The Goldbergs Season 10 Episode 4 Review: Man of the House
Everyone acts differently to being the center of attention. Some people thrive in it, while others feel extremely uncomfortable in the limelight. Erica Goldberg has always enjoyed ruling the roost, but recently, the tables have turned on her.
On The Goldbergs Season 10 Episode 4, “Man of the House,” Erica receives her college diploma early through much effort. Her added time and determination allow her to abbreviate the time she has left. Feeling proud of herself, she knows her family will be equally enthusiastic.
When we are used to people acting a certain way around us, we can hype ourselves into awkward situations. We know our mothers are often our biggest fans, and when they don’t get overly excited about our achievements, we wonder what we did wrong.
Not only does Beverly not make a big deal about Erica’s accomplishment — she doesn’t even acknowledge it.
Ouch! Nothing hurts worse than not getting noticed for your hard work. Wait, I take that back. It’s even worse when someone else gets the attention you feel you deserve.
Oftentimes when a woman is pregnant their personal needs go by the wayside. All eyes are focused on the growing baby and the preparations for its arrival. People stop asking how the mother is doing and instead question how the last doctor’s visit went.
Erica is used to being able to bully her way back into being the centerpiece, but this time nothing seems to be working. Helpful hints are ignored, and her readiness to be a mother is questioned instead.
Now that’s adding insult to injury!
What should be a graduation party for the guest of honor is simply another baby shower. What should have been a cap and gown becomes a wearable baby carrier. Even the cake is made out of cloth diapers!
Knowing she has other resources to reach out to, Erica talks to her mother-in-law about the situation. Unfortunately, Linda reveals the honest truth to her — mothers are typically overlooked.
Linda: Mothers are invisible.
Think about it, when the holidays come, who gets the worst gift? Mothers. Who’s birthday is most often forgotten about? Mothers.
Sadly, many women just accept the fact that they’ve become vessels, allowing men and children to continue the abuse. It goes unnoticed that being a mother is the most important job in the world.
Feeling defeated, Erica does her best to suck it up and move on. That is until Beverly and Geoff insist they all take a parenting class together.
This is a step too far for Erica Goldberg. The truth must come out even if it seems a little too direct. Just because there is a pecking order, doesn’t mean we have to abide by it.
Adam, on the other hand, isn’t as secure as the prime focus. Unwarranted attention from Barry feels more like an attack than an act of love.
Since Murray’s death, there really hasn’t been a “man of the house”. Any order he created has gone by the wayside, and Barry feels this needs to be corrected. According to Barry, the best way to do this is to act like a guide for his younger brother.
Like mothers, fathers are extremely important. They direct us through life with words of warning and encouragement. Their wisdom is what follows us long into adulthood.
An inexperienced Barry doesn’t necessarily have the smarts to pass along. Therefore, Barry’s words of advice and comfort often ring less than true. A simple pat on Adam’s back feels more patronizing than comforting.
Adam’s bewildered reaction to Barry’s well-meaning antics causes him to reach out to Principal Glascott. He needs to get this unwanted attention off of his shoulders as fast as possible.
Although Glascott’s words are full of wisdom in other ways, they don’t ring true for the situation Adam is in, so he decides to go another route. In typical Goldberg fashion, Adam fights fire with fire.
Being the center of attention can be a tricky thing. We love the accolades but hate the responsibility.
I’m glad The Goldbergs is capable of showing both sides of the spectrum. Just because you are used to being up, doesn’t mean you’ll always stay there. Life is a rollercoaster of emotions — learn to enjoy the highs and the lows.
Toward the end of the episode, the narrative derails a bit, bringing back Hasselhoff with two clumsy speeches. He concludes that life is about celebrating the big, the small, and everything in between.
While a nice sentiment, it seems tacked on and unnecessary. Even he seems to be missing the big picture.
Pay attention to your parents while you still have them. They have many lessons to teach you. If you listen, they just might save you from a lot of heartaches further down the road.
What did you think of this episode of The Goldbergs? Did you hug your mother today? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Goldbergs airs Wednesday at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.
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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.