Yahoo News How The Goldbergs honored Murray and Pops with Erica and Geoff's new baby's name
Warning: This article contains spoilers about Wednesday's episode of The Goldbergs, "Uncle-ing."
It's a girl!
Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Geoff (Sam Lerner) welcomed a new member to the family on the latest episode of The Goldbergs. After revealing they were expecting a baby on the season 9 finale and jumping ahead several months with the season 10 premiere, where we found out dad Murray (Jeff Garlin) had died, the two become parents to Muriel Allison Goldberg-Schwartz, named for both Murray and Pops, Albert (played by George Segal, who died in March 2021).
The birth, naturally, wasn't without its comedic complications, namely with grandsmother-to-be Beverly hours away when Erica goes into labor a couple weeks earlier than expected. The race is on to get her there in time, while Adam and Barry are on a mission to learn how to be fun uncles (complete with a tribute to Uncle Buck).
Stars Orrantia and Lerner break down the monumental episode, reveal what it's like working with the twins that play their baby, explain how Beverly is different as a grandma — if at all — and more below.
ABC/Scott Everett White The family welcomes a baby on 'The Goldbergs'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: As I was watching this episode, I couldn't help but think back on the evolution of this relationship between Erica and Geoff. As you've filmed some of the big milestones recently like the wedding and now this, what's the takeaway as you reflect on these two and their journey?
HAYLEY ORRANTIA: I think it's awesome. When we first started working together, our characters didn't have any sort of romantic involvement. So to see it evolve over time has been really fun. And as fans of the show, we're getting to experience it alongside them to be like, "Oh my gosh, and is this when they have their first kiss? And then is this when they get married?" And now they're having a baby. So it's been really cool to see their dynamic just like evolve over time.
SAM LERNER: Yeah, it's bizarre. Looking back to when I was just Barry's weird friend who would flirt with you and they started to kind of tease that and then the will they/won't they, and then we're dating and then we're together and then we're in love and then married and now…
ORRANTIA: They broke up at one point.
LERNER: Yeah, the break up. There's just been so much, but we have grown with these characters and it's a beautiful thing to see this episode airing. I'm really rooting for them. They're young parents and I don't watch really any shows that have that right now. My friends joke to me that The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder's new show, this is literally your real rehearsal for life. Cause you're on TV. It's practice. [Laughs]
How's that baby working out?
LERNER: I'm obsessed with them.
ORRANTIA: We have to have twins…
LERNER: They can only work for 20 minutes at a time.
ORRANTIA: Which, what a dream. [Laughs] But they are the most well-behaved, adorable, and honestly naturally talented babies. I know that sounds ridiculous, but…
LERNER: The only issue is, sometimes they stare at the boom mic 'cause they're just fascinated, but we try to distract them.
ORRANTIA: What's cool is we'll see moments where someone will have a line talking to the baby and typically they're gonna cut to it being like [makes baby noise], but the babies make noises and respond at the perfect time.
LERNER: The other day we did a scene and literally Barry has a line to the baby and the baby went, "Eh." [Laughs]
Hayley, the last time we spoke you guys had not filmed this episode yet and you were still wearing the baby bump. Are you glad to be rid of that?
ORRANTIA: You know? Yes. Because I lost a lot of weight I was carrying around, but, and it was all really sweaty in there. But at the same time, that was my iPhone holder and table for things when I would sit. So my arms have to like work harder now, but that's okay. [Laughs]
ABC/Scott Everett White Hayley Orrantia and Sam Lerner on 'The Goldbergs'
Okay, we've gotta talk about the name. Muriel Allison Goldberg Schwartz. My great grandma's middle name was Muriel, so I love it. The baby's initials are MAGS — will she be Mags? Maggie? Anything like that?
LERNER: I never even thought of that.
ORRANTIA: Okay, when I tell you we've been trying to figure out — because as much as Muriel is a pretty name, it didn't roll off the tongue for me.
LERNER: Yeah. What's the nickname?
ORRANTIA: And it didn't feel '80s. But the name is a nod to Murray — Muriel — and then our Pops who passed away, Albert — Allison. But we've been wanting to find a name that felt cutesy or…
LERNER: Maybe Mags. That's so cute.
ORRANTIA: Mags is cute. We need to bring it up. We gotta pitch it.
Just thank me in the end credits. As you're starting to get more scripts, not to give away too much here, but how is Beverly from being a grandma than a mom? Is there a different dynamic at play or is it Beverly full tilt?
ORRANTIA: I feel like it's been Beverly full tilt? At least the first few episodes it's been her trying to find the balance of not overstepping as a grandmother, but also wanting to make sure and establish that she is the go-to.
ABC/Scott Everett White Sam Lerner, Hayley Orrantia, and Wendi McLendon-Covey on 'The Goldbergs'
LERNER: She's the boss, yeah. There's also that episode where she takes her dancing. We're supposed to have a date night out and she forgot that she was supposed to babysit, so she brings Muriel to this country bar. [Laughs]
ORRANTIA: As one would. Dress her up. There's a lot of really fun story lines with her and the baby and…
LERNER: And so much more they can do with it too. Oh
What I did love in this episode is the dynamic between Beverly and Geoff — he messes up and she almost misses the birth but gets there just in time and ultimately forgives him. It's very important to be on Beverly's good side.
ORRANTIA: Yeah, that was probably a first mark on the "Nuh-Uh" scale for Beverly and Geoff. [Laughs] But I think it was a really cool way to establish that, as much as Erica or even Geoff has issues with Beverly at times and feeling like she's overbearing, at the end of the day when it got crazy and hectic and chaotic and she was about to give birth, all she wanted was for her mom to be there. Mm-hmm. So I think it helped establish the closeness of the Goldbergs despite how wacky they can be at times.
Sam, what kind of dad is Geoff so far?
LERNER: I think he's a good dad so far. I think he cares a lot. I think he's a little overbearing. There's a lot of parallels between Geoff and Beverly because he's just so obsessive and Erica is obviously the more chill one in the relationship and kind of takes more of a backseat and is like, "Everything's gonna work out." But I think he's pretty good so far. But we have the episode [coming up] where I'm always going out running and I leave her with the baby, and our Thanksgiving episode… we kind of get in this fight about that. But other than that little thing, I think that Geoff's a really good dad and I think he's cut out for this — he loves Erica so much, he loves the Goldbergs so much and is just a good guy.
ORRANTIA: He loves doing things right and by the book. And I think that he's the one that probably read all of the "What to Expect" books.
And your own dad, Ken Lerner, is there on set playing your TV dad. Has he had anything funny to say to you in the midst of all of this going on with Geoff becoming one?
LERNER: Ken is the funniest person in the world. It must be weird for him to see his son with a pretend baby considering he probably wants a grandchild of his own in real life. But yeah, it's an interesting dynamic. It's really fun though, having him around. It's so cool.
ORRANTIA: He's such a hoot. Off camera, obviously on camera, but especially just him wandering around and figuring out what's at [craft services], that's my favorite.
The Goldbergs airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
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