S04.E05: Storybook Love

[JKL845]

I liked the scene with Jack and Nicky's father. While for the most part he wasn't a good husband or father there were good times when he was. No one is all good or all bad and I like that this show addresses that.

[izabella]

2 hours ago, memememe76 said:

I too know about boxed ice cream but never thought about cutting it like butter or cake. I opened one side and scooped it out. It was a mess so I never buy boxed ice cream now that I am rich and entitled.

Loved the episode. Young Sophie is way annoying. She reminds me more of adult Madidon than adult Sophie.

I thought Sophie was Madison for a minute, and was so very confused!

[Mommaj]

I very well may have missed this, but what was 18 year old Kate doing before taking the record store job? It doesn't seem like she was in college, and if not, why not? I guess Kevin abandoned the idea of college once an athletic scholarship was no longer in the cards because he was never much of a student, but Kate was on a pretty traditional path. So why was she just hanging around the apartment at age 18, not even looking for a job, when surely money was tight for the family at the time?

My OCD side wants to know how you re-close a carton of ice cream after disassembling it that way. Unless your family typically puts away a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting, that seems to be a problem.

[Marley]

This episode was alright. A bit boring but not bad.

Cassidys husband speech about knowing Cassidy would be his fave person right after he smashed into her in the hall was idiotic tho. He just bumped into someone and in a second is in love? Some of the speeches on this show are super dumb. Also Cassidy and her husband can go away anytime. I don’t care about them or their SL at all.

Are we ever gonna see the future again? We left on a cliffhanger last season and haven’t even seen a bit about that SL. It’s very annoying.

Kates new bf is bad news obviously but how exactly. Is it just a abuse? Or something else. It has never been brought up before but that doesn’t really mean anything.

That cake looked gross and plain.

[bros402]

I'm hoping the boyfriend isn't physically/sexually abusive.

[NUguy514]

I loved seeing actual interactions between the siblings at the family dinner, especially when Kate and Randall or Kevin and Randall exchanged looks about Kevin or Kate in the living room and at the dining room table.  It felt very sibling...-y? -ish, maybe?

I also loved Rebecca's smackdown of the Three Stooges in the kitchen.  Richly deserved, although, really, only Kate and Kevin were being bitches; Randall was basically pleasant throughout that.

Present-day Randall, though?  Still so horrid.  "I appreciate your concern, Beth.  I'm fine," with that unbelievably condescending smile?

I'm fine now, too, dick.

That was definitely a retcon with the timeline of Jack and Rebecca's move into their house, but oh well.

I don't give two shits about asshole Cassidy and her sad-sack husband, nor do I care even the slightest bit about Nicky.  They've stuck my easily my favorite Stooge in this amazingly uninteresting storyline, so that sucks for me.

Married teen Kevin is probably the worst Kevin in terms of entitlement and attitude; however, Kevin has always been by far the most intuitive Stooge, and it looks like his read on Marc was exactly right.  Looks like we're heading toward an abuse storyline.

[Lily H]

Maybe Tess had a panic attack because she finally realized how ugly that hairstyle is.

I hated this episode. Too many whiny Pearsons. Adult Kevin was the only good thing in it. Don't like Cassidy and her family at all.

I can never understand why so many TV shows think women burning simple food is so endearing.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Eureka said:

Basically it was. 

https://tvline.com/2019/10/22/this-is-us-season-4-episode-5-milo-ventimiglia-interview-kate-abused/

Yes they usually say ice cream in those hot light, just melts too fast. A cone is one thing, but a large piece, yes. Maybe if it had been strawberry colored or something like that, it would have looked less like butter. ; )

I feel it's too early to see Kate's beau in another light, but his "kindness" in showing up for her, the flowers, might look differently later. He might be controlling and what she feels is nice early on, becomes critical and suffocating. Her brother's might want to protect her, hate everyone or really have a instinct for guys who aren't sincere. Many abusive types pick on vulnerable women who are not perfect to society or broken in some way and they save them and then control them. My sister met someone 7 years older, my parents were 10 years apart, but my mom wasn't 18, she was 24. When I had a guy interested in me at 18 and he was 27, she said, he is looking for someone who is more naive, why not date his own age, etc. In this case, she was right, not abusive but had issues. Another sign I saw in a real boy from my youth, he said "Boyfriend" after Kate just said "friend". Another subtle but important clue.

They always in interviews and on the show , made Kate's weight and depression about Jack only, maybe this is a new addition or it still wasn't all about him.

Edited October 23, 2019 by debraran

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I grew up in Chicago and California and I remember the boxes of ice cream too. My mom sometimes bought the neapolitan box which made it really clear which flavor my sister and I liked. Nothing like having the chocolate part completely dug out and the entire vanilla section still untouched.

I love the Princess Bride but I was rolling my eyes at how Kevin thought that was a sign he should get married. Then again, Ryan instantly knew that the girl he ran into was going to be his favorite person so apparently all of these people make impulsive decisions about their life partners.

My favorite thing about this show has always been the relationships between Kate, Kevin, and Randall so I liked this episode. There were so many little moments that clearly showed us their sibling relationship (like when Randall told Kate that Kevin said he had to say the big gift was from both of them even though it was Randall's idea and Kevin didn't actually do anything). The glances between the three kids at dinner were perfect too, as was the conversation in the kitchen about whether they liked Beth and Mark. I thought it was very realistic that Kate and Randall (to a much lesser degree) were upset that Kevin got married without telling them or having them at the wedding.

I loved that Rebecca finally got fed up with the kids and told them to march their whiny asses back to the table. I did question her serving raw chicken though. Best case scenario, that's asking for a trip to diarrhea city. I totally cracked up when Miguel asked if eating raw chicken would make him sick and then loudly said to Rebecca, "SO GOOD!"

20 hours ago, Kdawg82 said:

Kate's boyfriend definitely gave me creepy weirdo vibes in this. Definitely the kind of person I've known in my youth around that time frame the young "big three" are in at this point. I know Rebecca's situation is very different but if i brought in a random kid like that to family dinner, i would get a reaming for it and a ration of sh** for even thinking about seeing this kid. My parents weren't as accepting as the Pearsons. I'm going with abuse from this kid.

20 hours ago, Blakeston said:

The way he inserted himself into an intimate situation like this, and then introduced himself as her boyfriend right after she'd chosen to just call him a friend, was definitely creepy.

ITA with both of the above. My parents would not have been happy if we were having any family dinner (let alone a special family dinner) and a heretofore unknown boyfriend just showed up. They would have been furious about how rude this guy was.

Kate had a glimpse of Mark's true personality when she told him that looking up her address on her job application and then just showing up at her house was creepy. And Kevin immediately knew that Mark was too old for her and that there was something off about him.

20 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I can't believe that, in my 25 years, and with having bought the boxed ice cream a lot over the years, none of us ever thought about cutting up the ice cream. 

Oh, how life would have been simpler if we had thought of it instead of getting out hands dirty with trying to scoop out the ice cream.

Ha, same here. I hated when there was less than half left because I knew that meant I would end up getting sticky ice cream on my hands while I scooped it out. I was scooping like a sucker all these years when I could have been slicing!

19 hours ago, memememe76 said:

I too know about boxed ice cream but never thought about cutting it like butter or cake. I opened one side and scooped it out. It was a mess so I never buy boxed ice cream now that I am rich and entitled.

Loved the episode. Young Sophie is way annoying. She reminds me more of adult Madidon than adult Sophie.

I totally get my why parents bought boxed ice cream when there were three kids in the house. We went through cartons of ice cream so quickly. But now that I live in a two person household, we tend to buy pints because we don't eat as much ice cream in one sitting as we used to. If I buy a smaller container, I'll probably finish it before it gets freezer burn.

Young Sophie looked so much like adult Madison that when she was in the background or on the side of the shots, my brain kept thinking it was Madison (which makes no logical sense since obviously the Pearsons didn't know her yet when the dinner took place).

16 hours ago, Mommaj said:

I very well may have missed this, but what was 18 year old Kate doing before taking the record store job? It doesn't seem like she was in college, and if not, why not? I guess Kevin abandoned the idea of college once an athletic scholarship was no longer in the cards because he was never much of a student, but Kate was on a pretty traditional path. So why was she just hanging around the apartment at age 18, not even looking for a job, when surely money was tight for the family at the time?

Kate was going to apply to a music school (I think it was Berklee) but after the fire, she decide not to submit her tape. I don't know how much of that was her not wanting to let go of that tape because Jack was the one who recorded it for her (even though HELLO, it was definitely possible to make copies of tapes back then) versus her still mourning and being depressed (remember in the previous episode, Rebecca asked her to at least get out of the house for a few hours) versus her punishing herself for Jack's death.

Edited October 23, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo
typos

[Mommaj]

Thanks, @ElectricBoogaloo.

So even when Jack was alive Kate was going to apply to just one very competitive music school and that was it? No plan B? You'd think Rebecca would have insisted she enroll at least part time in community college just to engage in life in some fashion.  Some time must have passed since Jack's death for Kevin to have met and married Sophie and for Randall to have established a relationship, but Kate has just been hanging around doing nothing but mourning and watching tv? Ugh, they've made her character so unappealing in so many ways right to the present. I guess there's at least some consistency there!

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I feel it's too early to see Kate's beau in another light, but his "kindness" in showing up for her, the flowers, might look differently later. He might be controlling and what she feels is nice early on, becomes critical and suffocating.

It doesn't feel like "kindness" to show up someplace he wasn't invited because he looked up her address in her employee file (creepy!) and and then introduced himself as her boyfriend after Kate had introduced him as a friend.   These are alarm bells here.  And I can see how daughter of big gesture Jack doesn't see that.  And I can see how she likes having her boyfriend there when Kevin is with Sophie and Randall is with Beth but yeah, there are already disturbing signs.   Showing up uninvited to a place you should't have the address for?  Not a kindness.

[bybrandy]

55 minutes ago, Mommaj said:

Some time must have passed since Jack's death for Kevin to have met and married Sophie and for Randall to have established a relationship, but Kate has just been hanging around doing nothing but mourning and watching tv? Ugh, they've made her character so unappealing in so many ways right to the present. I guess there's at least some consistency there!

Kevin has known Sophie his whole life.  She was the girl Kate was trying to impress with her Madonna party that went to Kevin's Princess Bride party instead.  That is why it i their movie.  

I didn't drop out of school when my dad died but he died very suddenly and unexpectedly when I was in college and there was an entire year where to one degree or another I was going through the motions.  I'm not sure my mom would have let me take a semester off because she was always so afraid that people didn't go back when they took time off... but like I dont' know how how I would have signed up for classes for the following semester if I hadn't done it already.  And the thing is, I thought I was fine. I did.  I felt like I was coping.  And then one day I'd go, "Man, I feel so much better now, I can't believe how bad I must've felt last month that I'm feeling so much better now.."   And this happened in waves for me for a solid year.   My friends knew I was depressed but I kept thinking I was doing better until I realized that I actually was doing better.   I got through that semester and the next semester was easier and a year or two out and I couldn't believe how low I'd been... but I'm not a do nothing person.  I'm not a person who sits around sad for a year.  I'm not.  Yet, I pretty much did... but it is so much harder to see it when you are going through it and Rebecca is going through a few huge losses here herself.   She loses her husband and her house in a night and then all of her kids graduate from higshschool a few month after that and move away... she might not have been more ready for Kate to leave than Kate was.   

And I think we're probably in first semester their freshman year (parents day!).   It hasn't been a year since their house and everything they owned burned down, this is still prime grieving time and Kate is making steps at this point getting the job it is a poitive step.  If it weren't for this boy who is clearly going to break her she'd be moving in a direction...

Is she healthy?  No, she is WILDLY depressed but it isn't a time frame, yet, where I think it isn't something she can pull herself out of.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

54 minutes ago, Mommaj said:

Thanks, @ElectricBoogaloo.

So even when Jack was alive Kate was going to apply to just one very competitive music school and that was it? No plan B? You'd think Rebecca would have insisted she enroll at least part time in community college just to engage in life in some fashion.  Some time must have passed since Jack's death for Kevin to have met and married Sophie and for Randall to have established a relationship, but Kate has just been hanging around doing nothing but mourning and watching tv? Ugh, they've made her character so unappealing in so many ways right to the present. I guess there's at least some consistency there!

Jack died in January of the kids' senior year of high school.

Kevin has known Sophie a long time. She used to be Kate's best friend in elementary school. Kevin and Sophie made it clear that they liked each other at the Big Three's tenth birthday party. It was mentioned in S1 that they were dating as far back as eighth grade. They were flashbacks to high school that showed they were still dating. If I recall correctly, Kevin was with Sophie when the fire happened.

Randall met Beth at orientation. They had one date and then they were just friends until parents' weekend. I don't think we got an exact date on parents' weekend, but at my school it was always in the first half of the fall semester. I'm pretty sure it was early October.

I'm pretty sure that the family dinner took place shortly after parents' weekend because in the previous episode, Rebecca told Kate they needed to move out of that apartment and in this episode they had moved into their new place. It's not clear how much time had passed but I'm pretty sure the dinner happened in October or early November because there has been no mention of Thanksgiving or Christmas yet.

[Haleth]

Was that the most awkward dinner party ever?  Everyone in a relationship that made everyone else uncomfortable.  Poor Miguel, stuck in the midst of the Pearson drama, pretending everything is normal.

I love Nicky and his snark.  His scenes with Kevin are great.  Loved the flashback to his own dad on a good day.  I also loved seeing William again.

I'm confused about Randall's and Kevin's gift.  A piano but the exact one the family used to own?  And it still had old photos in the bench?

All signs point to a bad relationship with Mark, but this show always surprises us with a twist.

[ShadowFacts]

I'm curious about what happened with Miguel inasmuch as he seemed to be very comfortable with the family at the dinner, with Rebecca in the kitchen, etc.  He also seemed to have been somewhat involved in their move.  Something happens and he is completely out of the picture for 10 years, living in Houston or somewhere, until Rebecca connects on Facebook after Tess is born. 

I noticed Nicky flinch at the rink when a puck sounded like it hit the boards, and in the stands he flashed briefly to the water/boat in Vietnam.  I liked that the show is portraying that juxtaposed with the hero recognition ceremony.  I have seen these lots of times at sporting events, and they make me uncomfortable.  Especially after I learned that the pro teams are compensated for doing this, it is a recruiting tool for the military. 

[bichonblitz]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I just love that Kevin felt entitled to lecture a person he just met about his behavior.

That's the entitled Pearson kids for ya. 

9 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Do they still make ice cream in those boxes?

They sure do. My hubby buys it once in a while, although we have never sliced it!  It's always the cheap off brand. Not the good, over priced name brand stuff.

[Blackie]

10 hours ago, CleoCaesar said:

(example: Kevin asks Cassidy's ex-husband why he bothered to come to the event and ex-husband starts rambling how he met Cassidy at 15 when she bumped into him in the hallway and blah blah blah blah...).

No man that age would make a speech like that, they would just say "stay the f*** away from my wife and son"

I am with everyone on the Chapmans ice cream. (a great local company) it is a carton, I didn't notice if the on on the episode it was more of a box. We have Cookies and Cream in our freezer right now, my husband pairs it with pumpkin pie, weird....

Kevin's RV....are they in a proper RV park, hooked up to water, sewer, and electricity?  Kevin just came and parked beside Nikki but I can't see him pulling it out once a week to empty the holding tank.

Other then that, I am actually really loving Kevin this year.  

[debraran]

4 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

Yes, they were a thing.  Cutting ice cream like that and putting it in between horizontal layers of angel food cake and covering it with whip cream and freezing it is an awesome cake.  Especially if you use different kinds of ice cream in each layer.   Usually three layers of ice cream.

Not buying that anxiety is totally hereditary, and triggered by everyday issues, show.  Nice try, but you suck.  Here is a thought.  Neuroplasticity.

Exercise is good for people for those who have anxiety issues, it is far better than stress overeating.

This episode overall was pretty horrible.  I think Nicky had the right idea when he bailed.   If I were him I would have bailed too.

As a person who has had food poisoning at a very young age, there is no way that I am going to eat Rebecca's raw poultry.

I didn't like that at all.   Using food as a reward isn't really a good idea. 

My coworkers family ended up in ER many years ago from undercooked turkey on holiday. Last time sister cooked and not funny at all. 

[sigmaforce86]

9 hours ago, Crs97 said:

Nicky is hilarious (though seeing his face at the hockey game broke my heart), and I love knowing that he ends up at Rebecca’s bedside.  Kevin does have the strangest relationships.

Starting to really see Griffin Dunne as Emmy material - the way he looked at the beer the guy in front of him was holding, he didn't actually lick his lips but at the same time he made all the right facial expressions that you could see he was internally licking his lips.  It was so well done.  And he switches so easily from that to snarky joke comment to Uncle Nicky with the cool Dad/Brother story.  He's really doing a great job

5 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

I also loved Rebecca's smackdown of the Three Stooges in the kitchen.  Richly deserved, although, really, only Kate and Kevin were being bitches; Randall was basically pleasant throughout that.

Present-day Randall, though?  Still so horrid.  "I appreciate your concern, Beth.  I'm fine," with that unbelievably condescending smile?

Beth should have pulled Randall up short for that comment - I appreciate your concern is something you say to your constituents or another politician, it's a platitude phrase it's not a let's have a deep intimate conversation phrase that a husband or wife should use with their significant other.  Beth should have told him that straight out.

My guess on the Rebecca/Miguel thing; they start to get close soon after the timeline in this episode, they feel guilt as though it's cheating on her husband and his best friend or both family's give them grief for it (or a combo of both) so they back off and Miguel moves away.  That's how the 10 years later we reconnected and married thing came about.  

Kevin really does need a new movie role to keep him busy, this moonlighting job as amateur counselor and chief fixer of all others with issues is not good for him or for the people he's trying to "fix" when it means he's hovering over them all the damn time.

[gonzosgirrl]

If you didn't have box ice cream, how did y'all make ice cream waffles?!

[suzeecat]

6 hours ago, Mommaj said:

My OCD side wants to know how you re-close a carton of ice cream after disassembling it that way. Unless your family typically puts away a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting, that seems to be a problem.

Not sure if they still sell it, but back in the day Tupperware sold a container just for half-gallon ice cream.  It was awesome, kept the ice crystals from forming like, forever. 

[gonzosgirrl]

13 minutes ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Starting to really see Griffin Dunne as Emmy material - the way he looked at the beer the guy in front of him was holding, he didn't actually lick his lips but at the same time he made all the right facial expressions that you could see he was internally licking his lips.  It was so well done.  And he switches so easily from that to snarky joke comment to Uncle Nicky with the cool Dad/Brother story.  He's really doing a great job

Agreed! Whether or not I like the character/find him necessary, I think the actor is brilliant. He's really making me look forward to the Nicky scenes, which I was definitely not doing in the beginning. I am a huge Jack-stan, and Nicky is kind of... the anti-Jack, so kudos to Griffin for making me enjoy this character, however grudgingly 😛 .

[ams1001]

9 hours ago, bybrandy said:

It might well culimnate with sexual assault, but I think it has to be some sort of emotional abuse as Kate said she didn't realize what was happening either.  It is a technique of the wildly manipulatively abusive to break people down so much that the physical abuse just is the next step, something they (the victim) deserved because they aren't good enough.

That's what I was thinking (especially after he said he was her boyfriend, after she just said "friend from work"; even if she wanted him to be her boyfriend, clearly she wasn't ready to describe him that way to her family, or she would have said it in the first place, and I'm guessing he purposely ignored that). Also the fact that he apparently offered her a job so he could make out with her in the back room, instead of just asking her out. A job is something he can hold over her head.

2 hours ago, bybrandy said:

It doesn't feel like "kindness" to show up someplace he wasn't invited because he looked up her address in her employee file (creepy!) and and then introduced himself as her boyfriend after Kate had introduced him as a friend.   These are alarm bells here.  And I can see how daughter of big gesture Jack doesn't see that.  And I can see how she likes having her boyfriend there when Kevin is with Sophie and Randall is with Beth but yeah, there are already disturbing signs.   Showing up uninvited to a place you should't have the address for?  Not a kindness.

Yes! I didn't think of the "dad did big romantic gestures like that, too" angle, though.

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

I'm confused about Randall's and Kevin's gift.  A piano but the exact one the family used to own?  And it still had old photos in the bench?

I'm guessing Rebecca still had the piano (maybe in storage); she came over "just to see the baby" shortly before it was delivered, and obviously knew it was coming. So maybe it was Randall's idea, but I think she clearly was involved in making it happen.

1 hour ago, bichonblitz said:

They sure do. My hubby buys it once in a while, although we have never sliced it!  It's always the cheap off brand. Not the good, over priced name brand stuff.

Now I want to look next time I'm at Wegmans. I usually just get Turkey Hill when it's on sale, or lately I'm on a Haagen Dazs Irish Cream Brownie kick (but that's only in pints).

5 minutes ago, suzeecat said:

Not sure if they still sell it, but back in the day Tupperware sold a container just for half-gallon ice cream.  It was awesome, kept the ice crystals from forming like, forever. 

My mom had one of those! (Heck, she probably still does...now I want to look next time I'm over there. She still has her old Tupperware cake carriers, too. She used the rectangular one for my birthday cupcakes recently.)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I just remembered that Thrifty used to sell rectangular boxes of ice cream. Mmm, chocolate malted krunch!

[ctmd]

I liked Kate's boyfriend, so I'm wondering where they're going. My guess is either abuse or drugs, or both. Abuse would explain the weight issues a lot more- something for him to pick on her for, a way for her to bury her shame, a way for her subconsciously feel less attractive so she has an excuse not to date later. I struggled with over-eating for years, and was single for many years, and it was always easy to say to myself, "well, if I were thinner, dating would be easier." I always speculated that that was part of why i repeatedly failed to lose weight- what would it mean if I were thinner and people STILL weren't interested? An abusive relationship could DEFINITELY lead to Kate developing that mentality, especially since weight management has always been tough for her. 

Speaking of which, adult Kate looks heavier than she's ever been. Not sure if they're trying to make her appear more comfortable with herself by dressing in ways that almost flaunt her size, or if they're really emphasizing it to build up the resentment towards Toby for losing weight. 

[Jax7917]

Did anyone on this show's love just... grow? Jeez. Every single couple on this show knew the other person was the one from the first second they met. Yes, that happens. But not in every single situation. Some of the speeches are heartfelt and others are so corny. 

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Just when I was starting to like Season 4 Randall, he reverts back to Season 3 Randall and makes me dislike him again. I really hated the way he spoke to Beth when she brought up therapy. He completely dismissed her. He should have AT LEAST told her he would think about it. If your trusted partner is bringing something like that up, it's definitely something you should consider.  It's like he's learned nothing about his anxiety so far. Beth is far more clued into it than he is. She recognizes all the signs--running 10 miles and shaking his legs but he is either incapable of self-reflection or he wants to ignore it and pretend it's just going to go away on it's own even though he's had several break downs in his life so far. You'd think he'd start to learn that he needs to deal with it. In fact, if he's going to feel bad about passing on his anxiety to Tess, something that might make him feel better about it would be to show Tess that it can be managed. I hope he listens to Beth eventually rather than see the inevitable break down.

How many times have they brought William back to retroactively give words of wisdom to Beth? I feel like they've gone to that particular well too often.

Poor Miguel. Trying to woo Rebecca by eating her raw chicken and bringing her fancy wine while she waxes nostalgic about Jack protecting her from a bird and making her feel better about her burnt lasagna. Maybe he'll figure out that she's not ready to move on yet and leave her alone for awhile.

I'm thinking Kate's boyfriend is bad news just from the fact that Kevin doesn't like him.

Kate slightly annoyed me this episode by trying to get her brothers to tell her what her gift was. They were trying to surprise her! If someone wants to surprise you with a nice gift, Kate, let them. It's for them as much as it's for you. 

[MissLucas]

I loved Kenny's goofy smile after Cassidy's husband had his little hissy fit - apparently making the dude jealous and ready to fight for his wife was Kevin's plan all along? Who knew he could be that devious? And I hope it works because I love a good trope-smashing.

And Randall: stop being an ass and get yourself to therapy. Beth might run out of patience when your next meltdown arrives, Kevin is in Pennsylvania and soda bubbles are just a temporary fix. 

'The Pearson men nail another grand gesture.' He! Poor Tobby, but he seems to have made his peace with it.

Edited October 23, 2019 by MissLucas

[ams1001]

20 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Just when I was starting to like Season 4 Randall, he reverts back to Season 3 Randall and makes me dislike him again. I really hated the way he spoke to Beth when she brought up therapy. He completely dismissed her. He should have AT LEAST told her he would think about it. If your trusted partner is bringing something like that up, it's definitely something you should consider.  It's like he's learned nothing about his anxiety so far. Beth is far more clued into it than he is. She recognizes all the signs--running 10 miles and shaking his legs but he is either incapable of self-reflection or he wants to ignore it and pretend it's just going to go away on it's own even though he's had several break downs in his life so far. You'd think he'd start to learn that he needs to deal with it. In fact, if he's going to feel bad about passing on his anxiety to Tess, something that might make him feel better about it would be to show Tess that it can be managed. I hope he listens to Beth eventually rather than see the inevitable break down.

Especially after his "she's been in her room for an hour, we have to talk to her!" (and pushing her to talk in the kitchen when they had just gotten home...I can say from experience, that is not helpful). Way to set an example for your kid, there, Randall.

I have no desire to see him break down (probably at the office, or some political event where his constituents will see it).

I kinda like the soda bubbles thing, though. Might have to remember that.

Edited October 23, 2019 by ams1001

[ShadowFacts]

41 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I'm guessing Rebecca still had the piano (maybe in storage); she came over "just to see the baby" shortly before it was delivered, and obviously knew it was coming. So maybe it was Randall's idea, but I think she clearly was involved in making it happen.

Is this the same piano that was in Randall's old house, that William played? If so, Randall might have moved it with him to Philadelphia, then he and Kevin sent it to California. Wherever it came from, no one moves a piano bench without emptying the contents, or at least looking and seeing if the books inside are worth sending also, or separately or whatever. But Kate had to find the disturbing photos. 

40 minutes ago, ctmd said:

Abuse would explain the weight issues a lot more- something for him to pick on her for, a way for her to bury her shame, a way for her subconsciously feel less attractive so she has an excuse not to date later. I struggled with over-eating for years, and was single for many years, and it was always easy to say to myself, "well, if I were thinner, dating would be easier." I always speculated that that was part of why i repeatedly failed to lose weight- what would it mean if I were thinner and people STILL weren't interested? An abusive relationship could DEFINITELY lead to Kate developing that mentality, especially since weight management has always been tough for her. 

This could be part of Kate's problem, but it didn't completely stop her from dating. We saw in the episode of the big three in their twenties that she was involved with a married guy. I can see this 'boyfriend' from work becoming a stalker.

[ams1001]

13 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Is this the same piano that was in Randall's old house, that William played? If so, Randall might have moved it with him to Philadelphia, then he and Kevin sent it to California. Wherever it came from, no one moves a piano bench without emptying the contents, or at least looking and seeing if the books inside are worth sending also, or separately or whatever. But Kate had to find the disturbing photos. 

 

Maybe Randall took the piano at some point? (Why would Rebecca not keep it? Did she stop playing for some reason? Does anyone in Randall's house even play?) Now that you mention it, I feel like they showed a piano in R&B's new house in the past few episodes (though I could be wrong). Maybe some foreshadowing there...

But yeah, odd that they would move it (possibly multiple times) without emptying it. Though I guess they'd want to give her all the sheet music along with it. Be safer to put it in a box, though.

Edited October 23, 2019 by ams1001

[bybrandy]

41 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Maybe he'll figure out that she's not ready to move on yet and leave her alone for awhile.

He must since they've been out of touch for a while when Tess is born and she signs up for facebook.

 

13 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Wherever it came from, no one moves a piano bench without emptying the contents, or at least looking and seeing if the books inside are worth sending also, or separately or whatever.

I can't speak for everybody but I can guarantee you the one time I moved a piano bench (organ bench?) I looked in there, went "Oh, god I don't have to time to sort through more crap!" tossed some tape on the bench to make sure it didn't open in transit and sent it on its way.

 

49 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Kate slightly annoyed me this episode by trying to get her brothers to tell her what her gift was. They were trying to surprise her! If someone wants to surprise you with a nice gift, Kate, let them. It's for them as much as it's for you. 

Trying to wheedle information out of each other about our presents was a big game my brothers and I played as kids.  I haven't done it so as an adult because we are all pretty spread out but I took this to be less her expecting him to tell her and more her being excited and anxious and bugging him in the very natural way sisters do.  And given how incredibly little Kate and Randall interaction we get between the adult versions, I liked it.   I just like when the show remembers Randall also grew up with Kate.

[nixgirl28]

My tragedy bingo card is almost full

[Ohiopirate02]

58 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Kate slightly annoyed me this episode by trying to get her brothers to tell her what her gift was. They were trying to surprise her! If someone wants to surprise you with a nice gift, Kate, let them. It's for them as much as it's for you. 

I didn't see it that way.  Kate was stuck in her house all day waiting for the delivery.  We saw Toby leave for the gym and work, and the piano was not delivered until after the sun had set and Toby was home.  He second phone call to Randall wasn't her trying to find out what the surprise was, but her trying to get a time for the delivery.  She was just trying to figure out if she could take Audio for a walk.  

[AzraeltheCat]

3 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I'm curious about what happened with Miguel inasmuch as he seemed to be very comfortable with the family at the dinner, with Rebecca in the kitchen, etc.  He also seemed to have been somewhat involved in their move. 

I think its been established that Miguel has been trying to help Rebecca since Jack's death in various ways.  I think there were something last season about him helping with the apt or something -can't recall- but on this ep, Kate snarked about Miguel and Rebecca pointed out several thing that M had helped with in the new house.  So, yes, I think he was involved in the move, and doing household things that Jack would have done if he were alive.  

[DoubleUTeeEff]

14 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

Trying to wheedle information out of each other about our presents was a big game my brothers and I played as kids.  I haven't done it so as an adult because we are all pretty spread out but I took this to be less her expecting him to tell her and more her being excited and anxious and bugging him in the very natural way sisters do.  And given how incredibly little Kate and Randall interaction we get between the adult versions, I liked it.   I just like when the show remembers Randall also grew up with Kate.

7 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I didn't see it that way.  Kate was stuck in her house all day waiting for the delivery.  We saw Toby leave for the gym and work, and the piano was not delivered until after the sun had set and Toby was home.  He second phone call to Randall wasn't her trying to find out what the surprise was, but her trying to get a time for the delivery.  She was just trying to figure out if she could take Audio for a walk.  

Fair enough. Now I'm wondering if I'm remembering it wrong. I thought she said something along the lines of "I NEED to know," like she was entitled to know immediately and which to be fair to me, only slightly annoyed me. It was just the way it was phrased rather than the very normal brother/sister interaction that annoyed me. Now I'm annoyed at Toby for not staying home to wait for the delivery so Kate could take Audio for a walk. He can skip the gym once. 

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Fair enough. Now I'm wondering if I'm remembering it wrong. I thought she said something along the lines of "I NEED to know," like she was entitled to know immediately and which to be fair to me, only slightly annoyed me. It was just the way it was phrased rather than the very normal brother/sister interaction that annoyed me. Now I'm annoyed at Toby for not staying home to wait for the delivery so Kate could take Audio for a walk. He can skip the gym once. 

Honestly, I think that the second phone call scene happened sometime in the afternoon Kate's time.  She was calling because she had been waiting all morning and was trying to gauge if she could leave the house for half an hour or maybe get a hint if the delivery driver would wait if she wasn't there.  There is a huge variance when it comes to tracking packages these days.  Randall might have been able to check the exact location of the surprise, or he could be completely in the dark like Kate.  I could see Randall putting in some kind of GPS device into the piano and tracking it himself across the country.  Lucky for Kate, Rebecca showed up so someone could stay at the house while Audio got his walk.  

[DoubleUTeeEff]

40 minutes ago, nixgirl28 said:

My tragedy bingo card is almost full

Are "Family Home Burned Down in Tragic Fire Started by Crockpot" and "Family Patriarch dies of Heart Condition exasperated by Smoke Inhalation from Tragic Fire Started by Crockpot" separate squares?

[Cementhead]

The stellar casting of these actors to resemble one another never ceases to amaze me.  In the kitchen scene with Tess and Beth, with Tess' new short haircut and Beth's hair pulled back, I was really struck with how much the actresses resemble each other.  Especially due to their big, beautiful eyes. 

I bailed on this show last season because it was so far gone from where it started.  And I had no plans on tuning back in this year; especially after reading about people's reactions to the season opener.  I reluctantly tuned back in on episode 2 and I am so, so happy that I did.  THIS is the This is Us that I fell in love with.  It feels like itself again.

[Jillybean]

If teen Kate was abused by her boyfriend, I wonder if she ended up in therapy that helped her heal. She was pretty darn eager to rush into a relationship with Toby. I haven't ever been in an abusive relationship so I can't speak from experience, but from what I have heard and read, I would have expected her to be initially cautious with any new guy she subsequently met.

[S.Batts]

I'm curious about the time after Jack died.   Rebecca doesn't have a job so Jack was the bread winner in the family.   Did they have home insurance?  Did Jack have life insurance?  Was that all mentioned in an episode that I missed?  How is that they could afford rent on the apartment and then buy a house?   

The time line last night with Miguel at the dinner with the the kids respective others, was he married yet?   We did see a scene with him and Rececca (when they were married) at a family dinner that went horribly.  Don't remember exactly but I think it was at his son's house.    I remember Rebecca reconnected with Miguel after Tess was born, Beth got her onto Facebook and Rebecca friended Miguel.   

Excellent episode last night.   Love this show and love this family.   Was extremely happy to see the Pearson siblings finally interacting during present day.  

Randall is definitely going to be having a panic attack soon during present day.  Beth is already seeing the signs.   My guess is that he has a huge one and then concedes and does therapy.  

Edited October 23, 2019 by S.Batts

[Ohiopirate02]

11 minutes ago, S.Batts said:

I'm curious about the time after Jack died.   Rebecca doesn't have a job so Jack was the bread winner in the family.   Did they have home insurance?  Did Jack have life insurance?  Was that all mentioned in an episode that I missed?  How is that they could afford rent on the apartment and then buy a house?   

The time line last night with Miguel at the dinner with the the kids respective others, was he married yet?   We did see a scene with him and Rececca (when they were married) at a family dinner that went horribly.  Don't remember exactly but I think it was at his son's house.    I remember Rebecca reconnected with Miguel after Tess was born, Beth got her onto Facebook and Rebecca friended Miguel.   

Excellent episode last night.   Love this show and love this family.   Was extremely happy to see the Pearson siblings finally interacting during present day.  

Randall is definitely going to be having a panic attack soon during present day.  Beth is already seeing the signs.   My guess is that he has a huge one and then concedes and does therapy.  

I think we have to assume that Jack had some serious insurance policies for both home and life.  How much money Rebecca ended up with is anyone's guess.  This show is definitely wonky when it comes to the Pearson's finances.  All of them have money or struggle depending on what the plot calls for.  Personally, I cannot see how Rebecca can afford a new house after having to buy all new furniture, clothes, etc for 4 people.  Her buying a house after the kids leave for college does not seem to be a prudent financial decision.  

Miguel divorced his wife Shelly before Jack died.  I believe that they were already separated when Jack relapsed and needed a place to crash.  At some point he moves away and reconnects with Rebecca in 2008 and they are married in 2016 when the show begins.  

[ShadowFacts]

7 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I think we have to assume that Jack had some serious insurance policies for both home and life.  How much money Rebecca ended up with is anyone's guess.  This show is definitely wonky when it comes to the Pearson's finances.  All of them have money or struggle depending on what the plot calls for.  Personally, I cannot see how Rebecca can afford a new house after having to buy all new furniture, clothes, etc for 4 people.  Her buying a house after the kids leave for college does not seem to be a prudent financial decision.  

Miguel divorced his wife Shelly before Jack died.  I believe that they were already separated when Jack relapsed and needed a place to crash.  At some point he moves away and reconnects with Rebecca in 2008 and they are married in 2016 when the show begins.  

It is puzzling how she could have afforded a house, with no job. Mortgage loans aren't given to someone with no income, so she would have had to have bought it outright with insurance proceeds, which is possible but probably not very wise. We didn't see her father at Jack's funeral, maybe he died and left her a good amount (she was his whole world as he said in the first episode of this season). Either that, or the contrivance fairy was feeling really generous.

[Blakeston]

i'm not crazy about the idea that Kate had her weight under control until an evil boyfriend came along. I think Jack's death, and the guilt she carried, would be more than enough to make her spiral into food addiction.

But I suppose the actress who plays Teen Kate being slim kind of painted the writers into a corner. It would be hard to pass her off as someone who's massively overeating, so they're pointing ahead to a "final straw" incident, to explain why it hasn't happened yet.

[AriAu]

Quote

Are "Family Home Burned Down in Tragic Fire Started by Crockpot" and "Family Patriarch dies of Heart Condition exasperated by Smoke Inhalation from Tragic Fire Started by Crockpot" separate squares?

And do we get a separate one for "while saving family dog"?

By the way, is Chrissie Metz in a fat suit or did she get even bigger?

Also, Walgreens used to have ice cream packed in boxes like that, and although they were smaller (pints, I'd imagine), I do remember slicing them like that

Edited October 23, 2019 by AriAu

[Empress1]

11 hours ago, Spencer Hastings said:

They made it a point to mention the boyfriend’s older age and that Kevin didn’t have a good feeling about him.  This guy may be manipulative and abusive.  Teen Kate is already in a vulnerable state so it’s a perfect recipe for her life (and body weight) to spiral. 

This is my vote. His age doesn't even give me that much pause, but him inserting himself into the dinner, looking up her address in her employee file (!), calling himself Kate's boyfriend when they clearly hadn't discussed it ... he's giving me controlling and abusive vibes. I remember Kate telling Toby that for a long time, she thought very little of herself; it may be that Mark broke her down to that point.

4 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

i'm not crazy about the idea that Kate had her weight under control until an evil boyfriend came along. I think Jack's death, and the guilt she carried, would be more than enough to make her spiral into food addiction.

She did say she'd gained 25 pounds at one point not long after Jack died, so she was already on her way. Randall called out Kate's overeating too (to Rebecca; he also called out that Kevin was drinking all the time).

45 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

If teen Kate was abused by her boyfriend, I wonder if she ended up in therapy that helped her heal. She was pretty darn eager to rush into a relationship with Toby. I haven't ever been in an abusive relationship so I can't speak from experience, but from what I have heard and read, I would have expected her to be initially cautious with any new guy she subsequently met.

Well, Mark and Toby were almost 20 years apart. But I always had the impression that she didn't have much of a romantic life before Toby and what she did have wasn't great. She had a flirtation and slept with a man who turned out to be married, and from her response (IIRC she was like "You're married, aren't you?" like she was expecting it) after they slept together, I got the impression that it wasn't the first time she'd been used that way.

I laughed when Miguel asked if he could get sick from the gross food.

I did not like Deja snapping that she was being treated like a child, even though it's very teenage girl. Like, Deja, you are an actual, literal child. Pump your brakes.

Randall is 100% going to have a panic attack. The shaking knee, the pressure of the new job, the extra-long runs ... all signs. (I love William.)

[Mrs Shibbles]

5 hours ago, Haleth said:

Was that the most awkward dinner party ever? 

False.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/spenceralthouse/funniest-moments-from-the-dinner-party-episode

I’m 43, and my parents got the boxed ice cream blocks in Cleveland Ohio and served it sliced.   It’s especially handy for Neapolitan https://images.app.goo.gl/cbGGvzR6KxBBhJkT6

Edited October 23, 2019 by Mrs Shibbles

[Crs97]

 Did anyone on this show's love just... grow? Jeez. Every single couple on this show knew the other person was the one from the first second they met. Yes, that happens. But not in every single situation. Some of the speeches are heartfelt and others are so corny.

Rebecca and Miguel is the only couple I can think of.  I thought it was interesting that Randall is making these lists, even though Miguel is clearly helping out.

Did anyone else think game hens were not the best choice for dinner?  

[Ohiopirate02]

I found Rebecca's insistence of buying another single-family home at this stage in her life to be selfish.  This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion here.  I can't see her taking care of all the house related things that Jack would have.  That lawn is going to need mowed regularly, leaves need raked, things are going to break down, etc.  Yes, she has Randall nearby and Miguel to help out, but I don't think she should be depending on others.  Randall needs to be living his life, not spending his weekends doing Mom's yard work.  Eventually Kate will move out so she will end up alone.  She cannot expect Miguel to always be there to help her out.  

[Haleth]

16 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

  I can't see her taking care of all the house related things that Jack would have.  That lawn is going to need mowed regularly, leaves need raked, things are going to break down, etc.  Yes, she has Randall nearby and Miguel to help out, but I don't think she should be depending on others. 

Why not her?  I do all the home maintenance and I’m a lot older than Rebecca at that time. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Haleth