I am so excited to be able to say that the episode I saw at the taping back in May has finally aired! It was so surreal for me to watch it on TV knowing I saw the scenes actually being filmed live. The scenes that we saw at the live taping were the opening scene with Maya and Riley in the hallway, the scene that followed that one of all the kids in the classroom, the scene where the kids were studying in the Matthews apartment, both classroom scenes where they go in and switch partners,the Bay Window scene with all four kids, the scene where they discuss their project in front of the class (fun fact Ben and Rowan kept messing up their lines in that one. LOL), the scene where Maya puts the 5 dollar bill where she found it and the boy picking it back up, and the last scene with Maya and Riley in the Bay Window. The rest of the scenes were shown to us on the monitor. I’d also like to add that August Maturo did such a fantastic job in this episode. The scenes he had were some of the most emotional he has ever done. He really did a good job pulling at the heart strings.
I thought that Girl Meets Belief was a fantastic episode and I am so glad that the writers touched on this topic. For those that may be curious I’d like to tell you all that my parents raised my sister and I as Catholic. Even though this episode did not mention Jesus it did mention God and I’m so glad that the writers did an episode on this considering that religion is a very sensitive topic to most people. Personally I love that regardless of it being a sensitive topic that they did an episode on it anyway. It wasn’t so much about God but about how you should respect what others believe in which I think was a great way to go about it because disrespecting others religious beliefs is one of many problems in this country.
Girl Meets Belief opened up with Maya and Riley in the hallway at school. Maya found a 5 dollar bill on the ground and wanted to keep it. Riley felt that it was wrong and tried convince her to put it back by telling her to read on the bill where it says “In God We Trust” which surprised Maya. Riley asked Maya if she’s ever wondered if someone was always watching to see if she does the right thing. When Maya goes back into the classroom Riley tries to do the right thing by placing a 5 dollar bill in the spot where Maya picked up the one she found. However after Riley places it there Maya comes out to get her and then takes that 5 dollars too.
Once in class it just so happens that lesson Cory has planned out for the students is Joan of Arc. She was a 13 year old girl from France who believed that she heard the voice of God telling her drive the English out of France. For the assignment Cory pairs Riley and Maya together to do a report on Thomas Jefferson and pairs Farkle and Lucas together to do theirs on Joan of Arc.
Later on that evening while Topanga is doing paper work (I assume that Cory and Riley are in bed) she overhears Auggie talking to someone in his room. When she goes into his room to check on him she tries to talk to him about it but he would rather talk to her in the morning. She tells him that’s okay and that sometimes things can be personal and private.
The next day after school Riley, Maya, Lucas, and Farkle are in the Bakery discussing their projects. Riley is very adamant in wanting Maya to believe in the way she sees things but Maya just doesn’t see it. Lucas and Farkle are having the same issue because Lucas is not seeing things the way Farkle does. In the mean time Auggie and Topanga had come in and realized they had came at the wrong time because all 4 kids were arguing and decided that they wanted to switch partners. In the next scene we see them back at school asking Cory if they can change partners to which Cory agrees. When they go out to the hallway Lucas and Riley change their mind but Farkle and Maya disagree. Maya tells Riley that she needs a break from her and what she believes in.
After switching partners Farkle, Riley, Maya and Lucas go back to the bakery to work on their projects. Farkle tries to convince Maya to go back to the way things used to be with Riley. Lucas tells Riley who is looking at pictures of her and Maya that maybe they are too close. The two go back to working on their project when they realize that working together was too easy. In the meantime Farkle says something that makes Maya realize that he is right and so her & Riley make up. Riley, Maya, Lucas and Farkle go back to Cory and tell him that they want to switch again but before they even had time to ask him, Cory tells them to go ahead.
In the next scene they are now in the Matthews. This time Riley is paired with Farkle and Maya is paired with Lucas. Riley tries to get an understanding of scientific beliefs from Farkle while Maya tries to get an understanding of religious beliefs from Lucas. Once Lucas and Farkle explain it to them they both get a better understanding.
Later on Topanga goes into Auggie’s room to check on him and learns that Lucas and Farkle’s talk in the Bakery about Joan of Arc being burned at the stake freaked him out. He was afraid that since he’s been talking to someone no one can see that people are going to come get him and hurt him.
The next day Maya, Farkle, Riley, and Lucas are all in the Bay Window in Riley’s room. Maya wants to know if Riley prays. Riley tells her that she does everyday. Maya thinks that it is greedy and Farkle agrees with her on that. When Riley doesn’t understand why they think that Farkle basically explains that because Riley prays all the time that it doesn’t leave much room for anyone else to get their prayers in too. Lucas retorts back that it’s no different than finding out something about someone with one click on a computer. He says that if a computer can do that then shouldn’t God be able to as well?
Cory comes in tells them they should all be open into hearing their friends beliefs before deciding for themselves what they should believe in. He uses a scientific experiment to prove his point.
Later that night Cory and Topanga both go into say good night to Auggie who reveals that he wasn’t praying but was talking to Mrs. Svorski. He tells them that he was worried she had no one to talk to. Cory reassures him that she has people up there that love her and people down there like Auggie who love and talk to her as well. When Auggie asks if its okay for him to talk to her since it makes him feel better Cory tells him that it’s perfectly fine to talk to her anytime he wants. (Side Note: I LOVED that the writers did this. I thought it was very real. After my Grandmother passed away my Grandpa would always tell me that he’d talk to her.)
The next day Maya and Riley explain to the class that Thomas Jefferson believed religion should be a personal choice. Farkle and Lucas explain that Joan of Arc believed so much in what she thought was right that her beliefs inspired an entire nation and that even though there was no proof of what she heard that there was no question that she believed. After class Maya puts the 5 dollars back on the ground where she found it and then they showed one of the boys (an extra not Lucas/Farkle) in her class picking it back up. In the very last scene at the end of the episode while talking in the Bay Window Maya tells Riley that she said a prayer the night before. Riley tells Maya that she likes what Maya believes and then the episode ends.
How did you like this episode?