Girl Meets World Review: Lost and Found

We all have favorite childhood memories associated with that one childhood toy we couldn’t live without. All good things must come to an end, so at some point we all have had to let our toys go. It was a step towards saying goodbye to childhood altogether. Girl Meets World has had a consistent theme this season that the kids are growing up. This week a bear takes on a key role in that journey, but was this part of the journey completely necessary?

Maya and Cory’s mission for tacos is postponed due to the Case of the Missing Teddy Bear with No Face. The bear represents Riley’s childhood, even though it’s been hanging on by a thread for years. No one really has a valid excuse for not helping to look for the bear, so everyone is roped into helping look for the faceless stuffed animal. It’s really hard to turn down a sad Riley when she explains how early on she would hug the bear so that she wouldn’t miss her parents when they were at work. When nothing else works a guilt trip always does.

Little Maya and Little Riley make an appearance to explain true friendship bonds. You always stand by your friend even when the task at hand is ridiculous. The bear isn’t found, but alot of other things are. The first are the silver boxing gloves given to Cory by Mr. Matthews (senior). Can you believe Cory lost them again? He did try to hold onto them since they were an important part of his childhood. Topanga has her own lost childhood, the little hippy-dippy sunshine girl she used to be. She prefers to think of that little girl as simply a part of who she’s become now, much in the way that Farkle is still a genius, just a little less neurotic. Lucas has his own childhood treasure he won’t let go of, but helps Riley to understand that finding the bear isn’t that essential. What is essential to Maya? Maya just wants tacos.

Josh probably had the most important speech in the whole episode. As his transition into college life isn’t going so well, he gives the kids their wake-up call that high school is the last remaining period of their childhood. He’s sorely tempted to go backwards, which is how he ends up at his brother’s looking for a stuffed animal. College is hard! Any life transition is difficult, so you better enjoy each period while you can. This is what leads to the latest coupling. Throughout the episode Zay acts very strange around Maya. Knowing that Maya and Josh agreed to live their lives separately and wait for someday, Zay decides the ask her out. It comes completely out of nowhere, and yet makes some sense.

The point being made here is that the kids are growing up. The bear didn’t necessarily need to be permanently lost to make that point. The bear didn’t necessarily need to be involved in the first place. Josh’s role, and even the tacos, were more essential to making the point than anything else. We got the message, but all these fragmented stories didn’t quite make the point.

Is Girl Meets World missing the mark by trying too hard to hammer in the same point?