Admittedly, I missed some of the opening. I was confused about Kate leaving the taping and then Toby and the mom leaving too to follow her. I get that she had a last minute opportunity come up but weren’t they all committed to Kevin and what he was doing first? I think I may have missed something there.
Landslide. One of my favorites. Couldn’t help tearing up while Kate sang and the montage played. The writers really, really know how to evoke a range of emotions in quick succession.
How many of us have experienced what Kate feels? I certainly have. My mother was a knockout who was pretty close to perfect in many ways. Walking in her shadow was rough. I loved the tension and catharsis between mother and daughter as both tried to have a real, deep relationship but couldn’t quite get there.
I still think a family like Beth and Randall’s would be a mistake in the real world, and I’m glad the writers wrote Randall to be intelligent and thoughtful about it. But this is hollywood, so things will probably turn out more like a fairy tale, especially the way they set it up with Randall taking such a huge risk and being afraid of failure.
And there really are men who give speeches like Toby’s. Some of us are blessed to be married to one.
Re: Randall and Beth (all just speculation and my opinion)…
I actually think it will NOT turn out like a fairy tale…I think there will be repercussions - either for the family, the marriage or something. They may work through it, but I don’t expect all smiles at the dinner table (in that LOVELY home - love it!)
I find I choke up several times while watching this show. The words, with the video , the songs…PULLS at my heart strings. Milo is phenomenal in his role IMO.
The one I have a hard time liking or warming up to is Kate. Second place would be Rebecca. Miguel, is ok. On Team “EVERYONE ELSE”!
BTW, had no idea that Miguel in real life looked like this…just a big difference to me http://thejonhuertas.com/
I can’t stand Kate. I think she’s doing a great job with the role, but I don’t like the character at all.
As someone who grew up in a family with white parents, birthchildren, and adoptive children of various ethnicities as well as foster siblings at various points in my life this show is must watch tv.
I’m with you @Belle315 in concerns about how hollywood will treat the foster child scenario. What I’ve seen from this show in the past does give me a little hope though. In general, while a lot of the circumstances are totally unrealistic (no way, no how in no world would any social worker have let that couple walk out of the hospital with that third baby) the relationships and reactions are totally believable.
I don’t like Kate or Beth, not sure which one I like less but I do adore Jack. I’m so hoping he gets his drinking issue worked out before he dies and he can make amends to all the kids and Rebecca so there’s no loose ends with that part of his life.
One of the things I think the writers of this show do extremely well is show how complicated all parent-child, sibling relationships truly are. And how our own upbringing influences our marriage and parenting, even if subconsciously (they delved into that last season, with Jack being estranged from his dad and his dad being an alcoholic, and Rebecca’s mom being passive/aggressive & judgemental). Between the superb writing and acting, they are able to show what is common to many of us – the complexity and dynamics and LAYERS that have been built up over time, played out in small scenes.
No one event (or conversation) takes place in a vacuum but for each character there is a context and a history and a perspective that influences/shapes how each character sees or interprets that event or conversation. It’s why each of us interprets things differently too, and why some of us like certain characters while some of us don’t like those same characters, or some of us see things as contrived while others see it as sweet.
It’s what keeps me tuning in each week, because it’s pretty real.
I also loved the Beth and Kevin thing, particularly Kevin’s statement, “You know my brother never does anything unless he’s 100% sure he’ll be successful.” Even though Beth does know her husband well, and probably knows it, it’s easy to forget these things when you’re emotionally involved with other stuff.
While I did see Rebecca’s statement as implied criticism, Kate is also way too sensitive. She wouldn’t sing in the talent show because Rebecca sang the song in the shower - no way was that a criticism. And she was likely singing the song because it was an earworm - how often would Kate have sang it, rehearsing at home? If Kate’s that sensitive, I don’t believe for a second she would have ever taken up singing in direct competition with her mother. (A kid I know, whose parent is a classical musician, took up sports so “[parent] can’t tell me what to do.”)
And I think we’ll get more of a backstory about the dressing-down that Miguel gave Jack, and its aftermath - that may have something to do with Kevin’s attitude toward him. (I knew what he looked like from Castle - I was very happy to see that he landed on his feet after its cancellation.)
I agree that no social worker lets Jack and Rebecca out of the hospital with Randall any time in the past 20 years, but I’m not certain that would have been the case in Pittsburgh (I think it was) in 1980.
Kevin is the character the writers have never really gotten to be believable. He’s a caricature most of the time, then he gets of moment of profundity and insight, then he takes off his shirt again.
My mother and my sisters had a three-way Rebecca-Kate kind of relationship. My mother looked a LOT like Ingrid Bergman as a young woman – absolutely stunning – and she had a gigantic personality with a huge aura. She loved her daughters to death, and lived through them to some extent, but they completely despaired of ever living up to the standard she set. Neither one ever married or even had a stable relationship for long. One constantly sees herself as a failure in every little aspect of life where my mother succeeded (and basically rejects as less important all the areas where she has outperformed our mother)
@JHS I got an MSW at Pitt around that time. There is no way that would have been or should have been happening in Pittsburgh then. I worked with child and family, foster care, adoption kinds of things. It is far fetched but other aspects of the show seem unrealistic and contrived as well. But, I still love the show.
I think Rebecca doesn’t want to be critical but that’s what she learned from her mother and so it’s how she parents. Rebecca never measured up to her mother and Kate will never measure up to Rebecca .
I thought that Rebecca was very passive aggressive to Kate and critical. It’s not just that one moment, it’s a lifetime of sutle actions.
And that’s how Kevin is always treated. Everyone thinks they are supporting him but when push comes to shove, they figure he’s the golden boy and he’ll be fine. He is but this is the family dynamics. Think about who left the taping. Kate, Toby, Beth and Rebecca. Who was left. Randall and Miguel and Sophie. Miguel because he’s peripheral character, but Randall is always there for Kevin. And Randall is the one Kevin thinks he’s in competition with.
That’s a great last paragraph introspective ^^^^^.
Lots of good thoughts here. I agree that Kate is overly sensitive, but that doesn’t mean that Rebecca isn’t critical, too. I had a mom like that … by no means abusive, but she just didn’t get how to parent me. And I think it’s interesting that Kate would try to compete with her mom about the singing. She’s a glutton for punishment.
I do feel for Kevin, because I know kids like that. In some ways, I was treated like that. Oh, she’s smart; she’ll be fine … that kind of thing. I think it’s really crappy that Rebecca came across the country to watch Kevin’s taping and leaves to go butt in on Kate’s thing. I feel sorry for Kevin; he clearly is a golden child in some respects, which translates into not a lot of support because he’s always going to be alright.
I think it’s funny who we like and don’t. I can’t imagine not loving Beth, but I don’t get what all the fuss is about Jack!
Loved the episode last night with Sylvester Stallone! Will be interesting to see where Kevin goes, now that he has taken his first pain pills and addiction clearly is a problem for the Pearson men.
@mommajes - Yes, the pain pill - arrrrg! I got the feeling that this is not his “first” pain pill. I took that scene as a window into Kevin’s hidden addiction - just like Jack hid his drinking. And, I assume he started with that broken leg he had as a teenager when Jack died.
I assumed the same thing about Kevin’s broken leg and his use of pain pills.
Did he need the pain pill now more for his hurt leg or to cope with the feelings about Jack’s death that his conversations with Stallone and Kate brought up?
At the end, what did teen Kate see as she was walking up to … a car maybe? Wasn’t sure what was happening there.
My DVR cut off before the previews for next week - did I miss anything?
We gain more insight into Randall too - his attempt to find parents via the internet…the meeting of the fake mom - he was smart enough to know right away - to sense it was not right. And maybe more about his emotional/mental state - as he talks about the ringing in his head, the loneliness, the feeling of being split in two w/families.
And Rebecca really standing by Jack’s side. She believed in him.
I basically hated this episode. I was bored with everyone except Randall and his family. The Sly Stallone and Ron Howard cameos were gratuitous and unconvincing as heck (in the case of Stallone at least). Everyone was super-whiny. I am not looking forward to the parallel stories of Kevin’s pill addiction and Jack’s alcoholism.
I do like the actors they have hired to play the triplets in high school. But I am going to stop watching if the episodes don’t improve.
I was just happy that this episode was Toby-free. I know we are meant to like him but i find him manipulative and really creepy; Kate deserves so much better. I’m struck by how much the young actress playing Kate as a teen really looks and sounds like adult Kate. They really nailed the casting there.