'The Goldbergs' Reportedly Make a Decision on Jeff Garlin's Original Character

By Stephen Andrew

The Goldbergs producers have reportedly made a decision on Jeff Garlin's original character, following the actor's previous exit from the series. According to Entertainment Weekly, Garlin's Murray Goldberg — the family patriarch — will be killed off at the beginning of the new season. The news was revealed by showrunner Alex Barnow in a new interview with the outlet.

Barnow told EW that Murray will have been dead for several months when The Goldbergs Season 10 story kicks off. "This is going to be a family that has not reconciled the fact that their father's gone but has sort of moved on and has dealt with a lot of that," he said. "We're starting with optimism about [Erica's] baby coming and looking forward to the future. It's an opportunity for this interesting emotional basis for the way people are behaving."

Garlin played dad Murray Goldberg for the first nine seasons of The Goldbergs but left halfway through Season 9. Garlin had quite the unceremonious exit from the series in 2021, which led to the creative team having to write and film around his absence. The longtime comedian had been accused of inappropriate on-set behavior, leading to an HR investigation. 

In December, it was announced that producers and Garlin reached an agreement for him to exit the series. While Garlin is officially gone from The Goldbergs, fans can rest assured that not all the show's familiar faces are leaving. According to The Hollywood Reporter, star and executive producer Wendi McLendon-Covey recently signed a new deal with Sony Pictures Television which will see her return to the show with the rest of its producers. Pers sources, the agreement includes an option for the show to be renewed for an 11th season.

Prior to his exit, Garlin addressed the accusations in a Vanity Fair interview, telling journalist Maureen Ryan, "No, I have not been fired from The Goldbergs." No specific allegations were mentioned, but Garlin stated that no one had come to him personally, aside from the HR representatives tasked with investigating the claims. He also stated that he'd met with them three times in three years. 

"If I said something silly and offensive, and I'm working at an insurance company, I think it's a different situation," he said during the interview. "If I, as the star of the show, demanded a gun range and on set, and I was firing guns every day and I was a little bit loose — to me, that's an unsafe work atmosphere. If I threatened people, that's an unsafe work atmosphere. None of that goes on ever with me. That's not who I am. I am sorry to tell you that there really is no big story. Unless you want to do a story about political correctness." The Goldbergs Season 10 premieres Sept. 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET, on ABC.

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