I also found it odd that they were not in contact after his death? Wouldn’t you stay in contact with your deceased best friend’s wife and kids, if only for moral support? Not a Christmas card or a birthday phone call to the kids?
Peeling the onion last night resulted in more than a few tears for me. The scenes of Rebecca with baby Randall and then with baby Tess were very sweet. Kevin is such an enigma. So protective of Kate as a 10 year old in making her dream come true, yet such a jerk to his roommate as a struggling actor. The scene of Randall unloading his problems at the hardware store could have been hoaky, but Sterling K. Brown makes it emotional and completely normal.
The thrill is definitely a little gone for us. Halfway through last night, my wife announced, “I’m having trouble caring about this.” We liked the therapy session at Best Buy, however. Everything else, sort of meh. The closeness between Beth and her white mother-in-law: not very realistic. Although nice in the fantasy department.
Wow, JHS, you really don’t believe that Beth and Rebecca could have a close relationship? Especially given what Randall just went through? Why did you think that was only possible as a fantasy? I know some families in which the daughter-in-law is closer to her m-i-l than her own mother. Curious as to your thought process.
I liked the episode, especially some of Kevin’s issues - he goes from knowing he is a very popular kid to an unsuccessful actor ready to throw his friend under the bus for a part. No show is perfect, but I still think this show provides interesting viewing each week.
I enjoyed it, but I enjoy it every week and choose not to pick it apart. It’s TV. It’s entertainment. I think it is well done and both my husband and I look forward to the show. I spend a lot of my day dealing with some complex issues and difficult personalities at work, so I don’t want to tax myself over my TV shows.
@JHS Yes, please explain more about what you mean.
Randall seems to have had anxiety issues for a long time. I could identify Rebecca’s accommodation of Randall and her desire to calm him as a child. In previous episodes, I’ve felt Jack relied too much on Kate emotionally and I can see how that may have affected her relationship with Rebecca. Kevin is a hot mess.
Loved Randall’s Halloween trick or treating map. This comes after just telling my new neighbor where to take her kids trick or treating. “Skip our street because the yards are too big. Head a block over to the small yard streets.”
I enjoyed the episode. Interesting that Rebecca re-connected with Miguel after 8 years. Makes it less creepy.
I noticed that Rebecca and Beth got along really well, and now I feel like they do not get along very well. I wonder when that change happened.
As far as trick-or-treating goes, one year a co-worker and his 4 sons made a map to improve their candy haul.
I do not mean to say that daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law are never close, or that they could never be close if they were not the same color. I am saying that in my experience no mother-in-law is welcomed with open arms and “Thank God you’re here!” on the very verge of the birth of a first child, at least not by her pregnant daughter-in-law. A mother, yes; a mother-in-law, no.
Even small differences in family culture create irritation in that context. And when there are numerous differences in family cultures – as would often be the case with families of different races in America in our generation – there would be even more opportunities for conflict at that point.
But Rebecca is probably the only other family member who understands how anxiety has impacted Randall’s life. It’s not hard to imagine that she and Beth bonded over their concern and understanding of him.
I think it’s a good show, not great. I think what keeps me watching is all the different time frames and their stories in th em. Some are interesting, some arent’,…but it’s better than so many other programs out there right now. In this past episode, watching Rebecca cry over Jack not being there really touched me and even brought a tear to my eye. I have a friend who recently lost her husband of 30 years, and it made me sad to think all these things that we want to share with our husbands she won’t have. I love how she said the happiest times in her life from now on will be tinged with sadness. It made me so thankful my husband is still here and I hope we get to experience lives joy’s.
Because of the World Series, it never occurred to me to watch This Is Us last night. Y’all’s observations made me go watch it just now.
I really liked this episode. One of the best this season, IMO. I had started to turn off it a bit … probably in part because I am rewatching Parenthood, and This Is Us pales in comparison for me. I like learning more about Kate and Kevin, foibles and all. Their shortcomings seemed very realistic to me. And I really felt for Rebecca in this episode. She’s probably my least favorite character, but in this episode I found her really relatable.
JHS, I chose to have my MIL over my mother to help with my first baby. I knew my mom would drive me crazy.
Have to disagree JHS. There was also an off-hand comment about how Beth’s mom couldn’t be there and was coming later (can’t remember the exact comment). Agree that women more often want their own moms in the delivery room, but I wanted nobody but my husband. In fact, my in-laws were with us right before my first child was born and would have been here if he hadn’t been so late. They had just left the day before when I went into labor. It never occurred to me to not welcome them to meet their grandson right after his birth, even if it were before my parents could get there, and there is a world of cultural difference between my in-laws and me.
I watched most of it, and I enjoy the show. I just can’t keep up with anyone’s names. I do like the weaving of the back story with the current times.
Beth’s mom had the flu.
This show, like Parenthood, often drives me crazy. Last night’s annoyances - Grandma Rebecca in the hospital nursery; Miguel just happens to find Rebecca on Facebook the day that she sets up an account; eight years with no contact at all with a best friend.
It struck me last night that all three of Rebecca and Jack’s kids have significant issues, and none of them are particularly likeable. Kevin, especially.
One thing I did like about the episode was Randall’s encounter with the Sikh gentleman at the hardware store, and how that resulted in Tess’ name.
I didn’t catch the Tess name encounter? Would you mind explaining that?
Related to the name of the ceiling fan.
@conmama, Randall noticed on the brochure for the fan that the man had given him that the name of it was Tessiana (or something similar) when he got home.
I’m so cued into the emotional, poignant and slowly revealing storyline of this show that I could care less about Halloween decorations, make up etc!
It’s hard to watch Randall and his perfection/anxiety. I do watch it…but it’s a trait that I see in others close to me…the struggle is real. <3 I just adore Randall AND Sterling K Brown.