Spoiler Alert: Content in this post is from the January 14, 2015 episode of The Goldbergs

We all live to be cool. And while the definition for “cool” morphs into different things as one gets older, it still remains an objective. If even just for our own personal sake. What’s special in The Goldbergs is that age doesn’t place any restrictions on anyone for how they should act…and this includes not going to that morbid deli down the street.

Skip that one for as long as you can!

When cartoon popular culture takes a detour from enjoyable fantasy into the harsh realities of life and death, the reaction is anything but a soothing mixture of bright colors and hope. The unexpected drawn demise of Optimus Prime in the movie theater in 1980-something shocked Adam to his core. Though thoroughly confused by his grandson’s reaction, Pops did what a best friend does and he stuck it out with him in the empty theater for way, way too long. For the first time in Adam’s life, death was a reality he had to think about. And yes, it was sparked by the death of a beloved transforming cartoon hero. But, if you were or are a fan of such things at his age, you completely understand where he’s coming from.

(TV Line)

In the other wing of Goldberg manor was a love connection/love triangle/love sep-whatever the word is for seven people in this situation. Here’s a marathon sentence recap: Barry loves Erica’s best friend Lainey, Erica and Lainey can’t stand it (yet the latter secretly does), Erica pushes Beverly to set up her delicious boy with his soul mate, Barry meets his mom-approved “soul mate,” who turns out to be a creepily comforting mini-Beverly, Lainey gets jealous and dumps her secret boyfriend Barry for accepting an invitation to the Darryl Hawkins Sadie Hawkins dance with Evy, Erica feels bad and tells Barry to go after Lainey, but Lainey turns him down at the dance, yet she forgives him on the 50-yeard line of the football field after a strangely good/bad speech by Barry (“let me be your secret shame”), so Barry and Lainey publicly dance together with Barry-approved dance moves and Erica fixed Evy up with a mini-Murray (played by Jeff Garlin/Murray’s real son) that officially freaked Beverly out as everything worked out perfectly.

For Barry, it was pure “heaven” (the reference warrants an ’80s response).

Returning back to matters of life and death for the youngest and oldest Goldbergs, the wisest of the bunch Pops took the initiative (after a nice talk with Murray) to comfort grandson Adam in the best way. Adam’s eyes and heart lit up when Pops told him that while he can’t ultimately beat death, the lively spirit of his best friend (talking to Adam) was the reason why he was there and why he was so personally awesome. And in a Hallmark family moment, Pops asked Adam to run him over with the car.

Relax, it was the pivotal scene for the most epic live-action Transformers movie.

Whether it’s trying to act “cool” in high school or if it’s being the cool grandfather, it’s always cool to stand up for something/someone and to be there when they need you most. Fortunately, I have a grandfather like that who always has a smile on his face, a good joke up his sleeve and the coolest outlook on life I hope to emulate when I’m older. Instead of a Pops, I have a Pardner, and he’s helped show me how to be a glass half-full kind of guy.

As Adam would say, “My Pardner is the coolest badass around!”

As I would say, “Pardner has helped transform my life in ways I never imagined possible.”

Like Optimus Prime, the family sitcom lives with The Goldbergs.