This week we sipped St. Francis cabernet while we unpacked Season 2 Episode 13: “Cyrano.” Ever see an episode of a TV show where a conventionally attractive (but less intellectual) character gets help wooing a sophisticated lover from a less popular (but more eloquent) friend? Well that (arguably overused) plotline is inspired by a late nineteenth century play called “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand. Much respect to Susan Estelle Jansen for being explicit with the reference! Cory and Shawn read the play in Turner’s class while accidentally helping Frankie woo Harley Keiner’s girlfriend. Oh, and Alan learns that a trash compactor is not a gift for an anniversary, but rather, for a Tuesday. Cheers!

This week we sipped A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir and watched Season 2 Episode 12: “Turnaround”. Cory learns “you dance with the one that brought you” in this Pygmalion-inspired episode about a Sadie Hawkins-style “Turnaround” school dance. This is the one where Shawn and Cory give a Swedish-American girl a makeover (a la “She’s All That” or “Pretty Woman” or “My Fair Lady”) to make her “cool” so Cory, her date, can be cool-by-association—because according to Eric, the caliber of girl who asks you to the Turnaround determines who you are forever. We laughed, we unpacked gender norms, and we learned that “smorgasbord” is a Swedish word. Skol!

Cory and Sean are definitely NOT the good guys in Season 2 Episode 11: “The Beard”. Sean can’t choose between two girls, so he asks Cory to keep one of them “off the market” by dating her until Sean decides whether or not he wants her. We unpack Cory’s famous line, “What am I Tupperware?” and determine that: the girls are reduced to “meat”, Cory’s reduced to “Tupperware”, and Sean sits at the top of this pyramid of dehumanization. Don’t worry, the whole cast “boos” them both, making for a surprisingly satisfying ending to this episode packed with important lessons for adolescents! Oh, and we had Imagery Sauv Blanc in this one. Cheers!

When you remember you have free will, you pick up a bottle of Moët and Chandon just to talk to your sister about Season 2 Episode 10 of Boy Meets World titled, “Sister Theresa”! “Politeness kills,” according to Cory, and, honestly? He’s not wrong. When politeness requires dishonesty, it can be detrimental, especially in relationships. We loved the way the writers made a distinction between “politeness” and “generosity”: Cory’s politeness only masks his selfishness, but TK, a decidedly impolite character, is almost too generous. But Cory’s redeeming quality is his emotional intelligence, which allows him to see past TK’s rough facade and recognize the goodness in her heart. That’s why we love you, Cory!

The sisters sip Juggernaut Cabernet Sauvignon (and talk about their first kisses — Ooh! Aah! ) in Season 2 Episode 9: “Fear Strikes Out”! Cory goes to a makeout party and learns that no one actually knows what they’re doing… except maybe Shawn. Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!

This week we tried Gerard Bertrand Côtes de Roses Rosé and discussed Season 2 Episode 8: “Band on the Run”. Cory and Sean form a fake band to impress girls, and Alan learns that he was never actually that good at playing guitar… Cory has to relearn the importance of being true to himself, and when Topanga expresses that she doesn’t mind Cory’s lack of guitar skills, we can’t help but notice she sounds a whole lot like Amy. This episode surprisingly lays some major foundations for the future of Cory and Topanga’s legendary partnership—and it happens to feature some awesome musicians, including Rembrandt (RIP), and Micky Dolenz…of Monkees fame! Cheers.

Now we know why the blurb for this one is just, “Literature comes alive for little Cory...” Sex, lies, and videotape are the topics addressed in this scandalous episode in which Turner takes his progressive teaching moves a bit too far… We sipped Ruza Rose and talked at length about S-E-X in Season 2 Episode 7: “Wake Up, Little Cory!”

Where have WE been? Where have YOU been!? This week, we sipped another Winc wine as we discussed Season 2 Episode 6: “Who’s Afraid of Cory Wolf?” A red blend called “Illusion” paired perfectly with an episode we…sort of wish was just an illusion. If you don’t want this one to go right over your head, we recommend watching the 1941 black-and-white film, “The Wolf Man”. Having seen Edward Albee’s 1962 play, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” won’t help—and neither will having read William Golding’s 1954 novel, The Lord of the Flies, though both are superficially referenced in this bewildering episode in which Cory believes he’s turning into a werewolf. While it’s obvious to viewers that it’s all an allegory for puberty, no one in the BMW-universe seems to pick up on that… Grab the remote and get ready to be…a little confused!