The Goldbergs – Oates & Oates

By starrymag | April 28, 2020

By: Ariba Bhuvad

 

 

The best way to raise money in the 80s, in the days before Kickstarter, was to hold telethons. Erica’s friend Ren (Kelli Berglund) wants to raise money for Earth Day by holding her own telethon. Barry (Troy Gentile), Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Geoff (Sam Lerner) are helping out as well, but can’t seem to calm Ren’s nerves. She needs to fill the time up with different acts to keep the viewers entertained. Geoff asks her what’s coming up next and she snaps and walks away. 

 

After their Spring Break vacation Barry has been convinced that Ren is into him. In fact, he thinks Ren should not be stressed because he’s there. Of course, Erica and Geoff point out that Barry is the least environment-friendly guy, but he is willing to do anything to win Ren’s heart. Erica wants him to stay away from her friends but Barry points out that Ren kissed him twice during spring break. 

 

According to Erica, Spring Break is the one day you’re allowed to make mistakes, but Barry won’t have it. He truly believes he and Ren are connected and meant to be, even if they haven’t spoken properly since spring break. Before he can say much more, Ren shows up super excited because she has finally scored a celebrity for the telethon – Ed Begley Jr. Now, she just has thirty hours to fill. Barry goes in for a “lingering” hug, but Erica intercepts it and makes it a platonic group hug instead. 

 

Bill (David Koechner) and Murray (Jeff Garlin) enjoy watching sports and eating chicken together. However, Adam (Sean Giambrone) asks if they have ever had a real conversation since they all really do is sit around and eat. That’s just not something they do, according to Murray, but after seeing a commercial of a couple Bill says he is ready to find someone for himself. This is music to Beverly’s (Wendi McLendon-Covey) ears who pops up out of nowhere and tells Bill she is on the case and is going to pull out her Yenta-dex. Later on, she shows up at Bill’s house with some potential women for him but is surprised to see Jane Bales (Leslie Grossman) there as well. Bill asked for Jane’s help as well assuming “the more Yentas, the merrier.” Beverly feels threatened by Jane helping Bill out as well and turns it into a competition, aka a Yenta-off, to see who can find him the best woman. 

 

At the telethon Barry is attempting to work the phones but is doing a horrible job. So, Ren assigns him the task of being a “producer.” After Ren walks away Barry sounds frustrated because he wants to impress her. Geoff advises him to stop being so hard on himself and just be the goofy, fun guy they all know him as. Erica doesn’t necessarily help in the same way and advises Barry to get Ren a cheesesteak knowing that Ren will be disgusted since she is a vegetarian. It doesn’t help that when Barry returns with the sandwich Ren learns that Ed Begley Jr. can’t make it to the telethon after all.

 

Beverly presents the women she has selected for Bill, but they’re too old, too young or have “witch warts” on their nose. Bill isn’t into any of them, but he’s not going to be picky. Jane steps in to say she has the perfect woman for Bill, someone named Dolores (Jessica St. Clair), and she’s already standing outside! When she comes in she and Bill hit it off right away and already seem like a perfect couple. They head out for coffee while Beverly finds herself annoyed and trying to nitpick why Dolores won’t be a good choice for Bill. 

 

Meanwhile, Barry asks Pops (George Segal) for advice on how to wow Ren. He says to get her chocolates and daffodils, so he defers to Adam who brings home girls that are all better than him. Adam suggests that Barry try listening to Ren, but he’s not able to make it through that statement without Barry interrupting. So, he simply suggests that Barry find out what Ren likes to do and do that. Barry realizes that Ren needs a celebrity for the telethon, so Pops and Adam tell him to help her find one. But there is that issue of how he will actually find someone last minute that is willing to come. Adam remembers that John Oates and Daryl Hall went to their dentist once, so Barry tells him to go in for an appointment, sneak into the files and get their number in order for him to call them. Of course, Barry prematurely calls Ren and tells her he scored Hall & Oates for the telethon, which Pops points out is a bad idea. Adam returns from the dentist and complains that he ended up having seven cavities and couldn’t get a number for Barry, but stole a mold of Oates’ teeth. On the bottom of the mold is a phone number, but Barry learns that it was just for a lab. With no other option, Barry says he and Adam will have to become Hall & Oates and perform as them. He’ll be Hall and Adam will be Oates in order to put on a performance. No one will know it’s them. 

 

Bill is busy with Dolores now and Murray is feeling his absence. Meanwhile, Beverly is still bitter about Jane’s matchmaking. But just then Bill pops in and couldn’t seem happier. He smells good, looks good and is very upbeat. He invites Beverly and Murray to dinner with him and Dolores during which Beverly is determined to prove that Dolores is not the woman for Bill. She just wants to show that Jane is wrong and she’s right. While at dinner she attempts to find flaws in Dolores but is caught by surprise when Dolores shares that she is a big fan of Beverly’s cookbook and even asks her to sign it. Oh, and she doesn’t really like Jane either. That’s enough to win Beverly over who forgets all about sabotaging Dolores and Bill’s relationship. 

 

Barry and Adam show up at the telethon and Ren is so excited to see Hall & Oates perform. Erica realizes that Barry is up to something. Once Adam tells her the plan, she asks Barry not to go through with it. However, he refuses to believe her because she lied about the cheesesteak and he can’t trust that she’s not lying now. When Barry and Adam come up to perform they realize that they are both dressed up as Oates. Naturally, Ren is super pissed off at the mess and asks Barry to leave. He then blames Erica for the whole ordeal because she lied before. 

 

Back at the Goldbergs’ home Jane shows up angry and yells at Beverly for interfering with Dolores and Bill’s relationship. Apparently, Dolores broke up with Bill and everyone thinks Beverly is to blame. However, she confesses that while she was planning on doing that she actually likes Dolores and didn’t do anything. Murray fesses up and says he is the one that talked to Dolores and told her that Bill isn’t ready for another relationship. He says Bill went through so much heartbreak after his wife left that he didn’t want to see him hurt again. Bill leaves upset with Murray and says maybe he is meant to be alone.

 

Barry walks out of the telethon defeated, but Ren shows up to talk to him. Apparently, his and Adam’s stunt worked out for the better because people thought it was a goofy comedy act called Oates & Oates and ended up donating because of it. The next time around Ren asks Barry to just talk to her instead of jumping through all these hoops. He shares that Erica convinced him that Ren only kissed him because it was Spring Break and Ren tells him that Erica doesn’t know everything. She removes his mustache before kissing him. 

 

Beverly goes to speak with Murray and asks him what happened with Bill. He shares that he just wants to see Bill happy and doesn’t want to see him hurt. She points out though that not supporting him hurts even more. Murray really feels that Bill deserves all the good stuff, but when Beverly says that he should talk to his pal Murray claims they don’t talk speak to one another like that. Beverly says tells him maybe that shouldn’t be the case then. 

 

Murray surprises Bill by bringing Dolores back to him and finally opening up about how Bill is his one friend so he doesn’t want anything to change between them. Bill assures him that no woman will get in the way of their Sunday television. And this stands true because while he and Murray watch television, Dolores and Beverly go out for some shopping. 

 

Barry asks Erica if she is okay with him and Ren being together. She says she is and that they are two of her favorite people. 

 

In the end, the telethon is a success, even though Ren didn’t get anyone famous. Unbeknownst to Barry, though, a man in the room picks up a guitar and starts singing a Hall & Oates song–”Maneater.” What he doesn’t realize is that its the real John Oates.