Season 5 Discussion

[zoey1996]

On 12/8/2017 at 10:15 AM, incandescent said:

The mixtape includes a full-length version of the theme song, so I'm happy.

Wait - that's a real thing?  When I saw the advert, I thought it was a joke that I didn't quite get!

[biakbiak]

Quote

Erica informs Beverly that she plans to spend the first night of Hanukkah with Geoff and his family, which leads Beverly to worry and begin a competition for the best Hanukkah party; Barry turns to Pops for advice on how to be cool.

[ByTor]

On 12/6/2017 at 4:57 PM, ByTor said:

Let me guess...Beverly is domineering...Erica is a bitch to Beverly...Beverly's feelings get hurt...Erica feels guilty...Erica becomes nice.  I think I'll skip this one.

Quoting myself and outing myself for being a hypocrite LOL.  I DID watch it & thought it was funny.  I absolutely loved the real Beverly messages at the end, yikes!

[HyeChaps]

So good!

[mojoween]

Pops trying to teach Barry “Who’s on First” was infuriating.  How on earth was that routine funny and not annoying?  Perhaps I just don’t get Abbott and Costello.

”We Didn’t Start The Fire” is one of my favorite songs ever and yes, it did take forever to try to memorize the lyrics while listening on a cassette.  However, once you do learn it, you remember it for always.  And also, I still have the cassette.

You can definitely tell it’s the 80’s since they had a Christmas tree and menorah during a school function.  

In my ninth grade chorus concert we sang a medley of Christmas songs, one of which was “Do You Hear What I Hear” and I can’t see that happening nowadays.

Edited December 14, 2017 by mojoween

[Bobbin]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

In my ninth grade chorus concert we sang a medley of Christmas songs, one of which was “Do You Hear What I Hear” and I can’t see that happening nowadays.

The winter band concert at the neighborhood high school a few years ago included "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel." But no, nothing religious. "Sleigh Ride," etc.

[Mabinogia]

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

it did take forever to try to memorize the lyrics while listening on a cassette.  However, once you do learn it, you remember it for always.

I remember when I would get so excited if the cassette had the foldout with the lyrics! It was rare, more common when CDs hit, but it happened, and it was great. Otherwise you wore out your tape playing parts over and over and over. But it really did feel good when you finally got the lyrics down. There was a sense of accomplishment kids these days don't get by googling. lol

I actually laughed quite a bit at this ep.

[incandescent]

This was the most enjoyable episode they've had in a long time.

 

I love when Pops gets involved in one of the show's signature shouty conversations because he never actually sounds angry during them, just loud and confused.

[Mabinogia]

I actually liked the end with Bev hiding in Adam's room in her light up sweater, then she figures out she the light only to have it play music. lol that was a good use of the overbearing mom.

I'm liking Jackie too. She's cute and a nice fit for Adam. I loved "look away!" "I am, but there's a mirror!" lol

And yeah, Pops always has this kind of "Why are we shouting" expression on his face whenever they shout. I love pops.

[Traveller519]

This was a great one! I'm sure because there was no need to shoehorn some Reason for a cast member to head to DC or Erica come rushing back to Jenkintown beyond a pretty standard, "I'm home for the holidays" (Come to think of it, the Thanksgiving episode worked for this reason too). Everyone was in fine form, and true to character. I love that the Schwartz family's Smother was actually the Dad, it provided a nice contrast. Not to mention, the Channukah celebrations fit in quite organically.

It's still freaking me out a  bit how much Jamie Wiseman looks like Erica. I feel we could be in for some strange revelations there.

The new, honest, JTP sans Schwartz is one of the great revelations of the show. "Who's idea was this?"

[TV Diva Queen]

16 hours ago, mojoween said:

Pops trying to teach Barry “Who’s on First” was infuriating.  How on earth was that routine funny and not annoying?  Perhaps I just don’t get Abbott and Costello.

”We Didn’t Start The Fire” is one of my favorite songs ever and yes, it did take forever to try to memorize the lyrics while listening on a cassette.  However, once you do learn it, you remember it for always.  And also, I still have the cassette.

You can definitely tell it’s the 80’s since they had a Christmas tree and menorah during a school function.  

In my ninth grade chorus concert we sang a medley of Christmas songs, one of which was “Do You Hear What I Hear” and I can’t see that happening nowadays.

LOL, I guess they're are two types of people in the world.  Those that find the "who's on first" routine to be brilliant, and those that CAN NOT stand, "we didn't start the fire".  God I hate that song.  So much so that its my bathroom break song at his concerts.  

My 9th grade band concert was all Christmas carols, 1978.

[Jerseygirl1955]

I love who's on first and I loved it even more last night with the Von Hayes reference.  Yes, he is my favorite baseball player. 

[MortysCleaningLady]

Love both We Didn't Start The Fire and Who's On First?

[TobinAlbers]

It's always nice when we get Pops and Barry episodes. Pops doesn't click with Barry like Adam and Erica all the time, but good grief does he try and does he love that kid.

For some reason the line that Pops uses an entire tub of cream cheese on a bagel and then cut to Pops digging into the tub to get his smear on cracked me up.

Beverly meeting her match in Jeff's Dad was great. The man brought a loaded dreidel into Bev's house. He was playing for keeps.

Adam helping Barry get his Billy Joel on while using his film skills and swerving to Barry's strengths was sweet and so genius. That payoff at the talent show was earned for all involved.

[tennisgurl]

I am STILL cracking up over Barry actually starting a fire while singing "We Didn't Start the Fire", after making school specific lyrics. He actually made a pretty good song, even if I`m not a huge fan of WDSTF. "That really does matter!!!" Plus, everyone ended up getting the win, and the whole school loved it. Even the weird RUSH kid!

I also loved Beverly's Hanukkah sweater, and the whole thing at the end where she was in Adams room and the sweater kept lighting up was hilarious, as was her rivalry with Jeff's dad. Really, just a fun episode. probably my favorite in awhile. 

Pops mostly clicks with Adam, but I always love when he has plots with Barry and Erica. You can tell he doesn't really "get" them the way he does Adam, but he loves them so much that he tries. Of course, all episodes with lots of Pops are always a win. 

[rmontro]

Barry Goldberg may be the dumbest character on television.

A lot of the appeal of Who's on First comes from Abbot and Costello's comic timing.  I always thought Bud Abbot was one of comedy's best straight man, along with Dean Martin.

I like the song We Didn't Start the Fire, but I dislike '80s music in general.  Especially coming on the heels of the beginnings of rock and roll in the 50s, the Beatles and the counterculture in the 60s, and classic rock in the 70s, the music from the 80s just suffers in comparison.  I understand it's nostalgic for some people though.

I also liked Beverly's Hanukkah sweater.

[TV Diva Queen]

13 hours ago, TobinAlbers said:

It's always nice when we get Pops and Barry episodes. Pops doesn't click with Barry like Adam and Erica all the time, but good grief does he try and does he love that kid.

For some reason the line that Pops uses an entire tub of cream cheese on a bagel and then cut to Pops digging into the tub to get his smear on cracked me up.

Beverly meeting her match in Jeff's Dad was great. The man brought a loaded dreidel into Bev's house. He was playing for keeps.

Adam helping Barry get his Billy Joel on while using his film skills and swerving to Barry's strengths was sweet and so genius. That payoff at the talent show was earned for all involved.

I think they actually said "tin of cream cheese" and I got all giddy because they used to come in metal tins, but then they shot to a plastic container.  :(

[ByTor]

21 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

"we didn't start the fire".  God I hate that song. 

You and me both, @TV Diva Queen.

20 hours ago, Jerseygirl1955 said:

I love who's on first and I loved it even more last night with the Von Hayes reference.  Yes, he is my favorite baseball player. 

I was positively giddy over the VH shout-out, I had the biggest crush on him back in the day!

11 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

He actually made a pretty good song, even if I`m not a huge fan of WDSTF.

I liked it a lot.

Josh Fuckface, LOL :)

[lh25]

On 12/6/2017 at 9:46 PM, Traveller519 said:

Erica feels like Bev is overbearing before realizing she appreciates he caring. Murray gets upset that the kids don't appreciate him, and they realize how much he does for them, and Barry and Adam copy some of their musical influences. These are all stories that have been done before. In some cases... a lot. 

It's been done before true.  But in my family at least, we tend to repeat some patterns over and over and over and over.  Even though we all know how it will end.  My brother and I are 56 and 54, and some patterns were made when we were kids...

[Phishbulb]

On 12/7/2017 at 3:20 AM, biakbiak said:

The show came out in 1990 but that song came out in 1988 and was huge, the theme song and credits came later. 

The movie TRON, however, came out in 1982, so Adam wearing a shirt with Tron on it was an example of the show having fun mixing up different eras/time periods. 

[Accidental Martyr]

On 12/15/2017 at 4:19 AM, rmontro said:

 

I like the song We Didn't Start the Fire, but I dislike '80s music in general.  Especially coming on the heels of the beginnings of rock and roll in the 50s, the Beatles and the counterculture in the 60s, and classic rock in the 70s, the music from the 80s just suffers in comparison.  I understand it's nostalgic for some people though.

 

That depends on what 80s music you’re talking about. Lots of artists released great material during the 80s.

R.E.M., The Replacements, Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Pixies, XTC, Hüsker Dü, The Jesus and Mary Chain......

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, Accidental Martyr said:

That depends on what 80s music you’re talking about. Lots of artists released great material during the 80s.

R.E.M., The Replacements, Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Pixies, XTC, Hüsker Dü, The Jesus and Mary Chain......

Oh, I agree.  I just think that taken as a whole, it doesn't measure up to the previous two decades.  Part of that has to do with the rock genre playing itself out though.  Creatively, most things had already been tried and done by that point.  It's a question of freshness.

[Robert Lynch]

On 12/14/2017 at 2:04 PM, TV Diva Queen said:

LOL, I guess they're are two types of people in the world.  Those that find the "who's on first" routine to be brilliant, and those that CAN NOT stand, "we didn't start the fire".  God I hate that song.  So much so that its my bathroom break song at his concerts.  

My 9th grade band concert was all Christmas carols, 1978.

I was born in 1983 and I can't tell you how many times that song been in my head between 1989-1990. Loved Billy Joel, but that was one song that I couldn't tolerate as a kid. I grew up in the 1987-1990 period, but that was one song that I want to forget about. Good times...heh.

[Mabinogia]

The only reason I liked We Didn't Start the Fire was because learning the lyrics was a challenge. Once I knew them I had zero interest in the song. I did, however, LOVE Barry's rendition. As someone who quite often doctors song lyrics to my own life for fun or to amuse friends, I appreciated it a lot, and he did a great job. Adam's visual presentation was great, the table flipping, the whole thing was perfect.

This was my favorite ep in quite some time.

[Utpe]

I still don't know all of the lyrics to We Didn't Start the Fire (1989), even to this day.  Same with Don McLean's American Pie (1971).

Yeah, I could Google them, but I'd much rather hum the tune while listening.

Great episode.  Anything involving Pops is gold.

[msrachelj]

On 12/15/2017 at 5:19 AM, rmontro said:

Barry Goldberg may be the dumbest character on television.

A lot of the appeal of Who's on First comes from Abbot and Costello's comic timing.  I always thought Bud Abbot was one of comedy's best straight man, along with Dean Martin.

I like the song We Didn't Start the Fire, but I dislike '80s music in general.  Especially coming on the heels of the beginnings of rock and roll in the 50s, the Beatles and the counterculture in the 60s, and classic rock in the 70s, the music from the 80s just suffers in comparison.  I understand it's nostalgic for some people though.

I also liked Beverly's Hanukkah sweater.

i find it hard to believe that this barry went on to be a doctor. he wouldn't be mine!

[biakbiak]

So when Barry said the talent show was when Lainey first noticed him, i thought I was misremebering but didn't really care; however,  they just showed the original episode and Lainey wasn't there, there was a different poular blond. In fact according to imdb, AJ didn't even show up until 4 episodes later.

[Cowgirl]

Yeah, the episodes where they allow Barry some quiet moments of insight are more enjoyable than the ones where all he does is yell and/or pick on Adam. 

[Silverglitter]

I really hate Geoff/Erica.

[biakbiak]

Quote

Afraid of being alone in her old age, Beverly tries to bond with other moms; Erica gets annoyed at Geoff's romantic gestures.

[Mabinogia]

I loved seeing the real Goldberg Girls at the end. lol Didn't care for the Erica/Geoff plotline but I liked Barry trying to help Bev get a posse. Not as good as the past couple eps but I love me some Golden Girls (and Coach doing squats in those short shorts lol) so it wasn't a total loss.

[Silverglitter]

I just can't give Hayley Orrantia the benefit of the doubt anymore. She is not a good actor.

 

Adam/Jackie does nothing for me. And on the subject of Adam, it seems like he's being used less and less.

 

I did like seeing the real Goldberg Girls at the end. They were really delightful.

Coach Meller always keeps me entertained.

[shoregirl]

2 hours ago, Silverglitter said:

 

I did like seeing the real Goldberg Girls at the end. They were really delightful.

 

I did too. I also got a kick out of the cameo by Ruben Amaro Jr playing Ruben Amaro Sr

[rmontro]

10 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I loved seeing the real Goldberg Girls at the end

Agreed.  Also liked Barry helping Bev put together a group of friends.  That Golden Girls theme really is catchy, isn't it?

Regarding the Erica/Geoff plot, the older I get the more I think that females secretly despise romantic gestures.  It's the males who are the true romantics, they are easily dazzled by beauty.

I like this show, but it really is pretty goofy.  And sentimental.

[Robert Lynch]

They are parts that made want to roll my eyes at Erica and say, " You got to be kidding me." She can't be that naive, but the writers turn her into an annoying brat with issues.

 

The saving grace was definitely the Goldberg Girls at the end. That made me put a smile on my face at the end and seeing all them together all these years. And Beverley wasn't annoying this time around.

What are they doing with Adam? The writers can't keep him a child forever. He's already past his pre-teen stage. Writers, do your work and follow the Wonder Years' way of handling kids. They matured as the series went on. Adam can't remain nerdy kid all the time. Give him something to do.

[readster]

1 hour ago, Robert Lynch said:

They are parts that made want to roll my eyes at Erica and say, " You got to be kidding me." She can't be that naive, but the writers turn her into an annoying brat with issues.

 

The saving grace was definitely the Goldberg Girls at the end. That made me put a smile on my face at the end and seeing all them together all these years. And Beverley wasn't annoying this time around.

What are they doing with Adam? The writers can't keep him a child forever. He's already past his pre-teen stage. Writers, do your work and follow the Wonder Years' way of handling kids. They matured as the series went on. Adam can't remain nerdy kid all the time. Give him something to do.

Adam can be nerdy and yet progress, it happens. I have a good friend who was nerdy, loved films and so forth, but you know what? He grew up, has 4 kids and married and guess what? He still is pretty nerdy, but he grew up. Adam has to start moving forward, they try and write him like a current teen, who doesn't want to face reality that something isn't the way they want it to be. Hide behind short views and believe that's how it should be because the real world is "too real". 

[Mabinogia]

3 hours ago, rmontro said:

That Golden Girls theme really is catchy, isn't it?

I had it stuck in my head all night! 

 

11 hours ago, shoregirl said:

I also got a kick out of the cameo by Ruben Amaro Jr playing Ruben Amaro Sr

I always love it when he puts the real people on the show. I love how they are all willing to be part of a show that depicts their childhood. It's so meta but in a really cool way. I love the home movies they show at the end and how sometimes they copy them move for move. 

It is a very sappy, nostalgic show, but that's part of what I love about it. I don't have home movies of my family so it's fun to be a part of the Goldberg family watching their home movies. lol

[tennisgurl]

Loved the cameo by Ruben Amaro Jr playing Ruben Amaro Senior. And, of course, the real Goldberg Girls! I love how many people are willing to show up on this show and play around in their past. I wonder what those calls from real Adam are like? 

I thought it was a pretty good episode, not quite as good as other ones, but enjoyable enough. I love Coach Meller and his weird kinda friendship with Beverly. "Thats pretty weird Beverly". 

That theme song really is super catchy, isn't it? 

[Cowgirl]

17 hours ago, shoregirl said:

I did too. I also got a kick out of the cameo by Ruben Amaro Jr playing Ruben Amaro Sr

I didn't realize that it was him! (Not that I knew who Ruben Amaro, Jr. was before this show. Not that I really realize it now, either.)  I love it when they do that. 

Loved seeing the actress who plays Flo in the Progressive commercials in another role. 

ETA:  I just also realized that Lea Thompson directed this episode! 

Edited January 4, 2018 by Cowgirl

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, readster said:

Adam can be nerdy and yet progress, it happens. I have a good friend who was nerdy, loved films and so forth, but you know what? He grew up, has 4 kids and married and guess what? He still is pretty nerdy, but he grew up. 

Besides, the real Adam Goldberg grew up to work in television, so there's no point in him abandoning his interest in film.

[Mabinogia]

Plus, he lived this, so it's not like he doesn't have stories he could tell of a teenage Adam. He was a teenage Adam. Unless he slipped into a coma for ten or so years and doesn't have teenage stories. I think it's because they desperately want to hang onto the 80s angle so he can't age but it is getting a bit silly. He still seems like the same kid we first met, just taller and with a slightly less cracky voice. 

[readster]

25 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Plus, he lived this, so it's not like he doesn't have stories he could tell of a teenage Adam. He was a teenage Adam. Unless he slipped into a coma for ten or so years and doesn't have teenage stories. I think it's because they desperately want to hang onto the 80s angle so he can't age but it is getting a bit silly. He still seems like the same kid we first met, just taller and with a slightly less cracky voice. 

Yeah, but since they time line it so much with the 80s and real work there (Transformers the movie was 1985) and Adam was just a pre-teen then. They can still advance things up, but if they want to try and keep Adam in high school as long as they tried with Erica and now with Barry. They are going to run into problems. 

[Nessie]

I am so over Erica.  Please let her go back to college and just stay there.  I can't fault her taste in sleepwear, though.  I totally had that Duran Duran t-shirt and loved it.

I admit I was singing "Thank you for being a friend" right along with them.

[msrachelj]

On 1/3/2018 at 9:07 PM, Silverglitter said:

I just can't give Hayley Orrantia the benefit of the doubt anymore. She is not a good actor.

 

Adam/Jackie does nothing for me. And on the subject of Adam, it seems like he's being used less and less.

 

I did like seeing the real Goldberg Girls at the end. They were really delightful.

Coach Meller always keeps me entertained.

every time i see jackie i can't stop thinking of how different she looks from when she was all tarted up on "girl meets world" what a difference a truck load of make up , hair stylists and clothes can make. she actually looks like a real young girl here.

i love coach meller . wish we saw him more often.

[Phishbulb]

On 1/3/2018 at 9:07 PM, Silverglitter said:

Coach Meller always keeps me entertained.

I kind of wish that spinoff centering around Coach Mellor (which would have been set in the '90s, I believe) had been picked up to series. I think the only cast members carrying over from the show to that pilot were Bryan Callen as Coach Mellor and Tim Meadows as Mr. Glascott the guidance counselor (with a cameo by Wendi McClendon-Covey). 

I guess ABC is kind of full up on family-oriented sitcoms at the moment (which is probably why the "black-ish" spinoff ended up on Freeform). 

[ByTor]

Going by the Goldberg Girls at the end, real life Beverly does not seem like someone I would want to hang out with.

[Robert Lynch]

Real life Beverly reminded me of a teacher I use to know back in the 90s that was kind of like her. Very outspoken and all. I kind of had a magic touch that would turn them nice all of a sudden. Throughout the 90s, you wouldn't know how many teachers I went through that would suddenly mellowed out. 

[babs j.]

Thank you, Cowgirl.  I knew one of the actresses playing a Goldberg Girl was very familiar but I could not place her.  Thanks again.

[DrSpaceman73]

Words just cannot express how much they have ruined Erica's character since she and Geoff have been together.  I hate it.  I hate that storyline, they don't belong together, have no chemistry, are not remotely believable as a couple and Erica this season has been a total downer and completely unlike her character from the past

Other than that though, I loved it. 

[ByTor]

7 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Erica this season has been a total downer and completely unlike her character from the past

Agreed, I think they ran out of things for her to do & now all they're doing is making her more & more unlikable.