S01.E17: What Now?

[camom]

Quote

I don't think he was expected in the office. The boss sounded happy to see him and relieved, but it wasn't like they were sitting around all "Where's Randall?!?!" 

I think Randall was still on medical leave after his breakdown.

[doodlebug]

17 hours ago, Cardie said:

I have often complained about William's saintliness but you never know how much impact a person can have on those they see every day. My mom died of COPD (emphysema) and during her last years didn't get out a lot. She looked forward to the mail carrier bringing her the mail every day and she volunteered with our synagogue by calling the local hospitals to find out if any of our congregants had been admitted, so she could forward the info to the rabbi. Mom was in intensive care for a month before she died and I had repeated calls from the mail carrier and one of the hospital administrative assistants asking about her condition. Also beautiful flowers/plants from both when she died. (My office sent a fruit basket that I appreciated very much.)

Heck, my former mailman knocked on my door to ask if my dog was ok because he hadn't seen her in a while, got tears in his eyes when I told him she had died and then went on and on about what a great dog she was (she was) and how he enjoyed seeing her every day.  My sister went to the wake when her mail carrier's mother died.  I think there are quite a few mail carriers out there who do get to know the people and pets on their routes, especially a guy like William who was outside every day and seemed pretty outgoing.

[kili]

Quote

It was the first time I kind of disliked her. There is a difference between being firm and assertive to being snippy and obnoxious.

I think this was our first flag that she was taking William's death harder than she should. That it was creating echoes of her father's death. She was determined to have the balloons perfect so the funeral would be perfect. She was grumping all over Toby because one of the balloons popped accidently in the car. I bet he was relieved when she accidently released the balloons and it wasn't him.

[Cardie]

Oops, I need to correct my I'll Cry Tomorrow synopsis. Another poster was right that Lillian Roth had to come back from alcoholism (and an abusive childhood and husband); she was not in an accident. I had confused that film with another Hayward biopic, of singer Jane Froman, who had to recover from a crippling accident. (With a Song in My Heart, 1952).

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

You are not just holding the permit, there are required driving hours that go along with that. But that's the law now. I don't know about 36 years ago.

Yes, I realize that you also have to have hours, but in my state, you get your permit at 15, hold the permit for 12 months (with so many hours) before you can get your license. Obviously, you can get a lot more practice in 12 months than you can in 6.  In fact, you may not even get any winter practice that way.

[LadyJaney]

5 hours ago, Poohbear617 said:

HELP help...Does anyone know what song and who was singing it at the end of the episode when it showed Jack pulling out of the.parking lot and heading towards Cleveland.   I could not make out all the lyrics but it kept saying something like "Every road leads to love" or "leads to an end" something like that. I thought this song was forshadowing just like the movie clip of I'll Cry Tomorrow"  that Jack was watching on tye TV. 

I think the song is "Death With Dignity" by Sufjan Stevens.  It's on iTunes too.  

[luna1122]

 I'm pretty sure no one is arguing that some people know their mail carrier. Well. Or their UPS guy,  or the guard in their office building lobby, or their favorite barista. Or that they find that someone they've lost knew people and interacted with people and touched people that they weren't aware of. It's the predictable way the mailman scene played out that I think some--including me--are eye rolling over, not the premise of an interaction with a mail carrier. 

Kate's snottiness to 'tammy' on the phone can be explained by her anxiety over getting it right for the girls and her lasting grief over jack, but it doesn't excuse it. I'm unfailingly nice to any customer who calls, even the nasty, pushy ones, but I'm sure less likely to actually bend over backwards to help them if they're going to act like that. Unless Kate apologized for being so snotty and told me a little about what was going on, I sure wouldn't have been going outa my way to get her balloons (which, yeah: how hard is it to find plain old run of the mill balloons in New Jersey? So weird). She came off like one of those stereotypical 'let me speak to your manager' soccer mom types with one of those awful Kate gosslein haircuts who demands extra special service cuz Panera is out of her favorite blueberry muffin and she won't stand for THAT. (Yeah, that was weirdly specific, yes, I work with that woman, yes, I hate her). 

Anyway. I liked Kate's boots last night, as well as Beth's dress. 

[sasha206]

6 hours ago, WearyTraveler said:

Sometimes non-addicts would go to a party, drink too much, get behind the wheel of a car and die in a car crash.  It happens all the time. I don't feel the need to have the show make a big storyline out Jack's fondness for alcohol (if that's how he's going to die).

No question.  But the problem is drinking was an issue in Episode 1 (I think it was Episode 1).   Rebecca actually had a convo about it.  So it's a problem.  And then nothing up until this episode.  So my point is if he's got a problem with alcohol, why weren't we seeing at least some shades of it in between time.  He didn't have to be rolling around drunk, but you'd think maybe they would show him tying one on from time to time.  Or maybe be a functional alcoholic.   But he's gone from a real life human being in one episode with a potential drinking problem to being the second coming in every episode since.  And then *boom* back to being a mere mere mortal  One extreme to the other.  But this show is built on extremes.  You date a couple of times, boom engaged to the fat, obscene guy.  You up and quit a show and move to the theatre.  Your play's opening night you run to your brother's side.  Your dad dies and you decided its time to up and quit your demanding career. Etc., etc.

Edited March 9, 2017 by sasha206

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, sasha206 said:

So my point is if he's got a problem with alcohol, why weren't we seeing at least some shades of it in between time.  He didn't have to be rolling around drunk, but you'd think maybe they would show him tying one on from time to time.  Or maybe be a functional alcoholic. 

I know what you're saying, but what they may have been showing us is how, after Rebecca told him his drinking was a problem and he had to stop, he did.  A couple references have been made to him not drinking, and a couple episodes ago we saw him in the bar with Miguel on Miguel's first night out after his separation, and he had what looked like a glass of water.  Then later after his blow-up about Rebecca's long ago ex, he took that drink.  He may have been on the wagon for a long time. 

[chocolatine]

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Did anyone notice the Randall and Rebecca "I love you/more/most" exchange may have been a reference to Tangled, where Mandy Moore voiced Rapunzel? I noticed it right away and was like "well played, Show."

But they first said it in the 90s flashback - Tangled wasn't out then, was it?

[DebbieM4]

5 hours ago, luna1122 said:

Didn't opie say his niece was visiting them? So maybe he lives in NYC. Or was he visiting his niece? Either way, he was in NY. 

I like Ron Howard and think Kevin should take the job but I'm not sure it's a sure fire career maker or that Howard wields omnipotent power in Hollywood anymore. What's the last true hit or moneymaker he had? I can't remember. Still, he's opie Cunningham! 

I actually know Ron Howard.  He lives in Connecticut.

I was happy to see him on this show, but I really don't care if Kevin moves forward with the offer or not.  He's a weak link among all the other actors/characters, IMO.  And his romance is boring, with zero chemistry.  It's hard for me to get worked up one way or the other re his romances or career choices.

I do love SKB, and nearly all of the others.  I can overlook most of the annoyances/inconsistencies because I think overall the acting and writing is pretty brilliant a lot of the time.

[stephinmn]

9 hours ago, topanga said:

I don't think they were 16 yet, so they didn't have a license. Or even if they did, none of them had cars, so they'd have to rely on rides from their parents or friends. Jack and Rebecca probably insisted that they all go to the party together, which makes me wonder who it was that was friends with all 3 of the kids. 

Hmmm....IMDB says the teen actors are playing "15-year-old" Kate, Kevin and Randall, so they aren't 16 yet. However, kids can get learner's permits at 15 and drive with an adult in the car. But that does add to the "Jack's not going to die this season" theory.

[biakbiak]

21 minutes ago, stephinmn said:

Hmmm....IMDB says the teen actors are playing "15-year-old" Kate, Kevin and Randall, so they aren't 16 yet. However, kids can get learner's permits at 15 and drive with an adult in the car. But that does add to the "Jack's not going to die this season" theory.

Imdb has had them tagged like that since the first flashback the actors were in and they typically don't update things like that even if time passes.

[Emily Thrace]

8 hours ago, topanga said:

But it sounds like she Kate frustrated after being on the phone for a while with someone who was very unhelpful. I'm not sure what store she was dealing with, but customer service people know that most people get transferred to them haven't gotten the help they need and, therefore, are gonna be a little snippy. But Kate was getting balloons, not the nuclear codes. How hard was it? Even dollar stores sell helium balloons.

I liked the "Can you help me?" line, too.

As someone who has worked as a customer service person I hated that line. Its asinine way to start any conversation and something you would never say to a person standing in front of you. While I understand when people are frustrated its always better to be polite at the very least. Mostly because you usually calling because you need our help and we all have our ways of making sure you get in either the fastest or the slowest way possible (or in one call center I worked at not at all). In Kate's case I can see that she was emotional (I also liked that the show pointed out this wasn't really okay) but if there actually a call center on the other end she would be the infamous "balloon bitch" in that office for at least a week.

[Big Mother]

I'm only halfway through the episode but I have 3 comments.

 

1) Young Kate is AMAZING. The way that actress knows to replicate adult Kate's facial expressions, quiet way of speaking, pouts, etc. - it genuinely feels like a younger version of Kate.

2) William and Jack meeting on that couch - loved it.

3)  As a practicing Orthodox Jewish person I have to say that the greatest gift in the Jewish ritual observance is the week of shiva. Having that week off from life to sit on low chairs and mourn, and having friends and family of the departed come to pay their respects and tell the mourners about their experiences with the departed gives  so much comfort and closure to the mourners. Watching how Kate was sobbing and mourning over her father's death 20 years later made me realize that had she had that week of mourning she would've gotten a lot of the grief out. Poor Kate. Ditto for Randall, if he would've sat shiva for William he would be able to make sense of it all. As an aside: Chrissy sold that scene so well - I really felt like it was Kate mourning over her father.

[Big Mother]

Oh and one more thing: The posthumous postcard to Beth just slayed me.

Edit: another thing. HOW DID RON HOWARD HAVE KEVIN'S CELL PHONE NUMBER?

 

sTILL NOT DONE. I can't stand toby. Why does he have to PUSH kate to talk about her father's passing if it's so difficult for her to talk about it? And can he NOT use innuendo all the time?

Edited March 9, 2017 by Big Mother

[SlackerInc]

On 3/7/2017 at 9:28 PM, Lady Calypso said:

I'm calling it right now; Jack doesn't die during this Rebecca on tour arc, but he dies a little later under different circumstances. I doubt they'd end the Jack mystery this early. We'd know pretty much how he dies and when, and I know they would want to spend more time with Jack. Having his story pretty much end now kills the mystery that they insist is needed. I'd rather it ended with the finale and we spend the rest of the series seeing Jack's life instead of wondering about his death, but it probably won't. The show is trying a bit too hard to make us believe that this arc is when he dies. I'm not convinced until we see his death scene and the date. 

Maybe you're right.  But if you are, I'm going to be annoyed.  Nothing personal!  It's just that there are good and bad versions of this show, and what you are describing is very much part of the bad version.

On 3/7/2017 at 9:35 PM, talktoomuch said:

I hope he doesn't stay just to be with Sophie. I know she's The Love of His Life but a Ron Howard movie for The Manny is an opportunity of a lifetime. It's at least worth a discussion between the two of them. Nursing is portable.

This is what I was thinking too.  But then I thought about how that sounded, just declaring her job and living situation to be so insignificant next to his.  So I'm torn.  But of course if he does blow off this opportunity to be with her, that kind of poisons their relationship.  Unfortunate either way.

21 hours ago, pennben said:

Can someone remind me how long we've known Rebecca's tour was only two weeks long?  I feel like we've gone through some unnecessary drama hating on her for making this decision which seems completely ridiculous now. 

I didn't know it was two weeks long even now!  I must have missed that.  I'm pretty sure, as someone else noted, that it was previously stated to be a month long.  Maybe they changed it to pull it back into more of a grey area, but they should have thought of that the first time instead of being inconsistent.

14 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

My employers don't send anything and I can't imagine balking at any fruit basket or other sympathy gift but I haven't watched yet.  But my take is it's a gesture, who cares if you don't eat pears.  Someone you know does.  It wasn't to save you from starving.  It was just a sympathy gift.

It seemed fine to me in the first scene when Beth was complaining about it.  But if he almost died from his pear allergy in the first lunch he had at the firm?  Then that's kind of effed up.  (Funny how I openly use curse words on boards for cable shows, but not here on the one for the network show!  LOL)

14 hours ago, Katy M said:

Everyone in Oregon votes by mail?  They should actually do that all over the country.  That would eliminate the whole voter ID debate.

I've always hated this idea.  The secret ballot is important!  People could buy and sell votes.  Domineering patriarchs could bully wives and adult children living at home into filling out ballots at the kitchen table.  Bosses (or, yes, unions) could have workers fill them out in front of them "voluntarily".  Bad, bad idea.

13 hours ago, Biggie B said:

Kevin should take the part in the movie. This is a huge opportunity that could get his career moving in the way he envisioned when he quit the sitcom. He'd be a fool to reject it just because he's rekindling things with Sophie. Their separation would be finite - the duration of filming - and they could certainly see each other during that time. If anything, this would give them a chance to not rush and jump back into things. They can get to know each other again slowly. If Sophie has half a brain, which I think she might, she'd also see that this movie role is potentially a very good thing and would want to support Kevin in his endeavor. Plus, she has a good career going. If, down the road, she and Kevin really do re-commit to each other and even perhaps remarry, she could in theory find work on the west coast if she had to - and more importantly, if she wanted to. But yes, what would a soap opera be without drama? Heaven forbid anything go rationally.

Yes, it's all too predictable.  This looming conflict falls into that "bad" version of the show I talked about.

12 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I'm very much convinced that Jack dies under completely different circumstances, at a completely different time. It's too easy for them to just have him die now, you know? The ultimate twist would them revealing that he dies months from the current flashback time. 

Again, I'm really hoping people are overthinking this and expecting far more in the way of twists than we are actually getting (like the speculation that the other triplet didn't really die).  But we will see.  If they are faking us out and teasing this out, I'm going to be really irritated.

11 hours ago, Biggie B said:

I never thought that Beth was working. Wasn't there an episode in which she mentioned finally having the chance to resume working? I have no recollection of her being an attorney. Then again, I don't always pay such close attention to every line of each episode, so that might have been established and I simply missed it. I just assumed she was not working at this time.

I do pay close attention to the show (no second screens, just watching in the dark) and I don't get this either.  I remember her talking about maybe going back to work in the episode when she thought she might be pregnant, but no other mention of employment.  My wife pointed out that she sometimes seems dressed up like she's going to a fancy job, but neither of us has anything more than that.  If anyone has solid info beyond this, please cite the episode specifically.

8 hours ago, llewis823 said:

My gripe was this - why did SHE read it? Why didn't she hand it to him to read? Then again, just thinking through my own question - maybe she thought this letter was the goodbye to HER from William. Or maybe it was addressed to all of them or both of them. Unless it said "Beth" on it though, I would not have opened it if I were her.

I thought it was addressed to the two girls!

7 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

Not only did I, and still do I, blame myself for my 58 year old grandmother's death. I told no one, including my father until last year which was 16 years after it happened. It also sparked my years and years of disordered eating.

Any easier to imagine now?

I mentioned this in another thread, but my father took his own life when I was fifteen.  The last time I saw him, less than a week before he did it, I said a really surly, punk-ass teenage-boy thing to him.  I have always felt deeply awful about this, but the only three people I've ever told about it were (1) my first wife, after we were married and a decade after he died; (2) my second and current wife, after we were married and about 20 years after he died; and (3) a suicide survivor counselor about five years ago--someone who doesn't know anyone in my family.  I broke down sobbing uncontrollably each time.  And then I guess I've told all of you, which is sort of like the counselor since you don't know me or my friends/family in real life.  But I have not shared this even anonymously on any other online forum.  And I still have never told my mom or sister or my closest friends, and I doubt I ever will.

@Big Mother Maybe Ron Howard had an assistant call Kevin's agent and get the number first?

[OtterMommy]

19 minutes ago, SlackerInc said:

I've always hated this idea.  The secret ballot is important!  People could buy and sell votes.  Domineering patriarchs could bully wives and adult children living at home into filling out ballots at the kitchen table.  Bosses (or, yes, unions) could have workers fill them out in front of them "voluntarily".  Bad, bad idea.

Re: Vote by mail.  Taking to the social issues thread.

[DayGlorious]

50 minutes ago, SlackerInc said:

I mentioned this in another thread, but my father took his own life when I was fifteen.  The last time I saw him, less than a week before he did it, I said a really surly, punk-ass teenage-boy thing to him.  I have always felt deeply awful about this, but the only three people I've ever told about it were (1) my first wife, after we were married and a decade after he died; (2) my second and current wife, after we were married and about 20 years after he died; and (3) a suicide survivor counselor about five years ago--someone who doesn't know anyone in my family.  I broke down sobbing uncontrollably each time.  And then I guess I've told all of you, which is sort of like the counselor since you don't know me or my friends/family in real life.  But I have not shared this even anonymously on any other online forum.  And I still have never told my mom or sister or my closest friends, and I doubt I ever will.

It must have been so hard for you to share that with us. Forget the mailman -- I'm sending you a (virtual) hug instead. 

If and when you're ready for it, you might want to check out an Out of the Darkness Walk. I went to my first one late last year, mostly to support a friend who has lost multiple family members (including her dad) to suicide, but also because I and someone very close to me have our own battles with the dark monster. There is a certain therapeutic value to knowing that no matter what brought you to the walk, you are among others who have gone through the same experiences and emotions.  That they get it. That they don't judge. 

Edited March 9, 2017 by DayGlorious

[methodwriter85]

Do movies still really film in Los Angeles? It seems like every movie I see these days, it's either filmed in Canada, Georgia, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, or Louisiana.

[SlackerInc]

22 minutes ago, DayGlorious said:

It must have been so hard for you to share that with us. Forget the mailman -- I'm sending you a (virtual) hug instead. 

Thank you.  I really appreciate that.

[Love2dance]

@SlackerInc, so very sorry about your dad. Kids say awful things, and you had no way of knowing what would happen. You were a child. I hope you will consider more counseling since it is still too hard for you to share with most of the people who love you. Sending more virtual hugs your way and hoping you will find comfort in the near future.

[birkenstock]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Do movies still really film in Los Angeles? It seems like every movie I see these days, it's either filmed in Canada, Georgia, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, or Louisiana.

There is an upswing in filming in LA. LA's mayor has made it a priority to bring filming back to the area with increased tax breaks and incentives for filming. There are some movies, or portions of movies, filmed on studio lots as well.  I googled and the Hollywood Reporter states that movie filming increased 12% in 2016 from 2015.  

It is a convenient way to potentially get Kevin and Kate in the same location again that is still semi-realistic for Kevin's career. You're correct that most motion picture filming is outside  of the LA area. 

[SlackerInc]

@Love2dance, thanks.  I'm a pretty positive and well-adjusted person in general, though.  I just feel like telling my mom and sister (who loved and miss my dad) would only be painful for them and serve no purpose in terms of our relationship.  And for anyone else (like friends or more extended family) it's just too heavy a thing to lay on them.

And, I mean: he was already depressed for a long time before that (although I didn't know it).  I know he didn't kill himself simply because of something I said.  It still sucks that this was our last interaction, though.  But there's nothing that can change that.  "It is what it is", as they say.

[ClareWalks]

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

But they first said it in the 90s flashback - Tangled wasn't out then, was it?

I didn't mean that the characters were talking about the movie, I meant that the show threw in a reference to it.

[llewis823]

17 hours ago, SueB said:

 I wanted Randall to hug the guy.  And that's weird, but that's how I felt.  

I thought I was weird for wishing this too. Glad I'm not alone in my weirdness. lol

[Biggie B]

I have to remind myself that Ron Howard didn't offer Kevin a part in a movie; he just said he wanted to send Kevin the script. So it's not as if Kevin has a solid job offer. Also, who knows where the filming would be - it could be in multiple locations across the globe. I guess the point is, it would mean separation from Sophie and it would be a huge challenge to their budding once-again relationship. And even if Kevin doesn't get offered this particular role, there may be others down the road. If the play is a success (regardless of the non-review from the theater critic who didn't show up), Kevin's career might heat up once again. Other offers could materialize. This is something he and Sophie would have to deal with - that he wouldn't be around every day and there could be long periods of separation. So I can't jump the gun on the Ron Howard thing - it might be a whole lot of nothing - but it raises the possibility of what life might be like down the road.

[Biggie B]

Winston9-DT3, I don't recall exactly what Ron Howard, but sure, he may have indicated it would be filmed entirely in LA. But regardless, Kevin doesn't yet have the part - and may not get it or  even take it - but either way, it's going to stir up some issues for him and Sophie.

[Jax7917]

This is one of those shows that I think really works as a one season thing, but after we find out how Jack dies, what are the future seasons going to be about?

[topanga]

1 hour ago, llewis823 said:

Quote

 

I thought I was weird for wishing this too. Glad I'm not alone in my weirdness. lol

I couldn't find the original post, but. I personally am so glad Randall did not hug the mailman. He really didn't know the mailman, which is sad in itself, but that's another story. And Randall doesn't strike me as a touchy-feely kind of guy who goes around hugging random people. He didn't even hug his crying mother because he was mad at her. And I'm fine with Randall not hugging the mailman--strangers should not be allowed to touch your body in such an intimate way. Oh, how I wish I could tell that to people at church. 

[Phoebe70]

The episode was pretty good, but some parts weren't great, such as:

1. Why does Toby constantly have to make sexual references?  What is he, 12?

2.  The mailman scene was pretty cheesy.

3.  Kate was a witch to the lady on the phone about the 50 balloons.  I mean, she's requesting 50 helium balloons in a day or two's notice.  It's not so simple.

4.  I'm still not a Kevin fan.  Of course they would make him have a wonderful performance in the play.  Of course.  He's the golden boy.  I actually loved that the critic refused to show up.

5.  And speaking of Kevin, I'm not convinced of the relationship with Sophie.  It seems forced, especially them dating throughout grade school and high school.

6  Ron Howard calling Kevin up because he was so blown-away by his performance?  Cheesy and unrealistic.

I'm not convinced that Jack dies driving drunk on the way to see Rebecca.  That's what it appears to be during the last few moments of the episode, and that's what the writers WANT us to think, but I'm not 100% convinced that is how he died.

[Good Queen Jane]

9 hours ago, Big Mother said:

Oh and one more thing: The posthumous postcard to Beth just slayed me.

Allow me to share a true story. A friend went on a month long cruise around South America. Three months later, she was found dead at home from an sudden heart attack.  A year later, her only daughter received a postcard from her from the South America trip. On the card my friend had written "Having a wonderful time. Everything is perfect."  So send those postcards when you travel, folks!

[izabella]

37 minutes ago, Jaclyn88 said:

This is one of those shows that I think really works as a one season thing, but after we find out how Jack dies, what are the future seasons going to be about?

I don't see this show as a mystery or a whodunit.  I see it as a family drama told in flashbacks that tie into what is happening with them and who they are today, so finding out how Jack dies wouldn't really change anything for me or my enjoyment of the show.  I like seeing the history and the layers unfold.

[PRgal]

19 hours ago, Katy M said:

I highly doubt that teenage Kate would decide to euthanize her dad, especially without his consent.  And Jack is not a big enough of a turd to allow his teenage daughter to take that responsibility when there are other, older, people who could help him with that.  I actually think he's just going to die in a car crash, either on the way to the show, or something will happen when he gets there which causes him to run out again and get in a crash.  Did you see all those beer cans on the front seat? 

I also think the kids are already 16 in that flashback.  But, maybe they're not allowed to drive after dark.  That's the law a lot of places now, and I remember it was here at least in the late '90s. 

Or they couldn't drive without an experienced driver sitting next to them.  I don't know about other jurisdictions, but Ontario started graduated licensing around that time and it could take two or more years to get your full licence. 

[Katy M]

11 hours ago, stephinmn said:

Hmmm....IMDB says the teen actors are playing "15-year-old" Kate, Kevin and Randall, so they aren't 16 yet. However, kids can get learner's permits at 15 and drive with an adult in the car. But that does add to the "Jack's not going to die this season" theory.

I don't know that I would trust IMDB on the ages.

I'm kind of torn on Kevin/Ron Howard/Sophie.  On the one hand, this is an amazing opportunity and career-wise, Kevin has been self-sabotaging a lot of that lately.  On the other hand, he has already shown that he may cheat on Sophie if he goes out to L.A. without her.  So, I think whichever choice he makes will be his "this is what is most important to me" statement.

 

[MsChicklet]

I'm wondering if something else was going on with Kevin and Sophie before he went to L.A. and blew up the marriage with his cheating. There's a reason Sophie is scared to face Kate.

[Mrs. DuRona]

16 hours ago, camom said:

Quote

I don't think he was expected in the office. The boss sounded happy to see him and relieved, but it wasn't like they were sitting around all "Where's Randall?!?!" 

I think Randall was still on medical leave after his breakdown.

For me, it wasn't that they were relieved to see him, but that his boss didn't even seem surprised or concerned that he showed up while he was still on medical leave.  Not even a "Hey, what are you doing here?  Are you OK?"  Just "Oh, good, you're here, get to work".

Another thought on the driving/ages.  Some parents will just start teaching (driving out of the driveway/around the block) when the kids hit 15/16, regardless of what the rules are in their state/area.   

[hisbunkie]

On 3/8/2017 at 7:44 AM, Johnny Dollar said:

Setting Jack up to be this super jealous guy who turns to alcohol to drown his sorrows does not fit at all with the backstory we've been getting. A little more of a build up of this storyline would help to make his death more than just a cheap convenient trick. 

Randall's big FU you to his boss and evil Sanjay was epic. 

Shut up Toby. And you too Heather. Where did you come from anyway?

But we've seen Jack over-drinking in the past. He was at a bar with Miguel in a much earlier episode. That's where I first got the impression that Jack had a drinking problem and that Miguel had a secret crush on Rebeca. I believe Miguel may have actually said something specifically to Jack about his need to go home to his wife and kids and put down the alcohol. 

[Primetimer]

And brings us ever closer to the truth of Jack's death.

View the full article

[Kohola3]

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He really didn't know the mailman, which is sad in itself, but that's another story. 

I didn't find it sad or unusual at all.  Mailmen deliver during the daylight hours and Randall would be working. I never met my mail delivery person until I retired.

And I don't know why the angst over the balloons.   My local dollar store has them and you can get 50 within about 10 minutes.  No biggie.

[doodlebug]

3 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I didn't find it sad or unusual at all.  Mailmen deliver during the daylight hours and Randall would be working. I never met my mail delivery person until I retired.

And I don't know why the angst over the balloons.   My local dollar store has them and you can get 50 within about 10 minutes.  No biggie.

You can also go to your local big box store, buy the helium tank and a bag of balloons and make them yourself in about half an hour.  Kate isn't working these days, she had plenty of time to do it herself if she found the vendor so unhelpful.

I agree, her snippy attitude on the phone seemed uncalled-for; no matter how her personal problems were affecting her.  Part of being a grown up is not making other people suffer when you're in a bad mood.

[mspaul]

10 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

And I don't know why the angst over the balloons.   My local dollar store has them and you can get 50 within about 10 minutes.  No biggie.

If you have no children of your own, and your nieces give you the sacred task of bringing something to their grandfather's memorial, and you know all the baggage that comes along with the memorial for your brother, not to mention all the baggage you're carrying yourself, trust me, dollar store balloons are NOT cutting it. 

 

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I agree, her snippy attitude on the phone seemed uncalled-for; no matter how her personal problems were affecting her.  Part of being a grown up is not making other people suffer when you're in a bad mood.

She's not in a bad mood.  It's more about control in an uncontrollable situation.  She clearly has all this baggage from Jack's death, and it's spilling over into her feelings about William's death, and the only thing she can do to help Randall is get those balloons.  We've seen that Kate is a great administrative assistant, so you'd best believe that those balloons are going to be perfect.  She might have been snippy to someone undeservedly, but I think we've all been there in times of stress and grief.

Edited March 9, 2017 by mspaul

[ChromaKelly]

I am now in the first class deluxe seat of the Toby Hate Train. It's getting to where I can't even stand for him to be in a the background of a scene.
I'm just not feeling Kevin's storyline. I don't know why him holding an egg bugged me at the end of the play. If Sophie is going to get bent out of shape about him going to LA then that 's just stupid. Kevin is an established actor, he's going to get parts and have to relocate for shoots. Eh. 
I still like Randall and I'm glad he quit. I am allergic to cilantro and I've been surprised by it showing up in things I wasn't expecting. One can also develop an allergy to things that they were not previously allergic to (my case as well). 
Jack's hair looked extra greasy. What is up with that? 

[Kohola3]

17 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

What is up with that? 

Brylcreem overdose?

[Tiger]

I didnt think Hollywood could ever top the perfection of Bailee Madison as Ginny Goodwin's younger, but damn the mid 90's Kate actress is like they used a time machine to go get Chrissy's younger self. Their voices, tone, facial expressions, posture, general attitude is 100% on.  And it just makes the other younger-castings look terrible because none of them are even remotely believble as having grown into the adult actors.

I dont care if he gets tramples by Duke's horses, haunted by William, whatever, I just want Toby gone two months ago!  I was already annoyed as fuck with him for the whining about the baloons, so when he made a sex joke I lost it.  Seriously, I need my girl Beth, Miguel, Ron Howard, anyone to ask Kate what the flying figgity fuck she is doing with him.

I loved Beth's seething annoyance at those pears, and I loved that Susan played the beat of Randall being allergic to them even though that hadnt been revealed yet.  A lot of actors shows, etc freely admit they only read the scenes they are in, but either Susan read that scene or Sterling told her about she played it.  I also loved her anger at not getting a goodbye, her eulogy of William, and then getting that postcard from him.  

[MsChicklet]

Entertainment Weekly has an interview with Sterling K. Brown about the episode. It explains that Jesse wasn't there because Denis O'Hair had another project going and wasn't available to do a whole episode shoot.

Also, some interesting stuff ended up on the cutting room floor:

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It was a combination of the mailman telling me about his experiences with William — seeing how he’s affected our family at large — and there was a scene that got cut where every day William takes a nap, so the girls had us all lay blankets out in the living room and take a nap. And Kevin has this wonderful scene where he’s talking about, “Well, William would help me with my lines,” and talked about how much he enjoyed Brando from The Godfather, and I said, “When did William help you with your lines?” He said, “You know, sometimes we would both be up at night, and he couldn’t sleep and I’d just go and run lines with him, or I’d just wake him up because I couldn’t sleep, just to get his advice on something.”

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There’s another thing that got cut from the scene where we were taking the nap, and Tyler sent him a text message saying, “We need the account number for something.” Recognizing again this was on the day of his father’s memorial and they keep sending him these text messages for things that they could probably take care of on their own — it was just a certain level of inconsideration. Tyler and Sanjay? Not bad people. His job? Not a bad place, but it was keeping him from the fullness of life that William was experiencing. It was keeping him from making authentic connections with the people around him. Or at least not to the extent in which he wanted to, now that he had lost this man who was connecting with everybody.

I found it incredibly gracious. He didn’t want to shame anybody, but he did want to say, “Look, man, this was the day of my father’s memorial, and you sent me something that I’m allergic to. These things could kill me. There’s a level of thoughtlessness that’s occurring right now that I’ve been swept up into, and I need to extricate myself from it in order to be present. I just have to be present in this moment; I can’t worry about Sanjay taking my job or outperforming me.” I think Randall’s inherent sense of competitiveness was driving him in a way that led him to a breakdown that almost led him to missing the most important moment in his father’s life — the end. It was too much. So I don’t know if it’s going to be forever or not, but at this time, he needs to be available to experiencing all of life, and I applaud the writers and the character for taking such a bold step, because not everybody would be or could be willing to do something like that.

 

[Crs97]

When Kate was all snippy at Toby for popping one balloon and then lost her whole bunch, I couldn't tell but hoped beyond all reasoning that Toby was the one who said, "Those aren't coming back."

Randall's company appreciated him enough that they paid him a salary that allowed him to buy a $100,000 car in cash and almost a boat.  They also valued him enough that they didn't fire him after he started dropping balls for major clients.

I was going through some old things and found cards from flowers sent by my husband's old company when we had our last child.  All were exactly the same and just signed "The Management Team" or "The Product Team," etc.  I guess based on this show I should have been highly insulted on his behalf.

[Violetgoblin6]

The weird thing about the mailman scene to me was you'd think it would've crossed the mailman's mind that the man could've died and caused him to be more tactful.  Then when he learned he did die, he acted all hurt and victim-ish, like Randall had just told him his own dad died.  I think when I hear someone's dad died, my first instinct is to respond with sympathy, not tear up over what a loss *I* am experiencing, as a brief acquaintance of that person.  

I totally agree! Did not like the mailman one bit! Too much over acting.

[WhosThatGirl]

Toby annoys still. I don't get the character.

This episode killed me again. It's like This Is Us just wants me to cry all the time.

The thing that got me was Beth. When she said while they were gone she refilled all of Williams pills and he knew He wouldn't be coming back and didn't tell her. That Randall got a trip and the girls got the letter to plan the memorial but she spent time with him too and she didn't get anything. And then she got the postcard and I lost it. That was perfect.

Also I don't know how I'm going to feel about jacks death. I agree with the recap that somehow this will be all "well if Rebecca never did music, Jack would have stayed alive". But also now I'm unsure of what's happening. I've read many articles from the stars and they keep saying that we won't even be able to
Guess jacks death.. so car accident due to drunk driving seen some too simple.

[Negritude]

On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 6:41 AM, Clanstarling said:

Like some others who've posted, I had random people (a gardener in one case) come up and tell me what a hell of a guy my Dad was, and what he meant to them. My take is that whoever wrote this is sharing that experience of finding out your family member actually had other people who cared for him/her. It's kind of cool, actually, to get a different perspective. Plus, I thought the actor who played the mailman acted the shit out of that brief scene. Made me tear up to see him tearing up.

 

Didn't he though?! I was watching and hoping it would lead to more opportunities for the actor. He did his thing. Hopefully some Hollywood producer saw him and will do what Ron Howard did for Kevin.  What's that saying? "There are no small parts, only small actors..."