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I'm growing up, dad.
Riley to Cory


Girl Meets Father is the fourth episode in season 1 of Girl Meets World. It aired on July 25, 2014 to 3.3 million viewers.[1]

Overview

Riley seeks advice from Topanga about how to end a long-standing father-daughter tradition so she can go to her first school dance.

Plot

It's Tuesday, and Riley asks Lucas if he is going to the upcoming "Tick-Tock Shake Your Body Time" dance Friday night. Maya reminds Lucas that it won't be a square dance (and even goes so far as to mock country-western dancing style in an attempt to rile him), but Lucas keeps his cool and says he is planning to be there anyway.

That evening, Riley talks to Topanga about the dance; she wants to wear makeup for the first time, but Topanga forbids it. She then reminds Riley that Friday night is the season finale for the Cyclone roller coaster, ride at Coney Island, which Cory looks upon as a tradition. Riley hopes that Cory will forget about it, but he bursts through the door excited about the ride. Riley gently tries to let Cory down saying she wants to go to the dance instead as it will be her first. Cory reminds her of their tradition, but citing the fact that she's growing up, Riley says there is nothing left for him to teach her; when she asks him what he knows about makeup Cory replies, "I know it's what you're going to have to do with me." and sadly walks away.

The next morning in class, Cory hands out the students' results from his test on Darwin; he gives Maya's test back to her with an 'F' grade, which particularly upsets her. Convinced that there's nothing more she can learn in his class, she walks out and empties her locker. Following her out, Riley says she'll see Maya tomorrow morning to pick her up for school, but Maya says she won't be there and leaves the school.

That evening, Cory, watching videos of his past rides with Riley, is brokenhearted about her wanting to end their annual Cyclone tradition, but he is also dismayed that he has lost Maya; Topanga tries to comfort him saying that the mere fact that their Cyclone tradition is ending doesn't mean that his and Riley's father-daughter relationship is over.

The next night in the Bay Window, Riley tries to convince Maya that she has proven her point by skipping school and begs her to come back, but Maya refuses and attempts to sign up for an online school course that wants $400 in advance, but offers a chance to qualify for a free trial, but Maya even fails that. Riley gets Maya to admit that sometimes she's not proud of who she is. Topanga comes in to check up on them, and Riley asks her to persuade Maya to come back to school, saying that she's used to Maya picking her up every morning. Topanga then advises Riley to go to her father because he feels bad. When Maya admits she feels bad and wonders whether Cory will come to her even though she's not his daughter, Topanga says that he will because that's the way he is; at this point Cory wordlessly comes in and takes Maya by the hand into the kitchen.

Cory hands Maya's failed test back to her and makes her read it aloud; she had written that Darwin had sailed on a boat called "The Beatles", when it was actually the HMS Beagle. With Riley's prompting, Maya then reveals that she knew the right answers to many of the other questions she missed, proving that despite her rebellious attitude, she does listen. When Cory asks her what she was trying to do, she replies she was trying to act smart, and Cory tells her the best way to be smart is to say what she means, and if she listens, she won't fail. He then changes Maya's grade from F to C-plus. Citing her belief that she somehow failed as a daughter to her estranged father, who now has another family, Maya says she doesn't want to fail, and Cory reassures her that he, Topanga, and especially Riley are all there to ensure she won't. Riley then says she would much rather go on the Cyclone again, but Cory tells her she can go to the dance because now he will be there as a chaperone.

As the dance is winding down and some of the other girls' fathers are there to pick them up, Cory suggests the final dance should be a father-daughter pairing. Embracing his father figure role for her, Cory leads Maya to the dance floor and then invites Riley to join them. Riley observes that they may have started a new tradition, and along with Maya, she admits that Cory still has a lot to teach her.

Monday morning at breakfast, Auggie suggests that now Riley is older maybe he and Cory could start a new tradition: a singles cruise to Alaska. Topanga says that some traditions are meant to change; when Maya arrives to pick up Riley for school, Cory observes that some traditions should always remain the same.

Cast

Main cast

Guest cast

Trivia

  • Rowan Blanchard and Peyton Meyer cited this episode as their favorite during an interview. Rowan further went on to say it was hard to get through without crying.
  • This episode aired as part of Out of This World Weekend.[2]
  • It aired on Father's Day in Spain and Portugal.
  • Cory promotes Auggie from "Spy" to "Superspy" in this episode.
  • This is the first time Maya is seen with her backpack, as Riley generally carries her books.
  • Maya has a cotton candy machine in her locker.
  • Maya's locker has changed from a middle upper red in the pilot to a corner upper yellow.
  • Voice actor Stephen Stanton provided the uncredited voice of  Frank Mantucci.
  • At first, Maya thought the HMS Beagle was called The Beatles.
  • Maya's father is revealed to have a new family.
  • Maya later recalls her test failure in Season 3's Girl Meets Sweet Sixteen (the penultimate episode of the entire series). She realizes that Cory helped her to pass the test because he knew she would need it someday.
  • First appearance of Dave.
  • Cory watching videos of Riley on the Cyclone mirrored scenes in which Alan watched home movies of young Cory in BMW episode "Wheels."
  • It's said in that episode that Cory considers both Maya and Riley as his "girls."
  • This is the third Disney's channel show to mention Coney Island. The first was Wizards of Waverly Place and the second was Jessie.
  • When Farkle mentioned that he earned his 700th A, it was most likely a reference to the fact that his father only got 699 As and Topanga got 700 As. This caused her to be the valedictorian over Stuart Minkus in the Boy Meets World episode: Graduation.  Girl Meets Maya's Mother would later imply that it was only Farkle's 500th 'A.'
  • The jacket Farkle wears at the Tick-Tock Dance apparently bears the Minkus family crest.
  • The songs played during the Tick-Tock dance were March On by Cathy Heller and Love You Forever by Ryan Huston. March On was played while Lucas and Riley danced, and Love You Forever was played while Riley, Cory, and Maya danced.
  • For the Afterbuzz TV review of this episode click here.

Goofs

  • When Maya is talking facing towards the locker there is a blue plate but when Maya is dancing and Riley and Lucas are talking the plate is smaller.
  • At that same part when Maya begins to dance Dave is on the left but when Riley is talking to Lucas he's on the right.
  • When Topanga and Auggie are on the couch you see a blue pillow next to Auggie; it changes from leaning to the right from the left.
  • After Maya gives Riley her cotton candy it changes size.
  • When Maya is on the computer and you see Riley too there's a pillow behind Maya but then it's on the other side of the window when the camera zooms in on Maya.
  • The A on Maya's paper disappears afterwards.

International premieres

  • August 1, 2014 (Canada)
  • September 15, 2014 (Australia)
  • September 21, 2014 (Latin America, Brazil)
  • October 3, 2014 (UK & Ireland)
  • November 15, 2014 (France)
  • November 29, 2014 (Czech Republic/Hungary and Middle East/Africa)
  • November 30, 2014 (Italy, Romania, Bulgaria) 
  • December 6, 2014 (Poland) 
  • January 15, 2015 (Israel) 
  • February 15, 2015 (Japan)
  • March 19, 2015 (Spain, Portugal)
  • May 14, 2015 (Germany)
  • July 26, 2016 (Philippines)

Gallery

Girl Meets World Logo
The image gallery for Girl Meets Father may be viewed here.


Transcript

Girl Meets World Logo
To view the Girl Meets Father transcript, click here.


References

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