The Goldbergs – Animal House

By: Ariba Bhuvad

Barry’s (Troy Gentile) favorite movie is Animal House and now that he is in college he plans to live it out by joining a fraternity. Barry thinks of bros, babes and boats when he imagines being in a fraternity while Erica’s (Hayley Orrantia) perception is hazing and excessive drinking.  Barry approaches a table with a fraternity and after seeing the symbols he calls it “horseshoe menorahs,” a/k/a Omega Psi. This entire time Barry is under the impression that being in a frat will be just like Animal House, but is told it’s more of an academic house when he talks to the guys of Omega Psi. He then goes to the next one and is still unsatisfied. Erica thinks he’s being too unrealistic about which one he wants to join. Just then he spots Beta Zeta and thinks they’d be perfect for them. 

As Barry introduces himself the guys at the table are more interested in Erica and invite her to their party. Barry accepts on her behalf for the both of them and begs Erica to go along because for some reason the frat guy is taken with her. Plus, if he gets into the frat he’ll move out of their dorm which is enough to convince Erica. 

At home Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) keeps cooking too much food despite the fact that both Barry and Erica don’t live there anymore. In reality, she’s cooking high-energy meats for Adam (Sean Giambrone) for their big day–that he doesn’t know about. It’s going to start with them going to a matinee to watch The Terminator and then end with them watching Styx perform “Mr. Roboto.” Unfortunately, Adam already has plans with Dave Kim (Kenny Ridwan) and decides he’s going to do all those things with him instead of Beverly. Pops (George Segal) says Beverly needs to stop overwhelming Adam with so much love and share it with someone else, like Murray (Jeff Garlin). 

Back at school Barry holds his weekly meeting with the JTP [Geoff (Sam Lerner), Andy (Matt Bush), Naked Rob (Noah Munck) and Matt (Shayne Topp)]. It’s almost Matt Bradley’s birthday, but Barry doesn’t care because he will be attending a frat party and pledging. The JTP is impressed with how Barry is killing it and says they are too. But Barry doesn’t seem to care about anyone else other than himself and says that when he’s a frat god he can ignore the JTP and not feel bad. 

Murray is sitting at home watching football with his friends Vic (Cedric Yarbrough) and Bill (David Koechner) as Beverly approaches him to spend more time with her. She just wants to reconnect with him and has even come up with an activity list for them to do. However, Murray doesn’t want to be active and isn’t interested in any of the ideas that she lists off. She stomps off angrily as Vic and Bill follow her to the kitchen. They understand her frustration and love Murray, but Beverly points out that they can love him but they know Murray won’t come around. She feels like Murray is going to sit in that chair for the rest of his life and to prove it she sets up Adam’s camera for six hours to show Murray won’t move at all. And when she, Vic, and Bill watch the video later her point is proven easily. To get Murray to understand where she’s coming from she decides that stealing Vic and Bill from him will get his attention. They’ll do all the things together and hopes Murray will get jealous enough to do those things with her instead.

In hopes of joining Beta Zeta, Barry goes all out and dresses up exactly like a frat boy. When he and Erica show up at the frat party Erica gets all the attention and Barry is ignored. Instead, he’s introduced to the group of nerds sitting in the other room and realizes that he really is living Animal House, but not in the way he wanted. As he puts itBarry is getting “floundered” just like the guy from the movie who gets pawned off to the nerds. As one final attempt Barry decides to do a grand gesture and do all sorts of crazy antics like in the movie to get everyone’s attention. But when all is said and done he is told that he’s not good enough, which leads him to call for another JTP meeting. 

Barry learns that the JTP isn’t doing that great either and were just lying to make him feel better. It then occurs to Barry that because he was trying to be people from Animal House, that he didn’t get to show the frat the real him. He decides to go back to the frat as himself despite the fact that they dislike him immensely and that the JTP accepts him for who he is.

Erica reveals that Beta Zeta is holding a talent show for the new pledges and that if Barry goes he will get destroyed. But he believes if he performs, then they will pledge him on the spot. However, the JTP will not be joining him for the show because it’s Matt Bradley’s birthday and they will be busy with that. Barry thinks they’re in the wrong, but Erica tries to tell him he’s the one with the problem, not the JTP. 

For the talent show Adam and Dave Kim come to help Barry perform, but it doesn’t go exactly as he would have hoped. Instead, they’re kicked out of the talent show and Barry is told that he is not wanted and will never be a Beta Zeta. 

Meanwhile, Beverly, Vic and Bill are hanging out learning to speak Spanish and partaking in mechanical bull riding. At home Murray is watching Fantasy Island and realizes Joe Namath is in it and calls his friends to tell them about it. But when no one picks up, he looks for someone at home but realizes there isn’t anyone there either. He eventually ends up at the ceramics class after learning they are there. Beverly gets upset that Murray showed up to the class for his friends and not her. 

After a bad night at the talent show Barry decides that his frat dreams are over. Erica reminds him that he’s better off without the frat guys even though he was hoping to gain a bunch of new friends by joining. Luckily, Erica points out that he’s already part of the best fraternity there is–the JTP. She says that even though he was rude to them they will forgive him. Barry shows up to surprise Matt Bradley for his birthday and tells the JTP he is sorry for how he behaved. And just like that, he is back with his best friends. 

After realizing he had hurt Beverly, Murray surprises her by dressing up for Jazzercise. It occurred to him (thanks to Beverly pointing it out)  that when he was alone he wasn’t around the people he loves and without them the future didn’t feel so great. Murray tells her that he may not be good with words, but he loves sitting, watching sports and Beverly to which she replies, “I can work with that.” After hearing Beverly out, Murray starts to do activities with her, starting with some arts & crafts.