S03.E24: Have a Summer

[Stinger97]

Quote

Adam worries about being hazed by the upperclassmen in high school but earns their respect by bodyslamming Barry; Erica and her friends talk about their time capsule.

[Dilandau]

Ugh no. The finale was going great until the reveal with Erica. There's nothing more I hate than the "keep trying and eventually the girl who is repulsed by you will love you" trope. And now we're probably getting a love triangle, yay.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Dilandau

[Shermie]

I just can't get past the inaccurate 80s hair. Maybe every girl didn't have a big hair curly perm and every guy didn't have a mullet - but most did. Especially generic suburban teens. Look at any newspaper or yearbook from 1980-something. Other than the occasional background character with a frizzy side ponytail (like I spotted tonight), the hair is just wrong.

It totally takes me out of the theme of the show. Which is too bad, since they do such a good job with the fashions and the pop culture stuff. I don't understand why the stylists aren't doing the hair too. It's such an 80s thing!

[Saylii]

Are they retconning Erica (and I guess Barry's) age?  I could have sworn she said something to the effect of "I won't have you ruin my senior year," when she and Bev were talking about the next year.  I really thought this was her senior year already and she had picked a college.

The Geoff thing was soooooo dumb.  I really hope Erica finds a hot guy this summer and forgets Geoff existed.  I could see them hooking up in college after being apart for awhile and gaining perspective but the lovesick puppy stalker troupe is so overplayed.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Saylii

[biakbiak]

I thought it was sweet that they dedicated the episode to Michelle.

[morgan]

I think Erica's hair is fine, personally.  I graduated high school in 1985 and remember the 80s as a decade with lots of styles.  Preppy was a huge style back then, the big hair and neon stuff was later toward the second half.  I think the show plays fast and lose with early, mid, late 80s and I'm good with that.  It's kind of a mishmash.  

[mansonlamps]

I hated Erica falling for Geoff.  And even more that everybody know before she did.  Boring, lazy writing.  The family videos at the end are getting longer and even more entertaining, it must be great to have all those memories recorded like that.

[DrSpaceman73]

I don't have a problem with the hair because they are purposely nonspecific about the years, the styles changed a whole lot over the decade.  Although with the New Kids album/CD being in the time capsule this would have to be late 1980s. 

But then everyone threw in a Rubik's cube as well, which was more early/mid80s. 

Not a big fan of Erica/Geoff, but glad they have him with the other girl for now. 

I liked the rest of it.  And yes Erica apparentely is now a senior, the show, like most, is pretty loose about the ages of the kids. 

[Trace]

9 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I thought it was sweet that they dedicated the episode to Michelle.

I saw the "Dedicated to my real family" at the end - who is Michelle?

[Saylii]

Just now, Trace said:

I saw the "Dedicated to my real family" at the end - who is Michelle?

Patton Oswalt's late wife.  She passed in her sleep a few weeks ago.  Patton is the narrator -- grown up Adam.

[Trace]

Oh ok I remember seeing that. I loved Patton in the King of Queens! Very sad about his wife :(

[MMLEsq]

11 hours ago, Saylii said:

Are they retconning Erica (and I guess Barry's) age?  I could have sworn she said something to the effect of "I won't have you ruin my senior year," when she and Bev were talking about the next year.  I really thought this was her senior year already and she had picked a college.

Yes, that was so strange.   Erica was a senior this year -- making college decisions, etc.  Honestly, I actually thought Adam was already a freshman too, but I wouldn't swear by it.

[Skyfall]

I totally forgot Action Jack was on The Goldbergs as well!

[morgan]

Adam on the show is the same age as my eldest so finishing 8th grade is right, but didn't Erica just pick a college?

[biakbiak]

One thing I thought was unusual was that the middle school and high school share the same campus and have the same principal and gym teacher. Where I grew up that only happened at small private schools but Google tells me it's a thing in some areas including Jenkintown! 

They were kind of vague about Erica choosing colleges and I do think that they have ret conned her age but I had already narrowed down my college choices to where i was going to apply by the spring of my junior year and had visited campuses. 

[readster]

I enjoyed the finale, but the ending with Erica and Geoff, yeah, that is lazy writing and I wish they would decide to either have Erica graduate or not. It was implied several times this was it.  Not to mention Adam going over how this year has been so hard for him. I had to agree, he had the most thrown at him and they were not all the best stories. Some I thought were a little too much, especially with the entire swimming class issue and being ashamed of his body. Yet, we saw him with his shirt off a few times and some of the kids in that gym class were much pail and more scranny than him. So, it really negates the story. As for his voice, I feel his pain there when I was that age. 

  Was very touched by the dedication at the end and I'm looking forward to Patton doing double duty next season as he will not only continue as adult Adam, but the new TV's Frank on the Mystery Theatre 3000 relaunch. As he joked in one narration: "I was ready to PUSH the Button!" 

[tennisgurl]

Gummy Bears! Finally something I, child of the 90s, can be nostalgic about on this show! Loved that show!

I also laughed the all the movies being played the last week of school. The Middle did a similar joke about teachers giving up and playing movies on the last week of school. 

Uggg I liked most of the finale, why did they have to make Erica be into Geoff? I kind of saw it coming since the dance episode, but come on. Stop awarding stalker behavior! 

Barry and his definition of what a scientist is was my favorite part (with lab coats! And beakers!). 

It was classy of them to dedicate the episode to Patton's late wife. 

[Saylii]

30 minutes ago, readster said:

I enjoyed the finale, but the ending with Erica and Geoff, yeah, that is lazy writing and I wish they would decide to either have Erica graduate or not. It was implied several times this was it.  Not to mention Adam going over how this year has been so hard for him. I had to agree, he had the most thrown at him and they were not all the best stories. Some I thought were a little too much, especially with the entire swimming class issue and being ashamed of his body. Yet, we saw him with his shirt off a few times and some of the kids in that gym class were much pail and more scranny than him. So, it really negates the story. As for his voice, I feel his pain there when I was that age.

I suspect some of the hardships of Adam are being projected by the real Adam Goldberg, since he's had interviews talking about how middle school and puberty was pretty hard for him.

But this is Hollywood, so the issues are just barely touched on, he's given a girlfriend (even if she leaves) and very close friends, and TV Adam seems pretty OK for a young teenage boy.  I think that's why that part was disconnected.

[Accidental Martyr]

I had that Asia album in high school.

Are Barry and Erica now supposed to be the same age? Confusing.

[Accidental Martyr]

I just saw on A.V. Club in the comments for this episode that Adam F. Goldberg said Erica will be a senior again because he doesn't want to age them. He said Adam will be in 9th grade, Barry 11th and Erica 12th.

[mansonlamps]

I had a kid who I liked write something very much like "have a summer" on my eighth grade yearbook, so I have very little sympathy for Erica in this situation.  I still remember how bad it made me feel all these years later.?

[Dilandau]

It would be one thing if Erica just wrote it unprovoked, but Geoff had been pestering her all year and not taking a hint. I don't think I would have written something all that great in his yearbook either if it had been me in that situation. 

[Mabinogia]

I pretty much hate that they have Erica realizing she has feelings for Geoff just as he is potentially with someone else. Could they possibly be more cliché? No, no they couldn't. Wait, maybe Geoff will suddenly change his style and be the hottest guy at school like they always do in those teen movies about the awkward girl/guy who takes off his glasses and becomes hot.

I really like this show but UGH this storyline sucks.

[Tiger]

I don't have a problem with Erica realizing she likes Jeff, except it already happened earlier this season in I believe the Dirty Dancing episode.

[dcalley]

I just watched this one, finally, and also do not like the totally inappropriate story of Erica, who has said no to persistent Geoff a thousand times, realizing she likes him (and I even like Geoff!). The only way I can try to make it OK is to say the show is going method and using a story that, while still inappropriate, fits the era somewhat. I don't know, it's the best I've got.

I always like seeing that Sharp boombox because I had one in purple.

$70?! Holy cow.

[ByTor]

On 5/21/2016 at 9:40 AM, Mabinogia said:

 maybe Geoff will suddenly change his style and be the hottest guy at school like they always do in those teen movies about the awkward girl/guy who takes off his glasses and becomes hot.

Much like Erica post glasses/braces :)

[Michel]

I wonder why Erica and Lainey weren't part of the shower hazing?  Especially since their crazy friend with the crazy family was taking part.  (She was the girl who was dragging Emmy away.)  Actually, I'm surprised any of the girls were getting hazed with the shower thing, since I'd never thought it happened to girls, just to boys.