The Goldbergs Review: Baré (Season 4 Episode 18)

Two sentimental storylines get comedy treatment on The Goldbergs Season 4 Episode 18, making “Baré” a sweet and funny episode.

Erica and Lainey will soon be off to college, and that affects the men in their lives. They react in odd ways, leading to some hilarious antics.

Murray deflects his sadness by showering the family pet, Lucky, with love and affection. Erica feels slighted by this, and concocts a plan to prove that Murray loves the dog more than his kids.

She is not prepared for the can of worms this ends up opening.

Murray reveals in a frightening display—which features a horrifying cry-whisper—that he uses Lucky to fill the void of Erica’s attention. He misses how she would be excited when he got home, and he’s feeling deserted with her leaving the nest.

Erica, of course, does not know any of this because Murray never shows emotion.

Jeff Garlin plays Murray releasing his pent-up sorrow in the best way. His delivery of the cry-whispering is hilarious.

The kids’ reaction to it is just as funny.

“Yikes.”

He closes back up pretty quickly, but not before having a touching heart to heart prompted by Erica.

Most of the time we see Beverly go through the turmoil of the kids growing up. It’s nice to see Murray open up about it.

Unlike Murray, Barry is not shy about his fears of the future. He openly discusses his conflict of going to medical school or following Lainey to her fashion college.

He chooses love, and goes overboard in pure Barry Goldberg style.

Abandoning his Doogie Howser dreams, Barry becomes Baré. He debuts his line of Philadelphia Flyers haute couture, using the JTP as his models.

While Barry does what he does best—taking things to the extreme–Beverly does what she does best—meddling.

She gets in Lainey’s head, causing her to try some sneaky plan to manipulate Barry.

This is how The Goldbergs operate, and it rarely gets the desired results. However, it does always get people talking to each other in the end.

Lainey and Beverly put their differences aside, and agree that they both just want what is best for Barry.

Barry realizes that he can’t throw away his passion for medicine so easily.

He and Lainey have a very grown-up conversation about their future, and it really makes me hope that they make the long distance thing work.

Stray Observations:

• Oh man, I loved Doogie Howser, M.D.
• “There’s my little Schmoopie Howser!”
• Tim Meadows as Mr. Glascott brings a lot to his small scene.
• “Don’t look at the boy surgeon and get some fakakta idea.”
• “Warm, moist desert bread will not stop our rage!” And now I have to make banana bread because both my husband and my son looked at me, pleadingly, as soon as banana bread was mentioned.

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

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

 

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

Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!