This episode was extremely emotional, and it had no new formula. They've done an episode like this one before, but this time they changed it slightly and made it work perfectly. The similiar episode "Girl Meets Flaws" was another episode that emphasized the idea that our flaws make us special. This however took a new approach, and an exciting and powerful message.
****Spoiler Alert****
The trigger world for this episode is "Rileytown". After Maya encourages this idea, Riley calls her a bully. Maya is hurt by this but she's not giving up. She is determined to discover why Riley is acting this way. Riley challenges Maya to a duel and Maya accepts.They duel with ice cream, and Maya decides not to engage. She tries to show that she has no conflict with Riley. Riley believes that she has to prove something to Maya. She forces the ice cream in Maya's face and storms out. Maya shows no aggression, and is determined to figure out what is going on with Riley. Maya encourages Corey and Topanga to not get involved. This shows incredible strength because Maya is learning that they need to work things out without adult intervention.
Farkle is the one who uncovers the truth about Riley, since he himself has had a run in with a similar situation(Girl Meets Flaws). He realizes that Riley is being bullied, and instantly sends Lucas away. Then he explains the situation to both Maya and Lucas. Lucas engages in his rage.
The Big Lesson in this episode deals with conflict. Lucas and Farkle have two different views of conflict resolution, you can either talk it out or go to war. This parallels Maya and Riley's conflict, and they decide that the best way to fix their conflict is duel. They learned that if a conflict cannot be resolved peacefully, then someone can get hurt.
The one thing about this episode that makes it THE BEST, was the performance by Rowan Blanchard. She stood up and delivered that speech perfectly, and she evoked so much emotion inside of it. There were harsh words, and the viewers were able to feel the pain that Riley felt. The tears in her eyes were so powerful. It was more than just a monologue. It was pour of emotion, and the character coming face to face with their biggest insecurities.
Next came the moment with all of her friends coming to her rescue. Maya sat with her in the window and was the shoulder for her to lean on. After she had her initial cry, the gentleman came in to provide extra comfort. They circled around and ensured her that the most important thing was that she remember her friends were there. They cared about her and they wanted nothing but the bet for her. With that, she was able to close out the episode with an amazing monologue. This is what separates "Girl Meets Rileytown" from "Girl Meets Flaws". Although Riley had her friends support, she chose to face the bully on her own. She revealed her most private self to her bully, and the entire school. Her friends supported her, but they didn't fight for her. That is what makes this episode unique.
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