The time is unfortunately here for the Season 2 finale of The Goldbergs, titled “Goldbergs Feel Hard” There’s been a surprising amount of character progression this season for a series ambiguously set in “1980-something,” and it’s time to finally see some of that pay off in the finale.
Also, I’m going to keep this review unusually as spoiler-free as possible, because I really want the stories in this finale to hit home with fans.
“Goldbergs Feels Hard,” generally speaking, deals with emotion. Erica has been accepted to a prestigious summer music school, and her parents are busy expressing how much they will miss her in completely opposite ways: Bev is being very open while Murray is being his typically closed-off self. Adam decides to tell Dana that he loves her before she goes off for the summer, and Barry accidentally blurts out to Lainey that he is in love with her. Beverly and Pops try to convince Murray to tell Erica that he loves her before she goes off, but he doesn’t think it’s something that he, as a father, should have to do. When he finally decides to tell her, thanks to Pops’s encouragement, she doesn’t react in the way he hoped, leading to some tension between Erica and Beverly. Elsewhere, Barry and Adam both worry about what to do about their respective girlfriends because of the “I love you” situation. In the end, all three plots are resolved in surprisingly perfect ways, and it’s really great to see the family come together to say goodbye to Erica for a few months.
“Goldbergs Feels Hard” concluded one of the strongest comedy seasons I’ve seen in years, and all of the character progression finally paid off with every storyline. We potentially said goodbye to a solid recurring character, but this cast is so deep and strong that I have no doubt that the future of The Goldbergs is just as bright as it was before. As if the show hadn’t proven itself time and time again, the Season 2 has helped solidify The Goldbergs as one of the best comedies of the modern era, and I absolutely cannot wait for the return of the show this fall.
Additional Thoughts:
– The supporting cast, particularly Lainey, got some much-needed focus during the finale, and I’m hopeful that she will receive an even larger role in the future.
– Coach also gets a really strong scene in this one, and I’ve mentioned before how much better the show is when it gives some of these fan-favorites stronger roles in episodes.
– I absolutely love the school’s mascot costume, okay.
– Let’s have some more scenes with Lyle and Kyle the cheerleaders, please.
– As mentioned above, we potentially saw the final episode for one fan-favorite recurring character, but the exit was done in such a way that the possibility for return is still on the table. Even if the character is truly gone, the farewell moments were executed in just an outstanding way, and it’s really a credit to the incredible writing staff of the show.
[Photo credit: Eric McCandless/ABC]
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Who was in the mascot costume at the end credits of the episode? My recording cut out early.