S04.E20: The Dynamic Duo

[Vyk]

From TV Guide:

Barry attempts to drive a wedge between Adam and Pops.  Erica blows her college interview at Penn State.

Discuss tonight's new episode here.

[lor]

i laughed so much when the guidance counselor showed erica the sally struthers correspondence school ad. i remember that ad.   

i wonder who adam Goldberg thinks is the best batman now. 

[Nordly Beaumont]

Murray's Adam West was great!

[DrSpaceman73]

Its a bit ridiculous because there are literally like 50 colleges in the Philadelphia area or nearby.  Penn, Penn State, Temple, Drexel, St Joesephs, Lasalle, Thomas Jefferson, Villanova, Rutgers, ......I wish they had made a joke of that, she could choose from many, many good schools besides those two. 

But it was funny seeing her bomb the penn state interview.

And......its Rickety Cricket!!!  from Its Always sunny in Philadelphia, as the Penn State interviewer (David Hornsby)

Loved the Batman references.  And the Adam west impersonation

Murray kept his pants on this episode!

[reggiejax]

Am I the only one who was under the impression that Murray not only didn't go to college, but probably barely finished high school? His whole backstory has been about how he has always subverted his own desires and ambitions because life dealt him a bad hand when he was growing up, and he has had to work since he was a kid. It was surprising to hear Murray refer to himself as an alum of Penn State (though it turns out he was a credit shy of graduating).

[readster]

10 hours ago, reggiejax said:

Am I the only one who was under the impression that Murray not only didn't go to college, but probably barely finished high school? His whole backstory has been about how he has always subverted his own desires and ambitions because life dealt him a bad hand when he was growing up, and he has had to work since he was a kid. It was surprising to hear Murray refer to himself as an alum of Penn State (though it turns out he was a credit shy of graduating).

Not really, we've had a few episodes where Murray was pretty good in high school. He was athletic, won a championship, grades were great and so forth. Him missing one credit in a way I think is a view that has happened to a lot of people for years. "It's one credit, why are they making it such a big deal." The problem is state or university standards (applies to high school too) want that requirement for some dumb reason. I was all set to graduate during my undergraduate days but I needed one elective hour from a class I had taken three years earlier. My advisor messed up the requirement. So, I did it, but it was like 6 weeks and I was up and done before October even ended in 2000.

  Back to the show, I think the problem is, they have put it where while Murray doesn't really share a lot, he has always been a hard worker, so to find out this reveal, kind of goes against him even if he did a great analogy. "If I eat 99% of a sandwich, I still ate it." 

[Traveller519]

Not a lot from the recurring characters tonight, but it was really nice to get so much Pops. And Glascott's whole sequence was fantastic. From introducing the tape, to patting himself on the back for thinking of it, to marveling at the breadth of classes, to then writing down the information for himself.

"What don't they have?"

"A campus?"

[joanne3482]

Were college interviews really a thing back in the 80's/90's? I grew up in a tiny town so we just applied but there were no interviews since that would have required expensive travel.   I like this show a lot but when they throw out what I perceive to be an anachronism, I struggle with that. I interpret that as a ploy to make it more relevant to the modern audiences. 

[crazycatchick]

Am I just imagining this, but didn't Erica say she got into Emory and Miami a few episodes back? The one when they made Murray whisper cry? I swear Erica made a comment to Murray that she couldn't decide and gave reasons for each school like I look really good on a beach. 

I also have a hard time believing she only applied to two schools. I applied to 6 or 7, with one as my safety. And this was back in the 90s.

Love Pops and Adam together. Such a great relationship and George Segall really sells it. I can't believe his in his 80s in real life! Such a spry guy!! 

[zoey1996]

1 hour ago, joanne3482 said:

Were college interviews really a thing back in the 80's/90's? I grew up in a tiny town so we just applied but there were no interviews since that would have required expensive travel.   I like this show a lot but when they throw out what I perceive to be an anachronism, I struggle with that. I interpret that as a ploy to make it more relevant to the modern audiences. 

Yes, they were.  Not for every school, but for some.  I remember my daughter (graduated high school in 1989) having one or two interviews.  The recruiter came to our small city, though, she didn't have to travel.

I remember when the Michael Keaton Batman movie came out, it was such a huge departure from the TV show.  Loved the "movie" Adam, Pops, and Barry were making, with Beverly flinging open the window!

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

Were college interviews really a thing back in the 80's/90's? I grew up in a tiny town so we just applied but there were no interviews since that would have required expensive travel.   I like this show a lot but when they throw out what I perceive to be an anachronism, I struggle with that. I interpret that as a ploy to make it more relevant to the modern audiences. 

They have always been a thing but not a requirement for admission it's just something that can give you better odds. Erica wasn't planning on doing one and Beverly had to arrange it. A lot of interviews don't require travel expenses because they are done by alums who live in the area or recruiters from the school who travel and visit schools or host events. My dad has been doing them for his alma mater since the 70s.My grandfather also did them for the same alma mater before that.

[rmontro]

I can understand Adam adopting the Michael Keaton Batman as his own, but surely he would have been aware of the Adam West version.  That was still on in reruns for a long time, and if he didn't know the West version, why was Adam so excited about seeing the character?  I haven't seen a bunch of Batman comic books laying around the Goldberg house.  I guess there's Saturday morning cartoons, Super Friends and the like.

This was the episode Kevin Smith directed.  Not sure what his connection is to the Goldbergs, but this may be the most mainstream thing he's directed so far, so good for him.

[biakbiak]

38 minutes ago, rmontro said:

This was the episode Kevin Smith directed.  Not sure what his connection is to the Goldbergs,

I might not be any connection well other than the fact that his friend and cohost on one of his many podcasts, Matt Mira, is a writer on the show but he has been actively pruning tv directing gigs though this is the first sitcom he has done the others were Supergirl and The flash so maybe the Batman angle was enough.

[tennisgurl]

I love that Pops caught onto Barry's scheme instantly. Because Pops is the best. All episode are made better when he's around more. I also thought it was nice that Pops and Adam made the effort to include him in their movie. Poor Pops would cry at the state of cinematic Batman now, if he thought the Keating version was too dark.

Barry apparently thinks Adams name is short for Adamander (is it like Alexander?)! Oh Barry.

[jww]

Adam still has cartoon bed sheets?  Penn State is in Happy Valley (Central Pa)  and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh(Western Pa)  neither close to Philadelphia.

[Vyk]

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 2:59 PM, tennisgurl said:

I love that Pops caught onto Barry's scheme instantly. Because Pops is the best.

Me, too!  That was the best part!  I mean, yeah, he was still hurt by Adam's comments, but he nonetheless knew that Barry had set him up to make them, so that was awesome!

RLS!  RLS!  This time, where she's expected to be: with Murray.

So Erica purposely tanks her interview with her "safety" school, thinking she's got her preferred school in the bag, only to find out she doesn't.  Gotta say, while that does suck, I laughed so hard at that.

I really don't like it when Villain!Barry emerges.  Didn't like it when he tried to stop Matt from joining the JTP, and I didn't like it in this one, although it was amusing that Adam really didn't see that he was being played till it was too late.  Barry finally tricks Adam?  Say it ain't so!

The old Batman I barely watched, and I didn't really watch the one Michael Keaton was in, either, until about a year ago.  But I far prefer Keaton's Batman to West's.

Funny episode.  I think this show is getting its groove back, just in time for the season to be winding down.

Edited April 7, 2017 by Vyk

[Texasmom1970]

I giggled everytime Pops said Batman, they way he pronounced it. I love George Segal so much!! He is perfect in this role.

[Machiabelly]

He says Batman the same way he says robot.

[Traveller519]

5 minutes ago, Machiabelly said:

He says Batman the same way he says robot.

Murray has the mumbled "robut"

[Machiabelly]

Yes...you right.  Oooops.

[Cowgirl]

This episode made me nostalgic for the Batman movie premiere in 1989.  It was a HUGE deal, even in rural Wyoming.  My boss and I went and had to stand in line to get in (a rare thing in Wyoming).  They gave away free t-shirts while we waited. Then, we ended up having to sit in the first row, just like Barry did!  I joked that I felt like I was in the basement of Gotham City!  My neck had a crick in it too after the movie. 

I loved that series of Batman movies and don't care for the more recent Dark Knight trilogy.  I loved the colors and the art design.  It really looked like you'd stepped into a comic book.  (Into the basement of Gotham City.)

Edited April 7, 2017 by Cowgirl

[rmontro]

For fans of the old '60s version, there is a DVD that was recently released called Batman:  Return of the Caped Crusaders.  It's a cartoon, but Adam West and Burt Ward voice Batman and Robin, and it's done in the old style.  I believe Julie Newmar also plays Catwoman.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Erica is not my favorite character to begin with, and her behavior in this episode was too ridiculous, and not in a funny way.  Does Carnegie Mellon have a good music program?  I always think of it as a school for STEM majors, computer science, etc. 

[rmontro]

I like Erica, but I really don't care about her musical aspirations (even though I know it's in the actress' background).  Usually they feature her talent well, but that was a strange version of Toto's "Africa" she was singing.  It was like she didn't really know the song, she just kept singing the same melody line over and over.

[Utpe]

Oh man, this episode really hit close to home.  I went to go see Batman with my father on opening day, June 23rd, 1989.  I remember the theater being packed to the rafters.  Even now, I still consider it to be the best movie of the franchise.  1989 was one heck of a year for movies.

My father was a lot like Pops.  He loved the 1966 version.  He grew up with Adam West and Burt Ward.  I can't really blame him.

Funny college video from the 1980s.  "Learning the personal computer..." - LOL!

Wow, Murray was just one credit shy from graduating?  I would have taken the missing course in a heartbeat.  There's no sense in wasting four years of college if you only need one more semester.

I agree, Erica was acting a bit insane in this episode.  Sometimes our dreams just don't come true.

[rmontro]

On 4/10/2017 at 0:43 AM, Utpe said:

Oh man, this episode really hit close to home.  I went to go see Batman with my father on opening day, June 23rd, 1989.  I remember the theater being packed to the rafters.  Even now, I still consider it to be the best movie of the franchise.  1989 was one heck of a year for movies.

I've always thought the '89 Batman is underrated, and especially Jack Nicholson's depiction of the Joker.  Since The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger gets all the Joker credit.  But I thought Nicholson's take was actually closer to the comic book character, plus nearly every line out of his mouth in that movie is quotable, and he has a lot of lines.

[Cowgirl]

I agree 100% @rmontro!  The whole movie was more like the comic books. I also adore the Prince soundtrack and still play it quite often. The only thing I really disliked about that movie is that Kim Bassinger's Vicky Vale screamed too much. Her scream is shrill and annoying too. I liked how this episode at least used one quote -- when Barry says "This town needs an enima." It's on the movie soundtrack, along with Vicky's annoying screams. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Cowgirl

[rmontro]

On 4/12/2017 at 6:00 PM, Cowgirl said:

I liked how this episode at least used one quote -- when Barry says "This town needs an enima." It's on the movie soundtrack, along with Vicky's annoying screams. 

Barry also used the "Wait'll they get a load of me" quote.  I'm telling you, practically every line Nicholson/Joker says in that movie is quotable!

I agree Basinger was a weak point, unfortunately.

[vteal]

On 4/7/2017 at 2:40 PM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Erica is not my favorite character to begin with, and her behavior in this episode was too ridiculous, and not in a funny way.  Does Carnegie Mellon have a good music program?  I always think of it as a school for STEM majors, computer science, etc. 

CMU is mostly noted for STEM, but also has a very well known (and very competitive) music / theater program.  Composer Stephen Schwartz (Pippen, Godspell, ..)  is the one I always think of, but google 'famous CMU alum' and you will get a huge list including many recent Tony winners.  Erica would have been well aware of how competitive the CMU program is and it doesn't seem realistic for her to put all her eggs in one basket that way.  Actually, Penn State's music program is also highly competitive come to think of it.  

[ByTor]

On 4/7/2017 at 2:40 PM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Erica is not my favorite character to begin with, and her behavior in this episode was too ridiculous, and not in a funny way.  Does Carnegie Mellon have a good music program?  I always think of it as a school for STEM majors, computer science, etc. 

I am so over this character, her petulant assholishness gets worse with every episode.

Edited April 18, 2017 by ByTor

[Lemur]

On 4/6/2017 at 5:06 PM, jww said:

Adam still has cartoon bed sheets?  Penn State is in Happy Valley (Central Pa)  and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh(Western Pa)  neither close to Philadelphia.

Penn State is in University Park, which is 2.5 hours away.  There is no actual Happy Valley in PA.  

Also, Penn State had/has a campus literally a hop, skip and a jump from Jenkintown in Abington Township.  It was called the Ogantz or "Slowgantz" campus back in this particular timeframe.  

[dcalley]

And I thought Penn State was in State College! I don't want to debate it; I just think it's funny that there are three different answers here.

[BookThief]

5 hours ago, dcalley said:

And I thought Penn State was in State College! I don't want to debate it; I just think it's funny that there are three different answers here.

It is, you're right. The campus is in State College, but the campus itself is called University Park, and sometimes "Happy Valley".

[dmmetler]

On 4/7/2017 at 1:40 PM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Erica is not my favorite character to begin with, and her behavior in this episode was too ridiculous, and not in a funny way.  Does Carnegie Mellon have a good music program?  I always think of it as a school for STEM majors, computer science, etc. 

CMU has an excellent music program. The university was formed out of Carnegie Institute of Technokogy, Mellon school of business, and Margaret Morrison school of the arts. Margaret didn’t make it into the name,  but it is a very strong performing arts school. CMU is extremely hard to get into for anyone. For performing arts, even back in the 1980’s, it was highly competitive. Usually the best way was to do the summer program and get invited to audition. 

I had the exact sweatshirt Erica wore to her interview in 1988.