The Goldbergs Review: A Night to Remember (Season 4 Episode 19)

The Goldbergs go to prom on Season 4 Episode 19, “A Night to Remember.”

I don’t know how they are able to pack so much comedy in just a half hour, but The Goldbergs seem to manage this consistently.

On “A Night to Remember” they cover the tradition of prom which is not exclusive to the 1980s, so this subject can be enjoyed by people of different ages.

Actually, that is another feat the show is able to conquer frequently. It’s not necessary to have grown up in that time to find the Goldberg antics hilarious.

Many teenagers put a lot of importance on prom, so it is no surprise that Barry does, and takes it to the extreme.

Barry: I have a call in to Yo-Yo Ma to do amazing Yo-yo tricks as we fly over the city.

You would think that Lainey would be thrilled, but she is not.

A.J. Michalka is a great counter to Troy Gentile’s Barry. She is cool and sweet, and the last type of person that would put up with him. She does, though, and makes it believable. It makes their relationship even more adorable.

And also that much more heartbreaking knowing that it will end when summer is over.

Barry and Lainey approach prom with this in mind in very different ways. Barry really does want to make it a night to remember. (“That’s the theme. I take it very seriously.”)

Lainey wants to forget that her high school love has an expiration date. (“There is a ticking clock on my heart utterly breaking.”)

It really is a hopeless situation, but Barry doesn’t do ‘hopeless.’

He doesn’t accept the break-up (even after hilariously speeding through the five stages of grief). He takes her out for “an un-special, forgettable, typical night,” and it turns out to be the prom Lainey “always dreamed of.”

On The Goldbergs Season 4 Episode 18, “Baré,” they ended their relationship obstacle in a mature way, and they do that again here. I don’t think we should rule out these two working out a long distance arrangement just yet.

Adam also has some love woes of his own.

His nerdiness catches the eye of an older nerd girl.

Jackie is a junior who goes to theater camp in the summer, and is starting a sci-fi fan zine.

She is Adam’s dream girl. He will stop at nothing to have a chance with her.

Until he begins reading The Lord of the Rings.

Adam: It’s not a dictionary, Pops, even though it has every word in it.

He can’t seem to get through this “boring, million-page book,” so he does what every kid did before the internet: he gets Cliff’s Notes.

This goes well until his meddling mom reveals his deceit.

At first, Beverly is alarmed at Jackie’s age and that she drives. When she discovers the budding romance between her and Adam is innocent, and centered around geekery, she tries to set it right.

Beverly: I see I was way off the mark here. You seem sweet, so “yes” to prom!

She goes about fixing her meddling …by doing more meddling.

I love how Beverly is able to pull this off.

She shows up at Jackie’s window causing Jackie and her mom some concern.

Beverly: I’m just appealing to your daughter to reconsider my son as a romantic prospect.
Jackie’s mom: Shouldn’t your son be doing that?
Beverly: She kind of caught him in a lie, which was all my fault. Point is, this is what mamas do. Right?
Jackie’s mom: Mm?

Beverly shows Jackie and her mom evidence of Adam’s nerdiness with a scrapbook visual aid. Jackie’s mom has one of her daughter, as well.

Despite Adam’s aversion to Tolkien’s trilogy, he qualifies as a first rate nerd, and is probably a good match for Jackie.

Adam also shows up to Jackie’s window as a grand gesture, and sees his mother poke her head out.

Poor Adam.

The quick editing of the two of them at the window, with Beverly going on and on about the dangers of catching a cold is really comical. Wendi McClendon-Covey and Sean Giambrone spar really well. It’s always fun to watch.

Adam and Beverly win Jackie over. I hope we see more of her. She makes a great love interest for Adam.

Stray Observations:

• The Gerica storyline is a minor subplot, but it actually plays really great this way since we’ve seen their poor timing before. And it is pretty funny how they go back and forth, dumping their prom dates, but never being free to go together at the same time. “That was four minutes ago!”
• “Why do you look like a department store pianist?” “You’re a department store pianist!”
• Barry’s dream prom night would only cost “a measly $22,000.”
• I would like Jackie’s The Lost Boys shirt and Adam’s Spaceballs one. (Fun fact: The Lost Boys was filmed in my home town.)
• “What do you know about hobbits? Give me your life wisdom on The Shire.”
• “Why do I have a crush on a girl with required reading?” The bookworm part of me thinks this should be a thing.
• “Be less invested, Dave Kim!”
• I love the appearance of Coach Mellor (Bryan Callen), and how he disinterestedly takes interest in these kids’ lives. “Let me give you a pep talk with my body,” is how he refers to a hug.
• “Just like Gollum, my mom was not to be trusted.”
• I did not know about Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum soda in the ’80s, and I wish I didn’t know about it now. Gross.
• “I’m too sad to drink gum.”
• Jackie’s mom is played by the real life Jackie! I will never tire of these connections to Adam Goldberg’s real life.

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

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

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