This TikTok Theory About Eric From 'Boy Meets World' Will Blow Your Mind

From Mr. Feeny's sage advice to Cory and Topanga's enviable romance, Boy Meets World is one of those shows that checks off all the boxes. And even though it's been been over 20 years since the final episode aired (and four since its Disney Channel spinoff, Girl Meets World, ended), viewers still adore rewatching the '90s sitcom on Disney+. Whether you're a new fan or an old timer like yours truly, there's one character in the franchise you probably have some *thoughts* about. Luckily, this TikTok theory about Eric from Boy Meets World might explain his strange character arc throughout the series.

To recap, while the original show follows Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) through adolescence and early adulthood, there are a lot of other major characters that made the show so iconic. Eric Matthews (Will Friedle), Cory's brother, was one of the most crushable people in the '90s. But as the show's seven-season stint ran on, Eric seemed to go from an impossibly cool ladies' man to a jester-like airhead.

While this could have just been a choice the writers made to add some comedic relief to the show (things got pretty serious as Cory got older), a fan on TikTok suggests it might actually have been a creative way to show how Cory himself was evolving.

On March 22, TikToker @murrayed_life24 explained a theory about why Eric's character might have changed so drastically from Season 1 to Season 7. Basically, since the show is supposed to literally be from Cory's POV, the characters evolve based on his personal perceptions of them. When he was younger, he thought Eric was really cool, so he was really cool on the show. As Cory grew up and his priorities and worldview changed, his view of Eric changed as well.

This, of course, could also explain Topanga's (Danielle Fishel) character evolution. At the start of the series, Cory perceived her as strange, but after he started crushing on her, she eventually turned into the most popular girl in school. (Mind! Blown!)

While fans probably won't know for sure if this fully explains the characters' development, it does give you the perfect reason to go back and rewatch the series (and its spinoff) to see if there are any clues to confirm whether the theory is true.

Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World are both streaming on Disney+.