- It couldn't be as charming as The Wonder Years, a series it's being compared to the closest.
- The kids, especially Adam, who is the central character, have little likeable qualities.
- Save for the hair, the clothes, and the occasional 80's pop culture references, it didn't feel authentic enough. I still get the sense that this show is so staged. Sidenote: Well, of course it is! It's a TV *production*! But I hope you get what I'm driving at. I could relate, but I can't connect. (Does that make sense?)
But I didn't want to nitpick, and instead gave The Goldbergs some time to simmer and settle. So I kept watching. The truth is, it's far from being a bad show. There are things about it I like:
- The character of the mother, Beverly, is portrayed so well by Wendi McLendon-Cove. She is overbearing, but she is the funniest on the show.
- Somehow, the series reminds me a bit of The Middle...if The Middle were also about an 80's family.
This week, however, my lukewarm appreciation for the show turned to...well, TRUE LOVE. And all it took was this magic trick they pulled. Straight from the 80's!
They did a throwback to "Say Anything"...which is only my favorite romantic movie ever.
Here's part of how the episode went down...
Adam's voice-over: While my parents were calmly working out their problems, I found a solution to my problems with Dana.
ADAM: "Let's do this, Lloyd!" (talking to this poster)
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| There's Lloyd on the poster... with Diane Court! |
Adam's voice-over: I'd use my favorite romantic movie,"Say Anything" to win Dana's heart. (Cue music: "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel, the soundtrack from "Say Anything")
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| Adam Goldberg |
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| Lloyd Dobler (played by John Cusack) |
Only Adam's plan didn't turn out well, coz this is what happened:
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| Busted by Dana's brother and father! |
“I serenaded her brother, I broke my boom box, and worst of all, I soaked my Lloyd Dobler trench coat.”The scene already won me over. Got me by the hook, line and sinker. I was grinning while watching, delighted by everything that transpired.
But it wasn't over for The Goldbergs because in the final minutes of the episode, this is what they pulled:
By then, I was already in tears.
Because it summed up a number of things for me. Like how I saw love as a growing teen in the past, through my favorite romantic movie. And how I see this now, in the present, with the realities I face everyday.
It was all there in that video.
And with that, I finally connected with the show.
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Are you watching The Goldbergs? Have you seen this week's episode (S1 E5 - The Ring)?
Video is not my property, and my be deleted without warning.
