This Is Our Spoiler and Speculation Topic

[ZeroDiscipline]

On 10/20/2016 at 9:05 AM, ShadowFacts said:

I am noticing that I don't think we've seen Randall drinking, but have seen the twins drink often and much.  That's probably not accidental, either. 

I vividly remember him drinking a glass of red wine at the end of last week's episode.

[ShadowFacts]

25 minutes ago, ZeroDiscipline said:

I vividly remember him drinking a glass of red wine at the end of last week's episode.

Thank you, I did not notice.  I may be barking up the wrong tree thinking that Jack may have been an alcoholic.  I would think one of the three kids would be alcohol-avoidant, at least that's what I've seen in my own family.  But maybe not, there have been enough hints. 

[chocolatine]

7 hours ago, ZeroDiscipline said:

I vividly remember him drinking a glass of red wine at the end of last week's episode.

Also, there's a wine fridge in his and Beth's kitchen, so he doesn't just drink wine, he cares about wine.

[Tiger]

There's a new promo where Kate & Toby are talking and they flash the hashtag "WhereIsJack", but my affiliate is fucking up the volume and you cant hear what Kate & Toby are saying.

Is she telling Toby about Jack?

[MsJamieDornan]

Quote

Is she telling Toby about Jack?

I might be mistaken since I only heard part of it but Kate is saying something about Jack and Toby says he would like to meet him someday. And I think Kate agrees...

[hcs]

Quote

Is she telling Toby about Jack?

  Toby asks meeting her father and Kate says OK but she has this weird look on her face ... I know a friend took me to his mother at the cemetery where he talks to her. That's the way I read but I always expect the worst

Edited October 24, 2016 by hcs

[hiccup]

This is on the TV Guide website:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/this-is-us-spoilers-jack-fate-revealed/?ftag=TVG_Twitter

It sure makes it sound like Jack is alive.   

[PRgal]

Anyone think that if Jack is indeed still alive, he and Rebecca split due to his drinking issues, and thus, a burden to the family?  The split was mutual/for the good of the kids, and that they still loved each other?  A bit far fetched? 

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

Anyone think that if Jack is indeed still alive, he and Rebecca split due to his drinking issues, and thus, a burden to the family?  The split was mutual/for the good of the kids, and that they still loved each other?  A bit far fetched? 

I'm going with alcohol as somehow the root of the cause, because his use/non-use has got to have been inserted for a reason.  But what I don't get is a mutual and amicable split and Rebecca still wearing that necklace.  How would that work unless he's in a coma or something, that's what I'm wondering.

[Evie]

12 hours ago, PRgal said:

Anyone think that if Jack is indeed still alive, he and Rebecca split due to his drinking issues, and thus, a burden to the family?  The split was mutual/for the good of the kids, and that they still loved each other?  A bit far fetched? 

I think drinking likely played a role, but I don't see how it could have been so amicable that Rebecca still wears the necklace, especially after getting with Miguel.

The weird look Kate has makes me think Jack has a medical issue or maybe Jack is an alcoholic mess or something. It definitely seems unlikely that he's a healthy, happy retiree.

[PRgal]

On 2016-10-24 at 9:48 PM, Evie said:

I think drinking likely played a role, but I don't see how it could have been so amicable that Rebecca still wears the necklace, especially after getting with Miguel.

The weird look Kate has makes me think Jack has a medical issue or maybe Jack is an alcoholic mess or something. It definitely seems unlikely that he's a healthy, happy retiree.

I'd side with something health-related or an accident now that we know he died around 2005.  This would have made him around 62 or so when he passed - not that old!  I wonder what the "kids'" relationship with Miguel is.  Since he was a good friend of the family, was he "Uncle Miguel" to them?  I wonder what happened to Shelly?

[ZeroDiscipline]

I am getting a very strong "tragic accident" vibe. What if it is something horrifying like "Jack died trying to rescue Miguel and Shelly's kids from a tragic boating accident"? I don't think 2005 is necessarily the year he died, it could have been a lot sooner than that. Although, Miguel and Shelly have kids just a little bit older than the triplets, yet there have been no mention of any step-siblings. All of this means something terrible. My heart can't take it! Is there a speculation thread? Should we be using that now that we all know Jack is dead?

[Lady Calypso]

I'm thinking that it's possible that Jack died from some sort of cancer, possibly in relation to his alcoholism. It would make sense as to why Randall is more insistent that William gets some sort of help. The only reason why I'm not sure if it's connected to his alcoholism because you'd think the siblings would be more careful drinking, especially Kate, who was closest to Jack. 

I also don't think it was sudden, but that's just a feeling. I wonder if he did get sick, then that was when Rebecca/Jack discussed cremation, or if they had always talked about it. 

Also, is Kate the only one with her father's ashes, or do all three kids have an urn? 

[PRgal]

3 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I'm thinking that it's possible that Jack died from some sort of cancer, possibly in relation to his alcoholism. It would make sense as to why Randall is more insistent that William gets some sort of help. The only reason why I'm not sure if it's connected to his alcoholism because you'd think the siblings would be more careful drinking, especially Kate, who was closest to Jack. 

I also don't think it was sudden, but that's just a feeling. I wonder if he did get sick, then that was when Rebecca/Jack discussed cremation, or if they had always talked about it. 

Also, is Kate the only one with her father's ashes, or do all three kids have an urn? 

The cancer thing actually makes sense.  Didn't Randall say he had "10 wonderful years" with him or something like that?  Unless Randall went to a boarding school for gifted kids and only came home once in a while, maybe Jack was diagnosed early and was in and out of treatment for 15-20 years. 

[ShadowFacts]

Jack's demise could be anything.  The fact that alcohol use or conspicuous mention of non-use is in every episode makes it look likely as a cause one way or another.  Children of alcoholics can go in the same direction, or completely avoidant, or in between, and here it looks like Kevin and Kate binge into their mid-thirties, and Randall we haven't seen drunk, so it's kind of murky. 

The urn - everyone including Rebecca could have some of the ashes, but that looked like a pretty big one, it could be smaller if it was only a share.

[ZeroDiscipline]

I think it's odd that Kate has custody of the ashes, not Rebecca. I am wondering if Jack and Rebecca were not together anymore at the time of his death.

[Guest]

I'm surprised anyone has the ashes, but that's a tv/movie prop to make things sappier.  In real life, I don't know anyone who keeps urns of ashes around.  They either don't take them from the crematorium at all or they scatter them somewhere.  

[Dejana]

3 hours ago, ZeroDiscipline said:

I am getting a very strong "tragic accident" vibe. What if it is something horrifying like "Jack died trying to rescue Miguel and Shelly's kids from a tragic boating accident"? I don't think 2005 is necessarily the year he died, it could have been a lot sooner than that. Although, Miguel and Shelly have kids just a little bit older than the triplets, yet there have been no mention of any step-siblings. All of this means something terrible. My heart can't take it! Is there a speculation thread? Should we be using that now that we all know Jack is dead?

It could just be that Miguel and Shelly divorced and their kids took Mom's side, so there is no relationship with him or their stepsiblings as a result.

[PRgal]

7 minutes ago, Dejana said:

It could just be that Miguel and Shelly divorced and their kids took Mom's side, so there is no relationship with him or their stepsiblings as a result.

Or maybe they moved abroad.  Who knows?  Maybe one is in Australia and another in Japan!

[Tiger]

I'll be really dissapointed if they hired Wynn Everett and then dont use for.  

[biakbiak]

Also, we barely know about Miguel relationship with the big three and literally just found out that he had kids so I don't think it's weird that we haven't heard about the possibility of stepsiblings. Though it's also possible that they didn't marry until the kids were adukts so don't consider them step siblings.

[CarolMK]

In the preview for next week, we are shown a clip that reveals that Randall is gifted and Jack is asking him why he is pretending not to know things. Randall replies that he doesn't want to be different. I'm wondering if possibly Randall went sent to a different school once his parents found out how intelligent he is. 

[ProudMary]

On 10/27/2016 at 2:05 PM, Lady Calypso said:

I'm thinking that it's possible that Jack died from some sort of cancer, possibly in relation to his alcoholism. It would make sense as to why Randall is more insistent that William gets some sort of help. The only reason why I'm not sure if it's connected to his alcoholism because you'd think the siblings would be more careful drinking, especially Kate, who was closest to Jack. 

I also don't think it was sudden, but that's just a feeling. I wonder if he did get sick, then that was when Rebecca/Jack discussed cremation, or if they had always talked about it. 

Also, is Kate the only one with her father's ashes, or do all three kids have an urn? 

I completely agree in thinking that it was cancer or something else long and drawn out.  When present day Rebecca drops in on Randall and Beth and asks to speak privately with William, and discovered his terminal illness she said something to him to the effect of you'd better be all in for this relationship because Randall will put everything else on a back burner and make your illness his priority.  It made me think that this isn't the first time Randall had done exactly that.  

[Jx223]

Dan Fogleman mentioned in an interview with EW this week a few more spoilers that will play out in upcoming episodes.

Two episodes from now they are going to jump to 1993 where the kids will be 13. Jack will still be alive at this time.He said that the kids will be getting to the age where they will almost be old enough to not be as dependent on their parents.

This will cause Rebecca to ponder whether she should revisit her singing career and think about who she was before kids. It will cause conflict in the marriage and household.

Dan also mentioned there will eventually be two episodes that explain when Jack died.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/26/this-is-us-dan-fogelman-game-plan

Edited October 29, 2016 by Jx223

[biakbiak]

24 minutes ago, Jx223 said:

This will cause Rebecca to ponder whether she should revisit her singing career and thi

Oh lord. we get it Mandy can sing but even she doesn't have a career as an adult pop singer despite being a teen pop star married for a fair amount of time to a fairly successful musician.  Someone who was thrilled to be the singer at a bar before the Super Bowl where no one was into her singing, so just dont! have her sing to the kids and leave at yhat. 

[Jx223]

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Oh lord. we get it Mandy can sing but even she doesn't have a career as an adult pop singer despite being a teen pop star married for a fair amount of time to a fairly successful musician.  Someone who was thrilled to be the singer at a bar before the Super Bowl where no one was into her singing, so just dont! have her sing to the kids and leave at yhat. 

Lol. I am definitely interested in seeing how the family responds to Rebecca contemplating making a return to working as a musician. I don’t think the kids have ever really seen her act like one, (though maybe she has sung to them/around them before) I wonder how Jack will react to that as well. He will be almost 50 when she decides to possibly work as a musician again. I wonder how an older Jack will deal with those aspirations of his wife.

[Guest]

I don't mind if they have Rebecca pursue singing.  Her last 'song' was like 6 seconds long, and I'd never heard Moore sing.  She was not really my genre when she was singing.  As long as her performances don't overtake the show.  In these ensemble cast shows, each person gets so little air time and each line has to further the story.  So she'll probably be stuck with all 6-second 'songs', I think.  

[chocolatine]

The only way I want to explore Rebecca's singing career is if she starts singing with Kate in the present day, a la Naomi & Wynonna.

[Bean421]

19 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Some spoiler-ish information on upcoming episodes for Thanksgiving and Christmas from brief cast member interviews.
http://www.etonline.com/tv/201988_this_is_us_stars_reveal_show_secrets_holiday_reunions_sibling_rivalries_and_jack_death/

This was an interesting read about upcoming episodes. I'm a little concerned about the upcoming stuff with Kevin and Randall. Families are so complicated that I hope this isn't just reduced to, Randall's adoption being the big family disrupter. Taking rrsourced/attention  away from Kate and Kevin.

[ShadowFacts]

On 11/4/2016 at 7:00 PM, Bean421 said:

This was an interesting read about upcoming episodes. I'm a little concerned about the upcoming stuff with Kevin and Randall. Families are so complicated that I hope this isn't just reduced to, Randall's adoption being the big family disrupter. Taking rrsourced/attention  away from Kate and Kevin.

I was going to comment in the speculation thread, but I think that is supposed to be spoiler-free, so . . . if the whole family gathers at Randall's for Thanksgiving, I wonder if that means Kate is just visiting, or is she going to be moving east, too.  I think it's a little unwieldy having her in a separate geographical locale.  If she's just visiting, then returns to L.A. and Toby and her job, that's less appealing to me than seeing her be more interactive with her siblings, and mother and stepfather. 

[Lady Calypso]

21 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I was going to comment in the speculation thread, but I think that is supposed to be spoiler-free, so . . . if the whole family gathers at Randall's for Thanksgiving, I wonder if that means Kate is just visiting, or is she going to be moving east, too.  I think it's a little unwieldy having her in a separate geographical locale.  If she's just visiting, then returns to L.A. and Toby and her job, that's less appealing to me than seeing her be more interactive with her siblings, and mother and stepfather. 

I agree. What I could  see happening is Kate not moving to NY right away, but maybe at the end of the season. I think her visiting Randall and the whole family will help lead her to move to New York, but I think it'll definitely take some time before she gets there. But I want that too; Kate's relationship with her family is missing in the present day time.

[Jx223]

Spoilertv has released some press releases for some upcoming episodes, including the Christmas ones. They have some interesting spoilers including:

Kate, Kevin,and Randall are going to go their family's cabin after a chaotic Thanksgiving.

Olivia is going to say a harsh truth to Kate that is going to drive a wedge between Kate and Kevin.

Kate is going to decide to get surgery to help her in her weight loss journey.

Jack and Rebecca are going to struggle regarding how to handle things when little Randall tells them he is looking for his birth parents.

Kevin is going to spend Chanukah with Olivia and her family.

http://www.spoilertv.com/2016/11/this-is-us-episode-109-trip-press.html

http://www.spoilertv.com/2016/11/this-is-us-episode-110-last-christmas.html

 

I am looking forward to watching all three siblings interact and decompress together after an emotional Thanksgiving.

I also wonder what harsh truth Olivia is going to tell Kate that is going to cause problems for Kate/Kevin's relationship. I wonder if Olivia's relationship with Kevin will end up giving the family a lot of headaches. I also find it interesting he will choose to spend time with her and her family for Chanukah.

And I wonder if Kate (and Chrissy)will actually go through with surgery.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Jx223

[ShadowFacts]

Those are very interesting spoilers.  I am particularly interested in little Randall looking for his birth parents.  Adds another layer to Rebecca's handling of William.  Also mentioned was that someone from William's past reappears in his life.  That's intriguing, I don't need it to be all about the Big Three all the time, good as that can be. 

[Jx223]

Just now, ShadowFacts said:

Those are very interesting spoilers.  I am particularly interested in little Randall looking for his birth parents.  Adds another layer to Rebecca's handling of William.  Also mentioned was that someone from William's past reappears in his life.  That's intriguing, I don't need it to be all about the Big Three all the time, good as that can be. 

I remember reading elsewhere a little while ago that they had cast someone to play an old friend of William's. I wonder if it is someone he became friends with during his musical career. Maybe a fellow musician? And I also remember reading a spoiler that mentioned that Rebecca meets up again with William in the past, and finds him in a different situation than she originally found him.

I wonder if after little Randall tells Rebecca/Jack that he wants to find his birth parents, Rebecca decides to seek William out again. And then she finds out that he is actually doing well for himself financially and has cleaned up his life. Maybe she feels threatened by how well William is doing then and is afraid he will still want to be a part of Randall's life, and continues to keep him out of it.

I also wonder if Jack ever knew that Rebecca knew about William and if/when that might be revealed. There is also a spoiler that says that a hurt Randall gets an explanation from Jack. I wonder what this about as well.

[HeySandyStrange]

1 hour ago, Jx223 said:

I also wonder what harsh truth Olivia is going to tell Kate that is going to cause problems for Kate/Kevin's relationship. I wonder if Olivia's relationship with Kevin will end up giving the family a lot of headaches. I also find it interesting he will choose to spend time with her and her family for Chanukah.

Whatever she says to Kate, I'm sure it won't do anything to endear her to the audience. I'm wondering if it is connected to Kate's weight? Maybe she tells Kate that she is a doormat to Kevin and Kevin prefers it that way? Which may not entirely be a lie, tbh, but isn't Olivia's business. I'm getting the feeling that Kevin and Olivia's relationship is going to be very toxic/dysfunctional, going by the fact it seems like Olivia is driving a wedge between his closest familial relationship.

[Jx223]

23 minutes ago, HeySandyStrange said:

Whatever she says to Kate, I'm sure it won't do anything to endear her to the audience. I'm wondering if it is connected to Kate's weight? Maybe she tells Kate that she is a doormat to Kevin and Kevin prefers it that way? Which may not entirely be a lie, tbh, but isn't Olivia's business. I'm getting the feeling that Kevin and Olivia's relationship is going to be very toxic/dysfunctional, going by the fact it seems like Olivia is driving a wedge between his closest familial relationship.

I was wondering if she would say something like that to Kate too. Maybe she tells Kate that Kevin likes to use her. Or that she thinks that Kevin depends too much on Kate. She might even suggest that their relationship isn't healthy for him. I wonder if Kate and Olivia are going to meet and automatically dislike each other, or if that happens after Olivia makes her comment.

From what I have seen of Kate and her interactions with her brothers she seems pretty cool. I don't think she is the type of person that would overstep her bounds with it comes to them and their romantic relationships. I believe that she wants them to be happy and in general would be fine with letting them pick their choices of a mate. I think that in the past Kevin dated whoever he felt like dating and that Kate didn't really interfere and just helped him manage his career. I also wouldn't be surprised if Kate got along really well with Beth.

So I really wonder if Olivia is the one that really oversteps her boundaries in whatever comments she makes to Kate and this causes problems for Kate/Kevin. Olivia's comments may cause them to not want to spend as much time around each other/depend on each other as much.

Another theory is maybe she actually reveals some type of secret/ harsh revelation that Kevin makes about Kate and their relationship. I've seen some speculation that maybe Kevin used his relationship with Kate in the past to try and make Randall jealous/hurt Randall. But I don't know if that is really the case, or if that would be a revelation that Kevin/Olivia would reveal. Especially since Kate/Kevin do genuinely seem close.

Whatever happens, I definitely hope that Kevin and Kate will work things out. I like their relationship and like it when the family members on this show are getting along. But maybe one reason Olivia is around is to cause more conflict for the family.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Jx223

[SueB]

I fully expect Olivia to make a 'mean girl' weight comment.  For all her posturing about theater is hard and complex, she's a VERY shallow person IMO.  

And she'll tell Kevin that it's for Kate's own good and 'sell it.'  

Edited November 20, 2016 by SueB

[Jx223]

TV Guide's website just revealed another spoiler that might give us a hint as to what Olivia might say to Kate. According to TV Guide Kate is not going to get the reaction she is hoping for from her family when she makes her announcement. TV Guide says that this could be a devastating blow to her, and mentions how she is close to Kevin and wants his support. 

It looks like her family is not going to be enthusiastic when she reveals she wants to pursue surgery. I wonder why they are going to act like this. I think that maybe least some of them could be afraid that the surgery is risky for her and be concerned about it not going well for her. But I wonder if there are other reasons for why the family will react the way that they will. Especially Kevin. 

 I wonder if they will try and say/imply that Kevin isn't enthusiastic about the surgery because he doesn't want her to really improve her life and better herself in that way. This could relate back to him wanting to be the "star" in the family.

I wonder if he's not happy about the surgery because Kate having her issues actually makes him feel better about himself? (Especially since he's always felt inferior to Randall). Maybe Olivia points this out to Kate and that is what causes the wedge between her and Kevin. I don't know if this is the case but I definitely want to see why Kevin and the family aren't supportive of Kate and her decision.

Edited November 21, 2016 by Jx223

[taragel]

As someone who's had gastric bypass (two years ago on Thanksgiving eve actually), I was kind of hoping they'd explore that storyline for Kate, but I fear they'll go the usual predictable, cliched route of kneejerk negative reactions to her announcement. I think the number of people who have complications from this surgery nowadays is pretty damn low (less than 1%?), and I found it to be a remarkably easy surgery and recovery. The work you have to do prior to getting the surgery (losing weight, tests galore, special diets) and after getting the surgery (changing your mindset about food/eating, fighting head hunger, resorting to "slider" foods, adjusting to changes) is far more difficult than the actual surgery and recovery (since it's laproscopic).

I get that logically the actress would have to agree to do the surgery in real life to actually have the same/realistic effect of that weight loss on screen for the character and I understand that could be something CM has reservations about or decide isn't for her. But I hope they don't propegate the idea that the surgery is "sooo drastic and dangerous." For a lot of people, an increasing number of people in fact, it's one of the few ways to really see a dramatic difference and jumpstart weight loss, and good skilled doctors who have long track records of performing the surgery are out there and can make it a very easy and painless process.

OTOH, it's also no magic bullet. I weigh a lot less than I used to, 2 years out, but I still have far to go. It would certainly give them a lot of story material if Kate (and Chrissy) has surgery, but I hope they don't settle for lazy/easy criticisms of it to simply rule it out. 

[romantic idiot]

How do we know the actress can't get there without surgery? And honestly I'd be on her family's side if they are opposed to the surgery as I think Kate has to do a lot more work on herself as a person before taking drastic steps. Plus with the terrible metabolism she seems to have, I wonder how drastic they'd have to be to get results.

[taragel]

17 minutes ago, romantic idiot said:

How do we know the actress can't get there without surgery? And honestly I'd be on her family's side if they are opposed to the surgery as I think Kate has to do a lot more work on herself as a person before taking drastic steps. Plus with the terrible metabolism she seems to have, I wonder how drastic they'd have to be to get results.

She could (maybe) but it wouldn't be as dramatic or quick as the initial 6-12 months after a surgery. And given the way TV shows film, I'm not sure how that would work out schedule wise for them. My point was I don't think of the surgery as all that "drastic" so I respectfully disagree that it's some kind of last resort step. (I mean, laser eye surgery has been around about as long as weight loss surgery, and no one refers to that as "drastic" anymore, yet it's still a laser cutting into your eye.) It's a medical procedure that can help her health-wise. But we don't know what Kate's actual health is like (a doctor hasn't diagnosed her with anything on the show and they haven't shown her having medical issues) or what her metabolic rate is.

And as far as working on her issues as a person....they also haven't shown us any real personality issues from Kate. She's unhappy she's gained so much weight and that it's held her back from some dreams she had and made her self conscious in some situations, but she seems pretty well-adjusted to me. Confident and capable at her jobs. Has a good sense of humor. I know they're probably going to blame the weight loss on some emotional issue that they either haven't revealed yet or dad's death but...I don't personally believe that weight, even extreme weight gain, is always due to some deep dark trauma. [If it is, I couldn't figure out what that trauma might have been for me at any rate.] I think complacency, everyday comfort/enjoyment, laziness, poor nutritional choices, low impulse control, high instant gratification, etc. can all contribute. But... YMMV, of course. 

Edited November 21, 2016 by taragel

[romantic idiot]

To clarify that I don't mean the surgery is drastic (and there are stories of laser eye surgery going wrong as well), but that she's got a really really really slow metabolism so I'd imagine they'd have to really take drastic measures for any dramatic improvement in her. Again, I may be wrong, but all the surgery will do is reduce the size of her stomach, right?

[HeySandyStrange]

On ‎11‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 11:52 AM, SueB said:

I fully expect Olivia to make a 'mean girl' weight comment.  For all her posturing about theater is hard and complex, she's aI VERY shallow person IMO.  

And she'll tell Kevin that it's for Kate's own good and 'sell it.'  

That's about what I would expect from a character like Olivia, but maybe, just maybe they will find a way for her to tell Kate this harsh truth in a way that isn't bitchy and mean. Maybe she is the one who gives Kate the encouragement to get the surgery when Kate's actual family is heeing and hawing over it? Of course delivered in Olivia's own brash and borderline rude way. If they could pull that off I might actually begin to like her a little, lol.

Quote

It looks like her family is not going to be enthusiastic when she reveals she wants to pursue surgery. I wonder why they are going to act like this. I think that maybe least some of them could be afraid that the surgery is risky for her and be concerned about it not going well for her. But I wonder if there are other reasons for why the family will react the way that they will. Especially Kevin.

Well of course fear for her health and the typical dangers of the surgery would be number one for her family, I'm sure. They might also be uncomfortable about the dramatic change that Kate is proposing and how it is going to affect the entire family dynamic. Like most families, the Pearson's seem to have their little boxes, Kevin is the friendly shallow one, Randall is the smart stuffy square with the perfect family, and Kate is the fat wallflower who has carved a niche as being a supporter of Kevin (and possibly Randall). It can be really hard for siblings to adjust to each other as more then the person they grew up with.

[taragel]

44 minutes ago, romantic idiot said:

To clarify that I don't mean the surgery is drastic (and there are stories of laser eye surgery going wrong as well), but that she's got a really really really slow metabolism so I'd imagine they'd have to really take drastic measures for any dramatic improvement in her. Again, I may be wrong, but all the surgery will do is reduce the size of her stomach, right?

DIsclaimer: I'm no medical expert. ;) Her metabolism (to the extent it's controlled by any kind of thyroid issue that's treatable?) may not even be a factor in her weight gain. I'm not totally sure what you mean by "really drastic" though. The surgery is the surgery. Everyone who does roux-en-Y gastric bypass comes out with the same size (3-4 oz) stomach, I believe. She could do adjustable lapband, which just puts a band around your stomach and is less restrictive, or she could do "the sleeve" which gives you a bigger pouch size--I think 6 or 7 oz maybe? It's about the size of a banana versus a lemon for roux-en-Y. But most likely a doctor would recommend RNY bypass for her if they were going to recommend weight loss surgery. I have no idea if Kate is meant to be diabetic or pre-diabetic, but bypass also has the most dramatic impact on insulin levels and blood sugar and most overall health benefits of the procedures mentioned above.

Edited November 21, 2016 by taragel

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, taragel said:

And as far as working on her issues as a person....they also haven't shown us any real personality issues from Kate. She's unhappy she's gained so much weight and that it's held her back from some dreams she had and made her self conscious in some situations, but she seems pretty well-adjusted to me. Confident and capable at her jobs. Has a good sense of humor. I know they're probably going to blame the weight loss on some emotional issue that they either haven't revealed yet or dad's death but...I don't personally believe that weight, even extreme weight gain, is always due to some deep dark trauma. [If it is, I couldn't figure out what that trauma might have been for me at any rate.] I think complacency, everyday comfort/enjoyment, laziness, poor nutritional choices, low impulse control, high instant gratification, etc. can all contribute. But... YMMV, of course. 

I don't think a person has to have deep dark emotional problems, or past trauma, to qualify as things to work on in order to aid in weight loss and more important, maintenance.  If you remain the same, you will do the same.  Many of the things mentioned, like comfort (aka self-soothing), impulse control, instant gratification would be important to at least incorporate into planning.  All of those things could be improved with some cognitive behavioral therapy--reframing and redirecting thoughts, etc.  Couldn't hurt. 

To go back to the spoiler of the family's reaction -- I totally understand anyone's concern about a loved one undergoing surgery.  Even the most mundane operations can go badly, and even if the odds are low for that happening, if it happens to you or your loved one, suddenly it is a 100% proposition. 

[Jx223]

I wonder if another reason the family may not be that enthusiastic about Kate's announcement is that they believe she may not actually follow through with her plans. Maybe she has declared she would lose the weight before to them but strayed from her plans. And now the family might be taking a "we'll believe it when we see it" type of attitude. And that could be hurtful to Kate.

We could also see the family members each have different reasons for not being that enthusiastic regarding Kate's decision. Kevin could mainly be worried about her health, while Rebecca might have a "I'll believe it when I see it" approach. And Randall could just be so upset/distracted about learning the truth about Rebecca/William that he won't be acting as enthusiastic for Kate like he would under happier circumstances. 

Edited November 22, 2016 by Jx223

[taragel]

4 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I don't think a person has to have deep dark emotional problems, or past trauma, to qualify as things to work on in order to aid in weight loss and more important, maintenance.  If you remain the same, you will do the same.  Many of the things mentioned, like comfort (aka self-soothing), impulse control, instant gratification would be important to at least incorporate into planning.  All of those things could be improved with some cognitive behavioral therapy--reframing and redirecting thoughts, etc.  Couldn't hurt. 

To go back to the spoiler of the family's reaction -- I totally understand anyone's concern about a loved one undergoing surgery.  Even the most mundane operations can go badly, and even if the odds are low for that happening, if it happens to you or your loved one, suddenly it is a 100% proposition. 

I hear what you're saying but I don't think the show will go the lower drama route of relatively straightforward behavioral issues and no big secret trauma at the root of her overeating. Fiction just  doesn't usually work that way--there has to be a big dramatic reason for everything that can be uncovered. It's one of the reasons why weight loss stories in TV/books/movies are almost always too simplistic/not realistic enough. Maybe they'll surprise us though, because they've handled most things in her story with some nuance thus far (though they do keep poking fun at the weight watchers meetings) and have also made it clear Kate was substantially heavier from a young age when she was naturally pretty trauma-free.

I understand concern from family too but again I dread the way they're going to ultimately frame it. Will Kate get to make her announcement that she's contemplating surgery and express all the reasons why she believes it's a good idea for her based on all the research she has done and that will make her loved ones slightly more mollified and interested into looking into it more themselves before they summarily decide it's a terrible idea for her? Probably not. Will she end the episode rethinking or outright rejecting the idea of surgery that she was previously so certain of that she was at the point of telling her family about it? Probably. 

[photo fox]

Who knows what direction the story will go, but from what little we know about Kate, my concern would be her motivation. I can see her family being concerned that she's doing this for Toby, whom she has quickly become too dependent on since Kevin moved east.

[Bean421]

I wasn't sure if I should post this in the episode thread or not. EW has a clip of the episode tonight. Rebecca's parents don't want Randall in family photos?! I'm an adoptive parent and have one biological child. That shit would not stand, especially if my child was verbalizing what was happening. This probably contributes to the family dynamic with Rebecca, Kevin, and Randall. 

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/21/this-is-us-thanksgiving-kitchen-preview

Edited November 22, 2016 by Bean421

[Tiger]

I saw a promotional shot with Milo had gray hair with last week's hairstyle and facial hair, and Mandy had a similar cut/wig to last week but was wearing glasses.  

From the tineline theyve estabslished thus far, Jack shouldnt be alive much longer than last week's episode, but this photo makes it seem that Jack and Rebecca are a much older than they were in 1995 when he died.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Tiger