S01.E01: Pilot

[Tiger]

3 hours ago, kili said:

The kids are a little messed up for having such loving parents.  The twins seem to lack self-esteem (to the point of loathing themselves) while Randall is wound pretty tight (though he appears to have a great family - I love his wife).

Per Imdb, the actress is Susan Kelechi Watson, and it looks like she's been in a lot of shows I watch though she didnt look familiar.  

She definitely stood out among an overall very strong cast.

[ShadowFacts]

4 hours ago, Desperately Random said:

I was wondering how did Randall know about his mom dying if he was abandoned at the fire station? Could be the PI found that out first and that's how they traced the dad? Or there was a note.

My guess is, and I would have to go back and rewatch, it was probably known that his mother was the dead drug addict.  The authorities would have connected the abandoned newborn with the dead woman who had recently given birth.  The birthplace must have been close enough to the fire station that a stoned guy carrying a probably squalling newborn could have dropped him off without drawing attention.  I may be reading too much into it though.

[Bruinsfan]

That was my thought as well.

If Kevin plays the lead and title character of a network sitcom that's been on long enough to be widely known, I'm betting he's more financially successful than Randall, regardless of whatever shortfalls in career satisfaction and personal life he may be experiencing. Of course, his public meltdown might change that depending on his contract and what sort of penalties the show can levy against him for walking off the job.

[photo fox]

When we first see Kevin, and he's at a party, is that his house? Kinda seemed like it might be. If so, he's loaded. 

[slasherboy]

What jumped out at me was that the babies' onesies were that awful mustard yellow they used to make appliances in back in the 70's.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.

I'll watch again but may not be in for the long haul.  We'll see.

[WhosThatGirl]

1 hour ago, photo fox said:

When we first see Kevin, and he's at a party, is that his house? Kinda seemed like it might be. If so, he's loaded. 

I think it was? Because he went to Kate's and he fell asleep, it was on the couch, not that that means anything, he could pass out anywhere in his home but I just assumed. Plus, Kate was surprised to see him in her house when he first appeared there. So.

[SlackerInc]

11 hours ago, random chance said:

Oh good point about finding the bio dad! How on earth?

I think some people may have missed that he paid a private eye $1500 to find his bio dad.  That works for me and I don't need any more details, but YMMV.

7 hours ago, photo fox said:

As a heavy woman, I really resent the popular theory that fat = damaged. Yes, some people eat their feelings and become fat. And some of us just love food, hate to exercise, and got unlucky in the gene lottery. Reasons for obesity (like alcoholism, etc.) range all over the nature/nurture scale.

Yes.  I struggle with my weight (as in a BMI in the obese range), but I exercise regularly and particularly love to play tennis for hours and hours.  I also eat very healthy food, what they now call "eating clean" but I was doing it long before that label was invented.  Brown rice and black beans, salmon, unsweetened Greek yogurt, stir fry veggies, lots of salad and fresh fruit; and I stay away from sugar, white flour, and potatoes.  But I'm not shy about using extra virgin olive oil, grass fed butter and cheese.  And I love to cook and eat in voluminous quantities.

So in reading reviews of the pilot, I discovered that the trailer had gone viral on Facebook to a nearly unprecedented degree (only Star Wars: the Force Awakens beat it, but took much longer to get its views).  So I was obviously curious to see this amazing trailer and try to figure out how something with no major stars, with no real "hook" to the premise, not representing any established property, became such a sensation.  After watching it, I still have no answer for that question.  But I am stunned by how much is spoiled in it!  That one baby dies.  That the "Manny" actor quit.  That the adopted son found his bio dad, told him off, and then invited him to meet his grandchildren.

They did at least make some effort to hide the big twist.  But even there, there is a shot of Milo standing in the hospital with people behind him, and you can see a nun wearing a habit, and a nurse with the old-fashioned hat.

ETA: Sorry, here's the link to the trailer: 

Edited September 25, 2016 by SlackerInc

[lorikauai]

I finally watched this on my DVR. I expected to hate it. I hate this type of show. I hated Parenthood, which I guess a lot of people loved (still don't understand), but I enjoyed this. I read nothing about this show and did not predict the twist. I am glad the "us" are actually related and not brought together by fate *gag*. I usually hate anything sappy or sentimental so we'll see if I stick with it, but I was engaged through the whole first episode and set it to record next week.

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, WhosThatGirl said:

I think it was? Because he went to Kate's and he fell asleep, it was on the couch, not that that means anything, he could pass out anywhere in his home but I just assumed. Plus, Kate was surprised to see him in her house when he first appeared there. So.

IIRC there was a framed poster of the Manny hanging in the bedroom where Kevin was about to have a threesome, so that + what you said also makes me think that that was his house and he doesn't live at Kate's. Now that he's quit the Manny though, he might not be able to afford his fancy place much longer.

[Randomosity]

6 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

They did at least make some effort to hide the big twist.  But even there, there is a shot of Milo standing in the hospital with people behind him, and you can see a nun wearing a habit, and a nurse with the old-fashioned hat.

I almost never re-watch shows, but with the 'clues' to the past time period, this episode might be worth a re-watch. Good catch on the candy-striper hat! (Though nuns still wear that, so that's not a giveaway.)

[Tiger]

9 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

So in reading reviews of the pilot, I discovered that the trailer had gone viral on Facebook to a nearly unprecedented degree (only Star Wars: the Force Awakens beat it, but took much longer to get its views).  So I was obviously curious to see this amazing trailer and try to figure out how something with no major stars, with no real "hook" to the premise, not representing any established property, became such a sensation.  After watching it, I still have no answer for that question.  But I am stunned by how much is spoiled in it!  That one baby dies.  That the "Manny" actor quit.  That the adopted son found his bio dad, told him off, and then invited him to meet his grandchildren.

They did at least make some effort to hide the big twist.  But even there, there is a shot of Milo standing [ . . . ]

ETA: Sorry, here's the link to the trailer: 

 

Im pretty sure it "went viral" because of the shot of Milo's bare ass.  Which wasnt actually in the broadcast, at least not the one my affiliate aired.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Im pretty sure it "went viral" because of the shot of Milo's bare ass.  Which wasnt actually in the broadcast, at least not the one my affiliate aired.

I'd be surprised if it got past the NBC censors, but it was there in all its glory when I watched it On Demand. 

[LeafontheWind]

8 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

I'd be surprised if it got past the NBC censors, but it was there in all its glory when I watched it On Demand. 

I watched live on NBC and got to see it in all its glory. 

[DearEvette]

11 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

I think some people may have missed that he paid a private eye $1500 to find his bio dad.  That works for me and I don't need any more details, but YMMV.

I don't think the questioning is that he hired someone, but more along the lines of how does a PI even reasonably go about finding someone who anonymously left a baby  at a firehouse.  And from there, proving that this guy is actually Randall's father. 

There are a lot of suppositions that could be made about what happened off screen: it wasn't anonymous, he actually gave his name when he dropped the baby, there was a note left with Randall, there were security cameras etc.  But the show didn't bother with any of that.  For me the details do make a difference in this instance because of how absolutely sure Randall is that this guy is his father; so much so  that he invites him into his home with his children.

[Ohwell]

One thing that bothered  me about Randall is that he could have given his wife more of a heads up that he was bringing his father home to meet her and the kids.  I know he's a successful businessman but there's something kind of unhinged about his character.  

[Desperately Random]

11 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

I think some people may have missed that he paid a private eye $1500 to find his bio dad.  That works for me and I don't need any more details, but YMMV.

 

 

35 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I don't think the questioning is that he hired someone, but more along the lines of how does a PI even reasonably go about finding someone who anonymously left a baby  at a firehouse.  And from there, proving that this guy is actually Randall's father. 

There are a lot of suppositions that could be made about what happened off screen: it wasn't anonymous, he actually gave his name when he dropped the baby, there was a note left with Randall, there were security cameras etc.  But the show didn't bother with any of that.  For me the details do make a difference in this instance because of how absolutely sure Randall is that this guy is his father; so much so  that he invites him into his home with his children.

You're right DearEvette. The previous posts mentioned that Randall had hired someone to find his dad so I don't think that anyone missed that part  (I know I didn't) but I think there is a curiosity as to how the PI found some anonymous person who dropped a baby off at a fire station 36 years ago. Not saying it couldn't be done because it could but I would like to know how the PI was able to find him and know with certainty that this man is Randall's father. 

Edited September 25, 2016 by Desperately Random

[Marsupial]

Well, I'm all in. I loved it. I've been looking for a normal, emotionally moving drama that isn't a crime show or a fantasy or a show about crazy, brilliant people, just a normal drama, and this fits the bill. I didn't anticipate the twist ending, but I never do LOL. I didn't cry but I did get very moved in several scenes, and Gerald McRaney was a revelation. I knew the guy was a good actor but he was utterly great in his scene. I like the cast so far and the storyline. I hope it doesn't focus too much on the "being thirty-something" because I'll get bored with that, but it looks like they are going to develop some interesting storylines.

[tribeca]

I love it.   I can see why the preview went viral.  It is different from the shows out right now.   It will be nice to watch a show not all about crimes. I am so tired of those.  Was feeling like there was nothing on TV for me lately. 

    All the characters are interesting and like able.  The struggles are relatable.   I had something in my eye at the end.  

     Watched this on demand with my mom.   When the firefighter offered the dad a cigarette she said she knew something was up because cigarettes are too expensive now to just give away LOL. 

[Tiger]

41 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

One thing that bothered  me about Randall is that he could have given his wife more of a heads up that he was bringing his father home to meet her and the kids.  I know he's a successful businessman but there's something kind of unhinged about his character.  

Even if they reveal or write-in that Randall has some sort of mental issue, which I think SKB and SKW are already playing, it doesnt excuse or explain Randall's wife going along with letting this stranger in their home with two young kids.

A lot of narrative problems couls have been solved if Randall's wife had convinced him to put his alleged bio dad up in a hearby hotel for the night.

[Marsupial]

Quote

When the firefighter offered the dad a cigarette she said she knew something was up because cigarettes are too expensive now to just give away LOL. 

LOL that's an excellent point. It tipped me off because you used to be allowed to smoke in hospitals, which seems inconceivable to us now. But I'm old enough to remember people  smoking in theatres, in hospitals, on trains, and everywhere really. My mother says before that, people used to smoke in grocery stores and clothing stores, which also seems mind-boggling to us.

[possibilities]

The ass shot was the opening visual for the show-- I was watching on NBC and actually thought I might have tuned in to the wrong channel by mistake. I'm not complaining, just saying: whoever censored it, it wasn't NBC.

I think there's plenty of time to find out what the PI did or didn't do to find Randall's dad/alleged dad. They had a lot to jam into the pilot. Pilots are often full of unanswered questions. Randall was a bit impulsive, but I don't think we're meant to think that's his usual mode. I think all three of the siblings are supposed to be going through an early midlife crisis.

Also, did someone say their dad (Milo V) was 36 when KK&R were born? And this is their 36th birthday, right? So if Milo V's character died within the past year (everyone is speculating that this is the kids' first birthday since dad died), he'd have been in his 70s. That's sad, and would affect the family of course. But I don't think it's a shockingly early death. He could have had a heart attack in his 50s, and that would have been devastating but not unbelievable. He could have gotten cancer, or just about anything, and of course it would be terrible, but I don't think it feels like a stretch in terms of realism. 

Edited September 25, 2016 by possibilities

[ShadowFacts]

14 minutes ago, Tiger said:

A lot of narrative problems couls have been solved if Randall's wife had convinced him to put his alleged bio dad up in a hearby hotel for the night.

I don't think a hotel would work, aside from the fact that dramatic interactions would be harder to write.  Pop has his own apartment, and their mansion seems within driving distance, so there's really no need for a hotel.  Either he stays with them or Randall drives him home.  William's address was in Philadelphia I think, and that must be where Randall works because he seemed to go right over in his megabucks ride. 

[Neurochick]

On September 20, 2016 at 11:08 PM, pinkelephant3 said:

I really liked it...and didn't see the twist coming. Looking forward to adding this into my weekly shows!

I hadn't heard anything about this show at all.  But the TWIST, I was like, damn.  I did NOT get that at all, and I usually get them.

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I think there's plenty of time to find out what the PI did or didn't do to find Randall's dad/alleged dad. They had a lot to jam into the pilot. Pilots are often full of unanswered questions. Randall was a bit impulsive, but I don't think we're meant to think that's his usual mode. I think all three of the siblings are supposed to be going through an early midlife crisis.

Yeah.  that is what I am hoping happens as the story plays out.  All in all it is a good thing that the pilot left us with so many questions and intriguing possibilities.  It gives the narrative room to maneuver.  The one thing you don't want to come away from a show is thinking 'How can they sustain that over 22 episodes?"   I can that this show has all sorts of scenarios to play with and that makes it nice to anticipate watching.

[PRgal]

Okay, I haven't seen the pilot yet, but regarding ages:  I was born in '79 and was in Grade 1 (we say Grade 1 instead of "first grade" in Canada) when the Challenger exploded.  Our cutoff for school (at least in Ontario) is December 31, and you have to be in school by the time you're 6.  Most kids attend two years of kindergarten (Junior Kindergarten the year you turn 4 and Senior Kindergarten when you're 5), so you'd be 6 or turning 6 by the time you start Grade 1.  Since the Challenger exploded January '86, all of the kids would already be 6 years old - unless you, some how, skipped a year of kindergarten (or skipped Grade 1, going directly into 2)!  As for c-sections - I was in a breech position, so I was SUPPOSED to have been delivered by c-section.  That didn't happen, but luckily, I ended up fairly "normal" (as in no major challenges for me growing up, save for my grades being fairly "average" compared to the "brilliant/super-smart/honour roll GPAs all of my cousins had).

Edited September 25, 2016 by PRgal

[callmebetty]

I'm just going to throw out my theory. PI tracks down the firefighter who brought the baby in. Firefighter might not know the dad's name but sees him around the neighborhood, maybe even the station, since the dad mentioned liking them. Some more digging dad still lives in the area, asks questions finally narrows it down.

Either that or PI and the dad are working together on a scam (joke inferred)

Edited September 25, 2016 by callmebetty

[Enigma X]

I know in Chicago the rule is that a child has to be five by September 1 to enter Kindergarten. 

IMDB says this is set in Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh public school web site states:

In order for a child to be eligible [to] register for Kindergarten, they must turn 5 years old by September 30th of the school year for which they are registering.

[Clanstarling]

The whole age entering school thing varies a lot around the country and elsewhere. I was a December baby who made the cutoff for the school I was in (military dependent school), so I've always been the youngest in my class. One school system (been through 16 of them) was so stuck on their age cutoff they wanted me to repeat a grade because - rules! That didn't happen, as less bureaucratic minds prevailed (after dealing with my intimidating first sergeant father).

We don't yet know for certain when the kids were born  (thought the photo box marked 75-79 certainly implies it was 79 at the earliest), and we don't know whether or not the Manny skipped a grade in school. Not too likely, but it does happen.

[Ohwell]

25 minutes ago, Enigma X said:

I know in Chicago the rule is that a child has to be five by September 1 to enter Kindergarten. 

IMDB says this is set in Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh public school web site states:

In order for a child to be eligible [to] register for Kindergarten, they must turn 5 years old by September 30th of the school year for which they are registering.

I grew up outside of Pittsburgh and at that time (looooooong ago, lol) there was no kindergarten, so I went to first grade at five because I made the cutoff date.  

[DearEvette]

I think I read somewhere that the kids were born in '79 and the present day of pilot was 2015.  At least it was shot and shown in 2015 to be bought by NBC.

[Randomosity]

Even with official cutoffs, it's not always straightforward. Mine growing up (born mid-82) was the calendar year. But some late December classmates (81 bday) were started later even though they officially made the cutoff. I also had a close friend who was a January 83 allowed to start kindergarten early. So even kids who neither skipped, nor got left back, had over a year range in birthdays in classes. Throw in potential for skipping grades either right away or later (the school tried to get my brother to start in 2nd grade at age 5 rather than kindergarten! ) and all bets are off!

[bettername2come]

Quote

I think I read somewhere that the kids were born in '79 and the present day of pilot was 2015.  At least it was shot and shown in 2015 to be bought by NBC.

I will forgive Challenger related errors if this was originally supposed to air in 2015. But I had a friend who was born the day it blew up, so I knew their timing was off on that.

On a completely different note, this series made me Netflix Baby Daddy because I'm really convinced that was the series they had in mind when they created The Manny.

[Tiger]

3 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I don't think a hotel would work, aside from the fact that dramatic interactions would be harder to write.  Pop has his own apartment, and their mansion seems within driving distance, so there's really no need for a hotel.  Either he stays with them or Randall drives him home.  William's address was in Philadelphia I think, and that must be where Randall works because he seemed to go right over in his megabucks ride. 

But thats not the point; the point is that Randall and his wife shouldnt have let a stranger stay in their home overnight with two young children in the home.   I'm not trying to argue over this, but I think this was a major issue.  

Also, something getting lost in thr conversation about Randall's behavior is Kate putting up with that douchebag.  If Randall and/or Mrs. Randall meet him and immediately tell Kate to wake the fuck up, Ill forgive their glaring lapse in judgment in the pilot.

37 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

On a completely different note, this series made me Netflix Baby Daddy because I'm really convinced that was the series they had in mind when they created The Manny.

I thought it was a dig at all those, IMHO, insepid and laughless CBS sitcoms.  

Edited September 25, 2016 by Tiger

[PRgal]

I finally watched the pilot.  If I were Randall, I'd be scared $h!tless parking my six figure car (I bought on cash) in the area the bio dad lived.  I mean, vandals, right?  But then again, the dude's a multimillionaire and maybe he doesn't car?  Still, though. 

[Neurochick]

14 minutes ago, Tiger said:

But thats not the point; the point is that Randall and his wife shouldnt have let a stranger stay in their home overnight with two young children in the home.   I'm not trying to argue over this, but I think this was a major issue.  

I think that is a very interesting point; I had not thought of that when it happened.  One thing I have noticed about TV shows and commercials as well, is that people write them from their imagination and life experience.  And I wonder when this scene of the father staying in the home, came up in the writers room, if someone said,  "Hey, they've got two young daughters, why would they let a strange man stay in their home?"  That is something you might have seen on a TV show from the 1970's, when people didn't have channels like Investigation Discovery, or Forensic Files.  Today, people are much more sensitive and aware of different things in the world.  

I didn't see Kate's date as a douchebag.  I think he and Kate bonded because they both thought the meeting was bullshit. I was more offended at how the meeting was almost portrayed as stupid, a joke.  I know people who do go to meetings like OA and who have been helped by the support there, they may not lose all the weight but they do benefit from the support.  

[Trini]

Not really my type of show, so I don't think I'll be watching regularly; but I thought the pilot was good, liked all the characters, didn't see the twist coming:

Me: "Well, that's dumb -- they don't even put babies in those 'display cases' anymore!"
... Then, of course, the reveal was right after that.

Justin Hartley can still get it, but I was checking this out because of Milo V. Going forward, I'm most interested in seeing how the triplets turned out so different from each other.

[PRgal]

Just realized something:  Does anyone think that house Kevin was in (with the pool party) looked a bit like Steve Sanders' house?  I don't know.  It was so 90210 to me.

[Dejana]

2 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I know in Chicago the rule is that a child has to be five by September 1 to enter Kindergarten. 

IMDB says this is set in Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh public school web site states:

In order for a child to be eligible [to] register for Kindergarten, they must turn 5 years old by September 30th of the school year for which they are registering.

That's the rule for the Pittsburgh Public School system now. It may have been different thirty years ago. I know where I live, the kindergarten cutoff used to go by the calendar years in the 1980s and it's been October 1 probably since sometime in the 1990s. I have older relatives who went to school in the same area and the public schools used to have half years, starting a new class of students sometime in January, in addition to September. Many kids ended up going to summer school to "catch-up" at some point, but some stuck with that schedule throughout high school and speak of graduating in the class of 1959½, for example (finishing in December). Eventually, the half years were phased out. American schooling customs can vary so wildly by region even in the same time frame, to say nothing of another era.

I watched the pilot again and it really stood out to me how Randall had already constructed a narrative of what it would be like to meet his biological father, and didn't easily let go of the conversation he'd played out in his head many times before. He kept wanting to zig when the bio father zagged, like when Randall was rejecting any excuse for abandoning him as a baby and the father didn't offer any. I wonder if the confrontation had happened the way Randall imagined it, that he would have left things at, "Screw you!" and never seen the man again.

Edited September 25, 2016 by Dejana

[Enigma X]

2 hours ago, Randomosity said:

Even with official cutoffs, it's not always straightforward. Mine growing up (born mid-82) was the calendar year. But some late December classmates (81 bday) were started later even though they officially made the cutoff. I also had a close friend who was a January 83 allowed to start kindergarten early. So even kids who neither skipped, nor got left back, had over a year range in birthdays in classes. Throw in potential for skipping grades either right away or later (the school tried to get my brother to start in 2nd grade at age 5 rather than kindergarten! ) and all bets are off!

True. I have some nieces and nephews who got around that rule with the help of their parents.

[Sake614]

I have a question.  Did Kate actually say FUCK on network television??? I was too lazy to rewind, but I think it was when she was looking in the fridge at the notes she left for herself. I was already (pleasantly)  still in shock from seeing The husband's naked butt, so maybe I heard wrong. But if she did say it, how the hell did the producers get that past the network censors??

[Trini]

6 minutes ago, Sake614 said:

I have a question.  Did Kate actually say FUCK on network television??? I was too lazy to rewind, but I think it was when she was looking in the fridge at the notes she left for herself. I was already (pleasantly)  still in shock from seeing The husband's naked butt, so maybe I heard wrong. But if she did say it, how the hell did the producers get that past the network censors??

I'm pretty sure she said "You suck".

[Black Knight]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that Kate told Kevin that he's the only good thing in her life. In light of the revelation that Randall's her brother - well, either the writers deliberately wrote a false line so as not to give away the twist, or Kate and Randall are on the outs right now. She does have that framed picture of the three of them as adults sitting out on the table in her living room, so it can't always have been so bad, but things must not be well between them currently. It's significant too that Randall would send an email only to Kevin about "it's our birthday, bro!" when ordinarily I would have expected him to group-email Kevin and Kate "It's our birthday, siblings!" (or some such). I'm going to guess now that after the parents died (they're totally dead - again, see Kate's "only good thing"), Kate and Randall ended up having a big fight and they've not made up yet.

I imagine we'll see more about how the adoption occurred. That's too big to just skip over considering the parents are a big part of the show and so storylines are needed for MV and MM.

[Sake614]

48 minutes ago, Trini said:

I'm pretty sure she said "You suck".

Well that makes sense, but I like what I heard better lol!

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that Kate told Kevin that he's the only good thing in her life. In light of the revelation that Randall's her brother - well, either the writers deliberately wrote a false line so as not to give away the twist, or Kate and Randall are on the outs right now.

Maybe she meant that it was because she and Kevin both live in the same city (LA, presumably, since that's where The Manny would tape), and Randall apparently lives on the East Coast, so she doesn't see/talk to him as much.

1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

It's significant too that Randall would send an email only to Kevin about "it's our birthday, bro!" when ordinarily I would have expected him to group-email Kevin and Kate "It's our birthday, siblings!"

Randall didn't send that email, Kevin sent it to Randall. I'm guessing Kevin didn't include Kate in the email because he was going to see her in person that day.

[Sandman]

On September 24, 2016 at 2:53 PM, kili said:

Or maybe they had a male "K" name picked out for the last triplet and they buried him with that name. Then, they wanted to give Randall his own name to respect that he isn't just a "replacement". That he was wanted all on his own.

This is what I was thinking, actually. I assume they buried Kip, or Kieran, and didn't want Randall to feel like a placeholder. (But also the avoiding the KKK thing.)

[Cardie]

I had read several reviews of this before it premiered and they all mentioned a twist, which I figured had to involve the shared birthdays. Given that a couple were having a baby in the trailer, I immediately figured out that one of the other adults in the pilot would be that baby grown up. When I heard about Kevin and Kate being twins, I adjusted my theory. I don't know if I would have figured out Randall as well until the third baby died, but by then I had gone looking for spoilers to check my theory against.

In addition to various obstacles that would have been hard to overcome for Jack and Rebecca to adopt Randall, I was sort of creeped out by the sense that Jack is thinking, "Oh, God has sent me this poor little orphan for whom I can trade in my unfortunately dead baby." Not to mention that he makes the decision without checking with his wife. (Randall clearly picked up that sort of behavior on daddy's knee.)

[ShadowFacts]

3 hours ago, Cardie said:

In addition to various obstacles that would have been hard to overcome for Jack and Rebecca to adopt Randall, I was sort of creeped out by the sense that Jack is thinking, "Oh, God has sent me this poor little orphan for whom I can trade in my unfortunately dead baby." Not to mention that he makes the decision without checking with his wife. (Randall clearly picked up that sort of behavior on daddy's knee.)

I wasn't creeped out by it, but it definitely did strike me that the 4 birthday-sharers do share a streak of impulsivity.  I didn't see Jack's move as a trade-in, and it followed kind of logically from what Doc said about his loss putting him on a path that brought more healthy babies in the world, etc.  We haven't yet seen him discuss it with Rebecca, but it didn't feel like a unilateral decision considering we see her beaming at all three of the babies at the end. 

[PRgal]

4 hours ago, Cardie said:

 

In addition to various obstacles that would have been hard to overcome for Jack and Rebecca to adopt Randall, I was sort of creeped out by the sense that Jack is thinking, "Oh, God has sent me this poor little orphan for whom I can trade in my unfortunately dead baby." Not to mention that he makes the decision without checking with his wife. (Randall clearly picked up that sort of behavior on daddy's knee.)

And I hope Randall didn't grow up thinking he was the "replacement kid" his parents adopted.

[random chance]

4 hours ago, Cardie said:

I was sort of creeped out by the sense that Jack is thinking, "Oh, God has sent me this poor little orphan for whom I can trade in my unfortunately dead baby."

He didn't necessarily have to think about it like that. Maybe he thought more along the lines of, "I have suffered a terrible loss tonight and this baby has suffered a terrible loss tonight. Maybe we were meant to find each other."

[Biggie B]

Just watched this pilot last night (Sunday), so I am really late to the party, but have dutifully read all the prior comments.

I liked it. It did not make me cry at all - never even occurred to me to get emotional. I knew something would go wrong with the birth of the children because it so extremely rare that any birth on TV shows ever goes without incident. Millions of women around the world give birth without any issues but if you only knew about birth from TV shows, you would think it's basically a suicide/death wish. Also, as pointed out by others, as soon as Jack refused to discuss any options with the doctor, I knew as well that someone was dying.

I was born in 1962 and the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck. As I moved down the birth canal, I was in effect hanging myself. However, my mother's doctor realized it and I was born via C-section, perfectly healthy. I never did ask my mother (now deceased) how the doctor determined that the cord was around my neck. Certainly in 1962 there must not have been any imaging technology available other than x-rays, but I doubt an x-ray would have been done. Perhaps the doctor felt it manually? I'm also assuming there was no such thing as a fetal monitor in 1962, but somehow or another, my mother's doctor knew I was in distress and why, and did a successful and routine C-section, and here I am. So yeah, that's my long-winded way of wondering why Rebecca didn't have a C-section as well. More dramatic and soapy not to, I guess.

I knew nothing of this show in advance, other than its name. I figured it would be along the lines of 30-Something (which I watched casually) or Parenthood (which I never watched). I'm not sure why I tuned in. I am almost old enough to be the parents of K,K, and R, so I certainly am not the target audience. I do like TV dramas - I still pine for The West Wing, and was a dutiful and loyal ER viewer from beginning to end. So, I figured I'd give this one a whirl. I did read the NY Times review a few days ago. There was no mention made at all of a twist of any sort. The reviewer mentioned that he/she (can't recall) was only given the pilot to watch and thus could form an opinion based only on the one episode - but felt there was enough potential to merit continued viewing. The reviewer did talk a lot about the crying aspect of the show, and thus, when I watched it last night, I was bemused, as I never once felt an iota of tear-worthy emotion at any point.

As with many others, as soon as the fireman lit up a cig in the hospital, TA DA!!! I realized we were not in the present day. I am well old enough to completely and utterly recall the days when people could and did smoke anywhere - in elevators, movie theaters, stores, airplanes, and at work. It was not at all odd or weird, it's just how it was. I lived and worked in Manhattan, smoking was just part of day to day life, no odder than someone walking down the street today talking on a cellphone. Unnoticeable, and remarkable only when it began to be banned!

I'll tune in again. I think it could be interesting. Perhaps they will show flashbacks to K,K, and R's parents struggling to deal with raising triplets and all the ensuing issues connected with adoption and interracial families. I do want to see interaction amongst all three siblings, if there is such. Randall is so separate from his brother and sister right now. Does he know that Kevin quit his job in such a dramatic way? Do Kate and Kevin know he was looking for his bio dad, and if so, how did they feel about that? I do hope their parents are not yet dead but I suppose they probably are. Do we know what Kate does for a living? I'd like to see something about her life that has nothing to do with her weight.

Edited to add: when I had my son, my regular doctor was out of town - I was in Connecticut, and she'd flown to Chicago for a family function. Another doctor in her practice delivered my baby, and while I knew who she was, she was basically a stranger. So I did relate to Rebecca on that level and felt for her.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Biggie B