S02.E08: Number One

[Mldh598]

14 hours ago, voiceover said:

 

How many of us knew [what had happened to Kate] when Toby's name showed on Kevin's phone?

Jack's "Get out of here!"/"Come back here!" to Kevin made me think of "You shut your mouth when you're talking to me!"

 

I've been getting better at catching these little clues, but for some reason Toby calling didn't register with me at all last night.

Jack's comments made me laugh. Reminds me of, "If you fall out of that tree and break your legs, don't come running to me." Fun things parents say when they're frustrated. 

[pinkglove]

I don't find it too unrealistic that nobody has noticed but the maid, as she is the only one that caught him in the middle of it, more or less. I mean, if Kate or Randall, or his school coach, walked into his hotel room, they would have noticed too. Kate, Randall and Sophie all acknowledged that there is something off with him. Kate mentioned it to Toby after they told Kevin about the baby, Randall asked him in front of the bathroom, and Sophie when he came to her. But if he wasn't addicted before (or they don't know about it), first thing that came to their mind wouldn't be this. And when you have a lot on your plate, it's kind of easy to dismiss something as a bad day. Esp. considering that in two of the three situations he was also drunk. As for people who didn't see him for years, some of them might have noticed. In real life, when people notice, they don't necessarily run to you to offer help, there's a lot of talking behind the person's back, consulting, (not so) good intentions, and little substantial outcomes. 

I know that Kevin tends to be ignored but this time he has brought it upon himself (though I felt awful when it turned out that he won't be able to tell Randall). He made sure, which is "understandable," that no one had too many occasions to interact with him. They might have thought that he's not that involved because he's busy/moving/whatever (I don't think they are in contact with Sophie). As far as all of them bar Sophie, who was hurt, were concerned, he's just finished the movie, was in a relationship, and pretty much was in a less difficult place than them. If someone perfects his fake happy facade, nobody is to blame for not looking past it. Even if they see one bad day. 

I would notice, but people who have never been in such situation before (and possibly, it would have never occurred to them that it can happen to their son or brother), might not. 

At first I hated this addiction plot, but it's actually not that bad. It might be a little rushed, but I don't think it's completely unrealistic. The injury triggered emotions that Kevin wasn't ready to face, or didn't want to face. Pills made them go away, and it may be all it takes to make it happen pretty quickly, before it even becomes physical. (That said, I think it became physical a bit too quickly.)

It's sad that he went down the path that is already multiplying one of his huge issues - it pretty much made him invisible. But I guess that's what we all do, more often than not. 

Charlotte was awful. I guess Kevin wasn't great in this situation either, but she probably knew that he's not well, that there's at least a drinking-related problem there (the look she gave him when he took her wine), that he's not over Sophie, and pretty much, that he's not interested. They both used each other, but Kevin at least didn't blame her for it. 

[SixFeetOver]

I feel sorry for Kate, but if the miscarriage means that there's a chance of Toby going away, then.... YES!!!

[Cardie]

2 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Having a teen pretty much in charge of connecting with the well-known honored alum was a bit odd. 

It is so odd that I assumed Kelly was a staff member at the school, a person in her 20s. I had no worries about Kevin going for an underage girl until I came here.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Cardie

[PRgal]

5 minutes ago, Cardie said:

It is so odd that I assumed Kelly was a staff member at the school, a person in her 20s. I had no worries about Kevin going for an underage girl until  came here.

You're not the only one.  I thought she was a recent college grad and this was her first job.  She seemed very young, but it never occurred to me that she was a STUDENT at the school.

[Katy M]

9 minutes ago, PRgal said:

You're not the only one.  I thought she was a recent college grad and this was her first job.  She seemed very young, but it never occurred to me that she was a STUDENT at the school.

I didn't think she was a student until Kevin showed up at the school and she was just hanging out with the other students.  At that point, it seemed like she was definitely a student there.

[mojoween]

I’m cramming this episode in during my lunch 45 so if I'm repeating someone I deeply apologize.

If the coach of Pittsburgh wanted to keep a Pitt kid playing football in Pittsburgh, why wouldn’t he bring up Dan Marino? 

I know Joe Cool won Super Bowls by that time and Dan did not but still.

[TwoGrayTabbies]

I hated the Charlotte plot point because it’s not at all believable that a successful woman with a fulfilling career would be fangirling over the high school chick magnet.  Is this a show business fantasy that everyone not in show business feels inferior?  

 

Other than that, I liked the episode.  I hope we have some Kate and Randall interactions coming.  That’s the aspect of the show I most want to see developed.

[voiceover]

26 minutes ago, pinkglove said:

They [Charlotte & Kevin] both used each other, but Kevin at least didn't blame her for it. 

Excellent point.

It may have been humiliating, but there weren’t witnesses.  She’s not a teen who was the victim of a She’s All That plot, now burning with the fear that the whole school knows by now!  She’s an eminent surgeon who had a one-nighter with the man of her dreams, and instead of proposing, he sneaked out when her back was turned.  

Dick move?  Absolutely.  Worth your overreax?  Eh, fer crissakes.  Go have drinks with your friends & trash him. 

Fingers crossed that she finds the necklace and resists the impulse to trash it or sell it on eBay.

[Katy M]

9 minutes ago, TwoGrayTabbies said:

I hated the Charlotte plot point because it’s not at all believable that a successful woman with a fulfilling career would be fangirling over the high school chick magnet.  Is this a show business fantasy that everyone not in show business feels inferior?  

I don't know about that. It's not about being "not in show business."  It's not even about Kevin being in show business.  This woman described herself as a nerd back in high school who only went to school so she could gush over Kevin.  I'm sure there was some hyperbole there. I had a crush in high school, but the real reason I went was because I was pretty sure my mom wouldn't let me drop out.  But, anyway, no matter how successful you get in life, sometimes those early feelings of "nerddom" just don't go away.  Successful professional does not necessarily translate into "confident in life."

[NUguy514]

Charlotte was an asshole and possibly a predator who took advantage of a totally wasted man; she can take her butthurtness and shove it.

Kate's dismissive "tsk" and accompanying eye-roll when teen Kevin said he was talented, not lucky (I'm paraphrasing) after the Pitt coach left was so incredibly perfect.  That was a tiny but amazing little moment from Mandy Moore.

[saber5055]

Kevin walking around all sweaty and gross and hairy and strung out w/o anyone noticing doesn't work for me. And how long ago was high school football? High school for pete's sake. Like 20 years ago? The guy is a (was a) highly paid actor, why isn't he ACTING better in public? Is he just waiting for someone to notice and help him? Plus now I know all doctors keep script pads in their nightstands.

[Katy M]

24 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

why isn't he ACTING better in public?

Because he's on drugs?  Plus, isn't the general consensus that he (I mean Kevin, not JH) is not a good actor?

[OtterMommy]

I have to admit, this episode was one big eye roll for me and it really didn't succeed it making me feel anything other than less interest in Kevin.  That being said, a couple of thoughts:

I thought that Justin Hartley gave a better performance than I would have expected out of him.  I wouldn't call it groundbreaking or emmy-worthy or anything like that, but it was an improvement over how he has performed in this show in the past.  

Was I the only one who had a problem with the whole "Kevin is #1 because he was born first!"  First of all, what a horrible thing to do--to number one of your kids as #1 (meaning the other kids would always be #2 and #3).   Secondly, it isn't even true as Randall was actually born earlier than Kevin and Kate.

The scrip pad was ridiculous.  Even if Kevin had tried to write a prescription for himself, it wouldn't have flown.  As someone upthread, those sorts of pads aren't even used for narcotics (heck, our doctors don't even use those pads at all anymore--they email in prescriptions!).  Secondly, there is a specific "language" to prescriptions that I'm sure makes sense to doctors and pharmacists, but I'm not sure anyone who hasn't been to medical or pharmaceutical school would be able to make heads or tails out of it.  So, if Kevin tried to write his on Rx, a pharmacist would have caught it.

I have thoughts--most likely unpopular thoughts--about Kate having a miscarriage, which I'll save until next week...other than to say I saw that coming a mile away.

[Katy M]

11 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

Was I the only one who had a problem with the whole "Kevin is #1 because he was born first!"  First of all, what a horrible thing to do--to number one of your kids as #1 (meaning the other kids would always be #2 and #3).   Secondly, it isn't even true as Randall was actually born earlier than Kevin and Kate.

Randall may have been born earlier, but he came into the family later, making Kevin first. 

 

12 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

The scrip pad was ridiculous.  Even if Kevin had tried to write a prescription for himself, it wouldn't have flown.  As someone upthread, those sorts of pads aren't even used for narcotics (heck, our doctors don't even use those pads at all anymore--they email in prescriptions!).  Secondly, there is a specific "language" to prescriptions that I'm sure makes sense to doctors and pharmacists, but I'm not sure anyone who hasn't been to medical or pharmaceutical school would be able to make heads or tails out of it.  So, if Kevin tried to write his on Rx, a pharmacist would have caught it.

And, while all that is true, Kevin wouldn't have known that which makes the whole thing not ridiculous since he didn't actually use them.

[Conotocarious]

Not sure why anyone would expect a person who was so clearly out of it to behave rationally re: the scrip pad. That’s likely why he never got a chance to try and fill it...because he would have been seen through in a minute.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, TwoGrayTabbies said:

I hated the Charlotte plot point because it’s not at all believable that a successful woman with a fulfilling career would be fangirling over the high school chick magnet.  Is this a show business fantasy that everyone not in show business feels inferior?  

 

Other than that, I liked the episode.  I hope we have some Kate and Randall interactions coming.  That’s the aspect of the show I most want to see developed.

I'm not sure about that.  Just because Charlotte is now successful doesn't mean that she didn't feel - or perhaps STILL DOESN'T FEEL - desired by a man.  She's not ugly, but she's also not "Hollywood pretty" as they say - and probably never was.  And if someone who was considered an "it boy" back in the 90s AND IS NOW A SUCCESSFUL CELEBRITY wants her (or in this case, make him want her while he's down), hey...why not?  Okay, maybe not THAT WAY, but to Charlotte, it might be a bucket list kind of thing.  

[GenevieveS]

1 hour ago, voiceover said:

Excellent point.

It may have been humiliating, but there weren’t witnesses.  She’s not a teen who was the victim of a She’s All That plot, now burning with the fear that the whole school knows by now!  She’s an eminent surgeon who had a one-nighter with the man of her dreams, and instead of proposing, he sneaked out when her back was turned.  

Dick move?  Absolutely.  Worth your overreax?  Eh, fer crissakes.  Go have drinks with your friends & trash him. 

Fingers crossed that she finds the necklace and resists the impulse to trash it or sell it on eBay.

Reading all these comments has been surprising for me because I thought what really set her off was the way he came back. As in, she would have just trashed him to her friends if he'd stayed gone after sneaking out. It was coming back, banging on her door and screaming on her lawn in the middle of the night that pushed her over the edge into how she did react. She even said something to him about her neighbors, implying (to me) that there now are witnesses to whom she will have to explain why this guy woke them all up last night.

When she made the comment about his sweat glands, I thought she was about to figure it out and it disappointed me that they didn't go there. It still would have worked, for me, with the overlooked Kevin narrative for a one night stand to be able to see his addiction when all his loved ones couldn't.

[NeverLate]

7 hours ago, QQQQ said:

Agree. If Charlotte had been a male surgeon hitting on a drugged out female version of Kevin, I think viewers would a lot less concerned about the doctor's ensuing hurt/anger. Which is an interesting thing to think about, because (if my theory is correct) should gender matter in this kind of situation? 

I didn't care about her at all. She knew he drank too much, and as a doctor she must of seen what state he was in. She just wanted to fulfill a lifelong wish, to screw Kevin Pearson! 

Quote

I hated the Charlotte plot point because it’s not at all believable that a successful woman with a fulfilling career would be fangirling over the high school chick magnet.  

I disagree, she had the hots for him for years! 

Quote

When she made the comment about his sweat glands, I thought she was about to figure it out and it disappointed me that they didn't go there

Me too! Some doctor...

Quote

Charlotte was an asshole and possibly a predator who took advantage of a totally wasted man; she can take her butthurtness and shove it.

Bravo!!!

[NeverLate]

2 hours ago, SixFeetOver said:

I feel sorry for Kate, but if the miscarriage means that there's a chance of Toby going away, then.... YES!!!

He won't leave Kate, no chance.

[movingtargetgal]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I don't know about that. It's not about being "not in show business."  It's not even about Kevin being in show business.  This woman described herself as a nerd back in high school who only went to school so she could gush over Kevin.  I'm sure there was some hyperbole there. I had a crush in high school, but the real reason I went was because I was pretty sure my mom wouldn't let me drop out.  But, anyway, no matter how successful you get in life, sometimes those early feelings of "nerddom" just don't go away.  Successful professional does not necessarily translate into "confident in life."

High school and family reunions tend to send one back to the person they were in high school and growing up in their family.  That is the reason I have never gone to my high school reunions.  I was a big nerd and felt awful about myself back then.  I am now a confident woman who has had a successful and happy life.  Why would I want to go back to revisit all of that pain.  I used to want to go back and show them all but I realized that I had nothing to prove.  I am living a wonderful life and am grateful that I did not peak in high school.

Kevin and Charlotte were emotionally back in high school.  She was dealing with her inner nerdy high school girl who was getting a chance to win over her crush.  Kevin was being flooded by memories of the loss of his father.  First he visited the sight of his family's old house. The fire not only caused  Jack's death,  it looks like it destroyed almost everything that the family owed, there was nothing left but an empty shell.  Kevin also visited the high school and football field where he and Jack had a special bond.  Kevin was emotionally back to being the teenager who had lost everything.  To others (including his family) Kevin has it all but Kevin is an empty shell just like his house after the fire.  Between his addiction to pain pills and his going back to Pittsburgh it is no wonder that Kevin is falling apart. 

[maxskellington]

Quote - This is show is obsessed with Baby Boomer nostalgia, which is fine for Jack/Rebecca stuff. But it's absolutely odd using that kind of stuff for their kids on a constant basis. I chalk that up to the involvement of Ken Olin, star of thirtysomething, the quintessential boomer TV show.

[voiceover]

31 minutes ago, GenevieveS said:

Reading all these comments has been surprising for me because I thought what really set her off was the way he came back. As in, she would have just trashed him to her friends if he'd stayed gone after sneaking out. It was coming back, banging on her door and screaming on her lawn in the middle of the night that pushed her over the edge into how she did react. She even said something to him about her neighbors, implying (to me) that there now are witnesses to whom she will have to explain why this guy woke them all up last night.

Fine.  Now I think even less of her than I did before.  He wasn’t yelling “Oh baby let me back in I need another piece of that” — he told her why he was back.  To retrieve the only physical item linking him to his dead father.  IIRC, he also apologized.  Since he wasn’t waving a gun, I would’ve thought,  Shut the loud guy up by letting him in, or at least telling him, you’ll look for it.

Unless the neighbors are going to have her removed from her home because someone caused a scene outside her house, who gives a shit.  Again: shut him up by responding to the request.  She didn’t because she was mad that he left.  Sorry, Char.  I know you’re a plot point, but grow. Up.

[Katy M]

2 minutes ago, voiceover said:

Fine.  Now I think even less of her than I did before.  He wasn’t yelling “Oh baby let me back in I need another piece of that” — he told her why he was back.  To retrieve the only physical item linking him to his dead father.  IIRC, he also apologized.  Since he wasn’t waving a gun, I would’ve thought,  Shut the loud guy up by letting him in, or at least telling him, you’ll look for it.

Unless the neighbors are going to have her removed from her home because someone caused a scene outside her house, who gives a shit.  Again: shut him up by responding to the request.  She didn’t because she was mad that he left.  Sorry, Char.  I know you’re a plot point, but grow. Up.

I've already gone on record that I think she was horrible for having sex with him in the first place.  However, I don't blame her for not letting him back in. That he was so in a hurry to escape her house that he lost his necklace is his problem, not hers.

[SixFeetOver]

22 minutes ago, NeverLate said:

He won't leave Kate, no chance.

Yeah, I know. And the writers seem to love Toby. But for a brief, glorious moment, he felt less permanent.

Edited November 15, 2017 by SixFeetOver

[CelticBlackCat]

22 minutes ago, NeverLate said:

He won't leave Kate, no chance.

As soon as Kate announced she was pregnant, I knew a miscarriage was on the way.  I like some others here were prepared for that.  Next week's previews look like Kate will stay in character and be a b*tch and self-absorbed and point out that SHE is the one who lost THE Baby not Kevin.  Maybe he will have had enough of her after that.  If not, perhaps he is a glutton for punishment as well as a glutton for food.

[SunnyBeBe]

23 minutes ago, maxskellington said:

Quote - This is show is obsessed with Baby Boomer nostalgia, which is fine for Jack/Rebecca stuff. But it's absolutely odd using that kind of stuff for their kids on a constant basis. I chalk that up to the involvement of Ken Olin, star of thirtysomething, the quintessential boomer TV show.

So, the kids that we see Kevin, Kate and Randall were born around the time the kids from Thirty-something were born, right? Jack and Rebecca about the same age as Michael, Hope, Elliot and Nancy?  Those parents were more amusing to me. 

Who is Kevin's agent? Wouldn't he be making Kevin's arrangements? 

Edited November 15, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[NeverLate]

10 minutes ago, CelticBlackCat said:

As soon as Kate announced she was pregnant, I knew a miscarriage was on the way.  I like some others here were prepared for that.  Next week's previews look like Kate will stay in character and be a b*tch and self-absorbed and point out that SHE is the one who lost THE Baby not Kevin.  Maybe he will have had enough of her after that.  If not, perhaps he is a glutton for punishment as well as a glutton for food.

Or, maybe he just loves her.

14 minutes ago, SixFeetOver said:

Yeah, I know. And the writers seem to love Toby. But for a brief, glorious moment, he felt less permanent.

I happen to love him as well.

[CelticBlackCat]

2 minutes ago, NeverLate said:

Or, maybe he just loves her.

I happen to love him as well.

As annoying and OTT as Toby has been, many of us here have wondered what it is he sees in Kate.  She is not the most lovable gal in the world.

[luvbadtv]

1 hour ago, OtterMommy said:

The scrip pad was ridiculous.  Even if Kevin had tried to write a prescription for himself, it wouldn't have flown.  As someone upthread, those sorts of pads aren't even used for narcotics (heck, our doctors don't even use those pads at all anymore--they email in prescriptions!).  Secondly, there is a specific "language" to prescriptions that I'm sure makes sense to doctors and pharmacists, but I'm not sure anyone who hasn't been to medical or pharmaceutical school would be able to make heads or tails out of it.  So, if Kevin tried to write his on Rx, a pharmacist would have caught it.

Mrluvbadtv had surgery on Monday.  The scrip for narcotics we got was written on a pad.  It did have a computer print out label with his name and day of surgery, but the rest was hand written.

Edited November 15, 2017 by luvbadtv

[NeverLate]

20 minutes ago, CelticBlackCat said:

As annoying and OTT as Toby has been, many of us here have wondered what it is he sees in Kate.  She is not the most lovable gal in the world.

I think she could be loveable to some men. As women, I think we see faults in other women, faster than men. We have the advantage of judging her, through this shows eyes.

Just like the thread in the view today, about being sexy, it's the same in this show. We all love/like different things about one another.

I love that Toby is happy and OTT, despite Kate. It's what endears him to me, and quite likely what Kate likes. Imagine Toby dating a female Toby?

[ChromaKelly]

7 hours ago, Katy M said:

Kevin was in Cali when he said he was going home for Thanksgiving anyway.  So, NJ is obviously closer to Pittsburgh.  So, since he was going home anyway, he could swing by his old high school.

Why did they even bother setting the early years in Pittsburgh? I just realized Kevin went from his old HS area to Randall's house, all strung out and shaky. How did he get there? Pittsbugh to north/central NJ is like a 5 hour drive.

[LADreamr]

I think he gets the necklace back as a result of being in a 12-step program, himself.  He has to go make amends to her, maybe, and that's what makes her more open to return it to him.  It may be a way of him being more compassionate about Jack's struggle, too.   It might be a more symbolic and meaningful gesture than just getting it back in the mail, or something. 

[Katy M]

10 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

Why did they even bother setting the early years in Pittsburgh? I just realized Kevin went from his old HS area to Randall's house, all strung out and shaky. How did he get there? Pittsbugh to north/central NJ is like a 5 hour drive.

Well, he clearly had enough time, because it was dark out and hten it was light.  I doubt he drove.  He probably hired a car with a driver os some sort, whether it was a cab or an Uber or some kind of car service.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Katy M

[elle]

9 hours ago, debraran said:

9 hours ago, screenaddict said:

And yes, I cried for Kevin. I wanted someone to see what was going on. I cringed when he was moments away from confessing his issues to Randall. I'm sorry Kate lost the baby - and next week we'll talk about how we were rushed into the baby story line. The beauty of this show is that they reveal story lines slowly and intentionally. Last night felt off, and I fear the next two weeks will as well. 

Maybe they want it done for the holiday break but I feel rushed too. Kate's pregnancy and quick miscarriage does happen many times in real life but why on this show?  I don't get the segue into something else yet except that it interrupted Kevin's help cry. She'll feel awful, so will Toby, they will move on and hopefully have a child later, but whey the FF button? When Kevin hits bottom, drug overdose or a crime, will they all blame themselves again, like with Jack's death? How much angst can you have without help?

(it worked!)

I did not cry, but I was moved by the scene on Charlotte's lawn with Kevin just crying out for help.

Tagging Kate's news on to the end of "Kevin's episode" was unnecessary.  The episode could have ended with Randall opening the door to Kevin, leave us with a question, what happened next.   The next episode could have picked up at the beginning of Kate's story that day, same with the third episode with Randall.  All three could tie together at the end of the third episode with everyone coming together for Kate and Kevin *still* not being noticed.  But, nooo (/John Belushi voice), we had to have a gasp! - shock ending.

In the end, Kevin's episode isn't even about Kevin.  This Is Us Creator Defends Heartbreaking Kate Twist: "We're Trying to Capture Real Life"

[JudyObscure]

5 hours ago, Blakeston said:

But realistically, if a big celebrity gave a speech like that at a high school, I don't think it would be long before TMZ had a headline that said, "Major Star BREAKS DOWN In Front of Schoolchildren!" Complete with a cell phone recording, taken by someone in the audience.

Only they didn't see it as a break down, but a marvelous speech full of humility and modesty.  The audience reaction made me chuckle  because I thought it was a little jab at  the latest style of acceptance speech at the award shows.  Instead of just saying thank you they've  all started saying how humbling it is to win Best Actor, or whatever, and I always think, probably not half as humbling as losing would have been.  Kevin was right, too.  Being good at football, or acting in the "Manny," really doesn't compare with spending months every year doing surgery for free in poverty areas.

I had a silly moment as Kevin woke up with Charlotte, when I thought he might have found the perfect woman to save him, a generous doctor who might have reminded him  a little bit of his pretty  sister who loves him unconditionally, who would help him recover  from his addiction and insecurity. Nope.  Poor Kevin still can't get anyone to hear him.

[Victura]

19 hours ago, elle said:

A minor thing, should not teenage Kevin's leg be immobilized and not in a bent position in that last scene when he was leaving the hospital?

I was wondering this too. It seemed odd to have a cast on a leg in a bent position. Did they specify what kind of injury it was that would require that?

[shoovenbooty]

I don't know why the pettiest of things bother me about this show. When Kevin goes to the site of his childhood home and sees there's a new house built there, the address by the door changes between scenes. And I don't mean between scenes of the past where his family is playing football in front of the house, I mean between shots of the old man walking outside to ask Kevin what he can help him with. It has bugged me all day! :P

I noticed in the credits that the maid that comes to Kevin's room was Rebecca Metz. Anyone know if she's any relation to Chrissy Metz? I couldn't find anything online, but the last name doesn't seem to be a common one, so I wonder.

Edited November 15, 2017 by shoovenbooty
spelling

[JudyObscure]

I took a heavy blow to my knee a few years ago that seems very much like Kevin's injury. I had to hold my leg the way Kevin was holding his all the way to the hospital, the doctor called it catastrophic and the x-rays showed a dislocated knee cap, broken tibia, broken femur and three torn ligaments. I wasn't put in a cast, but metal was put inside my leg and a brace kept my leg perfectly straight for about four weeks.  I was in the hospital for three weeks.  The MCL  ligament didn't heal and so I'll be walking with a cane forever.  If I had been as young as Kevin I probably would have been given a total knee replacement.

The doctors all but forced Percocet on me all the time I was in the hospital, I argued with nurses who insisted I take them, and they sent me home with a prescription for thirty more after I said I wasn't in any pain.  Every rehab session, which went on for three months ended with the  physical therapist asking me if I need a RX for more Percocet.  Fortunately I never took another one after leaving the hospital. it was just luck that I didn't end up like Kevin. 

So, Kevin might not be able to walk again, to go to Jack's funeral, for a few more months.

[elle]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

1 hour ago, ChromaKelly said:

Why did they even bother setting the early years in Pittsburgh? I just realized Kevin went from his old HS area to Randall's house, all strung out and shaky. How did he get there? Pittsbugh to north/central NJ is like a 5 hour drive.

Well, he clearly had enough time, because it was dark out and hten it was light.  I doubt he drove.  He probably hired a car with a driver os some sort, whether it was a cab or an Uber or some kind of car service.

Time/distance questions always get to me too.  If Kevin had flown, the flight attendants would have noticed something, possibly smelled the alcohol on him, denied him boarding and then we might get the TMZ moment.  But with this show, the attendant probably would have gone all fan'ish on him and we would still be in the same situation.

I was trying to figure out the timing of the day of Kevin's accident.  Didn't Randall say the had a 6 hour drive?  Google says it is 4 + hours from Pittsburgh to DC.  So did Jack and Randall leaving that morning or after school?  Did Kate call them at the hotel or did they have cell phones?

35 minutes ago, Victura said:

I was wondering this too. It seemed odd to have a cast on a leg in a bent position. Did they specify what kind of injury it was that would require that?

That is my question too.  Jack said the doctor called the injury "catastrophic" but other than that we did not get a description of the injury - what was broken, soft tissue damage, etc.  I can not think of any knee injury in which they would set it in a bent position.  And it was not just bent, it appeared as both legs were in the normal position sitting in a chair/wheelchair.   Even if it had not been set yet, it would have been stabilized, again in a straight position.  I also doubt that the Pearson's would be taking Kevin home that night.

*See JudyObscure's post  (so sorry to hear about your injury!)

Edited November 15, 2017 by elle

[Clanstarling]

6 hours ago, wonderwoman said:

Exactly. This situation reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies, The Way We Were. Barbra Steisand (ugly duckling, Katie) runs into her college crush Robert Redford (golden boy, Hubbell), blind drunk in a nightclub.  She brings him home and while she's making coffee, he falls asleep in her bed. She undresses and climbs into bed with him.  

At the time (1973) a lot of people described the scene as romantic. But how romantic could it be when the guy's has been puking his brains out, hasn't brushed his teeth and is so drunk he could have been fucking a goat.  But I found most disturbing is that had the genders been reversed, it would have been rightly considered rape. And I always thought this incident, though never mentioned again, contributed to the failure of Katie and Hubbell's marriage, but I digress.  

I was 17 when that came up, and even the concept of acquaintance rape was fairly fuzzy at that time. Nevertheless, I remember being totally creeped out by this scene.

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

If Kevin is 37 or 38 I think it's really strange and weird that people from his high school still want to sleep with him.  LOL.  That's 20 years ago.  But then I forgot all those movies about 20 year high school reunions where this stuff always seems to happen in pop culture.  (And then you add in the celebrity aspect, and like... ugh.)

I know someone who left her husband after reconnecting with her old high school boyfriend at her 20th. There's a reason these become tv cliches. 

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

I’m cramming this episode in during my lunch 45 so if I'm repeating someone I deeply apologize.

If the coach of Pittsburgh wanted to keep a Pitt kid playing football in Pittsburgh, why wouldn’t he bring up Dan Marino? 

I know Joe Cool won Super Bowls by that time and Dan did not but still.

That was the stupidest line ever. No coach is going to claim a star that wasn't theirs. As you said, it's not like they didn't have stars of their own. 

2 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

High school and family reunions tend to send one back to the person they were in high school and growing up in their family.  That is the reason I have never gone to my high school reunions.  I was a big nerd and felt awful about myself back then.  I am now a confident woman who has had a successful and happy life.  Why would I want to go back to revisit all of that pain.  I used to want to go back and show them all but I realized that I had nothing to prove.  I am living a wonderful life and am grateful that I did not peak in high school.

I went back to my 10th, for reasons I'm not sure of - I was pretty much in the same boat, and was going through a divorce at the time. I had zero expectations, and had a blast. Go figure. I haven't gone back to any of the others, because I figure I won't top that.

2 hours ago, maxskellington said:

Quote - This is show is obsessed with Baby Boomer nostalgia, which is fine for Jack/Rebecca stuff. But it's absolutely odd using that kind of stuff for their kids on a constant basis. I chalk that up to the involvement of Ken Olin, star of thirtysomething, the quintessential boomer TV show.

I'm a boomer, and certainly like hearing "my" music. However, I think when you're telling a story set in different times, the music should be spot on for the time. So I agree that the music in the 90's should be 90's music. Sometimes the perfect song is an older one that resonates with the story - but for the most part, I think they should be really careful to, at a minimum, play the music appropriate for the character(s) who are the focus of the story.

[retired watcher]

10 hours ago, Katy M said:

Kevin was in Cali when he said he was going home for Thanksgiving anyway.  So, NJ is obviously closer to Pittsburgh.  So, since he was going home anyway, he could swing by his old high school.

Pittsburg is 6 plus hours from NJ. I live near Philly and it's 6 hours and NJ is further. Still confused.

[ShadowFacts]

42 minutes ago, elle said:

I was trying to figure out the timing of the day of Kevin's accident.  Didn't Randall say the had a 6 hour drive?  Google says it is 4 + hours from Pittsburgh to DC.  So did Jack and Randall leaving that morning or after school?  Did Kate call them at the hotel or did they have cell phones?

My impression was they were leaving in the morning, after school for a campus tour would probably get them there too late.  Rebecca told Kate to find a phone and page her dad.

41 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I'm a boomer, and certainly like hearing "my" music. However, I think when you're telling a story set in different times, the music should be spot on for the time. So I agree that the music in the 90's should be 90's music. Sometimes the perfect song is an older one that resonates with the story - but for the most part, I think they should be really careful to, at a minimum, play the music appropriate for the character(s) who are the focus of the story.

I'm not much of a stickler about it, I just notice if I like the music or not, and like you say, if it fits.  I totally loved the Cat Stevens song but it's from 1970, and is about progress that changes how we live, so not super fitting for the scene, but I still thought it was okay.  Other times the music has really annoyed me. 

[retired watcher]

9 hours ago, PRgal said:

The booze would have been snuck out and any alcohol served inside the school itself would have required some sort of special events licence which would only be valid for a set period of time.  At least that's how it works here.

I taught for 34 years and alcohol was never allowed on school property even after hours.

8 hours ago, J0nas3 said:

I thought the scene on the football field was good, but the whole time I was distracted because why were the lights on at an empty football field?!?

Because it's a TV show, lol.

[PRgal]

18 minutes ago, retired watcher said:

I taught for 34 years and alcohol was never allowed on school property even after hours.

Because it's a TV show, lol.

 

You'll need a licence for that.  Alcohol isn't NORMALLY allowed to be served, but we've had several galas at my alma mater (a girls-only private school) and catering/event organizers had to apply for one of these.  This is in Ontario (Canada), though.  

 

ETA: The event(s) I've described above are 19+ (Mostly alumnae, parents/parents of alumnae, faculty and friends of the school.  19 is our legal drinking age), not students.  

Edited November 16, 2017 by PRgal

[Granny58]

19 hours ago, Violetgoblin6 said:

Exactly. Why show the fuse box? I thought immediately of fire when I saw that they had no electricity. And I got a paper script on Friday, exactly like Kevin's, for my ADD medication. It has a DEA number on it. 

I thought that overly bright desk lamp could be a halogen lamp, pulling huge loads of energy (didn't they say something about the fuse "again") and so either the fuse causes the fire or the halogen lamp shining unattended on that paper.  

18 hours ago, watcher1006 said:

It hurt a lot at the end when Kevin had sunk so deep in his self-absorbed pain-induced drug spiral and his career mishaps and then suddenly realizes that he'd been blowing off his sister all that time, not even thinking she might have her own issues she needed him to help her through. I hope she lets him know that the way he acted hurt her and that she doesn't accept his apologies right away.

Ugh....everything is all about catering to Kate.  I hope she actually realizes other people have lives too  

[wonderwoman]

2 hours ago, elle said:

the end, Kevin's episode isn't even about Kevin.  This Is Us Creator Defends Heartbreaking Kate Twist: "We're Trying to Capture Real Life"

I take television as seriously as anyone. But folks (and by folks, I mean Dan Fogelman)  these are television characters. Let's get a grip. Is Kate losing the baby sad? Sure. But so devastatingly sad that the show needs to defend its decision (when so many of us already had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen)?  I think not.

Edited November 16, 2017 by wonderwoman

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, elle said:

I was trying to figure out the timing of the day of Kevin's accident.  Didn't Randall say the had a 6 hour drive?  Google says it is 4 + hours from Pittsburgh to DC.  So did Jack and Randall leaving that morning or after school?  Did Kate call them at the hotel or did they have cell phones?

Kate had to "find a phone" and I think Rebecca said to have him paged, so I'm going with no on the cell phones,  And, I don't find that particularly odd for '97 or '98.

37 minutes ago, retired watcher said:

Pittsburg is 6 plus hours from NJ. I live near Philly and it's 6 hours and NJ is further. Still confused.

Why?  6 hours is an easy 1 day drive.  If he's going home for Thanksgiving, he can just go early and go to the  thing in Pittsburgh on Monday and be in New Jersey by Thursday easy-peasy.

[Cardie]

I imagine Kevin took a shower and caught an afternoon flight to Newark.  If he refrained from drinking after his breakdown on the lawn, he shouldn't have been so intoxicated or smelling of booze to be denied boarding. They wouldn't have bars in airports or alcohol on planes if drinking got you kicked off. Jack said they had a four hour drive to DC. They probably got there early afternoon.

The Pearsons live in Pittsburgh because Dan Fogelman spent the early part of his childhood there.

[Bliss]

2 hours ago, shoovenbooty said:

I don't know why the pettiest of things bother me about this show. When Kevin goes to the site of his childhood home and sees there's a new house built there, the address by the door changes between scenes. And I don't mean between scenes of the past where his family is playing football in front of the house, I mean between shots of the old man walking outside to ask Kevin what he can help him with. It has bugged me all day! :P

I noticed in the credits that the maid that comes to Kevin's room was Rebecca Metz. Anyone know if she's any relation to Chrissy Metz? I couldn't find anything online, but the last name doesn't seem to be a common one, so I wonder.

I noticed the same thing... when the guy first comes out, I think the house number is #1646 and then in the next frame with the guy it's #1920 - I may have the numbers wrong, but it was something like that. Same house. Same guy. Different numbers. WHY??? Are they playing with our brains? If so, please stop.

Also, Kevin was wearing his chain on the football field - you can just barely see it in one frame. (Someone mentioned in an earlier post that perhaps he lost it at the field... I think the she-vil Charlotte has it.)