‘The Goldbergs’ turned Jeff Garlin’s exit into a poignant moment | CNN

CNN
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Saying goodbye is never easy, but the Goldberg family is doing their best in the new season of “The Goldbergs.”

The show wasted no time talking about Jeff Garlin’s exit from the sitcom, mentioning in the opening moments of Wednesday’s season premiere that the patriarch Murray had died “a few months ago” and showing that the family is still in touch with him. Processing grief.

Adam and Barry work through some of their feelings in a “Field of Dreams”-inspired plot. But the real gut-punch was a plotline involving Erica (Hayley Orantia) and Geoff (Sam Lerner) helping Beverly Kay (Wendy McLendon-Covey) prepare for her nursery.

This process forces Beverly to confront Murray’s absence and her inability to move past some of her own remaining possessions. She finally decides it’s time to do so, cleaning out her closet full of clothes and getting rid of her old chair.

The empty space in the living room proves too much for her, though, and she sets out on a mission to retrieve the object, however, learning that it was taken from where it was left.

Efforts to find her are futile, but Erica’s goal at this point is to help her mother.

“He will always be in our hearts — chair or not chair,” she tells Beverly.

Then they enter the nursery, only the chair has been taken by Pop-Pop (Judd Hirsch) and turned into a rocking chair for the baby’s room.

“This room is finally perfect,” says Erica.

Anyone pass the tissues?

“The Goldbergs” airs Wednesdays on ABC.