Thanksgiving with The Goldbergs has always been a riot in the previous seasons, so it’s a little tough to believe it would follow in the same wonderful footsteps this season. However, “In Conclusion, Thanksgiving” is an insanely hilarious tale of dysfunction across generations that only this show could pull off for the hat trick.
Where to begin? Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) is trying to get Murray (Jeff Garlin) to invite his dad (Judd Hirsch) over for Thanksgiving because he didn’t like her cooking one time years ago. Mama Goldberg finds her way when she discovers that Adam (Sean Giambrone) can bend his dad to his will by playing “Cats Cradle” by Harry Chapin. She uses Adam’s skill to get grandpa Goldberg over.
Meanwhile, Pops (George Segal)wants to pass the torch of the Thanksgiving toast to his oldest grandchild, Erica (Hayley Orrantia). Barry (Troy Gentile), of course, wants this honor over her sister, and gets some assistance from his uncle Marvin (Dan Fogler), who happens to be a staple of every Thanksgiving episode in the program. At the halfway point of the episode, Barry enters the dining area thematically dressed to give the best toast he can. It makes no sense, it’s bizarre, it’s so random…but it’s Barry, so it completely works on every level.
This starts a chain reaction of chaos that 100% is Goldberg accurate, and by the episode’s end, things are patched up. However, there is a nice, shared moment between Adam and Murray, and when the show has an emotional connection between the two of those characters, it results in being the best ones. That’s how I feel, anyway.
No show can handle family craziness better than The Goldbergs. Full of humor and heart, “In Conclusion, Thanksgiving,” was, in conclusion, an episode I am thankful for.
Rating: 9/10
The Goldbergs put the fun in dysfunctional every Wednesday Night at 8:30 on ABC
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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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