Adam is obsessed with "The Goonies" and when Beverly's mother's jewelry goes missing, he bands together Erica, Barry and his friends Emmy Mirksy, Dana Caldwell and Chad Kremp to look for the missing treasure, just like the film.
One of the things that The Goldbergs has grown into is this idea that your family infuriates you, you yell at them and they yell back and yet they will also be there to protect and support you. The pilot felt like just a lot of characters yelling. Yes, raised voices are still a major component of the series - but now there's a nice layered nuance underneath it all. We've come to understand the Goldbergs and how they yell because they care. They tease one another but they're still a family who'll look out for one another. It's an aspirational type of comedy where people make mistakes but all come together as a family in the end.I also really enjoy how the show has already established a sturdy group of friends for Adam. The Goldbergs is the story of Adam Goldberg. It's narrated by his future self as well as the actual person being the lead creative voice behind-the-scenes. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that of the kids his world is the most fleshed out - Barry and Erica have their merits too though.
"Goldbergs Never Say Die" was just a great episode for Adam Goldberg. It honors the plot of The Goonies while also being a great entrance into Adam's world and how he sees it. This movie meant the world to him as a kid. To be given an opportunity to copy its plot in real-life is a big deal for him - and Barry and Erica stomping all over it is pretty devastating. They did it for the laugh and his humiliation but he was truly hurt and embarrassed. When the B-story with Pops and Beverly then brings in Adam, he's in a position to be built back up again. And so, the real search is on for the jewelry - which allows all these friends to come together for one great journey which is a lot of fun.
Some more thoughts:
- "Goldbergs Never Say Die" was written by Adam Goldberg & Aaron Kaczander and directed by David Katzenberg.
- I'm 100% sure the Christian Slater joke was in there only because he also happens to be starring on a show on the same network just under an hour later.
- Murray: "Hey great news. There's a funny smell coming from the attic and your mother wants me to go find what it is." Barry: "How's that great news?" Murray: "I got the brilliant idea to dump it off on you morons. I'm 80 percent sure something's dead up. Go make some memories."
- Erica: "Come on, Adam. It's not like we invited your friends. Though that did make it extra hilarious."
- Beverly: "Okay now you're just describing me on any given day." Albert: "So you remember it too."
- Adam: "It rhymes." Albert: "I like to make things fun."
- Albert: "It's a bit of a clusterf---."
