This week’s episode of This Is Us (titled: “I Call Marriageâ€) explores the stages before, during, and after marriage between all of the Pearson clan, showcasing the good and the bad.
Recap:
Randall
Randall has a terrible dream, where he finds William dead at the piano. Something is off since having that dream, and everything seems to be going downhill for him this week. At work, the new guy, Sanjay, is slowly taking over Randall’s accounts. When he confronts his boss about it, it seems that Randall’s home life is starting to affect his previously long work hours. Then when Beth “called marriage,†telling Randall he had to go to Tess’s chess tournament over the work dinner, it seemed this was the last straw for Randall. His final scene showed him unable to hold on to a glass of water because his hands were shaking so much.
Kate
Kate is doing well at her immersion weight-loss camp. After one of her classes, Toby texts her with a message about a package waiting for her at the front desk. Turns out, the package is him! He wants to take Kate to a hotel for the day so they can catch up. Kate doesn’t want to leave because of the rigorous schedule of the camp, and Toby understands (sort of). And then there’s Duke. He’s continuing to hit on Kate, and then when he meets Toby, he makes an innuendo about Kate that doesn’t sit right with Toby, which is part of the reason he decides to stay. Later, Toby shows up at her sticks class with new threads and light-up sneakers. He treats the class like a joke, and Kate gets angry with him about it afterward. He tells her he misses her and his incisions aren’t healing like they are supposed to and he’s a little scared. When Kate tries to apologize, Toby gives her his grandmother’s ring and leaves. Later that night, Kate ends up outside of Cabin 13 (Duke’s cabin) with her finger hovering over Toby’s name in her cell phone.
Jump with me to read more.
Kevin
Kevin is about to meet Sophie at their favorite diner and kicks a nice older couple out of their booth by recounting how much he loves Sophie and about him messing up their marriage. After an autograph as a bribe, the couple gives him the special table as he shouts toward the waitress for an order of lava fries. Sophie arrives and tries to tell Kevin off until she sees the lava fries. Kevin tells her he wants everything to go back to “the way things were.†This sets Sophie off, and she realizes she’s made a mistake. She leaves and Kevin follows her onto the subway. He pleads with her, but she asks him to leave her alone, and he reluctantly does.
It appears they are stuck on a stalled train, and Kevin gets up from his seat to join Sophie, knowing that she has a fear of confined spaces. She warms up to him, and they reminisce until she tells him about her dating habits after they broke up. She’s currently dating an X-ray technician, and she doesn’t want to screw it up. Kevin asks her for another chance and tells her he will wait for her at the diner the next morning. And to everyone’s surprise, she shows up.
Rebecca and Jack
Rebecca and Jack get married at City Hall and share a small reception with their closest friends. Miguel gives a heart-warming speech to his best friends and wishes them the best of luck in the future. Through a montage, we follow the newlyweds through some playful and fun times (and even some gross times). But throughout everything, they are happy with each other.
Then we move forward to when the Big Three are teenagers and Jack and Rebecca are acting more like roommates than their newlywed selves. They go to dinner with Miguel and Shelly, and Rebecca explains how busy their lives are between the kids, Jack at work, and her singing in the jazz band with Ben. Jack makes a joke about the only time he sees her is if he goes to one of her shows. This sticks with Rebecca. Then Miguel and Shelly drop the bomb that they are getting a divorce.
Jack is stunned by this news and confronts Miguel about cheating on his wife. Miguel tells him that’s not true and that they just grew apart. He starts to apply this to his own marriage and thinks that he and Rebecca will drift apart too.
After a gig one night, Ben tells Rebecca that they were accepted into a multi-city tour. She tells him she has to ask Jack, and Ben makes a dig at Jack, saying that she should be able to go “if he really loves you.†Rebecca defends her husband and tells Ben that Jack does so much for their family and that Ben has no idea what he’s talking about.
When Rebecca gets home, Jack takes her on a road trip to their first apartment, which he’s decorated with twinkle lights. After they christen the shower, Jack tells Rebecca he has one more surprise. He found their wedding vows. After they read them to each other (flashing back to their wedding day), Rebecca tells Jack about the tour and that she wants to go.
Review:
This week was another emotional one. I nearly jumped out of my seat when I thought William was dead. I’m so not ready for that to happen yet! And poor Randall! I hope he gets a hold of his anxiety before his health suffers again. But where would the drama be in that?
I hated how Kate ended up at Duke’s cabin. Even though Toby is a jokester and went a little too far in class, why the heck would she want to sleep with creeper-Duke? Get a grip, girl!
And of course, I loved all of the Jack and Rebecca scenes. And he was so sweet to take her on that little surprise. To be honest, I thought he was leaving for a second there…but I’m glad he continued to be the amazing husband we’ve seen throughout the series. I wonder how the Pearsons will handle the tour, because you know Jack is going to let her go. There might also be a little comparison between how Kevin and Sophie didn’t work out with long distance. Though with being closer to Jack’s death date, I hope Rebecca isn’t away when it happens!
Join me next week for the recap/review of the next new episode of This Is Us, which airs Tuesday, Feb. 14, on NBC at 9/8c.
– Katlyn
