S02.E03: Déjà Vu

[Empress1]

Sylvester Stallone has had too much work done. He can barely move his face. 

The scene with William and the younger daughter had me tearing up. William was so good at talking to his granddaughters in age-appropriate, not condescending ways. I remember the letter he left them after he died, talking about how things might be scary for them and adults tend to make death heavy, and he wanted them to plan their funeral because he knew they could keep it light. And his conversation with the younger daughter (I know their names but I forget which one is the older and which is the younger) was like that too. He relayed that he was nervous in a way she could understand, and she DID understand and related to his fears in her own way. So beautiful. I'm glad they haven't let William totally go.

Also that little girl is SO CUTE. 

[Conotocarious]

Stallone had work done? Yikes, I wouldn't want his surgeon's number. I thought he had a stroke. 

[3 is enough]

I may not be remembering properly, but the dog in the first episode seemed quite a bit larger than the one eating the burger.  Maybe another clue as to the timeline?

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, Cardie said:

If Rebecca thought Jack's ashes should be with the kids after her remarriage, I wonder if there was any competition or if all agreed that Kate had a special relationship with him and should keep them.

Plus if there was disagreement, the compromise could be a split of the ashes.   Err, sorry, just saw that I echoed AmandaPanda.

Edited October 12, 2017 by ShadowFacts
Blunder

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

There was some speculation last season that Randall inherited Jack's neckties, because of the scene where Jack teaches him to tie one on his first day of private school. 

 

Deja's caseworker should've done a weapons/drug check of her belongings before they got to Beth and Randall's, and then no one should have touched her belongings. Foster kids need the sense of security that comes from having control over their things, when they've been pushed into a totally new environment. 

 

HOWEVER, to me it read like Beth went into Mom mode. She saw a kid with a bag, and went to put her things away in her room, just like she would for Tess or Annie. It wasn't the right call, but it came from a motherly, welcoming place. 

[Quickbeam]

21 minutes ago, Conotocarious said:

Stallone had work done? Yikes, I wouldn't want his surgeon's number. I thought he had a stroke. 

He and Milo have the same birth insult to a facial nerve. 

[Conotocarious]

I don't notice it on Milo though.

[NeverLate]

26 minutes ago, Conotocarious said:

Stallone had work done? Yikes, I wouldn't want his surgeon's number. I thought he had a stroke. 

Well he does have something wrong, that makes his mouth appear lopsided. The facial work he had done was awhile ago, unfortunately as they grow older, that work needs to be tweaked,I don't think Stallone did that. I'd recognize that voice anywhere though..lol.

[Pallas]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

I always noticed no matter how many times Kate blamed herself,  no one says, "No you weren't" or "No one blames you"

I don't remember Kate's saying that to anyone but Toby, who wouldn't know. Have we heard Kate express her guilt to anyone in her family? Does she believe they hold her accountable, when they've also entrusted her with Jack's ashes?  

It may be that Kevin blames himself, not Kate; and I wouldn't be surprised if Randall blames himself, as well (though not directly and perhaps not consciously). With none of them confiding in any of the others: a Pearson Steel Curtain. Behind which, twenty years later, Kate still hunkers down on the bench, Kevin scrambles or tosses Hail Marys, and Randall tries to play both ways.

[Duke2801]

23 hours ago, Artsda said:

 

I found the younger Rebecca and Miguel's wife lunch eating scene to seem more modern than 20 years ago. Sipping wine, eating a big salad at an outdoor patio? I remembered it wasn't present time when I saw the car Rebecca was driving to "Jack Pearson" Jack.

Maybe they were Pittsburgh salads! 

A Pittsburgh salad involves steak, gobs of cheese and French fries smothered in ranch dressing. But it's served on lettuce so it's totally healthy, ofc. 

I'd actually somehow forgotten that the Pearsons lived in Pittsburgh until Randall mentioned meeting his NotMom at Schenley Park. Ahhh memories! ❤️

17 hours ago, debraran said:

I think the commercials if you watch that way, make it worse. This type of show loses momentum and emotion when it cuts to a Cilias commercial (or whatever) every 6 minutes.

Yea I am glad I have Hulu and can watch it with no commercials. I can see how the commercials could take you out of the story kind of abruptly. 

[Guest]

I didn't mind most of the stories but I'm growing to hate all Jack/Rebecca scenes.  Jack Pearsoning, steps > sex, the hammy performances... bleh.  

I also side-eye Kevin not being able to even think about his father a full 20 years after his death.  Time heals.  Or you get therapy.  

The teen actors are really good.  And Randall's kids.  It's nice to see kids on tv that aren't obnoxious, entitled brats.  

I'm surprised no one mentioned Randall shushing Beth in order to deliver yet another sappy monologue to save the day.  Deja specifically addressed Beth, Beth opened her mouth to reply, and Randall held his hand up to stop her.  And she just lovingly nodded.   

I don't know why but when they make her bitchy, she bugs me, and when they make her submissive and googley eyed over Randall, she bugs me then, too.  Probably because they make Rebecca do the awed-by-adoration face and lines with Jack all the time and it just feels so saccharine.  I wish they'd show me this higher love in action instead of just saying it and plastering it on the women's faces.   I just don't see these guys as the superheroes the show seems to think they are.  

[methodwriter85]

32 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I also side-eye Kevin not being able to even think about his father a full 20 years after his death.  Time heals.  Or you get therapy. 

It makes so much sense now why Kevin seems to be emotionally about 17 years old. It's been pretty consistent throughout the series that Kevin is emotionally immature and is a basically a teenager trapped in a 30-something's body. Everything went to hell when he was 17 and he never really dealt with it.

Edited October 12, 2017 by methodwriter85

[JudyObscure]

7 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I'm surprised no one mentioned Randall shushing Beth

Yep.  I saw that.  He actually held up his hand in a "stop," motion and said, "I got this."  I didn't even mind his story but that was

no way to begin.   I'm glad Beth didn't go into a big Phylicia Rashad lecture over it, in front of Deja, but it seemed odd from all stand points.

[Quickbeam]

Not enough can be said about the exquisite casting of the children on this show. Not only is the resemblance good but the rapport and interactions are spot on. They are all good but the teen Big Three are fantastic. 

[dju]

7 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I'm surprised no one mentioned Randall shushing Beth in order to deliver yet another sappy monologue to save the day.  Deja specifically addressed Beth, Beth opened her mouth to reply, and Randall held his hand up to stop her.  And she just lovingly nodded.   

 

I probably should move this dialogue over to the unpopular opinion thread, but I was bothered by this too and recalled this article that I believe still has significant truth to it. I think the case can be made that in this episode all of the female series regular characters were, on some level, treated as secondary/submissive to the male characters in order for those characters to have their 'moment' or to serve their individual plots/arcs. It doesn't always happen, it didn't last week, but I worry about it becoming a trend...or perhaps it already is one.

Another example would be the Jack alcohol-rehab plot. I have a strong sense of how Jack feels about what he's going through because they've shown me and he's repeatedly told me, but I barely know how Rebecca thinks about it or what she feels about everything else that has transpired over the short period of events.  All I got from that scene with Shelly was that it had been awhile since Rebecca and Jack have had sex and that Rebecca seemed to be sad about that, but nothing further. We could’ve expanded upon or explored so many areas like how alone she feels, how she’s still reeling over the fact that he’d been hiding his drinking from her for so long or delved into why she hasn’t tried or feels as though she couldn’t try to initiate sex with him in the first place. It’s a really pessimistic, and perhaps inaccurate, way of looking at it but that scene with Shelly arguably only existed in order for Jack to have his mini emotional catharsis. The utility of that scene easily could've been both for that and for getting insight into how the hell Rebecca is feeling herself. Plus having her be intimidated at the prospect of attempting a romantic gesture because his have always been so grand makes her lack of perspective even worse. He does those 'gestures' and gets a lot of credit for them when her fighting for him and being patient with him does not. So, it can just feel a little unbalanced. Jack's the one with the drinking problem, with the angst and the bad background and so he is the one who gets the catharsis but I want one for her too.  And maybe that'll come along with her perspective but I notice how little we do get in comparison to Jack’s whose perspective we get so much of.

Maybe I’m completely wrong in all of this, or projecting but yeah, you certainly weren’t alone in disliking that Randall and Beth moment. 

7 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I also side-eye Kevin not being able to even think about his father a full 20 years after his death.  Time heals.  Or you get therapy.  

 

I get this argument, that it does feel a little contrived but I don't think you can generalize grief or define/limit what one's grief response should be. Grief is a sneaky, sneaky sucker and you can get all the therapy in the world over a significant stretch of time but be triggered by something and react as though you haven't. And as methodwriter85 said, Kevin never dealt with it, 20 years is a long time to be holding pain in. If anything that extent of suppression is going to make it hurt a hell of a lot more if you're forced to recognize your grief and it will only make you want to suppress it further, as we watched him do via popping the pills. So I bought the way his suppression of grief became apparent in the episode, especially with the way Justin Hartley played it, I don't always believe his performances but he really nailed that last scene with Kate on the phone. 

I'm hoping that from what seems to be an upcoming drug addiction storyline for Kevin, we finally get to see present-day Rebecca and Kevin share a solo scene together. The show has been intentionally keeping them separated, and I’m ready for that to end. It’d be great to get a scene that revolves around each of them expressing to one another how they coped or didn't cope with Jack's death, their relationship with each other in response to that and outside of that.

[wonderwoman]

Re the commercials: the one that absolutely irritates the shit out of me is the sappy one from TJ Maxx. I'm sure they've paid a hefty premium to have the #1 spot. But it's so gratingly over the top that I'm already annoyed before the show has even begun. 

[luna1122]

On ‎10‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 11:26 PM, Artsda said:

 

I found the younger Rebecca and Miguel's wife lunch eating scene to seem more modern than 20 years ago. Sipping wine, eating a big salad at an outdoor patio? I remembered it wasn't present time when I saw the car Rebecca was driving to "Jack Pearson" Jack.

I most definitely ate salads and drank wine while sitting on outdoor patios 20 years ago. That was only the 90s, not the 50s. Fern bars and outdoor seating and booze and salads have kinda been around forever.
However, I do sometimes get an anachronistic feeling with the flashback scenes, where I'm shocked that it's the 90s and not the 70s or something. When Jack brought up "My So-Called Life", it jolted me, cuz it seemed too modern a reference, but then I remembered that that show is now 20+ years old, and ack! I'm old. Young Kate defintely dresses like the era, which was my fave fashion era, tho that's a controversial stance, I know.

I love Kevin, but man, do I not want an addiction storyline, and they could not be telegraphing it harder if they tried.

I don't care for Stallone, but his scenes were nice enough. Him being Jack's hero is baffling, cuz why is he anyone's hero, or fave movie star, but whatever. The cute dog being named rocky or rambo seems like a safe bet, tho I'd think Kate would have mentioned that to Sly when she was fangirling.

Randall and Beth's little girls are adorable. I just don't care about the foster storyline, tho.

[SunnyBeBe]

16 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Oops, sorry. I don't know why I said left. I did mean the right leg, which would still be difficult to drive with, especially in the cast that they showed him in. So that's why I assume Sophie picked Kevin up in her car. 

If I remember correctly, he told Rebecca that he didn't want their first time in a while to be like that; he wanted it to be more special, and I think he mentioned he didn't want to feel the way he was feeling while having sex. 

So, Jack, the husband wants their first time, since it's been awhile to be more special.......okay.  It doesn't work for me, but, maybe, it's just different from all the men that I've ever known.  That excuse sounds like a contrived scene from a romantic themed movie.   As his wife, I would have been insulted. Definitely turns me off. 

Was Kevin supposed to jump into that hole?  Where was his body double?  I hope that he doesn't get cut from the movie, due the injury.  That might really crush him and drive him into addiction........

[Lady Calypso]

Just now, SunnyBeBe said:

So, Jack, the husband wants their first time, since it's been awhile to be more special.......okay.  It doesn't work for me, but, maybe, it's just different from all the men that I've ever known.  That excuse sounds like a contrived scene from a romantic themed movie.   As his wife, I would have been insulted. Definitely turns me off. 

It's definitely cheesy and it was clearly another ploy to make Jack look perfect and "not like other husbands", but the moment wasn't as bad as I thought upon rewatch. I don't think Rebecca really wanted to have sex with her husband under those pretenses, either. All she wanted to do was find a way to communicate with Jack better, and Miguel's ex just convinced her that intimacy was the way to go. 

2 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Was Kevin supposed to jump into that hole?  Where was his body double?  I hope that he doesn't get cut from the movie, due the injury.  That might really crush him and drive him into addiction........

I think Kevin was supposed to run over the hole to where Sly was. He just happened to trip and bang his knee in the hole, so he couldn't finish the scene. I assume that they didn't think a body double was needed for Kevin to just run across dirt? Or Kevin insisted on doing the so-called stunt himself? Basically, the show called for him to get injured on set, so this is how they handled it. 

[Clanstarling]

8 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I don't know why but when they make her bitchy, she bugs me, and when they make her submissive and googley eyed over Randall, she bugs me then, too.  Probably because they make Rebecca do the awed-by-adoration face and lines with Jack all the time and it just feels so saccharine.  I wish they'd show me this higher love in action instead of just saying it and plastering it on the women's faces.   I just don't see these guys as the superheroes the show seems to think they are.  

I've never quite understood Rebecca's "if he wasn't perfect, he was nearly perfect" stance when it comes to Jack, except as an indication of the pink colored glasses filter of time an loss (which they all have), since the Jack I'm seeing is anything but. 

4 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So, Jack, the husband wants their first time, since it's been awhile to be more special.......okay.  It doesn't work for me, but, maybe, it's just different from all the men that I've ever known.  That excuse sounds like a contrived scene from a romantic themed movie.   As his wife, I would have been insulted. Definitely turns me off. 

Was Kevin supposed to jump into that hole?  Where was his body double?  I hope that he doesn't get cut from the movie, due the injury.  That might really crush him and drive him into addiction........

Actually, that was a  moment I thought was pretty real - not the "special" part, but that he didn't want to make love while he was in the midst of battling his demons. It actually made me respect him a bit more. He didn't want to bring that nastiness into an intimate moment with his wife.There's a tendency to think all men just want to have sex, no matter the circumstances, but they are people too, with emotions that can affect desire. Some do find comfort/release (no pun intended) in sex, but others just need to be left alone. 

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, dju said:

I don't think you can generalize grief or define/limit what one's grief response should be.

I'll re-phrase my thoughts.  I don't think it's completely outlandish that someone would be that grief stricken 20 years later but it's a TV trope I personally I am tired of.  To me, it feels like lazy writing.   

It reminds me of when a reality show contestant doesn't have the requisite sad story, so they drag out the 'long dead parent' montage, which is a pet peeve on American Ninja Warrior.  

3 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

That excuse sounds like a contrived scene from a romantic themed movie.   As his wife, I would have been insulted.

It didn't work for me, either.  It's similar to my objection above.  The writers are making these peoples' tribulations color their world in ways that feel blown out of proportion to me.  I guess it's not totally outlandish that a man would turn down his wife's advances due to his quitting drinking being so all-consuming.  But it's a little.  And when you put it in context with one unlikely, maudlin scene after another, it adds up to 'pretty overdone' for me.

Though, they were in a car, right?   What married people of their age find car sex at all appealing?  So Jack's "not like this" makes sense for me from that angle.  Heh.

I also was kind of balking at Shelly's thinking that less frequent sex was a cause of marital breakdown, more than a result.  Though I guess it could be argued that when neither partner wants sex but they force the issue, it might make them closer?  I don't know.  Feels like a bandaid to cover the real issues.  And most wives I know are happy for the 'less sex' stages.  Heh.  

[Katy M]

49 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I don't care for Stallone, but his scenes were nice enough. Him being Jack's hero is baffling, cuz why is he anyone's hero, or fave movie star, but whatever. The cute dog being named rocky or rambo seems like a safe bet, tho I'd think Kate would have mentioned that to Sly when she was fangirling.

I don't really get it either, but there's no denying that Rocky and Rambo to a lesser extent were hugely popular movie series with large followings.  So, it doesn't seem that odd to me that Stallone would be someone's hero.

3 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

also was kind of balking at Shelly's thinking that less frequent sex was a cause of marital breakdown, more than a result.  Though I guess it could be argued that when neither partner wants sex but they force the issue, it might make them closer?  I don't know.  Feels like a bandaid to cover the real issues.  And most wives I know are happy for the 'less sex' stages.  Heh.

I would agree that it's probably more the result than the cause.  And, I also think not talking was a problem they were having.  So, talking about having sex was at least a step in the right direction.  And, sometimes working on the symptoms can help you get to the root. 

[Guest]

Yeah, I recall watching Rocky when it first came out and being really inspired and feeling proud to be an Italian American, for some reason.  I can see it affecting Jack, who has a hero complex already.  Rambo was pretty cool back then, too.  And of course Jack has the facial problem that Stallone does.

[SunnyBeBe]

15 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Yeah, I recall watching Rocky when it first came out and being really inspired and feeling proud to be an Italian American, for some reason.  I can see it affecting Jack, who has a hero complex already.  Rambo was pretty cool back then, too.  And of course Jack has the facial problem that Stallone does.

I liked the scene where Kate told Sly how special he was to her dad. I get that he's a big movie star, but, I must admit that I've never seen any Rocky move nor Rambo.  lol  Seriously   I know about them, but, I was just never  a boxing fan and never cared for movies about boxing.   

Edited October 12, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Guest]

I'm always nitpicking the show, so I should list some things I liked. 

No Toby. 

Kitty Foreman as the foster lady. 

I liked that they got a foster kid then only a bit later got a peek at her background.  The one foster family I know had something similar-- no clue what this kid had done or been subjected to at the outset.  Which is really a bad model, but I guess it's how it is.  

I would've liked it if Deja had said, "Where's my *$&%# iPad!"  That scene was well done.  

Randall's crackhead non-mom.  "Your dad was just really dark..."  

Again, the teen casting.  I don't think teen Randall looks much like SKB but he's a great actor and his deep voice is kind of like Randall's.  

[Katy M]

I've only seen two of his movies: Tango & Cash and Stop or My Mom Will Shoot.  Man, that second one was just bad. 

1 minute ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Again, the teen casting.  I don't think teen Randall looks much like SKB but he's a great actor and his deep voice is kind of like Randall's.  

I think in cases like this, it's more important to get good actors than clones.  We can use our imagination a bit.

[candall]

14 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

I may not be remembering properly, but the dog in the first episode seemed quite a bit larger than the one eating the burger.  Maybe another clue as to the timeline?

Ah!  I couldn't remember ever seeing the dog.  (Odd, because I always focus on the animals instead of the kids.)  So was the dog just hanging out as the family pet in the pilot episode and not seen again until now?

*********************

I don't mind giving Kevin an addiction story.  When they spent the whole first season introducing these people and their "key issues," it looked like Kevin had suffered a bit from being unintentionally marginalized by his parents, now struggling to find professional fulfillment and, of course, girl trouble.  Yeah, yeah, but let's get back to the more interesting story about Randall's two worlds and how that conflict created a warm, loving adult, who's also wound tight as a bedspring.  (I don't care about Kate self-sabotaging over daddy issues--I'm working on that one myself, so I don't need the telenovela.  Go find a good shrink, Kate; text me the number.)

 

I love that we're going 'forward' in the Randall story to see how his old baggage affects his new family structure--but we're going 'back' in the Kevin story for a whole new wrinkle we never suspected, but which makes a lot of sense. 

 

I'm not as invested in Jack & Rebecca because marriage and parenting are ridiculously hard and we've all seen that a number of times.  But watching which events and perceptions from childhood will present in the adult is so interesting.  Let's go back and give 15 minutes of every Wonder Years episode to Daniel Stern as Adult Kevin. 

ETA:  Ha, it just occurred to me that Me, Myself & I is all about this.  Could be trending!

Edited October 12, 2017 by candall

[Lady Calypso]

2 minutes ago, candall said:

Ah!  I couldn't remember ever seeing the dog.  (Odd, because I always focus on the animals instead of the kids.)  So was the dog just hanging out as the family pet in the pilot episode and not seen again until now?

The dog was first seen in the season 2 premiere, in the flashbacks at Miguel's place, where Kate is crying while holding the dog.

[laurakaye]

On 10/11/2017 at 10:32 AM, ShadowFacts said:

Yes, and doing the whole Randall's family history on her first night in the house was for his benefit, not Deja's.  Too much info, too soon.  She doesn't need to hear that she's a "project".  I was putting myself in her place, and wow, she needs less intensity, not more. 

I felt like Randall had that whole speech memorized and rehearsed for when the foster child came into the house.  He's making it about him, and I think he has from the start.  And I can't figure out why a woman supposedly as smart as Beth doesn't see that.

 

19 hours ago, Crs97 said:

When Stallone showed up, husband just kept asking, "How many face lifts has he had?"  Took me out of the emotional moments.

I just didn't buy that an actor on a big-budget movie set would have that much free time to spend happily chatting to the sister of his co-star.

Also, I'm sorry...but if I bring a 12-year old kid into my house with an unknown background and heard her talking to my children over a baby monitor in the middle of the night?  I'm going to leap out of bed and listen outside the door just in case.  I'm not going to stay in bed and gaze lovingly at my husband, while listening in awe as my youngest child handles things herself. 

Random note: I can also catch this show commercial-free on Sling's NBC on Demand, but I have to wait until the next day.

[possibilities]

4 hours ago, luna1122 said:

However, I do sometimes get an anachronistic feeling with the flashback scenes, where I'm shocked that it's the 90s and not the 70s or something.

I definitely get that 70s-- or even sometimes 1950s-- feeling from the flashbacks.

12 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

 I just don't see these guys as the superheroes the show seems to think they are.  

I agree with this very much. It's clear the show worships the men for things I often find either obnoxious or just plain normal  behavior. There is a huge double standard, because they don't give the same adoration to the female characters, and they aren't subtle about it. Even Saint William (who I do like), is juxtaposed with junkie/then dead birthmom of Randall. The grandparents are also stereotypes: weak/abused mom of Jack, nasty, undermining mom of Rebecca. I can't remember a single thing about Rebecca's dad, and Jack's terrible dad was nevertheless the one he got money from for the house, so he had his uses and where would they be without him? If you can't be decent, you can at least be necessary. Where the women are either supportive or helpless/needy. The show is very much male-viewpoint most of the time, even when they have scenes featuring the women.

4 hours ago, dju said:

I think the case can be made that in this episode all of the female series regular characters were, on some level, treated as secondary/submissive to the male characters in order for those characters to have their 'moment' or to serve their individual plots/arcs. It doesn't always happen, it didn't last week, but I worry about it becoming a trend...or perhaps it already is one.

Definitely a trend; an underpinning of the show's entire structure and premise, if you ask me.

Add me to the group of people who are impressed by the child and teen acting and casting. It shows that the terrible acting we see elsewhere is a choice, not an inevitability; casting departments and directors need to examine their choices and make some change in how they do things!

We knew Randall's birthmom died in childbirth, so as soon as it was revealed that the person who wrote the letter claimed to be his mom, I knew it was a scam.

I think Beth does realize Randall is using the fostering to deal with his own issues; she said so at the meeting with the adoption counselor in the season 2 premiere. I think the foster system is pretty desperate for placements, so maybe both she and the agency decided he might be better than nothing even if he's not perfect, and actually I think that's true. He is trying. He's not an abuser. Deja will be safe there, even if it's a bit trippy and Randall has issues. His issues are not as bad as they could be, and he will learn and take feedback, unlike a lot of people who have issues and are pretty stuck and not that motivated. I know someone whose niece was placed with her despite her being totally unprepared, unsuitable, and TELLING the agency that she couldn't handle it and didn't want to do it, because the caseworker said: we have no other option, we need you to do this, even over her strenuous objections. And yeah-- it was far from ideal. But it was better than where the child was before.

The comments about the dog seeming smaller this time made me laugh because my reaction when I saw the dog was: "Is this a different dog? I thought the dog was smaller than this in the other flashback!" Maybe it's all an optical illusion. Or maybe they did recast the dog.

I was expecting Beth to say she would keep the cigarettes for Deja to give to her mom if/when her mom came for her. I thought it was interesting that she just kept silent and did not react to the story about where they came from. I actually liked that. I thought it was savvy parenting. No promises. No I believe you or I don't believe you. Just let it sit there for a while and see how things go.

Edited October 12, 2017 by possibilities

[monakane]

I love Randall and Beth.  Randall is a good man and tries to be the best person he can be and Beth sees that and appreciates him and wants to protect him.  Not that I don't love me some Walter White and Tony Soprano, but after so many years of watching anti-heroes, it's nice to see a story centered around good men like Randall and Jack and Kevin.  The news is full of stories of men behaving badly.  This is Us provides us with a reminder that there are good men in the world.

My father was the best man I've known, so I totally relate to Kate's feelings about her deceased father.

[Dejana]

I could buy that Jack was depressed and not quite in the mood when Rebecca put the moves on him in the car, but also wondered if he was experiencing E.D. at the moment and didn't want to say?

Edited October 12, 2017 by Dejana

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, Dejana said:

I could buy that Jack was depressed and not quite in the mood when Rebecca put the moves on him in the car, but also wondered if he was experiencing E.D. at the moment and didn't want to say?

Oh, I thought we were  supposed to think that, and the, "I want it to be special," part was mainly an excuse.  The truth was in, "I feel like I'm hanging by a thread all the time."  My only experience with addiction was giving up a two pack a day nicotine habit, but for six months or more I felt like I was just about to run screaming into the street.  I would burst into tears over odd things and my attention span was so short I couldn't read anything longer than a few paragraphs.  I mainly sat in front of TV eating cookies.  Something like answering the phone was JUST TOO MUCH!

Poor Jack probably not only feels like he might fail at the performance, but like he might burst into sobs of emotion if he lets his guard down enough to try.

[Aloeonatable]

Quote

I just didn't buy that an actor on a big-budget movie set would have that much free time to spend happily chatting to the sister of his co-star.

Actors, whether in movies or television, have a lot of down time between scenes. Sly could have spent the time in his trailer or talking to the cast and crew. Or in this case his co-star's sister.

[sacrebleu]

Quote

I just didn't buy that an actor on a big-budget movie set would have that much free time to spend happily chatting to the sister of his co-star.

actually-- the part that I didn't buy was that he wouldn't be spending all his time in his trailer. He might spend all day waiting around for shots to be lit properly,  cameras repositioned etc.  But, yeah-- talking to some co-star's family member? not so much.

and someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but in the first ep. this season, Rebecca told Randall he was her life, and in the second ep., she told Kate she was her life-- I wonder if poor, overlooked  Kevin is ever gonna get any love from Mom.

[movingtargetgal]

18 hours ago, Duke2801 said:

Maybe they were Pittsburgh salads! 

A Pittsburgh salad involves steak, gobs of cheese and French fries smothered in ranch dressing. But it's served on lettuce so it's totally healthy, ofc. 

DUKE2801, is this a real salad?  If so, I must go to Pittsburgh on my next vacation, then onto Philly for a cheese steak.

[Duke2801]

11 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

DUKE2801, is this a real salad?  If so, I must go to Pittsburgh on my next vacation, then onto Philly for a cheese steak.

Yes they are real and they are fabulous! 

https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/food-drink/pittsburgh-salad-lives/

[CelticBlackCat]

I also thought that the romantic reconnect car scene was a result of not being able to get it up, as it was known back in the day, or now E.D. short for, well, you know.  Jack came up with the sentiments as a cover story to preserve his male pride, which is totally understandable to me.  Alcohol abuse is supposed to negatively affect that function, so it would be realistic.  I figured it was a cover story for when he realized things weren't gonna happen with Rebecca in the car.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, sacrebleu said:

and someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but in the first ep. this season, Rebecca told Randall he was her life, and in the second ep., she told Kate she was her life-- I wonder if poor, overlooked  Kevin is ever gonna get any love from Mom.

I think she meant her kids, as a total, were her life.  

 

1 hour ago, sacrebleu said:

actually-- the part that I didn't buy was that he wouldn't be spending all his time in his trailer. He might spend all day waiting around for shots to be lit properly,  cameras repositioned etc.  But, yeah-- talking to some co-star's family member? not so much.

Didn't he just talk to her when he came out for food?  That seems believable enough.  I never really got the sense that he spent ALL day talking to her.

[Clanstarling]

8 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

And most wives I know are happy for the 'less sex' stages.  Heh.  

 None of the wives I know who have experienced these dry spells were happy with the loss or waning of physical intimacy - both in terms of physical and emotional needs.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Clanstarling

[Optimist48]

47 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I think she meant her kids, as a total, were her life.  

 

Didn't he just talk to her when he came out for food?  That seems believable enough.  I never really got the sense that he spent ALL day talking to her.

Yeah, Rebecca told Kate that "you and your brothers are my world" (or something to that effect).

[dcubed]

22 hours ago, Cardie said:

If Rebecca thought Jack's ashes should be with the kids after her remarriage, I wonder if there was any competition or if all agreed that Kate had a special relationship with him and should keep them.

My dad passed away when I was just 22 and I was and will always be may daddy's girl.  That being said, for me, it would not matter one bit who had his ashes if he was cremated.  He's not - he's buried in a military cemetery but I really feel no connection to him going there so I'm pretty sure I wouldn't feel connected to his ashes.   I do go once a year every Memorial Day because it pleases my mom.  I'm not trying to be disrespectful to those that do go -- my husband's family go to the cemetery at least once a month.  I don't want to sound heartless it's just I don't feel like my dad is there.  For me, he is everywhere.  Whatever it takes for comfort, I'm all for it.  But if my brother wanted my dad's ashes, I wouldn't argue one bit.  In fact, he is in possession of my younger brother's ashes.  He feels a need for them; they make him feel better and I'm glad they do.  Perhaps that's how the rest of them feel about Jack's ashes.  Just my two cents...

[LakeLover]

On 10/11/2017 at 0:02 AM, voiceover said:

"I love it when you cook your feelings!"  I need to start a notebook with my favorite lines from the show.

NotRandall'sRealMom played Randi, the hardass desk clerk on ER.

Deja's name was kind of laying it on with a thematic trowel for this series.  I hope they get out from under it.

I can't believe I missed that. I adored Randi (Randi!)

[voiceover]

16 hours ago, Katy M said:

I've only seen two of his movies: Tango & Cash and Stop or My Mom Will Shoot.  

Yikes.  If that's the extent of anyone's Stallone film catalogue, Jack's obsession would be a head-scratcher.

But if you ever saw the first Rocky, you'd know it was more than just a "boxing movie".  It was the underdog story; it was David & Goliath! plus the pug who finally got The Girl.    The tagline on the poster: "His whole life was a million-to-one shot."

When I heard that Jack was a fan, I thought of this immediately, and knew why.

[Darknight]

On 10/11/2017 at 8:36 AM, watcher1006 said:

I have never been a social worker but I wonder a  bit about the criteria for foster placement. Is it the best idea to place a troubled teen or tween from a difficult family situation who has been in foster care numerous times into a super-affluent home with children younger than she is? Maybe it's hard to place Deja anywhere but Beth and Randall's house won't be an easy place to adjust to.

As a foster parent teens are the hardest to place. Most homes are for kids under 5. 

Does anyone know some are upset they're dragging out Jacks death? 

[debraran]

I've met some at work that were all excited last year and we discussed it at lunch, etc. but not now. One hasn't watched yet, will watch 3 over the weekend, another said she feels the death hovers and taints some other story lines, it's clues now and not substance.

A friend of mine years ago, lost her Dad who was living with them and her home in a horrible fire. He died of smoke inhalation. The death was the worst, but I feel they are  not discussing the aftermath of the fire at all. Maybe they can't because it's part of "the death" and we can't go there yet, but that is a huge deal. All your belongings, clothes, memorabilia, your comfort zone, is gone. My friend said you are wearing clothes you don't like from Red Cross, she had supplies she was grateful for but not what she would buy, everything was disjointed and like a dream. You feel guilty because everyone is giving you things but nothing is "yours".  She was most grateful friends gave her pictures of her family since most burned and computers weren't used as much then.  I would think Jack's pictures would have burned also.  The death was numbed by all the changes but I hope they cover how the entire tragedy affects the family, Jack's death without a house fire is awful and life changing but adding losing your entire home that caused his death, I'm surprised everyone didn't need therapy. Once it's over with, you can see flashbacks of them after the fire and not have the gap from 17 to 30's.

Edited October 13, 2017 by debraran

[ShadowFacts]

50 minutes ago, debraran said:

I've met some at work that were all excited last year and we discussed it at lunch, etc. but not now. One hasn't watched yet, will watch 3 over the weekend, another said she feels the death hovers and taints some other story lines, it's clues now and not substance.

A friend of mine years ago, lost her Dad who was living with them and her home in a horrible fire. He died of smoke inhalation. The death was the worst, but I feel they are  not discussing the aftermath of the fire at all. Maybe they can't because it's part of "the death" and we can't go there yet, but that is a huge deal. All your belongings, clothes, memorabilia, your comfort zone, is gone. My friend said you are wearing clothes you don't like from Red Cross, she had supplies she was grateful for but not what she would buy, everything was disjointed and like a dream. You feel guilty because everyone is giving you things but nothing is "yours".  She was most grateful friends gave her pictures of her family since most burned and computers weren't used as much then.  I would think Jack's pictures would have burned also.  The death was numbed by all the changes but I hope they cover how the entire tragedy affects the family, Jack's death without a house fire is awful and life changing but adding losing your entire home that caused his death, I'm surprised everyone didn't need therapy. Once it's over with, you can see flashbacks of them after the fire and not have the gap from 17 to 30's.

That's so sad.  Another show that I watch ended the season with a house on fire and one of the main characters inside is almost certain to be burned to death--the flames very near him and  he's conscious, so I don't think smoke inhalation will do it.  I am pretty much dreading any further episodes where the fire is shown here.  It's all too real with the terrible California fires. 

[debraran]

I agree. It's a horrible experience and it takes so long in real life to get insurance or any help after the initial few days or weeks.

This interview with Chrissy Metz gives the best look at his death and her guilt. I wish they left in the therapy session she talks about with Kevin last show. I was like "what theapy?" I knew it wasn't the drums.

http://ew.com/tv/2017/03/08/this-is-us-chrissy-metz-kate-confession-jack-death/

 

One part of it:

How do you think fans will respond to Kate saying, “It’s my fault”? One read is that we feel for her more deeply than ever, that she is so haunted by guilt. Another is that we need to hire a security detail for you.
Correct. I think it’s the latter. (Laughs.) Because, ooooh, there is so much undying love, no pun intended, for Jack. People get really hyped up and emotional about it, so I hope that they will have empathy for Kate, and I hope that they can understand that she would never do anything malicious. That’s the hope.

[Blakeston]

On 10/11/2017 at 11:53 AM, Katy M said:

To be fair to Kate, I don't think she intended to tell him that her father had died.  She was just thanking him for the part he payed in Jack's in life.  But, when he invited the dad to come she told him.  I also blame him more for bringing it up to Kevin 3 seconds before their scene.

Other than Sloane, has this show depicted anyone in the acting world as having any professionalism whatsoever?

Kevin goes ballistic on a studio audience, then breaks his contract, then abandons his Broadway show on opening night seconds before he's supposed to be on stage (without any negative career repercussions of any kind, apparently). Olivia walks out on the same show without warning and no one knows where she is for a month. And now Stallone decides to have a serious talk with Kevin about his dead father immediately before they film a scene together?

Hell, they even had Ron Howard call Kevin in the middle of the night about a role.

[RedDelicious]

On 10/12/2017 at 1:21 AM, methodwriter85 said:

It makes so much sense now why Kevin seems to be emotionally about 17 years old. It's been pretty consistent throughout the series that Kevin is emotionally immature and is a basically a teenager trapped in a 30-something's body. Everything went to hell when he was 17 and he never really dealt with it.

This makes so much sense to me now and in other ways as well; I once dated a guy who unfortunately had bad things happen to him when he was ten and he was sadly, most definitely, an emotionally injured ten-year-old in a 40-year-old man's body.  It was heartbreaking and there wasn't a single thing I could ever be allowed to do to help him because he could not face it.  He too, turned out to be addicted.