S06.E07: Taboo

[Rootbeer]

17 hours ago, Ohmo said:

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your husband.  You said your daughter was 14.

True story: My parents had my youngest sibling when I was 15.  When they announced they were having a fourth child, I actually said "You're going to adopt a kid?"  They weren't.  There are certain things that one "knows" happen, but one does not need to think about those things happening with one's parents.  Though not an apples to apples comparison here, the intimacy of such "sharing," and ALL that entails....just something I know I'd have a problem with.  (Won't happen in my family because neither one of my parents has a friend like Miguel but I would be like Kevin. There are plenty of people in the world.  Pick someone other than Dad/Mom's bestie.

In the case of TIU, I think it's just laziness that we're supposed to think of as sweet.  Kevin has dated several women since Sophie.  Rebecca never dated anyone outside her sphere.  It was like "Jack's dead.  Insert Miguel," and then the writers tried to create backstory for Miguel and Rebecca.

Same story different parents.  I was 15 when my 40 year old mom got pregnant.  I remember talking to my sister, aged 16, about it and the two of us speculating:" It had to have been the first time in years!  Two old people like that (Dad was 42) having sex, they're lucky one of them didn't have a heart attack!"

I agree that most teens would find the prospect of their widowed mother getting together with their late father's best friend to be pretty icky.  Kevin would not have been alone in thinking that.

[smartymarty]

On 3/12/2022 at 8:17 PM, Ohmo said:

He was always just there, and she really didn't date anyone seriously.

He wasn't there for the 10 years after he moved to Houston, when Rebecca looked him up on Facebook. I love that they became friends first, and that relationship bloomed into love. A much better basis for a marriage than Jack's "I'm going to marry that woman" approach.
 

Quote

They were interrupted,  but Miguel's opener was "where's the guesthouse." 

Purposely written so that the audience would initially agree with Kevin's fishing buddies interpretation. More realistically, Miguel would have asked "Have you planned a guesthouse, because we might need one for your mother's caretakers." (Or, you know, the caretakers could get housing in town -- if Rebecca needs 24-hour care, likely they'll have 3 caretakers on 8-hour shifts, leaving a good 16 hours for the caretakers to, you know, have lives themselves rather than live out in the woods with the other 2 caretakers.)

[himela]

Even if Miguel wanted to invite his fishing buddies once in a while, I don't see how this is such a big deal. Kevin has a lot of money, it's not like he doesn't have money to feed his kids.

[ErinV]

I laughed out loud when they were tossing out reasons Rebecca wanted to have a serious talk, and Kevin said, "Maybe she and Miguel want to be a throuple".   That word and the way Kevin said it had me rolling!

 

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, ErinV said:

I laughed out loud when they were tossing out reasons Rebecca wanted to have a serious talk, and Kevin said, "Maybe she and Miguel want to be a throuple".   That word and the way Kevin said it had me rolling!

They're already in a throuple with the ever-present ghost of Jack.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 3/12/2022 at 8:47 PM, Ohmo said:

I think this episode foreshadows that Kate WILL be around. In fact, I think that's exactly the reason for the scene and Rebecca's directive. Both Kevin and Randall seemed visibly surprised, which is the point. I think the audience was supposed to be surprised, but when we get to the end of the series, a big decision will have to be made...and Bug will have to make it.

Rebecca explicitly told Kate, "It's always been you, Kate."  Kate is also the only one who has a nickname.  We're talking about lack of communication here, and I think we're about to see something Rebecca always felt about Kate but could never express to her until the end of Rebecca's life.  In my opinion, we're about to see what that is.

Yeah, I didn’t get why she said that.  It’s always been you….speaking to Kate.  For years Kate made her so uncomfortable that she couldn’t relax and enjoy family gatherings.  Rebecca was very apprehensive to say anything to Kate and walked on egg shells. And, Kate thought her mom was too critical.  So,…. it’s always been you …..seems a stretch. 
 

One highlight from this episode for me was the song Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers Band.  That’s one of my favorite songs and band.  I’m not sure why it was selected though.  Hmmmm…..

Edited March 14, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[CrystalBlue]

3 hours ago, chocolatine said:

They're already in a throuple with the ever-present ghost of Jack.

Truer words have never been written about this show!

[CrystalBlue]

27 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Yeah, I didn’t get why she said that.  It’s always been you….speaking to Kate.  For years Kate made her so uncomfortable that she couldn’t relax and enjoy family gatherings.  Rebecca was very apprehensive to say anything to Kate and walked on egg shells. And, Kate thought her mom was too critical.  So,…. it’s always been you …..seems a stretch. 
 

One highlight from this episode for me was the song Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers Band.  That’s one of my favorite songs and band.  I’m not sure why it was selected though.  Hmmmm…..

You and me both!  I was really digging hearing it in the background!  One of my all-time favorite songs period; I could listen to Midnight Rider over and over again.  I wondered also why that song.

[SunnyBeBe]

28 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

You and me both!  I was really digging hearing it in the background!  One of my all-time favorite songs period; I could listen to Midnight Rider over and over again.  I wondered also why that song.

Nice to see another fan of that song.  I’ve seen the band live many times and met some of the artists.  That song was the highlight.  I’ll have to watch that scene again to see how it fit in.  

[CrystalBlue]

19 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Nice to see another fan of that song.  I’ve seen the band live many times and met some of the artists.  That song was the highlight.  I’ll have to watch that scene again to see how it fit in.  

I'm jealous.  That's awesome.  Even though he was no angel, I always liked Gregg ( ❤️ RIP) and think he looked like an angel at times.

[athousandclowns]

On 3/10/2022 at 10:43 AM, circumvent said:

I think that would be a better reason to fight, if they really needed to have them fight. Although there is always a sugar crash after the sugar high. I don't think that licking a spoon would have done too much damage though. If it is just a taste, it ends there. They have total power over the kid, in so many ways. The whole thing was to make the whole situation more melodramatic because they won't have time to write a long story about how a divorce came to be.

Toby being concerned about genetics is a bit forced. Kate's obesity is a matter of habit, not genetic, as far as we can tell. As a kid she was chubby. Many kids are. As a teenager she developed the habit of binging. It is not as straight forward as Toby said. He was obese, developed healthier habits. Like I said in another comment, education. Not much of what we eat is healthy, the healthier stuff not always available. Licking a spoon of something sweet that is a family tradition is not a bad habit. It is a one time thing, in one special day, at a special gathering.

He didn't have to make such a fuss, the kid was't going to get addicted to sugar at that moment

 

On a different note, the young adult Kevin was so much like adult Kevin, the way he was talking and reacting. Good acting coaching there

My kids are adults now but I thought that sugar = hyperactivity has not been proved to be true. Originally it was based on one doctors personal case when he  decided to eliminate sugar from his child’s diet. One of my almost 10 year old grandsons  has never had a soda but can get wound up on his own. So when He said that I was surprised and also thought what  he’s 2 they are often hard to settle.  

[Tabbygirl521]

On 3/10/2022 at 6:15 PM, izabella said:

Is Rebecca supposed to be in her late 60's?  I think she dresses and styles herself like a senior from another decade.  Maybe in the 1970's and 80's, seniors dressed like Rebecca, but in the 2020's, seniors wear jeans, pants, tops and hoodies like everyone else.  The dowdy skirts they put in her are the worst.

No kidding. I’m 68 and no Vogue model but she outfrumps me by miles. 

[debraran]

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

No kidding. I’m 68 and no Vogue model but she outfrumps me by miles. 

Amen to that, but I think knowing she isn't, they overdid it.

[Rootbeer]

13 hours ago, athousandclowns said:

My kids are adults now but I thought that sugar = hyperactivity has not been proved to be true. Originally it was based on one doctors personal case when he  decided to eliminate sugar from his child’s diet. One of my almost 10 year old grandsons  has never had a soda but can get wound up on his own. So when He said that I was surprised and also thought what  he’s 2 they are often hard to settle.  

No, clinical trials have shown that the 'sugar high' in kids is a myth.  There is no evidence that eating a lot of carbs triggers hyperactivity.

https://www.yalescientific.org/2010/09/mythbusters-does-sugar-really-make-children-hyper/

Quote

No kidding. I’m 68 and no Vogue model but she outfrumps me by miles. 

Rebecca looks like she stepped out of a Land's End catalog circa 1983.  I had an 85 year old aunt who paid attention to clothing trends and adapted them to suit her style right up until the end.

Young Rebecca seemed to favor a funky, boho vibe in clothing.  There is a lot of stuff out there now that harks right back to that look and it would seem far more in character for her to be wearing that instead of the granny cardigans with turtlenecks she seems to favor.  She still is getting her hair cut and colored in stylish fashion, her eyeglasses are not out of style, she wears makeup; she should be wearing more interesting stuff.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Rootbeer

[gonzosgirrl]

13 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

There is a lot of stuff out there now that harks right back to that look and it would seem far more in character for her to be wearing that look instead of the granny cardigans with turtlenecks she seems to favor. 

Maybe they go with the turtlenecks to avoid having to 'age' her neck with makeup/prosthetics - IMO the most tell-tale sign of a person's age. But otherwise, I totally agree - her clothing choices are not consistent with the Rebecca we know as a younger woman.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I had this in the spoiler thread, but it's not a spoiler: How many bedrooms does the original cabin have?  I had assumed it was 3: one for Rebecca and Jack, one for the boys, and one for Kate.  In order to fit everyone in this last Thanksgiving, they would need one room for Rebecca and Miguel; a 2nd for Kate and Toby (and it better be a big one so the 2 kids can fit in); a 3rd for Randall and Beth; at least a 4th for the 3 girls (assuming there are bunks); a 5th for Kevin; a 6th if Madison had come (because she wasn't going to share with Kevin); and a 7th if Nicky had been there?

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I had this in the spoiler thread, but it's not a spoiler: How many bedrooms does the original cabin have?  I had assumed it was 3: one for Rebecca and Jack, one for the boys, and one for Kate.  In order to fit everyone in this last Thanksgiving, they would need one room for Rebecca and Miguel; a 2nd for Kate and Toby (and it better be a big one so the 2 kids can fit in); a 3rd for Randall and Beth; at least a 4th for the 3 girls (assuming there are bunks); a 5th for Kevin; a 6th if Madison had come (because she wasn't going to share with Kevin); and a 7th if Nicky had been there?

Maybe it's like Mary Poppins's carpet bag...

Or it's a Tardis.

[debraran]

They really only showed the double bed in Rebecca and Jacks room to my recollection. Most scenes were them outside or in living/kitchen area. It really was a pretty decent size cabin.

Kevin's home is very big and not my style but that cabin could have been expanded and fixed up too.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

3 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I had this in the spoiler thread, but it's not a spoiler: How many bedrooms does the original cabin have?  I had assumed it was 3: one for Rebecca and Jack, one for the boys, and one for Kate.  In order to fit everyone in this last Thanksgiving, they would need one room for Rebecca and Miguel; a 2nd for Kate and Toby (and it better be a big one so the 2 kids can fit in); a 3rd for Randall and Beth; at least a 4th for the 3 girls (assuming there are bunks); a 5th for Kevin; a 6th if Madison had come (because she wasn't going to share with Kevin); and a 7th if Nicky had been there?

Expand  

Maybe it's like Mary Poppins's carpet bag...

Or it's a Tardis.

Or the Weasley's car.

1 hour ago, debraran said:

They really only showed the double bed in Rebecca and Jacks room to my recollection. Most scenes were them outside or in living/kitchen area. It really was a pretty decent size cabin.

Kevin's home is very big and not my style but that cabin could have been expanded and fixed up too.

I don't think any of the 3 paid to upgrade it to a 7 bedroom cabin.  If I recall correctly, we once saw the young Kevin and Randall sharing a room there.

[mostlylurking]

On 3/14/2022 at 9:25 AM, smartymarty said:

Quote

They were interrupted,  but Miguel's opener was "where's the guesthouse." 

Purposely written so that the audience would initially agree with Kevin's fishing buddies interpretation. More realistically, Miguel would have asked "Have you planned a guesthouse, because we might need one for your mother's caretakers."

Maybe I’m misremembering but Miguel didn’t just come out and ask Kevin where the guest house was going to be as if it were a given. I thought Miguel asked if Kevin had given any thought to building a guest house. Kevin shut him down immediately by saying that given this was a family compound a guest house hadn’t really been part of the plan. Maybe Miguel would have elaborated but they were interrupted and obviously Miguel knew this would come up at the family meeting anyway.

[ljenkins782]

On 3/15/2022 at 12:46 PM, Rootbeer said:

Rebecca looks like she stepped out of a Land's End catalog circa 1983.  I had an 85 year old aunt who paid attention to clothing trends and adapted them to suit her style right up until the end.

Young Rebecca seemed to favor a funky, boho vibe in clothing.  There is a lot of stuff out there now that harks right back to that look and it would seem far more in character for her to be wearing that instead of the granny cardigans with turtlenecks she seems to favor.  She still is getting her hair cut and colored in stylish fashion, her eyeglasses are not out of style, she wears makeup; she should be wearing more interesting stuff.

Quote

Maybe they go with the turtlenecks to avoid having to 'age' her neck with makeup/prosthetics - IMO the most tell-tale sign of a person's age. But otherwise, I totally agree - her clothing choices are not consistent with the Rebecca we know as a younger woman.

I can believe that they do turtlenecks for the purpose of not having to use the aging makeup on the neck, but I'm also not sure I think Rebecca would still be into the boho vibe as an older woman. I think her much younger, pre-kids style had that vibe, but when the kids were school-age, I thought her style was a bit plainer. It would track with the times, her pre-kid days were in the 70s, while the kid days were 80s and 90s. Despite the explosion of neon and Madonna-style clothes that shows like to use to show the 80s, the reality for a lot of adult women was a preppier, more sedate style.

[Roxie]

On 3/9/2022 at 12:20 PM, CdrJanny said:

I  think parents who serve crap like chicken tenders, french fries, hot dogs, etc. to their children should be arrested for child abuse.

“Child abuse”?  Seriously?  Judgmental much?

[CrystalBlue]

2 hours ago, Roxie said:

“Child abuse”?  Seriously?  Judgmental much?

Arrested for child abuse; taken away in handcuffs and read their Miranda rights?

How about mandatory court-appointed nutrition classes for parents?  😊

[himela]

Children who are denied this food while they are young, they will get crazy with it when they grow up and they can buy these themselves so I don't agree with such strict rules. Maybe once every 2 weeks or something parents should allow them something that is not that healthy. Or maybe they can make them themselves at home.

[PRgal]

53 minutes ago, himela said:

Children who are denied this food while they are young, they will get crazy with it when they grow up and they can buy these themselves so I don't agree with such strict rules. Maybe once every 2 weeks or something parents should allow them something that is not that healthy. Or maybe they can make them themselves at home.

Not really. Halloween candy was rationed in my house, put away in a cupboard.  I didn’t have unlimited access, but was allowed to eat it.  I still don’t love candy (though chocolate, especially dark chocolate with minimal ingredients, is quite lovely).

Recently, I read Priya Fielding-Singh’s How the Other Half Eats where she details several families of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds on how they feed their families.  Lower income parents said they tended to cater to their kids’ wants without wasting food (so they are less likely to introduce new foods to kids if they might not eat it) - pickiness knows no class boundaries, after all.  

[debraran]

8 hours ago, himela said:

Children who are denied this food while they are young, they will get crazy with it when they grow up and they can buy these themselves so I don't agree with such strict rules. Maybe once every 2 weeks or something parents should allow them something that is not that healthy. Or maybe they can make them themselves at home.

It depends, I never had certain things but never craved them. I wish with all my dental work though, my mom curtailed how much Halloween candy I ate or had me brush after every bar!

I think making certain treats "good" and some bad is something we do unintentionally. I never did "eat your veggies" or no snack because you are making one better than the other. Just finish your meal, this has things to help you grow, this item doesn't as much. I also never had a child eat something he/she hated. They had vitamins and if made well and started early, most kids like some vegetable. For me it was corn and peas and later I realized broccoli could be good if made well ; ) . I wish I didn't do the occasional  "this will make you feel better" thing my mom did with sweets because that does become a habit. You don't have to say it but if your kid is sad and you say, Lets get icecream or go to a bakery, it's similar. It's all a work in progress.

Making it at home is a good idea, you can have sweet and healthy and a nice bonding moment to do it together. My neighbor did that with carrot cake.

Edited March 20, 2022 by debraran

[OlderThanDirt]

When my older daughter got her driver's license the first thing she did was drive her sister to the grocery store where they bought Lucky Charms cereal which they took to the park and ate out of the box, because their mean mom wouldn't buy sugared cereal for them. We all survived and thrived.

[debraran]

1 hour ago, OlderThanDirt said:

When my older daughter got her driver's license the first thing she did was drive her sister to the grocery store where they bought Lucky Charms cereal which they took to the park and ate out of the box, because their mean mom wouldn't buy sugared cereal for them. We all survived and thrived.

That reminds me of when as an adult I bought a small box of sugar smacks/pops in a "fake" memory of loving it and almost spit it out...luckily the sugar rush from those days passed. lol It does change as you eat less, now a coke tastes like pure sugar.

I remember in the 60's my mom (more to stretch it maybe) got me in the habit of using 2 cereals. She'd have me have corn flakes or Cheerios but add sugar smacks or something sweet in replace of adding sugar. This way the more expensive cereal lasted and I didn't get a sugar rush but still liked it.  I did that with my kids but for more health reasons. I must admit though Lucky Charms had their fans but I never liked it. Twix though.....

[BoogieBurns]

On 3/9/2022 at 11:20 AM, CdrJanny said:

I think parents who serve crap like chicken tenders, french fries, hot dogs, etc. to their children should be arrested for child abuse.

Okay, first, no. Parents who feed their children aren't inherently bad. But let's all stop acting like picky eating is a flaw of the parents or the child.

I'm a chicken tender kid. There are many reasons kids won't eat certain foods. My father does not do "picky eaters" and he saw my lack of food variety as something he did wrong. Well, no, he blamed my mom for being a "short order cook" for me. There were usually 4-5 nights a week in my pre-puberty years that I went to bed without dinner. This was because of the TRASH advice of "don't eat this? You get nothing" from ignorant pediatricians in the 90s.

1. I became anorexic.

2. I hated my father.

3. Turns out I am on the autism spectrum and my aversion to "mushy" food is not just a preference. I have and will spit out food even as an adult because it's so disturbing to me to chew the wrong texture. My brain is different, it's not a lack of willpower.

4. Almost every food that I refused (like egg, cheese, red meat) ended up being foods I'm allergic to. I stopped eating eggs at 2 years old and only found out this year that I'm allergic.

All of this to say, most parents are doing their best. Rebecca did what everyone would have recommended and Kate is 400 pounds. A chicken tender didn't cause that.

I'm at a healthy weight now, have mended things with my father, and will eat all the chicken I want. What would arresting anyone accomplish? The kid's still going to have food preferences. Kids know themselves well. 

[CrystalBlue]

26 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

Okay, first, no. Parents who feed their children aren't inherently bad. But let's all stop acting like picky eating is a flaw of the parents or the child.

I'm a chicken tender kid. There are many reasons kids won't eat certain foods. My father does not do "picky eaters" and he saw my lack of food variety as something he did wrong. Well, no, he blamed my mom for being a "short order cook" for me. There were usually 4-5 nights a week in my pre-puberty years that I went to bed without dinner. This was because of the TRASH advice of "don't eat this? You get nothing" from ignorant pediatricians in the 90s.

1. I became anorexic.

2. I hated my father.

3. Turns out I am on the autism spectrum and my aversion to "mushy" food is not just a preference. I have and will spit out food even as an adult because it's so disturbing to me to chew the wrong texture. My brain is different, it's not a lack of willpower.

4. Almost every food that I refused (like egg, cheese, red meat) ended up being foods I'm allergic to. I stopped eating eggs at 2 years old and only found out this year that I'm allergic.

All of this to say, most parents are doing their best. Rebecca did what everyone would have recommended and Kate is 400 pounds. A chicken tender didn't cause that.

I'm at a healthy weight now, have mended things with my father, and will eat all the chicken I want. What would arresting anyone accomplish? The kid's still going to have food preferences. Kids know themselves well. 

Thank you for sharing your story.  I'm happy for you that things got straightened out, especially with your father.

[debraran]

2 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Thank you for sharing your story.  I'm happy for you that things got straightened out, especially with your father.

I’m glad you found peace. It’s awful the power struggles parents use. I’m grateful my mom was a vitamin mom and said if I hated something here was always peanut butter and jelly ( no favors) I’m not autistic but my son and I hate certain textures. For him smooth, me cottage cheese makes me gag looking at it or anything like rice pudding or custard.  Dairy was iffy. If someone else was my pediatrician I might have other issues. I’ve heard enough horror stories about food from others and hope there has been much more education on it. 
 

Edited March 22, 2022 by debraran

[ams1001]

On 3/21/2022 at 5:11 AM, debraran said:

I did that with my kids but for more health reasons. 

I loved Lucky Charms as a kid, and even into adulthood. I don't know if they changed but the last time I had them (which was a while ago, now), I found myself wondering "why?"

[debraran]

11 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I loved Lucky Charms as a kid, and even into adulthood. I don't know if they changed but the last time I had them (which was a while ago, now), I found myself wondering "why?"

Yes, whether they cut out some of the real ingredients in some foods or our palates got sophisticated, I found most cereals I bought for a memory lane moment (frosted flakes about 6 years ago) devil dog, yodel etc,  tasted awful. I'm glad but I did read some brands did change formulas and that doesn't surprise me. Cutting sugar at my age has made me feel a lot better.

[gonzosgirrl]

Cap'n  Crunch is food of the gods  and I will die on this hill.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Cap'n  Crunch is food of the gods  and I will die on this hill.

Yeah, Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch still hits at 40 as it did 30 years ago.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 3/11/2022 at 7:21 PM, Ohiopirate02 said:

Just because we have not seen Kate in 2030, that does not mean that she's dead.  I figure she and Philip are a package deal, and they will show up with the kids in tow.  

I do think that if the show really wanted to kill off one of the Big Three (after Kyle), then it would be Kevin.  Have Kevin find his soul mate or reconnect with Sophie or Kevin realizes he really does love Madison, and then he gets hit by a bus.  

I am curious.  I thought that Rebecca asking Kate to make decisions for her as she got more ill, though heartfelt, was not a wise decision.  With Kate’s health, a long life may be being too optimistic.  IRL, doctors tell people Kate’s size they have a limited life expectancy, if they don’t lose weight.  I’d be surprised if Kate outlives her mom.  The main reason they would not go there, imo, is to spare the actor’s feelings and I suppose that’s more important than a tv show.  It’s just not realistic, imo.  

[Ohiopirate02]

38 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I am curious.  I thought that Rebecca asking Kate to make decisions for her as she got more ill, though heartfelt, was not a wise decision.  With Kate’s health, a long life may be being too optimistic.  IRL, doctors tell people Kate’s size they have a limited life expectancy, if they don’t lose weight.  I’d be surprised if Kate outlives her mom.  The main reason they would not go there, imo, is to spare the actor’s feelings and I suppose that’s more important than a tv show.  It’s just not realistic, imo.  

Well, the flashforward is set in 2030 when Kate would be 50.  There is very little evidence to show that Kate would be dead by then based solely on her weight. Quite the contrary, there actually is no evidence that a high BMI, one that would classify a person as "morbidly obese," is related to an early death.  Here's a link to a podcast that looks at the wellness industry complete with notes--

https://maintenancephase.buzzsprout.com/1411126/9551555-is-being-fat-bad-for-you

[SunnyBeBe]

4 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Well, the flashforward is set in 2030 when Kate would be 50.  There is very little evidence to show that Kate would be dead by then based solely on her weight. Quite the contrary, there actually is no evidence that a high BMI, one that would classify a person as "morbidly obese," is related to an early death.  Here's a link to a podcast that looks at the wellness industry complete with notes--

https://maintenancephase.buzzsprout.com/1411126/9551555-is-being-fat-bad-for-you

It happens all the time on bariatric weight loss shows.  Real doctors, real patients.  I’m no expert, just listen to them.  People Kate’s size are told 5 years.  

Edited March 24, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[smartymarty]

On 3/22/2022 at 8:21 PM, gonzosgirrl said:

Cap'n  Crunch is food of the gods  and I will die on this hill.

I saw a kid put sugar on his Captain Crunch once. Frightening.

[cameron]

18 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I am curious.  I thought that Rebecca asking Kate to make decisions for her as she got more ill, though heartfelt, was not a wise decision.  With Kate’s health, a long life may be being too optimistic.  IRL, doctors tell people Kate’s size they have a limited life expectancy, if they don’t lose weight.  I’d be surprised if Kate outlives her mom.  The main reason they would not go there, imo, is to spare the actor’s feelings and I suppose that’s more important than a tv show.  It’s just not realistic, imo.  

Just rewatched this episode and Kate can't even fit anywhere close to the dining room table.  Has to be very uncomfortable to eat with your arms extended like that all the time to reach the food.  Not a healthy life style.

[SunnyBeBe]

3 minutes ago, cameron said:

Just rewatched this episode and Kate can't even fit anywhere close to the dining room table.  Has to be very uncomfortable to eat with your arms extended like that all the time to reach the food.  Not a healthy life style.

The show doesn’t really deal with the reality of Kate’s size.  Do they show her struggling to walk the aisle  on a plane?  Sitting in 2 seats on the plane?  Trying to bathe toddlers in a bathtub?  Kate looks like she may need help with caretaking herself eventually, so I’m not sure how she would be the best choice as the Power of Attorney for her mom.  It’s the narrative they want to tell on the show, so they ignore the obvious.  

[Rootbeer]

20 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Well, the flashforward is set in 2030 when Kate would be 50.  There is very little evidence to show that Kate would be dead by then based solely on her weight. Quite the contrary, there actually is no evidence that a high BMI, one that would classify a person as "morbidly obese," is related to an early death.  Here's a link to a podcast that looks at the wellness industry complete with notes--

https://maintenancephase.buzzsprout.com/1411126/9551555-is-being-fat-bad-for-you

The National Institute of Health says that Class III obesity ( morbid obesity) shortens life expectancy by 14 years on average.  Kate's father died of heart disease at a young age.  She is definitely at risk for an early death.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-extreme-obesity-may-shorten-life-expectancy-14-years#:~:text=NIH study finds extreme obesity may shorten life,20 large studies of people from three countries.

 

[Jersey409]

Didn’t like Beth or a Miguel’s hairstyle at all in this episode.

flash to young jack and Rebecca thanksgiving was stupid. I’m guessing it was just to keep milo on payroll. The mother daughter makeup must have lasted ten seconds because we’ve seen all the other episodes when the mother was angry when she’s pregnant, outcasts Randall, etc.

rebecca only asked Kate to be second in charge for fear of Randall and Kevin having another blow up like they did at that birthday party. Am I the only one thinking she should put someone third in charge in case Kate has medical problems ? Do they pad up Chrissy Metz in the show to appear bigger? 

[cameron]

36 minutes ago, Jersey409 said:

Didn’t like Beth or a Miguel’s hairstyle at all in this episode.

flash to young jack and Rebecca thanksgiving was stupid. I’m guessing it was just to keep milo on payroll. The mother daughter makeup must have lasted ten seconds because we’ve seen all the other episodes when the mother was angry when she’s pregnant, outcasts Randall, etc.

rebecca only asked Kate to be second in charge for fear of Randall and Kevin having another blow up like they did at that birthday party. Am I the only one thinking she should put someone third in charge in case Kate has medical problems ? Do they pad up Chrissy Metz in the show to appear bigger? 

I think she had just gotten bigger; look at her arms.  

[mansonlamps]

10 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

The show doesn’t really deal with the reality of Kate’s size.  Do they show her struggling to walk the aisle  on a plane?  Sitting in 2 seats on the plane?  Trying to bathe toddlers in a bathtub?  Kate looks like she may need help with caretaking herself eventually, so I’m not sure how she would be the best choice as the Power of Attorney for her mom.  It’s the narrative they want to tell on the show, so they ignore the obvious.  

Well, in fairness,  tons of shows handwave reality to appeal to their audience demographics.   One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned is how Kate is always impeccably dressed and with perfect hair and makeup.   Madison goes through the day with spit up in her hair because... reality.   Kate finds time to put on her face and do her hair,  plus I guess has no problem finding cute dresses in her size.   It's what TV does.  People want representation,  but not really. 

[Kdawg82]

Wait...so there's an existing CABIN & they're building a log mansion. They now need a "guest house" for a potential live-in nurse?! What about the nurse lives in the cabin they ALREADY FREAKING HAVE??!! This show makes less sense as time goes by. Open to any clarification if anyone has any but this is just something I picked up on. They're winging the dialogs a lot of times to segway into some reasoning to explain a character's mental state or to blend a flashback but it's not enjoyable or cohesive at all.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Kdawg82

[izabella]

Yes, that's exactly what they're doing. 

Maybe Nicky can take over the cabin and renovate it to his liking.

[Jersey409]

On another note- because the last four episodes keep replaying Rebecca’s thanksgiving speech to Kate, Kevin and Randall, is anyone else finding the speech out of place and underwhelming?  It seems like the writers were in a pinch and Googled “inspirational speeches” and got this one that was probably used at a high school graduation.   Take chances, go where life takes you, move forward, blah blah ——they’re all 40 with kids -not saying that means that their lives are over and there’s no more taking chances ,but I think this speech would have been better targeted at Randall’s kids who will enter the grown up world in a few years.

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Jersey409 said:

On another note- because the last four episodes keep replaying Rebecca’s thanksgiving speech to Kate, Kevin and Randall, is anyone else finding the speech out of place and underwhelming?  It seems like the writers were in a pinch and Googled “inspirational speeches” and got this one that was probably used at a high school graduation.   Take chances, go where life takes you, move forward, blah blah ——they’re all 40 with kids -not saying that means that their lives are over and there’s no more taking chances ,but I think this speech would have been better targeted at Randall’s kids who will enter the grown up world in a few years.

Yes, but it's a very Pearson speech. Overwrought and dramatic, even if out of place.

[Kdawg82]

8 hours ago, Jersey409 said:

It seems like the writers were in a pinch and Googled “inspirational speeches” and got this one that was probably used at a high school graduation.   Take chances, go where life takes you, move forward, blah blah ——they’re all 40 with kids -not saying that means that their lives are over and there’s no more taking chances

Your entire post is spot-on. I'm about to be 40 VERY shortly & have 3 small children & the speech was awkward to say the least. I find myself burning the candle at both ends & I couldnt tell you what I've done all day. I'm feeling more Rebecca & in actuality am more life stage-wise in sync with the "big 3."