A 100% True Ghost Story

**A 100% True Ghost Story** is the sixth episode of the seventh season of *The Goldbergs*, and the one hundred forty-sixth episode overall. It aired on October 30, 2019.

## Summary

Beverly scores a bargain on four paintings. Once they make it home, she and Adam determine something supernatural is causing them to be destroyed. Much to Murray's dismay, they call a psychic for help. Meanwhile, Barry decides to throw a huge "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-themed party against Erica's wishes. Their confrontation leads to a visit to the dean's office.

## Full Recap

After Barry and Geoff go to see *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* for the first time, Barry decides to throw a "Big Tasty Rocky Halloween Party" on campus at the library.

Meanwhile, Murray is angry about Adam's disturbing Halloween costume. Beverly comes home with four old, classical nude paintings, excited that she got a bargain on them. Unfortunately, her excitement soon turns to panic when the paintings will not stop falling off the wall.

Erica and Geoff stroll around the campus, where they notice several "Big Tasty's Big Rocky Halloween Party" fliers. Erica becomes angry at Barry because she needs to study for her midterms and is determined to focus more on academics during her second attempt at college, and an "epic Halloween party" seems like a less than ideal setting for such. Also, Barry accidentally manages to staple a flier to Geoff's stomach, which causes a fight between Erica and Barry in the quad, and they end up in trouble with the dean. Barry explains to the dean that he just wanted to blow off some steam with the party. He seems to understand and allows Barry to have his party, and Erica complains that she flunked out the last time because she screwed around too much and now she feels like she's being punished for taking school too seriously. She tells the dean that "this is garbage" and storms out of his office.

Back at the Goldberg house, Beverly and Adam are convinced there is a ghost in the house and are going room to room searching for the spirit. Murray, being himself, thinks they are morons for believing in ghosts and gets annoyed with the whole situation, and decides to invite a science teacher from William Penn, Dr. Katman, to come over and give legitimate reasons for the paintings falling off the wall, proving there is no ghost in the house.

Dr. Katman tries to convince the family that there isn't a ghost in the house, but Beverly has countered by bringing in Karen English, a psychic and "paranormal expert" who is on the radio and happens to be a friend of Beverly's. Karen informs the family that there is a spirit belonging to a young Victorian girl in the house, and when Karen and Dr. Katman begin to flirt with each other, a glass vase suddenly breaks, so Beverly, Adam, Karen and Dr. Katman try to crack the case.

Meanwhile, Barry gets an 'F' on his test, automatically cancelling his Halloween party. Erica gets an 'A', which annoys Barry. Erica tries to cheer him up, but Barry tells her that most people who fail out of college at least get to have fun doing it, but he hasn't even had that.

Back at home, the team of ghost hunters have formed a circle and are trying to talk to the spirit, only to be interrupted by Murray. Beverly tells him that she doesn't care that he doesn't believe in ghosts, but it really hurts that he's not on her team and that he should believe in her, and that she will always back him up and wishes he would do the same for her.

Later, Murray invites Beverly into the living room. He calls out to the spirit, and tells her that he's sorry for thinking she's baloney, but that he's even more sorry that he didn't acknowledge his wife's feelings, and he loves how passionate she is about the things she believes in, and from now on he is going to be on her team, because they make a great one. Beverly thanks him, and he asks if she'd be willing to talk to the spirit and get it to leave (by doing "what she does best: tear that ghost a new one!"). Beverly turns around, shouts curse words and threatens that she is going to sell the house to fat, obese nudists if the spirit won't leave.

Meanwhile, with Geoff's help, Erica has managed to create Barry's dream Halloween party because she felt bad and didn't want him to miss it. Barry asks why she would do this for him after what happened between them, and she tells him that she knows how hard college is, and that she struggled a lot last year but she came out the other side, and he will, too. She says that they both need some balance and maybe they can help each other find it, and they hug and make up. Erica calls the JTP, who show up and hand Barry his costume. The party turns out amazing.

Beverly throws the paintings away, ending the Goldbergs' ghost story. The narrator says that they never found out what exactly caused the paintings to fall, but sometimes it's the unexplainable that makes life exciting. Lucky barks at the paintings and the garbage can rattles. An interview with Jeff Garlin and the real Beverly Goldberg follows.

In the final scene, Adam is Trick-or-Treating and unknowingly visits the home of Dr. Katman, who answers the door in a bath robe. He apologizes and says he wasn't expecting anyone, and Adam counters with the fact that it's 8:00 on Halloween night. Dr. Katman says that he lost track of time and Karen English appears and asks why she's sensing negative energy in their evening, and Adam realizes they are sleeping together. Karen asks him why he's here and he tells her that it's Halloween and asks why she can't sense *that*. Then, taken aback, he asks why they're wearing matching robes. Dr. Katman tells him that there are some things science *can't* explain, and Adam says that this is the scariest thing he's ever seen and the episode ends.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg
* Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg
* Hayley Orrantia as Erica Goldberg
* Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg
* Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg
* George Segal as Albert Solomon
* Sam Lerner as Geoff Schwartz

### Guest Stars

* Stephen Guarino as Administrator Dean
* Stephnie Weir as Karen English
* Barry Bostwick as Professor Majors
* Noah Munck as "Naked" Rob Smith
* Matt Bush as Andy Cogan
* Shayne Topp as Matt Bradley
* Steve Guttenberg as Dr. Katman
* Beverly Goldberg as Herself