Viewers of ABCs The Goldbergs were curious to see how the sitcom would navigate Jeff Garlin’s exit. The actor, who starred in the series as family patriarch Murray Goldberg, left during season nine after complaints about his behavior on set. The Season 10 Premiere, titled If you build it, aired this Wednesday, quickly addressing what viewers thought. As a camera moved to Murray’s now-empty favorite recliner, narrator Patton Oswalt could be heard:
“That year there was one change that made everything stop. Just a few months ago, out of nowhere, we lost my father. We will always love you, Dad. Always. And we will find a way to move forward together. After all, we are the Goldbergs.”
As one can conclude from the title of the episode, there is a Field of dreams storyline in which Adam (Sean Giambrone) convinces Barry (Troy Gentile) that a mysterious voice is telling him to build a Wiffle ball field in their yard. Before that, Adam comically tells his grandfather Pop-Pop (Judd Hirsch) that he hasn’t finished the film yet and that it’s about baseball and corn, so the film’s themes of loss, hope, and reconnecting with a dead father elude him. That is, until Barry’s friends inform Adam.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunners Alex Barnow and Chris Bishop discussed the season’s sentimental premiere.
“Field of Dreams is like the ultimate second chance to reconnect with someone who is no longer around, and whether that relationship is fraught or not, you take the people in your life for granted when they are here. Then when they are gone, you wish you had a second chance to address those relationships. We tried really hard to get the needle in emotionally,” Barnow said. “Last year we really lost George Segal and it touched all of us personally and we wanted last year’s premiere to be a tribute to him, first of all, and also the character. It was rawer and it was real. Losing not the person, but losing the character in a season premiere just required a more delicate touch in a way. In the sense that we wanted to honor this character, but the actor wasn’t dead. So we wanted to use something that I think was an important movie for a lot of people growing up in the ’80s. It was a chance not to make it so sad. Building the field in the backyard got a chance to be funny and silly, but all to have that kind of sweet memory at the end.”
Following the death of his character in the series, Garlin took to Instagram to reveal that he struggles with bipolar disorder. He never mentioned the show, but due to the timing of the post, many wondered if this was in response to his troubles on set.
The Goldbergs Moving forward
While the series has struggled in recent years with Segal’s death and Garlin’s exit, the showrunners shared positive news about the future of The Goldbergs:
“Everyone is incredibly excited to do this. We’ve got to the point where everyone feels happy. No show lasts 10 years. I think everyone appreciates what we have and I think the legacy at this point is 200 episodes in total.” It’s such a big part of our lives I really enjoy what we do I think the cast enjoys what they do I know the crew is incredibly excited about it Like every family, every company that It’s been 10 years, there are highs and lows. It’s a very long season. But I have to say that my conversations with Wendi and the rest of the cast have been very positive and grateful for everything we have,” said Barnow.
The Goldbergs starring Giambrone, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Gentile, Hayley Orrantia, Sam Lerner, Oswalt and Hirsch. It airs on Wednesdays on ABC.