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Season 8 Discussion


paulvdb
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It's like the writers are just phoning it it.  Last night's plot with the beach house was so formulaic.  (Well, except Murray actually DID something!) Beverly brags to her friends. Beverly hates what murray did.  Beverly plots to undo it, roping in family and friend. Murray was actually sweet and Beverly feels bad.  YAWN.

Oh, and then there are the usual inconsistencies.  Beverly is always trying to get Murray up off the couch and doing something with her, yet the perfect situation falls in her lap to spend time with Murray fixing things up while she decorates, and she spurns it. 

I DID laugh though, at the fact their big bonuses at work came from the sale of rattan and/or wicker furniture!

Edited by Cowgirl
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So Murray actually doing something is some actual character growth, but everyone else is still on repeat. The drama surrounding Geoff and Erica is especially pointless because we already know they get back together anyway, so what is the point? Other than the writers having a plot they can throw in without having to do any work. 

At least we have the JTP, who can always squeeze out a few laughs. "You have the same mother." Never leave us JTP. 

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Ever since we had the discussion a few weeks ago about the real-life family's means and whether that affects folks' perspective on the fictional Goldbergs, whose circumstances are (I argued) meant to be more broadly relatable, they sure have been leaning into stories like "Adam's blasé attitude toward work annoys his girlfriend who needs to make her own spending money" and "Beverly would've liked her husband to surprise her with a nicer beach house," haven't they?

I was hoping Elaine Joyce might have a little cameo when she showed up in those "Dating Game" clips.  She is 75 now and just lost her husband of 20 years, the playwright Neil Simon, a few yers ago.  I hope she is doing well.  That storyline was also just awkward, and somewhat illogical, although I know when it's a sitcom we're not supposed to get bent out of shape abut things like "they were just watching the game show live and now they're already at their dinner the same night?"

I really think they should quit while we're behind and not make season 9.

Edited by 853fisher
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11 hours ago, Cowgirl said:

Beverly is always trying to get Murray up off the couch and doing something with her, yet the perfect situation falls in her lap to spend time with Murray fixing things up while she decorates, and she spurns it.

Yeah, I was particularly shocked that Bev didn't jump at the chance to decorate an entire house from scratch. She's spent the last few seasons trying to "find herself" through various projects, and this was a perfect opportunity. And imagine the amount of bedazzling she could have done!

The Erica/Geoff thing is stupid, and I seriously doubt that anything will change in their dynamic in the long run. But I did enjoy the awkward gameshow practice between Geoff and Joanne, especially when he grossed everyone out by saying he would "push all the right buttons" if she were an elevator.

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On 4/23/2021 at 12:03 AM, Kiddvideo said:

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. 

Yep.  I tend to have this on as background noise at this point, and with Pops gone am probably done.

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On 3/24/2021 at 12:43 PM, Cowgirl said:

One of my biggest gripes all along on this show is the non-accurate fashion for Erica's character.

I

YES! She has never been a true girl from the 80's and I don't understand the reasoning. They could've easily given her 80's hair. Some of her clothes are proper, but not all of them. Her college roommate, Erica, was more 80's and she wasn't even a main character.

 

On 4/20/2021 at 3:16 AM, Cherpumple said:

This is a big reason I am hoping the show will end with the current season. Yes, the primary reason is that the plot lines and jokes are running on fumes, but a close second for me is that the basic premise has run its course. I used to be able to laugh at the over the top antics of the characters, but after the past year, which has brought out so many people's worst impulses, I find nothing fun or entertaining about watching a bunch of spoiled, selfish, entitled brats steamroll their way over everyone else. IMHO, the cultural zeitgeist is changing and this show feels really dated now due, ironically, to the obnoxious behavior of the characters rather then because it's set in the 80s.

Fully agreed! I don't know why it has come to this. If it's because Adam isn't writing anymore or what. I've mentioned the kids behavior in the show to the real Beverly on Twitter saying that I didn't think she would allow Barry to treat some of the JTP like he does on the show(Matt Bradley mainly)or all the shouting. She responded and said that Barry was never like that with his friends and if he was, she would've put a stop to it immediately. She didn't like all the yelling either.

I really want this to be the last season because it's been a chore to watch for the last 2 years. I don't need an episode with the death of Pops since George has passed. I don't want that to be the reason for another season. Sean is I think 21 now, so he's too old in real life to play Adam the way he is now. I find watching his character to be somewhat embarrassing.

Also, why after almost 8 seasons, does Geoff have a sister and she is all of sudden a huge part of this show? Just weird to bring her on at this point.

Edited by Madtown
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3 minutes ago, Madtown said:

YES! She has never been a true girl from the 80's and I don't understand the reasoning. They could've easily given her 80's hair. Some of her clothes are proper, but not all of them. Her college roommate, Erica, was more 80's and she wasn't even a main character.

 

Fully agreed! I don't know why it has come to this. If it's because Adam isn't writing anymore or what. I've mentioned the kids behavior in the show to the real Beverly on Twitter saying that I didn't think she would allow Barry to treat some of the JTP like he does on the show(Matt Bradley mainly)or all the shouting. She responded and said that Barry was never like that with his friends and if he was, she would've put a stop to it immediately. She didn't like all the yelling either.

I really want this to be the last season because it's been a chore to watch for the last 2 years. I don't need an episode with the death of Pops since George has passed. I don't want that to be the reason for another season. Sean is I think 21 now, so he's too old in real life to play Adam the way he is now. I find watching his character to be somewhat embarrassing.

It's like watching someone old enough to drink act like they have not evolved pass 6th grade...totally not cute.

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The prank story was decently funny, it had some good lines and of course Adam's friends all told him the wrong prank because they knew he would run to his mom and used him as a distraction. That's some impressive planning. "What fun advice to give children!" 

But yeah, mostly not much going on. Not terrible like some other episodes have been, but not very good. I have already kind of forgotten a lot of what happened and I just watched it. 

Have I mentioned how pointless this Geoff and Erica break up is lately? 

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2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Have I mentioned how pointless this Geoff and Erica break up is lately? 

Pointless it is.  We know they're not going to stay broken up, so I just find the whole thing annoying.  Nice to see some father/daughter bonding, even if it's recycling ideas (which is a big thing on this show).  Interesting how they got both the "old folks" do get in some skating.  It's like they thought "Hey, we've got the rink, might as well use it".

But yeah, nothing much going on.  Guess that's why there weren't many comments here for this one.

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4 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Good to see Carla and Johnny Atkins again. Did I hear right during the scene with Murray and Erica at the rink , Erica called her dad Murray? 

She did. I’ll call my parents by their first names if I’m rolling my eyes or teasing them, but she said hers as a command. “We’re leaving, Murray.”

The pranks were lame, but whatever. I can believe it was the best those kids could come up with. The part where they lost me in this episode was the outdoor statue on wheels with one person being able to move it around.

Barry should not be trusted to care for anything living. Look into taxidermy, Bar.

They’ve really dumbed down Beverly. I can picture it being the writers’ petty revenge for The Real Bev’s disappointment with some episodes.

Edited by Kiddvideo
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"And I'm dating him! And, look, I said it out loud without any hesitation."

So, the show confirmed that Brea sees Adam as beneath her and that’s the whole basis of their relationship. Great. Now I can officially say I don't give a shit about those two being together anymore. 😒

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I miss George Segal.  I don't know whether this last one was taped before or after he passed away, but while I know Murray's father is not a new character, I wasn't really ready to see the kids playing off a different grandfather.

Recurring plot points about Adam or Barry being welcomed in by the "cool crowd" have never worked for me.  They could've done a similar story about the JTP wanting to do a poker night and that would've made more sense to me.

I continue to be uninterested in Erica and Geoff's breakup.  As many others have said, we know they get back together.  And Erica and Lainey booking the Roxy was implausible even by sitcom logic.  It seems they're out of ideas.

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15 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

Recurring plot points about Adam or Barry being welcomed in by the "cool crowd" have never worked for me.  They could've done a similar story about the JTP wanting to do a poker night and that would've made more sense to me.

I guess you have to hand it to Adam for trying to leverage that networking.  He's always looking to up his status.  

It was nice to see Lainey again, even if the story was ridiculous.  At least it looks like the breakup storyline is almost over.  Please let it end.  Wow, that scene with Geoff was painful.  And Erica whining about losing her boyfriend - yeah, only because you broke up with him, you dope.

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Nice seeing Lainey again, even if the whole plot was silly even by this shows standards. So Erica just jetted off to California randomly to hang with Lainey over spring break and Geoff just happened to be there, and Lainey and Erica just happened to be playing the birthday party of the guy who runs the Roxy where he conveniently has a slot open, even for a sitcom that is a LOT of wacky coincidences. As I say every week now, this Erica and Geoff plot is just so pointless because we know they get back together anyway, so why are we wasting so much time on Erica moping over the boyfriend she never appreciated? 

The poker plot had a few laughs, mainly because I always love Dave Kim. "When you say it out loud you start to hear the holes." 

I miss George Segal. 

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I laughed at Adam’s deadpan at the very end, “Your cards reflect in your glasses.”

The rest was the usual. Bev was shocked Adam lied to her. Uninvolved Murray. Erica can’t think about anyone but herself. Barry’s an idiot.

Do people in LA hate that song? I could live the rest of my life without hearing anyone’s version of “New York, New York” and be happy.

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Why would a group of high school boys playing poker be a big deal?  No alcohol, weed, drugs, I doubt if anyone had their fingers broken for cheating.  Really this could have been a Leave to Beaver episode, it is that innocent.  For a show taking place in the 80s has AIDS or drug use ever  been mentioned?

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4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Geoff just happened to be there, and Lainey and Erica just happened to be playing the birthday party of the guy who runs the Roxy where he conveniently has a slot open,

Kudos to Geoff for not going down to the Roxy to support Erica.  That surprised me, in a good way.

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Maybe next week Erica and Lainey will go on a double date with Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue.

Geof will burst in with Quiet Riot and/or Winger and then steal Erica away on his motorcycle to the tune of Girls, Girls, Girls.

Sadly, I put more thought into the show than the writers.

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I just ran across the titles of the final two episodes: 

Spoiler

Alligator Schwartz

which I have no idea what that means. The description is the placeholder text “A geeky teen has a video camera...” And 

Spoiler

The Proposal, where Geoff gives Erica’s ring to the JTP to safeguard.

we’ll get high jinks and hopefully 

Spoiler

the end of these break-up storylines.

 

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I know the timeline on this show is not supposed to be exact, but sometimes I really scratch my head at the way they divide the characters up for each storyline. For instance, I know Bev is invested in the Erica/Geoff relationship, but it was completely unbelievable that she played zero role in the story about the last senior prom of her last child. She would have been all over that thing, ruining Adam's special night. And who better to find Dave Kim a date, than the town yente? It made no sense.

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8 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

 And who better to find Dave Kim a date, than the town yente? It made no sense.

Agreed! Or Adam could've just told Brea that Dave Kim needed a date and asked her to see if one of her friends might be interested.

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(edited)

It was nice that White Swan Park got a mention.  It opened in 1955 and ran until the 1989 season, after which the state bought it and replaced it with new access roads to Pittsburgh Airport.

BUT the reference didn't really make sense.  It was a wonderful kiddie park, but not really anywhere high school seniors would've been eager to hang out.  They had two small prefurb coasters and never opened anything like the "Mega Twister" they were describing.  It was definitely a local place, not one you'd drive across the state for, but I guess Dave was planning to borrow the family car for the 5 or 6 hour trip each way anyway?  (I think the writers were probably really winking at Kennywood but couldn't use their name, since they're still in business and probably wouldn't've appreciated the joke about the coaster killing three people.  I still don't understand why they were in Pittsburgh at all, when they could've picked from around Philly.)

Come back tomorrow, I'll be joylessly deconstructing "Married...with Children" next, since apparently I can't just enjoy a sitcom. ;)  I guess I just feel like too much of this show the past few years has just been...referring to things and hoping for the best.  It was like they just wanted a few easy nostalgia points by naming a place that used to exist, without any sign that they knew what it was.  It's much cooler to hear about Gimbels as it was, the store the mother liked and the kids couldn't stand, than if they had shown the kids shopping at a trendy boutique but slapped the name "Gimbels" on it just because that's a store that used to exist in the 80s.  I would liken this mangling of another real place from the past to that.  I find it kinda cheap.

I don't know if y'all can tell, but I didn't really care about these plots at all.

Edited by 853fisher
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On 4/7/2021 at 10:18 PM, Stats Queen said:

So Adam called his girl friend a smoke show. How is is that from the 80’s? 
I’m old, and graduates from college in 1986 and the first time I ever heard that term was on the last season of the Bachelor.

Historically accuracies seem to be MIA the last couple of seasons.

The term was used yet again in last night's episode. Dave Kim used it describe Dave Kim's date. ;) 

I too am an old (high school class of '88), and I can confirm that the term "smoke show" simply was not in use back then.

The show has always been bad with this sort of thing, but now they're at "post- Ron Howard Happy Days" level bad. I expect to see Barry wearing a bandanna around his thigh soon.*

*one could argue that would be era appropriate, but Chachi was literally the only one who did that in the 80's. So no.

 

 

 

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I thought last night's episode was the season finale, then I went to this thread and realized that Adam hasn't graduated yet.

Assuming the show gets renewed (and it should, shouldn't it?), will season nine be the last one? With all three kids in college and Pops dead, I don't know where else they can go.

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23 minutes ago, Mr. Meatball Man said:

Assuming the show gets renewed (and it should, shouldn't it?), will season nine be the last one?

No, it shouldn’t be renewed. It’s already scraping the bottom of the barrel for plots & characterization; it deserves to be put out of its misery (as does the audience.) Now whether or not it is renewed is still up in the air. 
I’ve agreed with the criticisms of hair and fashion. It has very little to do with what was being worn in the late 80’s. My daughter graduated high school in 1989, and what was worn at the time was very different. 

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16 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

No, it shouldn’t be renewed. It’s already scraping the bottom of the barrel for plots & characterization; it deserves to be put out of its misery (as does the audience.) Now whether or not it is renewed is still up in the air.

ABC will milk it for one more season like they did with Modern Family.

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3 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

No, it shouldn’t be renewed. It’s already scraping the bottom of the barrel for plots & characterization; it deserves to be put out of its misery (as does the audience.) Now whether or not it is renewed is still up in the air. 
I’ve agreed with the criticisms of hair and fashion. It has very little to do with what was being worn in the late 80’s. My daughter graduated high school in 1989, and what was worn at the time was very different. 

When I said that, I was referring to the show's success, not the quality. I believe ABC will renew it and they shouldn't have a reason not to since the ratings are still good. Apparently, it's the third highest-rated scripted series on the network. 

But if we're talking quality, then yes, it has to wrap up soon if not this season. The only things the show can do now is say goodbye to Pops, give us Adam's first day of college, and write a proper series finale. 

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7 hours ago, Mr. Meatball Man said:

I thought last night's episode was the season finale, then I went to this thread and realized that Adam hasn't graduated yet.

It wouldn't surprise me if they stretched out Adam's senior year another season. Isn't that what they did with Erica? Or maybe Barry? I know it was one of them. Adam graduating high school is such an obvious series ender, that I can imagine they will do what it takes to keep him from leaving for college until the very end.

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17 hours ago, nora1992 said:

“The limo picked Sydney and I up!”

Forget the other weaknesses of the episode, this is nails on a chalkboard for me.  No actor, writer, director or editor noticed this mistake?!?!  It’s the grammar equivalent of 1+1=11, because two ones together are used to write 11.

https://learnersdictionary.com/qa/when-to-use-i-and-when-to-use-me

This irritates the hell out of me and lately every TV scriptwriter uses it all over the damn place!

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I’m out as of the next episode. Renewed, 9th season? I don’t care, They’re all idiots. If they renew the Pops character will die and we’ll have to watch Adam at college and Erica getting married. I like Judd Hirsch, but he’s not someone I’ve spent the last 8 years with. They’re all idiots.

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The Goldbergs  are obviously totally secular but you would think they would know that cheese/meat is forbidden along with pork, shellfish (which the Goldbergs also eat)  by Jewish dietary.

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That seemed to me like it was written to make a suitable series finale if that's what it turned out to be.  It was nice to see many recurring characters, although they had not much to do.

I can't say that "Beverly interferes with wedding planning" is an appealing future plot.  So many shows have done that general story, and Lord knows this one has done "Beverly interferes with _____."

It surprises me that the ratings are still pretty good.  Then again, I'm still watching.  I like the cast and the occasional laughs, and struggle to quit shows I've watched for fewer seasons than this one.  But it's really very long in the tooth now.

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(edited)

I can see why people still watch, its been on for so long that its probably just habit for a lot of people, plus its pretty easy viewing. I mean, here I still am no matter how much I've complained, it still does make me laugh from time to time with some good lines and even a few solid episodes. 

I like rom coms but I am totally with Brea on the "misunderstanding" plots, I find them utterly frustrating, annoying and not funny, so this was not an episode that I particularly enjoyed. Especially Adam just letting this whole situation escalate just for his own amusement. It had a few nice moments, and I am glad that everyone was so supportive of Geoff and there were no stupid things about anyone suddenly not supporting them as a couple, but this show has been running on fumes for a very long time. 

Edited by tennisgurl
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I think some of the worst moments for me are when the characters "lampshade" elements of the show.  In other words, they call attention to what's especially wacky about what they're showing us, like when Murray was ranting and raving in front of the TV for the 3,259th time and Brea shrugged, "it's funny that I'm so used to this."  The writers seem to think it's very clever "meta" stuff and have been doing it more and more, but it just makes me roll my eyes.  Shining a light on those qualities of the material just emphasizes its shortcomings, in my opinion.

If they come back, I hope they cut down on that, and I hope they don't bring Judd Hirsch in more often.  His character does not work the way George Segal's did, and they seemed to be flirting with just slotting Hirsch in as if those characters were roughly equivalent.  They need to explore different dynamics anyway, so they could do better than just having the other grandfather in more often, even if the character were very appealing.  I certainly wish them the best if they do continue, and I can't pretend I wouldn't be there watching.

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Season nine is going to be weird. George Segal is dead, so they have to write off Pops. I don't know if they're going to kill him off, but George died when they were wrapping up production, so that's going to be a very awkward episode. 

Since Adam didn't graduate, I guess @Cherpumple was right in that they're going to give him another senior year. I don't know why they bothered with all the senior stuff this season if he was never going to graduate. What are they going to do with his character next year? Erica and Geoff getting married is a potential season finale, but Adam's graduation is also one, so they have to make a choice. Maybe Erica and Geoff get married in the middle of the season?

This was a good episode, though. I liked how Brea actually felt like she was part of the show for once and not just Adam's girlfriend. If she's going to be around for the long run, they need to make her character matter. There was a little bit of annoyance with the fact that Brea didn't like that Adam was enjoying the escalation, but did nothing to stop it herself. If you hate romcoms so much, Brea, why don't you just let everybody know what's going on? 🤣 The fact that this episode only had one plot also helped, and every character felt like they were a part of it. 

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(edited)

That might've been the best episode of the season. George Segal got it right when he asked if we were charmed. Yes, Pops, for the first time in a long time, I was charmed.

The basement scene when Adam laid out each rom com scenario took the joke a step too far, but at least it was the last one.

Murray had the best lines this episode.

Definitely felt this was written to be the series finale if needed. Nice to see everyone. (Though I feel Johnny and Carla were MIA forever and just came back the last few episodes?)

Patton Oswalt is a terrific voice actor.

ETA: You know who I always thought they should include in more episodes? The Villanova pothead "show me your boobs" frat bro. I liked him.

Edited by Kiddvideo
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5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I can see why people still watch, its been on for so long that its probably just habit for a lot of people, plus its pretty easy viewing. I mean, here I still am no matter how much I've complained, it still does make me laugh from time to time with some good lines and even a few solid episodes. 

This is where I"m at right now. It's fun to watch, but I don't give it too much thought in between episodes.

I agree that this could have been a series finale. My favorite part was seeing Geoff finally stand up for himself and take charge, and seeing everyone (especially Bev and Erica) react positively to that. He's such a sweetheart, and I hate seeing genuinely nice people get steamrolled by the more assertive people in their lives.

I also kind of liked Murray's rant about the cheese and how he wouldn't let it go. It was funny to see how passionately he defended his position.

The timeline on this show is so unclear, next season could go in many directions. It could end with Adam graduating and the wedding, or Adam could graduate half way through, have his last summer at home, and then leave for college at the end. Assuming, of course, that next season really is the last one. Who knows?

3 hours ago, Mr. Meatball Man said:

There was a little bit of annoyance with the fact that Brea didn't like that Adam was enjoying the escalation, but did nothing to stop it herself.

That was annoying, and really highlighted how unsuited they are for each other and how I don't really like either of them. I think Jackie was the best match for Adam- they had a lot in common and seemed to have a better give and take. Brea just seems to be constantly embarrassed or exasperated when she's with Adam. 

I'll definitely miss Pops next season and hope they give him a good tribute.

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1 hour ago, Cherpumple said:

That was annoying, and really highlighted how unsuited they are for each other and how I don't really like either of them. I think Jackie was the best match for Adam- they had a lot in common and seemed to have a better give and take. Brea just seems to be constantly embarrassed or exasperated when she's with Adam. 

I'll definitely miss Pops next season and hope they give him a good tribute.

Yeah, I've spoken at length about it before, but Brea isn't a good character and more often than not, she brings out the worst in Adam. It's weird because she's so harmless in comparison to everyone else, but that might be the problem. Her personality is like a piece of white bread dipped in tap water. Last night was the first time that she felt like she belonged on the show, but like you said, it was to serve a purpose of being the exasperated straight man to Adam's craziness.

Jackie played that role too to some extent, but her and Adam were more like equals. Also, at least when Rowan Blanchard had the role, she had a real character and could fit in with the show's weirdness better.

I still think Dana was the best girlfriend. A lot of that has to do with how natural her scenes with Adam felt, and their scene when they broke up is one of the best the show's ever done. If Adam and Brea broke up, I wouldn't feel anything. Maybe tears of joy, but that's it.

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