Family game night. The only war we willingly self-inflict for entertainment.
Not to say I had family game night. Growing up, the closest we came was Sundays at my grandmother’s house with the cousins, one summer in Brazil. There were card games, video games—even Risk, just to be super obvious about the whole affair. In hindsight, it seems fun. Crowded rooms, crimson faces, carefully hidden expletives as single-digit children came round. In reality, it was always a storm—for all the same reasons.
It’s this mood that “Girl Meets Game Night” at its best breaks into—even, literally and sometimes pleasantly, syncing it up with a classroom lesson on the American Revolution. It’s been obvious in the past that Girl Meets World works a lot better at home than at school, and “Game Night” puts this to the test, pitting Riley’s two worlds against each other as she invites Maya and the gang to join. It’s easy at first to side with Riley on this—it’s not like she’s trying to get out of it, and you get the sense things wouldn’t have escalated if Cory had just let it go. The episode settles in nicely to a fair position for the Matthews parents though. It’s not about game night, but about their children's inevitable slide towards adulthood, which as young parents might hit a bit harder. They know very well how friends become family, and it wasn't that long ago for them—but while Maya’s always been a mainstay, it’s understandably hard to see the numbers increase. Ultimately, everyone comes to a good compromise—that is to say, none at all. Life is hard, life will make you sad and stressed and angry—but hopefully, at the end, there’s a reward.
I would have preferred a less heavy-handed approach (and, well, a more realistic one because what even was that floating hologram thing?) but it’s a fun enough story. Cory and Riley’s rapid fire exchanges were delightful, Lucas’ uncomfortable anguish over having to be polite in such drama was nicely subtle character humor—and Josh is back! Josh, who in two episodes has possibly become my favorite addition to the Meets World universe. He plays game host tonight and carries with aplomb, combining the suave good natured energy of a young Eric Matthews with a quiet sincerity all his own. I could stand the show taking a few steps back in the Maya/Josh suggestions—what was lightly amusing in “Home for the Holidays” feels forced here, particularly since Josh seems to regret now having called her cute. But is a natural fit in the room, and helps keeps the game flowing even when the writers are spinning their wheels to get to the end. If there’s a complaint to be found, it’s probably exactly that: It’s a spinning wheels sort of episode, not really doing much more than getting by and to the end of the half-hour, with its lags clear and present in the second half. But Farkle’s minimally annoying, Ava’s developing, and the bonds are tightening after a whole lot of yelling and stomping—all in all, sounds like a game night to me.
Random Notes
- This review is late on account of “OH WE’RE BACK OKAY SURE” realizations had late mid-day today.
- I may or may not have hoped that Josh had brought Shawn. Whatever, no shame.
- Game night hell of choice? I’m serious about the card games—so much Blackjack.
