S02.E07: A Goldberg Thanksgiving

[Stinger97]

As a bet, Beverly challenges Erica to participate in Jazzercise after she thinks her mom's obsession is lame. When she wins, Erica decides to opt out of celebrating Thanksgiving so Beverly must find a way to win her daughter back to celebrate the holiday with the family. Meanwhile, Uncle Marvin (guest Dan Fogler) shows up for his annual visit to the Goldberg home and unexpectedly bonds with Adam, which annoys Murray.

[Valny]

I dropped the orange potatoes!  Ha!

 

And Barry skeeving the insides of the turkey was hilarious. I don't blame him, just watching him put his hand in there made me cringe.

[maraleia]

This show gives me so many feels. I was 14 in 1985 so this show brings back so many memories and the song selection is just superb. Loved that they used the St. Elmo's Fire song at the end of this episode.

It can't be said enough. Barry is an idiot. Grass King with a beeper. LOL!

[tvnerd]

Add me to those who loved the use of St Elmos Fire, I love that song. The moment where pops made a toast to his late wife was heartbreaking. It was funny when the uncle gave Adam and Barry the beepers its kind of the 80s equvilant of parents giving young kids cell phone today. Did kids ever have there own beepers in the 80s? (80s baby here so my knowledge of 80s stuff first hand is limited)

[clarkbar]

I just can't help loving this show, even when the characters act like complete idiots.  For someone who lived through the 80s, I appreciate how specific everything (except the actual years!) is, right down to the belted leotards they wore to Jazzercise.  Kudos to the costumers, and I am speaking as someone who made some deeply unfortunate wardrobe choices in the 80s!

[mjt626]

Barry- The Grass King.  I love this show so much.  Even though they mix different years together, it works.  And whose closet did they steal Bev's sweaters from?  In such perfect condition!

[bunnyblue]

"Something happened in my downstairs. Just north of my vajingo." Beverly had me rolling with that line. And Barry & Erica's look of disgust was hilarious. Lord, Bev's hi-cut leotard brought back awful memories. That was just a terrible look. I was concerned her left boob was going to fall out in the jazzercise class.

 

My brother had an Atari and then when he got a Nintendo...a whole new world opened up. Adam's pathetic knowledge of football was too adorable, "it's like the throwing one knows exactly where the running one is going".

 

Ah beepers. I remember my older sister had one and how it was so cool that she would receive pages with words made out of numbers. LOL '80s texting. I loved this episode.

 

Barry, the Grass King. Oh man, he's such an idiot.

Edited November 20, 2014 by bunnyblue

[Irritable]

I didn't love this show in the beginning, but it grew on me over time, and now I'm in love with it.  This episode was so much fun, and we died at the end when we saw footage of a real Goldberg Thanksgiving with Uncle Marv actually getting up and storming out, right on cue!

 

I have to admit a secret shame.  I was a teenager in the '80s, and to me, the fashion was EVERYTHING.  I was really serious about it, I wore the jumpsuits, the giant belts, the pumps with tight jeans, the sweater dresses, the tuxedo outfits, the mini-skirts with Keds and colored scrunch socks (that matched my shirt).  I wore the belted leotard for aerobics.  I had the ruffle shirts, the legwarmers over jeans, the jazz shoes, the brightly colorblocked oversized sweaters, the ankle boots, the ski-pants, I had it all, baby.  But that's not my secret shame.  This is:  Even though my brain understands on some level that when I see these things now I am supposed to recoil in horror and turn red with embarrassment that I ever wore such abominations, instead I still have love for all of it.  With the exception of some of Bev's worst sweaters, I don't see these clothes as hideous, I see them as fun and lively.   Okay, MAYBE not the most flattering, but fun is important! I remember loving that so many of the "rules" I always felt I had to follow as a tender kid in the '70s were finally gone, and the '80s were almost an anything-goes era where you no longer had to wear designer jeans and other very specific items in order to fit in.  The endless mix and match options took my wardrobe to new heights.  Shoulder pads were my friend and made my waist look extra small.  I couldn't understand why my mother didn't want to dress in all the awesome, trendy clothes that were available...I thought she should have been dressing like Bev, because who wouldn't want that?

 

I know that a lot of it has to do with nostalgia and the age we are when we are exposed to certain things, like how we all have a soft spot for the music of our teenage years.  But I think the clothes from the '70s were all completely fugly, right down to the last bell bottom and pointed collar, so for me it's not about childhood, I guess...I think I just actually LIKE the '80s fashions.  And that's okay!  /end of daily affirmation

 

I sure do hope that the real Bev Goldberg is still out there, and sees her grown kids a lot, since it's clear that is all she ever really wanted in the whole world is to just be around her family every minute that she possibly could.  Doesn't she say some version of "don't ever leave me" in every episode?  If she lost her mother at 17, that explains a lot. 

[Shermie]

Pumps with jeans, sweater dresses and ankle boots are very on trend now, so not everything from the '80s is perpetually awful.

And I agree that those clothes were out there, but they were FUN! People enjoyed getting dressed in their neons and ruffles. It sure beat the pale blue leisure suits and enormous pointy collars and overall frumpy look of the '70s and the grump guy look of the '90s. Not sure why '80s clothes seem to have a special place in the awful clothes hall of fame, when every decade has hits and misses.

As for the episode, I'm not a fan of all the shouting. My husband watched for the first time and he wondered why everyone seemed to hate each other. The dad never smiles and doesn't like anything, the mom is over the top with her opinions and needs, the daughter seems to hate her family, and Barry is so intense. I don't know any family that is so shouty and unpleasant all the time.

[Pluto]

I didn't love this show in the beginning, but it grew on me over time, and now I'm in love with it.  This episode was so much fun, and we died at the end when we saw footage of a real Goldberg Thanksgiving with Uncle Marv actually getting up and storming out, right on cue!

That wasn't Uncle Marv, that was Eric, I think it was the first time we saw him in the real family footage, Adam Goldberg talks about something else Eric did and that he has on tape that will be used for a Erica storyline here:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/exclusive-goldbergs-uncle-marv-thanksgiving-1089099.aspx

 

Apparently they didn't change Eric's personality much when they made him a girl on the show, they just gave him boobs and some typical female hobbies but the "Don't control my life" part of Erica's character is all him it seems.

 

I love this series, my favorite character is Beverly, they're all awesome but she's the best.

[readster]

They had me at Atari and then the Power Glove. St. Elmo's fire was the icing on the cake, I love this show. 

[Kromm]

Uncle Marvin!!!

I sure do hope that the real Bev Goldberg is still out there, and sees her grown kids a lot, since it's clear that is all she ever really wanted in the whole world is to just be around her family every minute that she possibly could.  Doesn't she say some version of "don't ever leave me" in every episode?  If she lost her mother at 17, that explains a lot. 

Real Beverley is alive and well (and 71 years--but not looking it) and continuing to be a pain in the ass to her kids.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yWHFKeN.jpg

[Kromm]

It can't be said enough. Barry is an idiot. Grass King with a beeper. LOL

That was the biggest laugh of the episode by far. They use those little endcap scenes very well.

[ZaldamoWilder]

 

I have to admit a secret shame.  I was a teenager in the '80s, and to me, the fashion was EVERYTHING.  I was really serious about it, I wore the jumpsuits, the giant belts, the pumps with tight jeans, the sweater dresses, the tuxedo outfits, the mini-skirts with Keds and colored scrunch socks (that matched my shirt).  I wore the belted leotard for aerobics.  I had the ruffle shirts, the legwarmers over jeans, the jazz shoes, the brightly colorblocked oversized sweaters, the ankle boots, the ski-pants, I had it all, baby.  But that's not my secret shame.  This is:  Even though my brain understands on some level that when I see these things now I am supposed to recoil in horror and turn red with embarrassment that I ever wore such abominations, instead I still have love for all of it.  With the exception of some of Bev's worst sweaters, I don't see these clothes as hideous, I see them as fun and lively.   Okay, MAYBE not the most flattering, but fun is important! I remember loving that so many of the "rules" I always felt I had to follow as a tender kid in the '70s were finally gone, and the '80s were almost an anything-goes era where you no longer had to wear designer jeans and other very specific items in order to fit in.  The endless mix and match options took my wardrobe to new heights.  Shoulder pads were my friend and made my waist look extra small.  I couldn't understand why my mother didn't want to dress in all the awesome, trendy clothes that were available...I thought she should have been dressing like Bev, because who wouldn't want that?

 

I know that a lot of it has to do with nostalgia and the age we are when we are exposed to certain things, like how we all have a soft spot for the music of our teenage years.  But I think the clothes from the '70s were all completely fugly, right down to the last bell bottom and pointed collar, so for me it's not about childhood, I guess...I think I just actually LIKE the '80s fashions.  And that's okay!  /end of daily affirmation

 

Marry me.   You had me at jazz shoes.  Capezios (they had to be white).    It was all so wonderfully hideous and expressive though wasn't it?  ah, good times.

 

 

Uncle Marvin!!!

Real Beverley is alive and well (and 71 years--but not looking it) and continuing to be a pain in the ass to her kids.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yWHFKeN.jpg

 

The lady in that picture here is 71?  GTFOH!

[readster]

Marry me.   You had me at jazz shoes.  Capezios (they had to be white).    It was all so wonderfully hideous and expressive though wasn't it?  ah, good times.

 

 

 

The lady in that picture here is 71?  GTFOH!

 

 I agree. Wow! I would say late 50s at the worst. 

[TV Diva Queen]

Pumps with jeans, sweater dresses and ankle boots are very on trend now, so not everything from the '80s is perpetually awful.

And I agree that those clothes were out there, but they were FUN! People enjoyed getting dressed in their neons and ruffles. It sure beat the pale blue leisure suits and enormous pointy collars and overall frumpy look of the '70s and the grump guy look of the '90s. Not sure why '80s clothes seem to have a special place in the awful clothes hall of fame, when every decade has hits and misses.

As for the episode, I'm not a fan of all the shouting. My husband watched for the first time and he wondered why everyone seemed to hate each other. The dad never smiles and doesn't like anything, the mom is over the top with her opinions and needs, the daughter seems to hate her family, and Barry is so intense. I don't know any family that is so shouty and unpleasant all the time.

I don't know a family that ISN'T that way.  

[ppl]

The Goldbergs hit a season high in the demo (2.4) with this special episode. So glad the ratings have been steady; this show makes me laugh out loud every week.

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/20/tv-ratings-wednesday-stalker-the-100-rise-law-and-order-svu-chicago-p-d-slide-arrow-flat/329895/

[Kromm]

I don't know a family that ISN'T that way.  

And thus the great divide.  Generally with the loud boisterous ethnic families on one side and the buttoned up WASPs on the other.  Of course we can't claim this is universal among those types, but this is one of those stereotypes that is so very strongly based in reality.

 

Also, I think another aspect is that SHERMIE's husband has misinterpreted a good deal of what he's seeing.  Nobody in that family hates each other--not even a little.  Murray is grumpy, yes, but it's probably not accurate to conclude that he doesn't like anything--he's just bad at expressing it when he does.  Erica certainly doesn't hate her family... she's just embarrassed by them (as most teenage girls are). Barry and Beverley ARE both over the top--that part of the observation is totally accurate--but then again this is a very broad comedy (plus, despite being over the top, the two ARE actually not that unrealistic in terms of what a really intense Jewish mother and a kind of lunkheaded teenage boy can be like... just exaggerated for effect).

[monakane]

The lady in that picture here is 71?  GTFOH!

 

Wow!  She looks incredible.  The casting of Wendy as Beverly is spot on.  They look very similar.

[Traveller519]

"Stop joining in! I'm mocking you!"

[Donny Ketchum]

Regarding something above.

 

Adam didn't have a sister, Erica?  I thought he did.  She was seen in real videos in the past.

[dcalley]

Did kids ever have there own beepers in the 80s? (80s baby here so my knowledge of 80s stuff first hand is limited)

I didn't know anyone who did.

 

 

And whose closet did they steal Bev's sweaters from?  In such perfect condition!

A lot of them are The Real Bev's. The family kept a lot of stuff, it seems.

 

 

As for the episode, I'm not a fan of all the shouting. My husband watched for the first time and he wondered why everyone seemed to hate each other. The dad never smiles and doesn't like anything, the mom is over the top with her opinions and needs, the daughter seems to hate her family, and Barry is so intense. I don't know any family that is so shouty and unpleasant all the time.

And thus the great divide.  Generally with the loud boisterous ethnic families on one side and the buttoned up WASPs on the other.  Of course we can't claim this is universal among those types, but this is one of those stereotypes that is so very strongly based in reality.

Yeah, I come from a Southern WASP family and didn't encounter loud families until college. I do like the videos so you can see that the episodes are based in reality. My absolute favorite part of this video was Adam's glee at having caught the fight and storm-off on tape.

[bunnyblue]

That wasn't Uncle Marv, that was Eric, I think it was the first time we saw him in the real family footage, Adam Goldberg talks about something else Eric did and that he has on tape that will be used for a Erica storyline here:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/exclusive-goldbergs-uncle-marv-thanksgiving-1089099.aspx

 

 

Wow! Thanks for finding that, I thought that was Marv. Sounds like real life Adam filmed everything that went on in his house. He would have driven me crazy.

 

Real Beverley is alive and well (and 71 years--but not looking it) and continuing to be a pain in the ass to her kids.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yWHFKeN.jpg

 

She looks amazing for a 71 year old. I'd have guessed she's in her 50s. Great casting too; Wendi looks like she could be Bev's younger sister.

 

The Goldbergs hit a season high in the demo (2.4) with this special episode. So glad the ratings have been steady; this show makes me laugh out loud every week.

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/20/tv-ratings-wednesday-stalker-the-100-rise-law-and-order-svu-chicago-p-d-slide-arrow-flat/329895/

 

Yay!! I just discovered the show this season and I love it. I hope it gets renewed for a 3rd season.

[Kromm]

She looks amazing for a 71 year old. I'd have guessed she's in her 50s. Great casting too; Wendi looks like she could be Bev's younger sister.

Sadly real Murray is gone (since 2008).  Then again, I think we even hear fake Bev predict that she'd outlive him and continue to be around to live with her children.

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by Kromm

[Traveller519]

In a few of the home video shots we've seen (including this weeks) I'm always amazed at how close to George Segal's voice real Murray sounds.

[Kromm]

In a few of the home video shots we've seen (including this weeks) I'm always amazed at how close to George Segal's voice real Murray sounds.

Do you mean Jeff Garlin? Or George Segal?

[Pluto]

Regarding something above.

 

Adam didn't have a sister, Erica?  I thought he did.  She was seen in real videos in the past.

Nope, there's no Erica, in real life the Goldbergs had three sons, Eric, Barry and Adam.

[Donny Ketchum]

Nope, there's no Erica, in real life the Goldbergs had three sons, Eric, Barry and Adam.

Well, that's just plain weird.  Did Adam make that change, or did some higher-up do so?

[Traveller519]

Kromm, I meant George Segal. A bit of irony I noted.

[Kromm]

Kromm, I meant George Segal. A bit of irony I noted.

Sorry, I guess I missed the irony here.  Segal's character being a representation of Murray's in-law rather than his father, I mean.

[drmka9]

Well, that's just plain weird.  Did Adam make that change, or did some higher-up do so?

 

I had heard originally that they wanted one of the kids to be a girl to be able to touch on girls' fashion and interests in the '80s. Since then, though, I've heard some vague references that Eric Goldberg wasn't thrilled with the idea of being portrayed in a television show. I have no idea how true that idea is, though, as I really haven't heard anything directly about that.

[dcalley]

Although I'm the same age as Adam, I didn't know anything about the Power Glove. I have remedied that a bit by watching this video of current teens trying it out. Spoiler: it wasn't that great.