked down at her and I said, was that about me?
And without missing a beat and without any form of an accent, she goes, yeah, we're just saying you got nice feet for a dude.
And I was like, oh, I.
Mean it was.
It was such a strange change from the rattle off of Vietnamese to no accent whatsoever, to calling me a dude. It was it was you do you need more feet on?
You need more pictures of your feet on? Wiki feet? This is we gotta gotta show you, my friend only fee. I would never want to subject to anybody to my feet. I would have to pay them thousands and thousands of dollars. But then if you touch my feet, like I have the most sensitiveeet in the world, nobody can touch my feet. I will I will kick, I will scream like I would actually kick anybody touching my feet, Like it's just I'm so ticklish, it's absurd. Rider.
Is that because your feet looked like goats?
Yeah? There goats. They're just baby. I just think they wanted to be wrapped in leather, boots, steel toed everything constantly. You never first thing.
They're amazing, Shire though redwood Shire.
Yes, welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fischell.
I'm right or strong, and I got great feet for a dude.
I'm will Welcome to this episode. We are recapping season five episode for Fraternity Row. It originally aired October twenty fourth, nineteen ninety seven. The synopsis Eric decides to start his own fraternity Magnum Pie. Sean begins to slack off on schoolwork because he doesn't expect to get into college. It was directed by Alan Myerson. It was written by Andrew Guerdatt, which is a new name to Boy Meets World, but he has an impressive list of credits on shows like Morgan Mindy, Head of the Class, Sister Sister, and Empty Nest, in addition to creating the show Herman's Head. He is still working. Yeah, he's still working in TV now in kids' animation on shows like Fancy Nancy, Sheriff, Calli's Wild West, and My Kid's Favorite Once Upon a Time Paw Patrol. Before I jump into our rather long list of guest stars, did you guys want to talk about our overall thoughts? I can't.
I can't get I'm not yet okay with the new vibe of season five.
That's what it's got to be.
There is different, Sean is different. The acting isn't great all the way around. I'm pushing the comedy. They're trying to take it weird ways. I just I'm I can't, I'm not. I'm not down with season five yet. I haven't seen a single episode of season five i've liked yet. And yeah, I'm sure part of it is just the drop shock, but this was another one that I just didn't really like, and it's killing me because season four was so good.
Yeah, yeah, that's my overall thoughts.
Writer, this might be my least favorite we've ever seen. I don't know why. It just actually didn't make sense to me, like nothing, I did not like you just reading that synopsis, I don't know what the like the fraternity story, I don't know what's happening there. I don't know the line. I don't know what people are doing, why they're standing, they're standing, why they're saying what they're saying. It's just like, I don't know what's happening. And like, I don't think the Dean stuff is funny. I don't think that the love boat stuff, I don't know what. I just and then like all this and then college thing, from scene to scene, I couldn't tell what was happening, Like, is Sean secretly a genius? Is Sean really dumb is like, and it just kind of changes based on whatever we want to have said in the scene. It's like so thin and I feel awful about my bone performance. Like it just was bad, Like it was just all around.
Like last week was literally Sean and I never getting into a fight because they wanted to go to the same college. Sean's like, we're going to the same college, and now he was never expecting to go.
To college, at least that continuity from the week before.
I don't know what's happening.
I will say one positive thing about the episode. I found there to be some unlike last week, which I really felt. It seems the way Ryder felt about this week is the way I felt about last week. The only positive thing I liked about this episode is that in the a storyline, the idea that Sean could could jump ahead and find himself in a college class that is actually something he does really enjoy, Like the idea for kids when you're learning the basics of something and you're like this stinks, but then all of a sudden you find out, wait, there's an entire class on this subject. I know nothing, and then it's having a light bulb go off in your brain and realizing the same way it was for Will. Basically, Will's my life of experience of being in his school in high school and then coming to Boy Meets World and meeting David Colmbs and that year of being with David and life what you mean.
I can study these things. I love this, and there's a way to do that. I think very well. But philosophy, like I didn't like. Honestly, I didn't know. Are we supposed to think the philosophy teacher in the philosophy class is really dumb and that Sean is tricking the guy, because that's the way it starts, right, is like, oh, Sean's just saying works and your questions, and then it becomes accidentally brilliant. But then Sean does care about it. But he cares about it and does all this research, but then can't write single sentences. So it's like, no, that doesn't happen. Like if it had been a film class or a literature class or mythology somebody that like Sean could be really good at because he's a great storyteller or a thinker or something, you know, a different type. But you can't do that with philosophy, Like I don't. It just doesn't work. And so like flip flops from scene to scene. It's like, are we supposed to take this class seriously? Or we're supposed to take Sewan seriously? It doesn't work, like because I agree, like I love that theme and there's a version of that that would have been great.
And how does Feenie at one.
Point not say to him like in the hallway, Sean, I love that you found something that you love. Like, well, he doesn't know he he does because he says he's been Corey is like he's been going to college class and says that at the end.
He says it at the end. That's another part that just doesn't make sense, Like Sean's just hanging in the hallway. Why why is he even at school to send the hallway there to study?
I Will also say some of the drop shock for us, I think because it really hit me when Will was saying he can't the drop shock of season five and I said the college stuff. Remember how we all thought for some reason before we went into to season four that season four was our first year of college. Yeah, this change of the high school hallway mixed with the b storyline actually taking place at Penbrook and Sean living with the two college students, Eric and Jack, I think gives us just a sweeter No, we have no idea where we are. I forget that the set with Phoenie other than the fact that you see Phoenie there and therefore you know you're not in Penbrook, that hallway and everything. In my mind, I keep thinking, like, why are Corey and Sewan at Penbrook? Why? But they have a turquoise couch that says John Adams on it in case we forget, But that change of set and the college stuff mixed in it, we have no real grounding center that reminds us of what show we are and it is.
It's we've also got a new character we've got I mean, it's every it's I'm just maybe I'm hoping it's.
Just that I'm not used to it yet. But yeah, I just don't.
Know everything's But also Phoene's character. Phoene is so harsh in this episode.
Well, does Cory not understand that it's not Phoene's fault. It's so obvious that clearly Sean is in the wrong here, like Sean is clearly the one leaving, and then even Corey gets upset with Sean about like, well, I'm not covering for you again, but like nobody asked Corey to cover for Sean. It all just felt. Yeah, I feel like this season more than any other season. Every episode lives entirely on its own island. Yes, yes, there's no cohesiveness to it.
I mean literally, the last episode was about them trying to go to the same college and it all work.
Really hard so that we can go to the same college. And then a week later he's like, I'm not going to class. I've never was going to go to college. Like what you were last week when you're yelling the whole time, Okay, guess Paul Gleeson. He returns as Dean Borak, continuing to take money away from Bonnie Bartlett's wallet, and then we have Bernie Coppell, the man who is best known for playing Siegfried on Get Smart and Doc on The Love Boat, plays himself, while Ted Lange, who you might know as bartender Isaac Washington on The Love Boat, also plays himself, giving the love Boat the Happy Days treatment here in season five, worth noting that both Copel and Lange are still alive ninety years old. And seventy five respectively. Will at the time, Yes, did these cameos make you happy? Did you?
Of course? Yeah?
Of course, of course. Get Smart. I grew up on Getsmart.
It's one of the best television shows ever. Yeah, it is hysterical, it's amazing, he's incredible, it's yes.
And Love Boat.
I had a very funny thing happened to me when I had never seen Love Boat before and when I moved to Amsterdam after eight o'clock at night, from eight o'clock to ten o'clock, they had English show and one of them was the Love Boat. And when I was living in Amsterdam at the time, I was in Bibing obviously in what Amsterdam is famous for, and about seven episodes in I went, this is the weirdest show. What everybody who goes on this boat falls in love? And then I went, oh wait, it's literally called love Boat. So it took a while to hit me, but yeah, but yes, I mean it was.
To get upstream to row right, it's literally called the boat.
But it was yes, so of course I mean television royalty, They're great.
It was awesome, no sense, no idea.
I was really hoping that you were going to say that you watched it in Dutch, that you just like you but you only know them in Dutch.
No, that was the That was the the motor up commercial, which I still have memorized in Dutch. But yes, no, this was so Yes, I mean they gets mark the best shows ever.
Julius Carrey makes his first appearance on Boy Meets World, this time as Professor Michaels. Carrie is a legendary actor we've spoken about before here on this podcast, most recognizable as show Nuff in The Last Dragon, but he was also on Murphy Brown, The Adventures of Briscoe County Junior, and in the classic Rudy Ray Moore Black Sploitation, cult favorite Disco Godfather Julie.
That way, I'm sorry for our dear listeners out there. If you don't know who show Nuff is and you've never seen The Last Dragon, drop everything and go and watch it. It is phenomenal and he is amazing. I was so starstruck when he was on the set. He's it's great.
It's so crappy that we have him come back as Angela's I know dad though, Like it's because he's in scenes with me, Like it's just one of the worst, like recastings, because our repeat castings, because if you had done, you know, work with other people, I could see maybe, But he's like it's literally every scene him and me talking to each other. And then we bring him back for like this major episode where I'm finally meeting Angela's dad.
Like, that's just I didn't remember he played the teacher though, even when he came back.
I don't think I even remembered.
I didn't remember this until Oh no, I knew it at the time, but we we brought it up at one of our shows convention. Somebody brought it up and I was like, oh, that's right, he did, you know, because I knew I had worked in them multiple times. I just can't believe we all thought that was okay.
Yeah, well, not that they would have cared what we thought they.
I mean we all mean a production team, like all the like, and culturally, like the world was kind of okay with it.
He's so good. He's so good. He's a real standout in this episode. Honestly, his hit he really makes use. Yeah, he relates to everything.
See I don't. I mean, it's not about his performance. I just think it's really weird, Like, I just still don't like the scenes. I'm like that I don't understand from moment to moment, like when he's yelling to Corey and then he's like he's like this hard ass, but then he's also like really into deep.
I'm just like, I don't understand why they cast him as Angela's dad, the military man, though obviously he pulls off the military thing like perfectly even here he's got that you know, stickler about him.
But yeah, well, sadly, Julius died from pancreatic cancer in two thousand and eight at the very young age of fifty six.
Wow.
And then we have Nicki Acox as Jennifer. She was also seen on Supernatural, The X Files, Cold Case, and in the movie Jeepers Creepers Too, And I am very sad to report that she passed away in twenty twenty two from leukemia at the age of forty seven. Nicky Acox died Your Kids twenty twenty two. Yeah, Wow, she.
Did a bunch of stuff. She was around all the time and incredibly sweet.
Oh my god, that's awful. I didn't know that at all. Sorry to bring the mood down, nic. And then we have Leslie Dannon as Lisa. She made her TV debut on Michael Jacobs's Charles in Charge and later appeared on Step by Step, a show called Tattooed, Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, and the Olsen Twins movie Win in Rome. She appears to have quit acting in two thousand and two, and then Robin Hunter as Magnum Pi T shirt wearing guy who the fact that he got a credit leads me to believe he at one point must have had a line, right, I guess, well.
I think he does.
Doesn't he say? Doesn't? Doesn't the dean go up to the dean heard it, doesn't say anything, He shakes it thought, he says, I've never heard. Oh, okay, and then he tells him to get out of there. So he must have had a line at some point and then it got cut, all right. So jumping into our recap, we start in the guy's apartment. Jack's in a beach chair in the hallway, wearing sunglasses inside and drinking a beverage with a bendy straw. A girl enters the hallway and he enthusiastically shouts, hey, Lisa from three B care to join my study group. She asks why he's studying in the hall, and Jack admits, so I can talk to girls. Right then, Eric walks out of the elevator wearing a poofy pink dress and black heels. Lisa sarcastically tells Jack, knock yourself out. Eric calls the girl pretty, and she shoots the compliment right back. As the elevator door closes, Jack begs, please tell me you were just trying to get out of a traffic ticket. Eric says he's stopped by the Gamma Epsilon fraternity and there was a big party with lots of girls, so he pledged. As they enter the apartment, Jack asks if he feels it all humiliated, and Eric says, yes, I paid two hundred dollars for this dress. I'm never going to get to wear it again. Now we're back in the hall as Sean and Corey arrive, Sean jumps into the beach chairs, starts reading Jack's book, and announces college is easy. Another girl walks into the hallway, so Sean decides to show Corey what college is all about. He introduces himself and she shakes his hand. Her name is Jennifer Crane, from three B was three bees full of hotties, huh, and every week others come out. And then that's where Maitland's from too. Maitland was it was kind of like we're starting it as like a running joke, right right, a constant stream of good looking girls coming out of there. Well, what do you remember about the pink poofy dress? Not a thing? Not a thing?
Right?
The thing opened, the elevator opened up, and I walked out, and I went, oh.
I'm going to address this episode. So nothing, yeah, not not no, And I know.
You did cross dressing episode, but that's like season seven. No.
I was wondering if this was the episode you guys kept referring to where you guys dress as girls. But no, no, that's that's different.
So this was just again and again I get why they did it, and it makes sense where you know, I think you do have to do pledget like this when you pledge, I think this that's normal stuff.
So I mean it worked at least in this. So there's there's quite a few progressive lines in it where you later say, now I don't have to dress dress like a girl again unless I want to. Yeah, And then the red dress. That's never it's never explained why when you say you took that from my closet, like you just you have dresses and rather progressively. It's just kind of offhandedly thrown in that you may be like dressing like a girl occasionally. It's not, it's not. They also didn't do it like you know, they didn't draw like cleavage on you or no or.
No or and it's no wig and makeup and all that kind of stuff.
And yeah, they just asked you to put on a dress and heels. Yeah. I think if they did this aisode or did this this show.
Now modern day and they didn't change any of the characters, I think there's a real chance Eric could have been gay, and that I don't think would have been a bad thing, right right, you know, it was never never addressed in any way, shape or form, but it would have worked. But you're so girl crazy for the first three seeds, I know, yeah, yeah, it's true, but you know, like established part of the character that.
He's and but then it completely goes away.
I guess that's true.
You know, that's the thing.
So it comes for some reason they take the because when they what they do is they shift the bromance of Corey Sean. Yeah, because it really becomes Corey into Panga. So then it because shifts to Jack and Eric, and then it goes back to Corey Sewan around the wedding time.
I think, I think is what we're going to see happen, but who knows? Well? The girl asks if they live there, and Sean says I do. Indeed. Sean tells Corey that's college talk, and then Jennifer asks how the boys like Penbrook. Corey begins to tell the truth, but Sean swiftly places his hand over Corey's mouth and butts in, I love Penbrook, Old Buildings, Pretty girls. She sees Jack's textbook and assumes Sean is taking introduction to Western philosophy. Jennifer flirtatiously says she'll see him in class tomorrow and we'll make sure stage books.
So why isn't he in that class?
Writer? As if it really things make sense in this version of our shows. It's simple stuff.
It's really frustrating. I was.
I know, it's simple things that someone somewhere could have possibly did and was just told don't worry about it. But like they're just easy fixes. Yeah, and they're not. They're just like, yeah, oh wow, that's the thing.
The care is gone, like our show no longer cares, like our show is not taking the time to and I guess it's just annoying when like Phoenie swoops in and has like a nice moment at the end, and I'm like, you didn't earn this, Like the episode doesn't deserve this. This is a nice message, right, like, but we didn't, like, let's just take the time and do it better, guys, And I don't know what's happening, Like, well, maybe I would love to hear from somebody who loves this episode, like there may be somebody and I'm sure, I'm sure there's people because I don't know.
I think every every I'm starting to believe that every episode is somebody has a champion somewhere, Yeah, somewhere.
And it's you know, it's personal preference. But I yeah, the five isn't doing it.
I just really like, I literally don't understand what's happening in your storyline. Maybe you guys can explain it.
I don't either.
I don't. You just tried to pledge a fraternity, That's what just happened, right, Yeah, So you're That means you're in a fraternity, right, you're.
Pledging, okay, to be accepted. All right, you've got to go through the thing.
Let's just keep what's happening, because I really don't I could not wrap my head up, and there's nothing to wrap he pledges.
In the next scene about it, he does just say I'm going to start my own because then the girls can come to me. So somewhere along the way, oh no, what What he also says is he was so humil by that he's going to do his own. Girls will come to him and address. He does say that somewhere because because Eric, I mean, Jack flat out asks it, weren't you humiliated?
Yes?
Yes, and he says he says, yes somewhere. So it's a mix of both I'm humiliated by wearing this dress, but also pretty progressive stuff about I don't have to do that again unless I want to. Okay. So she that Jennifer gets into the elevator and the inmates go wild with woo.
Audience.
I know, Sean Yell's out first day of college and I got me a girlfriend. And then we go to a commercial break and then we come back. We are now in Phoenie's classroom. Mister Phoenie writes where are you from on his whiteboard and asks if someone can tell him what's wrong with the sentence. To Panga's hand shoots up, I can, Phoene size, I know, but you're already ten for ten? How about we try? Mister Matthews to Panga breaks it to Feenie, he won't know this one. Corey agrees she's eleven for eleven. A disappointed Pheni, he admits, I'm not surprised. No one knows the answer to that question. But Ta Panga raises her hand again, I do. Phoenie ignores her and tells the class they've forgotten the basics.
What is wrong with the sentence?
You can't end a sentence with a preposition at front?
You can, sure, That's that's all they're saying.
Yeah, that's it, that's from. Where are you.
Freaking type people do?
But it's it is a grammar rule that you're not supposed to.
Yes, it is, But why would you be teaching that's that's again, that's the that's again the loose thread of they had to think of what basics are you still learning about writing?
As a senior in high school, it can't be where periods go, which is apparently what Sean's problem is, since later it's revealed he wrote the whole thing in one sentence, so they can't make it that Phoenie is teaching periods and creation.
Yeah, like something super simple, but there's something really complicated, like do so or not complicated it just actually important, like here's what we put even yes exactly like here and have a graft out sentence on the board and like underlining the noun and but just writing where are you from? And then not explaining what the problem with it is because I'm sitting there going, there's nothing wrong with that, like they're really and like that's the only thing I could think of, is like is it really just that it's a preposition, But that's not a problem, Like that's how you ask a question. I don't, Oh my god.
And I guess he's talking about in writing in a scholarly writing, because that's that is what we're talking about in the episode, not casually.
Or we're talking about a high school level version of that, Like let's just just write a sentence on the board where you're you're you're you know, you're breaking down, you're breaking out a sentence or do an iambic pentameter and breaking down the feet and the metric feet of a poem like something just even slightly more like baffling and a little hard, but you know, but it is kind of basically everyone would be learned. It's so weird. I literally was like, I don't know what this problem is, and I don't know what's happening here.
Phoenie ignores her and tells the class they've forgotten the basics, which is alarming considering they'll be entering college next fall. Phoeni notices Sean is clipping coupons. He's found a deal for Odo eaters. His Christmas shopping is done. Phoene reminds him that this year is his last chance to apply himself. How do you expect to make it into college? Sean matter effactly responds, I don't. And then the bell rings, and remember, like Will said just last episode, he promises to work hard and get into whatever college Corey wants. As students file out, Corey stays to speak with Phoenie. He's worried about Sean. He asks Phoenie, is there anything you can do to help him? Phoene says he's been trying for four years, what more can he do? And then we're in Penbrook in a new hallway set. Eric's handing out flyers to a group of girls. There's a major fraternity party on Friday night, and he's head Cheese of the fraternity singles only no children see you there just then takes one of the flyers and notices the party is happening at their apartment. Eric explains that hazing was so humiliating. I came up with my own idea. I'm going to start a fraternity of my own. The girls will come to me.
So why why why? Okay, so you're you're throwing a party, yes, why what does the benefit of it being a fraternity party?
I think what they tried to establish at the beginning was he says, I mean I went, I stopped by a fraternity. It was a girl full of women. So I so more girls go to fraternity.
Party than a regular party, is the joke.
So you have to create a.
Fake fraternity, which again I was like, apparently he's also created this entire thing, except the name which he comes with comes up with on the fly there, But then it might have just been a blocking thing. But then the dean says, what do you know about this magnum pie while looking like he's reading it off the flyer.
Yeah, exactly, I know, he goes, so do you know anything about this magnum pie?
Even though yeah, it's I mean, the logic for me too is also like, if you're whole hosting a fraternity party, you're actually gonna have men dudes there.
Yeah, like that's that men will be coming.
Yeah, it's a guarantee of men. Like make up a sorority. If you're starting, that would be great, and you are established the dress thing, so it could almost be like a Then you have to like fake out that they were a girl. I don't know, there's that that's more interesting.
Then they do that joke a little bit with the fact that Jack is mistaken for Shelley.
Right by the.
Best joke of the entire episode was just that throwaway.
Hi Shelley was hysterical and then I love that. I thought that was funny too, that he just says, Hi, Shelley, and then it's never really addressed. And then once you started talking, I knew he was Jack. But then later he brings it up again. Where he says, well, as long as I was in that dress, I couldn't shake the dean.
Yeah, no, I thought the high Shelley was. That's a straight up mass joke too. I mean, that's just there's a great scene where a crazy general comes and Klinger, wanting to be kicked out, runs in front of him in a dress and salutes, and he just goes not now, Valerie, I'm trying to be with the troops. So it's one of those things. The idea just hey, Shelley, oh god, that's the only time I laughed out loud the entire episode.
Eric says, the girls will come to me. I won't have to wear a dress anymore unless I want to, and then Jack says the dean will kick him out of school if he finds out, but Eric laughs, the Dean adores him. On que the dean walks by Eric, why are you in my college hallway? Eric hands the deana flyer, which triggers a rant about everyone having flyers for everything. Now that kin Gos is around, Eric assures him he will like this one. It's for a good old fashioned fraternity party. Jack adds, and it was all his idea. I'm going to the library, Sir. The dean points out that his name is also on the flyer, and Eric nudges Jack because they're the founding members obviously. The dean asks what the name of the fraternity is, and Eric stutters, landing on the name Magnum Pie. After reading the back of another student's T shirt for the TV show, he tells the dean it originated at the University of Hawaii. The dean walks up to that same student, doesn't notice his T shirt and asks if he's heard of Magnum Pie. The kid shakes his head no, and then the dean tells him to get out of here. And I don't know, maybe that kid got a sagcard for this, he had a line somewhere, he got a credit.
Yeah, also, standing perfectly square with the back of the shirt the.
Blocking I got to get Alan Myerson on here, Got some notes, Got some notes. Alan Jack washes the encounter and tells Eric he's not right in the head. So then we're in Phoenie's classroom to Panga enters and Corey reveals that Phoene's on a warpath because Shawn's cutting class. Guys, here's another scene that I wanted to stab myself in the eyeball about he wants to forge an excuse from Shawn's parents, but he needs help. How do you spell? Sean Topanga is concerned that he doesn't know how to spell his best friend's name, and Corey says their phone people, is it Shawn or Sea? N Phoene conveniently walks up just entire time to hear this stupid question and answers the question, Sahawn, and where is he? This? I am? I?
Yeah, what I done? But I mean that's what's for me. That's why this whole episode feels like I just don't know.
The last one felt like this for me too. There's been in a row now where I'm going? What the hell?
Like you?
Yeah? All right? Then we're back at Penbrook in the philosophy class. Shawn enters in spots Jennifer, who has saved him a seat up front. Sean nervously tells her to come sit in the back, but right then the teacher tells Sean to stop talking and take a seat next to Jennifer. The teacher reminds the class where they left off yesterday, Analyzing Jacques Bourredon's paradox, and Julius Carey is so cool. I know you don't love the way it all works in the scene, but he's just so cool. He asks what the answer to the paradox is, and Sean nervously hopes not me, not me. Luckily, Jennifer raises her hand to answer, we can only choose that which our reason tells us is the greater good. The professor follows up with refute this argument using dialectic reasoning, and then he leans down to Sean, you his nightmares come to life. Sean nervously answers, I think the dog would choose the food on the right. The professor asks why not the left. Sean has no clue what he's talking about, but says it could also be the left. I mean, anyone would choose something before they starve to death. The professor is impressed. He says, Sean just skipped ahead to an advanced theory that states the will to live is the predominant human trait.
Yeah, I just I started googling all this stuff because I was like, what is you know, and it's like it's not even like the real the real U paradox thing is actually like a donkey. It's like why we made it a.
Dog, right because I wanted it to be like, well, I think it.
Was supposed to be an ass it like literally was it's the great but it's like but it's also it's not really philosophy. It's more I mean it is, it's I don't know. I was just like, what is this? Like I like philosophy and none of this, like dialectic reasoning is just a cool sounding word, right, but like I don't and then like jumps to shop and how I don't know. I was just like, can we couldn't we have done a better version of this, like where Sean does find a subject that he actually is good and said like, right now, so far the joke is philosophy is easy to fake your way in, like Sean just stumbles into. So that's the story point at this and which I was like, oh, maybe that's good where it's going to stay and Sean's just gonna it's just gonna be a joke about trying to date a girl and getting away with being you know, well.
It's especially interesting considering how Will has pointed out to us that Michael didn't go to college himself, and it seems weird that this episode really seems to highlight. You can't skip steps, kid, you gotta take every single day shortcuts. There's no shortcuts into college, there's no which just is a bunch of book. You. You could easily not finish high school and go to a trade school and do just fine. You could not finish high school and take a take classes at a junior college or a college and be just fine. But like it goes against the something in our show that really was trying to nail down. You gotta take your you gotta go to high school every day, and you got to graduate from high school. You have to take those SATs, and you have to go to college. And if you skip any of those steps, you're doomed. Yeah, what even are you?
Well?
Yeah, I have an even weirder point that was bothering me, which is like this whole concept that Sean can be passionate and intelligent about philosophy but not able to write, like as if the problem is just grammar, Like it's it's just commas and periods, and it's like that's such a weird version of writing, Like this is such a backwards way of thinking about writing, Like as if writing is literally just sentenced construction and that once you get that, it's like no or as.
It's also formatic, like every weird way of truncating what Foene has done for all these seasons. You mean to tell me now that all Phoene's therefore is teaching you Periodscially, he didn't questioning.
For yourself exactly, Like that's the whole point, and like, shouldn't it be just like Sean, you're fine because obviously you cared about this subject, you did research, and I say at one point, like I actually know this stuff, and like why a college teacher would ever be like, I don't know. He says, like you just didn't get the basics. I'm like, what what are you talking about? Like what are the basics?
Yeah? No, the whole thing was very strange.
It's also I love then whose Phoenie's like, well, we've got seven months left.
I'll teach you everything you need to know before college, Like what I know, for four years you've slacked off, but in these seven months, that's all it's going to take. We'll get you there. The professor then asks Shawn's name and applauds his non linear thinking. Good. The professor says, he likes the way Sean's mind works. Want to take a shot at free will? Sean Win says, do I really have a choice? The professor's mind is blown? Ooh, I got to take five. And then we're back at John Adam's High. Corey is now at the lockers and a background actor taps him on his elbow like their friends.
Yeah. I was like, what is happening?
I want to know everything about that guy?
Yeah?
Who is that guy? That was the conversation? How do they know each other? Since was he also? Who had him to do that? Seriously? Maybe it was a friend of Ben's, maybe who was there for the day. Corey then spots Sean, who's sitting in the hallway with a few text books sprawled out in front of him. Corey asks if he's finally working on his paper for Peenie, and Sean says no, he's actually writing a biography on Schopenhauer. Corey jokes, the comic or the singer. Sean, so it's a biography? Yes? Yeah, I don't understand.
It because you're in philosophy class, so you have to usephy philosopher?
Yes, college, you write it all in one sentence and when you say you actually know this stuff. You mean you know the facts about this person. Yes, Sean tells him the philosopher, I wouldn't expect you to know that. It's not stuff they cover in high school. Corey realizes he's still pretending to be in college so he can impress Jennifer, but Sean says it's not about her anymore. He likes philosophy and he's good at it. Corey reminds him they've always said that they'll end up at the same same college, but if Sean doesn't finish high school, that can't happen. Sean says he's already in college. He doesn't need high school. The bell rings and Corey snatches up Sean's books. They have Phoene's class now.
Sean tasks, like the tone was so weird. I was like Corey's being a dick, dude, like just.
Stop, like does any walks into last time? And I'm not going to cover for you anymore? And I was like, who asked you to cover for it?
I know? And then theoen comes back so harsh, this whole tone of this whole sequence. I was like, what is happening here? Like and like maybe maybe it's on me, like maybe Sean should have been more like flipping and playful or like, because but actually, like everything that Sean's saying is pretty awesome. I'm like, yeah, dude, go to college, like go, like why are you still here? Like get your GED go on, like stop, like.
Cool, Wait, do you even need your GED in order to apply to a junior college?
Can't you just yeah? You just think you can just yeah, you have to have either a high school equivalency or ged G ED is when you're over eighteen. If you're under eighteen, you can just take your high school equivalency anytime you're over sixteen, and you can go to junior college. Or you can actually take classes for credit while you're in high school. That's what a lot of people do. I just take classes.
I was taking sociology and archaeology, all these things that I loved.
I took philosophy, yeah, which maybe this is where they stole it. I mean they might have, because that's that summer of ninety five. I took intro to Philosophy in my summer junior college, and I loved it.
They kept trying to hook you in with bringing parts of your real life into the show. They're like, we're going to make him love being well.
You know, actually, god, I didn't even realize this, but yeah, I mean, because what happened is David Combs took my essay, my final essay on Machiavelli, and distributed it to all the writers. When I came back from that fall in ninety one sentence, all of you, I got an A man. I got an A plus. Like I remember the teacher was like this, you know, because I was the youngest kid in the class and he gave me an a plus. And like, you know, I spent a lot of time on it. I did all the research and it was, Yeah, it was like my first real thing. And so that's funny that I never even thought about that they totally took it, except you know, the opposite lesson was learned, which is college is awesome and I should just try to get there as soon as possible, which I did.
Like yeah, Phoenie also not used philosophy at the end.
To bring you back to the Sean takes his stuff back from Corey. He's not going because he needs to write this philosophy paper. Corey says he won't compromise his name and cover for him again, and he struts right into the classroom. Phoene notices the absence and immediately asks where Sean is. Corey stutters Alaska. Phoene has announced that that will cost Corey a five hundred word essay. Corey tries defending his actions. He's just trying to protect his friend. Phoene sternly responds, make that one thousand words on what helping out a friend really means. Tapega then jumps in, aren't you being a little harsh? Corey waters your plants while you're out of town? Phoene's getting angrier now it's a two thousand word essay. Topenga responds, that's not fair. He didn't even say anything, mister Feoenie doubles down. Ms Laurence, you just bought the entire class the same assignment and going.
To what is happening?
Like?
Are we supposed to think that Phoene is Literally it's not anybody's responsibility to find Sean. Do walk outside find him or make an announcement or just mark facing him exactly? It's I love that. And when everybody just points out to the hallway, it's like everybody else knows why wouldn't somebody else be like like he's.
And I want it by tomorrow. The classmate's grown, and Phoenie asks, perhaps someone can tell me where mister Hunter is. The students all simultaneously point to the hallway, even though Foeni is the only one facing that direction and should have been able to see him. Corey tries to repair the situation by offering the class lunch on him and Topanga. Now we're in the school hallway. Phoene tells Sean that class has started. Sean thanks him for the invite, but he needs to finish a paper. Mister Feenie responds, I'm not asking you. This is high school. I'm the teacher and you're the student. Corey is now watching on from the doorway as Sean stands up. That certainly is one point of view, but I believe there's still room for discussion. Phoenie asks if he's refusing to come to class, and the new college philosophy major Shan explains, I'm not refusing. I'm exercising my free will. We see Phoenie is now at the end of his rope. Then I will use mine. You are hereby suspended end of discussion a looming Corey is shocked, and then we go to a tense commercial break, and when we come back, we're still in the school hallway. Mister Feoene tells Sean that suspended students are not allowed in his school. I have a room full of students who I want to learn, So good day, mister hunter. Sean grabs his things and storms away from Feoenie and right past Corey. Corey approaches Phoene. How could you do this to him? This is his senior year. How can you suspend him? Feoene points out that Sean suspended himself. It was his choice to join the others that didn't live up to their potential. Corey argues, but it's Sean. Phoene nods and disappointment fills his voice. Yes, I know, what does that mean?
What does that last exchange for me?
It's I think just I'm extra sad because it's Sean. I love him so much, and yet he is insisting on being a failure. That's all, honest, that's it. I bet you the step by step this night was really good.
Yeah, Sabrina, that talking about that hat and Cat probably brought a good show.
Cat probably took his SATs and got a perfect score. I wonder what was doing.
Family Matters was gone by then, right, was it?
No? I think Family Matters was still there at this point. Wasn't it pretty sure? I don't know, teen Angel, teen Agel was around. Yeah.
Yeah.
Then we're back in the guy's apartment. Back in the hallway, Eric is hammering his magnum pie Greek letters onto their apartment door, and then we see a large pair of high heels enter the shot. It's Jack, now wearing a bright red dress. The audience loves this, and Jack tells Eric, I don't want to talk about it.
Okay.
Eric responds, well, I do you took that out of my closet. Jack admits he's pledging Omega. The dean thinks he's in a fraternity, so he'll be in a real fraternity.
Okay. So this is why I was like, why is he pledging another fraternity when they already are dealing with their own fake fraternity.
He didn't want to be part of the own fake fraternity because it's going to get him in trouble with it.
But then he hates being in a dress and has to do this. I'm like, right, well, the real reason is they want rules for him in the other fraternity.
Like, what is the real reason is they wanted Matt Lawrence in address?
Exactly?
The script reason is he has already lied to the dean about being in a fraternity. And so the faulty premise is, so if I said it, I'm gonna in order to make it true, I'm gonna pledge a real fraternity so that I hopefully don't get kicked out of school. Yeah, that's it, that's what they're going for.
When the then he immediately caves and plays along with making it.
Doesn't immediately caves, He says, I don't know. And then when he kicks him out of school, Oh my god, I know. So it's never explained how or why he knows the Love Boat guys is his dad friends. Oh no, let's not even get into that.
I mean then it's just like, what else can make this just even more bat crazy?
Hey it's the guys from from the Love Boat.
I know.
Okay, So Eric blurts out, I love him and he loves me. Jack says the Dean doesn't love him. But then the elevator dings, and of course it's the dean himself. If he doesn't love me, how come he's coming to see me right now? Then the Dean acknowledged, sorry, can we can we?
Did you notice that there was they cut something out oh and so out of no. I don't know what it was, but it was the weirdest, most abrupt cut in the middle where all of a sudden Eric just says he loves me out of it was.
Oh, I don't think they cut anything. I think it's yet another thing about this episode that makes really no sense at all. It seems like they cut something because it was so abrupt. It's out of left field. He loves me and I love him. You're right, maybe maybe maybe Matt did say something like that guy hates you and you responded with something because it does come out of nowhere, but it.
Was it was for me.
Didn't even question it.
I mean, and that first thing with the Dean too, like, if this is where it's going to go, wouldn't you establish the Dean really knows their names, knows these two guys, like, but the way he treats you in the first first scene was almost like you never met and he was just annoyed by you.
Actually, he says, what are you doing in my college? At college?
I want to hear like I want to hear like, O you two again? You know, just some sort of like Eric and Jack. And then even in this scene when he does a Shirley joke or whatever or Sherry whatever and then Shelley and then calls him Jack at the end, I was like, oh he does know their names.
Oh yeah, yeah, So the dean acknowledges Eric and greets Jack. Hi, Shelly, I happen to have a niece who attends the University of Hawaii and Owahu and she has no knowledge of this Magnum Pie Eric thinks quick they have no O Wahu chapter. However, they are very big on the island of Humana Jumana Humana Who. The dean asks how the fraternity's funded, and Eric answers by alumni. The dean asks Jack for names, but Jack says he doesn't know, so the dean quickly kicks him out of school, but Jack now joins in famous celebrity alumni. The dean would love to know who. Jack. Here's the word love and thinks love vote like it's a Magnum Pie shirt. Then I mean, like it's a Magnum PII shirt then comes up with the love boats Ted Lange and Bernie Coppel.
Because that's who you're gonna pick for celebrity endorsers of the thing.
When you're in college in the mid nineties, you instantly go to the two guys.
How do you think this came about?
They threw there.
They threw the word like, who what celebrities can we get? They threw offers out to a bunch of people. Ted Lange and pretty Copel went will do it, and so they wrote.
It in there.
That's what I'm thinking, Yeah, because like the Magnum p I thing would have been funny to have somebody from Magnum p I, right, like Tom Selleck show up or I don't like some connection.
To some connection to this.
But these are two two word based jokes that just don't. I don't. There's this very famous episode of Amazing Stories I talk about, you know, teaching, teaching writing like to not rely on dialogue too much. You know, like when you rely on dialogue to actually advance plot, it's like it's actually bad, like really bad. Like you never want the content of dialogue to be the thing that propels the story forward, Like you can have a good dialogue you have, but it's there. It's about changing within the scene, not changing the story. And like there's an amazing Stories episode I actually have never seen it, but where it's an evil wig and evil to pay that is possessing people to become murderers, and like there's the way the detective solves it at the near the end is like, when we catch this killer, there's going to be hell to pay, to.
Pay to pay. That's oh yes, it's solve the case.
There it is, there's like magnum and love love love. That makes me think of.
Love boat, the love boat, Yeah, perfectly. The Dean responds, well, forward to meeting them at your fraternity party. And as soon as you started talking, I knew it was you Jack now alone. Eric tells, Jack, come inside, you hussy.
That was I think. I added that, Really you can tell that. I just threw that in at the end.
I didn't think television. I was like, was that is that? Okay?
I think I hear that in myself. And I did notice your look after you when you looked back at him, was a little like was that funny? Then we're at the Penbrook Philosophy class. Sean has a few students crowded around him. Not everybody is going to get Nietzsche right away. The key is to read it in its original German. Jennifer begs him, tutor me. Then the professor walks in, okay, so.
Now I'm faking it again and I'm lying to.
Just get I don't think you are. I did not read it that way. I took it as you write in German.
I did read it in German.
Yeah, and you you actually are into it, you enjoy it. I don't. I did not read it as this is Sean pulling a fast one on these students. It's just that you're totally read it.
No, I totally I did, because she's me yes, and I'm like, it's like back to sort of conning about, you know, and yeah, being a con man and like just to get the girls because I'm being surrounded. I'm you know, I'm bragging. It's like I'm not like just going off because I'm passionate about it. I'm like showing off, you know. And so I was like, oh, so we're back to Sean not caring about this and it's just about getting the girls. And then of course that isn't the Casey, I'm upset at the end of the scene because my grade.
So it's like, yeah, weird. I don't know. I really just took it as like Sean's into it. He's we've already established that he's a language guy, and.
And feel like if that had been the case, it would have been that I ignore the girl now, like you know what I mean. If that were the story point, then it would be me like talking about something I'm really in, sitting on her being like tutor me and being like sure, like I just don't care that she's slurring with me. But instead it seems so presentational. It seems like we're back to the old joke.
Well. The professor walks in, with Corey following close behind. They'll be exploring structuralism today. Corey immediately sits down behind Sean. He wants Sean to go back to school and talk to Feeney. The professor notices Corey talking and shouts you. Corey nervously says, oh my god, I've been hit. The teacher asks Corey about life, mortality, and existence, to which he responds, oh, I'm just visiting. The professor asks if he's referring to the theory that we're all just visiting, and Corey pretends like that's exactly what he meant, but instead of praise, the professor yells in his face, that's bull. This is what happens in philosophy class. You throw out a few cliches, and I'm supposed to be impressed. Corey says he wishes he wasn't there. The professor shouts, now, that's a good starting point. Then he apologizes. He gets a little frustrated. Sometimes I look at you and wonder how many of you should still be in high school. I'm not sure what's going on, guys.
Why I don't get it.
I know that I don't share it. Not sure why he's so freshied yet I don't know. I don't get it. Corey uses this ironic opportunity to ask his best friend if he's coming back or not. Sean says he belongs here, he's just as the professor hands back his graded paper, the teacher was very surprised by Shaan's work. He was expecting a scholarly accomplishment, but he got an f Sean can't believe this. It must be a mistake, because he really knows this stuff. He's going to go talk to the professor, even though it's right in the middle of class.
M I'm the professors stopped talking about and I have to grabb all my books to go talk to the pits.
Sean says he worked hard on his paper, but the professor reveals that besides a few promising ideas, the paper was poorly written, disorganized, and sloppily researched. Sean responds, but you said I have a good mind, and the professor assures him you do. But you're in college. You're supposed to know the basics. I don't have time to teach them to you. Sean has hit a crisis. I don't belong in high school. I don't belong in college. Corey urges him talk to Feenie, but Sean just walks away and to your blocking point writer, you could have left your books on the desk, and after he tells you this, on your walk back out, you grab your books then, like I'm leaving. Corey urges him to talk to Feenie, but Sean just walks away. Now alone. The professor grabs Corey's shoulder and demands you Schopenhauer. Corey answers, me, leaving and he bolts out the door.
Why Schopenhaower, Like, weren't we talking about structuralism today? Chopenhower is what I was doing my paper on. I think it's just sloppy like this, just just take the time to like care about this stuff.
So this could have been the week that Erkele sent the Erkele bot oh to the job interview.
Oh man, he didn't think he could do it himself. That Yeah, that was a great episode. I liked that one. We're in the guy's apartment. The fraternity party is on, and Jack is participating. He tells Eric as long as he wore that dress, he couldn't shake the dean, which means the dean is into Shelley. Yeah. Eric announces it's game time and for all the girls to head to the closet. Wait, what I know seven minutes in heaven. Why does anyone need to go to a closet You're in college in your own apartment.
Also, all the things that Sue said, She's like, what kind of closet space does this college?
Does your apartment have where you can fit thirty two people? I know? And excited, Jack and Eric follow the girls upstairs, but the dean bursts through the door and tells everyone to freeze. Do they think he's a clown? It's been fun toying with you, but now I'm bored.
He does the dean there, I don't wait. He's trying to shut down a fraternity because it doesn't exist, because then he can kick Eric and Jack out. He wants to kick that's the motive.
Yeah, even though he doesn't know who they are.
It's just established in the first scene that there's some benefiting him to getting them out of his schools.
Like episode before he showed up at their house and he tried to stick a Doberman on them. He could easily see them and go, I can't believe you the guts to be seen in my college. I'm going to kick you out if.
You can. You're a dean. He could literally just kick him out. There's no problem. Just kick him out of the school. There is no conflict. He's literally has the power to say, I am kicking you out of the school, and instead we have to do all of this just give him a reason to need them. It's so weird.
Was an arcle boss the whole time?
Oh my god?
Okay, we very quick story.
So as we were blocking this scene.
This was the only time I'd ever seen an actor.
Lose it on our show on Real, and Paul absolutely lost it on Alan Myerson, our director. So Alan was kind of putting us into place where he wanted us, and he was kind of placing us where he wanted us to be in the scene for blocking times he would grab your arm and say stand here. He never really did it with me. He and I always got along famously. We we I really enjoyed working with him, but I could see how certain actors would.
Have trouble with that.
It's like somebody giving you a line reading and so out of nowhere, Paul throws his script down and says, I'm not a puppet man and just starts yelling at Alan for I mean a good ninety seconds. Alan just sits there completely quietly, and then right Alan.
Was always the most unruffled, like I can see him just not even making any reaction.
He had no reaction whatsoever, like literally nothing, and then he went, Okay, now it's my turn to talk, and came back with something and the two of them, I mean, but it was the only it was. It's just something you didn't ever see on her set is somebody yelling it just it didn't happen, you.
Know, I've seen it on other sets, like actually, I've seen it quite a few times. Like actors, it's always it's always an actor getting frustrated and and and sort of lashing out. But was very fortunate we never had that.
Many didn't have that. And I believe this was his last episode. Then. I don't think we ever saw Paul again.
I think this was this was it, yeah, because and I think that had to be one of the reasons. I mean again, only time we ever saw it, and Matt and I are kind of sitting there very awkwardly.
As don't remember.
No, I honestly don't remember, unfortunately, what the resolution was, but I do remember having a real sense of a not only is this completely out of character for our show, but b it was also I was kind of in the mindset of how dare you. You're a guest star, you come on and your you know, the directors, our captain, you're coming on and you're yelling at the captain of our ship. And so I had that moment of like, dude, that's not your place. But again, you're also he's an adult actor. And he, you know, I think was a stage actor. He very accomplished, very good at what he did, and I think he got frustrated and lost it.
You know, I mean I can as a director now who has to work with who gets to work with very talented actors of all ages. There is a fine line you have to walk as a director on a limited time schedule when you have if you are the type of director who comes in prepared, you have an idea of how to get this done efficiently. And yet the actors, if they're doing their prep and they want to be involved, they want to have some say in work the character is doing. And so there is a fine line between telling an actor what to do because you know it will work efficiently for the day and for camera and the scene, and also letting them find it.
Yeah no, I guess yeah, it makes sense to quote a story.
You could certainly urge to con order the ducks.
As what you have to do, you have to basically make an actor think it's their idea to do exactly what you need them to do. But that is it's a delicate thing, and that's what the best directors are great at making actors feel like they're contributing, allowing them the experimentation, but ultimately saying like we do kind of have to get it. You know, you have to stand over here or make it here by this line, or because we can't rewrite it, we don't have time whatever. But yeah, and.
If you want to bring go get right back to the set. Though.
There's an episode of news Radio that Alan Myerson directs that ends with a blooper reel of a scene that they just couldn't get done with a maid clean like a custodian. She's cleaning stuff up and she just can't get it right. And you see Alan Myerson walk onto the set and physically put her in place, show her what to the drab the trash can dump it out, like, walk her through exactly.
What she's and it just brought me right back to the show.
It's like, whoa wow, oh yeah, there's Alan doing exactly what it did.
And on the other hand, weeks in this scene Paul has to walk in and drink and then walk back. It makes no sense.
It is it's just the party, like the girls in the back all the way up. It's just shangy and weird. It's just nothing feels fluid. It all feels forced, and yeah, it's well.
The dean now knows there's no Madnum Pie. But the thing he's the most upset about the boys promised he'd get to mingle with Ted Lange and Bernie Capel. Eric asks Jack to take his hand and pray, but Jack isn't worried. He pulls out a whistle and does a special call.
And forever to get that took me because he didn't know that, Yeah, which is which is calling somebody to the deck? He just and he's like, I can't get the damn whistle. I'm like, yeah, well we'll figure it out.
And then Ted and Bernie walk into the apartment. The audience cheers loudly, and Ted offers can I fix anybody a drink and gives his signature two finger salute. Bernie asks him why do you always have to do the finger thing? Ted and Bernie begin to have a whole conversation about love boat while the guys sit on the couch and are right were probably very excited about it. Eric asks Jack if he called them, of course I did. I want to live, I want to stay in school, no reason why, he knows them no explanation given. The Dean introduces himself to Ted and Bernie. He's a big fan. Bernie responds, as the two most prominent celebrity alumni of Magnum Pie, we would like to say we couldn't be prouder of our Penbrook chapter and the dean who supports it. The Dean admits that Eric and Jack proved something to him Today the guys may have just gotten away with it, but then the Dean crushes their dreams. I was drunk when I hired the dean of admissions. You poodles actually believe that I'd be impressed by a couple of guys from Love Boat. The dean apologizes to the TV alumni, no offense. Ted laughs, they don't care. They get paid either way. The Dean says, first thing tomorrow morning, Magnum Pie will be closed. But now he's taking Bernie and Ted home to meet his mom. Bernie says they usually only do one appearance a night. The Nan adds she's a big Get Smart fan. So Bernie responds in a German accent, I suppose it wouldn't kill us to stop by Ted reminds him he's not really the Get Smart care dar, but Bernie doesn't care, and they all leave, but not quick enough because this joke stinks and even the audience wasn't into it, and they wound it freaking everything tonight and like.
What, so the dean does just destroy the fraternity, still.
Still not working, nothing makes sense. Eric tells Jack tomorrow they're closed, but tonight they're open. Jack smiles and tells the ladies to head back to the closet. The Dean say, tomorrow this is closed. Why not? What do you guys think? I'm an idiot, Get the hell out of it.
Came all the way over here to shut them down to college. Just don't gosh, I don't understand.
And then we're back in Phoenie's backyard. The Matthews family is returning from a family frozen Yogurt night at Glaciers.
Is that a real place?
No?
I don't think so. Oh okay, you said it like it was a real place. I just love all the new food throwing out, all these new restaurants.
Whatever, the frozen yogurt place where the chubby fortune teller, No, the fortune teller.
Right, that throws a yogurt place? I don't know. Yeah, that was.
Madam something, Madam.
Something, Yes, and then a cult it was like whatever, and a cult readings or something like that.
Right. Yeah. They also ignored Chubby's famous ice cream but whatever. Phoene is sitting alone, staring into space or perhaps looking at a driveway, who knows. When Amy stops to say hi and offer him some yogurt. Phoene declines and Corey whispers something into his mom's ear. Amy responds loudly, why can't I offer him a yogurt? Corey asks if she understands the concept of a whisper. Phoene offers, I think.
Weird way, Yes, what is this? It's like obviously he doesn't say anything, and I was like, yeah, but we can hear whispers on the show.
I just.
Cur idea what was going on? I was like, why.
Why does it need to be whispered? Why doesn't he just say no? No, I'm sorry, you must not have heard. Phoene like, why doesn't he just say something out loud.
Comfortable? I was like, what is what is? I don't I know, I don't know.
Phoene offers, I think this might have something to do with my suspending Sean Hunter. Alan is shocked. You suspended Sean. Corey adds Sean's senior year his most important year, and Phoene suspends him. Phoene defends his actions, Sean was practically asking to be suspended every year. I watch bright kids like Sean fall through the cracks. How do you think it feels? Alan knows this isn't Phoene's fault, but Corey thinks Sean deserves another chance on cue and also obvious. If you saw did you see you moving in the back rider?
Yep?
Yes, see him. You're learning. I know, I see, I see the movement of somebody coming and uh yeah, and so next thing you know, Uh. Sean walks out and says he's given me plenty of chances. He tells Feoenie, I didn't treat you with the respect that you deserve. Alan suggests the family leave them alone. Also, their yogurt is probably melting. Mister Phoene asks Sean if he's coming back to school, and Corey jumps in, yes, yes he is, but Sean doesn't think he should be wasting any more of Phoene's time. Feoene answers, You've never wasted any of my time. Corey reveals that Sean's been taking college courses. Feene is surprised, and Sean explains, I guess it's like Burredon's paradox. There were two bowls placed in front of me. One was high school and one was college. I chose college. Corey encourages Sean to show mister Feenie his paper. Sean says, what.
Does it have to do with the paradox? Is the whole paradox is that you starve to death because that the donkey the ass would starve to death because I can't choose between.
The two, right, But you chose I.
Chose college. That actually doesn't make sense. It could have easily been like and I got stuck and I couldn't do either, which actually would make sense with the paradox. But instead it's like I chose college. What, Oh my god.
Yeah, very frustrated. It doesn't make them.
No, it's just like reference to that thing we said earlier. Let's wrap up this reference with a bow. But it's actually like, well, just do it right, just have it. Like we've had references on our show that make perfect sense. You can come up with the philosophy reference and a situation that would work well and they just didn't do it.
Yeah, yeah, so Sean says, it's just another f to add to the scrap book. Phoene begins to read the paper. I can see you have some grammar problems here. The structure is way off. This entire paper is in one sentence. But it's good, clearly college level. Sean perks up. How can best I know?
I know, it's like, okay, so what is the what is college level about it? If it's this the strength of the ideas, even though it's a biography, I just found like, I just realized what the research because then we also were told by that the research was sloppy, right, just so what is good? I thought? Maybe honestly, when I was watching, I thought that the point was that Sean was like critically thinking and like being philosophical. But if it's a biography, that wouldn't matter. And then if it's just and also why in philosophy class are they doing the biographies of the philosophers as opposed to discuss I.
Know, but Sean perks up for the first time he actually saw himself in college. Corey smiles, I always saw you there, Feenie agrees, so did I. But Sean, you must come back to class. You have to learn the basics, and I'm going to keep teaching it. That is my philosophy. Phoenie even offers to throw in a little Schopenhauer. He probably doesn't know as much as Sean, but he's willing to learn. We freeze on Sean's face as he accepts Phoene's gesture and decides to learn how to use separate sentences. Here's that moment, writer, where you're right, It's supposed to be this great touching Phoenie moment and it just just so unearned.
I was like, I don't I want this to be this. I want Sean to come back and recognize the importance of feeding in his life. Like all of that is a great value. It's just we didn't earn it. Like it's that the episode is just so lazy up until now.
Really is and it is such a shame because the actual premise forget the fraternity starting your fraternity stuff, which is stupid, but.
The Sean pretending to be in college overgrowing and getting into college and yes, and there are different ways. It's such a great idea.
And also be supportive.
Yes, I mean the way finding I mean, there's so many ways that this could have been really good for Sean.
I actually would make the most sense is if Shawn ends up in a poetry class, right, and and the idea that he gets really excited about is like anything can be poetry, which is true, right, Like there's experimental poetry, and so like Sean starts, you know, he starts off jokingly making bad poems, but they work because the poet poet true teachers really into it. And then that would make sense with Sean later becoming a poet or like, you know, it also just makes I don't know, like the fact that they chose philosophy and then didn't develop it enough to make it sing like.
It's here's the little time machine idea. What if Feenie took his favorite students to go to Penbrook to see the options of what's available there, and Sean gets sucked in cult like and abandons high school, and then you also get Feoenie and Dean Borak in the same place that can tie in to Eric and Pheenie, and you see that you actually get Feoenie and the see Dean, this is my mentor, and you get that element distinction and Phoenie then feels responsible that he was a part of losing Sean, and now he has to convince Sean Listen, I'm so excited that you're passionate about this, but you have to I have still stuff I have to teach you first, and.
He says I have things I love. And then someone says love love bo let's bring on the loop and then we.
Work them that doing this, doing the double finger guns, and I think we're good.
Perfect, Well, then we're in the tag. We're in the Matthews kitchen, Ted and Bernie are sitting at the dining table surrounded by the entire family. Almost we're just acting. Yelling is all we're doing as a cast. At this point, we are.
Just established story and clearly established that the Matthews are a boring storytellers and be really love boat fans who just obsessively want to be around famous people who have to work. What is the joke?
What is the joke? The joke is supposed to be.
The joke is supposed to be they won't let them leave because they want to hear one more story. And we think it's that they're telling love board love boat stories, but it's actually the Matthews telling them stories about Corey because.
You need to humor women by listening to them.
I don't care it, Like, I just don't like that is so not established anything about the Matthews.
They're just not We don't have to establish that. Everyone knows women who talk are annoying and you have to hear them.
I just don't know what's happening, Like, no, I'm.
Just the yell like, oh, this is a good story. This is the bit I'm just.
Watching, going what what is happening? What is the actual is going on this entire week? I don't it was so odd.
Yes, Eric asks the guys, don't you just love my family? The men are obviously ready to leave. Oh, we had a wonderful evening. You're delightful people, but we really should be heading back to the airport. Alan responds, nonsense, Come on, one more story. Corey ads, it's not every day we get to meet a couple of celebrities from the TV. Huh. Ted forces a smile and agrees to stay for one more story. How did he How did they end up at the Matthews house when the last thing we saw was he was.
Taking him to go meet the Dean's mom and Eric didn't get or pay for them.
He didn't know they were coming.
So it was Jack who actually got them and paid for them.
Right, And doesn't Alan say my on, Paige, you yes, Okay, It's like they didn't they It's not even continuity from episode to episode. It seems to the scene as they were like not even trying.
But this is like, I mean, it's just what I mean, this is what precisely elevated Boy Meets Worlds from most sitcoms, is that we didn't go for jokes, Like we didn't just like throw things out the window to be like, we didn't create arkle bots or whatever for like. It was always trying to be a real slightly more realistic show, or at least connected with the through line of like consistent character, and this episode just throws all of that out the window. It's so frustrating. It's like, what do we.
Comedy didn't come from bits we weren't doing right exactly. The comedy came from the relationships Kenny, came from solid writing and storytelling.
And just this is just ridiculous.
Yeah, I don't disagree. These last couple episodes have been really disappointing.
The two men sit back down and Amy begins When here was seven, he fell off his bicycle. The family's excited for the tooth fairy story. Ted and Bernie, however, are not pleased. They've already heard this one six hours ago. For the love of God, let us go. Alan reminds them that his son paid them, so they need to sit and listen to his wife's stories. He even locks the back door so they can't escape, creating a bit of a misery situation. Ted looks at Bernie, I'm scared. Bernie is terrified love boat stalkers. They nervously sit down, and Morgan asks, how'd you like to live here? Amy continues on with her stories.
Is the Matthews are always so crazy? I just don't get the what I know?
Ammy continues on with her story, and the whole family joins in, talking over one another, trying to tell the same story to their poor hostages, who they will eventually kill at nightfall. Thank you all for joining us for this episode of pod Meets World. I am I'll be honest, guys, I'm nervous now, me too that it's going to be hard for us to do this podcast because we are going to feel I'm worried that we're going to feel so negatively about the episodes that it's going to one become intolerable to listen to. Yeah, and it's going to become intolerable for us to do. And I'm that's it's just a blunt honesty.
I'm terrified because also what I'm starting to see is like, because when we started this podcast, there was this huge sort of movement for me to be like, oh my god, boy, these world is good, so good. And I think what I'm realizing is that I carry it into my twenties the memories of seasons five.
Possibly right, Yeah, My problem is kind of the opposite of that, where in my memories, like I have a lot of people that conventions and our live shows and stuff like that that say to me like, wow, I really didn't like the change that Eric made in the later episodes.
He was so much more grounded so much.
And I was always like, no, he's so fun and wacky in five, six, and seven, those are my favorite years. And now that I'm rewatching it again, I'm already not liking.
Where it's going. And I know it's only going to get worse, But I am optimistic.
I did not you know, it pops up on your Disney plus what's coming up next? And I saw, I know you're gonna announce it, Danielle, But I saw which is a Pembroke Yes, And I remember this being a good episode, Okay, I am. I remember us having a ton of fun. This is the one that Candace Cameron and Melissa and so good.
But I remember having fun and funny. I remember having fun. But I also remember very consciously thinking like, what has happened to our show? And it was with like you know, because then we do the the World War two episode, like this season is bonkers, and like I think this is when I was in college in my personal life, and I think I just checked out. I just think we're just going to have to reach this point where we're not because, like you're saying, Danielle, I don't want to be insufferable to our listeners. I don't want to sit here. So I think at a certain point we can stop being shocked or stop commenting on it and just acknowledge like it's not for us, it's not my you know, it's not a show that writer likes anymore. That might just happen and then we'll just be here to talk about our memories. And you know, I don't know.
We certainly don't want to ruin it for anybody else.
No, that's the thing. It's like, it's going to be borring, like what unless we can remember specific things like choices that were made that ended up being that way. But I can't remember why, other than you know, our director changing, which is a big change. I don't remember what was so different about season five. Maybe we were just more comfortable.
Jeff Sherman left, Jeff, That's.
What I mean.
Our director chage, Oh, Jeff Shervan and Jeff Sherman left the writing. Is this the season when Mark Bluman and how We're Best Gang leaves halfway through the season.
Here's the other thing, though, I would like to say, because I dealt with this beginning of Magical rewind, which is watching a whole bunch of D coms as a forty seven year old man is certainly different than watching D comms as a fourteen year old right. So one of the things I think we also have to be cognizant of is we can't We're always trying to elevate Boy Meets World to it transcended age, which it did.
In the first couple seasons.
But we also do have to remember that this was a TGI have show on Friday night.
There were mostly teenagers watching it.
Teen agers watching it that they're you know, and so to a twelve thirteen year old young person, some of the stuff, the gags in the that we are not finding funny now might have been hysterical on a Friday night.
I think we need to keep that in mind, too. True, But some of my favorite elements of doing this podcast with you too have been us talking about and appreciating the genius of the production. It's not even the of course we praise the actors too, but it's actually about wow, this writing, the construct, the structure, the way this is carried out, the ribbons, the through lines, the depth, the balance, all of those things that have been so stand out and are the thing when I say what's the secret sauce, it's all those things I just mentioned. It's all of those the care, the consideration, the all those things that went into it. It's gonna be hard to do. And if if there are no answers to those, well, why does this happen. It's gonna change also a little bit the structure of how we do the podcast, because we just aren't gonna be able to have those conversations without sounding negative, because we're gonna go, well, that doesn't make any sense, and let's discuss that, Well, why wouldn't they? And like that's the part that's sounding negative, is that we're regularly bringing up why is this the case? And yet how do you not bring it up? I don't know, I'm just this is I'm not I didn't plan to talk about any of this, so it's just me kind of spouting off the top of my head. And we started the podcast being one hundred percent transparent with our dear listeners about out our fears and our concerns. And here we are this far into it, and we have been mostly thrilled and now I'm my just blunt honest truth is I'm scared. So thank you for joining us, and we'll see, we'll see what goes on. As always, you can follow us on Instagram pod meets World Show, you can send us your emails podmeets Worldshow at gmail dot com. And actually, to that point would be a perfect opportunity if any of these season five episodes that we've covered thus far have been your favorite, Please send us an email tell us why we're wrong, Explain to us what you love about it and how they make you feel. We would honestly love to hear your POV and would love to hear from people who love these episodes and we have March. We're still optimistic March Podmeets Worldshow dot com will send us out. We love you all, thanks for staying with us. Pod dismissed.
Podmets World is niheart podcast producer and 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, Tara Sudbaksch, producer, Maddy Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon and you can follow us on Instagram at Podmeats World Show or email us at Podmets Worldshow at gmail dot com