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  • Archive Panic: As of 2022, there are over 210 episodes of this show, which amounts to 3 days of stories about the '80s. And that's not counting the spin-off Schooled, which has 34 episodes.
  • Adorkable: Adam and Barry. Flashbacks show that Erica used to be this.
    Adam Goldberg: I was so excited for my dad to get home I could barely enjoy my algebra homework.
  • Ass Pull: After half a season of build-up, Erica and Geoff finally get together, only for the next episode to end with them breaking up because they're viewed as the bad guys for doing so while he was still with his girlfriend. They did become an Official Couple shortly after that episode, though.
  • Broken Base: The Strictly Formula nature of the show has been criticized somewhat, as every episode follows the same basic formula of 'one or two of the family members creates a conflict and escalates it until one (or both) of them screws up royally and hurts a friend/family member in some way, only to repair the bond by the end of the episode.' Some dislike it because it results in Aesop Amnesia happening so often that it borders on Negative Continuitynote  (most infamously, Beverly's season 5 arc where she learned to let go of her children was completely forgotten in the following seasons), while others like it because most episodes usually end in a feel-good moment in some way.
  • Flanderization: While the main characters already had some outlandish characteristics, later seasons exaggerated those to a borderline-ludicrous degree. For instance, Geoff Schwartz went from a nervous romantic for Erica to an Extreme Doormat who caters to everyone's needs. By season 7, almost everyone in the main cast was hit with this, especially Barry, Murray, and Beverly.
  • Harsher in Hindsight:
    • Future Adam would frequently narrate that Pops was "the youngest guy he ever knew", in reference to the latter's youthful personality while one episode revolved around Adam looking for a way to help rejuvenate Pops upon becoming aware of his grandfather's age and mortality. On March 23rd, 2021, his actor George Segal died of complications from bypass surgery.
    • Everything involving and the build-up around Erica and Geoff's relationship initially goes from heartwarming to heartwrenching considering their decision to just be friends in "Couple Off". Granted, they got back together several episodes later.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight: The episode where Barry tries out for high school wrestling is titled "A Wrestler Named Goldberg", apparently in reference to real-life wrestler Goldberg. Guess who later ended up playing Coach Mellor's brother?
  • Like You Would Really Do It: Seeing as how Schooled claimed they were still together by the '90s, it was fairly obvious that Geoff & Erica's breakup wouldn't last that long. Come season 8 episode 21, and sure enough, they're back together.
  • Retroactive Recognition: Uncle Marvin is played by Dan Fogler, now better known for his role as Jacob Kowalski.
  • Replacement Scrappy: Alexis G. Zall was not as popular as Rowan Blanchard in the Jackie Geary role.
  • Spiritual Successor: It's basically the The Wonder Years meets That '70s Show meets A Christmas Story in The '80s.
  • Uncanny Valley: After Jeff Garlin was phased out of the show for what was allegedly unprofessional and abusive behavior on set, the character of Murray was slowly scaled back, and the show relied more and more on previously shot footage of Garlin in the recliner doing reaction shots. His final appearances were shot with a body double, dubbed audio and a pasted-on face; while it's better than you'd expect for a sitcom with a small FX budget, the wedding episode quickly became infamous.
  • Unintentionally Sympathetic: Adam Goldberg, the main character. Many episodes have him overcome a "flaw" that is simply being the Only Sane Man to contrast the rest of his family, usually in regards to his mother's downright manipulative tactics to keep herself by Adam's side.
  • Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Beverly Goldberg, the mother of the family. While she's meant to be seen as My Beloved Smother, she's so far on the "smother" side that she comes off as nearly incapable of being a good mother. Her immaturity and rudeness, not to mention her blatant favoritism of Adam, makes her come off as borderline abusive, yet it's treated in the show as a "personality quirk" and Adam is often treated as being antagonistic toward her when his actions are driven not by antagonism, but by sanity.

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