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Recap / The Goldbergs S 5 E 14 Hail Barry

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A Plot: Inspired by cable TV channels like QVC, Beverly wants to take the next step in her Bevolution and hawk her "BevWear". With an unusually supportive Murray encouraging her, Bev creates a number of gaudy, bedazzled jean jackets, but is later depressed after QVC rejects them. Murray insists he can sell them at the furniture store and later brings Bev a wad of cash. But Bev soon learns the truth when a rep from the Goodwill store returns the jackets to the house.

B Plot: With Bev tied up starting BevWear, Barry tries out for the William Penn football team, something his mom would never allow if she was her usual smothering self. Despite his attempts to impress Coach Mellor and Assistant Coach Fast (guest star Mike Quick), Barry is terrible and relegated to bench duty. Encouraged by Adam, Barry still finds a way to help the team, getting them fired up for a game with his rewrite of the Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle".


  • 10-Minute Retirement: After proving that he can't take a single tackle despite wanting to be the team's star, and Coach Mellor won't give him a main position just for his musical talent, Barry chooses to quit instead of stay on the bench. However, when the next game comes around and an early lead for their opponents makes the team despondent, he rallies them with his song rewrite and decides that supporting from the bench is still an important role.
  • The Cameo: In addition to Mike Quick's appearance, Eagles radio announcer Merrill Reese plays the school's play-by-play announcer.
  • Dedication: This episode was dedicated to the Philadelphia Eagles, who had won Super Bowl LII a few weeks prior to the episode's original broadcast.
  • Miles Gloriosus: Barry is convinced that he's a star player before he even tries out for the team, asking Coach Mellor to draft an impossible play in which Barry both throws and catches a game-winning touchdown. When Barry does try out, a single tackle makes him loudly complain that he's gone unconscious, and yet he still doesn't accept being a mere benchwarmer.
  • "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer: The Tag is dedicated to showing that BevWear is inspired by an actual ugly jean jacket that the real Beverly took from her son Barry and customized, sewing on things such as a glove for a "Michael Jackson" look and a pillow on the back.
  • Real-Person Cameo: The real JTP (Barry Goldberg, Geoff Schwartz, Rob Smith, Andy Cogan, and Matt Bradley) made cameo appearances at the end of the episode, playing against their show counterparts in the JTP Bowl. The real Beverly also shows up in The Tag to explain the origin of BevWear.
  • Rousing Speech: Realizing that one of these occurs in every sports movie he sees, Adam attempts to give Barry one during his 10-Minute Retirement, which does motivate him...though not without a few insults directed at Adam's scrawniness.
  • Rummage Sale Reject: BevWear is bad enough, with sewn-on doilies and pockets only on the back, that it's rejected by charity.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Beverly is absolutely heartbroken after her "Bevoltion" seems to stop so quickly with the failure of BevWear, but Murray convinces her that she's just getting started, and that he plans to support her as much as he can to repay her for all the kindness she showed him when he first started selling furniture.

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