Girl Meets Goodbye [SPOILERS]
Having just seen the episode a short while ago, here are my thoughts on it (with spoilers).
FAIR WARNING, THIS POST DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
First off, it didn't seem like a series finale. It felt more like how the show should have been, where there is a lesson involved. You do see a major number of previous cast members making an appearance, including both actresses who played Morgan. How they handled having two Morgans was unique and nice. They were treated both as one person and as two people. Both on screen at the same time, having lines, but the same role. The way it was handled made it feel as though it was natural, as opposed to making it awkward. There were two distinct references to it, but both were mild, which I felt was done wonderfully. The first was when there was a comment about how they had never had 'everyone' in the same room together (the BMW cast all together at one time in GMW), with one Morgan confirming that comment while looking at the other Morgan. The other reference was when one was talking to Auggie, then the other came in to tag-team relieve the first one, then she continued talking to Auggie. Auggie turned to Cory/Topanga and asked if there were going to be two of him. Comical nod that is quickly moved past. Wonderfully done. You do see Mr. Feeny, looking as stern as ever, giving words of encouragement and wisdom as he usually does.
The reason for everyone being there, which should be obvious by the "TBC" from the previous episode, is that Topanga is seeking advice from all those that she knows, to decide whether she should accept the job or not. If she accepts it, her entire family will move. Keep in mind that this means Cory, Topanga, Riley and Auggie. It does not include anyone else. If she turns it down, it means missing out on new experiences, challenges, and growth, not just for her, but her family as well. Moving, though, would mean that Riley is no longer with her best friend nor her other friends. Auggie would be without his 'wife' Ava. Cory wouldn't be the new "Mr. Feeny" role model to his current students. The writing did a good job of leaning you towards both sides of the decision, but in the end, with Cory's encouragement, Topanga makes the decision based on what she wants. Riley and Maya have the bay window, and Topanga has always wanted a place of her own, where she can be who she's going to be, a place to help people, etc. So she decides to stay, because she already has that place - the restaurant. She doesn't want to leave it, nor does she want to miss out on Riley's friends visiting there to discuss what's going on in their lives. It's where she feels she belongs.
There are no goodbye's other than it being the series finale. Everyone stays, and this is an episode that if they had done much earlier in the season, I think would have fit in perfectly. Don't get me wrong, this was a good episode. My hope, though, is that the series will be continued somehow (like on Netflix or Freeform), so that this becomes more like a season finale, rather than a series finale. share