S04.E03: Unhinged

[JKL845]

Seems like Jack in the first episode of this season is about 25 to 30 years in the future when he meets Lucy. In the future scene in the finale with Toby I think it's only about 15 to 20 years in the future, so Jack hasn't met Lucy at that point. I agree Kate could be dead but I get the feeling they want to end it with the Big Three and all of them in a good place. 

[saber5055]

Uncle Nicky sure gets a boatload of mail for someone with no family or friends or connections of any kind, including television from what we've seen inside his trailer. Unless he only walks the five feet to that mailbox every six months or so.

Randall might have to put that door back on his office if he's going to sleep there. Although his relationship with Beth seemed better this episode.

That dance poster ... is Beth going to be in a ballet performance? Or was that for her students? I'm guessing she's still teaching, wherever that studio is now. I wonder why the three girls aren't taking dance lessons.That seems the norm for lots of girls that don't have a dance instructor for a mother. Dance class is a good place to meet girls ... !

[kili]

Quote

Yeah, that whole scene felt off. At the very least, it felt off that Kevin would join in on the laughter.

I think the scene is meant to connect them all with the same sense of humour. It is very similar to the scene in the Pilot where Kate connects to Toby by laughing at the woman during the group session she was at (the woman was talking about eating an entire pizza and considering getting her stomach stapled). This also got Toby chuckling and they introduce themselves to each other over coffee.

Also, I think it is meant to call-out that Kevin was not using the meeting seriously by going on about "jowls" and "AARP" because those aren't the reasons he drinks.  He loves being an actor and the attention it brings, but he drinks because he never thinks he is good enough and he lacks purpose.  When he was in rehab, they boiled down to his reasons for drinking, but at this meeting he was just rambling on. Sure, he worries about his career, but thinking of going back to drinking because he might one day have jowls was not serious introspection on his real issues.

Kevin actually needs somebody in his life to call him on his navel gazing.  All of the Big Three need somebody like that in their lives. They tend to get too focused on themselves and let their issues like drinking, eating or championing random causes take over their lives. Unfortunately, Kate guilt trips whoever calls her on her issues while Randall runs right over them. Kevin will sometimes listen if you are persistent and admit he's taking things too far.

[NUguy514]

57 minutes ago, kili said:

I think the scene is meant to connect them all with the same sense of humour. It is very similar to the scene in the Pilot where Kate connects to Toby by laughing at the woman during the group session she was at (the woman was talking about eating an entire pizza and considering getting her stomach stapled). This also got Toby chuckling and they introduce themselves to each other over coffee.

Also, I think it is meant to call-out that Kevin was not using the meeting seriously by going on about "jowls" and "AARP" because those aren't the reasons he drinks.  He loves being an actor and the attention it brings, but he drinks because he never thinks he is good enough and he lacks purpose.  When he was in rehab, they boiled down to his reasons for drinking, but at this meeting he was just rambling on. Sure, he worries about his career, but thinking of going back to drinking because he might one day have jowls was not serious introspection on his real issues.

I had a huge problem with Kate's open derision of that woman in the pilot, and I immediately disliked both her and Toby.  This is just more of the same from this show.

And not taking his program or the meeting seriously is not at all what I got from Kevin's share.  Like, at all.  In fact, he sought out that meeting because he desperately needed one and (sexily) commanded Nicky to join him.  There was nothing specious in any of it where Kevin is concerned.  No, Cassidy is just an asshole.

[kili]

Quote

And not taking his program or the meeting seriously is not at all what I got from Kevin's share.  Like, at all.  In fact, he sought out that meeting because he desperately needed one

I don't disagree that Kevin really needed a meeting, but Kevin wasn't being all that introspective with his turn to speak. "Why should I stop drinking if I might still end up a jowly AARP spokesperson anyway" has little to do with why he drinks and what he needs to work on.

That doesn't mean that Cassidy is right to laugh (she isn't), but it does indicate part of the reason why the writers had her laugh - to tell the audience that Kevin is superficially addressing what he should be and he needs somebody in his life to help him explore some hard truths.

The writers seem to like having people act inappropriately in group sessions (from Kate in the pilot to Kate with Maddison to Randall with Kevin to Cassie here), so I'm not judging Cassie too hard here. It's a writer thing.

[theatremouse]

4 hours ago, saber5055 said:

That dance poster ... is Beth going to be in a ballet performance? Or was that for her students? I'm guessing she's still teaching, wherever that studio is now. 

It's her own studio that she started in Philly. The flyer was for the opening.

I was bothered by the scene with Kevin and the boy in the waiting room because he had a Switch with two joy-con...but they chose to play "together" in a way that required them to hand it off to each other.

[Ohmo]

7 hours ago, Runningwild said:

Hopefully I haven’t been logged out again and will be able to post this time.

I hate when that happens.

Nicky and Cassidy can go away completely.  Nicky's just being a ginormous PITA.  I wish Kevin wouldn't bother, and the Kevin/Cassidy pairing that we all see coming?  Yawn.

Also, I've never seen Jennifer Morrison in anything but this, but I've read many TV sites that absolutely fawn all over her previous work.  I don't get it.  She's a perfectly fine actress, but I would not consider her to be the Second Coming.

I enjoyed everything else, though.

[Kirkydee]

I'm going back a page or two and addressing nicknames.

I always felt "bug" was Rebecca shortening "cute as a bug"  I can see Rebecca telling a slightly overweight grade school Kate " Dont worry what those other kids say- you're as cute as a bug"  And of course Jack will gave his own name for his girl. 

I grew up with a nickname. My siblings still call me by it and I'm 53. When I'm out in public and I see somebody who I don't immediately recognize call me by my nickname I instantly start recalling people from my childhood.  So IMO it's good to still hear my nickname so I can narrow down who the heck this person is in front of me!

[Enigma X]

Late to the party, but I am so glad to see Omundson doing so much better than last I saw him. Toby is not bugging me so much this far this season. 
 

As for the Morrison character, I am not buying it. It could be the actress (although I watched Once Upon A Time up until a point where she did not bug me). I can see her acting though.

[Empress1]

17 hours ago, Jeddah said:

Open floor plans are much more dangerous in a fire than closed off rooms.

Another reason to hate open floor plans! (I hate open floor plans.)

10 hours ago, Ohmo said:

Also, I've never seen Jennifer Morrison in anything but this, but I've read many TV sites that absolutely fawn all over her previous work. 

I saw her in House and didn't feel any particular way about her in that either.

[Johnny Dollar]

I’m surprised so many people on here don’t know Jennifer Morrison. She’s been consistently on network TV for the last fifteen years (House and Once Upon A Time). 

[JudyObscure]

I don't watch a lot of TV so she's new to me.  My question is, can Morrison act any emotion but anger? So far we've seen her angry in Vietnam, angry at home with husband and child, angry after Nicky threw something through the window ( I would have expected fear) and anger at Kevin in the doctor's waiting area.  We did finally see laughter, but it was sort of a mean, anger driven laughter.  Most of that is the writer's choice, they do seem to expect us to like angry people a lot, but some of it seems like the actress's choice.  I find her very unattractive.

[MissLucas]

3 hours ago, Johnny Dollar said:

I’m surprised so many people on here don’t know Jennifer Morrison. She’s been consistently on network TV for the last fifteen years (House and Once Upon A Time). 

And HIMYM - I haven't seen enough of Cassidy to make up my mind about the character and Morrison's acting so far. 

[Runningwild]

59 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

And HIMYM - I haven't seen enough of Cassidy to make up my mind about the character and Morrison's acting so far. 

Who was she in HIMYM? I’m afraid I also don’t recognize her. But I am proud to recognized Griffin Dunne (American Werewolf in London), Elizabeth Perkins (Adult Josh’s lover in Big) and Tim Matheson (he’ll always be Otter to me).

[ShadowFacts]

2 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I don't watch a lot of TV so she's new to me.  My question is, can Morrison act any emotion but anger? So far we've seen her angry in Vietnam, angry at home with husband and child, angry after Nicky threw something through the window ( I would have expected fear) and anger at Kevin in the doctor's waiting area.  We did finally see laughter, but it was sort of a mean, anger driven laughter.  Most of that is the writer's choice, they do seem to expect us to like angry people a lot, but some of it seems like the actress's choice.  I find her very unattractive.

She comes off unpleasant, but the character is just back from a war zone where her mission went especially awful, she can't find a job, her marriage is on the rocks.  I think an actor pretty much has to portray such a character as hostile, closed off, depressed, edgy.  That's how Nicky has been, for decades, but at least she is coming in for help, probably largely due to wanting to keep her child in her life.  I think Morrison will prove to be up to the task here, I can't think of any bad casting the show has done where the actor didn't do an adequate job.  Different people will dislike certain characters and/or actors, but they seem to find the right actors for whatever they're trying to get across.  I'm remembering how lots of people in the forum really disliked Miguel at the start, and now he is pretty well-liked. 

[MissLucas]

43 minutes ago, Runningwild said:

Who was she in HIMYM? I’m afraid I also don’t recognize her. 

Zoey, who wanted to rescue the Arcadian. Another character who initially came across as quite abrasive but then showed depth and vulnerability - YMMV.

[JudyObscure]

5 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

8 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I don't watch a lot of TV so she's new to me.  My question is, can Morrison act any emotion but anger? So far we've seen her angry in Vietnam, angry at home with husband and child, angry after Nicky threw something through the window ( I would have expected fear) and anger at Kevin in the doctor's waiting area.  We did finally see laughter, but it was sort of a mean, anger driven laughter.  Most of that is the writer's choice, they do seem to expect us to like angry people a lot, but some of it seems like the actress's choice.  I find her very unattractive.

Read more  

She comes off unpleasant, but the character is just back from a war zone where her mission went especially awful, she can't find a job, her marriage is on the rocks.  I think an actor pretty much has to portray such a character as hostile, closed off, depressed, edgy.

I agree that that's what most actors do and I think it's getting to be a little tired. I know lots of people who have been through divorce, death of a loved one, and  traumatic war experiences, but  haven't felt the need to take it out on other people.  I have a friend whose 4 year old had leukemia and even during those nightmare years she remained kind to others. I talked to someone on the phone everyday from his cancer diagnosis until his death two years later and he managed to make me laugh during every conversation. 

I've heard Vets say that this TV trope of portraying every Veteran as an angry person ready to snap has effected their relationships and job opportunities.  It's starting to be an undeserved stigma.

I may learn to like Cassidy but right now the show's writers seem to think that it's okay for her to compare her pain to that of others and decide hers is worse so she can laugh at them. I just don't  agree that all Vets are like that and so she has to play it that way.

[izabella]

6 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

I've heard Vets say that this TV trope of portraying every Veteran as an angry person ready to snap has effected their relationships and job opportunities.  It's starting to be an undeserved stigma.

Wow, I've never thought about that, but it totally makes sense.  We hardly ever or never see a Vet on tv who isn't messed up somehow. 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

Wow, I've never thought about that, but it totally makes sense.  We hardly ever or never see a Vet on tv who isn't messed up somehow. 

Yes they do that a lot whether they do it to invoke sympathy or not, it makes people wonder about strangers who also were in the war. Are they crazy, are the secretly drinking, do they stockpile weapons? So many shows have them with PTSD and thinking they are still at war, violent and a time bomb waiting to go off.

They also do that with people with Aspergers at times and other mental health issues.

Vets do need more care then they are getting and many fall through the cracks, but the percentages represented on TV you can only hope are very off.  They say up to 20% which isn't low but still leaves many that aren't and should be represented too.

[Emily Thrace]

On 10/10/2019 at 2:27 PM, AriAu said:

So after listening to Toby talking about wanting to get healthy so he wouldn't drop dead and seeing Kate's reaction, I decided to go back and watch the flash forward from last season. It seems like the implication was that Kate and Toby split up at some point and that's why he got the "glad you decided to come" from Randall and Toby's look etc... 

But what if instead Kate died and he became sorta estranged either because of something Rebecca said or his feelings of guilt or.... who knows. 

And, while that snippet has been dissected like the Zapruder tape, but  Toby says he talked to Jack and that they were on the way and everyone assumes that "they" means Jack and Kate, but we now know that Jack is married so "they" could mean Jack and Lucy, his wife.

Anyways, that interaction made me think about it again

I wonder about that too actually. Especially since Jack had an arrhythmia Kate could have it too and not know it. Arrhythmias can go undetected in women especially because doctors don't look for heart problems the way they do with men. Plus Kate's size would make it harder to hear it in her case.

[Ohmo]

On 10/10/2019 at 3:35 PM, JKL845 said:

Seems like Jack in the first episode of this season is about 25 to 30 years in the future when he meets Lucy.

I interpreted that differently.  My impression was that what we saw with Jack and Lucy spanned years, but the time frame was compressed for TV.  I think Jack could have been between 25 and 30 in the end scene when she tells him she's pregnant.  He's reached some level of fame by then because he's performing in front of a big audience.  Her restaurant is also up and running.

However, when they first meet, Jack talks about playing clubs for the rest of his life, and she's working at the diner.  They could be in their late teens/early 20s at that point, so the THEY are coming flash forward could be Jack not yet bringing Lucy to a family function as his wife, but it could be him bringing her as his date,

[JKL845]

26 minutes ago, Ohmo said:

I interpreted that differently.  My impression was that what we saw with Jack and Lucy spanned years, but the time frame was compressed for TV.  I think Jack could have been between 25 and 30 in the end scene when she tells him she's pregnant.  He's reached some level of fame by then because he's performing in front of a big audience.  Her restaurant is also up and running.

However, when they first meet, Jack talks about playing clubs for the rest of his life, and she's working at the diner.  They could be in their late teens/early 20s at that point, so the THEY are coming flash forward could be Jack not yet bringing Lucy to a family function as his wife, but it could be him bringing her as his date,

I agree that it did span time, since the dog aged but not too much. They looked to be mid 20's when they meet for the FIRST time. I've read that in last seasons finale it was supposed to be about 15 years in the future and they are for sure older than 15 when they first meet. 

It did look like the big audience was for him, but it could also be that he was opening act before the headliner, who maybe famous Uncle Kevin knew and got him an audition.

Edited October 12, 2019 by JKL845

[bybrandy]

My dad called me "Turkey Breath" among many, many other things.  And once he accidentally did it on the phone at work (he was usually careful about not being embarrassing in public) and a woman in his office thought it was so funny she would apparently tell him, "Turkey Breath" is on the phone when I called.   All things considered I'd take Bug.   It is likely short for ladybug or doodlebug or something adorable.

[Blakeston]

Didn’t they establish that the scene where the characters visit bedridden old Rebecca was 12 years in the future?

Jack is definitely older than 12 when he meets Lucy.

[Brookside]

On 10/11/2019 at 4:40 AM, Johnny Dollar said:

I’m surprised so many people on here don’t know Jennifer Morrison. She’s been consistently on network TV for the last fifteen years (House and Once Upon A Time). 

On 10/11/2019 at 8:03 AM, MissLucas said:

And HIMYM - I haven't seen enough of Cassidy to make up my mind about the character and Morrison's acting so far. 

I've never watched House or Once Upon a Time, and I have no idea what HIMYM is.

[Ohmo]

48 minutes ago, Brookside said:

I've never watched House or Once Upon a Time, and I have no idea what HIMYM is.

I never watched it, but HIMYM = How I Met Your Mother, a CBS sitcom that starred Neil Patrick Harris among others.

[Quark]

That Tess/Deja scene was absolutely gorgeous. Loved it.

[theatremouse]

So the "bug" thing...I don't know if this is maybe regional, or maybe just coincidence but in my extended family plenty of parents call their children "bug" sporadically. It's not a nickname, not in the sense that usually a nickname is something multiple people call one person. It's more a term of endearment, equivalent to "hun" or "sweetie". (See also: "doodlebug", "cuddlebug", "lovebug") I guess I thought it was more common than it must be. But I never interpreted it as any sort of specific comment on Kate or anything really particular to Kate, not any moreso than if Rebecca called her "pumpkin".

[Runningwild]

On 10/11/2019 at 5:58 PM, izabella said:

Wow, I've never thought about that, but it totally makes sense.  We hardly ever or never see a Vet on tv who isn't messed up somehow. 

A friend of mine is a Vietnam vet and he said no one came back unscathed. You either had a permanent injury, you were on drugs, or had PTSD. He came back with a drug problem. Then recently, 40 years later, had a mental breakdown because of stuff he had witnessed and repressed. 

[CrystalBlue]

29 minutes ago, Runningwild said:

A friend of mine is a Vietnam vet and he said no one came back unscathed. You either had a permanent injury, you were on drugs, or had PTSD. He came back with a drug problem. Then recently, 40 years later, had a mental breakdown because of stuff he had witnessed and repressed. 

Everyone who went to Nam paid a price one way or the other.  The way our boys were treated if they came home didn't help either.

[bros402]

On 10/9/2019 at 4:37 PM, ams1001 said:

I think it was the same timeline...he was 36 when they were born so he'd be 48 when they're 12 and that would make him 28 when he started at the job. I can't remember if we've seen him starting to work there or not...

December? January? 1972 was that football thing from last season. The reception or whatever - when Jack & Rebecca meet.

That was shortly after Jack came home. Big 3 were born, what, Aug 31 1980?

So they were 12 in 1992.

so Jack started working on the company sometime in 1972 or maybe 1973. They would've mentioned if Randall had to go to school before his birthday, so let's just say Sept 1 1992 was his first day of 7th grade.. So if the mistake happened the same day, Jack started working at the company before then to be exactly 20 years.

But that doesn't jive with the fact that Jack met Miguel after the road trip (I don't recall the date of it, but I think it was within his first year of coming back from Vietnam) - since he had to get the suit, and Miguel worked at the store.

So maybe Jack worked there for 18-19 years and Miguel rounded up.

[MsJamieDornan]

On 10/10/2019 at 7:45 PM, Ohmo said:

Nicky and Cassidy can go away completely.  Nicky's just being a ginormous PITA.

We can only hope. The Cassidy actress is awful.

[gonzosgirrl]

Tim Omundson got honorable mention for TV Line's Performer of the Week for this episode. So happy for him! 

Edited October 13, 2019 by gonzosgirrl

[bybrandy]

2 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

Why would he call you that?

I don't know.  He called me lots of things.  B. Little B.  Frog Nose and Little B.  Frog Nose.  Turkey Breath. There are many, many, many other things.  My dad was a little strange.  But seriously, he loved me.  he was always wildly and uproariously supportive of me.   And the only time one of his absurd nicknames bothered me he stopped using it when I explained.  It wasn't Turkey Breath... or Frog Nose.   

[bybrandy]

20 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I don't think Kate would be too happy if she were called pumpkin.

That one seems to me like it would more play into her own body image issues so, yeah, potentially more hurtful to her than Bug.  But maybe not as her mom would have called her that for so long that it might not even register... like Turkey Breath.  🙂

[Ohmo]

About the "they are on the way" flash forward: Was that the one where Kevin supposedly went to pick up takeout and we didn't see him?  If so, there was that young boy who looked to be about 12-14 who said that's where Kevin went.  That kid can't be Cassidy's son because he's already 11ish now.

I think that flash forward is more than 12 years in the future.  If that boy is Kevin's son, that would mean that his mother (Cassidy or not) would have to get pregnant with him now, which seems unlikely.  Push that flash forward a couple years later, making Jack Damon older.  I still think the possibility exists that the "they"  could be Jack and Lucy and not necessarily Jack and Kate.

[saber5055]

Coming back to me days after watching this episode: Kate telling Audio she's "not letting him poop in his yard" after the grouchy neighbor confronts her about the car parking.

So Kate lets Audio run loose and poop anywhere? Or she walks him and lets him poop anywhere, then leaves the poop? Knowing Kate is an irresponsible dog owner makes me dislike her more, if that's possible. Sitting on the couch and petting your dog doesn't make you a good dog owner. What if she never changed Baby Jack's diaper, or just tossed the dirty dipe into someone's yard? Same thing IMO.

Carry a baggie with you Kate, and don't let Audio run loose. Or fence your back yard so it will be safe for Audio AND Baby Jack. Then either pick up the poop or let Baby Jack step in it/put it in his mouth.

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, saber5055 said:

So Kate lets Audio run loose and poop anywhere? Or she walks him and lets him poop anywhere, then leaves the poop? Knowing Kate is an irresponsible dog owner makes me dislike her more, if that's possible. Sitting on the couch and petting your dog doesn't make you a good dog owner. What if she never changed Baby Jack's diaper, or just tossed the dirty dipe into someone's yard? Same thing IMO.

I took it to mean she figured he'd yell at her even if she did clean it up (some people don't want dogs on their property no matter what). I hope the show wasn't suggesting that she's that inconsiderate...there are already enough viewers who can't stand her. (I can see how picking up after him might be difficult for her, but if you don't want to or can't clean up after your dog, you need to keep it in your own yard. Or get one of those scoopers on a long stick.)

[CrystalBlue]

6 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Once people start getting to a certain age, all of a sudden people start getting a lot of mail that would make them think they are five minutes away from going toes up.   It is horribly depressing.

It's like turning on the television and seeing just about every other commercial has an older person having some sort of issue.    I am just glad that there are M&M's commercials, though that hazelnut one is a bit disturbing.   RIP hazelnut M&M you will be missed.

I suspect that Beth will probably be spending more time away from home than Randall.  She is starting up her own business and that will take up a lot of her time.  

Combo Likes: Useful (for those under 50), Funny, and Like for general agreement about Beth/Randall.

[CrystalBlue]

6 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Which is why I think she is happy that Toby is happy about losing weight, but if Toby starts getting looks from other women, I suspect Kate will be really upset and make it all about her.    That will probably cause her to eat more.  Kate is very much an emotional eater.

Which might be the or one of the issues leading up to divorce.

[saber5055]

39 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I hope the show wasn't suggesting that she's that inconsiderate

What? Kate think about someone besides herself? LMAO! Kate and Toby have a yard now, keep Audio in it. Like that old saying, "good fences make good neighbors."

[saber5055]

4 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I think Kate would have a difficult time cleaning up after Audio.

I agree, but mentally not physically. She's too entitled to have to scoop poop. I guess that's what Toby's for. I can picture Toby being a great dad (and dog owner), and I don't even like Toby.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

I agree, but mentally not physically. She's too entitled to have to scoop poop. I guess that's what Toby's for. I can picture Toby being a great dad (and dog owner), and I don't even like Toby.

Toby probably does most of the walking.  That, along with his training has helped him with his weight loss.  

[wonderwoman]

On 10/9/2019 at 4:03 AM, ChattyCathyLA said:

Am I the only one who thinks the show has gone downhill this season?  Three episodes and I have had no emotional reaction to any of them.  I could care less about the new characters that the writers wasted the premiere to introduce and now, two of them have no current story lines.  Speaking of which ... haven’t we all see the alcoholic army vet with PTSD and the teenaged baby daddy before?  Like everywhere on TV, movies, etc?  They couldn’t have come up with something more original?  The pacing is so slow and the scenes seem disjointed.  For a series that started with such a novel concept, WTF is going on with all the cliches?  I’m wondering if they got a new show runner or head writer or ... something?  This show, which was my favorite, is rapidly jumping the shark for me ... disappointing!

no, you’re not the only one. what most interested me early on was the relationships between and among the grown siblings. but having kate on the west coast, randall in philadelphia, and kevin here there and everywhere has created the disjointed storytelling. i, too, am losing interest. find myself ffing through scenes.

[DrSparkles]

On 10/8/2019 at 10:20 PM, mtlchick said:

Much love for Galavant and Timothy was amazing in it.  So glad he's doing better.

This episode was...odd.  At least we knew that Kevin has always been there when Randall has his freakouts like in season 1.  But there was something about it I didn't like and I can't figure out what. 

I don't think I like the show any more. Meh.

[DrSparkles]

On 10/13/2019 at 1:23 AM, CrystalBlue said:

Everyone who went to Nam paid a price one way or the other.  The way our boys were treated if they came home didn't help either.

💯  See: my dad.

[cameron]

On 10/9/2019 at 2:16 PM, abc123baby said:

re: Randall and the shoes. 

Randall knew about the dress code. Randall wore them SPECIFICALLY for the teacher. He wanted to make a connection. They were Air Jordans, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, He had found out about the teacher in advance and wanted to connect with the new black teacher from CHICAGO, so he brought them and SPECIFICALLY wore them in the class. And was upset not only about the violation but that it didnt work to make the CONNECTION. 

Regarding the Air Jordans; you have to wonder how Randall got them.  Even back then, they cost about $125.00 a pair.  Remember when kids who wore them were being robbed of the shoes.  Don't see Jack and Rebecca shelling out that kind of money for those shoes.

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

Regarding the Air Jordans; you have to wonder how Randall got them.  Even back then, they cost about $125.00 a pair.  Remember when kids who wore them were being robbed of the shoes.  Don't see Jack and Rebecca shelling out that kind of money for those shoes.

I can see that if it was the only thing Randall wanted for his bday. They may have matched his contribution (he saved half and they paid for the rest). 

[Pallas]

Maybe he went straight to Rebecca's mother. He's had her number for some time. 

[Ohiopirate02]

Rebecca and Jack also strike me as the kind of parent who allocate the same amount of money for each kid for their afterschool activities.   Kevin has football and football camp,  Kate has whatever it is that Kate does*, and Randall has his thing.  If there is money leftover for Randall,  I could see him asking for the special shoes. 

*It kills me that Kevin is the athlete,  Randall is the nerd, and Kate is whatever she is supposed to be.  I know that not all kids fit easily into a specific category,  but the writers really have dropped the ball on Kate compared to her brothers.