Understanding the issues surrounding Boy Meets World's Eric Matthews character

Look, I got a lot of things on my mind besides girls. A lot of other things. Just like girl, girl. This is Eric Matthews, the quintessential cool big brother on the first season of Boy Meets World. Strep throat cleared up, did it, Mr. Matthews? Strep throat? A guy like me, no see, much too hard to ever get strep throat. And this is the decidedly less radical Eric Matthews during the later seasons of Boy Meets World. We give Morgan, who will be our decoy, some kind of poison that'll make her ill. From 90s heartthrob to cartoonish comic relief, Eric Matthews underwent what can only be described as a full devolution of character. Easy to mourn the loss of that iconic and devil may care attitude. There may have been a method to all that madness, but was this tonal shift in the eldest Matthews brother just the result of well calculated sitcom mastery, or did something more sinister cause Eric to lose his cool? If giving away all your worldly possessions, renouncing society, and learning how to purify and drink your own urine is insane. Yes, color me insane. Corey's eyes. We are granted the perspective of typical American kid with life's ups and downs. It's the ultimate TV magic trick. While Corey certainly got heaps of heartfelt advice from his classic TV dad, it's wild-eyed older brother Eric who immediately caught our attention. In the first season of Boy Meets World, Eric is introduced as a girl crazy popular kid who doesn't seem to have a whole lot of interest in academics. With his cool haircut and an endless ability to dispense brotherly advice, Eric was originally Corey's idol. Effortlessly chill and constantly kidding around, Eric plays off our plucky protagonist in a way that makes him feel like our big brother too. This is your fault. You got the good hair. Yeah, I did, didn't I? Boy Meets World is like reliving the best possible version of childhood, and in those first episodes, things were looking great for eleven-year-old Corey. We see his trials at school, sure, but he has a kick-ass sibling to look up to. His older bro might not always get along with him, but that's basically what we all experienced. And like any good brother, Eric is still the best hang in the household. Hey. I'm here for you, Dad. Although Eric doesn't always come across as a smooth talker in these early episodes, his charismatic attitude and rapid-fire jokes made him instantly believable. And even when he's acting dumb or fawning over the new cutie in town, he still seems pretty damn cool. Holding down a job at the family shop, dating a revolving door of girlfriends, dealing with an annoying little brother, Eric was truly the man. For a long time, Eric Matthews was a character both hilarious and touching. Through all of his ridiculous antics and clever comebacks, Eric felt like a real person, someone with their own values and problems, and a character with depth. In fact, Eric's season three struggle to get into college comes. Series' most devastating highlights. As Cory, our Boy Meets World guide, gets older, we begin to see his brother differently. The veneer of coolness begins to crumble, and instead of an infallible hero, Eric becomes a flawed, sometimes tragic figure. But through it all, Eric still manages to bring the biggest laughs. I will support you in what you want to do. I want to be a supermodel. And it wasn't until season four that Boy Meets World fully deconstructed the Eric Matthews we knew and loved. According to some observant viewers, the season four episode Easy Street unlocks the mystery of Eric's changes in shocking fashion. In the episode, Eric knocks himself unconscious, trying to escape a blister with his weekly love interest. How did he bump his head? Like this. After the head injury, Eric appears dazed and behaves in a childish manner that would soon come to dominate his character. While this theory might sound ridiculous, there is a distinct difference in Eric Matthews even within the same season. Because in the first episode of season four, Eric propels another crucial Boy Meets World moment. I didn't get into college, all my friends did. I I don't have a job, so see, there's really nothing for me to go home to. After finding comfort in small town living, Eric confronts his emotions with his dad in a way that feels extremely honest. I don't like myself now, Dad. What am I even going home to? But after the stupefying events of episode 12, Eric Matthews never really seems to come back to his senses. And whether or not this doofus persona came from a brain injury or the shifting persp. Brother Eric continued to get tons of screen time, even when things were light or absurd. There was a realistic darkness to Boy Meets World, and more often than not, the only thing standing between the onslaught of teary-eyed narratives was Eric Matthews. Dance the night away with the most exciting, wonderful guy I know. I was dancing with your father. What? Dad's not our father. Rather than focusing on his teenage anguish, Boy Meets World allows Eric to be the source of joy. When Eric is pressed by his parents to get a new job, we get to see his vision. His life, Eric does. See plot of each episode. Eric nonetheless carries many scenes by sheer likability. By donning strange disguises in an attempt to out perfectly non plus Topanga, Eric Matthews brought some much needed levity to quickly maturing plotlines. Because by the time the series began taking on young adult themes to match its aging cast, it was Eric who continued to keep it silly. And if behind the scenes footage is any indication, sharing scenes with Eric Matthews was just as ridiculous in real life. As for Eric's changing appearance in the series, well, that's more personal. Actor Will Friedle has been open about his struggles with anxiety and has said that he first began experiencing panic attacks between filming the later seasons of Boy Meets World. So I went to my doctor and he said, "Let me read you some symptoms. Maybe it's this disease." And he read me this list of symptoms, and I went, "Yes, that's it." So what is that? And he turned over a pamphlet that said anxiety. You see, one season I'm thin, and then I come back and I put on like thirty pounds, and it's because of the medication I had to take. Unfortunately, one particularly dated episode attempts to address Eric's adult appearance with heaps of weight gain jokes. Sometimes one button just enough. You know what I'm saying? Cruel missteps aside, Eric Matthews never really found his footing again in the series. The character had fully descended into an outright oaf. In one of the more infamous late-era episodes, Corey and Topanga fly out to the tropics for their honeymoon. Rather than letting Eric take the backseat in such a romantically inclined narrative, the older brother totally wrecks Corey's important evening. Not only does Eric's scheme for cheap travel get his little brother and sister-in-law hauled off by the cops, the guy barely seems bothered by his own arrest. This is a far cry from the Eric Matthews who once stood as a positive example for Corey. But on the other hand, it is pretty hilarious to watch Eric lose his mind to heatstroke in even more stupid disguise. I'm losing my train of thought. I've decided. This trajectory continued to diminish the once charming Eric until his flimsy appearance in an otherwise touching finale. And when you walk around New York, look like you. You already. Absolutely ready. I won't. The backwards evolution of Eric Matthews is more than a bump on the noggin or a need for comic relief. Eric is the person we all once idolized. Right? No, we're brothers. We're not friends. No, it means you don't have to like me. The guy who seemed like he could get all the girls, but ended up alone. The dude who seemed to have it all figured out, but never really figured himself out. In so many ways, Eric is the kid who everyone wanted to be. Until one day, we just did it. I don't know what's gonna happen to me, but I do know that I'm gonna be a good person, who cares about people. And I blame you for that.