The Boy Meets World Prank That Fans Think Went Way Too Far

In the Season 7 episode “The War,” a simple stolen parking spot divides the group in two for an all-out prank war. Corey and Shawn set the stage for high-caliber pranks by somehow sneaking Rachel’s (Maitland Ward) Volkswagen into her room in the middle of the night. In retaliation, Rachel, Jack (Matthew Lawrence), and Angela (Trina McGee) glue their opponents to their seats, cover them in honey, and sic a bear on them.

For many “Boy Meets World” fans, the bear incident jumped the shark. In the r/boymeetsworld subreddit, u/SybariticLegerity wrote that while the prank is presented as a light-hearted joke, it’s tantamount to “attempted manslaughter.” Everyone’s blase reaction also makes the prank feely oddly surreal. “The bear took me way out of the story,” u/SybariticLegerity concluded, and u/viviwrldfroggie wholeheartedly agreed: ” “They literally had a bear that could’ve done something bad to the kids and NO ONE mentioned how serious it could’ve been.” Even Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), normally a voice of reason, laughs at his honey-soaked students after the fact.

The prank war comes to an abrupt end when Sean and Corey retaliate by plastering risque photos of Rachel on the walls of the Pennbrook Student Union. Their actions, essentially a form of revenge porn, are treated with appropriate disgust by characters and fans alike. Still, u/SybariticLegerity wrote that “it kind of pales in comparison” to exposing one’s classmates to a dangerous predator. The bear prank — and the tepid response to it — makes the whole episode feel cartoonish, undermining the gravity of the following scene.

While “The War” is just one example of a great sitcom grasping at straws in the lead-up to its cancellation, the fact that fans are still debating about it online points to the series’ resonance. “It’s unbelievable…how it’s still going and people still love it,” Will Friedle, who played Eric, told CinemaBlend. “We’re so honored that we were able to be a part of something that really, truly mattered to people.”

In the Season 7 episode “The War,” a simple stolen parking spot divides the group in two for an all-out prank war. Corey and Shawn set the stage for high-caliber pranks by somehow sneaking Rachel’s (Maitland Ward) Volkswagen into her room in the middle of the night. In retaliation, Rachel, Jack (Matthew Lawrence), and Angela (Trina McGee) glue their opponents to their seats, cover them in honey, and sic a bear on them.

For many “Boy Meets World” fans, the bear incident jumped the shark. In the r/boymeetsworld subreddit, u/SybariticLegerity wrote that while the prank is presented as a light-hearted joke, it’s tantamount to “attempted manslaughter.” Everyone’s blase reaction also makes the prank feely oddly surreal. “The bear took me way out of the story,” u/SybariticLegerity concluded, and u/viviwrldfroggie wholeheartedly agreed: ” “They literally had a bear that could’ve done something bad to the kids and NO ONE mentioned how serious it could’ve been.” Even Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), normally a voice of reason, laughs at his honey-soaked students after the fact.

The prank war comes to an abrupt end when Sean and Corey retaliate by plastering risque photos of Rachel on the walls of the Pennbrook Student Union. Their actions, essentially a form of revenge porn, are treated with appropriate disgust by characters and fans alike. Still, u/SybariticLegerity wrote that “it kind of pales in comparison” to exposing one’s classmates to a dangerous predator. The bear prank — and the tepid response to it — makes the whole episode feel cartoonish, undermining the gravity of the following scene.

While “The War” is just one example of a great sitcom grasping at straws in the lead-up to its cancellation, the fact that fans are still debating about it online points to the series’ resonance. “It’s unbelievable…how it’s still going and people still love it,” Will Friedle, who played Eric, told CinemaBlend. “We’re so honored that we were able to be a part of something that really, truly mattered to people.”