The Goldbergs – Island Time

By: Ariba Bhuvad

In the 80s vacations weren’t booked online, but through a travel agent. While on campus the JTP [Barry (Troy Gentile), Andy (Matt Bush) and Naked Rob (Noah Munck)] come across John Calabasas (Rob Huebel) who is up to his latest scam – Spring Break vacations. John ropes the JTP into signing up for a trip to Camaica (some distance away from Jamaica) and Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Ren (Kelli Berglund) decide to join. 

Adam (Sean Giambrone) got his PSAT scores and Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) was extremely excited. When they finally open the envelope containing the scores they learn that he was in the 90th percentile for the verbal portion and in the 5th percentile for Math. Beverly was extremely flustered and says these scores are the worst disaster to happen to any family ever. Beverly finds some solace in knowing that Adam has an appointment with his guidance counselor, Mr. Perott (Anthony Michael Hall), and hopes that he can talk some sense into Adam. But in front of Adam, Beverly pretends to fake support so he thinks she’s on his side.

The next day Mr. Perott confirms that Adam’s PSAT scores were less than ideal. And after learning that Adam wants to go to NYU, Mr. Perott basically says that he will never get in but going to college isn’t a necessity, especially since he wants to go to film school. A lot of people in the industry Adam wants to go in don’t go to college, so Adam starts to wonder if college is something he really wants to take on. 

Meanwhile, things in Camaica are just getting started as the group arrives and realizes that it looks nothing like the brochure. There are snakes, a gross smell and it’s all making Erica feel extremely sick. It suddenly occurs to Barry that this might not be the Spring Break of his dreams

Upon finding out that Mr. Perott gave Adam some questionable advice about college, Beverly is pissed to learn that Adam has seriously considered it. The only person more compassionate than Beverly about the kids going to college is Murray (Jeff Garlin), who goes straight to Perott’s office to talk to him. He unleashes his wrath on Perott, but ends up learning a lesson of his own along the way. Perott says he only gave Adam all of his options and that life isn’t always about work. Murray worked his whole life and never took a break and that might have been something he enjoyed but it doesn’t mean Adam will. 

In Camaica Erica is incredibly sick so Geoff (Sam Lerner) stays back with her while Barry tries to find something to do. Ren is the only one not sleeping or not sick so the two of them pretend to be a newly married couple for the night. They take someone else’s reservation and get all the perks that come with it. The night ended with a kiss which led Barry to believe that she might be into him. As it turns out, she wasn’t, and it was just a part of the ruse from the night before.

The actual couple that Barry and Ren pretended to be show up just as Naked Rob and Andy finally wake up from their 36-hour slumber. Island time has them in all sorts of a sleepy frenzy. Feeling a bit down after realizing Ren isn’t actually into him, Barry pretends that he’s okay and heads to the club with her. But while he was there, he couldn’t hide the fact that he was feeling down and upset. So, Barry did what Barry does best – puts his feelings out there only to be let down. 

To help convince Adam to go to college, Beverly tracks down John Glascott (Tim Meadows) and blackmails him into helping her out. She knows his secret of dressing up like Prince and singing over the weekends and threatens to use it against him if he doesn’t help. Glascott attempts to convince Adam, but when Perott shows up and tells Adam that Beverly changed his guidance counselor Adam is overcome with anger for his meddling mother. She was faking support for his decision and it is upsetting to him that she can’t understand where he is coming from. Luckily, Murray makes Beverly see reason that everyone has different things that are right for them. 

And just like that, Beverly manages to get through to Adam by voicing her support and saying that he can do whatever he wants. He has always wanted to go to film school and he can most certainly get in with his talents. So, he writes up a play and shows it to Perott who is shocked and amazed at how well written the play is. And it’s that play that actually did help the real Adam Goldberg get into NYU. 

On the flight home, Ren kisses Barry and reveals that it wasn’t all pretend. It looks like the possibilities are endless if you just put yourself out there.