[Adult Adam] Back in the '80s, every summer seemed to zoom by,
especially the last one before I went off to college.
It was a whirlwind of change.
First, my sister Erica was pregnant,
so she and Geoff moved home
because they were gonna need a lot of help.
[Beverly, in speedy voice] I'm gonna be a grandma! Whoo-hoo!
And my brother Barry got into medical school.
[Barry, in speedy voice] I'm basically a doctor!
But unlike most doctors,
he decided the best prescription was to move back into his childhood bedroom...
[all] JTP!
...and invite his buddies over to destroy our house on a daily basis.
[all cheer]
Even my grandfather, Pop-Pop, decided to crash in our basement,
shortly after he burned down his own apartment by overcooking beans.
[Pop-Pop, in speedy voice] I overcooked the beans.
As for me, I was never more ready to escape to college.
[Beverly, in speedy voice] Barry!
[Adult Adam] Yep, life moves fast,
sometimes too fast,
because that year,
there was one change that made everything stop.
[somber music plays]
Just a few months ago,
out of nowhere,
we lost my dad.
We will always love you, Dad.
Always.
And we'll find a way to continue on together,
because after all,
we're the Goldbergs.
** I'm twisted up inside **
** But nonetheless I feel the need to say **
** I don't know the future **
** But the past keeps getting Clearer every day **
[Adult Adam] It was September 21st, 1980-something,
and my sister Erica and her husband Geoff
were preparing for a baby.
Will you stop grinning so much?
It's distracting me from the Phillies blowing this game.
I'm just learning so much from this best-selling book
about the miracle of childbirth--
What to Expect When You're Expecting.
The only thing a man
should expect is gallstones.
[doorbell rings]
Oh, there's the glowing
mother-to-be!
Come on. I look like crap.
[gasps] You're creating life.
You look like
God's perfect angel.
I'm in sweats stained with
three different kinds of ranch.
-Three? -I'm pregnant! Leave me alone!
Yeah. No. It's good.
[laughs]
That's a fun peek behind your marriage curtain.
Look what I brought for the baby.
Does it come in large?
Well, the giraffe
is a quiet animal.
I thought that would be
a good thing for this household.
We got no room for your oversized crap, lady!
Mrs. Kremp, you know my grandpa.
Yes, Murray's eulogy was very short.
You know what's not short? That long-necked horse.
Why don't you saddle it up and ride it on out of here?
[Erica] Pop-Pop's right.
This house has too many people and things,
and we're supposed to just add
another human being
to this chaos?
Oh, Erica, don't spin out.
It's all too much.
Yesterday, I almost tripped over Barry's nunchucks.
He leaves several pairs lying around
"in case of ninja attack."
I can't live like this!
We need to get rid of everything!
Starting with the neighbor lady in the door.
So, Ben, you're--
you're living here now?
Is that something that's happening?
Erica, you're ready to nest.
"Nesting during pregnancy is the overwhelming desire
to organize your home for the new baby."
We've got to prepare our nest.
If by we, you mean me and my mom, then yes.
I'm kind of a part of it.
[upbeat music playing]
[Beverly] There she is.
The oven that's baking my delicious grandchild.
Don't love the greeting, but I need you.
Of course you do.
I'm the most important person in your life.
And soon, your baby's life.
What a fun and totally insane way of looking at it.
Wait, are you bedazzling disposable diapers?
[Erica] "Schmoopy's Poopies."
Normally, I would say whatever keeps you busy,
but I need help cleaning up the house.
The day has come.
I'm passing down the vacuum to you.
Now, the first lesson
is to pretend
the carpet is a maze.
No. Yuck. [scoffs] Never.
Do you know what "nesting" is?
[chuckling] News flash.
Like a blond kangaroo,
I pushed three perfect babies out of my...
-I'm in the room. -...warm...
-Please stop there. -...mama pouch.
That's not even how a kangaroo gives birth.
So, you'll help us organize the house and build our nest?
Of course I will, because guess what?
I'm suddenly nesting, too.
Is there room
for a gentleman bird?
Geoff, you gotta stop making everything so weird.
All right? Let's go.
[Adult Adam] As my mom and sister were getting ready for a big clean,
Barry was cleaning us out of my favorite breakfast food.
Did you nab the free toy inside my cereal?
Indeed.
The early worm catches the cheap, plastic promotional coin purse.
You won't even enjoy it!
[chuckles] The knowledge that you can't is enjoyment enough.
Big news, my special boys.
Barry's gonna move into an apartment
near his medical school like a human adult?
I told you,
I'm here to support our mother
who lost her life partner.
-Aw. -[Adam] No.
-You just forgot to fill out your housing forms. -Aw.
Stop listening to my conversations with myself in the mirror.
Well, while you're both still here,
we're gonna need to do some consolidating.
On it! Also, on what?
Barry, your room is right across from Geoff and Erica's.
We're gonna need to take it for the baby's nursery.
Ha! In your face!
Pop-Pop has the basement. Where am I gonna sleep?
Well, there is, uh, one place.
Oh, no.
Yes, you two are gonna share a bedroom.
Yay! It's already been decided and everybody's happy,
'cause who would question their grieving mother?
[chuckles] In your face.
You know what? Fine. I leave in two weeks. I can handle it.
[Adult Adam] But I couldn't,
because two men sharing a room soon regressed to two boys sharing a butt on a head.
Oh, no!
-Barry played all the hits like the atomic wedgie. -[shouting] No, no!
-[Barry] Classics never go out of style! -[groaning]
-Jocks-y-gen mask! -No! No! No!
-So warm and unwelcome. -Breathe deeply.
-No! -Yep, everything was pure torture.
Nothing was worse than his taste in movies.
What are you watching?
Field of Dreams.
Finest sports movie ever made.
So much Costner.
I can't live like this!
-Ugh! -Shut it.
[Geoff] Testing.
-So I turned to the one man who had lived like this... -Testing. Testing.
-...Barry's old roommate Geoff Schwartz. -Testing. Testing.
-How did you survive sleeping in the same room as Barry? -Testing.
Well, first of all, good morning.
Pleasantries set the mood for the day.
And with Barry, there's really only one way to stop him.
You got to fight fire with fire.
But you're the nice guy.
I can't imagine you fighting fire at all.
Just know, when pushed, I'm capable of anything.
Anything.
Hey, check out this sweet baby monitor.
-[chuckles] Test, test. -[baby monitor repeats]
I'm saying words over here and they're coming out over here!
That's it!
I'm gonna Field of Dreams Barry
with your dumb baby walkie-talkies!
Your words make no sense, but I'm glad I could help.
You break those, we got a problem.
Capisce?
[chuckles] And Barry fell for that?
-He did, yeah. -[both laugh]
-These are mine now. -Okay.
[Adult Adam] While I was preparing to use Geoff's baby gift against Barry,
my mom was showing off her gift for organizing.
Okay, this is for Goodwill. Be sure to get a receipt for my taxes.
No, Beverly, I came over to play Mahjong, not run errands. What--
Is this my mixer?
I've asked for this back several times.
All my summer pies have been meringue-less!
Just so you know, it was broken when you gave it to me.
Choo-choo! Baby gift train heading to Closet Station.
You can turn that engine into a caboose,
'cause this closet is full of hundreds of Grammy-Baby matching jammies.
Um. One set seems like too many, but, okay, we'll just use the hall closet.
No! No! No, no, no! Not the closet! Not-- Not the hall closet!
-Mom, let me just open the door! -[grunts]
I said no.
I got your message, Bevy, so I came over to lend a hand--
My God, it's like a shrine to the Mur-man.
Whoa. There's like ten yellow ones.
I always thought it was just the one.
They hid so many mustard stains.
The label just says "Shirt."
And the size is, uh, "Man."
Okay, fine! You all know my little secret!
I've saved my husband's stain-and-wrinkle-resistant shirts. Are you happy?
Mom, I know it's tough,
but while we're cleaning, maybe you should do some cleaning of your own?
Look, I meant to go through all of his things, but...
[sighs]
...I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Maybe it's time.
Let's go get some boxes.
[Adult Adam] While my mom was taking steps to heal,
I was ready to give Barry a taste of his own medicine.
The hell is this?
I came down here to watch the Family Feud guy kiss moms and daughters.
I'm about to teach Barry a lesson.
The other end of this monitor is under the couch in the den.
So is this gonna take one minute or two?
I'll walk you through every step.
That's not the answer to the question I asked.
If you build it, he will come.
[deep voice] If you build it, he will come.
[clicks]
If you build it, he will come.
What was that?
Barry thinks he heard something, but he's not quite sure.
If you build it, he will come.
Mom?
It's gonna drive him insane.
-If who builds what now? -No idea.
I haven't watched the whole thing.
It's a movie about corn and baseball.
If you build it, he will come.
Where is that coming from?
If you build it, he will come.
What do you want me to build?
-If you build it, he will come. -Adam!
Adam!
And right on cue.
Stop! Stop everything!
A mysterious voice is trying to send me a message,
just like what happened to my body twin, Kevin Costner, in Field of Dreams!
That seems incredibly likely.
What do you think it means?
It clearly means you should spend all your energy on exploring it,
and none at all on torturing me.
Right. Right.
[footsteps]
And that is how you Field of Dreams someone.
I had a dream once,
but now in my 80s, I sleep on the couch.
[Adult Adam] My plan to Field of Dreams Barry was in full swing,
and I had hit it out of the park.
What's the plan here, Big Tasty?
Yeah, why'd you ask me to bring my can-do attitude
and "enough money for three days"?
Am I gonna be in the sun long?
My milky fair skin looks flawless,
but that's only because I stay vigilant.
Gentlemen and Matt Bradley!
Today we fulfill our destiny,
to build a world-class Wiffle ball field in my childhood backyard!
Fun. Just for the love of the game?
That and for haunting reasons.
Good enough for me. I'm already here.
-[Adult Adam] And so the JTP went to work. -Get on it.
Rose bushes were ripped out,
grass was removed,
and then sloppily placed in a different spot,
and then mowed unnecessarily.
-Get out the way! -Whoa! Whoa!
There was even a chainsaw involved.
Who knows how to work this?
Screw it! I'll figure it out as I go!
While I was loving having my room back to normal,
my mom was crushing a room renovation of her own.
Ah! Ta-da! Ha!
132 square feet of snuggies and future cuddlefests.
And if you're not here to give those?
A Granny Bev doll.
Well, there may be a few moments when I'm not in here, so...
Mom, I love it so much. Thank you.
-Ohh. -Although...
What? You don't like it?
Tell me now. I'll burn it down and start anew.
No, no, it's beautiful.
It's just-- I feel like something might be a little off.
Like, maybe the crib should be where the changing table is.
On it, my fickle treasure.
[Adult Adam] With that, Geoff got to work.
He pulled and shoved and rolled.
-Ah! Ahh! Ohh! -Oh, the lamp!
Ooh. It's-- It's all good. It's easy.
-You know what? Swap it all. -Mm-hmm.
Swap it all?
[Adult Adam] Finally, after all the schlepping...
[breathes sharply]
...Geoff had failed miserably.
I know what it is.
We need a mobile for the baby.
Lou's spinster sister sent us one.
My aunt, whom I love.
Super lady, but she's got that mole.
Again, love her very much.
But she is unmarried for a reason. [chuckles]
Let's go.
[upbeat music playing]
What happened to Dad's chair?
[ominous chords strike]
Remember the other day when you convinced me
to let go of your father's things?
I did.
You guys have a philodendron back there!
What a fun surprise!
No, the surprise is that Dad's chair is gone.
I'm getting the sense that even though this was very much your idea,
now you're upset.
I didn't mean the chair.
Kinda feel like I'm gonna throw up right now,
but it's probably just the pregnancy
and not the visual reminder of how permanent death is.
[sobbing]
What the [bleep] have I done?
-[sobbing] -Ohh!
Oh, I blame Geoff!
That feels right.
[laughs] Surprise!
It's a new Laura Ashley recliner!
It's a real beauty. Test drove it myself.
Bill Lewis certified!
-Huh? -[both laugh]
You get that piece of [bleep] out of my house, you [bleep] monsters!
I told you to get it in blue.
My name is on the line here.
Okay. Well, we thought because you gave away Murray's chair--
My husband's chair had a name, Ginzy.
Mr. Chair!
I was there when he named it.
He had no passion for creativity.
This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me!
That seems way wrong, considering this past year,
but maybe we can get it back?
Beverly, you'll be happy to know that when I took it to Goodwill,
per your request,
they laughed at me, told me to take it to the dumpster
and set it on fire.
But I did not do that. Mm-mm.
I left it on the curb.
-Our curb? -Mm-hmm.
Oh, Ginzy, God bless your lack of follow-through.
-[laughs] -The chair is on the curb!
[laughter]
I was about to rip poor Ginzy's face off,
and it was here on the curb the whole time!
[laughter slows, stops]
[music winds down]
[Adult Adam] But it wasn't.
Where's the chair, Ginzy?
Not entirely sure.
[chuckles nervously]
[Adult Adam] While my mom faced the nightmare of losing my dad's chair,
Barry was living in a field of dreams with the JTP.
There! All done.
Uh, Bar, it feels like the lines are a little crooked.
Could be fun with crooked lines.
Yeah, the game does need reinvention.
Damn it. You guys un-chalk it while I go grab my mitt.
And if time permits, build me a whimsical snack bar.
It feels like time will not permit.
Who wears a mitt for Wiffle ball?
He has a vision.
[upbeat music playing]
Country Time Lemonade, my good men?
There's nothing I want more than a tangy sip from the past,
but why are you being so generous and upbeat?
'Cause I finally out Barry-ed Barry.
He thinks it's his destiny to build that field,
just like Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams.
-Field of Dreams? -What are you talking about?
I only know the book.
[Adult Adam] And so I explained to the JTP what I'd done.
To my surprise, they didn't love it.
How could you?
Your boyish face belies a dark heart.
This is the first thing that you tried?
It's a harmless prank.
Did we hit a genuine pet cemetery down there?
Yeah. But we had fun.
Field of Dreams is about a man who builds a baseball field
to have one last catch with his dead father!
What? No!
He's just a delusional farmer who hears voices
and ruins his family's livelihood.
He plows that corn to bring back the ghosts
of legendary baseball players who missed out on their dreams,
allowing him to look further into his own regrets.
And one of those regrets is not connecting with his father.
"If you build it, he will come."
The "he," in this case, is his super-dead dad.
Real dead, dude.
Barry's secretly hoping to see Dad one last time
and have a game of catch the baseball.
Just catch.
At most, I thought he'd make one phone call
to James Earl Jones and call it a day.
It's the whole theme of the movie.
Yeah, it's very in-your-face.
Also, he did call James Earl Jones.
[Adult Adam] Turns out, I had gone a step too far in pranking my brother.
Meanwhile, my mom was ready to go to great lengths to find my dad's recliner.
Okay, the first 24 hours a chair goes missing are the most crucial.
Bill, I want you to take these flyers,
put them on every telephone pole, tree, and bus stop in the city.
I'm on it.
Ginzy, I want you to follow every pickup truck in town and peek into their homes.
If you get a positive ID, do not call for backup.
Just go in alone.
I-I'm probably just gonna ask around.
Good. Improvise. Go where the chairs are.
Now, the three of us will split up and begin our grid pattern search
of every den, basement, and rec room in America.
Feels like a lot of ground to cover.
I'm gonna cover you in ground if you don't do what I say.
-Is that clear? -Very.
Stop fighting her, Geoff, and maybe we'll get lucky.
Oh, speaking of Lucky.
Take a good sniff, girl. Breathe in Murray's essence.
-Go find that chair. -[dog barks]
Go, Lucky, go! Good Lucky!
And now we're missing a dog.
-[police radio chatter] -Office Puchinski. Finally!
We are missing a recliner.
Now, you call your police pals,
tell them to drop their donuts and get over here!
I'm not doing that.
Officer down! Requesting backup!
Look-- Disregard that.
Look. Sorry, Deb. It's the lady I always talk about.
I got a flyer right here, Officer.
Bill Lewis. Neighbor. Part of the search party.
Rest assured I will sleep until your chair is found.
[gasps] What?
[gentle music playing]
It's okay, Mom.
Yeah, we'll keep looking.
Don't bother.
[Adult Adam] With my little joke having gone off the rails,
my only choice was to come clean to Barry.
JTP...
But I went a different way.
I hope you guys are enjoying your well-earned refreshments.
I'm not sure why we're still here.
Your kindness feels like there are strings attached.
This is definitely a trap.
Oh, no trap.
I just wanted to thank you guys
for showing me the error of my ways.
Which reminds me, I have gifts.
Rob, is it just me, or would the yellow of this shirt
really make the golden flecks in your eyes pop?
Is that your dad's shirt and pants?
Is it? Weird.
These are just some items I found in our giveaway pile
that I couldn't help but think would look great on you
as you stand in the shadows and toss a ball to Barry.
Are you trying to make Rob look like the ghost of your dad?
Ohh! So not cool, bro!
We have very different body types.
You actually have a very similar silhouette.
And there are no bad ideas.
Yes, there are, and this is definitely one of them.
Fine! But I'm desperate here, man!
Barry will never forgive me unless one of you guys
puts on these hideous duds and tosses a ball to my brother under the veil of darkness!
[Barry] I should've known.
There's the guy.
The strongest and most forgiving man in the world.
Save it! I heard the whole thing.
[sighs] Nice prank, dude.
[Adult Adam] In that moment, there was nothing I could say,
but Geoff and Erica were ready to find the right words to say to my mom.
We just wanted to say we're sorry.
Yeah, we never should've rushed you to give away Dad's things.
[voice breaking] I just miss him.
We all do.
Losing Dad is gonna hurt for a long time.
But even if his things aren't here anymore,
he's always gonna be in our hearts,
chair or no chair.
[melancholic music playing]
And we have so much to look forward to this year.
We really do.
Ben. Where did you--
Found it on the curb.
I couldn't stand the thought of anyone else having the stupid thing.
Yeah, I threw on some gliders.
Thought maybe you could use it to rock the baby.
Well, that is the single best baby gift ever.
Now I know what was missing. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
You're right.
This room is finally perfect.
["Faithfully" playing]
[Adult Adam] Turns out the people we say goodbye to never really leave us...
but that doesn't mean we don't miss them.
Hey.
Bar, I'm so sorry.
It's okay, AdRock.
Did you really think, you know...
If I built it, he would come?
I knew it was crazy.
But do you ever look around and see him in everything?
All the time.
He made us who we are.
Sometimes by not doing anything at all.
[chuckles] Yeah.
He had a real hands-off parenting style.
[laughs] Unless he was calling us morons.
[laughs] He did do that a lot.
** I'm still yours... **
Well, I'm glad I have a brother like you to go through this with.
I wouldn't want anyone else.
Get in here.
Barry?
Yeah?
I never thought I'd say this in my life, but...
wanna have a catch?
[Adult Adam] Losing someone is hard, but if you're lucky,
the people who love you can step up to the plate
and make things a little easier.
** Whoa-oh, oh-oh **
Life is filled with all kinds of changes...
but what we can count on is that the legacy of those we've lost
lives on in all of us.
Generation after generation.
The only thing we can do is take a seat and hold on.
-What the hell? Barry! -No, no, hold up, hold up.
While the kid might've destroyed your backyard,
he had a reason.
What possible reason could he have?
Where the [bleep] is my gazebo?
There was this movie called Nightmare on Football Street.
That does not sound right.
Are you gonna tell the story or am I?
So, there are these ghosts, and they wanted to play ball
where all your fancy plants used to be.
-Go on. -Go on?
That's it.
Okay, there was a tree right there.
And where is Lucky's dog house?
And where's Lucky?