ThisIsMe

So glad the episodes are back but ... It's hard to watch Akbar being so emotionally abusive to Sheri. For someone lauded for good works, he sure is coming off as flat-out mean to his own wife.

I find myself comparing this episode with the "family therapy" episode in Season 2 which was SO good. In that episode, it felt like things that needed to be said were said and then it circled back to loving each other. But now, nearly everyone is acting out and some (esp. Randall) are so far removed from their original characters that I'm feeling really disconnected from the show. It pains me to say so because up until this season, I was a huge fan. I'm going to stick with it, but it's definitely not as good a show as it used to be.

Yes, I can definitely see them going in this direction. But to do it right, they would need to come up with a third baby (a "Randall") for Kate & Toby to adopt.

I agree that the actor playing teen Randall is outstanding -- as is the actor who plays him as a younger boy. He is my favorite Pearson kid because he is the only one who is not self-centered and obnoxious. Granted, that's the norm for most kids ... but Randall has always been portrayed as sweet, sensitive, intuitive, and genuinely caring ... which makes it an even tougher pill to swallow that he is acting like such a jerk this season especially.

I understand your point. I used to watch the West Wing for this very reason, i.e., the "alternate universe White House." I guess I think that West Wing pulled it off better.

Totally agree. They are killing this show with the gratuitous headline plots ... actually non-plots because instead of telling stories through the characters, the writers have morphed into Matt, the speech-writer. I'm still going to ride the show out but it's really a shame what it's come to -- used to be so good.

Christina, I understand the low-key, advisable approach ... however, if my parents had whipped out a rainbow flag, I would have been over-the-moon happy. (After being revived w/ smelling salts, of course.)

Agreed. The other part of this that bothers me is that it displays the "assumption of heterosexuality." This is why it is still so hard for kids to come out (even 40 years after I did so to my parents). Tess has been raised in a home, that although loving & well-meaning, has given her the message that she will grow up to be straight & all that jazz. Hence, her tangible angst and discomfort in that scene. As for Randall and Beth's reaction ... I give it a "B" at best. I do realize that parents have their own "coming to terms" process upon learning that their assumptions re their children were not correct ... but ideally the better reaction would be along the lines of "of course we love you" AND "our bad" for assuming your path would be the same as ours.

Best part of this episode: The bonding of Tess and Kate. It was a very sweet scene, and I loved everything about it. Re the theories mentioned here that Tess might fall for Deja ... no, no, no! That would be too weird & incestuous. But the bonding of Tess & Kate does make me wonder if the "her" is Kate. As I've said before, it has to be someone that Randall, Tess, and Toby all have in common (enough to have appeared in the preview scenes). Worst part of the episode: A tie, between 1) William and Jesse (too many other things going on for us to be interested in their back story); and 2) poor Jae-Won ... being caught in a Pearson family drama with no escape. Vietnam: I'm still interested in how this plays out. I thought this episode's scenes were good, especially showing Nicky refusing to help the boy (and why). Overall: I didn't cry. This season has been like that ... it's just not as sharp & tight as in the past.

This episode moved a bit slow for me, and I never really "connected" with the various plot lines. Road trip: It had some sweet moments but not enough of them. I didn't cry or get choked up either when Rebecca was singing. I think it's because we already know that Jack's PTSD runs deep. All in all, the scenes did not add much to what we already know about the characters. Oh, I did like the "you're Pittsburgh good" scene. We've all had to face disappointments and had a dream or two crushed ... so this scene felt quite authentic. Vietnam: Again, not much new going on other than moving Jack and his brother to the same location where we will presumably learn what happened. Kevin & Zoe: I agree with the others who have said that these actors don't seem to have much chemistry together -- so, I'm not as invested in how their relationship unfolds. Maybe now that Zoe has told Kevin about the abuse, that will change. Right now, I don't much care whether they stay together or not.

I kind of like it when JM plays family therapist and tries giving people a wake-up call. Especially in this episode, which has stuck in my head because of the utter misery going on in that family (all parties). Those kids are not only going to have major issues with their parents but when there's that kind of chaos going on, especially at their ages, the kids are at risk for going haywire themselves (drugs, alcohol, etc.). It continues to astonish me how much horrible drama people allow into their lives. And, it's always someone else's fault. smh

I enjoyed this episode a lot. For one thing, there were no "speeches" -- well, except for the one on stage which was fine. I liked that they let the storylines unfold in fairly believable ways rather than the "forced" feeling that I got from earlier episodes this season. As for Jason ... yeah, what an attitude that kid has. I wish he had been accepted at West Point. They would straighten him up fast & furious.

Deja: Yay!!! The writers have finally made her likeable. That was an awesome, Pearson-esque speech she gave Beth. And, it was so great to see her smile and seem more at peace with her situation. For the first time, I want to see more of her. Randall. I refuse to turn against him. He still has those wonderful qualities that he had as a little boy and teenager. The writers have put him into unrealistic situations ... not his fault. Toby & Kate. Glad to see signs of progress for Toby. And, I liked Kate's "for better or worse" talk with him. Audio. Were they in a dog park or did she let him off leash in the regular part o the park? In any case, I don't think the writers are good with writing pet scenes. They didn't handle William's cat well, and I'm still not over that! Kevin. I'm all in on the Vietnam story line. I have a feeling the woman in the picture is connected to Nicky, not Jack. We'll see. As for Zoe ... what bothers me the most is that there doesn't seem to be much natural chemistry between the actors.

LOL! So true! This whole "ethics adviser" role of Henry's is a bit much. I guess it's mostly an excuse to include him in more scenes now that he's not running clandestine operations. Loved that Kat was back in this episode. I hope she sticks around. She brings a lot of sizzle to the show. They almost made it through an episode without being too preachy ... but then the "soldiers died so that you can vote" lecture. The writers need to find a way to rely on storytelling rather than lectures.

Love Ming. Miss Kat - hope she shows up again soon. She adds energy to the pace of the show, and she delivers the dialogue they give her in a way that keeps me totally engaged and wanting more. Not a big an of Mike B. Too one-dimensional. Overall, I think the scripts this season have been a bit too West Wing-y. Not that I didn't love that show. But I want them to tell the stories without it sounding preachy. I'm a diehard liberal - and agree with their message ... but I want the messages to be told through story telling.