Why I love Ghosts the most!

 

As you may well know by now, I can't stop talking (and thinking) about Ghosts! I had heard about it a while back, but I didn't think it would be something of interest to watch and I think I was immersed in Schitt's Creek or Ted Lasso, along with a few other favorite shows at the time. Sometime last year, a close friend was recommending it, but I was still hesitant to watch. Then I read Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca and enjoyed it so much that I decided to give Ghosts a try. And I'm SO glad I did!!! 

I binged through the first three seasons, as well as the first half of season four to get caught up to the new episodes that were starting up in late January. Then I told my husband that he had to watch and I binged them again with him. He's now finally caught up and we watched the season four finale together. He loves it as much as I do, but probably not to the same level of obsession that I'm at.  It's such a comfort show for me these days and even when it's not on or I'm not rewatching it, I'm still constantly thinking of it, especially while being immersed in all things about Ghosts on social media.

I've only seen the US version. People have told me they love the UK version, but I haven't brought myself to watch it yet. I'm just too invested in the US version. 

For those of you who love Ghosts as much as I do, there will be thoughts with spoilers below the trailer.

For those of you who don't know what Ghosts is about: 

Samantha inherits a mansion from a relative who recently died but had no other kin to pass it along to. She and her husband Jay go to check out the mansion, with the possibility of turning it into a bed and breakfast. However, there are ghosts living in the house and they don't like the idea of it becoming overcrowded by lots of guests. So they try to sabotage Sam and Jay's plans by showing how haunted the house really is. Except Sam gets injured as a result and when she returns from the hospital, she can see the ghosts. What comes out of that is Sam becoming a medium for the ghosts and trying to fulfill their requests and demands. They are always finding ways to cause chaos in her life, and it affects Jay too, even though he can't see them. I will leave it at that because I want you to watch it unfold the way I did, and you will definitely be surprised by how wonderful it all is.

Courtesy of Deadline

I didn't really know most of the actors going into this series. I had seen a couple on other shows, but I mainly knew Utkarsh Ambudkar, who plays Jay, as he's in everything. I also learned that he and Richie Moriarty, who plays Pete (the one dressed like a boy scout with an arrow through his neck) went to the same high school in Montgomery County, Maryland. Anyway, I love all these actors now and would be completely starstruck if I met them in person. 

Some reasons to watch Ghosts:

1. It's hilarious! I've laughed out loud many, many times in each episode and it's still just as funny on the rewatch. There were times I was laughing so hard I couldn't see straight! There are a lot of inside jokes. You have to watch from the beginning of the series because they refer back to earlier episodes and situations.

2. There is some history to be learned, but in a fun way. One of the ghosts is from the Revolutionary War era and he hates Hamilton (and I don't blame him after we learn why). There are a lot of Hamilton references, as a result. 

3. The ghosts are from a variety of eras ranging from thousands of years ago to the beginning of the 21st century. So there are somewhat modern pop culture references which have to be explained to the older ghosts. 

4. Sam and Jay's relationship. They're so sweet together. Jay puts up with so many ghost shenanigans because Sam just can't say no to them. 

5. Possessions... that's all I will say because you just have to see what happens!

6. The recurring side characters, both living and ghosts, who add to the conflicts, as well as the fun!

7. The diversity. There is LGBTQ, Jewish, African American, Native American, and Indian representation on the show. I'm sure other countries who do the show have different diversity groups represented, as well. 

8. The innuendoes. There's one for when ghosts are sent up to Heaven and another for when they are sent down to Hell (this has only happened to one ghost who earned that placement). There are also funny terms for other situations, as well. I don't want to spoil anything though!

9. The show just has a lot of heart and it's become a comfort series for me. I care not only about the ghosts, but also Sam and Jay. I love how everyone looks after each other. 

10. The costumes that the actors playing the ghosts get to wear. I especially love Hetty's gorgeous dress. Alberta's outfit is stunning too (even though Thor makes fun of her hat). 

If this hasn't convinced you to watch, check out a trailer from the first season.

Trailer:

Thoughts with SPOILERS:

First I want to talk about the characters. Then I will share some of my favorite episodes, along with some random thoughts.

When I first started the series, I had some favorite characters in mind. However, I love all the main characters so much that it's really hard to choose between them. This includes Sam and Jay. 

If I were to say there was an Alpha ghost, that position would go to Pete. I feel he has what it takes, including the advantage of one of the best ghost powers. He's also funny, optimistic, kind, supportive of the other ghosts (including finding Sass a girlfriend), intelligent, and likes geeky stuff (which aligns him well with Jay). His storylines have gotten me emotional the most, as well. And he has the most integrity. Plus, it's fun seeing his "bad" side (or at least Alberta appreciates it).  Pete is the one I'd want to go on vacation with, since he was a travel agent and all.

Courtesy of TV Fanatic

Flower reminds me of a cross between Phoebe from Friends and Alexis from Schitt's Creek, but also with her own flair. The fact that she died while stoned and is perpetually in this daze adds a lot to the humor of the show. She's also just adorable! I love how she will throw a curveball when you least expect it, like when she figured out what Trevor and Hetty were up to with tricking her into buying candles and she bought the Cutting Edge ice skates to use as a bargaining chip. I love seeing Flower and Thor as a couple and how she keeps Thor's anger in check while still allowing him to be himself. I was sad when I thought she got sucked off and felt like something was missing from the show during the episodes she wasn't on. Oh, and did she ever tell you about the time she robbed a bank? Flower is the one I'd want possessing me, as I think she would help me chill out a bit. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

When I first saw the attractive young guy dressed up like he was going into the office, sans pants, I had no idea he was also going to be Jewish. Bonus points there! Especially when he fits Yiddish words and Jewish references in whenever possible. Of course, Trevor is totally crushworthy! Who can blame Bela for falling for a dead guy who is reaching out to her on a dating app? Especially when he shares a picture with his dog. *Melt* And I definitely envy Hetty, but that's all I will say on that... Yeah, he acts like a womanizer and refers to himself as T-Money and manages to cause trouble every so often, like giving Sam and Jay's money to an online scammer. However, he has these vulnerable moments that you don't see coming and those are just the best! I still get teary-eyed thinking about his relationship with his dog. Trevor died too young to get the future he wanted and I feel sympathetic to him for that, as well. At least he made his legacy at work with his hero move! (Which explains the missing pants.) I also love that he's a father for real, even though he missed out on all that time in his daughter's life. He has a really cool ghost power: the ability to touch objects and press buttons. He can also touch living people, as we've learned from the episode with his brother. It's just amusing how it takes him so long to initially press a button but then somehow he can do the others really fast. 

Courtesy of Hollywood Life

Hetty definitely has a dominating personality in the mansion, considering it belongs to her family. Unfortunately, she has a philandering robber baron for a husband and even though he went down on her, he still finds ways to cause trouble. What I really love for Hetty is seeing her learn the ways of the modern world and adapt to them. She's more feminist than before and appreciates a good ride on a washing machine, now that she knows what it can do for her. Her main weakness is cocaine, if she could obtain any. She does have her dark secrets that have come out during the show: being connected to Alberta's death and causing her own death. Hetty is a mother and now that she doesn't have that connection to her son anymore, she keeps the other ghosts, along with Sam, in check. She's also manipulative when it suits her best interest. Hetty is definitely a force to be reckoned with and I just wish her ghost power came into play more than once a year. I also love when she possessed Jay. Too funny! She's the one I think I identify with the most.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Now we have our pizza loving, storytelling friend, Sasappis. Honestly, I felt like he was more in the background initially. He just seemed quieter in comparison to the other ghosts and his main focus was food. It took more time to really get to know Sass, but once his ghost power was revealed, he stood out a lot more. He's grown on me a lot more than I thought he would and I feel like the show would be missing something without him there. I've noticed that Sass loves love. It shows in the way he crushed on Shiki for so long and fell headfirst for Jessica (the car ghost) in a short period of time. He also tried to manifest a connection with a living girl through Jay's dreams (and ended up manifesting them with Jay's interests). I really like him with Joan though. They're both storytellers in their own ways. Sass comes off as naive, but also really wise. And I love his friendship with Thor, considering Thor was his first friend in the afterlife. He's also a really good singer, which I was pleasantly surprised about.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Speaking of Thor, short for Thorfinn...he's the gentle giant of the group. Just don't mention the Danes if you don't want him getting mad enough to short out all the electricity. (Or cut off your hand, if you're a ghost too.) Thor is definitely one of the funniest (and everyone is funny, so that's a step above) on the show. I love his therapy sessions with Sam speaking for him. And just how he talks in third person with broken English. (He is a Viking from the 1000s, after all.) Thor has softened his stance a lot, especially when it comes to Flower, but it hasn't taken away from how funny he is. I think he's definitely my husband's favorite (and my husband does a great impression of him too). He's just generally lovable but that doesn't dismiss all he's been through in the past, with being abandoned, killed by a lightning strike, and still stuck in purgatory over a thousand years. (Not that I want him getting sucked off though.)

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Saving Pony and Bangs for last (at least from the set of ghosts)!

Isaac (Pony) Higgintoot is a gem. He's the first ghost who really caught my interest when I started the series. Maybe it was due to his gay commentary on everything. I'm an LGBTQ+ ally and knowing that one of the ghosts was gay definitely won me over. I know it took him a bit to come out, and I was proud of him for being able to do so. (Even though the other ghosts pretty much suspected it anyway.) I especially love his friendship with Alberta (Bangs) and Hetty. I also love that he's an investor in Jay's restaurant, even though he was only just a tad difficult about everything when it came to decisions about how the restaurant should look. He also has the worst ghost power ever, but it does come in handy sometimes. His animosity toward Hamilton (the person and the musical) makes his story that much more entertaining. I especially loved the Ruffle Kerfuffle episode. Poor Isaac! He was in the room where it happened and he got kicked out. I didn't like his relationship with Nigel and maybe I'm in the minority here, but it was just full of strife for me. I know things didn't work out with Chris, but I hope that there could be potential for another gay ghost in the future. And maybe Isaac won't be so awkward this time. Finally, I love when he gasps over revelations. Especially his own!  Isaac is the one I'd want to be roommates with, provided no one walks through him.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

It took a while for me to get to know and appreciate Alberta, but she's so darn lovable! Her ghost power is pretty cool in that she can get livings to actually hear her. She was even able to talk to an Alexa (and she learned how Sam felt in the process). Her voice is heavenly (excuse the pun) and I love how she used it to send a sign to her great great niece. I actually cried when she did that. Even though Creepy Todd isn't the person she wants sharing her story with everyone, I have to agree with him that she's legendary and worth telling everyone about. I enjoy that she has learned Yiddish from Trevor and can explain to others what he is talking about. And I love that she's into Pete now and that they finally got together. I was so excited about this in the season finale that I was laughing and crying at the same time! It's sad that she was murdered by Hetty's son, but I'm glad she has closure about what happened and has been able to move on from it. Even though Thor doesn't like her hat, I think she looks fabulous and I love her entire outfit! I could see her playing Medda in Newsies (the musical). Alberta is the one I'd want haunting my house. I love hearing her sing!

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Now we've come to the livings.

I can't decide if I'm jealous of Sam or not. Like I think it would be fun and cool to have this connection with the ghosts at Woodstone. Maybe because I just love them so much. She also has an advantage because they can spy on people and tell her things. However, her ability to see and communicate with ghosts is also a curse. Like how she can't go to Starbucks because it was once an insane asylum or something like that. The ghosts also make demands like children, so it's like she became a mother to eight adults overnight and they don't know when to leave her alone. Like couldn't Isaac ask Thor to turn on the dinosaur light? 

I truly appreciate all Sam does for the ghosts but she needs to question their motives and think first before always jumping in to help them or believing everything they say to be the ultimate truth. She got burned by Stephanie when Tad arrived, because she blindly accepted what she said at face value instead of looking into things. She also believed Sass about the tree and tried educating someone who is actually Lenape about it. Not a good look, Sam! And since Jay is blindly going along with everything the ghosts want, she should cut him some slack. Sam also lies to Jay and the ghosts. She only really has a reason to lie to livings who don't know she can see ghosts or they'll think she's kooka-luka. (She comes off that way anyway when she stares off while the ghosts are talking to her or starts talking to them out loud when other people are around.) When she lies to Jay and the ghosts, she gets caught all the time and ends up looking stupid. I hated when she lied to Isaac about the book. I know it ended up working out in her favor in the end, but Isaac got hurt by the lie and it was actually insulting to his intelligence. And it also backfired when Trevor posted on social media. The other bad one was making Jay eat a sour ram testicle for Thor by lying to get out of doing it herself. 

Sam has a good kinship with the ghosts and is sensitive to them, which I appreciate. I love how kindly she handled things when she found out about Hetty's suicide. I also love how she helped Trevor connect with his daughter. 

Just for fun, here are some examples of stuff  Sam has done for the ghosts. My personal favorite is when she went to therapy for Thor. That was hilarious!

Jay's biggest vulnerability is Sam. He is such a loving husband to her and I'm glad she realizes how truly lucky she is. I think Kyle helped in that respect by talking about how it's hard to be in a relationship when you can see and talk to ghosts. I give Jay so much credit for not being able to see the ghosts (aside from Sass in his dreams) and thus being left out of conversations. It can't be easy to be in that situation and to have to trust Sam as the medium. I got annoyed when Sam told him to pay attention to Isaac's ruffle story when he couldn't see or hear him. He does a LOT for the ghosts and puts up with so many of their needs and demands, even to his own detriment. For example, I did not like how Flower tried to sabotage opening night at his restaurant over a fake meteor prediction. That was so unfair to him. I also hate that Elias pretended to be a publicist in order to take his soul. I really hope he will be okay and that this situation will be resolved. Even though Sam is the one who communicates with the ghosts, Jay is so important to the show in so many ways. I just think he should know by now that the ghosts can be anywhere in (or outside of) the mansion and he needs to be careful with what he says out loud.

Courtesy of ScreenRant

There are quite a few regular side characters I'd like to share my thoughts on. This won't be as long as my thoughts for the main characters, but I do have stuff to say!

Nancy: She was a fun surprise. We didn't see her amongst the basement ghosts until Pete needed a fake girlfriend. And then, voila! I thought she was going to be annoying at first, and she basically was, but I appreciated how she got Pete to stand up for himself and also how she "broke up" with him to help him save face. Since then, it's just been so much fun to have her around. Betsy Sodaro plays this role to perfection with her voice and mannerisms. She's just hilarious! I especially love how she gets mad at Stuart all the time. Best line: "Nice ankle, ya whore!" (Said to Hetty about a portrait where it showed her ankle.) 

Nigel: Contrary to how much everyone else loves Nigel and ships him with Isaac (even now that they're not together), he's not a favorite for me. I felt like he manipulated Isaac and I just wasn't fond of their relationship. It clearly spoke volumes when Isaac started thinking about Chris a lot. Anyway, what really turned me off about Nigel was that he was blackmailing Hetty and Trevor after he caught them canoodling. I just wanted him out of the mansion at that point. I was relieved when Isaac decided not to go through with marrying him. Also, I was really angry when he basically "stole" Chris right from under Isaac's nose and then Isaac had the grace to not make him feel bad about himself when Chris left. Best line: "We were on a respite!"

Carol: When Flower predicted Carol would die in Woodstone, we didn't expect it to actually happen. She makes quite an interesting ghost though and I wish she were around more often. I'm glad Pete is over her, especially after finding out that she cheated on him. I also appreciate that she helped Jay get out of the situation with the mafia. Carol may be a piece of work, but she's just so entertaining. Caroline Aaron plays the part so well too.

Elias: He is just awful. I don't even know what else to say about him, honestly. I'm glad he went down though. That's where he belongs. And I'm glad he's doomed to listen to "Tubthumping" all the time. If you read Haunted Ever After, Elias reminds me of the villain ghost. I could see him playing Pulitzer in Newsies (the musical).

Patience: She's a bit of a handful to have around, considering she thinks everyone is living in sin and her anger results in blood coming out of the wall. It was not nice what she did to Sam's dad and his girlfriend, even though it opened a line of communication between him and Sam. It's not like Sam could easily explain the blood on the wall without sounding cuckoo bananas (the ghosts watch Degrassi so they'll get what I mean there). However, I think she may be the key to taking down Elias and reversing the contract he has with Jay. Let's hope! Also, I love how she says her name in that menacing way.

Stephanie: She's a bit of a brat. I mean, it horribly sucks how she died, but she's just so mean to everyone all the time. I didn't like how she was bullying Sam in her first appearance on the show. She also made Sam and Jay look foolish in front of Tad. (Good thing that happened on 4/20.) However, I felt bad for her that Ralph was sucked off before they got a chance to really be together. 

Joan: I really like her as a partner for Sass. Her personality and moxie are great and she totally gives off the feel for the time period she lived during. It's funny how she has no patience for certain people, like Trevor and Sam. 

Bela: Jay's sister is probably one of my favorite side characters. She's a lot of fun and has a great personality. I love that she believes Sam about being able to see and talk to ghosts and that she supports her in that. I don't like Eric for her and I can tell she's not fully invested in that relationship. He's nice and all, but I feel like she needs a living version of Trevor or that she and Kyle should eventually get together. 

Notable guest appearances:

• Chip Zien as Trevor's Father (He was the Baker in Into the Woods; the same cast as Bernadette Peters.)
• Laraine Newman as Trevor's Mother (from old school Saturday Night Live)
• Drew Tarver as Micah (He was the lead on The Other Two, while Brandon Scott Jones was his best friend. He's now on Running Point.)
• Mark Linn Baker as Farnsby (Larry from Perfect Strangers)
• Nichole Sakura as Jessica, the car ghost (I recognized her from Maggie, but I heard she's on Superstore.)
• Allegra Edwards as Donna (She plays Ingrid on Upload.)
• Andrew Leeds as Eric (Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist. A Million Little Things. So many other shows.)
• Tara Reid as herself (American Pie)
• John Reynolds as Nico, the guy who thought Jay murdered Carol (Search Party. Four Weddings and a Funeral. A bunch of other shows.)
• Gideon Adlon as Abby (She is sisters with Odessa A'zion who plays Stephanie and Pamela Adlon is her mom.)
• Lindura as Ashley on It's Getting Hot in Here (Sydney on Sullivan's Crossing.)
• Rachael Harris as Sam's mom (Bit roles in almost too many shows to count!)
• Ben Feldman as Kyle (He's on Superstore too.)
• Sakina Jaffrey as Jay's mom (She played Mindy and Rishi's mom on The Mindy Project, which means she's been the mom to two of Utkarsh's characters. She's been in countless other shows and movies.)
• Rob Huebel as Ari, Trevor's "friend" (I recognize him from The Goldbergs and Sex Lives of College Girls.)
• Nat Faxon as Hamilton (I remember him from Friends from College, but I know he's been in a lot of other things I've seen.)
• Rose Abdoo as the director of Dumb Deaths (She's recently been on Hacks, but I have seen her in so many other shows. I loved her on Reboot.)
• Joe LoTruglio as the restaurant critic (I remember him best from Wet Hot American Summer and the TV series about that movie.)

Favorite episodes:

So many episodes have so many great things going on, so it's hard to choose from all of them. I did narrow it down a bit though!

Any of the episodes where someone gets possessed by a ghost. I'm eagerly awaiting more possessions in the upcoming seasons! I also love all the Halloween episodes. 

Pete's Wife (season 1): Just for the ending scene alone, but it was also a fun introduction to Carol.

Sam's Mom (season 1): The restaurant dialogue was hilarious. Especially when Sam is accusing her mom of lying so she can get sucked off but the waiter thinks Sam is talking to Jay. This episode also was the introduction to Nancy!

Jay's Sister (season 1): Introduction to Bela, and we got to see a different side to Trevor. 

Trevor's Pants (season 1): The story behind the hero move. 

Attic Girl (season 1): While Stephanie is a troublemaker, I did enjoy the ghost prom and the She's All That moment.

The Polterguest (season 3): This also had the dual bachelor parties, which were really the highlight of the episode. I also found the term for the poltergeist switching bodies to be hilarious. 

The Work Retreat (season 4): I was laughing so hard I couldn't see straight! I also love how Trevor became a legend for his hero move. I commented about this on an Instagram post and I've never seen a comment I've made get so many likes! This is where it is at as of posting time today:

Thorapy 2: Abandonment Issues (season 4): So many hilarious moments with the therapy sessions. I also loved how Pete went to find out about why Thor was abandoned.

The Bachelorette Party (season 4): I love how Alberta connected with Alicia through singing. I cried from that part. Plus, Sass as a country singer in Alicia's dream was perfection!

Stuff I wonder about:

If ghosts who died outside of the mansion can live in there, then why did they need to move Todd out of the mansion when he was potentially dying? If he died outside, he'd still have access. 

How was Flower able to shut the door to the vault if she can't physically touch anything? Even if it's not the same as the wall, it seems like it should be able to move unless a living touches it. 

If Trevor can physically touch people (like his brother with the ear thing), why does he need to possess someone to be with Bela? Or would that be weird if he didn't...

If Chris can roam because of his skydiving power, wouldn't he have the same issue as Pete with body parts disappearing if he's not back to home base within a certain amount of time? I doubt he has the amount of immunity that Joan does.

What is the criteria for getting sucked off? Not that I want the main (or even some side) ghosts getting sucked off anytime soon (it was hard enough when I thought Flower was gone for good), but it just seems so random. 

Finally, some social media pages I frequent that are connected to Ghosts:

The Sucked Off: Great group on Facebook where you can connect with other Ghosts fans.

Higgintoot Museum: Such a fun and creative page.

Official Ghosts account

Ghostscbsfans

Creative arts:

Legonillan: I love her Lego ghost creations

Hiitzbella: This girl is the same age as my youngest child and makes the cutest drawings of the ghosts

Figurine it Out With Les: She makes her own Funko pops of the ghosts

Pops I Wish Existed: I know this is AI art, but the pops they rendered of the ghosts are fun to look at

Furthest Thing from Unpleasant: Fun drawings and other stuff from the show

If you've made it this far, you're a fan like me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the show!

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

Mazel Tov to Everyone!

I submitted this essay to the On Being Jewish Now substack and for some unknown reason, they are not planning to publish it. Since it doesn't belong to them anymore, I am sharing it here, as I still want to put my Jewish joy experience out there. Just to show there are no hard feelings, I linked to the substack so that you can see other posts people have written and so that many more Jewish voices will be heard. For more Jewish Joy, check out the post at my Bookstagram from this past December.

This past summer, my husband and I went to an Orthodox wedding. We are Modern Orthodox and have been to weddings like this in the past, but this time it felt different. 

The kallah (bride) was the daughter of a family from our shul and her brother is close with my older son. I don’t really have any connection with her one way or the other, but I was really happy for her family. What I was not expecting was to cry at this wedding. Multiple times. 

I cried when I first saw the kallah, while she was sitting in what looked to be the shul’s social hall, with her mom and soon-to-be mother-in-law while waiting for her chatan (groom) to arrive. She was so beautiful and glowing with excitement. In contrast to the black skirt I wore with a black top adorned with a beaded purple flower, she was wearing a stunning white, long-sleeved bridal gown trimmed with lace and shimmery beads. Everyone was standing in a crowd to give her and her family good wishes. In the meantime, there were buffet lines of delicious Kosher meat items, such as ribs, chicken dumplings, steak, etc. This was well before dinner, but the appetizers were incredible. 

I cried during the badeken, when the chatan entered with all the other men to look at the kallah before covering her face with the veil. (This is a ritual that came about after Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel.) There was just so much ruach (excitement) and I am even getting teary-eyed again just thinking about it as I am writing this! It was a combination of the music, the men singing traditional Jewish wedding tunes in unison as they danced the chatan into the room, and even the memories of my own badeken over twenty years ago. (I recall laughing from joy at that time, while watching the men dancing my husband over to where I was sitting between my mom and mother-in-law, so that he could see me before lowering my veil.)

Here are some photos from our badeken. My late father-in-law is on my husband's right side and my dad is on the left, in the first picture. My mother-in-law is blessing my husband in the third picture.)

I cried during the ceremony, seeing the bride walk down the aisle and witnessing all the rituals that took place during that time, such as the kallah walking around the chatan seven times, a variety of family members and friends saying the sheva brachos (seven blessings), and the reading of the ketubah, amongst other standard wedding procedures. The chuppah was covered at the top and on the sides with pink and white flowers and some more traditional wedding music was being played by a small orchestra of string instruments as everyone walked down the aisle. The ceremony felt more spiritual and moving than it normally does at any given wedding. I was watching two people at the very start of their new life together during a tumultuous year, and seeing everyone rally around them.

I cried when everyone was dancing, women separate from men. Everyone was just so happy and lighthearted and we were all coming together for this simcha. There was so much love for the bride from her friends and it was just so beautiful to see. They were all treating her like royalty and celebrating her with so much ruach. I felt at that moment that I didn’t need to be close to the bride to be cheering her on and I didn’t need to personally know the women I was holding hands with while dancing in a circle. I need to preface this by saying that I normally don’t like dancing at simchas and didn’t even offer the opportunity for dancing at my son’s and daughter’s Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I just feel awkward when I’m dancing in a circle repeatedly at simchas. (I prefer events where my husband and I can dance together however we want.) I wasn’t even planning to dance at this wedding, but then the excitement just moved me to do so.

I cried because it was almost eight months since October 7th, but I was amongst a huge group of Jewish people who were there to experience joy and to show that this can not be taken away from us. We are strong. We are a community. We still care for one another. We still celebrate by wishing each other Mazel Tov, even if it’s not our wedding and we’re not related to anyone in the wedding party. We will continue to have simchas.We will continue to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We will prevail no matter what!

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

My Daughter's Bat Mitzvah

Last month, my daughter had her Bat Mitzvah. We had a party to celebrate her coming of age and she made a speech about her parsha (Torah portion) at the celebration. She totally slayed it and made it even more interesting with her theatrical personality. It was a really nice celebration and I look back upon it fondly. My older son provided the entertainment with the improv troupe he started at his high school. That was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed it. 

As tradition would have it, I made a top ten list for her during my speech, just like I did for her older and middle brothers. I'm not waiting until her thirteenth birthday to share this, as it's not until early next year.

1. She loves to read. I’m thankful to have kids who enjoy reading. She and I have a lot of similar tastes in books and I am more than happy to share novels that I loved when I was growing up. And I know we're going to "fight" over who gets to read Dahlia Adler's new book first. :) (Side note: I ended up reading it first.)

2. She’s really funny. I’m sure she picks up a lot of humorous bits from her siblings and from Jeff, but she definitely makes me laugh a lot, especially when she adds her own twists to what she already knows is funny.

3. She’s smart and does well in school. While middle school is a new experience for her with lots more homework, she has been getting As consistently throughout her first year there. 

4. She’s a great conversationalist. She always wants to “converse” with me and loves asking questions, which ends up leading to more questions.

5. She likes to draw and is really good at it! When I was her age, I had this big pad of paper on my desk and I would draw on it all the time, as well as in my school notebooks. She is the same way and she likes sharing her artwork with me. She also likes drawing inside everyone’s greeting cards. (Her Zadie inspired that.)

6. She has a strong moral compass and it’s important to her that people behave ethically. 

7. She is kind and loyal to all her friends. Friendship is important to her and she never wants to jeopardize that. 

8. She loves musical theater. I enjoy taking her to see shows and then hearing her sing the songs from her favorite musicals. She did Imagination Stage camp last summer and had a blast and she’s excited to go back again in a couple weeks. 

9. She still wants to spend time with us. If you knew me at 12, I was not that way with my parents and usually kept to myself. (Sorry, Mom and Dad.) However, she always wants to have quality family time and she also loves our mom-and-daughter days out. (Especially if it means going to Bath and Body Works and getting Starbucks.)

10. She is one of the sweetest and most genuine people I know. If everyone had her personality and attitude, the world would be a much better and happier place to live in. 

I want to wish Mazel Tov to M. You are an amazing daughter and I am so lucky and thankful to be your Eema. I know you have a lot of great things coming to you in life and I can’t wait to see what those will be!

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

The Goldbergs-Season 8 with SPOILERS

Courtesy of The Goldbergs Wiki

I'm keeping up my tradition of mentioning my top 10 favorite episodes of the most recent season. I am looking forward to season NINE! I worry that they're going to run out of references soon. Like I said last year, I hope they'll feature Can't Buy Me Love, Adventures in Babysitting, and maybe some other lesser-known classics like Moving Violations in the next season. Grease 2 is fair game, as well! (I know I'm repeating last year's post, but they still haven't covered these movies.) UHF would be another fun one to do.

Synopses courtesy of IMDb. 

1. Episode 1: Airplane!
Beverly surprises the family with an end-of-summer vacation to Miami; Geoff accidentally spills to Erica the real reason for the trip.

Airplane! is one of my favorite comedy films and I love how they paid homage to it. 


2. Episode 7: Hanukkah on the Seas
Pops surprises the family with an ill-advised winter cruise to Canada; Erica stirs up holiday trouble at home.

It's about Hanukkah. Need I say more? 

3. Episode 9: Cocoon
Beverly enlists Erica's help to sue her cookbook publisher after finding her book in the bargain bin at a bookstore; Adam and Pops bond while taking a trip on the wild side.

Pops was such a great character. RIP George Segal. Check out the tribute they did for him.

4. Episode 13: Mr. Ships Ahoy
Beverly is thrilled to have co-workers for the first time and sets out to make them all love her; Geoff competes in a beauty pageant to prove to Erica that he can be seen as desirable by other women.

5. Episode 14: Love Triangle
As Adam's girlfriend, Brea, heads to visit her cousin at the University of Virginia, Beverly projects her own insecurity onto Adam, convincing him to make a grand gesture to prevent Brea from choosing UVA for college.

I love how Barry and Joanne join forces in this episode. It's so funny to watch them together.

6. Episode 18: The Dating Game
Erica goes on a date with a guy from the coffee shop, while Geoff ends up on an episode of "The Dating Game"; Beverly is thrilled to learn that Murray has spontaneously purchased a shore house.

Geoff was really funny on The Dating Game! I also love how Beverly was trying to pretend the beach house was better than it actually was. 

7. Episode 19: Daddy Daughter Day 2

Following Erica and Geoff's breakup, Murray decides to take Erica out on a daddy-daughter date to cheer her up. Meanwhile, Adam is excited to participate in the school senior prank until his conscience catches up with him and he enlists Beverly's help to get him out of it.

While working on this post, I realized that I somehow missed this episode. That was remedied and I'm glad I finally saw it. So cute and funny!

8. Episode 20: Poker Night
In order to take her mind off of her heartbreak, Erica takes a trip to to see her best friend; after getting caught taking part in an underground poker game, Adam gets sentenced to Pop-Pop duty, which turns out better than expected.

I loved seeing Lainey again!

9. Episode 21: Alligator Schwartz
Erica fears that Geoff has moved on from their breakup and started dating someone else. Meanwhile, Adam decides to find Dave Kim a date to prom, once he remembers his pact with Dave that they won't go to prom if they both don't have dates.

The Paula Hogan mix-up was great! 

10. Episode 22: The Proposal
Geoff shares with the JTP that he is planning on asking Erica to marry him and gives them the engagement ring for safekeeping. Like any good romantic comedy, several miscommunications and misunderstandings between Geoff and Erica's friends and family result in a potential derailing of the proposal, forcing Adam to step in to keep the couple's special moment alive.

Such a sweet and fun episode. I also loved the huge misunderstanding.

Book Review: The Assignment

This week, Jewish people all over the world observed Tisha B'Av, which is a day of mourning. It is the day we remember the destruction of both Temples that once stood in Jerusalem as well as a number of other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the course of history. (Description courtesy of My Jewish Learning.) So it's fitting that I recently read Liza Wiemer's sophomore novel, The Assignment. Based on the synopsis, you will see why.

SENIOR YEAR. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand.

As the school administration addressed the teens' refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well. The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

About five years ago, I read Liza Wiemer's debut novel and was extremely impressed by it. So waiting this long for her to publish another one took a lot of patience from my end. I just wanted her to mass-produce books right away! I can confidently say for the record that The Assignment was well worth the wait.

The assignment itself was horrifying and the fact that two non-Jewish students were appalled by it gives me hope for their generation, as well as future ones. This was based on a real situation, which is written about in the author's note. Seeing what Logan and Cade had to put up with in hopes of getting the assignment cancelled was equally horrifying. It's similar to stuff that happens in real life, as well. The fact that a lot of comments people made were antisemitic was even more disheartening. Liza puts a lot of emotional impact into her story without making it sappy. She even presents the teacher's side at times. I also liked that there was focus on Logan and Cade's friendship and other characters got to share their perspectives, as well.

The story is educational for anyone who isn't familiar with what happened during the Holocaust by now. I think it should be included in school curriculum, whether it is for an English class or a history class. There is so much material to discuss and Liza leaves some things open ended, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. It's perfect for book clubs, as well. And if you have a teenager in the house, be sure to get this into their hands as soon as it publishes. If you think a preteen could handle it, let them read it too!

I definitely recommend this novel as it is insightful and thought-provoking. It will make you feel things and you might even want to have some tissues handy.

Movie casting suggestions:
Logan: Alexis G. Zall
Cade: Noah Lomax
Mr. Bartley: Tom Hiddleston
Mason: Jake Brennan
Heather: Harley Graham
Daniel: Jamie Kaye
Kerrianne: Jade Pettyjohn
Reggie: Christian Martyn

Thanks to Delacorte Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Decades of Laughter: The Goldbergs (Season 7) and Schooled (Season 2)

The Goldbergs (Season 7)

Courtesy of Wikipedia

I'm keeping up my tradition of mentioning my top 10 favorite episodes of the most recent season. I am looking forward to season EIGHT! I worry that they're going to run out of references soon. Like I said last year, I hope they'll feature Can't Buy Me Love, Adventures in Babysitting, and maybe some other lesser-known classics like Moving Violations in the next season. Grease 2 is fair game, as well!

After you check out my favorites for this season, keep reading for my thoughts on Schooled.







1. Episode 3: Food in a Geoffy
When a job for Geoff Schwartz's new food delivery service goes awry, it's up to Murray and Geoff to race all over Jenkintown in search of an important cheesesteak; a handful of local customers are anything but helpful.
This episode has actors from Cheers.

2. Episode 5: Parents Thursday
While at school, Erica attempts to fool Beverly into thinking parents weekend has been rescheduled; Adam joins the school production of "Romeo and Juliet."
I love anything involving Adam doing theater.

3. Episode 6: A 100% True Ghost Story
Beverly scores a bargain on four paintings, but something supernatural is causing them to be destroyed; Barry decides to throw a huge "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-themed party against Erica's wishes.
If you don't know why I liked this episode, then do you really know me?

4. Episode 10: It's a Wonderful Life
Hoping to outdo the Kremp family, Beverly decides the Goldbergs must do an even better family holiday card; a prank war with Barry and JTP quickly spirals out of control.

5. Episode 12: Game Night
Geoff struggles to keep his living arrangement with Erica and Barry a secret from Beverly during game night; Adam goes to his guidance teacher for a lesson in being cool so he can get closer to a new girl in chemistry class.
I just remember the game night parts being really funny. This is also the first time we meet Brea Bee (I later saw the same actress on Dead to Me). And Anthony Michael Hall is the cool guidance counselor!

6. Episode 15: Dave Kim's Party
A big party is being thrown at Dave Kim's house and Pops has a plan to make Adam cool for the big event; Beverly's cookbook has made her "famous," leading her to become out of control and fame hungry.

7. Episode 16: Body Swap
Adam is torn between following Beverly's rules when it comes to off-campus lunch or going to the food court with his friends; after using Barry's college ID to get food at the dorm, Geoff becomes the "student" Barry wishes he could be.

8. Episode 17: A Fish Story
Adam and Murray don't want to go on a camping trip, so father and son create a film faking it; Erica joins an all-girl a cappella group and learns an important lesson after taking over the group.
I always enjoy when Erica sings. She has a great voice. Also, "The Molly Singwalds." 

9. Episode 18: Schmoopie's Big Adventure
Beverly buys a bicycle for Adam just like the one from Pee Wee's Big Adventure; Barry and Erica turn Murray's furniture store into an after-hours lounge for college students.
It brought back fond memories of Pee Wee's Big Adventure for me.

10. Episode 21: Oates & Oates
While throwing a telethon at their college, Barry attempts to woo Ren by promising to get Hall and Oates to perform; Beverly attempts to set Bill up, but things go awry when he finds happiness with a woman he meets through Beverly's enemy.
One of the funniest scenes ever is in this episode. I could not stop laughing! Hall & Oates even liked my tweet where I said that my older son thought they were a cereal.

Schooled (Season 2)

Courtesy of IMDb

I loved watching Schooled over the past year or so and was so disappointed to find out that it was cancelled. I literally yelled "NOOOO!" when I read the unfortunate news. It was such a funny series and since I went to high school in the nineties, I could totally relate to all the pop culture references. The only thing I wouldn't have minded less of was all the arguments between Coach Mellor and Julie.

I'm sharing my top 10 favorite episodes of this past (and last) season.

1. Episode 3: The Rudy-ing of Toby Murphy
After watching the classic film "Rudy" in C.B.'s class, a student wants to play football; Principal Glascott suggests Lainey find a girlfriend to give her advice on life, so she tries to befriend Wilma.

2. Episode 4: Kick Like a Girl
Hoping to improve the football team's chances at winning the title, Mellor and Glascott recruit star soccer player Felicia to kick field goals; CB chaperones an overnight ski trip and hopes to get in some quality time with Lainey.
I loved the potential for CB and Lainey in this episode.

3. Episode 7: Hakuna Matata
Lainey is asked to direct another school musical, but she is unsure if she can top herself after the success of last year's show; Coach Mellor's athletic records may soon be broken, so he must find a way to keep his name in the spotlight.
The Lion King. Enough said.

4. Episode 10: Beanie Babies
CB hopes getting Lainey a Beanie Baby for Christmas will show his true feelings for her, but it doesn't go as planned; Principal Glascott tries to convince Felicia that she needs to participate in a Kwanza play he has written.

5. Episode 11: Boy Bands
Wilma encourages Ronnie to pursue his dreams of being in a boy band but goes too far when a music video gets out for William Penn to see; the school hires Aunt Julie as the nurse, which quickly affects her relationship with Coach Mellor.

6. Episode 13: Titanic Love
Lainey has a realization about CB; Principal Glascott uses the season's bad football team to teach Coach Mellor how to be both a good winner and a good loser.

7. Episode 15: Moving On
Wilma steps in to help CB move on from Lainey with help from Coach Mellor; Lainey learns she has unresolved issues from her past when mentoring a student.
I got teary-eyed from this episode.

8. Episode 16: Rock Star
While preparing students for the school's show choir, Lainey realizes Wilma might be a better singer than her and gets competitive; Coach Mellor and Aunt Julie fight over how to parent Toby.
I liked it mainly for the parts about Lainey and Wilma.

9. Episode 20: CB Saves the Planet
CB is smitten with environmental consultant Paloma, who was hired to oversee William Penn's Earth Day activities; Wilma gets a surprise after convincing Lainey that yearbook superlatives are not important.

10. Episode 21: Clueless
Lainey has a difficult choice regarding her relationship with Barry and her friendship with CB; Coach Mellor and Julie are put in a tough parenting position when Toby is invited to prom as a freshman by a senior.
It paid homage to one of my favorite nineties films. What's not to love?!?

If you watched either or both series, what were your favorite episodes this past year?

Unorthodox: Thoughts on the TV series and book

Courtesy of The Daily Nexus

So...my husband and I binge-watched Unorthodox this past weekend. There were only four episodes, so it wasn't hard to do, but we really wish there were more. Since the series is loosely based on the 2012 memoir by Deborah Feldman (reviewed below the trailer), there are so many places the story could go if a second season were to be filmed. Having said that, we really enjoyed this show. Esty's new life was shown balanced against flashbacks from the time leading up to her marriage to the time she decided to escape. I read Exodus, the follow-up to Unorthodox, a long time ago, but it was nowhere near as interesting as what the writers of this show dreamed up for Esty. I loved her group of friends from the music school and how they brought her into their fold and supported her. I liked that they gave her mom a bigger role, as well as a backstory. I even liked seeing Yanky and his cousin wandering around Berlin looking for Esty.

There are some ways in which the show is similar to the book. Like Devorah, Esty was raised by her grandparents, as her mom had left (we don't get told why in the book) and her dad wasn't able to raise her on his own (in the book, he has a developmental delay, on the show he is an alcoholic). The scene where she goes to meet her future mother-in-law is similar to the book, as well. They also talk about her difficulty with consummating her marriage. She is also sheltered in regards to knowing about sex. (In the book, there's a part where her grandma gets mad at her for asking about the word "virgin" on a bottle of virgin olive oil.) I like that the writers included a lot of details about Jewish rituals on this show. My husband and I agreed that they did a great job with it.

As with the book, I felt overwhelmed by Esty's life in Williamsburg. It seems strange for me to say that with growing up Jewish and having relatives who are frum, but I felt claustrophobic for Esty at her wedding and during the Passover Seder. Her husband told his family about their difficulty consummating the marriage, so everyone was in her business about it, which was so awkward and uncomfortable to even think about!

I really liked the use of music on this show. The pieces that were performed elevated the intensity of the story in some ways. There was such a passion for music, whether it was instrumental or vocal. It made me sad for Esty when she was told she couldn't take piano lessons anymore. It was something she really enjoyed. While I am a wife and mother, I appreciate being able to have interests of my own too. I am also glad to share those interests with my family. I love that I passed my enthusiasm for reading onto my kids, and now my husband is getting back into it, as well.

Overall, this is a great (limited) series and I would really like to see it continue. Shira Haas was delightful to watch as Esty. She really did well in this role.

Check out the trailer:



Book Review (originally posted at Chick Lit Central in 2012):

For those of you who don’t know much about me yet, you may want to read this blog post (be prepared, it’s long) about my transition from a secular lifestyle to one of a Modern Orthodox Jew. I still do a lot of secular things, mind you, but there are also things I don’t do anymore. For instance, I don’t use technology (computer, phone, television, etc.) from Friday night to Saturday night, in observance of Shabbat (the same applies during Yom Tov holidays, like Passover, Rosh Hashanah, etc., which usually go for two days, unless they are connected to Shabbat at one end or the other). That’s why I’m never online. I also don’t wear shorts, even in the summer (I wear jeans, pedal pushers, or skirts). And for two weeks a month, I do not so much as even hold hands with my husband. Those of you who think my lifestyle is restrictive may not want to read Unorthodox. The level of restrictions Deborah Feldman describes being raised with would be sure to cause eyes to pop out of their heads. However, if you have an open mind and are interested in reading about one aspect of a widely diverse religion, I highly recommend this book.

Since becoming more observant with Judaism was a choice for me, I find it hard to judge people who are more observant than I am. Parts of my family are frum (highly observant with many rules pertaining to keeping Kosher, observing Shabbat and holidays, modesty, etc.) and I respect their beliefs, even if I could never see myself wearing a shaitel (wig) and long sleeves all year long (especially on 90-100 degree--Fahrenheit--summer days). I respect anyone who has strong faith and does what they feel is important to them to show this faith. As long as they are not using it to hurt or oppress someone else, who am I to judge? Also, coming from a less “restrictive” secular lifestyle during which I watched Saturday morning cartoons and ate cheeseburgers at McDonald's, I am not one to tell a Satmar Hasid how to live their life. I would never fit into their lifestyle and don’t plan to. Especially if it meant I wasn’t allowed to read my books!

Deborah Feldman makes a strong case for herself as to why she decided to reject her roots. She starts off by describing her childhood and takes us up to the time she left everyone behind for a secular lifestyle. I don’t think she was ever meant to be Hasidic to begin with. As they say in the song “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast, “It’s a pity and a sin, she doesn’t quite fit in.” Deborah knew she didn’t fit in right away and her aunts, uncles and cousins made this clear to her from the start. They thought something was wrong with her because her mom left to become secular and her dad was basically a child in a grown man’s body. While most girls her age sat quietly in school and did what they were told, Deborah was sent to the principal’s office many times for one rebellious behavior or another. She also smuggled secular books into her house and hid them where she thought her Zeidy wouldn’t look during Passover cleaning.

As she grew older, she tried her best to fit into the life she was given. She made friends and participated in all the Sabbath and holiday rituals. She even helped her Bubby cook. Still, she found ways to stand out, which made finding her a proper shidduch (marriage match) that much harder. When she was finally paired off, she eagerly participated in the excitement leading up to her wedding day, which included giving and receiving gifts on the holidays, graciously taking her part in the spotlight during the pre-wedding ceremonies, setting up a home for herself and her soon-to-be chasan (husband) and taking kallah (bride) classes, which culminated in going to the mikvah prior to marriage. However, her wedding night was a different story. Deborah goes into a lot of intimate detail about what happens in her bedroom, which may be comfortable for some and cause others to squirm. Being as sheltered as she was, with a lack of sex education up until her kallah classes, she had no clue on how to consummate her marriage and this cluelessness led to a very difficult first year for her husband and herself. To top it off, her family (including her in-laws) knows what happened (or didn’t happen) in the bedroom and this adds to her shame and embarrassment. If only she had smuggled Judy Blume books instead of Little Women, she might have been more prepared for what was to occur on her wedding night and beyond.

I liked all the parts where she describes all the traditions for Shabbat and holidays, as well as wedding rituals. Even though I understood what was going on, I still felt as though I had an outsider's view into another way of life. While most of the events in this memoir took place between the 1990s and 2010, it felt like I was dropped into the time period of Fiddler on the Roof. Although Khaled Hosseini's novels are fictional, while reading Unorthodox, I got the same feelings of nervous trepidation that I did while reading The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. I kept thinking the whole time: "Oh, this can't be good." I don't know why I would dread what was waiting around the corner for Deborah, but perhaps the book's synopsis built me up to that level of anxiety.

I know the book cover and summary both imply what happens as Deborah gets older, as it mentions her giving birth to a son and how she eventually leaves her family behind for what she feels is a better life. And honestly, I don’t blame her for doing so! It was clear from the beginning that she was not meant to have this lifestyle, no matter how hard she tried to fit in, as it was her best bet for survival at the time. When she realizes there’s more to life than what she has experienced and tries to fit into the secular world, there’s still a lot in store for her. It’s not easy to transition from a sheltered life to one without rules and customs. I would have liked to know more details about her adjustment into this world and any setbacks she may have had. I also wanted to know if she kept up with any Jewish traditions after she became more secular. She just sums everything up in an epilogue, not really giving the full picture. It makes me wonder if she’ll write another book eventually, as she is an incredibly engaging writer.

Aside from some of the “gory” details, I really enjoyed getting to know Deborah and even saw pieces of myself in her. I was glad I had the opportunity to read Unorthodox (thanks to receiving it as a birthday gift) and would definitely recommend it to anyone who can handle reading about a lifestyle very much different from their own, without becoming judgmental. Reading this memoir made me realize how important it is to raise my children in a positive and fulfilling way, even while keeping to the rules we have embraced. If religion is crammed down ones' throat in a negative fashion, there could be more individuals who decide to become secular and the traditions and customs could eventually die out. It's important to have certain traditions and customs that will carry on for many more generations, but there's no reason they can't be made enjoyable.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Decades of Laughter: The Goldbergs (Season 6) and Schooled (Season 1)

The Goldbergs

Courtesy of Amazon

I've been a fan of The Goldbergs ever since I started watching season one (and then had to binge watch to catch up to the latest season). My son and I even went as Beverly and Adam for Purim this past spring! So I am keeping up my tradition of mentioning my top 10 favorite episodes of the season. I already am excited for season SEVEN! I hope they'll feature Can't Buy Me Love, Adventures in Babysitting, and maybe some other lesser-known classics like Moving Violations.

Me and my shmoopie

After you check out my favorites for this season, keep reading for my thoughts on Schooled, the spin-off series.

Episode 3: Rad!
Erica's dreams come true when she lands a job at the new karaoke bar in town; Erica turns to Beverly for help bringing in more customers; Murray tries to teach Barry and Lainey how to be financially responsible adults.
Two words: Rick Springfield

Episode 6: Fiddler
Murray becomes an overzealous stage parent when he learns Adam has no interest in the school production of Fiddler on the Roof. Meanwhile, Beverly can't seem to keep from interfering with Erica's latest career plan.

Episode 7: Bohemian Rap City
Adam's obsession with toys and the Nickelodeon Super Toy Run contest is cause for concern for Beverly and Murray. Erica has a falling out with Lainey over who gets to sing Bohemian Rhapsody on their audition tape for Star Search.



Episode 11: The Wedding Singer
Beverly is in her element as she prepares for Barry and Lainey's wedding; Geoff worries about Adam's shortcomings as a wedding videographer; Barry begins to have second thoughts.
I love how they incorporated clips from The Wedding Singer.

Episode 15: My Valentine Boy
With Geoff's help, Erica and Valley Erica find a new band member to replace Lainey; Barry convinces Geoff the new band member is trying to steal Erica from him; Adam and Murray each plot to get out of going to Valentine's Day dinner with Beverly.
I learned after watching it that Evan Dando from The Lemonheads was the guy in their band. 

Episode 16: There Can Be Only One Highlander Club
Despite Beverly wanting the two boys to bond, Adam and Johnny Atkins compete for the head of the Highlander Club at school; Barry tries to ensure that the JTP doesn't fall out of touch after high school.

Episode 17: Our Perfect Strangers
Erica, Barry and Adam are not happy when their distant relative Gleb visits from Russia, until they realize he can make their lives easier; Beverly starts working on her cookbook, which causes tension with the Frentas.

Episode 19: Eight-bit Goldbergs
Adam is thrilled when he has to design his own video game for school; Beverly is worried about Pops' gambling and ropes Bill Lewis into her latest scheme.

Episode 22: Mom Trumps Willow
After Adam decides to see "Willow" instead of spending Mother's Day with Beverly, he must find a way to get back into her good graces; Barry is tired of his status as middle child and fights Erica for his right to the college of his choice.
I now tease my kids by saying "I'm done" if they're rude to me. 

Episode 23: Breakin'
Adam unintentionally lets it slip that Barry never completed his community service requirement; Erica makes plans for her and Geoff to follow the Grateful Dead all summer; the JTP graduates from high school.
I love how they used the end of this episode to lead into the season finale of Schooled.

Schooled

Courtesy of Amazon

Schooled originally started out as this one episode about William Penn Academy in the 90's, with just Mr. Glascott (now the principal) and Coach Mellor being featured. They focused on Glascott's sister and his nieces. I believe Beverly had a cameo. It was cute enough, but was too concerned about teachers making a difference. The only part I really liked was Felicia's sister singing a Backstreet Boys song and everyone joining in.

Then they revamped it as a new series, starring A.J. Michalka reprising her role as Lainey Lewis. And it totally worked! I can't even choose a favorite episode because it wasn't on for a full season and ALL of them were really good. It was a fun look at 90's nostalgia with some appearances by characters from The Goldbergs. It got me to actually like Brett Dier (I'm not a fan of Michael from Jane the Virgin, but seeing him as C.B. changed that for me a bit. I like him better as C.B. though, and definitely without facial hair.) I like how they interview teachers and former students at the end of each episode. I am hoping that they can tone down the sappiness a bit going forward. The show doesn't have to be sappy to get the message across. We know all teachers are there to make a difference, so it doesn't need to be said all that much. Having said that, I'm excited that it will be back for a second season and I hope they can keep the momentum going.

A few things I really liked:
*The "Romy and Michele" episode. There were a lot of characters from The Goldbergs on that one.
*The JTP coming back together.
*The way Coach Mellor took over as the mathletes coach
*RENT!!! (Even though they wouldn't have rights to perform RENT back then, it was fun to watch them try.)
*Johnny Atkins as the janitor
*Glascott trying to hack e-mails
*One of the kids singing an Alanis Morissette song in a talent show
*Beverly trying to help out with an overbearing parent
*The theme song and the way they use the yearbook to go along with it.

Check out the trailer for Schooled: