S01.E01: Pilot

[3 is enough]

I liked it.  I had watched the preview online, and had already figured out that Kate and Kevin were the babies.  As soon as the fireman mentioned finding the baby everything clicked.  I am pretty sure we will see sibling relationships between all three in future episodes- time constraints and preserving the twist were probably to blame.

Jack and Rebecca may not be dead- but having the actors aging 36 years every week may not be feasible.  They may be living far away, or maybe they have another set of actors to play "old Jack and Rebecca".  Time will tell.

As mentioned above, the script was probably written last year so the timeline seems fine to me.

[VioletNevermind]

9 minutes ago, Court said:

I don't think she was lucky to find him. However, I didn't think he was a jackass at all. He clearly uses his humor to disguise his feelings about his weight.  That's pretty common.

Losing weight is not as simple as just doing it or getting surgery. It's so much more than a physical thing. It's hard as hell and people are incredibly judgmental about it. 

I'm overweight.There have beem times I've been walking and I've had names and obscenities screamed at me. Do you know what that does to people? It sure as hell makes me want to go grab a milkshake and not even bother excerising. 

I think I overlooked the part about him hiding his feelings behind humor; good point.  I'm quite familiar with weight struggles and have experienced the same things you have.  I don't use humor to mask it, though; I shut down.  I just hate it when people act as if overweight people are lucky to find anyone at all.  One of my coworkers said (quote), "She should count herself lucky that he's interested in her, considering."  I mean, really.

Edited September 21, 2016 by SuzyLee

[Ohwell]

Interesting twist at the end, I'll give the show that.  However, I suspect anything with Mandy Moore in it is going to be all sappy and Hallmarky.  I don't like her.

I'm not interested in the fat sister storyline, even though I like the guy who's interested in her.  

There's something "off" about Sterling K. Brown's performance, maybe it's the goofy-looking glasses.  There was one scene he did when I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying. 

Bottom line, I'll give it a couple more episodes but I suspect that it's been overhyped and will be too sappy for my taste.

[taragel]

17 minutes ago, SuzyLee said:

I feel sorry for the man who wraps up a first date with me by suggesting I give him a "handy."

Their whole storyline was strangely, very pointedly sexual, right? I mean several comments about sex from him both before and on the first date and when she flat out says no sex, they watch a weirdly sexual youtube vid between a guy and a dolphin? It struck a rather odd, over-the-top tone, I thought. 

I'm a bit more concerned though that Kate get some development other than her weight struggles. Does she have a job? Friends? What was that cake "for the party" about--if there was no party? Maybe that's next week though.

Overall, I think it's a very talented cast dealing with okay material, right now. Gerald McRaney and Milo V. both had very nice moments. Sterling K. Brown was engaging as was his dad (and the twist that dad could be a swindler/faking it is interesting) but I wasn't knocked out by them just yet. I really enjoy Justin Hartley generally but I didn't think his big scene/tantrum came off as powerfully as maybe it was meant to (maybe because his talent really does stop at "The Manny" levels, and he's no Ryan Gosling, IDK). 

It's just the pilot though, and I enjoyed it and I like family dramas best of all, so I'm very glad it's on the air. Got huge ratings too, which wasn't totally unexpected given the success of the promo campaign/trailers, and I'm happy to see a relationship drama be the big hit of the fall rather than the new MacGyver or what have you.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm really enjoying everyone's comments.  3 pages on an entirely new show - I think that's the mark of a popular show here.

For those who didn't get into Gilmore Girls, Milo V. (The Father with Mandy Moore) was, in my opinion, one of the best things about it.  Definitely my favourite actor and character, I think.  He was a big attraction for a lot of us here.

Also, Sterling (Randall).  I was SCREAMING in my apartment when he won the Emmy for portraying Chris Darden.  SCREAMING.  I have been "campaigning" (Tweeting to my little band of a few hundred followers) for him to win that Emmy and I can't believe he actually won it.  One of those times when the right actor won.  He is just heartbreaking as all get out in People vs. OJ Simpson, a show that I'd recommend to everyone.  

Anyways now that I've gotten that out of the way.  I found myself surprised that I was most wrapped up in the Manny's story - "Kevin".   I do love actors and everything about acting so I found myself torn between -  Hey, just pay your dues, you'll make it, look at people like Rachel McAdams and Margot Robbie, etc. etc.!  Versus, I have definitely quit jobs because I couldn't handle being forced to do something I didn't believe in, also.  I found that fascinating.

I am also in my 30s and trying to lose weight so the Kate story was a bit TOO real for me.  In a good way I think.

I liked it.  I loved the last 5-10 minutes.

Randall's kids were soooooo cute.  The pan away from Milo to the guy in the red outfit was extremely dopey I thought.  They pan to this random guy at a vending machine, and what?  He just has a weird 70's outfit?  (Did I miss something? It was so strange.) The cigarette sold it much better.

I think I like the parents storyline best, and wanted the story to keep going back to them.  I will have to give it a few more episodes and see how it goes.  But I do think I will just DVR it so I can forward through commercials.

Just record every show and start them around 7 minutes into it.  Then you can FF through all commercials like you said :)

 

Edited September 21, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[zxy556575]

My beef with the delivery is that there was no reason not to make it more believable and still appropriate to the time. A friend had triplets in 1976 and that shit was planned, with at least 10 people in the OR, a neonatal doctor and nurse assigned for each baby, etc. I did not respond well to the McRaney character and his homespun expositional hokiness, but one of the babies could have been stillborn even without pretending that a vaginal delivery for triplets was the norm. It took me out of the show entirely. Aaaaanyway.

I'm asking seriously, but what scenes made people sniffy? Pretty much every emotion I have comes out in tears, but I was dry as a desert through this.

I saw and wondered about the closed-captioning, too, but removing a slur like "bull dyke" was obviously the wise move.

Edited September 21, 2016 by lordonia

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Is This Is Us Too Much Us Or Just Enough?

Prepare to cry, Generations X and Y. Our Thirtysomething has arrived.

[candle96]

I'm generally not a fan of shows that seem to be written with the message, "we're going to make you cry."  Don't try to manipulate me so easily. I much prefer shows that surprise me with the emotions. But I tuned in because several tv critics had recommended it. It was okay. I enjoyed Sterling Brown's storyline the most, particularly the strange moments of humor, and those kids are adorable. I loved the kid just braiding hair instead of playing soccer, probably because that would've been me. That storyline will keep me watching at least for now.

I am torn about Kate's storyline. While it's refreshing to have an overweight woman as a main character, I really, really hope her entire thing doesn't revolve around her weight struggles or the Mike and Molly Redux. That's just boring and cliche. Overweight people have lives just as complex and multi-faceted as skinny people! If the writers are smart enough to play up that the pretty actor is more than just a face, let's do the same for his overweight sister.

[TVForever]

2 hours ago, Artsda said:

 

I was really expecting a twist of Mandy's character to die leaving the 3 babies to Milo alone, so really glad that didn't happen. Loved the chem between Milo and Mandy.

I was dreading that same twist. Hope their happy ending (beginning?) continues.

[tennisgurl]

I must be an idiot, because I did not see the twist coming at all, even after reading that there was going to be a twist. I spent the whole episode trying to find the connection between these three people, but it never even occurred to me that the three stories weren't taking place in the same time periods. It took me a second when the guy said he had dropped off the baby, and then when he offered him the cigarette (I LOVE that smoking in the hospital was the sign that this was in the past), I was just like "Ohhhhhhhhh, I see what you did there!", followed by the phase out to a Cronkite report and 70s clothes everywhere. 

I really liked this. I was looking forward to this one a lot, being one of the big critical darlings of the Fall, and it was what I hoped it would be. Not much crying from me, but I usually need to get more invested in TV characters before I start the water works. I feel like  Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia are probably deceased in the modern day, which makes me really sad. Car accident maybe? I feel like their story is going to lead to lots of tears, considering its implied they died at a relatively young age. 

I like the characters and the actors are all great. Thrilled to get to see Sterling K. Brown on my TV again, and I am familiar with and enjoy a lot of the other actors here. Looking forward to seeing more!

[bourbon]

I really liked it. Any show that can warm my cold dead heart gets props. I actually teared up. The giveaway to me was when the babies were all in the nursery. By the time my kids were born a few years later, hospitals had done away with nurseries in favor of "rooming in." Which is horrible and should be banned as torture by the Geneva Convention. J/K. Sort of.

I'm slightly hard of hearing and need to watch with the captions on. During the soccer game when Randall is watching his older daughter, his lips and the captions say, "That's my bull dyke," but it had been dubbed with "That's my badass." I don't know if that was the censors or the writers realizing that no dad should ever call his adolescent daughter a "bull dyke." Ew.

[mojoween]

I just have to believe that was an error on the part of the captioners because I cannot believe in 2014 or 2015, when this was presumably written, that any person on earth would ever use the descriptor of "bull dyke," let alone anyone who was calling their CHILD that.

My son just wandered by and said he thinks it's weird that not one of the kids mentioned that it was their dad's birthday. That gives more credence to the theory that they have passed on, yeah?

Edited September 21, 2016 by mojoween

[Lithogirl]

7 hours ago, TVForever said:

Okay, this is going to sound weird. I was watching this with closed-captioning, and   During the early scene with the parents at the soccer game, when the dad says, " That's my little badass", the caption read, " That's my little Bull Dyke." It was a needle-scratch moment. Wait, what? I rewound it about 4 times. Then, watching his lips, it DID look like he was saying something other than "badass". Like, maybe it was voice-dubbed. And that caption was the same each time.

If you still have this recorded, or if you can watch OnDemand, PLEASE watch this scene with your closed-captioning on and tell me I'm not crazy.

I saw this too! I actually had to rewind it and read it again, I was so shocked.

[JenE4]

Ok, it seems like a lot of you KNEW this show was supposed to make us cry and/or had a twist ending? I knew nothing but seeing the commercial one time and thought this show was about strangers. (Did they lie to us?) So, I will fully admit that I laughed and cried--a minimum of 4 times! And at the end as it was being revealed, I was sitting with mouth agape and started OMGing at my TV. Then I was lying in bed for at least an hour unable to sleep thinking about this show and how amazing the characterization and acting is and how much I love the writing. It was so cool how each scene led into a similarity with the next, for instance, from the mundane of the parents saying they're going to have triplets, then The Manny picking up one of the triplet actor babies on set, to the really incredible scenes of the abandoned son's big speech to his birth dad unable to kick him back out of his life and then The Manny doing just that in his big Emmy-acting moment with Alan Thicke. Or, the doctor telling the dad in the hospital how he'll leave here with three kids (i.e., the spirit of his son to do good in the wold) but then OMG they're literally leaving with three children and what an amazing thing to rescue this baby! You all must be some heartless bastards to not cry at this show. JOKING!!!! Ok, well, joking with the name-calling, but, really?! There were about a half dozen scenes that COULD have made us cry. None of them? They all got to me! The acting was superb, the writing top-notch, IMO. All the awards and stars and thumbs up to this show. Pilot episodes are usually a little wonky with exposition, etc. For a first episode to be this good?! Wow, I'm impressed. Maybe it's downhill from here, but even so, it would still land as good TV.

[Ms Blue Jay]

5 hours ago, random chance said:

It's not the kind of show I cry over either. While I was watching the Manny have a fit on the set I thought of that scene in Bojack Horseman where the girl tells him (paraphrasing) so what if it's not high art - you get to make a living doing what you love, not many people can say that. The adopted guy: he was way better off. The fat sister: losing weight is hard but at least there's a solution to your problem, unlike someone who discovers something like they have Huntington's. (I am possibly too cynical for shows like this but I'll probably watch it anyway.)

I would not go so far as to equate being obese or overweight with Huntington's, but man, this is so much easier said than done.  If it was easy, everyone would be able to do it.  There are people who never have to think about their weight, and then there are people like me who pretty much think about it every minute.

Also, being adopted. I have no idea what that's like, but I am thinking a lot of adopted people would rather have been raised by their own parents; you never know.  There's a reason Randall's character was screaming at his father.  There's some anger and issues there.  And I can understand the feeling of wishing you were not born into THAT situation in the first place - why couldn't he have been born to a parent who could care for him, etc.?

I wouldn't say you're being cynical, I'd say you're making some hard and fast judgements about very complex situations.

Quote

 

Honestly?  I think that was in the original script, and maybe was what was even shot, since his mouth seemed a bit off.  And then someone else watched it, and said, "whoa, we can't have a sympathetic main character in 2016 call his athletic daughter a 'bull dyke'!"  And so they dubbed it.

That phrase was used in The Life Aquatic and it really bothered me.  I don't understand why people like that movie.  Good idea removing it.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[ChicksDigScars]

15 hours ago, lulee said:

I was only half-watching while working on lesson plans. I missed that the Manny and his sister were twins until toward the end.

I'm relieved about the twist if for no other reason that it makes Dr. Gerald McRaney seem less way behind the times about pregnancies with multiples and high-risk pregnancies in general.

I started to think of how antiquated the hospital room was, and how Dad was sitting in metal chairs in a hall way, instead of a nice waiting room with a TV.  I thought, "What a crappy hospital, Do they live in the sticks somewhere?" But it wasn't until they showed people SMOKING in the hospital hallways, that I thought, "Okay....something's up. This isn't current." 

[DearEvette]

5 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

Ok, it seems like a lot of you KNEW this show was supposed to make us cry and/or had a twist ending? I knew nothing but seeing the commercial one time and thought this show was about strangers. (Did they lie to us?)

I think the NBC aired promos were deliberately misleading to get you to just approach this like a family drama in the vein of Parenthood of Thirtysomething.  I think going in blind to the twist and having it come out of the blue was something they were really going for.  And of course, casting Sterling Brown was another element to the mislead.  I mean even if you did begin to suspect you still has to wonder how he fit in? That was my impression going into last week.  But suddenly the big promo push was on and I had read a couple of posts by critics who mentioned the twist at the end and called it intriguing.  And then NBC started talking up the 'drag out the hnakies' stuff.

So really until last week, I thought the same as you. 

[Bruinsfan]

3 hours ago, SuzyLee said:

I think I overlooked the part about him hiding his feelings behind humor; good point.  I'm quite familiar with weight struggles and have experienced the same things you have.  I don't use humor to mask it, though; I shut down.  I just hate it when people act as if overweight people are lucky to find anyone at all.  One of my coworkers said (quote), "She should count herself lucky that he's interested in her, considering."  I mean, really.

He's as overweight as she is, and I'd say she's leading the competition by a mile in terms of appealing personality, so I'd argue she's not the one who's lucky to be given the time of day.

[taragel]

You guys are right about the Bull Dyke comment. I went back and checked the script and sure enough:

Quote

 

On that field, a TOMBOY GIRL (8) is dominating. She ELBOWS A BOY in a stomach, dribbles past him.

BETH

Four boys crying and counting.

RANDALL

That’s our little bull dyke.

She smiles.

 

[random chance]

44 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I would not go so far as to equate being obese or overweight with Huntington's, but man, this is so much easier said than done. 

I did say it was hard.  It's just not impossible.

[Empress1]

I'm not into cars so the idea of spending $143K on one, even if you have it, sounds nuts to me. So does telling a broke stranger that you have that much money. I'm cynical so I think the father is conning him. But I love Sterling K. Brown so I forgive him. (That entire soccer scene cracked me up, from the mother cheering on French braiding to the older daughter's victory dance.)

I didn't cry. I did figure out the twist. I'm interested in the show because I'm close in age to these folks and this age, compounded by a lot of bad things happening in my life over the last year, has left me in a position to pick up pieces, question choices, work on making better choices (with the help of a therapist). So I'll watch another ep or two and see if it takes. 

[chitowngirl]

I know a woman whose triplets were born in 1995 and all were delivered vaginally. They just came too fast for a c-section to be done. Every pregnancy is different.

[WhosThatGirl]

I didn't know there was a twist, at least not to the extremes. When I first saw the promos, I thought it would end up being they were all connected in some way as friends like all those movies lately, New Years Eve, Valentines Day, etc that have all these people being connected. Then the episode aired and the groups of people didn't have anything to do with each other so I was confused and then that twist..mind blowing. Still.

Like I said, I really do think Jack and Rebecca have passed. It would also explain why the kids as adults are where they are now, Kate and gaining weight, Kevin realizing he isn't what he wants to be as an actor, Randell deciding that he wants to find where he really did come from for the first time. I don't see his storyline ending well because his father is never going to be his dad at this point. For various reasons. It's going to be heartbreaking. 

[OtterMommy]

I wasn't going to watch this show, but then I added it to my Hulu watch list at the last minute.  I will admit that seeing about 5 different articles on FB saying there was a big TWIST I thought I'd give it  try.

I really enjoyed it but, ironically, I wish I hadn't known about the twist going into it.  I think I spent too much time expecting it--and then totally didn't see it coming.  For some reason, I thought it would involve Kevin and Kate.  But, well, I can miss the obvious.  Although I did spend most of the show wondering why in the heck Rebecca was trying to deliver triplets vaginally, especially when it was stated that she had a high-risk pregnancy (was she high risk because she was having triplets, or was there something else going on?) or the fact that Jack was taking the whole hipster look a bit too far.

I think my favorite bit was the Manny meltdown, only because I think there is more than one actor in a "bad" show who doesn't fantasize about doing the exact same thing.  It was also the first time in my entire TV-viewing life that I found anything involving Alan Thicke to be remotely entertaining.

I was a little frustrated, once it was over, that Randall's story line was kept so separate from Kevin and Kate and then, bam!, we're hit with all the family pictures and Manny posters, etc.  I mean, I get it that it added punch to the TWIST, but it seemed kind of contrived.

Still, I'll be back next week....  

[againstthewind]

So I tuned in because the commercials during the Olympics had me kind of intrigued, and like many of you I was looking for a network drama that wasn't about doctors/lawyers/the supernatural/superheroes. I love Milo and Mandy, and Sterling K. Brown sold me during OJ. So I figured I'd watch the pilot and if it were too hackneyed I'd then peace out.

I decided I'd give a few episodes when I saw the scene with Milo and the doctor, and I genuinely laughed out loud at Alan Thicke. But the ending, I did not see coming until like many of you with the cigarettes (although I was like wow these people are ridiculous hipsters). When I realized it, I started full-on bawling. Just everything. But one thing that definitely resonated with me is that I am eight years younger than these characters, but I am EXACTLY the same age my mother was when she had me, and we've had recent conversations about it. I'm further along in my career than she was, but I'm not a happily-married homeowner, and it's been a bit tough for me to deal with lately. So yes, I will be tuning in. And I called my mother and told her to watch it tonight - I'm sure she'll be bawling too.

Shallow note - Justin Hartley - YOWZA!

Edited September 21, 2016 by againstthewind

[Anela]

I thought the twist was simply them adopting the baby left at the fire station. I can't believe I didn't realize that they were all related, and thought it was an odd coincidence - although I wondered why the fireman was smoking in a hospital. I was crying when they took the mother into the operating room, because I lost my mother two months ago, and am still not used to even saying that. 

I liked it, so I'll keep watching. 

[movingtargetgal]

My niece is adopted and she has always struggled with this issue.  She was a foster child who came into her adoptive home at 6 weeks, however, it took forever for parental right to be terminated and she was not free to be adopted until she was 6 years old.  During that time she had forced visits with a "strange woman" with a coke addiction that called herself mommy.  It really had a negative impact on my niece.  She never felt she belonged.  More importantly, she felt there was something wrong with her that caused her birth mother to reject her over drugs.  When she became an adult she tracked down her birth mother.  This woman was still addicted and blaming the state for stealing her daughter.  I took some time but my niece finally had some closure and realized it was her birth mother's addiction that caused her to be put up for adoption.  She finally came to terms that there was nothing wrong with her and she was not unloveable.

A lot of adopted children (not all) have these unresolved issues, as well as, questions regarding their birth parents and the circumstance surrounding their adoptions.  Many adopted children do not have this need but for those who do it seems to be an overwhelming need.   

[Amethyst]

8 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Some of the dialogue was really bad, especially the scenes with Sterling and his father ("I AM VERY RICH AND DON'T NEED YOU!" "Do you want to come in?" "YES."  And later: "I HATE YOU, COME TO MY HOUSE."  "I'm dying."  "LIVE HERE.")  Those reactions were ridiculous, try as Sterling did to make that shit work.  

If the dialogue can improve, I might be here for a while.

Same here.  I think it was supposed to be funny, but the acting came off as incredibly hammy and shout-y.  My mother asked me why Randall was losing his mind.  At least Randall recognized that his behavior was unusual.

[WhosThatGirl]

12 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

Same here.  I think it was supposed to be funny, but the acting came off as incredibly hammy and shout-y.  My mother asked me why Randall was losing his mind.  At least Randall recognized that his behavior was unusual.

This is why I think Jack and Rebecca have passed recently. I feel like maybe  that Randell didn't process any of his grieving well and now it's all going to be coming to a head; he's meeting his biological father for the first time, he's dying, etc.

[dargosmydaddy]

I was spoiled as to the twist ahead of time. I found the Mandy & Milo storyline kind of meh (maybe because I knew how it would turn out). Randall's character seems interesting, but the entire interaction with his bio dad felt really off to me. Kate and Toby were all right. I really liked Kevin.

And maybe this is a 2016 mindset, but I didn't see how any parents of two newborns would be granted custody of a third newborn by the powers that be, no matter how sweet a story they make. 

[Anela]

18 hours ago, Bluedog100 said:

I'm a dumb ass too. I couldn't figure out how they were smoking in a hospital and thought what a coincidence it was that another baby had been left at a fire station! Didn't connect the dots until it was basically spelled out for me here. Thanks guys! I have to say I really enjoyed it. 

 

18 hours ago, memememe76 said:

I totally didn't catch the ending until it hit me in the face. Dumbasses unite!

Loved this. I am not sure how Milo and Mandy will play into it, but I have got to figure that they will be prominent. They are arguably he two biggest names on the show. 

I suspect that the bio dad will be seen in the flashbacks. 

I'm glad it wasn't just me. I really laughed at "dumbasses unite!" :) 

I only heard/read about the twist on twitter, before it recorded. Milo said something about not ruining it (I think it was him), so I got all settled in to watch my recording, only to find that the DVR had deleted my recording for some reason. So I watched it on my laptop today. 

8 hours ago, AdorkableSars said:

 

I actually did notice this. But I had read that the characters were all interconnected somehow, so I thought they were just friends...hypothetical bros. So it didn't ruin the twist for me at all. And gives me hope that we will see some scenes with "The Big Three" in future episodes. 

I kind of wondered that too...however, I'm sure that NBC wouldn't have ordered this show if it didn't have a solid plan going forward. I'm excited to see how they jump between timelines, and see what happens to all of these characters.

I can't remember why I quoted you. I think I quoted the wrong person.

I agree with whomever said, "it's the things you can do something about, that keep you up at night. The choices you've made". That's how it is for me. 

I was born in 1975, breech birth, and had the cord around my neck. They somehow got it off me before I came out. I guess he was gone before they could do anything, though. :( Poor baby.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Anela

[Chaos Theory]

Enjoyed this more then I thought I would.  I liked the interweaving stories.  I thought the twist ending was quite clever.  I might keep this as a "for later watching" on my DVR for awhile but this kind of show gets old for me pretty quick.  It has good characters going for it so who knows.  I liked most if not all of them but I'm not sure how long the show can keep me interested

I'll give it a chance to impress me. 

Edited September 21, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[KaveDweller]

7 hours ago, SuzyLee said:

I feel sorry for the man who wraps up a first date with me by suggesting I give him a "handy."

I couldn't believe he did that. I mean, if the guy has to ask it's not happening. He just seemed very aggressive about it. Maybe the idea was to show that he was attracted to her despite her weight?

5 hours ago, TVForever said:

I was dreading that same twist. Hope their happy ending (beginning?) continues.

I thought of that too, but I had guessed the twist, so I knew that she survived. Kate mentioned thinking she'd grow up to be like her mom. She had to have known her mom for that to have happened.

51 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I was spoiled as to the twist ahead of time. I found the Mandy & Milo storyline kind of meh (maybe because I knew how it would turn out). Randall's character seems interesting, but the entire interaction with his bio dad felt really off to me. Kate and Toby were all right. I really liked Kevin.

And maybe this is a 2016 mindset, but I didn't see how any parents of two newborns would be granted custody of a third newborn by the powers that be, no matter how sweet a story they make. 

They made a point of saying how they already had three cribs and Milo's mom had knitted all three blankets or something. So I think being all set up to raise three babies physically and financially and suddenly having an opening could help get them custody.

[Clanstarling]

6 hours ago, Ohwell said:

There's something "off" about Sterling K. Brown's performance, maybe it's the goofy-looking glasses.  There was one scene he did when I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying.

That was deliberate - because he was doing both. The man was losing it. I found it pretty believable myself, having gone from laughter to tears, and vice versa, before.

For me, anyway, his whole storyline with his father was the most engaging of this episode. I didn't watch the OJ series, and don't think I've seen the actor in anything else, but boy, he stood out for me, and in an utterly excellent way.

I had no clue there was a twist, and because I watching while distracted, I didn't get that the parents were in a different timeline, I just thought it was weird, but I like weird.

I liked the show, and I'm interested in seeing how it will play out.

[ClareWalks]

33 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

I couldn't believe he did that. I mean, if the guy has to ask it's not happening. He just seemed very aggressive about it. Maybe the idea was to show that he was attracted to her despite her weight?

Yeah, I also hated that. My interpretation of it was "does he think just because she's fat she is sexually desperate, that he can speak to her like that on a first date?" I saw it as a total insult. I guess his character is supposed to be charming and funny but the jury is still out for me.

[dargosmydaddy]

59 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

They made a point of saying how they already had three cribs and Milo's mom had knitted all three blankets or something. So I think being all set up to raise three babies physically and financially and suddenly having an opening could help get them custody.

I still don't buy that they'd get custody, and particularly that quickly. Seemed like a huge TV contrivance.

[Ohwell]

13 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I still don't buy that they'd get custody, and particularly that quickly. Seemed like a huge TV contrivance.

I agree.  Plus, the social worker would need time to see if other relatives might be available and suitable.  I thought it was a huge contrivance that, frankly, spoiled the "big twist" for me. * 

*Unless in future episodes it's shown that they didn't get custody that quickly and some time had passed before the adoption.  I'll give the show a couple more episodes to see if that happens.   

Edited September 22, 2016 by Ohwell

[OtterMommy]

8 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I still don't buy that they'd get custody, and particularly that quickly. Seemed like a huge TV contrivance.

I think that adoption has changed quite a bit over the past 30-40 years.  We know a family who adopted 2 daughters in the 70s (so within a decade of the births in this show) and it was literally a matter of asking their doctor if they had any other patients who wanted to give their babies up.  Their first attempt at adoption didn't go through--not because the mom backed out but because the doctor got "mixed up" and had promised the baby to someone else (then, a co-worker of the adoptive mother's knew someone who worked for a different doctor and they happened to know of a soon-to-be-born baby that was "available.")  I'm still in awe of their story but, given that, I find the situation on this show much more believable.

[HeySandyStrange]

Just finished watching after Hulu has bombarded me with commercials singing its praises. It turned out to be not too terrible at all, and yeah, my eyes got a little wet.

I was a little puzzled at first as to why Randall was so pissed at his bio dad, despite having had a happy childhood with Mandy&Milo, but thinking on it a little more, it must have been extremely hard for him growing up black in a white family. Especially in the late 70's/early 80's era, where I'm guessing interracial adoption was extremely rare. No matter how loving and open-minded his family were, I'm sure the rest of the world never let him forget that he was an adopted child. It's not like he could blend in with the rest of the family. Not to mention, the twins seemed very close to each other (which is natural, being twins), so maybe Randall was a bit on the outside looking in with Kevin and Kate. I'm really the most curious to see where they go with Randall, his bio dad, and his relationship to his adopted family.

I found Kate likable but I hope she isn't just going to be constantly whining about her weight. I did like Toby but did notice that he seemed to be angling for sex like it was going out of style. I did miss the handjob reference, thankfully. Kevin's actor was a bit wooden imo, though the breakdown was amusing enough. Honestly, in the beginning I was thinking Kevin was suffering from PTSD or some other mental illness, so I was surprised he was just a dissatisfied actor.

Quote

For those who didn't get into Gilmore Girls, Milo V. (The Father with Mandy Moore) was, in my opinion, one of the best things about it.  Definitely my favourite actor and character, I think.  He was a big attraction for a lot of us here.

I, for one, always disliked Jess and never sought out Milo V. in anything else he's done. I don't know if it was his acting, his beard that hid his smirky Jess smirk, or the nice piece of ass flashing we got, but I have to give him props, he was pretty good. So was Mandy, who I didn't even recognize. They make a cute on screen couple.

[chocolatine]

10 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

I think that adoption has changed quite a bit over the past 30-40 years.  We know a family who adopted 2 daughters in the 70s (so within a decade of the births in this show) and it was literally a matter of asking their doctor if they had any other patients who wanted to give their babies up.  Their first attempt at adoption didn't go through--not because the mom backed out but because the doctor got "mixed up" and had promised the baby to someone else (then, a co-worker of the adoptive mother's knew someone who worked for a different doctor and they happened to know of a soon-to-be-born baby that was "available.")  I'm still in awe of their story but, given that, I find the situation on this show much more believable.

I think what you're describing is a private adoption, when a birth mother chooses a specific couple to be the adoptive parents, which is different from the scenario in the show. When a child is abandoned like Randall was, he usually has to go into the system, and there are protocols, waiting lists, etc, that make the adoption process much longer and more difficult. I will accept the explanation upthread that at the time not many people wanted to adopt a crack baby, and that's why the process went fairly quickly in that case. But it's still one of those things that stretches credulity.

[random chance]

Maybe they fostered him first and then adopted him? That would allow them to dress him in the onsie and take him home right away without any TV adoption magic?

[Mya Stone]

True confession: I HATE to cry. I hate it. (I marathoned Parenthood and got misty maybe a handful of times total.) I went into this knowing it was going to try it's damndest to make me cry. And I fought it. I fought it valiantly. I lost. 

Because when the music was playing and Milo was standing at the nursery window, and Kate and Kevin were reminiscing about what he used to say...I lost it. Maybe it's because I'm roughly the same age as the Big Three. Maybe it's because I have kids of my own, and I can't imagine them living without me. Maybe it's because the Big Three are so much like Jack, that nurture really did beat nature. 

 

Or maybe it's because I realized I'll never be able to gaze upon a properly aged up to 73+ years MiloAss. 

 

At any rate, I'm in. 

[OtterMommy]

8 minutes ago, random chance said:

Maybe they fostered him first and then adopted him? That would allow them to dress him in the onsie and take him home right away without any TV adoption magic?

Also, they said that the babies were early (a couple months or something?)  And, despite the fact that they looked entirely too healthy to be premature and they were in the regular nursery with all the other babies, the assumption could be made that babies Kevin and Kate would have had to stay in the hospital for a while--at least long enough to go through the adoption hoops with Randall? 

I don't know...I do understand how it is a little hard to swallow...but it isn't a huge deal to me at this point.

[Dejana]

9 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

I figured it out a few seconds earlier when the fireman introduced himself. Nice twist for someone going in blind, though.

I'm a bit puzzled by Sterling's anger. I was adopted and never had any curiosity about my biological parents, much less seething anger and resentment at being given up. Putting me up for adoption in a loving home was the best gift anyone ever gave me. I can get how someone with awful parents or raised in foster homes/institutions would be angry over the circumstances, but that doesn't seem to be the case based on what the siblings said about their upbringing.

I imagine that being abandoned at birth on a doorstep/in the cold/wrapped in a plastic bag/etc., with only the hope you'd be found in time, brings its own additional baggage.

Maybe the family moved from the East Coast to Southern California when the kids were growing up?

I handwaved the scene with all three babies in their bassinets as happening a few weeks after they were born. Since the show is jumping in time anyway....

Edited September 22, 2016 by Dejana

[Onfire444]

Wasn't planning on watching this show, but then saw all these things on social media about "the twist!" at the end of the episode. So I watched it and what a letdown! I kept thinking that one of the babies was going to come out black, a la "Call the Midwife", and THAT was going to be the twist. And Mandy Moore was going to be so mortified at her cheating come to light, she would give up the black baby and pretended like he died. When the actual twist was announced, I was like "Oh, is that effing all?"

[betha]

Quote

This bugged me too. I'm 37 and was in 1st grade. So the triplets would've been kindergarteners at best. 

Yes!! Me too. I was born in 79, am 37 and was in 1st grade- I vividly remember watching the challenger launch in school. If they were born in 9/80 they just barely might have made the kindergarten cutoff that year -- no way were they in 2nd grade. It really took me out of the show and I came to this forum to see if anyone else noticed. I wonder if they filmed the show two years ago and then forgot to change it. Seems like such an easy thing to fix though. I knew there was a twist , and definitely noticed the anachronicity of a vaginal triplet birth, but it didn't hit me until the line about "you know what dad always said." Loved the reveal. Loved the characters. Love that I'm the same age as the characters and my parents roughly same age as the parents. Well done. And it is awesome they took the conceit of hipsters trying to look like hippies and playing that against us. I wouldn't be surprised if that inspired it. 

Now someone can do a show playing off how all the current teenagers are dressing in 90s clothes (it is so confusing to see chokers everywhere, but I digress).

Edited September 22, 2016 by betha

[Court]

Cutoff dates weren't as strict back then. Also, if they were in PA back then the cutoff would have been 12/1. There are still places that the cutoff is 12/1 and 1/1.

In some places in the 80's the cutoff was 4 by x date, not 5. I was born in 83 and several of us started early. It was pretty easy then to get around the cutoff date

[Enigma X]

I just finished watching and loved it. I love family dramas with complicated relationship.

I think Sterling is being conned and that guy is not his dad. I hope we see the three siblings interact--all three--more in the future.

[Emily Thrace]

I remember thinking it was odd that both OB's were male was odd. Its an almost entirely female field these days.

[shoregirl]

I was born in September of 1980. I was in Kindergarten when the challenger disaster happened. I remember it happening so it's notime likeep they couldn't have gone with Kindergarten or 1st grade. It did take me out of the show for a moment trying to figure out how someone who is the same age as me was two grades ahead of me . Overall I did like the show though.