The Question
In season 5, episode 13, Jack and Eric meet girls that are seemingly perfect for them. The only problem is they are with the wrong girls. So they try and switch the girls around, but when the girls find out what they are up to, they get dumped. The girls do not want to be switched around. They want to be with the guy that they feel balances them out. Ultimately these girls walked out of Eric and Jack's life, but who was right? Were Eric and Carol and Jack and Jill the perfect matches because they were so similar? Or were the girls right? Would the relationship have failed because they were too similar? Let's investigate.
Case study
Let's start where everyone starts with the parents. Amy and Alan are an example of opposites attract.
[Cory: do you believe that opposites attract ?
Amy: Well yea
Cory: But it can never last right?
Amy : Well actually Cory your dad and I had nothing in common at first then the differences made it kind of exciting.
Season 3 : Episode 1]
We know Amy's parents did not support them getting together from the long walk to Pittsburgh part 2 episode, and we know Alan was more of a Shawn than a Cory from the Fugitive episode in season one. So based on Amy and Alan, it would seem that Carol and Jill were right. Amy and Alan have a great life and four wonderful kids, and a great marriage. They have one of the most extraordinary relationships in the show, and they communicate and solve problems exceptionally well, and they have never shown any evidence of their love life dying down.
Nevertheless, that is not the only way to go. What about Feeny and Lila? They seem to be showing that Eric and Jack were right. They are two academics brought together by their professional and personal shared interest. They respect each other as educators, but they also both appreciate each other's heart of gold. Lila even says that one of the things that attracted her to Feeny was the devotion that he earned from his students. In the case of George and Lila, they have shared experiences in life and work that they can bond and connect over. They have a very strong relationship, and we even see them marry at the end of season 6, and there is never a hint of trouble in their relationship.
We have also seen negative versions of each relationship. Starting with Shawn, he dated Dana, a girl who was considered a nice girl who was not usually his type. It was exciting at first, and they were all over each other, but they fizzled out and broke up for superficial reasons. Shawn dated Angela, and she was just like him. They both had similar family problems, and they were both artsy and deep, and they both had similar interests. However, they did not work. In the end, Shawn understood Angela so well that he had to let her go.
Shawn ends up with Katy Hart, and they are similar as well. They bond over being the people who are left behind. They bond over their shared traits and traumas and desire to make a better life for themselves and Maya. They get each other, and you can tell it means a lot to them to have a partner whom they feel understands them so well. Both Katy and Shawn had given up on finding love, but then they found each other. They end up getting married and living happily ever after. So points For Eric and Jack and shared interest.
Cory dated many girls who were different from him. His first girlfriend was T.k, and she was probably the most different from him. Cory liked her a lot, and she liked him A LOT, but the differences became less exciting over time, and eventually, their difference had them fade away from each other. Cory was really interested in Lauren, someone from the mountains who did not want the things he wanted and had a different perspective on things. She was more confident than Cory, and she was not afraid to put her heart on the line and go after what she wanted no matter what. Cory liked her, but he did not choose her. She was not his person.
Topanga was Cory's person, and they have a pretty great relationship, but they are an opposites-attract couple like Cory's parents. Cory is type B, and Topanga is A. We can see that in the season 7 episode As Time Goes by. Topanga is more about being yourself and being confident, and Cory has always worried about standing out and whether or not people like him. We can see this right at the beginning of season one in their group project. Topanga thinks more logically; she is more cerebral than Cory. Cory thinks more with his heart. This is shown in season 3 when Topanga calls animal control on Shawn and Cory sides with Shawn. Overall they bring out the best in each other and push each other to grow. They balance each other out. Point Carol and Jill.
Let's jump to Girl Meets World for a minute. Look at Smackle and Farkle, another example of shared interest bringing two people together. Like Feeny and Lila, they are both brilliant, and they admire each other's intellect. As geniuses, they can relate to one another in ways that are specific to them. As much as Farkle said he loved Riley and Maya, they never got together. It is not like the girls were never attracted to Farkle either. They fought over him in season one Farkle's choice. However, Smackle was able to come into the picture and win Farkle's heart because Smackle is fantastic and because Riley and Maya will never understand Farkle the way Smackle does. Point Eric and Jack shared interest.
Speaking of Riley and Maya, let's visit the triangle( Rachel!). This one is a little tricky because Lucas is like Maya and Riley. However, I think it is evident that Lucas is a reformed version of himself, making him and Riley an opposites attract relationship. He is a jock; Riley is a clutz. He has been expelled from school, and Riley has trouble leaving the room in detention even while unattended. I think in their first episode of high school, we see how different they are. As Cory says, people change people. Lucas abandons Riley and Maya and goes off on his own because he does not have as much faith in people as Riley does.
Lucas is not a bad guy, far from it. However, Riley brings out the best in Lucas. It's one of the reasons Lucas comes back to the friend group. He realizes that Riley was right and he is at his best with her. Lucas has also been there for Riley. They look out for each other, but they have different world views. Maya and Lucas are good friends as well, but they fizzled the excitement did not last.
I think the triangle was over before it began. It ended In Texas, when Riley helped Lucas face his fears, and Maya threatened to never talk to him again. When he rode that bull and faced his fears, it was clear who was best for him. Also, I feel Lucas's maturity has helped Riley to grow up. He is very patient and there for Riley when she is overwhelmed, like with the Sneak attack or class elections or being bullied. They balance each other out. Point Carol and Jill.
What have we learned?
The right opposites attract couple can form a magical, timeless connection like Amy Alan. They balance each other out and help push each other forward, and the difference keeps things hot. Alternatively, having a lot in common can also create a powerful bond that allows couples to connect on a deeper level that cannot be found elsewhere like Feeny and Lila or Shawn and Katy. So who was right? Did Eric and Jack have the right idea by trying to get with girls who were just like them, or did Carol and Jill have it right by pursuing guys that balance them out? Let me know your answer in the comments. I will be responding on this site as well as on social media. I want to hear your thoughts Who was right?
Double Feature Friday
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