S05.E09: The Ride

[Crs97]

I am starting to get the icky sensation that Kevin’s awards from the flash forward will be for writing because he burned his bridges as an actor and instead ended up writing a screenplay based on Jack’s life and his family’s life.

[Jeddah]

8 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

Also, these recent episodes have required babies on set. Babies aren't really on set on any shows right now. They can't wear masks, get vaccinated, or stay 6 feet away. 

I guess that’s why Baby Jack is always napping or with the babysitter.

[MBayGal]

I wondered who the black woman in the hospital scene was, but just assumed they were adding another random character.  Then when she got in the car with another woman, I thought that was whichever daughter is a lesbian and the other woman was her partner.  Wrong again!

[txhorns79]

17 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

But, Mandy Moore was 7 months along at this point in filming. No one wants to infect the pregnant lead! Also, these recent episodes have required babies on set. Babies aren't really on set on any shows right now. They can't wear masks, get vaccinated, or stay 6 feet away. 

My impression was that except when we saw a close up of the baby or babies (and I don't recall seeing any adult actors in the close ups), the "babies" being used in the scenes we saw were not real.

Quote

 

I thought that was whichever daughter is a lesbian and the other woman was her partner.

 

The daughter who is a lesbian is a social worker in the future.  She briefly appeared to meet the other two girls at the house when they arrived.

[MBayGal]

1 hour ago, Persnickety1 said:

The use of "Everything I Own" by Bread at the end of this episode was the best choice of music I have heard since "Baby Blue" by Badfinger was used in Breaking Bad.  Amazing.  

Don't forget "Crystal Blue Persuasion" when they were in the tented house!

I too am sick to death of Jack scenes. Could someone please get Milo another job?  And no one has ever left the hospital two days after giving birth with as flat a stomach as these three.  

[kili]

Quote

Did the cop actually offer to help?  

The cop's first words were: "Hey, you need some help with that?"
His second words were help: "I think you got those in backward."

I'm a little surprised they didn't stick one of the car seats up front and have Rebecca ride between the other two. I wonder if that was to avoid modern day complaints where you can't do that because of air bags.  Even then, the car seats in the back would have been a little safer, but lots of people put the car seat up front so they  could keep an eye on them. I'm almost stunned three of those bulky car seats fit in the back seat of the car. Jack needs to install some little mirrors quickly.

Quote

Has the pandemic made these episodes particularly difficult to write or edit?

Traditionally these shows use writer's rooms where they have whiteboards covered with ideas and bounce concepts off of each other.  While it is primarily one or two person's jobs to write an episode, everyone will chime in. That creates a sort of synergy which is harder to get over zoom (where rapid fire ideas just end up blocking each other from speaking).  So, I can see ideas being less refined or improved during the writing stages.

Plus, they need to keep the actors and on-set staff safe. That reduces the situations they can write. No more scenes set at movie theatres or premiers or restaurants. Fewer people in scenes. More scenes filmed over the phone. The show went from having a wide-open world to being enclosed in a number of homes with a few parking lot scenes. Beth is sitting on a hard plastic chair outside after just giving birth because filming inside a DQ is that much harder these days.

Editing is harder because they are taking longer to film giving the editing team less time to put things together.  They are probably also making fewer takes so that gives the editors less to work with while trying to make the fairly static scenes look more dynamic.

It's harder for me to go grocery shopping - I'm sure film making with all its new safety protocols is harder too. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by kili

[Aloeonatable]

1 hour ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I think Nicky is living in the cabin, with Kevin's house up on the hill.

Casting = A+  Like some others, I thought it was the actress who plays Deja in aged makeup. Spot on!

I, too, was side-eyeing Randall's 'branches' speech and then being so inclusive of Deja and his grandbaby-to-be. Don't get me wrong, I love that he feels this way about her, and he should - but it's kind dissonant with his current obsession with his birth parents and feeling outside of the family that raised him. I wish the writers hadn't made me dislike him so much (he started out my fav character) and I'm not sure what they can do to redeem him now, since they seem bent on having the entire world justify him. Honestly, I don't think the show is doing adoption any favours in any of the story lines. 

My name is gonzosgirrl and I love Jack Pearson, faults and all. I am not tired of his story at all. *phew* that felt good. 🙂

 

Loved this. The whole premise of this show is that these three adults idolized their dad and his early, tragic death had a profound effect on their lives. Rebecca adored Jack too, even admitting though he wasn't perfect he was close. What's wrong with that? Life goes on, they all seem to be making the best of it. 

I loved the scene with Kevin and dream Jack. Beautiful.

[Dejana]

58 minutes ago, madmax said:

I kind of thought that myself.  Which gave me a fleeting thought at the end - what if Deja's baby was fathered by a white man?  How would that fit into Randall's world? 

I felt there was a bit of a "vibe" between Future Deja and the guy she asked to cover for her, when she excused herself from the group. Maybe he's the father? 

In real life, several celebrity relationships/weddings/pregnancies/births have slipped under the radar during the pandemic. Especially if a star wants to keep their private lives largely to themselves, it's been much easier to do that for the last year. The celebs who want to be seen still manage it, of course. The paparazzi exclusives of new celebrity babies fresh from the hospital seems very much out of the aughts; the more respectable outlets don't run those sorts of photos of children now, and even the Daily Mail would blur the kids' faces. Even before Covid, paps are not nearly as prevalent in LA as they were 10-15 years ago. 

[Ohiopirate02]

I'm surprised that only one pap was following Kevin home from the hospital.  Kevin flouncing out of the movie set to rush back to LA for the early birth of his kids would have been all over Twitter.  Him saving a man from a burning car outside of Seattle may also have trended.  With Covid, there really aren't a lot of celebrity stories making the rounds, and the paps are out of work for the most part.  Kevin's past few days would pay the bills for many.  

[Empress1]

10 minutes ago, Dejana said:

In real life, several celebrity relationships/weddings/pregnancies/births have slipped under the radar during the pandemic. Especially if a star wants to keep their private lives largely to themselves, it's been much easier to do that for the last year.

I love it when a celebrity is like "oh by the way, I had a baby three months ago," or keeps their kids out of the spotlight. Kerry Washington has three kids and nobody has ever seen their faces. I think we found out Adele was pregnant when she was in her third trimester and we've never seen her kid's face. If I were famous and had kids I'd keep them out of the public eye - people are crazy. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Empress1

[Snapdragon]

1 hour ago, madmax said:

I kind of thought that myself.  Which gave me a fleeting thought at the end - what if Deja's baby was fathered by a white man?  How would that fit into Randall's world? 

Don't be ridiculous.  The father of Deja's baby is obviously going to be the grandson of Randall's birth mom's Vietnamese lover.  They probably conceived it during the summer in the lake of naked epiphanies.  

[Tango64]

Jack trying to install the three car seats took me back to doing the same thing for my son in 2003. By then, there was very strong pressure to install the seat exactly right. Every time we had to install a new one, I worked up a sweat in the back seat of a Volvo wagon trying to get it in so tight that no movement was possible. 

Such pressure to do it right! If you could make the seat wiggle even a tiny bit, no matter how much force that required, it was like you were actively trying to murder your child. 

Glad I didn't have to do that for three seats.

[txhorns79]

17 minutes ago, Aloeonatable said:

The whole premise of this show is that these three adults idolized their dad and his early, tragic death had a profound effect on their lives. Rebecca adored Jack too, even admitting though he wasn't perfect he was close. What's wrong with that? Life goes on, they all seem to be making the best of it. 

Just off hand, it seems like it creates unrealistic expectations for their own stint as parents, and gives each a complex in their own way about how they aren't measuring up to their "perfect" father. 

[Good Queen Jane]

Did anyone else think that the security cop who tried to help Jack with the car seats was in the video that Kevin was watching about putting in the cars seats in his car. I doubt that it was since the events were 40 years apart but it sure did look like him (or at least the same uniform.)

[nixgirl28]

16 hours ago, Eureka said:

You just said everything that went through our minds. DS17 said to me, “I wouldn’t say that at all” when Toby called Kate unflappable. But I was surprised how unflappable Madison was, given what (albeit little) we’ve seen from her character. DS also asked “did you give me a long speech when you brought be home like Randal did.” Uh, no...and sitting on a hard chair eating ice cream in a parking lot on the way home with a two-day-old baby wouldn’t have been my choice either, but to each her own.

She was wearing white (patterned) pants too. No post partum mom wears white pants!

[kili]

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I'm starting to like Kevin & Madison together, which means something tragic is going to happen.

When Kevin is alone or with his previous girlfriends, he seems more like Jack. Trying to solve everyone's problems, being the one who is always sure of things and making the grand gestures. 

Madison brings out the Rebecca in him. For instance, in this episode, he was allowed to be less sure because she was so confident. It was Madison who saved the day with the photographer.  It was Kevin who got to rest. He got to be quieter and calmer. He was given space to find his place instead of desperately treading water (just as Jack regained his balance when he finally asked Rebecca for help).

Kevin still had the grand gesture of a proposal. He still installed the car seats on his own. He is still Jack's son, but we got to see some of Rebecca's son as well.

Madison allows Kevin to be more balanced drawing from both his parents. I really liked her in this episode.

[Aloeonatable]

33 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Just off hand, it seems like it creates unrealistic expectations for their own stint as parents, and gives each a complex in their own way about how they aren't measuring up to their "perfect" father. 

Of course. That definitely happens to these three on occasion. We saw this with Kevin in this episode. Whether they learn and get on with their lives or succumb to the pain, is what makes their stories interesting. 

[Boo Boo]

1 hour ago, Aloeonatable said:

Loved this. The whole premise of this show is that these three adults idolized their dad and his early, tragic death had a profound effect on their lives. Rebecca adored Jack too, even admitting though he wasn't perfect he was close. What's wrong with that? Life goes on, they all seem to be making the best of it. 

I loved the scene with Kevin and dream Jack. Beautiful.

His adult children seem to have their adult lives hampered by his memory and living up to his legendary parenting.  The episode before last, Kevin was racing to get back to be with Madison because by golly, Jack was always there!  

This show has brought us his Kate and Kevin AS ADULTS struggling with feeling blame over his death.  

Then there's the impact on Randall's life post-Jack's death -- apparently needing to taking care of his capable mother to the point that it caused ripple effects and fights among the siblings.  

Let's not forget poor Miguel can never measure up to the memory of Jack not only in his children's eyes, but in his own mind.  

I am not getting the impression that ANY of the characters are "making the best of it" as Jack appears to be the ghost that haunts their nearly every move as ADULTS.  

(sorry - I didn't mean for this post to come off so rudely).

Edited February 24, 2021 by Boo Boo

[circumvent]

I really liked this episode. Jack telling Rebecca about how his child self felt the anticipation of his father coming home rang many bells with me. I can totally relate to the feeling. 

I agree with everyone who pointed out the perfect casting in tis sow. The adult Randall's girls are perfect, Annie was even a little freaky because the resemblance is so strong. It is almost like they are sisters, or that the aging was all TGI, LOL.

I liked Madison in the episode but I am not sure it is very much in character. She has been all over the place but I like this one better than brooding Madison, or too-cheerful Madison.

 

[gonzosgirrl]

7 minutes ago, circumvent said:

I liked Madison in the episode but I am not sure it is very much in character. She has been all over the place but I like this one better than brooding Madison, or too-cheerful Madison.

This is what bugs me about the character. She seems to swing whichever way the wind is blowing in any particular episode. I still get a weird vibe from her. Like, Kevin should sleep with one eye open and one hand on the family jewels. I remain unconvinced that they are together in the flash forward, regardless of Sophie.

[3 is enough]

Since the twin were born 6 weeks early, it is possible they had to stay in the hospital for a couple of weeks, which would make Madison's slim figure slightly more believable. But admittedly it is still highly unlikely.  Dressing them in loose fitting tops would have been one way to go.

[pianogirl73]

Did Kate carry the baby out of the hospital? When I left the hospital with my babies they had to be in their carseat  That struck me as very weird that she carried them unless I missed her taking the baby out of the carseat to meet Toby?

[buttersister]

Quote

Madison feels like an entirely different character than the one we met at the beginning but I like her and I'm happy her birth experience was a positive one after all the suspense with Kevin's arrival.

Yep. I don’t miss the extremely neurotic desperation vibe. While I laughed at her What, me pregnant? body, calm, competent quick-on-her-feet Madison is a one-of-a-kind on this show. So I’m not expecting this to continue 😉

[Ohiopirate02]

With Madison now the mother of Kevin's two children, I would appreciate an episode devoted to her.  There is a lot the audience doesn't know about her.  Filling in the blanks to show why she is estranged from her parents, etc.

Of course, I want this after the Miguel episode.  

[circumvent]

5 hours ago, Leeds said:

I couldn't believe the birth mother agreed to being driven home by Kate and Toby.  That is already incredibly insensitive of them (they should have paid for a cab, or at the very least have one of the many Pearsons with nothing but free time drive her), then add to that Kate's verbal dickishness.

I agree that Kate was being pushy - and totally in-character - but Ellie has agency. They didn't force her to get in the car. She could have said that she preferred to take a cab. the reason why they offered was likely because of the open adoption plans. /so, either Ellie should have refused, or the situation really reached boiling point for her when she was already in the car. In any case, Kate will be Kate, so it didn't annoy me more than other stuff.

 

[ams1001]

40 minutes ago, pianogirl73 said:

Did Kate carry the baby out of the hospital? When I left the hospital with my babies they had to be in their carseat  That struck me as very weird that she carried them unless I missed her taking the baby out of the carseat to meet Toby?

She carried her. It did strike me as odd; I guess because I'm so used to seeing mothers wheeled out with their babies. Kate herself doesn't need the wheelchair, since she wasn't the patient, but I did think they would have insisted the baby be in a carrier of some kind until she was outside the hospital grounds. (Heck, even when I had ear tubes when I was 15 they had to wheel me out to the car, and that was a very minor surgery).

15 minutes ago, circumvent said:

I agree that Kate was being pushy - and totally in-character - but Ellie has agency. They didn't force her to get in the car. She could have said that she preferred to take a cab. the reason why they offered was likely because of the open adoption plans. /so, either Ellie should have refused, or the situation really reached boiling point for her when she was already in the car. In any case, Kate will be Kate, so it didn't annoy me more than other stuff.

I was wondering why she didn't have a friend or family member drive her (don't remember her backstory but she must at least have one friend, right? I mean, even Madison has one friend). She should have had someone who was just there to support her, who wasn't the people dropping her off and then going home with her baby.

I expected Kate to be Kate, but it still annoyed me.

[marceline]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm surprised that only one pap was following Kevin home from the hospital.  Kevin flouncing out of the movie set to rush back to LA for the early birth of his kids would have been all over Twitter.  Him saving a man from a burning car outside of Seattle may also have trended.  With Covid, there really aren't a lot of celebrity stories making the rounds, and the paps are out of work for the most part.  Kevin's past few days would pay the bills for many.  

I was more surprised by any paparazzi at all. Slightly off-topic but I finally got around to watching "Framing Britney Spears" and it reminded me of how truly relentless paparazzi used to be. Social media fortunately destroyed that business model. When everyone has a camera, and stars have their own Twitter and Instas then supply of celebrity images outstrips demand. Think about how that guy in the parking lot got a pic of Kevin installing the baby seats. 

I'm always unsure about why Kevin doesn't have a better security setup. I'm never sure about how his level of fame is portrayed. In a more realistic environment, I'd think the gossip would be all about Kevin walking off the set, saving some strangers life from a burning car, needing TSA to get him on his flight, all so he could be there for the birth of his babies.

[Quof]

3 hours ago, Dejana said:

even the Daily Mail would blur the kids' faces.

That's legally required in the UK.

[kili]

Quote

While I laughed at her What, me pregnant? body, calm, competent quick-on-her-feet Madison is a one-of-a-kind on this show. So I’m not expecting this to continue

I thought this was a return to normal Madison. The one who sprung into action when she found out Kate was pregnant, found just the right bridal shop, planned a fancy Vegas weekend, planned a fancy remote wedding and was ride or die for her friend with cross-fit b*tch.  Madison gets things done. Her kryptonite is her own body and the pregnancy through her off because she had to cede control of her body to the process for the good of her future children. 

[buttersister]

Right, Kili. As much as I'd like to see it, I'm just not counting on the continuation of her raising Kevin and his twins😉

I'd also watch monthly meetings of she, Beth and Miguel. 

[Empress1]

2 minutes ago, buttersister said:

I'd also watch monthly meetings of she, Beth and Miguel.

And Toby! They need to add Madison to the group chat Beth said the spouses have.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Empress1

[Eureka]

2 hours ago, pianogirl73 said:

Did Kate carry the baby out of the hospital? When I left the hospital with my babies they had to be in their carseat  That struck me as very weird that she carried them unless I missed her taking the baby out of the carseat to meet Toby?

I thought the same thing. We had to bring our car seat into the hospital and put the baby in it before we could take him home.

[debraran]

45 minutes ago, Eureka said:

I thought the same thing. We had to bring our car seat into the hospital and put the baby in it before we could take him home.

True, I guess dolls are exempt. TIU is not dotting the I's and crossing the T's too much this season. ; )

[Lovecat]

7 hours ago, madmax said:

ince we're talking about Pennsylvania laws, you CANNOT buy a bottle of booze in a gas station.  You have to go to a state run store to get hard liquor.  Wine and beer were just recently (within the last 5 years or so) allowed to be sold in stores.  So yeah, do some research.

THANK you!  Between that huge inaccuracy and the fast and loose geography and travel times on this show, this here Pennsylvanian’s head is going to explode some day...

ETA:  Sorry for the strikeout, I’m recovering from shoulder surgery and am typing one-handed on an iPad that is being a pain in the ass...!!!!!!

Edited February 25, 2021 by Lovecat

[anniebird]

13 hours ago, Veronica said:

 I really do wish Rebecca would tell the kids, “I know you idolize him, but your father wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes. He stopped and took a shot of whiskey on our way home from the hospital with you.” 

 

You don't do that to your kids - you tell them funny stories but you don't tell them stories like this - it makes you look bitter and jealous.

[pianogirl73]

1 hour ago, Eureka said:

I thought the same thing. We had to bring our car seat into the hospital and put the baby in it before we could take him home.

I have to admit, it took me right out of the scene because I started to think about it.

[Snapdragon]

4 hours ago, pianogirl73 said:

Did Kate carry the baby out of the hospital? When I left the hospital with my babies they had to be in their carseat  That struck me as very weird that she carried them unless I missed her taking the baby out of the carseat to meet Toby?

Same here.  Had to bring the car seat in for all three of mine.  I enjoyed this episode but there were so many things that had me rolling my eyes.  First off, the aforementioned not having to put the baby in the car seat before leaving the hospital.  Then there was Rebecca driving back from the hospital after her c-section (I was told to wait 6 weeks before driving after mine).  Kate and Toby driving Ellie home.  Kate going on about how she wants her adopted child to know their birth parents, except that they don't know who Hailey's father is, so how does that work into her little plan?  Kate being way too chill about the fact that her husband is now unemployed, which leaves her, her husband who's on depression meds, their special needs toddler and their newborn without health insurance (maybe she knows Kevin will just give them money if things get too tough?).  I feel like there might have been more but that's all I can think of right now.

[kili]

Quote

I thought the same thing. We had to bring our car seat into the hospital and put the baby in it before we could take him home.

Are they still doing that? Somebody I knew recently had emergency surgery and they cut off their clothes. Initially, when I went to pick them up, I was told to bring clothes. Then, they called to say "Forget the clothes, we are sending her home in hospital pyjamas" because they didn't want to deal with me or clothes in the age of COVID.  She scored some seriously ugly pyjamas because they told us to keep them.

Given you are only allowed one guest for baby births and Kate was the guest, I wouldn't be surprised if the new rules are that they come out and look at your car seat rather than making you drag your COVID infested car seat in for an inspection. Or maybe they don't even check. COVID has caused many disruptions. They probably should inspect the car seat in the car anyway if they are trying to save lives. A new parent may be able to buckle a kid into a car seat, but it doesn't mean they are installed correctly.

[Snapdragon]

25 minutes ago, kili said:

Are they still doing that? Somebody I knew recently had emergency surgery and they cut off their clothes. Initially, when I went to pick them up, I was told to bring clothes. Then, they called to say "Forget the clothes, we are sending her home in hospital pyjamas" because they didn't want to deal with me or clothes in the age of COVID.  She scored some seriously ugly pyjamas because they told us to keep them.

Given you are only allowed one guest for baby births and Kate was the guest, I wouldn't be surprised if the new rules are that they come out and look at your car seat rather than making you drag your COVID infested car seat in for an inspection. Or maybe they don't even check. COVID has caused many disruptions. They probably should inspect the car seat in the car anyway if they are trying to save lives. A new parent may be able to buckle a kid into a car seat, but it doesn't mean they are installed correctly.

Yes, they still make you bring the car seat in and strap your baby into it before leaving the hospital.  I gave birth 4 months ago and besides the only being able to bring one person with you and all of the staff being masked up, everything else was basically the same.  

[3 is enough]

It isn’t uncommon for laid off employees to stay on the company insurance plan for a few months as part of a severance package. Toby seemed to have the type of job where this would happen.

Edited February 25, 2021 by 3 is enough

[Mrs Shibbles]

6 hours ago, circumvent said:

I really liked this episode. Jack telling Rebecca about how his child self felt the anticipation of his father coming home rang many bells with me. I can totally relate to the feeling. 

This made me sad because it’s how Mr. Shibbles grew up.  
 

I also wanted to add my thoughts that Kate was the WORST in arguing with Ellie wanting to make a clean break from her baby.   It was so cringey, and Ellie was making a very mature well thought out decision, in my opinion.  Open adoptions are mostly for the birth parents’ benefit, are they not?  Way to make her pain worse and make it all about you Kate!  Shut up!!

I also loved Beth and her biggest size snickers blizzard.  I would have chosen a peanut buster parfait, myself.  

 

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, kili said:

Given you are only allowed one guest for baby births and Kate was the guest, I wouldn't be surprised if the new rules are that they come out and look at your car seat rather than making you drag your COVID infested car seat in for an inspection. Or maybe they don't even check. COVID has caused many disruptions. They probably should inspect the car seat in the car anyway if they are trying to save lives. A new parent may be able to buckle a kid into a car seat, but it doesn't mean they are installed correctly.

I'd have trouble believing a hospital would want to set itself up to be liable for whether someone's car seat was properly installed in their car.

[BrownBear2012]

10 hours ago, MBayGal said:

Don't forget "Crystal Blue Persuasion" when they were in the tented house!

I too am sick to death of Jack scenes. Could someone please get Milo another job?  And no one has ever left the hospital two days after giving birth with as flat a stomach as these three.  

YES!!! I wanted scream at the inauthenticity of some of these scenes! The new mothers who looked like they did before they were pregnant after just giving birth, bringing a newborn from the hospital but stopping to go to a Dairy Queen with newborn in tow...after the birth of all three of my kids I just wanted to get home and curl up on the couch and I certainly wouldn't have taken a newborn out of the car to a picnic table at a DQ and finally, the biggest problem with this script...the "adoption". Where was a lawyer or an adoption counselor? Kate and Toby didn't have to sign off on papers? Only the birth mom? No one was involved in the legal aspect of this? It was just an agreement between birth mom and adoptive parents? This was laziness on the part of the writers to speed the episodes along. In real life it would have involved lawyers, counselors etc...to insure that the baby is going to a fit home. I'm sorry, this show has started to decline this season. These kind of slips are expected on most network TV shows but this one set a higher bar when it first debuted...now the writers and show runners seem to be content with unrealistic scenes and run of the mill scripts.

[chocolatine]

I just remembered Randall and Beth's conversation after Annie was born about getting a new car. Beth asked Randall if he still wanted a Mercedes S-class, and Randall said he wanted a family car because it would be more practical. In S1-3 Randall was driving a Mercedes S-class (that he had paid for in cash), so I guess it was a call-forward to that.

Edited February 25, 2021 by chocolatine

[maggiemae]

I hated Randall's branches speech.

In my family we have branches that are not are, but really after all are. For decades. And not slighted because they don't carry our blood. 

I think Randall is forsaking Jack and Rebecca to his family, at least implying they are nothing to him by that statement.

Yet it was Randall trying to control Rebecca's treatment. Which he does not even consider a twig in his family.

I am so over him.

 

 

 

 

 

[kili]

Quote

Where was a lawyer or an adoption counselor? Kate and Toby didn't have to sign off on papers? Only the birth mom? No one was involved in the legal aspect of this? It was just an agreement between birth mom and adoptive parents? This was laziness on the part of the writers to speed the episodes along. In real life it would have involved lawyers, counselors etc...to insure that the baby is going to a fit home. I'm sorry, this show has started to decline this season. These kind of slips are expected on most network TV shows but this one set a higher bar when it first debuted...

In its very first episode, this show had Jack suddenly deciding to adopt a baby when he was a first time parent to twins, one of his triplets had been born stillborn, Jack/Rebecca had not been vetted for adoption and nobody had figured out Randall's situation (for all anybody knew, he could have been kidnapped from his parents and then the kidnappers dropped him off when they came to their senses). IDK, but Hailey's adoption story seems more grounded than the one that kicked off the series which also seemed to be lacking in the lawyers, adoption counsellors and paper signing (the court case was much later).  The debut adoption did not set a very high bar.

[ProudMary]

13 hours ago, Leeds said:

I couldn't believe the birth mother agreed to being driven home by Kate and Toby.  That is already incredibly insensitive of them (they should have paid for a cab, or at the very least have one of the many Pearsons with nothing but free time drive her), then add to that Kate's verbal dickishness.

A cab (or Uber/Lyft) would have been a good idea, but for the pandemic. I'm thinking that Ellie felt reasonably secure from COVID-19 exposure in Kate and Toby's car, so it was the best choice. As for the rest of the Pearsons: Kevin was busy getting his own newborns home from the hospital, so a trip from L.A. down to the San Diego area, where Ellie gave birth, wouldn't be reasonable; Randall and Beth are in the process of driving home to Philadelphia from New Orleans; and Rebecca and Miguel are at the cabin in Pennsylvania. No Pearsons available. 

 

Different subject:
Seemingly an unpopular opinion here, but I didn't see anything wrong with Randall and Beth stopping at DQ so Beth could satisfy her Blizzard craving. It seemed to be a lovely day and baby Annie sitting in her carseat was secure and at eye level with her mom and dad so she could see them. Fresh air is good for newborns! Also, Annie's their second child. Beth and Randall know what they're doing. They probably would never have done such a thing on the way home from the hospital with Tess, but with subsequent children, you're just not as nervous as you are with your first born. As long as Beth felt up to it physically, I don't see anything wrong with a delicious little detour.

[movingtargetgal]

2 hours ago, Mrs Shibbles said:

I also loved Beth and her biggest size snickers blizzard.  I would have chosen a peanut buster parfait, myself.  

If I just had a baby I would chose BOTH.

[MBayGal]

9 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

This is what bugs me about the character [Madison]. She seems to swing whichever way the wind is blowing in any particular episode

The writers seem to change the characters' personality whenever a new plot twist occurs to them. "Unflappable" Kate? Give me a break.

[bros402]

13 hours ago, MBayGal said:

And the producer's brother is the man Kevin saved from the burning car, so Kevin is starring in the movie. And Beth is choreographing all the dance scenes that they have suddenly added to all future Star Wars movies.

obviously it's a new Star Wars Holiday Special feat. Holographic Jefferson Starship