| “ | The rules are there to help us. | ” |
Girl Meets Rules is the seventh episode in season 2 of Girl Meets World and the 28th episode overall. It aired on June 12, 2015 to 2.0 million viewers.
Overview
When the entire class gets detention, the class divides and chaos ensues. Meanwhile, Auggie's friend Ava attempts to be nicer when she thinks she's losing him to another girl.
Plot
When Cory's class realize he's late, Farkle freaks out and faints over the prospect of a substitute teacher, but Riley is confident Cory will arrive soon. Maya decides that while Cory isn't there, it's Maya time - time to take back the toys he's confiscated from them. Riley isn't comfortable breaking the rules, but Maya calls on "ring power" to make Riley follow her. Maya convinces Riley to join her in shooting a ping-pong gun, and the whole class descends into chaos, except for Lucas who remains still. When Cory finally arrives, he wants to know why they disregarded the rules. The whole class apologizes, except Lucas - who says he never does anything. Cory says he usually gives them leeway around the rules because they're good students - but not today; as collective punishment, Cory gives everyone detention except for "Lucas the Good"; fearing this will give Maya more name-calling fodder, Lucas uses his cellphone in class to make Cory give him detention, too.
At the end of the day as detention starts, Maya believes that she would do pretty well in a world without rules, which the rest of the class agree with, except Riley. Cory tells them they can be without rules for the next hour, but he thinks they'll be eating each other after a minute. Cory locks them in the class as he thinks the best punishment he can give them is to be stuck with one another. Riley is convinced that Cory wants them to fall apart, so she says they need to unite and prove they can get through the hour without turning into wild animals. Riley decides to create a perfect society: Rileytown, but Maya decides to make her own place that is more chaotic: Mayaville.
Riley asks why Maya and the others can't just follow her lead. Farkle says they're not all like her; he then explains the reason he can't choose between her and Maya is because life with either one alone would be too extreme. When Maya notices Cory forgot to lock the door at the back of the classroom, she and her followers, including Farkle, make their way out. Tired of never doing anything, Lucas re-channels his Texas persona and excitedly charges out of the room. When Riley talks to her followers, they say they admire her, but being bored, they all wish they'd followed Maya and the others. Janitor Harley enters the classroom surprised that there are still people there while the others are having a blast. He is also surprised to hear that "Little Zippy (Riley) has crossed the line". Riley explains that it's because Maya influenced her - something Harley has noticed over the years. Before finishing cleanup, Harley says this lesson has Cory written all over it, and walks out. Riley assures the others that Maya will be fine and that Lucas and Farkle will keep her from getting into trouble, but when they all point out that Maya is stronger, Riley is convinced that fourteen years of good influence can't possibly come apart in five minutes.
Meanwhile, Maya and her followers, all dressed in warpaint (and brandishing brooms for weapons and a trashcan lid for a shield), are rampaging down the halls, but Lucas and Farkle become disappointed that nobody is around to see it. When Janitor Harley shows up, he says he learned the importance of being around the good kids, as bad kids have good parts that can be brought out in the right company. Lucas remarks on how Harley seems to be a nice guy, and Harley admits he used to be intimidating; when Maya asks what changed him, he explains that he met a good guy. Maya agrees they need a good kid around them to find their own good parts, so she decides they'll go and steal one.
Back in the classroom, Riley is playing "Duck Duck Goose" with her followers when Maya and her gang storm in and kidnap her, throwing a large mesh sack over her and carrying her out to the hallway. After they leave Maya is ready to walk out herself when Riley's followers beg her to help them to be like her, to which she agrees. When Maya's gang get back in the hallway Riley hands moist towelettes to everyone to clean up their faces as they "look ridiculous", but gently cleans the warpaint off of Lucas' face herself.
With the hour nearly over, Riley and hew new townies are sitting quietly in the classroom as Maya leads her new gang back in, and the two are chatting about their respective experiences when Cory returns and tells them detention is over. Riley and Maya ask him about people changing people, particularly how to avoid changing back if you're away from the people who changed you. Cory calls Janitor Harley in, who was watching the kids the whole time; Harley reveals to Cory that everyone went crazy except Riley, who explains that she remained sane because she was without Maya. He then goes on to say that Maya was the ring leader and the first one out the door, and Maya admits that without Riley she might never come back. Cory dismisses everyone in the class except for Maya; when she asks Harley what changed him, Harley says there's always two doors, and that Cory showed him the other door. After telling Maya that the most important thing he can teach her is that there are consequences to her actions no matter what she decides to be, Cory leaves her in detention for another hour, this time alone, but Riley is sitting and waiting for her outside the door.
Subplot
Ava confides in Topanga that she feels she is losing Auggie to a more polite girl at school and wants Topanga to help her to pretend to be nicer. Topanga reluctantly agrees, but when Auggie arrives home later he is dumbstruck by Ava's new personality. He explains to Ava that being polite is fine but it can be tiring, which is why he likes Ava just the way she is.
After hanging out with Auggie for awhile, Ava, back to her old self, asks Topanga to throw her out. When Topanga admits that Ava is finally starting to grow on her, Auggie tells Topanga that he was ready to stop seeing Ava if Topanga still didn't like her as her happiness is the most important thing to him, but then Auggie admits it was just a fake out - something he learned from Ava and Topanga.
Cast
Main cast
- Rowan Blanchard as Riley Matthews
- Ben Savage as Cory Matthews
- Sabrina Carpenter as Maya Hart
- Peyton Meyer as Lucas Friar
- August Maturo as Auggie Matthews
- Corey Fogelmanis as Farkle Minkus
- Danielle Fishel as Topanga Matthews
Guest stars
- Danny McNulty as Harley Keiner
- Ava Kolker as Ava Morgenstern
- Sarah Carpenter as Sarah
- Darby Walker as Darby
- Jade Holden as Jade
- Hunter Wickham as Dave
Quotes
| “ | You. Come here, right now. Ring power! | ” |
—-Maya to Riley
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| “ | I need to be both of you | ” |
—-Farkle to Maya and Riley
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| “ | This lesson has your father written all over it | ” |
—-Janitor Harley to Riley
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| “ | She's better when you're with her. | ” |
—-Sarah, says to Riley about Maya
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| “ | I was without Maya. Without Maya, I don't think I'd ever unfold my hands. | ” |
—-Riley
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| “ | I was without Riley. Without Riley, I may never come back. | ” |
—-Maya
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| “ | I'll try better next time. | ” |
—-Maya to Cory
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| “ | I know. | ” |
—-Cory to Maya
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| “ | Maya:Next time I'm gonna put more paint on Riley's Face Cory: I'm sure she's counting on it |
” |
| “ | Riley! | ” |
—-Maya
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| “ | Right here. | ” |
—-Riley (looking in the door window when she heard Maya call her name)
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| “ | Ava:Thank You
Topanga: My pleasure |
” |
| “ | I'm going down, sir. Oh, he's not even here. | ” |
—Farkle, just before he falls off the chair onto the floor
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| “ | We lost Farkle! | ” |
—Riley after Farkle falls.
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Trivia
- This was the final episode Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter filmed before they shot their respective DCOMs.
- Third appearance of Janitor Harley, and the first in the second season.
- The plot is similar to the book "Lord of the Flies" written by William Golding.
- Farkle's Latin quote is from Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland.
- Danny McNulty's name is given as "David" in the credits.
- References to Girl Meets the Secret of Life are made.
- Topanga witnessing Ava's entrance mirrored a similar sequence involving Auggie (including chocolate cake and whipped cream) from Girl Meets Smackle.
- For this single episode, a vending machine is placed over the door to the Girl's restroom. Also, the hallway in front of the History classroom windows is disguised as the second floor by the placing of "Art Room" signs over the Gymnasium doors.
- Ava calls Auggie by his full name, August.
- Second mention of Auggie's classmate, Emma Weathersby.
- As she did in the pilot, Maya stands on Farkle's desk.
- For the first time, Ava Kolker is credited as Ava Morgenstern instead of just merely Ava.
- First mention of the DC Comics character Batman (who will become a topic of study in "Girl Meets the New Teacher') despite the fact that Disney actually owns the rival Marvel Comics Group range of characters.
- Eric Matthews stated "I'm Batman," in the sixth season BMW episode "Honesty Night." At the time, Will Friedle was also providing the voice of Terry McGuiness, the titular character of the animated series Batman Beyond.
- Farkle and Lucas wanted to be called "Batman" and "Mad Dog," respectively.
- Harley was part of lesson acting as Cory's proctor.
- Janitor Harley called Riley "Little Zippy" and "Zippy".
- Lucas picks being with Maya over being with Riley.
- Lucas had Cory's cell phone number when he sent Cory a text to get himself into detention.
- There is a reference to the "Girl Meets the Secret of Life" lesson: "People change people".
- The way Cory holds and shakes the key at the window is similar to the Boy Meets World episode "And Then There Was Shawn", when the janitor holds and shakes the keys when Feeny's class has detention.
- As shown in the promotional pictures, there were deleted scenes with Maya teaching the "Good Kids" how to have fun.
- There was a deleted scene when Farkle's "hungry" friends imagined him as a roast turkey.
- Rileytown Students
- Mayaville Students
Goofs
- When detention is dismissed and Maya and Cory are talking in the classroom, the backdoor is open. But when Maya is alone and Riley sits outside the front door, when the camera goes back to Maya, the door is closed.
International premieres
- November 20, 2015 (UK)
- December 19, 2015 (Hungary)
- December 25, 2015 (The Netherlands and Belgium)
- January 9, 2016 (Romania)
- January 19, 2016 (Latin America and Brazil)
- February 1, 2016 (Israel)
- February 21, 2016 (Italy)
- February 26, 2016 (Poland)
Gallery
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The image gallery for Girl Meets Rules may be viewed here.
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Transcript
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To view the Girl Meets Rules transcript, click here.
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Videos
Girl Meets World - Girl Meets Rules Promo
Girl Meets World - Episode Clip - Girl Meets Rules
Girl Meets World Episode Clip 2 Girl Meets Rules