S03.E10 The Last Seven Weeks

[sigmaforce86]

That scene when Kate found out DNS meant Do Not Sell was so badly done.  It seems nearly impossible to believe that Kate grew up in the 80's, has two brothers one of which is an actor, has lived with Toby and his "toys" for this long and still has no clue about what some men might like to collect or that Star Wars figures would be something very, very collectible and sought after and have meaning and value to the owner (Toby) and to anyone they were sold to.  When she found out about DNS she should have looked far more sorry and shocked and far less confused.  Her lack of response and seeming ignorance just very, very weird to me.

I was going to confess I wanted Randall to lose like it was some bad thing to wish for, now I know I'm part of the majority on that one.  No spoilers I have no idea what's to come but I'm imagining it's going to be something along the lines of how there's a difference between what you can promise and what you can actually get done within the confines of departmental political, red tape,  budgets etc.  

Looking forward to the big three visiting Nicky if for no other reason than Griffin Dunne is going to play Nicky and I really like the guy.

[albinerhawk]

I guess I'm in the minority for actually liking this episode. I didn't see Beth caving in. When Randall was going to skip church, he basically was capitulating to Beth. In response to Randall recognizing how he was wrong, Beth was now acknowledging that Randall needed to see this through and she was going to back him up. On the flip side, the fact that he won seemed way too unbelievable. 

Having worked in church work, I've looked into what a church and church workers can do when it comes to politics. Obviously a pastor can hold political opinions and views. He/she can even share those views with others as a person. Tax exempt status comes into play when it comes to the pulpit. Even in the pulpit, they can discuss issues, usually social issues such as abortion, immigration, etc. However, they clearly cannot endorse a candidate from the pulpit although they can encourage parishioners to look for themselves at candidates and their stances on these issues. 

[Katy M]

I'm actually Ok with having an election in January.  To me, it's not that big of a deal.  It's better than dragging out the story for a whole year to wait for the next election, or make all sorts of weird time jump contrivances. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Pop Tart said:

 

The second quote answers the first one for me. The reason I was wishing and hoping that Randall would lose is because I'm not interested in seeing play Captain Save a Poor Person - it would reinforce some of what I like least about Randall. When he said something to his family or maybe it was maybe just Beth about a "great person" being not so great for their family vs. a "good person" who is, that was the kernel I wanted him to really absorb. So called "great" people often leave their families in the dust as they spend all their energy being great for everyone else. And what I have always loved most about Randall is his role as husband and father, not his role as savior to the world. So for me it makes him far less interesting. Oh and the actual pull-from-behind was just too silly. That too. 

Yes, I was really hoping the show would go in this direction since the episode where Randall held the meeting at the restaurant and the owner told him about all the good stuff the councilman had done for them. I wanted Randall to realize that there are all kinds of roadblocks and the other guy wasn’t a bad guy purposely letting kids get hurt in the dark. I wanted him to reach out and work with him to really improve the area- not kick him out so that now we have someone with zero political experience likely running into the same roadblocks.

[Tikichick]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

But someone has to be that "great" person, if no one ever stepped up to be "great," a lot of humanity would just be shit out of luck.  Someone has to do the heavy lifting.  Why can't it be Randall?

It absolutely can be Randall.  He has to decide what his priorities are, truly digging in and doing all that he can to make the community that he's now been elected to serve the very best he can make it, or truly be the family man who values his family above all else the way he made the commitment to Beth and the girls to be and expects people to see him as -- and desperately wants to believe Jack is watching and approving of.   The dilemma will arise when he discovers he cannot ride two horses with one ass.

Randall has always been a goal-oriented overachiever.  Something I do not believe Randall truly understands or has ever understood is how much of his achievement has been made possible by the sacrifices of others making his goals THE overriding priority of the family?  Jack and Rebecca raised him with this expectation in his formative years and Beth has been his accomplice in doing the same during their marriage, generally sublimating her own needs and ambitions along the way.  William saw this clearly and I believe genuinely tried to help avert total meltdown by urging Beth to speak up for herself more strongly.

Unfortunately Randall is either unable or unwilling to set aside his goals and ambitions in a genuine and heartfelt way for a bit of time to allow Beth to flourish and grow in the sunshine for a while.   I don't think the family is going to pick up stakes and move to Philly at all.  If Randall's building ownership was good enough to qualify him to run for office, it will be enough to allow him to represent the district.   Four hours daily commuting is more than enough to eat up any time and energy Randall might have leftover to be a great family man.

[PRgal]

Re Kate not realizing some people collect Star Wars figures and that they could be sentimental:  Toby probably wasn't born when the first movie came out (or was just a baby)!  Maybe she just didn't expect someone to be THAT obsessed with a movie they didn't see first run.

[OpalNightstream]

My daughter now plays with my husbands original star wars action figures from the 70s. It has occurred to me that maybe they are painted with lead paint or at least made with something that in today’s world would be questionable, especially after sitting in a box for decades. I know nothing about plastics and carcinogens, but i can’t help but wonder sometimes. We didn’t let her have them until she way past the toddler stage because the thought of those old toys possibly going into her mouth was gross. 

[Tikichick]

I think it's good that Kate learned some lessons about Toby actually having a meaningful attachment to objects from his childhood and past for a very real and valid reason.  She can't do a good job at mothering if her bottom line is always a default of her great pain and loss trumping everyone else.    

[Jillybean]

It's too bad I'm doing Dry January because a drinking game for this show would be perfect: drink every time someone says "Babe."  Just on Kate alone I probably could have gotten a good buzz. Then we hear Zoe say it to Kevin...Beth say it to Randall...if there had been a Rebecca/Jack scene we surely would've heard it from her, too. Hey writers, there *are* other nicknames/terms of endearment. 

That and Randall's ridiculous and unwanted election win, after being down 4 percentage points with 90% of districts reporting, just killed the episode for me. I'm not the slightest bit intrigued about Uncle Clark Kent. Blah.

[Neurochick]

I just have a silly question, if so many people here hate the show, why watch?  Aren't there better ways to spend time?  I mean this show has flaws, but I just don't think it's as awful as some state.  I don't mind the political stuff because that's the world we're living in right now.  If I want to watch foolishness, I'll watch any show on Bravo.  LOL

[Aloeonatable]

Quote

As for Nick being alive - I'm OK with that, but not OK with Jack having hidden it from everyone. But it's Jack - He Who Does/Did No Wrong - so there will probably be some compelling reason as to why. Maybe Nick made him swear to keep it a secret. This will all be dragged out and will not be resolved by the end of the season, leaving us with a cliffhanger. 

Milo was interviewed at the Critics choice awards this past Sunday and he said the Viet Nam storyline would be wrapped up this season. We don't even know if Rebecca knew. 

I don't see any chemistry in the Zoe/Kevin relationship. Their scenes seem strained. 

I too am disappointed in the political storyline with Randall winning the election. 

2 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I just have a silly question, if so many people here hate the show, why watch?  Aren't there better ways to spend time?  I mean this show has flaws, but I just don't think it's as awful as some state.  I don't mind the political stuff because that's the world we're living in right now.  If I want to watch foolishness, I'll watch any show on Bravo.  LOL

I still love this show, but the tone this season does seem different. Can't quite put my finger on what has changed.

[Mldh598]

I typically lurk and really enjoy the day after the show airs to read everyone's thoughts. I do have a question though - does anyone think the woman in Vietnam is going to a storyline that is forgotten, or will it resurface? I thought about that last night and how the focus is off her now, but I know the writers are good for circling back to things when we least expect it.

Like others, I was confused by the storyline and felt like an extremely unorganized person to see Beth wrapping gifts well before November when I was thinking the election would be in November. LOL 

[ClareWalks]

I don't think Kate mentioned this after getting the new set of Star Wars figures, but couldn't she have tried again and taken that set to that dude and tried to exchange them for Toby's? It would have been worth a shot at least. Tell him "look, you can have this set AND another $100." I doubt the kid would have turned that down.

[Cementhead]

Am I the only one who thought the manila envelope that Randall tossed into the garbage was going to somehow get into the wrong hands?  I even gasped a little when he so cavalierly tossed it in the trash and might have said "oh no, you didn't!"  I even had a passing thought that the pastor was going to go and take it out of the trash.  Anyone?  Just me?

Add me to those of you who HATE the politics story line.  For those who have asked why?  Because we eat, sleep and breathe politics right now and I turn on my tv to escape it.  Not watch more of it.  I am exhausted from it all and no amount of super cute Jae Won on my screen is going to change that.  This is a new show with SO many characters and SO many other scenarios are literally at the writers fingertips, more so than the average tv show because of the whole flashback-present day-flash forward slant and yet they go with a politics story line?  GROAN.  That's for old, washed up shows that have run out of ideas.  Seems lazy to me.  Especially from a show that dared to be so different at first.  It's lost it's charm.

[tennisgurl]

I kind of worry about Kate’s future child. Like, I can picture the kid being upset because Kate skipped his soccer game to sing to her dads urn, and her being like “YOU DONT GET TO COMPLAIN MY FATHER DIED AND I HAVE WEIGHT ISSUES YOU IM SORRY BUT ITS REALLY YOUR FAULT ” while the kid just stares until he apologizes for presuming to have problems, and that his time was more important than Kate’s. 

Edited January 16, 2019 by tennisgurl

[TeapotDiva]

16 minutes ago, Cementhead said:

Am I the only one who thought the manila envelope that Randall tossed into the garbage was going to somehow get into the wrong hands?  I even gasped a little when he so cavalierly tossed it in the trash and might have said "oh no, you didn't!"  I even had a passing thought that the pastor was going to go and take it out of the trash.  Anyone?  Just me?

 

You definitely were not the only one!  In fact, when the pastor was giving his sermon, I thought he was going to bring up the DUI and the payoff.

[Cementhead]

9 minutes ago, TeapotDiva said:

You definitely were not the only one!  In fact, when the pastor was giving his sermon, I thought he was going to bring up the DUI and the payoff.

Thanks!  I thought I was being perhaps a wee bit too paranoid or overly suspicious or overly dramatic.

Edited January 16, 2019 by Cementhead

[Tikichick]

19 minutes ago, Cementhead said:

Am I the only one who thought the manila envelope that Randall tossed into the garbage was going to somehow get into the wrong hands?  I even gasped a little when he so cavalierly tossed it in the trash and might have said "oh no, you didn't!"  I even had a passing thought that the pastor was going to go and take it out of the trash.  Anyone?  Just me?

Add me to those of you who HATE the politics story line.  For those who have asked why?  Because we eat, sleep and breathe politics right now and I turn on my tv to escape it.  Not watch more of it.  I am exhausted from it all and no amount of super cute Jae Won on my screen is going to change that.  This is a new show with SO many characters and SO many other scenarios are literally at the writers fingertips, more so than the average tv show because of the whole flashback-present day-flash forward slant and yet they go with a politics story line?  GROAN.  That's for old, washed up shows that have run out of ideas.  Seems lazy to me.  Especially from a show that dared to be so different at first.  It's lost it's charm.

I don't hate the politics storyline because of the subject matter.  I hate it because it's not well thought out or told well -- or anything close to believably.

This show has a sweet spot in telling emotional and relationship stories with depth.  For that reason it might be better to focus more sharply on that aspect of the political storyline. 

[Blakeston]

17 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I just have a silly question, if so many people here hate the show, why watch?  Aren't there better ways to spend time?  I mean this show has flaws, but I just don't think it's as awful as some state.  I don't mind the political stuff because that's the world we're living in right now.  If I want to watch foolishness, I'll watch any show on Bravo.  LOL

There have been shows that I enjoyed at first, but went way south, and even though I hated them I still ended up watching them because a) I was hoping they'd get better, b) I was very curious how they'd end, and/or c) I enjoyed laughing about them with friends who also hated them.

I don't hate This is Us yet. Not even close. But I absolutely hate this terribly written political storyline.

And I hate that Randall didn't make an issue of the drunk driving. The man was caught committing a crime, and used his connections to get out of it, and Randall doesn't think the public has a right to know that? What the hell?

I would understand if the issue was something irrelevant to politics (like, Brown  cheated on his wife, or he got a DUI when he was 18.) Ignoring an issue like that might very well be taking the high road. But this was outright corruption. There's nothing noble about letting politicians get away with corruption.

Edited January 17, 2019 by Blakeston

[chitowngirl]

I usually watch this show alone because I am the only one in the family that watches it. My husband happened to be home when I was watching (which I hate-Who is that? Where is he going? How are those two people connected?). But tonight he asked, “How can he run for office when he doesn’t live there?” I answered that we have been asking that question for months!

[Pallas]

Quote

I hate that Randall didn't make an issue of the drunk driving.

Randall's the devoted son of an alcoholic: a man he saw drive drunk at least once and perhaps more, in retrospect. There are lots of weird reverberations going on in this story of Randall's adopting William's stomping grounds, moving in on the neighborhood and people cared for, over decades, by another man. For William's son to bring down this man, in his own home, on an issue around alcohol, may somehow feel unseemly to Jack's son.

[WhosThatGirl]

9 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

I usually watch this show alone because I am the only one in the family that watches it. My husband happened to be home when I was watching (which I hate-Who is that? Where is he going? How are those two people connected?). But tonight he asked, “How can he run for office when he doesn’t live there?” I answered that we have been asking that question for months!

The answer is because he’s Randall’s Pearson, Jack Pearson’s son! And the guy whose in office didn’t fix the lights at the community center!

... yeah. I agree with others. This show is really Getting to a this is I leave you moment. The only thing saving it is that right now it doesn’t conflict with anything better to watch at the time. 

[One Imaginary Girl]

4 hours ago, Lovecat said:

Nothing about this timeline made sense—in Pennsylvania, we have primaries in May and the general election in November, including city council, and yes, including Philadelphia (I checked!).  I was so confused when Randall came home and found a Beth wrapping Christmas presents, because I thought 5 weeks before Election Day meant that it was like, early October.  I think the only time we would have a special election (not in May or November) would be if an elected official either died or was incarcerated while in office.

The weird geography and time zone problems with this show are pushing me toward the door, and the whole ridiculous thing with an election occurring right after New Year's Day may hasten my departure. For crying out loud! Is an election ever held in early January anywhere in this country? They can't even claim it's a special election, because there is an incumbent. Sheesh.

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

That scene when Kate found out DNS meant Do Not Sell was so badly done.  It seems nearly impossible to believe that Kate grew up in the 80's, has two brothers one of which is an actor, has lived with Toby and his "toys" for this long and still has no clue about what some men might like to collect or that Star Wars figures would be something very, very collectible and sought after and have meaning and value to the owner (Toby) and to anyone they were sold to.  When she found out about DNS she should have looked far more sorry and shocked and far less confused.  Her lack of response and seeming ignorance just very, very weird to me.

You're right.  I'm of similar age to her, I have a father, two brothers, and she WORKED in the movie business.  What you guys are saying is just too logical to ignore.

3 hours ago, PRgal said:

Re Kate not realizing some people collect Star Wars figures and that they could be sentimental:  Toby probably wasn't born when the first movie came out (or was just a baby)!  Maybe she just didn't expect someone to be THAT obsessed with a movie they didn't see first run.

It simply doesn't track.  When you show a child a movie, they don't know, nor care what the release date was.  They just care if they love it or not.  My nephew born in 2010 used to be obsessed with Dumbo.  The movie that was released in 1941.  The first movie I ever saw in theatres was Snow White.  That was released in 1937.  My father took me to see it in the late 80s.  I didn't have to wait until a late 80s release to become obsessed with something.  My mother used to have us watch Grease over and over again.  I wouldn't scan the VHS box and reject it because it was made before I was born.  We just enjoyed it.  It wasn't until we were much older that we realized that we 80s kids loved this movie made in the 70s, about the 50s.  

Edited January 16, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[CrystalBlue]

This is why you don't sell off your spouse's stuff.  The jump to you have to sell all of YOUR stuff bothered me.  I, like everyone else, is glad Gabe didn't go for the Pearson speech bait and stood his ground.  He bought the items fair and square.  The only thing I do feel bad about is that Toby lost his action figures, but he should have been more proactive and verbally told Kate they weren't to be sold.  Maybe Kate has realized she's gone to the sob story well one too many times and there's no more water in it.

I have a prediction about Randall winning the election which I will take to the Speculations thread.

[biakbiak]

8 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Not super unrealistic really since something kinda similar happened in real life.  Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez who unseated a 20 year incumbent had never held office against really bad odds.

But AOC canvassed and campaigned for a year before she won, knocking on 120,000 plus doors, forming connections with  grassroots organizations deeply tied to the community, etc.  Randall showed up in a place he did not live a few weeks before an election and made a handful of generic speeches there is no comparison between the two.

Edited January 16, 2019 by biakbiak

[WhosThatGirl]

I really had a small hopeful wishful thinking moment where I hoped Randall wouldn’t win but I had a bigger feeling knowing he was going to win because of course. And I’m not sure if we’re supposed to be shocked he won? Are we? Because I haven’t read one post here with someone being shocked he won. 

And yeah I hate that Beth rolled over on this and her feelings and when he said “I played superdad last year while you were working..” like others have said she had to work because someone up and quit their job months before. What was she supposed to do? And she got fired/let go from her job you ass. I’m sure she isn’t happy with the circumstances and you don’t need to rub it in her face. Why does Randall get a pass all the time? Sure seems like it.

The only Pearson’s I like right now are Kevin and Rebecca. I actually have always liked Rebecca and got mad that people got so angry with her when she wanted to do something for herself and people said she was selfish.  

Also now that we’re learnung that Jack knee Nicky was alive is really going to tarnish the character they’ve built up the last two seasons. Again as I keep saying in all my posts, it really seems like they didn’t think this great plan of making Nicky alive and Jack secretly knowing. Like yeah it’s dramatic and all that but it definitely makes Jack kind of not so great. He kept this secret of having a dead brother from his wife and his three kids? I wonder how this fits on the meter skill with Rebecca having met William twice and keeping it from the family. Is it bigger and worse than that? Or is it about the same?

[Infie]

I sometimes feel like I saw a different ep than everyone else.

Like - the pastor didn't endorse Randall from the pulpit.  He just said that he didn't feel that there was a wrong choice between the two people running.  

And the idea that Randall just showed up and made a couple of speeches - the pastor specifically said that Randall had been knocking on every door in the area for weeks to the point that it had become a joke within his congregation.

And Beth didn't cave - Randall did.  He admitted he was wrong and had decided to drop the whole thing.  He refocussed himself on his family, and it was Beth who decided to go back to finish everything.  

None of this makes it less unlikely that Randall actually won, but it does sound as though he put in the work and it ultimately paid off rather than it being utterly ludicrous.  

On the other hand, Kate and the toys comment?  unbelievable. 

[ams1001]

Kate's casual "this will be the baby's room so you're gonna have to sell all your stuff [at least some of which you've clearly been collecting since childhood]" is not in keeping with her "I have nothing from my childhood because my house burned down boo-hoo." And why does he have to sell it? Or sell all of it? Box some of it up and put it away and/or put up some shelves in the living room or somewhere to hold it. (Or as someone mentioned above, work it into the theme for the baby's room.) That he agreed to it so easily seems unrealistic.

 

19 hours ago, CleoCaesar said:

Wait, what? The guy bought them fair and square on eBay. They're his lawful possessions. What exactly did he do to warrant being called snot-nosed and hypothetically slapped? Calling his mother for what?

Yeah, he's a college student, so presumably at least 18. What's his mother supposed to do? (He should have offered to sell them back for what they're actually worth.)

 

11 hours ago, deaja said:

I actually thought Randall was overall tolerable this episode (but I was possibly comparing him subconsciously to his siblings which is bound to make him look good) with a big exception when he said “didn’t I stay home and play superdad for the last year?” Oh, you mean when you threw a hissyfit over fruit and quit without so much as discussing it with you amazing wife who immediately stepped up to support you?

It always bugs me when fathers act like they're doing something heroic for "playing superdad" by, y'know, taking care of their kids. (Same with dad having the kids for the day being described as babysitting. No, "babysitting" is when you take care of kids to whom you are not a parent or legal guardian. Otherwise you're just "parenting.") Also, how many times did he leave them to go to Philly (or drag them with him) while he was "home playing superdad"?

 

4 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Am I the only one who thought the manila envelope that Randall tossed into the garbage was going to somehow get into the wrong hands?  I even gasped a little when he so cavalierly tossed it in the trash and might have said "oh no, you didn't!"  I even had a passing thought that the pastor was going to go and take it out of the trash.  Anyone?  Just me?

No, no you are not.

 

4 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Add me to those of you who HATE the politics story line.  For those who have asked why?  Because we eat, sleep and breathe politics right now and I turn on my tv to escape it.  Not watch more of it.  I am exhausted from it all 

Yes, this.

 

4 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I don't hate the politics storyline because of the subject matter.  I hate it because it's not well thought out or told well -- or anything close to believably.

And this.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Infie said:

idea that Randall just showed up and made a couple of speeches - the pastor specifically said that Randall had been knocking on every door in the area for weeks to the point that it had become a joke within his congregation.

But this just adds to the ludicrousness of the situation effective canvassing requires a shit ton of people because there is a limited amount of time that people are home because they work so you looking at a few hours (maybe) at night and weekends add in that it’s the holidays and it would take weeks to even organize an effective canvassing team and strategy much less be ubiquitous enough for it to be a joke. 

I don’t expect the show to be a documentary about a campaign but literally every single major choice they have made in this storyline has been ludicrous and unrealistic. 

Edited January 17, 2019 by biakbiak

[preeya]

22 hours ago, greekmom said:

Interesting turn of events – Jack knew Nicky was alive. Wonder why he kept it a secret.

 

He knew CK, as an addict, didn't fit in with the family.  Also, the reason he didn't look for his name on the wall.

[Moxie Cat]

The college kid seemed primarily interested in the value of the action figures, which he got for a steal. Wouldn't he have been smarter to tell Kate and Toby that he would assess the value, inflate it, and give them a price - and if they wanted the figures, they could choose to pay or not? That way, they pay for their mistake but they get their special possessions back, and the kid makes out like a bandit. IDK, that solution seemed obvious to me. 

The most upsetting part about this episode to me was Kate telling Toby he'd have to "sell his toys." Seriously, deal breaker. Not store? Did she not think something he displayed like that had value? Has she lived with this person? The utter disregard for his possessions was horrible. 

[KLovestoShop]

How did Randall run for Philadelphia city council without living in the district?  There is a 1 year residency rule in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and it means you must live there full time, and not just rent a place.  They’re strict with that rule because there was a woman who ran for the state legislature  here in our district who had to prove she really did live in the state for 5 years.  

I can’t see how the kids are going to like living a an area that’s not up to their usual standards of relative suburban luxury.  

[ams1001]

15 minutes ago, KLovestoShop said:

How did Randall run for Philadelphia city council without living in the district?  There is a 1 year residency rule in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and it means you must live there full time, and not just rent a place.  They’re strict with that rule because there was a woman who ran for the state legislature  here in our district who had to prove she really did live in the state for 5 years.  

I can’t see how the kids are going to like living a an area that’s not up to their usual standards of relative suburban luxury.  

There was a throwaway line in an earlier episode about him having put his name on William's lease when he moved him into their house and that was why he could. (Sounds like BS to me, too.)

[KLovestoShop]

28 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

There was a throwaway line in an earlier episode about him having put his name on William's lease when he moved him into their house and that was why he could. (Sounds like BS to me, too.)

I'm wondering if someone is going to question his eligibility to take office if it's proven that he's never been a real resident?  

[Dramafan15]

15 hours ago, Neurochick said:

What’s wrong with Randall winning?  Should people not go into politics if they have families?

 

Going into politics with a family is one thing, going into politics when your wife just lost her job, your daughter is questioning her sexuality and your other daughter is dealing with her birth mom still in the picture is a completely different story. Let’s also not forget that this new task of his will require him to be gone alot. The problem with Randall winning is that it does nothing but give us nine more episodes of him acting like his latest “it’s about William” escapade is more important than his struggling family which he increasingly neglects every season.  The fact that there’s not really any consequences for him is also a problem to. He acted like a real jackass towards Beth during their last two fights, but the writers just wrote a speech and made it seem like everything was A Okay.

Edited January 17, 2019 by Dramafan15

[biakbiak]

57 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

There was a throwaway line in an earlier episode about him having put his name on William's lease when he moved him into their house and that was why he could. (Sounds like BS to me, too.)

In California that would constitue election fraud. 

[Kirkydee]

I'm a little confused in people questioning Jack hiding his brother's status.  Don't forget Jack told the family that his OWN father was dead, then Becca took the call (with Kate in tow) on his deathbed.  Dont focus on the reasons Jack may or may not have.  The fact remains that Jack has a history (HIStory) of lying about relatives death status. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When Kate brought Toby into the toy room, I thought she was going to say that as part of the babyproofing they needed to do, he needed to pack up the action figures/move them to higher shelves because they're a potential choking hazard/put them into enclosed cabinets. I didn't think she would jump to "you need to sell your stuff." But to be fair, Toby didn't object. He is an adult with a mouth that clearly works since he talks constantly. If he didn't want to sell them, he could have said so. Apparently he was fine with selling most of it (aside from the one box he wanted to keep).

13 hours ago, Jillybean said:

It's too bad I'm doing Dry January because a drinking game for this show would be perfect: drink every time someone says "Babe."  Just on Kate alone I probably could have gotten a good buzz. Then we hear Zoe say it to Kevin...Beth say it to Randall...if there had been a Rebecca/Jack scene we surely would've heard it from her, too. Hey writers, there *are* other nicknames/terms of endearment.

Ha, it reminded me of Jim and Pam sarcastically calling each other "babe" after the disastrous dinner party they attended at Michael and Jan's house on The Office.

9 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

When you show a child a movie, they don't know, nor care what the release date was.  They just care if they love it or not.  My nephew born in 2010 used to be obsessed with Dumbo.  The movie that was released in 1941.  The first movie I ever saw in theatres was Snow White.  That was released in 1937.  My father took me to see it in the late 80s.  I didn't have to wait until a late 80s release to become obsessed with something.  My mother used to have us watch Grease over and over again.  I wouldn't scan the VHS box and reject it because it was made before I was born.  We just enjoyed it.  It wasn't until we were much older that we realized that we 80s kids loved this movie made in the 70s, about the 50s.  

I agree - when I was a kid, I loved The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins (among other things) despite the fact that they were made long before I was born (I actually had no idea when they were made - I just knew that I loved them).

[ShadowFacts]

7 hours ago, Dramafan15 said:

Going into politics with a family is one thing, going into politics when your wife just lost her job, your daughter is questioning her sexuality and your other daughter is dealing with her birth mom still in the picture is a completely different story. Let’s also not forget that this new task of his will require him to be gone alot. The problem with Randall winning is that it does nothing but give us nine more episodes of him acting like his latest “it’s about William” escapade is more important than his struggling family which he increasingly neglects every season.  The fact that there’s not really any consequences for him is also a problem to. He acted like a real jackass towards Beth during their last two fights, but the writers just wrote a speech and made it seem like everything was A Okay.

There haven't been lasting consequences for him yet, and I really wanted Beth to send him to the couch again after what he dared to say about being the stay-at-home parent.  I think, though, we have had a hint that things don't turn out well.  In the last episode before the break, didn't we see the future where he was without a wedding ring and Beth is communicating with Tess, not him, about visiting the dying Rebecca? 

[alexvillage]

21 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I don't understand why Zoe's ex the congressman had to be involved in getting Nicky's veteran's records, when the woman said Kevin had to prove he is next of kin.  Other than having the reveal that Zoe emailed a break-up.  Jack's mother might still be alive I suppose, but at an advanced age and she might keel over to find out her son never died in Vietnam.  Unless she did know. 

I believe Kevin could have gotten the proof via public records too. 

[BonnieD]

Quote

 (Then again if the writers are self-aware about the repetitive emotionally manipulative monologues they write, maybe they should stop writing them.)

Here, here! It isn't the characters' faults they're becoming increasingly unlikeable. It's the writers. The same creator, and I assume most of the same writers, who gave us the self-involved Parenthood family (already forgot their last name). It's become Parenthood 2.0. All that was good is rapidly diminishing. You'd think someone would learn a lesson about speechifying and just because it's fun to write doesn't mean viewers want to watch their favorite characters act like asshats!!

[Quickbeam]

I have loved this show from the beginning but found this episode all kinds of wrong. The Star Wars toys, the election...it all just hit a false note. The writing felt strained and too soap opera-ish. 

[PRgal]

16 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

You're right.  I'm of similar age to her, I have a father, two brothers, and she WORKED in the movie business.  What you guys are saying is just too logical to ignore.

It simply doesn't track.  When you show a child a movie, they don't know, nor care what the release date was.  They just care if they love it or not.  My nephew born in 2010 used to be obsessed with Dumbo.  The movie that was released in 1941.  The first movie I ever saw in theatres was Snow White.  That was released in 1937.  My father took me to see it in the late 80s.  I didn't have to wait until a late 80s release to become obsessed with something.  My mother used to have us watch Grease over and over again.  I wouldn't scan the VHS box and reject it because it was made before I was born.  We just enjoyed it.  It wasn't until we were much older that we realized that we 80s kids loved this movie made in the 70s, about the 50s.  

He HAS to have had an older sibling, parent or another relative who LOVED the movie to do that (like my mom and The Sound of Music.  Because yeah, I was, at the age of 3 1/2 (that would have been 1983, some 18 years AFTER the movie came out) OBSESSED with it.  Still am.).  It wasn't likely based on peer pressure.  I also didn't think he'd be MORE obsessed with Star Wars figures than, say, Transformers or something more associated with Xennial males.

Do we know how old Toby is?  If he's a year older than Kate, then he COULD be somewhat aware of Return of the Jedi.

[Katy M]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

But to be fair, Toby didn't object. He is an adult with a mouth that clearly works since he talks constantly.

That's how I feel.  It's not like they had a fight about it. Or that she sold his stuff (on purpose) against his will.  She may have started with a "command" but it was more of an agreement because he didn't disagree.

[Blakeston]

Toby’s walking on eggshells because of Kate’s pregnancy, and the possibility of her losing the baby. So it’s not surprising that he’d go along with the “sell your toys” directive, even if he wasn’t happy about it.

If Toby had cavalierly said, “You need to sell your shoes,” or something comparable, to Kate, even if she had given in he’d still be an asshole.

[Aloeonatable]

10 hours ago, Kirkydee said:

I'm a little confused in people questioning Jack hiding his brother's status.  Don't forget Jack told the family that his OWN father was dead, then Becca took the call (with Kate in tow) on his deathbed.  Dont focus on the reasons Jack may or may not have.  The fact remains that Jack has a history (HIStory) of lying about relatives death status. 

I think he meant that comment figuratively, not literally. My thoughts on Jack keeping Nicky's life away from his family is because Nicky requested it and to Jack, the Nicky he knew and loved was "dead." 

[Katy M]

33 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

If Toby had cavalierly said, “You need to sell your shoes,” or something comparable, to Kate, even if she had given in he’d still be an asshole.

Only if she had reason to fear him.  There was nothing to suggest that if Toby said, "I want to build cabinets instead, or put them into storage" that Kate would have gone ballistic.

[CountryGirl]

I've been a little been meh about the last few episodes and feel as if they're trying to cram too much too fast into these one-hour shows.

I haven't been as invested since the Vietnam/Jack/Nikki backstory episode.

There were some moments though that got to me.

The football stadium. 

Part of me thinks Kate cried so much because Toby gave her such an amazing gift and she sold his Star Wars collection for chump change. Should Toby have made it crystal clear that these were not to be sold/donated? Sure, but it's Star Wars. I did smirk when she couldn't Pearson her way into getting them back.

I'm torn on Randall and I hate what's happening with him and Beth but I suppose it was inevitable that this super-solid couple would get put through the wringer. It just feels a bit contrived to me. But I think it comes from Randall wanting to measure up to Jack and be all things to everyone, but really, if he wants to be like Jack, who was certainly not perfect (lionization of the dead notwithstanding) he need look no further than his own house. Taking care of his family, being a good man, vs a "great" one, is what matters. When he said to his "girls" - "You four, you’re what make me great," I thought - exactly.

The reveal that Nicky is alive and Jack knew the whole time.

No wonder he declined to find Nicky's name on the Vietnam wall with Randall. 

I do like that it adds more dimension to Jack.

I'm not 100% sold on Zoe/Kevin yet but I loved when she said: "I want John Stamos back" and when Kevin took her in his arms and how comfortable she looked.

I also remembered exactly why I love this show when Kevin got schooled by the government records lady about the Lannister line of succession.

[AnnieHeights]

20 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Am I the only one who thought the manila envelope that Randall tossed into the garbage was going to somehow get into the wrong hands?  I even gasped a little when he so cavalierly tossed it in the trash and might have said "oh no, you didn't!"  I even had a passing thought that the pastor was going to go and take it out of the trash.  Anyone?  Just me?

I thought the exact same thing!  He needed to shred it!