5-5 The Witches of PennbrookSummary by: Dennis Orginal Air Date: 1997-10-31 Writer: Steve Hibbert Director: Alan Myerson Capsule Summary: Jack dates a witch; Topanga is afraid of flying. Extendo Summary: While Jack and Eric are about to go out to a club, Jack encounters a strange pale girl in the hallway. They inexplicably hit it off, much to the dismay of Eric, and Eric ends up going to the club alone while Jack shows the girl, Millie, his apartment. (I hope they didn’t do it, because the Boy Meets World crew did a good job of making Candace Cameron [DJ Tanner from "Full House"] quite unappealing.) When Eric returns early from his perusal of the clubs, he finds Millie alone on the balcony. There, she threatens him not to get between her and Jack. The next day, Eric voices his concerns over Millie while the two stretch for their run up the Rocky steps. Jack disagrees, accusing Eric of being jealous. As soon as Millie immediately enters, offers Jack breakfast, and does something mean to Eric, Jack blows off their plans to be with Millie (an out-of-character jerk move by Jack). That night, while watching a horror movie, Millie enters with her copy of the key. She immediately goes out on the balcony while Eric talks to Jack, telling him that he thinks Jack’s new girlfriend is mean, evil, creepy, and cold-hearted. Jack again accuses Eric of trying to ruin his good thing (notice a pattern here? Jack really is a slave to women.) (Of course, maybe he was under Millie's spell.... -Laura) The next scene introduces the weak, almost non-existent second plot only put in so Cory and Topanga have something to do. They’re going to Pittsburgh to visit Topanga’s parents, but Cory surprises Topanga with plane tickets, so they’re flying, not driving. Topanga tells Cory she’s afraid of flying and, without really working that out or accomplishing anything, they exit, abruptly ending the scene. That same night, Eric walks in on Millie communing with Satan on the balcony, but cannot prove anything, because as soon as Jack enters, she smacks Eric and says he made a move on her. Jack, once again falling into the trap (what ever happened to bros over hoes?) (I'm telling you, it's witchcraft!!), believes Millie, not Eric, and becomes angry. Eric forces Jack to choose between himself and Millie. Jack predictably chooses Millie and it is announced that Millie will be moving in. The next day, Millie and her equally creepy friends move in her stuff. Jack and Eric bicker, while Shawn hits on Millie’s witch friends in the background. After Eric leaves, Jack finds out that Shawn also believes Millie is a witch. Jack confronts Millie, and she admits it, but easily convinces Jack that it doesn’t matter. The scene ends with Jack agreeing to host Millie's Halloween party, and murmuring, entranced, "fun..." The plane Cory and Topanga are flying on has six seats, which it should, as Cory’s tickets cost him only $12. Topanga is still terrified, but Cory assures her there is nothing to fear. When their captain, Captain Dexter, boards, he recognizes Cory as Eric’s brother, saying, "Eric used to tutor me. Smart kid, your brother. Wish I had his brains." This statement immediately terrifies Cory. Eric goes home and asks to stay with Feeny for the night (for some reason... even though his parents live next door). Feeny hastily declines and suggests that Eric talk things out with his friend. Eric thanks Feeny for the advice, wishing him a "Merry Halloween." After Eric leaves, Feeny’s phone rings. Cory asks about Dexter, saying he’s his pilot, and Feeny tells him not to get on that plane. Since the plane has already taken off, Cory tells Feeny he loves him and wishes him goodbye with finality. When he hangs up he finds Topanga in the cockpit, flying the plane. The scene ends with Topanga steering the plane into a nosedive. At Millie’s Halloween party that night, Jack is unsure of Millie’s friends, who only chant and are all wearing matching black robes. Shawn, however, is less cautious and having a blast. As soon as Shawn tells Jack to lighten up, the two find themselves tied to the banister. Millie reveals herself as Ushkar, queen of malevolence, daughter of evil, and one of Satan’s minions. She has some scheme involving Satan and Jack’s balcony, but it doesn’t really matter, because Eric shows up to foil the plot. With the aid of his copy of "Witchcraft for Dumb-Dumbs" and some well-placed sunscreen, he banishes Millie and her minions. Jack thanks him, Eric says all is forgiven, and the two leave in search for more Halloween parties, leaving Shawn still tied to the banister. In the tag, Eric dates Sabrina, the teenage witch (Melissa Joan Hart). It’s all silly, with them talking about witches and crap, and ultimately leaving for dinner. It ends with Shawn somehow ending up as a talking frog. Quotes: "Don’t you see what she’s doing to you, Jack? Hugging ya, holding ya, kissing ya? It’s just wrong!" --Eric "A good plane is like a fine wine. It only gets better with age." --Cory "Okay, just go to my happy place. Bunnies. Cute little bunnies. Cute little bunnies in tiny crashing planes." --Topanga "I’m a fight with Jack about his girlfriend. Same old story, sure you heard it a thousand times. She’s a witch, she talks to the devil, and apparently I’m standing between her and the doorway to hell." --Eric Rants: My biggest bone to pick with this episode was the lack of involvement of characters not named Jack or Eric. Alan and Amy weren’t even in the episode, Cory and Topanga’s plot was extremely short and contrived (why would they visit Topanga’s parents on Halloween?), and Shawn’s only place was making jokes (although he did it well). I mean, Shawn finished one scene tied to a banister and another as a frog. Highlights:
Oh, for gay!: Jack and Eric have been surpassing Cory and Shawn in hijinks all season, and now they're poised to take over the Gay Cup as well.
Eric Is... Special Hints:
Continuity, Yay! Topanga and Cory are visiting Topanga’s parents in Pittsburgh. They did, indeed, move to Pittsburgh in 4-16 "A Long Walk to Pittsburgh". It may not seem like much in continuity, but, knowing Boy Meets World, it would have been more likely for them to be going to Chicago to visit them. Fun but probably inaccurate facts: Eric refers to himself as "Eric Allison Matthews." I'm pretty sure it's elsewhere stated that his middle name is Randall, however. All the cute girls are from 3-B? Millie and her coven claim to be from apartment 3-B. Last episode saw Jack greeting "Lisa from 3-B" and Shawn introducing himself to "Jennifer Crane from 3-B." Also the actress girl from 5-2 Boy Meets Real World introduces herself as "Wendy from 3-B" (and we also meet her unnamed roommate in that episode). I'm just saying, either 3-B either has a really high cute-girl turnover rate, or it's a really, really big apartment. Episode Themes: Rating: 4. Despite the lack of plots, the episode is so overwhelmingly hilarious you just don’t care. Will Friedle at his best, he carries the episode. But Cory’s plot is funny enough, and every line Shawn has is a riot. |
My head is full of silly ideas that in no way reflect the ideas or opinions of the cast, crew, producers or affiliates of the show Boy Meets World, with which I am not affiliated. Likewise, my opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Lance and Eskimo Enterprises and its affiliates, although they may reflect the individual opinions of Lance and/or Eskimo.