Rider Strong Reflects on a Challenging ‘Boy Meets World’ Episode

Actor Rider Strong recently described filming a specific episode of *Boy Meets World* as "miserable." This revelation came during a discussion on the podcast "Pod Meets World," featuring former co-stars Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle. They reminisced about season 5, episode 18, titled "If You Can’t Be With the One You Love." This episode revolves around Cory (Ben Savage) drinking at a party to cope with his breakup with Topanga (Fishel), alongside Shawn (Strong).

"I didn’t love this episode," Strong admitted. He shared that watching it was challenging, particularly because it dealt with heavy topics. This episode did not air on the Disney Channel due to its mature themes. While Strong acknowledged the attempt to address drinking in a children's sitcom, he felt it ultimately fell short. "In some ways, it’s admirable… I love that *Boy Meets World* tackled difficult subjects," he remarked, referring to the episodic content.

In the storyline, Shawn drinks excessively, even after agreeing with Cory to stop. Jack (Matthew Lawrence), Shawn's half-brother, reveals their father’s history of alcoholism. The situation escalates when a drunk Shawn pushes his girlfriend, Angela (Trina McGee), against a door. By the episode's end, Shawn resolves to seek help for his drinking problem. Strong mentioned, "I love that drinking is initially fun for Cory, as it shows the realistic involvement of alcohol in teenagers' lives."

However, Strong criticized Shawn’s abrupt transformation in the latter part of the episode. "What is happening?" he questioned, noting the shift to a more serious tone felt unexpected and heavy-handed. He expressed discomfort while filming. He remarked that he was only "half-assing" his performance during the serious moments, stating, "Turning on Angela and yelling at Cory—you do that after years of drinking."

Initially, Shawn appears lively, enjoying himself, but the second half depicts an unrealistic progression into addiction. Strong asserted that this portrayal misrepresents the nuances of alcoholism. He argued against its accuracy. "To cram an entire alcoholic journey into 22 minutes doesn't reflect real life," he pointed out, emphasizing that such narrow portrayals might undermine the seriousness of alcoholism. Strong believes it does a disservice to those affected by alcoholism, stating, "It hurts the issue that it's trying to address."

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