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Monday, August 29, 2016

Barry the Farkle Bear: A Girl Meets World Theory




On the most recent episode of Girl Meets World, Maya wants something, Riley loses something and Cory loves tacos. 
Crazy right? Well, considering the writers are clever, and they often add allusion to other pieces of literature, films and use symbolism to tell a "behind the scenes" story this episode took the cake!


We start with Maya and Riley preparing for the big day at Pacos Tacos. Maya is really excited about those tacos, and she really wants Bobbi the Bobblehead. Riley promises that there won't be any "stops in Rileytown". She cuddles Barry the Bear before going to sleep, but when she wakes up, the bear is gone!
As Maya mourns the delay in getting The Bobblehead, Riley mourns the loss of Barry. 
Boy was this symbolic. 
Just a few episodes ago, Maya gave up something and Riley replaced someone in her life. 
This all goes back to the dreaded Ski Lodge where it all went terribly wrong. 
 Maya tells Lucas, who she likes, to go to Riley and tell her that he loves her. (He doesn't tell her that by the way.)
Lucas and Riley promise to have important talks and be officially together. But Riley has replaced someone that she actually has important talks with. 
Farkle, who has been there for her since childhood. 
Zay asks Farkle and Lucas why they switched characters in this episode. The exact opposite of subtle. 

I'm convinced that the bear Riley lost represents Farkle, because Riley says this: 
"A teddy bear is a source of joy, and comfort and security and love. Barry was my childhood. Everything he went through, I went through." 
That sounds like Farkle because he's known Riley since childhood: 
He was bullied in Girl Meets Flaws: 
Riley was bullied in Girl Meets Rileytown: 
Farkle was the first to notice. 
That's just one reason I think Barry represents Farkle. Let's not forget the episodes where Farkle wears a bear shirt. 
The first episode is Girl Meets Truth, where Riley doesn't want to break Farkle by telling him the truth. Instead she boosts his confidence, and he changes his entire personality "because Riley said so." 
This is also the episode where Farkle kisses Riley. 
The second time Farkle wears a bear shirt is Girl Meets Smackle. The classroom lesson is The Trojan Horse, and the kids have a debate on whether or not beauty is skin deep. Riley gives Farkle's arch-nemesis Smackle a makeover and pushes Farkle toward her. What Riley doesn't realise is that she accepted the Trojan Horse and changed the entire dynamic of their friend group. 
The next bear shirt is in an episode that I think foreshadows the entire story: Girl Meets Commonsism. Farkle tells Riley that he'll always be on Riley's team. 
The kids lose their individuality and create a wall to seperate them from the rest of the world. This foreshadows Girl Meets Yearbook where Farkle changes first to "Donnie Barnes" and Riley changes to "Morotia M Black". Both are negative characters that appear to be the exact opposite of who Farkle and Riley appear to be. In an attempt to save them, Maya changes to "Riley". Lucas gets upset, just like he is upset in Commonism. 
When they tear down the wall, Farkle is not only wearing orange, but a bear on his shirt, representing his individuality. The kids go back to being who they truly are, and they learn that being different is a good thing. 
The last time Farkle wears a bear shirt is the Ski Lodge episode. He's on edge this whole episode, tells Riley that he's dead inside, expresses that the triangle needs to stop, and he tells an interesting story to Riley. In an attempt to look for a moth, Farkle, "wanders of the trial, slips and falls and ends up hanging by a tree branch." He says that he was "hanging by his fingertips" until Maya tears off the path and saves him. 
Interestingly enough, both Maya and Cory tell Riley that Barry the bear has been hanging on by a thread for years. I wonder what they are referring to? 
Farkle has wanted Riley's attention hasn't he? Since the first episode if I remember correctly: 
Barry was first mentioned in Girl Meets Forgiveness, when Riley couldn't forgive Auggie for tearing off his face.
She's never been able to let that go. I wonder why? 
Cory and Topanga give Riley the bear on the way out the door when Riley is sick. They say that Barry's face is like when they are looking right back at her. Interesting. 
In Girl Meets Smackle, Topanga says something really interesting, and it ties in with my Romeo and Juliet theory. The idea of Cory and Topanga as both a couple and individuals appear to be idolized by most of the characters in the show. Auggie bit the face off, so what does that mean? 
Auggie and Ava appear to have a Cory and Topanga love story going on. That's interesting. 
Not to mention a certain other word that is constantly brought up by an upset Farkle: 
So Farkle calls Lucas a face all the time. And apparently Lucas is supposed to be the "Topanga" to Riley's "Cory". 
Well . . . 

Topanga, dressed in orange no less, has a very important talk with Farkle about how her previous self, "the wacko" is just part of her scrapbook. 
Farkle has been "lost" for a while now, ever since his transformation into "Donnie Barnes" 
When Riley turns back to herself in yearbook, Farkle decides to change. He stops wearing his signature turtlenecks, especially his favorite orange one. His wardrobe changes from bright colors to black. 
We see this expression on his face after Lucas "chooses" Riley in Girl Meets Triangle, and from then on, Farkle appears to be more and more sad and angry. :( 
Topanga and Auggie pick up on Farkle's behavior right away. He's very sad when Riley can't find the bear, and she decides to let it go. Especially since Topanga and Farkle connected that bear to an important part of Riley's childhood. 
The Matthews family knows how important Farkle is to Riley.
This is why Auggie asks Farkle to the movies at the end of the episode. ( A supposedly comical moment that really wasn't. Does Farkle look happy? I don't think so) 
    
Cory has an entire lesson about how we shouldn't take people close to us for granted, and Farkle is the main topic: 
But Farkle doesn't have a "face". He's "not part of the story", so Riley is blind to his pain: 
This is clearly displayed in Ski Lodge. 
But we also know that Riley cares for Farkle, and once she is able to make decisions for herself, without the influence of others, Farkle is the first person she goes to. 
Right now, Riley is distracted by the idea of a Cory and Topanga story. She's not even aware of her own story. 
She needs to go back to the beginning: 
And realize that her Prince Charming was there the entire time ;)
So, long story short: 


















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