Riley and Maya go to Shawn’s house to get the real Maya back. Meanwhile, Lucas decides who he loves the most.

I’ve been a little down on GMW lately mainly because I have found Riley to be too mopey and philosophical as of late, even given her little Mary Sunshine attitude.  But this episode is a standout.

Two storylines continue tonight – with a surprise ending (and no I’m not going to spoil it).  The exploration of who Maya is and how that is revealed in her art has been interesting.  Her desire to be Riley and to have the same, solid family life that Riley has is understandable.  So they naturally head to Shawn’s cabin in the woods.  Even though the parallels here are very evident (Shawn wanted to be Cory and to have what Cory and Topanga have) make this a natural trip.  Shawn and Maya seek to answer the question, “What makes me, me?”  But they are also seeking to divorce themselves from their desire to want something that doesn’t with who they are.

Shawn’s best line: “I’m Feeny!”

It was equally interesting to see the parallels with Cory and Riley.  After all, they both have sought to be Shawn and Maya.  The metaphor of the clothes was powerful – Shawn and Maya dress like Riley and Cory – and the phrase “I’d like to sell all of my clothes, please!” suggests that Shawn and Maya’s desire to reclaim their individuality – or in Shawn’s case – his “reckless spontaneity.”

This theme of identity and of accepting/understanding who we are has been woven into GMW from the beginning.  We’ve seen it with Farkle, we’ve seen it with Lucas, we’ve always seen it with Cory, Shawn and Topanga.  That’s what makes GMW so powerful.  We’ve all had to deal with understanding who we are.  That’s universal storytelling.  That’s what makes this one of the best GMW episodes.

But did you think they’d resolve the Lucas/Maya/Riley triangle?  Well, no.  Zay said it best: “We’ve been waiting for this for like two years!”  They’ve all decided to wait to find out who they are before moving forward.

This episode is well-written, well-acted and well-conceived.  And in the end, Shawn demonstrates his “reckless spontaneity” while also seeking to have what Cory and Topanga have.