Biggie B

Who knows what the terms of the partnership agreement are? There may be provisions that give the senior partners - Randall's boss, for example - the leeway to pick and choose who gets what work. Not all partnerships are equal. I worked at one law firm (and again, we know Randall's not an attorney) in which there were non-equity partners and they had very little say in certain matters. It also makes for better drama on a TV show. It put a ton of pressure on Randall and helped contribute to his breakdown.

Re: cousin Ricky at the bar after so many years. He said to William, "Get out of my bar," so I assumed he now owned the place...which maybe William had heard through the musician grapevine over the years...and William gambled on the fact that, as owner, Ricky would be there. Oops, I see elle beat me to the explanation. Great minds, etc..

I went back to the "Career Days" forum - I believe Randall is a commodities trader?

Many sorts of occupations entail being a partner in the organization for which they work, such as an architectural firm. "Partner" implies one who has an equity interest in the company - someone who shares ownership of the company, as well as profits and losses. So it's not just law firms who have that sort of structure. As for Randall, wasn't there an episode called Career Day, or something similar, in which Randall's job was explained (sort of)? I can't recall the fine details but I'm sure others here will recall and explain what he does.

I think it's not that he is being portrayed as perfect and flawless, but rather, by the time we the viewers meet him and have now gotten to know him, he is, er, was almost Yoda-like in his demeanor and wisdom. And yes, that comes in part from having made it to sobriety, and the clarity that that process probably provided him. He always had just the right nugget of wisdom to dispense...one example that comes to mind is that scene with the British actress, the two of them outside on the steps as she waited for her Uber to get her away from the Pearson Thanksgiving. William set her straight in a firm, direct, almost fatherly way. And she was a total stranger, not even someone with whom he had an emotional connection. With his death imminent, William could have been portrayed as nasty and bitter. He certainly wasn't. His two grandchildren accepted and loved him without hesitation, even though he basically appeared from nowhere (and he gave them no reason not to). Although Beth was a bit apprehensive about him, she, too, ended up having a close bond to him. Don't get me wrong, I liked the character of William very much. As mentioned, he likely deserved the adoration of his new-found family. But he almost never put a foot wrong in the short time we saw him. Soft-spoken, intelligent, humble, without ego, a musician and poet, loved animals and children - there was just no fault to him at this point in his life. Saintly? No - but even in the worst depths of his drug addiction, the act of bringing newborn Randall to a safe place, when that scenario could have gone horribly wrong, added (in hindsight) to his somewhat golden aura.

Thank you! Done! Listening now...

Whew. I didn't want to comment until reading all posts this morning, which I've now done. Thanks to everyone for sharing their reactions and emotions, they are all truly heartfelt. I did not cry, but that's just me, and not a reflection on the contents of the episode (I didn't cry when either of my parents died, so make of that what you will). But although I didn't cry, I was deeply moved by much of the episode and I thought it was well done. I recall that last week, a few folks posted that this episode looked as if it might be boring. I sort of thought so as well, initially, but as soon as William said goodbye to his granddaughters, I knew he'd be dying and no, that was anything but boring. I liked cousin Ricky quite a bit. At first, I thought he might be the one to lure William into the drug use, but it turned out to be Randall's mom (and I'm not blaming her 100% - William made a choice, a bad choice by his own admission). I'm very glad that Ricky and William reconciled, if even for literally just one night. And younger Ricky's singing of William's song was extremely enjoyable - I'd download it - does anyone know if it's available? Seriously. The ducks crossing the road was a bit cheesy but I get it. I very much liked William talking to Jack at Jack's tree. He was brief - said his respectful and sincere thanks - and seemed very much at peace with the conversation. I found the scene gratifying. I don't believe in an afterlife either, but William's reunion with his own mother was lovely. She was very special and it is comforting on some level to think of the two of them happily together again. I will miss William but I feel that his character served its purpose - to open up and reveal more layers of Randall. I know Randall is one of three, and perhaps we will see future episodes in which the focus is only Kevin and only Kate. But right now, I really want to see how Randall processes this newfound information and background and all of these profound experiences and how he will incorporate them into his life going forward. He is at a crossroads of sorts - still a very young man with a long life (hopefully) ahead of him, but everything he's been through since finding William will influence him for years to come. I'm curious to see that - how he struggles to reconcile all of it and move forward. And with an actor such as this, we could be in for a treat.

Gerald McRaney is Jimmy Smits' dad. And yes, I'm glad Smits was able to quickly figure out what was going on, but it's going to be a tough fight to get the truth out of him in front of others, what with the uncle scheming in the background as well. Yeah, killing that poor high school kid was horrible. I hate that entire story line and do fervently hope that both the Terror Teen and her teacher/lover die. They're both disgusting. Last week, several people pointed out that so far, there isn't any character or characters in which they feel invested and thus, make the show a compelling watch. Jack and Chloe were two prime examples of characters that viewers truly bought into, hook, line, and sinker, and that made for some good viewing. I would tend to agree...I think I like Jimmy Smits' character, but that may be more my feeling about him as an actor, as well as other roles he's played on shows to which I was EXTREMELY loyal - NYPD Blue, West Wing, etc...so there's definitely some goodwill carrying over to this current character/role. I like Nicole's shrewdness, ability to think quickly, and her strength - far better than a character that is helpless and becomes a liability. And I think I like Andy because he's the brains behind Rebecca - not that she isn't smart, clearly she is, but Andy is that rock-steady workhorse she can rely on. As for Eric - he's neither here nor there for me. He's the "hero," so I know he's not going to die - as far as I know! Thus, it's just a matter of seeing how many crazy situations he can get himself out of, and that lack of uncertainty can dilute the excitement we as viewers are supposed to experience with his character.

I missed last week's episode. I know I tuned it but it was a re-run. Very odd. So I was out to sea as to why Meredith was suspended (I've since read a recap of last week, so I have a basic grasp). Don't know what to say...it was such a hostile, stressful episode. Absolutely nothing good happened [edited to add: at least Janice from the Sopranos' tumor was removed and she lived.] I knew that child was going to die the moment they showed him. Just awful. I found it completely distasteful that Stephanie was bouncing up and down on her toes with excitement as she told Minnick (or whatever her name is) how to prep the boy for surgery. Otherwise - April's hair looked beautiful. Catherine is very polarizing - either she's loved or she's hated - but for some reason, I like her character. Or maybe I just really like Debbie Allen and the fact that she's not young, gorgeous, or model thin (although I think she's quite good looking, actually). Remains to be seen if her marriage can survive this hit, though. Oh god, so I guess Arizona and Minnick are gonna be getting together. Oy vey.

I think it was more that Toby was in therapy so long that he in effect paid for the therapist's car, not that he necessarily had such a lucrative job. Although, we've never been given any indication, so who knows what the heck Toby did back then, after his divorce, or what he does now to earn a living.

Oh dear...if you graduated from college in 1994, and you're "old," what does that make me? I graduated from college in 1984!!!! A few years later, in 1990, I was working in a mid-sized law firm in Manhattan, and they phased out paper/Styrofoam coffee cups and replaced them with mugs with the firm's logo on it. Each mug was numbered on the bottom, so you could have "your" own mug. They were run through the dishwasher each night by the cleaning staff. I lived and worked in NYC from 1984 to 1993 but I'm not a coffee drinker, so I can't remember when Starbucks rose to prominence. Most folks seemed to buy coffee from a local deli or market and these cups were common:

No, she got a job working with the woman with the somewhat surly teenage daughter.

WWJD = What would Jack do?

It's a soap opera, so I tend to suspend a lot of disbelief. Yes, there are times on many shows where something is said or done that is so blatantly impossible or wrong that it ruins the moment or episode, but...I feel like I get what I pay for with most shows.

Oy vey!! So many contrasting opinions and I feel like a pendulum reading them all - I'll agree with one point of view and then read an opposing interpretation and agree with that as well (e.g., Miguel). Lots of extremely observant people who post here, with many extremely valid and thought-out opinions. And those who are just going with their gut feelings make a lot of sense as well. Great reading, lots of meat on the bone. I find myself liking current-day Miguel more than flashback Miguel. I thought his scene with jittery Kevin was well done. What he said did seem to truly resonate with Kevin and gave Kevin some clarity and focus. I'm glad he acknowledged that Kevin doesn't like him, even if he said it in a sort of passive-aggressive way. At least he put the subject out there, for better or worse. Perhaps that's something they can discuss another time, or perhaps their future encounters won't be as awkward or chilly. When my dad's dementia began to ramp up, he used to call the police and tell them that his home aide was holding him hostage in his apartment. He, too, locked one of them out...the police responded to his 911 call, and mercifully, my brother in law just happened to be arriving for a visit just as the cops were arriving, and it all got sorted out. William of course isn't suffering from dementia, but that whole scene brought back many severe memories for me. Toby...wow, I actually was OK with him for I think the first time since the show premiered. Other than his one mention of how well-hung he is, he actually did NOT harp on sex, sex, sex, now, now, now. I do appreciate that the two of them really do need to get to know each other, but on the other hand, having an afternoon-long Q&A session isn't enough. Getting to really know someone (I feel) is a process that comes through experiencing things day in and day out: the good, the bad, and the ugly, the mundane things and the life-changing things. The more time you spend together, the more those in-depth conversations will flow. But I totally get where they were going with this: Kate's inability to (yet) talk about her father's death was the means for Toby to achieve an end, namely, not rushing into marriage and making their engagement open-ended. Why he decided to tell Kate of that plan two seconds before walking into the theatre was a bit annoying to me - way to throw a wet blanket on Kate's enjoyment of Kevin's big night! - but I get it, and completely agreed with Toby. We need to see these two truly develop their relationship beyond just losing weight. Let's see them travel together, for example, and just live life day-to-day together. They're not kids - they don't need years to be engaged - but right now, they're practically strangers (well, not literally, but you get my drift). Agree with everyone that Kevin running to Randall was deeply gratifying on an emotional level but not so much on a practical level. The fallout will be tremendous (what happens to Sloane, the play, Kevin's reputation and career, etc.). But indeed, seeing Kevin cradle a crying Randall packed a wallop that we won't soon forget. I did wonder who was watching Randall and Beth's daughters...Randall was melting down in his office, Beth was at her mother's side...I guess they must have a sitter or friend/neighbor who can jump in in an emergency. William's not up to the task, of course. Wherever Randall and Beth live, it's pretty darn close to Manhattan, in that Randall was able to leave work, deal with William/hospice nurse, and then get back to his office in what seemed to be a fairly short period of time. And same with Kevin: he was able to get from Randall and Beth's home (he's still staying there, yes?) to Randall's office in the city, and then to Miguel and Rebecca's home and then back into the city to prep for the play, all in what seemed to be a compressed amount of time. Finally (sorry for the long post), Sophie: only a glimpse of her. He and Sophie have been divorced for 12 years, but he must have been having the recurring Katie Couric dream well before their split, as Sophie was all too familiar with it. It will be interesting to see how the family reacts to their new status. I guess Sophie's now dumped her boyfriend, oh well, sorry dude!

No way would they have let that kid's girlfriend/Terror Teen ride in the ambulance! Best part for me was during the gunfight down in the subway/Metro...when Eric was running down the stairs and shot some bad guy who was lying crumpled on the steps - just shot him again without even looking down. It was hilarious! Loved it. I also howled with laughter when Eric was on the phone with Nicole and said, "Everything with Ben is wrapping up...I'm coming to get you, it's all over." Ha ha ha ha ha! I wasn't paying close attention, so I'm a bit befuddled as to why Jimmy Smits' dad is a bad guy? Does he or does he not want his son to be elected, I can't even tell. Does setting up Neela help Jimmy Smits or hurt him? Help, please.

He did, but it didn't seem terribly detailed. I really love Beth and I want to believe that had Randall truly spelled out exactly what was happening, giving precise details about the insertion of Sanjay into his workload, that Beth would've said, Get back there and kick his ass back.

Here is a picture of the actor who plays Toby without the padding. Oh my goodness. I actually thought that was the actor who plays Kevin. I am all for Kate coming to the realization that either (a)Toby is not her soul mate or at least (b) they shouldn't get married so quickly, but I don't love that it may be Duke who brings this epiphany about (if that indeed is what's coming; I have no idea). I am pretty put off by Duke. I find his behavior gross. Even if the staff is permitted to mingle (so to speak) with the clientele, his manner comes off as vulgar and weird. And I understand that Kate is an adult and may do what she wishes and will have to deal with any consequences, but still...he's just so awful. So sour, so bitter and hostile. I am a horse person (see my avatar) and I wouldn't let Duke within 50 feet of my horses! Good for him that he is true to himself, I'll give him that much - but the way he speaks to Kate is not something that comes off as cute, flirtatious, or attractive. I'm on the fence about the "I call marriage" thing. As usual, with most soap operas, the lack of communication fuels the tension and drama. Not once did we see Randall explain to Beth exactly what was happening at work. I think if she knew about the Sanjay situation, she'd support Randall in his effort to keep his accounts and show his boss that he's capable of maintaining his work load, and wants to do so. Beth is a shrewd pragmatist, which is why I really like her character. If Randall had explained what had happened earlier in the day, I truly think Beth would've said, "Go!" and would have made sure her daughter knew that even though Dad couldn't be there, her mother, sister, and grandfather would be there for her. Seeing Randall sitting there at the tournament, not paying attention, was annoying. As far as we know, Beth might've been getting annoyed with him for not being fully "there." I find that frustrating.

I missed the first 15 minutes of the show, but based on what everyone had commented here, I know the kids were not in elementary school at the time of this episode's flashbacks, that they are 15. Which is why I mentioned that use of the word 'sleepover' seemed a bit off, since that's a word I only used with my kid (now 20) when he was quite young.

When Jack was preparing to whisk Rebecca away and she asked where the kids were, Jack said they were at friends' houses for a sleepover (paraphrasing). Hearing the word "sleepover" made me think of elementary school. It's like the words "play date" - you wouldn't say your 15 year old is having a play date with his friend, but you'd say that about a much younger kid. So if the triplets are indeed 15-ish at this point, perhaps the writers could have come up with a different phrase than 'sleepover.' Very minor and picky on my behalf, but it jumped out at me.

Apologies if this has already been pointed out, but correct, the train that Kevin and Sophie were on was a Metro North train. Although I was born in Brooklyn, I grew up in Westchester County, which borders the Bronx. My backyard was 18 miles from the Empire State Building. For 25+ years, my dad commuted daily into the city on those Metro North trains, as did I, later in life, when I moved to Connecticut and worked in Manhattan. Not sure why they decided to use those trains as a substitute for an actual NYC subway, I guess they are visually a bit more appealing and perhaps the interior layout was more conducive to how the two actors needed to move around. But even so, I assumed that scene was filmed on a set, so why not make it look like the real thing? I tuned in 15 minutes late and at first thought this would be an episode with no flashbacks and was thrilled! I'm actually getting tired of them, or rather, would prefer they be used much more sparingly. I know they flesh out a lot of things for us viewers, but...I feel as if the balance between past and present is off kilter somehow, at least, for me. As for Jack decorating the vacant apartment - major eye rolling from me. Ugh (and how did he get in there fast enough to already have the candles lit??). And then re-reading their wedding vows? My blood sugar spiked. All of that, every moment of it, was just so over the top. I am still enjoying this show but there's so much to pick apart! Sometimes that's fun, sometimes it's not. I try not to take the show too seriously, it's basically a fancy soap opera.

Amen. That was one of the singularly most haunting things I've ever seen, and it disturbed me for a long time afterward. A true masterpiece. This storyline couldn't hold a candle to that one!

Dreadful episode (and I say this as a long-time, faithful viewer who's been watching since Day One). The pregnancy story line was really uninspired. It's so trite: any time there's a pregnant woman on a TV drama, it is inevitable that her pregnancy and/or birth experience will be utterly horrendous and will likely end in her and/or her baby's death. Yes, it makes for more tension, of course, but it's so boring and predictable. In this case, I guess it was all just a way to show that Alex was missed by Arizona. Fine, whatever. Dr. Minnick is quite an unsympathetic character, isn't she? While I do agree with the point made above, that she could in theory at least be shown an ounce of courtesy, I'm hard pressed to care that she wasn't. Her "I don't drink coffee" reply to Richard was beyond rude - quite holier than thou! I was ready to tackle her, pin her arms down, and pour the coffee down her throat. Additionally, I don't like this actress' voice - very monotone. I guess at some point soon, Richard's going to find out that his own wife is the source of all this strife, and there's gonna be a showdown between the two of them, and I'm fine with that, so long as it means Minnick is jettisoned. As messed up as Catherine can be (and she's done and said some awful things), I still like her character and I like her marriage to Richard. I feel as if they are a good pairing and when they spar, it's intense, but I like that style of face to face conflict. I don't like that Richard doesn't yet know of Catherine's involvement but I'm trusting that'll come to light very soon. Of course Alex wasn't going to be locked away, and shame on him for not shooting Meredith a quick text to clue her in. Stupid. And yes, as his is a criminal situation, it's not up to DeLuca to drop the charges, as he's not the one who's brought them. Jo was awful to Ben. Yeesh. And will we viewers ever get to know the full story of her past? Or is that just over, and we just have to make up something in our minds to explain her name change, etc.? OTOH, I don't really care enough about her to wonder that hard... Yogurt goes in the fridge!!!!

That attorney spoke so quickly that I could barely understand her. But I liked how extraordinarily controlled she was with her client and how she'd clearly figured out how to deal with an extremely disturbed person in an effective, authoritative way that was not condescending. Since we weren't shown or told if Kristen was getting any sort of counseling (seemed doubtful), her attorney seemed to be her only advocate in every sense of the word. That said, I didn't like Kristen very much, which I suppose was sort of the point. Beyond redemption, perhaps? I hope we don't see her again, though. That was enough.

First episode of the series so far that I truly did not enjoy. I felt as if it was something I just had to plow through, out of loyalty or duty. So, so, so boring. The one saving grace was that I mistakenly thought the show started at 10:00 p.m., realized my error about 9:10, decided to DVR it, and then began watching it about 9:45. Thus, although I missed a bit at the beginning, I was able to fast forward through much of it. I completely skipped over the golf stuff, so I have no idea what was said. As soon as Rebecca realized it was Jack's birthday and was panicking that she didn't have ingredients on hand for a cake, I also FF'd - had no interest at all in seeing her trudge laboriously (pun intended) in her duct-taped flip flops, and happily missed all of that. I did see her soliloquy to the babies and was completely unmoved. Did not care. Later, when the family watched the home movie on Father's Day, I felt very bad for all of them having to see pregnant Rebecca, knowing that one of those babies died. And how excluded Randall might have felt - he is not part of that video and Rebecca's words to the babies were not said to him. I found that really sad and a bit depressing, even though I completely understand the emotional significance of the home movie. Didn't care at all about the firefighter who found Randall. I'm glad he and his wife were able to reconnect and make the effort to revive their marriage, but...what does that have to do with anything? Dr. K's story - it was OK. I thought he did a decent job of portraying his grief - the conversations to his wife were poignant. As hokey and sentimental as he is, I'm glad he pulled himself together and made a conscious decision to move forward, spurred on perhaps by Kevin's decision to take Randall. Overall, though, I was quite bored and am glad that we'll be returning to present-day in the upcoming episode. I've until now very much enjoyed the flashbacks, but sometimes too much of a good thing is exactly that - too much.