Thank you, @GTalum … I’ve never gotten the Jack adoration.
Well??? I am so happy for Kate!
I loved Beth’s involvement with Deja and then the pain in her face when Deja cut her hair. She is a great actress.
I’m happy for Kate too, but I’m expecting Toby to be a jerk, at least at first.
Kevin’s surgery didn’t ring true for us.
My husband has had 2 of the same meniscus operations that Kevin had. The recovery from that is surprisingly quick. They have you walk to the car with help when you are done. He was walking without a crutch the next day and used a cane for a week or two.
The doctor’s advice was to not overdo it, but don’t sit still because you want to keep moving it. (He’s a distance runner.) We went on a vacation to Oregon a couple days after his 1st operation. So, within the week or 2 after his meniscus surgery, we did a lot of hiking in Eugene, Crater Lake, and the Columbia River Gorge along with caving in lava tubes. The knee did a weird thing where it would lock up for a second a few times, but other than that, the worst thing he did to it was sitting on an airplane for several hours.
(Also, he had to wait 6 weeks after the meniscus tear was diagnosed both times before getting the surgery in case it “got better on it’s own.” But, I suppose Kevin has better insurance on the set than we do.)
Enjoyed the episode, except the Kevin plot is painful. Interesting to see the parallels between Rebecca’s relationship with her mom and with her daughter. I was also glad to see some realism in the Deja plot, meaning that all was not magically OK after Beth talked to her and did her hair.
I miss William. I’m not finding this season’s storylines as compelling as last year’s.
And here we thought Rebecca seemed critical. Her mother was much worse.
Chrissy Metz looks to me as heavy as she was last season, if not heavier, so I guess the way to explain Kate’s failure to lose weight despite her supposed dedication to diet and exercise was to declare her pregnant. Very soapy solution. I think the showrunners are way too invested in twists and surprises, which of course gave the show such success at the outset, but which now just make it overly plotted and too melodramatic. I’m still watching for the fine performances from some of the cast, but I lose a little more patience each week with the increasing outlandishness of the story.
But the triplets are now 37 or 38 I think so it doesn’t seem outlandish that Kate would hear her biological clock ticking and try to have a baby. I find the idea that Randall completely gave up his career a bit more unlikely.
I have to say I was enjoying the show more last season, particularly William. I still like it, but it’s not rising to same level of writing and directing, such as with Memphis and that amazing sequence early on last season where they introduced the young William on the bus as he descended into addiction.
That said, I’m welcoming the Kate pregnancy story line as I feel like she’s stagnating with most of her role as an adult revolving around weight and her relationship with Toby. I’m still not sure how they both make a living, let alone will support a baby, though.
The scene with Beth and Randall making the bed though. “We had it right the first time”. Seriously hadn’t everyone done that???! 
Wow, I just see this so much differently than some of you.
I saw Kate being concerned about her weight and exercise at first, thinking it was sort of selfish…but no, she was concerned because now she had another human to be concerned about.
I saw Kevin as deeply moved by the thoughts of his dad - I saw that video that Jack took of his football star son and I choked up at the pride he had on that film - and SO wanting others to see that too.
I see Randall as taking a break from his career - not giving it up. After all, he says the 2nd nervous breakdown was just this year. He is determined to have success at home - he wants to experience some of what Beth has as a mom - being the first go-to for the kids (how adorable that song about avoiding infection!!!)
I’m really quite happy to not have the huge drama - happy to have the focus sort of off “what happens to Jack” - to see the layers of the family during the various times. the effect - for decades of parents on their kids - and vice versa.
I find myself falling deeper in love and understanding of the series.
100% agree with you, @abasket.
Much better tonight…
I liked tonight’s episode. It looks like more unexplored territory next week.
Really, really enjoy this show but am not liking the Kevin drug addiction storyline. Way too predictable and really don’t think I’ll enjoy seeing it play out.
I liked much about this episode, but really despised the scene where Toby announces to the entire coffee shop that Kate is pregnant.
Looking forward to seeing the Big Three in their 20s next week. And the brother Nicky story line will probably show the genesis Jack’s nurturing and parenting skills, in the absence of any from their father.
I agree, Toby was way over the top. Again.
I liked the episode. Jack feels like it is important that Randall and Kevin are close because he was very close to his brother and he lost him.
I don’t love the Kevin the drug addict storyline and it makes me sad that he was such a jerk to his girlfriend.
I agree about the Kevin the addict storyline. It will be a sell-out if he miraculously recovers, but it will be a drain if we have to watch a long, drawn-out recovery. (Or maybe my real-life experience of having an addict brother colors my perception on this one.)
I like the introduction of Jack’s brother. I think it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
I have never cared for Toby, and I think the writers make him look like a buffoon. At least we got to see that he works in IT … and it appears he is a manager. Still not sure about Kate, though!