This is Us continues to break hearts amongst it’s viewers. Fans are dedicated to following the lives of the Pearson family. This week fans learned more about Kate’s relationship with Rebecca and Jack’s drinking problem. All which proved to bring on a landslide.
SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers about the NBC show “This Is Us”.
Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Jack’s Secret
In the season 2 premiere more hints towards the cause of Jack’s death were revealed. Is it linked to his drinking problem? Jack and Rebecca return home after he finally admits that he has been drinking for weeks. Rebecca demands that he gets in the car so they can fix this together. Rebecca asks Jack how he stopped drinking the last time and he flashes back to when he tried to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He decided against it and instead took up boxing. When the gym owner asks if he was interested in training, he simply replies that he is keeping a promise to his wife. As Jack is training, the owner recognizes that Jack is trying to get out his frustration on the punching bag in front of him. Jack is stressed with work and keeping his family together.
Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
The Manny Returns
Kevin returns to the set of The Manny with his entire family in company. He agrees to come on to film a special reunion episode. He realizes quickly that the director wants to make a fool of him for quitting the way he did in season 1. After explaining to Sophie that he feels he is right back where he started, she guides him. She tells Kevin to be like George Clooney. Clooney also made a return to a tv show, owned his performance and continued to build his career. Once Sophie convinces Kevin that he is not defined by The Manny, his confidence spikes.
THIS IS US — “A Manny-Splendored Thing” Episode 202 — Pictured: (l-r) Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
Foster Parents
Randall and Beth take the girls to see the taping of Kevin’s tv special. Beth notices Randall putting off filling out their foster care papers. When confronted, Randall freaks out about not being ready to foster a child. He leaves the tv studio and Beth follows. After Beth questions Randall, he reads question 15 from the foster care paperwork. Randall says he does not know if they are prepared to foster a child who has a history with drugs, physical or mental abuse.
After Randall continues to doubt their parental abilities, Beth storms off. Next, Beth is talking with Kevin about their fight in his trailer. After a while, Kevin is able to convince Beth that Randall is only scared when he isn’t sure about a decision. Which leads to Beth discovering that Randall needed Kevin’s help asking Beth out when they first met because he was so scared. Finally, Beth reunites with Randall and their girls, and let’s just say things ended on a happy note.
Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Mother Like Daughter
Kate is nervously cleaning her apartment as she waits for her mother’s arrival. She starts to remember all the times she compared herself to her mother as a child. When her mother and Miguel arrive, there is nervous tension. After Toby invites Rebecca and Miguel in for ‘pigs in a blanket’, the family heads to the tv studio for Kevin’s taping. At the taping, Kate receives a phone call from a band she sent her demo to. Thus leading to her first real singing gig! She tells Toby and her mom that she does not want them to come. Right before she leaves, Rebecca starts talking about what it was like when she was singing at a younger age. Kate snaps at her with, “I’m sorry! You used to sing?” in a nasty sarcastic tone.
Flashback to when Kate was younger and she was getting ready for the talent show. She walked in the bathroom and heard her mom singing. Another instance of Kate comparing herself to her mother and feeling like she wasn’t meeting a standard. Kate leaves for her gig and eventually Toby tells Rebecca that he can’t miss her first real gig. As he gets up, Rebecca follows. The look on Toby’s face shows that he knows this is a bad idea.
The Landslide
Kate gives a beautiful performance of Stevie Nick’s “Landslide”. During her performance we see more of Jack’s flashbacks. He is throwing all of his energy into boxing and we see a short flashback from his time in Vietnam. We also see Kevin and Sophie laughing during Kevin’s performance the same way they did when he did his talent show performance.
After Kate’s performance, she and Rebecca get into an argument. Kate explains that she always felt her mother overcompensated for her because she was a bigger girl. She admits to comparing herself to her mother at times. She feels she could never live up to her mother’s expectations. After Kate goes to the car, Rebecca tries to ask Toby if what Kate said is true. Toby says he doesn’t want to be put in this position because he will always be #TeamKate no matter what. This prompts Rebecca to admit to Kate that she likes her fiancé.
Telling the Truth
The episode closes with Jack telling Rebecca that he can’t keep his struggle a secret this time. He sits down to tell Kate about his drinking problem. As he admits the truth to Kate that his addiction is the reason him and her mother have been fighting, he breaks down. He apologizes and says he never wanted them to know this about him. Kate puts her hands on Jack’s face, just she did as a child, and tells him everything is going to be okay. Then we see Jack make his way to an AA meeting and the door closes behind him.
This week’s episode was a landslide of emotions. What are your thoughts? Do you think Kate had point? Do you think Randall and Beth can handle becoming foster parents? Let us now!
