S04.E24: Graduation Day

[Nalan]

From TV Guide:

When Erica realizes how much Beverly's love means to her, she tries to delay graduating so she can stay with her.  Barry plans for Lainey and himself fell apart.  Dana makes a surprise visit as Adam and Jackie officially become a couple.

Comment on tonight's season finale here.

[lor]

that was a sweet episode. i wonder if they are going to give barry a new girlfriend.  who did the real barry Goldberg marry? 

rowan blanchard is so much better on this show than girl meets world.

its nice how much beverly loves her children but realizes they have to grow up.

[Valny]

I'm not crying. Nope.

[Traveller519]

Adam, I know it's high school and emotions are high, but if your relationship involves you and your girlfriend coming to an epic confrontation every week that has you questioning if your relationship is going to continue, she's probably not for you, no matter how much she's into the same things as you.

Lainey did Barry dirty. But that was a sweet moment they had on the steps. Their relationship always felt earned. I loved how Lainey couldn't help but love him and adored his passion. I'll be sad to see her go.

The last digit of 198x being cut out of the cake was a nice touch.

Was the "Soccer Club: See Coach Mellor"  poster in the hallway some foreshadowing for both the show and the spin-off?

[Texasmom1970]

Loved Pops and his reaction at the graduation to the two extremes coming from Beverly and Murray!

[Skyfall]

9 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

Adam, I know it's high school and emotions are high, but if your relationship involves you and your girlfriend coming to an epic confrontation every week that has you questioning if your relationship is going to continue, she's probably not for you, no matter how much she's into the same things as you.

Lainey did Barry dirty. But that was a sweet moment they had on the steps. Their relationship always felt earned. I loved how Lainey couldn't help but love him and adored his passion. I'll be sad to see her go.

The last digit of 198x being cut out of the cake was a nice touch.

Was the "Soccer Club: See Coach Mellor"  poster in the hallway some foreshadowing for both the show and the spin-off?

AFAIK the spinoff is dead or at least put on hold. Ideally I'll like to see if PT sent to Freeform with blackish spinoff.

[joanne3482]

I like that they poked fun at the whole "You didn't graduate" trope where the student is missing one credit and can't leave. That made me smile. 

[tennisgurl]

"Both of your reactions are exaggerated and wrong!" I just love Pops and his narration of the weird stuff the family gets up to. I want an episode where he narrates all the goings on.

I definitely got rather sniffly, especially when Barry and Lainey flashed back to their first night talking on the side of the road. I really came to enjoy their relationship, and its super sad to me that's its over. I guess Barry will get another girlfriend at some point (I'm pretty sure Real Barry is married) but not sure when that will happen.

It was nice seeing Dana again, even if it was just to prove that she and Adam don't work anymore. He and his new girlfriend are cute, even if they wont last.

[AllyB]

So is Erica going to just be a guest star from now on? Her college is much too far away for her to visit much other than holidays.

[Moxie Cat]

My guess is they'll do a run of episodes featuring Erica having adventures at her college by herself, but at some point there will be a compelling reason for her to move back home and go to school in Philly - an illness, financial problems, she flunks out, whatever. Erica away at college is a fun subplot but not a long-term one.

[biakbiak]

I think they might switch things up with the format because of Adam's final monologue which said something like that he often forgets what year things happen and things got even more crazy and jumbled after Erika went off to college. 

[mojoween]

I'm not crying YOU'RE crying.

I loved Geoff reading the notes while they were getting increasingly squicky.

I also love everything about Jeff Garlin. Also the real Lucky awwww!

[Nalan]

The show does have its slight problems, but I always get a bit sad when a season ends.  I'm gonna miss it during the summer.

[Whimsy]

This episode really hit me in the feels because my youngest graduated last year and is starting college in a little over a week. So, I get emotional over everything right now, lol. 

[MoreCoffeePlease]

12 minutes ago, GenL said:

This episode really hit me in the feels because my youngest graduated last year and is starting college in a little over a week. So, I get emotional over everything right now, lol. 

We watched this, Modern Family, and The Middle, which all had graduation themes. Are they trying to kill us?!?

[Whimsy]

20 minutes ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

We watched this, Modern Family, and The Middle, which all had graduation themes. Are they trying to kill us?!?

Yes, I saw Modern Family too. This is a tough season for tv watching!

[Mountainair]

It really is tough. My middle child graduates preschool tomorrow (I know, it's only preschool) but before I know it he will be graduating high school and then college. His school does the whole cap and gown thing and it gets me every time. I was a basket case when his older brother did it too three years ago and I've been a basket case all week. It was only 14 months ago that he was the baby of the family and now he's a big brother and going off to kindergarten. These kind of episodes don't help. I wish they'd show a preschool graduation on tv so I can see how ridiculous I'm being!

[rmontro]

On 5/18/2017 at 0:26 AM, Traveller519 said:

The last digit of 198x being cut out of the cake was a nice touch.

I paused the DVR to look at that, and the piece being taken out was completely blank, it was just white icing.

[Traveller519]

21 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

My guess is they'll do a run of episodes featuring Erica having adventures at her college by herself, but at some point there will be a compelling reason for her to move back home and go to school in Philly - an illness, financial problems, she flunks out, whatever. Erica away at college is a fun subplot but not a long-term one.

Illness... I said last week that giving Marvin a more significant role may lead to Pops being sent to live on a farm (the leisure suit farm). If that comes to pass I am going to be a puddle.

[Perfect Xero]

The show sort of dropped Pops early Alzheimer's symptoms after the first few episodes, but they might bring them back. The real Adam apparently won an award in high school for a play that he wrote that was inspired by Pops battle with the disease, so I think that'll be a storyline at some point.

That said, I think that The Middle has done a good job of having the kids away at college and still having them be regulars on the show, so I hope the Goldbergs can do that with Erica this year and then maybe have Barry join her next year.

[Starscream]

On 5/18/2017 at 7:25 PM, Moxie Cat said:

My guess is they'll do a run of episodes featuring Erica having adventures at her college by herself, but at some point there will be a compelling reason for her to move back home and go to school in Philly - an illness, financial problems, she flunks out, whatever. Erica away at college is a fun subplot but not a long-term one.

They can finally use that story that Adam Goldberg teased long ago where

Spoiler

Beverly moves into the dorm.

[Utpe]

I remember Bubble Tape with the powder that used to get all over the place.  "Six feet of bubble gum.  For you, not them!"

I absolutely loved Murray's reaction during the ceremony:  "ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO!!!" - LOL!

I'm glad Adam was able to move on and stay with Jackie.  They're a cuter couple than Adam ever was with Dana.

That's pretty clever what they did with the cake.  All we could see was "198-".

This was a sad episode indeed.  I do hope they can work Erica into the show somehow so she's not missing for a huge portion of the fifth season.  Graduating from high school is always tough on families.  Even my own mother shed a tear at the ceremony.  She even took a million pictures of the occasion.

Well, I guess I'll see you all in September when The Goldbergs returns.

[NutmegsDad]

Bingewatching the last three episodes of the season, I'm really getting the sense they are getting ready to shake things up next year, and they used the tail end of the season to prepare viewers. Lainey out, Uncle Marvin in, Erica maybe in/maybe out, Pops maybe in/out.... It will be interesting.

[marriedaniac]

On 18/05/2017 at 1:56 PM, Traveller519 said:

Was the "Soccer Club: See Coach Mellor"  poster in the hallway some foreshadowing for both the show and the spin-off?

I wondered the same thing! Nice touch if so, Goldberg seems sneaky/clever enough to throw that in.

 

I hope Jackie sticks around.

[Nalan]

1 hour ago, marriedaniac said:

I wondered the same thing! Nice touch if so, Goldberg seems sneaky/clever enough to throw that in.

Is the spinoff even still happening?  Does anyone know?

[marriedaniac]

On 04/06/2017 at 7:42 PM, Nalan said:

Is the spinoff even still happening?  Does anyone know?

Last I read it had been piloted, but then "unlikely" to air at the moment, amid series renewals:

http://deadline.com/2017/05/the-goldbergs-renewed-season-5-6-abc-1202090214/