S03.E12: Baio and Switch

[Stinger97]

Beverly volunteers for Hands Across America in hopes of getting closer to Barry and Erica; Adam promises to take his best friend and Dana to the school dance.

 

 

[Traveller519]

"Loud Family Breaks American Chain"

 

Oh so fantastic

[NutmegsDad]

Barry and Erica trying to one-up their love to Beverly was hysterical.

 

Why didn't we pick up that "Don't be a moron" was actually sage advice?

 

If Natalie Alyn Lind continues to do double duty between "Goldbergs" and "Gotham", I fully expect David Mazouz to make a guest appearance,

[MMLEsq]

I was a little worried that Scott Baio was going to make a cameo appearance and that we'd be forced to suspend our disbelief that the 50-whatever Scott of today could pass for the Scott of "1980-something."  (Something that's always bothered me about "The Wedding Singer," is that Billy Idol is clearly older...it always kinds of takes me out of the movie for a second when he shows up on screen.)

 

When Ben Franklin appeared, my first thought was the episode of The Office where the office is getting ready for Phyllis's wedding and Michael instructs Dwight to hire a stripper for the men and delegates Jim to hire one for the women, but Jim ends up hiring a Ben Franklin impersonator instead.

 

I liked the way the show handled the "two dates to the dance" subplot.  Although, have I been completely asleep at the wheel?  I didn't realize Adam's best friend was a girl.

Edited January 14, 2016 by MMLEsq

[Traveller519]

From the end of episode clips, it looks like IRL Adam F. Goldberg's best friends were Emmy (Muscles) Mersky and Chad Kremp. However, it seems like the actor that plays Dave Kim (whom the end of episode clips tell us, Adam hung out with "that one time") has more availability, and that character has been pretty good.

 

Having those secondary characters you can go back to over your run really helps a show. Parks and Rec had a tremendous guest cast. The Goldbergs seems to have over reached twice, casting the Kremps' father, and Pop Pop. But I would definitely like to see more of the Goonies Gang routinely.

[AbsoluteShower]

Did you make me the Hulk?!?!

Yes, but only because I don't like you when you're angry...

[Lawgiver]

Every episode is a trip down memory lane. Hands Across America was huge in the Philly area (and most other places I'm sure.). I never thought about the germ aspect of it, but as an adult I totally get Beverly's disgust about so many hands touching.

[OpieTaylor]

I didn't understand why the two girls would be so mad at Adam. Since the girls were friends with each other, clearly they would have talked about the situation and it seems they'd understand that Adam was trying to be a good friend to Emmy and then his girlfriend showed up unannounced. They wanted him to choose?  It would have been a little better, I think, if the girls weren't good friends; then Adam's girlfriend would be jealous and afraid that Adam was moving on from her. And the feel-good ending could have been that the girls discovered they liked each other and became friends.

[Perfect Xero]

I didn't understand why the two girls would be so mad at Adam. Since the girls were friends with each other, clearly they would have talked about the situation and it seems they'd understand that Adam was trying to be a good friend to Emmy and then his girlfriend showed up unannounced. They wanted him to choose?  It would have been a little better, I think, if the girls weren't good friends; then Adam's girlfriend would be jealous and afraid that Adam was moving on from her. And the feel-good ending could have been that the girls discovered they liked each other and became friends.

 

Sure, the girls could have rationally talked things out themselves and then gone to Adam calmly, but Adam could have just gone to the two of them and explained things and trusted that they would both understand the situation instead of trying to fool them with a wacky sitcom plot that always fails. They were upset because Adam was lying to them and thought that he was going to spend the entire dance tricking the both of them.

 

It's one of those "the lie is worse than the crime" situations.

[dcalley]

I was a little worried that Scott Baio was going to make a cameo appearance and that we'd be forced to suspend our disbelief that the 50-whatever Scott of today could pass for the Scott of "1980-something." 

Plus Scott Baio's an asshole. I didn't want to have to put up with him, so I was glad he wasn't actually in this episode.

[niklj]

I liked the way the show handled the "two dates to the dance" subplot.  Although, have I been completely asleep at the wheel?  I didn't realize Adam's best friend was a girl.

 

Count me in as confused too, I only remember his "best friend" ever having like, 2 lines at the most. I thought his best friend was Dave Kim since he's almost in every episode when Adam hangs out with his friends. BTW, whatever happened to the rest of Adam's friends?

[Perfect Xero]

There was an episode about "Muscles" and Adam back in season 1 where she was his long time best friend but Barry convinced Adam that she wanted to date him.

[TobinAlbers]

On 1/14/2016 at 1:46 PM, NutmegsDad said:

 

If Natalie Alyn Lind continues to do double duty between "Goldbergs" and "Gotham", I fully expect David Mazouz to make a guest appearance,

David appearing as the anti-Adam- tall, dark, handsome, smooth voiced, suave, rich, gentlemanly- would've been amazing.

Coach surveying the wee ones as they played musical chairs was adorable. Then he forgot about them and was so sorry and apologetic offering them water. Too cute.

Edited April 6, 2017 by TobinAlbers

[Twilight Man]

On 1/14/2016 at 9:16 PM, Lawgiver said:

Hands Across America was huge in the Philly area (and most other places I'm sure.). 

(Watching the episode in syndication)

I grew up on the other side of the Keystone State.  They actually had the chain come thru downtown Pittsburgh,

and pass through (now destroyed) Three Rivers Stadium in the middle of a Pirates game (which I attended).

Only during the 1980's could something like that happen.

On 1/14/2016 at 11:25 AM, Traveller519 said:

"Loud Family Breaks American Chain"

Hilarious!!!  I do seem to recall that the chain did not make it all the way from coast to coast.