S03.E16: Don't Take My Sunshine Away

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Beth and Randall adjust to their new normal; Kate and Toby spend time with baby Jack; Zoe and Kevin work on their relationship.

Promo:

Original air date: 3/19/19

Edited March 20, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Armchair Critic]

Randall you are an ass. Beth's meeting meant a lot to her too but you didn't consider that.

I understand bonding with your child and being there for Kate but doesn't Toby have to go to a job? Their son will be in the hospital for months unfortunately.

I don't think Kevin is in a good place right now to be choosing Zoey over having kids, if I were her I would be leery that down the line he will want them.

[Spartan Girl]

Remember when we were all scared that Jack and Rebecca split up? Now they were the only awesome couple in this episode.

[mtlchick]

Tonight’s lesson is; before you leave messages you are soooooo going to regret, find out if there is a reason, RANDALL. I was thisclose in throwing my iPad when Randall did that. But hey! Being practical is taking a job hours from home!

[CatsAndMoreCats]

I am so pissed at Randall right now.  What happened to my over-achieving, hopelessly endearing Randall from Season One?  Some things should not be messed with.  Beth and Randall's solid marriage is one of those things imho.  😢

[CleoCaesar]

I’m sorry, am I actually supposed to feel bad for Randall? Oh he's so tired and overworked and has to be a councilman and a parent and wah wah wah. His idiotic decision to take a low-paying job with long hours in a state he doesn’t live in was a deliberate choice. There's nothing noble in it, nor do I feel any sympathy.

And that message he left Beth. The sheer utter contempt for her. Dump his selfish ass, Beth.

Edit: I just put together that Beth heard that vile voicemail and STILL showed up to the dinner and was charming and nice to everyone. Ugh she's way too good for that asshole.

Edited March 20, 2019 by CleoCaesar

[ShadowFacts]

What an ugly side of Randall we saw -- not just anger at thinking Beth was a no-show came out in that message, he insulted her students and her job.  Nasty.

[PepSinger]

When Kate is more likable than Randall, something has gone terribly wrong.

I HOWLED when Beth threw that weird ass cheesecake at Randall.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK.

[PRgal]

Randall is too full of himself.  He needs to get with it.  And NO, RANDALL, Beth is NOT going to give ANYTHING UP just FOR YOU!  Women giving their careers up for their husband is SOOOOO last century.  It (should have) ended with Y2K.  

[Ohiopirate02]

It's a good thing that we know Randall survives until the flashforward  because Beth keeps on building her case for justifiable homicide.  Randall is about to run into Beth's knife ten times.

[Lady Calypso]

So....yeah, I think Randall can officially be called the worst Pearson this season. What an awful, awful, selfish man. Team Beth ALL the way.

It's only been six days since Kate's given birth? So Beth somehow had her first recital in the first week and a half that she started? Really? I thought a MONTH had passed until Toby mentioned to the fellow dad that they had been there for six days. Nah, I'm gonna pretend he said three weeks or something. That's more realistic than six days.

Also, I do want to point out that the Toby/Gavin conversation was surprisingly normal. It really did feel like two normal worried dads talking about the shitty situation they were in, and it really worked for me. No Pearson-esque speech, no selfishness on either end. Just two guys bonding over the shittiest of circumstances that nobody would ever want to be in. 

So, I'm glad the Kevin/Sophie stuff turned out the way that it did. I was worried for a moment but I'm glad it went the way that it did. Also, the fact that the Kevin/Zoe discussion on kids was handled WAY BETTER than it was on A Million Little Things (also the woman not wanting kids even after her own molestation storyline, with her partner wanting them....and in that case, that couple was married for years). Unfortunately, I'm sure Kevin will change his mind, but at least we saw that Zoe was clear in her intentions and I do think Kevin really thinks, at this time, that he'll be fine without kids. And honestly, since I like the couple, I hope that he can find satisfaction just being an uncle. 

The Jack/Rebecca stuff was cute. It's been a while since we got a subplot on them, and it worked fairly well.

[tennisgurl]

Oh yeah, drag him Beth! Draaaaaag him and his extra cup of coffee and weird ass bourbon cheese cake! That message was nasty and petty and bitter and I dont blame Beth at all for telling him sleep on his cot at his precious job. I mean, "teaching bored housewives to twirl"? Thats just such an awful and cruel thing to say to anyone about their passion, let alone your spouse! And what is that crap about "asking for one thing" he was going on about? Randall has been asking stuff of her since he asked for his previously unknown bio dad to move in with them, and has just kept on going, now asking her to support him in some stupid government job in another state that he took up on a whim as a part of his ongoing mid-life crisis. That meeting meant a lot to her, and she blew it off for you, and so did that show where her boss said what a great job she was doing, which I notice you weren't at. But, as we all now know, Randall is the only ones who has a career that matters now.

Randall, your being a high league asshole. Deal with yourself before your bullshit fills the whole city. The city you actually live in!

Edited March 20, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Jeddah]

6 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

So Beth somehow had her first recital in the first week and a half that she started? Really? 

Right? And she taught someone to do 7 pirouettes in that time! Sure, that’s how ballet works!

[LaJefaza]

You know...even BEFORE Randall lost his damn mind and left that contemptible, disrespectful message for his wife, who by the way is a damned champion for STILL turning up at that dinner after what she heard...he had pissed me off earlier when he told Beth he 'just needs this one thing from her'. I'm sorry...ONE thing? You mean after moving William in? You mean after supporting you quitting your job? You mean after adopting Deja? You mean after buying the building in Philadelphia? You mean after the campaign for councilman? You mean after 'suggesting' that she give up her dream job? Oh, you JUST need ONE thing, Randall? That woman has supported every one of his flights of fancy over the last few years, but SHE needs to grow up?

He annoyed me even more barging into the bedroom at the end to demand they have this fight now...what the hell are YOU so pissed about, Randall? Charging in there, 'saying it with his chest', like Beth had some explaining to do...he should have entered that room on his knees with an entire bouquet clutched between his teeth and a signed resignation letter in his hands. Boy BYE.

Edited March 20, 2019 by LaJefaza

[LexieLily]

9 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

So, I'm glad the Kevin/Sophie stuff turned out the way that it did. I was worried for a moment but I'm glad it went the way that it did. Also, the fact that the Kevin/Zoe discussion on kids was handled WAY BETTER than it was on A Million Little Things (also the woman not wanting kids even after her own molestation storyline, with her partner wanting them....and in that case, that couple was married for years). Unfortunately, I'm sure Kevin will change his mind, but at least we saw that Zoe was clear in her intentions and I do think Kevin really thinks, at this time, that he'll be fine without kids. And honestly, since I like the couple, I hope that he can find satisfaction just being an uncle.

I took the Kevin/Zoe scenes differently. Zoe's had one foot out the door of this relationship since she learned of Kevin's relapse and her sudden pronouncement of never wanting kids and Kevin needing to decide was just a convenient excuse for him to bolt. The ending scene where Kevin told her he chose her. She wanted him to say he wanted kids and that was a deal-breaker then she wouldn't have to be the one that dumped a newly-relapsed alcoholic.  

[Lady Calypso]

2 minutes ago, Jeddah said:

 Right? And she taught someone to do 7 pirouettes in that time! Sure, that’s how ballet works!

Also, in the Beth/Randall montage at the beginning, Randall managed to get home after dinner was over and Beth was running out to her dance class presumably after 7pm AND one of the evenings had Beth finishing classes at 5pm! So CLEARLY, the whole complaining about Beth working three evenings a week was a non-issue since, as we well know, this is only Beth's second week teaching. 

So why was Randall throwing a fit about Beth's schedule as if it was an inconvenience that nobody would be home for the kids? Clearly, two out of three evenings, one parent would be able to be home at all times!

[Guest]

So this season and most of last has been predictable. But tonight I gasped- that message was the most shocking thing in the last 20 episodes or so! “Grow the hell up?!?”

I knew she had heard the message when she showed up. I just had a feeling.

The beginning of the episode Beth/Randall stuff was ridiculous though. Him rushing home and her leaving as quickly as possible- I realize they don’t want the girls to be alone a ton, but they’re old enough to be left home for an hour or so as needed.

[Pop Tart]

For a very brief moment I was on Randall’s side. Beth’s last minute “I need to go out for drinks because they’re my new coworkers” just didn’t feel like a make or break for her in her job, at that point. And then...Randall returned to being the jerk he’s been all season. So blip of being on his side quickly passed. 

The thing with Randall is he throws all in on things and expects everyone else to go along. He did it with his bio dad then with deciding they needed to take on a foster kid, Deja. And now being a councilman. But he is shit at realizing the way his obsessions affect others. I thought the scene at the dance where he was obsessing in the library was a nice demo of that.

Oh and once again casting did a stellar job. Kid Rebecca in that brief flash looked like a mini Mandy Moore.

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, LexieLily said:

I took the Kevin/Zoe scenes differently. Zoe's had one foot out the door of this relationship since she learned of Kevin's relapse and her sudden pronouncement of never wanting kids and Kevin needing to decide was just a convenient excuse for him to bolt. The ending scene where Kevin told her he chose her. She wanted him to say he wanted kids and that was a deal-breaker then she wouldn't have to be the one that dumped a newly-relapsed alcoholic.  

I do agree with Zoe having one foot out the door, and I definitely think she still does. I also think she still doesn't want kids and that she never will want kids, so that is just a convenient excuse to use in case things don't work out between the two of them. I think Zoe did partially want Kevin to say that he did want kids, but I also feel like she cares about Kevin and also doesn't want him to leave. I think, like Kevin, her history makes it hard to not bolt as a first instinct. It's understandable; Zoe's gone through a lot and she still has those walls built up. It could take a long time for her to fully trust Kevin. I wouldn't have expected her to suddenly be all in on this relationship, much like how we had to watch Kevin go from different relationships and go through some stuff as an adult in order to be even remotely close to being ready for a serious relationship, and it looks like that may not even work out when the issue of kids pops up again.

I still am rooting for the two to work things out because both are damaged individuals and they could end up being really good for each other if they let the other in. 

4 minutes ago, deaja said:

So this season and most of last has been predictable. But tonight I gasped- that message was the most shocking thing in the last 20 episodes or so! “Grow the hell up?!?”

I knew she had heard the message when she showed up. I just had a feeling.

Did she actually hear the message in the car? I assumed she plugged in her phone at the house and then got to listen to the message then. 

2 minutes ago, Pop Tart said:

For a very brief moment I was on Randall’s side. Beth’s last minute “I need to go out for drinks because they’re my new coworkers” just didn’t feel like a make or break for her in her job, at that point. And then...Randall returned to being the jerk he’s been all season. So blip of being on his side quickly passed. 

Well, Beth DID specify quickly that it was to go out for drinks to discuss the future of the dance studio, which is huge if Beth was invited, as that indicates that they want her to stay on.

I have a prediction now; the studio is planning to open up in Philly and that's how Beth/Randall are going to fix their marriage. Move to Philly so that Randall's home more and Beth can run the studio, or at least work there. 

I just feel bad for their kids, at this point. No way do none of them see what's going on with their parents. 

[Conotocarious]

Hard to believe that Gavin was “Shitbreak” from American Pie.

[txhorns79]

10 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I have a prediction now; the studio is planning to open up in Philly and that's how Beth/Randall are going to fix their marriage. Move to Philly so that Randall's home more and Beth can run the studio, or at least work there. 

I hope not.  Beth and Randall have significant, not easily resolved problems.  I hope the show doesn't try to short circuit that by giving them a very unrealistic out where neither has to sacrifice anything.  It would essentially negate all the tension and anger that has built up over the past few episodes. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by txhorns79

[Pop Tart]

6 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Well, Beth DID specify quickly that it was to go out for drinks to discuss the future of the dance studio, which is huge if Beth was invited, as that indicates that they want her to stay on.

I did hear that but even so didn’t think it rose to the level of must be there. Her boss had given her public praise at the recital, emphasizing how much she had done in such a short time, so having to be there at a discussion over drinks didn’t feel make or break. I can’t imagine they’d decide the future of the dance studio over drinks.

Of course this is not to say that I haven’t pretty much hated Randall all season. He’s been a unmitigated jerk all season, demanding and inflexible. 

[kris4n6]

I thought there was going to be a scene with Randall excusing himself to go to the bathroom to find the phone and delete the message, but the second they walked outside I knew she'd already heard it.  Hell, I'm not 100% sure she didn't hear it and then hop in the car and drive like a mad woman to get there and make him feel like shit through the whole dinner.

I hope next week has a lot of flashbacks and isn't just an hour of fighting, like with the waiting room last week.

As an aside, I understand singing "You Are My Sunshine", because the first verse is great. I sang it to my son (and my cat before that, lol). But the second verse, that I never heard until I listened to a nursery rhyme CD, is a killer. "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms. When i awoken I was mistaken, and I hung my head and cried" Maybe I always go to worst case scenario but yikes. Not something I'd want to sing to a medically fragile child.

Also, no way that 1) Kate's insurance still had her in the hospital (my son was in NICU and after 4 nights I was discharged) and 2) she stood up way too quickly and easily for someone who had just had a c-section.  I know I couldn't have, and I had a textbook easy recovery.

[MsJamieDornan]

Well, they both own that house and I'll be damned if I would stay on a cot in the office.

Sorry, right now I don't like Beth .

[mommalib]

These writers up her trying to make Randall look bad. Always got to throw the brotha under the bus. Randall's not his best self right now but Beth is annoying the hell out of me.

Edited March 20, 2019 by mommalib

[Amethyst]

Seeing Randall and Beth is just depressing now.  I think Beth took off her wedding ring at the end.  😞

Randall can apologize til he's blue in the face, but it doesn't matter, because he meant what he said.  It's fine when he's the one being indulged, whether it's bringing a random stranger home, quitting his job, or becoming a landlord on a moment's notice.  Randall justifies his own whims, but can't do the same for his wife, unless he can find a way to relate it back to himself.  The funny thing is that Beth is the one person who's been holding him down while he's been doing all of this.  

Besides all this, much respect to Beth for holding her own during that dinner, especially after a three hour driving delay.  She's been through a lot and it doesn't seem like she has anyone to really confide in anymore.  Maybe William would have listened?  

Sophie and Kevin are much more believable as exes than as a couple.  It's the first time (to me anyway) that they came across as natural and warm towards each other.  I'm glad Sophie is happy, and not pining over Kevin.  It's a better farewell than their last one.

I don't think Kevin is in the right frame of mind about kids right now.  He's trying to get sober again, and the thought of losing Zoe might be too much for him to deal with at the moment.

[MsJamieDornan]

What if Beth wasn't really caught in traffic and went to drinks and then to his dinner party?

[ams1001]

I was a little on Randall's side at first; she did say she'd go to dinner and cancelling at the last minute wasn't good, even if she did only agree grudgingly in the first place. I doubt her coworkers would make an issue of it if she said she had a prior commitment in Philly. 

But that message. And the look on his face at the end of it. Ugly. He has some growing up to do himself.

-----

I've decided not to think too much about the timelines going on here.

Now I'm gonna have You Are My Sunshine in my head all night.

[Lady Calypso]

Just now, MsJamieDornan said:

What if Beth wasn't really caught in traffic and went to drinks and then to his dinner party?

Well, because Randall's dinner was all the way in Philly, which is an hour and a half-two hours away, depending on where the other councilman (I think?) lived. 

3 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

Seeing Randall and Beth is just depressing now.  I think Beth took off her wedding ring at the end.  😞

To be fair, Beth was heading off to bed so she was taking off all her jewelry.

[MsJamieDornan]

1 minute ago, Lady Calypso said:

Well, because Randall's dinner was all the way in Philly, which is an hour and a half-two hours away, depending on where the other councilman (I think?) lived. 

She said she had to wait for a car crash.  She was late so she was somewhere.

[Lady Calypso]

Just now, MsJamieDornan said:

She said she had to wait for a car crash.  She was late so she was somewhere.

Well, the dinner started at 8, and I assume everyone would have been hungry so it wouldn't have likely been much later. I would imagine Beth got there before 9, and she DID say that she was teaching until 5. I also assume the drinking wasn't starting right at 5pm. Of course, there's a chance the drinking did start at 5 and Beth did manage to pop in for a moment, but honestly, the more likely scenario was that Beth/Randall had their phone call at 5, after Beth's last class and Beth decided to go home, change, and manage to make the girls dinner and give them instructions for the night before getting in her car and got stuck at the car crash on the highway, which does fit in with the timeline better.

[Pop Tart]

I was convinced after leaving the terrible message that Randall would hear that Beth had been in an accident, so at least we didn’t have that happen and have to see him as the tortured with guilt spouse. As it is his jerkitude is intact.

[MsJamieDornan]

Lady Calypso, that's a lot of assumptions. But, there is one I know that you have wrong. When someone says we are stopping after work for drinks at 5:00, the drinking starts at 5:00. And there is always a person that practically runs to the bar to start before that ! lol

[Lady Calypso]

26 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I don't think Kevin is in the right frame of mind about kids right now.  He's trying to get sober again, and the thought of losing Zoe might be too much for him to deal with at the moment.

I agree. I think what Sophie said about him being unable to make a choice, but also the fact that everything always worked out for him because of his charm really got to him. I think this was Kevin's attempt at trying to give something to Zoe. Setting aside his potential need to have kids later wasn't as important as making Zoe happy as well as also keeping himself happy in the moment. For him, losing Zoe now hurts more than choosing kids that he may not even have until years later. When he's only four days sober, I can see why making such a difficult decision in something now versus something later isn't an easy decision. It's a decision Kevin may come to regret down the line and no way does it not blow up, but right now, Kevin DOES need stability and I think the fear in not having someone hurts too much...along with Sophie pointing out that everything works out for him. I mean, she's definitely not wrong but I think it definitely struck a nerve deeper than Kevin thought it would. 

I can't blame Zoe either for giving Kevin this unfortunate ultimatum. She's right in that it should be decided before they move further, since it's going to hurt more once they get more attached. But it's hard to blame Kevin if he changes his mind down the line since the ultimatum came at a really bad time, when he's getting clean and needs a good support system that he isn't going to get with his siblings and he probably doesn't want to move back in with his mom and Miguel while dealing with more heartbreak. Especially when it comes to kids that Kevin hasn't even thought of at the moment. 

7 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Lady Calypso, that's a lot of assumptions. But, there is one I know that you have wrong. When someone says we are stopping after work for drinks at 5:00, the drinking starts at 5:00. And there is always a person that practically runs to the bar to start before that ! lol

I mean, Beth's work day ended at 5, but the question is did everyone else's work day end at 5? We do know that colleague who waved goodbye to Beth said that she'd see her later. We don't know when later was. I think there's assumptions on both ends but it's more believable to me that Beth chose Randall over work. She still decided to drive two hours for Randall, knowing that it would be a long night. The fact is that Beth STILL went to Randall's dinner party. She still followed through with a commitment that she made, which is good, but it still reflected better on her than Randall, who threw a temper tantrum and left a nasty voicemail on her phone when he thought she wasn't coming.

I do believe Beth was being petty in her own way and both are being extremely passive aggressive with each other. So I do think both are making wrong choices here. I still am on Beth's side way more because Randall is acting like a child.

[MsJamieDornan]

35 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I do believe Beth was being petty in her own way and both are being extremely passive aggressive with each other. So I do think both are making wrong choices here.

I agree.

But she made Randall come to a recital that she wasn't even performing in. He showed up but that wasn't enough, she wanted him there so he could hear the boss praise her. What is she? A child? That was unnecessary.

I do agree that Randall has stepped way over the line. He seems to just do what he wants to. And then hopes everything will all fall into place.  Very dumb that he ran for this position. But, he accepted the victory and it has to be dealt with. Beth's job hours should have been discussed but she went ahead and accepted it without thinking,or talking to anyone.  They are both kind of stubborn.

Poor Kevin. Bad decision.

Don't throw things at me...lol

Edited March 20, 2019 by MsJamieDornan

[PepSinger]

1 hour ago, mommalib said:

These writers up her trying to make Randall look bad. Always got to throw the brotha under the bus. Randall's not his best self right now but Beth is annoying the hell out of me.

It’s not about him being a “brotha.” It’s about him being a shitty husband.

[Amethyst]

28 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

To be fair, Beth was heading off to bed so she was taking off all her jewelry.

Good point.  I hadn't thought about that.  

1 hour ago, CleoCaesar said:

And that message he left Beth. The sheer utter contempt for her. Dump his selfish ass, Beth.

It really was horrible.  That "showing housewives how to twirl" remark was particularly mean.  And Randall telling someone to grow up is laughable.

[PepSinger]

46 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Lady Calypso, that's a lot of assumptions. But, there is one I know that you have wrong. When someone says we are stopping after work for drinks at 5:00, the drinking starts at 5:00. And there is always a person that practically runs to the bar to start before that ! lol

I think that’s really unfair. She was teaching until 5 and the dinner was at 8. Even Randall said he knew it would be tight. There’s no way she went for drinks.

[izabella]

Randall's belittling attitude about Beth's job is similar to Jack's attitude about Rebecca's singing.  Randall takes after Jack in that way, as well as in his impulsive decision-making and expectation that Beth will go along because he knows best.

Edited March 20, 2019 by izabella

[SuzieQ]

I did not think Randall had that in him!  His face when he was talking was so ugly!  It was like we were seeing a whole different person.  Beth is a whole lot better woman than me for showing up after she heard that message.  I would have told him to pound sand!

[mommalib]

7 minutes ago, PepSinger said:

It’s not about him being a “brotha.” It’s about him being a shitty husband.

That's my point Randall was never a shitty husband. But now it seems like they are trying to make him seem like one. This is not being portrayed as a married couple having problems, it's being presented as all of a sudden Randall is an a hole and beth is some kind of victim. They're problems are being put squarely at his feet. And yes brotha's generally don't get the same kind of rope that a white guy would nor the same benefit of the doubt. I can imagine the audience turning on Randall completely while also dismissing his past dealing with stress and anxiety.

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, CatsAndMoreCats said:

I am so pissed at Randall right now.  What happened to my over-achieving, hopelessly endearing Randall from Season One?  Some things should not be messed with.  Beth and Randall's solid marriage is one of those things imho.  😢

Season 3 Randall bears no resemblance to the Randall I adored in season 1. I am SO over him and his selfishness. 

[Infie]

I acually find Randall's behaviour pretty plausible, if I take the position that This is Us is trying to show people as they are instead of idealized versions of what they 'should' be.  People are assholes sometimes, and unreasonable sometimes, and hurtful and thoughtless sometimes, even if they're otherwise good people.  In this case, Randall's tired and has been running non-stop because he's trying to be everything to everyone, and yeah, he has the same sort of internal attitude to Beth's dancing as Jack did towards Rebecca's singing, and he was stressed and frustrated and angry and he lashed out - which is what stressed, frustrated angry people do.  This does not in any way excuse his behaviour, but it makes it more realistic to me that if he had been sweet and kind and supportive in that voicemail.  

That being said, what a terrible voicemail to leave!  If I were Beth I'd be just as furious and I'd be considering ending the relationship.  Respect in marriage is not optional, and showing that kind of contempt for your partner is the height of unacceptable behaviour.  

[Amethyst]

37 minutes ago, mommalib said:

 This is not being portrayed as a married couple having problems, it's being presented as all of a sudden Randall is an a hole and beth is some kind of victim. They're problems are being put squarely at his feet. And yes brotha's generally don't get the same kind of rope that a white guy would nor the same benefit of the doubt. I can imagine the audience turning on Randall completely while also dismissing his past dealing with stress and anxiety.

It's not all of a sudden, Randall's stress, anxiety, and impulsive behavior has been part of his character since the beginning.  Before, it made sense to see why he was all over the place, but his actions always affect his family.  It's just reached a point where it can't be hand-waved anymore.  It's not only financial.  It's not right for him to make these major decisions without discussing it with his wife.  I think the political storyline was where they reached the breaking point.

Beth shares some blame in this, too.  She should have spoken to Randall a long time ago about feeling unhappy and unfulfilled in her career, instead of going along with whatever interest he had that week.  Could she have worked her teaching around her life better?  Maybe.  But has Randall done that?

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, Pop Tart said:

did hear that but even so didn’t think it rose to the level of must be there. Her boss had given her public praise at the recital, emphasizing how much she had done in such a short time, so having to be there at a discussion over drinks didn’t feel make or break. I can’t imagine they’d decide the future of the dance studio over drinks.

I don't know, missing the first once sets kind of a bad precident and makes people less likely to invite you in the future.  And this was to talk about the future.  I can totally see why Beth felt she had to be there, especially given that she somehow hadn't made herself essential to the future of her last company.

1 hour ago, kris4n6 said:

1) Kate's insurance still had her in the hospital (my son was in NICU and after 4 nights I was discharged) and 2) she stood up way too quickly and easily for someone who had just had a c-section.  I know I couldn't have, and I had a textbook easy recovery.

They have to let you stay 4 days and I've known people to get a grace day if their kid is in NICU so yeah, this is pushing it but if she had a complication maybe... but she should be on her way out.  That said the hospital I was at had a room where mom and dad could shower or crash for a bit.  They tried to keep that for the parents who had just been discharged or whose babies were having a rough go of it or people who lived particularly far from the hospital.

I was born on a Wednesday and was pretty touch and go through that weekend.  My parents returned to work the start of the week after that so like 11 days after I was born.  My mom had a super demanding job and she would come before and after work every day but my dad had a less demanding job and his office was right across the street from the hospital so he was there every lunch hour as well.   

Toby is gong to miss so, so, so, so much more work that seems logical but I'll give him this week especially as this is the first they get to hold Jack.  That's a big emotional hurdle.

48 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:

But she made Randall come to a recital that she wasn't even performing in. He showed up but that wasn't enough, she wanted him there so he could hear the boss praise her. What is she? A child? That was unnecessary.

She's a person making a huge life change who has gotten validation for it.  Is she going to need him to come to every recital?  Probably not.  But this is the first.  It is a big deal to her.  And if it was Kate or Kevin having their first recitial as a teacher Randall would have stopped the rotation of the earth to be there.

The problem isn't Randall showing up or not to one thing.  The problem is Randall expects everybody to show up for his thing but when Beth has her own thing he doesn't show up.

By the way these are professionals in busy and important jobs.  You can't tell me that councilman never got called away to work at the last minute.  Sure it is disappointing that Beth couldn't come and annoying that the cancellation came at the very last minute.  However, big however, I thought that man was particularly petty mentioning about the lamb going to waste.  I lamb for me for breakfast so BONUS.  2.  It's the sort of thing you complain to with your wife after everybody has gone, not something you say in front of the dinner guests.   

 

[WhosThatGirl]

Is it strange that I didn’t like Randall or Beth tonight? Both bugged me in different ways.

Again kind of bored by this episode. It’s strange. I used to really love this show and now I’m just.. everything is so predictable. In a bad way. I predicated a whole bunch of things were going to happen in this episode one after Randall made the terrible voice mail, Beth would pull up and he would be all “don’t listen to your voice mail, or 2 she got into some kind of an accident or 3 when she did show up even before she had a bad tone I knew she had heard the voicemail. Nothing about any of what went down with them was shocking. I’m kind of over them.

The flashbacks are so out of place this season. I know they tried to connect them with Kevin and Sophie but again the flashbacks aren’t working for me this season.

[Marley]

Randall sucks and his bs councilman job or whatever it is is idiotic. It’s also really boring and stupid. I was hoping Beth wouldn’t show up. I mean she asked him to stop the campaign and he wouldn’t after promising so she should’ve bailed on his jerk ass.

Hope Kevin is being truthful about the no kids things but who knows on this show. Altho Kevin doesn’t seem like the dad type just someone who thinks it’s what ppl do so I hope there’s not some annoying him wanting kids storyline down the road.

This is mean but Kate and Toby’s storyline really bored me this week.

[RachelKM]

11 hours ago, Amethyst said:

It's not all of a sudden, Randall's stress, anxiety, and impulsive behavior has been part of his character since the beginning.  Before, it made sense to see why he was all over the place, but his actions always affect his family.  It's just reached a point where it can't be hand-waved anymore.  It's not only financial.  It's not right for him to make these major decisions without discussing it with his wife.  I think the political storyline was where they reached the breaking point.

Beth shares some blame in this, too.  She should have spoken to Randall a long time ago about feeling unhappy and unfulfilled in her career, instead of going along with whatever interest he had that week.  Could she have worked her teaching around her life better?  Maybe.  But has Randall done that?

I agree.  Randall is impulsive and Beth has indulged him. 

Season 1:

Randall bring home his bio dad without warning

Lets Kevin move in

Has a breakdown - quits his job. 

Beth is supportive and takes all of it in stride. (I realize the breakdown is legit and not something you can discuss first, but it was a major event in the family)

Season 2:

Fostering Deja (technically they discussed it, but Randall was so all in on it and wrapped it up with his grief over William, it was impossible to slow his roll)

Buying his father's former apartment complex a state away and committing to being the BEST LANDLORD EVER... drafting Beth for her expertise.

Again, Beth jumps in with both feet for both decisions.

Season 3

Runs for mayor, again a state away

Beth was already showing the strain of it and then she lost her job. 

I think the show does a good job of not making any of the characters perfect.  The Pearsons are all good people with serious hangups.  And that is no less true for Randall and Beth.

I've always loved them and their relationship. But even in Season 1, I thought Randall's behavior was over the top and I wondered how Beth didn't lose her mind. Ultimately, I agree that Beth's shares some responsibility because she has indulged his whims for so long and allowed the city council thing go for way too long before voicing her concerns which were evident from her tight smiles from the get go.

Moving on to the other Pearsons, oh Kevin... He is not in a place where he should be making life decisions, but I'm not surprised he did.  Honestly, his current ideas about kids aren't well formed ("It's what people do"), but that's why he isn't at all ready to commit.  But again, since he isn't really clear on his reasons he might want them, I get why he chose Zoe. As a woman who never wanted kids and faced a partner who changed his mind to wanting them late in our relationship, I may be projecting.  But I don't think it was a good move.

Kate and Toby's story is interesting and I'm glad we're seeing it play out without a lot of time jumping.  But as others noted, it seemed like more time should have passed.  6 days?  Beth had a recital?  Kevin and Zoe already got to a couples appointment?  Heck, the Randall/Beth busy schedule montage alone seemed to encompass weeks.  Randall wasn't even sworn in when Kate went into labor. 

The NICU dads conversation was well done, though.

Edited March 20, 2019 by RachelKM

[MsJamieDornan]

Quote

Is it strange that I didn’t like Randall or Beth tonight? Both bugged me in different ways.

Not strange at all.

[NUguy514]

I found Kevin's storyline quietly and incredibly absorbing; I loved all the scenes with him and Zoe and (surprisingly) him and Sophie.

I could barely watch any scenes involving Randall.  It's gotten too uncomfortable, and I knew Beth had heard his voicemail as soon as she arrived at that godforsaken dinner.

OK, Randall defenders, after that indefensible voicemail, whatcha got?  Because my counters are "no," "nope," "hell no," and "fuck no."