S06.E17: The Train

[A.Ham]

19 hours ago, Nancybeth said:

I'm usually a fan of Mandy Moore and I've loved her on this show, but I don't know what that super wide eyed, almost dumb look she was doing last night was all about. It was like she was very much AN ACTOR ACTING all of the sudden, and didn't have the natural effect that her performance usually has. It totally threw me off. Like girl, relax your face a little! 

Yup, whoever mentioned that was creepy upthread was on point in my eyes. It was almost like she was hallucinating. Come to think of it, that may have been the point, given her state. Still creepy to me.

Edited May 19, 2022 by A.Ham

[Cristofle]

1 hour ago, GeorgiaRai said:

I feel like a lot of people are missing the fact that all of this was going on inside Rebecca’s head, in the mind of someone with Alzheimer’s. In a way, she’s her own unreliable narrator, and her recollection of the last few years of her life is unfortunately non-existent.

I think this is a good point, and I was thinking about it. It's tragic, but Rebecca was barely aware that Miguel had passed away. She was confused and upset when she couldn't find him, but the Big Three apparently just kept distracting her, which was the kindest thing they could do by that point. She also was barely aware of his caretaking in their final couple years together. She was flashing back to a version of herself on the train when Jack and the kids were the center of her world. And I think her pain and longing for Jack WERE more accute - I do believe Jack is unequivocally the love of her life but I also think she spent many, many years heartbroken over Jack versus she just wasn't there enough when Miguel died. I don't think much of that registered with her, especially the her on the train, hence Miguel was also younger than he ever was in their marriage by a lot. 

[Notabug]

31 minutes ago, Trillian said:

IIRC, there were background sounds of the code while Rebecca was on the phone and one could see people running around and into “a” room in the background. 

Just found the scene: I did remember correctly. Whether that all could’ve happened in the time allotted, I leave to you (I missed that class in law school).

 

Young, previously healthy guy like Jack would be given the full court press by the Code Team, figure 45 minutes or so.  Afterwards, the room would look like a war zone: equipment everywhere, wrappers from various IV sets and other suppies strewn about the floor.  Someone like Jack would've had his clothes cut off of him so they could work more easily placing lines and such. Because Jack died suddenly, he would've been a coroner's case which means an autopsy would be automatic; to discover a cause of death and rule out foul play.  That means that, BY LAW, none of the tubes can be removed from his body.  The coroner wants to be able to distinguish between bruises causes by IV starts vs recreational drugs.  They need to see that he was intubated and that the tube was in the proper place, that his death wasn't facilitated by a medical mistake.  That any bruises on his lips, cuts on his tongue or chipped teeth could be due to intubation and not violence. Usually, they cut the IV's off with just a couple inches of tubing still on the line and make sure it is taped down well and cut the endotracheal tube right at the lip line; but nothing gets removed.  

Rebecca would not be brought into the room to view him until they'd cleaned him up a little and removed what they could and covered him with at least a sheet from the neck down.  As someone who has had more than one loved one die in the ER, I can attest that Rebecca wouldn't have even noticed the tubes and wires.  I didn't.

[Shermie]

8 hours ago, Haleth said:

That was lovely.  You know what Rebecca's train journey reminded me of?  The Five People You Meet in Heaven, a book I read in one sitting and cried buckets, buckets for hours.  This felt a lot like that.  Loved seeing Dr K and William as guides for Rebecca.  Loved seeing the Big 3 at different ages together on the train.  Mandy never looked so beautiful.

Like many others I thought Marcus would turn out to be Deja's fiance.  Boring.  Leave it to the writers to tease us with a misdirection then hit us with the real significance of the character.  Everyone is connected.  (Marcus didn't cure Alzheimers, he developed a treatment that helped prolong Rebecca's life.)

Miguel got robbed.

So how are they going to top this episode next week?  This really felt like a finale.

All of this. Except I don’t think Miguel got robbed.

Jack was always Rebecca’s great love and that’s who she was focused on returning to in the afterlife. Yes, she loved Miguel too, but if Jack hadn’t died, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have left him and taken up with Miguel because he was the better true love for her. 

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I thought the train was a beautiful metaphor, loved all the call backs, seeing the children at all phases is just what mothers do, and quick visits with other important people in her life was neat.  

William as  conductor was perfect for me, he had been in Rebecca's mind from the moment she adopted Randall and they had connected so strongly at the end of his life, but unlike her family he was more of an audience for her life.  As for being a trope, gentle and wise is a pretty good one to be.

And this.

I’m surprised and annoyed that some didn’t get the point of Marcus and his family. Methinks some watch the show while scrolling through texts or Instagram or something, because it was pretty obvious if you paid attention. 

The train of different cars was a great metaphor for the different stages and people we encounter in life. The people that were important to Rebecca’s life journey were there.

I wonder if that’s the first time the different aged Kevin and Randall actors were in the same scene together.

5 hours ago, TVForever said:

Miguel got short shrift AGAIN. He told her she was his favorite person, and got a lovely smile in return, before being moved along.

Well, she might have been his favourite person, but he wasn’t her favourite person.

And yes, an Emmy for casting should go to this show. I’ve seen shows where siblings look nothing alike, older/younger versions of a character are completely different, parents and kids don’t even look related. But this show? Kudos all around.

[BC4ME]

1 hour ago, GeorgiaRai said:

I think Rebecca looked & acted unusual because the circumstances were unusual!  This wasn't Rebecca on a train; it was Rebecca's mind creating images based on reality and fantasy.  The wide-eyed wonder seemed appropriate to me, especially considering how long her dementia has had her locked away.  And her clothing and make up was IMO, a projection of what she saw as her most beautiful self.  It wasn't meant to look natural, because the whole experience was supernatural.

I liked this take about Miguel (from Reddit but shared by Good Housekeeping, which who knew was still a thing?)

• I feel like a lot of people are missing the fact that all of this was going on inside Rebecca’s head, in the mind of someone with Alzheimer’s. In a way, she’s her own unreliable narrator, and her recollection of the last few years of her life is unfortunately non-existent. She’s not the late 70s-aged version of herself; she’s Rebecca at her prime. All of the people she sees actually manifest as they would have been at that time. Of course Miguel gets short shrift - he was only ever Jack’s friend in the time frame in which she sees herself. The big three appear as adults, but her flash of recognition seems more palpable when she sees them as children and young adults. William symbolizes the confusion and self-flagellation that came with keeping secrets from Randal, and in her last moments, he (and the doctor) permit her to forgive herself for her life’s mistakes. I think his was incredibly well handled. I’m not sure if people really were expecting the metaphorical “life flashing before her eyes”, because what they got was something significant and profound: a woman, at the end of her life, forgiving herself and being forgiven.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a40034247/this-is-us-season-6-train-episode-rebecca-miguel-fan-reaction/

This is all well and good for their intention but if so many people didn't get that then they didn't do a very good job of telling that story.

 

Edited to add. Maybe if they hadn't made us so confused over the Marcus family we'd have had some attention left to figure out their vision for Rebecca on the train. 

Edited May 18, 2022 by BC4ME

[Cancun]

5 hours ago, monakane said:

I started crying as soon as Rebecca entered the train.  The day before my mother passed from cancer, she told me she had a dream that she was riding on a train and her mother, father, and sister (all deceased) were on it.  A few years ago, when my brother in law was dying, he had similar dreams.  The hospice nurse told my sister that she hears these stories all the time.  I'm so glad TIU addressed it.  

Same with my dad when he was in hospice care and a bit delirious near the end. I took the overnight shift sitting with him those last few days, so my mom could get some sleep, and I heard/saw him do some strange things. He said he had to hurry so he didn’t miss the train. Then he called out to family (presumable on the train?) who pre-deceased him and waved his arms. It was so freaky, I did a bunch of reading afterward. I agree Hospice workers are quite familiar with this scenario.

[Notabug]

4 hours ago, DanaK said:

Once thing I'm confused about in regards to Deja being pregnant, if this episode was 10 years from the present, why is she only now getting pregnant for the first time and the first of Randall's kids having a baby? You would think within those 10 years, Deja at least would have had a baby before then given she was at least 18 in our present. If she became a doctor as I recall, maybe going to med school and establishing herself had her put off motherhood

If Deja is 18 today, then she is just 28 in 10 years.  She's also finished undergrad and medical school.  I suspect that many, if not most. women who go for advanced degrees, especially when there are years of training involved afterwards; would not be having a family much before Deja.  Late 20's-early 30's is the typical time for most young women physicians to start having kids these days.

As it is, she is supposed to be an intern doing internal medicine.  Having a baby during internship is tough; I'm not surprised it was an accidental pregnancy.   Yes, even doctors have those, although not nearly as often as Gray's Anatomy or ER seemed to imply.  Internal medicine is a 3 year residency followed in many cases by a fellowship to specialize in stuff like gastroenterology or cardiology or whatever.  So, Deja isn't going to be finished training until she is well into her 30's.

[Eliot]

4 hours ago, DanaK said:

Once thing I'm confused about in regards to Deja being pregnant, if this episode was 10 years from the present, why is she only now getting pregnant for the first time and the first of Randall's kids having a baby? You would think within those 10 years, Deja at least would have had a baby before then given she was at least 18 in our present. If she became a doctor as I recall, maybe going to med school and establishing herself had her put off motherhood

I don’t understand why that would be unusual. Plenty of women put off having children until they’re in their 30s. Especially if they are establishing themselves in careers.

[Trillian]

10 minutes ago, Notabug said:

Young, previously healthy guy like Jack would be given the full court press by the Code Team, figure 45 minutes or so.  Afterwards, the room would look like a war zone: equipment everywhere, wrappers from various IV sets and other suppies strewn about the floor.  Someone like Jack would've had his clothes cut off of him so they could work more easily placing lines and such. Because Jack died suddenly, he would've been a coroner's case which means an autopsy would be automatic; to discover a cause of death and rule out foul play.  That means that, BY LAW, none of the tubes can be removed from his body.  The coroner wants to be able to distinguish between bruises causes by IV starts vs recreational drugs.  They need to see that he was intubated and that the tube was in the proper place, that his death wasn't facilitated by a medical mistake.  That any bruises on his lips, cuts on his tongue or chipped teeth could be due to intubation and not violence. Usually, they cut the IV's off with just a couple inches of tubing still on the line and make sure it is taped down well and cut the endotracheal tube right at the lip line; but nothing gets removed.  

Rebecca would not be brought into the room to view him until they'd cleaned him up a little and removed what they could and covered him with at least a sheet from the neck down.  As someone who has had more than one loved one die in the ER, I can attest that Rebecca wouldn't have even noticed the tubes and wires.  I didn't.

Wow. My beloved cousin died suddenly of a heart attack just this week, and your description of what must’ve happened - his wife described the efforts to save him as heroic - is hitting hard. Thank you for the last paragraph - I’m glad she wouldn’t have seen the worst of it. 

I guess this highlights the clumsy way they shoehorned Dr Marcus into the story. The whole circle of life with one dead and one saved in 20 minutes does sound like a total fail. What didn’t work for me (glaring on the rewatch I was able to do this afternoon) is Jack’s lemonade speech. It worked for Dr K, because the lemonade was baby Randall and, to be blunt, Kyle was already dead and the worst had already happened. But Jack told a father who was concerned about his son’s surviving surgery to make the best of a bad situation. He’s lucky the dad didn’t haul off and belt him. Time and place, Jack. 
 

[Notabug]

6 minutes ago, Cancun said:

Same with my dad when he was in hospice care and a bit delirious near the end. I took the overnight shift sitting with him those last few days, so my mom could get some sleep, and I heard/saw him do some strange things. He said he had to hurry so he didn’t miss the train. Then he called out to family (presumable on the train?) who pre-deceased him and waved his arms. It was so freaky, I did a bunch of reading afterward. I agree Hospice workers are quite familiar with this scenario.

I think the 'going on a journey' metaphor is real, too.  I was with an elderly friend when she died and she kept talking about people who were there and what they were wearing, etc. I was with my sister and brother in law and we tried to get her to elaborate, but she was never clear; we also hadn't known her as a young woman and had never known the rest of her family, so that might've been part of it.  At one point she said, 'he wants me to come with him but I don't know if I should.' Another reference to the journey.

She was particularly close to my sister; she loved us all, but my sister was really special to her and vice versa.  At one point, she motioned to my sister and whispered in her ear.  She wanted me and my brother in law to leave the room and just my sister with her.  We stepped out and she closed her eyes and died not 2 minutes later.  Some people are given the chance to pick their moment;  I have no doubt that Rebecca waited for her last child to get there before finishing her journey just as I know our friend wanted just her closest friend on earth with her at that moment as she crossed.

[LexieLily]

19 minutes ago, Notabug said:

Young, previously healthy guy like Jack would be given the full court press by the Code Team, figure 45 minutes or so.  Afterwards, the room would look like a war zone: equipment everywhere, wrappers from various IV sets and other supplies strewn about the floor.  Someone like Jack would've had his clothes cut off of him so they could work more easily placing lines and such. Because Jack died suddenly, he would've been a coroner's case which means an autopsy would be automatic; to discover a cause of death and rule out foul play.  That means that, BY LAW, none of the tubes can be removed from his body.  The coroner wants to be able to distinguish between bruises causes by IV starts vs recreational drugs.  They need to see that he was intubated and that the tube was in the proper place, that his death wasn't facilitated by a medical mistake.  That any bruises on his lips, cuts on his tongue or chipped teeth could be due to intubation and not violence. Usually, they cut the IV's off with just a couple inches of tubing still on the line and make sure it is taped down well and cut the endotracheal tube right at the lip line; but nothing gets removed.  

Rebecca would not be brought into the room to view him until they'd cleaned him up a little and removed what they could and covered him with at least a sheet from the neck down.  As someone who has had more than one loved one die in the ER, I can attest that Rebecca wouldn't have even noticed the tubes and wires.  I didn't.

And if nothing else there would be massive and thorough testing to determine that Jack's cause of death was in no way correlated to the fire that had happened just that night. If the smoke inhalation in his lungs was any sort of catalyst for the heart attack or whether there was an underlying condition, or if anything could have been done to stop the heart attack. 

In the scene at the coffee machine with Marcus' father Jack had his hands bandaged which meant he had been treated by a doctor and checked out to some extent. Wouldn't he have been kept in his room waiting for discharge? Why was he up and wandering about?

[Notabug]

1 minute ago, LexieLily said:

And if nothing else there would be massive and thorough testing to determine that Jack's cause of death was in no way correlated to the fire that had happened just that night. If the smoke inhalation in his lungs was any sort of catalyst for the heart attack or whether there was an underlying condition, or if anything could have been done to stop the heart attack. 

In the scene at the coffee machine with Marcus' father Jack had his hands bandaged which meant he had been treated by a doctor and checked out to some extent. Wouldn't he have been kept in his room waiting for discharge? Why was he up and wandering about?

People in ER's get up and wander around all the time, even when the staff asks them to stay put.  I have no idea why, but that part didn't bug.  I think Jack was sitting in the exam room when Rebecca left him to get the candy bar though, but he was supposedly just about ready to be discharged.  

Maybe, when he was at the coffee machine, Jack was still waiting to be seen?  Maybe he was just in triage?  I was surprised when I saw the bandages on his hands and realized why he was there.  At first, I thought it was maybe when Kate had her appendix out or Kevin had his knee injury and he was waiting for them to be evaluated.

[3 is enough]

4 hours ago, DanaK said:

Once thing I'm confused about in regards to Deja being pregnant, if this episode was 10 years from the present, why is she only now getting pregnant for the first time and the first of Randall's kids having a baby? You would think within those 10 years, Deja at least would have had a baby before then given she was at least 18 in our present. If she became a doctor as I recall, maybe going to med school and establishing herself had her put off motherhood

Four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, and just starting residency? Earlier this season Deja said she was a junior in high school, so she was 17?  Add nine years to that and she would be 26.  That's not particularly old to have a first child these days.

Deja even mentioned that having a baby during residency was not the greatest timing. Obviously it was not planned.  I don't think many women would plan a pregnancy during medical school, it is just too time consuming even without adding a baby to the mix.

My 33 year old daughter is pregnant with her first.  She got engaged her final year of medical school, got married during her first year of residency, finished her 3 year residency, then a 2 year fellowship, and has almost 2 years as an attending under her belt. I knew she was going to wait until all her training was done before she even thought about having a baby.

[willco]

18 hours ago, Turkeypotpie said:

I thought for sure someone here would’ve already said this, but maybe I’m just really weird. When Rebecca first entered the bar car and the doc offered her a drink, I got strong “The Shining” vibes. I’m sure creepy was not the intended vibe but I was definitely thrown for a second!

I guess I'm weird, too. Even though I know who the bartender was, and I get the idea, my first thought was "Hi, Lloyd ! " ( said in Jack Nicholson's voice ). :)

[chabelisaywow]

16 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Shocked she wasn’t on the space station bringing her curriculum to Mars.

There's still next week

[Pallas]

Watch the train scenes again, and imagine Rebecca as every character. Because she is; this is happening in her own near-death consciousness. It's very moving to hear what she's able to say to herself. And now and then, with a member of the chorus of her family chiming in. 

[debraran]

19 hours ago, Crs97 said:

And I felt nothing.  Disappointed for Miguel and Kyle, but otherwise nothing.

i didn't ether but Miguel episode got me.  A couple who do reviews on youtube (MATT/JESS) felt the same way, tears with Miguel but nothing last night. Made me feel better that I didn't miss something but we all respond differently.  Seeing her bug eyed on the train, beautiful and glowing, but she seemed trying to hard to seem surprised and slightly confused. We all have different views of afterlife but I would hope when you transition or die, if you believe, you are healed, you are able to see and know things you didn't before. She seemed stuck in some ways and if that's how they wanted to play it, fine, but it didn't move me as much.

I was moved by Beth's speech, being a mom, she hit on real truths. The boys said what you would expect to their mom and it was touching but nothing was overly profound. I loved Toby's line and not quite sure why Madison brought up her "other bridal shower" and stripper. lol

I hope they scatter her ashes under the 2 trees her husband's liked and/or planted and maybe we can see them again. I KNOW we'll see a lot more Jack.

 

[3 is enough]

16 minutes ago, debraran said:

I hope they scatter her ashes under the 2 trees her husband's liked and/or planted and maybe we can see them again. I KNOW we'll see a lot more Jack.

 

Weren't Jack's ashes in Pittsburgh?  I honestly can't see the kids splitting her ashes so she will be with Jack and Miguel. It will be only Jack.

Edited May 18, 2022 by 3 is enough

[chabelisaywow]

because Dan F is her husband.  That is the answer to every Madison question. TBH I'm still waiting to hear that Madison has some international thesis which has cured all eating disorders and daddy issues and she's won co-parent of the universe. 

[debraran]

5 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

Weren't Jack's ashes in Pittsburgh?  I honestly can't see the kids splitting her ashes so she will be with Jack and Miguel. It will be only Jack

Oh God I hope not. That's tacky of them. I hope she told or wrote down what she wanted. They scattered some of Jack's under that tree he told Rebecca he liked when she got her MRI and Kate had rest for a while. I forgot where she scattered them later, the cabin?

Miguel planted that tree for Rebecca, to just put her ashes (if they do it at all) under just Jack's, the show is really off the rails for me, so to speak.

Edited May 18, 2022 by debraran

[3 is enough]

Did Tess have any lines in the episode?  

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, Notabug said:

If Deja is 18 today, then she is just 28 in 10 years.  She's also finished undergrad and medical school.  I suspect that many, if not most. women who go for advanced degrees, especially when there are years of training involved afterwards; would not be having a family much before Deja.  Late 20's-early 30's is the typical time for most young women physicians to start having kids these days.

My closest friends and I are all white-collar workers with advanced degrees and for those with kids, none did so before 30. 28 doesn’t sound late to me at all to start a family, intentionally or not.

[Quiet1]

I think it would have been nice to see Rebecca raise her hand to Miguel's cheek (even if she couldn't actually touch him) and say "I've missed you" before she moved on. 

[meep.meep]

"The plaque said "Caboose car," I believe. " someone said.

I thought the plaque said The Last Car because Rebecca couldn't remember the word Caboose.

1 hour ago, Cancun said:

Same with my dad when he was in hospice care and a bit delirious near the end. I took the overnight shift sitting with him those last few days, so my mom could get some sleep, and I heard/saw him do some strange things. He said he had to hurry so he didn’t miss the train. Then he called out to family (presumable on the train?) who pre-deceased him and waved his arms. It was so freaky, I did a bunch of reading afterward. I agree Hospice workers are quite familiar with this scenario.

My mother was in hospice at home before dying of cancer.  Printed in the materials from the hospice company was the fact that a lot of people start talking about going on a trip just before the end, and that it wasn't something to panic about.  Rebecca is going on that trip, even though she's dying in her own bed.

I've been a big Miguel supporter for the whole show.  Even if he had stood up and escorted her the rest of the way, it was still going to be Jack at the end and if Miguel was there also, it would have been really odd.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

16 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

I was coming back to say this about Beth's scene -- that was the best one for me, too. 

The plaque said "Caboose car," I believe. 

Oh yeah.  Recall she forgot that word in an  earlier episode and she tried to remember the word from her father’s story told to her.  

[SunnyBeBe]

6 hours ago, izabella said:

There was plenty of time to stop.  The writers just decided to make Miguel a brief non-entity in Rebecca's life as she left it.  I was very angry about his 30 second spot on the train.  The writers negated their years long relationship in 30 seconds without a word from Rebecca.

The fact she said nothing as he spoke of how he adored her!  Unbelievable, insulting and mean, imo, on the part of the writers. 

Edited May 18, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[momo]

21 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

Wasn’t the rest of the family in the waiting room? The child that’s the soccer player who wasn’t wearing a seat belt was the one injured. And who is, I presume, the lab guy who was limping, since the doctors were talking about the child’s damaged leg. Who will, of course, be Deja’s guy.

But his name's Malik?

[Cristofle]

1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

Weren't Jack's ashes in Pittsburgh?  I honestly can't see the kids splitting her ashes so she will be with Jack and Miguel. It will be only Jack.

They've split both Jack's ashes (the tree and by the cabin on Kate's wedding day to Tobey) and Miguel's ashes (the tree by the cabin and Puerto Rico) so I don't see them having a problem splitting hers. My mom actually wants hers in a few places and she's been specfic about it for years. 

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I forgot where she scattered them later, the cabin?

Kate scattered them at the cabin on her first wedding day.

[debbie311]

I re-watched the episode today, and it was so much better understanding who the other family was from the beginning this time, instead of trying to figure out who they were.  The writers definitely were trying to mess with us, making it look like Deja was going to end up with Marcus. I wasn't reading, texting or doing anything else last night - I was paying attention - the storyline was difficult to follow.  I've read MANY comments here and on Facebook today saying the same thing. I don't think you should have to watch a program twice to "get it."

In the bar scene, did anyone else notice the cupcake with the candle in it, on the bar?  What was that supposed to signify?

[KaveDweller]

2 minutes ago, debbie311 said:

In the bar scene, did anyone else notice the cupcake with the candle in it, on the bar?  What was that supposed to signify?

Didn't Rebecca give Jack a birthday cupcake in the pilot? Before she went into labor?

[debbie311]

1 minute ago, KaveDweller said:

Didn't Rebecca give Jack a birthday cupcake in the pilot? Before she went into labor?

Yes, that explains it.  Thanks.

[momo]

WAIT A SECOND.  The night of the fire is when young Marcus was injured, and the Big Three were teens.  So Marcus is just a little younger than Deja?  I don't think he's her future son, and his dad isn't Malik.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE  🤔

[BoogieBurns]

7 hours ago, DanaK said:

Once thing I'm confused about in regards to Deja being pregnant, if this episode was 10 years from the present, why is she only now getting pregnant for the first time and the first of Randall's kids having a baby? You would think within those 10 years, Deja at least would have had a baby before then given she was at least 18 in our present. If she became a doctor as I recall, maybe going to med school and establishing herself had her put off motherhood

My dad has 4 daughters. None of us gave him a grandkid until my middle sister turned 32. Next sister had her first baby at 36. I'm the youngest and doing fertility treatments at the moment.

Also, Tess is queer, so accidental pregnancies are unlikely. These are Gen Z characters, they are theoretically going to have babies even later than Millennials (like my sisters) do. Annie would be about 21. So that's pretty obvious to me why she hadn't reproduced.

Deja's 28 or 29. Happy accident, but not too early nor surprisingly late.

[Trillian]

12 hours ago, chabelisaywow said:

because Dan F is her husband.  That is the answer to every Madison question. TBH I'm still waiting to hear that Madison has some international thesis which has cured all eating disorders and daddy issues and she's won co-parent of the universe. 

Husband, who is just a sporadic viewer, kept asking questions throughout the episode. One of them was, “why is Madison there?”  My answer “she’s married to the showrunner”. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by Trillian

[PRgal]

15 minutes ago, momo said:

WAIT A SECOND.  The night of the fire is when young Marcus was injured, and the Big Three were teens.  So Marcus is just a little younger than Deja?  I don't think he's her future son, and his dad isn't Malik.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE  🤔

Marcus is older than Deja.  Like way older.  Marcus is a millennial who is probably in his mid-30s in 2022.  Deja is 17 in 2022. 

[Eureka]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

My closest friends and I are all white-collar workers with advanced degrees and for those with kids, none did so before 30. 28 doesn’t sound late to me at all to start a family, intentionally or not.

I didn’t have my first kid until I was just a few months shy of 30. I was done with grad school at that point. And I’m Gen X. We tended to get married and have kids later than our own parents but earlier than many millennials. I didn’t think it was surprising at all, given Deja was in medical school.

[mishap]

I thought that was done well.  

The big problem i have is that they seem to think that you are only extraordinary  if you do extraordinary things.   

I know some families are like that where siblings are competitive and success is measured by how famous  you are or prestigious your job it, but I feel like this show started out very differently.  

It was a show about to people who fell in love and their family with all the ups and downs and complications and celebrations that go along with that.  This is Us could have been about any of us.  

Well  I was ok with it because it's a tv show and they don't want anyone to have a boring regular job but they pushed me over the edge with  Kate's international special ed curriculum.  

I also had a tiny bit of hope they might  acknowledge,  in some way, Kyle, the baby that she lost.  

But still, this episode had me crying,  

I liked this show when it started but  I started to hate it, as  I found the Pearson's more and more obnoxious. But I keep watching because  I have to see it through to the end.  This episode seemed more like that ones that drew me in, in the first place.  

 Could have done without the Markus stuff.  That was part of what soured me on this show too, the  random characters they throw in, just to confuse us.    This is not the first time i have wondered why we needed all that.  

 

[Leeds]

3 hours ago, Cancun said:

Same with my dad when he was in hospice care and a bit delirious near the end. I took the overnight shift sitting with him those last few days, so my mom could get some sleep, and I heard/saw him do some strange things. He said he had to hurry so he didn’t miss the train. Then he called out to family (presumable on the train?) who pre-deceased him and waved his arms. It was so freaky, I did a bunch of reading afterward. I agree Hospice workers are quite familiar with this scenario.

I was with my mother-in-law shortly before she died.  She had been unresponsive for a couple of days. She suddenly opened her eyes, looked at me, and said, "The suitcases are packed," and pointed to the end of the bed.  She closed her eyes again and died a couple of hours later.

[Leeds]

6 hours ago, SummerDreams said:

I watched a preview of the finale and I think I'm ready to let these people go.

I was ready last week.

[BoogieBurns]

I can't find the post, but it asks why Madison was talking about the stripper art at her bachelorette party.

I recently rewatched the episode of her bachelorette. The stripper asks if they would like to paint him fully nude, or in his boxers. Rebecca proudly responded "the former"

It was a funny moment and the kinda lighthearted memory you share at such an occasion. Maybe after the kids are in bed.

[Pallas]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

The fact she said nothing as he spoke of how he adored her!  Unbelievable, insulting and mean, imo, on the part of the writers. 

On the train, she wasn't his Rebecca; he wasn't her Miguel. Both of them were in their prime and devoted to Jack. That's how Rebecca was envisioning herself and him. 

[GeorgiaRai]

17 minutes ago, Pallas said:

On the train, she wasn't his Rebecca; he wasn't her Miguel. Both of them were in their prime and devoted to Jack. That's how Rebecca was envisioning herself and him. 

I agree with this.  I think she subconsciously knew he was important in her life - that's why he was on the train with her other most-loved ones - but she wasn't able to grasp exactly how important, or why.  Their shared memories had been lost to her, so the interaction was hesitant and a little awkward.

[Gloria0429]

1 hour ago, momo said:

WAIT A SECOND.  The night of the fire is when young Marcus was injured, and the Big Three were teens.  So Marcus is just a little younger than Deja?  I don't think he's her future son, and his dad isn't Malik.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE  🤔

The EMTs gave Marcus' age as 11. So he's only 6 years younger than the Big Three, making him close to 20 years older than Deja.

[Tango64]

When they first showed the family that had the car crash, I was so confused trying to figure out who they were, past, present, or future.

Then I started thinking surely they wouldn’t introduce an entirely new family to the story at this point. Now??? This late??? Surely not!

FFS, this show. They did. 

[madmax]

22 hours ago, Lovecat said:

Anyone else notice that Dr. K was polishing a glass behind the bar with a Terrible Towel, and that Jack’s coffee mugs (World’s Best Dad, with his picture on it, as well as one from Lundy, the company where he worked) were on display on shelves behind the bar?  Makes me wonder what other Easter eggs I missed…good thing I didn’t delete the episode!

22 hours ago, LexieLily said:

I saw Jerry Maguire and Police Academy 3 VHS tapes, and the yarn ball of togetherness. Anyone else have something to add?

13 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I didn't notice the towel but I did notice the mugs. They also had the football game on the 70s-era TV.

There was a trolley from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Although, there are some mighty pissed off Steeler fans.  You don't use the Terrible Towel (TM) as, you know, an actual towel.  😄

15 hours ago, Jillybean said:

I have to wonder if there was originally a different storyline planned for Kate's absence in the flash forwards.

14 hours ago, Mrs Shibbles said:

I can't help but wonder if they were keeping her out of the flash  forward promos in hope Chrissy would lose weight (?)   

I thought they kept her out of the flash forward teases in case she lost the weight or God forbid,  passed away.  Then they had to come up with some reason for her to be late.  And they chose the absolute best one...  🙄

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

Did Tess have any lines in the episode?  

To Deja:  "If you keep touching your belly, everyone will know you're pregnant" or something along those lines.  That's it.

 

I guess I'm a cold-hearted bitch, because I have never cried during this show, not Miguel's episode, not Jack dying, not this one.  I appreciated them all, but they didn't move me  anywhere near tears.

I liked William being the one to lead her thru her life.  Maybe because her life was so wrapped up in her children and William was there, more or less, when she had her children.  I hated her waiting for Kate before she passed because they had such a special relationship.  Please.

The casting for this show really is fantastic.  All the adult children really did look like and have the same speech patterns as their younger versions.  Especially Deja and Malik.  Unbelievable.  The only notable issue is the casting of Jack, but I totally understand that they are using blind actors and there is a limited pool.

[ams1001]

5 minutes ago, madmax said:

The only notable issue is the casting of Jack, but I totally understand that they are using blind actors and there is a limited pool.

I thought this episode's young Jack at least looked a little more like he could grow up into adult Jack than the ~6yo version.

[mostlylurking]

I only wish it had been Miguel in the caboose, or even better Kyle. She spent her entire life with all these people, but never got to spend any time with him. But after watching this show for six seasons of course I knew it would be Jack in the end. And that’s ok. The episode was beautiful. All the stories melding together, and all the older and younger versions of the characters interacting. Just really beautiful. I’m impressed. 

[mostlylurking]

5 hours ago, Shermie said:

And yes, an Emmy for casting should go to this show. I’ve seen shows where siblings look nothing alike, older/younger versions of a character are completely different, parents and kids don’t even look related. But this show? Kudos all around.

Just throw all the Emmy’s at them. Don’t even have a ceremony. After the Miguel episode and now this one just give this show All The Emmys. 

One small nitpick..they didn’t seem to age Sofie or Madison at all. Philip neither really, just gave him a mustache. Philip saying everyone needed “a pee” after their drive is so British. They can say absolutely anything and it sounds classy with that accent. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by mostlylurking

[Shermie]

3 hours ago, momo said:

WAIT A SECOND.  The night of the fire is when young Marcus was injured, and the Big Three were teens.  So Marcus is just a little younger than Deja?  I don't think he's her future son, and his dad isn't Malik.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE  🤔

Read the thread before you post, makes things easier.