S06.E14: The Night Before the Wedding

[Tango64]

2 hours ago, hookedontv said:

And I'm going to hell with a couple of you for my laughter and puzzled expression when Kevin said he rented that little sports car convertible for Phillip and Kate.

Yeah, my first thought was "What? You rented that for your sister? You've seen your sister, right?" Or maybe he just thought it would be totally hilarious to prank her on her wedding day.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Tango64
typo

[Domenicholas]

8 minutes ago, Tango64 said:

Yeah, my first thought was "What? You rented that for your sister? You've seen your sister, right?" Or maybe he just thought it would be toally hilarious to prank her on her wedding day.

Me and my mom, who are both around Kate's size, laughed hard at that. My mom was like "We ain't never gonna see Kate get in that car."

[izabella]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

And yeah, there really was no reason she shouldn't have been able to go find a dress and some shoes in the morning. The wedding itself wasn't until later in the day. All she would have missed is maybe a winery tour or something.

I was surprised that huge, fancy, vacation resort didn't have a boutique in there. 

[Trillian]

8 hours ago, debraran said:

Kevin says that he's always carried Sophie with her and shows her the valentine. In your mind, how long has that valentine been in his wallet? I think that's something that's been there for a long time. He loves to put things in his wallet: He put that baseball card in there. I'm sure he's got a motivational quote somewhere in there and a Chinese fortune. That's been Kevin's thing.

Kevin lost his wallet in the rain coming back from Vancouver for the twins’ birth.  I guess he got it back with the contents intact?

why was Sophie still wearing her wedding ring - other than to psych us all out?

The whole time Cassidy was in his room, I was waiting for her to see the pink bra strategically draped over the chair where she left her shawl.  And who changes in someone else’s room?  Kev, help me unzip this thing. Unzipped. She throws her shawl over the unzipped back and returns to her own room to change into PJs. Was she just going to wander around the hotel clutching her pyjamas until she found someone to help?

Doesn’t matter. I loved it. Cried a bit at the montage of different-aged Sophie and Kevin walking together. It’s totally implausible, but it speaks to that deep-down longing for the first love - the one that got away - that a lot of people have. As someone above said, it’s a fairy tale. I, for one, am thrilled Kevin got his happily ever after. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Trillian

[izabella]

3 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

The other thing that I didn't understand about the luggage situation, is why did she only just realize that her luggage was lost when she got to the resort???  Wouldn't she have realized that it was missing right away at the airport baggage claim??  And, whoever is missing their pink bag with floofy luggage tags is still looking for it at the airport?

Airlines will deliver your luggage to you if they lost it.  She would have just had to stand in the long lost luggage line and given them her hotel info.  I've had that happen once when flying to New Orleans.  My bag somehow ended up on a different plane, so they delivered it to my hotel later that evening.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 minute ago, Trillian said:

Kevin lost his wallet in the rain coming back from Vancouver for the twins’ birth.  I guess he got it back with the contents intact?

 

I guess so.  I get what the show was trying to do with the Valentine in his wallet, but I cannot wrap my head around teen Kevin already carrying it in his wallet back in 98.  I can see Kevin saving it in a special place as a child, but I keep wondering when Kevin put it in his wallet.  Did he put it in his Velcro wallet as a kid and transfer it to a more adult leather one as a teen?  Because teen Kevin was a nightmare full of bravado followed by just being a dick after his injury.  That guy does not strike me as the kind of guy who would keep something like the Valentine.  He would have found it silly since he's already dating Sophie.  

[RachelKM]

4 hours ago, AriAu said:

3. Other than love at first sight, I am not sure that we ever truly saw them in a good relationship. YMMV

And this is my main problem with Kevin and Sophie.  It's treacly and a little schmaltzy to have a childhood sweetheart soulmate, but okay.  And yes, it would have been shitty to have another Pearson endgame by clip package and we've been given a background for them.  But that background is BAD.  

Someone referred to it as written in the stars versus written in the show (sorry I forgot to note the post author) and that is exactly what the problem is.  Sophie and Kevin being great together and so in love was all tell and no show.  What we saw was a grieving and emotionally wobbling Kevin marry his sweet but naïve long-time girlfriend.  She seemed nice and besotted as hell. But seriously immature and oblivious to Kevin's self-absorption and damage.

Then a brief relationship in which Kevin was still a addict mess. Then a hook up. 

There weren't really any episodes showing them being good together.  And that's because the only time they were happy was when they were idiot teens.

3 hours ago, pennben said:

Also, took me awhile to remember where I’d seen something similar, but finally recalled that it was The Gilmore Girls—Luke & Lorelei’s first date where he had pulled something out of his wallet that he had kept since they first met. 

That tracks.  I hated Luke & Lorelie too... actually I don't hate Kevin and Sophie.  I just don't find it well written or really earned by the writing.

Edited April 27, 2022 by RachelKM

[izabella]

2 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I may be hopelessly naive, but I think this could be a rare case where a couple could avoid the mistakes of the past.

Kevin has changed a lot since his breakup with Sophie four (?) seasons ago. He was a raging addict when they were married (booze), and when they gave it another go (prescription pills). 

He's now sober, and has done a ton of work on himself. He was a pretty awful person when he was college-aged, and he was a dumpster fire of messiness in the first two seasons. He's still messy, but he's become a good guy, who's made a ton of progress.

What I don't buy is that Sophie is in any position to see how different he is now.

My husband and I are living proof that Kevin and Sophie can work out.  We met when I was 18, tried dating several times which always ended up being messy, stayed friends, dated other people, tried again, stopped talking for a few years, I moved across country and years later moved back, kept dating other people...the works.  Our connection was undeniable, but we both needed to do some growing up and really figure out what we wanted out of life. 

FINALLY, we spent months talking through the past and our issues, and then got back together.  Apparently, our timing was right that time, because everything between us was so easy, and was exactly what we had always believed our relationship could be if we would just freaking get our act together.  Five years after that, we married, and it's been the best thing ever. 

I believe Kevin and Sophie are in a similar place, and will be happy together.  I think they do need to do more talking and working through the past so they can move forward, but this was a first step toward that.  We just won't get a chance to see them do it on this show, which is a shame.

[Eureka]

3 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Good point about Berlin!  I think most people thought she was coming from New York (and maybe she was, as a layover) because she talked about both.

The other thing that I didn't understand about the luggage situation, is why did she only just realize that her luggage was lost when she got to the resort???  Wouldn't she have realized that it was missing right away at the airport baggage claim??  And, whoever is missing their pink bag with floofy luggage tags is still looking for it at the airport?

If there is a service that will get your luggage at baggage claim for you and deliver it to your hotel all so that you have to do nothing at the airport, then sign me up, but I've never heard of that.  Even if there is, wouldn't the luggage have been on the same shuttle as her?  Or did she take a car and someone put "her" luggage in the trunk before she verified it was hers so she never saw it?

Sorry, I just thought of this rant now.  More bad writing, I guess.

Would she have been certified to work in another country? That’s what came to my mind last night.

[Dreamboat Annie]

13 hours ago, mansonlamps said:

This episode ruined the entire series for me,  I can't believe I wasted so much time watching.

Same here.  I won't be watching the rest.  Enjoy, all.  

[himela]

I wish I never see Kevin (the actor who plays him) ever again after this show. I'm willing to skip a show if he is in it. I don't like him. Also, I used to like Sophie (the actress) but after the stupid virgin Mary show she did that even my 8 years old sister would find idiotic and boring I don't like her anymore.

Two good episodes and this is the price I pay. Seeing Kevin and Sophie. Pfff

(sorry for the hate, I know many people love Kevin and Sophie 😑)

[Trillian]

9 minutes ago, izabella said:

My husband and I are living proof that Kevin and Sophie can work out.  We met when I was 18, tried dating several times which always ended up being messy, stayed friends, dated other people, tried again, stopped talking for a few years, I moved across country and years later moved back, kept dating other people...the works.  Our connection was undeniable, but we both needed to do some growing up and really figure out what we wanted out of life. 

FINALLY, we spent months talking through the past and our issues, and then got back together.  Apparently, our timing was right that time, because everything between us was so easy, and was exactly what we had always believed our relationship could be if we would just freaking get our act together.  Five years after that, we married, and it's been the best thing ever. 

I believe Kevin and Sophie are in a similar place, and will be happy together.  I think they do need to do more talking and working through the past so they can move forward, but this was a first step toward that.  We just won't get a chance to see them do it on this show, which is a shame.

That’s a sweet story.  Even if it does sound like one of the documentary couples in When Harry Met Sally!  

[izabella]

47 minutes ago, drafan said:

If Kate sees St Jack, who stifled her singing career, as she arrives at the pearly gates, I will be laughing so hard....I'm sure Mandy Moore does not want to be reunited with her ex, who she claimed stifled her singing career, when she dies. (I, personally, love her ex...well, his music, so don't skewer me to the wall. Please.)

It would be really, really interesting if Rebecca, deep into her dementia, remembers the bad times with Jack and starts talking freely to all of them about how he stifled her singing career, wanted kids right away when she didn't and pushed her really hard to have sex during that stupid football game after which she got pregnant, didn't give her a even one single moment to grieve their dead baby Kyle before springing someone else's baby on her to take care of, bought a house without her input at all, fed Kate too much ice cream when she was sad and taught her to eat her feelings which is why she is the size she is today, and all the times his drinking was out of control.

[mishap]

40 minutes ago, hookedontv said:

And I'm going to hell with a couple of you for my laughter and puzzled expression when Kevin said he rented that little sports car convertible for Phillip and Kate. I am not a small girl but nowhere near Kate, and I don't think I could fit into that car comfortably. Kevin should have rented a Bentley and called it a day.

I thought this too.  

I like how they do  not make Kate all about her weight.    

But i do find it distracting sometimes how there seem to be no issues with it any more.  Well it's a tv drama so they aren't going to focus on every aspect of her life.  

I'm glad she has accepted herself and  I'm glad they are portraying an obese woman, who lives her life.   Who loves and is loved and  has a job, and dresses  pretty well, most of the time, I think.  But that doesn't make her size irrelevant.  

She would not want to have to squeeze into that cute little car with all her guests watching  and waving for their big send off.  I think it was a big oversight on the show's part. 

 Unless that is going to be part of a future episode where Kate is humiliated and she and Kevin have a falling out because of it.  But since this is the last season i do not thing that is the case.  lol  

 

 

[FnkyChkn34]

27 minutes ago, Eureka said:

Would she have been certified to work in another country? That’s what came to my mind last night.

I have no idea how that works, but maybe as a civilian on an American military base?  You always hear that Germany is the first place that wounded soldiers in the Middle East are evacuated to, so it's plausible I guess.  (It's also a fictional TV show, I think we have to forgive  a lot... 😉)

[RachelKM]

47 minutes ago, izabella said:

FINALLY, we spent months talking through the past and our issues, and then got back together.  Apparently, our timing was right that time, because everything between us was so easy, and was exactly what we had always believed our relationship could be if we would just freaking get our act together.  Five years after that, we married, and it's been the best thing ever. 

That's lovely.  And if Kevin and Sophie did this (or any of the remaining in communication you described) I would have less of an issue.  But they didn't do this.  The show told us they didn't really talk much between their divorce and the start of Season 2.  That's more than 15 years.  And when the did talk, they immediately got into relationship which immediately devolved into their old pattern.

The show paid lip service to learning who each other are now but then pulled the Valentine nonsense which indicates that Kevin hasn't really been maturing.  He's been dating for years still with one foot out the door.  When he was with Sophie, that one foot was moving toward acting in Hollywood and after he left Sophie, she became the thing he was holding the door open for.

And that's probably what I disliked about the Valentine the most.  It invalidated all the apparent growth we'd seen from Kevin over the 6 seasons.  Granted, some of that damage was done with the 5 year time-lapse of "Kevin Serial Dates Commercial Models the Family Only Knows by Product Line."  But knowing that he was holding on to Sophie during every single relationship he had was just... ugh.  That's not growth or progress; it's treading water.

Edited April 27, 2022 by RachelKM

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

Those kids were wallet-photo beautiful.

Boy, I was thrown for a loop when those kids bounded out and hugged Kevin. I didn't expect them to be so big and... verbal!

I did like the story that Sophie told about her husband pretending to FF past Kevin scenes on TV, with Sophie often playing along. I figure after she saw Kevin at the engagement party her feelings were rekindled, and at that point she couldn't play along with her husband and the FFing anymore.

When she said she was a traveling nurse, I imagined her traveling to a small California town to be a nurse/midwife.

[Ohiopirate02]

43 minutes ago, Eureka said:

Would she have been certified to work in another country? That’s what came to my mind last night.

I have cousin who's an occupational therapist and she travelled right out of school.  She spent like 6 months in Bermuda as a US citizen and was able to work there.  I also used to know a pharmacist who moved to Australia from the US for a couple of years and it was not that difficult for her to legally work down there.  Reciprocity across nations does exist especially for first world nations.  Germany is in the EU where doctors and nurses from one EU nation can legally work in other EU nations.  I don't think it's too much of a stretch that an American nurse could work in a clinic in Germany.

 

17 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

I have no idea how that works, but maybe as a civilian on an American military base?  You always hear that Germany is the first place that wounded soldiers in the Middle East are evacuated to, so it's plausible I guess.  (It's also a fictional TV show, I think we have to forgive  a lot... 😉)

Sophie said that she was in Berlin and the main American base is in Ramstein.  Unless TIU Germany is as fluid as TIU Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she would not be working there.  

[Aloeonatable]

24 minutes ago, izabella said:

It would be really, really interesting if Rebecca, deep into her dementia, remembers the bad times with Jack and starts talking freely to all of them about how he stifled her singing career, wanted kids right away when she didn't and pushed her really hard to have sex during that stupid football game after which she got pregnant, didn't give her a even one single moment to grieve their dead baby Kyle before springing someone else's baby on her to take care of, bought a house without her input at all, fed Kate too much ice cream when she was sad and taught her to eat her feelings which is why she is the size she is today, and all the times his drinking was out of control.

I never thought Jack "stifled' Rebecca's singing career. How did he do that? He told her she was a 40 year old woman singing cover songs in bars. I hardly think that is a career. She could have told him to "shove it" and she was going to continue to sing with her ex, but she didn't. Her choice. 

As for her not wanting children, they had been together for years at that point, at least 6 years. Jack wanted a family. She could have left him, kind of like what Zoe did to Kevin, but she didn't. She chose to have sex with him, whenever & wherever. 

Rebecca mourned Kyle. She also told Randall that even though Jack chose him for them, "that child became my life." 

My point is that at any time Rebecca could have disagreed with Jack and chose to do what she wanted. She didn't. 

[BoogieBurns]

15 hours ago, pennben said:

I think she had given it back to him with the “yes” circled indicating she would be his valentine. I don’t save episodes (one viewing is more than enough these days😊), maybe someonelse could confirm  

Confirmed

[Ohiopirate02]

8 minutes ago, Aloeonatable said:

I never thought Jack "stifled' Rebecca's singing career. How did he do that? He told her she was a 40 year old woman singing cover songs in bars. I hardly think that is a career. She could have told him to "shove it" and she was going to continue to sing with her ex, but she didn't. Her choice. 

Rebecca's music career never took off because she did not want to put in the work for it to.  She sang in bars around Pittsburgh mostly likely being funded by her dad before meeting Jack, and they took one trip to LA for her to meet with a record company.  The record company was honest--she had talent, she was "Pittsburgh good," but she needed more practice.  They suggested she should stay in LA and perform live there.  Rebecca then chose to move back to Pittsburgh and sing in bars there.  She was never really that serious about it.  When she got back into singing, she was still with a local band that was always going to be a local band.  It was a part-time gig.  

[FnkyChkn34]

4 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

Confirmed

I discovered this on Instagram too, but it bothers me a good bit that we need to visit social media just to be able to fully understand a pretty major plot point.  There should have been a better close-up on the show so that we immediately understood then.

[MissLucas]

1 hour ago, Trillian said:

Kevin lost his wallet in the rain coming back from Vancouver for the twins’ birth.  I guess he got it back with the contents intact?

Somewhere on the cutting room floor lies a scene with Josh Molina showing up at Kevin's doorstep handing him the wallet back. Probably complete with a long stob story how he checked the contents, found the Valentine's card which reminded him of his own long lost love (run over by a bus or killed by a kitchen appliance) and decided to bring it back to Kevin complete with pearls of wisdom. 

[Chanandler Bong]

Sounds like I’m probably in the minority here, but I loved this episode (well what this episode resulted in at least). It helps that Justin Hartley and Alexandra Breckenridge have such great chemistry.

I love that Kevin and Sophie found their way back to each other. I love love loved Rebecca’s talk with Sophie — almost an unintentional time traveling moment that gave Sophie the insight she needed. I loved the Valentine and the simple “I’ve always carried you with me, Soph” (instead of a typical Pearson speech). I loved the cheering after the kiss. I loved it all. (Except Randall’s analogy about the Super Bowl merch — what a weird, meandering way to get to “The world is crazy amiright?” I thought he was going somewhere like their losses seemed pointless, but it actually had an even more meaningful purpose after all. It just took some time to get there…or something. Also a reach, but not a total left turn.)

We finally get the full Miguel/Rebecca story next week!!!

Edited April 27, 2022 by Chanandler Bong

[JudyObscure]

15 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Sophie pushed Kevin away in the hotel room because of shampoo and him wanting her to be who she was back then, and then her speech at the end made it sound like she's been holding college-aged Kevin's behavior against him for decades and only now that he's 'grown up' will she entertain the idea of being with her again.

Right. I can totally buy into Kevin's story.  Lot's of men have an ideal woman in mind; a certain look, kind, fun, smart, with the looks part weighted 98%.  Nothing else will really do. At first sight, Kevin thought he'd seen a princess in Sophie  and since then all other women have  come in second at best. 

But Sophie.  She's always been the entitled one, the princess who must be won with golden apples and perfect behavior,  just waiting for Kevin to make a mistake, like saying her hair smells the same! The horror! 

  Good luck Kevin, have fun doing the hard work for Sophie's favor for the rest of your life.

[nilyank]

13 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

Confirmed

There is no way that 5 year old Kevin wrote that with the perfect penmanship, spelling, correct letter case and size and spacing.

And somehow that 40 year old Valentine survived a little boy’s attention span to save his treasure piece of paper to survive losing his wallet and the fatal crockpot that burned down the Pearson’s family home and ALL their worldly possessions. Are we to believe teenage Kevin was carrying a wallet when he stormed out after that last fight with Jack?

Spare me the contrivance of the symbol of Kevin’s love for Sophie that we the audience never saw ever before last night. They should have had him carrying a picture of Sophie from when they got married which was post-fire.

[LexieLily]

8 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Right. I can totally buy into Kevin's story.  Lot's of men have an ideal woman in mind; a certain look, kind, fun, smart, with the looks part weighted 98%.  Nothing else will really do. At first sight, Kevin thought he'd seen a princess in Sophie  and since then all other women have  come in second at best. 

But Sophie.  She's always been the entitled one, the princess who must be won with golden apples and perfect behavior,  just waiting for Kevin to make a mistake, like saying her hair smells the same! The horror! 

  Good luck Kevin, have fun doing the hard work for Sophie's favor for the rest of your life.

We also have no idea how current-day Adult Sophie feels about children. There's a big difference between asking about your former flame/ex-husband's twins and being in the day to day being around the children that your now-boyfriend had with another woman he was at one point engaged to. Madison is always going to be in Kevin's life because of Nick and Frannie. How does Adult Sophie feel about that?

Sophie was the most important part of Kevin's teenagehood and young-adulthood but she hasn't been a major part of his life since the last time they tried to date - which was after being out of contact for twelve years. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by LexieLily

[izabella]

31 minutes ago, Aloeonatable said:

I never thought Jack "stifled' Rebecca's singing career. How did he do that? He told her she was a 40 year old woman singing cover songs in bars. I hardly think that is a career. She could have told him to "shove it" and she was going to continue to sing with her ex, but she didn't. Her choice. 

As for her not wanting children, they had been together for years at that point, at least 6 years. Jack wanted a family. She could have left him, kind of like what Zoe did to Kevin, but she didn't. She chose to have sex with him, whenever & wherever. 

Rebecca mourned Kyle. She also told Randall that even though Jack chose him for them, "that child became my life." 

My point is that at any time Rebecca could have disagreed with Jack and chose to do what she wanted. She didn't. 

I agree Rebecca was milquetoast in the face of Jack's steamrolling, for sure.  She rarely stood up for herself.

The main time I remember Jack being against her singing career was when the old band showed up and she tried to sing with them.  She wanted to go on a five-state tour with them, but Jack felt threatened and uncomfortable with it.  She caved.

Rebecca did want kids, but not on Jack's timetable.  He wanted them right away and pushed her into it.  Yes, she should have said no, but she went along with it and ended up with three.  And yes, she grieved Kyle, but Jack sprung Randall on her while she was still in the hospital and barely had a moment to even take it in while in pain and on pain meds.  No, she didn't say something like "Kyle's body isn't even cold yet, Jack, and you want me to take on a stranger's baby?" but she did push back.  A little.  But Jack kept pushing and made a Pearson speech and, oh, look, mom knitted THREE sweaters and manipulated her into it AND gave him Kyle's name.

All I'm saying, is Rebecca in dementia may have some strong feelings to express which she didn't in the past when Jack was alive and she was invested in making sure the kids believed he was St. Jack.

[gonzosgirrl]

1 minute ago, LexieLily said:

We also have no idea how current-day Adult Sophie feels about children.

She is close enough to the family that she's well aware Kevin has two young children. It seemed clear to me that she came to the wedding prepared to either make it or break it with Kevin (I realize that's debatable but that was my feeling), so she must also be ready to be a step-mom to his children.

[LexieLily]

4 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

She is close enough to the family that she's well aware Kevin has two young children. It seemed clear to me that she came to the wedding prepared to either make it or break it with Kevin (I realize that's debatable but that was my feeling), so she must also be ready to be a step-mom to his children.

Kevin is a wildly famous actor (in This Is Us world) and his engagement to Madison and impending fatherhood at the time made the gossip magazines. Everyone that reads entertainment media knows that Kevin has young children. We know that Sophie saw the magazine because that was when she called Kevin to congratulate him. I don't know that I'd take that as evidence of ongoing closeness with the family despite what the show tried to sell. It was implied when Kate texted Sophie in the Katoby episode that was the first time they'd connected meaningfully in years since Teen Kevin cheated on Teen Sophie.

[hoosiergirl]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

It would be really, really interesting if Rebecca, deep into her dementia, remembers the bad times with Jack and starts talking freely to all of them about how he stifled her singing career, wanted kids right away when she didn't and pushed her really hard to have sex during that stupid football game after which she got pregnant, didn't give her a even one single moment to grieve their dead baby Kyle before springing someone else's baby on her to take care of, bought a house without her input at all, fed Kate too much ice cream when she was sad and taught her to eat her feelings which is why she is the size she is today, and all the times his drinking was out of control.

Yes! I would be there for all that. 🍿

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, himela said:

I wish I never see Kevin (the actor who plays him) ever again after this show. I'm willing to skip a show if he is in it. I don't like him. Also, I used to like Sophie (the actress) but after the stupid virgin Mary show she did that even my 8 years old sister would find idiotic and boring I don't like her anymore.

Two good episodes and this is the price I pay. Seeing Kevin and Sophie. Pfff

(sorry for the hate, I know many people love Kevin and Sophie 😑)

I didn't know either actor from anything else so I had no preconceived love or hate for them. I agree with others that it feels unearned, which also means I have no strong feelings one way or the other about who Kevin ends up with. It's Sophie, okay, good for them. I loved the show in the beginning, then I liked it enough to stick it out, knowing there was a planned end point, but now I'm ready for this show to be done. (Which is not to say I won't probably cry at the end.)

[Aloeonatable]

13 minutes ago, izabella said:

Rebecca did want kids, but not on Jack's timetable.  He wanted them right away and pushed her into it.  Yes, she should have said no, but she went along with it and ended up with three.  And yes, she grieved Kyle, but Jack sprung Randall on her while she was still in the hospital and barely had a moment to even take it in while in pain and on pain meds.  No, she didn't say something like "Kyle's body isn't even cold yet, Jack, and you want me to take on a stranger's baby?" but she did push back.  A little.  But Jack kept pushing and made a Pearson speech and, oh, look, mom knitted THREE sweaters and manipulated her into it AND gave him Kyle's name.

 

Rebecca was 30 when the triplets were born, and in her early 20's when she met Jack. 6 years is plenty of time to get used to having children. Jack was already 35 when he felt it was time. How much more time did Rebecca need? Why was her time schedule more important than his? 

I'm sorry, but I don't think that Rebecca was manipulated. She could have said no. She was smiling at the three babies in their cradles at the end of the first episode.

As for this recent episode, I was often times bored, once I realized that Sophie was Kevin's endgame. The characters never seemed to really connect in the few times we saw them together over the course of the series. 

[JudyObscure]

23 minutes ago, hoosiergirl said:

Yes! I would be there for all that. 🍿

 I'll bet Miguel would be, too.

[statsgirl]

16 minutes ago, Aloeonatable said:

 How much more time did Rebecca need? Why was her time schedule more important than his?

Because she was the one at home raising them and dealing with all the feelings of being stuck that that brought on.

[gonzosgirrl]

37 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Kevin is a wildly famous actor (in This Is Us world) and his engagement to Madison and impending fatherhood at the time made the gossip magazines. Everyone that reads entertainment media knows that Kevin has young children. We know that Sophie saw the magazine because that was when she called Kevin to congratulate him. I don't know that I'd take that as evidence of ongoing closeness with the family despite what the show tried to sell. It was implied when Kate texted Sophie in the Katoby episode that was the first time they'd connected meaningfully in years since Teen Kevin cheated on Teen Sophie.

She was close enough to be invited to Kate's engagement party and wedding, regardless of the relationship prior to that. The point was that she went into it at this time knowing there were children involved in any relationship she entered into with him. (The post I was responding to questioned how present-day Sophie felt about children.)

Edited April 27, 2022 by gonzosgirrl

[gonzosgirrl]

I am not really on board with the idea that the Kevin/Sophie endgame was unearned. It's been a thread throughout the entire series, and the focus of more than a few episodes. The bad timing, the bad decisions (largely on Kevin's part), the failed relationships with others, no matter how hard they tried or genuinely wanted to move on. As one of five major main character relationships on the show (six if you count Deja/Malik which I don't) I feel I've been told their story to a satisfying end.

[Tabbygirl521]

17 hours ago, OhSarah69 said:

I’m trying to enjoy every minute of this show so will sit through some irritating scenes if I have to.  I did enjoy Nicky with the ice bucket trying to put horrible images into Kevin’s head, LOL.  I do wonder, as someone upthread just asked, why Nicky hasn’t interacted much with Randall or Kate since he’s seemingly become besties with Kevin.

I was kind of hoping all the hints in Kevin’s room with the pink bra and the shawl and the poetry on napkins and all that would end up being red herrings, and that Kevin ended up alone (I mean, not forever, just that night).  He and Cassidy wouldn’t have lasted long as romantic partners - I think they’re great as friends and coworkers.  To me, their baggage would always be front & centre in a romantic relationship - who needs that drama? (I mean, we all go into relationships with some baggage, but we’re talking Pearson-caliber baggage). And I’m glad he didn’t end up with that dippy wedding singer - not a fan.  And a terrible singer if you ask me! .  And finally, I don’t buy that Sophie and Kevin have been pining for each other for 20+ years, I’m sorry, I just don’t.  That kiss and everyone clapping in the background was dumb.

Question - when Little Kevin wrote Sophie’s name on that Valentine card, did he never give it to her?  If he did give it to her, presumably she would have kept it, for awhile at least (not 35 years!), so how would Kevin have it?  Or did he write it but not give it to her, explaining why he would still have it in his possession?  The mind boggles.

I was impressed that six-year-old Kevin knew how to spell “Sophie” on his own. 

[Tabbygirl521]

16 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Okay…..were the writers trying to make fun of Kate?   Did you notice how small the yellow convertible was?  Kevin said he got it for Philip and Kate….it was that or a golf cart. He had put a Just Married sign on the back.  WHY?  There is no way Kate would have fit in that vehicle. They all knew that.  It reminded me off the wedding scene of the movie Shallow Hal!  A very large Gwyneth Paltro gets into a small car and………

When Sophie was lying on top of Kevin after going into his room, as she was kissing him, he looked like he was going to sleep. I think I might have left too.  Lol

I had that thought about the car, too, and I kind of hated myself. Thank god she didn’t have to actually pretend to get in or whatever. 

[chocolatine]

7 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Plus, some people just don't like to schlep a carry-on through the airports.  Personally, I'd pack a carry-on for a week overseas if I could, but everyone is different!

I was just expecting that, as a *traveling* nurse, Sophie would be good at packing and not want to waste the time it takes to check and pick up luggage (and avoid the obvious risk of it getting put on the wrong plane). Most airlines allow a small suitcase (up to 22"x15"x9") in the overhead space, plus a "personal item" that fits under the seat in front - I can fit a large tote bag in there. For a frequent traveler who plans ahead, that's plenty of space. For this trip, Sophie needed two dresses, a pair of heels, a few small accessories, a set of sleepwear, some bras and panties, and a set of travel-sized toiletries. She could have fit all of that into a carry-on with room to spare for another casual outfit and sneakers to explore the vineyard in.

As for whether she'd be able to work in Germany without German work authorization, I think that would only be possible on a US military base, and there are none that are close to Berlin (because Berlin is in what used to be East Germany). To work in a German facility, she would not only need a visa and work authorization, but also a German nursing certification, all of which takes several months to procure, at the very least. It seems like a very tight timeline between the engagement party and the wedding to divorce her husband (not just separate), and start a new job in another country.

Edited April 27, 2022 by chocolatine

[MaggieG]

Sigh, I was hoping it was Cassidy. 

Already crying at next week's preview.

[debraran]

Nice interview from Alex on Sophie's journey off screen.I know Dan said being in Canada and Covid made the Madison relationship longer, maybe why the wedding plans etc. She was always his end game though.

https://ew.com/tv/this-is-us-alexandra-breckinridge-interview-sophies-return-epic-speech/?utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_entertainmentweekly&utm_content=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=62694dc96ea8aa0001879535&fbclid=IwAR2auqUAmN6pRb54DXyqRNwwIHhdKrYQd9PrFwtGbh74mMpXYUcDtQWjUjA

[cardigirl]

20 hours ago, brokenwing29 said:

We saw how Kevin and Sophie met and that wasn't it (plus, they were a few years older). I didn't feel it was earned (as someone else commented) with this rewrite. And they can't love who each other are "now" because they have no idea who that is - they just pulled Sophie out of thin air after umpteen episodes. She and Kevin didn't even keep in touch enough to know that she was divorced. 

I totally agree. Sophie said they were their "best" selves now, that they needed to love each other for who they are now, not from the past, but they've spent all of one day together, so they really don't know who those people are. 

I'm disappointed with this outcome, because I don't believe it, I guess. I'm cynical like that. 🖤

The rest of the show I did enjoy.  Uncle Nicky is so happy, and seeing Kevin co-parent so well with Madison is fun. Kevin has always been able to talk to children well. 

I'm going to cry at Miguel's episode, I'm pretty sure. 

[MBayGal]

10 hours ago, AriAu said:

4. Finally, Sophie said that she wanted a relationship based on who they are now, but there is no way she saw something in the 24+ hours that leads her to reach that conclusion....we as viewers did not!

Hearing how devoted he is to his children, watching him interact with them, seeing his comfortable relationship with Madison and her dorky husband, and knowing he has maintained his sobriety for several years--all gave her a sense that he has matured and become someone with whom a good relationship is possible.  Not guaranteed, but worth a try.

[buckboard]

Ariau wrote:

"Finally, Sophie said that she wanted a relationship based on who they are now, but there is no way she saw something in the 24+ hours that leads her to reach that conclusion....we as viewers did not!"

Sophie seemed quite taken with the way Kevin behaved with his kids as she watched him roasting marshmallows with them.  Sophie and Kevin spent time and had a long conversation when they went shopping for clothes, etc.  I'm sure she observed him with his mom and others at the wedding and reception.  They had been very close for years, even if it was decades ago, and I'm sure she could tell the difference in him now.  They weren't strangers she was meeting for the first time.  He is no longer the messed up teen and young man that he was years earlier.

Edited April 27, 2022 by buckboard

[MBayGal]

7 hours ago, hookedontv said:

And I'm going to hell with a couple of you for my laughter and puzzled expression when Kevin said he rented that little sports car convertible for Phillip and Kate. I am not a small girl but nowhere near Kate, and I don't think I could fit into that car comfortably. 

Save me a seat in the train to hell!  When I saw that, my first thought was No way she can get in that car--at all, much less comfortably. 

[BoogieBurns]

Literally never once noticed the car had small seats. And even then, didn't worry about Kate fitting in it.

Ignorance is bliss, y'all. Also, Kate's like 210 pounds in my mind these days. (As in, I don't think about her weight at all, she doesn't seem to, so I'll mentally agree she just isn't stick thin. I know Chrissy is closer to 400 pounds. But Chrissy isn't Kate. It makes no sense except in my very weird brain!)

[noluvnoluck]

8 hours ago, drafan said:

OMG...make this show end.

Stupidity as follows:

Six year old Kevin did not write out that Valentine as Sophie walked into the room. He was never shown to be any genius...hard name to spell correctly. And there were hardly any little Sophies in the mid-80s...it was an Eastern European granny name back then.

 

 

 

As a first grade teacher, I absolutely rolled my eyes at that. It would've been more realistic and adorable if he'd misspelled her name. 

Edited April 28, 2022 by noluvnoluck

[buckboard]

36 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

 Also, Kate's like 210 pounds in my mind these days. (As in, I don't think about her weight at all, she doesn't seem to, so I'll mentally agree she just isn't stick thin. I know Chrissy is closer to 400 pounds. But Chrissy isn't Kate. It makes no sense except in my very weird brain!)

Boogieburns, I think just the opposite.  Chrissy mentioned in an interview that she was wearing prosthetics for filming.  Chrissy is actually thinner than her character Kate is. (Thinner being relative.)  I don't know if we'll see her weighing less on TIU, but I wouldn't be surprised.  

[Ohmo]

23 hours ago, Jax7917 said:

I kind of want Sophie and Kevin to end up together because I’m a sucker for nostalgia but the two actors have no chemistry.

Really?  Justin usually doesn't do it for me, but the way he was looking at Alexandra in that last scene...um yeah, I'd take that.

The whole thing with the Valentines and the actors that played little Kevin and little Sophie....I bought all of it.  They were both adorable.

I also liked the acknowledgement of Cassidy and Kevin as friends.