"On the Fence" is the second episode of season one of Boy Meets World and the second episode overall. It originally aired on October 1, 1993.
Synopsis
Cory paints shutters to repay his father.
Plot
Cory Matthews is in the school cafeteria with friends Shawn Hunter and Ellis, where he asks them which superhero they would like as a father. Ellis and Shawn are interested in Batman, but Cory states that he would like Superman for a father. Shawn then pulls out his water gun, a 2000-X Hydro-Saturator, and shoots Stuart Minkus, the "school nerd", in the back. Cory is shocked at Shawn's gun, but Ellis then pulls out a 3000-Z model. Minkus then pulls out his own water gun on them in retaliation, and Ellis puts down his gun in surrender. The group discuss the upcoming water war and Cory, who does not have a water gun, declares that he does not need one as he believes a well-timed water balloon can be just as efficient. As he makes his way to the water fountain, remarking that not everyone would have a water gun, he turns out to see that everyone in the cafeteria is armed with them. They all then shoot at Cory as he screams at them to stop. Just then, Mr. Feeny walks in, and the students quickly put their water guns away and resume eating lunch. Feeny, noticing the wet mess, reprimands Cory for playing with the water fountain and reminds him that it's not a toy.
At the Matthews Residence, Alan returns home but is informed by Amy that he needs to fix a leak in the boys' bathroom. As his mother is fixing dinner, Cory asks her for a water gun, but she refuses when she realizes it costs $50 plus tax, which prompts Cory to utter that the family spends that much alone every week on groceries. When Alan returns downstairs after fixing the leak, Cory asks his father to buy the gun, but Alan states that the price is too steep and that maybe they can buy it for Christmas. Cory then sarcastically retorts that he would be the little boy spreading pneumonia and heads upstairs to his room. There, he notices Eric tinkering with his digital watch, trying to put an image of Heather Ralston onto it. Cory asks how Eric got their parents to buy him the watch, but Eric informs him that he bought the watch with his own money from work. Cory attempts to have Eric buy the water gun for him, but Eric refuses, prompting Cory to return downstairs.
Cory goes to the kitchen, where Alan is fixing the sink. He asks Alan for a job at the market, but Alan refuses, stating that not only are there no openings, but that he should enjoy being a kid since childhood is fleeting. Cory, still needing money to afford the water gun, approaches Feeny, who is tending to his rose bushes. He initially offers to shovel the snow come winter for an advance payment of $50, although Feeny declines. When Cory pleads for a job, Feeny offers him $80 to paint the shutters, although Cory's inadequate math skills causes him to think the offer is for $58, which Feeny grins and agrees to. Cory, using a spray painter, swiftly paints all of Feeny's shutters. He then presents it to Feeny, who is satisfied with the job and pays Cory the money. However, Alan notices that the spray paint went through the shutter and painted their side of the fence green. Cory's parents are displeased with the paint, and when Cory attempts to leave to join the water war, Alan makes him stay behind to repaint the fence white.
As he's painting the fence, Shawn, Minkus and Ellis arrive. Cory initially tries to trick them into painting the fence, but Minkus sees through the ruse and notifies the others. Cory then uses the remaining few dollars he has and pays them to do the job, although they agree if they get fed. Eric and Morgan are inside the kitchen when Cory enters, and Eric and Cory empathize with each other over their work-related issues. When the trio are disatisfied with the ice cream Cory gives them, they leave. Cory continues to work on the fence, but when Feeny points out that there is a paint dribble on his side that Cory needs to remove, Cory collapses onto the ground. Alan then arrives, and Feeny tells him that his own father used to work him from sunup to sundown and that he turned out fine. As Feeny heads inside, Alan tells Cory to get up and to go join the water fight, adding that Cory needs to enjoy being a kid. Cory then heads to water fight with his 3000-Z. Cory returns home later and heads to his room, where a tired Eric lies down on his bed. Eric bemoans how tired he is as Cory looks outside his bedroom window and sees that Alan is painting the fence. Eric remarks that he's exhausted after working only a half-shift and that he doesn't know how their father works all day while standing up, even during his lunch breaks. Cory then proudly states that his dad is Superman.
During dinner, Cory mentions that he knows Alan finished painting the fence for him and pulls out a smaller water gun. Alan says he is tired as he had a long day and that they do not shoot water guns inside the house. Cory then tells Alan that he would think differently if he had his own water gun, and tells him to check under the table. Alan finds an identical water gun taped under his table and Cory reveals that he traded in his 3000 model for two 1500s. He tells Alan that while Alan did tell him that one only got be a kid once, he hopes Alan can visit every now and then. Alan and Amy are touched, and Amy tells them to take it outside; Cory tells Amy that she'd think differently if she checked under the table, but when she can't find a gun, Cory tells her that he's not made of money. Cory and Alan then begin shooting the water guns as the rest of the family screams. Amy then sprays them with the kitchen sink that Alan fixed earlier and the family runs outside. Morgan, who was placed on the kitchen counter, then calls 9-1-1 while Feeny runs outside and yells at the Matthews for getting water on his prized rose bushes.
Cast
Main Cast
- Ben Savage as Cory Matthews
- William Daniels as George Feeny
- Betsy Randle as Amy Matthews
- Will Friedle as Eric Matthews
- Rider Strong as Shawn Hunter
- Lee Norris as Stuart Minkus
- Lily Nicksay as Morgan Matthews
- William Russ as Alan Matthews
Guest Cast
- DeJuan Guy as Ellis
Appearances
Locations
- Philadelphia, United States
- West Virginia, United States (mentioned)
Mentioned
- Batman
- Batcave
- Batmobile
- Robin
- Superman
- Heather Ralston
- Buns of Steel
- Edgar Allan Poe
- The Raven
- Earl Scheib
- Tom Sawyer
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (indirectly)
- George Feeny's Father
Quotes
Cory: Say you could pick any superhero to be your dad. Who would you choose? Ellis: Batman, no question. Live in a cool cave, borrow the Batmobile. Shawn: He lets Robin hang out with him and play with all his stuff. And Robin's not even his real kid. He's his ward. Ellis: How do you get to be a ward? Cory: Batman? Is he faster than a speeding bullet? I don't think so. Is he more powerful than a locomotive? Uh-uh. I'd want Superman. Shawn: Sees through walls. You'd never get away with anything. Ellis: Because I'd make somebody a very cool ward. Cory: I'd like to have Superman for a dad. |
Minkus: Go ahead. Make. Me. Wet. |
Cory: What, do all women have antennas hidden somewhere on their bodies? Eric: I don't know. None of them will let me look. |
Alan: A $50 squirt gun? No, really, what's he want? Cory: Dad, we're not talking an ordinary squirt gun. We're talking the Hydro-Sat 3000-Z. It's the big boy on the block. Alan: That's nice, Cor. Pretty steep, though. Maybe for Christmas. Cory: [sarcastically] Hey, great, a water gun in December. I'll be the little boy spreading pneumonia. |
Cory: Now, I need a job. Alan: You need to be a kid. Cory: I don't wanna be a kid. Alan: Well, that's too bad because once it's gone you can never get it back. Cory: I wanna be able to afford stuff! Alan: So do I! |
Feeny: Well, I do have some shutters that are in dire need of paint. Cory: Cool. What's it pay? Feeny: Well, I could go as high as, oh... five. Cory: Dollars!? Get a pulse! Five bucks to paint all those? Feeny: Five dollars a piece, Mr. Matthews. That's five times two shutters, times eight windows. Cory: Five times two...times eight... What's that, like fifty-eight bucks? Feeny: [smiling] Fifty-eight dollars it is! You are worth every inch of that C+ I gave you in math. |
Morgan: Can I have an ice cream? Cory: Another mouth to feed. |
Cory: Shutter marks still showed after one coat. Had to borrow from Mom to buy paint for second coat. I worked two days, painted sixteen shutters and a fence. Know how much money I made? I owe eight bucks. Alan: Welcome to adulthood. |
Eric: I don't know how he does it. Cory: Who? Eric: Dad. Twelve hour days. Never sits. Eats his lunch standing up. Never takes a break. It's like he's not human. It's like he's– Cory: It's like he's Superman. Eric: Huh? Cory: Superman is my dad. |
Cory: Dad, I know you said you had a rough day, and that you only get to be a kid once, but I thought it'd be okay if you came back to visit. |
Trivia
- This is the first episode to reveal that Cory's father is named Alan and that his job is the manager at a grocery market. In addition, Eric is revealed to be working there part-time as a box boy.
- While he is getting shot by the other kid's water guns, Cory begins to say "Oh my God". This was not scripted; Ben Savage remembered in the moment that he was not allowed to say "Oh my God" and cut himself off mid-sentence during the take.[1]
- Cory's repeated "Ya do?!" in this episode were an attempt by the show to give Cory a catchphrase.[1]
Goofs/Inconsistencies
- Shawn pulls out a high-priced water gun, the 2000-X Hydro-Saturator. However, later episodes reveal that Shawn lives in poverty.
Gallery
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"This outfit with this hair? Hello? Buh-bye, I am so at the mall."
The image gallery for On the Fence may be viewed here |
References