S04.E15: So Swayze, It's Crazy

[Michel]

From TV Guide:

Quote

When a talent agent tells Adam he's only suitable for "nerd" roles, Beverly makes it her mission to turn him into a heartthrob.  Barry decides to embrace a punk lifestyle.  Murray's attempt to get more involved in Erica's life backfires.

The Corey fight at the beginning seemed totally useless.

Loved the callback to last season's "Boy Barry."  And I loved how it took Erica just a matter of seconds to realize that Lainey was trying to trick Barry into being punk (though Lainey trying too hard to hide her smile certainly didn't hurt).  And then her trying not to gag as Lainey described how she wanted Barry to look after he embraced it.  "You two make me ill."  BWAH!  Hayley Orrantia's nauseated faces every time she has Erica do that are a lot of laughs!  And in the end, Lainey doesn't get Barry punked out.  She gets him dressed as pirate instead!

I liked Matt Bradley.  Could he please join the JTP permanently?  Though him going from punk to a Deadhead (is the Grateful Dead still around?) had me in stitches when it left Barry looking like an idiot.

And of course, we get another mention of the other Adam Goldberg.  Sigh.

Adam could've gotten at least an audition if it weren't for Beverly lying to him.  She's just got to accept that he's a nerd and deal with it.

YES!  Finally!  RLS!  This time, she was with Pops and Erica!

Always nice to see Emmy again, too.

I had no idea that Dave Kim was in love with Erica until this episode.  Was it ever hinted at in prior seasons?  Either way, the serenade gave me secondhand embarrassment for Erica.  (Though at least it for once resulted in a moment in which the Rush-loving kid didn't come off like a jerk.)  But I will say that I never made the Velma Dinkley comparisons until Erica pointed out his yearbook picture.

We've seen Murray get involved in Erica's life several times.  But this was probably his worst extent of involvement ever.  But he really didn't know the difference between Geoff and Dave Kim?  Really?  And then . . . he lets it slip that Erica likes Geoff.  Even though I thought that Geoff already knew that.  Weird.  But in the end, the long-running storyline finally ends now that Erica and Geoff are together.  I just wonder how things are going to go with Evy once she finds out?

Pretty good episode.

Edited February 24, 2017 by Michel

[alexa]

I liked the episode overall.  I like that Adam embraces who he is, which is cool.  And I was relieved things turned out okay for Erica in the end because she had to get embarrassed yet again, and if they would have just left it like that I would have been annoyed...she has had too many of those things happen this season.

[Texasmom1970]

I love Pops, I wonder how many track suits he owns?

[HyeChaps]

I liked this episode because every one of the characters was used, and not in a throwaway manner. 

[shura]

I absolutely died when Murray made the "who knew?" gesture after reading Erica's middle name to her. Dorothy?

Dave Kim trying to Top-Gun Erica in the cafeteria was all kinds of awesome. It was such a cheesy thing to do, and he totally expected everybody to join in at his clue. For a moment I thought it could go either way, and then he was soundly booed. And that didn't stop him!

Having R.D. Robb (Schwartz!) play a role in an episode that mentioned him was very nice, too. I love meta things like that.

[Traveller519]

The Dave Kim likes Erica thing was in a few episodes last season, so it's not completely out of the blue. When he started hanging around more it was pitched as much as a reason to be close to Erica. 

I'll echo the sentiment that I hope Matt sticks around the JTP a while longer. He seems to enjoy being there, and would be a good addition to the group of numbskulls.

Captain Numbskull should be Barry's pirate name.

[roeflem]

I am a lurker but I had to log in to comment on last night's show.  My husband and I used to watch religiously and then we had a baby and got out of it.  Now that he's older, I'm back to watching but I don't read spoilers so I didn't know it was supposed to be a big episode for Geoff and Erica.  When they were talking at the end, I was like, they have to get together now - they can't drag it out anymore.  I thought the ending was great payoff to their story!  Good episode overall but I really loved the Geoff and Erica scenes.  

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, roeflem said:

I thought the ending was great payoff to their story!  Good episode overall but I really loved the Geoff and Erica scenes.

I have to admit, as much as I hated their storyline up to this, the idea that if you bother the person you love enough they will come around paired with the cliché of not wanting someone until they don't want you anymore, I did love the payoff. The scene in the driveway did get me and I just like Erica so I want her to be happy. Plus, can't stand his girlfriend so that helps. haha

it was overall a good ep though I am no noticing the other Adam comments on the show and it is getting a bit ridiculous. Thing is, it would have worked well in this episode if they hadn't been beating us over the head with it every single episode.

[tennisgurl]

Pops should just take over all parenting in that house. I know Murray and Bev mean well, but he is by FAR the most on it member of the family.

So we finally get the end of the Erica/Geoff saga. Or at least, something new in it. I cant stand Geoff's girlfriend, so I'm ok with her being gone. Geoff/Erika still isn't my thing, but at least this is something.

Lainey turned Barry into a pirate. It happens.

I also hope we see Matt Bradley again, he seemed like he could be an interesting addition to JTP. I would love it if every episode, his look totally changes and he embodies some new trend.

[Mama No Life]

Ok, on the shallow end, what's up with Erica's eyes?  Something droopy there but I can't figure out what it is.....anyone?

[Starscream]

14 hours ago, Michel said:

I had no idea that Dave Kim was in love with Erica until this episode.  Was it ever hinted at in prior seasons? 

That's been a thing since the first season, pretty much ever since he became more than the guy Adam hung out with one time.

[AllyB]

The thing with the famous school friend didn't work for me as the movie he was in was A Christmas Story and the scene they showed him in was the tongue sticking to the pole one. Adam, Dave Kim and Muscles were all amazed to see their classmate in the movie. Yet we learned in season 3 that Barry and Adam have a tradition of watching A Christmas Story every year and Adam's upset at Lainey taking his place led to both brothers having their tongue stuck to a pole.

[reggiejax]

I really enjoyed this episode, despite the fact that it hit the trifecta of running gags that I cannot stand: the other Adam Goldberg, Erica/Geoff, and the worst of the three, that fucking Rush kid. 

Hopefully Matt Bradley can become a recurring character and they can write off that Rush kid in a very special episode of The Goldbergs. One about the perils of drunk driving. Hey, Growing Pains did it to Matthew Perry, so if it was good enough for Chandler, it is plenty good enough for that pudgy, pasty faced, jagoff Rush kid. 

[Utpe]

Oh man, I was so waiting for a Curb Your Enthusiasm moment between Susie Essman's character and Murray Goldberg.  That would have been hilarious!

I'm so glad that Erica and Geoff are finally an item.  I knew they were going to be endgame, but not this soon.

Adam was right about Meatballs Part II.  Nothing in that film made sense.  I wonder if they'll ever address Meatballs III: Summer Job since it came out in 1986?

And the R.D. Robb cameo appearance for this episode was awesome!  Everybody who has seen A Christmas Story would know right off of the bat that he was Ralphie's other friend, Schwartz.