The Goldbergs Season 6, Episode 6 recap: Fiddler on the Roof

This week on The Goldbergs, Murray forces Adam to go out for the lead role in the school play. Erica figures out a new career path, but Beverly struggles with her daughter’s new plan.

It was 1980-something and Adam was still obsessed with school theater. That is, until he figured out the next play at school would be Fiddler on the Roof. Despite his disinterest, Murray turns into the theater version of a sports dad. The matter worsens when Adam doesn’t get the lead role so Murray intervenes. Adam later finds out why the school production meant so much to his father.

The episode of The Goldbergs, titled “Fiddler,” also centers on Erica’s newfound career goals. After learning that Geoff may soon leave the area to go to a distant college, she doesn’t want to be left behind. When new information arises, Erica believes she has a good chance at a new career but it would take her across the country. Beverly can’t imagine Erica leaving so she does everything in her power to make sure it can’t happen.

Top of the roster

The music teacher announces that Fiddler on the Roof will be the school’s next theatre production. Everyone is excited except for Adam who reacts with a “meh.” He claims that he won’t even audition for a role but Murray intervenes and tells him not only will he try out but he better get the lead role. To prepare for the audition, Murray gives Adam a big Russian coat. When Barry sees how his dad is acting towards Adam, he wants the same attention of the overzealous sports dad.

Adam goes to the music teacher and asks if he can have a role that only has a few lines. He later learns that he got the small role he wanted but then Murray arrives at the school to see his son’s name at the top of the roster. Another boy named Matt got the lead in the play so Murray vows to make the young boy crack so the lead could go to Adam. Murray’s method of cracking Matt includes attending all rehearsals and heckling from the seats. To get him to spot, the music teacher makes Adam the understudy of Matt’s. Murray sees it as one step closer to taking over the role.

Geoff the genius

Beverly and Erica are helping Geoff practice for his SATs. He gets an incredibly high score and Erica realizes that he might be a genius. Geoff dreams of going to UCLA but Erica realizes that means he will leave her behind and never look back. She comes up with a plan to get Geoff to tank the SATs so he is forced to stay in the area with her. It’s the same situation with what Beverly did to Erica when she took her SATs so she finds the old flashcards with fake vocabulary words.

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Erica uses Beverly’s old flashcards to teach him fake SAT words. Beverly realizes what Erica’s doing and she can’t sit back and watch it happen. Erica confesses that she tried to make him tank so that Geoff won’t leave her. Instead of getting mad, Geoff figure Erica must really love him to do something like that so he invites her to come to California with him. Beverly reluctantly gives her blessing but turns to Pops hoping he will tell Erica not to leave. The plan backfires because Pops reveals that they have family in LA including a cousin who works in advertising. The cousin might be able to get Erica a job involving jingles so she now has a new career path.

Sports theatre dads

Murray isn’t the only theatre dad attending rehearsals. Matt’s dad (played by Brian Baumgartner aka Kevin from The Office) shows up and the two act like intense sports dads. They each root for their sons to take the lead role then start arguing as if on the sideline of a game. All of the distraction and drama that Murray is causing makes Adam realize that his dad ruined his dream of theatre. Murray thinks he was just trying to help his son but now Adam hates all musicals.

To make Adam understand why he was acting like an intense theatre dad, Murray shows him a home movie. The video is a school play of Fiddler on the Roof with Murray in the lead role. Murray’s dad loved the play and it was the first time Murray felt like his father was proud of him. Murray wanted to share that same feeling with Adam in a way to try to connect. In the end, the two attend the school production as audience members so they can truly appreciate Fiddler on the Roof.

Rapplepop

Erica makes an audition tape of herself performing all sorts of jingles. Beverly claims that she got bad news from cousin Marcy and that they can’t listen to jingles to existing products. Beverly gives Erica a list of (very fake) new products including butt grease ointment, fish juice, and year-round eggnog. Erica takes on the challenge and makes jingles for the products. The jingles are surprisingly good and even dedicates them to Beverly since she is so touched her mother would help her with her new career. Beverly can’t keep the secret anymore and reveals that she made the products up and she still doesn’t want Erica to leave. Unfortunately, Erica already sent them to Marcy and now her hope that Beverly changed is gone.

Beverly talks to Marcy about the whole situation and fake products. The advertising office actually loved the bold stunt. Erica is still too mad that her own mother sabotaged her once again. Beverly knows that she has a problem when it comes to the thought of her children leaving her. As an apology, Beverly makes a batch of flashcards with new fake cards. The words, like “rapplepop,” are defined to share love and forgiveness. Beverly also gives Erica her full support so that her daughter can go after any career path she wants.

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