Plot; A young man uses his family's new video camera to document their daily life in the 1980s.
Though set smack dab in the middle of the 80s, this first episode is far from being a 22 minute nostalgic love letter or fan service. Where the time and place mattered and affected the characters and their stories in The Wonder Years--to which The Goldbergs was undoubtedly compared to when it debuted--here it's more window dressing. Perhaps that's inevitable considering the political and cultural tumult of the 60s, but The Goldbergs doesn't seem interested in exploring those alleyways. Not yet, at least. Whereas The Wonder Years was a dramedy with an emphasis on the former, The Goldbergs is dramedy with a substantial focus on the latter. It's more about navigating the every day dysfunction of family life. Characters yell and fight but we never once doubt their love for one another. It's all safe, and there's nothing wrong with that. With rock-solid veterans like Jeff Garlin, Wendi McLendon-Covey and George Segal supplemented by a talented young cast, it delivers enough laughs and knowing nods to satisfy.
Though set smack dab in the middle of the 80s, this first episode is far from being a 22 minute nostalgic love letter or fan service. Where the time and place mattered and affected the characters and their stories in The Wonder Years--to which The Goldbergs was undoubtedly compared to when it debuted--here it's more window dressing. Perhaps that's inevitable considering the political and cultural tumult of the 60s, but The Goldbergs doesn't seem interested in exploring those alleyways. Not yet, at least. Whereas The Wonder Years was a dramedy with an emphasis on the former, The Goldbergs is dramedy with a substantial focus on the latter. It's more about navigating the every day dysfunction of family life. Characters yell and fight but we never once doubt their love for one another. It's all safe, and there's nothing wrong with that. With rock-solid veterans like Jeff Garlin, Wendi McLendon-Covey and George Segal supplemented by a talented young cast, it delivers enough laughs and knowing nods to satisfy.