Episode 1x06 "Boys II Mensa"

Rider Strong did an interview earlier this week about how the Cory+Good-Hair friendship wasn't really established before they filmed a few episodes. The interview gives some possible answers to the question of why no one has said his character's name yet in the show, and also why Black-Hair was only around for a few episodes. Good read. http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/showbiz/tv/boy-meets-world-rider-strong/index.html?hpt=en_c2

This episode's title is a play on the R&B group Boyz II Men and the organization which currently holds the record for scamming the largest number of smart people, Mensa.

The most thorough way to describe the pre-credits scene is "not funny". Cory is wearing a clown nose in class, which is supposed to be funny somehow. Looks like the guy behind Cory knows how dumb this is. To put it in perspective, the hip-hop skeleton in the background ISN'T the dumbest thing about this scene. I just checked Wikipedia and don't worry friends, the person who wrote this episode only wrote one other episode for the rest of the series.

Is it a reference? Why is Cory surprised when Mr. Feeny gets annoyed? I just have no idea. Topanga and Black-Hair aren't in class, Bad-Hair is here though. That's fun.

That afternoon Cory and Good-Hair finish their respective detentions and find "answers to a test" in a garbage can. Good-Hair gets a mischievous look on his face, but oh darn, they're just the answers for "that stupid IQ exam we're taking tomorrow". Good-Hair wants to throw the answers back in the trash, but Cory decides to keep and memorize them. Do I even need to explain how impossible this setup is? This episode is... not off to a good start...

Predictably, Cory gets a perfect score, Minkus is sad, and Feeny makes a way-too-big deal out of it so anyone who's seen the past  5 episodes knows that the old man is trolling Cory right now. Cory and Good-Hair think Feeny is serious, which almost makes them as dumb as the plot. At the Matthews house Morgan wants to get her Halloween costume and Eric is willing to go with her because he's a cool guy, I guess. Good-Hair and Cory show up just in time to suspiciously rush past everyone prompting the abridged version of this review from the minor Matthews characters: 

Also Amy is apparently in the real-estate business, we'll see how long that keeps up. So Mr. Feeny wants to have dinner with Cory's parents to talk about how their child is a genius. Cory decides his best option is to start acting like a genius around the house so that his parents might actually believe the whole con. What happens next is not pretty. I apologize for putting you through this but you need to understand what I'm working with here. 

Back at school, Cor- OH SHIT. 

LIGHT. 

THE FUCKING. 

BEACONS.

Cory finally calls Good-Hair by his name, which I'm sure you all know is Shawn. Cory says it with such emphasis too. What a triumph. I'm glad that's settled, I was tired of ranting about it. 

His hair is still good though. Look at that shit. Is that worth a character development badge? Naming the show's lieutenant? Let's go with a "Good-Hair's Name is Shawn" Bonus Badge instead. Anywho, Mr. Feeny takes Cory out of class to the lunchroom for a private chat, presumably because the cafeteria is the only other set they've built for the school. The master troll informs Cory that he'll be transferred to a special school for geniuses, a place where fun does not exist. Cory and Shawn (God that feels good to say) are in Cory's room and the curly hair blames the wavy hair for getting him into this whole mess. 

It's not even remotely Shawn's fault, but I'll take any excuse to make that gif. Now some stuck up woman with a fake posh-British accent has come over to evaluate Cory's IQ in person. Cory convinces his parents and the 60 year old Mary Poppins that he's not a genius by admitting to having cheated on the original test. Alan and Amy never actually believed Cory was a genius, they just wanted Cory to confess or tell the truth or whatever. Amy also tells Cory that he "never has to try to be something [he's] not". It's like they're just cramming these morals in at the end here, but they have nothing to do with the actual story. It's all an unusual take on the lie-that-gets-out-of-control formula. Usually telling the truth is hard because the lie is beneficial and the truth detrimental, but here Cory saves his own ass by telling the truth. There was no point to anything that happened. We do get a meaningful exchange between Mr. Feeny and Cory at the end though.

I know what you're thinking, and no, that is unfortunately not the last sleeveless hoodie we're going to see on Boy Meets World.

Also Mr. Feeny gives out rulers on Halloween instead of candy. 

ISN'T THAT FUNNY??!?!!?

0 points for humor, 0 for plot, 0 for life lesson, .75 for character development since we learned Shawn's name and we got to see a little more of Feeny's philosophy on teaching. 

.75/4 with a "Shawn's Name" Bonus Badge.

This was the worst episode so far. I would much rather not be harsh since harshness is less fun to read (and write), but you can watch it for yourselves and see there really isn't anything here. 

It's hard to write words with the paintbrush in Paint.

Seeeeeeeeee you Monday.

All clips and images used under Fair Use.