Wendi McLendon-Covey is glad she didn't know The Goldbergs was ending when she filmed the finale
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It was May 3, 2020-something, and The Goldbergs said farewell after 10 seasons on ABC.
Series — and family — matriarch Wendi McLendon-Covey hasn't seen the episode, she tells EW at a finale celebration some 10 days before the last episode airs. "I don't think I can handle it," she admits, sitting in a back booth of L.A.'s Break Room 86 karaoke bar, music blaring in the background. "I'll watch it next week in my pajamas with everyone else."
So at this point, it's likely she's seen the show's 229th episode — its last. When they were filming the episode, though, they didn't know it would be. While it felt like any other episode — a pop culture tribute (this one to Back to the Future), some family high jinks, a birthday party for little Muriel — it also saw Beverly reconnect with her former boyfriend George (Rob Corddry) at her high school reunion, much to son Adam's (Sean Giambrone) disgust and dismay. After years of her being a smother, meddling in every aspect of his life, the tables had turned.
Before fighting back tears at the show's finale celebration, thanking her fellow cast (in addition to Giambrone, Hayley Orrantia and Sam Lerner were in attendance) and crew as well as fans, McLendon-Covey sat down with EW to reveal how they found out the show was ending, and to look back on the series, including her memories of the pilot and early years, the show's lack of love from the Emmys, and more.
Scott Everett White/ABC Wendi McLendon-Covey and Rob Corddry on the series finale of 'The Goldbergs'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How soon into production of season 10 did you know this was going to be the last?
WENDI MCLENDON-COVEY: We didn't know. We didn't know. I thought maybe we'd squeak out another half-season, or full season. It kind of seemed like it might go that way. So none of us were prepared, but none of us were surprised either because it has been 10 seasons. It's not like you can say, "Ah! Too soon! We haven't gotten a fair shot!" No, of course we got a fair shot, and 10 seasons is phenomenal. I think it's probably best that it happened the way it did, otherwise I would've been crying starting New Year's Day and not been able to get through our final leg of filming.
But when it was the final days on set, you knew they were the final days on set?
No, no, we didn't. We found out like two days before our wrap party that we were canceled. Sometimes it just happens that way. It's fine. But I was melancholy anyway, just in case. So we all kind of were wandering around taking pictures of every little thing and just trying to be reverential to every single prop we've been looking at. I wanted to commit to memory every single one. So that was tough.
That's all the more amazing then, because the episode did feel like it could've been written as a series finale. It feels like it leaves everyone in a good place.
Oh, that's great. That's great. Because we knew that would be our season finale, and I'm sure they've gone in and adjusted some things to really make it what it needs to be. I think it gives us a good sense of, like, we're done — but who knows what could happen? Everything gets rebooted now. Maybe we do a holiday special 10 years from now. And we would all be on board for whatever. I would work with these people for any reason. We've been very lucky.
Scott Everett White/ABC The series finale of 'The Goldbergs'
When the show started, what were your hopes for how many seasons you'd go? Was there a number that would've made you happy?
In the very beginning, we were only picked up for 13 episodes, so at first I was just like, 'Oh my God, I hope we get our back nine. That would be amazing if we could do a full season!' So thinking back to that time, there were rumors of "This show's kind of special, it could go for five seasons." And then, you know what? I heard somebody say we could maybe go for seven seasons. So back then, that was the goal. Could we get to see syndication? Oh my God, how fabulous would that be? So every year it's been such a blessing and I've never not been excited about, "Yes! we got picked up again!" As an actor you're always like, God, some security would be nice in my life, but also because I love these people. So getting to see them every day? What a gift. What a blessing. But in the beginning, for me, it was like, can we make it all the way to season 1 full order? That was the big accomplishment, and I was so proud when we did that.
Were there any season finales along the way that you thought, this one right here might be it? Or, if this one is it, it's a good way to go out?
I've never felt that. I always thought, "Well, this better not be it!" [Laughs] Because it leaves too many things unanswered. You at least want to see the characters happy and settled in their new life. So I think we're doing that. I think we've accomplished that. But I've never thought back, like, "This graduation would be a good place to end it." No! We're just gettin' started!
Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Wendi McLendon-Covey and Sean Giambrone on season 1 of 'The Goldbergs'
After creator Adam F. Goldberg left as showrunner for his bigger producing deal, for all the things people loved about the show, some people started not loving certain things and were vocal about it on social media — longtime fans, even the real woman you play, would comment on how the show felt different. How hard was it to look past those comments and stay on course? Or did all of you ever hit pause at any point to try to understand what they were talking about, to see if you were missing something?
I did not enjoy any of that, if we're being honest. I did not think that was fair. To do that to us while we're working, that was a bad idea. That's all I can say.
The show never connected with Emmy voters. Why do you think that was?
We've never campaigned that hard. There are some shows that campaign all year round and you see it and you're like, come on, enough already. We have never really campaigned that hard. Plus, it is a family show, which doesn't necessarily do well with voters, and it's a network show. Having said that, it's never been an industry show. A lot of streamers get a lot of inside industry buzz — we never got that. But when you look at the fact that we are in syndication, we are worldwide, we're doing okay. [Laughs] It would be nice if we were acknowledged in that way, but if we never are — I mean, we never have been, so I don't know what you people need to see. We've done 229 episodes. [Laughs] You need us to throw you a lunch? I mean, come on! [Laughs]
The kids grew up before our eyes over the course of these 10 years. What do you remember about them when you think back to filming that pilot?
I just remember that Sean came in under the wire. There was someone else cast, but little Sean and his mom breeze into town and our casting director, Leslie Litt, called the execs and said, "You gotta meet this kid — tell me if I'm crazy." And he was Adam. He was this sweet little man, little man-child. I remember he and I got to go to the White House Correspondents' Dinner one time with the Creative Coalition — we went and lobbied for the arts on Capitol Hill, and then we got to go to the White House Correspondents' Dinner. I look over at one point and Sean is holding court with a bunch of women from Fox News, little 14-year-old Adam with his glasses and everyone was hanging on his every word. [Laughs] I've just never seen anything like it, but it was exactly what should happen.
Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Wendi McLendon-Covey and Sean Giambrone in the 2013 series debut of 'The Goldbergs'
Being with Sean is like being in the presence of a little Buddha or something, and watching him speak on behalf of the arts in these congresspeople's offices, I was so impressed with him. So watching him in the early stages, he still had to go to school on set and nobody else had to. So between takes we're looking at our phones, we're wheelin' and dealin', having snacks — no, not Sean. Sean was in school trying to get a high school education. I don't understand how he got through those years. I don't understand how any kid actor does it, because to keep up that kind of schedule — and even though he is working abbreviated hours as a kid — when you throw school on top of it… he never got angry, he never threw a fit, we never saw him break down. He just took it all in stride and it put some of us to shame, his behavior.
It doesn't seem like you're taking any time off, going into another pilot that's in series consideration [a hospital-set workplace comedy from Superstore and American Auto's Justin Spitzer]. But after 10 years on a show, you didn't want to take a little time off? Or because of that is there momentum so you jump right back in to keep it going?
I love what I do, and I'm a workaholic when it comes to that. So it's better for everyone in my life if I just stay working. [Laughs] And I wasn't necessarily going to take anything, because I've got some other things in development, but I like the people, I like the possibility of where this could go, everyone involved is so sweet — it was kind of irresistible. I kind of had to say yes. I'm so honored that I got to do that.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
