[S02.E11: The Fifth Wheel]

Beth went full-on passive-aggressive bitch in this episode. If she wasn't on-board with supporting her family -- which Kate and Rebecca are as well as Randall -- through this day, she should have said she was still too upset to deal with Kevin and stayed home. Rebecca was there, it's not like Randall wouldn't have someone to lean on. But Beth went, sniping all the way. By the time they were in the bar, I was wishing Miguel had handed her a shot of Shut the Fuck Up after reminding her and Toby that mocking his best friend was his no-fly zone.

I got Randall being angry, but I'm glad he stepped back and realized he delivered a cheap shot that didn't help anyone.

Jack totally messed up with Kate. You don't take a largely sedentary person and push them like that, unless you want to make them feel embarrassed and ashamed, and turn them off to physical activity (hi, Dad). 

I wonder if Rebecca noticed the woosh of the point sailing over her wig when she said, “You do a great disservice by calling my husband an addict, because he was so much more than that.” In the context of this family therapy session, Jack's addiction is a key thing to talk about.

[All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?]

On 12/1/2017 at 8:51 PM, CruiseDiva said:

A true designer would work with the challenge of the HO's furnishings and taste.  But Jo has her predetermined vision and HO be damned.  And then the camera focuses on details like pillows and vases and place settings when those are likely not going to stay.

I suspect it's also about building visibility of the Magnolia aesthetic. Makes it easier to sell their product lines at Target, etc.

[S02.E10: Number Three]

9 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Everybody always assumed Kevin was okay.  He was the oldest, he didn't have a weight issue, he was the same race as his parents, he didn't act out at home, didn't get involved in drugs or gangs or anything like that.  There was always something more "important" going on for anybody to be concerned about Kevin's issues.

This. Jack mentioned to Randall how, with three kids, there's always one in the blind spot. It seems that one was usually Kevin. He was able to hide because he was a good-looking, talented, charming white boy. What more could he possibly need? Kate and Randall -- and, towards the end, Jack -- had more obvious needs.

The whole family now gets to wonder how they missed this for months. It's not fair, but as someone who has had to deal with addiction in the family and has talked with others in similar situations, there can be a lot of looking back and self-recrimination over not seeing certain signs. 

[S02.E07: The Most Disappointed Man]

9 hours ago, kilda said:

parents whose kids end up in foster care aren't necessarily monsters.  They're flawed people who love their kids but made bad mistakes.  Sometimes they make those mistakes repeatedly, instead of learning from them, which it sounds like Deja's mom has, hence her going in and out of foster care.

This. I feel bad for Deja's mom. But I also understand why Randall would want to protect Deja from her. She needs to do a lot more than just get out of jail to be ready to take care of her daughter again. She may have to find somewhere to live, and find a way to provide for them. And doing all that with a possible felony conviction is going to be hard.

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

2 hours ago, NutMeg said:

I think there were many reasons why the "face cupping" was disturbing: 1) a child is comforting a parent for a problem she can't understand (addiction, not little booboo) by repeating a gesture used by the adult to reassure the child; 2) the parent lets the child comfort him; and 3) even worse, the parent is seeking comfort from his child in the first place, which is seriously messed up, and makes the child the "parent" in the situation, so back to my point 1. By treating Kate like an adult or even like his comfort blanket, Jack is forcing her to react as an parent, or how she thinks an adult/parent would react. And of course the weird visual and length of the scene make it even more awkward.

This. Unfortunately, it rings true for addicts and their children. The child is often put into roles of caregiver, protector, defender, etc. Especially if that child is the "favored" child. Boy, did Kate need Alateen.

I hope the Pearson codependency issues are explored as the show goes on.

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

3 hours ago, himela said:

I was a fat kid. My mom would not humiliate me or compare me to other kids etc but her expression at times was enough for me to feel bad for my weight - this still goes on and I am 36. My mom is 57 and she is fit, beautiful, social, kind hearted - everything I am not. I can relate to Kate. Her mom was not saying to her "OMG you are fat" but her behavior could very well imply it.

Same here. For me, it's my dad. He loves me, he meant well, but Jesus H. Pearson, did he set me up with some capital-I Issues when it comes to weight, body image and self-worth. He didn't have to say a word (still doesn't) but the raised eyebrow of disapproval and sighs of exasperation said plenty. 

I partially blame Toby for the Kate-Rebecca mess. He knew how Kate felt about her mom judging her. He knew she'd be nervous with her first gig. He heard her tell the family to stay at the taping. Why did he not have the sense to be #TeamKate and tell Rebecca "No"?

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

"The Manny" seems like a sendup of the "inept, bumbling father figure" trope, but with a hot shirtless guy to draw in the millennials. 

[This Is Our Spoiler and Speculation Topic]

Fogelman: Jack's Vietnam experience will be a "slow build"

Quote

 

The casual fan of the show might just think as they’re watching the “Landslide” montage with Jack, “Oh, wow, some of what happened to Jack in Vietnam clearly had a bigger effect on his life and history than we realized.” I think the closer fans would say, “Huh, this is very different than what he had [said] on the show his experience in Vietnam was.’ And it’s something where if you’re watching like that, it’s intentional. We’ve certainly been watching — and everybody should be watching — Ken Burns’ documentary on PBS right now; it’s insanely good. We’ll certainly get deeper into it as we go. Obviously all war is horrific and tricky, but Vietnam was a very tricky war at a very tricky time, and the things that people experienced are often buried within families for many years is something we’ve found. Jack has clearly has packed a lot of stuff down and part of his journey, through the steps of AA moving forward, is going to have to, as he says in the next episode, sit in some of the stuff that he’s avoided for so long. Which is a scary thing for Jack.

We’re going to learn a lot. It’s going to be a slow build. In terms of the Jack story line, this season is very much focused on how we get to what happened at the end of episode 1 — that fire. How did Jack die? And how does he deal with his treatment of alcoholism and how does it affect his relationships with his family and the Rebecca. That’s the focus of the season. But you can’t explore this man without understanding what happened to him, very specifically in Vietnam, so that’s going to be a longer story that we’ll slowly start embarking on this season — and really will be a bigger part of the future of the show.

 

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

8 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I get if she had never dealt with these issues before, of course nothing's going to change. 

That's what struck me about the drum therapy at Fat Camp. There's so much she hasn't faced, and the guilt over Jack's death probably has eclipsed them all. She was put in a hard role as the favored child of someone who turned out to be an addict. So often, kids in that role learn to stuff down their fear and anger, to keep the parent's favor or to keep the peace.

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

2 minutes ago, Phoebe70 said:

First Ron Howard guest stars.  Next week it's Sylvester Stallone....why?  The show already has great ratings.  It's like they're using Kevin's acting career as an excuse to bring in celebrities.  I hope this show isn't "jumping the shark" after only one season.

From what I've read, Stallone's appearance will make more sense than Howard's. 

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

Something else that affects the Kate-Rebecca dynamic: Jack and his drinking. Kate is not only Daddy's Girl, but the child of an alcoholic. Those moments where she is basically a caregiver/defender, putting her hands on each side of his face and automatically taking his side in the fight with Rebecca without knowing anything about it, the way she seeks approval but is terrified of being judged/criticized, the way she regularly feels ashamed or scared at showing anger, whether it's at Toby or Rebecca or during the drum therapy at fat camp, were all straight out of an ACOA or Al-Anon meeting.

I'll be curious to see if Jack's alcoholism plays into Randall's concerns over bringing a child possibly affected by addiction into the family. Also, he's the only one who saw how ugly Jack could be when he was drinking when he witnessed part of the big Jack-Rebecca fight.

[S02.E02: A Manny-Splendored Thing]

9 hours ago, bybrandy said:

She's trying to help in a way that is incredibly belittling to somebody who doesn't have a whole lot of confidence.

I felt bad for both Rebecca and Kate. It brought back some stuff with Rebecca we saw in Season 1 with her own mom. Kate freaking out ahead of Rebecca's and Miguel's arrival reminded me of Rebecca's nervousness about dealing with her own hypercritical mom for Thanksgiving in "Pilgrim Rick." And the way Rebecca unloaded on her mom in that phone call was similar to Kate unloading on Rebecca. Rebecca may have meant well and been nervous, but she should not have put in that "power your way through a crowd" comment in. This is established behavior with Rebecca, as sigmaforce86 pointed out -- from the "eating too many cookies" dismissal of Kate's appendicitis to having to critique Kate the day of the talent show. Rebecca probably never wanted it to happen, but she's become to Kate what her own mother was to her.

Toby was right in establishing that #TeamKate boundary with Rebecca. Too bad he has a record of being so bad at respecting Kate's boundaries.

Beth's snottiness about having to go to the taping was graceless. Just a few months ago, Kevin risked his investment and his career by leaving the play for Randall. Of course, it was probably deflected anger at Randall over the adoption and foster issues. But she didn't need to be the doodie in the swimming pool about the trip, especially with the girls being so excited. I'm glad she and Kevin had that moment in the trailer.

Poor Kevin. But Sophie's insight on how his need for love and approval is his weakness was spot-on and made me like her more. I am really interested in seeing her and Kate reconnect more.

I'm glad the show stepped back from Jack's death after the premiere. What a lot of critics miss is that the show is not about that. It's about the things like we saw tonight. Jack's death is a brushstroke in the painting, to borrow from Kevin's conversation with Tess and Annie, not the whole painting.

[S02.E01: A Father's Advice]

9 hours ago, SuzyLee said:

It's incredible, how well one can hide alcohol addiction.  I have family who could win Academy awards for how well they hid/hide serious drinking problems.  Tolerance to large amounts of alcohol builds gradually over time until it infiltrates every part of one's life.  Jack and Rebecca had grown a bit distant as the kids aged, making it easier for him to mask his alcoholism.  Sad, sad stuff.

Yep. I could see it in Rebecca's face of frozen shock when Jack revealed it and then shut the door. She was wondering how this happened, and how she didn't see it until he showed up at her show. We've had months to process this, but in Pearson TIme, she's had less than 48 hours to go from being happy on stage to creepy ex and drunk husband ruining it to separation to telling the kids to finding this out.

[This Is Us In The Media]

Video: How "This is Us" gets us to cry

[This Is Us In The Media]

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ten reasons why "This is Us" is a hit

Quote

Unlike to so many failed network dramas of the last 10 years, "This Is Us" isn't trying to be a watered-down version of what cable is allowed to do with edgy series. It proves that you still can do smart, innovative storytelling within the limits of broadcast rules and without suffering from a bad case of cable envy.

[This Is Us In The Media]

Washington Post: You need a hug and a good cry, America. That's what "This is Us" is made for.

 

Quote

The show is also a good reminder that TV is too often missing out on dramas about families where you wind up feeling like part of the family, instead of a lurid observer. It’s still too soon to tell if “This Is Us” works at that high a level, but right now it’s offering a nice hug and an imaginary shoulder to lean on. Who in America doesn’t need that?

[S01.E17: What Now?]

I'm thinking Randall is probably the kind for whom retirement would mean setting up some kind of consulting business or something he could do on his own terms. If Beth goes back to her career, they could downsize for a move south and still live quite comfortably, especially if he has a buyout coming from this job he just quit.

[This Is Our Spoiler and Speculation Topic]

I don't see Kevin leaving New York yet. He's financially and emotionally committed to the play, and there's Sophie. Also, would Randall and Beth uproot the girls after the upheaval of William's death? If Randall has a partnership or financial stake in his former company, he's looking at a buyout and probably a non-compete clause. Could Beth build her career in California, and are they willing to take a financial risk to do so?

[S01.E17: What Now?]

8 minutes ago, SlackerInc said:

I didn't even cotton on to the fact that some people see the premise of the show as "The Mystery of Jack's Death" until just now.

To me, the main reason it matters is how and why it affects Randall, Kevin, Kate, Rebecca and even Miguel to this day. But it's not the all-consuming premise. To harken back to Kevin talking about his painting with Randall's daughters, how Jack died is just one brushstroke in the painting. It's not the only, or most important, part of Jack or his story, or the show as a whole.

[S01.E17: What Now?]

Entertainment Weekly has an interview with Sterling K. Brown about the episode. It explains that Jesse wasn't there because Denis O'Hair had another project going and wasn't available to do a whole episode shoot.

Also, some interesting stuff ended up on the cutting room floor:

Quote

It was a combination of the mailman telling me about his experiences with William — seeing how he’s affected our family at large — and there was a scene that got cut where every day William takes a nap, so the girls had us all lay blankets out in the living room and take a nap. And Kevin has this wonderful scene where he’s talking about, “Well, William would help me with my lines,” and talked about how much he enjoyed Brando from The Godfather, and I said, “When did William help you with your lines?” He said, “You know, sometimes we would both be up at night, and he couldn’t sleep and I’d just go and run lines with him, or I’d just wake him up because I couldn’t sleep, just to get his advice on something.”

Quote

 

There’s another thing that got cut from the scene where we were taking the nap, and Tyler sent him a text message saying, “We need the account number for something.” Recognizing again this was on the day of his father’s memorial and they keep sending him these text messages for things that they could probably take care of on their own — it was just a certain level of inconsideration. Tyler and Sanjay? Not bad people. His job? Not a bad place, but it was keeping him from the fullness of life that William was experiencing. It was keeping him from making authentic connections with the people around him. Or at least not to the extent in which he wanted to, now that he had lost this man who was connecting with everybody.

I found it incredibly gracious. He didn’t want to shame anybody, but he did want to say, “Look, man, this was the day of my father’s memorial, and you sent me something that I’m allergic to. These things could kill me. There’s a level of thoughtlessness that’s occurring right now that I’ve been swept up into, and I need to extricate myself from it in order to be present. I just have to be present in this moment; I can’t worry about Sanjay taking my job or outperforming me.” I think Randall’s inherent sense of competitiveness was driving him in a way that led him to a breakdown that almost led him to missing the most important moment in his father’s life — the end. It was too much. So I don’t know if it’s going to be forever or not, but at this time, he needs to be available to experiencing all of life, and I applaud the writers and the character for taking such a bold step, because not everybody would be or could be willing to do something like that.

 

[S01.E17: What Now?]

I'm wondering if something else was going on with Kevin and Sophie before he went to L.A. and blew up the marriage with his cheating. There's a reason Sophie is scared to face Kate.

[This Is Our Spoiler and Speculation Topic]

Quote

This show has been so cagey about every plot twist that I just can't believe they would telegraph Jack's death this way.

This is true. So many possibilities. 

Jack gets busted for drunk driving. Shame and stress of it all culminate in a heart attack.

[S01.E17: What Now?]

Quote

I like that Randall likes his job. I don't mind him quitting but I have no real desire seeing Randall doing some stereotypical artistic venture.

 I see him becoming more of a freelance consultant for a while. He can work on his own schedule, work around things like school events, and he can also see about either getting Williams' poetry published or self-publishing it.

Kevin is financially committed to the play as well as emotionally committed. That plus Sophie may make it hard for him to accept Ron Howard's offer.

10 minutes ago, kili said:

It was a thoughtless gift to somebody who should be important to the company. He has brought in 80% of the clients the company has and has worked closely with the boss for 10 years. Combine that with an employee who has had to go on stress leave partially brought on by working 20 hour days? The boss could have spent 5 seconds thinking about what to send instead of telling the secretary to send whatever. 

THIS. A phone call. A donation in William's memory to cancer research. A card signed by everyone. A Blue Apron gift card. Something that showed that they actually thought about Randall. What the boss did was pure dick.

[S01.E17: What Now?]

Randall wasn't just some employee. He was a major part of the company's success and had been there for years. The pears, combined with an impersonal note, were thoughtless, dismissive and disrespectful to Randall and all he's done. Glad he's walking.

I love that there were these little sibling moments throughout, like when Randall went after Kate, and her offer to learn about wills if that would help Randall, and Kevin's refusal to milk what happened with Randall to get media attention even though he knew that kind of story would be catnip to the guy.

One of my favorite moments was the Blue Hawaiian aside with Beth, Kevin and Miguel. Her matter-of-factness, Kevin's grin, and Miguel's mild shock were priceless.

[This Is Our Spoiler and Speculation Topic]

Has anyone seen the "final two episodes" promo on social media?

What is with Jack and William sitting together on a sofa, at what looks to be Randall's house, laughing? Perhaps an imagination of Randall's?