S06.E08: Guitar Man

[circumvent]

14 hours ago, project90 said:

in general i respect those who fight for our freedom

The only veterans who fought for our freedom are the ones who fought in the Revolutionary Wars circa 1776. Even Pearl Harbor wasn't simply an attack, there is a backstory to it, related to  the colonization of Hawaii. An atrocious attack, but not a threat to our freedom. The rest, it was us going somewhere to steal oil or impose our desires over people who don't want us there

[Ohmo]

On 3/18/2022 at 10:20 AM, Aloeonatable said:

Every year that passes, the amount diminishes. Unless their contract specifies differently. I think it is reasonable because the network the reruns the show on is making money by airing their talent, so why shouldn't they continue to benefit?

I've read on TV blogs and the like (over the course of several years) that syndication is the biggie when negotiating contracts.  Nowadays, when actors begin series, they negotiate potential syndication that's years away because they know that's where the money will be if the series lasts that long to get there.  I'm sure Kevin would do something like that.

I don't know anything about Mark Harmon's NCIS contract, but he left the series (full-time) this year.  I would bet there's syndication language in his deal.  NCIS does well in syndication and internationally.

The Manny could also be shown internationally.  Kevin also may have an income stream from that.

[roughing it]

Calling it now… Kevin eventually marries (as evidenced by the wedding ring in the flash forward) but not to Cassidy or Sophie or Madison.  He’ll marry the Seabee construction manager he met working on the cabin near the end of the episode.

[SunnyBeBe]

4 minutes ago, roughing it said:

Calling it now… Kevin eventually marries (as evidenced by the wedding ring in the flash forward) but not to Cassidy or Sophie or Madison.  He’ll marry the Seabee construction manager he met working on the cabin near the end of the episode.

You know I thought the same thing the way she was looking at him!  I can’t believe someone else thought it too!  Omg……..lol.

[mansonlamps]

16 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

That is something the SAG fought for on behalf of its members.  The rest of the unions can also have their own deals in place.  Let's be honest here, actresses have an expiration date that a camera operator or a grip does not have.  They need the residuals especially if the show that made them famous ends when they are too old to land a new show.  The industry is hard on women.  

 

As I said,  I agree they should make a lot more,  but not to the extent they do.   The stars probably earn more per episode than many of the remaining crew make in a lifetime (on Friends) or in multiple years for less profitable shows.   No union is ever going to be able to change that since people get very emotionally charged about income inequality but give a pass to the Hollywood elite and athletes for whatever reason. 

16 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

You know I thought the same thing the way she was looking at him!  I can’t believe someone else thought it too!  Omg……..lol.

I thought the same!

[Ohiopirate02]

48 minutes ago, roughing it said:

Calling it now… Kevin eventually marries (as evidenced by the wedding ring in the flash forward) but not to Cassidy or Sophie or Madison.  He’ll marry the Seabee construction manager he met working on the cabin near the end of the episode.

 

43 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

You know I thought the same thing the way she was looking at him!  I can’t believe someone else thought it too!  Omg……..lol.

I also picked up on those vibes, and I am not mad.  We know Kevin gets married, and I really do not like the options the show has already presented.  There's too much baggage with Sophie and their relationship will always be unequal, Madison could have worked if the show had gone there last season, Cassidy also has too much baggage to be the partner Kevin needs.  

[SunnyBeBe]

14 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

 

I also picked up on those vibes, and I am not mad.  We know Kevin gets married, and I really do not like the options the show has already presented.  There's too much baggage with Sophie and their relationship will always be unequal, Madison could have worked if the show had gone there last season, Cassidy also has too much baggage to be the partner Kevin needs.  

I’m wondering if Kevin’s character is built somewhat on Ben Affleck.  

[Leeds]

 

 

On 3/17/2022 at 8:03 PM, maggiemae said:

I don't blame Kevin for questioning vets building...Jack, Nicki and Cassidy did not build while in service.

They needed to give Kevin a break although he finally realized vets can and some did. But put a great contractor in control...not Cassidy and Nicki.

When I think about what my relatives did serving none built. And I'm talking back to WWll.

My grandfather served in WWI.  The only "building" he did was trenches.

 

[watch2much]

On 3/16/2022 at 5:01 PM, izabella said:

If The Manny is in syndication, then he could be getting some nice royalties on reruns, and streaming without even working.

Plus, when the guy was trying to talk him into doing the reboot, he said it would be easier work, he'd be in LA, and he'd be really rich.

[Ohmo]

3 hours ago, roughing it said:

Calling it now… Kevin eventually marries (as evidenced by the wedding ring in the flash forward) but not to Cassidy or Sophie or Madison.  He’ll marry the Seabee construction manager he met working on the cabin near the end of the episode.

You know what else works with that line of thought?  The poster upthread who talked about Kevin couchsurfing at Kate's even though we know he's got money.  He's not in a permanent house because he doesn't feel he belongs.   A house is permanent (mostly) and nothing in Kevin's life feels permanent right now.

Yet, the flash forward tells us that Rebecca is living in Kevin's house, the house he had built for her...and where he met his wife while building it.  That would be permanency.

Although that doesn't explain his "Where's your mom" to a presumably older Nicky, but Madison could be there to say good-bye to Rebecca.  Nicky and Frannie are Rebecca's grandchildren.

As OhioPirate says, I wouldn't be mad at that either.  I was fine with Madison, but she's clearly moving toward Elijah.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Ohmo

[Empress1]

4 hours ago, Ohmo said:

The Manny could also be shown internationally.  Kevin also may have an income stream from that.

It is - it's been referenced a few times that the show is big in Asia. When Randall was running for city council, he and Kevin went to a Korean restaurant and everyone was staring at Kevin, and he told Randall that The Manny was huge in South Korea. When he went to Vietnam, I think he had fans there too.

[applecrisp]

On 3/16/2022 at 10:12 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

The music on the show is one thing they get right every time.  I love me some Bread!  Pardon the pun. Lol. (Check out the Best of Bread. Awesome!)

I agree. Thank you

[Dowel Jones]

4 hours ago, Empress1 said:

When Randall was running for city council,

Speaking of.....

[Maurina]

On 3/16/2022 at 2:25 PM, marceline said:

I also remember how my own suicidal ideation snuck up on me.

It was while I was driving. It was my evening commute. I was on the highway, it started to turn and suddenly I thought "What if I don't turn the steering wheel? What if I just drive into the barrier?" That's when I realized I needed help.  And I didn't have the added complication of military service. 

I get this.  I really do.  I had a very similar experience a number of years back.  I was on the way home from work and thought "maybe I could just drive into that tree and make it look like an accident".  That's the moment I realized that something was very, very wrong -- not just my usual depression wrong, but seriously and dangerously wrong.  Suicidal ideation can be sneaky, sudden, and insidious.  I totally understand you.

[Diana Berry]

On 3/15/2022 at 10:14 PM, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Nice to see Kevin getting a chance to parent on his own. Although I agree with everyone that it was pretty nuts to take them on a cross country flight alone.

Everything with Cassidy was sad. Glad Nicky is there to push her to get more help. And it seems like Kevin is going to start a kind of Habitat for Humanity type deal with veterans as the builders, which is pretty cool. I'm glad he has the opportunity to give back. I also like that he didn't give Cassidy the third degree and just listened. I think he was able to do that since he had been a screw up in the past and wanted to give someone the kind of support he probably needed at that time. I guess he got a little bit of it from Kate and Randall.

My favorite part of the episode was when Matty was trying to feed one of the twins and he just gave up and gave him or her a kiss on the head. So frickin adorable.

And Kevin stopped playing that damn guitar! I liked Edie shutting him down and putting on the record player. (Whoa, they still have a record player.)

Or find out what's happening with Deja! It is a "trilogy" so looks like Kate is up next. So we'll see what's happening with her and Toby next week.

If next week is like this week, I’ll doubt we will know anything more about their marriage 

[Diana Berry]

On 3/15/2022 at 10:05 PM, greekmom said:

Felt like another filler episode.

It just doesn't seem that the story from where we left off to the fast forward of Kate and Phillip's wedding will ever happen.

 

Same.  I highly doubt that Kates episode will get into the divorce, etc.  it will be about their happier times. Jmo

[Kirkydee]

Speaking of the 2 seabees they show...

According to IMDB those two actually served in the military and now have acting credits listed.

So kudos to the show for getting actual vets for those roles

[CrystalBlue]

Speaking of Seabees, here's some info for those unfamiliar with the Navy Construction Battalion (CB = Seabees)

USO.org What is a Seabee? 9 Things to Know

[Haleth]

On 3/17/2022 at 2:28 PM, ljenkins782 said:

I'm interested in Kate's episode mainly for teenage Kate, that character is fascinating to me. Child Kate is pretty bland and one-note and adult Kate has some intractable irritating ways, but teenage Kate was actually pretty cool and had more layers to her.

Yeah, sometimes it's hard to remember that teenage Kate grows up to be adult Kate.

On 3/19/2022 at 12:57 AM, bros402 said:

One time my dad did say hi to Michael Emerson because they'd usually happen to go on a walk at the same time a few days a week (My dad would go for a walk after lunch, Michael Emerson would walk his dog) - so one time my dad said "Hello - my family loves Person of Interest, you are so great in it!" and Michael Emerson smiled at him and said thanks.

This happened to my dad.  He had someone walk up to him and tell him they loved his show.  The person was talking about the A Team.  They thought he was George Peppard.  Dad just thanked him.  (It happened more than once.)

[Ohmo]

11 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

Same.  I highly doubt that Kates episode will get into the divorce, etc.  it will be about their happier times. Jmo

Yes, this annoys me.  We're hearing about their divorce from people other than them.  It's all in the flash forwards.  We know that Kate marries Philip, and the Jack/Lucy flash forward with the grill tells us about the event that broke the marriage.  Spend time on that.

I don't like Cassidy or Nicky on an average day, but in an episode about Kevin that's among the last episodes, spending time on Nicky and Cassidy was a waste of time.

In Kate's episode, I want to see how we are getting TO Kate/Phillip, but I want Kate/Toby to drive that story.

[debraran]

14 hours ago, Maurina said:

I get this.  I really do.  I had a very similar experience a number of years back.  I was on the way home from work and thought "maybe I could just drive into that tree and make it look like an accident".  That's the moment I realized that something was very, very wrong -- not just my usual depression wrong, but seriously and dangerously wrong.  Suicidal ideation can be sneaky, sudden, and insidious.  I totally understand you.

I worked with a woman years ago I got close too,  who had 2 kids and a husband she didn't love any more but also had other issues. She told me a similar story which I never repeated because she said others wouldn't understand. At that moment the tree or pole seems like an end or reprieve from your pain, it isn't about love or being a good mom. She also realized she needed help.

[Diana Berry]

5 hours ago, Ohmo said:

Yes, this annoys me.  We're hearing about their divorce from people other than them.  It's all in the flash forwards.  We know that Kate marries Philip, and the Jack/Lucy flash forward with the grill tells us about the event that broke the marriage.  Spend time on that.

I don't like Cassidy or Nicky on an average day, but in an episode about Kevin that's among the last episodes, spending time on Nicky and Cassidy was a waste of time.

In Kate's episode, I want to see how we are getting TO Kate/Phillip, but I want Kate/Toby to drive that story.

Yes thank you .  I don’t think the show runners have a clue about their audience 

[CrystalBlue]

Agree to the Kate/Toby divorce storyline, but I love Nicky, warts and all.  Cassidy (the actress) was great in this last episode but I don't think she should be Kevin's next wife, even though I floated the idea (in Spoilers & Specs) as a possibility.

[Leeds]

On 3/16/2022 at 7:55 AM, kili said:

A friend with twins told me that there are regulations preventing two adults each with lap babies sitting beside each other. Apparently, there is only one extra oxygen mask per set of seats, so only one lap baby per set of seats. They would have to sit across the the aisle from each other or in separate rows. Perhaps that was just with some air craft. Kevin is good because he seems to have purchased a seat fo one of the babies (so, one oxygen mask apiece).

Another friend liked flying business class with her lap babies because it gave her more room. 

On the way home, the lady next to Kevin looked like she wanted to hold one of those babies.

Is Nicky's transition a little fast? He went from being barely able to get on a plane, completely out of his comfort zone in the TSA and unable to read social cues (e.g. his awkward behaviour on the trip to see his long-lost love), to being in a completely normal relationship with Edie, the life of the party and a wise sage. All in a matter of months since he left LA. I could see if he was that guy before (before Vietnam, before drinking), but he was really never that guy (he was a painfully shy, awkward, unconfident person whenever we saw him pre-war). It's like that road trip with Rebecca flipped a switch on him. 

Can you explain TSA?  (To me in's about taking liquids past security gates.)

On 3/16/2022 at 7:58 AM, MissLucas said:

Jennifer Morrison was great - so much heartbreak .

Am I supposed to know who Jennifer Morrison is?

 

[bros402]

16 hours ago, Haleth said:

This happened to my dad.  He had someone walk up to him and tell him they loved his show.  The person was talking about the A Team.  They thought he was George Peppard.  Dad just thanked him.  (It happened more than once.)

hahaha

2 hours ago, Leeds said:

Am I supposed to know who Jennifer Morrison is?

Jennifer Morrison plays Cassidy

[Johnny Dollar]

Didn’t Kevin land The Manny when he was essentially a nobody? I don’t think he would’ve been able to negotiate much of a piece of the syndication money back then. The second iteration is another story, but he’s been throwing his money around like he’s Seinfeld since the first season. 

[circumvent]

7 minutes ago, Johnny Dollar said:

Didn’t Kevin land The Manny when he was essentially a nobody? I don’t think he would’ve been able to negotiate much of a piece of the syndication money back then. The second iteration is another story, but he’s been throwing his money around like he’s Seinfeld since the first season. 

Depends on the length of his contract. A show with an unknown actor would probably have a contract that didn't force the studio to pay for a whole season, in case the show tanked. When the show proved to be a success, Kevin had the upper hand to negotiate better terms. I am just guessing.

[nexxie]

Loved this episode - good to see Kevin’s version of the Pearson family at that table with Nicky, Edie, Cassidy, Mattie and the twins. As Kevin said on the plane, he’s getting there.

[Ohiopirate02]

53 minutes ago, circumvent said:

Depends on the length of his contract. A show with an unknown actor would probably have a contract that didn't force the studio to pay for a whole season, in case the show tanked. When the show proved to be a success, Kevin had the upper hand to negotiate better terms. I am just guessing.

A lot of shows do an initial 3 year contract, and it appears The Manny ran for much longer than that.  Kevin would have renegotiated his contract starting from a position where he could dictate terms.  Those terms very easily could have included syndication.  It really does not matter how Kevin got his millions, the show has decided Kevin is a millionaire so he's a millionaire.  The finances of the characters on this show are as fluid as the geography.

[RedbirdNelly]

my favorite part was Kevin painting--because he reached back to (I believe season 1) for that reference and the painting episode with him, Annie and Tess is one of my favorites. 

[izabella]

5 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

A lot of shows do an initial 3 year contract, and it appears The Manny ran for much longer than that.  Kevin would have renegotiated his contract starting from a position where he could dictate terms.  Those terms very easily could have included syndication.  It really does not matter how Kevin got his millions, the show has decided Kevin is a millionaire so he's a millionaire.  The finances of the characters on this show are as fluid as the geography.

Yes, this.  Kevin was shown to be wealthy from the very first episode when he was still the Manny, so whatever the arrangements of his contract/s, the show has always maintained that he is wealthy and getting wealthier. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by izabella

[JudyObscure]

On 3/20/2022 at 8:20 AM, Haleth said:

This happened to my dad.  He had someone walk up to him and tell him they loved his show.  The person was talking about the A Team.  They thought he was George Peppard.  Dad just thanked him.  (It happened more than once.)

Wow Haleth, Peppard is one of the most handsome men ever.  Did you get your looks from him?

[I didn't know who Jennifer Morrison was either.]

[SilverLake0315]

On 3/21/2022 at 7:38 AM, circumvent said:

When the show proved to be a success, Kevin had the upper hand to negotiate better terms. I am just guessing.

I have a friend who's a pretty successful actor and this is exactly the scenario that played out during the first series he was the lead on.

[CdrJanny]

On 3/21/2022 at 7:42 AM, nexxie said:

Loved this episode - good to see Kevin’s version of the Pearson family at that table with Nicky, Edie, Cassidy, Mattie and the twins. As Kevin said on the plane, he’s getting there.

Seemed to me that all of the people around Kevin's dinner table were a lot happier and got along a lot better than any Pearson family meal we,be ever seen.

Just my observation. 😀

[smartymarty]

Quote

Yeah Kevin’s character definitely regresses throughout the show and some of it becomes tiresome. He always has a long speech somewhere at the end of the episodes as if he’s learned a lot and then the next episode he’s still talking about the same things or confused about the same situation.

So on the plan ride home he did so much better with the twins than on the ride there. What happened over the weekend that he suddenly knew how to manage them? Because what I saw was him in the hospital all night.

Quote

I remember as a kid turning on The Brady Bunch and if it was a rerun, we’d turn it off - “Ugh, a rerun.”

We watched them over and over and over again. Could name the episode just by the opening shot.

[BoogieBurns]

On 3/19/2022 at 10:42 AM, circumvent said:

The only veterans who fought for our freedom are the ones who fought in the Revolutionary Wars circa 1776.

Yeah, my people were not free in America in 1776. So, you may want to zoom out to say, 1865...

[circumvent]

10 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

Yeah, my people were not free in America in 1776. So, you may want to zoom out to say, 1865...

Point taken. I should have put that freedom part in quotes. In 1865 was a fight for freedom that only a few participated though, and many begrudgingly. Another reason to just stop using the expression as if we are bastion of fairness and liberty

[Jersey409]

Haven’t finished the episode yet- not bad so far, but three things.

1-doesn’t Rebecca have a sister? I feel like she was mentioned several seasons ago . They never show her- even in childhood flashbacks

2- rebecca was straight up rude during the thanksgiving board game- how could she not realize she was only focusing on Miguel.

3- French accent from marguerite is absolutely terrible. This actress should have hung out with some French people.

[Rootbeer]

21 hours ago, Jersey409 said:

Haven’t finished the episode yet- not bad so far, but three things.

1-doesn’t Rebecca have a sister? I feel like she was mentioned several seasons ago . They never show her- even in childhood flashbacks

2- rebecca was straight up rude during the thanksgiving board game- how could she not realize she was only focusing on Miguel.

3- French accent from marguerite is absolutely terrible. This actress should have hung out with some French people.

Yes, Rebecca had a sister in the earlier seasons.  No idea what happened to her in the interim.

[himela]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

Yes, Rebecca had a sister in the earlier seasons.  No idea what happened to her in the interim.

I guess she is living somewhere in the universe with Kate's dog 🐶

[gonzosgirrl]

9 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

Yes, Rebecca had a sister in the earlier seasons.  No idea what happened to her in the interim.

 

8 hours ago, himela said:

I guess she is living somewhere in the universe with Kate's dog 🐶

She's living in the attic with Chuck Cunningham and Carrie's sister from King of Queens. 😁

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, gonzosgirrl said:

 

She's living in the attic with Chuck Cunningham and Carrie's sister from King of Queens. 😁

Don't forget Judy Winslow from Family Matters.

[maggiemae]

I find nothing likable about Kate. 

She wants to be taken care of but .... 

And why is Toby living in a fabulous apartment away from his family? Perhaps it is a company owned apartment.

[debraran]

9 hours ago, maggiemae said:

I find nothing likable about Kate. 

She wants to be taken care of but .... 

And why is Toby living in a fabulous apartment away from his family? Perhaps it is a wcompany owned apartment.

When my neighbor moved his family from CT to Calif they gave him a place to stay initially  and then helped him get his home. My nephew had a company help him with down payment (before Covid) They can be very generous if they want you.

I find this scenario very contrived with TIU. Just say they grew apart, but months did not cause this. I never understood their desire to get a daughter so soon after having a baby and one with disabilities that would need their attention a little more than most babies/toddlers. I don't understand why the daughter barely shown or talked about was needed? Things weren't perfect then and some fans were questioning if it was a scam. Just convoluted and why the whole grill episode is needed, maybe it will be clear then, but I doubt it. They wanted Kate with Philip but why is still another ? Was it too unbelievable that Kate stayed with Toby and worked things out? Is it a fairy tale that she is taken care of by an English guy who is (so far) rude and finds many women boring? Kate wont be?

Edited March 26, 2022 by debraran

[Rootbeer]

8 hours ago, debraran said:

When my neighbor moved his family from CT to Calif they gave him a place to stay initially  and then helped him get his home. My nephew had a company help him with down payment (before Covid) They can be very generous if they want you.

I find this scenario very contrived with TIU. Just say they grew apart, but months did not cause this. I never understood their desire to get a daughter so soon after having a baby and one with disabilities that would need their attention a little more than most babies/toddlers. I don't understand why the daughter barely shown or talked about was needed? Things weren't perfect then and some fans were questioning if it was a scam. Just convoluted and why the whole grill episode is needed, maybe it will be clear then, but I doubt it. They wanted Kate with Philip but why is still another ? Was it too unbelievable that Kate stayed with Toby and worked things out? Is it a fairy tale that she is taken care of by an English guy who is (so far) rude and finds many women boring? Kate wont be?

As far as never seeing Baby Hailey, I think the reason she hasn't been seen much onscreen this year is COVID protocols.  They use at least a couple of babies for every scene and the logistics are probably daunting.  Had COVID not struck, I think she'd be more visible.

On the other hand, I agree that there was no real reason for Kate and Toby to rush out and adopt a child when baby Jack wasn't even a year old.  Even if he wasn't a micropreemie with lifelong special needs, it seemed rushed to me.  I presume that was because the writers knew the show was only lasting 6 seasons and they needed to get it in there ASAP.  I think they also thought it would be ever so cute for Kate and Kevin to both have children on the same day and, since Kevin and Madison's twins were coming, they needed to get Kate another baby pronto. I guess we should be grateful they didn't have Kate get pregnant again and risk her life and the baby's so soon after little Jack almost died.

Edited March 26, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Dreamboat Annie]

I have to admit I was a little disappointed seeing Cassidy.  It's not that the actress didn't do a great job - she did.  It's that I thought her story had wrapped up a few eps ago (?) after her discussion with Kevin that they are not going to be romantically involved.  It was such a sad story and beautifully done by all, especially her, but for me it begged the question:  If she's not going to be with Kevin, then why an episode that featured her so prominently?  Was she filler for this episode?  

While an unexciting episode for the purposes of moving forward, I don't think it was filler per se.  But only for this reason.  It was an important episode as it showed Kevin decidedly taking control of his life.  I suppose the two contrasting flights were meant to be symbolic.  The flight out to the cabin was a nightmare (Kevin not in control) and the return flight was nice, calm (Kevin in control).  

 

 

 

[Pallas]

15 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

If she's not going to be with Kevin, then why an episode that featured her so prominently?

Cassidy is going to be with Kevin: but as his business partner, not his romantic partner. She's going to be Jack to his Miguel. She's going to be family. Which for this generation of the This Is Us tribe, stretches beyond the original five-person nuclear core, as Kevin once illustrated in his painting. (And Kevin, for you, giving up the guitar isn't quitting: it's growth.)

[Kdawg82]

I like the flashbacks. The real-time however grates on me. They lay these stories on way too thick. Now Kevin is going to start a building company that's run by all veterans? Really? My dad is a veteran. I really appreciate the sentiment. But I feel the Cassidy storyline is apropos  of nothing. They found Uncle Nicky & now she came along with him. They're instantly super involved in each other's lives to where they're babysitting infants and building homes for Kev. Like- ?!?! I hate what the show became.  It's too heavy handed. At least it wasn't another purely Randall and family episode. The show really got gratuitous with them for a whole season or more.

[gonzosgirrl]

2 hours ago, Pallas said:

Cassidy is going to be with Kevin: but as his business partner, not his romantic partner. She's going to be Jack to his Miguel.

This is a really interesting take on it. I like it!

[Dreamboat Annie]

10 hours ago, Pallas said:

Cassidy is going to be with Kevin: but as his business partner, not his romantic partner. She's going to be Jack to his Miguel. She's going to be family. Which for this generation of the This Is Us tribe, stretches beyond the original five-person nuclear core, as Kevin once illustrated in his painting.

I know that.  But she's not family at the moment.  To the Pearsons or to the viewers.  I might understand a Cassidy-heavy episode a few seasons ago had she become one of Kevin's business partners then, and then became family because of it, but we're into the final stretch. 

A final stretch that has yet to see Toby's story, Miguel's story (we got Beth's story but that could be it for the Pearson married-ins, I hope not).  Nicky?  I know that many here have seen enough of Rebecca and Jack's stories but I happen to enjoy them both and, while we have seen snippets of Rebecca's life, I don't think we've seen much unless I've forgotten.  We've seen snippets of when she was young, but not when she was grown up and before she met Jack.  We've seen Jack's run up to meeting Rebecca (wasn't he involved in something serious that was about to go down?) but have we seen any of Rebecca grown up before meeting Jack?  

We've had very brief snippets of Madison's life.  Regardless of how we feel about the character (I like her), there hasn't been a Madison episode and she's a regular character, the mother of Kevin's babies.  

So, with so much still to cover, and with so little time to cover it, I'm wondering why such a Cassidy-centric episode right now, unless there's another reason for it.  I'm not a Cassidy fan so that makes me a little nervous, lol.  In the hospital with Cassidy, Kevin said "I'm not going anywhere".  I know that meant he wasn't leaving the hospital, but could it have been a hint?