The Goldbergs – "Cowboy Country" Retrospective. Walk Like a Man.

Season 2, Episode 12

Air Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2015, 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“Barry get the camera; Adam’s being Adam.” – Erica

Becoming a Man.

Realizing he’s a late bloomer, Adam (Sean Giambrone) decides to take action in an effort to speed up his puberty process. Hilariousness ensues when Adam tries to over compensate for his manhood to impress his girlfriend Dana (Natalie Alyn Lind) in “Cowboy Country,” an entertaining Valentine’s Day themed episode of The Goldbergs.

Maybe it’s suppressed memories or denial but I don’t remember my puberty phase. Sure I had my awkward moments but looking back, I can’t think of a time when I’ve ever said, “That was because of puberty.” Considering the series is based on Adam’s real life experiences, I can only imagine how funny the writers’ meetings are when they’re coming up with the scenes where Adam confesses awkward stories from his childhood. As is evident from the home movies that run during the end credits, Adam isn’t shy about self-deprecating humor.

Much like Erica (Hayley Orrantia), I have a difficult time wrapping my head around Barry (Troy Gentile) and Lainey’s (AJ Michalka) relationship. Maybe it’s my single guy attitude as Valentine’s Day approaches or perhaps it’s because Lainey is way out of Barry’s league, but something seems off to me. I enjoy the exchange of glances and hints that something more is brewing but now that Barry and Lainey are in a full blown relationship, I almost wish things would go back to the way they were in season one.

Meeting of the Fathers.

Comedian David Koechner guest stars as Lainey’s father, Bill Lewis. I’ve always found Koechner to be annoying rather than funny. I think, however, that’s what the writers are going for when Bill and Murray (Jeff Garlin) find themselves on opposing sides when it comes to sports team loyalties. While Koechner isn’t my first choice to play Lainey’s father, it’s fun seeing Murray interact with someone outside the family, which doesn’t happen enough.

I both love and hate Barry’s explosive personality. Both Gentile and the writers usually do a good job of finding the right balance between being silly and not going too far over the top. While it’s entertaining to watch Barry have one of his classic meltdowns, I know if I ever “Hulked out” in front of my dad, as Barry does in “Cowboy Country,” I wouldn’t be able to sit for a week. Even though the scene is a tad over the top for my taste, I enjoy Murray’s approach to parenting.

Barry: “Do you even listen when I talk?”

Murray: “I get the gist of it; say no a lot. I make it work.”

Barry: “I’m cool with that.”

I still can't believe they are a couple.

Happy couple.

I couldn’t help laughing when Adam picks up the Buns of Steel video. Having sold over a million copies on VHS, Buns of Steel was most likely found in almost every homemaker’s video collection, including my mother. Whether it was ever opened and used is a totally different story. This is one of the reasons I enjoy The Goldbergs so much; little things – like a VHS tape – always bring back memories of my childhood.

“Cowboy Country” has several amusing one-liner jabs, mostly at Adam’s expense, and while it’s a Valentine’s Day episode, it doesn’t feel excessively gushy. As much as I hate to admit it, our little Adam is growing up.

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

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.