S03.E03 Katie Girls

[Soup333]

51 minutes ago, Conotocarious said:

I definitely don’t think the show is dropping hints that Beth is having an affair but I do think they’re dropping hints that Beth is “her” in the flash forward.

The Toby connection is obviously the “other three” friendship.

 

43 minutes ago, Katy M said:

You probably wouldn't be able to tell.  I'm not trying to be rude, but my mother's college roommate was around Kate's size and didn't know she was pregnant until she was in labor.

These two comments made me wonder about that flash forward. I swear I remember reading that Chrissy's contract included a bit about weight loss. But that part of present Kate's story seems to have been dropped. I know she spent time with some of the weight loss people on her birthday but did she and Toby seriously consider waiting until she'd lost some weight and then trying for a baby? Are they still attending those classes? I'm wondering if that flash forward is going to be tricky for them to pull off. Because Mature Kate will either have to be played by a thinner actress or we just accept that she never lost any weight as she got older. In general, pulling of these different timelines in the present or future would throw a wrench in any serious weight loss plans they might have planned for her.

And speaking of that flash forward, I really hope whoever it is and whatever it is will be something awesome for once. Let's not be going to visit a grave or someone in a mental institution. 

ETA: Or a prison. lol.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Soup333

[albinerhawk]

I was actually confused by this episode. It seemed to me that the other guy (forgot his name) was actually more supportive of Rebecca and her dreams than Jack. She asked Jack about his dream, and he had a picture of a happy home life. Meanwhile the other guy seemed supportive of Rebecca all the way from high school when she decided to go a different way. Later it seems that Rebecca pushed the pause button on singing career to raise the big 3. Kind of takes away from the St Jack look we usually see.

On another note, what did they mean that Beth had worked at the firm for 12 years. She was a SAHM in the first season, and I thought she had been for awhile. 

[topanga]

17 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Which I thought was weird - doesn't the woman's last name usually go first (if it's a heterosexual marriage)?  

I thought it said Pearson-Damon

[Lady Calypso]

7 minutes ago, topanga said:

I thought it said Pearson-Damon

I think you're right. I think I thought I saw Pearson , Damon, and not Pearson-Damon, which is why I assumed this was a hint toward her having a boy named Damon.

14 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

On another note, what did they mean that Beth had worked at the firm for 12 years. She was a SAHM in the first season, and I thought she had been for awhile. 

Huh. That's a good point. 

[Katy M]

14 minutes ago, Soup333 said:

did she and Toby seriously consider waiting until she'd lost some weight and then trying for a baby?

I commented on this elsewhere. Kate just turned 38.  To lose enough weight in a healthy manner to put her at a healthy weight would probably take her 3 or 4 years, at least.  Add a year for the pregnancy and that puts her at 43, 44 years old.  Issues of its own for childbirth.

 

14 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

Meanwhile the other guy seemed supportive of Rebecca all the way from high school when she decided to go a different way.

On the other hand, he basically told her she couldn't move to LA, but had to move to New York, because that's where he was going.  He didn't put his London thing on hold (not that I'm saying he should have) to stay home with her and promote her singing career.

 

15 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

Later it seems that Rebecca pushed the pause button on singing career to raise the big 3. Kind of takes away from the St Jack look we usually see.

They both decided to have kids, although I will admit, Jack pushed for it a bit harder, but Rebecca did want them, so not seeing how that makes him a bad person or unsupportive.  He didn't purposely get her pregnant with triplets, although he was a big part of replacing Kyle with Randall.

 

17 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

On another note, what did they mean that Beth had worked at the firm for 12 years. She was a SAHM in the first season, and I thought she had been for awhile. 

She had an office at home that she was clearly working from. So, just because she was doing the work from home doesn't mean she wasn't working for that company (or government entity, like Randall, I have no idea what she does).

[ECM1231]

4 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I commented on this elsewhere. Kate just turned 38.  To lose enough weight in a healthy manner to put her at a healthy weight would probably take her 3 or 4 years, at least.  Add a year for the pregnancy and that puts her at 43, 44 years old.  Issues of its own for childbirth.

 

On the other hand, he basically told her she couldn't move to LA, but had to move to New York, because that's where he was going.  He didn't put his London thing on hold (not that I'm saying he should have) to stay home with her and promote her singing career.

 

They both decided to have kids, although I will admit, Jack pushed for it a bit harder, but Rebecca did want them, so not seeing how that makes him a bad person or unsupportive.  He didn't purposely get her pregnant with triplets, although he was a big part of replacing Kyle with Randall.

 

She had an office at home that she was clearly working from. So, just because she was doing the work from home doesn't mean she wasn't working for that company (or government entity, like Randall, I have no idea what she does).

Not sure but I had thought Beth was an urban planner.

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, Katy M said:

She had an office at home that she was clearly working from. So, just because she was doing the work from home doesn't mean she wasn't working for that company (or government entity, like Randall, I have no idea what she does).

I think they established in the first season that she was a stay at home mom for years and she was planning to go back to work, meaning that she wasn't working while at home with the kids. It's why they talked about Randall providing for the family and then when he quit his job, Beth had to provide for the family.

I guess it's possible they didn't mean 12 consecutive years and that she had gone BACK to work for the company, but that would mean she started working for the company during her college years. Plus, I thought they said last season that she was applying for jobs and this was a new place. 

I may have to do some research here because I think it's a continuity issue, but this show is usually decent at continuity.

[topanga]

2 minutes ago, Katy M said:

She had an office at home that she was clearly working from. So, just because she was doing the work from home doesn't mean she wasn't working for that company (or government entity, like Randall, I have no idea what she does).

In the episode where Beth she thought she was pregnant, she said she’d been planning to return to work full time. Which made me think she was working part time and possibly telecommuting. 

So is Beth a victim of the Mommy Tax? And I thought she was supposed to be really good at her job. Why was she all of a sudden not valuable to the company? And aren’t they a non-profit anyway?

[Katy M]

5 minutes ago, topanga said:

So is Beth a victim of the Mommy Tax? And I thought she was supposed to be really good at her job. Why was she all of a sudden not valuable to the company? And aren’t they a non-profit anyway?

She's not "not valuable."  She's just less valuable than the other two.  If they had laid off one of the other people, they would have wondered the same thing.  I got laid off from my last job because I was the highest paid hourly employee.  Most bang for their buck to get rid of me.  Didn't mean I wasn't valuable.

[ShadowFacts]

48 minutes ago, kili said:

Her appointment was at 8 am. It was on her calendar right above where she wrote "8 eggs"

Interesting, so far it's only eggs and not embryos.  I don't know how long that fertilization process takes in IVF, maybe there is a waiting period?  If so, why did Toby have to 'produce' on the spot?  Drama?

[Soup333]

17 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I commented on this elsewhere. Kate just turned 38.  To lose enough weight in a healthy manner to put her at a healthy weight would probably take her 3 or 4 years, at least.  Add a year for the pregnancy and that puts her at 43, 44 years old.  Issues of its own for childbirth.

But was it ever on the table? Did her mom mention it besides saying the surgery was dangerous for someone of her size? Did Randall say anything about it when he whipped out his knowledge of egg retrieval surgery? Has her desire weight loss been mentioned at all this season or is it just another issue that’s fallen by the wayside? 

[Lady Iris]

12 hours ago, mtlchick said:

But Randall needs to figure out that he can't save everybody.  Deja, the rec center...what's he going to do now that Beth doesn't have a job?  Does he even have a steady job now? 

Who has time for a full job when he's running amok putting out everybody's fires? I think it might come as a shock to him he may have to return to work instead of saving the world or flying across America every other day.

 

12 hours ago, Eureka said:

Love Jane Kazmareck (I know I spelled that wrong)

Ohhh thank you. I knew I recognized the face but I could not place her.

 

8 hours ago, izabella said:

I know that Randall goes all-in on things, but why would he be called about the girl being robbed and in the hospital with a broken arm? 

I guffawed when I saw what he left Toby and Kate for. Like, wait? What? Why is the mother glaring at Randall like its his job to police the neighborhood?

Edited October 10, 2018 by Lady Iris

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, Soup333 said:

Has her desire weight loss been mentioned at all this season or is it just another issue that’s fallen by the wayside?

She did say she lost 20 (?) pounds.  Maybe 40. I'm not good with remembering numbers.

[Evagirl]

12 hours ago, ShortyMac said:

Kate is still annoying. I think her trying to have a baby at her weight is plain stupid and irresponsible.

The writers have made her character very unlikable IMO.

[Ohiopirate02]

40 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

I was actually confused by this episode. It seemed to me that the other guy (forgot his name) was actually more supportive of Rebecca and her dreams than Jack. She asked Jack about his dream, and he had a picture of a happy home life. Meanwhile the other guy seemed supportive of Rebecca all the way from high school when she decided to go a different way. Later it seems that Rebecca pushed the pause button on singing career to raise the big 3. Kind of takes away from the St Jack look we usually see.

On another note, what did they mean that Beth had worked at the firm for 12 years. She was a SAHM in the first season, and I thought she had been for awhile. 

I saw this differently.  Jack and Rebecca meet in 1972 and she doesn't get pregnant with the kids until 1980.  We know that they do eventually move back to Pittsburgh, but there's a lot of time in between for Jack and Rebecca to move to LA for her dream.  Until we get a scene where Jack pressures Rebecca to move back to PA, it very well could be that Rebecca is the one who decides to move back.  Obviously she does not get the success she dreams of, but what exactly happens is unknown at this point.  I really don't mind the story going in this direction. 

[Haleth]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

What I noted was that the three babies seemed to be Kevin, Kate, and Randall, but then when the three disappeared and the camera focused on another card briefly, it said Damon Pearson. So I suspect that may be a hint toward Kate having a boy and naming him Damon in the future.

ETA: Or....likely that it's really Damon-Pearson since I think Toby's last name is Damon. So nevermind on that.

I thought the empty crib represented the baby she lost. 

[Katy M]

7 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I saw this differently.  Jack and Rebecca meet in 1972 and she doesn't get pregnant with the kids until 1980.  We know that they do eventually move back to Pittsburgh, but there's a lot of time in between for Jack and Rebecca to move to LA for her dream.  Until we get a scene where Jack pressures Rebecca to move back to PA, it very well could be that Rebecca is the one who decides to move back.  Obviously she does not get the success she dreams of, but what exactly happens is unknown at this point.  I really don't mind the story going in this direction. 

I don't think they ever move out of Pittsburgh, but I'm not putting the blame on Jack.  There are many more singers that don't make it than do.  Up until when she had the kids she was singing in bars and apparently happy doing it.  And, I could be wrong, but I think we also know from a prior season flashback that she did send a demo tape somewhere and it was rejected.

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, Haleth said:

I thought the empty crib represented the baby she lost. 

And that....actually makes perfect sense to whatever I was thinking. 

15 minutes ago, Katy M said:

She did say she lost 20 (?) pounds.  Maybe 40. I'm not good with remembering numbers.

I think it was 40 pounds.

[Neurochick]

12 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

At first tonight, I thought Beth's cousin could be a full on sociopath.  She wasn't interested in anything until it was something that could possibly benefit her.  Then, she did seem interested in helping Kevin to understand his Dad's time in Vietnam, appearing supportive and even suggesting he contact the men in the pictures.  But.. alas, I think she sees an opportunity for herself to produce a documentary.  Beth does love Kevin and did warn him about her. 

I wouldn't call that a sociopath.  I mean a lot of folks perk up when something interests them.  

Quote

So is Beth a victim of the Mommy Tax? And I thought she was supposed to be really good at her job. Why was she all of a sudden not valuable to the company? And aren’t they a non-profit anyway?

Maybe her boss is a racist douchebag, Beth sues the company and walks away with 10 million dollars.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Neurochick

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I don't think they ever move out of Pittsburgh, but I'm not putting the blame on Jack.  There are many more singers that don't make it than do.  Up until when she had the kids she was singing in bars and apparently happy doing it.  And, I could be wrong, but I think we also know from a prior season flashback that she did send a demo tape somewhere and it was rejected.

The writers still gave Jack and Rebecca a large chunk of time before having kids for them to really open up this story line.  I do get the feeling that they try LA for at least a few months.  I really hope the writers don't have them stay in Pittsburgh though.  I would hate to see Rebecca give up on her dream because she met a guy especially with this amount of time.  If they stay in Pittsburgh, then the date for years before getting married and still wait to begin a family.  This would be a total snoozefest.

[Lady Calypso]

5 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I wouldn't call that a sociopath.  I mean a lot of folks perk up when something interests them.  

Very true. I think she was very obvious in her intentions when Kevin mentioned who he was going to be interviewed by after telling him that she wasn't going to come along with him the first time and then changed her mind, but I think that was more of her thinking of her own opportunities, her own career perhaps. It's a little shady, in terms of how quickly she decided to use Kevin for his "in" with someone she admires, but it's not a bad thing, necessarily. It shows the type of person she can be, for sure, but it showed that she puts herself first above others. Again, definitely not a bad thing but it may be that Zoe isn't the type to be in a relationship long-term and she may be more career-oriented. Maybe, like Kevin, she's better when she's single, rather than when she's in a relationship.

[Aloeonatable]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I totally support Kevin wanting to learn more about Jack's time in Vietnam. There are some people who have a moment where they realize that they want to know more about their family tree and it usually doesn't happen until adulthood so I hope Kevin doesn't beat himself up too much about not asking Jack more questions when he was younger.

I totally agree. My husband, a Vietnam vet, rarely talks about his experience to me, but has to our son. 

[kili]

Quote

Interesting, so far it's only eggs and not embryos.  I don't know how long that fertilization process takes in IVF, maybe there is a waiting period? 

Her calendar also said that they would find out how many eggs were fertilized the day after the treatment (it was on the next day in the calendar).

Quote

If so, why did Toby have to 'produce' on the spot?  Drama?

Human eggs have a short shelf-life. They generally apply the sperm soon after and the next morning, you find out how many were successfully fertilized (lots of reasons why some might not).

Eight eggs were retrieved and if they are all fertilized, they will only put some of them in (like they said on "Friends" - she's not a gumball machine). The unused fertilized eggs can then be frozen to try again later or for a second child. It was only quite recently that they figured out how to freeze unfertilized human eggs. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by kili

[chitowngirl]

11 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

Jack didn't even have enough money to take Rebecca to a carnival and now he can just up and go to LA?  

He didn’t have enough money in his pocket right then and there. Didn’t he just happen to go to the bar for a beer or two and then he saw Rebecca sing and asked her out for that night. The date was spontaneous. You couldn’t just Tap the Mac back then.

[mojoween]

Zoe hears Kevin say something about not dating anyone or something, and she seemed hurt by it, and then...nothing.  I feel like I missed something here.

Bless whoever made Jack’s 1970’s pants. Milo should wear them everywhere every time.

Teen Kate would automatically elevate every episode, and Kate generally is my least favorite character.

[chocolatine]

3 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Didn’t he just happen to go to the bar for a beer or two and then he saw Rebecca sing and asked her out for that night.

No, he went to the bar to rob it. So Rebecca's singing didn't just make him fall madly in love with her, it also saved him from a life of crime. *eyeroll*

52 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Drama?

Always!

Edited October 10, 2018 by chocolatine

[Lady Calypso]

6 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Teen Kate would automatically elevate every episode, and Kate generally is my least favorite character.

All the younger versions of the Big Three are great. Kid Kevin, for example, had more to do this episode than to whine. Parker Bates did a great job here, and I think he even channeled Justin Hartley a little bit. Hannah Zeile did a great job as Dream Teen Kate. The kids and teens are all fantastic actors and actresses.

[Miss Bones]

12 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Surprisingly, as annoying as Kate can be, I think her scene with Randall at the beginning helped put me on her side. I think the writers wrote Kate's perspective better than I thought they would.

I said to myself while watching the beginning with Randall/Kate "Damn it, Randall!  Why must you make me side with Kate??"  I don't think that had ever happened to me before last night's episode.

 

11 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Well, it definitely wasn't Logan, and I for one thought that was obvious when we first saw him last week.

Nope, but it is Silas from "Weeds".

 

10 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

I was completely underwhelmed by the three Kates and Jack dream sequence.  What was the point of that?  To show us that even in dreams, Jack encourages his daughter to make unhealthy food choices?  

 

 

^^This made me laugh way more than it should have.

 

 

3 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Zoe is a pretentious twit and I loved that Terry Gross was completely indifferent to her.

Agree 100%.

 

2 hours ago, Arcadiasw said:

I'm not trusting Zoe either and I didnt like how the radio host kept asking questions when Kevin said he didn't know about his Dad's time in Vietnam. He was obviously uncomfortable he didn't know.

Thank you!  Read a room for shit's sake, lady.  I also thought it was insensitive how she kept pressing it.

 

1 hour ago, Conotocarious said:

I definitely don’t think the show is dropping hints that Beth is having an affair but I do think they’re dropping hints that Beth is “her” in the flash forward.

The Toby connection is obviously the “other three” friendship.

I agree-- I have not picked up on any Beth-having-an-affair hints, but I am curious which hints that you think that they have dropped that she is the "her" in the Flash-Forward. 

 

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

Is Hannah Ziele (spelling?) wearing a fat suit?  She looks "bigger" in the dream sequence.  

I noticed in last week's episode that she looked like she was wearing a fat suit.  When she was eating the cookies and she told Rebecca about all the weight she'd gained.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Interesting, so far it's only eggs and not embryos.  I don't know how long that fertilization process takes in IVF, maybe there is a waiting period?  If so, why did Toby have to 'produce' on the spot?  Drama?

Normally, he wouldn't have been asked to produce the specimen while his wife was still in surgery, but, yes, he would need to produce one at some point proximate to the egg retrieval.  Embryos are eggs that have been successfully fertilized and it is going to be several days before they will know if that happened.  Sperm can penetrate and egg, but then the whole thing never starts growing, or, it grows into a clump of cells and stops.  Gotta wait and see what happens.  It would be a bit unusual for all 8 eggs to fertilize and become viable embryos to be used for implantation.

[Katy M]

2 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Normally, he wouldn't have been asked to produce the specimen while his wife was still in surgery, but, yes, he would need to produce one at some point proximate to the egg retrieval.  Embryos are eggs that have been successfully fertilized and it is going to be several days before they will know if that happened.  Sperm can penetrate and egg, but then the whole thing never starts growing, or, it grows into a clump of cells and stops.  Gotta wait and see what happens.  It would be a bit unusual for all 8 eggs to fertilize and become viable embryos to be used for implantation.

And they better not implant 4 or 5 to make Kate an octomom. I thought I had read that it was now illegal to implant more than two, but I think that may have been in Canada.  But, seriously, a multi-birth would just really up the health risks to Kate.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Interesting, so far it's only eggs and not embryos.  I don't know how long that fertilization process takes in IVF, maybe there is a waiting period?  If so, why did Toby have to 'produce' on the spot?  Drama?

Pretty normal. Probably a little off on the timing but the sample is produced same day and they attempt to fertilize the eggs. Then from there, they see how many fertilize, and then how many grow to 3 days and in some cases 5 days. It’s sadly not uncommon to go from 15 eggs to 10 fertilized to 3-4 embryos.

[MsChicklet]

11 hours ago, voiceover said:

But I mostly loved Kate's "...such a Dad Thing to do!!" to Randall.  I boohoo'd all over that moment.  IIRC, somewhere on a last year ep thread, I said I adored those two together, and wanted more.  

That was so sweet. I hope we get more simple one-on-one time like that with the Big Three.

Good god, the text chain. I love that Miguel, Beth and Toby have each other.

[Conotocarious]

19 minutes ago, Miss Bones said:

I agree-- I have not picked up on any Beth-having-an-affair hints, but I am curious which hints that you think that they have dropped that she is the "her" in the Flash-Forward. 

Well, in the season finale of season two, the camera lingers on Beth before the flash forward. Then there’s the episode where you realize Toby is a part of the “her” mystery. Then in yesteday’s episode they remind us of the “other three” friendship which gives a plausible link.

I also read an interview about “her” with the showrunners where they confirm that “her” is someone we know well and who was in season one and two and the story was revolving around how she got into that place in the future. Just seeing that conversation between Beth and William felt like an ominous beginning to Beth ending up in a bad place.

I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I have. I certainly don’t have any real information.

[Cajungirl64]

This is a tough crowd... LOL. I totally bought the whole Jack/Rebecca premise. Now that I'm in my 50s, I look back on my dreams as a young woman in my early 20s and the choices I made "for love," that took me down a completely different path. I wanted to be that wild, free girl on the back of Springsteen's bike in "Born to Run." But like Rebecca, I fell in love 'at first kiss' and went with my gut. Impulsive? Probably. And those gut decisions don't always work out (mine didn't). But when Rebecca looks back on the highs and lows of her life with Jack, it seems she rarely regrets her choice. 

RE: Randall. He has such a savior complex. His anxiety stems from his constant need to prove he was worthy of being adopted by such wonderful parents and trying to live up to the "mythology" of Jack Pearson. I agree with whomever suggested he has ADD. Can't stay focused, high anxiety, manic behavior. I really loved the scene if Randall and Toby discussing their mental illnesses. I really hope the show does a good job of exploring those issues... It's so necessary for our culture to de-stigmatize and legitimize depression and anxiety issues. So, so many people are affected and afraid to come forward. 

RE: Kate. I normally can't stand her. I, like her, was a total Daddy's girl. My dad was a much more complicated man than Jack, but he was also shaped by severe trauma and tragedy at a very young age and was also in the military (during the Vietnam era, although he didn't see combat). My dad would NEVER have allowed me to be such an incredible brat to my mom (even when he was cheating on her, which was often). He demanded I respect her (and him, of course) and he didn't "coddle" me the way Jack did Kate. He taught me to be a strong woman in a man's world and that whiners never get anywhere in life. So Kate's sense of entitlement ALWAYS grates on me. But I was actually clapping after she opened the can of whoop ass on Randall after his speech of righteous indignation (and I LOVE Randall). She's finally being herself and following her own dreams. She's making progress!! She's learning to speak her truth.im glad they didn't stretch out her saying "bye" to Jack in her anesthesia dream. I thought it was just enough for her to tell him "I have to go..." In fact, I got choked up in that moment having recently lost my own dad (and mom). It's so easy to want to stay in those memories and not move forward for fear of "leaving them behind." She's finally come through on the other side. WTG Kate. And God help me (please don't judge me...haha) I love Toby. He is a wonderful husband and a good, kind man. I know his depression arc is going to be tough to watch. But it just like Rebecca had to be Jack's support through his addiction, I think Kate will rise to the occasion and be strong for Toby. 

Finally re: the rec center story. I think the reason Randall is so invested in the Jamaican (?) woman and her child (and thus the rec center) is because it's a link to William. He WILL wind up having to make a choice between Beth and his family (representing his dad, Jack) and the whole inner city life and the woman who is challenging him to fix the problems (representing his bio dad, William). It's very possible Beth might make the choice for him. Wouldn't it be the most obvious trope to have the happiest couple be the one that doesn't make it? I don't think Kevin will be alone at the end as everyone predicts. I actually think it will be Randall. (Just my $.02). 

Edited October 10, 2018 by Cajungirl64
I can't stand Zoe. She's an opportunist if I ever saw one. I love Beth for warning Kevin, but the heart wants what the heart wants. He'll have to learn the hard way, I'm afraid.

[Lovecat]

12 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

The only way it works out is if he had a 6am flight, landed in LA at 9:30, Kate's surgery started at 9'ish, Randall got to the hospital at 10'ish, Kate woke up an hour later, and then Randall made it back to LAX for a 1pm flight, all to get him to the hospital where Deja's new friend is, for him to have a chat with the mother, and make it home to Beth to talk about his day. And even that sounds ridiculous and impossible. 

Right?  Starting with the notion that it's possible to get from LAX to...well, anywhere...in a half hour!  

Regarding his return trip, I somehow lost a quote from someone wondering about why Randall flew out of Philadelphia when he lives in north Jersey (Newark would be more likely)...my take is that he flew out of Newark but, due to the emergency in Philly, flew back to PHL.  But of course that introduces more complications in his already-absurd travels...how did he get back to EWR, where he presumably left his car?  Car service?  SEPTA from PHL-->an Amtrak connection?   Chinatown bus to NYC, with a transfer to NJ Transit? Hitchhike?  Rowed himself up the Delaware, then rode a power scooter he happened to find laying around?  I know I shouldn't obsess over this, but it's just so stupid it takes me out of the story.

 

11 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

That Was Us:

How in the hell can Sterling K. Brown make rainbow trout and whipped cream sound so damn sensuous?  He is a truly gifted man; his wife is a lucky woman ;)

 

5 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

The last time I had anesthesia I had several long dream/hallucination things that were like short plays starring young me. Quite interesting they were.  I wonder if it's something like the memory retrieval of deep hypnosis?  I woke up to my doctor calling me back with the same sort of frantic insistence that Kate's doctor had.  They kept me overnight for being so late to return. 

I had 2 surgeries under general anesthesia this past summer, and don't remember a damn thing until I woke up in recovery.  I feel like I missed out on something.  Then again, I managed to slide off the table and land on the floor during one of my procedures, so it's probably best I have no recollection of what happened while I was out!  Some psychedelic dreams would have been nice, though.

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

Is Hannah Ziele (spelling?) wearing a fat suit?  She looks "bigger" in the dream sequence.  

She is, and a bad one at that.  It looks like she's wearing a Kevlar vest!

46 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Maybe her boss is a racist douchebag, Beth sues the company and walks away with 10 million dollars.

That would be great, but doubtful...when he started telling Beth how much he likes her personally, he got shushed rather abruptly by the HR person hovering over him.  I think he's a Beth fan.

[ZeroDiscipline]

13 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Why dry the dishes and then put them in the dish drainer...?

I THOUGHT THE SAME THING.

[jmonique]

I was so blown away by Randall's Superhero Martyr act last night that I forgot the rest of my thoughts:

I think this is the best work of Milo's career, but I wish Jack could have been put to rest after the season 2 finale, for good. Randall's mythologizing of Jack as a superman, Kevin chasing after the ghost of Jack in Vietnam nearly five decades later, and the show diving into how Jack and Rebecca sealed the deal, when we know how things ended, all smack of attempts to keep him on the show and keep the characters in an arrested development in regards to a father they lost three decades ago. I get that loss is hard, but these characters need to be allowed to move forward and grow, and I'm starting to doubt that will ever happen as long as Milo is still on the show.

Back to my problems with Randall: He's not as much like Jack as they'd like us to believe, considering Jack never would have abandoned his three kids or his sibling to go play superhero to a bitchy stranger. I'm still dumbfounded that Randall swooped in, declared he would be there to provide a hand for anything Toby and Kate needed, said a few words to his sister once she finally clawed her way out from under the anesthesia AND THEN IMMEDIATELY BOUNCED. One of the first things Jack would have done upon returning from a trip was to ask how the kids and Rebecca were; Randall, meanwhile, rolls in and it's all about him, as Beth takes a backseat yet again.

[Cajungirl64]

2 minutes ago, ZeroDiscipline said:

I THOUGHT THE SAME THING.

Actually, my mom did that. To make sure my brother and I had to put them away. (Really!). 

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Interesting, so far it's only eggs and not embryos.  I don't know how long that fertilization process takes in IVF, maybe there is a waiting period?  If so, why did Toby have to 'produce' on the spot?  Drama?

Yes because the just did the egg retrevial. The eggs must be retrieved first, and not all eggs will be embryos that they can implant. 

What @doodlebug said. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by Scarlett45

[ElectricBoogaloo]

15 minutes ago, Cajungirl64 said:

I think the reason Randall is so invested in the Jamaican (?) woman and her child (and thus the rec center) is because it's a link to William.

In the previous episode, she told William that she is Nigerian and that her name (ChiChi) is Ibo.

Edited October 10, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Cajungirl64]

Just now, ElectricBoogaloo said:

In the previous episode, she told William that she is Nigerian and that her name (ChiChi) is Ibo.

Thank you ?? I should have paid closer attention to her whole interaction with William. But at that point, I had no idea how integral she'd be to Randall's storyline. 

[himela]

13 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

"Hi Katiegirl."  The way he said it.  The way he was looking at her.  His eyes twinkling.  His smile.  I think I melted.

The worst thing about this show is that I get jealous of how these three people feel about their dad. I can't relate, sadly. It makes me wonder how my life would be if I actually had a caring dad who didn't make my life miserable.

[MsChicklet]

One of the common snarks on This is Us that it's all about making you cry. But there are also the LOL moments and the smile-of-recognition moments where you see yourself or someone else in something a character says or does.

The end of the scene when Randall shows up at the hospital, where he and Toby joke about the timing of Toby being asked to give a sample. Or the sparkle between Kate and Randall when she saw him after surgery and told him he had done such a Dad Thing. The Beth/Toby/Miguel group text. And oh, lord, the deleted scene shown in the aftershow. 

[Katy M]

I don't know why she couldn't have just stacked them up on the counter, but she may have been putting them in the dish drainer because she didn't know where they went.  They were at Jack's mother's friend's house, right?  I wouldn't just go around opening cupboards searching, either.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I don't know why she couldn't have just stacked them up on the counter, but she may have been putting them in the dish drainer because she didn't know where they went.  They were at Jack's mother's friend's house, right?  I wouldn't just go around opening cupboards searching, either.

I was thinking the same thing. But I also thought it was strange that Jack’s reaction to her unexpected visit was to start doing dishes.

[Cajungirl64]

1 minute ago, deaja said:

I was thinking the same thing. But I also thought it was strange that Jack’s reaction to her unexpected visit was to start doing dishes.

He's obviously emotionally damaged - the war, the loss of his brother, his POS dad. One thing the show has consistently shown is that Jack was "a doer." Randall talked about it last night, as well. I think when Rebecca showed up, he wasn't sure HOW to react, so he did what came naturally to him: got busy doing something productive. I, for one, am REALLY interested in seeing how Rebecca gets him to open his heart and believe he's worthy of being loved (I'm just a big ol sap... Ha)! 

[himela]

14 hours ago, bettername2come said:

because Kate's allowed to want biological children

So in your opinion it's OK to condemn a kid (your own kid) to become an orphan really early in its life?

[kili]

Quote

I was thinking the same thing. But I also thought it was strange that Jack’s reaction to her unexpected visit was to start doing dishes.

He'd probably told his Mom and her friend that he would do the dishes while they were out. He's trying to help his Mom feel settled and she won't feel settled creating extra work for her friend. Hence, him doing the dishes while they take a break.  They are off on a walk giving his Mom a chance to bond more with her friend and possibly to talk one-on-one with her.

His Mom looked totally defeated. Her husband has completely worn her down. It's going to take a while before she regains her self-esteem and thinks that she deserves something good. I wouldn't be surprised that as soon as Jack leaves for LA with Rebecca, good old Dad comes over and tells her to get back home. She'll probably do it too. She needs some counselling and hopefully her friend will help her a little. It's clear that her friend had an open invitation for her to come and stay with her, so she is aware of the issues. I'm kind of surprised that Jack's Dad even let her have a friend. There is a reason abusers normally isolate their victims from friends and families.

[ShadowFacts]

19 minutes ago, deaja said:

I was thinking the same thing. But I also thought it was strange that Jack’s reaction to her unexpected visit was to start doing dishes.

It can be as simple as he's a dutiful son and a polite guest.  Also, having something to do like that makes a possibly awkward situation less so.  Sitting down on the sofa chatting can be more fraught.

[Pallas]

3 hours ago, albinerhawk said:

On another note, what did they mean that Beth had worked at the firm for 12 years. She was a SAHM in the first season, and I thought she had been for awhile.

I think Beth was working from home, part-time, in season 1. She sometimes mentioned projects and dressed up for the occasional meeting, as I recall. When she had her pregnancy scare, she spoke of how she'd been thinking of going back to work "full-time." And she kept her home office, even as the girls doubled up in one bedroom so that William could have the other, and Kevin camped out in the basement. Bass players rule.