The Goldbergs
Season 2 Episode 21: “As You Wish”
Directed by David Katzenberg
Written by Alex Barnow
Created by Adam F. Goldberg
Starring Wendi McLendon-Covey, Hayley Orrantia, Sean Giambrone , Jeff Garlin, George Segal
ABC
Air Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015, 8:30pm

The Goldbergs have often tackled iconic ’80s pop culture references. Adam (Sean Giambrone) and Pops (George Segal) re-enacted Ghostbusters, and earlier this season he and big brother Barry (Troy Gentile) were a New Kids on the Block cover band. On the latest episode of the show, “As You Wish,” yet another ’80s classic gets The Goldbergs treatment: The Princess Bride.

Sword fighting with cardboard wrapping paper rolls is getting old. Adam and friends need real swords for his fan-film version of Rob Reiner’s classic film. The problem: his safety crazed mother Beverly (Wendi McClendon-Covey). The solution: his starved-for-an-athletic-son father Murray (Jeff Garlin). The trick? Convince Dad that he wants to start fencing to bond and thus get real swords. Problem for Adam: he actually has to fence now!

Meanwhile, as usual, Bev’s tendencies to NOT stay out of the business of others leads to embarrassment for her kids. As the head of the local Yenta network, Beverly feels it’s her mission to be the town matchmaker. This leads to her hooking up school gym teacher Rick (Bryan Callen) with music teacher Miss Cinoman (Ana Gasteyer) over a lovely wine and cheese platter. Barry and Erica (Hayley Orrantia) are front and center as this, like many Bev scams, temporarily blows up in everyone’s face.

As Adam’s failures at fencing leads Murray to uncover his plan, Adam has to man up and decides to take a crack at fencing one more time. After all, he has the greatest teacher of all; not Pops or Murray”¦ but Inigo Montoya”¦ you can probably guess a certain line that gets repeated”¦ and if not, seriously go now and watch The Princess Bride!

The wonderful thing about The Goldbergs is that it’s, above all else, about a family who truly love each other. Murray is the hard-working no-nonsense Dad who always says “no.” But the hopes of bonding with Adam lead him play a “GIANT” role in Adam’s movie. This episode and the show in general, like The Princess Bride, continuously makes me smile.

The Goldbergs return with a new episode next Wednesday night at 8:30pm ET on ABC.

Video

The Goldbergs 2×21 Promo “As You Wish” (HD)

The Goldbergs 2×21 “As You Wish” – Murray is excited when Adam tells him he wants to play a sport at school. That is until he finds out it’s fencing. After quitting his first match, Adam confesses his real intention “” to recreate his favorite scene from “The Princess Bride” “” and makes Murray furious.