S02.E01: A Father's Advice

[Lady Calypso]

37 minutes ago, Biggie B said:

Why did Kevin rent out the entire restaurant? He's not such a giant star that he needs the privacy in public. Was it just to impress Kate and Toby? It seemed uncomfortable to be in an empty restaurant; one of the interesting parts of dining out is the atmosphere, and other patrons are a big part of that (and I don't mean dining out at your local neighborhood pizzeria).

Overcompensation, I think. Kevin's always been the type to try to make big gestures just for the sake of getting some kind of attention. Not in a bad way, but because of how he probably felt left out as the black sheep in the family. Randall had Rebecca, and Kate had Jack, so Kevin was the odd one out. I don't think he needed to impress Kate or Toby, but he seemed to think that a big gesture for their birthday was needed, much like how Toby talked how Kevin liked to pay for everything when they're out together. I don't believe he's intentionally showing off, but it's more of the need for attention, to show that he can. 

[Katy M]

7 minutes ago, Gurkel said:

But I thought Randall and Kate got along for the most part. Although if lines were drawn, she likely would've sided with Kevin.

Randall and Kate do get along. We were talking about Miguel.  I actually don't remember Kate interacting with Miguel as an adult.  So, whatever she did didn't register as highly positive or negataive.  Kevin has obviously been openly hostiel to Miguel and Randall made a sarcastic crack when they dropped by the first epi we saw them in the present.

 

9 minutes ago, Gurkel said:

I wonder what happened to Randall's friends? I guess they weren't at that party. What about the kids from the pool

Randall went to a different school.,  I imagine Rebecca asked the Ks to take them to the party they were invited to.  Even if the black kids from the pool went to the Ks school, they probably wouldn't have been invited, because self-segregating is pretty common.

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, MelineB13 said:

Wasn't it established that Kate has pretty bad stage fright/self esteem issues? Why would she want to front a wedding band? That just seems like the weirdest fit ever! She lives in Hollywood with a fairly famous actor brother. I feel as though she could get voice over/soundtrack singing work pretty easily. And that has nothing to do with her size. It just seems like a better match for her voice and experience level. Or she could start her own band or be a solo artist or she could audition for a back up singer of a star she idolizes. 

The wedding band seems more like a crazy scheme that Toby is pushing her into or a hairbrained idea she has that becomes her sole focus.

 

Someone up thread mentioned her similarities to Sarah Braverman and YES it is all I can see now! She wants to be a personal assistant/event planner and all of a sudden she is THE BEST personal assistant who has hundreds of contacts in the event planning world. She kind of maybe likes to sing and bam she has to be a front woman of an established band. I prefer the Kate who tries but is crippled by her own self doubt and ends up not really excelling in anything that gives her a true sense of self because it is easier to just go with the flow. THAT is a real person! And frankly a real character in this family of big personalities and over achievers. 

Yeah, that was my problem.  Why would someone with no experience whatsoever be looking for a job as lead singer in a band?  Wouldn't it have made more sense for Kate to join a church or community singing group or sign up for singing lessons at the local college or even try out for a community theater production in the chorus?  She's got a bad case of Sarah Braverman Syndrome, I'm afraid.

And, yes, I find it increasingly tiresome that TV shows so often show people switching careers later in life to enter music or art or theater.  Just doesn't happen that way in real life, it is far more likely that someone starts out as an artist and switches to a more stable career later to support a family or just gain some security.  Amazingly enough, most people do not want to be actors or singers or musicians.

Edited September 27, 2017 by doodlebug

[Barlowe]

8 minutes ago, Gurkel said:

But I thought Randall and Kate got along for the most part. Although if lines were drawn, she likely would've sided with Kevin. 

I wonder what happened to Randall's friends? I guess they weren't at that party. What about the kids from the pool? 

 

The show hasn't made me cry once. And I'm a normally crier with movies and TV shows. (Don't watch 'Steel Magnolias' with me. I'll be Viola Davis-ing it up all over the place). 

But that doesn't take away my enjoyment of the show or its characters. 

The first time I cried was at the end of the Memphis episode and the last time at every mention of William in the following episode. But that's about it, I got invested in that story but everything else doesn't really phase me. 

The pool thing is weird to me. There were multiple black families at the pool, there were multiple kids at the dojo and yet Randall's only friends were the two brothers and a kid from school.  It just seems weird to me that they latched onto the one black friend and never tried befriending anyone else. Its also weird that we never see Randall with other friends,  Kate and Kevin have each other but Randell never hangs out with anyone outside of his family.

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, Lilacly said:

The pool thing is weird to me. There were multiple black families at the pool, there were multiple kids at the dojo and yet Randall's only friends were the two brothers and a kid from school.  It just seems weird to me that they latched onto the one black friend and never tried befriending anyone else. Its also weird that we never see Randall with other friends,  Kate and Kevin have each other but Randell never hangs out with anyone outside of his family.

It doesn't seem that weird to me.  1. Randall goes to a basically all-white private school.  2. He is practically a genius which would be off putting to those he meets at the pool and dojo.  3. he has anxiety issues which may make it hard for him to interact with others.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Cardie said:

This is a bit before the time that every teen had a mobile phone. I see the scenario as the house burning down and Jack taken to the hospital as happening at the same time. Rebecca goes with Jack and sends the two kids who were at home to Miguel's. Kevin is not at home but is out partying. He hasn't told anyone exactly where he is. Jack dies at the hospital and Rebecca phones Kate and Randall at Miguel's. Someone is going to have to go to the place where they believe Kevin to be in order to tell him. They don't have a phone number for his location.

True, but I have a nephew who is virtually the same age as the Big 3 (born few months after them) and he had a pager that he carried all through high school and so did all his friends.  Since we live within a couple hours' drive from Pittsburgh, it would not surprise me if that was the case for kids living there in that era too.  My sister and her husband had a rule that anytime they paged, he had to respond within 15 minutes no matter what.  Maybe Kevin wasn't carrying a pager, but he would've been in the minority at that time, IMO.

[Barlowe]

Just now, Katy M said:

It doesn't seem that weird to me.  1. Randall goes to a basically all-white private school.  2. He is practically a genius which would be off putting to those he meets at the pool and dojo.  3. he has anxiety issues which may make it hard for him to interact with others.

From the birthday scene, its established the two sons of the family friend came and his only friend from his private school that he was perfectly content withl. He spends most of his time having play dates at their house.  Kevin has acquaintances as well as Kate, Kate before and in between dating Toby has always had Kevin but Randall seems to have no one besides his wife and Rebecca which seems odd but maybe the point is that he invests so much time into his family like Rebecca that he doesn't have friends or acquaintances. 

[ZeroDiscipline]

I was born in 1974, and got my first cellphone in 2003. I didn't know anyone with a pager.

Edited September 27, 2017 by ZeroDiscipline

[Racj82]

3 hours ago, Hello Lady said:

It had to be, so it set up the whole Kevin/Toby/Kate later.

Yes, I believe she has padding around her, she has lost weight, you could see it on her lovely face.

You can? I mean she does have a lovely face. I just see no change. I saw her at the Emmys. Didn't see a change. It may be a by product of the massive weight she has to do lose for it to really show. No judgement I'm 5'8 and 275. 

[NeverLate]

2 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

You can? I mean she does have a lovely face. I just see no change. I saw her at the Emmys. Didn't see a change. It may be a by product of the massive weight she has to do lose for it to really show. No judgement I'm 5'8 and 275. 

Actually both DH and I saw that her face looked different.

[Racj82]

1 minute ago, Hello Lady said:

Actually both DH and I saw that her face looked different.

Eh, different eyes see different things. Glad she's getting healthier.

I've never asked anyone but is Toby also the same guy who played the chef that befriends Eleven in the first episode of strangers things. It looks like him but the body is much different. He just looks tall and stocky.

[NeverLate]

2 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

Eh, different eyes see different things. Glad she's getting healthier.

 

Yup we sure do. I'm not sure if this link is allowed, so I'll use spoiler.

 

 

Spoiler

http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/chrissy-metz-weight-loss-125018/photos/chrissy-metz-weight-loss-1-231718

[Katy M]

18 minutes ago, Lilacly said:

From the birthday scene, its established the two sons of the family friend came and his only friend from his private school that he was perfectly content withl. He spends most of his time having play dates at their house.  Kevin has acquaintances as well as Kate, Kate before and in between dating Toby has always had Kevin but Randall seems to have no one besides his wife and Rebecca which seems odd but maybe the point is that he invests so much time into his family like Rebecca that he doesn't have friends or acquaintances. 

In present day time, until recently, he said that he was working 90 hours a week plus a one hour commute each way.  That doesn't leave much time for friends that aren't involved in your business.

[ShadowFacts]

21 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

I've never asked anyone but is Toby also the same guy who played the chef that befriends Eleven in the first episode of strangers things. It looks like him but the body is much different. He just looks tall and stocky.

Yes, same guy.  I liked him in that brief part. 

[Racj82]

2 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Yes, same guy.  I liked him in that brief part. 

I know this isnt episode specific but me too. It also shows he can play more understated than the kind of Tobey we get in episodes like this.

[mansfolly]

Quote

No you are not the only one. And the Prince haircut...not very flattering.

Hahaha. Yes! That's what I said too.  She even had a light purple jacket on in the early scenes.

[kili]

Quote

Someone upthread said that Beth and Randall adopting an older child is far too reminiscent of Parenthood...and, DING DING DING!  I get that both are family dramas and both try to hit all the emotional notes (although I think that Parenthood had a better track record in that area), but this is the first time I've felt that TIU was too close to Parenthood.

I suspect this might be a by-product of both of them being television shows. Newborns are hard to write for and offer limited storylines. An adopted baby could cause angst by crying all the time, but as experienced parents, Randall and Beth should have expected that. An older child provides more scope for the imagination, problems that are interesting to resolve (who connects with the child and how) and one has a child actor to play against. Shows tend to love having characters have babies for all the pregnancy angst and then stick the babies in a magical bassinette for the next 4 years where the are "sleeping". By adopting an older child, they are skipping the "sleeping" phase.

Quote

Mid life crisis Randall is pretty annoying. I know we are supposed to assume that it is "Happy Randall", but damn, he is annoying.

I think "Happy Randall" is "Manic Randall"  and there is going to be another major mental collapse in his future. He's desperately trying to make his life perfect, but he has to deal with all his baggage first. Beth sees this, but has no clue how to resolve it.

Quote

-I was bothered by Beth's behavior in front of the adoption specialist/social worker.  Couldn't she have discussed her doubts with Randall in private beforehand?

I suspect that she has been voicing her concerns and he's just been steamrolling her objections. He's got a one-track mind and he's not hearing what she is saying. Outside of the adoption agency, he told her that she was just going to have to get on-board with what he wanted. Dude!

If Miguel took the family in after the house burned down and Jack died, I can start to see how he and Rebecca ended up together.

[Bean421]

4 minutes ago, kili said:

I suspect this might be a by-product of both of them being television shows. Newborns are hard to write for and offer limited storylines. An adopted baby could cause angst by crying all the time, but as experienced parents, Randall and Beth should have expected that. An older child provides more scope for the imagination, problems that are interesting to resolve (who connects with the child and how) and one has a child actor to play against. Shows tend to love having characters have babies for all the pregnancy angst and then stick the babies in a magical bassinette for the next 4 years where the are "sleeping". By adopting an older child, they are skipping the "sleeping" phase.

I think "Happy Randall" is "Manic Randall"  and there is going to be another major mental collapse in his future. He's desperately trying to make his life perfect, but he has to deal with all his baggage first. Beth sees this, but has no clue how to resolve it.

I suspect that she has been voicing her concerns and he's just been steamrolling her objections. He's got a one-track mind and he's not hearing what she is saying. Outside of the adoption agency, he told her that she was just going to have to get on-board with what he wanted. Dude!

If Miguel took the family in after the house burned down and Jack died, I can start to see how he and Rebecca ended up together.

Manic Randall. I'd place money on that potential storyline. If they go there the writers will have done a good job of laying the groundwork.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Bean421

[doodlebug]

47 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

Eh, different eyes see different things. Glad she's getting healthier.

I've never asked anyone but is Toby also the same guy who played the chef that befriends Eleven in the first episode of strangers things. It looks like him but the body is much different. He just looks tall and stocky.

He wears padding for This Is Us.

[Drumpf1737]

Quote

Randall doesn't appear to have any career nor any career aspirations; considering their lifestyle, it seems unrealistic to expect that Beth's return to the workforce can replace his contribution.  

Beth is an attorney who went back to work in the first or second episode last season. Since statistically black women tend to marry men with similar or better incomes I tend to think they'll be just fine. Also if Randall bought the Benz for cash I imagine their mortgage isn't unmanageable on one income. The girls go to public school as well so while there may not be a new Benz anytime soon they aren't going to have to move into William's old apartment.

I love the idea of Randall and Beth adopting, but to someone's point above an older child will have many more problems so I am concerned for the safety of the girls.

 

Quote

  6 HOURS AGO, OTTERMOMMY SAID:

Disclaimer...I'm so over Jack's death that all this is annoying me and I'm being nitpicky.  I admit it.

The show is doing this to me--to us. Too many clues, red herrings, and psych outs. Car accident? Nope. Construction accident? Nope. Shot in a bar fight? Nope. And it has become tiring. 

There's a lot more show than the "how did Jack die" storyline for me but I do understand some folks' frustration.

 

I love Kevin. Sorry I just do. I find Justin Hartley endearing and sweet. I think Miguel was spot on when he said Kevin is Jack Pearson's son. There are moments in the show where Kevin reminds me of Jack especially in the ways he takes care of his siblings and his belief that there's no problem he can't solve...somehow.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Drumpf1737

[ohjoy]

1 hour ago, Lilacly said:

Even Kevin has at least three paths he could've gone on from his obvious hobbies; acting, football and painting/model airplanes

Which reminds me: where are the all models that Kevin had worked on with his dad during this fire? IIRC Kevin said something in S1about how he got rid of them after his dad died; but would they have stored somewhere outside of the house? Because otherwise the fire seems to have gotten rid of them for him. 

[Clanstarling]

29 minutes ago, kili said:

I think "Happy Randall" is "Manic Randall"  and there is going to be another major mental collapse in his future. He's desperately trying to make his life perfect, but he has to deal with all his baggage first. Beth sees this, but has no clue how to resolve it.

I think so too. These siblings are some pretty messed up people, even if Randall seems the most together on the outside. 

But messy is interesting,  a show about completely "normal" people who made good decisions and who communicated well wouldn't be much fun. Or realistic, for that matter.

[GodsBeloved]

20 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

Am I the only one who doesn't like Beth?  I guess I just don't like the actress.  She isn't natural to me.  All her expressions seem fake.  And she always seems upset.

I know child Kate was heavy but teenage Kate doesn't seem overweight.. I wonder if they will address her weight gain later.

Its not that I don't like Beth. I just don't think she is as wonderful as most seem to think she is.

I was really surprised that she went to that adoption meeting only to make her disdain for Randall's idea of adopting known. Last season she let Rebecca know how they have no secrets yet once again Randall doesn't something without consulting her and she apparently didn't make it clear to him that she wasn't all that jazzed about adopting.

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, Drumpf1737 said:

Beth is an attorney

She's an urban planner. 

[Violetgoblin6]

According to Dan Fogelman we viewers have already seen the  day of the day Jack dies. Sorry, cannot link to the article as I've read so many!!! Any ideas??? Apparently it was flashbacked in another episode. 

[NeverLate]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Overcompensation, I think. Kevin's always been the type to try to make big gestures just for the sake of getting some kind of attention. Not in a bad way, but because of how he probably felt left out as the black sheep in the family. Randall had Rebecca, and Kate had Jack, so Kevin was the odd one out. I don't think he needed to impress Kate or Toby, but he seemed to think that a big gesture for their birthday was needed, much like how Toby talked how Kevin liked to pay for everything when they're out together. I don't believe he's intentionally showing off, but it's more of the need for attention, to show that he can. 

I love Kevin. I love how flawed they all are! This is us...:) 

Quote

I find Justin Hartley endearing and sweet. 

I find him downright sexy! I was so sad to see him leave Y& R. 

[mojoween]

I'm still devastated that Kevin threw out the cake.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Yeah, that was my problem.  Why would someone with no experience whatsoever be looking for a job as lead singer in a band?  Wouldn't it have made more sense for Kate to join a church or community singing group or sign up for singing lessons at the local college or even try out for a community theater production in the chorus?  She's got a bad case of Sarah Braverman Syndrome, I'm afraid.

And, yes, I find it increasingly tiresome that TV shows so often show people switching careers later in life to enter music or art or theater.  Just doesn't happen that way in real life, it is far more likely that someone starts out as an artist and switches to a more stable career later to support a family or just gain some security.  Amazingly enough, most people do not want to be actors or singers or musicians.

I was glad the guy running the audition told her she wasn't good enough, because she wasn't. She just up and decided to pursue a singing career at 37? Her voice is untrained. Not talking Juilliard-trained, but as the guy said, the people he sees have spent their time singing wherever they could. Kate hasn't, and it shows. Like others, I was nervous that they were going to be like "You know what, that took guts. You're hired!" but was grateful for the realism.

Quote

My father is a recovering alcoholic (sober for 30 years now).  His entire family were raging, functioning (to varying degrees) alcoholics.  I still like to have drinks at parties, casually and maybe a drink or two with dinner at times.  I actually felt it was very important to teach my own children that it was possible to have a healthy relationship with alcohol.

I had a friend whose father is in recovery who at this point has been sober over 25 years, I think (the former friend and I aren't in touch anymore; I met her after her father was sober), and my friend was a recreational drinker and weed smoker in her teens and early 20s, when I knew her. He could be around alcohol but they didn't keep it in the house. She said her father was pretty candid about how his drug use and wild partying had set him back and cost him a lot, including his first marriage, his relationship with his son from his first marriage, and almost his second marriage to her mom, and he was pretty clear about what he thought about addiction and genetics. But he also knew that she was going to be around alcohol socially in life, so he kind of left it up to her and kept an eye on any problematic behavior. As far as I know she's not an addict, although to be fair I haven't seen or talked to her in a long time.

That poem from William was like ... damn, they're going to start out with that? I love that character. 

[Drumpf1737]

49 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

She's an urban planner. 

If the US median salary is 70K. In the tri-state area she's getting low six figures.

 

ETA: No one mentioned fake smoking. I really liked fake smoking. I'm going to try it so I can continue my 3 years smoke free.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Drumpf1737

[chocolatine]

18 minutes ago, Drumpf1737 said:

If the US median salary is 70K. In the tri-state area she's getting low six figures.

It's a fraction of what Randall must have made at the investment firm and will be quickly eaten up by mortgage, property taxes, living expenses, and college/retirement savings.

[Cardie]

Clearly the showrunners--Fogelman, I guess--feel that loveable males 1) believe in grand gestures as the appropriate way to express love 2) make grand plans they foist on their wives/gfs because having worthwhile grand plans is a part of being loveable 3) may have some serious flaws, like alcoholism, severe anxiety disorders, or boundary issues, but these are merely the spice to their perfection. Jack, Randall, Toby and Kevin share these traits. I wonder who in Fogelman's life was the model. That everyone wants to be in the arts is less puzzling given that everyone who works on a TV show is in the entertainment business.

[ShadowFacts]

If we're being led to believe that Jack died in the house fire, I'm a little bit leery of the fact that Rebecca is not just driving home, but that the kids and Miguel are not with her.  That doesn't track with how they've been portrayed all along.  Miguel surely has a vehicle which he could have driven the kids to the hospital in.  If Jack was in grave condition, they all would have wanted to be there.  Heck, they were all together when Kate had her appendix out years earlier.  They may not have been able to round up Kevin, but they would have been with their dad after any kind of accident/tragic occurrence.  It also doesn't fit with what Randall said previously that William wasn't going to slip away when no one was looking the way Jack did.  I initially bought all the crying and Rebecca's shriek as evidence that Jack died there that night in that fire, but I'm doubting it now. 

Other than that ending, which was well-acted by the teens, I was pretty underwhelmed with this opener.  I feel basically the same as I did at the finale last season:  I don't buy Kate's singing aspirations, I'm done with Toby kvetching, Kevin is pretty bland and I retain interest in Randall and Beth. 

[debraran]

56 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

If we're being led to believe that Jack died in the house fire, I'm a little bit leery of the fact that Rebecca is not just driving home, but that the kids and Miguel are not with her.  That doesn't track with how they've been portrayed all along.  Miguel surely has a vehicle which he could have driven the kids to the hospital in.  If Jack was in grave condition, they all would have wanted to be there.  Heck, they were all together when Kate had her appendix out years earlier.  They may not have been able to round up Kevin, but they would have been with their dad after any kind of accident/tragic occurrence.  It also doesn't fit with what Randall said previously that William wasn't going to slip away when no one was looking the way Jack did.  I initially bought all the crying and Rebecca's shriek as evidence that Jack died there that night in that fire, but I'm doubting it now. 

Other than that ending, which was well-acted by the teens, I was pretty underwhelmed with this opener.  I feel basically the same as I did at the finale last season:  I don't buy Kate's singing aspirations, I'm done with Toby kvetching, Kevin is pretty bland and I retain interest in Randall and Beth. 

That's true, they deliberately show things out of order and dangle clues to keep interest but they don't have too really. It can go too far and the producer knows that. Like "Who shot JR?" many years ago, it was overdone.

The fire is too easy and they wanted you (I feel) to see his belongings in the car and think he died then, it's too pat. Rebecca wouldn't be alone and want to drive by her house while her kids are alone with Miguel...just not like their family. The house burned down and Kevin is playing football (or watching) and they need to tell him. The fire would be hours burning, I unfortunately have seen them and known how long it takes to put out. This was many hours later, maybe a good part of the morning or evening.

I give the writers credit to have a more unique twist but I hope it's not going to turn the show into "Who or what killed Jack?" and not on the other characters and their growth.

She did have his keys, not something he would have been carrying IN the house. The steno book, not sure, but it's there for a reason. Rehab notes? Construction? I think I see construction or something like that on cover.

Edited September 28, 2017 by debraran

[Katy M]

We can see that the notebook says ...undy.  An at the top, it looks like it also says ...undy as the logo with a big B.  Do we know anyone with the last name of Bundy ont he show?  Is that supposed to be a clue as to where he might have been working.  The notebook definitely says construction and then design underneath.  

[Arcadiasw]

Oh, Toby. Still annoying. Kate isn’t his wife yet. Kate and Kevin are siblings but they are siblings who have a close bond with each other and not the siblings who rarely speak to each other. Instead of arguing he should be first in Kate’s life, he needs to understand the bond Kate has with her brother and accept it may be a while for Kate to go to him first or even take his opinions over Kevin.

I rolled my eyes at Kate. She leaves the audition but returns after it’s over and gets an attitude when she doesn’t think she’s being listened to because of her own insecurities about her weight? She’s lucky the guy gave her a chance instead of showing her the door after the auditions were over.

Beth and Randall’s marriage is imperfectly perfect only in Randall’s eyes. As long as Randall gets his way, he thinks it’s fine and when things don’t go his way, he expects Beth to fall in line to what he wants. Beth is the one who compromise so Randall gets his way; taking his father in, his brother, all the family holiday traditions we’ve seen so far are from Randall’s family and not hers. We’ll see if the adoption happens but it doesn’t seem Beth is all in on it.

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I'm still devastated that Kevin threw out the cake.

I laughed that there was only one piece missing after that celebration with a crowded room full of people. But that's show biz. If you want to have 0% body fat, you're not eating a whole cake.

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I laughed that there was only one piece missing after that celebration with a crowded room full of people. But that's show biz. If you want to have 0% body fat, you're not eating a whole cake.

But, he said it was from the crew, and surely that wouldn't be such an issue with cameramen and grips and whatnot, would it?  Maybe it was poisoned and kevin was supposed to eat the whole thig for it to do its job.

[bettername2come]

18 minutes ago, possibilities said:

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I'm still devastated that Kevin threw out the cake.

I laughed that there was only one piece missing after that celebration with a crowded room full of people. But that's show biz. If you want to have 0% body fat, you're not eating a whole cake.

The half with "Happy Birthday Kevin!" was gone. They just seemed to be unnerved by hacking into Kevin's head. 

[ladylaw99]

Finally got to watch the episode.  I too don't think Jack  died in the fire. Kate's anguish was (for me) hard to watch.  Losing someone you love is hard.

Toby, I too am back to disliking you.  

Not bad for second 2 premiere.

[Dejana]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

True, but I have a nephew who is virtually the same age as the Big 3 (born few months after them) and he had a pager that he carried all through high school and so did all his friends.  Since we live within a couple hours' drive from Pittsburgh, it would not surprise me if that was the case for kids living there in that era too.  My sister and her husband had a rule that anytime they paged, he had to respond within 15 minutes no matter what.  Maybe Kevin wasn't carrying a pager, but he would've been in the minority at that time, IMO.

The local school systems where I live once banned pagers as being part of the "drug culture" and getting caught with one was grounds for serious punishment.  If teenagers couldn't have them at school there was really no point in bothering at all, but every place was different, of course. 

If you could hold Jack's personality up to a funhouse mirror, you'd get Toby. I didn't get what Kate saw in him at first but aside from the crudeness and looks, they're not totally dissimilar, in both good and bad ways. 

Edited September 28, 2017 by Dejana

[JasminePhyllisia]

3 hours ago, GodsBeloved said:

Its not that I don't like Beth. I just don't think she is as wonderful as most seem to think she is.

I was really surprised that she went to that adoption meeting only to make her disdain for Randall's idea of adopting known. Last season she let Rebecca know how they have no secrets yet once again Randall doesn't something without consulting her and she apparently didn't make it clear to him that she wasn't all that jazzed about adopting.

I don't like Beth only because I don't like the way her character is written.  I've never been a fan of the TV show/commercial cliché of the smart, superior wife who speaks to her silly, inferior husband in condescending tones.  As an actress I don't think she shines in her supposed love for William.  She says the lines but doesn't seem to feel them.

[chocolatine]

I rewatched the final scene this evening, and I definitely think Jack died around the time of the fire if not directly from it. It seemed like seeing the burned out house was the last straw for Rebecca and she let it all out - I don't think she would have cried like that if Jack had still been alive.

Edited September 28, 2017 by chocolatine
grammar

[BoogieBurns]

6 hours ago, Biggie B said:

I'm not sure that advising your viewers that they're going to cry is a selling point.

Two of my friends are leaving this episode unwatched on their DVRs because they keep being told it's a sobfest and they don't want to be sad. Maybe they should stop pointing out how much they can make everyone cry. It's turning some people (not me, I'm here forever) off.

[SlovakPrincess]

5 hours ago, kili said:

I think "Happy Randall" is "Manic Randall"  and there is going to be another major mental collapse in his future. He's desperately trying to make his life perfect, but he has to deal with all his baggage first. Beth sees this, but has no clue how to resolve it.

 

I suspect that she has been voicing her concerns and he's just been steamrolling her objections. He's got a one-track mind and he's not hearing what she is saying. Outside of the adoption agency, he told her that she was just going to have to get on-board with what he wanted. Dude!

Yes, this!  I love Randall, but I think he's throwing himself into something that may not ultimately be the best thing for him or the family.  He doesn't have to adopt a child to honor the memory of his two fathers, he could just focus on his two adorable girls and be content that he's taken time out of an all-consuming career to be there for them.

I didn't have a problem with Beth finally snapping at the adoption agency.  She's probably also stressed about going back to work and supporting the family  ...  she may love her new job, but going back after time off would be scary, especially with the added pressure of her husband staying home and wanting another kid.    And not only is she under a strain, she probably feels like she can't vent to Randall because he's been through such a terrible time.  So she has nobody to talk to right now (especially with William gone, who really was a friend to her).  And it built up until she snapped.

[CelticBlackCat]

11 hours ago, dogfish said:

We are all assuming that Jack died in the fire because for an entire year we have had the knowledge that he does die at some point in the children's teen years. We have been anticipating the big reveal...we want an answer to how he died.  The PTB may have presented us with this ending because they knew we would jump all over it.  Just because his possessions are in a bag does not mean he's dead.  He could be in jail, rehab, the hospital, or perhaps the witness protection program. :)  It just seems too easy, after stringing us along for a year, that the writers would give it up in EP 1 of year 2.

YMMV

What is the new rule in Oxford about commas?  I need to keep up with these things.  Thanks.  :)

[Racj82]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

He wears padding for This Is Us.

That makes sense. That was going to be my second question .

[SueB]

Watched again.  Quick thoughts:

1) Kevin was right about Kate's outfit. 

2) Teen Kevin DID imply an Oedipal thing with Randall but it sounded more like snark than serious. 

3) Beth is going to be very pro-adoption is it's an older child.  I'm okay with that if they are younger than the girls.  

4) I wonder if Kevin will make some bitter comment about Randall adopting a child.  He loves his nieces and I think he might worry they will become overshadowed like he was.  

5) Toby has NO inside voice.  He just blurts out what he thinks.  Not that his inner thoughts are completely wrong, but he needs to handle it better.  He and Kevin looked like they were fighting over territory.  

6) Milo really sold the functional alcoholic portrayal IMO

7) I think Kate has a better voice than she showed.  I'm glad she pushed the issue because she no longer has the weight to hide behind.  

8) My speculation: Jack was taking care of the dog when the house caught on fire and he tried to put the fire out himself (because that house meant so much to him) and this is how he died and the distraction of the dog is why Kate feels bad.  

[Cardie]

1 hour ago, CelticBlackCat said:

What is the new rule in Oxford about commas?  I need to keep up with these things.  Thanks.  :)

From the smiley I'm not sure you meant this as a serious question but in case you did: the Oxford comma rule requires the comma before the conjunction that preceded the last item in a series. Thus it would be "Jack drinks too much, starts a fire, and dies." Newer usage says it's okay not to put the comma before "and." 

[AmandaPanda]

14 hours ago, Mrs. DuRona said:

Same showrunners/creators.  So, yeah.  It makes sense.

Actually, despite all their similarities, This Is Us and Parenthood have different creators/showrunners. Parenthood was created by Jason Katims, who also did Friday Night Lights. This Is Us comes from Dan Fogelman, who did Pitch, Galavant, and The Neighbors.

I'm excited for the adoption storyline to feature an older child. I work in foster care and would love to see them take in long-term foster kids. Parenthood handled the storyline okay, but I'd like to see more shows take on the topic of foster care in a competent manner. 

[CelticBlackCat]

1 hour ago, Cardie said:

From the smiley I'm not sure you meant this as a serious question but in case you did: the Oxford comma rule requires the comma before the conjunction that preceded the last item in a series. Thus it would be "Jack drinks too much, starts a fire, and dies." Newer usage says it's okay not to put the comma before "and." 

Thanks Cardie.  It was a serious question.  I put the smiley in so as to soften the fact that I was asking in case you thought I was being snarky.  You're right about that; seems I have kept up on that ruling!