'Boy Meets World' Rewind Recap: Shawn's Dad Finds a Normal Career

“Boy Meets World”: Season 4, Episode 6

This episode was on my mind because I happened to see it shortly before its “Girl Meets World” counterpart aired. It takes place after Shawn’s missing mom, Virna, returns home to the trailer park on the condition that his dad, Chet, does his part to make them more like a “normal” family. The Hunter family is finally back together after Chet left Shawn behind while he spent a year chasing after Virna.

Chet appeases Virna by pretending the household is running smoothly. Shawn beams as his peppy, doting mother serves him a sticky bun with a Flintstones vitamin for breakfast. But the façade cracks when she opens the microwave and discovers Chet’s hidden stack of unpaid bills. Virna’s upset that she’s struggling as the family's sole breadwinner, but Chet doesn’t understand the problem until Shawn explains it to him. Chet decides to give up his beloved life of dreamin’ and schemin’ in favor of a traditional job.

Educational Custodial Services: Normal Job for Normal People

The next morning at John Adams High, Shawn pranks some smaller students and causes them to spill milk everywhere. Topanga admonishes him for picking on those who are weaker and defenseless, but Shawn is proud of himself and jokes that he’s helping the economy by keeping the janitor employed. Justice is swift as Chet saunters in clad in a janitor uniform, toting a mop.

Shawn is shocked and humiliated, but Cory and Topanga try to reassure him. It doesn't work and the situation becomes much worse when another student, Doug, teases him about his dad. They erupt in a brawl, interrupting Mr. Turner’s lesson about H.G. Wells’ “Time Machine” and the class differences between the elite Eloi and dirty Morlocks.

Feeny’s Fix

During a post-fight trip to the principal’s office, Shawn blames Feeny for hiring his dad. Wise Feeny says he should have considered the impact on Shawn’s education. He tells Shawn to decide whether or not Chet deserves to keep his job. Shawn falls for Feeny's plan. After another round of teasing, he promptly tells Feeny to give his dad the ax. Feeny buys some time, saying it will take a few days to find a replacement.

In the meantime, Shawn complains to Virna. She’s proud that Chet finally has a real job and a strong work ethic. Shawn doesn’t quite get it until he realizes that Chet is doing this to be closer to him after spending so much time traveling. He changes his mind about making his dad quit his job.

At school, Shawn makes Cory spill milk all over the floor. When his dad comes to clean the mess, Shawn reaches for the mop and cleans it himself as Doug and other students watch. After Chet tells him he doesn’t have to do that, Shawn stoically replies, “I know I don’t and you don’t either.”

'Janitor Dad' Review

True to the usual "Boy Meets World" style, this episode is heavy-handed. Aside from the janitor on "Scrubs," Chet is TV's most talkative, interactive, visible janitor. He even hauls the A/V equipment into Mr. Turner's class when the students prepare to watch "Time Machine." Although Shawn keeps complaining about his dad's vocation, he never mentions his personality. Chet is super chatty and has a knack for delivering colorful quips and tall tales. That's enough to embarrass any teen, but the show is careful to make the janitorial job the source of Shawn's shame.

Also true to the formula, the classroom lesson and real-world issues collide when Doug obnoxiously brags about his doctor dad and calls Shawn's dad a Morlock. But this part feels very hasty. The Wells lesson is too brief to interest those unfamiliar with "Time Machine," and, aside from Doug, the students don't seem to notice the connection. 

The show frequently spends a good amount of time on the classroom lesson as the teacher lectures or the students organically discuss topics such as Anne Frank. The Wells tie-in feels like it was cut short as the show gave too much attention to the scenes with Shawn's milk pranks. It also seems like Shawn should apologize to the kids he bullied or at least resolve to be a better person.

This episode is especially memorable and emotional because Shawn finally gets a normal family. Chet and Virna's humility and big personalities make them likeable despite their horrendous parenting missteps. Even though the episode touches on many topics ranging from class warfare to bullying, it is crystal clear on the importance of taking pride in yourself and a job well done.

Watch for reruns of "Boy Meets World" on ABC Family or MTV2. "Janitor Dad" is also available for streaming on Amazon, $1.99.

'Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23' Finds New Home on Logo TV

Logo TV

After going through various title tweaks, "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" premiered on ABC on October 11, 2011. With its bawdy humor, New York setting, and odd couple roommates, the show combined the mismatched roommates of “Two Broke Girls” with the outrageous style of “Will & Grace.” The show managed to survive two seasons before ABC gave it the boot. Logo’s breathing new life into the defunct comedy by airing the entire series, including eight previously unaired episodes.

Pilot Plight

The pilot was a bit jarring as viewers immediately saw Chloe (Krysten Ritter) at her worst/best, scamming June (Dreama Walker) and stealing her boyfriend. Her outrageous antics were on par with Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) from "Will & Grace," but the unfamiliar character felt more shocking and repulsive than funny. Between the show's title and Chloe's personality, it seemed the show was leaning too heavily on a one-note string of bad behavior too narrow to bolster a TV series.

The B’s Flipside

Instead of stagnating, “Don’t Trust the B-----” managed to get better and better as the show went on. The world of roomies June and Chloe grew to include a quirky cast spotted with self-deprecating cameos from the likes of Busy Phillips and Dean Cain. As the show continuously pushed the limits of the friendship between sweet, naive June and morally-bankrupt Chloe, meandering plots created a genuine bond between the two women. Self-centered Chloe showed a loyal, protective side and became more relatable without losing her edge. Meanwhile, June’s doe-eyed princess persona gave way to a more street smart New Yorker.

The Beek

As a parody of himself, James Van Der Beek’s character alternated between being a stereotypically insecure, vapid actor and a spiritual guru offering guidance to June and Chloe. At times his two-in-one persona was a convenient plot device, but it allowed the show to entertain both fans and foes of The Beek with campy comedy and “Dawson’s Creek” references.

Check Logo TV for air dates.

'Raising Asia' premiere: Why is this 8-year-old dancer as fierce as a drag queen?

Lifetime is taking little Asia Monet Ray beyond "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" and "Dance Moms" to her very own docuseries, "Raising Asia." Mmk, it sounded like a decent idea for a reality show. The dance prodigy is a natural entertainer who seems interesting enough to carry her own show. It would be a light and uplifting with a bit of drama courtesy of her stage mom Kristie, right?

Wrong! The premiere episode of "Raising Asia" was tough to watch. The Ray family is split in half as Asia and Kristie travel the globe, often leaving dad and 5-year-old sister Bella Blu to fend for themselves. It is unsettling to listen to Kristie talk about helping Asia meet her potential when it seems to come at the family's expense.

Initially, Asia's commentary is upbeat and fun as she describes her family and their talents. It soon enters Bizzarro world as Kristie goes on to say people don't understand what it takes it to raise an extraordinary child like Asia. By the end of it, mom seems unreasonably controlling and peppy Asia sounds rather bratty. Plus, viewers are left to decipher mysteries like why Asia drinks from a toddler-style sippy cup and can't have egg yolks.

Is Asia the next Christina Aguilera?
Asia is the kind of performer whose sheer dedication and enthusiasm draw you in. She is an expressive child prodigy who doesn't need any gimmicks, but they keep trying to elevate her to some adult-level fierceness worthy of RuPaul's TV shows. Her team, particularly Anthony Burrell, can't seem to navigate the huge variety of age-appropriate dance styles that fall somewhere between Shirley Temple and dirty girl Xtina.

Somehow, mom and Anthony decide it's a good idea for Asia to wear a pound of hair and makeup, knee boots, and a bikini as she wields a whip to imitate a lion tamer training a bunch of shirtless backup dancers who close the routine by pawing at her body. Lifetime edited it down a bit, but the uncomfortable tone of the dance remains the same.

The lion tamer concept is good fit for Asia's personality and style, but it needs careful tweaks. Her costume should be a bit more modest, the tiny top and tiny bottom were a bad combo. The repeated use of the whip and her hair as props hurt her performance as she stood on the stage posing instead of dancing. Her vampy moves were awkward, uncomfortable, and most of  all unnecessary since she knows how to command an audience with her dance skills.

Anthony is a creative choreographer, but his appearances on "Dance Moms" and "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" show that he seems to choreograph routines to suit himself, not the dancers. (Remember when he tried to make one of the Candy Apples wear a little Speedo as part of his Pinocchio costume?) His artistic vision works better as an abstract concept than a custom routine for a talented 8-year-old dancer.

"Raising Asia" continues its 14-episode stint Tuesday nights on Lifetime.