S03.E11: Songbird Road, Part One

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, lucindabelle said:

I'd be thinking, what else did Jack hide? is there another family somewhere?

Yes, that's the thing with a big lie, isn't it?  The person's credibility is in question, even if that was the sole time they ever lied like that.  And it really wasn't necessary, he could have protected the family if he thought he needed to, while still telling the truth.  Finding out your parent or partner wasn't a saint is one thing, but this sort of thing calls your whole conception of the person into question. 

[alexvillage]

Question: I watched the show on Hulu so I have no idea of how TV schedules work. Why there was no new episode this week? Thanks and sorry for the discussion interruption.

[camom]

Quote

Question: I watched the show on Hulu so I have no idea of how TV schedules work. Why there was no new episode this week? Thanks and sorry for the discussion interruption.

I came here looking for an answer for this same question.

[Good Queen Jane]

I think it was because the State of the Union Address was scheduled for January 29, so it was a planned preemption. When the SOTU was cancelled, the networks put in fillers. Of course, the SOTU is now scheduled for next Tuesday (Feb. 5), so the show will be preempted again.

[ErinV]

On 1/22/2019 at 10:04 PM, chitowngirl said:

I hope Kate got to a bathroom! Needing to pee whilst pregnant is nothing to mess with!!

Agreed, but OMG is Kate one of those annoying pregnant women.  How many times in the last two episodes has she reminded someone that she's pregnant?  Even telling that college kid in her big speech about the Star Wars toys.  Lady, this 18 yo kid does NOT care.  Neither do we.  Also, I know she eventually came around but her initial attitude about selling those toys was so obnoxious.  Like, she could not have cared less.  Gah they have made her so unlikeable.

On 1/23/2019 at 10:27 AM, ClareWalks said:

As awful as it is that Jack cut Nicky off (and wouldn't even let him explain, WTF), it's kind of nice to see Saint Jack brought down a peg. It was absolutely ridiculous in the first two seasons how FLAWLESS Jack was (even with alcoholism).

Jack was the Best Alcoholic ever, though.  We never really saw any bad behavior toward his family because of it.  Never saw him reeling around drunk.  People with real alcoholism in their families would love to have Jack.  So unrealistic.

[Kath94]

On 1/24/2019 at 4:41 PM, Ohiopirate02 said:

I have a suspicion that Rebecca found out that Nicky was alive but kept silent out of respect for her husband.   We know that Jack's AA notebook survived the fire.  I can see her reading it and putting it together.   I do believe that Jack would have contacted Nicky while he was working the program,  he just never got the opportunity.   I can see him putting this visit off, maybe waiting for the kids to graduate and move out of the house.  To me this is the ultimate tragedy, never getting the chance to clear the air.  

Here's my theory.  After Kevin's accident, Jack realized the importance of that brother relationship.  He decided to finally give away his reminder of the tragedy - his necklace from Viet Nam.  He gave it to Kevin.  He had every intention to reach out to Nicky, but he died soon afterward & never got the chance.

[Aloeonatable]

On 1/31/2019 at 10:23 AM, ErinV said:

Agreed, but OMG is Kate one of those annoying pregnant women.  How many times in the last two episodes has she reminded someone that she's pregnant?  Even telling that college kid in her big speech about the Star Wars toys.  Lady, this 18 yo kid does NOT care.  Neither do we.  Also, I know she eventually came around but her initial attitude about selling those toys was so obnoxious.  Like, she could not have cared less.  Gah they have made her so unlikeable.

Jack was the Best Alcoholic ever, though.  We never really saw any bad behavior toward his family because of it.  Never saw him reeling around drunk.  People with real alcoholism in their families would love to have Jack.  So unrealistic.

I've known "quiet" drunks like Jack. We did see him come home late (early in season 1) and Rebecca tell him that his behavior was unacceptable. You don't have to be  falling down drunk to be an alcoholic. 

[Driad]

Some of us were talking about a former boss who was a "quiet drunk." One said "I don't think I ever saw him drunk." Another said "You probably never saw him sober."

[gameshowjunkie]

I wonder how much backstory we will get with Jack's FOO. Have we learned when his father became an asshole, for example? We see him as an abusive monster, and then he is so sweet when Nicky is born. Do we know when things change? I know it's alcohol related - I believe his dad was an alcoholic and he doesn't drink when his sons are born.

[debraran]

Look forward to seeing more of Nicky older, glad there wont be flashbacks and they will stay in present for now.

https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/29/this-is-us-producers-two-actors-nicky/

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 2/4/2019 at 2:47 PM, icemiser69 said:

He probably wouldn't have been on drugs in the first place if he had dealt with those underlying psychological issues long ago. 

Of course, if those underlying issues are the least bit stress-related, then being drafted and thrown into Vietnam is only going to raise his stress levels, causing him to take drugs and drink booze in an effort to either alleviate the stress or try to escape from it.

Some of those issues may have arisen from never knowing when his father was going to explode and beat him, Jack, or their mother.

[RedbirdNelly]

I caught up this weekend and was not able to read all the posts so apologies in advance to the extent I repeat others.

* I don't think Jack knew it was an accident. I think he thought it was intentional and that is why he took such a stern approach. I could be wrong, but the moment that suggest that to me is when he goes to see Nicky, tells Nicky don't write me at my house, Nicky responds "you drove all the way here to tell me that" and Jack says "that's how much I mean it." I just don't think he would have such a reaction if he thought it was a terrible accident. Also as part of the 'previous" scenes they showed Nicky fake shooting at civilians--I think to suggest Jack's mindset/likely way to interpret what happened.

* I always love when the Big 3 get together and interact. Loved the Sundance part.

* I didn't mind Kate being rude insisting they stay. They'd driven a long way; there is some deep family stuff going on; and I think it was realistic she would dig in and not just stumble out.

*I'm not sure whether Jack's family thought Nicky was dead. There is no reason Nicky (who chased down Jack's work and home addresses) could not have contacted them. I may be forgetting some scenes that indicate they thought he was dead because they were relying on Jack for all info, but to me, it makes more sense that they knew he was alive--he just wasn't coming home and he wasn't in one piece so Jack failed to save him.

* I loved the scene of Jack turning right and Kevin at the same spot turning left. I know it's hokey for so much of their lives to conveniently match up, but it's just a nice touch for this show.

[movingtargetgal]

I think you are right Redbird.  Jack thought Nicky may have killed the boy on purpose and he could not bring himself to listen to his brother's rationalize what he had done.  Both Jack and Nicky were so emotionally damaged by the war that they were not able to deal with such a tragedy.  Both felt overwhelming guilt.  Nicky took that child on a boat with explosives for an afternoon of "fishing" was stupid but he did not mean to harm the boy.  He was trying to bond with the boy and do something with him that he had done as a boy with his big brother.  Jack felt responsible for bringing Nicky to that village in order to get him straight and his kid brother ends up killing a small child.  Both Nicky and Jack reacted by shutting down emotionally.  Jack put up a wall and was "done with" Nicky.  Nicky went to a military hospital and treated for addiction and PTSD.  Neither brother was in an emotional place to help the other and they each suffered alone for decades.  

[JinxyDH]

I used to adore Jack, now I think he is a sack of crap. For all those years, he blamed poor Nicky for the boy's death, he thought he did it on purpose and never even gave him a chance to explain when they were older. Jack also left his poor brother to rot in a leaky trailer without a second thought. My opinion of Jack has definitely changed. I now loathe him for the way he treated Nicky.