Welcome to Watch TV. Drink BEER.
Week 11 Vibe: Kiwi Mango. First Loves. Imaginary friends.
The TV.
BOY MEETS WORLD. Season 5. Episode 7. I Love You, Donna Karan.
Stream on: Disney Plus
EPISODIC, but could Stand Alone
Episode Description
Season 5 brings our boy and his world of friends into their senior year of high school, and the writers of the show push to age up the characters and ride on the success of shows like Friends by incorporating new sets and new relationships. The episode begins with Shawn and Angela breaking up at his standard 2-week check point, much to the dismay of Topanga. Convinced that Shawn just needs to find the right girl, Cory and Topanga set him up on a blind date with a fitness enthusiast. But in the meantime, Shawn finds a lost purse and slowly falls in love with its mysterious owner, only to be heartbroken when discovering she has a boyfriend. In the B-Plot of this episode, Eric studies for a college test with the help of an imaginary Mr. Feeny. I Love You, Donna Karan is a rare “to be continued” episode, and ends with a fun reveal.
Why this Episode
I, like many a gal raised in the early 00s, had a slight obsession with Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World - I wanted to be with him and be him in equal parts (as those who’ve seen my 5th grade school photo can attest to). Boy Meets World, along with a small handful of other Disney Channel and Nick at Nite re-run shows, was extremely formative for me. I chose this episode because it highlights all of the best parts of Shawn’s character—charming, a little dumb yet street smart, cute, into weird hobbies—and we finally bring in a serious love interest in the character of Angela. Angela offers a really nice balance of maturity and conflict to show, and finally gives Topanga a consistent friend. I also love the arc of this episode, and the little unexpected twist at the end. I think it highlights the best of the series, with a balance of earnestness, sitcom-humor, and little life lessons. At a time when TV had to work really hard to reach a vast audience, BMW was a stand out in the ABC TGIF line up, and understandably continued to be streamed over the decades because of its consistent balance of drama, comedy, sincerity, and wackiness.
The BEER.
Half Liter Fest Beer
Brewed by: Collab between Fort George & Stoup Brewing | 5.5% ABV
Beer Description
Half Liter is a Fest Style lager created for the Oktoberfest season by Seattle brewery, Stoup, and our favorite Oregon coast brewery, Fort George. It tastes toasty, crispy, and crushable with a golden-color body and bubbly head. The Half Liter is earthy and a little malty upon first sip, but finishes bitter which makes you want to keep sipping. The beer sits lightly in the stomach, although the high-carbonation leads to some excess burping, Fest Beers are easy drinkers perfect for filling a boot or stein of your choosing.
Why this Beer
Its Oktoberfest season, and I’m so delighted that pubs and breweries across the PNW have leaned-in by hosting their own stein-drinking events, brewing special seasonal lagers, and embracing the highly drinkable style of Festbier. I wanted to pick one, out of many delicious options, to pair with this nostalgic sitcom that was local to area and a little unique. If you don’t have access to the Fort George/Stoup collab, try the classic Paulner Festbier or my favorite, the Hofbrau Okoberfestbier. Anything that comes in a size large with german malt and hop varieties will do. Similar to the fresh hop IPA last week, Oktoberfest beers represent a change in season, the fall equinox, and darker, chillier days. I enjoyed the bright and light quality of this particular Festbeer, and for me it brought back the romanticized memories of my first real Oktoberfest last year. As Shawn experiences the giddiness of teen love, I remembered the giddiness of drinking liters upon liters of beer in beautiful Bavaria.
Tasting Notes
Upon rewatching, it feels like this episode causes a pivotal shift in the world of the show. BMW before the introduction of “the purse” and BMW after are in a lot of ways, two different shows. As we transition from the all-ages, family sitcom of the early nineties into the “Friends” era sitcom about hot, young people living together take in the malty and refreshing flavor the fest beer. Reflect on the changing seasons from late summer to early fall. Fall is “cuffing season” and an Oktoberfest pint and nostalgic sitcom unite for the new love in Boy Meets World.
I remember watching this episode as a kid and thinking that Shawn’s “Two Week Rule” was the right move for cool hot guys, and probably standard for high school relationships. Topanga finds it repulsive, Cory expresses that it shows Shawn’s growth away from his One Week Rule, and Angela handles the break up well. Her pragmatism throws Shawn a bit, and ups the appeal of Angela immediately. The audience immediately wants them to be together after this quick scene, really applauding the instant chemistry of the actors.
Trina McGee’s portrayal of Angela stands out almost immediately. McGee joined the cast at age 28, and her experience and grounded performance bring really a lovely chemistry to the cast. She plays a calm, level-headed, and hippie-type of young woman. When talking about the role, McGee, was excited about representing a different type of black character on screen than the typical role on other 90s sitcoms at the time.
Shawn wears a pastel striped polo shirt, and is rocking out to the classical music CD from the purse, when Angela walks up. Shawn greats her holding a cup of coffee, and she immediately notices that he is different. They carry on the scene, while Angela casually takes the coffee from Shawn, sips it, and hands it back. The directing and blocking of this moment is so brilliant. Its subtle, and kind of weird, but shows the ease and intimacy these characters built after only 2 weeks together.
Cory’s speech encouraging Shawn to meet purse girl is a little cringe. All episode, he was pushing Shawn towards real girls, and real relationships. But once Shawn admits that he is in love, Cory flips his opinion and is now pushing Shawn to meet the woman and take a chance on love. He talks about what he has with Topanga being real and tangible, and to stop living in his fantasy. Its a little cringe-worthy, watching as an adult and realizing how toxic the Cory-Topanga relationship actually was, and how harsh Cory is being to his friend who is experiencing a lot new, complicated emotions. The big speech is nicely accented with a call back to the mango-kiwi lip gloss from the purse.
On the surface, the A and B story lines feel fairly disconnected. Eric conjures his imaginary mentor who helps him find the skills and strength to study and succeed on his college tests. Just as Shawn unlocks something within himself from his relationship with the imaginary purse girl, so does Eric. Both characters are able to learn and grow with the help of their imagination and self belief. Its a clever and subtle way to weave these two stories together.
Shawn turns heart-broken when he finally meets the purse girl, but sees her hugging another boy, running out of Chubbies before speaking with her. He angrily tells Cory that his meddling led to heartbreak because in his fantasy world, he never would have experienced real pain like this. Its a little harsh to put that blame on Cory, but also re-affirms what everyone comes to experience in life-that is better to love and lose love, than never to love at all. Corny, but true.
And finally, just as Shawn storms away demanding that Cory stay out of his love life, Angela and Purse Girl walk up. Angela thanks her for lending the purse, and apologizes for losing it, and the audience learns the lip gloss, sonnets, and classical CD were hers all along. Polishing off the Half Liter, and realizing that you want some more - that is beauty of Fest Beers and the beauty of this episode. Pour the other half, and see what unfolds in part 2.
Fun Fact: The episode title, I love you Donna Karan, refers to DKNY (Donna Karan New York), a fashion brand known for making purses in the 90s.
Thanks for reading. Drop me a comment below with your thoughts.
See you next Tuesday!
Darn it Katie. You know way more about beer than I do. Great job!
Speaking seasonally, and I’m almost scared to ask, but… is there a GOOD pumpkin beer? (Obviously there is good Halloween adjacent T.V.)