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'This Is Us' Star Mandy Moore Reveals What's Next for Kate and Rebecca and the Big Three as Toddlers


The second season of This Is Us could easily be renamed This Is Us: Kevin or This Is Us: Kate, and so on. Each episode, one character gets their moment to shine—and on Tuesday’s, it was Rebecca’s turn. For Mandy Moore, it was a turning point in Rebecca’s journey: “I feel like she’s able to have that more fully flushed-out role, where she gets to step up to the plate and have some of the winning moves that usually [is reserved] for Jack. I’m really glad that she’s able to have those moments, too.”

To continue the baseball analogies, by the time the credits rolled on Tuesday’s episode, Moore had pitched a perfect game. With the help of her cast members, she delivered every gesture and action beautifully, culminating with that heartbreaking split scene in the hospital with babies Randall and Tess.

Aside from finding out how she did it so effortlessly over different decades, we had plenty of other questions, too. When will we see Miguel and Rebecca reconnect in real life, instead of just on Facebook? Will Kate name her baby after Jack since Randall didn’t? And should we get ready to know a whole other set of Pearson kids when toddler Kate, Kevin, and Randall make their debut next week? Here, Moore answers all of that and more.

On the most recent episode, we discovered that Rebecca and Miguel reconnected after eight years thanks to Facebook. Up until that point, did you know any details about how they came to be a couple?

Mandy Moore: No, I didn’t have any idea about this revelation. This was news to me when I first read the script, as was Jack’s brother being revealed. I had heard rumors of it, and it had been hinted around, but sometimes we don’t know specific details until we get the full script. I had my own running theory of what unfolded because I kind of needed those answers as an actor—so did Jon Huertas, who plays Miguel—but it did differ a little bit, obviously, from this. It’s new information for us, too.

Have you started filming any scenes where we pick up from these Facebook messages?

Mandy: No, and I don’t think that’s going to be addressed until next season. That’s what I’ve been told.

In the episode, Rebecca was wearing a wedding ring the entire time, which I assumed was from her marriage to Miguel. Obviously, we know now it isn’t. Do you think she’s been wearing her wedding ring from Jack since he died eight plus years ago, or—and hear me out—could she have gotten married to someone else during this time and been in a very lonely marriage?

Mandy: [Laughs] That’s a great theory, but no, that’s not the case at all. Rebecca really is in a terribly lonely spot, but I think she never took off her ring. I think she still considers herself a Pearson, even after she married Miguel. I mean, I’ve always sort of operated—not that it’s known or talked about, maybe it will be somewhere down the line—that she still has the last name Pearson. I don’t think she took Miguel’s name. It’s important for her to feel connected to [Jack]—that’s why she still wears the necklace—so it’s not weird she still wears her wedding ring. That’s how she feels connected to him.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Do you have any intel on what happened to Miguel’s ex-wife, Shelly? She and Rebecca were friends even after her divorce to Miguel, but we don’t even know if she’s alive in the present day.

Mandy: That’s very true! I don’t want to speculate, because I’m sure that will be addressed and talked about. Dan has told us that season three will focus a lot more on Miguel and Rebecca’s courtship, so I’m absolutely positive that Shelly will factor in. They are friends, and they are somewhat close friends. I don’t think they’re best friends, but I’m curious what happened there. At one point the couples were friends, so that’s a mystery to me.

It’s an interesting dynamic with women, too, because it’s happened before where a former spouse ends up with a friend’s former spouse after one dies.

Mandy: Oh yeah, it feels a little too convenient, though, for Shelly to have passed away. It’s probably a tricky dynamic, considering they are divorced and Rebecca and Miguel find their way together down the road.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Let’s talk about Tess’ birth, when Randall tells Rebecca he had Jack and Jasmine picked out as possible names. What’s interesting is that he and Beth chose not to name their second child, Annie, after Jack either. That makes me think that Kate will name her baby after him, which might help Rebecca and Kate connect again.

Mandy: Interesting! I like your way of thinking! [Laughs] I do! You’ll just have to continue watching this season to see how it all unfolds, but I think that’s a great way to honor her father. I definitely support that.

When will Rebecca find out Kate is pregnant?

Mandy: It’s going to be explored in the next couple of episodes. Not next week, but it will be explored in episodes 8, 9, and 10. [You’ll see] Kate telling her family and everybody’s reactions. I love that this season is starting to really connect the dots between Rebecca and Kate, and where this disruption and disconnection in their relationship stems from. But, also, I love that a pregnancy, in theory, is able to bring mother and daughter together. I hope that that’s the case for them. I want to see them put their differences aside and celebrate this really beautiful moment in her life.

Speaking of which, what was your thoughts when Kate lashed out at Rebecca following her first gig?

Mandy: The scene was super emotional for me when I read it initially. It just tapped into similar dynamics I have with my own mother, and it really speaks to how complicated it can get between mothers and daughters. No one’s right, and no one’s wrong. It just is. It’s hard to pinpoint what anybody did wrong, but yet they’re totally justified for feeling the way that they do. I don’t fault Kate for being upset with her mom, and I don’t fault Rebecca for what she did with Kate. Rebecca maybe tries a little too hard, but [for Kate] to jump down her mother’s throat…it’s like, again, it’s such a tricky, gray area where you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Before we move on to next week’s episode, let’s talk about the two hospital scenes where Rebecca met baby Randall and baby Tess for the first time. Are you able to watch your scenes when they air? Because that was one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen on television.

Mandy: Aww, thank you. I did watch the episode with my man fiancé Taylor Goldsmith because he’s a fan of the show. You’re always so excited to see everybody else’s work, but I find it hard to watch myself. I loved this episode. I love [director] Regina King, and I can’t wait to work with her again, hopefully. I loved the different time period because it’s something new and fresh that we haven’t seen before, and I love Halloween. It’s one of my favorite holidays, and it was so much fun for Milo and I to dress up as Sonny and Cher. All of it was fun to watch unfold.

That last monologue [in the hospital scene] was so tricky because we shot it in pieces. We shot the distant past first, with Rebecca putting her trepidation and fears aside and going to Randall and saying, “We’re going to bring you home, and I’m terrified because I don’t know how to do this.” Then, a week later, we shot the scene in 2008 with me talking to baby Tess for the first time. I delivered those monologues to baby dolls, which makes them even more tricky. There was one shot with baby Randall, I think, where it was a real baby. But with babies, you can only shoot with them for like 20 minutes total. The baby Tess monologue was all delivered to one of those animatronic, little robotic babies that moves and vibrates. It’s really weird. But, yes, I’m really moved by people’s reactions. Don Roos wrote such a remarkable script; as an actor, to get a piece of dialogue like that is what you dream about. To be able to do this sort of weird, like, multi-monologue in two different time periods, intercut with each other, is such a dream. It was a challenge, and I was really excited about it.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Next week we see the big three in their toddler years. Should we get used to seeing a whole new set of kids that will be part of the show going forward?

Mandy: I don’t think that these children in particular…though they are a big part of this coming episode. As you can imagine, it’s really hard with kids. They are one and two years old, and everybody has a different energy that they bring. Some kids love being on a set and around all these new people; some don’t, and that’s totally understandable. I’m sure anytime we have toddlers moving forward, they may be different children episode by episode, so I don’t know if I would get too attached to seeing one face or another. But, yes, we’ll be meeting the kids at toddler age next episode. It’s so much fun, it really is. And the next episode is so beautiful, so moving. It’s a different time period that’s really critical—like a year in to the fostering process of baby Randall, of trying to officially adopt him, and some of the road blocks we faced that are really unexpected. It’s a really beautiful episode with some great guest actors. I think people are really going to love it.



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'This Is Us' Season 2 Episode 6 Recap: The Pearson Three Are the Same Hot Messes in Their 20s


Tonight’s This Is Us showed the Pearson Three in a brand-new decade, but spoiler alert: They’re still the same hot messes. Just younger! And with less facial hair! Here’s what happened…

First, we start off with the three in their younger years: Halloween is approaching, and Rebecca is busy making costumes for her ungrateful kids. Well, except Randall. Randall’s not ungrateful. Kate, on other hand, straight-up says she doesn’t want to be a veterinarian after Rebecca spent God knows how long making the costume. She now wants to go as Sandy from Grease, and Jack volunteers Rebecca to make her costume at the last minute.

Naturally, Rebecca’s pissed about this and tells Jack he has to stop saying yes to everything Kate wants. Jack retorts by saying Rebecca is just as easy on Randall. They go back and forth for a few more annoying seconds before Rebecca says Jack is setting Kate up to be miserable in her 20s—which leads us to…

The Pearson kids! In their 20s! Well, their late 20s, which are far less reckless and irresponsible than your early 20s. It’s October 2008, which puts the Pearson Three at 28, if my my math is correct.

20s Kate

Kate has instantly-iconic bangs and is working as a waitress in a restaurant. She’s insanely thirsty for a bearded, plaid-clad patron with a nice smile. Kate asks him if he’s trick-or-treating tonight, which is weird because he’s a grown-ass man. He says he’s going to a bar with friends for Halloween; she has class, so she can’t join him. It’s clear he wants her to, though—or so it seems.

As luck would have it, Kate’s class is canceled that night, so she decides to surprise Plaid Guy at the bar. But things turn awkward: He jumps up from his table immediately and runs over to her before she can meet his friends. He says he’s “just about to leave” the bar and asks if they can go some place more quiet. She agrees, but not before noticing Plaid Guy’s friends smirking in her direction. Oh no.

They go back to Kate’s place, have sex, and Plaid Guy quickly gets out of bed and says he has to leave. It turns out he’s married, which is why he panicked when she came to the bar. Kate says she knew this and slept with him hoping things would “feel right” afterwards. But they didn’t. Plaid Guy sucks and should never return.

20s Randall

Beth is pregnant, and her due date is the next day. Randall has no facial hair and is pissed about a ceiling fan in his nursery not working (in other words, the same but less hair). It seems like Randall had one of his panic attacks a few months ago, because he keeps saying how he doesn’t want Beth to worry about him. But that’s a little hard not to do when he’s having a full-blown conniption over an effing fan.

Rebecca comes to town for Beth’s delivery. She expresses concern that Randall might have another panic attack, which he overhears. It’s sad, sure, but I can’t stop looking at Rebecca’ middle-part wig.

They have a long chat about Randall’s episode from two months before. Rebecca then awkwardly pivots and asks Beth to help her set up a Facebook account because, remember, Facebook was the thing in 2008.

Randall opens up to a random store clerk about the mental breakdown he had. The root of his anxiety is the fact Beth has a baby on the way; he’s completely petrified about being a father, and the store clerk offers some warm but generic advice about how babies have all the answers. It’s sweet—not counting the fact Randall made a racially insensitive remark about the store clerk’s turban. (What the hell was that?)

Surprise, surprise: Beth goes into labor literally right after this. An ambulance can’t get to the house in time, so Randall, after assuring Beth he won’t have another panic attack, delivers the baby on their living room floor. Rebecca says it’s one of the happiest moments of her life, but it’s also somewhat sad because Jack isn’t there. Insert obligatory Randall-and-Beth feels.

Rebecca uploads a photo of Beth and Randall’s newborn to her Facebook account and almost immediately receives a message from Miguel. Yes, that Miguel—the Miguel Rebecca eventually marries. Now we know how their whirlwind romance began: He slid into her DMs.

20s Kevin

Kevin’s washing hair at a salon and permanently “waiting for pilot season to start.” His roommate just booked a Kevin Spacey movie—which is a problematic thing to be excited about, given recent events—and invites our Kevin to a private party with the director and cast. Kevin’s clearly jealous and upset but agrees to go anyway.

I’m immediately over this party. It’s full of pretentious Hollywood cardboard cut-outs drinking and cackling at nothing. Kevin’s roommate introduces him to the director of the Spacey film, who gives him a terse, snub-ish hello and moves on. Rude. Doesn’t he know he’s talking to the future Manny?!

Actually, wait, Kevin’s the one who’s rude here. He backs the Spacey director into a corner and implies he’s a better fit for the role his roommate snagged. He says the character is written as an “all-American handsome” guy and that his roommate is a “character” actor (read: ugly). What a snake! I hate Kevin in every decade! The director walks away and says he’ll never hire Kevin for a project after this encounter. Thank God! Relegate his (fine) behind to The Manny!

Kevin and Kate have an emotional heart to heart after Beth gives birth where they essentially admit to failing their 20s. It’s endearing and relatable and one of the best scenes between Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley in This Is Us history. It ends with Kate moving to Los Angeles to live with Kevin.

This episode wasn’t just during the kids’ 20s, though. Here’s what happened during the super flashbacks:

The ’90s:

Rebecca and Jack are going as Sonny and Cher for Halloween, which is the second Kardashian parallel to happen on this show. (Kim Kardashian and Jonathan Cheban went as Sonny and Cher this year, too. How the hell does Kris Jenner do this shit?)

Randall’s dressed as Michael Jackson, Kate’s Sandy from Grease, and Kevin’s a random dude with five o’clock shadow. Randall, the genius he is, made a map outlining the best houses to hit for trick-or-treating, which Kate and Kevin (of course) don’t appreciate. They don’t want to use Randall’s map, so Jack takes them trick-or-treating separately while Rebecca takes Randall alone. Jack scolds Rebecca for giving into Randall’s “rigid” demands, but she contends he’s just anxious. This is obviously foreshadowing for Randall’s type-A panic attacks.

Child Kate has a crush on a boy named Billy Palmer, and she wants to ask him to go through the neighborhood haunted house with her. Kevin, as per usual, is a grade-A asshole about this and says Billy is “just as popular” as he is and that there’s “no way” he’ll hold Kate’s hand. He’s so terrible; let’s vote him off the island. Fast-forward a few hours later: Billy does hold Kate’s hand in the haunted house, but only because Kevin gave him all his Halloween candy to do it. Kate doesn’t know this. Damn, I’m crying.

Rebecca tries to get Randall to divert from his map for five seconds, and he has a full meltdown about it. This leads to them having an uncomfortably emotional conversation about why Randall was adopted in the first place. I hate that Randall has to deal with the most trauma despite being the best child. His life should be all candy and rainbows and trick-or-treating maps, but nope: This show makes him sad all the time.

Parting thoughts: I hope Kevin’s roommate is now a huge movie star and hate-watches old episodes of The Manny.

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'This Is Us' Directors Explain Why We've Never Met Jack's Brother Before


Tonight’s episode of This Is Us—appropriately titled “Brothers”—packed a lot into 42 minutes. We learned via a super early flashback that Jack has a younger brother named Nicky, which gives us even more insight (and questions) into Jack’s mysterious past. We also saw Kevin struggle to keep up appearances at a charity gala because of his addiction to pain meds. Then, after Kate told Toby she’s pregnant, she sternly instructed him not to talk about their unborn child until after the baby is born. Of course, that was until she decided to bend that impossible rule and let Toby tell one person at a local coffee shop, which then turned into a Hootie & the Blowfish song-and-dance routine followed by an ode to Flashdance. Got that?

Obviously, we needed answers immediately about all of the above—so executive producers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who directed the episode, hopped on the phone to fill us in.

So, Jack has a brother. Was there ever any previous reference that this sibling existed?

John Requa: I don’t think we have, as far as we can remember. The point of this episode is to show that Jack has been hiding this. He also had a serious alcohol problem that he completely concealed from his wife and his family, and he’s concealed this dark part of his past as well. I think [it’s the same thing as] when we see Kevin keeping secrets and being evasive. We see the weaknesses of the father passed on to the son, so for this episode, titled “Brothers,” it fit nicely into the theme. The reveal informs all the scenes before it.

The way Jack is dealing with Kevin—it’s the first time you’re seeing Jack be a bit short and testy with his kids—and it turns out, there’s a reason because he really wants this brotherhood to work. Once you see he had a brother of his own, well, that raises all sorts of questions: Is there regret there? Is there something he’s trying to replicate? Or something he’s trying to fix?

Should we assume that Nicky Pearson is alive in the present day? Or will that be a mystery solved later in the season?

John: We’re never going to explore the Nicky storyline. [Laughs]

Glenn Ficarra: If This is Us has taught us anything, it’s never assume anything. It’s safe to say, though, that you’ll be surprised.

Fair enough. At the beginning of the episode, viewers are told that Jack’s dad, Stanley, is on his deathbed. We don’t see him die by the end of the episode. Will he be back, or was that it?

Glenn: Well, I think we’re certainly open to come back and revisit him, but the main takeaway is that this man, because of his choices and his relationship with Jack, is going to die alone.

John: Whenever his demise is, it will be a miserable and lonely one. The message of the episode is that there are two sides to Jack: the open, gregarious father, who really works hard to be a good dad and mend the fences between the two brothers, and there’s the side that keeps secrets. Then you see Kevin keeping secrets and going down a dark path. You see Randall being this very involved father, trying to make this relationship work with Déjà, and then you see, if you go down the dark path, where it leads. It leads to you dying alone with your son unwilling to visit you in a nursing home. In the microcosm of this episode, that’s what we’re trying to say.

In this episode, you worked with a lot of young actors—from Jack and Nicky to Kevin and Randall—on some really difficult scenes. What was that like?

John: Milo Ventimiglia has really taken it on to develop relationships with the kids. When we were shooting that really great scene in the tent with Parker [Young Kevin], it was just a great performance, and he’s this little guy! Milo came up to me and said, “Parker’s been working really hard, and he wants to deliver some emotional weight to this scene.” I said, “OK.” When somebody says that—an actor, or in this case, it was Milo—you really get your crew in line and get out of the way and let them do it. He came in there, and in take one he came from a really raw, emotional place. He really delivers a remarkable performance.

Glenn: To watch all the kids grow is a really great thing, but you don’t want them to lose that wildness of being children. We want them to be a family and drive their parents crazy, so you find a way to work with them that keeps them as a tight unit but doesn’t strip them down, either.

John: Milo knows all the rules right now. He’s like half-parent, half-acting coach for those guys. I always say when we’re about to direct an episode, “OK, Milo, what’s the deal?” And he says, “Well, this one, he’s thought about [the scene]…” Milo is a very thoughtful guy and he understands how tricky it can be. He was a young actor himself, and he really deserves a lot of the credit of the level of performances those kids get to.

Let’s talk about Kevin and Sophie for a minute. It’s really interesting to see him unravel just as his career is on the upswing and he’s back with Sophie. What can you share about what’s to come? And what’s Sophie’s role in this?

Glenn: In a lot of ways, he’s revisiting his relationship with Sophie. Kevin isn’t done growing yet. How Sophie factors into it, we’re going to see. Is Kevin on his way up or his way down? Just because he’s going back to this relationship with Sophie doesn’t mean he’s fixed all the problems. That’s really going to inform the next few episodes, and you’ll see where that’s going to go. It’s time he deals with that. Through no fault of her own, Sophie is unaware of what’s going on, just the way that Rebecca was unaware of what was going on with Jack and his problems. These things can be insidious and the shame of having a problem forces you to keep secrets. You can get really damn good at it.

PHOTO: NBC/Ron Batzdorff

John: Sophie is what he can lose, and how it affects his family and how it affects his relationship…that’s really what addiction is about. It’s not about wandering the streets. It’s about the people you love, and the damage you do to those relationships that are so vital in your life. Addiction is always an ensemble. It’s never about one person. An addict will say, “This is my choice.” But ultimately it’s not really your choice, because your actions affect the people that you love. The stakes of your actions are that you hurt people you love. In many ways, Sophie is what Kevin has to gain and what he has to lose as he goes forward.

Glenn: We talked with an addiction expert, who said the opposite of addiction is not moderation. The opposite of addiction is connection. The only thing that really can cure you of addiction is human connection, and it’s one thing you lose as an addict. You sever all those connections, and you fold in on yourself.

Finally, I want to ask about Kate and Toby. Who among the writing staff is such a huge Hootie & the Blowfish fan that they wanted that song to play during Toby’s celebratory dad-to-be announcement?

John: [Laughs] Tyler Bensinger wrote the episode, and his favorite band is Hootie & the Blowfish. He actually, for a period, follows them around, like people follow The Grateful Dead. He follows them around, and he wears—to the writing room—a Hootie & the Blowfish hoodie once a week. He loves them. He’s obsessed with them! He’s been lobbying, ever since he’s come on the show, to get Hootie & the Blowfish in there. We love it because it kind of makes sense that that would be Toby’s favorite song. Actually, it’s not his favorite song; it’s his happy song! [Laughs] It makes the scene really funny, I think.



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'This Is Us' Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: There's Another Pearson We Didn't Know About


This Is Us is running two for two in terms of bonkers final-minute reveals. Last week we found out Kate is pregnant, and this week we learned…well, read on to find out.

The ’90s

Jack is putting all the flannel he wears to good use and taking Child Randall and Child Kevin on a camping trip. Jack and Rebecca think this will help Kevin and Randall get along better…because trapping two kids in a tent helps them bond? In my experience, not having access to air conditioning just makes people more irritable.

Rebecca and Child Kate are going to have a “girls’ day” while the boys are gone, which is just a train-wreck waiting to happen. But things take a turn when Rebecca gets a call from a nursing home saying Jack’s father (Stanley) is close to passing. Rebecca tries to call Jack, but to no avail. Remember, he’s literally in the woods.

Rebecca goes to the nursing home to visit Stanley. It’s quiet and overly dramatic. Stanley doesn’t say anything, and Rebecca laments about his difficult relationship with Jack. Stanley notices Kate standing outside his hospital room and asks to see her; Rebecca quickly shoos her out of sight. Yeesh.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Kevin’s being a grade-A douche to Randall. Their contentious relationship is all Kevin’s fault; I don’t know why Randall has to endure mosquito bites to mend something he didn’t break. Jack reprimands Kevin and asks why he can’t be nice to Randall. Kevin rudely says he “doesn’t know” and asks Jack to stop talking. Can we just send Kevin to boarding school? He’s like the Blair Witch, only less cool.

They ultimately squash their beef after Kevin finds Randall’s notepad, which includes an entry about things not to do to annoy him. (Further proof Child Randall is a god among peasants.)

Rebecca finally gets a hold of Jack and tells him about Stanley. She asks Jack if he wants to visit the nursing home, and he flat-out says Stanley’s been dead to him for a long time. It’s ice-cold, but I suppose I understand where he’s coming from. (See Young Jack’s storyline, below.)

Adult Kate

Kate wastes no time telling Toby she’s pregnant. He acts excited, but it feels forced and disingenuous. My only evidence for thinking this is the face he makes after hearing the news looks like Taylor Swift’s infamous surprise face. Kate’s understandably worried her age and weight might cause her to lose the baby. Toby tries to comfort her, but it doesn’t work and, instead, she tells him to keep any excitement he has about this baby to himself. His hope, she says, will just put more stress on her. This is such faulty logic. He’s just supposed to not mention it for nine months? Then why even tell him in the first place?

Kate lashes out at the skinny girl, Madison, in her Overeaters Anonymous class, and they have a super annoying fight in the parking lot. It’s clear Kate’s just resentful of this girl because she’s thin, and that’s kinda ick; like, people of all shapes and sizes have eating disorders. However, it’s also clear this overt, random-AF fight means Madison and Kate will become friends.

Yup, I’m right. They have a fender-bender in the lot, which causes Kate to freak out because she’s pregnant. When Madison hears this news, she’s not even mad about her car; she just hugs Kate and congratulates her. This is arguably the fastest-developing relationship in TV history. Imagine if our world leaders were like this?

The accident gives Kate a revelation about her pregnancy: She isn’t afraid to tell people about it now. So Kate and Toby go to a random restaurant, and she tells him he can tell one person inside they’re expecting. This is more bizarre than it is cute, but the mood music’s making me feel things.

And Toby doesn’t even follow the rules! He tells everyone in the restaurant that Kate’s pregnant and starts dancing. He then pours water on himself like he’s in Flashdance. This is all so dumb and disrespectful and not at all endearing! Kate said one person, man. Also, his real name is Tobias? WTF?

Adult Kevin

Kevin can’t stop taking pills to fix his knee. There’s some dramatic “addiction” music happening here that’s, honestly, making me feel pretty uneasy. Kevin stares at himself for a long time in the mirror—which, again, is sort of overkill. When did this show take a turn into Intervention territory?

He’s visiting Sophie in New York. They’re attending some fancy hospital gala where Kevin’s getting auctioned off for a date to raise money. Kevin asks Randall if he’s jealous of this, to which he (rightfully) replies, “No Black man will ever be jealous of being auctioned off. #AmericanHistory.” Yes, he says “hashtag,” which I’ll let slide because Randall’s perfect.

Kevin is blowing up his doctor’s phone for more Vicodin. It’s uncomfortable. He starts drinking a beer while Sophie’s getting ready for the gala; she reprimands him, and he gets defensive. I don’t know how to handle all this substance-abuse foreshadowing! Is Kevin going to get drunk at this gala and embarrass Sophie?!

Yes. That’s exactly what he does. Kevin misses his cue to go on stage for the auction because he’s drunk and yelling at his doctor on the phone. Sophie rips Kevin to shreds for this, and he offers no explanation. Instead, he acts evasive, says he’s stressed, and that he never should’ve agreed to attend the gala. I hate to say this, but he’s acting like most addicts do when confronted. Any doubt these pills are a problem for Kevin just went away.

Adult Randall

Kevin, while visiting, makes some comment about Déjà being “surly,” which Randall doesn’t appreciate. He tells Kevin to tread lightly with her and to not mention her hair. (Remember, Déjà cut off the braids Beth did for her after she realized Beth told Randall about her stress issues.) Déjà asks to attend Kevin’s gala; Randall agrees, but says he’ll have to take her because Kevin will be busy. Beth objects; it’s clear Déjà only wants to go because she’s crushing on Kevin. Stupidly, Randall doesn’t listen to Beth and says he’s taking Déjà anyway. Always listen to Beth, fool!

At the gala, things are awkward AF between Déjà and Randall. It’s obvious all she wants to do is hang out with Kevin, who’s frantically calling his doctor about Vicodin. (He’s also sweating. And drinking more. Oof.) Déjà’s crush on Kevin is cute; I just hope things don’t turn dramatic, but knowing this show they will.

Randall stares intently at Déjà’ as she eats a shrimp cocktail. He freaks out on her right as she’s about to eat the tail, which causes her to run to the bathroom. Randall rushes after her, and we learn the reason behind her fear of being touched and yelled at: Her former foster mother’s boyfriend used to beat her with magazines. Randall doesn’t know what to say to this, and, frankly, neither do I. It’s heartbreaking.

Young Jack

Yes, Young Jack makes an appearance in this episode (probably to aid the story about his dying father). He and his dad are going on a fishing trip, but they detour to a tavern for a quick drink. Jack’s visibly upset by this, which hints that he’s aware of his father’s drinking problem. This also foreshadows Jack’s future alcoholism and, if you think about it, Kevin’s pill addiction. Layers!

Holy shit. Stanley straight-up leaves Jack in the car to get drunk…and he stays in the bar for hours.

Wait. Wait. Wait. There’s someone else in the car with Young Jack. It’s another child. Jack’s brother. Jack has a brother. A younger one named Nicky! Whaaaat?! There’s an entire human we knew nothing about! Another classic This Is Us plot twist that came out of left field. We’re supposed to believe no one has ever mentioned this guy up until this exact moment??!? Color me annoyed but, yes, intrigued. Damn it!

Parting thoughts: Does Jack’s little brother also have a mustache now?



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'This Is Us' Season 2 Episode 4 Recap: Kate Finds Out Something Life-Changing


Tonight’s episode of This Is Us revealed something huge—and I mean huge. I don’t even want to do any throat-clearing; let’s just get right to the recap, which is organized by character and time period this week. (Spoilers ahead, of course.)

The ’80s:

It’s snowing. The Pearson clan is at a video store, and Rebecca’s trying to force everyone to watch Broadcast News. Hmm, first Tom Hanks movies and now this; Rebecca has some vanilla-AF taste. Young Kevin apparently has the chicken pox, and I know I should feel sorry for him, but he’s a terror, so I’m ambivalent.

Child Kate also has the chicken pox, and a doctor encourages Child Randall to also contract them because of…reasons. It’s allegedly good for siblings to get this sickness at the same time. Moving on. Rebecca’s horrible mom shows up unexpectedly to help with the chicken pox-infected children, which will obviously end badly. If you forgot, this woman sucks. She literally bought Child Kate a Little Mermaid costume that was too small and said it can be her “goal dress.” She then gives Randall a basketball because…he’s black?! She’s a monster.

Jack’s grand plan to help Child Kevin deal with his chicken pox is having him growl like a tiger. It’s supposed to be cute, but it’s mostly just loud. Rebecca’s mom walks by and tells them to STFU, which is the first (and only) time this episode I liked her.

She quickly fell back into my bad graces when she insulted Child Randall’s science project. How can you be mean to Child Randall? He’s the most angelic creature on Earth. Oh, Jack now also has the chicken pox, which means Rebecca’s going to be stuck alone with her maybe-racist mom and the sick kids.

“Did Grandma shoot him?!” — Child Randall, asking if his racist grandmother killed Martin Luther King Jr.

Yup, Rebecca’s mom is definitely racist. She makes some disgusting comment about how it’s shocking Randall got into private school and not Kevin and Kate. Rebecca, naturally, blows up at her mom, saying she’s not going to expose Randall to such demeaning behavior. She flat-out calls her mom a racist…and Child Randall is right behind her, hearing this entire thing. Oof. So difficult to watch—and also, true to This Is Us form, emotional whiplash. We went from 0 to 100 in five seconds. White Jack explaining to 10-year-old Randall what micro-aggressive racism is might be the most awkward, cringe-worthy thing that’s ever happened on this show.

Rebecca and Jack are so desperate to get Rebecca’s mom out of their house that Jack goes outside—with the chicken pox—to shovel snow off the driveway so she can drive home. Rebecca’s mom says Randall is “foreign” to her and that she has to “try” to see him as part of their family. Rebecca, obviously, is having none of this, but things end on a somewhat sweet note: Rebecca’s mom looks at Randall’s final, finished science project and calls him a special boy. Randall, the shady icon he is, simply responds, “It took you long enough [to realize that].” Kid Randall for all the Emmys.

Present Day Randall

Randall and Beth’s foster child, Déjà, still DGAF about connecting with their family. They notice that Déjà hasn’t washed her hair since she’s moved in, and Beth says they need to have a hygiene talk with her about it. Randall doesn’t want to because he’s afraid it’ll push her further away—which is understandable. That’s a difficult conversation to have!

Oh no. Adult Randall takes the girls bowling, and one of the girls at the alley makes a joke about Déjà’s “nasty” hair. This causes Randall and the girl’s father to get into a full-on fight, which ends in Déjà saying she isn’t Randall’s daughter. This is all very sad and difficult to watch. I miss when Randall was just hot and made dad jokes. Randall gives in and asks Beth to chat with Déjà about her hair.

“Are we seriously having a conversation right now about the order of Annie’s boo-boo kiss?” — Beth

Which was the right decision all along. Beth gives Déjà a genuinely moving speech about how her sisters bonded by doing each other’s hair. This softens Déjà up, and she asks Beth to do her hair. Beth is the best person on this show, and I’m crying.

Déjà apparently has a hair condition that causes locks to fall out when she’s stressed—and it appears her traumatic childhood has only made that worse. Beth offers to braid Déjà’s hair in order to cover up the patches. Again, this is all so beautiful and wonderful, and that’s all I have to say.

Randall opens up about his panic attacks to Déjà in an attempt to connect with her. I get why he’s choosing this method, but isn’t that a little deep for a pre-teen? He tells Déjà Beth told him about her stress-related hair problems; Déjà’s understandably upset by this. She cuts all her braids off in retaliation, and Beth is devastated.

Present Day Kate and Kevin

Kate’s working out and trying to distract herself from the muffin placed in front of her. Meh, this is exactly the kind of reductive weight-loss crap I thought we were done with. Anyway, Toby tells Kate her weight-loss goals have turned obsessive and that they haven’t been connecting (read: boning). This is annoying; like, Kate has her plate full, man. Stop making her feel bad for not sleeping with you! Apparently, her first big singing gig is happening soon, and she has a dress she’s determined to fit into. This is similar to the “goal” dress her grandmother bought her as a child. Yikes, what a destructive concept! Just buy clothes that fit!

This isn’t the only destructive thing Kate does, though. It appears she wants to buy herself pills or laxatives to help accelerate her weight-loss process. Maybe Toby’s right about this turning into an obsession. She ultimately fits into the singing-gig dress, but for some reason she isn’t happy about it. WTF?

Adult Kevin’s a colossal idiot and didn’t tell the medic on the set of his movie that his knee is messed up. One of the producers is pissed about this, and now they have to change the shooting schedule. Kevin has to get surgery on his knee, and while under anesthesia he starts having flashbacks about his dad. It’s sad, but also, like, Kevin wouldn’t be in this situation if he wasn’t a flop actor.

“Look at all of that kiwi on a stick.” — Kevin

Kevin’s out of the hospital, and Toby and Kate agree to care for him. However, Toby flips out when Kate wants to go to her yoga class minutes after Kevin comes home, further confirming his controlling worm tendencies. Just let Kate live. Kevin refuses to take the pain medication prescribed to him, which is more evidence he has addiction issues. (Remember last week when we saw him take those pills and Kate made some ominous comment about how he’s just like Jack? Subtlety isn’t this show’s strong suit.) He tells Toby he’s going to rip his cast off so he can recover faster, which seems like a dumb idea. But this is Kevin, so I’m not surprised.

Awww, now I’m feeling a little sympathy for him, though. A production assistant drops off a revised movie script to his house, and it looks like they’ve cut some of his lines due to this injury. Toby walks in on Kevin working out his knee on the treadmill—the exact opposite of what the doctors told him to do. Kevin finally opens up about why he has such a complex about this: He was a star athlete in high school, but a knee injury forced him to stop playing, which irrevocably changed his future. Now he’s afraid the same thing will happen to his acting career if his knee doesn’t get under control. Here’s the thing, though: This is why he needs to rest! Ultimately, Kevin chooses to take the pain medication and go back to work which, if last week is any indication, is a bad, bad idea.

But who cares about any of this, because This Is Us just dropped the biggest bombshell to end all bombshells: Kate. Is. Pregnant. That‘s why she’s been such a stickler about her diet and fitness regimen. That‘s why she was eyeing laxatives/pills at the pharmacy (there were pregnancy tests in that store too). The final scene of this episode shows Kate having an ultrasound done; she’s six weeks along, and nobody knows. You guys, everything is about to change now. My body is covered head to toe in goosebumps, and I don’t care how ridiculous that makes me. This show is lit.

Parting thoughts: KATE IS PREGNANT!!!!

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'This Is Us' Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: Trouble Might Be Ahead for Kevin


This week’s episode of This Is Us can be divided into three sections: a sad foster-child subplot, Sylvester Stallone mumbling, and Rebecca throwing a bag of burgers on the ground. It was weird, ridiculous, and, at times, actually moving—if you can see past Rebecca committing the aforementioned unforgivable sin.

And now, the recap:

We open with Jack at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He’s been sober three weeks, apparently, though he admits it’s hard talking to Rebecca about his problems. The camera’s really close to Jack’s face as he’s saying this, and his beard has never looked more mesmerizing.

Teenage Randall is hungry to meet his birth parents, so he sneakily places an ad in the local newspaper asking for anyone who left “a newborn baby at a firehouse” to contact him. And now I’m chuckling at the idea of multiple people doing that. Like, what if Randall’s phone starts blowing up? Eventually, someone responds to his ad and asks to meet at a park.

Adult Randall and Beth applied to a foster care agency three weeks ago, but they haven’t heard anything back. He’s pissed, makes some comment about how their large kitchen island should put them at the front of the foster-parent line, and Beth tells him to chill TF out.

“Guys like that kid from My So-Called Life are in.” —Jack

The agency, unsurprisingly, calls minutes after Randall’s freak-out. They have a child for them: a 12-year-old girl named Déjà. Randall’s lit and starts going on a nonsensical rant about how fostering Déjà will help him fulfill his family’s legacy. It’s corny, but cute—and I’m tearing up, so this dialogue is clearly working. It always works.

Déjà shows up to Randall and Beth’s house. She’s quiet, shy, and shows no interest in getting to know the family—which worries Randall. He was expecting a more “responsive” child but, like, Déjà was just forcibly removed from her home because her mom was sent to prison, and Randall’s a stranger to her! He needs to calm down.

Beth finds cigarettes in Déjà’s room and tries to take them away, but Déjà flips out, calling her a “bitch” and even grabbing her. But the second Randall walks in, forcefully, Déjà cowers in fear. The implication here, I think, is that Déjà’s last foster father (or maybe even her birth father) was abusive. Later in the night, Déjà shares a tender moment with Randall and Beth’s daughters in a scene that mimics the first night William stayed at their house.

We’re now on the set of Adult Kevin’s film that I don’t care about. Sylvester Stallone is his co-star. Like, not an actor played by Sylvester Stallone: Sylvester Stallone playing himself. I would 2,000 percent not see this movie in theaters if it were real. Kate’s naturally shook meeting Sylvester and tells Kevin she wishes their dad was there to see this.

Kevin coldly brushes off this comment, which I know is supposed to make me wonder, “Why doesn’t Kevin want to talk about his dad?”—but all I can think about is how Kate called Sylvester Stallone “Stallin” moments before. Is that a nickname I don’t know about? Does she know it sounds like Joseph Stalin? The dictator?

“I’m Jack Pearson-ing you!” —Rebecca

Kate gives a genuinely nice speech to Sylvester Stallone about how he was Jack’s favorite actor. Oddly enough, it’s Rocky mother-effing Balboa who talks sense into Kevin about brushing off memories of his father. He tells Kevin that it doesn’t matter how much time has passed; either memories matter or they don’t. Kevin furrows his brow and frowns at this. It’s touching in a “two macho dudes talk about something other than cars and beer for once” kind of way.

But this conversation ends up ruining Kevin’s first scene with Sylvester in the “movie.” All the emotion he’s feeling about his father causes him to screw up his lines repeatedly. So what’s the takeaway here? Dealing with your emotions causes you to…fail at work?

“”Everyone on The Manny just looked pasty and sad.” —Kate

Kevin chews out Kate for his bad performance. In his opinion, if Kate never told Sylvester Stallone about their dad, he wouldn’t have stunk up the set—which is faulty logic. Own up to your flop performance, bro. Kate confronts Kevin about why he never wants to talk about their dad. Kevin says that he feels no need to talk about it or walk around “sad and damaged” like she is, which is a beyond jerky thing to say. I’m sorry, but Kevin’s the worst, and he’s been the worst since the 1980s.

Kevin’s redeemed, slightly, when he’s shooting a scene for his movie and starts thinking about his father. The emotion seems to be helping him this time, and we learn he was sleeping in a car—for some unknown reason—when he found out about his dad’s death. Naturally, this ends with Kevin tripping, hurting his knee, and screwing up the scene…again. Maybe Kevin’s a bad actor?

Kevin and Kate make up on the phone. He tells Kate he hurt his “bad knee” on set. This explains the leg cast we see Kevin wearing the night of Jack’s death. Connections! He tears up talking about his dad. Again, it’s sweet in a “frat bro talks about his feelings” way. A voiceover of Kate saying, “He’s just like you” happens as Kevin takes pain pills for his knee. So does this mean Kevin is…also an addict?

Back in the ’90s (blah), Jack bypasses morning breakfast, which raises Kate’s eyebrows. Rebecca’s wearing a brown floral dress that I can’t get past. Randall’s freaking out about potentially meeting one of his birth parents and doesn’t have time to answer Kevin’s question about whether Brandy or Mariah Carey is hotter. (Ahhh, the ’90s.) Teenage Randall tells Teenage Kevin and Kate that he’s meeting his birth mother at the park. Bah!

But the woman who answered Randall’s ad was, horrifically, just a woman trying to scheme money out of him. He storms out of the park in a mix of rage and devastation and, honestly, this might be the most heartbreaking scene in This Is Us. This is seriously sad—and not in the manipulative way.

Nineties/Swoop Bangs Rebecca is complaining to Miguel’s ex-wife about her marriage problems, which is very ironic. Rebecca confesses that she and Jack haven’t had sex in a while, and Miguel’s wife essentially tells her to get on that or her marriage will fall apart. I love that they’re drinking wine with their lunch salads. Opulent.

“I hope they don’t end up cavemen, like me.” —Jack

Rebecca takes Jack to some abandoned parking lot that has some sort of significance that I missed and also don’t really care about. She tries to sleep with him, but he’s not into it. Rebecca’s immediately mortified. It’s awkward. But they have burgers in the car with them, so silver lining?

They get home—burgers still in their bags, unfortunately—and Jack admits that getting sober is hard because he has to confront all the ugly parts of his past. He doesn’t think he can do it, but Rebecca reassures him he can by just saying the phrase “I know” 6,000 times in a row.

“Kids in need love themselves big kitchen islands.” —Beth

Apparently, this does the trick because Jack tells Rebecca to get back in the car so they can finish their date. And then Rebecca throws the bag full of burgers away and gets in the car. What the fuck?! Any sentiment this scene was supposed to convey is now lost on me because these monsters willfully wasted fast food.

Jack tells Rebecca that he’s been keeping a lot of secrets from her, and that he’ll tell them to her in time. This is more creepy than comforting, to be honest. What’s he hiding? Regardless, this admission was enough to light the fire between Jack and Rebecca, and they wind up having sex in their car like two horny teenagers. They come home and a dog is eating their burgers. This dog is the only person on this whole damn show with his priorities straight.

Annnd now I’m crying. Again. Jesus, I’ve cried so much in this episode that it’s embarrassing. Randall tells Déjà the story of his own adoption, and that he sees a lot of himself in her. That seems to put her mind at ease, and for the first time Randall and Beth seem to have hope in this situation. It’s beautiful, but I’m still low-key thinking about Rebecca throwing away those burgers.

Unfortunately, the moment’s ruined when Randall tells Déjà her mom isn’t coming back for a while. She storms out of the room and breaks the photo of Randall, Jack, and Rebecca.

Parting thoughts: There were not one, but two vocal dubs in this episode. Noticeable vocal dubs. Whatever, they were kind of iconic.

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