The Goldbergs (season 8)

The eighth season of the American television comedy series The Goldbergs premiered with two back-to-back episodes on October 21, 2020.[1]

The Goldbergs
Season 8
Promotional Poster
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	October 21, 2020 – present
Season chronology

Cast

Main cast

• Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg
• Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg
• Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg
• Hayley Orrantia as Erica Goldberg
• Sam Lerner as Geoff Schwartz
• George Segal as Albert "Pops" Solomon
• Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg

Recurring

• Carrie Wampler as Ren[2]
• Matt Bush as Andy Cogan
• Noah Munck as Naked Rob
• Shayne Topp as Matt Bradley
• Sadie Stanley as Brea Bee
• Jessica St. Clair as Dolores

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title [3]	Directed by	Written by [4]	Original air date [3]	Prod. code [3]	US viewers (millions)
164	1	"Airplane!"	Eric Dean Seaton	David Guarascio	October 21, 2020	801	4.12[5]
A week before school starts again, Beverly makes a huge announcement to the family - she is flying them all to Miami for a family vacation! Geoff, Brea, and Ren are also invited to join the trip. While at the airport, however, Beverly reveals to Murray a huge secret : they are flying to Miami for a Bar Mitzvah in the family, but doesn't want to tell the kids because they know they will get mad at her. Barry and Ren try to get first-class seating after Barry finds out how rich Ren's parents are, but with two open seats available costing $5,000, it is actually Adam and Brea who get upgraded to first-class. Beverly subsequently reveals the secret to Geoff, who in turn tells Erica after she pressures him. On the plane, Erica, Barry, and Adam all chew out their mother and the plane is forced to take an emergency detour in Atlanta after Murray gets stuck in the lavatory. Beverly tells the kids that she is upset the kids keep skipping important family events and tricking them into going to Miami was the only way they would attend this Bar Mitzvah. The family later gets back on the plane and heads to Miami, where they enjoy a good time with their family. Meanwhile, Adam's nonstop jokes about the movie Airplane! annoy Brea, who keeps wanting to talk to Adam about something important. It is later revealed that Brea is forced to wear headgear but wants to hide it due to her popularity status.
165	2	"The Prettiest Boy in School"	Lew Schneider	Matt Roller	October 21, 2020	802	4.12[5]
Adam shows up for his senior year in school with contact lenses, a healthier complexion, new hairstyle, and the popular Brea on his arm. This endears him to the jocks and other popular kids but, to Adam’s dismay, makes him an outcast among his old nerd group. Adam makes multiple efforts to bring the two groups together, with all backfiring, until Glascott assures him there are so many things he can be that don’t align with either the jocks or the nerds. At home, Beverly enjoys smothering Erica and Barry for the last couple weeks before they return to college, until she sees how Ginny Kremp’s kids treat her with respect and Bev realizes her children are taking advantage of her.
166	3	"It's All About Comptrol"	Lew Schneider	Mike Sikowitz	October 28, 2020	803	3.66[6]
After a campaign visit from the candidate for Jenkintown Comptroller (Adhir Kalyan), who is running unopposed, Beverly decides she will run against him even though she has no idea what the position entails. She enlists Adam and the local yentas to run her campaign, which is a mass of fluff and lies. Pops asks Murray why he isn’t stopping Bev from her self-sabotage, with Murray replying he’s grown tired of his wife’s constant attempts to reinvent herself. As Erica and Barry return to college, Barry excites Geoff by discussing all the fun on-campus events for incoming freshmen, only for Geoff to learn that Erica has secured a place for them well off-campus. After Geoff constantly shows up late for events due to the commute, he breaks the news to Erica that he’d rather live on-campus with Barry.
167	4	"Bill's Wedding"	Christine Lakin	Teleplay by : Alex Barnow & Chris Bishop Story by : Mike Sikowitz	November 4, 2020	804	3.78[7]
Beverly interrupts the courthouse nuptials of Bill Lewis and his fiancée Dolores, convincing them she can plan a real wedding for them despite it having to be done in 24 hours so they can leave for their honeymoon in Tahiti. Bev enlists family and friends alike, but things quickly go awry, forcing her to begrudgingly ask her nemesis Jane Bales for help. Meanwhile, local psychic Karen English tells the Goldberg children that on the day of the wedding, a relationship for one couple will end. After seeing signs that both Adam’s and Erica’s significant others may drop the bomb on them, Barry thinks he and Ren are solid. However, he later learns that Ren reconnected with her old boyfriend and realized she still has feelings for him. On the wedding day, Bill gets cold feet due to fears that this marriage might end as badly as his first one did, but Murray talks him down by sharing how wonderful his marriage to Bev is. Bev overhears Murray, and smiles widely through her tears.
168	5	"Dee-Vorced"	Lew Schneider	Teleplay by : Bill Callahan Story by : Bill Callahan & Adam F. Goldberg	November 18, 2020	805	3.72[8]
Beverly becomes concerned when she secretly reads letters that Adam and Brea are writing to each other (the result of Murray angrily removing every phone in the house), especially when they bring up being married in the future. Bev shares her concerns with Vicki Bee, Brea's mother, and is taken aback to learn that Vicki is divorced. Thinking Brea, being a child of divorce, will hurt her schmoo if they get married, Bev sets out to sabotage the kids' relationship. Meanwhile, a newly-single Barry wants to reconnect with his JTP pals, only to learn that every one of them has a girlfriend and is too busy to partake in his proposed shenanigans. He leaves a series of fake breakup messages with each friend, but the JTP are wise to his schemes.
169	6	"Eracism"	Eric Dean Seaton	Peter Dirksen & Jonathan Howard	November 25, 2020	807	3.67[9]
After Adam watches Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, he gets a new perspective on racism, but thinks it's only confined to Brooklyn. Classmates Dave Kim and African American Brian Walls assure him that racism is prevalent in their own school, so Adam wants to do something about it. Glascott convinces him to make a film, but when the film's story completely misses the point, Adam realizes how sheltered his life has been. Elsewhere, Geoff is shocked when Erica backs into another car, but she and Barry refuse to leave a note. He returns to the car later to leave a note, only to have the car's owner pull an injury scam. This makes Geoff question his ultra-honest approach to life.
170	7	"Hanukkah On the Seas"	Jason Blount	Annie Mebane	December 2, 2020	806	3.94[10]
Murray's father Ben ("Pop Pop") says he's booked a cruise for the family for Hanukkah. When he says it's a cruise to "St. John's", the family assumes the ship is going to St. John in the Virgin Islands, and dresses accordingly. When they board, they learn they are on a cut-rate cruise to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Murray learns his father only booked the cruise to ask for money, including money to pay for the cruise itself. He later learns that Ben is worried about taking care of himself, and thinks he will need to pay for nursing assistance soon. Meanwhile, Barry, still reeling from his breakup with Ren, plans to find a new love on board the ship. He's disappointed when the young activities director seems to take a shine to Adam instead. In reality, the woman thinks Adam is younger than he is, and would be interested in some of the children's games. Adam lies to a dejected Barry, saying the director was only using himself to get to Barry. He then tells Barry that any romance with the director would only last the duration of the cruise, but assures him that he can be confident in finding love again. Meanwhile, Erica spends Hanukkah with Geoff's family, and learns they aren't nearly as perfect as she thought.
171	8	"Bevy's Big Murder Mystery Party"	Lew Schneider	Aaron Kaczander	January 13, 2021	808	3.83[11]
After watching the film Clue with Adam, Beverly invites the neighborhood for a murder mystery dinner party, with Adam serving as butler/host. Murray reluctantly agrees to be the dead body, but he gets impatient and reveals the who, with what and where, ruining the mystery. As the guests prepare to leave, Bill Lewis has an allergic reaction to eating a mushroom cap with crab meat in it, while Ginny Kremp notices her coat has been bedazzled. The guests suspect Bev engineered the latest "crimes" as a way to keep people from leaving, but the culprit turns out to be someone else. Elsewhere, Erica learns from her counselor that she's running out of time to declare a major. She briefly considers going into medicine like Barry, but a bad experience with a cadaver foot in anatomy class steers her away. Her reaction to the foot and subsequent fight with Barry gets both thrown out of the class. Erica later makes a case to the professor that she alone was at fault, and that Barry deserves a second chance. Barry is so impressed by how his sister handled the negotiation, he suggests that Erica would make a good lawyer.
172	9	"Cocoon"	Christine Lakin	Elizabeth Beckwith	January 27, 2021	809	3.37[12]
When Pops falls asleep during the movie Cocoon, which ironically is about elderly people recapturing their youth, Adam worries that his best friend no longer has the energy to enjoy life. After seeing Barry, Andy and Naked Rob taking a bodybuilding powder and displaying unusual pep, Adam thinks it might work for Pops. He asks Dr. Katz if the powder is safe. Katz says the ingredients will do no harm, but are basically useless, then explains the placebo effect to Adam. Nevertheless, Adam gives Pops some of the powder, and Pops responds with a rush of activity. Adam then worries that a renewed Pops may hurt himself, and he does suffer minor injuries when slipping off the high dive at his retirement community pool. Meanwhile, Bev is power suit shopping for Erica after learning she's going into pre-law, when she spots her cookbook in a bargain bin with a 99-cent price sticker. Annoyed, she confronts the publisher, who admits he stopped printing the book short of the 10,000 copies agreed upon in their contract. He then produces an addendum that Beverly appears to have signed, which states he has the right to cease printing at any time. Although first annoyed by Bev's request that she use her new "lawyering skills", Erica (with Murray's unwitting help) is able to produce evidence that the addendum was forged.
173	10	"Geoff's New Hat"	Lew Schneider	Langan Kingsley	February 3, 2021	810	3.24[13]
While shopping with Erica, Geoff decides to update his look with a new ivy-style cap, which gets him some attention on campus but earns the ire of Barry. Barry is also against Andy and Naked Rob making new fashion choices. Barry asks Erica to update his wardrobe with something awful so he can stick it to his JTP pals, but Erica's preppy outfit actually has the reverse effect. It turns out Barry's concerns over change is because Matt Bradley is out of town for work, and he fears the JTP will all be splitting up and going their separate ways soon. Meanwhile at home, Beverly tries to organize a game of Pictionary with Bill, Dolores, Adam and Brea, but Murray wants to watch TV rather than play the game. This irritates Bev as she sees Bill and Dolores being so passionate with each other. To win back Bev's affections, Murray installs a hot tub in the basement, but still wants to watch the basement TV while Bev uses it, making her even angrier. Murray finally joins the group for Pictionary, and sees that he and Bev make an excellent team because they know each other so well, unlike newlyweds Bill and Dolores who are still learning.
174	11	"Quaker Warden"	Vern Davidson	Erik Weiner	February 10, 2021	811	TBD
175	12	"The Lasagna You Deserve"	Eric Dean Seaton	Mike Sikowitz	February 24, 2021	812	TBD

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Goldbergs

No.	Title	Air date	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"Airplane!"	October 21, 2020	0.8	4.12[5]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2	"The Prettiest Boy in School"	October 21, 2020	0.8	4.12[5]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
3	"It's All About Comptrol"	October 28, 2020	0.7	3.66[6]	0.3	0.96	1.0	4.65[14]
4	"Bill's Wedding"	November 4, 2020	0.8	3.78[7]	0.3	0.94	1.1	4.72[15]
5	"Dee-Vorced"	November 18, 2020	0.7	3.72[8]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
6	"Eracism"	November 25, 2020	0.7	3.67[9]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
7	"Hanukkah On the Seas"	December 2, 2020	0.7	3.94[10]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
8	"Bevy's Big Murder Mystery Party"	January 13, 2021	0.7	3.83[11]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
9	"Cocoon"	January 27, 2021	0.6	3.37[12]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
10	"Geoff's New Hat"	February 3, 2021	0.6	3.24[13]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

References

1. Schwartz, Ryan. "FALL TV PREVIEW ABC Sets Conners, black-ish, Goldbergs, American Housewife Premiere Dates". TVLine. TVLine. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
2. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise. "'The Goldbergs': Carrie Wampler Joins ABC Comedy Series In Recasting". Deadline. Deadline. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
3. "Shows A-Z - goldbergs, the on abc". Retrieved January 14, 2021.
4. "The Goldbergs". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
5. Metcalf, Mitch (October 22, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.21.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
6. Metcalf, Mitch (October 29, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.28.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
7. Metcalf, Mitch (November 5, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.4.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
8. Metcalf, Mitch (November 19, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.18.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
9. Metcalf, Mitch (November 30, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.25.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
10. Metcalf, Mitch (December 4, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.2.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
11. Metcalf, Mitch (January 14, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.13.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
12. Metcalf, Mitch (January 28, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.27.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
13. Metcalf, Mitch (February 4, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.3.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
14. Thorne, Will (November 10, 2020). "Live+7 Ratings for Week of Oct. 26: 'This Is Us' Premiere Grows 86% to Top Delayed Charts". Variety. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
15. Thorne, Will (November 17, 2020). "Live+7 Ratings for Week of Nov. 2: 'The Good Doctor' Premiere Adds 4.5 Million Viewers". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2020.