The Goldbergs Made a Mistake By Killing Off Murray Goldberg - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 10-01-2022, 05:19 AM

https://popculturereferences.com/the...rray-goldberg/

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In a new feature noting when shows make mistakes with their plot direction, Brian explains why it was a bad idea to kill off Murray Goldberg

Today, I explain (again) my disappointment with how The Goldbergs handled Murray Goldberg.

This is “Could Have Been Better,” a new feature where I will point out plot decisions by shows that I think could and should have been avoided. This is different from some of my features about actively BAD plot ideas, as these aren’t really necessarily BAD, just I think that they, you know, could have been better.

This won’t come as much of a surprise, as I already did another feature during the Summer stating that they SHOULDN’T do this BEFORE they did it, but now that it is done, let me note again that I think that The Goldbergs made a mistake in killing off Murray Goldberg in the Season 10 premiere.

In case you missed it last year, Jeff Garlin and The Goldbergs came to a mutual agreement that Garlin would leave the series after a bunch of HR complaints (Garlin had long been vocal about how much he didn’t like doing the show, so it sounds very much like it truly was a mutual decision – they were sick of his behind the scenes antics and he wanted to be done with the show years ago. His antics weren’t THAT bad, but he actively refused to ever change his behavior, so when you just continue the same behavior that people constantly complain about, it builds up, even if no one single act was all THAT egregious).

The show used CGI and some general “Murray is on a work trip” to deal with Garlin missing the final ten episodes of last season (which, yes, obviously SHOULD have been the last season of the show from a creative standpoint, but it wasn’t, so let’s move on), but in the Season 10 premiere, they handled Garlin’s departure by killing off Murray. I know it sucks to work in a new actor this late in a show’s run, but killing off Murray was not a good idea. It changes the dynamic of the show too much. The show already lost Pops when his actor, George Segal, tragically passed away, but obviously a grandfather dying is a WHOLE lot different than the father dying on a show. Already, the show has been geared more around Beverly Goldberg, but that doesn’t work if Beverly is mourning her dead husband. Plus, there are a number of regular characters who are there specifically because of their connection to Murray, like David Koechner’s Bill (Murray’s best friend), Cedric Yarbrough’s Vic (Murray’s other best friend and employee at his furniture store) and Richard Kind’s Formica Mike (Murray’s business partner at the furniture store). The should have just recast (I even did a bit of five examples of good actors who they could have used).

The show did a fast-forward over the grief of Murray’s loss (while in turn skipping over most of the pregnancy of the oldest daughter, Erica), and they moved Judd Hirsch’s Pop-Pop (Murray’s father) into the house to give them a sort of cranky substitute for Murray’s grouchiness. David Koechner’s character just hangs around the house like he used to, despite his best friend being dead and him being newly married. Because, again, none of this makes any sense. The show will appear to lean into Tim Meadows’ John Glascott character (who moved next door to the Goldbergs last season after being the school guidance counselor for years and one of the stars of the short-lived spinoff series, Grounded) as Beverly Goldberg’s companion, and, well, if this IS the route you’re going, then fair enough, but in general, it just doesn’t work. It’s too much grief for a wacky sitcom.

When you add in the fact that the show has done MULTIPLE recasts (Hisrch, for instance, is a recast as Pop-Pop) and it just doesn’t make sense to have what could be the final season of The Goldbergs be either filled with grief, or filled with an inexplicable LACK of grief (“Oh yeah, dad died a couple of months ago, that was sad, oh, but did you see the new Ghostbusters?!” It doesn’t work!).

It’s too late now, but boy, they made a mistake here.

TMC · 10-06-2022, 06:01 PM

I really don't have a problem with them killing Murray off. The real Murray Goldberg, although it actually happened a couple of decades later, is actually now deceased.

I don't know if simply recasting at this point would be that simple because Jeff Garlin, whether you like it or not, is so entrenched as Murray Goldberg that any other actor would inevitably be compared to him. I don't think that TV series can just get away with recasting a main or major character so late into its run.

And comparing Pop-Pop (and suggesting that the show already has some precedent with recasting) and the change from Paul Sorvino to Judd Hirsch is kind of apples and oranges. You can't just compare a singular, at the time, an early, one-off guest shot (for which Paul Sorvino's role on The Goldbergs at the time) to just recasting one of the main characters by its eighth season or beyond.

Jeff Garlin really put the production in a rock and a hard place with his horrible behavior. I mean it would've been absolutely absurd and credibility stretching to try to come up with new excuses for why Murray isn't around or present. There was a brief time after Garlin officially left the series, that they tried to cover Murray's absence by simply saying that he's out of town on business.

Wawwie · 10-06-2022, 06:43 PM

IMO, they made a bigger mistake from the beginning by making Eric into the fictitious sister, Erica.

Lorimar Television · 10-17-2022, 01:16 AM

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Originally Posted by Wawwie

IMO, they made a bigger mistake from the beginning by making Eric into the fictitious sister, Erica.

It provides more variety of stories by having a female in the mix

Wawwie · 10-17-2022, 12:23 PM

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Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

It provides more variety of stories by having a female in the mix

Maybe, but it's supposed to be based on the true life of the Goldberg family that had no sister/daughter. Personally, I would rather see Barry, Adam and Eric (not a fake Erica.) I didn't like that. It came off as very phony to me especially since in a few episodes a family photo is shown excluding Eric and some that actually included Eric. I find it insulting, but that's just me. If I had a brother who loosely based his TV show on everyone in the family except for me I'd be extremally insulted especially with being replaced by a fake sibling of the opposite sex.

Edward216 · 11-20-2022, 02:55 AM

I wholeheartedly agree, and I haven't watched it since I found out they fired Jeff Garlin. I know he did some dumb stuff but killing Murray off the show has ruined it for me and I can't and I won't watch it anymore. I understand the reasoning behind it obviously, and this is just my opinion. Sigh, it seems like my favorite sitcoms get ruined all the time.

Ed.

Edward216 · 11-20-2022, 03:05 AM

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Originally Posted by Wawwie

Maybe, but it's supposed to be based on the true life of the Goldberg family that had no sister/daughter. Personally, I would rather see Barry, Adam and Eric (not a fake Erica.) I didn't like that. It came off as very phony to me especially since in a few episodes a family photo is shown excluding Eric and some that actually included Eric. I find it insulting, but that's just me. If I had a brother who loosely based his TV show on everyone in the family except for me I'd be extremally insulted especially with being replaced by a fake sibling of the opposite sex.

Wow, are you excessively whiny. It's a TV sitcom, get over it. If the real life Adam Goldberg's brother Eric isn't offended over it why on earth are you?

Ed.

Yong Fang · 11-20-2022, 05:07 AM

I watched The Goldbergs for the first two seasons, and basically Jeff Garlin (and George Seagal before he passed) were the ones who were the funny ones. I discovered Garlin through this show, before Curb Your Enthusiasm. He was hilarious. The woman who played the wife (although I am a Reno 911 fan), her character got grating and the kids were annoying.

Garlin made the show for me.

Wawwie · 11-20-2022, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward216

Wow, are you excessively whiny. It's a TV sitcom, get over it. If the real life Adam Goldberg's brother Eric isn't offended over it why on earth are you?

Ed.

Very cool that you are ok with being dissed by your family members, ED!

Good for you!

TMC · 12-01-2022, 01:08 AM

I might have to go back, but I don't think that they fully explained how Murray died. I mean, when Roseanne was turned into The Conners following Roseanne Barr's firing, they wrote her character out by explaining that she died from a drug overdose. In fairness, I don't recall them explaining how exactly Pop's died either after George Seagal died in real life.

Maybe they didn't want to delve too deeply into that type of stuff because it would've been considered too dark or depressing for this type of show. Especially with how Murray's untimely death would've affected his dad Ben (Pop-Pop). I mean, I would assume that it's every parents' worst nightmare that they'll wind up outliving their own children.

Plus, there were likely already mixed emotions surrounding the circumstances behind Jeff Garlin's exit.

10-06-2022, 06:01 PM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	I really don't have a problem with them killing Murray off. The real Murray Goldberg, although it actually happened a couple of decades later, is actually now deceased. I don't know if simply recasting at this point would be that simple because Jeff Garlin, whether you like it or not, is so entrenched as Murray Goldberg that any other actor would inevitably be compared to him. I don't think that TV series can just get away with recasting a main or major character so late into its run. And comparing Pop-Pop (and suggesting that the show already has some precedent with recasting) and the change from Paul Sorvino to Judd Hirsch is kind of apples and oranges. You can't just compare a singular, at the time, an early, one-off guest shot (for which Paul Sorvino's role on The Goldbergs at the time) to just recasting one of the main characters by its eighth season or beyond. Jeff Garlin really put the production in a rock and a hard place with his horrible behavior. I mean it would've been absolutely absurd and credibility stretching to try to come up with new excuses for why Murray isn't around or present. There was a brief time after Garlin officially left the series, that they tried to cover Murray's absence by simply saying that he's out of town on business.

10-06-2022, 06:43 PM	#3
Wawwie Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 26, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 14,376	IMO, they made a bigger mistake from the beginning by making Eric into the fictitious sister, Erica.

11-20-2022, 02:55 AM	#6
Edward216 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 18, 2014 Location: Central Time Zone Posts: 4,625	I wholeheartedly agree, and I haven't watched it since I found out they fired Jeff Garlin. I know he did some dumb stuff but killing Murray off the show has ruined it for me and I can't and I won't watch it anymore. I understand the reasoning behind it obviously, and this is just my opinion. Sigh, it seems like my favorite sitcoms get ruined all the time. Ed.

11-20-2022, 05:07 AM	#8
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,072	I watched The Goldbergs for the first two seasons, and basically Jeff Garlin (and George Seagal before he passed) were the ones who were the funny ones. I discovered Garlin through this show, before Curb Your Enthusiasm. He was hilarious. The woman who played the wife (although I am a Reno 911 fan), her character got grating and the kids were annoying. Garlin made the show for me.

12-01-2022, 01:08 AM	#10
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	I might have to go back, but I don't think that they fully explained how Murray died. I mean, when Roseanne was turned into The Conners following Roseanne Barr's firing, they wrote her character out by explaining that she died from a drug overdose. In fairness, I don't recall them explaining how exactly Pop's died either after George Seagal died in real life. Maybe they didn't want to delve too deeply into that type of stuff because it would've been considered too dark or depressing for this type of show. Especially with how Murray's untimely death would've affected his dad Ben (Pop-Pop). I mean, I would assume that it's every parents' worst nightmare that they'll wind up outliving their own children. Plus, there were likely already mixed emotions surrounding the circumstances behind Jeff Garlin's exit.