S02.E08: Number One

[Clanstarling]

3 hours ago, Dejana said:

If it was the author of an ongoing series....sure? When the Harry Potter books hadn't all been published yet, JK Rowling was always mentioning hints and clues, whenever fans asked about upcoming developments. A standalone novel can be read all at once, so it's not experienced the same way as a story in pogress--at least when it's still new and in the midst of being told.

Hah! You got me! Amusingly, with the one author who pisses me off in that way (and who I must have blocked out of my mind).

We all loved the Harry Potter books in our house, and we weren't particularly involved in social media (or online forums) at that point, so we missed that she did it before all the books were published. But I get tired of hearing her fill in the blanks afterwards. Don't get me wrong, I love JK, but I always prefer - whatever the medium - for the creators to write/produce the stuff and keep the foreshadowing on the screen or on the page. But that's my preference. I've never been a supplemental materials kind of person. 

[Blakeston]

I definitely thought that teenage Kevin was a cocky jerk, and Jack was right to call him out on his arrogance. But I honestly didn't think his behavior toward the guy from the Pitt football program was that bad.

Is asking if you can start such a godawful thing? It's presumptuous - but from the other characters' reactions, you would have thought Kevin took a shit in the guy's hat or something.

And good for Kevin for pointing out that Joe Namath went to Notre Dame. I was yelling it at my screen.

In the end, I thought Kevin wanting to wear a crop top to the meeting was more obnoxious than anything he said in that scene.

[Clanstarling]

19 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

I definitely thought that teenage Kevin was a cocky jerk, and Jack was right to call him out on his arrogance. But I honestly didn't think his behavior toward the guy from the Pitt football program was that bad.

Is asking if you can start such a godawful thing? It's presumptuous - but from the other characters' reactions, you would have thought Kevin took a shit in the guy's hat or something.

And good for Kevin for pointing out that Joe Namath went to Notre Dame. I was yelling it at my screen.

In the end, I thought Kevin wanting to wear a crop top to the meeting was more obnoxious than anything he said in that scene.

Eh, to me he seemed an asshole. The question itself wasn't so bad, it was his attitude and tone.

I think they said Joe Montana, who did go to Notre Dame. Namath went to Alabama.

In any case, it was a really stupid exchange, because there's no way (in my mind anyway) that a coach would either make a mistake so big, or lie about someone whose entire career, at that time, was extremely well known. Heck, I knew it and I didn't follow football at the time (but I did live in the SF Bay Area, so there was no escaping it).

The writers could have done two minutes of research to find out who the successful QBs from Pitt were. It's not like Dan Marino was exactly unknown, or if they wanted to go historical, Mike Ditka.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Clanstarling

[Blakeston]

17 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I think they said Joe Montana, who did go to Notre Dame. Namath went to Alabama.

In any case, it was a really stupid exchange, because there's no way (in my mind anyway) that a coach would either make a mistake so big, or lie about someone whose entire career, at that time, was extremely well known. Heck, I knew it and I didn't follow football at the time (but I did live in the SF Bay Area, so there was no escaping it).

D'oh! I meant Montana.

[Katy M]

46 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

but I always prefer - whatever the medium - for the creators to write/produce the stuff and keep the foreshadowing on the screen or on the page. But that's my preference. I've never been a supplemental materials kind of person. 

Me too and that's why I don't pay attention to BTS stuff that much.

 

40 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

Is asking if you can start such a godawful thing? It's presumptuous - but from the other characters' reactions, you would have thought Kevin took a shit in the guy's hat or something.

I think it's very rare for a freshman to start.  Like very very very rare.

 

28 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

In any case, it was a really stupid exchange, because there's no way (in my mind anyway) that a coach would either make a mistake so big, or lie about someone whose entire career, at that time, was extremely well known. Heck, I knew it and I didn't follow football at the time (but I did live in the SF Bay Area, so there was no escaping it).

I didn't think he actually said that Joe Montana went to Pitt.  I think he said something about Kevin following in the footsteps of great players from PA.  Joe Montana is originally from PA.

[Clanstarling]

20 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

D'oh! I meant Montana.

Yeah, too many Joes. :)

8 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I didn't think he actually said that Joe Montana went to Pitt.  I think he said something about Kevin following in the footsteps of great players from PA.  Joe Montana is originally from PA.

I don't really remember, but then Kevin's reaction doesn't make sense...well, maybe, I guess. If Kevin was "he may have been FROM Pennsylvania, but he went to Notre Dame." That's not quite what he said, but I suppose that could be what he meant. If that was the case, it went right over my head. 

Edited November 17, 2017 by Clanstarling

[Violetgoblin6]

4 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Not that it's a huge deal, but, NY does require non-handwritten prescriptions for the most part.  I couldn't confirm that about PA.  This article is from 2016.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/15/nyregion/new-york-to-discard-prescription-pads-and-doctors-handwriting-in-digital-shift.html

To me, the way the show had the pharmacist make the comment about how poor the doctors' handwriting had gotten, made me think that they didn't consider that point.  I don't think they know or thought about it, to have put that comment in there.  It gave the impression that the pharmacist is seeing plenty of doctor's handwritten scripts.  Oh well....I'm not surprised really. 

I just got an old fashioned paper, hand written RX for Adderall last Friday. Messy writing and all. Surprised as when my last doctor did the script he used a printed larger paper. Only thing I noticed on this new script was the DEA number. I'm in PA-Philadelphia suburbs. 

[meep.meep]

I think you have to weigh the entire episode by thinking that you are seeing everything from Kevin's perspective.  He's high, or coming down, and reality is a slippery slope.  So the house numbers change; the girls/women keep changing; everyone at the awards ceremony loved his speech but he remembers only the bad parts; he says he wants vicodin, but the prescription is written for fetanyl; he remembers being a jerk when he was young, but he doesn't remember helping out the doctor.  He is in pain,  he is depressed, and he is literally wallowing in the pain.  

[Katekate]

It’s interesting to me what story details bother people. For example, Kevin forging the prescription. That didn’t bother me so much ( I’m assuming you can google that or there’s probably YouTube tutorials). But I think it would have been more realistic for him to sweettalk the plastic surgeon (Charlotte?) into writing him one. Or like what others have mentioned here, a Hollywood actor could easily get Vicodin from numerous sources, no problem. I’ve heard of people buying them on Craigslist and OfferUp. Like, super easy.

The detail I found incredulous in this episode was baby Kevin going from a sitting position , to standing to walking 10 sturdy steps. Not how it usually works. First bad casting . That baby has been walking for weeks. 

And while I’m at it ( sorry this is the wrong place)... The whole premise of Rebecca and Jack walking out of the hospital with baby Randall is completely wacked. You have to be approved to foster, have a home check, background check , fingerprints, etc. it’s a lengthy process . I know this is a TV show and sometimes you have to let things go but that one remains in the forefront of my mind. Sorry, you guys probably discussed this last year...I’m relatively new here ?.

I still love the show and love this forum. 

[elle]

2 hours ago, PumpkinPK said:

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

It's like a chocolate Twinkie, more or less.

Thanks Katy.  I'm in the US, but I am 99% sure we don't have them where I live.  I have never seen them in any store.

Yodal must be a local thing.  A quick google shows that they are similar to Ho Hos or Swiss Rolls. HoHos vs Yodels vs Swiss Rolls

Or what BiggieB said

Quote

She wasn't cooking anything - she merely said "How does xxx [I don't remember the exact word she said, but it probably was cheese] and Yodels sound? I haven't been shopping..." meaning, she was just letting Kevin know those were the two things she could rustle up to offer him to eat, as her food supply was very low. I love Yodels!!!!

Edited November 17, 2017 by elle

[Pallas]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

In any case, it was a really stupid exchange, because there's no way (in my mind anyway) that a coach would either make a mistake so big, or lie about someone whose entire career, at that time, was extremely well known. Heck, I knew it and I didn't follow football at the time (but I did live in the SF Bay Area, so there was no escaping it).

The Pitt coach wasn't talking about Pitt quarterbacks, but about Pennsylvania-bred quarterbacks: who Kevin, Montana and Namath all were. Kevin snarked back, "(Yeah, sure, but) Montana went to Notre Dame (my first choice, just so we're clear)."

[OtterMommy]

38 minutes ago, Katekate said:

The detail I found incredulous in this episode was baby Kevin going from a sitting position , to standing to walking 10 sturdy steps. Not how it usually works. First bad casting . That baby has been walking for weeks. 

It does happen, though.  My son did it at 11 months (and shocked the hell out of me!).  What I found less believable was Kevin walked...and then Kate walked....just like that (At least that's how I remember it).  Just because they are twins does not mean that they hit their milestones at the same time.

[chaifan]

The whole "how did Jack die" thing has become this show's equivalent of the polar bear in Lost to me.  Interesting at first, dangled in front of you enough to keep you wondering, and then played out for too long - for some supposed mysterious/dramatic effect - so you just don't care any more.   Not surprisingly, Lost lost me in the second season, too. 

[Lady Calypso]

51 minutes ago, Katekate said:

It’s interesting to me what story details bother people. For example, Kevin forging the prescription. That didn’t bother me so much ( I’m assuming you can google that or there’s probably YouTube tutorials). But I think it would have been more realistic for him to sweettalk the plastic surgeon (Charlotte?) into writing him one. Or like what others have mentioned here, a Hollywood actor could easily get Vicodin from numerous sources, no problem. I’ve heard of people buying them on Craigslist and OfferUp. Like, super easy.

Perhaps, but we have also seen Kevin unable to hide his addiction or be able to hold a normal conversation this episode. It's a wonder nobody saw through him. He might have been able to fool Charlotte because of her crush on him, but she could have also been suspicious of him enough to ask questions. Plus, Kevin was going through heavy withdrawal at that point, and was already going through her things to find drugs in the first place. So Kevin grabbing and running made sense. He was looking to get drugs now and he probably wasn't going to waste time trying to convince her to write it, and he wouldn't want to wait. He was only thinking about numbing his pain, so he did. Which is why I found it realistic. His head is all about getting his next fix and he found it with the prescription pad.  

[maddie965]

I just finished watching the episode and I'm dying here. Can't stop sobbing. Can't even procces Kate right now, because all I can think is: will someople please help Kevin? I can't stand seeing him in so much pain. I just can't. That scene where he's asking for help just KILLED me. 

On another note, happy that Justin Hartley got his own episode and he just killed it. I adore him with all my heart.

[CleoCaesar]

12 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Kevin's lack of an entourage always bugs me.  He should have a manager/agent, a publicist, a personal assistant and probably some friends who just follow him around.

Not to mention he should have his own drug dealer. Rich, popular Hollywood actor has to score smack with his legal prescription for painkillers? I don't think so. Robert Downey Jr., Lindsay Lohan, <insert any other name of famous drug addicted actor>, etc. did not get their stuff from their primary care physicians.

[Katy M]

23 minutes ago, CleoCaesar said:

Not to mention he should have his own drug dealer. Rich, popular Hollywood actor has to score smack with his legal prescription for painkillers? I don't think so. Robert Downey Jr., Lindsay Lohan, <insert any other name of famous drug addicted actor>, etc. did not get their stuff from their primary care physicians.

Michael Jackson did.

[sinkwriter]

Just watched this episode.... oh boy. I thought I was fine because for most of the episode, I didn't cry. I felt more 'on edge,' because I hate seeing someone humiliate themselves like Kevin was doing. That was really hard to watch. Even the big football field scene, I made it through fine (though I did feel for him, reliving his life's mistakes like that, play by play). So I probably let my guard down, because man, that scene with him in that doctor's yard, begging for his father's necklace, sobbing about how he needs help, won't someone please help him... that broke me, damn it. HARD. I was a sobbing mess. 

Damn you, Justin! (LOL)  Well done.

I didn't even realize it was about the necklace at first. I thought he'd messed up and accidentally dropped the prescription he'd forged (and that in his haze he had imagined he was still holding it until he realized it was gone). I thought he was going back to her place to pretend he'd forgotten something, only to get caught by her because she found the script on the floor after he left, or something like that. So I wasn't feeling too bad for him at first, when he was pounding on her door, until he said the part about the necklace and he started getting more desperate for it. That got to me big time. It's his father's... that was so painful. I kept hoping she would turn the light back on and come downstairs with the necklace. How could she not hear him sobbing on her lawn? I get that she was angry with him, and probably felt really embarrassed with herself, but come on... are you really that blind to someone else's pain? That was pretty ridiculous.

[Dejana]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Michael Jackson did.

And wasn't one of the last photos ever of Prince taken outside of a Walgreens? In general, though, the show probably underplays how much assistance a star of caliber would have on a day-to-day basis.

 

5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Hah! You got me! Amusingly, with the one author who pisses me off in that way (and who I must have blocked out of my mind).

We all loved the Harry Potter books in our house, and we weren't particularly involved in social media (or online forums) at that point, so we missed that she did it before all the books were published. But I get tired of hearing her fill in the blanks afterwards. Don't get me wrong, I love JK, but I always prefer - whatever the medium - for the creators to write/produce the stuff and keep the foreshadowing on the screen or on the page. But that's my preference. I've never been a supplemental materials kind of person. 

When the books were on progress, Rowling wasn't really like the TIU writers...people would ask if Harry lives or why these characters got together, and she'd say in a general sense, that she'd left hints along the way. With a book series, each book can be like a season of a TV show. They're different mediums, but in a way, what you're getting from this show is kind of the equivalent of a novelist publishing one chapter at a time, then giving interviews about their process, what it all means, what ultimately got left out, and what's coming next. Some people would love the extra details, but others would find week after week of it entirely too much, like the writer is a bit in love with the sound of their own voice.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Dejana

[pupper]

Addictions are born out of trauma and Kevin has had a lot.  (They all have but I will focus on Kevin here).  His trauma consists of: his dad's death, his knee injury, and the one causing the biggest problem in his life - being side-lined as a child over Katie and Randall, and being pressured to be #1.  This developmental trauma creates a template of a host of stressful behaviours including addiction.  Factor in his viewing his father's addiction and it increases by a lot.  

His crying on the lawn for help and for someone to hear him is his inner child crying out of pain from being either invisible or forced to wear a mask for others.  Kevin's parents were good people who really did their best in raising their kids but they still made mistakes.  With Kevin, it was about pressure to push on through and be a champ when what he needed to hear was that it's okay to feel awful sometimes and I'm here for you anyways.  This is why he is hurting now.  His re-injury brought up his past insecurities and inability to be in discomfort.  

If anyone is interested in learning how addictions stem from trauma, look up Gabor Mate, Bessel Van Der Folk, and Peter Levine.  They have fantastic literature on this topic.

[QTBlueMoon]

I have a question about teen Kevin. He was so disrespectful to his dad, didn't seem to be too concerned over Jack's anger, and was really just being a real jerk. My wife and I don't agree on his reaction to Jack kneeling in the kitchen praying the Serenity Prayer. She thinks that he was finally seeing him as a good man and was starting to look up to him, but I still saw the same disrespect that he was showing earlier. Thoughts?

[sinkwriter]

I didn't see either option, QTBlueMoon. At least, not quite. The way I saw it, Kevin was watching him, internalizing that it was his fault that his father was on the phone with his sponsor and then on his knees, struggling. (And then later in the episode we saw Kevin end up mirroring that behavior, when he ends up on his knees, begging for help.) 

I think Kevin feels guilt about a lot of things. In some ways, he feels guilt probably in the same way Kate apparently does, but perhaps for different reasons. Somehow I imagine both of them feel partially responsible for the loss of their father so early and that perhaps they didn't appreciate him when they had him.

Edited November 17, 2017 by sinkwriter

[voiceover]

Catching up on the comments, and I came across the Great Snack Controversy of ‘17. 

See, what I heard proposed was “noodles and cheese”, so I assumed, you know, pasta w/parm or mac & cheese — though I thought it was an Ugh! way of describing it (“Probably what Steeler fans call it”).

But she actually said Yodels, huh.  Yeah, in the Midwest they’re HoHos. There’s no doubt some white paper somewhere explaining the regional renaming of the same snack food by the same company.  I get “pop” and “soda”, “couch”, “sofa”, and “divan”; but I always thought that hoho/yodel/ding dongs/ringdings thing, stupid AF.

Edited November 17, 2017 by voiceover

[methodwriter85]

3 hours ago, CleoCaesar said:

Not to mention he should have his own drug dealer. Rich, popular Hollywood actor has to score smack with his legal prescription for painkillers? I don't think so. Robert Downey Jr., Lindsay Lohan, <insert any other name of famous drug addicted actor>, etc. did not get their stuff from their primary care physicians.

None of the Big 3 seems to have friends or even acquaintances that are outside of their family or love interests. When Tobey talked about having a big wedding, I thought to myself, "Wait. Kate doesn't have any friends. You would literally have just her two brothers, her sister-in-law, her nieces, and her mother on her side." Tobey would basically have to provide the bulk of the wedding guests.

I think what bugged me about Kevin's first breakdown is that it's not realistic. Someone going through that doesn't have a thoughtful monologue where they go over their life mistakes and realize how badly they screwed things up. It works in a play, but this isn't a play. The second breakdown actually moved me and was good, because it was done in a way that actually felt realistic. That is what someone really going through a complete mental break acts like. It's ugly and it's raw.

Edited November 17, 2017 by methodwriter85

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, methodwriter85 said:

 

I think what bugged me about Kevin's first breakdown is that it's not realistic. Someone going through that doesn't have a thoughtful monologue where they go over their life mistakes and realize how badly they screwed things up. It works in a play, but this isn't a play. 

Hmm.  But he’s an actor.  That’s how actors present.

Just spec.

[LoveLeigh]

On 11/14/2017 at 10:22 PM, Conotocarious said:

Yup. I miscarried at 10 weeks. I was really shocked at the reveal that Kate lost the baby even though I kind of thought that would happen. Maybe I was shocked to be right or that they did it so soon. 

Chrissy Metz said: “There is so much shame around (miscarriages) and you feel like you are inadequate or [it was] something you did, it was your fault. But it’s actually very natural.”

I am not shocked at all. I am not saying this to be mean or to "fat shame," (I am overweight myself) but I think the writers planned the miscarriage not just to make a statement about it but to subliminally say that perhaps her weight had something to do with it. Let's be honest, when a woman is pregnant she is weighed at her appointments and weight is a major factor and can lead to problems.... swelling of the feet, edema, gestational diabetes etc.

I had read that Chrissy Metz had a clause in her contract that said she had to agree at some point to lose weight. I am wondering if this is the prologue to that storyline... maybe she will have a real life gastric bypass. She has gained a huge amount of weight over just the past year and how can it not be addressed? We can be kind and tiptoe around it and pretend not to see it and that it does not matter, however does political correctness indicate we are to be silent about it? In real life, how could a woman that size carry a healthy baby to full term? 

http://tvline.com/2016/11/17/this-is-us-chrissy-metz-weight-loss-contract/

Edited November 17, 2017 by DakotaLavender

[voiceover]

18 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

But I think the over-dramatized sentimentality of one object is ridiculous, too.  It's a piece of metal, it's not your actual father.  But I feel the same about the dumb ash urn.  Yes, I know, not everyone feels that way.  I do.  If your little chain is your most prized possession, keep it in a safe.  

Certainly a mileage issue.  But I believe in the power of a totem like that necklace.  That little chain is Jack.  Kevin doesn’t want to keep his father locked away in a safe (though certainly that’s where he’s keeping his emotions).  He wants his father with him.

My darling dad is gone, but I treasure his letters to me, written in his careful, engineer-trained script; the post-its with smiley faces as only he could draw them; and a small can of his perfectly sharpened golf pencils.

Perfect, and perfectly ridiculous.  If I’d come across Kevin that night, I would’ve done whatever I could (“Here’s an ax!”) to help him retrieve Jack’s necklace.

What fools these mortals be!

[PumpkinPK]

9 hours ago, elle said:

Yodal must be a local thing.  A quick google shows that they are similar to Ho Hos or Swiss Rolls. HoHos vs Yodels vs Swiss Rolls

Or what BiggieB said

Interesting!

 

We have Hostess, but I have never seen that Drake's logo on a Hostess box.

[debraran]

1 hour ago, voiceover said:

Certainly a mileage issue.  But I believe in the power of a totem like that necklace.  That little chain is Jack.  Kevin doesn’t want to keep his father locked away in a safe (though certainly that’s where he’s keeping his emotions).  He wants his father with him.

My darling dad is gone, but I treasure his letters to me, written in his careful, engineer-trained script; the post-its with smiley faces as only he could draw them; and a small can of his perfectly sharpened golf pencils.

Perfect, and perfectly ridiculous.  If I’d come across Kevin that night, I would’ve done whatever I could (“Here’s an ax!”) to help him retrieve Jack’s necklace.

What fools these mortals be!

Yes, we shouldn't be too attached to items but since he threw out mementos (before the fire) like his airplanes, that was sentimental. My dads dresser which held his old photo albums sits in my room and I still have his albums and tool box. My brother has his wedding ring. Expensive things you lock up, loving and sentimental things you want to look at or feel and cherish. If you lose it someway, it's hurtful but locking it up is like not having it at all.

5 hours ago, QTBlueMoon said:

I have a question about teen Kevin. He was so disrespectful to his dad, didn't seem to be too concerned over Jack's anger, and was really just being a real jerk. My wife and I don't agree on his reaction to Jack kneeling in the kitchen praying the Serenity Prayer. She thinks that he was finally seeing him as a good man and was starting to look up to him, but I still saw the same disrespect that he was showing earlier. Thoughts?

I thought he was moved, he seemed to see his dad vulnerable which is hard, in a different way than drinking. He was asking God to help him, and maybe he blamed himself for pushing him. When he went to write the letter, it was hard for him, but he did it for his Dad, not for himself. That's why he wanted to tell him about it in the hospital, "It was a good letter".

I had to explain to my kids at times, that Mom was human, that I had needs and wants and although I'd do anything for them, I had to take care of me too, so I'd be whole for them. It's hard to see your parents broken but Jack was trying, to say as Kevin did, "hide the notebook" Jack used for AA, (like the coach would read it) just showed how embarrassed he was of this weakness and later of his own.

Edited November 17, 2017 by debraran

[Quickbeam]

I didn’t want to watch this because I knew how sad it would be. I thought it was very well done, especially teen Kevin. The actor is a heart breaker. Justin is underrated, I felt like he had a lot of nuance. But this is one on my “won’t rewatch” list, tooo much sadness. 

[SWLinPHX]

On 11/14/2017 at 8:18 PM, methodwriter85 said:

Nothing makes me feel like I'm watching a teenager walk down a hall in his 1997 high school than hearing a song from 1979!  You know, I get that this show loves it Baby Boomer nostalgia music picks, but I wish they'd branch out when it comes to the Gen Y nostalgia.

Yeah, I love Little River Band and "Lonesome Loser", but for 1997??  Maybe they should have opted for Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life" or Matchbox 20's "Push".

[Brookside]

Miscarriage is a horrible thing.

"Number One" - unfortunate title.  Just saying.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Brookside

[luna1122]

5 minutes ago, Brookside said:

Miscarriage is a horrible thing.

"Number One" - unfortunate title.  Just saying.

Number Two is even worse. Poor Kate.

[SWLinPHX]

One thing that is outstanding about this show (that I think few can deny) is the attention to detail the casting dept. had when casting the younger versions of the three principals, both as little kids and as teens (from Chrissy's high cheekbones, squinty eyes and weight to Justin's piercing dark eyes and overall look/demeanor).  I swear they must have gotten old photos of the actors as kids and looked at hundreds of head shots -- then only contacted the ones that looked very much like them.

Edited November 17, 2017 by SWLinPHX

[Guest]

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

 It works in a play, but this isn't a play. 

For me, it wouldn't even work in a play.  There are less lazy ways to share info with an audience than spelling it out in block letters in yet another sappy monologue.  

6 hours ago, voiceover said:

Hmm.  But he’s an actor.  That’s how actors present.

Just spec.

I think they read scripts, actually.  So it's the writers' choice.  

[Blakeston]

6 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

She has gained a huge amount of weight over just the past year and how can it not be addressed?

Has she?

I've seen a lot of references online to her not having lost any weight since the show started - but I think she looks significantly thinner, at least in the face.

[izabella]

6 hours ago, debraran said:

Yes, we shouldn't be too attached to items but since he threw out mementos (before the fire) like his airplanes, that was sentimental

Could you refresh my memory on when he threw the planes out?  I don't remember if we saw him doing that or if he told someone that.  I can't picture the scene.  I do remember him telling the lady who had lost her husband that he didn't have anything of his dad's, but that's it.  Thanks!

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, izabella said:

Could you refresh my memory on when he threw the planes out?  I don't remember if we saw him doing that or if he told someone that.  I can't picture the scene.  I do remember him telling the lady who had lost her husband that he didn't have anything of his dad's, but that's it.  Thanks!

I think in that same scene he said he made model planes with his dad and "I threw them out, I don't know why".  

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I think they read scripts, actually.  So it's the writers' choice.  

Well, obviously. Everything is the writers' choice.  I think voiceover's point was the writer was writing Kevin like an actor.  Since that's what his character is.

[Guest]

55 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

Has she?

I've seen a lot of references online to her not having lost any weight since the show started - but I think she looks significantly thinner, at least in the face.

This says she's been losing weight since she was cast but I think it's been slow, but I'm just guessing because she looks about the same to me.  She was cast quite a while ago and she could look a LOT different, if she was losing at a good clip.  2 lbs./week isn't aggressive for someone her size and at that she'd be down at least 150 lbs. since casting.  I don't think that's occurred. 

3 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Well, obviously. Everything is the writers' choice.  I think voiceover's point was the writer was writing Kevin like an actor.  Since that's what his character is.

Oh duh.  That makes more sense.  

[voiceover]

5 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I think [actors] read scripts, actually.  So it's the writers' choice.  

Bwah!  It’s like revisiting that scene between the playwright and the actress in All About Eve:

Lloyd Richards: “I shall never understand the weird process by which a body with a voice suddenly fancies itself as a mind. Just when exactly does an actress decide they're HER words she's speaking and HER thoughts she's expressing?”

Margo: “Usually at the point where she has to rewrite and rethink them, to keep the audience from leaving the theatre!”

The eternal argument.  

Eh, one of ‘em.

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

Well, obviously. Everything is the writers' choice.  I think voiceover's point was the writer was writing Kevin like an actor.  Since that's what his character is.

Yeah, that too?

[DesertCyclist]

Sigh...  I enjoyed this episode, and it definitely had its moments, but I'm on the fence about Justin Hartley.  I typically restrict my negative criticism to larger creative choices and not comment on actors, but with Hartley's portrayal I never really buy into Kevin being a real person.  It always feels like someone "acting" to me when Kevin's on screen, and I struggle with suspension of disbelief.  I don't know if it's a conscious choice made by Hartley or if he isn't a strong dramatic actor.  At times, I think it actually works because Kevin himself isn't all that authentic, but last night the only time I really felt there was honest depth was during Kevin's breakdown near the end.  I'm sorry if my opinions offend Kevin or Hartley fans; I really do want to like Hartley.

[chi-girl]

I had a prescription pain killer this past May and my doctor wrote it out.  She told me several times not to lose the paper because she could not call it in.  

[debraran]

5 hours ago, izabella said:

Could you refresh my memory on when he threw the planes out?  I don't remember if we saw him doing that or if he told someone that.  I can't picture the scene.  I do remember him telling the lady who had lost her husband that he didn't have anything of his dad's, but that's it.  Thanks!

http://www.etonline.com/tv/201817_this_is_us_reveals_new_clues_on_when_jack_died

It is a very sad conversation, forgotten with so much going on I think. So I feel, the fire and his death, just not what people think.

[theatremouse]

On 11/14/2017 at 7:45 PM, LadyNebula said:

It a good thing Kevin didn't fill the fake RX.  Blatant forgery, and not just because it said 2 refills (again, narcotics get no refills).  That plus his sweaty ass?  You're screaming "I'm a junkie!"

To me, he was 50% desperate for a fix, and 50% desperate to get caught.

I loathed the scene at the end with Randall, and I blame the writers, not the character. Stop with the "I have to tell you something-" "I already know." No. This is such trite bullshit. If someone says they need to say something, let them say they thing and then if it turns out to be the thing you already knew and assumed they were about to say, say "I know" then, not before they say it. I get that there's no drama in that, and that is why this construct is so tired. Because it's a TV thing to perfectly prevent someone saying something they've been struggling to say by dropping some other crisis on them that they didn't know about that then serves as a hurdle for them saying what they were about to. Lazy lazy lazy writing. Unearned and annoying.

[Katy M]

5 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

I loathed the scene at the end with Randall, and I blame the writers, not the character. Stop with the "I have to tell you something-" "I already know." No. This is such trite bullshit. If someone says they need to say something, let them say they thing and then if it turns out to be the thing you already knew and assumed they were about to say, say "I know" then, not before they say it. I get that there's no drama in that, and that is why this construct is so tired. Because it's a TV thing to perfectly prevent someone saying something they've been struggling to say by dropping some other crisis on them that they didn't know about that then serves as a hurdle for them saying what they were about to. Lazy lazy lazy writing. Unearned and annoying.

I agree with you in this case. However, if the situation was completely different and Kevin had told Randall about Kate's miscarriage and then Kate told Randall she had something to tell him, then the "I already know" is actually an attempt to spare the person the pain of having to repeat their tragedy.

[chocolatine]

9 minutes ago, Katy M said:

However, if the situation was completely different and Kevin had told Randall about Kate's miscarriage and then Kate told Randall she had something to tell him, then the "I already know" is actually an attempt to spare the person the pain of having to repeat their tragedy.

Nobody is a mind reader, so even if you think you know what someone is about to tell you, you can never be 100% sure. And many people want to talk about something that happened to them in their own words / on their own terms, even if it's painful. In Kate's case, the miscarriage is not going to be any less painful for her either way.

[BoogieBurns]

7 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Has she?

I've seen a lot of references online to her not having lost any weight since the show started - but I think she looks significantly thinner, at least in the face.

She has definitely lost weight. Re-watch the pilot. Unfortunately for her, she has lost it in her thinnest areas, her limbs. Her belly seems to be holding on to every pound. But no doubt you can see it in her face.

[debraran]

22 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Nobody is a mind reader, so even if you think you know what someone is about to tell you, you can never be 100% sure. And many people want to talk about something that happened to them in their own words / on their own terms, even if it's painful. In Kate's case, the miscarriage is not going to be any less painful for her either way.

I thought Randall looked very stiff, almost like he didn't like saying the line, not because of what he said, it was just flat.  I can't imagine Randall thinking he knew before Kevin but why would Kevin be breaking the news to Randall? Lazy writing there, it just didn't feel right but they were centered on the other painful monologues with Kevin. Justin said he wouldn't say anything and I just groaned, he mentioned "pushing it down further" and I thought, it was not natural to me, but it's the writers call. He said maybe they'd have Randall comforting him later in the year, like he did for him.

Edited November 17, 2017 by debraran

[theatremouse]

When Kevin got to the door I thought he said something like "thanks for taking my call" to Randall. So I surmised the implication was Kevin had called Randall before leaving Pitt for NJ and said something like "I need to talk to you but I don't want to say it on the phone, can I come to your house now?" and Randall, thinking Kevin of course had heard from Kate first, recognized that Kevin was clearly very upset and had agreed to his coming over. So basically, Randall thought he was sparing Kevin the task of breaking it to Randall and thought he was going to comfort his brother over that. Or something like it. So Randall had a relatively reasonable in-character reason for saying what he did in that scene, but it's still super clunky writing because the drama is unearned.