The Goldbergs Review: The Beverly Goldberg Cookbook (Season 6 Episode 18)
On The Goldbergs Season 6 Episode 18, “The Beverly Goldberg Cookbook,” Beverly takes her cookbook dream to the next level and Barry continues to be baffled by college admissions requirements.
The Beverly Goldberg Cookbook saga comes to fruition on this episode in the best way: a cooking show. We get Beverly’s Julia Child impression which is fabulous and stage-frightened Adam which is unexpected, but convincing.
TROY GENTILE
The whole cookbook storyline could’ve been a one-time thing, but the show has, rightfully, gotten some mileage from it. The situation is rife with comedy and it’s great that the writers take advantage of that. The storyline’s capper is a public access cooking show starring not just Beverly, but her schmoopy, Adam. This is the perfect way to bring it to a close.
She decides to do the show after getting rejection letters from publishing houses for her cookbook. You’ve got to love that Beverly gumption and tenacity. This is what Erica was trying to inspire in her on The Goldbergs Season 6 Episode 13, “I Coulda Been A Lawyer.” It’s a nice callback.
Pops: No one has just one dream, Bevy. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of others.
Beverly: Well, like Barry becomes a doctor, Erica wins a Grammy, Adam gets a rare disease that prevents his snuggly little body from developing into a full adult man.
Pops: Bev, none of those dreams are about you, and one, in particular, is very troubling.
Beverly: Damn it, I know! Erica’s never gonna win a Grammy.
Pops: Okay, I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think. Lemme see that letter.
Beverly: Take your pick.
Pops: “Dear Ms. Goldberg, your blending of fish and veal is both upsetting and against God’s plan.”
This exchange has so much Goldberg-style greatness. There’s mention of Beverly’s struggle to follow her own dreams and to work on herself (aka The Bevolution), her super creepy Smother thoughts, and a hilarious critique of her cooking.
STEVE GUTTENBERG, TROY GENTILE
Teaming up with Adam is also a clever path with which this storyline takes. And the roadblock of Adam being embarrassed by Beverly and, in turn, Beverly admitting she is embarrassed by Adam is surprisingly charming. It’s a crafty little message to sneak in there with the whole “follow your dreams” one. You can be embarrassed by your loved ones, but you still support them because you love them.
The other storyline is coincidentally timely with the whole college scam news breaking the day before. Barry talking an affable science teacher into writing him an undeserved recommendation letter is a far cry from cheating on your SATs, but the juxtaposition does add an interesting layer to it. Murray’s involvement is really very sweet and …legal, which is unanticipated considering he encouraged Barry to fudge his extracurriculars on his college applications on The Goldbergs Season 6 Episode 13, “I Coulda Been A Lawyer.”
That ho-hum episode gets a lot of follow up on this one which actually strengthens it in hindsight.
TROY GENTILE
“The Beverly Goldberg Cookbook” is a well-crafted episode which plays to the show’s strengths and it has Steve Guttenberg.
Steve. Guttenberg.
STEVE GUTTENBERG
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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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.