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I agree, re aging. I'm Rebecca's age and I don't walk "old" or look as old as she is made to look. We are all different, but she isn't 70's. She shouldn't be carrying a dull look so many years after Jack passed, she married Miguel, live life fully and with joy until you also pass. It's more her movements and dour look than her wrinkles etc. I want to see her belly laugh with her grandkids and hopefully Miguel in the future when people have dried their eyes. We can love more than one person in your life, not the same, but it can be done. Re Kate, I agree, she can be messed up thin or heavy and had issues with her father alive. That said, it was Fogleman and others that said her weight was more about her guilt and mourning her dad. (although it is rarely one thing) Any contract supposedly was pushed aside and Chrissy said they touch base often and discuss script options. The way I look at it, if they wanted someone heavy who loses weight, they could have gone the Tobey route and got someone who wore heavier padding and then lost it, which is their plan with him. They also made her character all about weight, from getting notes by the pool by nasty friends to much later, blaming a music producer for not liking her because of it. It was always an issue. I've always said, "Who is she?" What does she like besides music, hobbies, friends, movies, make her multi-dimensional so people don't just see that. It's hard not to concentrate on it when it's all the script is about.

I agree, it seems so strange that except for a racist grandma coming to visit, there is no mention of anyone else. A "wiki" site said there is an unnamed sister. Why is she out of the picture? It's like they wanted Rebecca to just exist for Jack and the kids but no one else.

Anyone cringing at too many "forward" episodes? http://ew.com/tv/2018/02/06/this-is-us-creator-flash-forwards/ I was looking for actress's name who played Tess, this one minute scene was cute, but since no one knows what the world will be in 15-20 years, I like it better in the past. I feel the same way. I know they picked Chrissy to play Kate and she's great but they knew the story line would be based on a big part that Kate had a small weight issue when she was young but also had a coddling father who gave in to her, made her more health conscience mom and doctor seem like "bad cop" and never addressed other issues . To blame her Mom for not giving her what her dad did, she should have outgrown that a long time ago. Everyone supposedly watched Kate spiral and make her dad a God almost and blame a guilt that wasn't totally rational on all her woes. Kate is lucky to have Toby, a guy that sees her under all her issues but it grows old to keep hearing about how she killed her dad at 37. Does she ever think or talk to her dad and wonder how sad he would be that half her life has been hurting herself because of his death? Kevin wants to be a good man, he'll keep trying, his therapy hopefully helped but Kate is not an endearing character because she pulls the weight issue as a shield too. It just gets old on TV because they made that her soul. We don't know much about Rebecca and her past but Kate seemed to be weight and music and Jack wanted her to try her wings with that. I hope next season we see more growth with Kate but I know Chrissy has to decide if she wants to lose weight and that will effect the script with that plot line. Therapy though I hope we see soon.

This article give both names, don't seem related but I'm really disappointed about the forward episodes. http://ew.com/tv/2018/02/06/this-is-us-creator-flash-forwards/

Very interesting video on this page where they talk about how they cut out a lot of Jack's hacking and coughing because "God forbid" the fans knew it was coming, even though they were hyping it for weeks. : / http://ew.com/tv/2018/02/05/this-is-us-milo-ventimiglia-jack-perfect-death/?sf181566287=1 Milo: "I know a lot of clearing the throat and coughing didn’t get used because Dan really didn’t want to tip off that there was something really wrong with his lungs that was sending his heart into cardiac arrest, but the real-life statistics of smoke inhalation is horrible. A house fire like that — if you’re in that kind of smoke for five seconds and you take two full, deep breaths in, you’re done. You’re just done." Well, duh, yeah. I sure hope they stop doing that, that tricking and twisting to make a scene ultra dramatic, maybe it will end with Jack.The acting can do it on it's own.

I agree with you. Let Rebecca grow and realize how strong and capable she really is. She was a good wife, but many times never had a say in matters. It would have been interesting to see how the business would have been with them working together? Would her voice of had any weight? I'd like to think so. I don't like flash-forwards and no one knows what the future will be like so keep it past and present. I also wonder about Rebecca's parents. Other than Mom, is there a Dad, a grandpa? Is there a sibling?

I agree, worked in hospital during that time, it wasn't cavemen era. ; ) I think the writers just thought, smoke, ER, heartattack without Rebecca, she misses it and the details didn't matter. I don't think of This is Us like a soap opera with silly plots and scenes that stretch the imagination. I hope they try to do more research especially with more fostering episodes and Vietnam memories. Re the hotel, I just meant for a day or two, with all the stuff going on Miguel wouldn't mind. He lived alone, probably had 3 bedrooms and it seemed a pull out couch, just to give her a breather to call and sort out finances. Jack was his best friend and I know he would have done it for Miguel without a thought.

I would think 3 of them would be too much. My twins didn't like going with their Dad and the other in the car. They did with driver's ed since they lived in the same home for drop off. I thought the crack about girls etc with Kevin was a cheap shot and don't understand why the anger toward him. My husband would have liked that scene with Jack making them walk 5 miles home, he unfortunately caught the car sale monologue Jack had with salesman and just rolled his eyes. I've been trying this year to get him to watch, but the ER scene and car scene didn't help. (he worked in ER and car scene was over the top) I know he'd appreciate some shows, so I'll keep trying. : ) When you think of it, Kate was given the dog by Jack, she didn't pick it out, they threw the dog in to make the fire episode more dramatic. Having Jack go back in just for pics or something else would have had more people shaking their heads because it's stupid to risk your life for that. I hope Louie stays or finds a good home, but he has bonded with Kate. Randall or Kevin could not have stopped Jack, he was determined, it was a grief filled thing to say, not really worthy of response.

I thought it was odd at first that she left the service afterwards but it was suffocating and I felt it through the screen. Such a hard moment to just make small talk. So much still to show of those days though. We never see Kevin being told and we know they filmed that. There is the huge aftermath of the house and talks with fire officials and insurance agents. I don't know if they would be allowed back to the home, it seemed very unsafe but I'm sure anything that survived will be gone through. In real life money is sometimes slow to come, it took a year for a burnt home on my street to be fully rebuilt and weeks before money for apartment came, but every policy is different, how fast or slow they do it, I hope it's done by season end. There is also the maybes of what Jack might have written in his journal, what Rebecca reads or finds in his papers. There is the choices the kids make in the aftermath and although Rebecca said she wanted them to live, go on with their lives, she does seem hurt that only Randall stayed close. Many good areas to explore and I hope I can shake the "really don't like Kate" feeling and they show more depth now. I have a feeling others did try to help her, Kevin saying how she ate in front of the house quite often, shows a young woman unable to move forward, in great need of mental health professional (especially with lack of friends on show) Why it didn't happen hopefully will be addressed and why this legacy of hurting herself was more important that having her dad be proud of who she is and who he wanted her to be. I know Louie wasn't there for maybe more than a year, but I can't imagine letting my dog go and it makes Jack's effort even more devastating. Maybe it will be harder in a new place to have a pet, but I hope they handle this with delicacy, he wasn't just a "prop".

I think so too, re the toddler years. I see so many cute pics online and never saw those episodes, lots of birthdays etc. I think they are coming and "maybe" an episode with Dr K and Jack's anxiety. And although the 20's were awkward, maybe now more can be filled in with Jack's death.

You have to ask, unless it's suspicious, maybe Rebecca thought she knew and it didn't matter. Might have helped Kate though if something else. But as she said, we all got out and were okay, so unless he had an underlying issue, it was just too much smoke.

Kevin's probably still in shock. He is still processing his loss of football, they haven't even discussed the house yet and there is so much to process. Funny how Rebecca said she'd keep telling Kate her whole life it wasn't her fault, but I wonder if their tense relationship made Kate do the opposite of her advice a lot. Very sad, but I hope Louie stayed, Jack wouldn't have approved of his saving the dog and it being given away.

My daughter without skipping a beat, said when Jack took Kate to store, " I bet he would have taken Kevin back to school" Maybe?

I think he was a widower when she delivered? I don't get why Kevin is angry again and throws out his airplanes, his only memory of his dad other than his necklace. Maybe though that's why he let the watch tantrum go. I felt Rebecca giving him the watch so soon might have been premature.

I'm glad they went to the concert, I was hoping they did. I'm glad to see Dr K and I wonder if Joe the fireman will be in flashbacks of the home. They still can go through stuff that might have not burned. Maybe they find the picture of Jack's brother. I still don't get Kate's 20 year mourning. Why not honor her dad with doing what he wanted for her or giving back in ways he would have? I hope things improve for her now.

What I thought was even more odd, was that Miguel wasn't her first choice to live with a few days or longer. He's their good friend, wife moved out, kids maybe too, lots of room, food, higher level of comfort. She's booking hotels with her husband in ER with a cot....I don't know, just odd.

But if he knew, he knew it was fatal? That's sad, he would try to fight, if he felt ill or in pain, why not say so? I thought it was touching at first, sending Rebecca to get candy ,that coincidentally didn't exist to have her leave, but later I thought it wasn't sweet, she should have been with him, he should have said something. The script was written for emotion but having him code or have heart attack with her could have worked too. I actually thought he was going to have heart attack driving or with Rebecca driving but it just didn't flow for me. I love Mandy's acting, her silent pain, but why have her on pay phones looking for hotels when Miguel would take them for a few days with no issues and a lot more comfort and food and moral support and it just fell flat. I know they did it to have her away from Jack but it just didn't seem realistic to me. Re the phones at home, we always had in the 70's landline in kitchen and upstairs bedroom (not kids) just in case of emergency but calling 911 at that point was second to getting out.

I think so too, expand on your old dream. It's not a good legacy to keep mourning and not getting help when needed. Someone needs to point out to her again, Kevin did once, that Jack would hate seeing her the way she is, even Kevin, he got help with AA, there is no shame in saying, I can't do something alone. 20 years of carrying that load is too much.

In perfect world, they would have discussed that, some windows were above porch (like my son's room) and it's easier to get out and on ground without big jump. I remember a firefighter teaching us to hang back in the 60's,when I was in school, the drop would be less, how to crawl, etc. It's a scary time though, you panic but I hope the show opens up discussion on it for families.

I think Fogleman's idea to have Jack die in a heart attack after a huge fire, was the idea in the beginning. I really don't think, not being ER type show, he looked into what would have happened, just what he wanted to happen. Most nurses, etc., even myself, who worked in a hospital, know, how he was treated, was odd after such a fire and why weren't the kids checked and Kate? They still inhaled smoke. What year it happened didn't change procedure much. There are pages on those procedures from 60's on, 4-6 hours of observation, tests, blood levels to check for various things. I think if he had the doc order the tests and he died while she was away, being monitored, effect would be the same, but leaving him without anything to help him breath or test his oxygen levels, seems odd. He looked awful, very sick, his face tore the hearts of many watching as he told Rebecca to get him something. Trained eyes should have been doing more even if outcome was the same. With google access so easy, it just seems lazy when he doesn't research things.

I was just thinking a funny episode might be showing the big 3 how to drive, but it would have to be close to when they lose Jack, so maybe now isn't a good time.

I don't know how Rebecca tells her next show, but Kate asks how did Dad die. Somehow she process's it that it's her fault.

I don't know about snooze fest but my hubby finally watched more than 5 minutes and said, "you are kidding me They want you to buy this stuff", re the hospital and fire. (he's a cop, friends with firemen) I got angry since the show had some great scenes, like the therapy one and others, but he did catch a bad episode to win him over. We'll have to try another. ; )

This has an statement from Milo about the "bec" that most heard at the vending machine. I guess it's up to interpretation even from him. I know I will think it was a goodbye and i hope she acknowledges it one day. https://www.elitedaily.com/p/jacks-death-scene-on-this-is-us-had-one-tiny-detail-that-will-completely-wreck-you-8122303

The Dr K is going to kill me, I think that will be very sad. They always said that was dad's favorite tree and place, maybe flashbacks to come later. Part of his ashes are there and maybe buried and kate has some. This pic makes me jealous, she loved meeting Biden and said she was shaking. Quite a ride for Mandy lately.