History Fanfic / TheMinkiad

** [[spoiler: Farkle attempts suicide and is diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety disorder and also is given to frequent Panic Attacks that are usually talked down by his father, friends, and one time his great-grandfather’s ghost; Farkle and Minkus both continue to have low self-esteem issues; part of the reason that Morgan rejects Minkus is because of PTSD from her attempted rape; While overdramatized, Riley’s transformation to Morotia M. Black could imply depression after Farkle’s suicide attempt; While Farkle seeks a therapist willingly and takes his medicine, Minkus refuses to see one upon Rachel’s suggestion. It is not until his mental breakdown as an adult that Minkus agrees to see one.]]
* CatchPhrase: The characters’ catchphrases are referred to throughout the fanfics. For example when six year old Maya gives Riley a purple crayon at their first meeting she does her famous “Yayy!” Lucas tries to prompt Maya to tease him by saying that he’s been driving his mother’s truck then hints “You know truck, the type of vehicle a Ranger Rick or a Bucky [=McBoingBoing=] would drive, a guy that goes hurr?” using Maya’s nicknames for him. Maya at one time goes through Farkle’s window saying, “Gentlemen! I always wanted to say that” probably in the same tone as Farkle’s “Ladies.”
* CharacterDeath: Four characters shuffle off this mortal coil before the fics are done [[spoiler: Ginsburg from a stroke, Michael Ginsberg from emphysema, Tom Minkus from heart failure, and Fluffy, the Minkus family cat from being put down after getting shot. However Ginsburg and Michael live on through the Digital Library and their supernatural assistance towards Farkle and the others in their escape attempt. Fluffy is honored with a beautiful urn on the Minki’s cofee table. Tom Minkus’ death becomes instrumental in the healing between his son,Stuart and his wife, Nancy.]]

* OverprotectiveDad: [[spoiler: After Farkle’s suicide attempt, Minkus becomes over protective of Farkle. He removes access to any potential weapons of suicide even wanting to make long term plans such as not teaching him to drive and having him home schooled for the rest of his life. When Farkle returns to school, Minkus constantly texts him, places his Baby Cam inside his bedroom to monitor his activities, and counts his medicinal intake. While Farkle understands the protectiveness, he becomes irritated with it and also felt that his father did not do enough to prevent Farkle’s abuse and attempted suicide in the first place. These are among the motivations for Farkle’s transformation into Donnie Barnes.]]

* {{Nerd}}: Oh the whole darn clan! The difference between how a nerd was portrayed in the 90s as nothing more than a comic relief character to how they are portrayed now with more sympathy and possibly with mental illnesses is illustrated by Minkus’ line:
-->’’’Minkus’’’: It’s funny when we were in school, behavior characteristics like that simply meant you were a nerd. Get all ‘A’s and you were a teacher’s pet. Dress differently and wear pocket protectors and you were just a weirdo. Now there’s a name for it, a condition as if medicine and therapy could treat it. As if the stigma of being weird in school wasn’t bad enough.
** Also part of Minkus’ reluctance to accept help comes from his mistrust towards Cory and Shawn over how they treated him when he was in school.

** Jennifer’s jealousy does not just end with thinking her husband is having an affair. It is also [[UpToEleven taken up to eleven]] after Farkle is born and she feels that her own son is getting too much of Stuart’s attention.

* AscendedExtra: Besides Minkus and Jennifer being featured characters in the fanfic we also get to peer into the recent lives of Libby Harper, Dana Pruitt, Alvin Meese, Ingrid Iverson, Loni the Matthews’ former store associate, College Professor Stuart, Mr. Mack’s Sherry, Claire Ferguson, and Jason Marsden and hear about T.K Keiner and Southern Belle Desiree. We also get to reunite with important characters from ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' that have yet to appear in ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'', such as Morgan Matthews and Rachel McGuire and hear about Joey Epstein.

* JailBait: One reader was upset that Jennifer accused not only Katy, but MAYA as well of being prostitutes.[[spoiler: Jennifer even hangs onto this fiction during the intervention when she implies that Maya is having an affair with her husband. Cue Katy’s MamaBear moment.]]
** [[spoiler: It also leads to a very icky scene in which Jennifer in trying to escape flirts with Lucas! However, Lucas is not at all receptive.]]
** [[spoiler: Things become even ickier after Farkle moves in with her and two of the guests at her party, Stuart and Sherry, molest him and Jennifer turns a blind eye to it!]]

* {{Adorkable}}: Farkle takes his sweet time trying to decide which girl he likes best and when he decide that he loves Maya, he has a crush on her for a month before he tells her. Minkus goes through very awkward relationships with the women in his life particularly Sam Russo and Morgan Matthews. He and Morgan stare at each other several times before they kiss and he gets horribly tongue tied.

`''The Minkiad AKA Unhappy In Its Own Way & The Lives of Genius'': a ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''/''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' {{Crossover}}.

-->'''Minkus on Farkle''': He is the only person that I truly loved without any thought or analysis beforehand. After he was born, I held him and he looked up at me with those big eyes and that innocent face I said, ‘I love you, more than anything, I love you.’ … He’s not nothing! He’s everything to me, everything!
-->~ From Unhappy In Its Own Way Chapter Four: Proving a Negative

''The Minkiad'' are two fanfics written by ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/21734/Auburn-Red Auburn Red]]'' that chronicles the lives of Stuart and Farkle Minkus, the father and son from ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' and ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld''. They take place in an AlternateUniverse setting where Jennifer Bassett’s personality hasn’t changed since she was in high school and because of certain dramatic events in the fic, the canon goes through some unforeseen changes as well.

* GirlfriendInAComa: [[spoiler:Well, son in a coma anyway. Much of Chapter Four of UIOW deals with Minkus and his and Farkle’s friends waiting as Farkle is in the hospital lying in a coma from swallowing pills and cutting his wrists in a suicide attempt]]

** [[spoiler: Minkus’ pitch to form the new Minkus Technologies is a tribute to Don Draper’s many pitches particularly the one at the end of the third season of Mad Men to form SCDP. The AO3 summary even refers to it as Minkus channeling his inner Don Draper.]] The scene where Meese slaps Farkle is similar to a scene in Mad Men where a party guest does the same to someone else’s child (Though unlike the father in that scene who makes his son apologize, Eddie and Minkus are from a more enlightened 21st century time and give the exact opposite reaction.)

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Morgan and Jennifer respectively though at times it is subverted when Morgan says she likes to “be dressy and feminine, likes rom coms and chick lit, old love songs, and flowers” and Jennifer could be as physically strong as any man as the series show and has no problem physically hurting Stuart many times.

* TookALevelInJerkass: Jennifer is not the nice loving mother that we saw in “Girl Meets Farkle” instead she is an abusive manipulative bitch more like her high school persona;

* VolleyingInsults: Minkus often does this with Jennifer’s brothers, Teddy and Tommy Bassett. When Minkus proposes to Jennifer, the twins deride Minkus as being “NOK: Not Our Kind” to which Minkus smarts back, “I’m not asking to marry either of you…I know it’s hard for you two to comprehend, but I am talking to your sister!”

** Minkus also volleyes insults with Rusty Venture from the Venture Bros. such as when Rusty calls Minkus,“Lonesome Loser” and Minkus calls Rusty, “Captain Hair.”
* WhatMightHaveBeen: Minkus wonders about this [[spoiler: after Grandpa Ginsburg’s funeral]] when he sees Cory and Topanga with Baby Riley through the window of the Matthews’ home. Mr. Feeny says that we all contemplate different paths “provided that we know which roads were ours to take.”

* YouAreNotMyFather: Nancy tells Ginsburg that her stepfather, Phillip, was more her father than he ever was.
** [[spoiler: When Meese is about ready to punish Farkle, he uses these exact words to him. Then says that Stuart Minkus is his father.]]

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: While the “Secret of Life” People Change People is a prominent theme throughout both fics, it adds a semicolon to the phrase that sometimes people change for the better (Minkus, Morgan, Ingrid, Rachel, etc.); others change for the worse. (Jennifer, Meese, Other Stuart, Sherry etc.)

* TooSoon: [[spoiler: When Farkle suggests that his father go back to work, he says that he can’t do anything in the hospital with the doctors, nurses, and his friends watching. His father gives him a look and Farkle responds with the quote.]]

* WorkingTitle: The original title for the one-shot was “Parent Meets Teacher.” Another working title for the fanfic was “Proving a Negative” until the author settled on a shortened version of the famous epigram from Anna Karenina: “Unhappy In Its Own Way.” Both working titles live on as chapter titles.

`''The Minkiad AKA Unhappy In It’s Own Way & The Lives of Genius'': a ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''/''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' {{Crossover}}.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11005601/1/Unhappy-In-Its-Own-Way Unhappy In It’s Own Way]]''- AKA UIOW was written first. It is an AfterActionReport fic following the events of the ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' episode, “Girl Meets Flaws” in which Cory has a parent-teacher conference with Minkus about Farkle’s behavior in the episode. Through the conference, Minkus reveals to Cory secrets about his and Farkle’s home life particularly that his wife, Jennifer has been verbally abusive towards Farkle and himself. The conversation between Cory and Minkus leads to a chain of events and a bad situation that becomes worse. Can Cory, Riley, and their friends help put an end to this situation before it’s too late?

** Chapter 16 of LOG reports the actions of chapters 3 and 4 of Unhappy In It’s Own Way by taking place [[spoiler: after Farkle wakes up in the hospital from his suicide attempt]].

** Chapter One of Unhappy In It’s Own Way takes place after the events of “Girl Meets Flaws” and deals with a parent-teacher conference between Cory and Stuart over the events.

** Implied why Claire Ferguson takes such an antagonistic approach towards Stuart and believes Jennifer’s account that he is the abuser.[[spoiler: Maybe part of the reason why Nancy believes that Stuart deserved the abuse that Jennifer gave him.]]

* AmbiguouslyJewish: Subverted in that it mentions that Ginsburg grew up in a Jewish home and his Brooklyn neighborhood is Jewish; While he is an agnostic, he considers himself open minded enough to speak about “Karma” and “the Universe.” His daughter downplays her religion to the point[[spoiler: that she hires a pastor to perform her father’s funeral services. Minkus even says that she could have gotten a rabbi.]]Later Farkle’s [[{{BerserkButton}} Berserk Button]] is pushed when his cousin Andrew refers to Minkus in Anti-Semtic slurs. Jessie Goloff is revealed to be Jewish when Minkus wishes her a Happy Hannukah, “well a few days late anyway.”

* BottleEpisode: There are a few moments in the two fics which take place in a small area, or with mostly one setting with a small amount of the characters. Chapter One of ''Unhappy In It’s Own Way'' is primarily a Parent-Teacher conference between Minkus and Cory over the events from “Girl Meets Flaws.” Chapter Four of the same fic mostly takes place in[[spoiler: Mt. Sinai as Minkus and his and Farkle’s friends are waiting for Farkle to wake up from his suicide-induced coma]].

** Jennifer’s jealousy does not just end with thinking her husband is having an affair. It is also [[{{UpToEleven}} taken up to eleven]] after Farkle is born and she feels that her own son is getting too much of Stuart’s attention.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Jennifer tells her son that he is nothing, that no one wants him around and why doesn’t he kill himself, it would save everyone the trouble. Let’s just say Farkle does not take[[{{Understatement}} those words well.]]]]
* DudeNotFunny:[[spoiler: When Farkle teases Riley about punching him on the arm and telling him not to kill himself again, Lucas responds with, “It isn’t funny man!” He then tells Farkle that he never wants to see Riley as helpless as she was in the hospital and never wanted to feel like he lost his best friend and couldn’t do anything about it.]]

* [[{{EvilLaugh}} Evil Laugh]]-Morgan rubs her hands and does a parody of a villainous laugh when she says that Matthews’ Wilderness is now almost in her full complete power.

* Fiction500: We get inside the inner workings of Minkus Technologies/Minkus International including the stockholders, employees, business associates, clients, and personnel difficulties. Minkus and his associates climb higher in the business world from small beginnings to a multi-International conglomerate.

* FiveManBand: With the original team that began Minkus International we have:
** TheHero: Stuart Minkus. Also doubles as TheSmartGuy
** TheLancer: Alvin Meese
** TheBigGuy: Elliot Smackle
** TheChick: Ingrid Iverson
** TheSixthRanger: Eddie Giatti
** With the newly formed team that becomes Minkus Technologies we have:
*** TheHero: Stuart Minkus
*** TheLancer: Eddie Giatti
*** TheSmartGuy: Jessie Goloff
*** TheBigGuy: Shared by Mike Chu and Lonny Overton
*** TheChick: Shared by Christine Monte and Ali Gold
*** TheSixthRanger: Ingrid and Elliot Iverson-Smackle

** [[spoiler: Farkle has a few as well. After his mother yells at him and says that she would be better off without him, he walks slowly to his room. He cries picturing his future as unwanted and unloved leading to a[[{{DrivenToSuicide}} very unpleasant conclusion.]]]]

-->[[spoiler:’’’Minkus’’’: It’s alright son. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s here and he does want you.]]

* [[{{Intervention}} Intervention]]: [[spoiler: The final chapter of UOIW deals with Jennifer’s intervention. Many real-life details are presented throughout the chapter such as choosing a neutral ground in which the addict is unfamiliar, to have a support system, to not making any threats in retaliation, and that interventions don’t always end with the addict agreeing to seek help.]]
* [[{{Irony}} Irony]]: Minkus [[{{VerbalIrony}} tells]] Libby and Dana that they are good friends to be with Jennifer during her miscarriage. This is of course shortly after Jennifer blackmails her two friends with their guilty secrets: Libby’s lover and real estate scam and Dana’s anorexia and speed addiction in exchange for a conspiracy of silence saying that she had a miscarriage instead of a false pregnancy.

* {{Nerd}}: Oh the whole darn clan! :D The difference between how a nerd was portrayed in the 90s as nothing more than a comic relief character to how they are portrayed now with more sympathy and possibly with mental illnesses is illustrated by Minkus’ line:

** [[spoiler: During the intervention, when Jennifer attacks Farkle, Minkus stands in front and has a[[{{CrowningMomentOfAwesome}} Crowning Moment of Awesome]]defending him:]]
-->’’’Minkus''': [[spoiler: "Now you are my wife and Farkle’s mother, if either of those things ever meant anything to you, you will listen to what we have to say and you will: SIT. DOWN!"]]

-->Cory: [[spoiler: Yeah well I have this funny quirk that I don’t like when one of my students gets hurt, especially by their parents, the people who-oh, I don’t know-are supposed to love and take care of them. The funny thing is the state of New York doesn’t really like it either. So I have this obsessive urge to step in.]]

* ParentsAsPeople: The Ginsburg-Minkuses have three generations of parental difficulties. Ginsburg was a free spirit who felt tied down by his wife and daughter so he[[{{DisappearedDad}} left them]]to open the Café Hey and be around artists, thinkers, and musicians.
** His daughter Nonnie, AKA Nancy was so bitter and preoccupied with a fear of being hurt or abandoned that she [[{{MommyIssues}} “avoided being hurt” ]]by dismissing her son’s achievements and believing that he was strange or dangerous and got her husband to go along with her fears.
** Her son, Stuart while a loving father, [[{{DaddyIssues}} is packed with insecurities and self-esteem issues]] stemming from his parent’s anxieties and abuse from his wife, that cause difficulties between him and Farkle even long [[spoiler: after he and Jennifer get divorced.]]
** It doesn’t look good for our little funny-named friend to be a stable well-adjusted father in the future (and considering that he’s with Maya who has her own [[{{DisappearedDad}} issues]] it seems less likely.

* ReasonYouSuckSpeech:[[spoiler:Minkus not only gives one about Jennifer to her father, Edward but he tells Edward off as well after they fired him as CEO:]]

* RightBehindMe: Just like in the series, Cory falls victim to this. He says he is sick of hearing about celebrity separation gossip and Minkus is standing behind him. He covers up by saying that he’s referring to Kris and Caitelyn Jenner;
** Meese falls victim to this when he insults Farkle and Minkus saying Farkle is a brat and Minkus has gone soft. He ignores Jessie’s “he’s not that bad” and meaningful looks until oops! :D

* SmoochOfVictory-[[spoiler: Well Hug of Victory anyway. When Zay and Smackle receive word that their friends have returned to Manhattan, they engage in a friendly hug that is about to lead to more when Smackle’s mother walks in. Later the fic reveals that Zay and Smackle have begun dating.]]

-->Meese: Saves a bundle on the monograms doesn’t it?

* [[{{StepfordSmiler}} Stepford Smiler]]-Jennifer is one of the Type C variety particularly in UIOW when she takes pictures for an article to try to sell her family as the perfect happy loving family when they are anything but.

* [[{{SurpriseWitness}} Surprise Witness]]-[[spoiler: The Minkus custody trial has two: Morgan who outs herself as the “Unidentified Blond” date of Minkus’ and Farkle who speaks out in favor of his father; Subverted in that despite their testimony, the verdict is still in Jennifer’s favor. Morgan even says that her testimony probably gave Jennifer’s attorney more ammo to accuse Minkus of being an abusive philanderer.]]
* [[{{SuspiciouslySpecificDenial}} Suspicously Specific Denial]]-The fact that Eddie Giatti says that he and Jessie Goloff are not hiding the paper with details about Minkus and Morgan’s date does not fall in this category at all! :D
* TakeThat-When Sam Russo presents her game, The Goddess Wars, Minkus says that one of the refreshing things about it is that neither of the lead female characters are princesses, you know kind of like a certain company’s lead [[{{DisneyPrincesses}} female characters?]] :D
* [[{{TheAtoner}} (The) Atoner]]-Part of the reason that Cory is so involved in Minkus and Farkle’s struggles against Jennifer is because he wants to apologize for how he treated Minkus when they were kids:
-->”Cory:” During that assignment about flaws, I realized something:people can change. Bullies like Harley Keiner and well…me as well as their victims. So it’s my way of saying I’m sorry for the things that I did or said to you in school. I want to help you and Farkle, maybe help us both move on from who we were as kids.;
** Ginsburg’s close bond with his grandson, Stuart, is partly to atone for not being around for his daughter, Stuart’s mother, which she tells him that he’s too late.;
** [[spoiler: After Ginsburg dies, Minkus visits his grave and apologizes for him and Jennifer living so far above their means that Minkus could no longer afford to keep him at the seniors residential area in which he was living. He tells Ginsburg:]]
-->[[spoiler: Minkus: I don’t know if you ever knew how much you meant to me but I miss you. You were the one person that I could talk to and feel like you knew me. You always helped me by encouraging me to fill my potential. You saw potential in everybody. You always made me feel safe, protected, and like I was loved. I’m lost without you and I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t have you to guide me anymore. I am so sorry that I messed up in the end. I promised you that I would take care of you and I couldn’t. The check bounced and they couldn’t keep you at your apartment. Mother had to send you back here. I failed you instead. You should be spread around the Village and Central Park and here you are shut up in a box in a place that you hated and it’s my fault.]]
** [[spoiler: Part of the reason that Minkus decides to create the Café Hey Digital Library is to atone for Ginsburg’s eviction and to honor him the way that he felt that she should be honored instead of with the small impersonal funeral that Nonnie gave him.]]
* [[{{ThereAreNoTherapists}} There Are No Therapists]]-Subverted in that several of the characters seek psychiatric help such as Farkle and Minkus in his youth. However when Rachel suggests that Minkus seek a therapist, he doesn’t want to. [[spoiler: It isn’t until he has another breakdown upon adulthood that Minkus agrees to see one.]]

* ThoseTwoGuys Those Two Guys-Minkus’ software technicians, [[{{BlackAndNerdy}} Black and Nerdy]] Lonny Overton and[[{{GranolaGirl}} Granola Girl]] Ali Gold fit the bill. Sometimes Minkus’ Accounts VP, Eddie Giatti and Office Manager, Jessie Goloff do as well.
* TokenMinority-Minkus is very matter-of-fact about Jessie, his office manager, being a lesbian and he also keeps Christine Monte, a hardware designer who happens to be a transgender,on his team.
** Notable that he recognizes their abilities and contributions to the company without making much of a mention of their sexuality.Christine praises him for his giving her a chance [[spoiler: and cites that as a reason she decides to jump ship with him to create Minkus Technologies.]][[spoiler: Minkus also makes Jessie a partner in the new Minkus Technologies and acknowledges her creation of the Feenix device.]]
* [[{{TomboyAndGirlyGirl}} Tomboy and Girly Girl]]-Morgan and Jennifer respectively though at times it is subverted when Morgan says she likes to “be dressy and feminine, likes rom coms and chick lit, old love songs, and flowers” and Jennifer could be as physically strong as any man as the series show and has no problem physically hurting Stuart many times;

* [[{{TookALevelInJerkass}} Took A Level in Jerkass]]-Jennifer is not the nice loving mother that we saw in “Girl Meets Farkle” instead she is an abusive manipulative bitch more like her high school persona;

* [[{{TooSoon}} Too Soon]]-[[spoiler: When Farkle suggests that his father go back to work, he says that he can’t do anything in the hospital with the doctors, nurses, and his friends watching. His father gives him a look and Farkle responds with the quote.]]
* [[{{VolleyingInsults}} Volleying Insults]]-Minkus often does this with Jennifer’s brothers, Teddy and Tommy Bassett. When Minkus proposes to Jennifer, the twins deride Minkus as being “NOK: Not Our Kind” to which Minkus smarts back, “I’m not asking to marry either of you…I know it’s hard for you two to comprehend, but I am talking to your sister!”

* [[{{WhatMightHaveBeen}} What Might Have Been]]-Minkus wonders about this [[spoiler: after Grandpa Ginsburg’s funeral]] when he sees Cory and Topanga with Baby Riley through the window of the Matthews’ home. Mr. Feeny says that we all contemplate different paths “provided that we know which roads were ours to take.”

* [[{{WhatTheHellHero}} What the Hell, Hero?]]-[[spoiler: Rosemary calls Minkus out for approaching Jennifer’s house and “acting like a lunatic” calling for Farkle when he believes that he is in trouble. Minkus realizes that since he acted on emotion, he had to think intellectually hence his plan to gather evidence on the abuse.]]
* [[{{WorkingTitle}} Working Title]]-The original title for the one-shot was “Parent Meets Teacher.” Another working title for the fanfic was “Proving a Negative” until the author settled on a shortened version of the famous epigram from Anna Karenina: “Unhappy In Its Own Way.” Both working titles live on as chapter titles.
* [[{{YouAreNotMyFather}} You Are Not My Father]]-Nancy tells Ginsburg that her stepfather, Phillip, was more her father than he ever was.

`''The Minkiad AKA Unhappy In It’s Own Way & The Lives of Genius'': a ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''/''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' {{Crossover}}

* AndTheFandomRejoiced UIOW began as a one-shot “Parent Meets Teacher,” but multiple reviews and likes (as well as multiple inspiration from the canon) inspired the author to expand UIOW into 5 chapters. When that was completed, Auburn Red then wrote the 24 chapter LOG. [[spoiler: The final two chapters of LOG were a reader request for Minkus to gain closure/reconcile with his parents.]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:Minkus becomes a multi-millionaire CEO of a computer company but it is at the expense of marrying an abusive woman and being confined by his in-laws who manipulate him into making them partners.

* [[{{SuspiciouslySpecificDenial}} Suspicously Specific Denial]]-The fact that Eddie Giatti says that he and Jessie Goloff are not hiding the paper with details about Minkus
and Morgan’s date does not fall in this category at all! :D
* [{{TakeThat}} Take That!]]-When Sam Russo presents her game, The Goddess Wars, Minkus says that one of the refreshing things about it is that neither of the lead female characters are princesses, you know kind of like a certain company’s lead [[{{DisneyPrincesses}} female characters?]] :D

Jennifer, and her friends, Dana Pruitt-Livingstone and J.J. Stone have also been in therapy and rehab but they appeared not to have taken. Jennfier tells J.J. that the only thing he learned was that he was an addict.
* [[{{ThoseTwoGuys}} Those Two Guys]]-Minkus’ software technicians,
[[{{BlackAndNerdy}} Black and Nerdy]] Lonny Overton and[[{{GranolaGirl}} Granola Girl]] Ali Gold fit the bill. Sometimes Minkus’ Accounts VP, Eddie Giatti and Office Manager, Jessie Goloff do as well.
* [[{{TokenMinority}} Token Minority]]-Minkus is very matter-of-fact about Jessie, his office manager, being a lesbian and he also keeps Christine Monte, a hardware designer who happens to be a transgender,on his team.

''The Minkiad AKA Unhappy In It’s Own Way & The Lives of Genius'': a ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''/''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' {{Crossover}}

* BackByPopularDemand: UIOW began as a one-shot “Parent Meets Teacher,” but multiple reviews and likes (as well as multiple inspiration from the canon) inspired the author to expand UIOW into 5 chapters. When that was completed, Auburn Red then wrote the 24 chapter LOG. [[spoiler: The final two chapters of LOG were a reader request for Minkus to gain closure/reconcile with his parents.]]
* BackgroundExcitement: While Farkle and Rusty Venture are engaged in a heart-to-heart in which Rusty compares notes between his and Minkus’ bad upbringings, Brock Samson is busy saving Hank and Dean’s life from the Monarchs. Rusty takes the situation totally in stride despite the confusion of Farkle and his friends, until the lab explodes.

* BitterLifeLesson: While the “Secret of Life” People Change People is a prominent theme throughout both fics, it adds a semicolon to the phrase that sometimes people change for the better (Minkus, Morgan, Ingrid, Rachel, etc.); others change for the worse. (Jennifer, Meese, Other Stuart, Sherry etc.)

* CastOfCuckoos: All over the friggin’ fics! Stuart has a nervous breakdown in high school and [[spoiler: one later as an adult]]; Both he and Farkle show signs of being Overachievers, Jennifer is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and displays symptoms of it long before her diagnosis; Jennifer also is a Compulsive Shopper, Ginsburg has Alzheimers beginning at the young age of 57; Michael Ginsberg’s institutionalization in ''Series/MadMen'' is referred to many times as well as the after effects such as him having a lobotomy and never fully recovering from the experience; Dana Pruitt has Anorexia Nervosa;

* CrossoverFic: The fics, particularly Lives of Genius, are examples of a cross-over fic because they refer to and take place during both the ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' and ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' timelines

* DeadpanSnarker: Of course with Minkus and Meese at the helm it becomes [[SnarkToSnarkCombat dueling snarkers]]! Minkus snarks at his wife, because he can’t find any other defense from her such as telling her “Enjoy drinking your dinner.” Eddie gets a few zings in too like his description of Minkus’ situation as being “Duggars bad.” Also Christine Monte does too with her sarcastic question to Minkus and Jennifer, “You two are a rock solid couple! What happened?” Minkus and Rusty Venture have a snarking relationship in which Rusty mocks Minkus’ marriage and Minkus mocks Rusty’s baldness among other issues.

* GoneTooFar: One reader was upset that Jennifer accused not only Katy, but MAYA as well of being prostitutes.[[spoiler: Jennifer even hangs onto this fiction during the intervention when she implies that Maya is having an affair with her husband. Cue Katy’s MamaBear moment.]]
** [[spoiler: It also leads to a very icky scene in which Jennifer in trying to escape flirts with Lucas! However, Lucas is not at all receptive.]]
** [[spoiler: Things become even ickier after Farkle moves in with her and two of the guests at her party, Stuart and Sherry, molest him and Jennifer turns a blind eye to it!]]

* GoodGirlsDontGetAbortions: When Jennifer is pregnant, Stuart suggests an abortion; Both Jennfier and Edward are horrified since it conflicts with their religious beliefs-Edward even calls them “Baby Butchers.”

* HesRightBehindMe: Just like in the series, Cory falls victim to this. He says he is sick of hearing about celebrity separation gossip and Minkus is standing behind him. He covers up by saying that he’s referring to Kris and Caitelyn Jenner;
** Meese falls victim to this when he insults Farkle and Minkus saying Farkle is a brat and Minkus has gone soft. He ignores Jessie’s “he’s not that bad” and meaningful looks until oops! :D
** Lonny and Ali fall for this when they announce that Minkus and Morgan’s date was in the paper, which Eddie and Jessie were trying to hide. They do this after greeting Minkus who was in the same room.

** [[spoiler: Minkus: It’s alright son. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s here and he does want you.]]

* IObjectToTheLastOne: One when Stuart says that a sale at Bloomingdale’s is more important to Jennifer than her son’s future, Jennifer counters by saying the sale is at Sak’s.

* {{Intervention}}: [[spoiler: The final chapter of UOIW deals with Jennifer’s intervention. Many real-life details are presented throughout the chapter such as choosing a neutral ground in which the addict is unfamiliar, to have a support system, to not making any threats in retaliation, and that interventions don’t always end with the addict agreeing to seek help.]]

* MadeUpOnTheSpot:[[spoiler: Zay calls the kids’ phony charity the LRMSZ Foundation (for Lucas, Riley, Maya, Smackle, and Zay) which the butler mistakes for the ALARMS Foundation. Zay then says it’s a charity to help “displaced children and refugees find their way home” and wants Eunice’s assistance to drop off some “important merchandise” for a rummage sale. He pretty much reveals their plot to the butler without him knowing.]]

* MeanwhileBackAtTheRanch: The Lives of Genius Chapters 15-17 are meant to be read alongside Unhappy In Its Own Way because they offer different perspectives of similar events. Events that are alluded to in UIOW are shown in LOG and vice versa. Such as Minkus and Harley’s conversation in LOG takes place the next day after Farkle and Minkus attend the abuse support group meeting from UIOW.

* MediaBacklash: [[spoiler: Edward Bassett orchestrates one against Stuart Minkus when he’s dismissed as CEO from Minkus International and later before Stuart and Jennifer’s custody battle over Farkle. It includes domestic violence protesters, boycotts, clients withdrawing their support for Minkus’ new company, barrage of reporters, and of course the piece de resistance a PR stunt/One-on-one interview from Jennifer portraying Minkus as an abusive fortune hunter.]]

** It’s funny when we were in school, behavior characteristics like that simply meant you were a nerd. Get all ‘A’s and you were a teacher’s pet. Dress differently and wear pocket protectors and you were just a weirdo. Now there’s a name for it, a condition as if medicine and therapy could treat it. As if the stigma of being weird in school wasn’t bad enough.

-->'''Minkus''': [[spoiler: "Now you are my wife and Farkle’s mother, if either of those things ever meant anything to you, you will listen to what we have to say and you will: SIT. DOWN!"]]

** Cory also gets very Papa Wolf towards his children and his students at times.[[spoiler: When Jennifer reveals that she knew that he called DFS on her Cory says: Yeah well I have this funny quirk that I don’t like when one of my students gets hurt, especially by their parents, the people who-oh, I don’t know-are supposed to love and take care of them. The funny thing is the state of New York doesn’t really like it either. So I have this obsessive urge to step in.]]

* ReportingThePlot:[[spoiler:This happens three times in the Minkiad. In UIOW, Katy and Shawn hear about Stuart’s arrest and release, and Farkle’s suicide attempt so they run to Stuart’s aid. In LOG, Farkle hears about his father’s dismissal and is in despair and guilt over the event. Also in LOG Morgan follows the Minkus custody trial on the Internet and reads about Katy’s testimony that she would go far for a friend. This gives her the inspiration to speak in Minkus’ defense. Technically Jennifer’s interview doesn’t quite count, since it mostly consists of her exaggerations and fabrications of the events to portray herself as the wronged abused wife, so it represents the plot as she wants people to see it, not as it really was.]]

* SituationalIrony:Minkus tells Libby and Dana that they are good friends to be with Jennifer during her miscarriage. This is of course shortly after Jennifer blackmails her two friends with their guilty secrets: Libby’s lover and real estate scam and Dana’s anorexia and speed addiction in exchange for a conspiracy of silence saying that she had a miscarriage instead of a false pregnancy.
** [[spoiler: Jennifer spends some of "Unhappy In Its Own Way" trying to take pictures for an article to sell her family as the perfect loving happy family. Of course this is at the same time that her abuse towards her husband and son increase and her son is driven to suicide. Needless to say, the article does not get published.]]

[[{{StepfordSmiler}} Stepford Smiler]]-Jennifer is one of the Type C variety particularly in UIOW when she takes pictures for an article to try to sell her family as the perfect happy loving family when they are anything but.

Stuart is one of the Type A variety in that he has to act like he’s happy even though he is miserable and anguished over his son’s abuse.

Narration: No matter what it took, he would act happy even when he wasn’t. He would hide any disappointments behind a smirk, a smug grin of satisfaction, and a delight in the gains behind his life. If the smile ever dropped, he would will it back to his face. He would no longer worry about regrets and things that might have been. He would only move forward. If he tried really hard to act happy, he would get really good at it. Maybe he finally might be.

[[{{StrawManHasAPoint}} Straw Man Has a Point]]-While Nancy Minkus can be seen as a pushy mother and an angry bitter woman, she was virtually abandoned by her father at a young age (No different than Maya). Minkus even believed that his grandfather wasn’t perfect because of this.

[[spoiler: [[{{SurpriseWitness}} Surprise Witness]]-The Minkus custody trial has two: Morgan who outs herself as the “Unidentified Blond” date of Minkus’ and Farkle who speaks out in favor of his father; Subverted in that despite their testimony, the verdict is still in Jennifer’s favor. Morgan even says that her testimony probably gave Jennifer’s attorney more ammo to accuse Minkus of being an abusive philanderer.]]

[[{{SuspiciouslySpecificDenial}} Suspicously Specific Denial]]-The fact that Eddie Giatti says that he and Jessie Goloff are not hiding the paper with details about Minkus

[[{{TakeThat}} Take That!]]-When Sam Russo presents her game, The Goddess Wars, Minkus says that one of the refreshing things about it is that neither of the lead female characters are princesses, you know kind of like a certain company’s lead [[{{DisneyPrincesses}} female characters?]] :D

[[{{TearJerker}} Tear Jerker]]-
[[spoiler: UIOW- Chapter Four: Proving a Negative was very heart wrenching. From the moment where Minkus is sitting over Farkle’s bedside and Eddie is reading the reports to the final scene when Minkus says “I want you to know that I am not usually good at asking for help, but I am asking for it now because we need it…..Help us, please.”]]

[[spoiler: The most dramatic scene is between Minkus and Shawn when Minkus considers turning off Farkle’s life support because he has a less than 10% chance of surviving and will have physical and psychological problems for the rest of his life. Shawn reminds Minkus that he knows that in his head, but what does he know in his heart. Minkus then responds with the quote at the beginning of the page:]]

[[spoiler: That I don’t want my son to die…Farkle is only thirteen years old and he deserves a chance to go to high school, learn how to drive, go to college, and maybe fall in love! He is the only person that I truly loved without any thought or analysis beforehand.]][[spoiler: After he was born, I held him and he looked up at me with those big eyes and that innocent face I said, ‘I love you, more than anything, I love you.’ It kills me to see him lying here like this! He’s not nothing! He’s everything to me, everything!]]

[[spoiler: LOG-The final chapters in which Minkus keeps dreaming that Farkle is in danger in a room that he can’t get into. Many parents would share that fear of wanting to save their child and being unable to. Also the fact that this fear along with Minkus’ insecurities and drives to perfect the technologies at work, his fractured relationship with his parents, particularly his mother combined with the anxieties in wanting to save his son from the memories of Jennifer and Edward’s abuse, put him in a mental breakdown. He ends up having to be cared for by [[{{ChildrenRaiseYou}} his son]]. It is during his breakdown that Minkus realizes that he, and not Farkle, is the one who needs saving.]]

[[spoiler: Minkus: Please save me, Farkle. Remind me that I am worth saving.]]

[[spoiler:(Later during Minkus’ final dream) Farkle: You didn’t need to save me, dad. I needed to save you.]]

[[{{TheAtoner}} (The) Atoner]]-Part of the reason that Cory is so involved in Minkus and Farkle’s struggles against Jennifer is because he wants to apologize for how he treated Minkus when they were kids:

During that assignment about flaws, I realized something:people can change. Bullies like Harley Keiner and well…me as well as their victims. So it’s my way of saying I’m sorry for the things that I did or said to you in school. I want to help you and Farkle, maybe help us both move on from who we were as kids.;

Ginsburg’s close bond with his grandson, Stuart, is partly to atone for not being around for his daughter, Stuart’s mother, which she tells him that he’s too late.;

[[spoiler: After Ginsburg dies, Minkus visits his grave and apologizes for him and Jennifer living so far above their means that Minkus could no longer afford to keep him at the seniors residential area in which he was living. He tells Ginsburg:]]

[[spoiler: I don’t know if you ever knew how much you meant to me but I miss you. You were the one person that I could talk to and feel like you knew me. You always helped me by encouraging me to fill my potential. You saw potential in everybody. You always made me feel safe, protected, and like I was loved. I’m lost without you and I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t have you to guide me anymore. I am so sorry that I messed up in the end. I promised you that I would take care of you and I couldn’t. The check bounced and they couldn’t keep you at your apartment. Mother had to send you back here. I failed you instead. You should be spread around the Village and Central Park and here you are shut up in a box in a place that you hated and it’s my fault.]]

[[spoiler: Part of the reason that Minkus decides to create the Café Hey Digital Library is to atone for Ginsburg’s eviction and to honor him the way that he felt that she should be honored instead of with the small impersonal funeral that Nonnie gave him.]]

[[{{ThereAreNoTherapists}} There Are No Therapists]]-Subverted in that several of the characters seek psychiatric help such as Farkle and Minkus in his youth. However when Rachel suggests that Minkus seek a therapist, he doesn’t want to. [[spoiler: It isn’t until he has another breakdown upon adulthood that Minkus agrees to see one.]]

[[{{ThoseTwoGuys}} Those Two Guys]]-Minkus’ software technicians,

[[{{TokenGayCharacter}} Token Gay Character]]-Minkus is very matter-of-fact about Jessie, his office manager, being a lesbian and he also keeps Christine Monte, a hardware designer who happens to be a transgender,on his team.

Notable that he recognizes their abilities and contributions to the company without making much of a mention of their sexuality.Christine praises him for his giving her a chance [[spoiler: and cites that as a reason she decides to jump ship with him to create Minkus
Technologies.]][[spoiler: Minkus also makes Jessie a partner in the new Minkus Technologies and acknowledges her creation of the Feenix device.]]

[[{{TomboyAndGirlyGirl}} Tomboy and Girly Girl]]-Morgan and Jennifer respectively though at times it is subverted when Morgan says she likes to “be dressy and feminine, likes rom coms and chick lit, old love songs, and flowers” and Jennifer could be as physically strong as any man as the series show and has no problem physically hurting Stuart many times;

In the concept for the game The Goddess Wars, Sam Russo describes the two protagonists, Fienna and Marilena as this.

[[{{TookALevelInJerkass}} Took A Level in Jerkass]]-Jennifer is not the nice loving mother that we saw in “Girl Meets Farkle” instead she is an abusive manipulative bitch more like her high school persona;

[[spoiler: One of Morgan’s rapists is revealed to be Kermit Clutterbucket, Katy’s ex-husband and Maya’s father.]]


Alvin Meese, a sniveling high school nerd becomes a greedy self-serving Yuppie who
practices Insider Trading and has no problem stepping in [[spoiler: as CEO of Minkus International when Minkus is removed.]]
Libby Harper a vague dizzy girl in high school becomes a self-involved real estate criminal [[spoiler: who has no problems in committing perjury in exchange for a lighter prison sentence at the Minkus custody trial.]]

[[spoiler: While College Professor Stuart is a jerk in the canon, at least his conquests were legal adults until now; Sherry Mr. Mack’s recruiter is implied to be not only Mack’s former mistress but is revealed to be Professor Stuart’s current girlfriend and co-hort in seducing underage conquests.]]

Some may think Claire’s single-minded pursuit against Minkus believing him to be an abuser could be described as fanatic, though she is sympathetic because of her past history with her father.

[[spoiler: [[{{TooSoon}} Too Soon]]-When Farkle suggests that his father go back to work, he says that he can’t do anything in the hospital with the doctors, nurses, and his friends watching. His father gives him a look and Farkle responds with the quote.]]

[[{{VillainousLaugh}} Villainous Laugh]]-Morgan rubs her hands and does a parody of a villainous laugh when she says that Matthews’ Wilderness is now almost in her full complete power.

[[{{VolleyingInsults}} Volleying Insults]]-Minkus often does this with Jennifer’s brothers, Teddy and Tommy Bassett. When Minkus proposes to Jennifer, the twins deride Minkus as being “NOK: Not Our Kind” to which Minkus smarts back, “I’m not asking to marry either of you…I know it’s hard for you two to comprehend, but I am talking to your sister!”

Shawn and Minkus continue their sniping relationship despite becoming friends when they recall their old insults towards each other such as “Suck Up!” “Future Plumber!” “Teacher’s Pet!” “Fix a sink!” “Geek Master!” “Recidivist!”;

Minkus also volleyes insults with Rusty Venture from the Venture Bros. such as when Rusty calls Minkus,“Lonesome Loser” and Minkus calls Rusty, “Captain Hair.”

[[spoiler:[[{{We’re Alive, Let’s Kiss Scene}} We’re Alive, Let’s Kiss Scene-Well hug anyway. When Zay and Smackle receive word that their friends return to Manhattan, they engage in a friendly hug that is about to lead to more when Smackle’s mother walks in. Later the fic reveals that Zay and Smackle have begun dating.]]

[[{{WhatMightHaveBeen}} What Might Have Been]]-Minkus wonders about this [[spoiler: after Grandpa Ginsburg’s funeral]] when he sees Cory and Topanga with Baby Riley through the window of the Matthews’ home. Mr. Feeny says that we all contemplate different paths “provided that we know which roads were ours to take.”

The author considered making the final couple Stuart Minkus/Rosemary Welles (his divorce attorney), but an error on the Other Wiki said that Morgan would be in the next Minkus episode “Girl Meets Money” when she wasn’t but Auburn Red explored the possibility of the two being a couple. So voila Stuart Minkus and Morgan Matthews began their tepid romance.

[[spoiler: [[{{WhatTheHellHero}} What the Hell, Hero?]]-Rosemary calls Minkus out for approaching Jennifer’s house and “acting like a lunatic” calling for Farkle when he believes that he is in trouble. Minkus realizes that since he acted on emotion, he had to think intellectually hence his plan to gather evidence on the abuse.]]

[[{{WorkingTitle}} Working Title]]-The original title for the one-shot was “Parent Meets Teacher.” Another working title for the fanfic was “Proving a Negative” until the author settled on a shortened version of the famous epigram from Anna Karenina: “Unhappy In Its Own Way.” Both working titles live on as chapter titles.

[[{{YouAreNotMyFather}} You Are Not My Father]]-Nancy tells Ginsburg that her stepfather, Phillip, was more her father than he ever was.

[[spoiler: When Meese is about ready to punish Farkle, he uses these exact words to him. Then says that Stuart Minkus is his father.]]

[[{{SituationalIrony}} Situational Irony]]-Minkus tells Libby and Dana that they are good friends to be with Jennifer during her miscarriage. This is of course shortly after Jennifer blackmails her two friends with their guilty secrets: Libby’s lover and real estate scam and Dana’s anorexia and speed addiction in exchange for a conspiracy of silence saying that she had a miscarriage instead of a false pregnancy.

[[spoiler: Jennifer spends some of Unhappy In Its Own Way trying to take pictures for an article to sell her family as the perfect loving happy family. Of course this is at the same time that her abuse towards her husband and son increase and her son is driven to suicide. Needless to say, the article does not get published.]]

[[{{SmugSnake}} Smug Snake]]-Alvin Meese especially [[spoiler: When he and Edward Bassett reveal that Meese will be replacing Minkus as CEO and that the company will be called Meese International instead:
Meese: Saves a bundle on the monograms doesn’t it?]]

[[{{StatusQuoIsGod}} Status Quo is God]]- Cory asks Minkus if he prefers to be called “Stuart,” Minkus says that he is used to being called “Minkus” from Cory and Shawn and that they may continue to do so. Topanga, Katy, Rachel, and Morgan call him “Stuart” however.

* OneSteveLimit: Let’s see we have two Stuarts-Minkus and evil Stuart from “Everybody Loves Stuart,” though separated by Farkle’s nickname for Evil Stuart, O.S.; two Christines- a Stratford student and Minkus’ employee; three Edwards-Edward Bassett, Teddy Bassett Jr., and Eddie Giatti; two Andrews-a student at the Science Fair and Farkle’s cousin; Two Eugenia/Ginnys- Farkle’s aunt and cousin; three Davids-Jennifer’s attorney at the custody trial, a Nursing home attendant, and a businessman; four Thomas/Tommys—Tom Minkus, Minkus’ father,Tommy Bassett, Jennifer’s brother, Thomas Hathorne, Bassett’s aide, and of course Thomas “T.J.” Murphy.; Technically three Morty’s-Minkus’ uncle and great-uncle and though he isn’t called by name, Michael Ginsberg’s father; two Loni/Lonnys-the male one who works for Minkus and the female one who used to work for the Matthewses, two Joshua/Joshes-Libby’s real estater patner/lover involved with her real estate scam, and Cory, Morgan, and Eric’s younger brother.

* ReportingThePlot:[[spoiler:This happens three times in the Minkiad. In UIOW, Katy and Shawn hear about Stuart’s arrest and release, and Farkle’s suicide attempt so they run to Stuart’s aid. In LOG, Farkle hears about his father’s dismissal and is in despair and guilt over the event.
** Also in LOG Morgan follows the Minkus custody trial on the Internet and reads about Katy’s testimony that she would go far for a friend. This gives her the inspiration to speak in Minkus’ defense. Technically Jennifer’s interview doesn’t quite count, since it mostly consists of her exaggerations and fabrications of the events to portray herself as the wronged abused wife, so it represents the plot as she wants people to see it, not as it really was.]]

[[{{ShoutOut}} Shout Out]]-There are a few specific moments concerning:

Jennifer- Shawn describes her as a “Terminator in a skirt” not only referencing her personality but that Kristianna Lokken played a Terminator in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines; Also recalled when Farkle says hugging his mother is like hugging a robot.;

Minkus- Minkus has a drug addicted wife just like Lee Norris’ character in One Tree Hill, Mouth, had a drug addicted girlfriend. However Jennifer and Stuart’s relationship does not turn out as well as Mouth and Milly’s.; When Rusty paraphrases the ending of the Devil’s Advocate imitating Minkus he purposely uses an exaggerated North Carolina accent. Miffed, Minkus says that he doesn’t sound like that which Eddie tells him he does (Referring to Norris’ actual North Carolina accent).;

Claire-When Farkle observes her on TV being interviewed, he thinks that she looks like an older version of the girl from the first Jurassic Park film. Of course Claire was actually played by that girl, Arianna Richards, in her Boy Meets World episode.;

Morgan-At one point Morgan sings a song from “some cartoon film years ago about animals in the movies.” The song is “Big and Loud” from the movie, Cats Don’t Dance in which Lindsey Ridgway played the singing voice of Darla Dimples, the movie’s bratty child star/villain.;

[[spoiler: Cory and College Professor Stuart-When Farkle first meets former College Professor Stuart AKA O.S. at Jennifer’s party, he thinks that he looks like he could be “Mr. Matthews’ older brother” because he is played by Fred Savage, Ben’s older brother.]]

* MoralEventHorizon: Just when you think Jennifer can’t get worse she does! [[spoiler: From punching her fiance, to mocking her husband in public, to verbally and physically abusing her husband, to manipulating her first pregnancy and faking a second one, to belittling and verbally abusing her son to the point of him attempting suicide, to abandoning and not contacting her son when he tries to kill himself, to lying and portraying herself as the wronged abused party, to hiring some thugs to rape Morgan, to hosting a party of alcoholics and drug addicts, to turning a blind eye when her son gets molested and when her father brutally punishes her son.]] She just pole vaults off the horizon!

[[{{PlanetOfSteves}} Planet of Steves]]-Let’s see we have two Stuarts-Minkus and evil Stuart from “Everybody Loves Stuart,” though separated by Farkle’s nickname for Evil Stuart, O.S.; two Christines- a Stratford student and Minkus’ employee; three Edwards-Edward Bassett, Teddy Bassett Jr., and Eddie Giatti; two Andrews-a student at the Science Fair and Farkle’s cousin; Two Eugenia/Ginnys- Farkle’s aunt and cousin; three Davids-Jennifer’s attorney at the custody trial, a Nursing home attendant, and a businessman; four Thomas/Tommys—Tom Minkus, Minkus’ father,Tommy Bassett, Jennifer’s brother, Thomas Hathorne, Bassett’s aide, and of course Thomas “T.J.” Murphy.; Technically three Morty’s-Minkus’ uncle and great-uncle and though he isn’t called by name, Michael Ginsberg’s father; two Loni/Lonnys-the male one who works for Minkus and the female one who used to work for the Matthewses, two Joshua/Joshes-Libby’s real estater patner/lover involved with her real estate scam, and Cory, Morgan, and Eric’s younger brother.

[[{{PluckyComicRelief}} Plucky Comic Reliefs]]-There are several characters who fit this description: Elliot Smackle with the original team and Lonny Overton and Ali Gold
[[spoiler: with the second Minkus Technologies]] Sometimes Eddie Giatti’s one-liners and picking up women is meant for laughs, and Zay Babineaux with the Sinister Six.

[[spoiler: [[{{PowerOfFriendship}} Power of Friendship]]-Minkus’ friends appear at Farkle’s bedside and he asks for their help to get Jennifer out of his and Farkle’s lives; Minkus also finds friendship in his employees at Minkus Technologies when they agree to form the new company and stay with it despite the controversy; Farkle’s friends help get him out of Rochester and back to his father’s home.]]

[[{{ReadTheFinePrint}} Read the Fine Print]]-Stuart gives partnership of Minkus Technologies to his in-laws without realizing that they have the ability to remove him as CEO later [[spoiler: and they do.You think he would have been smart enough to read the whole document before he signed it first.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{ReasonYouSuckSpeech}} ”Reason You Suck” Speech]]-Minkus not only gives one about Jennifer to her father, Edward but he tells Edward off as well after they fired him as CEO:]]

[[spoiler: Why don’t I tell you some things about your ‘Princess?’ Did you know that she continuously abused Farkle verbally and at times physically? That she abused me as well? Did you know both Farkle and I had attended abuse support group meetings to deal with the problems at home? That Jennifer had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct or how about that she attacked me and threatened suicide in full view of several employees? That her psychiatrist has listed her condition as borderline personality disorder?...That Farkle has been in the hospital because your precious princess has him convinced that he is nothing? Do you want to know why he’s in the hospital? Do you know any of that or do you just choose not to know?..See Edward I think that you have that crowd out there stirred up because you want me to be painted as the villain instead of Jennifer. She would never win otherwise!]]

[[spoiler: Farkle also lays one out to his mother and grandfather when he returns to his father and friends:]]

[[spoiler: What about the laws that Jennifer violated?...What about the beatings? The punishments, the ‘toughening up?’ How long do you think I was going to last out there in the heat, Edward? What about the parties? You know what Sherry and Other Stuart did to me, You just won’t admit it! What Sherry learned from her Sainted Leader, what was his name Mr. Big Mack and what Stuart taught by screwing around college girls? You know that Sherry and Other Stuart fondled me during the night and you let them drug me so I wouldn’t say anything! How about the times that you slipped me sleeping pills so I wouldn’t know whether Dad visited me? Are you really going to pretend that you don’t know anything about it?]]

[[spoiler: [[{{ReportingThePlot}} Reporting the Plot]]-This happens three times in the Minkiad. In UIOW, Katy and Shawn hear about Stuart’s arrest and release, and Farkle’s suicide attempt so they run to Stuart’s aid. In LOG, Farkle hears about his father’s dismissal and is in despair and guilt over the event.

Also in LOG Morgan follows the Minkus custody trial on the Internet and reads about Katy’s testimony that she would go far for a friend. This gives her the inspiration to speak in Minkus’ defense. Technically Jennifer’s interview doesn’t quite count, since it mostly consists of her exaggerations and fabrications of the events to portray herself as the wronged abused wife, so it represents the plot as she wants people to see it, not as it really was.]]

[[{{RichBitch}} Rich Bitch]]-Guess, oh just guess. :D

[[{{RunningGag}} Running Gag]]-There are a few among them Katy, Stuart, and Rachel’s observation that everyone seems to know Cory, Shawn, and Topanga;

Jennifer’s inability to remember her servant’s names often calling them the previous ones’ name and the revolving door of servants in the Minkus household.

Jennifer’s interior designs change throughout each chapter from French Provincial, to Art Deco, to Asian style, to Hollywood Regency, to Minimalist Gregorian.

At least two characters mispronounce Farkle’s name as “Fark-Lee,” one of the DFS investigators and a news reporter on TV. Rusty Venture constantly calls Farkle “Finkle.”

[[{{ShipperOnDeck}} Shipper On Deck]]-Eddie acts this way towards Minkus and Morgan when he sees that they are interested in each other. Once Cory gets over his concern of the two getting their picture in the paper, he gives them their blessing but suggests that they wait [[spoiler: “until after (Minkus’ divorce) is over.”]]

Topanga also gets protective over Riley when Jennifer insults her as well.

* ManipulativeBastard: Edward wants to be a partner in the thriving Minkus Technologies business, Jennifer wants to hold onto her husband. So Edward suggests that Jennifer become pregnant by Stuart without his consent. One skipped diaphragm later and little Farkle is conceived. Minkus is not happy when he hears from Jennifer’s gloat over what had happened. He accuses Jennifer and her father of turning him into a kept man, which Jennifer reminds him that because Stuart married a rich woman, he always was a kept man.
** Their manipulative superpowers don’t just end with Stuart however. Jennifer manipulates Libby, Dana, and her OB-GYN to cover up her phantom pregnancy and say that she had a miscarriage. [[spoiler: Edward blackmails and bribes the judge at the Minkus custody trial to favor Jennifer over Stuart.]]

** It doesn’t look good for our little funny-named friend to be a stable well-adjusted father in the future (and considering that he’s with Maya who has her own[[{{DisappearedDad}} issues]] it seems less likely.

[[spoiler: [[{{KarmaHoudini}} Karma Houdini]]-Even though Edward and Jennifer Bassett have committed multiple felonies such as child abuse, conspiracy to committ rape, blackmail, etc, they receive very little punishment for their crimes. Edward only gets a fine and Jennifer gets probation with court appointed rehabilitation. Their wealth apparently bought off their minimal sentences.]]

[[spoiler: However, Jennifer does surrender sole custody of Farkle to Minkus considering him “no longer worth it,” and realizes that Farkle is more Minkus’ son than hers.]][[spoiler: Also her and Edward’s relationship seems to have severed since they got into a huge fight and she moved to Europe.]]

[[spoiler: Alvin Meese is one too in that though he served prison time for Insider Trading and Accounts Mismanagement, he is given a light sentence and becomes CEO of the company from which he was removed!]]

[[{{LonelyAtTheTop}} Lonely at the Top]]-As the head of Minkus International, Minkus enjoys leading the team, creating the technologies such as the MIMS, the Farkle phones etc. However he also feels smothered by the expectations from his in-laws, that he has to please everyone, put on a brave face for the public, and care only for profit.

The worst aspects of the CEO’s role overwhelm Minkus for many years causing him to feel pressured and trapped by his role as well as suffering under the strain of an abusive marriage. [[spoiler: When he is removed he creates another smaller company, Minkus Technologies, which puts him at a more hands-on role in producing quality technologies and becomes more involved in the creation of the products and with his employees.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{MadeUpOnTheSpot}} Made Up On the Spot]]-Zay calls the kids’ phony charity the LRMSZ Foundation (for Lucas, Riley, Maya, Smackle, and Zay) which the butler mistakes for the ALARMS Foundation. Zay then says it’s a charity to help “displaced children and refugees find their way home” and wants Eunice’s assistance to drop off some “important merchandise” for a rummage sale. He pretty much reveals their plot to the butler without him knowing.]]

[[{{MamaBear}} Mama Bear]]-Katy gets Mama Bear protective over Maya when Jennifer believes that Stuart was sleeping with Maya;

Subverted in we never see Jennifer get protective over Farkle, in fact she deliberately puts him in danger or turns a blind eye to him.

[[{{ManipulativeBastard}} Manipulative Bastard]]-Edward wants to be a partner in the thriving Minkus Technologies business, Jennifer wants to hold onto her husband. So Edward suggests that Jennifer become pregnant by Stuart without his consent. One skipped diaphragm later and little Farkle is conceived. Minkus is not happy when he hears from Jennifer’s gloat over what had happened. He accuses Jennifer and her father of turning him into a kept man, which Jennifer reminds him that because Stuart married a rich woman, he always was a kept man.

Their manipulative superpowers don’t just end with Stuart however. Jennifer manipulates Libby, Dana, and her OB-GYN to cover up her phantom pregnancy and say that she had a miscarriage. [[spoiler: Edward blackmails and bribes the judge at the Minkus custody trial to favor Jennifer over Stuart.]]

[[{{ManlyTears}} Manly Tears]]-There are plenty of chances for Minkus to cry throughout the fics such as when his son is born and he cries[[{{TearsOfJoy}}Tears of Joy.]]; [[spoiler: Also when Farkle lays in the hospital from a suicide induced coma, Minkus considers turning off Farkle’s life support until Shawn asks him what he knows in his heart. Minkus sobs and says that he doesn’t want Farkle to die, that he deserves a chance to grow up, and that he’s everything to him.]]

[[spoiler: Also after Farkle moves in with his mother, Minkus manages to hold his emotions in check until he drives down the highway and has to stop because his tears are making it difficult to drive.]]

[[{{MeanwhileBackAtTheRanch}} Meanwhile Back At The Ranch]]-The Lives of Genius Chapters 15-17 are meant to be read alongside Unhappy In Its Own Way because they offer different perspectives of similar events; Events that are alluded to in UIOW are shown in LOG and vice versa; Such as Minkus and Harley’s conversation in LOG takes place the next day after Farkle and Minkus attend the abuse support group meeting from UIOW;

[[spoiler: LOG Chapter 16 begins when Farkle wakes up from his attempted suicide in UIOW and the events in UIOW are explained as well as Stuart’s arrest for domestic violence; Jennifer’s point of view is told in LOG right before and after her intervention in UIOW explaining why she agreed to seek rehab afterwards;]]

[[spoiler: Also events detailing Minkus’ removal as CEO, starting his new company, and receiving the request from Jonathan Turner which are glossed over in UIOW are heavily detailed in LOG Chapters 16-17.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{MediaBacklash}} Media Backlash]]-Edward Bassett orchestrates one against Stuart Minkus when he’s dismissed as CEO from Minkus International and later before Stuart and Jennifer’s custody battle over Farkle. It includes domestic violence protesters, boycotts, clients withdrawing their support for Minkus’ new company, barrage of reporters, and of course the piece de resistance a PR stunt/One-on-one interview from Jennifer portraying Minkus as an abusive fortune hunter.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{MoodWhiplash}} Mood Whiplash]]-Jennifer goes from deep depression and sobbing over believing that her son is dead to anger when her mother informs her that he’s alive and that Minkus cancelled her credit cards (A ruse to get her to attend her intervention). In other words she goes from sympathetic grief-stricken mother to a rage-filled spoiled narcissist in no time at all.]]

[[{{MoralEventHorizon}} Moral Event Horizon]]-Just when you think Jennifer can’t get worse she does! [[spoiler: From punching her fiance, to mocking her husband in public, to verbally and physically abusing her husband, to manipulating her first pregnancy and faking a second one, to belittling and verbally abusing her son to the point of him attempting suicide, to abandoning and not contacting her son when he tries to kill himself, to lying and portraying herself as the wronged abused party, to hiring some thugs to rape Morgan, to hosting a party of alcoholics and drug addicts, to turning a blind eye when her son gets molested and when her father brutally punishes her son.]] She just pole vaults off the horizon!

[[{{MythologyGag}} Mythology Gag]]-There are plenty of them! One in particular is Minkus’ line towards Meese, “What world could you ever replace me?” referring to the fact that Meese DID in fact replace Minkus as the show’s residant nerd for a time when Cory, Shawn, and Topanga entered high school.

Another is Morgan’s line that she was “practically a different person by the time she became a tween” referring to the fact that she was played by two different actresses, Lily Nicksay and Lindsey Ridgway.

And let’s not forget the question from Katy to her friends: “Did everyone in New York go to high school with you in Philadelphia because really I’m starting to feel left out?” Also mirrored in Rachel and Minkus’ conversation about the incongruity that everyone seems to know Cory, Topanga, and Shawn.;

Another is when recalling Farkle’s Genius Party, Minkus refers to the fact that Jennifer was in rehab so he had to fill both roles as mother and father in Farkle’s life and that he had to downscale the Genius Party because he did not have as much money. The narration says “too bad because he was looking forward to ordering the complimentary penguins” referring to not only was Jennifer present at the Genius Party in the canon but so were the complimentary penguins! :D

Also Farkle’s original working name, “Shamus Farkle,” (before the writers changed his name to Farkle Minkus and made him Minkus’ son) is referred to in UIOW when Jennifer thinks “I wanted to name him Shamus, but he had to go and name him while I was laid up with post-partum depression” [[spoiler: and later in LOG when Farkle moves in with his mother and she changes his name to Shamus Bassett.]]

[[{{Nerds}} Nerds]]-Oh the whole darn clan! :D The difference between how a nerd was portrayed in the 90s as nothing more than a comic relief character to how they are portrayed now with more sympathy and possibly with mental illnesses is illustrated by Minkus’ line:

It’s funny when we were in school, behavior characteristics like that simply meant you were a nerd. Get all ‘A’s and you were a teacher’s pet. Dress differently and wear pocket protectors and you were just a weirdo. Now there’s a name for it, a condition as if medicine and therapy could treat it. As if the stigma of being weird in school wasn’t bad enough.

Also part of Minkus’ reluctance to accept help comes from his mistrust towards Cory and Shawn over how they treated him when he was in school.

[[{{NoIndoorVoice}} No Indoor Voice]]-A few time characters use all caps when they express anger: Jennifer says “OUR LAST MEAL TOGETHER!” and “NOTHING AM I” in the same chapter!


[[spoiler: Minkus warns Jennifer if being his wife and Farkle’s mother ever meant anything to her she will listen to them and “SIT. DOWN!” During Minkus’ mental breakdown he yells about Farkle “WHERE IS HE?” so loud that Cory jumps.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{OverprotectiveDad}} Overprotective Dad]]-After Farkle’s suicide attempt, Minkus becomes over protective of Farkle. He removes access to any potential weapons of suicide even wanting to make long term plans such as not teaching him to drive and having him home schooled for the rest of his life. When Farkle returns to school, Minkus constantly texts him, places his Baby Cam inside his bedroom to monitor his activities, and counts his medicinal intake. While Farkle understands the protectiveness, he becomes irritated with it and also felt that his father did not do enough to prevent Farkle’s abuse and attempted suicide in the first place. These are among the motivations for Farkle’s transformation into Donnie Barnes.]]

[[{{PapaWolf}} Papa Wolf]]- Stuart Minkus gets protective over Farkle many times throughout the fics. One of the reasons that he stays with Jennifer is so he could protect and take the abuse meant for Farkle.

[[spoiler: During the intervention, when Jennifer attacks Farkle, Minkus stands in front and has a[[{{CrowningMomentOfAwesome}} Crowning Moment of Awesome]]defending him:]]

[[spoiler: Minkus: Now you are my wife and Farkle’s mother, if either of those things ever meant anything to you, you will listen to what we have to say and you will: SIT. DOWN!]]

[[spoiler:A phone call from Farkle only saying three words, “Dad,” and “ please help” is enough to send Minkus taking the red-eye to Rochester and to enter the Bassett home to look for his son.]]

Minkus also protects Farkle from other people such as Meese. When Meese slaps him, Minkus cites this as a reason why his dismissal is so much easier for him;

Cory also gets very Papa Wolf towards his children and his students at times.[[spoiler: When Jennifer reveals that she knew that he called DFS on her Cory says: Yeah well I have this funny quirk that I don’t like when one of my students gets hurt, especially by their parents, the people who-oh, I don’t know-are supposed to love and take care of them. The funny thing is the state of New York doesn’t really like it either. So I have this obsessive urge to step in.]]

[[{{ParentalFavoritism}} Parental Favoritism]]-Teddy and Tommy Bassett believe that their father considers Jennifer his favorite child. We later learn from their mother, Eunice that their father, Edward, deliberately played his children off of each other in an attempt to make them strong, so he had no favorite.

[[{{ParentalIssues}} Parental Issues]]-The Ginsburg-Minkuses have three generations of parental difficulties. Ginsburg was a free spirit who felt tied down by his wife and daughter so he[[{{DisappearedDad}} left them]]to open the Café Hey and be around artists, thinkers, and musicians.;

His daughter Nonnie, AKA Nancy was so bitter and preoccupied with a fear of being hurt or abandoned that she [[{{MommyIssues}} “avoided being hurt” ]]by dismissing her son’s achievements and believing that he was strange or dangerous and got her husband to go along with her fears.

Her son, Stuart while a loving father, [[{{DaddyIssues}} is packed with insecurities and self-esteem issues]] stemming from his parent’s anxieties and abuse from his wife, that cause difficulties between him and Farkle even long [[spoiler: after he and Jennifer get divorced.]]

It doesn’t look good for our little funny-named friend to be a stable well-adjusted father in the future (and considering that he’s with Maya who has her own[[{{DisappearedDad}} issues]] it seems less likely.

** Stuart Minkus: TheCholeric
** Alvin Meese: TheMelancholic
** Elliot Smackle: TheSanguine
** Ingrid Iverson: ThePhlegmatic

[[{{HeroicBSOD}} Heroic BSOD]]-Minkus has one after he runs away to live with his grandfather. Ginsburg doesn’t recognize him from the Alzheimers and Minkus is robbed of all the money he saved for a year. He sits down on a sidewalk curb and sobs.

Minkus has another one in the final chapters [[spoiler: after his father’s funeral and his mother accuses him of not knowing how to love and that he deserved the abuse Jennifer gave him, Minkus returns to work upgrading the Minkus technologies resulting in his mental breakdown.]]

[[spoiler: Farkle has a few as well. After his mother yells at him and says that she would be better off without him, he walks slowly to his room. He cries picturing his future as unwanted and unloved leading to a[[{{DrivenToSuicide}} very unpleasant conclusion.]]]]

[[spoiler: Also after his mother’s intervention, Jennifer slaps Farkle across the face, and tells Minkus that he “can keep the brat for now.” Farkle sinks down in despair and tears sobbing, “She doesn’t want me. She doesn’t love me. Why doesn’t she want me?” to be comforted by his father:]]

[[spoiler: Minkus: It’s alright son. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s here and he does want you.]]


[[{{HiddenDepths}} Hidden Depths]]-Jennifer does show a tremendous amount of creative talent in decorating her home in various styles such as French Provincial, Hollywood Regency, etc. Plus she decorated Farkle’s nursery with Literary Characters. However, she does not have much of a drive to find employment or interest in using her talents beyond her home; Plus as also mentioned in the canon, she is an amazing gourmet cook.

Despite their fears towards their son and inability to provide Stuart with a stable homelife, Tom and Nancy Minkus had a very loving marriage shown very prominently in the final chapters [[spoiler: after Tom’s death.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{INeverSaidItWasPoison}} I Never Said it was Poison]]-While on the witness stand, Minkus’ attorney Rosemary Welles questions a doctor about a report from an unnamed attendant on Jennifer’s behavior. The doctor kept insisting that he heard the report for the first time in court and then blurted out that the attendant had been fired shortly after filing the report. Not only did he know the attendant’s name which Rosemary did not give, but he knew what happened to the attendant. Wah Wah Wahhhh!]]

[[{{IObjectToTheLastOne}} I Object to the Last One]]-One when Stuart says that a sale at Bloomingdale’s is more important to Jennifer than her son’s future, Jennifer counters by saying the sale is at Sak’s.
Also when Jennifer accuses Ginsburg of being “A Dime Store Diner Guru,” Minkus objects and says that his grandfather owned a café.

When Minkus tells Ginsburg that he hasn’t kept the 10 Commandments, Ginsburg counters with “Hey, I never made a graven image!” (So he had other Gods, took the lord’s name in vain, did not honor the Sabbath, dishonored his mother and father, committed adultery, stole, bore false witness, coveted, and killed? :D)

[[{{InsultBackfire}} Insult Backfire]]-Jennifer constantly ridicules her husband by saying he’s spineless.[[spoiler: At her intervention]] when Stuart defends Farkle, Jennifer tells him that she located his spine and wonders where it’s been hiding. Stuart’s response: “It was used to prop you up!”

[[spoiler: [[{{Intervention}} Intervention]]-The final chapter of UOIW deals with Jennifer’s intervention. Many real-life details are presented throughout the chapter such as choosing a neutral ground in which the addict is unfamiliar, to have a support system, to not making any threats in retaliation, and that interventions don’t always end with the addict agreeing to seek help.]]

[[{{JerkWithAHeartOfGold}} Jerk With a Heart of Gold]]-Minkus sometimes acts like a jerk to his employees particularly after Jennifer fights with him and he takes his anger out on them. However, his love for Farkle is never in doubt and he does show affection for his colleagues when he praises them for a job well done and solicits their help in
[[spoiler: starting an independent business.]]

[[{{JerkWithAHeartOfJerk}} Jerk with a Heart of Jerk]]-In contrast to Minkus’ kindness hidden behind his jerkiness, Alvin Meese appears not to have any “heart of gold.”He constantly wants to get the accolades for himself, steals from his company and practices insider trading. [[spoiler: He also has no trouble stepping in as CEO and potential son-in-law to Edward Bassett when Stuart is removed from both.]]

[[{{JustFriends}} Just Friends]]-Minkus insists that he and Morgan are just this, in fact that Morgan is “practically a little sister to (him)” despite Eddie’s suggestion otherwise. Minkus really is this to Ingrid, Katy, and Rachel. He also tells Topanga to “just be (his) friend,” when his crush evaporates and he accepts friendship from her, Cory, and Shawn.; When Minkus explains his friendship with Katy (or thinks that he has to), Morgan tells him that she has plenty of male just friends that she works with or are regular customers at Matthews’.

** Stuart Minkus-Choleric
** Alvin Meese-Melancholic
** Elliot Smackle-Sanguine
** Ingrid Iverson-Phlegmatic

[[{{FreudianExcuse}} Freudian Excuse]]-Subverted in that though Eunice mentions that her daughter, Jennifer had an abusive childhood under her father, it doesn’t excuse her behavior towards Farkle.She even admits that though Minkus too had an unhappy childhood, he was able to be a better parent.

Shawn also understands Claire’s motives because of her abuse from her father and ex-husband but still tells her that Minkus is not either of them and that he has been hurt too.
Even Stuart himself doesn’t excuse his own abuse from Jennifer as a reason why he didn’t leave her earlier.

[[{{FridgeHorror}} Fridge Horror]]-In “Girl Meets Sneak Attack” it is revealed that Farkle’s mother, Jennifer, is a good cook; In Lives of Genius, we find out that Jennifer learned how to cook as a patient at Bellevue where she was institutionalized!;

Riley’s unawareness that one of her closest friends is an abused child comes from that she had never been to his house-When she does find out that this is going on this almost crushes her;

Farkle’s entrance through the bay window is explained to be a means to get out of his apartment when his mother is in one of her angry moods. Instead of being just a kooky entrance it becomes a life saver and escape from a toxic home environment!

[[{{FridgeLogic}} Fridge Logic]]-Ginsburg’s quick attachment to May Clutterbucket and Rosie McGee becomes even more interesting when the reader learns that he had been married, a father, and divorced by the time “Girl Meets 1961” happened and that Rosie and May were the first women that he ever had feelings for following his divorce. Of course a bit of Fridge Horror added at the thought that a character played by then-13 year old Corey Fogelmanis was a divorced father! :D [[{{WordofGod}} Word of God]]states that the characters were supposed to be much older than their actors and were only played by Fogelmanis et al for the benefit of the audience. The author took that into consideration when she created Ginsburg’s backstory and made him about 20-21 during the events of “Girl Meets 1961.”

[[{{Gaslighting}} Gaslighting]]-As it is one of the signs of an abusive relationship, Jennifer practices this. When Stuart reminds Jennifer of her DWI and he got rid of the alcohol she claims that she did it on her own and that they didn’t fight about it. [[spoiler: It is implied that she practices this with Farkle when he recalls Other Stuart and Sherry molesting him and she says either he was dreaming or misinterpreted what they did.]]

[[{{GenreSavvy}} Genre Savvy]]-There are three moments of this; When Hathorne, Bassett’s aide uses the exact words that Meese says about a multimillionaire being interested and funding their research for the next five years, Minkus expresses surprise that he would say that when they were just talking about it. Hathorne says he knows, he was listening at the door.

The second is when Sam Russo enters Minkus’ office and he covers up staring at her in surprise for looking similar to Topanga by indicating he thought that Sam was a man. When Sam mentions this, Minkus says he was teasing her and that her resume clearly states Samantha Joanne Russo.;

When a TV reporter mispronounces Farkle’s name as “Fark-Lee,” Shawn yells at the screen, “Farkle the kid’s name is Farkle” half expecting for the reporter to answer back.

[[{{GilliganCut}} Gilligan Cut]]-When Minkus says that he understands that being CEO requires a sense of detachment, ruthlessness, and utter professionalism, Jessie chooses that exact moment to give Minkus Farkle’s snacks and a toy stuffed animal.

When Farkle and Minkus go stargazing and are camping out, Farkle is terrified by the noise and Minkus suggests that they can sleep in a hotel. Farkle insists he’s not scared. Cut to Farkle and Minkus at the lobby of a hotel and booking a room for the night.

Morgan says that her and Minkus’ photo was featured in one New York newspaper and that it’s not like anyone in the U.S. knows about it. She says this right before she and Cory get a phone call from Daddy-O, Alan Matthews, in Philadelphia.

[[spoiler: [[{{GirlfriendInAComa}} Girlfriend in A Coma]]-Well son in a coma anyway. Much of Chapter Four of UIOW deals with Minkus and his and Farkle’s friends waiting as Farkle is in the hospital lying in a coma from swallowing pills and cutting his wrists in a suicide attempt]]

[[{{GoneTooFar}} GoneToo Far]]-One reader was upset that Jennifer accused not only Katy, but MAYA as well of being prostitutes.[[spoiler: Jennifer even hangs onto this fiction during the intervention when she implies that Maya is having an affair with her husband. Cue Katy’s [[{{MamaBear}} Mama Bear]] moment.]]
[[spoiler: It also leads to a very icky scene in which Jennifer in trying to escape flirts with Lucas! However, Lucas is not at all receptive.]]
[[spoiler: Things become even ickier after Farkle moves in with her and two of the guests at her party, Stuart and Sherry, molest him and Jennifer turns a blind eye to it!]]

[[{{GondorCallsForAid}} Gondor Calls For Aid]]-Minkus pays lip service to being on a team to get Alvin, Ingrid, and Elliot to stay after the announcement that their company will be named after him;

[[spoiler: After Farkle’s suicide attempt, he seriously asks for help from Cory et al to deal with Jennifer and then Eddie et al in forming Minkus Technologies. He states these two times as the only times he ever said, “I need your help” and meant it.]]
[[spoiler: Farkle writes to his friends to help him get out of his mother’s house.]]

[[{{GoodGirlsDontGetAbortions}} Good Girls Don’t Get Abortions]]-When Jennifer is pregnant, Stuart suggests an abortion; Both Jennfier and Edward are horrified since it conflicts with their religious beliefs-Edward even calls them “Baby Butchers.”

[[spoiler: Farkle later is shocked to learn his father suggested the abortion, but less by morals than he is by the thought that his father didn’t want him. Cory even tells Minkus when he edits his intervention letter]]

[[spoiler: Cory: I know it’s a medical procedure. You know it’s a medical procedure and Farkle knows this. But he is coming off of attempting suicide because he believed that his mother didn’t want him. The last thing he needs to hear is his father didn’t want a baby either.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} Heel-Face-Turn]]-While not a complete conversion, after Farkle threatens to either kill himself or die by Edward’s punishment, Jennifer agrees to let him live with his father instead of fighting for him.]]

[[{{HesRightBehindMe}} He’s Right Behind Me]]-Just like in the series, Cory falls victim to this. He says he is sick of hearing about celebrity separation gossip and Minkus is standing behind him. He covers up by saying that he’s referring to Kris and Caitelyn Jenner;

Meese falls victim to this when he insults Farkle and Minkus saying Farkle is a brat and Minkus has gone soft. He ignores Jessie’s “he’s not that bad” and meaningful looks until oops! :D

Lonny and Ali fall for this when they announce that Minkus and Morgan’s date was in the paper, which Eddie and Jessie were trying to hide. They do this after greeting Minkus who was in the same room.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: UIOW Jennifer’s Intervention scene is filled with particular Crowning Moments. From their friends being by their side to the end when Minkus establishes his friendships with Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Katy burying the old hatchets between them. By far the best moment is Stuart’s [[{{PapaWolf}}Papa Wolf]] moment protecting Farkle when Jennifer comes after him at the intervention:]]
-->[[spoiler: "Now you are Farkle’s mother and my wife. If either of those things ever meant anything to you, you will listen to what we have to say, and you will SIT. DOWN!"]]
** There are plenty of them, [[spoiler: but I think that the best is Farkle’s defense of his father in front of the Bassetts. It shows their real bond as compared to the superficial one shared by the Bassetts and what they consider success vs. what Farkle has learned from his father is real success.]]
-->[[spoiler: "He’s not a failure!...He loves what he does! He loves creating technologies for other people! Learning and discovering things is what makes him happy!.... He’s the wisest best man that I know!... Don’t insult him then and don’t expect me not to answer when you do!"]]
** [[spoiler: And when he confronts Meese and Jennifer: “Stuart Minkus is my father….He will never be him just like you are not my mother and the rest of you are not my family!]]
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: UIOW-Many of the friendship scenes particularly the opening between Cory and Minkus and Cory begins to understand the person that he has long thought of as a rival and a nerd. Also the final scenes [[spoiler: when Minkus recognizes the friendships that he has in Cory, Topanga, Katy, and Shawn from the hand pile up, to his acceptance of being “Just Friends” with Topanga, to Shawn and he engaging in the “Future Plumber/Suck Up” insult, to the final conversation between Cory and Minkus.]]
-->'''Cory''': "[[spoiler: You know Minkus you got to be pretty cool.]]"
-->'''Minkus''': "[[spoiler: And you got to be pretty smart.]]"
** LOG: Pick a scene between Minkus and Farkle, any scene between Minkus and Farkle. There are many great heartwarming moments between the father and son, particularly when Farkle is between 3-5 and his and his father’s relationship is developed between their mutual genius and life lessons. For example when Farkle is 3 and his father takes him to work on the same day when Alvin Meese is fired and arrested for insider trading. Minkus explains that Meese “was put on fire” because he stole from a lot of people. Farkle asks if it was also because Meese slapped Farkle (which he did).
-->'''Minkus''': "Absolutely, that’s another reason. No one hits you and gets away with it! Think about this, I have known Mr. Meese for years. I started the company with him in fact and after he hit you, I did not want to see him again. That’s how much I would protect you."
** Minkus then tells Farkle that’s what daddies do. “They take care of their children.”

She also gives one to Stuart when he is about to tell the hospital administrator about the abuse.

[[{{CrowningMomentOfAwesome}} Crowning Moment of Awesome]]-
[[spoiler: UIOW Jennifer’s Intervention scene is filled with particular Crowning Moments. From their friends being by their side to the end when Minkus establishes his friendships with Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Katy burying the old hatchets between them. By far the best moment is Stuart’s [[{{PapaWolf}}Papa Wolf]] moment protecting Farkle when Jennifer comes after him at the intervention:]]

[[spoiler: Now you are Farkle’s mother and my wife. If either of those things ever meant anything to you, you will listen to what we have to say, and you will SIT. DOWN!]]

LOG- There are plenty of them, [[spoiler: but I think that the best is Farkle’s defense of his father in front of the Bassetts. It shows their real bond as compared to the superficial one shared by the Bassetts and what they consider success vs. what Farkle has learned from his father is real success.]]

[[spoiler: He’s not a failure!...He loves what he does! He loves creating technologies for other people! Learning and discovering things is what makes him happy!.... He’s the wisest best man that I know!... Don’t insult him then and don’t expect me not to answer when you do!]]

[[spoiler: And when he confronts Meese and Jennifer: “Stuart Minkus is my father….He will never be him just like you are not my mother and the rest of you are not my family!]]

[[{{CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming}} Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]-
UIOW-Many of the friendship scenes particularly the opening between Cory and Minkus and Cory begins to understand the person that he has long thought of as a rival and a nerd. Also the final scenes [[spoiler: when Minkus recognizes the friendships that he has in Cory, Topanga, Katy, and Shawn from the hand pile up, to his acceptance of being “Just Friends” with Topanga, to Shawn and he engaging in the “Future Plumber/Suck Up” insult, to the final conversation between Cory and Minkus.]]

[[spoiler: Cory: You know Minkus you got to be pretty cool.]]
[[spoiler: Minkus: And you got to be pretty smart.]]

LOG: Pick a scene between Minkus and Farkle, any scene between Minkus and Farkle. There are many great heartwarming moments between the father and son, particularly when Farkle is between 3-5 and his and his father’s relationship is developed between their mutual genius and life lessons. For example when Farkle is 3 and his father takes him to work on the same day when Alvin Meese is fired and arrested for insider trading. Minkus explains that Meese “was put on fire” because he stole from a lot of people. Farkle asks if it was also because Meese slapped Farkle (which he did).

Minkus: Absolutely, that’s another reason. No one hits you and gets away with it! Think about this, I have known Mr. Meese for years. I started the company with him in fact and after he hit you, I did not want to see him again. That’s how much I would protect you.

Minkus then tells Farkle that’s what daddies do. “They take care of their children.”


[[{{DeadpanSnarker}} Deadpan Snarker]]-Of course with Minkus and Meese at the helm it becomes dueling Snarkers! Minkus snarks at his wife, because he can’t find any other defense from her such as telling her “Enjoy drinking your dinner.” Eddie gets a few zings in too like his description of Minkus’ situation as being “Duggars bad.” Also Christine Monte does too with her sarcastic question to Minkus and Jennifer, “You two are a rock solid couple! What happened?” Minkus and Rusty Venture have a snarking relationship in which Rusty mocks Minkus’ marriage and Minkus mocks Rusty’s baldness among other issues.

[[{{DeathGlare}} Death Glare]]-Jennifer gives one to a caterer before she grabs a knife to threaten suicide;
She also gives one to Stuart when he is about to tell the hospital administrator about the abuse;
Topanga gives one to Cory when Riley mentioned that they learned about Civil Disobedience; [[spoiler: Riley attempts to give one to Jennifer at the intervention when the older woman flirts with Lucas, but the narration says that she looked more like a demented puppy, upset that someone took her chew toy.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{DrivenToSuicide}} Driven to Suicide]]-Jennifer tells her son that he is nothing, that no one wants him around and why doesn’t he kill himself, it would save everyone the trouble. Let’s just say Farkle does not take[[{{Understatement}} those words well.]]]]

[[{{DudeNotFunny}} Dude Not Funny]]-[[spoiler: When Farkle teases Riley about punching him on the arm and telling him not to kill himself again, Lucas responds with, “It isn’t funny man!” He then tells Farkle that he never wants to see Riley as helpless as she was in the hospital and never wanted to feel like he lost his best friend and couldn’t do anything about it.]]

Some might think this now about Eddie’s line that “Minkus would have to be a member of ISIS to get more heat” in wake of the Paris attacks and the San Bernadino shooting.

[[{{DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleonMale}} Double Standard: Abuse: Female on Male]]-And how! From their engagement on Jennifer becomes manipulative and abusive towards Stuart. Farkle and Minkus are verbally abused by Jennifer; Implied that Minkus is physically abused by her when he tries to protect Farkle and take the abuse meant for him; She also physically abuses Farkle at times during her marriage and greatly after [[spoiler: Farkle moves in with her.]]Minkus recognizes himself in the signs of a person in an abusive relationship;

Point by point various scenes show the signs between Jennifer (the abuser) and Stuart and Farkle (the abusees), such as the abuser using psychological isolation from friends and family, gaslighting, bribing with gifts, half-hearted apologies, turning family members against each other, as well as victims walking on eggshells to avoid further rages, giving the abuser material goods to keep them happy, and apologizing even when they haven’t done anything wrong.

The abuse is always portrayed seriously and something meant to be stopped; Frequently many of the characters such as Katy herself, [[spoiler: who was physically abused and daughter was sexually abused by her husband]] compare Stuart’s marriage to Jennifer with Katy’s marriage to Kermit saying that they are the same.
[[spoiler: During his divorce and later breakdown, Minkus is made a fool of by several comedians particularly SNL mocking also his abuse, something they probably would not do for a woman.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{EarnYourHappyEnding}} Earn Your Happy Ending]]-And do they ever! After surviving school bullying, two nervous breakdowns, unhappy marriage, alcoholism, domestic and child abuse, parental indifference, deaths of beloved family members, attempted suicide, mental illness, corporate takeovers, a fixed custody hearing, and sexual abuse, Stuart and Farkle Minkus are born survivors able to emerge from both fanfics as better stronger people with a wide circle of friends, family, romances, and relationships.]]

[[spoiler: [[{{EvenEvilHasStandards}} Even Evil Has Standards]]-Jennifer is not exactly dancing with jubilation when she believes that her son has committed suicide. Later when Farkle issues an ultimatum that if he returns with them, he will be miserable and ultimately dead by either their hand or his own, Jennifer surrenders custody of him and consents to allow Stuart to keep him.]]

[[{{Fiction500}} Fiction 500]]-We get inside the inner workings of Minkus Technologies/Minkus International including the stockholders, employees, business associates, clients, and personnel difficulties. Minkus and his associates climb higher in the business world from small beginnings to a multi-International conglomerate.

As they ascend higher, Alvin Meese becomes a greedy self-serving yuppie, Ingrid Iverson and Elliot Smackle become disenchanted and leave for the academic world, and Minkus remains with the company internally torn between ethics and profit. He later becomes overwhelmed by the role of “Big Money CEO” and feels smothered by others’ expectations.
Such discussions include buying out of shares, insider trading, merging with other companies, small businesses vs. big business, the role of the CEO, corporate takeovers,
locating stockholders and clients, a business’ public image when the employees have problems, ecommerce stores, and having and sticking to a company’s core values.

[[{{FiveManBand}} Five Man Band]]-With the original team that began Minkus International we have:

Stuart Minkus-The Hero/Also doubles as the Smart Guy;

Alvin Meese-The Lancer;

Elliot Smackle-The Big Guy;

Ingrid Iverson-The Chick;

Eddie Giatti-The Fifth Ranger;

With the newly formed team that becomes Minkus Technologies we have:

Stuart Minkus-The Hero;

Eddie Giatti-The Lancer;

Jessie Goloff-The Smart Guy;

Mike Chu and Lonny Overton-The Big Guys;

Christine Monte and Ali Gold-The Chicks;

Ingrid and Elliot Iverson-Smackle-The Eighth and Ninth Rangers

[[{{Foreshadowing}} Foreshadowing]]-There are plenty of events that foreshadow the canon such as Ginsburg and Minkus’ conversation about Cory and Shawn in which Minkus is stunned that his grandfather would suggest that he would have something in common in the future with them and be their friend-foreshadowing that they would eventually be friends because of something that they do have in common, their children.
Dr. Hanlon’s observation that Minkus may someday find his home and love foreshadows his affection for his son, Farkle.

Jennifer’s throwing her ring at Minkus is shown for the first time when Farkle is five. Minkus think that it’s a way of saying, “I can toss you away just as easily as this ring and forget about the life that we built together and there is nothing you can do about it.”

Shawn’s disappearance from Cory’s life for 13 years is foretold when he thinks that he feels like a “third wheel” in their lives and his obvious ambivalence after Riley’s birth
Farkle’s claim that “Farkle Minkus will always be Farkle Minkus” and Minkus response that he should record this conversation as a reminder of course foretells the Donnie Barnes persona,

Farkle’s future goal, “Dictator of the World,” is prophecised when Minkus tells Jennifer with her appearance, his brain, and even a drop of their egos their child could be Future Dictator of the World.

[[{{FourTemperamentEnsemble}} Four Temperament Ensemble]]-

Stuart Minkus-Choleric;

Alvin Meese-Melancholic;

Elliot Smackle-Sanguine;

Ingrid Iverson-Phlegmatic;

''The Minkiad'' are two fanfics written by ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/21734/Auburn-Red Auburn Red]]'' that chronicles the lives of Stuart and Farkle Minkus, the father and son from ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld and ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld''. They take place in an AlternateUniverse setting where Jennifer Bassett’s personality hasn’t changed since she was in high school and because of certain dramatic events in the fic, the canon goes through some unforeseen changes as well.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11005601/1/Unhappy-In-Its-Own-Way Unhappy In It’s Own Way]]''- AKA UIOW was written first. It is an AfterActionReport fic following the events of the GMW episode, “Girl Meets Flaws” in which Cory has a parent-teacher conference with Minkus about Farkle’s behavior in the episode. Through the conference, Minkus reveals to Cory secrets about his and Farkle’s home life particularly that his wife, Jennifer has been verbally abusive towards Farkle and himself. The conversation between Cory and Minkus leads to a chain of events and a bad situation that becomes worse. Can Cory, Riley, and their friends help put an end to this situation before it’s too late?

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11371914/1/The-Lives-of-Genius The Lives of Genius]]- AKA LOG was written second but chronologically it begins as a prequel to UIOW. It continues as a midquel referring to events in the previous fic, and the final chapters follow the events in UIOW. This fic takes us through Minkus and Farkle’s lives through the years including the Boy Meets World years seen through Minkus’ eyes the “Other Part of the School”, the beginnings and development of Minkus International, Minkus and Jennifer’s dating, engagement, and married life, Farkle’s birth, Jennifer’s abuse towards her husband and son, Farkle’s first meetings with Riley, Maya, and Lucas, and Minkus’ reunion with Cory, Topanga, and Shawn. We also get to look into canon characters from Boy Meets World such as Alvin Meese, Ingrid Iverson, Libby Harper, Dana Pruitt, Claire Ferguson, Mr. Mack’s Sherry, College Professor Stuart, Loni, Jason Marsden, Desiree, and meet some BMW characters who have yet to appear on GMW like Morgan Matthews and Rachel [=McGuire=]. It also is a mini-crossover with
Mad Men in which it is revealed that Michael Ginsberg, the copywriter from Mad Men is Ginsburg from “Girl Meets 1961’s” nephew therfore he is Minkus’ second cousin and Farkle’s third cousin. We also later get guest appearances from Rusty Venture and his sons Hank and Dean from the animated series, ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros''.

Farkle worries that his mother is the only one to see him for how he thinks he really is: stupid, ugly, etc. Maya reminds him that there is no mask that the mask IS the real him.

* BreakingTheCutie: These fics are examples of breaking poor Farkle [[spoiler: from his mother’s verbal abuse and taunts that drive him to suicide and later when he moves in with her and is disciplined by his grandfather, neglected by his mother, insulted by teachers and students at his new school, and molested by Jennifer’s friends.]]