The Longest Ride vs Girl Meets Texas

So I just watched The Longest Ride last night, and the visuals had so many parallels to the Girl Meets Texas trilogy in Girl Meets World. (I've already started to call it Lucaya the movie)

First, the characters are very similar: 

The protagonist, Sophia is very similar to Maya. I would not be surprised if her character was a source of inspiration for Maya's character. 

Sophia loves art, she is too busy to fall in love and she is afraid to get close to someone. More importantly, she's not sure what risks she is willing to take. 

Luke is a cowboy gentleman, and his character seems to be the inspiration for Lucas. The only difference I saw in their characters was the daredevil part of Luke's personality. Lucas is not that stubborn, but in Girl Meets Texas, he is determined to ride Tombstone and get that 8 seconds that haunted his past. 

The dynamic between Sophia and Luke when they first met is reflected in Maya and Lucas's "game". 

She teases him for being a cowboy, laughs when he gives her flowers like a gentleman, and she is often surprised that he won't act crude or overbearing. 

Aside from the visual comparisons in the campfire scene, this dynamic between Maya and Lucas started in season 1 and became more and more obvious in season 2. There are a few differences. Maya is meaner to Lucas than Sophia is to Luke. It's part of her tough girl act. However, the relationship they have echoes the same concept. Is love worth the risk? 

The most obvious comparison to the two story lines is the fight they have about bull riding. Maya doesn't want Lucas to ride Tombstone at all once she understands the stakes that Lucas faces to do so. It's a fight that mirrors the break up scene in The Longest Ride, when Sophia learns just how much Luke pushes himself to do bull riding despite his injury. 

Another visual que is the almost kiss between Lucas and Maya that appears to be inspired by the barn scene in the film. This is the moment that Sophia finally faces that fear and takes the risk. 

Maya is far more hestitant than Sophia, because she knows that Riley likes Lucas, and she is not sure that it's worth the risk. She does finally admit to Lucas how she feels, but the scene cuts off pretty quickly. 

Lucas does wear a black cowboy hat in Maya's fantasy during Girl Meets Ski Lodge, which may allude to the film. 

Based on the story of the film The Longest Ride, I think Maya and Lucas will both have to take the leap if they want to make the relationship work, but currently that leap involves Rliey getting hurt. This is visually obvious in Girl Meets Triangle, and the reason Lucas and Maya decided that he should choose Riley. 

The Longest Ride has a very specific lesson that mirrors this plot line. Both Sophia and Luke go after what they think they want, but it is only then that they discover what will truly bring them happiness. I think Maya and Lucas will have a similar situation. 

As a bonus, a black cowboy hat is an important prop in the beginning of the film. Lucas wears a brown cowboy hat in Girl Meets Texas, but, Farkle wears a black one.