The Goldbergs – Geoff the Pleaser

By starrymag | February 4, 2020

By: Ariba Bhuvad

 

 

Back in the 80s Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone) loved watching the Oscars, but there was an award show that was held within the Goldbergs’ home courtesy of Beverly Goldberg (Wendi McLendon-Covey). They were known as the Acade-mom awards where every “mom-inee” was Adam and his homemade movies. Of course, he won every time. So, when he comes up to accept the award, Beverly makes him give a speech and tries to get him to thank her. 

 

The JTP’s apartment is becoming a horrible place to live. Barry (Troy Gentile), Andy (Matt Bush), Matt Bradley (Shayne Topp) and Naked Rob (Noah Munck) are freezing in the middle of winter because they don’t have heat since they didn’t pay for their bills. They also don’t have water so they go to the Goldbergs’ to take showers. Murray (Jeff Garlin) turns that idea down STAT, so they head off to Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Geoff’s (Sam Lerner) place instead. They don’t have much luck there either, but do find out that Geoff has decided to audit an art history class. As expected, and without thinking twice, Geoff offers to help the JTP out with all their issues.

 

At school the AV Club gets a new adviser in the form of coach Nick Mellor (Bill Goldberg) and to kick things off he wants to hold a school-wide movie championship. Basically, Adam takes this to mean it’s a film festival and decides he’s going to get a super VHS camera. He knows Beverly will pay whatever for him to get the camera because she supports his work, which is why she hands him a blank check. 

 

Back at the JTP’s apartment, Geoff makes all the repairs and gets things back to normal. He asks the JTP to call the gas company and set up the appointment, but they start complaining. Having to spend his time calling and waiting on hold is not something Geoff wants to do but the JTP are too stubborn to do any work. Instead, they force Geoff to be the house manager. 

 

Meanwhile, Adam and Dave Kim (Kenny Ridwan) go shopping for a camera and bump into the other Adam Goldberg (Oliver Cooper) who went off to Hollywood with big dreams. As it turns out, he’s now working at this electronics store after having very little luck in Hollywood. He confesses to Adam that it’s rough out there and while you may be the best at what you do in your hometown, there are a lot of people just as good as you out there. Adam feels discouraged by this and decides he is going to quit filmmaking forever, which breaks Beverly’s heart and prompts her to take some action.

 

Realizing he’s a pleaser, Geoff looks to Murray to get advice on what to do. He tells him to learn the LUMP strategy: L= Lower expectations; U = Underwhelm, M = Mumble and Moron, and P = Pants. By lowering expectations and being underwhelming no one expects anything of you and won’t ask you to do anything. And when asked to do something, if you mumble and then call the person a moron they just walk away. And of course, if you’re not wearing pants, then people will assume you’re not moving anytime soon. 

 

Geoff tries this strategy with the JTP and Erica, who are very weirded out to see Geoff disagreeing to help them. But whatever Murray’s strategy is it definitely works.

 

Beverly makes her way to talk to the other Adam Goldberg. She wants him to pretend that he landed a big role so her Adam can get back into filmmaking. When the other Adam shows up at the house he tells Adam that he is going to be in the new Molly Ringwald movie. Once again Adam feels inspired to be a part of the film festival. 

 

Without Geoff’s help the JTP is struggling to keep it together. So, when their water pipe bursts they decide to get Geoff’s help once again, who is in art history class. Erica, along with the JTP, show up in the middle of his class to ask him questions and get his help. He finally reaches his breaking point and calls everyone lazy and selfish. He finally has something he enjoys now and they’re ruining it. 

 

Feeling inspired, Adam goes to visit the other Adam at the store only to learn that he is lying to him. He didn’t get a role and Beverly actually paid him to lie. Naturally, Adam is upset and doesn’t think he can make it in Hollywood if the other Adam didn’t. 

 

It doesn’t help that at the school’s film festival Johnny Atkins (Sean Marquette) wins the award for Best Film during which Beverly shows up with her own surprise. She made a highlight reel with all of his movies to remind her son just how he good he is at filmmaking. She apologizes for trying to intervene, but she doesn’t want him to forget how creative he is and that he can do it. She doesn’t want him to give up and encourages him to believe he can make it. 

 

The JTP and Erica lie to Geoff to get him over to the apartment, but really they want to apologize for their behavior. Not only did they clean their apartment, but they made a chore wheel and brought the school’s catalog of classes so he can pick more classes to audit. All of this inspires Geoff to finally apply to college. 

 

After all the drama, Adam finally feels inspired from the other Adam’s story and struggles and goes to thank him. The other Adam is a reminder that they can get out of small towns and reach high for their dreams.