There’s no doubt in my mind that Barry (Troy Gentile) is the best character on The Goldbergs. While Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) can give him a run for his money sometimes, the middle child of The Goldberg kids is always there to provide some solid laughs no matter what.
This episode serves as great evidence of the previous statement. Seems that Barry is so insecure and down on himself in front of girlfriend Lainey (AJ Michalka) that Lainey needs to shake Barry up from his funk. Erica is down to help out her friend but goes about it the wrong way, telling her brother that he’s not good enough for Lainey and the only way that Barry could ever win Lainey over is to become more like Boy George because Lainey loves Boy George.
So Barry dresses up like Boy George. The result is hilarious. I couldn’t stop laughing.
The “heartfelt moment” that comes out of Barry’s story line is actually not a quick fix that is part of The Goldbergs’ typical formula, and I really liked how they dedicated the time to it a little more than normal. It doesn’t feel forced, it has a natural progression, which is a step forward.
The other members of the family, specifically Murray (Jeff Garlin) and Beverly, come to battle over Murray’s friendship with Bill (David Koechner) and Dad Golberg’s new mustache. Beverly’s territory is being threatened and she is well aware of losing her husband’s thought process. The side plot wears thin after a bit, and sadly throws in another “bleeped” curse word, which has been a constant thing in every episode this season.
The two story lines intersect at the end in a comedic payoff for everyone, although I cared more about one tale than the other.
Adam (Sean Giambrone) was also barely seen this week, so I guess the writers read my thoughts on his adventures this season not really working out?
In any case, “Boy Barry” succeeds due to the titular character and the end result of his actions and those involved in his saga, all well done and crafted. I think we need a Barry spin off show now. Maybe his life in college?
Rating: 8/10
The Goldbergs air on ABC Every Wednesday at 8:30 PM
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Logan J. Fowler is a senior writer and video game editor on Pop-Break.com. He contributes his thoughts every week for Trailer Tuesday and ABC’s The Goldbergs.” Logan’s “kid at heart” nature has led to his discussion about pop culture that many geeks love to talk about, including superheroes, Super Mario Bros., Pixar, and Muppets, among other things. In addition, one of his first pieces for the site, “Top Ten Comic Book Movies,” was picked as a “Freshly Pressed” piece by WordPress and remains one of the site’s most well-read articles. Many of Logan’s friends have said that he moonlights as Spider-Man but this is so not true. Wait, are those police sirens I’m hearing?! Gotta go! -thwipp-
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