S05.E06: Birth Mother

[txhorns79]

4 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

 

So many plot holes, like her rich parents. What happened to them? I assumed that aunt Mae died and Laurel continued the farm, but what happened to mom and dad and their estate? 

I don't know.  I think her mom went to go lay down when Laurel was a young girl and was never seen again. 

1 minute ago, DanaK said:

I didn’t catch who played Laurel’s aunt. She looked very familiar but I couldn’t place her

Lisa Gay Hamilton.  She played the character of Rebecca on The Practice for many seasons about twenty or so years ago.

[anna0852]

Thank you! I thought her voice sounded familiar but I couldn't place it.

[Artsda]

What about the other house? Wouldn't Randall's mother get that also?

Glad Randall finally is ready to speak to his family. 

[BoogieBurns]

44 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I think her mom went to go lay down when Laurel was a young girl and was never seen again. 

Her mom pressed her hair after she got in the lake, so she must have disappeared after that, lol.

Chi McBride looks and sounds so much like my father, I would cast him in my life movie. When he said "he asked my permission to marry you, and when he asks you it should be an easy yes." Is EXACTLY what my father would say if he'd dare poke the feminist wrath within me. A well off Christian Black man, hand picked by the strict father? Yeah, I'd have to run away if I was her age too.

I guess since Laurel's brother died in the war, there are no first cousins to find. I want Randall to have a cousin in his age group he can hang with so Malik isn't his only friend. 

Casting for older Laurel was horrible. I hated it. Mostly because Sterling has such a deep brown skin tone, it's weird that both of his parents were only darker skinned in their youth, but lightened up by age 40. More dark skinned actresses should be on TV, and they had a perfect chance to cast one.

I enjoyed the episode. And Sterling's booty.

[memememe76]

I LOVED this episode. Hai and Laurel’s relationship was so deeply felt in just one episode. The sequence of them seeing each other across the farmers market over decades had me SOBBING. 

[chocolatine]

Well, at least they didn't drag out the Laurel story for the entire season. This episode didn't do much for me; too many contrivances. I think Coco Chanel's advice about accessorizing should also be applied to this show's writing - before you submit the script, remove at least one contrivance.

Now that Randall "owns" Laurel's house (once Hai signs over the deed; a set of keys doesn't magically make Randall the owner), who wants to bet that he will uproot his family again and have them move to Louisiana after his city council term is up? With his Wall Street cred he can run Laurel's father's bank.

Just out of curiosity, is anyone keeping a tally of how many bottle episodes Randall gets vs. Kate and Kevin? Randall has had at least three that I can think of.

ETA: The drive from Vancouver to LA is 1300 miles and takes two full days (unless Kevin does something reckless like not stopping to sleep, and even then it would take nearly 24 hours). Last episode Kevin told Madison that they can use private jets to travel with the twins for his work - why didn't he charter one when she went into labor? Vancouver is "Hollywood North" with numerous TV and film productions going on, so there must be plenty of jets available on short notice. He could have been back in LA within a few hours.

Edited January 13, 2021 by chocolatine

[Simon]

2 hours ago, nilyank said:

So did Laurel ever reconcile with her parents?

Was Laurel actually the love child of her aunt and her married lover?

Do people really get charged for 5 years from ODing and possession of drugs?

 

Of all the aspects of this episode, being jailed for ODing and possssion, it was the most believable aspect!  Sorry, not sorry. 

[funnygirl]

Young Hai is FINE! 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by funnygirl

[Marley]

Hated this episode.

I don’t give a fuck about Laurels story like I have no investment in this character. Or her love story with another random. Of course the show bends over backwards to make it not wrong she just never looked for Randall. Another saint parent for Randall.

Why was Randall crying. He never even knew her. Randall is always just crying it’s getting old. We get it he’s a good actor.

Can any of the Pearson’s have normal calls lately. Kevin just hung up on Randall abruptly like Randall did to him last week.

 

[bros402]

1. Chi McBride! Can we have an episode on him? I can always used more Chi McBride on my screen. Could the episode perhaps also have Lee Pace, Anna Friel, and Kristin Chenoweth?

 

2. Uhhh, so Laurel was in federal prison, right? Since uhhh, otherwise how the hell did she get sent to California to serve her sentence because "the prison in Pittsburgh was packed." The cops arresting her looked like local cops, but yeaaaah

3. Randall swam naked with his naked ghost mom. That is all.

Edited January 13, 2021 by bros402

[MBayGal]

Well that was . . . different.  Too bad I didn’t care.  

i thought it was weird that Hai would just give the house to Randall when he was living there.  Then I realized that Hai had two weeks to get the house ready for Randall’s visit, stock the fridge and all, while R took two weeks off from his duties to his constituents — you know, the people trying to survive a pandemic during an economic downturn — so he could quarantine before coming to NoLa.  Presumably Hai had his own home somewhere.  

Maybe Laurel’s family left their estate to the jilted almost-son-in-law.  They must have known Laurel was back in town.  Maybe they disowned her.  Please show, don't waste another ep explaining these things to me!

That river water looked disgustingly dirty!  

[MBayGal]

8 minutes ago, bros402 said:

2. Uhhh, so Laurel was in federal prison, right? Since uhhh, otherwise how the hell did she get sent to California to serve her sentence because "the prison in Pittsburgh was packed."

 I wondered about that.  There was no prison closer to Pittsburgh??  Is there some plot-related reason she went to Calif?  Did she run into Rebecca when R went to Calif to become a singing sensation???  Noooooo!

[kili]

Randall has a tendency to make everything about his Pity Party. Beth is having warm memories about a trip they had together? Rain all over it. While Beth was having fun with Mr. Six Hours, Laurel was gasping her last breath. Hai was warmly telling the story of Laurel? Randall interrupts because he wants just the facts - about himself!

I'm not sure about Aunt Mae's Therapy Lake. First of all, doesn't all that shrieking upset the neighbours? Second of all, as others have pointed out there are wildlife issues in that part of the world. Finally, while Aunt Mae's Therapy Lake did prevent suicide, it left Laurel in stasis where she appears to never have moved on (or maybe Hai was afraid to provide details about her fascinating life post-prison because Randall was less than receptive to the broader narrative). And, to be honest, Aunt Mae seemed to be stuck in stasis too.

That tiny garden didn't seem big enough to live off of. I think Mean Old Mr. Dubois was helping with the bills. 

Few of Laurel's actions made much sense. She'd rather lose her son and go to prison for five years than talk to her Dad? Nobody in Pittsburgh put two-and-two together and matched the found baby with the Mom missing a baby? William and Laurel were broke, but he bought enough drugs to get her sent up the river for five years on her first offence? She did five years in prison without parole? She never talked to Hai for two decades? Just waved? Not even a friendly exchange of produce between market neighbours? Wouldn't her brother have gotten a college deferral? (there is no way Dad wouldn't have made him go to college). Has her estate been in probate for five years? Did the estate not attempt to locate unnamed Baby Doe? What if Hai didn't watch internet meme videos? 

I'm still mystified about how Randall's private investigator found William, but thought his mother died. The truth about the mother seems easier to find. 

[ProudMary]

I expected to hate this episode but I liked it quite a bit.

For me, and I know this is a UO, I loved that this was the second consecutive episode that had no Saint Jack. (Only a small cameo tucking in 5 year old Randall.) Always appreciated here. 

So, Kevin cuts Randall off as if he's got no time to talk. He's driving from Vancouver to L.A. Wouldn't that be a great time to talk?

It wouldn't surprise me if Hai still lives on the other side of the lake where his parents lived. I do wonder who was maintaining utilities, and covering insurance and property taxes on Laurel's lake house.

@BoogieBurns upthread brought up the fact that the death of Laurel's brother means no maternal-side first cousins for Randall (unless Laurel's big brother fathered a child in Vietnam. Hey, maybe he's the father of the young boy Uncle Nicky blew up! I wouldn't put anything past this show.) But Randall met a bunch of cousins while visiting Nashville with William. We don't have any indication that Randall's been in touch with them at all. Malik it is!

 

 

[kili]

Quote

So, Kevin cuts Randall off as if he's got no time to talk. He's driving from Vancouver to L.A. Wouldn't that be a great time to talk?

No sensible person trying to rush to be at an imminent birth would drive from Vancouver to LA - it is almost 1300 miles! Flying is much faster. Kevin was desperately trying to find the airport and was clearly very lost (there may be farms around YVR, but no hills). He had no time to talk and didn't need the distraction. Once he was safely checked in for his flight, then he could talk.

[bybrandy]

I was sad for Hai and Laurel that they only got two years together and probably some of that time while Laurel was really sick and in pain... but other than that?   I didn't care.  I hope Randall has found some peace and I hope we see that going forward but I just genuinely didn't care about anybody in this episode other than Hai and even him only a little bit.   

Has Hai been paying the property taxes all this time?  Cause that's  heck of a gift.   All I could think when they were handed the keys is "have you considered the tax implications of this?   Have you asked about flood insurance?"   

[ProudMary]

46 minutes ago, kili said:

No sensible person trying to rush to be at an imminent birth would drive from Vancouver to LA - it is almost 1300 miles! Flying is much faster. Kevin was desperately trying to find the airport and was clearly very lost (there may be farms around YVR, but no hills). He had no time to talk and didn't need the distraction. Once he was safely checked in for his flight, then he could talk.

It's no crazier than Randall and Beth driving from Philadelphia to New Orleans (1,224 miles.) The pandemic has prompted people to drive to places they would normally fly to remain safer from COVID-19. If Kevin gets on a flight, then he'd potentially be exposing Madison and premature newborns to COVID-19. 

[debraran]

6 hours ago, nilyank said:

So did Laurel ever reconcile with her parents?

Was Laurel actually the love child of her aunt and her married lover?

Do people really get charged for 5 years from ODing and possession of drugs?

 

Back in the day, black and poor, yes. My husband is from that era and he still holds resentment some of his black friends went down for pot when white kids got community service and they found out years later, many in some parts, got as much as a dealer would get. Was not fair. Still isn't but lawyers are more aware that eyes are on them and judges. 5 years was not fair at all. California jail was a twist thing I shudder to think about. PA to Calif?? No more people coming out of the woodwork ! ;  )

I was tired but I didn't think Kevin's car looked like that car on fire and I hate being manipulated like that. Even if it is, he's fine, since they jump ahead, we know he is good looking and healthy. No worries here. If Madison, she had Kevin's wallet? Why so far away from car? Twins usually come early and they waited 2 wks to see Hai and Kevin was filming so that was fine. That means 5wks was now 3wks due date and that's very normal. The fact they thought she wouldn't in 2021 was another inconsistency. Does she get any prenatal care, midwives, etc. No ultrasounds are mentioned which are done and they measure etc. especially with twins. I was told in 1990s with my twins the probability and don't buy the writing this season.

I have a feeling the house thing isn't done. As stated, no paperwork yet, she didn't even know Randall was alive and Hai definitely didn't know he was. Laurel never wondered about William? Was he raising her son or dead or anything? She only mentions Randall, not William. Randall's kids will visit and maybe more ghosts. Did Laurel's mom just pass never seeing her? Her dad was a peach but I'm sure he fit the highly religious, always judging people we still see today. He loved her in his own controlling way, the mom seemed almost not there.

I don't want any Vietnam coincidences.  It was a large war and many people died and fought. Maybe Nicky can get to know Hai but even that, leave some of the past in the past. I still feel kids are popping up. Laurel was just celibate and alone all those years, only Hai had a wife and kids? Depression takes so many years from people on this show but I feel Aunt May wouldn't allow that around her. As much as I want to think it's over, I feel there is more there. I don't want to think Laurel worked with vegetables for 40 years and never had company. She didn't need a man for sure, but a life would be nice.

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by debraran

[cardigirl]

3 hours ago, bros402 said:

1. Chi McBride! Can we have an episode on him? I can always used more Chi McBride on my screen. Could the episode perhaps also have Lee Pace, Anna Friel, and Kristin Chenoweth?

I miss "Pushing Daisies" so much.

[Jillybean]

This episode really strained credulity, but if it means the showrunners are doing a reset on Randall and all of his neuroses and narcissism,  then it's acceptable. If he resigns his job, packs up the family, and moves them to New Orleans, then they will have jumped the shark.

[JudyObscure]

My (white) college student, first offence, friend went to jail for two years for a tiny little matchbox of pot in 1968.  It's hard to believe it's now legal.

The editors really should run these scripts through a test group before filming.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who was so angry at Randall for that slap in the face Notebook remark that I couldn't feel any sympathy for him for the rest of the episode.

[Chatty Cake]

I didn’t mind Laurels back story however Randall is such a pain. The way he carries on and rudely interrupted Hai, you’d think he spent his youth in the foster system. I also disliked him swimming with his ghost mom. 
At least he the event lead him to call Kevin although of course that can’t go smoothly either. I would rather the show had ended with a pleasant exchange between the two.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Chatty Cake

[gonzosgirrl]

1 minute ago, JudyObscure said:

The editors really should run these scripts through a test group before filming.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who was so angry at Randall for that slap in the face Notebook remark that I couldn't feel any sympathy for him for the rest of the episode.

This. It was so unnecessary.  Yes, you want to know, but this man is sharing his life with  you, you arrogant douche. Sit down.

Apart from the obvious reasons,  why did Randall strip naked to go scream in the water? Laurel didnt. Did they not think about those optics when they were going to put ghost!Laurels in there with him? At least when he manifested ghost!Jack he was high as balls. Weird scene all around.

Did they specifically say what happened to her parents? If so, I missed it.

Preview:

Spoiler

If it is Kevin in that accident,  maybe that's why he's completely gray just a (relatively) few years later, lol,

 

[bybrandy]

3 hours ago, ProudMary said:

If Kevin gets on a flight, then he'd potentially be exposing Madison and premature newborns to COVID-19. 

Kevin is in a hurry, though.  Randall and Beth presumably have no where to be because Beth teaches dance on zoom and Randall is a city councilperson and cities notoriously just stop needing to be councilled to accommodate Randall's schedule.  He's lucky that way.  Kevin, on the other hand, lives in a world where you need to go to your job to do your job and go to the hospital to support your person having a baby.   He's white, beautiful, and a celebrity but nobody has handed him a house this whole series.  

No but seriously imminent birth is more, "Oh, I should hop on a plane," than I need to hear the story of my mother's past from a man I didn't know existed 3 weeks ago.

[debraran]

8 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

This. It was so unnecessary.  Yes, you want to know, but this man is sharing his life with  you, you arrogant douche. Sit down.

Apart from the obvious reasons,  why did Randall strip naked to go scream in the water? Laurel didnt. Did they not think about those optics when they were going to put ghost!Laurels in there with him? At least when he manifested ghost!Jack he was high as balls. Weird scene all around.

Did they specifically say what happened to her parents? If so, I missed it.

Preview:

  Hide contents

If it is Kevin in that accident,  maybe that's why he's completely gray just a (relatively) few years later, lol,

 

re spoiler about 10 yrs but I laughed at Jason's dismay at their first attempts at aging him. He said "Kevin wore sunscreen!" : )  I think they did a George Clooney type of age which seems to fit him.

I felt her parents were glossed over for now but maybe his kids will ask about them. Mom was over powered by her husband but did he die and Laurel just wrote them off? For 40 years? What happened to Aunt May and was Laurel really just working at the fruit stands for all that time. I fear many more episodes covering it but I hope just a conversation or two. And I will go out on a short limb and say, that Bible might have a letter Laurel wrote Randall many years ago. Maybe Deja finds it or Annie when he takes them to show them their new vacation home.

Edited January 13, 2021 by debraran

[Biggie B]

Was there an episode last week? I thought this was the "season" premiere, so I had no idea how or why Hai made contact with Randall. I guess it doesn't really matter - we're not likely to see see Hai ever again. 

How was Kevin permitted to go to Vancouver? Aren't we Americans prohibited from entering Canada? Perhaps that was explained in the episode I missed.

Otherwise, this ep didn't really bother me. It was very self-contained - Laurel's story had a beginning, middle, and an end, and while there were many unanswered questions about Laurel's actions, I don't really need resolution to them. We know Randall has relatives on William's side that have not been mentioned since he met them, so I don't expect Randall to seek out any relatives on Laurel's side. Now he knows who both of his bio parents were and that seems to be enough for him right now. 

I thought the episode was beautifully shot - everything seemed quite golden and lush. The actors were all very good looking. Visually, I very much enjoyed it. 

Don't really feel much about Kevin's situation, since we have literally seen the future and know he's alive and well. 

I actually enjoyed the break from the regular characters. 

[bybrandy]

5 minutes ago, Biggie B said:

How was Kevin permitted to go to Vancouver? Aren't we Americans prohibited from entering Canada? Perhaps that was explained in the episode I missed.

He has a valid work reason.  You can go to canada for work if you quarantine.   You also now have to have a negative covid test to board a plane but that was as of last week so wouldn't have been a restriction when this episode was written/shot.

 

[Quof]

Bored, bored, bored.   I think I'm out. 

[PRgal]

Maybe I missed something, but how did Hai figure out that Randall is Laurel’s son from a viral video?  

[debraran]

2 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Maybe I missed something, but how did Hai figure out that Randall is Laurel’s son from a viral video?  

It was a huge stretch, he heard the name William Hill. I know it's a show but that is such a common name but he went with it.

[Blakeston]

36 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Maybe I missed something, but how did Hai figure out that Randall is Laurel’s son from a viral video?  

We didn't hear the entire speech Randall gave in the video, but we know he got into why William was so important to him (because of course he did).

He must have given enough identifying details about the circumstances of his birth for Hai to connect the dots.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Blakeston

[A.Ham]

The pacing of this episode with the sloooow background music... sigh. I just fell asleep for a few minutes, only to wake up to creepy bobbling heads on a lake, one of which was supposed to have been long dead. Creepy does not begin to describe it. Even though I knew that wasn't the case, I thought they looked kinda decapitated. And I am not a fan of hallucinations or ghost stories or whatever they are trying to pass this off as, especially as a way of "healing".

So in all those years, Laurel never bothered to at least find out what happened to her baby and William? Facebook wasn't around in 1985, but she wouldn't have needed any money to post there once it became popular. Just too many contrivances, as others have pointed out.

And really, how many more "family members you didn't know about" is this show going to have? Are they going to have a time machine for them to go meet their great-great-grandparents, only to find they died of the Spanish flu and left orphaned children? I honestly wouldn't put it past this show.

Edited January 13, 2021 by A.Ham

[Packerbrewerbadger]

It was the 60’s not the Middle Ages, Laurel could have just politely declined Marshall’s proposal instead of running away.  

[Bulldog]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I think her mom went to go lay down when Laurel was a young girl and was never seen again.

Laurel's mom is This Is Us' version of Chuck Cunningham! 

[Bulldog]

4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

No sensible person trying to rush to be at an imminent birth would drive from Vancouver to LA - it is almost 1300 miles! 

 

4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

It's no crazier than Randall and Beth driving from Philadelphia to New Orleans (1,224 miles.)

 I think it must be the This Is Us travel plan.  Hai said that Laurel set out to go to Chicago by bus, but only had enough money to get to Pittsburgh. Even my geographically challenged mind can look at a map and tell that New Orleans is closer to Chicago than Pittsburgh (and presumably a closer destination would have a cheaper fare, although I admit to knowing nothing about bus fare rates). 

[PRgal]

12 minutes ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

It was the 60’s not the Middle Ages, Laurel could have just politely declined Marshall’s proposal instead of running away.  

In a normal family.  Laurel and Marshall’s marriage was probably for business/financial reasons.  Think Downton.  

[kili]

Quote

It was the 60’s not the Middle Ages, Laurel could have just politely declined Marshall’s proposal instead of running away.  

Wouldn't it have been the 70s?  Randall was born in 1980.  

Plus, Vietnamese refugees started arriving in 1975. Hai specifically mentioned his family were refugees sponsored by a local church. 

Edited January 13, 2021 by kili

[Ana88]

What a complete waste of episode! I tried anyways since there is literally nothing else to do these days, but was BORED to death and then went in here and saw something about my fave Kevin so I managed to stay with it til the end. That lake scene with Randall and his mom...... WAY WEIRD! Even for TIU. I don't know WHAT they were thinking. 

Anyway about the car crash. PLEASE be Madison and the twins, so Kevin can go to Sophie and have a family with her ❤️ Did he say they were on the way to the hospital or already there? I also thought it didn't look like Kevin's car. 

[Ohiopirate02]

I woke up this morning, and this episode is still bugging me.  What really bugs me is that we never see Laurel relinquish her parental rights to Randall.  What we see is her being too stubborn and proud to ask her parents for help.  Then the show contrives to send Laurel across the country and serve a ridiculous sentence so she is not anywhere near Pittsburgh when Rebecca and Jack adopt him.  The show had to make the point that the judge in charge of Randall's adoption wanted Randall to be raised by black parents.  If that judge knew that Randall had living grandparents in Louisiana, he would have denied the adoption.   I think this episode would have been stronger if Laurel had written a letter for Randall instead of having Hai tell it.  

[t7686]

I didn’t hate it, I do feel the show might be unfortunately teetering on the edge of jumping the shark (no more people we thought were dead not be dead, show!). That said, I thought it was well acted and seemed to give Randall closure. Hopefully things will be better from here on out. I did like that the show didn’t just leave Randall’s bio parents as two drug addicts but as fleshed out people. Both had such potential and had very sad lives - I felt disconnected from Laurel’s story though while I sobbed at William’s way back when. I don’t see a lot of them in him tbh- but could see both of his grandparents’ personalities oddly. I hope we find out what happened to their money, house etc (I don’t need a whole episode haha) and the brothers can finally move on. The lake scene was weird but sorta worked? Had the whole musical realism / New Orleans thing going for it. Though I kept thinking is he in the lake naked with his mother? 

[Ohiopirate02]

18 minutes ago, Ana88 said:

What a complete waste of episode! I tried anyways since there is literally nothing else to do these days, but was BORED to death and then went in here and saw something about my fave Kevin so I managed to stay with it til the end. That lake scene with Randall and his mom...... WAY WEIRD! Even for TIU. I don't know WHAT they were thinking. 

Anyway about the car crash. PLEASE be Madison and the twins, so Kevin can go to Sophie and have a family with her ❤️ Did he say they were on the way to the hospital or already there? I also thought it didn't look like Kevin's car. 

You really want innocent children to die so Kevin can be with Sophie????

Spoiler alert--the kids live. 

[Ana88]

2 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

You really want innocent children to die so Kevin can be with Sophie????

Spoiler alert--the kids live. 

Okay so not the kids, but I just want Kevin and Sophie so bad! 

[txhorns79]

7 hours ago, bros402 said:

2. Uhhh, so Laurel was in federal prison, right? Since uhhh, otherwise how the hell did she get sent to California to serve her sentence because "the prison in Pittsburgh was packed." The cops arresting her looked like local cops, but yeaaaah

I don't know if it was a thing in the early 1980s, but states do sometimes send prisoners to prisons in other states.  That usually only happens if prisons in the state where the conviction took place are particularly overcrowded.  

1 hour ago, A.Ham said:

So in all those years, Laurel never bothered to at least find out what happened to her baby and William? Facebook wasn't around in 1985, but she wouldn't have needed any money to post there once it became popular. Just too many contrivances, as others have pointed out.

I still can't get past how the investigator Randall hired found William, but was unable to determine that a woman with a criminal conviction and five year stay in prison did not die in childbirth.   

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I rolled my eyes at the minimal COVID mention when Hai thanked Randall and Beth for quarantining and getting tested. So you're telling me that Randall, Beth, and the three girls all stayed inside the house for two full weeks? Now I know that I can do that but those five? And did Randall and Beth then drive all the way to Louisiana because quarantining, testing, and then getting on a plane does not mean you are COVID free.

As soon as Laurel went into the water, all I could think was "But that's how you get eaten by gators!"

Sometimes Randall drives me crazy. He wanted to know about his mother and his entire family speechifies like no other, yet when Hai was trying to tell him the story of his mother's life, Randall had to interrupt and ask questions. If all you wanted to know was why William said she died, you didn't need to go all the way to Louisiana for that. You could have asked that over the phone. But you went because you wanted the whole story, SO LET THIS MAN TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY FFS. And stop being a jerk when this man is telling you how much he loved your mother. She was allowed to have a life that didn't involve you or William.

So Laurel got her aunt's cottage by the lake. What about the huge house that her parents lived in? Who owns that now? Not that I'm saying Randall needs TWO houses in Louisiana. I'm just wondering since Jackson died, that would leave Laurel as the only child of Chi McBride and the wife who had to go lie down because her husband went to the bank on Sunday (I was sure that was going to turn out to be a cover story for him having an affair). When Laurel came back to town, did she ever go see her parents? Or did she just stay with her aunt and never tell her parents that she was alive? I didn't think they were awful enough to leave them hanging like that for the rest of their lives, wondering if their daughter was dead or alive.

10 hours ago, Jeddah said:

When the aunt was talking about her baby, I thought she was about to say Laurel was her baby. I was expecting the 100 year old aunt to walk in and say she was Randall’s grandmother.

I was expecting that reveal too. Maybe the next "random person who's somehow related to the Pearson clan" story will be Randall tracking down the aunt's baby.

[Haleth]

11 hours ago, nexxie said:

(Just one thing - what about the gators?!)

My husband said the same thing.  Maybe that's what all the screaming was for... scare off the gators.

10 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I wish Randall would have asked if Hai had somewhere else to live.

Hai didn't live there.  We saw that in the season premier.

10 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I still don't know why she didn't try and find William,

She said she was not worthy to be a mother to her son, so I guess she felt unworthy of William too?

10 hours ago, Jeddah said:

When the aunt was talking about her baby, I thought she was about to say Laurel was her baby

Me too.  I'm still not sure it's not the case.  (Do not go there, show!)

10 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

no Pearson should ever tell someone to hurry up and get to the point while telling a story. 

Ha!  Truer words...

7 hours ago, bros402 said:

Chi McBride! Can we have an episode on him? I can always used more Chi McBride on my screen. Could the episode perhaps also have Lee Pace, Anna Friel, and Kristin Chenoweth?

Push, Pooh Bear!

The episode was fine.  I didn't really need to know Laurel's backstory but... ok.  I did love both versions of Hai and wouldn't mind him being a recurring character though.  Maybe team up with Nicky.  (kidding!)  Please, show, regardless of my love of Chi McBride, don't have Randall try to find his grandparents.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 hours ago, kili said:

That tiny garden didn't seem big enough to live off of. I think Mean Old Mr. Dubois was helping with the bills.

And it wasn't just that there were enough vegetables in the garden to live off of. Auntie Mae and Laurel were also selling them at the market!

3 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I miss "Pushing Daisies" so much.

I do too!

[Madding crowd]

I know Hai didn’t live there but did Randall know that? How were the taxes and utilities kept up? Was Hai intending to keep a fully furnished house with no one living there? Doesn’t make sense to me along with Laurel not talking to Hai for thirty years and Laurel and Mae making enough money by selling vegetables at the exact same market for forty years . Too much of a fantasy this time around and I can’t help but think there is a reason the writers chose a Vietnamese man as Laurel’s boyfriend.

[JayDub1987]

Good Lord, what a horrible episode. I've seen every episode of the show, most of them twice and this was by far the hardest one to set through. I love Randall and Beth...but if I have to sit through another episode that revolves around Randall's self indulging need to chase down anyone who may have ever met him, I'm going to jump into a lake and scream....oh wait.

For real, if I had to see one more person jump in the water and scream, I was gonna go play in traffic. After Randall's late night skinny dip, Beth looks at him in the car and says, "you seem different." Well no crap, Beth. "I've been buck ass naked in a lake hanging out with my dead mom's ghost." 

I'm too committed to stop watching all together, but if the first two episodes of this season are any indication, TIU is the latest show to drag out a little too long. Seems like they're trying to make up enough stuff to keep the show on the air for 2-3 more years at the risk of producing quality material. When Hi (or however you spell it) told Randall "This is not The Notebook" I looked at my wife and said "Nope, this is Lake Placid." 

28 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

You really want innocent children to die so Kevin can be with Sophie????

Spoiler alert--the kids live. 

They're fictional characters. I generally wish death on at least one character every week....I won't say which one.

[Lady Calypso]

25 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I still can't get past how the investigator Randall hired found William, but was unable to determine that a woman with a criminal conviction and five year stay in prison did not die in childbirth.   

Exactly. Anyone with a criminal record would be recorded in a database for the PI to find. So, it turns out, a lot of retcon AND Randall hired a shitty PI who can't do their job properly. I understand they never had the plan of having Laurel alive when they were writing the pilot, but still. 

4 hours ago, debraran said:

Twins usually come early and they waited 2 wks to see Hai and Kevin was filming so that was fine. That means 5wks was now 3wks due date and that's very normal. The fact they thought she wouldn't in 2021 was another inconsistency. Does she get any prenatal care, midwives, etc. No ultrasounds are mentioned which are done and they measure etc. especially with twins. I was told in 1990s with my twins the probability and don't buy the writing this season.

Well, Kevin and Madison said that, by the time he came back, she'd have five weeks left. So she's still at least five or six weeks away from her actual due date. She's still early in terms of labor. I think both assumed that the earliest the twins could come is five weeks, not that she would necessarily ONLY give birth at the proper time. 

[Good Queen Jane]

31 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

don't know if it was a thing in the early 1980s, but states do sometimes send prisoners to prisons in other states.  That usually only happens if prisons in the state where the conviction took place are particularly overcrowded.

I have no doubt that the prisons in Pennsylvania (prisons are state functions; cities have jails) were overcrowded if judges were sentencing first offender drug users to five years, no parole, I did criminal law in the 80's, and although there were a lot of users being locked up, first offenders were usually given suspended  or six month sentences. That's why her attorney "forced" her to plead guilty. Either her judge was biased or upset Laurel was using drugs while pregnant or the cops tried to get her to turn her dealer and she refused, so she got a harsh sentence as a warning to other addicts.