The Goldbergs – “Big Orange” Recap. Fortress of Solitude.

Season 3, Episode 23

Air Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“I’m so lucky I’m a boy; I woke up like this.” – Barry

Beverly and Lainey, an unlikely alliance.

Like Linus’ blanket, Barry’s (Troy Gentile) Philadelphia Flyers shirt, aptly referred to as “Big Orange,” is his security blanket. He’s worn it during all of his fondest memories. While Barry considers it his favorite shirt, Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and girlfriend Lainey (AJ Michalka) despise the shirt because of how ragged it is.

Beverly: “He looks like an angry Cheez-It.”

Lainey: “It’s like I’m dating a glass of Tang.”

Even though Beverly and Lainey buy Barry a whole new wardrobe, it doesn’t persuade him to give up his favorite shirt, forcing Beverly and Lainey to form an unlikely alliance to get rid of the shirt. It isn’t long before Big Orange is mysteriously destroyed in the laundry so Barry enlists Adam (Sean Giambrone) and Erica (Hayley Orrantia) to help find out whether it was accidental or deliberate.

When it comes to comedy, almost anything is fair game but the writers of The Goldbergs commit a faux pas with “Big Orange.” There’s nothing entertaining about messing with a guy’s favorite shirt. OK, maybe it is funny. I admit, I’ve had a couple of favorite shirts throughout the years. Most recently, it was a navy blue sweatshirt that had ‘USA’ in big letters across the front. The sweatshirt appeared normal from a distance but up close, you could literally see through it from being worn so much.

Beverly and Lainey are entertaining as they try to manipulate Barry into changing up his wardrobe. At times, you almost forget Lainey is Barry’s girlfriend and not Beverly’s daughter. The changing room scene, when Barry tries on an endless number of outfits, is hilarious and brings back all sorts of memories of my mother making me do the same thing. While Beverly’s use of language has been a running joke on The Goldbergs, I doubt I was the only one caught off guard by her comment to Lainey after they purchase a new big orange shirt for Barry. I wonder whether McLendon-Covey delivered the line as written or if she improvised.

You are never too old for a treehouse.

Meanwhile, Murray (Jeff Garlin) unexpectedly decides Adam’s treehouse is unsafe and must be taken down. Murray’s sudden involvement might have something to do with Adam’s feet dangling high off the ground after falling through the rotting treehouse floor.

Seeing Adam’s treehouse brought back fond memories of the treehouse my childhood friend Brian had in his back yard. We would spend hours playing in it until we eventually got too big to use it. As kids, it was an impenetrable fortress but looking back, I realize it was a deathtrap or, at the very least, a tetanus shot waiting to happen.

Adam’s treehouse has appeared a few times on The Goldbergs, usually involving storylines with Adam’s former girlfriend Dana (Natalie Alyn Lind). With Dana gone, “Big Orange” appears to set up a heartwarming coming-of-age tale with Adam coming to terms with his treehouse being demolished. Instead, the focus shifts to the “Goldberg gang mystery,” which connects to Barry’s storyline, bringing everything full circle.

“Big Orange” isn’t my favorite episode of The Goldbergs although it does have its moments. At times, the episode gets a little too silly for my taste and lacks the heartfelt turning point I’ve come to expect from the series. While the montage of scenes of Barry wearing the Flyers’ big orange shirt provides a fun trip down memory lane, it isn’t enough to tug at the heartstrings. It would have been nice had director David Katzenburg used the same technique for Adam and the treehouse.

In a touching gesture, the end clip, which usually features actual Goldberg home movies, is used to pay tribute to Ed Snider, the well-loved and respected chairman of the company that owned the Philadelphia Flyers. Snider died last month from bladder cancer.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Big Orange.”

Tune in to The Goldbergs Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c, only on ABC.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.