The Goldbergs Review: Agassi (Season 4 Episode 13)

The laughs come as fast as an Andre Agassi serve in Season 4 Episode 13 of The Goldbergs.

Adam hits a rough patch in his closest friendship, while Erica hits a new low with her (non-existent) love life.

Perhaps it’s even tougher for them since it’s Valentine’s Day.

Erica is still wallowing in self pity.

I am ready for this story line to come to some sort of conclusion. We have spent more than half the season with Erica pining over Geoff. She does something sad and desperate and then decides it’s not worth it. She ends up being the bigger person, wishing Geoff and Evelyn every happiness.

Then we do it all over again.

If I could have my way, Geoff and Erica would be together, and mini-Beverly, Evelyn, can go put together another time capsule or something. But if that is not in the cards, let’s have Erica get over him and move on.

Although the plot line with these characters is tired, their scenes are still hilarious. A lot of that is because Wendi McClendon-Covey and Hayley Orrantia are both skilled comedic actresses.

Even though I am sad that Erica is heartbroken, rock-bottom Erica is a laugh riot. The way she shrugs off the intervention and then the “Mothervention” is full of apathy and sass.

McClendon-Covey as Beverly is hysterically funny. And we get to see her dance which is always a pleasure.

Between the two of them it’s almost hard to keep up with the great lines and physical comedy.

 

Adam and best friend, Chad, go through a break-up very much like how a couple would. There is jealousy, revenge, and a heartwarming reunion in the end.

Chadam is going through an awkward time where Chad isn’t into movies and has found a new hobby, tennis. Adam attempts to get him back to liking the same things he does, but when that doesn’t work, he tries to become interested in tennis so he can spend time with Chad.

That is sweet but also super desperate. Chad is just trying to spend some time playing a sport that he loves, he isn’t really trying to break up the friendship. Adam thinks it’s over. It takes going through this tennis debacle to get back on track.

Adam asks Barry for help and the situation escalates, as so many things do when Barry gets involved. Barry joins the tennis team and finds that just imitating Agassi’s “deadly combination of flash, splash, and mullet” is not going to win the double’s match or get Adam back in Chad’s good graces.

Barry’s ever present anger comes out and he ends up resembling John McEnroe more than Agassi, and the coach loves it.

Coach: Nice one, McEnroe. Just for that burst of passion, I’m giving you the point.
Adam: Do you think you can keep spazzing out in an embarrassing way?
Barry: I believe that is in my wheelhouse.

Barry with the Agassi wig and the McEnroe fury is highly comical. There is a rage montage and it throws Chad off his game and off the friendship.

They make up in the end, realizing that they can have separate interests and still be best buds. The power of Chadam is strong and evidently based in reality.

The show usually ends showing real life pictures or video from Adam Goldberg’s childhood. There is a split screen that shows the real Chad Kremp and the guy who played Chad Kremp’s dad in the episode. The dad is played by the real Chad Kremp!

These reveals are often a highlight and this one is pretty rad. Text over the split screen says that the real Adam and Chad are still best friends. One can’t help but leave this episode with warm, fuzzy feelings.

Stray Observations:

• I am a sucker for puns, and there are few in this episode. Adam says he hears tennis “is a real racket.” Barry comes in with two back to back when he gives Lainey her Valentine’s Day present which is a wagon full of puppies. “Lainey Lewis, how I feel about you is more than puppy love. I doggone adore you.” I will forgive cheesiness if it is in the form of a pun.
• “Disco is dead.” “Oh poop, I think I would’ve heard if a whole genre of music had died.”
• “The Nike commercials lied! Tennis is surprisingly difficult!”
• Jacob Hopkins is really great at mimicking the real Chad from the home videos. The way they recreate those exact moments is incredible.

What did you think of this episode of The Goldbergs? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Goldbergs airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on ABC.

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