S03.E07: Sometimes

[ShadowFacts]

5 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

For me, the problem with showing Rebecca and Jack's back story is that now we know how involved Jack was in Rebecca's dream to be a singer in the beginning. That makes his behavior with wrecking her singing career later that much worse. It's like he was being supportive and driving to LA with her just to land her and then once he got her, she was supposed to only do what he wanted her to do. It's probably not supposed to come across like that but I can't forget how awful he was when she started singing again. He knew how into it she was and probably how hurt she was to hear she was "Pittsburgh good" yet he doesn't care about how she feels to get the chance to sing again? It's all about him.

Jack was a real possessive ass years later when Rebecca went on the gig with her band and he was drunk and disorderly, for sure.  We don't know yet how supportive he was when they got back to Pittsburgh, and there are several years before she becomes a full-time mother to the three.  In LA, Rebecca played off her disappointment and he was hugely distracted by what he had just experienced.  It was interesting to me that his going on the road trip wasn't really all about Rebecca, he had his own unspoken motive, which might have been as important to him as landing Rebecca. 

It hit me as a little too saccharine that Rebecca's stated reason for enjoying singing was so people could do more slow-dancing.  I was a little better able to swallow that Jack could dance because he'd dance with his mother at Christmas, but that borders on the syrupy, too.  This is not the Hallmark channel (yet). 

[Roxie]

Every time I think about Zoe eating bat, I want to throw up.

[kili]

Zoe's dad lives in China. Zoe doesn't mind getting tagged on instagram in the States, but not in Vietnam because her father might try to contact her while she is there. Does Zoe's dad not like to travel over the Pacific Ocean or is he barred from the States? Something else? Is his abuse of Zoe the reason why he left the States and cannot seem to return, or is it just another aspect of his crumminess? There has to be an interesting story about why he picked China to be his new home since it isn't a destination tv writers would normally pick for a character to move to.

Edited November 14, 2018 by kili

[AriAu]

I liked the surprise of the Vietnamese woman and the medal story when it started but now that they are dragging it out, it has already started to lose its impact and other than Jack marrying the woman/having triplets it will be hard for this story to be worthwhile (or worth the time they are spending on it).

I am starting to think the same thing about the brother story-line. He is coming off as weak/whiny and therefore it won't be as earth shattering when he dies, altho I am sure they will find some way for it to be as painful and miserable as possible.

Quote

... but when Zoe told Kevin she was sexually abused I thought: they have to fit in every single trauma into the show. They put everything in, what condition or horrible thing is left that hasn't been assigned to one of the characters in the show? 

YUP. I'm waiting for leprosy or cannibalism.

Quote

 If Kevin gets into a surfing accident, or finds a giant tarantula crawling around his hotel room, will know where they’re going with the necklace story line. ;)

I guess Kevin does have a certain Greg Brady vibe to him....even if this isn't Hawaii

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, AriAu said:

 

I guess Kevin does have a certain Greg Brady vibe to him....even if this isn't Hawaii

But the question is if the necklace does have a curse and a tarantula gets in his room, will he be a Jack or a Nicky.

[qtpye]

5 hours ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

Wow, I hated this episode. Jack was an asshole to burden those grieving parents with his guilt. I hate when people ask to be taken care of by the grief-stricken. Hate it in fiction, hate it in life. 

Also hated Jack asking if Bao was a good guy or a bad guy. From his own perspective, he’s a good guy no matter whose side he’s on. Jack’s a foreign soldier commanding Bao’s country. As far as he’s concerned, Jack is a bad guy. 

The less said about the stupid spider story, the better. 

Also, regardless of anyone’s personal opinion about Mandy Moore, she started off with a singing career, so she’s obviously LA good. Yes, the tastes of the late 90’s were different than the early/mid 70’s, but still. I hate the cliche of someone who clearly made it being cast as someone who doesn’t have the chops. Couldn’t the reason have been that they’ve got more pretty, earnest folk singers than they can shake a stick at, and she’s not worth expending the effort? Because that’s more believable. 

Know who is “Pittsburgh good” on this show? Chrissy Metz. I know she’s from Gainesville, but since that’s also where Tom Petty and Laura Jane Grace are from, I don’t know that she’s even Gainesville good. That place is a Mecca. 

 

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ugh, the spider story. As soon as Jack started, I was like fuuuuuuck, another Jack Pearson monologue so he can try to get his way with a stranger.

The credits at the end of the show list her as Peggy Goss.

Yes, he was listed in the opening credits of the episode.

 

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

What really bothered me about that is Rebecca immediately went back to Pittsburgh after the meeting.  She didn't even try to book a gig in LA.  She is never going to get a record contract if she stays in Pittsburgh.  She needs to permanently move to somewhere where record company personnel can hear her live.  She has already tried singing in bars in her hometown and that has not brought her desired outcome.  I'm listening to the Pretenders while typing this and am thinking about the difference between Chrisie Hynde's music career and her brothers.  Chrissie moved to London from the Akron area and was able to make it big.  Her brother Terry stayed in Akron and music is a side job for him.  I used to know Terry back when I lived in Ohio.

 

2 hours ago, nkotb said:

...so will a pregnancy. Was I the only person who thought that? I may not have, if we hadn't just had the huge anvil of Kate saying "I'm the only one who can carry on a piece of Dad." Um, Katie girl, my money is on your brother beating you to carrying on that piece of your dad, which your other brother did over a decade ago, biology be damned. 

 

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I really hope they don't go down that road.  To me, Zoe has not worked through her issues enough to be a mother.  She is just starting to open up to Kevin.  I want to see them grow as a couple before adding a baby to the mix.  They already rushed Kate and Toby, I don't want that happening again.  Also, a magical Pearson baby is not going to fix all of Kevin and Zoe's issues no matter what the writers may think.

 

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

I agree about the song and the crying.  Didn't move me really. I did like the parallel road-trip-of-discovery storylines, but honestly, I felt Rebecca outshone Jack in theirs.  For some reason, it just seemed that Mandy was really bringing it while Milo just wasn't for me.  She's the one that kept my attention.

re: Zoe, I think a person and a relationship can be all those things.  I also don't think her molestation is about her relationship with Kevin at all.  That was all about her.  I think those things show a progression in how she sees her relationship with Kevin evolving.  She went into the relationship insisting on casualness because that is how she's learned to not get too involved with people over the years.  I feels to me like she saw the relationship getting deeper and kept giving herself reasons to keep it from progressing.  The first step in her deciding to actually move it from the casual was the race stuff -- how much of me to I allow myself to reveal to this person?  It was also like she was looking for yet another reason that the relationship wouldn't work.   I think finally with the molestation reveal all the rest falls into place.  We finally see why she fought so hard to keep him at arms length.

I actually do believe Kevin is really in love.  In every case, with the exception of Kate, Kevin's interactions with the people closest to him, it has always been about him.  He saw his parents' affection for the other kids as a rejection of him.  Even with Sophie there was an air of her being his and all about how much he needed her.  His little speech to Zoe about it being ok for her to stay closed off felt like the most adulting Kevin has ever showed on this show.

I like Kate and Randall, but I agree it was nice to get a break from their issues for awhile.

 

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

I immediately thought it but I honestly don't want it to be true, and I don't want to assume that every woman who throws up on TV has to automatically be pregnant. Yet it happens 95% of the time...so I'm hoping this is the 5% that has her actually just genuinely sick from the foreign food plus the long flight. 

 

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Yes, I thought it, too, and agree that this is has a high probability of being a writing tip-off.  Why else have her be sick like that, they could have chosen other ways to have her be feeling vulnerable and ready to have a revelatory conversation with Kevin.  I hope it is a red herring, though.  Having the twins procreate at the same time would probably nauseate me. 

 

1 hour ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

They made a pretty big deal about Zoe eating the bat and Kevin not eating it so I'm inclined to think that the bat is just a bat and not a surprise pregnancy.

I enjoyed the break from Randall and Kate. I dislike those two at this point.

I really liked Zoe telling Kevin that the reason she was telling Kevin about her father is because she didn't want it to wreck their relationship. That and Kevin telling Zoe why he wanted to know about her but it being her decision what she tells him was really great. Now I'm a little more invested in their relationship.

For me, the problem with showing Rebecca and Jack's back story is that now we know how involved Jack was in Rebecca's dream to be a singer in the beginning. That makes his behavior with wrecking her singing career later that much worse. It's like he was being supportive and driving to LA with her just to land her and then once he got her, she was supposed to only do what he wanted her to do. It's probably not supposed to come across like that but I can't forget how awful he was when she started singing again. He knew how into it she was and probably how hurt she was to hear she was "Pittsburgh good" yet he doesn't care about how she feels to get the chance to sing again? It's all about him.

 

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Jack was a real possessive ass years later when Rebecca went on the gig with her band and he was drunk and disorderly, for sure.  We don't know yet how supportive he was when they got back to Pittsburgh, and there are several years before she becomes a full-time mother to the three.  In LA, Rebecca played off her disappointment and he was hugely distracted by what he had just experienced.  It was interesting to me that his going on the road trip wasn't really all about Rebecca, he had his own unspoken motive, which might have been as important to him as landing Rebecca. 

It hit me as a little too saccharine that Rebecca's stated reason for enjoying singing was so people could do more slow-dancing.  I was a little better able to swallow that Jack could dance because he'd dance with his mother at Christmas, but that borders on the syrupy, too.  This is not the Hallmark channel (yet). 

It is a great point that Jack's motives for the road trip were less about supporting Rebecca's dream and more about "getting the girl of his dreams" and "closure" for some horrible guilt he had about the war. In fairness, he hardly knew her but later we see Jack kind of romantically strong-arming Rebecca to change everything about herself. Rebecca does not want to be a housewife like her mom. She wants to have the life of a relatively carefree Bohemian artist and devote herself to her craft, regardless of whether she ever get signed to a label. Instead, she ends up raising three kids and almost gets divorced when she wants to "sing on the side" about 20 years later. She is crazy about him and he about her, To him she is the dream girl and to her, he is the man "who finally gets her". It's kind of ironic that she is actually totally wrong.    

I really hope that Zoe is not pregnant. I think the actor who plays Kevin is gorgeous, but he seems to never have any chemistry with his romantic counterparts on this show. The bathtub scene with Zoe was the closest I've seen him display an emotional connection with a girlfriend.

[ClareWalks]

When they brought up the Sullivan rule that brothers can't be in the same place, I wondered if they were going to have Jack pull strings to trade places with Nicky because Jack thinks his assignment is safer, then Nicky would be killed THERE and Jack would feel awful.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, kili said:

Zoe's dad lives in China. Zoe doesn't mind getting tagged on instagram in the States, but not in Vietnam because her father might try to contact her while she is there. Does Zoe's dad not like to travel over the Pacific Ocean or is he barred from the States?

I think it's probably that it's just much easier and cheaper for him to go between China and Vietnam (like 1500 miles) than it is for him to go between China and the East Coast (maybe 7000 miles and a brutal 12-hour time difference). There are lots of reasons for him to be an American expat in China (work, military service, married a woman from there, etc.). I have friends who lived in Hong Kong for a bit for work (they loved it). Zoe said he tries to contact her every so often to make amends but she didn't say that he's been in China since she left his house. I hope we don't hear more about him - I don't think it's necessary, and as Zoe said, he's taken enough from her.

[meep.meep]

The guy playing Nick was also Dr. Bertie on The Knick.  This was the first time I could recognize that.  He transforms for sure.

Too bad he and Chris Sullivan are not likely to share any scenes.....

[STFUFrank]

I can't watch this show anymore. I'm tired of them focusing on Jack still. I was hoping this season would focus on the immediate aftermath of his death and the months/years following. I feel like this Vietnam story could've been explored in the first two seasons given how they built Jack up. 

[Evagirl]

12 minutes ago, TotalHellion said:

I can't watch this show anymore. I'm tired of them focusing on Jack still. I was hoping this season would focus on the immediate aftermath of his death and the months/years following. I feel like this Vietnam story could've been explored in the first two seasons given how they built Jack up. 

And I only continue to have interest in this show because of Jack.  Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[Captain Asshat]

3 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I really hope they don't go down that road.  To me, Zoe has not worked through her issues enough to be a mother.  She is just starting to open up to Kevin.  I want to see them grow as a couple before adding a baby to the mix.  They already rushed Kate and Toby, I don't want that happening again.  Also, a magical Pearson baby is not going to fix all of Kevin and Zoe's issues no matter what the writers may think.

Oh, God. I just had a horrible thought. What if Zoe is pregnant...and then Beth will get pregnant...and then the Big Three will have babies at the same time? 

[Drumpf1737]

16 hours ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

Also, regardless of anyone’s personal opinion about Mandy Moore, she started off with a singing career, so she’s obviously LA good. Y

It was a very crowded field when Mandy Moore was trying to make a go of it. Was she playing down her singing voice because she didn't sound LA good in that scene?

Rebecca's PJs were adorable. 

I sometimes forget how swoony Milo is because he's playing a dad.

I'm enjoying watching Jack and Rebecca's courtship because you'd assume that everything went really smoothly, but based on this and Vietnam episode it wasn't easy sailing. Rebecca actually had some doubts. Also, Dad-Jack and Former Army staff sergeant-Jack are two different people.  I'm very interested to get to know this guy.

Edited November 15, 2018 by Drumpf1737
Punctuation is important

[Arcadiasw]

15 minutes ago, Captain Asshat said:

Oh, God. I just had a horrible thought. What if Zoe is pregnant...and then Beth will get pregnant...and then the Big Three will have babies at the same time? 

Don't speak that into existence! 

[PRgal]

I wonder if Zoe tries exotic foods when she's abroad.  Because I probably won't try bat.  Sorry, but people there have immune systems built up to handle things like that.  We don't.  

[NUguy514]

I didn't like the scenes with Jack in Vietnam at all, and I'm really not looking forward to a potential Miss Saigon-baby situation.  However, I liked everything else in this episode and absolutely loved that it was a Kate/Toby/Randall-free episode!

[chocolatine]

Why did the record label want to meet with Rebecca in the first place if they thought she was only "Pittsburgh good"? They didn't even ask her to sing live in front of them, they just played the demo she'd presumably already sent them. 

I have every sympathy with Zoe about her abuse and trauma, but she continues to be unnecessarily mean and condescending. When she made fun of the "touristy" white couple who'd done nothing but quietly browse the market, I wanted to slap her. They were doing the exact same thing she and Kevin were doing - what makes her think she's better than them?

Jack's question to Bao whether he's a good guy or a bad guy - no words.

[PRgal]

24 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Why did the record label want to meet with Rebecca in the first place if they thought she was only "Pittsburgh good"? They didn't even ask her to sing live in front of them, they just played the demo she'd presumably already sent them. 

I have every sympathy with Zoe about her abuse and trauma, but she continues to be unnecessarily mean and condescending. When she made fun of the "touristy" white couple who'd done nothing but quietly browse the market, I wanted to slap her. They were doing the exact same thing she and Kevin were doing - what makes her think she's better than them?

Jack's question to Bao whether he's a good guy or a bad guy - no words.

Isn't her attitude pretty "typical" of many Millennials?  Making fun of old(er white) people who seem ignorant abroad?  Is it because she ate bat (I don't know if I'd go for anything super-exotic to me like that.  Locals might have the immune systems to eat that, but I (and Zoe, too) DON'T!!!)?

[chocolatine]

1 minute ago, PRgal said:

Isn't her attitude pretty "typical" of many Millennials?  Making fun of old(er white) people who seem ignorant abroad?  Is it because she ate bat (I don't know if I'd go for anything super-exotic to me like that.  Locals might have the immune systems to eat that, but I (and Zoe, too) DON'T!!!)?

The problem was that the older white couple didn't even do anything that made them seem ignorant. I think Zoe just thought she was oh so sophisticated for having "discovered" a market where only locals go, and was put out when she had to share it with other tourists - the horror!

I don't think her attitude is due to her being a millennial, I know people my age (X-ennials) who are just as snobby. The Lonely Planet guidebooks have been around since the 70s, I think, and some of those authors go out of their way to disparage anything "touristy".

[MsChicklet]

I was glad Kate was backburnered this week. I like to imagine Madison already planning the baby shower. And since I hate the Mr. Pearson Goes to Philadelphia storyline, I was glad to have a break from that. Narrowing the focus from the whole family down to just Jack, Rebecca, Kevin and Zoe allowed for a slower pace of storytelling, which I think was needed in this episode.

I like when the stories go in an unexpected direction. Kevin finding out the pendant was a dime a dozen instead of something unique.  

1 hour ago, Drumpf1737 said:

Also Dad Jack and former Army staff sergeant Jack are two different people.  I'm interested to get to know this guy.

This. I watch the show because of how it lets us get to know the Pearsons, seeing the trajectory of their lives. Jack who took on responsibility for his little brother became Jack still trying to be Superman when the champagne cork popped and his first impulse was to throw out his arm to shield Rebecca and her friend becomes Jack the Superdad who saves a dog and the family photos and videos. I like the journey.

[izabella]

54 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Jack's question to Bao whether he's a good guy or a bad guy - no words.

That was really offensive.  Jack is there as part of a mission that is killing natives, for political reasons rather than anything else, and he is asking a native if he's a good guy  Are you and the American army that invaded his country good guys, Jack?  Is that how you see it?

[Kdawg82]

16 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

"Your Pittsburgh good." I cant even explain how they made that sound like the worst possible insult, but...damn. 

In HS I took a drama course as an elective for some unknown reason. It was all the "musical" kids. Anyway, our teacher said How everyone thinks they'll "make It big" bc they're the best in their high school or whatever. He said once you get to L.A., it is ALL the prettiest, most talented people who were the "best" in their HS as well and that's who you're up against.  Like the old tale of the big fish in a small pond becoming a small fish in a big pond. Pittsburgh good, indeed!

[monakane]

2 hours ago, meep.meep said:

The guy playing Nick was also Dr. Bertie on The Knick.  This was the first time I could recognize that.  He transforms for sure.

Too bad he and Chris Sullivan are not likely to share any scenes.....

The Knick.  I miss that show.  Whenever I see Chris Sullivan, I think about poor Harriet.

[albinerhawk]

2 hours ago, Drumpf1737 said:

I forget how swoony Milo is because he's playing a dad.

I really hate the 70s fashions. I had trouble stomaching Milo since they really made him look 70s. 80s Milo is better since he reminds me of my dad. (I'm an 80s kid.)

On another note, I was watching this on Hulu while making dinner. In the other room, my young daughter was watching Tangled. Mandy Moore was very popular in our house today.

[Ohiopirate02]

24 minutes ago, Kdawg82 said:

In HS I took a drama course as an elective for some unknown reason. It was all the "musical" kids. Anyway, our teacher said How everyone thinks they'll "make It big" bc they're the best in their high school or whatever. He said once you get to L.A., it is ALL the prettiest, most talented people who were the "best" in their HS as well and that's who you're up against.  Like the old tale of the big fish in a small pond becoming a small fish in a big pond. Pittsburgh good, indeed!

They also did hint that Rebecca might be LA good, but she was going to have to work at it.   They want to see Rebecca's stage presence before committing to a contract.  I don't see this as being unreasonable.  The record execs aren't going to send someone out to Pittsburgh to see her perform.  They have enough talent playing nightly in LA.  The same goes in New York.  

[BTBAM310]

This show is becoming almost unwatchable. Hated this episode. Fast forwarded through all of the Jack Vietnam scenes.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

I wonder if Zoe tries exotic foods when she's abroad.  Because I probably won't try bat.  Sorry, but people there have immune systems built up to handle things like that.  We don't.  

I think she said something about how she likes to be immersive, so she probably tries lots of things.  But bats can be rabid, so why chance that?  Eat a different bird, probably the same sauces or spices involved. 

[chabelisaywow]

Quote

Her name is Yvonne Zima;

Her lookalike sister - Madeline Zima was the youngest daughter on the ... Nanny. lol

[Snapdragon]

3 hours ago, Captain Asshat said:

Oh, God. I just had a horrible thought. What if Zoe is pregnant...and then Beth will get pregnant...and then the Big Three will have babies at the same time? 

Now that I've read this, I totally want it to happen.  And I want them all to be pregnant with boys, so that they can argue for half a season over who gets to name their baby Jack. 

[PRgal]

14 minutes ago, Snapdragon said:

Now that I've read this, I totally want it to happen.  And I want them all to be pregnant with boys, so that they can argue for half a season over who gets to name their baby Jack. 

But Kate's baby's last name isn't Pearson.  It's Pearson-Tobyslastname (I forgot what it was).

[debraran]

48 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I found most of this episode boring.  The only part that really interests me is Jack's relationship with his brother and what happens to them in Vietnam.   I would hope they would spend more time with that, than the long boring trip of Jack and Rebecca traveling to California.  I am also tired of Kevin and all of his relationships with various women.  I am not a big fan of his newest one.  I don't know, maybe I am just mentally exhausted from watching the entire series over the last couple of weeks On Demand.  After a while, most of these characters are mentally exhausting.  That said, I can never get enough of that Walmart commercial with that cute  dog dressed up for the holidays that was run into a ditch On Demand.  Couldn't fast forward On Demand for this series.

Jack's brother does seem like a lost soul.

 

I thought Nicky would be more of a calmer, thoughtful Jack but they make him 2 steps from a breakdown (suicide?) It's sad.  We aren't really getting to know Nicky, what I looked forward too. It's just seeing him at his worst (although I understand) and again, it will be Jack trying to be savior and his parents, at least Dad, angry at him for letting Nicky die. So he hides the pic in garage and never talks of it. But Rebecca never talked to him about younger days with Nicky, his Mom wasn't in their life at all? So many questions. I don't feel this is about Nicky really, just Jack.

I also don't get Kevin looking for a woman in a picture in Vietnam. How do you do that ? I know it's TV but really, he doesn't even have a name does he?

Edited November 14, 2018 by debraran

[Debto]

I loved this episode, enjoyed the Jack and Rebecca road trip, and Jack in Vietnam. Kevin looking for more information on his dad in Vietnam is interesting to me. I enjoy all things Jack!

[GodsBeloved]

19 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Her name is Yvonne Zima; she played Dr. Greene's daughter on ER (as a child; someone else played her as a teenager/young adult).

Thank you! Rachel Greene lol

Hallee Hirsh played older Rachel.

[Dreamboat Annie]

Beth knows.

https://variety.com/2018/tv/features/this-is-us-season-3-sometimes-melanie-liburd-zoe-kevin-past-interview-1203027703/

If Zoe is a victim of a heartbreaking past, would it have not made more sense that Beth would want to protect Zoe by warning her about Kevin rather than want to protect Kevin by warning him about Zoe? 

Yes, I know she was warning Kevin about Zoe's maneating, however under these circumstances, I think Beth would feel for Zoe, knowing why she maneats.

I agree that that's a lot to give one (new) character - she's not looking for a serious relationship - she's concerned about embarking on a mixed race relationship - she was abandoned by her mother - she was abused by her father.  And yet still I get the impression there's more to this story. 

[saber5055]

I didn't realize until this ep was over that there was no Randall, no Kate and no Toby. So THAT'S why I liked this episode, the first one I have liked since ... well, since almost the beginning of this show. I can't stand Kate and my feeling about Toby strongly borders on hate. And Randall has been nothing but an obnoxious PITA for too long.

Speaking of bats, Nicky is pretty much bat-sh*t. He's not even happy to see his brother. Good luck with helping that, Jack. Nicky would be better off in the brig, then given a dishonorable discharge.

I do wonder how Jack enlisted after Nicky and all of a sudden is a platoon/squad leader. No mention of college/ROTC. But I guess that's the Hollywood magic at work.

I don't think eating a fried bat is any worse than eating monkey, guinea pig, rats, dogs or cats. All common in countries not the United States. Not that I'd want to, but still. You won't die from it.

Agree about the cursed necklace. Kind of funny that Kevin didn't research it online first, there are probably hundreds of them on eBay.

[Zima]

8 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I really hope they don't go down that road.  To me, Zoe has not worked through her issues enough to be a mother.  She is just starting to open up to Kevin.  I want to see them grow as a couple before adding a baby to the mix.  They already rushed Kate and Toby, I don't want that happening again.  Also, a magical Pearson baby is not going to fix all of Kevin and Zoe's issues no matter what the writers may think.

I hope that Zoe IS pregnant, and that she ends up having an abortion. Imagine how upset Kevin and his siblings will be that she dared to do such a thing to a fetus that had a piece of JACK!  Kevin can be all, "Beth was RIGHT ABOUT YOU!" and Zoe can be like, "IDGAF, screw all of you, I'm out." 

ETA: More than likely though, if Zoe DID initially want an abortion, the Pearsons would each give strongly-worded and long-winded monologues as to why she just HAS to keep the fetus, and she would be swayed into doing so. Ughh. 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Zima

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, PRgal said:

Isn't her attitude pretty "typical" of many Millennials?  Making fun of old(er white) people who seem ignorant abroad?  

LOL, what?!  That stereotype is a new one I've never even heard before!  

[Lisa418722]

4 hours ago, Kdawg82 said:

In HS I took a drama course as an elective for some unknown reason. It was all the "musical" kids. Anyway, our teacher said How everyone thinks they'll "make It big" bc they're the best in their high school or whatever. He said once you get to L.A., it is ALL the prettiest, most talented people who were the "best" in their HS as well and that's who you're up against.  Like the old tale of the big fish in a small pond becoming a small fish in a big pond. Pittsburgh good, indeed!

I grew up in the Nashville area and my former roommate had moved from Dallas to Nashville to make it big in country music.  She had a decent voice but not the look and not an outstanding voice either.  When she moved to Nashville she realized that she was one of thousands that had a decent voice, but not what it takes to make it.  

Back to the show, I enjoyed it more than a lot of people it seems. I didn't mind Jack's time in Vietnam and then his road trip to LA with Rebecca. I really hope Zoe got sick because of the bat and not a baby.  But most of all, I loved no Kate or Randall.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I don't think her attitude is due to her being a millennial, I know people my age (X-ennials) who are just as snobby. The Lonely Planet guidebooks have been around since the 70s, I think, and some of those authors go out of their way to disparage anything "touristy".

Interesting!  My parents are Boomers, and when they took me to one of their home countries they were careful to avoid anything "too touristy" and wanted to give me the real experience.  Who knew they were just snobby Millennials in disguise?  LOL.

Besides, we don't even know how old Zoe is.  Kevin himself is barely Gen X, so she could be too.  Although you would think Beth would be Randall's age and yet she strikes me as way older than Zoe.  Not because of her (extremely heavenly) looks, but because of her maturity and attitude and lifestyle.

4 hours ago, Kdawg82 said:

In HS I took a drama course as an elective for some unknown reason. It was all the "musical" kids. Anyway, our teacher said How everyone thinks they'll "make It big" bc they're the best in their high school or whatever. He said once you get to L.A., it is ALL the prettiest, most talented people who were the "best" in their HS as well and that's who you're up against.  Like the old tale of the big fish in a small pond becoming a small fish in a big pond. Pittsburgh good, indeed!

It's like how a bunch of us were the smartest kid at our elementary school, but when we made it to the best high schools or universities, we simply become average!  (That's my experience anyway, and it was shown I think really well in "The Royal Tenenbaums".)

Edited November 15, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, GodsBeloved said:

Thank you! Rachel Greene lol

Hallee Hirsh played older Rachel.

Weird coincidence!!

The thing about Rebecca though, is that she's played by Mandy Moore, who is otherwordly beautiful.  She's too perfect to be exactly my taste, but come on.  She's perfect looking (IMO).  That's why she "made it" as a popstar.  I feel like her looks are kind of being ignored here.  Are they pretending that Rebecca isn't that good-looking, or that Mandy isn't that good of a singer?  Is Mandy downplaying her singing abilities?  LOL.  So many questions.

Edited November 15, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[WhosThatGirl]

There is a odd disconnect to Jack when he first met Rebecca and how involved with her dreams he was or what he knew about them like how she wasn’t sure if she would go back to Pittsburgh and how he was later on.

The only thing I can think is that he felt like she done with that because you grow up and my guess is maybe she hadn’t mentioned or done the singing thing for so long that why would she return to it now after all this time.

[doLLish]

4 hours ago, BTBAM310 said:

This show is becoming almost unwatchable. Hated this episode. Fast forwarded through all of the Jack Vietnam scenes.

I could not agree more. This entire season has been so disappointing.

[Biggie B]

Quote

The thing about Rebecca though, is that she's played by Mandy Moore, who is otherwordly beautiful.  She's too perfect to be exactly my taste, but come on.  She's perfect looking (IMO).  That's why she "made it" as a popstar.  I feel like her looks are kind of being ignored here.  Are they pretending that Rebecca isn't that good-looking, or that Mandy isn't that good of a singer?

The way I see it, we already know that Rebecca never made it big as a professional singer. Thus, her flashbacks need to support that part of her story line. It also lays the foundation for her feelings about Kate's singing in light of Rebecca's own non-singing career. I don't think the producers of the show are ignoring Mandy Moore's singing skills but the Rebecca character does sing at points throughout the show, so it behooved them to cast an actress who actually can and does sing (although, sure, they could've hired anyone and dubbed in the singing if they really wanted to). As for Mandy Moore's looks - that's subjective - I don't think she's anything special. Pretty, yes, but not incredible. But that's just how I see her. As others have mentioned, I did think that when Rebecca went to that interview in LA, there was going to be the singing equivalent of the casting couch. Glad that didn't happen.

[albinerhawk]

5 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

They also did hint that Rebecca might be LA good, but she was going to have to work at it.   They want to see Rebecca's stage presence before committing to a contract.  I don't see this as being unreasonable.  The record execs aren't going to send someone out to Pittsburgh to see her perform.  They have enough talent playing nightly in LA.  The same goes in New York.  

I got the impression that Rebecca was trying to get out of them their honest opinion. If she had a chance at sticking it out in LA, I don't think she would have gotten that response. They were politely telling her that she was talented, but not enough for her to waste her time pursuing the LA dream. She was better off going back to Pittsburgh and being a known singer there. 

[WhosThatGirl]

47 minutes ago, doLLish said:

I could not agree more. This entire season has been so disappointing.

Yeah, I really feel like sadly, last season was it’s peak. And yeah probably a lot of that was the Jacks death mystery. I feel like I probably would have liked to see jack and Rebecca dating and traveling to California if we hadn’t known he died. I enjoyed the season one finale that was all about jack and Rebecca and no one else. But it’s hard to enjoy the middles Of a story where the story ended.

[ClareWalks]

2 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I do wonder how Jack enlisted after Nicky and all of a sudden is a platoon/squad leader. No mention of college/ROTC. But I guess that's the Hollywood magic at work.

Good question. I don't know much about military history but I bet if they had to draft people for the war, almost anyone who willingly signed up was offered a higher position as a sort of "thank you."

[Quickbeam]

I like the Kevin Zoe story line and was thrilled to have a Kate/Randall free episode. 

Dustin Nguyen grew up really handsome.

[AmandaPanda]

3 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Beth knows.

https://variety.com/2018/tv/features/this-is-us-season-3-sometimes-melanie-liburd-zoe-kevin-past-interview-1203027703/

If Zoe is a victim of a heartbreaking past, would it have not made more sense that Beth would want to protect Zoe by warning her about Kevin rather than want to protect Kevin by warning him about Zoe? 

Yes, I know she was warning Kevin about Zoe's maneating, however under these circumstances, I think Beth would feel for Zoe, knowing why she maneats.

I agree that that's a lot to give one (new) character - she's not looking for a serious relationship - she's concerned about embarking on a mixed race relationship - she was abandoned by her mother - she was abused by her father.  And yet still I get the impression there's more to this story. 

I could see it both ways. I could see it where Beth is trying to protect Kevin because she knows Zoe hasn't been ready for a serious relationship in the past and she doesn't want her brother-in-law to get hurt. I could also see it where Beth is trying to spare her cousin the pain of reliving an extremely traumatic moment in her life, so she tries to dissuade Kevin from the start. I think Beth is fiercely protective of both Kevin and Zoe, but we only saw the one side to set it up for the reveal in tonight's episode. Sometimes, I also think we put a lot more thought into the character motivations than any of these writers do...

[saber5055]

18 minutes ago, AmandaPanda said:

Sometimes, I also think we put a lot more thought into the character motivations than any of these writers do...

A big YES to this!

[love2lovebadtv]

On 11/13/2018 at 10:14 PM, Lady Calypso said:

I agree...although I can kind of chalk up the ending to be the superior officer being so done with Nicky, as he's been disobeying him for a while, that he'll try anything to get him to shape up. At least it felt like the superior officer's own choice, rather than being misted by a Pearson speech. 

I'm getting some ideas on how Nicky dies, and I don't think it's essentially war-related. I've been getting an inkling that Nicky commits suicide, rather than him getting blown up or making some noble sacrifice. 

I agree that Zoe's backstory definitely makes sense as to why she is the way that she is. And it seems like Beth has no idea about it? If she did, I think she would have a different opinion on Zoe and why she doesn't allow herself to get close to men. Either way, it did help me understand Zoe more and I think the show is getting a better grip on her as a character. I'm still not 100% on board with Zoe/Kevin, but I do like them quite a bit now.

I'm pretty sure Beth knows. She just didn't share the personal details with Kevin. Zoe lived with Beth when she was a kid and Beth described her background as complicated. Those two tidbits had me thinking that Zoe unfortunately had some sort of abusive/negligent childhood. Knowing the reason for the behavior wouldn't change Beth's opinion that Zoe would hurt Kevin and that he wouldn't be able to handle it, especially since he's just overcoming his own issues. We've already seen Zoe try to push Kevin away, but it seems like he's winning her over.  Maybe Beth's advice helped Kevin realize he needed to give Zoe some space even though he's a Pearson and admittedly boundary-challenged. Good for Zoe and Kevin. 

21 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

Apparently I'm emotionally dead inside because I didn't feel anything when Rebecca singing made Jack cry.  It was just all too cliche.  Also, I can't get into their road trip storyline.  If someone told me that they were going on a cross country road trip with a guy they barely knew, I would say, "You make bad life choices."  And yes, I know that lots of shows have done something similar but those are usually teen dramas where you're rooting for the characters to get together.  This show is aimed at adults and is supposed to be a little more grounded.  Also, we know these two get together so glimpses into their dating life are just boring and have no real impact on anything else in the show.

That being said, I do like Kevin's storyline this season, though I wish the writers would settle on one thing for what Zoe's issue with their relationship is.  Every week it changes.  First it was that she only wanted something casual, then it was she was more interested in advancing her career, then it was racial differences and now it's molestation.  Spread out over a season or two all of those would have been fine but condensed into about a month, it's a bit much.  Hopefully that's the end of it because adding another issue on top of sexual abuse would just be beyond.

Sidenote: Is Jack's necklace cursed?  Because the first person who owns it doesn't get the girl he likes, the second person is killed and the third person is most likely going to come to a bad end.  Kevin might want to watch out.  Just saying.  

I think all those issues you named were Zoe's attempts to push Kevin away.