Season 5 Discussion

[Jabu]

From TV Guide:

Quote

Beverly and Murray move Erica into her dorm, where her roommate is also named Erica.  Adam tries to give Barry the perfect girlfriend.

Discuss the premiere episode of the fifth season here.

[seasons]

Not liking the promo for the season opener. Adam, Pops and Barry with bras on their heads. Seems like the show is being promoted as sort of zany and off the wall now? Hope that's not the direction the show is taking. 

ETA: didn't know the bra thing was from "Weird Science".

Edited September 28, 2017 by seasons

[Armchair Critic]

Barry's hairline is creeping back, the actor is aging out of the high school look.

[Traveller519]

The thought of Murray showing up to Penn State with "One pair of Flip Flops and a Cookie" actually sounds quite plausible. I'd have loved to see him with cookie crumbs around him while he napped in Erica's bunk.

Hoping the show can keep its momentum with Erica away.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Traveller519

[EarlGreyTea]

Jackie is the best love interest they've ever given Adam (with apologies to Dana, who was given virtually no personality). Rowan's previous acting experience definitely helps. Her hair looks really cute too.

Erica's roommate having legit 80s hair really makes Erica Goldberg's hair stand out in a bad way. Why couldn't they try a little harder with her hair? Give her a wig if that's what the actress prefers. And did I hear correctly? They had her end up at a school in DC last minute? Pretty slick putting her fairly close by, a la Rory Gilmore at nearby Yale. I love college life set in the 1980s.

I'm a bit tired of the themes every episode since at least season 2 has been getting. When that happens the show tries too hard to bend itself to that theme. This episode was a good balance, though.

Edited September 28, 2017 by EarlGreyTea

[TobinAlbers]

Adam trying to Weird Science a She-Ra Princess of Power doll had me rolling. If he'd actually made her real he wouldn't know what to do with her!

Barry making 'Delta Burks's top stuff' a requirement for his list for NASA made me chortle. Girlfriend definitely had an impressive uh...top.

Nice irony of Barry being nice to Adam making him attractive ladies when he had initially scheduled a year of pain. 

I want Bev's chicken fried chicken parm (and shrimp parm) recipes.

[biakbiak]

I liked this episode but I already miss Lanny!

[biakbiak]

Quote

Adam decides to make a movie about his grandfather for a class assignment but finds all of Pop's war stories mundane; Erica confronts Beverly about her mothering style; Beverly worries about teaching Erica and Barry basic life skills.

[Bobbin]

2 hours ago, TobinAlbers said:

Adam trying to Weird Science a She-Ra Princess of Power doll had me rolling. If he'd actually made her real he wouldn't know what to do with her!

Neither did the two boys in "Weird Science."

[biakbiak]

I guess we know why the other kid from Weird Science didn't have a successful acting career, he was stilted in his cameo.

[TDT]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I liked this episode but I already miss Lanny!

Is AJ Michalka not on the show anymore..? no idea whom the new girl who will eventually become Barry's new love interest is

Wonder if Rowan Blanchard got upgraded to regular cast member-keep expecting other GMW alums to show up(maybe the actor who played Farkle could guest star as her brother,or they cast Sabrina Carpenter as a new girl at Adam's school or something)

Off topic,R.I.P Hugh Hefner :(

Edited September 28, 2017 by TDT

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, 17wheatthins said:

AJ Michalka, who plays Barry’s girlfriend and Erica’s best friend Lainey on The Goldbergs, will not return to the ABC comedy as a series regular for Season 5, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Yeah I just assumed she wasn't coming back as a series regular because her name wasn't in the credits and how hard they went on Barry needing to replace her.

[Robert Lynch]

Ilan Mitchell-Smith, right? Well, at least he's a assistant professor of Medieval Literature. That counts for something. I know he had issues with Anthony Michael Hall, but at least he chose a different career path. He seems like a cool guy.  

Lainey not returning? That makes me upset...

Edited September 28, 2017 by Robert Lynch

[morgan]

I have zero problems with Erica's hair.  I graduated high school in 1985, college in 1989.  I lived the 80's for sure!  And hair was not just that permed over the top teased look.  The preppy look was huge too, and soft curls.  Opening my yearbooks I see several girls that look very Erica-esque.  

I'm persinally happy that this show doesn't just go for the day glo/high hair version of the '80's.  It was a varied decade!  

I am a little sad to say that this episode bored me a bit.  The "mommy won't leave" just seems so over the top, although I did chuckle at the reveal that it really happened.  

[biakbiak]

52 minutes ago, 17wheatthins said:

I loved them together too, so it upset me a bit. But, I hope Barry does find another girlfriend who gets him. 

I just liked her and the vibe she had with the entire cast. Maybe she can go to iZombie and play Peyton's younger sister who convinces her to join a band (I only recently learned they are sisters and are in a band together). 

[Racj82]

Yep, this show is about to go the way of many ABC comedies in my past. Bev is one of the most annoying tv characters right now and they are never going to dial her down a notch. 10 minutes in and I was done.

[bybrandy]

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I just liked her and the vibe she had with the entire cast. Maybe she can go to iZombie and play Peyton's younger sister who convinces her to join a band (I only recently learned they are sisters and are in a band together). 

I had no idea until I read this and now I need to know more about their real life band and I need this to happen on iZombie.

[The Companion]

4 hours ago, morgan said:

I am a little sad to say that this episode bored me a bit.  The "mommy won't leave" just seems so over the top, although I did chuckle at the reveal that it really happened.  

Although consistent with Bev's characterization, I kept thinking it felt very unrealistic. I mean, whose mom would spend the night the first day of college?  Pure sitcom shenanigans. The reveal cracked me up. 

[Kiddvideo]

I hope the show approaches Erica's college life like "The Middle" did with Axl/Sue: they're close enough to participate actively in the family's story lines yet still have independent lives at school.

Roommate Erica can go live Chuck Cunningham afaik. That nasally, whiny voice irritates me, and she looks about 30 (which she might be if she graduated Harvard in '09).

I'd give it a solid B, but -- and I feel this way about every episode -- they needed more Pops!

[Madtown]

1 hour ago, The Companion said:

Although consistent with Bev's characterization, I kept thinking it felt very unrealistic. I mean, whose mom would spend the night the first day of college?  Pure sitcom shenanigans. The reveal cracked me up. 

It actually did happen to Adam in real life. Real Adam and real Bev are most awesome on Twitter..

Adam F. Goldberg‏Verified account @adamfgoldberg 17h17 hours ago

It's 100% true that my mom used "bad night vision" as an excuse to sleep over on my first Saturday night of college. Classic Bev mom guilt.

beverly goldberg‏ @goldilocks405 

Yes I did. Not exactly like Adam remembers it but I did He lent me a T-shirt & made me hide in bathroom whenever anyone knocked on his door

[The Companion]

1 minute ago, Madtown said:

It actually did happen to Adam in real life. Real Adam and real Bev are most awesome on Twitter..

Adam F. Goldberg‏Verified account @adamfgoldberg 17h17 hours ago

It's 100% true that my mom used "bad night vision" as an excuse to sleep over on my first Saturday night of college. Classic Bev mom guilt.

beverly goldberg‏ @goldilocks405 

Yes I did. Not exactly like Adam remembers it but I did He lent me a T-shirt & made me hide in bathroom whenever anyone knocked on his door

The extra details on that are so hilarious. I laughed so hard when they said she had done it at the end. I admit, I see a little Bev in my parenting style (kid is only 4 so I have time to tone it down), and my mom was definitely a Bev. She made me check in constantly. My friend in high school used to laugh that she made me call when I got to school (true), when I left (also true), when I got my hair caught in the door and would be delayed 30 seconds (slight exaggeration), etc. Even she didn't spend the first night in my dorm, though.

[Madtown]

Just now, The Companion said:

The extra details on that are so hilarious. I laughed so hard when they said she had done it at the end. I admit, I see a little Bev in my parenting style (kid is only 4 so I have time to tone it down), and my mom was definitely a Bev. She made me check in constantly. My friend in high school used to laugh that she made me call when I got to school (true), when I left (also true), when I got my hair caught in the door and would be delayed 30 seconds (slight exaggeration), etc. Even she didn't spend the first night in my dorm, though.

I forgot that they had that he had that she did stay over at the end of the show and I love those extras! lol.. I always look so forward to those, this is by far one of my favorite shows being an 80's child...

[tennisgurl]

Pretty sure if my college dorm had been big enough, my mom would have tried to spend the night with me my first night away from home. She isn't quite as Bev as...Bev, but she gets pretty close! It actually reminded me of the episode of Gilmore Girls where Rory wanted Lorelei to stay the night, which she did, but in that show, everyone loved it and made Rory cooler. Because thats how things usually rolled on GGs.  Also, real Bev did the same thing! I love when they work stuff like that into the show, it makes everything even funnier!

The Weird Science stuff was fun enough, but not enough Pops. Never enough Pops! 

I miss Lainey. 

[Star Aristille]

Definitely needed more Pops in this episode.

And no RLS, either.  I hope she's still around.

A.J. Michalka has been removed from the credits, but Sam Lerner has been added.  Who is that?

ETA: Never mind.  Just looked him up.  It's Geoff.  So Geoff's been made into a regular.  Interesting.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Star Aristille

[msrachelj]

20 hours ago, EarlGreyTea said:

Jackie is the best love interest they've ever given Adam (with apologies to Dana, who was given virtually no personality). Rowan's previous acting experience definitely helps. Her hair looks really cute too.

Erica's roommate having legit 80s hair really makes Erica Goldberg's hair stand out in a bad way. Why couldn't they try a little harder with her hair? Give her a wig if that's what the actress prefers. And did I hear correctly? They had her end up at a school in DC last minute? Pretty slick putting her fairly close by, a la Rory Gilmore at nearby Yale. I love college life set in the 1980s.

I'm a bit tired of the themes every episode since at least season 2 has been getting. When that happens the show tries too hard to bend itself to that theme. This episode was a good balance, though.

i can't believe how rowan looks here as compared to girl meets world. disney really tarted her up good for that one. she looks much more age (sitcom wise, i don't know how old she really is) appropriate here. damn, what a difference. 

5 hours ago, Madtown said:

It actually did happen to Adam in real life. Real Adam and real Bev are most awesome on Twitter..

Adam F. Goldberg‏Verified account @adamfgoldberg 17h17 hours ago

It's 100% true that my mom used "bad night vision" as an excuse to sleep over on my first Saturday night of college. Classic Bev mom guilt.

beverly goldberg‏ @goldilocks405 

Yes I did. Not exactly like Adam remembers it but I did He lent me a T-shirt & made me hide in bathroom whenever anyone knocked on his door

i don't find that cute or funny. just me? 

[Texasmom1970]

Best part of the episode to me was seeing Pops with a bra on his head, and his expression!

[EarlGreyTea]

10 hours ago, Racj82 said:

Yep, this show is about to go the way of many ABC comedies in my past. Bev is one of the most annoying tv characters right now and they are never going to dial her down a notch. 10 minutes in and I was done.

It's getting to be a bit much. The episodes have really fallen into a formulaic rut. Bev screws up, kids get mad, kids appreciate her anyway. The real Beverly is really lovely on Twitter, and I guess you can't argue with the results she got - all 3 kids are very successful. I just wish they'd try something new.

I miss Lainey too, but Aly and AJ just released a new album so she's long gone as a regular unless the album tanks. I guess the tradeoff is Geoff and Jackie in place of Lainey, and I really love those two.

[ByTor]

On 9/28/2017 at 7:04 AM, morgan said:

 

I have zero problems with Erica's hair.  I graduated high school in 1985, college in 1989.  I lived the 80's for sure!  And hair was not just that permed over the top teased look.  The preppy look was huge too, and soft curls.  Opening my yearbooks I see several girls that look very Erica-esque.

 

Thank you!

[Utpe]

On 9/27/2017 at 10:13 PM, EarlGreyTea said:

Erica's roommate having legit 80s hair really makes Erica Goldberg's hair stand out in a bad way. Why couldn't they try a little harder with her hair? Give her a wig if that's what the actress prefers.

Erica seemed more 1980s in the earlier seasons, that's for sure.  But, they did have a variety of hairstyles back then.  Not everybody looked like Cindy Lauper.  That would be like saying all guys in the 1950s used to have crew cuts.  It's untrue.

I loved the Weird Science references throughout the episode.  I haven't seen it in years, but remember it quite fondly.  It was a very enjoyable film.

Loved the picture of Adam's dorm room.  It looked awesome!

Carla eating Fun Dip!  I remember getting them exclusively from the ice cream truck that rolled around my neighborhood on a daily basis.  They used to stain our mouths.

I guess we finally have to say goodbye to Lainey.  I miss having her on the show, but it's the only way Barry can move on.  Maybe she'll be back in the sixth season.  Anything's possible.

[galaxychaser]

Barry looks middle aged lol. 

[Robert Lynch]

It's the hairline on Barry that makes him look much older than he is. 

Speaking of Adam, he needs to ditched the squeaky voice already. It is apparent that he tries to use that voice he did a couple of seasons ago, but it is not working. You could tell his growth spurt passed. It's like when Dustin Diamond still did goofy Screech. It's not working creators.

[Skyfall]

Rowan still being away makes things so much better.

[biakbiak]

I don't know your name Erica's roommate but you are no Lainey!

[Traveller519]

I think we're all wondering the same thing, right? Why is Geoff Schwartz just wandering around the Goldberg home?

Edited October 5, 2017 by Traveller519

[paulvdb]

42 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I don't know your name Erica's roommate but you are no Lainey!

It was mentioned last week that the roommate's name is also Erica.

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, paulvdb said:

It was mentioned last week that the roommate's name is also Erica.

Oh right , that's how much I don't like her that I completely blocked that out. The people in charge of First Year housing placement at my college would be aghast their first criteria for not rooming people together was they had to have different first names.

[Robert Lynch]

Don't like Valley Girl Erica. But Pops always makes it up here. Gotta love George, though. Still miss Lainey.

[PradaKitty]

It is so true that many kids show up at college unprepared to do anything pertaining to cleaning, laundry, etc.  My mother (and before her, my grandmother) made sure all of her children could do their own laundry, cook, clean, write a check  and basically survive prior to going of to college, jobs, etc...

I remember staring in disbelief at a work colleague last year when she mentioned that her son (who she had just dropped off at a very, very, top drawer university) called and asked her how to do laundry.  Guess he was bright enough to get into the school, but befuddled by the laundry facilities...

[tennisgurl]

When I started getting ready for college, my mom told me I had to learn how to do laundry, and it dawned on me that I had no clue how to do it. A bit of a trail and error process, let me tell you. 

Any episode with Pops in it a lot is a good episode. He makes me laugh, and Adams obvious warm memories of his grandpa always get me in the feels. 

[proserpina65]

11 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

I think we're all wondering the same thing, right? Why is Geoff Schwartz just wandering around the Goldberg home?

He is Barry's friend.  But he was around a lot, even so.

[babs j.]

It seems when WWII is mentioned people immediately think combat.  My father was in the Army from July 1942 until late 1945 and was in the Persian Gulf.  He and the others were building trucks which carried supplies so that the Germans did not get to the Caucasus oil fields.  In the mid-90's he got a medal from the Russian government he and my mother had framed.  In the back there is a newspaper story about a man in a neighboring town who got the same medal because he was one of the truck drivers carrying the supplies.  If there had been an invasion of Japan my father would have been in it - and I might not be here.  When there was footage from the first Persian Gulf war - George Bush the Elder President- he would say "See all those trees." and, of course, there were no trees.  He wanted people to have an idea of what it was like climate-wise.

[AllyB]

Seeing as how Erica was once a sales assistant and later a supervisor in a clothing store, I'd say she'd actually be very well able to fold laundry along with a few other basic skills. She wouldn't necessarily know it all but she'd probably be able to work it out.

[Star Aristille]

RLS!  RLS!  First of the season!  Any time there's a sighting of her, all is good for me.  This time, she was with Beverly.  And I've gotta say, seeing her tilt her head to the side, as if to say, "Am I really watching him do this?" when Barry was trying to fold the fitted sheet, was hilarious!  But . . . is that a different dog?  She doesn't look like the same Lucky.

I was so shocked to see Erica and Barry actually pick up cooking and cleaning quite well.  And for a little thing, I actually did like Beverly accepting Erica's offer for freshly-brewed coffee, followed by her smilingly incredulous reaction to her and Barry's newfound self-sufficiency: "Yes, thanks.  And what the fuck is this?"

Pops does indeed make this better, but I wonder how you can call his work "service" if he never fought in one battle?

Still, funny episode.

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, Star Aristille said:

but I wonder how you can call his work "service" if he never fought in one battle?

Everyone in the military is in the service. 

[readster]

8 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Everyone in the military is in the service. 

Yep, I had a family member who did nothing but stock and regular drills during the Iraq War, never went over. Both my grandfathers were in the war, one in combat the other in the medical field. Their brothers both were in combat. My stepfather's siblings were in the military like him, he and his older brother went to Vietnam, the sister never did. 

[illini1959]

9 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

Pops does indeed make this better, but I wonder how you can call his work "service" if he never fought in one battle?

Without Quartermasters, and other non-combat units, battles couldn't be fought :)

Loved the side by side of Adam's movie & the Hogan's Heros episode.

Loved even more the real pics of George Segal during his (albeit not WWII) service. 

[Mabinogia]

I love that they had Pops military experience be the less "glamourous" side of being in the service. TV and movies typically glorify the fighters but there were a LOT of servicemen doing the mundane "office" tasks that kept the soldiers as safe and prepared as they could be. 

The Hogans Heroes side by side was HILARIOUS. I loved that show as a kid. 

[ByTor]

13 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

I've gotta say, seeing her tilt her head to the side, as if to say, "Am I really watching him do this?" when Barry was trying to fold the fitted sheet, was hilarious! 

She'd tilt her head at ME if I were trying to fold a fitted sheet LOL.  That's why I only have one set of sheets, so when I wash them I just put them directly on the bed, no folding required :)

Edited October 6, 2017 by ByTor

[PradaKitty]

Yeah, I still haven't mastered folding those damn things!

[tennisgurl]

I remember watching old reruns of Hogans Heroes on TV as a kids a few times, and even then I thought it was the weirdest idea for a show ever. Like, what was the pitch meeting like? 

"So, I have this idea for a new show! Its set in the middle of WW2, in a Nazi POW camp, where the POWs try to make their lives better and eventually escape to freedom, while their captors try to avoid being sent to die on the Eastern Front. Oh, and its a wacky comedy!" "Give this man ALL the money!" 

Edited October 6, 2017 by tennisgurl