This Is Us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, I think I missed an episode, but can't find it on On Demand and have been very faithful about recording each episode. Only missed one where it was pushed back an hour (but then realized from reading on here that it was a repeat anyway??)

Can someone help me figure out which episode I missed? here are the parts that seem to be missing:

* Mandy Moore all of a sudden is singing in the club? Don't know how that started or how it happened.
* Randall's "nervous break down." In last night's episode they showed "previously on this is us" and had a clip of Randall's wife talking to his bio father explaining about his nervous breakdown when she was pregnant. I don't remember that in any previous episode???
* Kevin and Sophie now being a couple. I saw the episode where they meet and she tells him she's dating someone. Next thing I know, (in last night's episode) she's calling him wishing him luck on his play and telling him it would be awkward for the family seeing them dating again.


That's all I can think of, but I think there were other things where the story line just skipped ahead for me. Anyone know if these things were covered and in what episode?

Did you see the episode about the 3 separate birthday parties? That's where they introduce the back story with Sophie. It was Episode #13 "Three Sentences" if you can't find it on demand, it is on the NBC app.

Episode 13 "Three Sentences" Aired January 24, 2017
The triplets' tenth birthday is approaching, and instead of keeping of the family tradition of celebrating the day, Kevin and Kate encourage their parents to throw them separate parties, in which each of the triplets has to invite their entire class. In the current day, Randall is trying to bid for a project in Calgary, but is interrupted by William, who recently stopped chemo treatments and is now energetic. Kate's doctor encourages her to attend a camp instead of having weight loss surgery. Kevin takes Toby out to a bar after Toby dropped Kate off at the camp and Sloane tells Kevin she wants no part of him. At the birthday party, Randall only has a handful of classmates show up while Kevin and Kate have full parties. When Kate's best friend Sophie arrives, she and Kate's entire party merge into Kevin's party, leaving Kate alone, in which Jack comes to comfort her.. Toby encourages Kevin to go to the woman that he really loves and give her three sentences as a chance to get back with him. He then visits Sophie, his childhood love and ex-wife. She sends him a text answering the three sentences, indicating she wants to get back with him. A mysterious worker at the camp tries to talk to Kate, who is now engaged to Toby, and acts like he is trying to seduce her.

I'm the pp you are answering. Thanks - I did see that episode, but I never saw Randall's wife tell Randall's bio father about his nervous breakdown. The first I heard of it was this last episode when they showed "previously on..." clips. Also, I thought it was a leap when Sophie was at the diner and told Kevin that she's seeing a really nice guy now and really likes him. The next episode is her calling Kevin wishing him luck and them talking about how they are back together. I guess I missed the texts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

He could have made it up to Randall after the play. I feel bad for the actress - he slept with her, lead her on, and then dropped her pretty callously. She stayed in the play that he funded despite being mistreated, but he did let her down again.

No, I agree with the others. Seems like Kevin has always been selfish and everything was about him. Even with Kate - she did everything for Kevin and it was all about him. I loved that he finally made a turn and the "grand gesture" of potentially ruining the most important thing to him to save his brother. Similar to Jack taking the management job and giving up his dreams of starting his own business for his family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ The rest:

Kevin was the lead in a network TV show for five years. So yes rich. Plus at that level they are bringing in freebies and other paid gigs. It won't last though.

Kate - I think Kevin floated her after the move to NY. I'd love to know what Toby does too.

Yep, I agree - Randall is a partner in this huge firm - easily (with bonuses) bringing well into 7 figures. Kevin on network tv show for year - same thing - lots of money and these days with royalties - he's rich. And Kate, I'm sure, had a hefty salary from Kevin. She did EVERYTHIN for him. I'm sure she got a huge salary.

Jack's death - my thoughts:

No on suicide. She would have been more affected by Toby when he first said he thought of killing himself. She wouldn't have just been a little concerned and asked weeks (or months?) later. It would have been a ptsd kind of thing for her.

no for choking on food and therefore she eats. She had the eating issue long before Jack died (looking at her mom's size "s" shirt compared with her "L" shirt, etc.)

I think drunk driving is the answer and either she was in the car or he went out to get her something while Becca was on tour. Makes sense that she is so angry at her mom - mom not being there when it happened and thinking if mom was there he'd never have died.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

He could have made it up to Randall after the play. I feel bad for the actress - he slept with her, lead her on, and then dropped her pretty callously. She stayed in the play that he funded despite being mistreated, but he did let her down again.

No, I agree with the others. Seems like Kevin has always been selfish and everything was about him. Even with Kate - she did everything for Kevin and it was all about him. I loved that he finally made a turn and the "grand gesture" of potentially ruining the most important thing to him to save his brother. Similar to Jack taking the management job and giving up his dreams of starting his own business for his family.

Its both. That's why I like this show. Sometimes in life, something you do will be simultaneously shitty and and amazing. We strive to not hurt anyone in the course of helping others, but there will be times we fail and we have to deal with that and own it and try to make it right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ The rest:

Kevin was the lead in a network TV show for five years. So yes rich. Plus at that level they are bringing in freebies and other paid gigs. It won't last though.

Kate - I think Kevin floated her after the move to NY. I'd love to know what Toby does too.

Yep, I agree - Randall is a partner in this huge firm - easily (with bonuses) bringing well into 7 figures. Kevin on network tv show for year - same thing - lots of money and these days with royalties - he's rich. And Kate, I'm sure, had a hefty salary from Kevin. She did EVERYTHIN for him. I'm sure she got a huge salary.

Jack's death - my thoughts:

No on suicide. She would have been more affected by Toby when he first said he thought of killing himself. She wouldn't have just been a little concerned and asked weeks (or months?) later. It would have been a ptsd kind of thing for her.

no for choking on food and therefore she eats. She had the eating issue long before Jack died (looking at her mom's size "s" shirt compared with her "L" shirt, etc.)

I think drunk driving is the answer and either she was in the car or he went out to get her something while Becca was on tour. Makes sense that she is so angry at her mom - mom not being there when it happened and thinking if mom was there he'd never have died.

Wow, great analysis and I think you're right. I also think Kate blamed her mother for Jack's death and treated her really badly because of it. She told the daughter of the woman she was working for that she was too hard on her own mother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, I think I missed an episode, but can't find it on On Demand and have been very faithful about recording each episode. Only missed one where it was pushed back an hour (but then realized from reading on here that it was a repeat anyway??)

Can someone help me figure out which episode I missed? here are the parts that seem to be missing:

* Mandy Moore all of a sudden is singing in the club? Don't know how that started or how it happened.
* Randall's "nervous break down." In last night's episode they showed "previously on this is us" and had a clip of Randall's wife talking to his bio father explaining about his nervous breakdown when she was pregnant. I don't remember that in any previous episode???
* Kevin and Sophie now being a couple. I saw the episode where they meet and she tells him she's dating someone. Next thing I know, (in last night's episode) she's calling him wishing him luck on his play and telling him it would be awkward for the family seeing them dating again.


That's all I can think of, but I think there were other things where the story line just skipped ahead for me. Anyone know if these things were covered and in what episode?

Did you see the episode about the 3 separate birthday parties? That's where they introduce the back story with Sophie. It was Episode #13 "Three Sentences" if you can't find it on demand, it is on the NBC app.

Episode 13 "Three Sentences" Aired January 24, 2017
The triplets' tenth birthday is approaching, and instead of keeping of the family tradition of celebrating the day, Kevin and Kate encourage their parents to throw them separate parties, in which each of the triplets has to invite their entire class. In the current day, Randall is trying to bid for a project in Calgary, but is interrupted by William, who recently stopped chemo treatments and is now energetic. Kate's doctor encourages her to attend a camp instead of having weight loss surgery. Kevin takes Toby out to a bar after Toby dropped Kate off at the camp and Sloane tells Kevin she wants no part of him. At the birthday party, Randall only has a handful of classmates show up while Kevin and Kate have full parties. When Kate's best friend Sophie arrives, she and Kate's entire party merge into Kevin's party, leaving Kate alone, in which Jack comes to comfort her.. Toby encourages Kevin to go to the woman that he really loves and give her three sentences as a chance to get back with him. He then visits Sophie, his childhood love and ex-wife. She sends him a text answering the three sentences, indicating she wants to get back with him. A mysterious worker at the camp tries to talk to Kate, who is now engaged to Toby, and acts like he is trying to seduce her.

I'm the pp you are answering. Thanks - I did see that episode, but I never saw Randall's wife tell Randall's bio father about his nervous breakdown. The first I heard of it was this last episode when they showed "previously on..." clips. Also, I thought it was a leap when Sophie was at the diner and told Kevin that she's seeing a really nice guy now and really likes him. The next episode is her calling Kevin wishing him luck and them talking about how they are back together. I guess I missed the texts.

Here's a link to episode summaries https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Us_(TV_series)# episodes

[Anonymous]

Fixed the link. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Us_(TV_series)#Episodes

[Anonymous]

Ugh, just go to the wikipedia page that the first link redirects you to, and then scroll down to the Episode summaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

He could have made it up to Randall after the play. I feel bad for the actress - he slept with her, lead her on, and then dropped her pretty callously. She stayed in the play that he funded despite being mistreated, but he did let her down again.

No, I agree with the others. Seems like Kevin has always been selfish and everything was about him. Even with Kate - she did everything for Kevin and it was all about him. I loved that he finally made a turn and the "grand gesture" of potentially ruining the most important thing to him to save his brother. Similar to Jack taking the management job and giving up his dreams of starting his own business for his family.

But the gesture was still selfish. I would understand the gesture if it only ruined his career like Jack did, but it ruined the screenwriter's career and her mental health too (no one in her family believes in her already, remember)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

He could have made it up to Randall after the play. I feel bad for the actress - he slept with her, lead her on, and then dropped her pretty callously. She stayed in the play that he funded despite being mistreated, but he did let her down again.

No, I agree with the others. Seems like Kevin has always been selfish and everything was about him. Even with Kate - she did everything for Kevin and it was all about him. I loved that he finally made a turn and the "grand gesture" of potentially ruining the most important thing to him to save his brother. Similar to Jack taking the management job and giving up his dreams of starting his own business for his family.

But the gesture was still selfish. I would understand the gesture if it only ruined his career like Jack did, but it ruined the screenwriter's career and her mental health too (no one in her family believes in her already, remember)?

I think it was mellow dramatic. Seriously, if you felt like your brother was having a panic attack, you'd probably have a stage hand that could run and check on him. Or at least have someone announce that there will be an delay in the performance. It wasn't just the playwright, but a whole theater crew, producers, etc. Also, even in community theater productions, they have understudies.

Two episodes back, but I also think it was stretching the story line that Kate gets kicked out of fat camp b/c the rude, boorish, sexually harassing horse wrangler is the owners son. No way a place like that would stay in business with that chubby chaser on staff--they'd be sued out of existence.

Still cannot see why Kate is chronically so pissy toward Toby in every episode. It's easy to see why Kate's character would have become Kevin's work wife crutch b/c it's not just the weight that would drive intimate relationships away. Kevin's character at least knew her b/f the bitchiness set in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we talk finances for a second?

When we start off the the Pearsons Jack is a blue collar construction worker. Suddenly he gets a job in project management and earns more money.

Suddenly Rebecca and Miguel are so wealthy?

Also how rich is Randall? He has a beautiful house, nice car and a hot SAHM.

Kevin is a millionaire?

What about Kate? Does she have a trust fund?

Of course, everything is exaggerated for TV. Even the Connors in Roseanne were supposedly dirt poor, but who would watch a show with some super crappy house? Know what I mean. On tv middle class is always exaggerated, upper middle even more so.

^This. Plus, Rebecca probably inherited money when her (seemingly) wealthy parents died & Kevin actually would be a millionaire --several times over-- after being the lead on a hit network show for several years. The main cast of the Big Bang Theory all get paid $1 million per episode, as did the cast of Friends the last few seasons (& that was over a decade ago). Even if The Manny wasn't quite popular enough for him to bring in as much per episode as the actors from those shows, he still likely would've been making several million per season once the show became a hit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

He could have made it up to Randall after the play. I feel bad for the actress - he slept with her, lead her on, and then dropped her pretty callously. She stayed in the play that he funded despite being mistreated, but he did let her down again.

No, I agree with the others. Seems like Kevin has always been selfish and everything was about him. Even with Kate - she did everything for Kevin and it was all about him. I loved that he finally made a turn and the "grand gesture" of potentially ruining the most important thing to him to save his brother. Similar to Jack taking the management job and giving up his dreams of starting his own business for his family.

But the gesture was still selfish. I would understand the gesture if it only ruined his career like Jack did, but it ruined the screenwriter's career and her mental health too (no one in her family believes in her already, remember)?

I think it was mellow dramatic. Seriously, if you felt like your brother was having a panic attack, you'd probably have a stage hand that could run and check on him. Or at least have someone announce that there will be an delay in the performance. It wasn't just the playwright, but a whole theater crew, producers, etc. Also, even in community theater productions, they have understudies.

Two episodes back, but I also think it was stretching the story line that Kate gets kicked out of fat camp b/c the rude, boorish, sexually harassing horse wrangler is the owners son. No way a place like that would stay in business with that chubby chaser on staff--they'd be sued out of existence.

Still cannot see why Kate is chronically so pissy toward Toby in every episode. It's easy to see why Kate's character would have become Kevin's work wife crutch b/c it's not just the weight that would drive intimate relationships away. Kevin's character at least knew her b/f the bitchiness set in.

"Melodramatic"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

+100
I know I'm in the minority here, but I rarely cry or get weepy during these episodes. However, I actually got chills and tears when Kevin said, "I'm thinking about what my dad would do" right before the play started, and then we see him running down the street to help Randall. THAT really got me. It didn't matter to me that he left the actress stranded on stage and abandoned the play, because in that moment, all that mattered was being the man his dad had been and doing whatever it took to help his brother. It also was very telling when, in the flashback, we see Kevin witnessing Randall having a breakdown as he's writing his English paper. Instead of going in Randall's room to comfort him, he simply walks into his own room and shuts the door. Present-day Kevin is thinking back on that moment, and wishing he had been a better brother and really been there for Randall. He realizes it's not too late and that he can now redeem himself.

The scene of him holding Randall as Randall sobbed just tore me apart. Much more so than any other scene or episode (except maybe the one where the mean girls write that awful note to Kate at the pool).

One thing I really need to know is this: when Randall called Kevin, he called him a different name and Kevin looked really confused. And then when Kevin arrived at Randall's office that night, he said something I couldn't catch - did he address Randall using a different name? Was it an inside joke that I should be getting? Anyone know what I'm talking about?

[Anonymous]

I also thought Miguel was fantastic in this last episode. What he said to Kevin seemed so organic and unplanned. "You are Jack Pearson's son." It was exactly what Kevin needed to hear. I love the way Miguel is fully aware that Kevin doesn't like him, but he never holds it against him.

Speaking of Miguel, another PP asked where his kids are and I was wondering the same thing. Where are they?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kevin couldn't call his family in the audience - he had to be the one to leave because he has to make it up to Randall - for not being there for him in the past. Kevin says to Sophie that he has changed and this just shows how true that is.

He could have made it up to Randall after the play. I feel bad for the actress - he slept with her, lead her on, and then dropped her pretty callously. She stayed in the play that he funded despite being mistreated, but he did let her down again.

He couldn't have made it up to him. Randall called him; he needed him. Kevin could tell that something was not right with Randall and knew he had to be there for him. I loved that he dropped everything and went to help.

I guess if we're looking at it practically, yes, I also feel bad for the actress. But in a moment of crisis like that, you do what needs to be done. And Randall was in real crisis.