| “ | Eli: You don't deserve all this grief you're getting over this Janitor Bud thing. Cory: I know. I was just a reporter, doing my job. Right? Eli: You don't have a job. You're a kid in school. That's where I messed up. You see, I'm supposed to teach you about the news business, not put you in it. Cory: Wait, wait. Now I'm really confused. Was I right or wrong? Eli: Well, what do you think about your report? Cory: I was proud of it. I had a great time doing it. Eli: Yeah. And how do you feel about what happened to Bud? Cory: Well, I feel bad for him. I mean, I didn't mean for him to lose his job. Eli: Welcome to the news business. It's a tough game when you care. Cory: So I was wrong when I did my story? Eli: No, I didn't say that. Cory: So I was right? Eli: No, I didn't say that either. There isn't always a clear right or wrong. |
” |
Truth and Consequences |
|
|---|---|
| Season 3, Episode 7 | |
 | |
| Production Information | |
| Director |
Jeff McCracken |
| Writer |
Donna Trujillo |
| Airdate |
November 10, 1995 |
| Episode Chronology | |
| Previous | |
| Next | |
"Truth and Consequences" is the seventh episode of season three of Boy Meets World, and the 52nd episode overall. It first aired on November 10, 1995. The episode was written by Donna Trujillo and directed by Jeff McCracken.
Plot
Cory and Shawn's latest project for media arts, a biography of a lunchroom lady, stinks and they know it. Mr. Williams encourages them to find some news that they can air on an upcoming public access TV show. After Mr. Turner bans them from reporting on an eccentric female neighbor who dances in a towel, they then decide to follow Joey when he tries to sell them stolen tires and tube socks.
They find out that Janitor Bud leaves school everyday at 2:55PM to bet on racehorses, paying Joey to punch him out at 5:00PM. They manage to catch this on film, but don't get it to Williams in time for him to review it before it's put on the air. Despite Mr. Feeny's warning, Williams airs it, and Feeny is forced to fire Bud.
Now everyone hates Cory and Shawn for getting Bud fired. They are alienated from the school, forced to eat off-campus, and Cory finds a large fish hanging in his locker. All the while Cory remains convinced he was right, but although Alan agrees with him, Amy strongly disagrees. He finally goes to Williams to get a straight answer, and is told that moral dilemmas seldom do. The teacher explains that actual reporters make the decision to tell the truth even though people get hurt, but that Cory is different.
With Williams to help him, he storms into Feeny's office to demand he rehire Bud until he could retire in a few months. Feeny says there's nothing he can do, that it went out of his hands once the school board found out. Cory starts to heavily criticize his mentor, but stops when Feeny's secretary, Bud, comes in with a cup of coffee. It becomes apparent that Feeny is willing to keep Bud working there despite his annoying nature. "Blast my heart of gold," he comments.
Meanwhile, neuroscientist is preforming a sleep experiment at John Adams High. Eric, lured by her advertisement, "Earn Cash While You Sleep", eagerly signs up. However, she finds that while he sleeps, Eric exhibits absolutely zero brain activity. She ends up calling scientists from all over the world to study him.
Starring
Main Cast
- Ben Savage as Cory Matthews
- Danielle Fishel as Topanga Lawrence
- Will Friedle as Eric Matthews
- Rider Strong as Shawn Hunter
- Anthony Tyler Quinn as Jonathan Turner
- William Daniels as George Feeny
- Betsy Randle as Amy Matthews
- William Russ as Alan Matthews
Recurring Cast
- Bob Larkin as Janitor Bud
- Blake Soper as Joseph 'Joey the Rat' Epstein
Guest Cast
- Kathy Trageser as Monique
Continuity Errors
- Eric says he does not dream. However, this is contradicted in many episodes.
- Even though Joey is punching the time card at 5:00, Janitor Bud's time card reads: "In" at 7:00, "Lunch" at 1:00, "In" at 2:00, and "Out" at 2:55.