Road Trip

I tend to enjoy Jack-centric episodes because he's so complex, and while this wasn't my favorite, I still enjoyed seeing the complicated connection between Kevin and his father (and their battling prides).

Early on in the road trip Kevin and Jack disagree over the music on the car radio. They make adjustments in the center of the dashboard, and a shot of a radio is shown. However, in the shot the radio is shown in the middle of the dash above a center console between the seats. Interesting, but totally wrong. The car has a bench seat and no console. Worse, the 1970 Galaxie had the radio on the left side of the steering wheel high on the dashboard for only the driver to adjust.

Largely a two hander between Kevin and his Dad, this is wonderful, at times emotional stuff, played beautifully.

I don't know how 'The Wonder Years' managed to be so consistent in quality episode on episode, but it's a joy to watch.

Growing up, nothing beat the Kevin/Winnie episodes for me. That was the arc I lived for.

As an adult, I realize that the Kevin/Jack episodes are the true masterpieces of the show.

The primarily male writers of the show can sometimes be a weakness, but they definitely shine in writing the father-son relationship. It doesn't feel limited to the era at all, and it captures the heart, struggle, and wistfulness perfectly. I'm not a boy and my dad died when I was younger than Kevin is at the start of the series, but I still feel the most nostalgic pull for my family in the Jack episodes.

This one also throws in some great humor (diner scene) and some quintessential dad tropes ("We're not asking for directions!") to keep things balanced.