S03.E15: The Waiting Room

[betha]

21 hours ago, Jillybean said:

 

Speaking of Randall, I do not even consider the younger flashback versions of him to be the same person as adult Randall. For that sweet, intelligent little boy to grow into a sweet, intelligent teen, to grow into such a self-centered, entitled adult...I just can't even like adult Randall.

I feel the same about Kate. The teen and adult versions don’t line up. 

[theatremouse]

Well that was the least surprising episode of any television show I've ever watched.

[PRgal]

5 hours ago, Katy M said:

I know in my case, my mom was going to name me Tina.  But, when I was born, she decided I was "too big" to be a Tina, because to her, Tina means tiny.  So she changed it.  My sister picked out 3 girl's names and I think she decided to see which one fit best when the baby was born, but I could be misremembering.  She might have finalized beforehand.  Either way, she did pick one of the three.  I tend to agree with you, though.  Most babies look pretty similar.  And, they don't have distinct personalities.  If you were going to wait a year to name, that would make more sense, but then what do you call the baby in the meantime? Baby?

I have a friend who didn’t name her baby for nearly a month!  They had a nickname for him, and I think her mom called the kid by his Chinese name (which, to my understanding, isn’t on his birth certificate).  

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, betha said:

I feel the same about Kate. The teen and adult versions don’t line up.  

I tend to believe the Braverman...err...Pearson gene kicked in at some point where they both realized they and their immediate family are the center of the universe, and all will kneel before them and their dead father worshiping insanity.  More seriously, I do agree.   The kids seems much less self-absorbed in the younger flashbacks.   

[Dreamboat Annie]

On ‎3‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 2:32 PM, meep.meep said:

So, why weren't Toby's family members there?

They had the good sense, grace and manners to wait patiently at home for news.

Naming the baby Jack was just too predictable and ridiculously trite, even for this show.  I'm wondering if Kate will have a change of heart and either decide he doesn't look like a Jack or decide he deserves his own name/identity?  Oh.. who am I kidding?!

Nitpicky but here goes.  A C-section is major surgery.  Kate would not be sitting up, much less at eye level to the incubator, all bright eyed and speaking clearly and concisely.  With the whole ordeal and the intense painkillers she'd be groggy as fuck, in a fog, falling in and out of sleep.  Due to all that, and the pain, she'd be unable to sit up, probably for a few days at least.  And isn't she turning 39 this year?  That would not make all of this easier.  Also, I don't know how much time had passed from her surgery until she was with the baby, but she'd be spending at least the first few hours in the recovery room.  I had four C-sections (my husband was in the room for the last three, the first one was an emergency C-section and he was not allowed to come in - I was completely put out for that one but awake for all the others) and I was a lot younger than Kate for all of them and, believe me, it still was not easy.  I hope baby Jack is doing great, but I'm not expecting a realistic preemie story. 

I wish that when Toby emerged, he had instead said that Kate wanted to see Madison first.  And not joking at all.

What a shitshow.  My favourite part was when Rebecca and Miguel basically told Randall what he could do with his early Christmas gift.

Quite frankly, I am getting tired of both Randall and Beth and their "waaa waaa my dreams waaa waaa!  My DREAMS waaa waaa!!".  They have three minor children at home - it's time to grow up and focus on them.  There must be enough going on with them - what parents of three minor children have the time or energy necessary to focus on themselves and the fulfillment of their dreams?

[mommalib]

15 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Randall is acting like a stereotypical first born son.  They tend to be kind of bossy, obnoxious, and know-it-alls.

I think Kevin is really jealous of the relationship that Randall has with Rebecca.   I think Kevin would have been more accepting of that relationship if Randall was born into the family and not adopted.  

Rebecca never stopped feeling guilty over how she kept  Randall's biological father away from him.   I think she always felt sorry for Randall, because of that she unintentionally turned Randall into a momma's boy.

Kate is a daddy's girl. 

As far as Rebecca and Randall I think that may be part of it, but also she and Randall had shared interest even when Randall was young that fostered their bond and he was open to being mothered as opposed to Kevin and Kate who always fought her. Not to mention Randall was the one that stepped up for her after Jack died and he was the one who didn't leave her. And if Kevin's problem is Randall being adopted then he's a bigger ass than I already think he is.

Edited March 15, 2019 by mommalib

[Katy M]

24 minutes ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Naming the baby Jack was just too predictable and ridiculously trite, even for this show.  I'm wondering if Kate will have a change of heart and either decide he doesn't look like a Jack or decide he deserves his own name/identity?  Oh.. who am I kidding?!

It certainly wasn't a shock, but lots of people name their kids after their parents.  

26 minutes ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

My favourite part was when Rebecca and Miguel basically told Randall what he could do with his early Christmas gift.

Mine, too.  Grandparents do not exist to be your daycare.  they have lives also.  Most are more than happy to help out in emergencies if they live close, but asking telling them to do it on a regular basis is selfish.  I just realized that even though I don't like flash forwards, since they're doing them anyway, we need one where adult Tess or Annie, in no uncertain terms, demands that Randall care for her children while she goes on a 3 month Antarctic cruise.  William would have wanted it.

29 minutes ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Quite frankly, I am getting tired of both Randall and Beth and their "waaa waaa my dreams waaa waaa!  My DREAMS waaa waaa!!".  They have three minor children at home - it's time to grow up and focus on them.  There must be enough going on with them - what parents of three minor children have the time or energy necessary to focus on themselves and the fulfillment of their dreams?

What other dream has Beth had?  Other than to get Kevin out of her house. I don't know that that was inconsistent with taking care of her kids.

[Crs97]

27 minutes ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

  I had four C-sections (my husband was in the room for the last three, the first one was an emergency C-section and he was not allowed to come in - I was completely put out for that one but awake for all the others) and I was a lot younger than Kate for all of them and, believe me, it still was not easy.  I hope baby Jack is doing great, but I'm not expecting a realistic preemie story. 

Same here!  And yes I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed for 24 hours.  Husband had bought a video camera, and he brought it to the hospital to film our son for me so that I could see him on his birth day.

The weird thing for me about the grandmother was why she was in the waiting room to begin with.  Her grandchildren had already been born.  I thought Beth was ridiculous when she got annoyed by the pretzels; get over yourself or offer the woman a doughnut that is quieter to eat.  To threaten violence?  Take a seat.

[ams1001]

13 hours ago, llewis823 said:

I have always thought the front grills/lights of cars look like faces. And it really surprised me a few weeks ago, my 28 year old daughter was talking and told her husband how her mom always said cars have "friendly" or "mean" "Faces". The other day, I saw a car's grill/lights and it shocked me how much it looked like a storm trooper's helmet in Star Wars.  So, no, Kilda, you're not weird. Because if you are - I'm SUPER WEIRD! LOL

7 hours ago, Lovecat said:

May I also submit...

[drunk octopus pic]

We're kinda hard-wired to see faces in stuff. It's called pareidolia.

There's a whole website of 'em. 🙂 http://www.thingswithfaces.com/

[Katy M]

29 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

The weird thing for me about the grandmother was why she was in the waiting room to begin with.  Her grandchildren had already been born.

Maybe she doesn't drive and her son-in-law was taking her home, but he wanted some alone time with his wife and daughter first?  Or she was waiting for someone else to come pick her up?  

[Dreamboat Annie]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

It certainly wasn't a shock, but lots of people name their kids after their parents.

I know a lot of people, but not a single one who used their parents names as their children's names.  Middle names, yes.  And no, Jack most certainly was not a shock.

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

but asking telling them to do it on a regular basis is selfish.  

And presenting it as a gift to them!

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I just realized that even though I don't like flash forwards, since they're doing them anyway, we need one where adult Tess or Annie, in no uncertain terms, demands that Randall care for her children while she goes on a 3 month Antarctic cruise.  William would have wanted it.

Okay.  I don't literally laugh out loud while reading comments.  I smile, I snicker sometimes, I may chortle very slightly now and then.  But literally laugh out loud?  Pretty much never.  In my opinion, you just won the entire comments section for this episode. 

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

What other dream has Beth had? 

I know, she hasn't.  But unfortunately that hasn't stopped me from being tired of their whining about their unfulfilled dreams.  I'm likely so tired of Randall and his dreams that she just gets thrown right in there, too.  Unfair, I know.  It seems to have become somewhat of a competition for them and, quite frankly, I'm already tired of their whining.  They have three minor children, dammit!  Including one rather recently adopted teen with serious issues.  Oh, and two adolescents. 

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

Same here!  And yes I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed for 24 hours.  Husband had bought a video camera, and he brought it to the hospital to film our son for me so that I could see him on his birth day.

Aww, so sweet.  Unforgettable for sure, no matter your state.  I was very lucky in that my firstborn was not a preemie, so as soon as I was transferred from the recovery room to an actual room, the nurses brought him to me.  My husband had already met him and helped the nurses give him his first bath, but I was meeting him for the first time.   My husband asked them to, if possible.  He was told that I was not up to it, but he insisted if at all possible.  They held him (all cozied up in those cute little flannel baby blankets that even form a hoodie over the wool beanie) sort of above my belly (but not touching me) for at least 15 minutes.  All I could think was that he was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on.  But no, I was not in any condition to hold him yet, that was not to happen for another 24 hours.  C-sections are major surgery.

[Dreamboat Annie]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Maybe she doesn't drive and her son-in-law was taking her home, but he wanted some alone time with his wife and daughter first?  Or she was waiting for someone else to come pick her up?  

That's what hospital lobbies are for.  Not waiting rooms. 

[3 is enough]

4 hours ago, Kirkydee said:

. As someone who works in healthcare it amazes me that people assume everybody who is in uniform and female at a hospital is a nurse.

My daughter is an infectious disease fellow.  She is a very young looking 30 year old (she still gets carded regularly), and she said her biggest challenge is getting patients to believe she is a doctor.  Despite the white coat and the name tag that says MD, she is constantly being called nurse, or "honey", or told, "I want to talk to the doctor".  

Even though most medical school classes are evenly split between men and women these days, a lot of people still assume "the doctor" is going to be a man.  

And speaking of doctors, I guess Kate's fertility doctor was not there for the delivery?  

Edited March 15, 2019 by 3 is enough

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

That's what hospital lobbies are for.  Not waiting rooms. 

Didn't know there were hard and fast rules about who's allowed to wait in a waiting room.  Guess you saved me some major future embarrassment.

[Crs97]

Just trying to understand why she was there other than bad writing.  If she is waiting for a ride, she wouldn’t be sitting in a room upstairs.  Since they had her on the phone, it would have been easy to add in a line, “Okay, go park on the car and I am on the third floor.  We can go see her and those new babies together!” or “She’s in recovery now, so I am just waiting till they give her a room!” Or “I’m giving the new family a little time, but I can’t wait to get back there again!” Now it makes sense that she is just sitting there.  Instead it feels like the writers shoe-horned in the grandma to add tension.  Just like Toby’s bad joke was shoe-horned in to make it clear Miguel is treated like an outsider.  Because I guess they think we didn’t notice otherwise.  Bad writing.

[Johnny Dollar]

I now hate everyone on this show. 

[ShadowFacts]

8 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

And presenting it as a gift to them!

Yeah, ballsy, and I am reminded that back in the first season, Randall was pissy that they hadn't called first before dropping by on their way to see Hamilton.  I remember a whole discussion in the forum about how people should always call first, etc., but my how the tables have turned, eh Randall?

8 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

That's what hospital lobbies are for.  Not waiting rooms. 

She may also be in a similar position to the Pearsons, maybe she came a fairly long way and was going to stay awhile to see her daughter and grandson again before heading out. 

[llewis823]

10 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Quite frankly, I am getting tired of both Randall and Beth and their "waaa waaa my dreams waaa waaa!  My DREAMS waaa waaa!!".  They have three minor children at home - it's time to grow up and focus on them.  There must be enough going on with them - what parents of three minor children have the time or energy necessary to focus on themselves and the fulfillment of their dreams?

AMEN!

[smartymarty]

18 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I sometimes have trouble distinguishing between comments on the show on (a) are these critiques of the show--as in "this show is poorly written" or "bad acting"; or (b) is the person saying "this character (if we assume they are at real person) has these flaws that annoy me."

I don't think the show wants us to hate all of the Pearsons. So I credit that to bad writing.

 

10 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

I know a lot of people, but not a single one who used their parents names as their children's names.  Middle names, yes.

You must not know any Italians. Naming conventions call for first-born son to be named after baby's grandfather, second son named after baby's father. A third boy? Shift to the baby's mother's father. Many other ethnicities follow similar conventions, including naming conventions for female babies. http://pocketcultures.com/2011/04/13/children-naming-traditions/

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, Crs97 said:

If she is waiting for a ride, she wouldn’t be sitting in a room upstairs.

Not if she's waiting for her son-in-law who is in with his wife. Or, if she's waiting to see her daughter again after she gives them some alone time.  It's not like there's no reason she should be there. 

10 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

I know a lot of people, but not a single one who used their parents names as their children's names.  Middle names, yes.  And no, Jack most certainly was not a shock.

My grandfather was named after his grandfather.  I had a boyfriend who was a III, so he was named after his father and grandfather.  Someone I worked with had a son who was a III, so same thing and she said if she had any say in it (IMO, she won't/wouldn't) if he ever had a son he would be a IV (which I actually found weird, since she was divorced fairly acrimoniously, but whatever). 

I guess that's all I know personally, but the people I know who have children, their parents are still living, and I think it's more commonly done to honor a dead parent, as in this case.  I any case, it's definitely not creepy, or weird, or so bizarrely out there that it's never been done before. 

I could name more TV examples:

On Days of Our Lives; One of Justin's sons is names Alexander after his father, deceased at time of birth.

On Supernatural, Sam and Dean are named after their maternal grandparents, deceased at time of birth.

On General Hospital, Lulu is named after her maternal grandmother, thought to be deceased at time of birth.

On Friends, Chandler and Monica named one of the twins Jack after her father, not deceased.

On 7th Heaven, Ruthie has the same name as her paternal grandmother, but I'm not entirely sure that she was actually named after her., but not deceased.

On Little House on the Prairie (which is at least based on real-life enough to have the names the same) Laura is named after one of her grandmothers, though I forget which one.

[3 is enough]

My husband is Italian. He is named for his paternal grandfather.  It’s an unusual name , and it has caused him a lot of grief over the years. On his mother’s side of the family he has 3 cousins named Joe after their grandfather.

When I was pregnant the expectation was that if it was a boy he would be named after my father-in-law.  Didn’t happen with either of my sons.

But of course Kate would name her baby boy Jack.  Honestly, I am a bit surprised one of Randall’s girls isn’t named Jacqueline.

Edited March 15, 2019 by 3 is enough
typo

[Katy M]

31 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

But of course Kate would name her baby boy Jack.  Honestly, I am a bit surprised one of Randall’s girls isn’t named Jacqueline.

Randall would have been more likely to name a daughter Rebecca. 

[meep.meep]

12 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

I know a lot of people, but not a single one who used their parents names as their children's names.  Middle names, yes.  And no, Jack most certainly was not a shock.

My daughter is named after her grandmother.  So no, it's not strange.

[meep.meep]

10 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I have always hated that. I think it can affect a child's independence, their own identity.  Junior is going to be compared to senior.  That isn't fair to a little kid.  Plus, the parent comes off (IMO) as an egotistical jackass by having his kid named after himself.

It's not name kid the same name as their mother or father (the George Foreman syndrome).  This is name kid after grandparent.  When the grandparent is dead, it's kind of a way to remember them.   An homage.

[albinerhawk]

I was curious to know how they cast the new baby. The baby looked real enough and realistically small. Yet, it seems on TV or movies that they'll often use 4 month olds to play newborns. Was he just a doll?

[Crs97]

Father-in-law thoughtfully explained while I was pregnant that the Greek tradition was to name the oldest son after the paternal grandfather and the oldest daughter after the paternal grandmother. I asked where my family came into it, since baby would also get paternal last name.  Husband quickly agreed that the tradition would die with us.  First names are meaningful and their own; middle names are tributes.

I cannot imagine a family agreeing to have their very premature baby used for a television show; I hope it’s a just a realistic doll with maybe some added special effects.  I noticed they didn’t seem to touch him.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Crs97

[GodsBeloved]

17 hours ago, mommalib said:

Not to mention Randall was the one that stepped up for her after Jack died and he was the one who didn't leave her. 

It has always irritated me that Randall "had" to man up instead of Rebecca woman-ing up. I get being there for family but Randal, Kate and Kevin are the children and Rebecca is the adult. I thought it was selfish of Rebecca (but I give her credit for being honest) when she cried that they left her when their father died.

Their reason for leaving aside (and we now know Kevin follow Sophie to NY), they were stepping into new chapters in their lives and they shouldn't have had to stay with mom because dad died.

YaY for Randall that he put off leaving for college to stay home but I at least hope Rebecca encouraged him to go live his life and didn't just accept that he was giving up going away to school so he could stay behind and take care of her (though clearly he went to college, and I assume it was on time, but I didn't catch where he and Beth first crossed paths).  

Seems most everyone is giving Miguel props but what stood out to me was him telling Madison he was willing to stand since the Pearsons weren't willing to give him a seat at the table. For the first time I felt sorry for Miguel. What is so great about his best friend's family that he's willing to take the crumbs they give him?

I wanted to bust a cap in Kevin's behind for the way he treated Madison. I hate that she felt excluded instead of saying screw these a-holes. I'll wait elsewhere and simply text Toby.

Another irritant, This Is Us referring to Jack as the newest Pearson. This child is DAMON, not Pearson. Yes I'm irritated LOL 

Edited March 15, 2019 by GodsBeloved

[NUguy514]

2 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I have always hated that. I think it can affect a child's independence, their own identity.  Junior is going to be compared to senior.  That isn't fair to a little kid.  Plus, the parent comes off (IMO) as an egotistical jackass by having his kid named after himself.

I'm a Junior, so thanks for judging my parents so harshly and assuming a lot of possible things about me.  I come from a very WASP-y family, and it's a very normal (and unemotional and probably lazy) thing to pass on your name to your kids in that tradition; I'm a Junior, and my sister has our mom's first name.  It's also a very WASP-y thing to have nicknames, and both my sister and I have nicknames distinct from our parents' names (mine actually has nothing whatsoever to do with my legal name, it's really unusual, and I've always gone by it).  Sons will inevitably be compared to their fathers, and daughters will inevitably be compared to their mothers whether they are named after their parents or not; moreover, we will always be like our parents in various ways because that's just how it is.  None of that has affected my sense of identity or independence.

[WhosThatGirl]

8 hours ago, Katy M said:

Didn't know there were hard and fast rules about who's allowed to wait in a waiting room.  Guess you saved me some major future embarrassment.

3 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I had no problem with her being there.  I would have rather listened to her noisy pretzel bag and all for an hour, than the hour of Pearson's bitching and moaning.

I still want an entire episode of Kate's dog.  I need a break from the Pearsons.

Yeah, I have no problem with the happy grandmother being in the waiting room and not the lobby. The problem is as I said I think we were supposed to be feeling the Pearson’s feelings on her presence and I felt like the exact opposite.

On the name thing, In the episode where Randall  and Beth were about to have Tess, they didn’t know it was going to A girl because Randall told Rebecca he was going to name the baby Jack If it was a boy. But then it was a girl and they didn’t have a name and the name of the baby fan company had Tess in it.. whatever. So Kate naming the baby jack wasn’t a surprise at all. All the kids probably would have if they had gotten the chance.

[izabella]

19 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

I wish that when Toby emerged, he had instead said that Kate wanted to see Madison first.  And not joking at all.

That would have been the best!  Then they could all blame each other for being so rude to Madison and kicking her out, while Miguel, of course. has her number in his phone and calls her.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, GodsBeloved said:

Seems most everyone is giving Miguel props but what stood out to me was him telling Madison he was willing to stand since the Pearsons weren't willing to give him a seat at the table. For the first time I felt sorry for Miguel. What is so great about his best friend's family that he's willing to take the crumbs they give him?

My take on Miguel is that he has tolerated disrespect in part because he too has fallen under the "spell" of the greatness of Jack.  He has taken part in the mythologizing.  It's pretty unhealthy when I think about it.  Been going on for decades now, Rebecca does little or nothing to change it and his attempts to stand up for himself need to be backed up by her but aren't. 

[WhosThatGirl]

41 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

My take on Miguel is that he has tolerated disrespect in part because he too has fallen under the "spell" of the greatness of Jack.  He has taken part in the mythologizing.  It's pretty unhealthy when I think about it.  Been going on for decades now, Rebecca does little or nothing to change it and his attempts to stand up for himself need to be backed up by her but aren't. 

Yup. The myth of Jack is really problematic when you think about it in terms of how the kids are now adults. I always go back to the therapy episode and Rebecca point blank saying she never talks about Jack being an alcoholic because the kids were young when he died and she doesn’t want to color their memories with something bad that was just a blip  in their and Jacks lives. This is problematic as we see because it does run in their family. Kevin is dealing with it(Kate could possibly as well but it’s clear the show isn’t going there) and he doesn’t even really understand his dad had a problem with it because he shut his dad out when his dad was dealing with it and his mother refuses to ackowldge it. No one in the family does.

No one ackowldges any of Jacks missteps. As we know kate and Randall blocked out a memory of their dad being angry for a long time. 

I kind of feel like the only one of the big three who ackowldges that their both parents have had missteps is Kevin. I mean yeah Kate acknowledges every wrong thing Rebecca has done but with Jack.. never. And Randall kind of does as an adult but I do feel like not really. It’s hard to understand if he sees it that way, he gets moments where he remembers oh yeah things weren’t perfect but it doesn’t change his view point and we know he and Rebecca have been super close. Some of that was as someone else said probably an ease of guilt because Rebecca had met William and didn’t tell anyone. But Kevin has seemed to be the one who got his parents at the rough times. He didn’t have a good relationship with Rebecca growing up, he got into fights with both Rebecca and jack as a teenager. 

Anyway back to my point.. I do think Kevin is the only one who has tried to break the Jack mythology. But no one else even tries to see jack as anything less then. And no one will ever will and that is affecting their adult lives today in a way.

[Dreamboat Annie]

6 hours ago, meep.meep said:

My daughter is named after her grandmother.  So no, it's not strange.

I never said it was strange.  I said it was very predictable (as many, many others here have as well) that Kate would name her son Jack, because Jack is so idolised.  If Kate had had a baby girl instead, I wonder if she would have named her Rebecca?  Somehow I doubt it.  Randall didn't.  And I don't remember but I don't think Beth's mother's name was Tess or Annie.

But I didn't realize it was as common as it evidently is.  Assuming not every parent is an only child there must be lots of first cousins with the same name.  I think if Beth and Randall have a son they should name him Jack, and ditto Kevin, lol.  Then Jack, Jack and Jack could all play together at family gatherings.  Rebecca's grandchildren would be Deja, Tess, Annie, Jack, Jack and Jack.  I guess first cousins all sharing a name wouldn't be a big deal if the families live a five hour flight apart as they probably wouldn't see each other all that much.  But the Pearsons seem to fly clear across the country at the drop of a hat. 

This name discussion reminded me of a quote from one of my favourite movies:

"Paulie and his brothers had lots of sons and nephews. And almost all of them were named Peter or Paul. It was unbelievable. There must have been two dozen Peters and Pauls at the wedding. Plus, they were all married to girls named Marie. And they named all their daughters Marie. By the time I finished meeting everybody, I thought I was drunk." - Karen Hill, Goodfellas  

[ams1001]

5 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I cannot imagine a family agreeing to have their very premature baby used for a television show; I hope it’s a just a realistic doll with maybe some added special effects.  I noticed they didn’t seem to touch him.

I wondered about this myself so I did a little googling. It's an animatronic doll. (Also, Kate did reach in the incubator and touch his hand at the end.)

https://www.glamour.com/story/this-is-us-kate-gives-birth

Quote

Glamour: Kate and Toby's baby looks extremely lifelike, but it's very difficult to film with a baby so tiny. How did you manage those scenes?

Isaac Aptaker: We brought in a very talented team of artists that create incredibly lifelike, accurate-to-size premature babies that are operated by a variety of animatronic and puppeteering devices. It's great for our actors, because it’s not done afterward on computers. They’re able to look at this baby, which really looks like a baby, and emote off it.

(I also saw an article about how old a baby has to be to be in a show or movie and what producers look for, and basically it varies but in some places they can be mere hours old as long as their doctor has determined they're healthy/fit enough (so, a micropreemie on a ventilator wouldn't be on a show). (I think it said that was in the UK, and in California it was 15 days). They also look for babies that were born a little premature because then they look more like a newborn on camera when they are slightly older (apparently if you're a baby the camera only adds about 2 pounds 😉). They also like twins because they are more likely to have been born early (three weeks, on average) and thus will generally be smaller, and also it doubles the time they can have a baby on camera because they can switch them out.)

Edited March 16, 2019 by ams1001

[buckboard]

13 hours ago, Crs97 said:

Just trying to understand why she was there other than bad writing.  If she is waiting for a ride, she wouldn’t be sitting in a room upstairs.  Since they had her on the phone, it would have been easy to add in a line, “Okay, go park on the car and I am on the third floor.  We can go see her and those new babies together!” or “She’s in recovery now, so I am just waiting till they give her a room!” Or “I’m giving the new family a little time, but I can’t wait to get back there again!” Now it makes sense that she is just sitting there.  Instead it feels like the writers shoe-horned in the grandma to add tension.  Just like Toby’s bad joke was shoe-horned in to make it clear Miguel is treated like an outsider.  Because I guess they think we didn’t notice otherwise.  Bad writing.

There are dozens of reasons why the grandmother was still in the waiting room.  I don't understand why you think it's bad writing to have someone other than the Pearsons in the waiting room.  I'm surprised there weren't MORE expectant families.

The nurses and doctor had to hold their tongue, so SOMEONE had to be there to react to the Pearson's bad behavior.

 So she could wait for her granddaughter to get some sleep after the delivery before going in to see her.  So she didn't have to drive home and come back in two hours.  So her other children could drive in from Bakersfield and take her home.  Because she was too tired after being up all night to drive herself home.  Because she's from San Francisco and she was visiting her daughter and no one is at her daughter's home right now, so she's staying put until someone goes home.  

[Ohiopirate02]

6 hours ago, GodsBeloved said:

YaY for Randall that he put off leaving for college to stay home but I at least hope Rebecca encouraged him to go live his life and didn't just accept that he was giving up going away to school so he could stay behind and take care of her (though clearly he went to college, and I assume it was on time, but I didn't catch where he and Beth first crossed paths).  

Randall didn't put off college.  He chose to go to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh instead of Howard in DC.  He gave up going to a HBCU but still got a stellar education. We don't know if he lived on campus or somewhere with Rebecca,  but even if he lived in a dorm he could see Rebecca anyday of the week.

[Calvada]

I wish they had shown the nurse they were constantly harassing calling up her counterparts in the NICU to tell them about the mess that was coming their way.  When Randall thinks he make it all better by smiling, oh my goodness, he is just unbearable.  I can't believe how much I HATE Randall now.  I think Kate having a baby is just a convenient excuse for Rebecca and Miguel to get away from him. 

I wanted to slap Randall and Kevin, and I wasn't thrilled with Beth.  Is this really the time to air your marital discord, the time to renew your sibling rivalry, the time to be so fucking self-absorbed?  And Toby's attempt to be funny was simply cruel.  And they way they treated Madison was appalling.  

I wish Rebecca would just once stand up for Miguel, but I give her a bit of a pass in this situation, as she was probably thinking back to the loss of her son and was obviously worried sick about losing her grandson, and concerned about her daughter.  And her reluctance to leave for a walk or a meal was understandable since when she stepped away from Jack he died.  It may not be rational - whether she stays in her chair or not will not make a difference in the baby's fate - but in stressful situations your thoughts aren't always rational.

Zoe - do not hesitate.  Run.  Run like the wind.  Do not look back. 

[Crs97]

56 minutes ago, buckboard said:

There are dozens of reasons why the grandmother was still in the waiting room.  I don't understand why you think it's bad writing to have someone other than the Pearsons in the waiting room.  I'm surprised there weren't MORE expectant families.

The nurses and doctor had to hold their tongue, so SOMEONE had to be there to react to the Pearson's bad behavior.

 So she could wait for her granddaughter to get some sleep after the delivery before going in to see her.  So she didn't have to drive home and come back in two hours.  So her other children could drive in from Bakersfield and take her home.  Because she was too tired after being up all night to drive herself home.  Because she's from San Francisco and she was visiting her daughter and no one is at her daughter's home right now, so she's staying put until someone goes home.  

And a throw away line to the person on the other end of the phone would have taken care of it and made her organic to the scene.  Instead, we know she is there because the writers needed someone to react to the Pearsons.  I shouldn’t be able to see their structure so easily.

When I was rushed into emergency surgery, husband was in hallway and eventually ushered into a private waiting area.  When son needed emergency surgery we were put in a private waiting area.  Not sure if that is normal procedure.

[bybrandy]

4 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

If Kate had had a baby girl instead, I wonder if she would have named her Rebecca? 

No, Jacqueline.     

But that sort of things happen.  Both of my nieces are named for my maternal grandmother. None of my many, many, many nephews are named for my maternal grandfather.  My grandpa was a really, really, really good guy.  He was just also really wildly stoic and quiet so he isn't the guy people think to name their children after.   

Rebecca is still living.  Rebecca and Kate have issues.   I suspect if Rebecca died that name would have popped up.   Tess or Annie would surely have been named after a dead Rebecca, probably both of them.

[Dreamboat Annie]

2 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Tess or Annie would surely have been named after a dead Rebecca, probably both of them.

I don't believe that for one second.  Perhaps a middle name if that or even a third name at best.  But not a name that would matter.  I don't believe they would see her as a saint the way they see Jack as one. 

5 hours ago, ams1001 said:

It's an animatronic doll

Yes, of course it is.  Rented from the same company that supplies all the medical shows with those types of things.  They have everything.  And if they don't, they make it.  Not in a million years would someone give their frail preemie for a cheesy opportunity such as this. Okay, maybe some have tried, but I think it just might be illegal to do so.  There are checks and balances thank goodness.  If someone offers up their preemie for example, then why not their grandfather's lung transplant?  Why not their one year old's heart transplant?  Why not show their daughter's/son's bone marrows for leukemia treatment?  It's a plastic doll.

[bybrandy]

14 minutes ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

I don't believe that for one second.  Perhaps a middle name if that or even a third name at best.  But not a name that would matter.  I don't believe they would see her as a saint the way they see Jack as one. 

The other kids not but Randall was quite close with Rebecca.   

[bros402]

40 minutes ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Not in a million years would someone give their frail preemie for a cheesy opportunity such as this. Okay, maybe some have tried, but I think it just might be illegal to do so.  There are checks and balances thank goodness.  If someone offers up their preemie for example, then why not their grandfather's lung transplant?  Why not their one year old's heart transplant?  Why not show their daughter's/son's bone marrows for leukemia treatment?  It's a plastic doll.

Yeah. My parents barely, just *barely* let the drug and medical companies in to see me when I was in the NICU after I was born - they got 1-2 hours a week to measure me and look at me and ask questions of my parents, and only if my parents were there and my parents had to approve every visit. I'm in NJ, bunch of drug companies, medical supply companies, baby product places - so a lot of companies wanted to see a micro-preemie. They actually used some of the data they got from me to help make better diapers for micro-preemies (Since the NICU I was at had to fold the diapers they had, then cut them, then pin them in order for them to fit me)

[CrystalBlue]

On 3/14/2019 at 1:23 PM, Lovecat said:

Picabo Street's parents did exactly that--called her "Baby Girl" for the first 2 years of her life.  Urban lore is that she was named Picabo after her favorite game, but more reliable sources say it was for a nearby town.

Are we on the same wavelength or what?  I thought this exactly when I read the above OP and you remembered the same thing before me.  Yes, Picabo was the name of the nearby town.

[debraran]

12 hours ago, WhosThatGirl said:

Yup. The myth of Jack is really problematic when you think about it in terms of how the kids are now adults. I always go back to the therapy episode and Rebecca point blank saying she never talks about Jack being an alcoholic because the kids were young when he died and she doesn’t want to color their memories with something bad that was just a blip  in their and Jacks lives. This is problematic as we see because it does run in their family. Kevin is dealing with it(Kate could possibly as well but it’s clear the show isn’t going there) and he doesn’t even really understand his dad had a problem with it because he shut his dad out when his dad was dealing with it and his mother refuses to ackowldge it. No one in the family does.

No one ackowldges any of Jacks missteps. As we know kate and Randall blocked out a memory of their dad being angry for a long time. 

I kind of feel like the only one of the big three who ackowldges that their both parents have had missteps is Kevin. I mean yeah Kate acknowledges every wrong thing Rebecca has done but with Jack.. never. And Randall kind of does as an adult but I do feel like not really. It’s hard to understand if he sees it that way, he gets moments where he remembers oh yeah things weren’t perfect but it doesn’t change his view point and we know he and Rebecca have been super close. Some of that was as someone else said probably an ease of guilt because Rebecca had met William and didn’t tell anyone. But Kevin has seemed to be the one who got his parents at the rough times. He didn’t have a good relationship with Rebecca growing up, he got into fights with both Rebecca and jack as a teenager. 

Anyway back to my point.. I do think Kevin is the only one who has tried to break the Jack mythology. But no one else even tries to see jack as anything less then. And no one will ever will and that is affecting their adult lives today in a way.

I think the pause when Kevin says to Randall re Nicky, "You just didn't care" was telling. Randall didn't say anything and just stared. He didn't really. That is why I hope the writers make some bond with Kevin and Nicky if the actor wants too and the "mistake" of Jack to many isn't brushed under a rug. I'd like to see a member of their family be included if only with Kevin and forgiveness to be shown.

I like how the Glamour article said it was noted both Pearson's didn't have to be there and financially would have been cheaper (no plane fare or sitter fee) but they aren't their financial planner. ; )

I don't know why the episode was kind of less exciting for me, but we bring our own experiences to the table. I've never in my 15 year of working at a hospital seen anyone ignored for hours, no people updating without checking, volunteers etc. It's a show but we even gave beepers (80's) to family's to have them go eat some dinner. I also not for a millisecond. thought Rebecca would die or the baby and of course it would be "Jack" Not sure what the big deal was supposed to be or why Chrissy said it would be so exciting. I thought Toby after all that time could have updated the family even by text if no one else did. It just reminded me of the 50's.  I also know that I've seen Chrissy on talk show saying it would be okay and baby might have issues but realistic ones.

Edited March 16, 2019 by debraran

[PumpkinPK]

On 3/12/2019 at 10:12 PM, KrissyBean said:

The answer to the "Ranch and Chocolate" question is chicken noodle soup! Or any non-cream based soups for that matter. Ranch would separate in the broth and be gross, right?

I never tried ranch dressing (or mayo), just the smell of them makes me gag.

For me, the obvious answer to this question came right away.  It is the food that I have eaten daily all my life.  Authentic (not white people restaurant style) rice and legume-based spicy Indian food.  Especially dosai, idly, sambar, coconut chutney.  Also same for pretty much any authentic Asian food.  I have not had much Mexican food (the food his parents raised him on?), but it does not seem affable to ranch.  Ofc, this is about the Pearsons, who probably eat a totally sad white people diet of burgers, fries, pizza, assorted frozen chicken etc.  For "exotic" food, a Chinese dinner with chopsticks and fortune cookies.  Mexican food such as quesadillas and burritos.  I hope Zoe wakened Kevin's palate!

I never liked chocolate either.  We never had it in our home.  I would try it once every couple of years on Halloween.  I tried "adult" dark chocolate a few years ago at someone's insistence, it was so gross.  I can confidently say I will never try it again.

I don't know anything about Eastern European or French foods as they are not suitable for a plant-based diet.  Do those cuisines go with ranch?  

ETA:  I am married to the whitest, most Catholic guy one could ever meet.  He loves ranch dressing and chocolate.  He will put Nutella on anything (eeew).  I don't eat anything packaged, frozen or microwaved.  I cook cuisines from many different cultures.  With the exception of Indian food, he will put ranch on just about every form of potato.

Edited March 16, 2019 by PumpkinPK

[alexvillage]

18 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I have always hated that. I think it can affect a child's independence, their own identity.  Junior is going to be compared to senior.  That isn't fair to a little kid.  Plus, the parent comes off (IMO) as an egotistical jackass by having his kid named after himself.

I don't think it is a rule. there are no set rules for how human beings will behave. I know a family where grandfather, son and grandson have the same name. They could not be more different and really, give zero fucks about the parent/grandparent as a matter of comparison. In my family several  have the same name of a parent, never saw a conflict there either. Same with many of my friends. I guess the only conflict - maybe confusion would be better - was when in gatherings we had to make sure we were talking about one or the other but it wasn't about their identities, just about events. They could not be more different and really, give zero fucks about the parent/grandparent as a matter of comparison.

[alexvillage]

16 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I cannot imagine a family agreeing to have their very premature baby used for a television show; I hope it’s a just a realistic doll with maybe some added special effects.  I noticed they didn’t seem to touch him.

Not only that, the hospital would not allow camera crews in the NICU. Those babies are all dolls, they seem very real but they are not. Probably the reason why TV newborns almost always look so old and big. There are very strict rules about child labor and TPTB don't want any delays, increase budget or possible problems in their productions. They avoid real babies, I am sure.

[ShadowFacts]

5 hours ago, Dreamboat Annie said:

Yes, of course it is.  Rented from the same company that supplies all the medical shows with those types of things.  They have everything.  And if they don't, they make it.  Not in a million years would someone give their frail preemie for a cheesy opportunity such as this. Okay, maybe some have tried, but I think it just might be illegal to do so.  There are checks and balances thank goodness.  If someone offers up their preemie for example, then why not their grandfather's lung transplant?  Why not their one year old's heart transplant?  Why not show their daughter's/son's bone marrows for leukemia treatment?  It's a plastic doll.

I'm happy it's animatronic, and that people don't exploit their babies for a network drama, but in reality cameras are allowed into ICUs and ORs, etc. and people do let their children be filmed in all sorts of medical/surgical procedures.  Documentaries, TLC, those sorts of shows.  Different purposes than network primetime maybe, but the same nuts and bolts are involved.  We've seen it before and that's how we're able to notice how realistic the plastic preemie looked. 

[PumpkinPK]

On 3/14/2019 at 2:57 PM, Katy M said:

I know in my case, my mom was going to name me Tina.  But, when I was born, she decided I was "too big" to be a Tina, because to her, Tina means tiny.  So she changed it.  My sister picked out 3 girl's names and I think she decided to see which one fit best when the baby was born, but I could be misremembering.  She might have finalized beforehand.  Either way, she did pick one of the three.  I tend to agree with you, though.  Most babies look pretty similar.  And, they don't have distinct personalities.  If you were going to wait a year to name, that would make more sense, but then what do you call the baby in the meantime? Baby?

My original Birth Certificate had the name Baby Lastname.  My parents were waiting for an Aerogramme from my grandparents to get my name.  They received it 10 days after I was born, and went back to the hospital to get one with my name on it.  I still have both, which are both signed and dated with my birthdate (which was yesterday).  I had forgotten all about that until your post.

[PumpkinPK]

10 minutes ago, PumpkinPK said:

My original Birth Certificate had the name Baby Lastname.  My parents were waiting for an Aerogramme from my grandparents to get my name.  They received it 10 days after I was born, and went back to the hospital to get one with my name on it.  I still have both, which are both signed and dated with my birthdate (which was yesterday).  I had forgotten all about that until your post.

Eta:  Thinking about now, I wonder if I could get a State ID with the name Baby on it?