On TV 33 Years Ago, The Most Iconic ’90s Sitcom Premiered, And The Unresolved Plots Still Haunt Us

The 1990s were a golden era for TV family sitcoms. For the most part, the characters got their happy endings, the big questions were answered, and the audience could turn off the boob tube with a sense of satisfying closure… Then there was one beloved coming-of-age comedy bent all the rules without warning. Characters could disappear between seasons, major storylines could be quietly forgotten, and even the series finale left viewers wondering what happened next. At one point, the show also broke an 80-episode trend that surprised fans.

That might sound like a flaw, but it became part of the show’s strange charm. For seven seasons, viewers watched a kid grow up surrounded by friends, family, teachers, and a neighborhood that somehow contained an endless supply of memorable personalities. Yet not everyone who entered his world stayed there. Some characters simply vanished, sometimes without so much as a goodbye. And when the finale finally arrived, it offered an emotional farewell without completely spelling out what the future held. More than three decades later, those loose ends are still lingering like an attic door always left partially open…

Boy Meets World Characters Disappeared Without Much Explanation

Boy Meets World premiered on September 24, 1993. The TV series introduced viewers to Cory Matthews, his best friend Shawn Hunter, and the ever-present influence of teacher and friendly neighbor George Feeny. Over seven seasons, Cory’s world grew considerably. There were new classmates, family members, teachers, and romantic interests. And fans can’t forget Topanga Lawrence.

But one of the show’s strangest habits was making characters disappear. Frankie and Joey, the two bullies who spent plenty of time causing trouble at John Adams High School, eventually vanished from the series. Eli Williams, Mr. Turner’s former colleague, disappeared, too. Then there was Mr. Turner himself. He went from being one of the show’s most important adult characters to barely being mentioned after his motorcycle accident. And fans were still passionate about things like the worst episode of the series.

Boy Meets World was all about growing up, but it had a funny way of handling the people you grew up with. Some characters simply stopped showing up. Others were replaced by new faces. A few returned much later as if nothing had happened. Morgan Matthews even disappeared for a stretch before returning with a different actress. It makes the show feel oddly realistic in one way. For most of these characters, the show simply moved on without much explanation, whether because the characters were no longer central to Cory’s story or because the series was introducing new faces as the characters grew older. People do come and go as you get older, but this show made it a bit more heartbreaking to witness on TV.

Boy Meets World’s Ending Left Cory’s Future Surprisingly Unclear

The bigger unresolved question came at the very end. After seven seasons of watching Cory, Shawn, Topanga, and Eric grow up, Boy Meets World finally said goodbye. Cory and Topanga were married. Shawn had finally found a family he could count on. Eric had become… well, Eric. Then the four friends prepared to leave Philadelphia for New York. And then the show ended. And who can forget that dark Christmas episode?

Sure, we knew where they were going. But there were still so many unanswered questions. Would Cory and Topanga stay together? Would Shawn finally get the happy ending he deserved? What would Eric actually do with his life? That is, until Girl Meets World came along. Cory and Topanga were still together, and they had a daughter named Riley. We also got to see what happened to some of the old gang.

Still, there was that big gap between the two shows. For years, all fans really had was that final goodbye. Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Eric were heading to New York, and that was it. Whatever happened next was left to our imagination.

That’s why Boy Meets World still hurts a little more than sitcoms from its era. We got to watch Cory, Shawn, Topanga, and Eric grow up. And for a little while, we were growing up with them. When they finally disappeared into that New York skyline, it felt like saying goodbye to a part of our own childhood.