The Goldbergs season 6, episode 4 recap: Hersheypark

This week on The Goldbergs, Adam heads to Hersheypark for a school trip but is worried to bring Beverly along as a chaperone. At the career fair, Geoff realizes he might not want to follow in his father’s footsteps.

It was 1980-something and for any kid, field trips were the highlight of the school year. As Adam and his friends start to get excited about their upcoming trip to Hersheypark, they remind him about Beverly always chaperoning their trips. Now that he’s older, he feels like his mom should no longer tag along so he devises a plan to get her to stay home on The Goldbergs.

The episode of The Goldbergs, titled “Hersheypark,” also focuses on the career fair going on for the senior class. Geoff starts to question his career path which results in a few changes to his personality. The new thinking causes a rift between him and his father since Mr. Schwartz always thought his son would take over the business. As Geoff thinks over his new options, he comes to a new conclusion about his future.

Chocolate Wars

Since Adam could remember, his mother served as a chaperone on all of his school field trips. Now that Adam’s class is going to Hersheypark, he doesn’t want her to come along. In order to get her to stay home, he must come up with a lie. Adam tells Beverly that Hersheypark is closed because of the current “Chocolate Wars” going on between the various candy companies. As his friends watch in disbelief, he successfully convinces her that the trip is off.

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Beverly goes to a PTA meeting only to find that it was bumped because there is a meeting for the upcoming trip. The parents of Adam’s friends break it to her that the “Chocolate Wars” isn’t real and that her son lied to her so she couldn’t chaperone. Beverly tells Coach Mellor to put her down as a chaperone and figures out another way to get back at her son.

Career night

The school is hosting their annual career fair. Even Erica is there with her own rock star booth to sell t-shirts and get free dinner. Geoff is helping at his dad’s booth since he’s there to promote himself as an eye doctor. Geoff doesn’t necessarily enjoy talking about eyes as it sort of grosses him out. Murray is also there and tries to hire Geoff as an intern at his furniture store.

The conversation worked because Geoff is next seen moving furniture around in Murray’s store. Since eyes freak him out, Murray convinces him that maybe he needs a new career path. Barry has been shadowing Mr. Schwartz and the two walk into the store.

Mr. Schwartz thinks his son is betraying him by not following his path as a doctor. Geoff reveals that it was actually Murray’s advice but Murray doesn’t want to get involved in the argument.

Art of manipulation

Beverly writes Adam a “guilt letter,” which she uses every time one of her children disappoint her. After Adam gets the letter (with the mom tears), he apologizes to her and agrees to let her go on the field trip. The parents of Adam’s friends are so impressed that they want Beverly to teach them her ways. She agrees to give them all her secrets so they too can get back in their kid’s lives.

In her lesson of the “art of manipulation,” Beverly teaches the group about the guilt letter. She called the opening line the most important because it’s the guilt grabber. They must use their own spiteful voice to make it work. She also highlights that they should single out their kid as ungrateful by touching on specifics.

The new Geoff

Mr. Schwartz needs his apprentice and continues complaining to Barry about Geoff’s latest decision. He doesn’t even realize that Barry would be a perfect fit as an apprentice, at least not yet. Geoff doesn’t want to be the doormat anymore so he steals Barry’s Gatorgum and calls himself the “new Geoff.” The JTP thinks he’s the leader of the group now. Barry tries to get Erica to intervene but she finds this version of Geoff more attractive.

Geoff gets into a fight with the JTP when he refuses to clean up after gym class. He eventually curses out Coach Mellor and is sent to the principal’s office which is so unlike him. For some reason, they contact Murray instead of Mr. Schwartz. Geoff thinks it’s Murray’s responsibility since he was the one who told Geoff to change his future. All Geoff wants is someone to tell him it’s okay to be himself.

Murray eventually goes to Mr. Schwartz and tells him as parents, they can’t plan their children’s life.  Murray knows Geoff will do good in life no matter what he decides to do and Mr. Schwartz shares the same about Barry. The new Geoff is gone and he’s back to his normal self. Erica assures him that even she doesn’t know what she wants to do in life but it’s important to follow your heart. Mr. Schwartz comes to talk to his son and shares that he will support Geoff in whatever he decides–as long as it’s not furniture sales.

Chocolate Town, USA

All of the friend’s parents (including Beverly) are on the field trip as chaperones. To make matters worse, they are basically stalking the kids everywhere they go in the park. The kids realize they all let their parents come because they received guilt letters.

Adam instantly knows that Beverly was responsible for the letter idea. It turns out, the parents all copied Beverly’s letter instead of writing their own.

For a taste of their own guilt, the kid’s write their parents their own version of a guilt letter. The letter includes that there will be no chocolate consumption rules while in Chocolate Town, USA. Beverly and Adam go on the SooperDooperLooper, an insane roller coaster at Hersheypark (trust me, it’s real and I’ve been on it).

They start to talk about the letters and years of manipulation until they both freak out during the ride and blackout in one of the most hilarious scenes in the history of The Goldbergs. After the ride, Beverly tells Adam that she’s sad that he doesn’t share anything about his life anymore. He promises to communicate better if she cuts back a bit.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Would you use the guilt letter? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

New episodes of The Goldbergs air Wednesday nights on ABC at 8/7c.