The Goldbergs Review: Our Perfect Strangers (Season 6 Episode 17)

On The Goldbergs Season 6 Episode 17, “Our Perfect Strangers,” some valuable lessons in selfishness are taught and learned.

I love that this cookbook venture of Beverly’s is a continuing plot. The Frentas, on the other hand, not so much.

Beverly is loud and vocal and passionate about the people and things in her life. She is confident and self-assured. Although, it never translated as selfish to me before this episode. 

It is played up for the sake of this storyline, but I feel it still works. It’s pretty hilarious watching Beverly try to go ten minutes without talking about herself. It’s also great that the Frentas call her out on it. 

Beverly: Cookbook! I have a cookbook recipe with so many recipes that Chad would like more than your bone-dry chicken! Also, Adam went to a sci-fi convention, and Barry’s applying to Penn, and Erica, there’s not much going on there, but she’s still a beautiful angel and so much better than your kids, and oh my God, that felt so good. 
Essie: And you lose. 
Beverly: Come on, that had to have been at least nine minutes.
Ginzy: It was two.
Beverly: Speaking of telling time, Murray got me this new Swatch for our anniversary.
Linda: Okay, we’re going to go now.
Beverly: No! Double or nothing?

Good friends tell us when we are being crappy and give second chances when we try to be better.

The Frentas are still going strong even with this hiccup and now there is a fifth Frenta, Eileen Leffler, played wonderfully by Marissa Jaret Winkour. The course this friendship struggle takes is believable—from the Frentas getting fed up, to them freezing out Beverly, to Murray trying to fix it. 

And Murray getting the Frentas’ names wrong might be the highlight of the episode for me.

Murray: This will only take a second. Uh, Marcie, Shelly, Tabitha…um, I’m sorry, I forgot your name.
Essie: You actually forgot all our names.

Beverly isn’t the only Goldberg being selfish on this episode, all three kids act horribly when their cousin Gleb visits from the Old Country. “We’re live in modern times now. How is a country still old?”

This visit sparks a whole Perfect Strangers tribute that I am so here for. 

All the bits they replicate from the 80s sitcom are done really well. Joey Slotnick as Gleb/The Balki is fantastic. And anything that includes a Yakoff Smirnoff reference let alone actual clips from his stand-up gets high marks from me.

Gleb making them feel guilty is comical, but it’s nice that they add Pops genuinely and legitimately shaming them for their bad behavior. That makes the lesson really hit home, and it is effective for modern day viewers as well as the Goldberg kids way back in 1980-something.

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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