S02.E16: Vegas, Baby

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Kate and Toby go to Las Vegas for their bachelor and bachelorette parties; Jack and Rebecca celebrate their anniversary.

Promo:

Edited February 28, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[mtlchick]

Post Olympics Depression is so bad this year that I forgot today is Tuesday. 

Sorry young Pearson children, the dog is now the cutest cast member.  

"You're Rehab Manny who got drunk and ran over his daughter with his car." 
 
Being the nerd that I am, I had to google the original air date of the Sex and the City clip that Kate and Randall was watching.  It aired in June 1998 so shortly after Jack died.  

Finally, I can never get enough of Opie.

I don't have much to comment on Deja this week, but based on the preview that aired on CTV, I may be shedding tears.

[Lady Calypso]

I think the most surprising part from the episode is that Jack, indeed, listened to his wife and didn't pull any grand romantic gestures. 

[Spartan Girl]

Geez, Kevin and Randall couldn't leave their dramas out of Toby and Kate's Vegas bachelor parties.

I know people get sick of Jack's great romantic gestures but as someone sick of all the shitty men we're currently enduring, it's nice to watch a good one every once in a while.

Loved Audio rolling over for Toby's belly rub.

[notcreative enough]

Kate and Beth looked absolutely gorgeous tonight. 

"Can I call you Randy?" "No." 

I felt bad for Toby with the Pearson brothers ditching him. Glad they showed up in the end. It would have been better if they felt bad on their own and not have Kate point out how crappy they were being.

Im sure Kate and Randall had scenes/ conversations before but since they seem to be so infrequent I forget about them. It's nice to see them together and with Kate and Beth together.

Maybe I'm a horrible person but I just don't care about Deja and if she get her own episode next week I'm going to so annoyed. 

Spoiler

This past week there was a blind item about a show giving someone cancer and alot of people speculated it was This is Us. Now I'm thinking it going to be Deja's mom and she goes to live with R&B. 

[Lady Calypso]

Just now, notcreative enough said:

Im sure Kate and Randall had scenes/ conversations before but since they seem to be so infrequent I forget about them. It's nice to see them together and with Kate and Beth together.

I agree. I loved the whole Randall/Beth/Kate stuff because we got to see those three characters interacting more. Plus, I really appreciate seeing the fight between Randall and Beth. It allowed for some much needed honesty between the two, and hopefully they can continue to chat. 

Randall/Kate scenes are sorely underused, so I am very appreciative for what we were given here. Hopefully that does continue.

Kevin was left out again, but that's alright with me. I'm just glad it seems like he didn't take any of the 27 bottles of alcohol in his room. I thought for sure Renata was going to find one or two missing. Or maybe she did and she took the money anyway. 

I enjoyed the flashback scenes. Kid Kevin is such a whiner, but I loved the little detail about him being into cooking, even if it was because he thought his parents would divorce. Parker Bates is such a talented little actor. He makes his character irritating when he whines, but also so damn loveable. 

[stonehaven]

I liked this but didn't love it...seems to me that certain people forgot why they were in Vegas..it was supposed to be about Kate and Toby.....although, I love that Kate seems to be opening up a bit more..Toby is changing her bit by bit...

[Laurie4H]

On a side note.  Does Kate have any type of steady income?    It never showed she had any long term full time job.  

[chocolatine]

I loved that kid Randall had a friend group at the public library. I really wish adult Randall was more like kid Randall - nerdy and sweet instead of perfectionist know-it-all.

8 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Geez, Kevin and Randall couldn't leave their dramas out of Toby and Kate's Vegas bachelor parties.

Seriously, they couldn't put their own stuff on the back burner even for one night. I don't even care that they tried to make up for it later, that was so selfish of them.

I kinda hate that Randall was proven right about his hunch that something was wrong with Deja, because now he'll feel justified to continue to obsess, overstep, and be a jerk to Beth.

Jack and Rebecca, great romantic gestures, blah blah blah, I don't care, what else is new?

[tennisgurl]

Audio is now officially the cutest cutie in the whole show. And the show has finally made me like Toby, so thats nice. It was sweet how much he wanted to hang out with Kate's brothers, and I felt really bad when they both bailed on him, and when he was talking about how his little brother never liked him. At least Kevin and Randall came around eventually, and they had a nice time. 

"Can I call you Randy?" "No". 

It was nice seeing Kevin and Randall bond, as well as Kate and Beth. I've always noticed that Beth was never very close to any of Randall's family, so I wondered if that would ever be brought up. Now we know why Kate never really bonded with Beth, did Beth just pick up on her vibes and avoid them? Or is there something else? It is sad that Kate and Beth dont have any real relationship, considering they've been sisters in law for several years now. 

The flashbacks were adorable, especially little Kevin hamming up the tears for dramatic affect. And Randall being the coolest kid in the library. 

So of course as soon as Randall decides to stop obsessing about Deja, it turns out she needs help. Randall is right again! I did like the Randall and Beth fight, even though I sided with Beth. Randall is always obsessing over things and getting on his "save some poor people" kicks, and Beth is always stuck being the one who has to actually make a plan following his big plans. And, yeah, he does tend to make everything about himself, even if he has good intentions. And, unfortunately, he tends to get proven right, and that means he just keeps on going.

So glad Kevin didn't relapse, I was convinced that he would. Randall would feel even worse if he was obsessing over Deja while his brother was relapsing upstairs. 

Kate looked amazing, and I love that her friendship with Madison is still a thing. The lady needs more in her life besides her family and her boyfriend and her dads ashes. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by tennisgurl

[debraran]

5 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I loved that kid Randall had a friend group at the public library. I really wish adult Randall was more like kid Randall - nerdy and sweet instead of perfectionist know-it-all.

Seriously, they couldn't put their own stuff on the back burner even for one night. I don't even care that they tried to make up for it later, that was so selfish of them.

I kinda hate that Randall was proven right about his hunch that something was wrong with Deja, because now he'll feel justified to continue to obsess, overstep, and be a jerk to Beth.

Jack and Rebecca, great romantic gestures, blah blah blah, I don't care, what else is new?

I felt bad I was bored with the Jack gestures. Enough is enough of that, we get it. I did like the scenes with the kids though. I also was dismayed that Randall would fight in front of Kate and interfere with the party.  I didn't want him to be right but I hope he does realize in the future his anxiety does have to be a work in progress.

I thought it was odd she said heat was turned off, most states have laws about that in winter, but it was more severe, they couldn't pay rent.

Why did Kevin so soon out of rehab, leave liquor around? No mentor to call? Just thought that was odd. He got through it but next time?

LOVED Kate's dress. ;)

Edited February 28, 2018 by debraran

[SnoGirl]

And the show highlights why I think bachelor/ette parties are super lame and never live up to their crazy high expectations.

I did like the end of the show where Randall, Kevin and Toby came together, just as Beth and Kate took some steps together. 

I wasnt sure where the anniversary celebration story was going with thr Vegas party, but I like how it came together at the end. The show can do subtle if it really wants (instead of the emotional sledgehammer it normally does).

Deja’s story kills me. I really thought no tears until I saw she was in the car.

[Runningwild]

I’m so happy Kevin didn’t drink and he will get to go to awards shows. And maybe be nominated? Love Ron Howard. 

 

Randall and Beth continue to annoy. Way to ruin Kate’s bachelorette party. But it’s typical behavior from them. Everywhere they go, they make it all about them (like The Manny taping).

[Amethyst]

Not a bad return, but was rolling my eyes through a lot of it.  With the exception of the lights in the bedroom and the meteor shower, I found the anniversary stuff to be really saccharine.  Nothing wrong with a quiet anniversary, like Rebecca actually asked for.  And Jack thought he was slick, egging on his kids to go through with it.  All I envisioned was a mess for Rebecca to clean up.  But Jack is God's Gift to Marriage, so whatever.  

Wanted to say the same thing to Randall, who behaved like a complete ass.  Does he really think that a night out of partying means that Beth didn't care about Deja?  And frankly, she voiced what everyone's been saying for weeks: that Randall's impulsiveness and anxiety might be endearing, but it's also a pain in the ass.

Lyric Ross does such a great job with Deja, but this foster story has gone on too long.  

It's sad that Beth isn't happy about her job.  I'm wondering if she wants to do more charitable things?  

Interesting how the Pearson kids don't seem to have any friends, although Kate had a few girls from her support group.  Of course we didn't meet any of them, so I guess they were Kate's "filler." 

Apparently, every poor bastard who works in customer service is meant to hear the story of the Pearson family.  The tragedy, the joys, and the angst.  Or parts of it.  At least the maid got $100 out of it.  Glad Kevin didn't relapse.

[ProudMary]

Why would Kevin not just have housekeeping clean out the bar?  Did he have to prove to himself that he could handle the temptation?  Vegas is not the place for that!

We actually didn't see any grand romantic gestures from Jack in the flashbacks shown.  It was kind of nice that we got to see Rebecca being the one to come through with the thoughtful, romantic anniversary gifts in the earliest flashbacks.

[MissT]

Did anyone notice the crock pot on the counter?   It was one of the first things I noticed in the kitchen.   

[BuckeyeLou]

Kate looked so pretty tonight....whatever they did to her hair (loved the head-band) and did her make-up, made her look lovely.  And Beth looked gorgeous, and I was LOL at Beth taking part in the Magic Mike show!  Randall walks in(I think in a way, he was getting a kick out of seeing his wife up there).  As everyone has mentioned, I enjoyed seeing Kate & Randall spend some time together & the scenes of them together were so cute,  Kate enjoyed seeing her brother as the "best nerd" at the library.  And then Randall taking the time to watch "Sex&the City" with Kate.  I really enjoyed the scenes of the Pearson brothers with Toby & making him feel part of the Family.   I Loved the scene of Jack&Rebecca on the roof watching the Meteor shower that Randall had told them all about :)  Some sweet moments(the doggie tummy rub) and some dramatic moments..I always find something to enjoy.

[ByaNose]

Okay, which writer on This Is Us has a thing for Deja? Can they please be fired?! Randall and Beth have two daughters at home already and are much more interesting. Please! Get rid of Deja & her mother. Ugh! 

I also appreciated that Jack was deJacked for the anniversary. I didn’t think he had it in him. LOL!!!

Overall, a nice episode. There wasn’t any heart stopping moments that I didn’t need to recover from. I need a rest every once in awhile. LOL!!!!

[voiceover]

Oh Toby.  Madison is you.  If you were a tiny 20-something.  

The Randall bachelor party story was very adorable.  

Huh.  A layer of Kate just peeled off, and it was labeled "Beth".   Didn't see that coming but not at all surprised.  There's a relationship I'd like to see develop.

The Kate/Randall scene by the slots -- along with the SATC flashback --might be one of my favorites of the whole series.  God, they have terrific chem, those two!

But mostly, I'm thankful for the low maintenance version of this show.  After the last couple eps, I needed the break.  

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

The piano was a grand gesture, IMO

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, mtlchick said:

Being the nerd that I am, I had to google the original air date of the Sex and the City clip that Kate and Randall was watching.  It aired in June 1998 so shortly after Jack died.  

Charlotte was asking Carrie's advice as re: her latest boyfriend's anal sex request.

I loved that they chose that shot.

[tennisgurl]

16 minutes ago, MissT said:

Did anyone notice the crock pot on the counter?   It was one of the first things I noticed in the kitchen.   

I spent way too long glaring at that murder machine. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

That Was Us:

[SadieT]

How did Jack get the piano in the house without Rebecca seeing it? 

I thought Rebecca's gifts to Jack were actually really sweet and thoughtful. It's a shame she felt she couldn't match Jack's gifts just because she didn't go big. 

I hope we get more Kate and Beth in future. Beth seems like fun, and they have an interesting dynamic. I also like Madison and all her nicknames for Toby. 

I admit I didn't care much for the Deja drama the first time around so I'm not terribly invested in her now. 

I went from not liking Toby to being annoyed on his behalf that his future brothers-in-law were behaving like self-involved asses and screwing up his bachelor party. 

[bros402]

4 hours ago, debraran said:

I felt bad I was bored with the Jack gestures. Enough is enough of that, we get it. I did like the scenes with the kids though. I also was dismayed that Randall would fight in front of Kate and interfere with the party.  I didn't want him to be right but I hope he does realize in the future his anxiety does have to be a work in progress.

I thought it was odd she said heat was turned off, most states have laws about that in winter, but it was more severe, they couldn't pay rent.

Why did Kevin so soon out of rehab, leave liquor around? No mentor to call? Just thought that was odd. He got through it but next time?

LOVED Kate's dress. ;)

I imagine that since Deja is monitored by DCF, the case worker would know the income situation - and would've put them in touch with NJ LIHEAP. So they would have had heat covered if they applied for it - I imagine the social worker would count that against Deja's mother if/when she found out.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a ding on Randall/Beth when the social worker finds out Deja went to them for money and they gave it to her.

16 minutes ago, SadieT said:

How did Jack get the piano in the house without Rebecca seeing it? 

I thought Rebecca's gifts to Jack were actually really sweet and thoughtful. It's a shame she felt she couldn't match Jack's gifts just because she didn't go big. 

I hope we get more Kate and Beth in future. Beth seems like fun, and they have an interesting dynamic. I also like Madison and all her nicknames for Toby. 

I admit I didn't care much for the Deja drama the first time around so I'm not terribly invested in her now. 

I went from not liking Toby to being annoyed on his behalf that his future brothers-in-law were behaving like self-involved asses and screwing up his bachelor party. 

Jack got the piano in through the power of Jack.

Or maybe he took Rebecca out and Miguel supervised the piano delivery. I'd like to see an episode with the kids when they were kids and Miguel - since I bet they had a decent amount of interaction before they were teens.

[mochamajesty]

Kate's comment at the party - "Randall has made it perfectly clear who is more important to him".  Ummm... a wife comes first, don 't get why she is upset about that.

I am on Beth's side re Deja. I also wouldn't have given her any money.  I mean, the girl just shows up begging for money?  Maybe it's my black heart, but my first thought was that her mom sent her there for the money.  Gah, I wish this storyline would go away.

Sorry, Kate looked awful in that dress.

[debraran]

50 minutes ago, mochamajesty said:

Kate's comment at the party - "Randall has made it perfectly clear who is more important to him".  Ummm... a wife comes first, don 't get why she is upset about that.

I am on Beth's side re Deja. I also wouldn't have given her any money.  I mean, the girl just shows up begging for money?  Maybe it's my black heart, but my first thought was that her mo

 

How many episodes could Randall watch of Sex and the City?  : 0   He had to move on. ; ) Yes, I thought, especially at the shower, that was an odd comment. I'm sure she could have visited them many times before and after kids and saying it seemed like always Kate and Kevin, well that's what we saw all the time.  It was like the writers read, "Why isn't Kate ever with Randall" and you get a show about them doing things together. Maybe they'll have more flashbacks to that time.

I loved how they addressed the friends issue also. They never showed them and were honest about it.

Re Deja, I don't feel it either, it's like when they manipulate too much, I turn off. Lets make this dramatic return, pull the heart strings, etc. Let's not mention telling her you'll help anytime and giving her money without telling her social worker you suspect something is wrong, was not a good thing. I don't mind the fostering storyline, I just wish they'd be a little more realistic.  If they couldn't pay the heat bill, did it occur to Randall, food or electricity or other things weren't right and they know about agencies to help.

Edited February 28, 2018 by debraran

[project90]

am I only one who feels Jack death less sad by fact we clearly still going see him every episode

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Randall and Kevin were selfish jerks to leave Toby's bachelor party. Look, shit happens. Life doesn't stop because of whatever is happening to you. But if you agree to go to something like a bachelor party, you can put all of the other stuff on hold for ONE DAY, put on a happy face, and help this person celebrate. Unless someone calls to say that there's been a death in the family, whatever drama is going on with you can wait. It doesn't matter if the guest of honor is a friend or your future in brother in law. Whoever it is deserves the common decency for you to be a gracious guest for a few hours. They shouldn't have needed Kate's guilt trip to apologize.

I get why Kate and Beth have not been close until now. As Kate pointed out, she's only spent about seven minutes one on one with Beth. I would guess that most of the time they have spent together is at family gatherings so all they had to do was say hello, make some polite conversation, and then go their separate ways (Beth could talk to Randall or Rebecca, Kate could talk to her brothers). It's easier to make one on one time if you live in the same city so you can make plans to do something together (get coffee, go shopping, see a movie) but since Kate moved to LA with Kevin then it seems like the only time they would see each other is when Kevin and Kate come home for holidays and other family gatherings.

I'm not saying it's okay that they both seem to have made no effort to get to know each other, but it's a lot more understandable when you live on opposite sides of the country. When you add on top of the geography issue the fact that Kate was very intimidated by Beth, it makes even more sense. I would also like to add that it's okay if you aren't BFFs with your in laws. As long as you're nice to them, I'm fine with not trying to become best friends with them.

But I'm glad that Kate and Beth talked and are making a tiny bit of progress in their relationship. After some of the initial bumps during S1 (Toby getting fed up with Kate and Kevin's relationship), Kevin has seemed to get along with Toby.

Loved the two Pretty Woman references we got in this episode. I had to laugh when Kate said that Jack should put on a tuxedo and Rebecca should go put on the Julia Roberts hooker outfit. Yes, faux patent leather thigh high boots are the perfect look for an anniversary dinner! Toby's Pretty Woman reference later cracked me up. Big mistake! Huge!

I think it was totally fine with Rebecca wanting to have one anniversary without any grand gestures, especially considering the kids' ages at the time. That's not the time to splurge on anniversary gifts like pianos, so on a practical/financial level I understand putting it on hold for one year. I was actually shocked that Jack was originally going to completely honor her wish and do nothing for their anniversary. I thought he would have negotiated something like a $1 spending limit or making something homemade.

[Trillian]

I’m so glad that something good finally happened for Kevin, even though I saw it coming when the female co-star said that Ron Howard had sent her a handwritten note and Kevin didn’t get one.  They weren’t going to portray Ron Howard as an ass who wouldn’t have also sent Kevin a note.  I hope Ron Howard’s prediction comes true and look forward to seeing Kevin in his new tux at the Oscars.  I’m already wondering whom he’ll take as his date - his twin sister? Rebecca?  Or ... will Sophie return to walk the red carpet?  Kevin’s my favourite, so I’m going to hang on to that dream until the show crushes it. 

Didn’t think it was odd that Kate and Beth had never bonded. I like both of my sisters-in-law well enough, but can’t think of a single heart-to-heart I’ve had with either one in the 25 years or so each has been in my life. We chat pleasantly at family gatherings, but don’t seek each other out as friends. Of course, we all have actual friends, unlike Kate. 

I don’t need more Déjà. I don’t want more Deja. I want Beth to have been right and pompous Randall to have wrong to have tried to steal a poor woman’s child. I watch this show for the Big Three - all three versions of them - and their parents. The whole time Randall was in Vegas obsessing about Deja, I kept thinking “how are Tess and Annie doing, Randall?  Remember them?  Even if they’re safe with Rebecca and Miguel or with friends, shouldn’t you remember you have your own kids?”

[JudyObscure]

3 hours ago, bros402 said:

Jack got the piano in through the power of Jack.

And he paid $49.99  for it after  telling the store owner a sweet story about how much his wife's singing means to him.

[Katy M]

I've been waiting for Randall/Kate, so I was happy to see it.  It's usually Kate/Kevin or Randall/Kevin.  I've always liked Toby even if I sometimes find him a bit OTT, but I liked him even more in this epi.  I was so sad for him when Randall and Kevin ditched him.  I don't know if I'm wrong for doing so, but I'm going to give Kevin a bit more of a pass, though it would have been nice if he had at least made his excuses to Toby in person.  Even though there was alcohol in his room (and yes, he should have just requested that the alcohol be removed), I don't think a bar was the best place for him when he got upsetting news, or what he thought was upsetting news.

Randall couldn't do anything about Deja until they got back home.  There was no reason for him to both ditch Toby and make a scene at Kate's bachelorette party.   And Beth ticked me off in that scene also.  Sorry, Beth, but when you're fighting at your sister-in-law's party, it does make it a bit of her business.  Although, I can't entirely hate all that, because it did give me my much waited for Randall/Kate, and also a possible future Kate/Beth friendship.  

I love Madison.  If Toby and Kate don't work out, he should totally get together with Madison.  They're two peas in a pod.

[Runningwild]

15 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Randall couldn't do anything about Deja until they got back home.  There was no reason for him to both ditch Toby and make a scene at Kate's bachelorette party.   And Beth ticked me off in that scene also.  Sorry, Beth, but when you're fighting at your sister-in-law's party, it does make it a bit of her business.  

This! I even told Kate that! She didn’t hear me though. Randall and Beth have a horrible habit of having public arguments when they are supposed to be there for someone else. 

[sadiegirl1999]

I love Beth, if only for the sheer fact that I have a Randall. It's EXHAUSTING, so girl DID deserve a night to party with Magic Mike. And damn, she looked hot. That outfit was everything! 

I also loved how when Kate came by later, her "hair" was on the night stand and she was in her jammies, eating candy. 

Madison needs a bigger part on this show b/c she's awesome..."Toby Bryant". 

I also feel like she said something in the beginning that seemed like the writers read this forum! 

Some of the things they do on this show seems to come straight from here! LOL 

[llewis823]

8 hours ago, Amethyst said:

All I envisioned was a mess for Rebecca to clean up. 

My thoughts exactly.

[DearEvette]

Honestly, I would have been fine if Beth, Toby and Madison had ditched everyone else and gone off to have their own fun.  Of all the people there, they seemed to be the only three who were really ready to have Vegas, Baby bachelor/ette fun times. 

To varying degrees, the Big Three seemed like buzzkills with Randall being number one buzzkill of all.  I don't blame Beth at all, Randall could have left it alone for her to have her fun, even for another hour or two.  He had to go seek her out in the middle of Magic Mike magicness just to piss on her good time.  I love Randall dearly, but that was a dick move. 

On a shallow note, I loved that glittery mesh shawl thingy Beth wore. 

Also, I love that she used the word 'Chirren' LOL.

Edited February 28, 2018 by DearEvette

[llewis823]

51 minutes ago, Trillian said:

The whole time Randall was in Vegas obsessing about Deja, I kept thinking “how are Tess and Annie doing, Randall?  Remember them?  Even if they’re safe with Rebecca and Miguel or with friends, shouldn’t you remember you have your own kids?”

WORD!

[drafan]

9 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Audio is now officially the cutest cutie in the whole show.

 

I actually know someone with this name and its spelled/pronounced "Audiel".

So now the writers are reaching into Mandy Moore's film past and making her a star-gazer like in "A Walk to Remember"...what's next ....her walking around simpering/singing...oh wait! ...she already did that. Hopefully, she doesn't get leukemia soon. Ugh.

ETA: Oh yeah, remind me that I can purchase a full-sized piano as a gift, put a big bow on it, roll it into a house, and no one will notice until I say "Ta-da!"

Edited February 28, 2018 by drafan

[Haleth]

9 hours ago, SnoGirl said:

And the show highlights why I think bachelor/ette parties are super lame and never live up to their crazy high expectations.

And there is always a fight.  

8 hours ago, MissT said:

Did anyone notice the crock pot on the counter?   It was one of the first things I noticed in the kitchen.   

I was looking for it!

I thought it was a kind of meh episode, but I did like that finally the Kates and Randalls had some interaction.  And Beth and Kate.  

I am so hoping the writers are not going to have Deja and her mom move in with the Pearsons.  (Not a spoiler.  I have no clue.)  It's not a storyline I'd like to see.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, Trillian said:

The whole time Randall was in Vegas obsessing about Deja, I kept thinking “how are Tess and Annie doing, Randall?  Remember them?  Even if they’re safe with Rebecca and Miguel or with friends, shouldn’t you remember you have your own kids?”

Beth said the girls were with Rebecca. I know how obsessive we can be about this show so I'm just putting that out there before someone asks!

[Phoebe70]

I may be in the minority, but I'm not a fan of Kevin.  That whole soliloquy with the maid about the 27 bottles of booze was ridiculous.  I'm sure she had many rooms to clean and didn't give a rat's butt about his alcoholism.  It's Kevin's World and we just live in it (eye roll).

And Toby telling Kevin to call Ron Howard was just bad advice.  I almost wished that Kevin's role in the film had been cut out.  Everything always ends up working out for the golden boy.

Beth looked gorgeous with her hair down.  Kate, well, I'm sorry but she looks like she is getting even heavier.  When she was sitting on the couch with Toby in that flowered dress, she just looked so uncomfortable.  I really hope she loses weight, not for vanity reasons, but for her health.

[babs1226]

30 minutes ago, drafan said:

I actually know someone with this name and its spelled/pronounced "Audiel".

In the dog's case, it's Audio.  The woman at the shelter told Kate they named him that because he loves music.

[Katy M]

40 minutes ago, drafan said:

ETA: Oh yeah, remind me that I can purchase a full-sized piano as a gift, put a big bow on it, roll it into a house, and no one will notice until I say "Ta-da!"

I figure they went out to dinner, friends moved the piano in, and they came back home through the kitchen.  That's my story and I'm sticking to i.

 

13 minutes ago, Phoebe70 said:

I may be in the minority, but I'm not a fan of Kevin.  That whole soliloquy with the maid about the 27 bottles of booze was ridiculous.  I'm sure she had many rooms to clean and didn't give a rat's butt about his alcoholism.  It's Kevin's World and we just live in it (eye roll).

I don't disagree that she didn't care, but he did leave her $100 tip, so that's pretty good pay for listening to a five minute speech.  

[BonnieD]

Quote

Didn’t think it was odd that Kate and Beth had never bonded. I like both of my sisters-in-law well enough, but can’t think of a single heart-to-heart I’ve had with either one in the 25 years or so each has been in my life. We chat pleasantly at family gatherings, but don’t seek each other out as friends. Of course, we all have actual friends, unlike Kate. 

Ditto to that. Although actually i do talk about some personal things with the one of my sis-in-laws who lives close but we've never gone out together without our spouses. I have plenty of sisters of my own, know what I mean?

I like that Toby and Kate come right out and admit to being co-dependant and having hardly any friends. That's because the writers wrote you guys that way :)
Love that the relationships between inlaws and the siblings was explored. Interesting stuff.
Agreed that the social worker should have been notified rather than Randall just handing out cash like Santa Claus.
Beth must make piles of money at her job to be able to afford to keep up on their regular lifestyle AND buy Randall's dream project tenement. Also, how could they possibly spare even a day to go to L.A. with that whole tenement renovation hanging over them? Sheesh.

Stupid Kevin not to have the mini-bar cleared out rather than trying to challenge himself to resist. Stupid, stupid. And he sat there brooding instead of calling his sponsor.

Just realized I listed mostly negatives but I really did enjoy the episode.
 

[Sammich]

9 hours ago, voiceover said:

Oh Toby.  Madison is you.  If you were a tiny 20-something.  

The Randall bachelor party story was very adorable.  

Huh.  A layer of Kate just peeled off, and it was labeled "Beth".   Didn't see that coming but not at all surprised.  There's a relationship I'd like to see develop.

The Kate/Randall scene by the slots -- along with the SATC flashback --might be one of my favorites of the whole series.  God, they have terrific chem, those two!

But mostly, I'm thankful for the low maintenance version of this show.  After the last couple eps, I needed the break.  

I also noticed the chemistry between Kate and Randall.  When the show doesn't cram a relationship down our throats, it appears more genuine to me.  I got very teary eyed during their scenes together. 

[Jeddah]

10 hours ago, debraran said:

 

I thought it was odd she said heat was turned off, most states have laws about that in winter, but it was more severe, they couldn't pay rent.

Especially since it was $90, which seems like Deja’s mother couldn’t have been more than one month’s payment behind.

Are Deja and her mom going to move to Randall and Beth’s apartment building?

[Biggie B]

As Deja is homeless, how does she have a working cell phone? I guess she finds places during the day to charge it, but who's paying for it?

As soon as Kevin got into his hotel room, he should've gotten rid of the alcohol or asked to have it removed, if he felt he couldn't trust himself to do so. But as mentioned, I guess he kept it there as a way of testing himself. That seems like a pretty big gamble so early in his recovery. As others have pointed out, he should've called his sponsor. Maybe Kevin thought that would be a sign of weakness, and wanted to prove to himself that he could resist temptation all by himself. He passed the tests this time, but...

Seems like child Kevin had quite a bit of one-on-one quality time with his father in these flashbacks. Guess it wasn't sufficient in the long run.

I, too, was happy to see teen Kate and Randall together, and I also like seeing them with each other as adults. Randall seems less anxious and fraught around Kate, and she seems so genuine and low key with him. More, please.

Who was taking care of Audio while Toby (Toblerone) and Kate were in Vegas? That dog is INSANELY adorable!!!

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, Biggie B said:

As Deja is homeless, how does she have a working cell phone? I guess she finds places during the day to charge it, but who's paying for it?

I imagine Randall's been paying for it all along.

 

2 minutes ago, Biggie B said:

As soon as Kevin got into his hotel room, he should've gotten rid of the alcohol or asked to have it removed, if he felt he couldn't trust himself to do so

Obviously he should have asked for it to be removed rather than get rid of it himself.  I know Kevin likes to throw money around, but to pay for an entire mini-bar's worth of alcohol to throw down the sink is insane.

 

3 minutes ago, Biggie B said:

Who was taking care of Audio while Toby (Toblerone) and Kate were in Vegas?

Professional pet sitter, I would imagine. 

[Ohiopirate02]

1 minute ago, Biggie B said:

As Deja is homeless, how does she have a working cell phone? I guess she finds places during the day to charge it, but who's paying for it?

As soon as Kevin got into his hotel room, he should've gotten rid of the alcohol or asked to have it removed, if he felt he couldn't trust himself to do so. But as mentioned, I guess he kept it there as a way of testing himself. That seems like a pretty big gamble so early in his recovery. As others have pointed out, he should've called his sponsor. Maybe Kevin thought that would be a sign of weakness, and wanted to prove to himself that he could resist temptation all by himself. He passed the tests this time, but...

Seems like child Kevin had quite a bit of one-on-one quality time with his father in these flashbacks. Guess it wasn't sufficient in the long run.

I, too, was happy to see teen Kate and Randall together, and I also like seeing them with each other as adults. Randall seems less anxious and fraught around Kate, and she seems so genuine and low key with him. More, please.

Who was taking care of Audio while Toby (Toblerone) and Kate were in Vegas? That dog is INSANELY adorable!!!

Most homeless will charge their phones at the local public library.  Her phone is probably also a pre-pay or she is on Randall and Beth's account.  I can see Randall making sure Deja always had a way to contact him and Beth.

[Good Queen Jane]

I read that the show runner considered this a light-hearted episode. I guess it was compared to Jack's death and the immediate aftermath episodes, but this wasn't exactly  a laughfest.

Kate said that she and Randall hung out together the year after Jack died. I wonder where Kevin was.