TGI – Episode 502 “Boy Meets Real World”

00:00:18
Speaker 1: When Indy was going through his very intense Titanic phase and you know, everything was Titanic and the moves or.

00:00:26
Speaker 2: Just the Titanic in general.

00:00:27
Speaker 1: Before that he did finally see the movie and like that was actually ship, yeah, but it was just the story and the ship and the tragedy. And so one day driving with me and Alex, he was like really upset and he was like, why do they say women and children first?

00:00:45
Speaker 2: Oh? Yes, men?

00:00:49
Speaker 1: How would you guys explain that to Indie? Well, that women are the weaker, more emotional, not as smart. That it was really hard, I did, you know. And he started crying. He was like, what what does this mean? Does this mean I have to I have to die if I'm grown up? And it was like, well, okay, and it was like, historically Indied men take responsibility and allow other people to be saved first, and.

00:01:23
Speaker 3: Why why do they have to a break?

00:01:26
Speaker 1: Why?

00:01:26
Speaker 2: It was really hard.

00:01:28
Speaker 3: I probably would have described it to him as a let's assume only is not going to make him feel any better, but let's assume only the people who get on the on the safety boat first do end up living. Babies might be especially back then, really were still relying on their mothers for their survival because they need breast milk. Also, children tend to, especially in the early years of their life, be more attached to their mother. And historically it was a mother's job to raise the children and so as far as perpetuating humanity and like keeping that going, mothers need to be able to go with their children and men are less important, yeah, which.

00:02:15
Speaker 2: Is what basically chivalry.

00:02:19
Speaker 1: Chivalry is, like, you know, a concept that is tricky to explain to a twenty twenty four kids. Sure, and you know, I think it was all sort of being filtered through boys versus girls at his school, you know, like you know, and there's all this support for girl power and women are equal, and so it was very confusing to him, like why are men less important than than women?

00:02:43
Speaker 2: You know?

00:02:43
Speaker 1: And the children thing I could just sort of what you're saying, Danielle, like a version of that, like, you know, you kids have their whole life ahead of them, like you know, and we if you're younger, your life is more valuable because you're going to have more time to you know, live a life and have more babies and do your own thing. And like, so we want the kids to be and I think, yeah, I don't. I don't know if I said the mother thing. That's a good point, like, but man, he was crying. It was so and it was just one of those classic like I have I don't have a good answer and nothing everything that I start to say, and you know, and Alex and are staring at each other, was like, there's just yeah, this has changed a lot. And I don't know how to how to put this in a way because I do I still kind of believe in the value, Like I still want to him to I want to say, like, you should probably let women and children get on the lifeboat first, Indy, if you're ever in this situation, you know, And I guess the easiest thing I could do. It is what I ended up doing, is like Indy, if the three of us are on a boat or you know, and it's going down, and I'm I'm putting you on that boat, man, because you are so more important to me than my own life, you know.

00:03:48
Speaker 3: And he was like, I wouldn't go I would get I'd go down with my daddy and with the ship.

00:03:54
Speaker 1: Yes, I'm like, well then we all die, and then the whole strong Barretto clan is gone, so you haven't helped.

00:04:00
Speaker 3: A good move inde, good move.

00:04:03
Speaker 1: Ll Are you planning on going on a luxury liner anytime soon? And I am going on a cruise.

00:04:12
Speaker 2: At the buffet. Remember it's women and children first. Everybody knows that.

00:04:15
Speaker 1: My in laws it's their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They love cruises, they want to go on a cruise. So I am sucking it up and facing a cruise for the first time since Sayal with the Stars in nineteen ninety.

00:04:26
Speaker 3: I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you.

00:04:29
Speaker 2: I think it's going to be fine. You know it's going to be fine.

00:04:32
Speaker 1: I actually had to have the conscious thought because I started to get a panic attack thinking about walking across the ship and having people recognize me. I was like, rider, nobody cares, Yeah, nobody. First of all, nobody's going to recognize me, and even if they do, they don't care. But it was such clear flashbacks too, being on that ship and having nowhere to go. Oh, it would just be clumps of teenagers screaming and then following me everywhere I went, And so I had to like run away to my little cabin room and cry this time, they don't give.

00:05:06
Speaker 3: They don't care that also, you know, I had when I was in New York a couple of weeks ago, I had the most experiences of people not even saying anything to me, but just from afar acknowledging. A couple of times I would walk past, like a restaurant that had no windows or completely open, and I was walking and somebody would be eating and they'd see me. Their eyes would get big and they'd look at me and they'd go or they did this like, ah, I see you, but didn't try to talk to me, didn't try to stop me.

00:05:38
Speaker 1: Just isn't that great?

00:05:40
Speaker 3: It was incredible, And I was like, man, getting older people like it's You're exactly right. People will probably let you know, hey man, I love that show, and then we'll go about their own life.

00:05:52
Speaker 2: I don't care.

00:05:52
Speaker 3: Yeah, they're not gonna make a deal. They're not even gonna want to have a talk with you. They're just gonna be like, that's cool. You're here with your family, me too, all right, see you at the bar.

00:06:00
Speaker 1: You know.

00:06:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.

00:06:02
Speaker 1: Getting back to what you were saying before, it should be the strongest to get on the.

00:06:05
Speaker 2: Boats and the weakest go down. That's just nature the way it is.

00:06:09
Speaker 1: If you can nudge yourself onto a boat, if you can have the entire thing to yourself so you can stretch out, that's what you want.

00:06:14
Speaker 3: Yeah, frankly, I think it's a little bit about also, like I was thinking, I know, for me, I would absolutely if in any sort of emergency, I would throw myself on top of my children if unless that would cause more harm, But like in front of a bullet, in front of a car, whatever was going on, my goal is going to be protect my children, of course absolutely, and I think generally the husband's is also for the kids for sure. To protect a husband or a dad to protect his children as well, but also protect the unit, the family unit. And so it's like the mom is automatically protecting the kid and the husband is protecting them.

00:06:58
Speaker 2: That's how I'd go.

00:06:59
Speaker 1: I know it it's old school, but that's that's how I was raised.

00:07:03
Speaker 2: Is that's what you do, is that's your family, and that's you jump in front of danger.

00:07:07
Speaker 1: They just do.

00:07:07
Speaker 2: I mean it's just natural to you.

00:07:09
Speaker 1: I have no children, and if I was with either of your children and some danger happened, I would still throw.

00:07:14
Speaker 2: Myself in front of your children.

00:07:15
Speaker 1: That's just but it's just a natural thing. It's like the kids.

00:07:19
Speaker 2: You know, you'd hope that. I don't know what you do.

00:07:22
Speaker 1: I mean, I think it's actually well, then why does it need to be a value? The point that the reason it's a value is that it might not come naturally. In other words, we should instill in everybody, but maybe men in particular. If we want to just to designate somebody, we should designate somebody to have this value of your your protection. Yeah, the protector, just just for the sake of having a protector. It might not actually come naturally, like naturally you might just want to spare yourself. But but we say naturally you would you would put yourself between children and danger, you hope. Well, they've done lots of studies on this, and it actually has to do with relatability, like how how how related you are to like your DNA, the more willingness you are to self sacrifice and protect and primates studies prove this again and again. It's it's really interesting. But yeah, so so actually like you're you know, professing this value that you would jump in front of our kids. But that's something that you that's about you, that's a standard you hold yourself to that's actually probably not naturally what you would do. And so yeah, I mean I I agree with you will Like that's kind of where I landed, is like, Indy, just suck it up. Man, It's going to be your job, you know, like when you're old enough and you're going to be bigger, probably physically than a lot of women and children. You got you just got to take that role a man. And that's you know, you can be upset about it, but somebody should take take the bullet. Somebody should be there, you know whatever, So just do it and and and look at that, you know it is. It is chivalry in this sort of old school sense, but like hopefully we can divorce it of the sexist assumptions underneath it, but still have the value of like somebody should be you know, designated as But that's the question because it's certainly not about the physicality of women, because there's plenty of women out there that could beat the hell out of me. So it's got you know, it's not that.

00:09:13
Speaker 3: Now I think there'd be more. Now, I think there would be more for lack of a better word discussion. I think there may be women who would be like I am definitely staying back.

00:09:22
Speaker 2: For the reason is sinking slowly. There's this big discussion of like, all right, someone's.

00:09:26
Speaker 1: Here's the if we go back to my gender debate, as the boat, everyone the children, like, guys, guys, can somebody somebody help with me?

00:09:41
Speaker 2: Somebody want the.

00:09:42
Speaker 1: Boat, but nobody can pull the damn boat thing down. We'll wait a second. Women are and it's like, oh my god, everybody's death.

00:09:48
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:09:50
Speaker 1: I think it's just an expediency thing, like you just need somebody, you know, and like it might as well be men, you know, like it doesn't really matter. But yeah, I agree, I think it would be a debate, but I think somebody has to stay or you know, if there's only so many positions in the lifeboat, give it to the to the kids first, for sure. Yes, yeah, very briefly. My one of my one of the craziest and weirdest stories from the Titanic is there was one guy who missed the boat who was like he was supposed to go on the boat in Ireland. He was supposed to be the spotter and something got screwed up and he couldn't go, and he literally was the guy who had binoculars. Like, there was like one guy who had binoculars who didn't make the boat. That was it, And so they had no binoculars on the entire I.

00:10:33
Speaker 3: Hope when he slept the sleep God.

00:10:37
Speaker 1: It's like, can you imagine that though, It's like one guy's got binocular that's crazy.

00:10:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know where'd you hear that story? Sounds fake?

00:10:44
Speaker 1: It's not.

00:10:45
Speaker 2: I swear Google Google. I went to the Titanic exhibit. I went to the Titanic exhibit.

00:10:49
Speaker 1: It was.

00:10:49
Speaker 3: It's true.

00:10:51
Speaker 2: Oh good, Google google it.

00:10:54
Speaker 3: We love those results. Those are never now.

00:10:56
Speaker 2: I'm gonna do it. Hey, the Internet is not wrong.

00:10:59
Speaker 3: Okay, say that louder for the people in the back.

00:11:03
Speaker 1: It's true. I just googled Titanic binoculars. Guy David Blair. David Blair was his name. Blair from Dundee, Scotland, served as the Titanic's original second officer, but was replaced at the last minute and left the ship in Southampton, saving his life. In his hasty disembark, however, he forgot to leave a key which was needed in the crow's nest to access binoculars.

00:11:24
Speaker 2: In a telescope, So that's what it was.

00:11:26
Speaker 1: He left with the only key to the to literally the things that you could look at.

00:11:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, whoopsie, what if I gonna need this? K No, that's gonna be fine.

00:11:36
Speaker 1: What's a problem the chance of hit Iceberg? None? That's great anyway, Welcome upon me the world. I'm Danielle Fishel, I'm right or strong, and I'm Wilfordell.

00:11:51
Speaker 3: Will you Just saying oops reminded me that it's my one of my favorite things. Keaton says, but he says oopies instead of Oopsy's he goes oopes.

00:12:02
Speaker 4: It's so cute.

00:12:15
Speaker 3: So today we are recapping season five, episode two, Boy Meets Real World. It originally aired October tenth, nineteen ninety seven. The synopsis Corey turns the camera on the new roommates for a documentary, but soon a fight between Sean and Jack erupts and Corey has to decide when or if to intervene.

00:12:37
Speaker 1: Again.

00:12:38
Speaker 3: Shocked at how many episodes are about Corey being a filmmaker, yeah, or.

00:12:43
Speaker 2: A journalist or something like this. This is the way they were.

00:12:45
Speaker 3: Going his character, Yeah, and I love it for him. No, So this episode was directed by Alan Myerson. It was written by Bob Tishler and guest starring. We have the debut of Trina McGee, now technically was not a guest star. She was credited at the end as a like appearing Trina McGee and then after that came guest starring and other people. So she wasn't in the opening credits.

00:13:13
Speaker 1: D already recurring care but she's already.

00:13:15
Speaker 3: They already knew she was there setting it up, which I also was pleasantly surprised because in my memory her first episode is the pirst episode me too, right, And I was like, but so, but she has.

00:13:26
Speaker 1: So many lines in this episode.

00:13:28
Speaker 3: I know, so well established, but hey, at least established her. At least she's there.

00:13:32
Speaker 2: Least she's there totally right.

00:13:35
Speaker 3: I did enjoy that. So the debut of Trina McGhee entering the Boy Meets World universe as Angela Moore. Before joining our cast, she was seen on shows like Family Matters, The Sinbad Show, and The Parenthood and she also appeared in the movies Daylight and The Birdcage and later Friday After Next. And then we have Megan Haldeman as Wendy. She was one of the stars of a show called Camp Wilder in nineteen ninety two that also starred Jerry Connell, j Moore, and Hillary Swink. Not a ton online about the show, but on IMDb in the trivia section, it says this show was a hit in Germany, so yeah, there it is. She also starred in another short lived sitcom called The Home Court. She appears to have stopped acting in nineteen ninety eight after studying at Tish and went on to become an elementary school teacher and a writer who focuses a lot on the challenges of parenting. Also, in doing some research about her, I found out that her mom created the pump Station, which writer, you may be familiar with it in having Indie. It is a parenting and specifically mothering because it's breast pumps. Like all the different types of breast pumps that are available, you could rent through the pump station. So if for example, you weren't able to get a certain type of breast pump at your hospital, or you didn't want a hospital grade one but you needed to rent one you didn't want to buy the pump station in s Angeles, I was very familiar with it, having gone through that process with both Adler and Keaton. So anyway, it's just a small world. And then Blake Clark returns his Chet Hunter and Ryan Gazelle as Larry.

00:15:13
Speaker 1: So does Blake return or is he just in the previously He's just in the previous one, but they show him so I think you have to give them.

00:15:21
Speaker 3: And he also gets paid.

00:15:23
Speaker 1: Yeah. Was this also the first time have we we have had.

00:15:28
Speaker 2: A previously on boy Me World? Right? We can walk to it was deep, the deep voice, right as opposed to this where I was like, oh, this makes sense. You can hear that makes sense?

00:15:39
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly. So overall thoughts before we jump into the recap, did you guys like it? What'd you think?

00:15:46
Speaker 1: Writer?

00:15:46
Speaker 3: I can already tell you've got your critical hat on.

00:15:48
Speaker 1: Yeah, man, this was a big miss for me, A big, huge, giant miss. I did not like this episode either at all. This was a mess, I thought, just a real mess in my opinion.

00:15:59
Speaker 2: I agree. I did not like this, and I was like sit it.

00:16:02
Speaker 1: Pausing it and rewinding it and going okay, let's not quiz show it.

00:16:05
Speaker 2: Let's see if you're in a good mood, you're in a bad mood.

00:16:07
Speaker 5: Whatever.

00:16:08
Speaker 2: I did not like this episode and yell, did you like it?

00:16:11
Speaker 3: I can't say that I hated it, but no, there wasn't anything about it that I loved or felt like really propelled the story forward. Once again, I think we fell into the trap with this story about Jack and Sean that we fell into a little bit with Corey and Tapanga, which is expecting people to care a lot without giving them any reason to care. Yep, yeah, And I was like, wow, I actually love the a situation where you're really rooting for two people and they just can't seem to get it together and both of them are in the wrong and you're going, oh, but I love you both. I wish you guys could figure this out, and then they kind of do, and there's hope. I love that as a concept. I just have to care about the relationship.

00:16:55
Speaker 1: And I don't structure you just described Yeah, no, this was yeah, this was all backstory conflict, like and you know, and then the present day conflict is like fighting over the girl, which just felt really kind of lame and like totally what about her? And no, she's a joke, let's just make fun of her, and then yeah, and then it becomes all about backstory tension with Jack that we don't know anything.

00:17:18
Speaker 2: About until the very end.

00:17:20
Speaker 1: Well then we got a whole monologue and it was it's just not I yeah, episode two. I'm sorry, but this is also episode two now of Sean just being really whiny, like I know, I mean, this is like the set it's like, all right, I get that he wasn't in your life and all that stuff, but I was also really starting to really get upset where it's like, what about Eddie, what about Stacey family already like we've we've established this. So yeah, it was this was of.

00:17:49
Speaker 3: Just appreciated Sean letting us know about the letters earlier on once he once that was revealed, I actually did really feel for the little kid inside the call or the high school boy we were looking at, like knowing that he felt like he had reached out. You know, when I was little and I wanted nothing more than a brother to talk to. I wrote to him and he ignored me. He's made it very clear how he feels about me what's different now. But the reason they couldn't reveal that is because then he could have brought that up to Jack and we would have Oh well, I didn't get him. That would have been resolved right away. But like knowing that about Sean made me empathize with him a lot more because there was a reason.

00:18:30
Speaker 1: To well, I mean, I think the real solution would have been to have the current conflict, like the roommate, which is what it starts with, somehow relate like if that's if like Jack does something like gets a letter from somebody just throws it away in front of Sean, or like doesn't want to keep something that Sean wants to keep in the house, and then they're having a conflict and Sean's like, you're just gonna throw it away, You're just going to treat it like garbage. And then of course you could be like why is Sean freaking out? And then it would relate to this other issue. You know, are somehow find a way to tell a current story that is compelling that then the revelation of this backstory connects to and you go, oh, it all makes sense. Instead, it was like just generic conflicts about a girl and then competition.

00:19:12
Speaker 3: Trying to tie this into money with the concert and the dinner, like, well, I can't irrigate with that, and it was like that's that's true.

00:19:18
Speaker 1: Wasn't a thing either, but it was also the way that they're doing it with the real world format was just an easy way of getting them to talk right to the camera about how it's not working out, as opposed to showing it. It's like, here's why we're never going to be brothers, and it's like, okay, right right, Just it didn't it felt I thought the comedy wasn't there.

00:19:35
Speaker 2: It was the whole episode was.

00:19:37
Speaker 1: A lot of it for me, might just be the structure too, because it's just, you know, it's it's it's it just didn't feel like a Boy Meets World episode, you know. So it's like, why are we talking to camera and all these weird shots and I don't know, I could have just a lot of my you know, not like the episode just could be probably credited to like it just feeling weird. You know.

00:19:56
Speaker 2: It's like, oh, well this season weird.

00:19:58
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:19:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was just it was a very strange episode all the way around.

00:20:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, let's jump into our recap. We get a very rare previously on Boy Meets World, this time narrated by Ben Savage, which was usually reserved for two parters in the past, but Now we get a rather long recap of episode five oh one. Recap, Yes, took up the whole credits, reintroducing us to Matthew Lawrence as Shawn's brother and the new living situation for him and Eric. Also, the new theme song is from twenty cent Crush featuring Phil Rosenthal.

00:20:30
Speaker 1: Did anybody else think it was Phil Rosenthal? Phil?

00:20:33
Speaker 3: The second? I thought, Wow, me too, Phil Rosenthald. No, No, it was another the Phil Rosenthal, singer of twenty cent Crush. So we start in the guy's apartment. Sean is confidently talking to a girl named Janis on the phone. He's flipping through a calendar. He smirks off camera. October is pretty full. We see that Corey's filming the entire conversation with a camp quarder. Sean continues the third Friday and November looks good for him. Granted she'll have to share him with Phyllis, but he'll still pencil her in Phyllis and Janie.

00:21:12
Speaker 1: He's also dating Mildred and Beatrice.

00:21:15
Speaker 2: That would be.

00:21:16
Speaker 3: Greatl is so funny. Then Jack walks in wearing a large suit. Hey, brother, Sean, it's me Jack. Home from college. Got an a and now they want me to teach Cory. Abruptly, Yell's cut and lowers his camera and discussed, once again, I'm shooting a documentary for Phoene's class. This exposition they give him to set up what's happening there is shocking, I mean, is it? It is shocking that they were like, episode, could you please deliver this naturally? You're going to recap for your friends and who already know it exactly what you're doing. It was like, really started the episode off on an awkward foot. Okay, so he says, I'm shooting a documentary for Phoene's class. It's just too soon. Eli Williams, rust, that's.

00:22:13
Speaker 1: All I thought. You know, you had a teacher who taught this. He had a great teacher that taught this subject. Yep.

00:22:19
Speaker 3: Corey's trying to create something similar to MTV's The Real World, but Sean and Jack need to be themselves to make it work. Sean defends himself, my October really is full, and Jack chimes in, I really did get an a and then Eric walks in. He's carrying a surfboard and wearing a wet Suit's up. Dudes got some major waves downtown Corey is certain that's not real. The boys shrug and get back into their starting positions. Then rock music begins to play, and we see footage of the three guys posed in their living room, acting as candid as and casual as they can. Corey's voiceover begins this is the true story of three new roommates. He introduces each boy, who all emphasize how great this is and a very forced, un natural tone.

00:23:01
Speaker 1: Yes, I thought will to read was awesome. He was like just started off with his like over excited. Oh my god. I was like, at least somebody's having fun.

00:23:11
Speaker 3: He tried, he tried, I tried, you guys.

00:23:13
Speaker 1: I mean it's it's it's hard to overstate how big of an influence the real world had culturally, right. I mean, it's so taken for granted now. But I remember walking in like a friend's house and seeing that people watching the real world and being like, wait, what are You're just watching these people sit around and talk in the environment. And I remember it being like, how is this interesting? And then didn't get up for an hour, you know, because it was like you get sacked in. But now we just we take it for granted because of course, reality TV is a category of you entertainment that we all just know and every and no one would ever think twice. But back then, an unscripted group of friends just talking was so compelling and so new, and it's just it's so weird be watching this now because of course, even even a show doing a documentary is just Parks and the Office, modern family, Like this whole style is not a style anymore. It's just television. And didn't start with wasn't this right around the time of like Waiting for Guffman and the kind a little later actually, but yeah, I mean those movies were really like sort of cult hits, you know, like they didn't have mainstream success. The idea of like a mockumentary was just not a thing in the main stream.

00:24:31
Speaker 2: I think it was probably only one at the time.

00:24:32
Speaker 1: Final No Waiting for Government had already come out, Like, you know, but that's like you're talking about a group of filmmaking team that that's all that those those are the only people doing it. And I like, I remember I loved those movies, Ben and I used to quote them all the time. But we were obsessed and and you know, the humor was just so dialed back and like, but yeah, the Real World is becoming a thing. Like it's so obvious that our writers were just freaked out by it. Everybody was freaked out by it. We're all like, this is weird.

00:24:59
Speaker 2: What is this? You know?

00:25:00
Speaker 1: But we do it next season two with the Truman.

00:25:02
Speaker 2: Show up, we do a Truman Show episode the same thing. No, they made the.

00:25:05
Speaker 3: Real World cast may have been the most famous people in youth culture for like three years. They were just it was.

00:25:13
Speaker 1: Everyone was the New York They started in New York, right, that was the first one, and then they did like La or San Francisco something like that.

00:25:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Eric.

00:25:20
Speaker 1: Nice from The Grind, Yes, Oh you know what's so funny?

00:25:24
Speaker 3: Last night Jensen went on like a full nose dive. I don't know where he saw it, but for he spent forty five minutes to an hour watching just clips of Eric Nice on The Grind.

00:25:33
Speaker 5: I mean, listen, you might have to explain that a little more.

00:25:35
Speaker 3: Danielle, No, I'm going to I'm going to just leave it there.

00:25:37
Speaker 1: Okay, fine, by can we can we also be very careful with random celebrities that we're just saying in our podcast because my.

00:25:44
Speaker 2: God, somebody, that's what I'm saying.

00:25:46
Speaker 3: I know, protect Eric nice at all costs. Now, how did you? How did you go down that rabbit hole?

00:25:51
Speaker 4: Jensen?

00:25:52
Speaker 5: It was on my like for you page on Instagram or whatever you call it follow and I opened it thinking, Oh, this won't mean anything to me, and then an hour later I'm like, I'm watching Montel Jordan performance spring Break can't too Like. I just kept watching these clips over and over and I forgot how much of an important thing these like dance shows were to me.

00:26:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, so back to our documentary style. The style and graphics are all very MTV's the real world. As Sean tells the viewers why he moved in with his half brother, we see footage of Sean and Jack awkwardly mingling in the kitchen about cottage cheese, then an abrupt cut to Eric doing fake pull ups in his room. He's trying to convince us why Jack isn't competition when it comes to the ladies. He's eight months older. Also, will you look very skinny here?

00:26:37
Speaker 2: I did look skinny in this episode.

00:26:39
Speaker 1: This was so h This was I think the first episode back after doing right. I was going to say something whatever it is. I'm wearing the necklace that looks like a coke spoon. That is, that's the necklace at fourth lav and I wore. Yeah, so I wore one, and she wore one on Party of five at the time. But yeah, I noticed that as well. And this was the first episode I think we shot because the scene where dance Jack Dan with the girls, that's the first time I'd ever worked with Matt oh So that yes, where you're very naturally swing dancing in the kitchen as college boys do.

00:27:10
Speaker 2: You can tell I mean in the late nineties, you did.

00:27:12
Speaker 3: I know that's true.

00:27:15
Speaker 1: I went to the parties at people's houses. You get together and like learn how to swing dancing. It's so funny. This is just a trendy episode. This is just like the most nineteen ninety seven episode of World ever and none of it resonates beyond exactly that year, that month, and it just dies on the vine. I'm like, what is what is interesting?

00:27:37
Speaker 2: What is good about the nothing?

00:27:39
Speaker 1: Nothing about this resonates anymore.

00:27:41
Speaker 3: Then we get on one on one with Jack. He's holding a guitar as soft music begins to play. He says Eric spends too much time looking at himself in the mirror, when in reality, pretty babies don't like men who were too interested in themselves straight up swingers. Then on cue, he asks Corey to do that part over again. He could give a better smile. We cut to Sean, who's been continuously playing with a slinky. He hopes things will work out with his brother, but he doesn't know if there are anything alike. Then, also on cue and a familiar move, he asks Corey to do it over again. He could give more vulnerability. So then we pull out from the footage and we're in Phoenie's classroom. Corey has been playing the documentary on his TV.

00:28:21
Speaker 1: Sorry going back when when Matt shows up with the guitar, ye, like really invasive guitar music started like and then it just kept going and then it started this trend. The music the mix in this episode is so off, Like it was so like when we go to Chubby's in the next scene after this classroom, it was like, oh my god, like it was so it's like they were going for.

00:28:44
Speaker 3: This MTV SyES. I think it was something.

00:28:48
Speaker 2: And it's just weird.

00:28:50
Speaker 1: It just threw me so far. I turn it down. But then I couldn't hear the dialogue.

00:28:55
Speaker 2: I was like, what is going on? Yeah, very strange episode.

00:28:58
Speaker 1: We had an audio for this episode at all either. I think this was all blocking out show without Yeah, because we're hearing a lot of the handheld camera stuff. So there's a lack of energy to you know what comedy there is. It doesn't pop.

00:29:13
Speaker 2: It just doesn't.

00:29:16
Speaker 3: So he gets a round of applause from his classmates and Phoene compliments him that was an excellent start to his documentary. Corey is shocked. Phoenie thinks it's excellent. Mister Phoenie actually believes this could be Corey's foot in the door to a fine university such as NYU. Corey grabs the VHS and tells Tapanga, this could be my foot. And then this is where we see Angela for the first time ever, sitting behind Corey. Just as Phoene asks if anyone has any comments regarding Corey's documentary, and just like that, Trina McGee aka Angela Moore shoots her hand in the air. No offense, Corey, but your project looks like you ripped off that show on MTV The Real World, Corey robotically tells Angela that he has no knowledge of what she's talking about. His only knowledge of the real world is his real real world. The bell rings in classes dismissed. Now in the hallway, Corey.

00:30:05
Speaker 1: Has one blind that they're just established.

00:30:08
Speaker 3: She says her name, and she has an opinion, and she's not afraid to express it, even directly to his face. And that's all we get for the characters world. Yes, So in the hallway, Corey tells Tepanga he's feeling so inspired. He hasn't even scratched the surface on this whole apartment situation. You have Eric who's never been on his own, and two brothers who haven't seen each other in years. The possibilities are endless to Pangas surprised the guys are okay with Corey sticking a camera in their personal lives, but Corey assures her they're not just okay, delighted, giddy, But he wonders where did he leave his camera anyway? And then we cut to a sideway's angle of Eric back at the apartment, smiling directly at the camera. How long do I have to smile like this? Corey? Does Eric think Corey's still there?

00:30:52
Speaker 2: I don't know, I don't know.

00:30:55
Speaker 3: I thought maybe we could have used another button you think something and something else. And then we go to commercial and we come back to the guy's apartment. Correy is still shooting his documentary as Sean laces up his roller blades.

00:31:09
Speaker 1: Very cool line, yeah strong.

00:31:13
Speaker 3: He explains that Jack came from money, while he had the charm of living in a trailer. However, he does now enjoy being able to take a shower without having to worry about a twister and I quote sucking him naked through the roof.

00:31:26
Speaker 2: Yep.

00:31:26
Speaker 3: I thought those words together in that way were interesting.

00:31:35
Speaker 1: To rewrite.

00:31:38
Speaker 3: Could have used a little a little switcher roo or a little punch. We cut to hear the door buzzer, and then Sean running into the living room, now only wearing a towel. Corey chases after him with his camera, wearing a full yellow raincoat and hat ensemble.

00:31:54
Speaker 2: It looks like the Gordon's Fisherman.

00:31:56
Speaker 1: He does bear references perfect one of the better jokes of the whole episode.

00:32:02
Speaker 3: It was absolutely right. Do you remember having to be in a towel for this? I do, Yeah, it was very uncomfortable.

00:32:08
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, always.

00:32:10
Speaker 1: And then I'm I was like, oh, and then I kissing her like you know, I was just like right, yeah, no, I remember being you know, and of course I had to get wet, so like I'm backstage getting hosed down with a little pump, those little fan pump things. And no, you're also naked showering yourself in front of Corry using.

00:32:25
Speaker 2: The shower with you. Sorry, weird weird visual visual.

00:32:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, but it's just classic. Like I just remember feeling so unattractive, and you know, like I don't think I thought of myself as fat, but certainly not like any like just not good looking. And now I'm looking at it, going, dude, you're fun, you look great. Yeah, get over it. But you know, but of course it's just whatever your body is, you're going to be insecure about it if you have to be naked in front of you well or maybe not everybody, but I certainly was back then. I still am now, Like the idea.

00:33:00
Speaker 3: I don't even like being naked when I'm alone.

00:33:02
Speaker 2: I mean I'm not ever.

00:33:04
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean neither I shower in a bathing suit when I'm hang alone.

00:33:07
Speaker 2: Me too, exactly.

00:33:09
Speaker 3: I had to say, just kidding in case people are like ew filthy person I shower naked. Sean angrily turns to the camera. You go too far. Corey explains he has a film to make and Sean agreed to do this. Sean yells, you have five minutes of me in the shower. You can't use that. Corey explains it's for the European version. If he doesn't get into n YU, his next choice is Sweden. Why you Sean then answers the door, still half naked.

00:33:36
Speaker 1: It's a cute girl.

00:33:38
Speaker 2: Yes, they keep coming. Hold for your hold for your laughs people.

00:33:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know. It's a cute girl who smiles and greets him. She's Wendy, their neighbor, and she stopped by to say hi to Jack. Sean explains Jack isn't home, and Corey whispers, drop the towel. Shawn is shocked, but Corey doubles down. Drop the towel. Make it look like an accident, but drop it. Wendy asks why is there a strange boy? Is Paddington Bear with a camera and we already commented that's a funny joke. Jo Sean explains Corey's student film and says if it makes her uncomfortable, she can just tell him to stop, but rather than protest, when Wendy pushes her way into the house, she's an acting major. Sean's eye.

00:34:15
Speaker 4: Here we go.

00:34:16
Speaker 3: She says she has two monologues, one of which she wrote herself. It's called I'm a Little Unicorn. She adds, I'm also very good at improv Corey urges Sean to kiss her, and Sean is against this, but Wendy admits I can do love scenes. I'm not afraid. The two of them then kiss, and Corey gets the whole thing on film. Sean Wendy both look impressed as they break apart, and Wendy quickly writes down her number on Sean's hand, telling.

00:34:39
Speaker 5: Her to come.

00:34:40
Speaker 1: It's a number, Yeah, the number. We both went eight.

00:34:45
Speaker 2: That's it.

00:34:45
Speaker 1: Walks away, Okay, she is apparently Talla takes is one and sorcelling kiss.

00:34:55
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:34:56
Speaker 3: Corey turns the camera around and we see his out of focus close face. She comes to see Jack. Sean gets her number. The plot thickens, and then we're at Chubby's. Corey, Topanga, and Sean are seated at a booth and Tapega asks Sean how things are going with his brother. Corey cuts him off. She'll just have to wait until the documentary. Topanga asks if Sean is really okay with this whole documentary thing. It sounds kind of personal. Sean admits that it is, but Corey's his best friend and he trusts him not to make him look bad. Corey's vision is to show a side of Sean Hunter that no one's ever seen before, the side that shows him overcoming all the odds. And then Jack walks downstairs with the neighbor horned up Wendy. Sean can't believe he snaked her. Corey quickly pulls out his camera to get this all on tape. Sean approaches his brother, and Jack happily greets him.

00:35:39
Speaker 1: Now that I can't believe that she might like somebody else. It's just about him.

00:35:43
Speaker 2: Him, him.

00:35:45
Speaker 1: She came to see girl who I know the girl? Yeah, she came to see him, though, I mean I.

00:35:51
Speaker 3: Came to say hi to Jack.

00:35:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, you tried to snake her and she went back to her original date. But now I got to go talk to him about this.

00:36:00
Speaker 3: Well, of course absolutely, Uh, Jack introduce her own agency, Now, why would we do that? Jack introduces Sean to Wendy, but Sean mentions that they've met. Jack's confused, even though they live in the same apartment building, so Sean pulls him into the pool room. Sean reveals he met Wendy at the apartment while wearing half a towel. Jack met Wendy through orientation. Wendy wrote her phone number down on Sean's hand, but she did the same thing on Jack's and guess what else, They've both kissed her, but Jack mentions she also performed I'm a Little Unicorn for him. Corey's slowly inching up and taping this whole thing. Sean tells Jack they have a problem, but Jack disagrees. He's on a date with Wendy and Sean's in the middle of it. Valid Yep, Jack took her to dinner and a Sheryl Crow concert. They're only at Chubby's for dessert. Where did they eat dinner? La Bougia?

00:36:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, apparently they found another restaurant in I.

00:36:56
Speaker 3: Know, do you think there's another one?

00:36:58
Speaker 1: The attack on Mafia restaurant beat and those three restaurants, that's it.

00:37:03
Speaker 2: So it's one of those.

00:37:05
Speaker 3: What if they ate dinner at Chubby's before the concert and then went back to Chubby's for dessert.

00:37:10
Speaker 1: Well, but they also ate and then went to a concert.

00:37:14
Speaker 2: What time is it.

00:37:15
Speaker 3: It's got to be late, like midnight, right unless in the nineties they were doing five pm concerts, like I beg everyone to do now, Yeah.

00:37:22
Speaker 2: Please start your concert at noon? Yeah, I don't. I don't think that's happening.

00:37:26
Speaker 3: I know it must be one am. Sean admits that Jack won. He can't compete with dinner in a concert. Jack says, it's not a competition. There was more to this than Wendy, so he'll ask her to go home so they can have some time.

00:37:37
Speaker 1: It's not a competition.

00:37:38
Speaker 2: It's like but then what were you guys just doing arguing?

00:37:41
Speaker 1: Like holding up your hand?

00:37:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, kiss kiss.

00:37:43
Speaker 1: It's like Jack, now you take the high road, right, See, it was all a competition.

00:37:48
Speaker 3: That was a whole competing right.

00:37:50
Speaker 2: Yes, weird, very strange.

00:37:52
Speaker 3: Meanwhile, Corey is still filming Tapega is trying to get his attention, totally ruining his shot, but he's too distracted with the content anyway. Sean apologizes to his brother for interrupting his date and he storms off. Then we're back in the guy's apartment. Jack now playing with this very popular slinky.

00:38:08
Speaker 2: Everybody loves the slinky.

00:38:09
Speaker 3: It's just the greatest slinky ever.

00:38:10
Speaker 2: Thank god we have a slinky.

00:38:12
Speaker 3: Tells the camera that Sean and him aren't off to a great start. We cut to Sean talking and throwing his slinky on the ground. He admits this whole thing may have been a mistake. Corey's more of a brother to him. Then we cut to Eric in the laundry room.

00:38:24
Speaker 1: I guess the joke is like that you just have to have business like to make it look more casual. But I feel like that could have been teed up if Corey was the one being like, play with the slinky, yeah, more slinky, like make it look natural or like or the props kept changing. It's like it's a sink and then it's a bigger slinky, then it's a paddle ball or you know whatever. It's like obvious that we just keep getting forced like that to do something. Yeah, yeah, and being with like one of those horsey things. That's just the stick with the horses, right exactly something?

00:38:50
Speaker 2: What am I doing with this?

00:38:51
Speaker 5: Just do it?

00:38:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, just do it. Yeah.

00:38:55
Speaker 3: We got to Eric in the laundry room first time, away from home about to do laundry on super here's your real story. And I did think that was funny too. I thought that idea that Eric is like, this is where.

00:39:05
Speaker 2: The action starts. Yeah, laundry.

00:39:08
Speaker 3: So then we are in the Matthew's kitchen. It's revealed that Amy and Allan are watching this section of the documentary on a little TV. Amy yells at Eric placing clothes into the machine. Not in the hot water, it'll shrink. Alan calls his son an idiot, urging Amy to cut the cord, which shows that the end of season four didn't.

00:39:25
Speaker 1: Really last long. It happened, it didn't matter much. Also, I'm sorry, is it the hot water in the washing machine that shrinks it? Or is it the drying that you both? It's both hot water, That's what I thought too.

00:39:38
Speaker 3: It is also the hot water, I mean definitely a dryer. But like if you're gonna if you don't dry something in a dryer and you just wash it in hot water and then you take it out and let it air dry, it might still shrink just from the hot water. Really, but the certainly hot water mixed with dryer is I just do everything in cold water.

00:39:55
Speaker 2: Anyway, But I'm just curious of that. I thought it was in the dryer. Okay, yeah, most are the things I is thinking about.

00:40:00
Speaker 1: This is important stuff. It was seriously going to like, it's more interesting than the scene in front of me.

00:40:08
Speaker 3: I'm smart for always using cold water.

00:40:11
Speaker 2: I am good.

00:40:12
Speaker 3: I'm going to share it on the podcast watching the show talk.

00:40:15
Speaker 2: About the next thing.

00:40:16
Speaker 1: I know the show doesn't shrink that it would be like it was a wool sweater shrinks right or wool.

00:40:22
Speaker 3: Like I don't definitely.

00:40:25
Speaker 1: The first time you get that's something, but that's just natural. But like after that, it's.

00:40:30
Speaker 2: Not gonna like.

00:40:30
Speaker 1: I don't know, I agree. This is a visual gag of Eric in the tight shirt. Though pretty funny.

00:40:36
Speaker 4: It is pretty funny.

00:40:49
Speaker 3: Morgan runs into the kitchen, pulling an older tall boy in with her. This is Larry. He's Morgan's best friend, Barbie's older brother, but she tells the family to call him Eric. Larry or Eric says hi to mom and Daddy, and Amy asks her daughter to explain. Morgan says, they all miss Eric so much she decided to hire Larry to be Eric. Corey thinks this is ridiculous, but Alan wants to know if he likes to play basketball. I thought that was funny too.

00:41:13
Speaker 1: Yeah. Uh.

00:41:15
Speaker 3: Then real Eric walks in wearing a shrunken, purple cropped baseball tea, and he greets his parents, Mom Daddy. He's completely unfazed. He walks to the fridge and jumps when he sees Larry. Larry introduces himself as Eric, and Eric introduces himself as Eric. The original Eric cheerfully welcomes the fake version of him. Eric wants to know why Sean can't get along with Jack. Corey says he'll talk to him, but Eric urges him, you better get over there because they're gonna kill each other. Corey grabs his video camera and makes his way over to the guy's apartment.

00:41:43
Speaker 1: I have an oddly shaped chest shirt, I do.

00:41:48
Speaker 2: I have an oddly shaped chest.

00:41:49
Speaker 1: Of spreeaking of body imagician.

00:41:53
Speaker 2: It's just very yes, skinny the rest.

00:41:58
Speaker 1: But I look like I got a little bit of a congratulations. You got to go to the pump station, my friends.

00:42:07
Speaker 2: I'm still wait for the address, so exactly.

00:42:09
Speaker 3: Then we're in the guy's apartment. Corey and Tapega walk out of the elevator and Corey is ranting about his future. He's always felt so much pressure, but now that he's found something he's good at, the pressure is off. Topeka asks why he can't just put down his camera and realize that his friend is in trouble. Corey huffs and puffs about receiving pressure from his girlfriend now and they walk in and Sean and Jack are in mid fight. Sean's convinced that Jack is treating him like a charity case, using his dad's money to pay for things. Jack defends himself. He works every summer for his money, and he's paying for school using student loans. That's a lot of money. He works every summer for his money. What does he do? He works for that mafia restaurant. He must make a lot of money in that summer.

00:42:52
Speaker 2: That's right, all his student loans have been forgiven.

00:42:55
Speaker 3: Oh that's Sean asks what he has against his real father, but Jack explains that his father is the one who raised him. He can't just have feelings for someone he doesn't know Sean's size, neither can I. You can find yourself another roommate. Sean storms out the door and Corey manages to get this entire thing on tape. Topanga stares into the frame now with her very own close out of focus close up she loves Yeah.

00:43:19
Speaker 1: So I mean like the whiningess is really just like the death, like melodrama versus drama, right like that, Sean is like the money stuff is pretty that's a good starting place. But I don't even know what they're arguing about money wise, when it's just the concept of money that we're arguing or the concept of him being rich. And then like yeah, mes storming off, It's just feels like, you know, you're looking for a fight, maybe because of the originally because of the buried backstory, but since we don't have any of that information.

00:43:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's that's what it is.

00:43:54
Speaker 3: You guys are also in mid fight that we don't see. So we walk in and you're like, you're trying to buy fish, what what things? What happened?

00:44:02
Speaker 1: What musn't get specific? Let's be about an actual argument over something or something. Everybody's point is kind of understandable. In this case, You're like, Sean, shut up. Jack is totally reasonable, Like he doesn't you know, he's a nice guy the same way.

00:44:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's also I kind of like that, and they could have played it up a little bit more that Sean has a real loyalty to his dad and you could you could play that that that Jack says something about his dad and Sean's like, oh yeah, because well dad doesn't do that, and he's like, that's not the dad. I'm not talking you know, I'm talking about my dad. That also is a good conflict, like, but they don't it's not they don't ever use that enough.

00:44:43
Speaker 1: No, I mean, this is going to be this is going to be the problem for Sean for the next And I think it's something that happened between me as an actor and the writers. They they kind of got addicted to Sean as this sort of source of like trauma and like very emotional trauma that isn't understandable, where he acts irrationally and emotionally in situations where that can't be and then you have to like dig in And it goes all the way back to season one when Corey gives Strawn his present and Sean is like upset about it, and you're like, what's wrong with Sean? And we have to like unearth the history of Sean. But now it's just become this thing, this crutch where there isn't enough actual situational drama. There's just the drama of writer acting, you know, and it's just you watch me sort of emote and then you're like what whoa and it's not great. And unfortunately, I think this kind of is the pattern for well, we'll see, because it worked really well in season one.

00:45:43
Speaker 2: It worked really well in season I.

00:45:44
Speaker 1: Think, well, yeah, there are situations where there is a situational drama and Sean reacts like weirdly or differently than you expect, and that is the thing. But when the entire source of conflict is Sean's emotional state, it becomes that's all that's coming here, is there's no other reason for there to be a conflict.

00:46:02
Speaker 2: Except what's wrong with Sean.

00:46:04
Speaker 1: And then it's like and then we just have to get to the monologu where we find out.

00:46:07
Speaker 2: And so it's it's hard.

00:46:09
Speaker 1: I don't know, it's hard for me to watch because I just I remember as an actor feeling like I had to like drum up intensity without conflict and drum up reacting, you know, the old saying like acting is reacting right, like, and Sean's always reacting to some sort of uneasy internal state or past trauma that we don't get clarity on until later, And it's just it always I remember always feeling like I had to push things or swallow them and run away, which is kind of the two modes that I'm in this entire episode. It's like I'm always like, you know, pouting and storming off or you know, quietly like mumbling and emoting. I don't know, It's doesn't make me.

00:46:51
Speaker 3: Feel good to watch well where we go to a tense commercial break and then we're in the hallway of the guy's apartment to Panga is extremely upset with Corey for ignoring what's going on here and instead hiding behind his camera. I will say to Panga, a much better friend de Sean than Corey right now?

00:47:06
Speaker 2: Yeah yep.

00:47:07
Speaker 3: Corey tells her the point of the assignment is to make a documentary. He compares himself to the guy who's making a nature film in Africa. He doesn't prevent the lion from eating the antelope. Instead, he lets nature take its course. Tapega agrees that as a filmmaker, he's probably right. She steps into the elevator as she continues, but as a friend, I guess We'll have to let nature take it, and the elevator door closes and cuts fast.

00:47:28
Speaker 1: Its elevator door in the history of that, but apparently sound proof room.

00:47:32
Speaker 2: You couldn't.

00:47:32
Speaker 3: You couldn't, and Corey yells, nature take It's what he's.

00:47:39
Speaker 2: Not only on television.

00:47:42
Speaker 1: Does anybody ever back into an elevator? Nobody in the real world ever backs into an elevator. Doesn't happen. You've never seen that in your life. Everybody turns and walks into an elevator.

00:47:53
Speaker 3: I'm going to do it next time we're together.

00:47:55
Speaker 2: That's good point.

00:47:58
Speaker 3: Contact see you downstairs.

00:48:04
Speaker 1: The elevator to.

00:48:09
Speaker 2: The elevator together.

00:48:10
Speaker 1: She's literally repeating Corey's flast sentence. You can't finish it's a straight yeah, another strange choice.

00:48:29
Speaker 3: Then we're in the Matthew's backyard. Morgan is outside talking to Feenie as Larry sits next to her playing with a doll. Feenie understands that Morgan misses Eric, but she can't replace him by hiring Larry. Morgan explains that she's not trying to replace him, she just wants to miss her real brother less. Now, Morgan wants Phoeni to give him some advice like he'd always give to the real Eric. Feenie obliges run run like the wind.

00:48:51
Speaker 2: Very funny.

00:48:52
Speaker 1: And also I think the first time you ever see Morgan and Feenie together. This Morgan and Feoenie together.

00:48:58
Speaker 2: Correct, we've never seen this.

00:48:59
Speaker 3: Before, and I don't think not just the two of them, but they've been in scenes, I think in the days.

00:49:05
Speaker 2: I think this is their first interaction they've ever had.

00:49:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, where she's seeking him out. I didn't even think of that. Morgan and fake Eric walk back inside, passing and saying hi to Corey, who gives Fake Eric quite a glare. Corey starts making small talk with Phoene about his junipers, but his teacher knows better. Don't mock my garden. If you have a problem, just come out with it. I also thought this was a weird, like something that should be really comforting was started in a really antagonistic way.

00:49:35
Speaker 2: That was just like, I didn't think he mocked it all. He said, the junipers look nicest here.

00:49:38
Speaker 3: The junipers are coming along nicely. Don't mock my garden. If you have a problem, come out with it. And I was actually thinking, like, oh good, we're gonna get a little scene that's gonna feel really comforting. Corey going to Phoenie, and instead it started off on a really antagonistic note.

00:49:52
Speaker 2: It's because Foenie hasn't hunted and killed in a while, exactly.

00:49:55
Speaker 3: His junipers are there's no.

00:49:58
Speaker 2: Multch, human mulch. He's going. He's ready.

00:50:02
Speaker 3: So Cory asks his teacher if he thinks he can be an excellent filmmaker, and Phoenie nods his project does show great potential. Corey is happy to hear that, but the problem is to Panga, she doesn't understand that the guy behind the camera has to stay behind the camera and not get emotionally involved. Phoenie knows this has to do with Sean and his new brother. He tells Corey, no matter how your film turns out, you have the potential of being a sensitive and caring filmmaker if you so choose. Corey's confused. Phoene says he knows this because Corey is a sensitive and caring person. He's interested to see how the story turns out in the end. Corey corrects him film and Feenie nods, right, film.

00:50:40
Speaker 2: Story versus film.

00:50:43
Speaker 3: I love it this.

00:50:45
Speaker 1: You know that read writer.

00:50:48
Speaker 2: Well, you know, this whole episode is.

00:50:51
Speaker 1: About you know, it's all the it's all this like meta stuff, you know, like there's a fake Jack. I mean, there's all this like self awareness.

00:51:01
Speaker 2: The way you actually said story versus felt.

00:51:04
Speaker 1: But it's just like even even like you were saying, you know, Corey going to Feenie for advice, it's like we're commenting on it the whole time, like we're doing that thing that we were just like, we know our TV show structure, and now we're gonna comment on it and make it okay that we're doing it.

00:51:20
Speaker 2: And it's like, just do it, Just do it, just be the show that you.

00:51:23
Speaker 1: Are, Like, I'm not sure, and if you're gonna comment on it, do it in a way that's like really clever. And instead it just feels like the characters are aware of it. I don't know.

00:51:32
Speaker 2: The whole episode was really weird. It was just a weird I'm hoping it's a one off thing because it was just a very strange episode.

00:51:39
Speaker 3: All it's another episode, I guess ultimately also about the responsibility that people who create, people who put contents out into the world, the responsibility you have and you know, that's a popular it's a popular theme on our show. So we're back in the guy's apartment. Upbeat music plays as Eric and his swing dance partner, Wendy's roommate, are really going off. Meanwhile, Jack and Wendy are barely moving, swinging their hand side to side. Eric reminds Jack that these lovelies from three B just want to dance. Jack assures him he's dancing. Wendy admits that he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. Eric assures her Jack is the type of guy who dances on the inside. Jack thinks they should call it a night, but Eric says no way. Wendy offers to do a comedic monologue to lift jack spirits, and Eric yells tomorrow, and he pushes the girls right out of the apartment. This is where you're saying, make a joke of her. Yeah, specifically, yeah, yeah.

00:52:39
Speaker 1: This is also the first time that Matt and I worked together, pretty sure it was the scene was the first.

00:52:44
Speaker 2: Yeah done.

00:52:45
Speaker 1: Not a great scene, my friend, No, very stiff and like it is so weird and like this moment where you like kick her out, okay, like you've been trying to get him to do. It's just happened so fast, and then like there's this moment the two of you don't even look at each other but just pick up the thing together.

00:53:03
Speaker 2: It's like soo, I was like, wow, look at that blocking.

00:53:07
Speaker 1: That's like you're not human at all, and you just like both are like in the zone of putting the apartment back.

00:53:12
Speaker 3: It was like what there was Also, even though we didn't know that this is the first time you're working together, watching it, there was a real like odd sense of again, you guys are now close and have a bond, and so you're his friend who's like giving him good advice. Yeah, like, you guys, even even though the last episode when we met him you were.

00:53:37
Speaker 2: Like I don't get him, I don't like him.

00:53:38
Speaker 3: That's now gone and now you guys are like besties and.

00:53:41
Speaker 1: There's just no perspective on Jack's character. I mean, that's this essentral problem with this entire storyline is that they don't know where to put Matt. They give Jack nothing, nothing, so he's just normal nice guy, normal nice guy. And then like you know, in this scene, will your Eric's not being weird or crazy, which is what they finally settle them right, like they finally are like, okay, what can we do with Jack? Will have him be the straight man while Eric does crazy things, and then that dynamic created chemistry. But like between me and Jack, there's no chemistry between you and him, and this scene there's no chemistry.

00:54:14
Speaker 2: Now nothing the interesting is happening. You're like, what am I watching?

00:54:17
Speaker 1: And all of a sudden, I'm the one to go to yeah for the brother advice and oh, I'll.

00:54:21
Speaker 3: Get into the actual story and the advice when we get to it. So Jack admits the whole reason he wanted Sean to move in was so he could get to know him, but he doesn't think this brother thing is going to work out. Eric agrees with him, Jack can just walk away and then he and Sean won't be brothers. Jack seems to wholeheartedly agree, Yeah, what makes them brothers in the first place. Eric tells him a story about going to a Phillies game with Corey when they were kids. He was given the exact change for two hot dogs.

00:54:46
Speaker 1: This is the first This is the beginning of when I was like, okay, how because the irony of mocking an actress for her unicorn monologue or wanting to deliver a monologue and then having an ep pisode with two very self indulgent monologues. There's being one, mine being the next one. I was like, how aware were our writers of that irony?

00:55:08
Speaker 2: Is that is that part of.

00:55:09
Speaker 1: The joke because it's really bad, like this is hot Yeah. I was like, wow, oh wow, Eric's given a We're getting into a monologue.

00:55:16
Speaker 2: And then I'm later on like.

00:55:18
Speaker 1: Turn on that, kimra I got something to say. It's like, Gez, like, it's just bad, it's so heavy.

00:55:25
Speaker 3: What you're missing is that those were monologues told by men. Everyone wants to do your monologue, actress. Yeah, regardless of whether you're an actor or an actress. It is if you are a woman, we want to hear what you have to say.

00:55:42
Speaker 1: Probably not, that's just talking too much, but as man, if we all want everything is an interesting backstory, yeah and meaningful.

00:55:51
Speaker 3: So he was given exact change for two hot dogs, and he realized too late that he ate them both, prompting Corey to cry. How old was Corey in the situation and were they alone? I'm trying to really understand the story, But okay, moving right along. Jack comments this is very sad, and Eric admits, oh, that was the happy part. Eric says he then went up and down every aisle trying to collect money from people so he could buy Corey another hot dog. When he returned with a hot dog, Corey was so happy and that made Eric so happy. Then Eric ends the story by saying Corey got hit by a foul ball and it knocked him unconscious before he could eat the hot dog. Jack admits that, next to Wendy's unicorn monologue, that is the worst story he's ever heard. Eric laughs, it is a bad story. He asks Jack to tell him one about his brother Jack's eyes, realizing he doesn't have one. And so now you just told him a story knowing he doesn't have any stories about his brother, just to make him feel bad.

00:56:51
Speaker 1: Knowing his story and not knowing it. And also the acting in the monologue was not good. Me trying to explain the story was not good. It was all it was the it I was Obviously, I had been gone for months at this point, shooting something else, and I got thrown back in and I can see that where I was like, I'm on bloy me thriled again, right, And it just I didn't know Matt this is now the new guy in the thing.

00:57:15
Speaker 2: It was just awkward. This episode was awkward.

00:57:20
Speaker 1: I thought as good as the fake Eric was, it was out. I just didn't land it, didn't know everything.

00:57:26
Speaker 3: It was weird.

00:57:27
Speaker 1: There was a there's a version of that fake Eric storyline that is very and there are some good beats in it, like I like Phoene saying Ron, you know there's and you saying Hi Eric.

00:57:37
Speaker 2: You know, like there's been there, but.

00:57:38
Speaker 1: Over You're You're just kind of like, wait, where's this going? Where I don't.

00:57:42
Speaker 2: It's they're trying to get Feenie in and Feoenie with the new.

00:57:45
Speaker 3: Funny because when we had Matt on and he was talking about what a rough first couple of weeks it was for him, and you know, he's given Michael a lot of credit for, you know, being really hard on him. And it's now that we're watching it and I'm actually realizing what they get him. It's it's hard to know that they were making it about Matt needing to have some sort of that it was a performance issue, rather than the fact that it was an absolute lack of character.

00:58:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's coming in with no yeah, And I do think.

00:58:19
Speaker 3: What we talked about in the first episode is that they are overly protecting this character from having anything unlikable.

00:58:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, but even the first time we really see him in the apartment, this time it's Sean going like, hey, so you eat and cottage cheese, you like cotta cheese, And he's like, yeah, that's it, Like why not have him like yeah, I do, I really like it you and You're like no, and it's like, oh, now they have nothing to talk about.

00:58:45
Speaker 2: But he didn't even try. It's like yeah, and it's like okay, well then how.

00:58:49
Speaker 1: Does that what's what's happening? What's happening.

00:58:52
Speaker 3: I also think that the button to Eric's story could have been maybe more impactful had it been something like it might be a sad story, but something about I even cherished the sad stories that are not my brother, that like, having a sad story is better than having no stink.

00:59:10
Speaker 1: If they had written this this beat a season later, right, I know exactly how it would go, which is that Eric tells the story as if it's the most important thing in the world, and Jack goes, what's the point of the story, and Eric goes, oh, I don't know, and then it's funnier, and then it's like, what is the point of the story. And then Jack comes to the realization despite Eric's crazy goofy rambling, he comes to the conclusion and decides what he's going to do, and Eric says, see, I knew I had a good reason, you know. And then but instead they're like, still haven't found that dynamic yet. So Eric is actually giving good advice with that bad So what's the point of the story. This point of the story is always bring money for hot dog exactly. The point of the story is, yeah, whatever it is, it's like so ridiculous that then Jack's like squinting and going, I don't I don't know if that's what you think it means, you know, And then it would be yeah, but they don't. They don't even give him that perspective because they don't want him to judge Eric yet, which judging Eric is the comedy that they find with Jack.

01:00:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, then we're on the streets of Philly a big like new exterior set alert.

01:00:16
Speaker 2: Which is the Seinfeld in New York Street, is it?

01:00:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's a resours opening moved to Radford, and so this is our first season at Radford, and so we started taking advantage of that standing set. They built that entire street for Seinfeld specifically, and and we got to use it when we could. And of course, like any good nineteen forty sitcom, you throw a kid on the corner with a tennis ball and then you got it.

01:00:40
Speaker 2: There you go like I was just waiting, I was gonna say, it's a Newsy cap ball.

01:00:45
Speaker 1: Exactly, just hanging on the corner with your tennis ball like you do.

01:00:49
Speaker 3: I mean, my husband, as an only child, did regularly throw a tennis ball into the air. That was like a regular halftime for a like regular pastime for him.

01:00:58
Speaker 1: But again, the irony of we made made this slinky joke like giving somebody and that here's Sean with his tennis ball giving him monologue. It's right, he's gonna punch in the mush, like, what the hell's happening.

01:01:12
Speaker 3: So Corey walks up as Sean's bouncing a ball on the sidewalk, look at the documentary. Man here in South Philly. Corey looks around. I haven't been here since you moved to the trailer park. Sean reveals that Jack lived here too, even though he's probably forgotten. He tells Corey to start filming so they can finish his movie. So wait, I'm just realizing, did you guys live here together? And how it says when you were seven you found out you had a brother and you wrote to him. It says, though you guys had never met.

01:01:41
Speaker 1: Well, I think he's older. So he lived here. He was there I was born, maybe got it. And then I was born and he left before Dad's apartment.

01:01:49
Speaker 3: He was taken to me. I was four, okay, and remember.

01:01:55
Speaker 1: Where is Eddie? Your other brothers that we've established.

01:02:00
Speaker 3: Forget about Eddie. That was I will for that episode. God, it's not convenient.

01:02:06
Speaker 1: Somewhere it's still straightening her hair.

01:02:12
Speaker 3: And then Sean tells Corey to start filming so they can finish his movie. Corey says that's not important anymore, and Sean counters it is to me. I've got something to say. Turn it on. Corey hesitantly starts recording. I was seven when my dad first told me I had a brother. I always wanted a brother. When I was ten, I finally got the courage to write Jack a letter telling him all about me. I didn't get an answer, but I kept writing to him because he was my brother. Sean says he must have sent fifteen letters to his brother and he never heard back. He wanted nothing to do with him then, and he wants nothing to do with him now. Right on time, Jack walks up behind him, missing it's missing a real opportunity for another. He's behind me, isn't he? And Jack says he never got any letters. His mom must have thrown them out. Shawn doesn't believe that. He thinks Jack has always been a shit him. Sean begins to storm away, but Corey stops him. He needs to listen to what his brother is trying to say. Sean tells him not to get in the middle of this, but Corey says, the problem is he didn't get in the middle of this from the beginning. Even though he was there with his camera, he didn't realize what was going on. He tells Sean to give his life a happy ending. Sean asks his brother, did she really throw them away? Jack reiterates he never got them. If he would have known Sean had wanted to see him, he would have gotten on a bus and found him even a ten You.

01:03:29
Speaker 1: Know what's so funny? Is that I remembered parts of the scene because it was really me and Matt. I think this was the first time we worked together because we shot this episode first for the season. But my memory is in front of is in the backyard, in front of Phoene's garden basically, and it's because we would have done the run through in all the rehearsals on our store, so that was where we were pretending were outside, and then we only went to the actual set on you know, elsewhere on the state on the lot for actually shooting. And we also had to reverse sides once we got to the state, like so in my mind, like it's completely reversed and we're in the backyard. So it's so weird to have that experience of like having never watched the show and be like, oh, my memory is you know, the the eight times that I did it during rehearsal, so I have that memory. The actual shooting day was actually, you know, only an hour of my life, so I don't remember that as clearly. So watching it is like.

01:04:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, clarify that for our dear listeners. So when you have a swing set that or you have an area where you're only in this case It wasn't a swing set for us. It was an exterior on the lot. We weren't going to for rehearsals or run throughs. We weren't going to trek all the way over there. It's a full production move, So we would have just picked a spot on our current existing set. And because the backyard side yard is the exterior during rehearsal and run through, we would have pretended that that set was this set. So you literally were only there, like you said, for probably the hour or so it took to shoot the scene.

01:04:58
Speaker 4: Oh that's so weird.

01:04:59
Speaker 1: I'm sorry.

01:05:00
Speaker 2: Where is it supposed to be?

01:05:01
Speaker 1: It's supposed to be in front of Sean's old apartment downtown Philly. Yeah, and he went there for nostalgia reasons. Why did Corey go there? And then why is Jack there?

01:05:15
Speaker 3: Hmm? Sean went there because he's reminissings and remissing about who never wanted him.

01:05:24
Speaker 1: Corey maybe knows where Sean's going to just feel his friend, Yeah.

01:05:29
Speaker 2: Yeh knows where it is?

01:05:30
Speaker 3: Breadcrumbs?

01:05:33
Speaker 5: And can I ask the question that I took it as, Yeah, you're bringing up so is it just the neighborhood that he's talking about? And not the apartment.

01:05:43
Speaker 1: No, you can see the apartment wanted signed like they really clearly wanted to make agree.

01:05:47
Speaker 5: But is he saying that they've lived in the neighborhood not the apartment, Like, is that is that a possibility of being like, I haven't been here since.

01:05:53
Speaker 3: That even weirder than how would they know where to find him?

01:05:56
Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying, because.

01:05:58
Speaker 3: Says I haven't been here since you moved to the trailer park.

01:06:02
Speaker 2: So he's in front of you.

01:06:04
Speaker 1: Just says, yeah, I know, I never got any letters, buddy, like and so it's I just never got it was like, how did wait, how did Jack get there?

01:06:13
Speaker 2: Corey? I guess the point.

01:06:15
Speaker 1: Is that Eric's story motivated Jack to try and find.

01:06:19
Speaker 3: Sean, and so maybe Jack followed Cory and Corey suspected he knew where Sean was, so Jack but.

01:06:26
Speaker 2: He came from the other direction.

01:06:28
Speaker 3: Well, he's been spying, so he had to find out good hiding spot. He crossed the street and when.

01:06:35
Speaker 1: We had he had the keys to the binocular cabinet, so he was able to grab the binoculars and followed Jack exactly, I mean, are we is this a contender for like maybe the worst episode of Boymate's World. I hate to say it, but for me it was I really didn't like this me neither. Man, I'm happy and yeah, and like it's got logic.

01:06:57
Speaker 3: Problems that it's really messy.

01:06:59
Speaker 1: It's really and then it's just not entertaining either, Like I don't mind messy if you're funny or clever whatever, but it's just not and it's a yeah.

01:07:08
Speaker 3: And I've also there have been times where at least an episode has been very emotional or heartstring tugging, and I go, well, it may not have been super funny, but boy, I feel I feel inspired after it. This was didn't have any of those.

01:07:23
Speaker 1: Or or it's or it's a fan heavy favorite favorite like cult fiction where maybe there's some problems with it and it's like, wow, Sean joined a cult in an hour, but it mattered to the world and it was really whereas this one, it's just kind of like this was just bad.

01:07:37
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a gimmick, like it's a real world gimmick and it just.

01:07:40
Speaker 1: Didn't and it didn't land at all, didn't work.

01:07:43
Speaker 3: Sean's surprised, and Jack points out, I found you now, didn't I Sean size, saying all he ever wanted was a brother. Jack Nottson tells Sean, well, he's got one.

01:07:53
Speaker 1: Two.

01:07:54
Speaker 3: Jack pulls in for a hug, and Corey watches, which.

01:07:57
Speaker 1: She already said in the first episode brother, and it was like we already had this.

01:08:02
Speaker 2: Moment where it's like, you've got a brother now and Sean.

01:08:04
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know. But the difference is there's a hug now, all right, you know there's a difference. It has hope. The first one had hope too, but this one has a hug.

01:08:12
Speaker 4: Yeah.

01:08:13
Speaker 3: So then we're back in the guy's apartment. Jack yells at Sean to clean up his mess. He even goes so far as to call his brother a pig. Sean pretends to be offended, but we cut to a one on one interview and he smiles at the camera. My brother just called me a pig. I think this might work out. We cut to Jack's one on one confessional and he says he and Sean went out for hot dogs yesterday. Not much of a story, but it's a start. We reveal that Sean is sitting right next to him. The two boys smile into the camera. They are officially brothers.

01:08:40
Speaker 1: What my time machine would be go back and make this an episode where Sean is so excited to have a brother at the beginning of the episode, so he asks Eric to train him how to be a good brother, and then a whole lot bit or like are you like Sean and Eric decide to do pranks on Jack because he's trying to be brotherly and it just completely misfires, or just making Shan into the worst like little brother possible and then like backfires, and then you could have the drama come out at the end and be like, well, I was just trying to be a brother because I didn't know how to and I want you. Whatever could have been funny, and.

01:09:15
Speaker 3: It also would have tied into the idea that you were like, see, I'm trying and you're rejecting me, just like you did fifteen years ago.

01:09:21
Speaker 1: Boom.

01:09:22
Speaker 3: Yeah.

01:09:22
Speaker 1: Yeah. But if it had been Shenanigan's in comedy up until that point, then it would have been great.

01:09:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe this episode would have been good without any of the real world shtick.

01:09:33
Speaker 1: Yeah kill me.

01:09:33
Speaker 2: That would have helped.

01:09:34
Speaker 1: It's also a shame that this is Trina's first episode ever. I mean, she becomes such an important part of the show. This is why we we think her first episode is the first episode. Yeah, because we've all just erased this episode from our memory. Yeah yeah.

01:09:46
Speaker 3: While we're in the tag we see new scenes from the documentary. Back in Corey's cam quarter POV. We're in the laundry room. Eric stares at the dry are fascinated. They go round and round and that's what drives them. And then we're in the Matthews backyard. Glum Larry is standing by the back door. I could have been a good Eric. I wasn't given a chance. We quickly cut to Morgan, who admits he wasn't as good of an Eric as he thought. He coasted, took the job for granted. In the Matthew's kitchen, Amy reveals we couldn't tell Morgan this, but he stole. Alan pulls out her stuffed bunny. We found this in his backpack.

01:10:18
Speaker 2: That's funny.

01:10:19
Speaker 1: Mm hm all stealing like he's actually stealing from the family the whole time.

01:10:23
Speaker 2: That could have been funny, could have been funny.

01:10:25
Speaker 3: Now we're in Phoenie's yard. Phoene kind of whispers, I'm thinking of putting my house up for sale. I thought once the kids got older things would quiet down, but it just gets weirder.

01:10:34
Speaker 2: Great joke.

01:10:35
Speaker 1: Yeahm hm, that's great joke.

01:10:36
Speaker 3: And now nearby in the Matthew's backyard, Corey films himself. I had a meeting with the people at Disney. They are very interested in my film. They're talking three picture deal. Personally, I think I'm I Personally, I'm thinking about going the independent route, maybe the Sundance Film Festival. And then we're back at the guy's apartment. Eric, Seawan, and Jack are all posed in the living room again, smiling at the camera. We hear Corey from behind the camera. This is the story of Jack, Sean and Eric, three new roommates. They've been through a lot and they've made it. Now nothing will tear them apart. Eric tells Sean, you're breathing loud again. Sean gets defensive, so I'm a loud breather. Jack asks, why can't you breathe more like me? Corey admits, what do I know? And we fade to black. Well, that was an episode.

01:11:22
Speaker 1: Was an episode.

01:11:24
Speaker 3: We watched it, we got.

01:11:26
Speaker 1: We did, we did, and hey, it can really only get better after that episode, right right?

01:11:32
Speaker 2: The only way to look is up.

01:11:36
Speaker 3: Thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us your emails at pod Meets Worldshow at gmail dot com, and we have.

01:11:46
Speaker 2: Merch mar I'm sorry, I just did it badly. Is that wrong?

01:11:52
Speaker 4: It's good.

01:11:53
Speaker 3: Join us for our next episode recap, which will be season five, episode three. It's not you, it's me. I have absolutely no idea what that eupisode? I'm out none, man't wait. It originally aired October seventeenth, nineteen ninety seven. Will send us out.

01:12:08
Speaker 2: We love you all, pod dismissed.

01:12:11
Speaker 1: Podmets World is nheart podcast producer and hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfordell and Ryder Strong executive producers Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara Sudbaksh producer, Maddie Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World super fan 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 Podmeats Worldshow at gmail dot com