S02.E01: A Father's Advice

[methodwriter85]

2 hours ago, debraran said:

And Jack CAN"T die without saying something to Rebecca through voice or written word, it has to be a sad, tear-jerker, not a "Jack died" with nothing, just doesn't flow with the show. It could be but I'd be surprised

While "Time in A Bottle" by Jim Croce plays. Seriously though, why hasn't Jim Croce played on this show yet? He's totally within that whole 1970's singer-songwriter Baby Boomer nostalgia stuff they love to use on this show.

I can see Dr. K showing up at Jack's funeral to tell Rebecca the truth- her baby never died. A lonely stranger kidnapped him and Dr. K decided to cover his ass and the hospital's by pretending that the baby died. Rebecca then decides to keep this a secret for the next twenty years, until the truth comes and it's truly been decided that Rebecca is the worst thing ever.

Well, in all seriousness, I do think Dr. K will show up, although by 1998-ish he should be in his 80's. I thought he was mid/late 60's when the triplets were born.

Edited September 30, 2017 by methodwriter85

[Aloeonatable]

Quote

The laminated flag, looks like a pin,

I think it is part of the keychain that Jack had for the Super Sport. 

[Evenshorter]

What I like about this show is that Dan Fogelman said in an EW article that when he pitched the pilot, he already had the next 4 seasons planned out. So clearly this isn't HTGAWM, which is written on the fly and doesn't always make sense to me.  I'm wondering if the fire isn't the cause of Jack's death. Maybe he died previously and his belongings that are in the car with Rebecca is all that she managed to save of his.

[Cardie]

Putting the ladder together with Kate's guilt: Jack gets to the house before the fire dept., sees that Kate is at the window unable to get out of her room because of flames, climbs up and pulls her out but falls in the process and dies. He's just come from work and does not encounter the flames directly. Thus what he has with him and its not being singed or smudged with smoke.

[NutMeg]

I must be weird, because I was very moved with the first tail of the first season, went slightly meeh by the end, and now I mostly watch/snark, anyone else feels that? Things that moved me, or resonated, like Kevin in the pool, or the dad death, have been awol, and the new drama about a-dad-on-the-edge-wanting-to-adopt right now doesn't interest me, and the how did Jack died mystery? How far can my eyes roll?

[debraran]

I felt the beginning of the first show this season seemed like they were trying too hard, but by the end, it was okay. There is a lot of pressure on the actors after all the publicity and build up.

All in all, it got me watching TV again, I was used to the old Law and Order shows, ER, etc, they had some substance and plot. I loved shows like The Middle for comedy but so much was just fluff. This show had bite and i hope it's not lost on this "What killed Jack?" The show has to go on after that and you don't want it downhill.  He'll be around for flashbacks but I hope it takes a while for him to die, so there is more of him with the kids, experiences and family drama. I really don't think the producer thought people would care that much about Jack or he'd have kept him longer. ; )

Edited September 30, 2017 by debraran

[Violetgoblin6]

4 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

While "Time in A Bottle" by Jim Croce plays. Seriously though, why hasn't Jim Croce played on this show yet? He's totally within that whole 1970's singer-songwriter Baby Boomer nostalgia stuff they love to use on this show.

I can see Dr. K showing up at Jack's funeral to tell Rebecca the truth- her baby never died. A lonely stranger kidnapped him and Dr. K decided to cover his ass and the hospital's by pretending that the baby died. Rebecca then decides to keep this a secret for the next twenty years, until the truth comes and it's truly been decided that Rebecca is the worst thing ever.

Well, in all seriousness, I do think Dr. K will show up, although by 1998-ish he should be in his 80's. I thought he was mid/late 60's when the triplets were born.

Dr. K was 73 in 1980 when he delivered the twins. I remember because that was my dad's age last season. My parents are each one year older than Jack and Rebecca (1943 and 1949 instead of 1944 and 1950). I'm the same age as Miguel's kids-born in 1974. Dr. K would be 90 in 1997-still totally feasible. 

Good theories on Reddit's This is Us sub-one about the washing machine catching fire (Chekhov's gun) and one about Jack looking for Kev in the fire as Kate won't admit Kev snuck out. Hence his death. Miguel takes the kids and Randall's girlfriend back to his house before they know Jack's fate. Makes sense to me as Kate did not seem particularly hysterical. In fact when the camera pulls away to Miguel walking over with blankets, Kate looks okay. Just looking down at the dog and petting it. Also she appears rather composed when telling Randall that they "need to find Kev". Maybe Kate finds out about dad before she runs to tell him about the fire. 

[Mrs. DuRona]

On 9/28/2017 at 0:43 AM, AmandaPanda said:

On 9/27/2017 at 10:16 AM, 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.

Huh.  My bad.  I thought remembered before it aired last year the ads were pitching it as "from the people who brought you Parenthood", so I assumed it was the same people here.

[Clanstarling]

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

While "Time in A Bottle" by Jim Croce plays. Seriously though, why hasn't Jim Croce played on this show yet? He's totally within that whole 1970's singer-songwriter Baby Boomer nostalgia stuff they love to use on this show.

This boomer had a personal relationship with that song - I don't really cry watching this show, but if they play it, I will cry. It used to break my heart daily when it was on the charts right after Croce died.

(I still tear up at Puff the Magic Dragon, when Jackie came no more - so music is definitely the way to get to me).

Edited October 1, 2017 by Clanstarling

[TWP]

Is it wrong that I can't bring myself to watch this episode or this season, because ANGST.  Is there anything amusing to be seen about it?   Is it entertaining at all on an escapist level?

[debraran]

20 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

This boomer had a personal relationship with that song - I don't really cry watching this show, but if they play it, I will cry. It used to break my heart daily when it was on the charts right after Croce died.

(I still tear up at Puff the Magic Dragon, when Jackie came no more - so music is definitely the way to get to me).

I remember asking my sister where Jackie went and she told me he grew up....I decided then, I wouldn't.   : ) 

[Violetgoblin6]

21 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

This boomer had a personal relationship with that song - I don't really cry watching this show, but if they play it, I will cry. It used to break my heart daily when it was on the charts right after Croce died.

(I still tear up at Puff the Magic Dragon, when Jackie came no more - so music is definitely the way to get to me).

We sang-Time In A Bottle-in 1987 for our "Trip Down Melody Lane" show for choir. 6th grade. That song symbolized the 70's. I love it. 

[izabella]

20 minutes ago, TWP said:

Is it wrong that I can't bring myself to watch this episode or this season, because ANGST.  Is there anything amusing to be seen about it?   Is it entertaining at all on an escapist level?

I thought it was entertaining, but I don't get angst about the show, so it might not come across to you in the same way.  It's a year after the birthday that opened the season last year.  It brings us up to date on where the Big Three are in their lives at this point - after everything that happened last season - and what's happening in their relationships now and what they're looking to for the future.  It flashes back to Rebecca and Jack after the going on tour fiasco, and it sets up the house fire at the end, but I liked the present-time view into their lives.

Edited October 1, 2017 by izabella

[MaryPatShelby]

On 9/26/2017 at 9:10 PM, Lady Calypso said:

 God, I'm back to hating Toby.

I never stopped, but I was hoping this season I would hate him less.  Not so far.

 

On 9/27/2017 at 1:07 PM, Cardie said:

The Miguel-hate is perplexing. So far we've only seen him be there for both Jack and Rebecca. Yes, he sometimes misreads others' emotions and has nursed a crush on Rebecca. But we don't know yet that he ever did anything inappropriate while Jack was alive. I can see Rebecca turning to him as the guy who was her rock after the loss of their home, Jack, and--let's face it--all their income. (I assume he had life insurance, but still.)

I have never understood this either - the hate from the big three and the hate on these boards.  We actually know very little about Miguel, so maybe he does become worthy of hate later on?  I don't know, but Rebecca did marry him (and probably not because she had to, ha ha), so whatever he did can't be too awful.

On 9/27/2017 at 1:35 PM, Lady Calypso said:

True. That's actually a good point; maybe the fire happened the night before, everything seemed fine, Jack went to work the next day and then collapsed at work. Again, that's the only explanation I have for why Jack's work notebook is in the bag with the rest of his things. 

Although, if the fire had happened the night before, there wouldn't have been a firefighter roaming around the property at night when Rebecca returned home.  

I'm of the thought that Kate and Randall were crying because the house burned down, not because their father is dead.  Learning that comes later.

I'm not looking forward to a reboot of Joel and Julia (though I'd love to have Sam Jaeger back on my screen again!).  Not that it was a horrible storyline, but....we've seen it.  Let's take the TIU characters down a different path.

Also not a fan of ghosts visiting the living in order to pass on wise words, so I'm glad to see that the consensus was Beth remembering a past conversation with William at the park.

[debraran]

The actor that plays Miguel  said he never really had a crush on Rebecca, Jack and her were torn about his divorce but it wasn't what Jack had. Jack thought he had an affair but he didn't (as told to him by the writers) he just assumed it.  I think if a family is that close, any guy coming in would be hated. He said he will be won over slowly, as you see when they let him in a holiday tradition at the end of the last season. 

Milo said in interview, re Miguel  "

The star discussed that alleged BFF-betrayal in an interview on Megyn Kelly TODAY.

"You shouldn't be mad at Miguel," he insisted.

Instead, he recommends viewers stay tuned and keep an open mind.

"(Miguel) will earn it," he said.

Edited October 1, 2017 by debraran

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

The actor that plays Miguel  said he never really had a crush on Rebecca, Jack and her were torn about his divorce but it wasn't what Jack had. Jack thought he had an affair but he didn't (as told to him by the writers) he just assumed it.  I think if a family is that close, any guy coming in would be hated. He said he will be won over slowly, as you see when they let him in a holiday tradition at the end of the last season. 

Milo said in interview, re Miguel  "

The star discussed that alleged BFF-betrayal in an interview on Megyn Kelly TODAY.

"You shouldn't be mad at Miguel," he insisted.

Instead, he recommends viewers stay tuned and keep an open mind.

"(Miguel) will earn it," he said.

Wait.  didn't they pretty much show Miguel having a crush on Rebecca last season.  

[MaryPatShelby]

I know I ask this all the time, but why do we need supplemental content and actor interviews to explain the nuances of this show, or any show?  They clearly did show Miguel seeming to have a pretty major crush on Rebecca in their early years, so it seems odd that the actor would deny that. Or is this part of the showrunner's "keep 'em guessing" plan for nearly everything in the show?

[Quark]

Superb premiere. The acting on this show is just something else.

[Clanstarling]

58 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I know I ask this all the time, but why do we need supplemental content and actor interviews to explain the nuances of this show, or any show?  They clearly did show Miguel seeming to have a pretty major crush on Rebecca in their early years, so it seems odd that the actor would deny that. Or is this part of the showrunner's "keep 'em guessing" plan for nearly everything in the show?

I'm not fond of the supplemental content and interviews either. My take on Miguel's "crush" was more that he appreciated Rebecca and understood how good she was for her friend. You can appreciate, and even think someone is hot, without having an actual crush on them (speaking from my own experience). So for me, that was never part of the narrative. But I get why others read it differently, and that I have a minority opinion on that.

[SueB]

On 9/29/2017 at 1:20 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

My guess is Jack got it for Kate because he felt bad for her that Kevin and Randall had girlfriends.

How do you guys know that top right room in the house was Kate's?  

The very first episode and the episode where KEVIN moves into the basement show where the rooms are.  The stairs come up and you go to the right for Kate's room.  Sort of straight ahead for the boys room. And curl back to the left to enter the master bedroom. When looking from the street, Kate's room is on right, stair in center, Master bedroom on left.  Boys room and their shared bathroom with Kate is in the back of the house.  

On 9/30/2017 at 7:22 PM, TWP said:

Is it wrong that I can't bring myself to watch this episode or this season, because ANGST.  Is there anything amusing to be seen about it?   Is it entertaining at all on an escapist level?

I enjoyed Beth & Randall fake smoking. 

On 9/29/2017 at 0:34 PM, kili said:

Thanksgiving? Maybe that is why they slavishly repeat the Pearson traditions....the fire/death happened right before Thanksgiving.

Hollywood decorations didn't seem to become a BIG thing until recently. Sure, there was always that house, but it seems like everybody decorates now. So, I wouldn't necessarily rule out the Hallowe'en time frame.

What could Kate have in her room that started a huge fire while people were awake and prevented somebody from escaping? Straightening Irons (Rachel was clear it wasn't a curling irons) next to a box of Kleenex would start a slow fire that could burn down a house if people were away or sleeping. One would think one would notice the smoldering if one was home. I could see Randall starting a fire ball with a science experiment or Kevin with all the airplane glue and a soldering iron. What kind of heavy flammable hobby is Kate into? She used hairspray and a lighter to take out a spider?

The fire happened during the day while the kids were at school, Rebecca was working at the Steeler's front office and Jack was taking a snooze?

Maybe the fire happened the night before, Jack seemed fine and collapsed at work? Fire happens and  Jack rescues everybody. "Sure, we lost the house, but we all survived and things can be replaced. People can't.," The next day, the kids  to go school (keep life normal), Rebecca deals with insurance, and Jack goes to work (got to pay those bills and critical milestone that Miguel needs him for). Jack collapses at work (sometimes, people seem fine after a fire and die 24 hours later) and isn't found until it is too late. Rebecca rushes to the hospital and Miguel goes to pick up the kids. Kevin goes out the back way for his date (or skipped gym class because of his broken leg) so Miguel doesn't find him, but he does pick up the other two.

Response to bolder text. Candle & a curtain, Jack napping, no smoke detectors, if Kate's room was a conflagration before Jack knew there was a problem, there was no saving the house.  Although he might have tried. 

 

On 9/29/2017 at 7:45 PM, ShadowFacts said:

P.S.  SueB, you are a veritable detective.  I've been watching Columbo and Monk, and you're right up there. 

*blushes*. Thanks.  I love analyzing and then perhaps over analyzing... but this is a very deliberate show.  So I think it warrants the details.  Especially since they apparently built the burnt house set far away so no press would get wind of it and they filmed out just two weeks before airing. 

[KnoxForPres]

1 hour ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I know I ask this all the time, but why do we need supplemental content and actor interviews to explain the nuances of this show, or any show?  They clearly did show Miguel seeming to have a pretty major crush on Rebecca in their early years, so it seems odd that the actor would deny that. Or is this part of the showrunner's "keep 'em guessing" plan for nearly everything in the show?

I agree. I don't know they do these things until I read here and then I have to laugh. Maybe he did and I thankfully never knew it but I never heard of Matt Weiner going "just hang tight my friends- Don Draper will slay you this  week".  

I blame the writing and acting  for me having zero reaction when Kevin's girlfriend was waiting outside.  Were we supposed to go "she came!" If that had been Sloane I would have been intrigued. 

[Katy M]

If the showrunners, or whoever, have to explain the show to me then they are doing it wrong.  That's all I have to say on the matter.  The only time I would find that acceptable is if for some reason the show got cancelled with no warning.  Either because the network axed it, or some of the actors died in a tragedy, or whatever.  Then, I wouldn't mind being told what was going to happen that they didn't get to film.

[Blakeston]

I really, really liked this episode - a lot more than I thought I would.

I had fairly low expectations after watching the dire season 1 finale, and the scene from this episode that they used for previews, with Rebecca and Randall. ("Your father was as close to perfect as humanly possible, because he pushed me and pushed me and pushed me when I was tired and grieving...")

But with the final scene with Randall and Beth, we finally got to see a character acknowledge that maybe Jack's pushiness wasn't so goddamned perfect. It was beautiful!

And I thought the resolution that Toby, Kevin and Kate reached was actually incredibly mature and reasonable for three adults who are usually so childish. Bonus points for the audition scene, where someone finally tells Kate that her voice isn't that great.

Side note - I thought it was a bit over the top that Amber had been demoted for not being good enough. A wedding band has a lead singer with that incredible voice, who's also drop-dead gorgeous, and they demote her and hold open auditions to replace her? Were they expecting Adele to show up? (And I really hope people don't request Nothing Compares 2 U for their weddings, because it's about a pathetic sadsack who's been dumped.)

All in all, this gave me hope for the future about this show's writing.

[HeyThere83]

It seems to be a theme for the writers to do things that imo they know darn well would be interpreted a certain way and then later act bewildered as to why the audience interpreted it that way because that's totally not what it meant.

[Crs97]

Is it just me, or did William give Beth essentially the same advice as Rebecca gave Randall?  When she was annoyed that Randall kept bringing people home to live, didn't William just point out it ended up fine for her?  Maybe I missed the rest of their conversation and need to rewatch, but right now I don't understand how Rebecca gave the worst advice ever and William is a fount of wisdom.

[CelticBlackCat]

I pretty much ignore the after-interviews and guest spots on shows with the actors.  It does not add anything to the show for me, in fact, it detracts.  (I watched a clip of Claire Foy and Matt Smith talking about their show "The Crown" where Claire discussed having just had given birth before the start of the show and that she was breastfeeding on set.  Somehow Matt got dragged into her reminiscence of the milk-pumping machine and now I picture Queen Elizabeth breastfeeding.  Ugh.)

They are too self-congratulatory and are only there to push the hype.  Too much hype is never the same as the quality of a show shining through on its own.

Edited October 1, 2017 by CelticBlackCat

[tvfanatic13]

I could have sworn that I saw AA tokens in Jack's bag of belongings. 

[debraran]

32 minutes ago, tvfanatic13 said:

I could have sworn that I saw AA tokens in Jack's bag of belongings. 

Maybe I just see flag keychain, watch, ring, stenobook with pen in binding. Something bunched near the seat but glare makes it hard to see. Ring does seem big for his size, maybe a prop not thought out well.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, CelticBlackCat said:

I pretty much ignore the after-interviews and guest spots on shows with the actors.  It does not add anything to the show for me, in fact, it detracts.  (I watched a clip of Claire Foy and Matt Smith talking about their show "The Crown" where Claire discussed having just had given birth before the start of the show and that she was breastfeeding on set.  Somehow Matt got dragged into her reminiscence of the milk-pumping machine and now I picture Queen Elizabeth breastfeeding.  Ugh.)

They are too self-congratulatory and are only there to push the hype.  Too much hype is never the same as the quality of a show shining through on its own.

Very annoying, but maybe they figure whatever they did last year worked and they're going to do more of the same, whether it's writing, promos, social media, etc.   I don't seek that stuff out online and when a promo comes on tv I mute it.  I do a lot of muting in general nowadays, it helps my mental state.

[pinkglove]

Kate was very annoying in this episode. It was already pretty bad when she assumed that all women of smaller size are worse singers, despite the fact that she must have been aware of her relative lack of dedication. Outbursts can happen though. But then, she was the happiest person in the world because her weight wasn't the reason for her not getting the job, without the slightest sign of guilt that she disrespected the former lead singer. She actually also unfairly accused the guy of only caring about her looks (though it would be okay if he did since she auditioned for a performer, weddings or not).  Does being fat entitle her to be a bully? I also didn't like her saying that the sexiest thing about Toby is how sexy he makes her feel - coupled with her attitude toward him, it made me think that he's just there to improve her self-esteem. Both of those things may mean that she's only recently learned to think about herself, and she's rebounding from years of being Kevin's sidekick, but I do think that atm she's too preoccupied with herself and her issues to be a partner to someone. 

At the same time, I don't think that Toby can decide who should be "the first person" for Kate. People have different upbringings, characters, trust issues. And above all, they have the right to choose if they prefer their boyfriend or their brother, even if there's a chance that the attachment is unhealthy. It's his choice to stay in the relationship, but it doesn't give him the power to decide about how Kate "should" feel, there's no "should" here. The situation with Kevin has been bugging him since the beginning of Season 1. It seems like he doesn't have much life outside of his relationship with Kate (in terms of people and things that are very important to him), he gives 100% and keeps getting less in return. It's up to him if he's okay with it but it doesn't look like it. He should either learn to live with it for now or walk away, instead of blaming someone for the situation he signed up for. 

As I said, I'm all for expressing emotions, even if it's a bit inappropriate. But while with Beth and Randall it eventually helps them see the bigger picture, Kate and Toby seem to go in circles, failing to break the patterns. It leads me to think that they're not good for each other (at least not now if they prefer to keep playing victims, instead of addressing their individual issues, and I don't mean weight). 

[breezy424]

Late to the party here.  I just can't watch the episode live because of the number of commercial breaks.  And sorry, there are more commercial breaks on this show than any other one hour show that I watch.

Anyhow, so much has been said already but what did stand out to me was the birthday dinner with Kate and Kevin.  Sorry Toby.  You've been in Kate's life less than a year.  Kevin has been in Kate's life for 37 years.  They have a bond that's never going to change.  They're sister and brother...and twins.  You have to accept that.  You have to earn the number one spot.  She may marry you but Kevin isn't going to go away.  People marry.  People divorce.  But family is the core.  Yes, when you marry you have to put your spouse first but that doesn't 'just happen'.  And the unconditional love a person has had all their lives just doesn't change.  BTW, I hate Toby.  Maybe someone can remind me of why Toby and his first wife got divorced.

Other thing that stood out was, of course, the fire.  I don't think Jack died in the fire.  I could be wrong.  Rebecca, to me, wasn't in a state of mind that her husband died.  Something happened but I don't think Jack died.  Yeah, we could see some of Jack's personal effects on the seat.  BTW, I didn't see clothes as other have stated.  I also didn't think the ring was unusually large.  I think it would be relative to the size of the watch face and I don't what size that was.

I also thought there was no more damage to the upper floors than to the main floor...so saying where the fire started is pure speculation.  All we have is Kate saying she caused her father's death last season.  That could mean a whole lot of things.  BTW, Kate as a teenager wasn't just chubby.  She was overweight and to me, no thinner than her earlier years.  Also, have we've seen scenes of Kate in her late teenage and twenties?  I don't recall that at all (I have a feeling that the tremendous weight came after her father died).  Please remind me if we've have.  Or any scenes of those years at all. 

All in all, a good episode but not a great one for me. 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I know I ask this all the time, but why do we need supplemental content and actor interviews to explain the nuances of this show, or any show?  They clearly did show Miguel seeming to have a pretty major crush on Rebecca in their early years, so it seems odd that the actor would deny that. Or is this part of the showrunner's "keep 'em guessing" plan for nearly everything in the show?

The supplemental content is there for the same reason this forum is... for those interested in further discussion.  And clarification is offered (though not necessarily needed) because some people don't catch it all sometimes, and would rather look online a bit to 'catch up' then be lost in the dust hoping they'll catch up.

I didn't see a crush.  I interpreted it that Miguel thought Rebecca was a special person and underappreciated by Jack.  I think that of many of my friends in relationships, both male and female, without crushing on anyone else.  

5 hours ago, debraran said:

Maybe I just see flag keychain, watch, ring, stenobook with pen in binding. Something bunched near the seat but glare makes it hard to see. Ring does seem big for his size, maybe a prop not thought out well.

That's all I see, too.  Though I think maybe the ring isn't so huge as his watch is just a little dainty compared to the honkers men wear today?  Or Jack had sausage fingers.  

10 minutes ago, breezy424 said:

Late to the party here.  I just can't watch the episode live because of the number of commercial breaks.  And sorry, there are more commercial breaks on this show than any other one hour show that I watch.

Aren't nearly all network 'hour slot' shows 43ish minutes of content?  

[breezy424]

37 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

The supplemental content is there for the same reason this forum is... for those interested in further discussion.  And clarification is offered (though not necessarily needed) because some people don't catch it all sometimes, and would rather look online a bit to 'catch up' then be lost in the dust hoping they'll catch up.

I didn't see a crush.  I interpreted it that Miguel thought Rebecca was a special person and underappreciated by Jack.  I think that of many of my friends in relationships, both male and female, without crushing on anyone else.  

That's all I see, too.  Though I think maybe the ring isn't so huge as his watch is just a little dainty compared to the honkers men wear today?  Or Jack had sausage fingers.  

Aren't nearly all network 'hour slot' shows 43ish minutes of content?  

Quite frankly, I record a lot of network and cable shows, and I doubt it's even 43 minutes.  It's gotten quite ridiculous IMO.  Hey, at least 60 Minutes still spends 20 minutes on a package.  Just sayin.  And remember when a half hour show had only one commercial break at 15 minutes.  No wonder people prefer Netflick and other pay for cable, etc. shows. 

[CelticBlackCat]

I binge watched the entire first season of This Is Us on Hulu, commercial free.  I watched the second season opener on NBC and then rewatched on Hulu.  If I can just watch on Hulu, I might skip the commercials on NBC.

[debraran]

Watching "on demand" on my cable the next day, or Youtube for some HGTV shows, makes you lazy for commercials. Seeing the 30 minute shows in 20, 60 in 40, being able to FF, it just makes the commercials seem even longer.

They have gotten longer over the years though, a minute went to two, now I don't know, it seems longer than that many times. If I watch in bed, I have fallen asleep at times. ; )

[Katy M]

15 hours ago, Blakeston said:

(And I really hope people don't request Nothing Compares 2 U for their weddings, because it's about a pathetic sadsack who's been dumped.)

It's for the guests:)

[Clanstarling]

9 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

That's all I see, too.  Though I think maybe the ring isn't so huge as his watch is just a little dainty compared to the honkers men wear today?  Or Jack had sausage fingers.  

Aren't nearly all network 'hour slot' shows 43ish minutes of content?  

I exercise to the shows on a machine that counts down the time - generally speaking the hour shows break down to somewhere between 40 and 42 minutes (including the fast forwarding time). 

The watch didn't look dainty to me, and the comparison I made was most directly to the watch, but to the other things in the plastic as well. I think perhaps the ring was so large so that we, the audience, could pick it out. Or, Jack had sausage fingers. ;)

[laurakaye]

On 9/28/2017 at 7:52 AM, ShadowFacts said:

I don't think I've seen it mentioned, what was the point of breaking the news of the ever-so-brief separation in a public place?  I think going home makes more sense.  Why subject the kids to having to deal with emotions in front of strangers and have to run out?  It felt like too much contrived drama for no good reason.  I may be starting to come down on the side of people who think the show is too manipulative. 

Agree 100%.  Wasn't this the first scene of the episode?  You do not give upsetting news in a diner, especially to three teenagers.  That scene kind of set me on edge for the rest of the episode, and maybe that's a shallow way to look at it but if I'm already eye-rolling within the first couple of minutes, I have a difficult time going along with the rest of the story.

 

On 9/28/2017 at 5:46 PM, StarryNight said:

In a Today Show interview a week or so before the start of Season 2, Milo V. said that we will not end up hating Miguel. That we will see he is a good guy. So I think that leans towards the fact that the kids don't like him just because he's not Jack.

While that may be true, why should we listen to Milo about how we may or may not feel?  He's an actor.  These people are supposed to SHOW us, through their acting, why we should or should not care about them.  They don't need to be spoon-feeding us our feelings and that's part of why I struggle with this show...the actors seem to be doing the wink-nudge with each other because they've all got the inside scoop, and then telling us how to feel.  If the actors would just slow their roll on all of the extra stuff, this show might have a better chance with those of us on the edge.

 

On 9/29/2017 at 0:12 AM, sasha206 said:

Also weird and disturbing was Toby's comment to Kate -- does she want to sit in his lap (Kevin's?

Between that highly inappropriate comment and Kevin telling Kate that Randall was about to make his move (on his mom??), I couldn't figure out if there was some disturbing sub-text that we were missing.  I doubt the show is headed in that direction, but those two comments came out of left field, and left me kind of grimacing with their squickiness.

Edited October 2, 2017 by laurakaye

[ShadowFacts]

9 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Between that highly inappropriate comment and Kevin telling Kate that Randall was about to make his move (on his mom??), I couldn't figure out if there was some disturbing sub-text that we were missing.  I doubt the show is headed in that direction, but those two comments came out of left field, and left me kind of grimacing with their squickiness.

Totally.  Toby says puerile things regularly, and I suppose from Kevin we're supposed to get that he is a cheeky teen and is jealous of his brother's closeness with their mom, but call me schoolmarm-ish, I cringed. 

[sasha206]

45 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Between that highly inappropriate comment and Kevin telling Kate that Randall was about to make his move (on his mom??), I couldn't figure out if there was some disturbing sub-text that we were missing.  I doubt the show is headed in that direction, but those two comments came out of left field, and left me kind of grimacing with their squickiness.

Exactly! It was so strange.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

I binge watched the entire first season of This Is Us on Hulu, commercial free.  I watched the second season opener on NBC and then rewatched on Hulu.  If I can just watch on Hulu, I might skip the commercials on NBC.

I watch entirely on Hulu commercial free, and am 100% streaming and have been for years.  We always mentally 'budget' around 20 minutes to watch a 'half hour network slot' show and 42 minutes for an 'hour slot' show, and they've always been around that.   Now an actual 'hour long' show (like GoT) seems so long and indulgent.  

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

Agree 100%.  Wasn't this the first scene of the episode?  You do not give upsetting news in a diner, especially to three teenagers.  That scene kind of set me on edge for the rest of the episode, and maybe that's a shallow way to look at it but if I'm already eye-rolling within the first couple of minutes, I have a difficult time going along with the rest of the story.

 

While that may be true, why should we listen to Milo about how we may or may not feel?  He's an actor.  These people are supposed to SHOW us, through their acting, why we should or should not care about them.  They don't need to be spoon-feeding us our feelings and that's part of why I struggle with this show...the actors seem to be doing the wink-nudge with each other because they've all got the inside scoop, and then telling us how to feel.  If the actors would just slow their roll on all of the extra stuff, this show might have a better chance with those of us on the edge.

 

Between that highly inappropriate comment and Kevin telling Kate that Randall was about to make his move (on his mom??), I couldn't figure out if there was some disturbing sub-text that we were missing.  I doubt the show is headed in that direction, but those two comments came out of left field, and left me kind of grimacing with their squickiness.

While I totally agree about the choice to break personal upsetting news to kid in a diner, my bigger pet peeve as illustrated in this scene is making people, especially KIDS, wait for some totally manufactured group sit-down to update them on a situation that really warrants immediate honesty and openness. 

I hate them telling us how to feel but I think Milo and Fogelman are doing worse.... assuming we do hate Miguel now and assuring us we won't later on.  I don't hate him at all, though.  And if I did I would not lose sleep over it or expect anything less than them to re-write him as likable later.  That's what these shows do.  The characters are alternately lovable and insufferable.  The cast/creators acting like they're magicians to do this is laughable.  

The two incest-y comments were stupid and so unrealistic.  

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

Between that highly inappropriate comment and Kevin telling Kate that Randall was about to make his move (on his mom??), I couldn't figure out if there was some disturbing sub-text that we were missing.  I doubt the show is headed in that direction, but those two comments came out of left field, and left me kind of grimacing with their squickiness.

I figure the gross comment about  Rebecca/Randall from Kevin was just another reminder what a collossal, gaping asshole young Kevin was to Randall.  But even worse, it explicitly made a point about Kevin denying Randall his place in the family.  The fact that he could make such a gross comment about his brother and his mother basically says that he doesn't consider Randal a family member at all. 

[Katy M]

12 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

While I totally agree about the choice to break personal upsetting news to kid in a diner, my bigger pet peeve as illustrated in this scene is making people, especially KIDS, wait for some totally manufactured group sit-down to update them on a situation that really warrants immediate honesty and openness. 

Well, the thing is, if Rebecca just tells them that she and Jack are splitting up and takes them home and Jack's nowhere around, she looks like the bad guy.  I think split ups are best addressed by both parents at the same time.  But, I still don't know why they couldn't have done it at home.  Send Jack to pick up the kids as planned and then they won't even know anything's up until they get home and it's time to tell them.

[Blakeston]

I can't stand Kevin (I think he's basically the embodiment of privilege and entitlement), and I especially can't stand his treatment of Randall when they were kids.

But I didn't blink an eye at his joke about Randall making a move on Rebecca. That's exactly the kind of joke a lot of teenage boys would make, especially if their sibling was as blatant a mama's boy as Randall. And especially if they had a twin they're super close to, who they can share anything with.

[qtpye]

22 hours ago, Crs97 said:

Is it just me, or did William give Beth essentially the same advice as Rebecca gave Randall?  When she was annoyed that Randall kept bringing people home to live, didn't William just point out it ended up fine for her?  Maybe I missed the rest of their conversation and need to rewatch, but right now I don't understand how Rebecca gave the worst advice ever and William is a fount of wisdom.

Yes, William is literally telling Beth that it all worked out, because Beth met the awesomeness that was William.  Again, Beth's feelings just do not matter.

18 hours ago, pinkglove said:

Kate was very annoying in this episode. It was already pretty bad when she assumed that all women of smaller size are worse singers, despite the fact that she must have been aware of her relative lack of dedication. Outbursts can happen though. But then, she was the happiest person in the world because her weight wasn't the reason for her not getting the job, without the slightest sign of guilt that she disrespected the former lead singer. She actually also unfairly accused the guy of only caring about her looks (though it would be okay if he did since she auditioned for a performer, weddings or not).  Does being fat entitle her to be a bully? I also didn't like her saying that the sexiest thing about Toby is how sexy he makes her feel - coupled with her attitude toward him, it made me think that he's just there to improve her self-esteem. Both of those things may mean that she's only recently learned to think about herself, and she's rebounding from years of being Kevin's sidekick, but I do think that atm she's too preoccupied with herself and her issues to be a partner to someone. 

At the same time, I don't think that Toby can decide who should be "the first person" for Kate. People have different upbringings, characters, trust issues. And above all, they have the right to choose if they prefer their boyfriend or their brother, even if there's a chance that the attachment is unhealthy. It's his choice to stay in the relationship, but it doesn't give him the power to decide about how Kate "should" feel, there's no "should" here. The situation with Kevin has been bugging him since the beginning of Season 1. It seems like he doesn't have much life outside of his relationship with Kate (in terms of people and things that are very important to him), he gives 100% and keeps getting less in return. It's up to him if he's okay with it but it doesn't look like it. He should either learn to live with it for now or walk away, instead of blaming someone for the situation he signed up for. 

As I said, I'm all for expressing emotions, even if it's a bit inappropriate. But while with Beth and Randall it eventually helps them see the bigger picture, Kate and Toby seem to go in circles, failing to break the patterns. It leads me to think that they're not good for each other (at least not now if they prefer to keep playing victims, instead of addressing their individual issues, and I don't mean weight). 

I have come to the conclusion that Kate is not a very nice person.  Perhaps being daddy's little princess all those years has made her self centered and entitled?

5 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Agree 100%.  Wasn't this the first scene of the episode?  You do not give upsetting news in a diner, especially to three teenagers.  That scene kind of set me on edge for the rest of the episode, and maybe that's a shallow way to look at it but if I'm already eye-rolling within the first couple of minutes, I have a difficult time going along with the rest of the story.

 

While that may be true, why should we listen to Milo about how we may or may not feel?  He's an actor.  These people are supposed to SHOW us, through their acting, why we should or should not care about them.  They don't need to be spoon-feeding us our feelings and that's part of why I struggle with this show...the actors seem to be doing the wink-nudge with each other because they've all got the inside scoop, and then telling us how to feel.  If the actors would just slow their roll on all of the extra stuff, this show might have a better chance with those of us on the edge.

 

Between that highly inappropriate comment and Kevin telling Kate that Randall was about to make his move (on his mom??), I couldn't figure out if there was some disturbing sub-text that we were missing.  I doubt the show is headed in that direction, but those two comments came out of left field, and left me kind of grimacing with their squickiness.

 

3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I can't stand Kevin (I think he's basically the embodiment of privilege and entitlement), and I especially can't stand his treatment of Randall when they were kids.

But I didn't blink an eye at his joke about Randall making a move on Rebecca. That's exactly the kind of joke a lot of teenage boys would make, especially if their sibling was as blatant a mama's boy as Randall. And especially if they had a twin they're super close to, who they can share anything with.

Teenage Kevin's Randall hate really makes me uncomfortable.  It has such ugly undertones that goes beyond sibling rivalry.

Also, I know the brothers fought it out last season, but adult Kevin needs to confront this favortism with his mother.

I also do not need scenes of Rebecca smiling like an idiot while she talks about how her perfect husband pushed a child on a grieving mother.

[laurakaye]

Regarding Beth's flashbacks with William, I thought her calling him "old man" once was cutely affectionate.  I thought her doing it multiple times was passive-aggressive.

Two times in this episdose, I wish the women would've snapped.  One was Randall telling Beth that they were, actually, going to adopt a child and that Beth had better "get on board with it."  Um, sorry?  And this coming after Randall quitting his job and Beth supporting the family?  They aren't adopting a kitten, for crying out loud.  That scene was over the top and also weird.

And Toby smarming that Kate should just sit on Kevin's lap?  Shouldn't that have earned a punch in the chops from Kevin AND Kate?  That kind of talk is not cute, it's gross, and I have no earthly idea why Toby got away with that.  

Sometimes these characters say things that are so completely out of character, I don't know how we are supposed to get a grip on who they really are.

Edited October 2, 2017 by laurakaye

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Katy M said:

Well, the thing is, if Rebecca just tells them that she and Jack are splitting up and takes them home and Jack's nowhere around, she looks like the bad guy.  I think split ups are best addressed by both parents at the same time.  But, I still don't know why they couldn't have done it at home.  Send Jack to pick up the kids as planned and then they won't even know anything's up until they get home and it's time to tell them.

I agree, have both parents there for any major revelation.   But I hate when in the meantime they basically give the kids the silent treatment when they know there was a major fight.  I think 99% of parents would give reassuring comments all along the way, not "just wait for the major reveal later on" attitude.   It's unnecessarily cruel and spoils that it's bad news so just makes them even more afraid, at a moment when they already need some reassurance.  

[amazinglybored]

Hey guys. I've been binge watching this and wanted to get my Jack's death theory in.

 

He doesn't die in the fire, the fire is the result of chaos breaking out when something happens to him. I figure there's some fight stemming from the dog we see Kate holding. Jack either has a heart attack during the fight, is in a car accident driving angrily or gets hit by a car because he's distracted. Miguel picks the kids up at some point in between. Alternatively, the shock of the fire or rushing somewhere because of it causes his death.

[dcubed]

On ‎10‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 11:39 AM, MaryPatShelby said:

They clearly did show Miguel seeming to have a pretty major crush on Rebecca in their early years, so it seems odd that the actor would deny that

I'm quoting you but this isn't specifically to just you but to all  that think that Miguel crushed on Rebecca.  I didn't see that at all.  I saw him crush on their marriage.  I saw him crush on what they had.  When Jack came to stay at Miguel's place he said something along the lines of "the two of you make each other better."  If he crushed on her, she wouldn't have any better to get.  But that's just my take on it. 

[debraran]

I thought it was that too, that he envied what they had, not so much her, what they had as a couple. You can't recreate that, but what they had later, I'm sure grew out of other things.