Category Archives: Recaps & Reviews

This week’s episode of This Is Us (titled: “What Now?”) brings the Pearson clan together to celebrate William’s life.

Recap:

The fun-eral
In the beginning of the episode, William is packing for his trip to Memphis. He writes a letter.

In the present, Randall is in the same room and he’s unsure of what to do or how to honor William. Beth finds the note under William’s pillow. They sit down with the girls and read the note. William wanted them to plan the memorial. Randall and Beth are a little hesitant but comply with William’s wishes.

When Randall is preparing for the eulogy, Jesse calls and apologizes for not being able to come to the memorial. He tells a lovely story about William and how good of a man he was. Later in the day, the mailman brings in a carton of pears for Randall (these are from work; there is a typed note inside signed by “The Team”) and asks about William. When Randall tells him that William passed, the mailman starts to get teary eyed. William used to chat with him during his morning walks.

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This week’s episode of This Is Us (titled: “Memphis”) delved into William’s past while he and Randall took a road trip to Memphis.

Recap
We catch up with Randall and Beth at his psychiatrist’s office. Randall had been hospitalized after his breakdown, and Beth was worried about him and William traveling to Memphis. The doctor clears him for travel, and they prepare for their journey. William says good-bye to his granddaughters before he and Randall take off on the open road.

During the trip, we flash back to William’s early life. His father was killed in the line of duty, leaving William and mother alone. They are very close, which presents a problem for William when his mother leaves to care for her sick mother in Pennsylvania. She wants him to pursue his dreams in Memphis. William plays in his cousin’s (Ricky’s) cover band and their audiences are small until William presents his cousin with a song that makes their band the talk of the town. Soon they are performing for packed houses. One night, William receives a call that his mother is sick. He says good-bye to his cousin and promises to bring him back sixty songs.

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This week’s episode of This Is Us (titled: “Jack Pearson’s Son”) was another emotional rollercoaster that put all of the Pearsons in tough spots.

Recap:

The past timeline
The Big Three are teenagers at this point, and Rebecca is about to leave for her tour with Ben and the band. Jack plans a special night for himself and Rebecca at O’Shannon’s for after her show on Valentine’s Day night. And while Jack seems very supportive, he admits to Miguel that he really doesn’t want her to go but also doesn’t want her to think he’s holding her back.

That afternoon, Rebecca overhears the Big Three talking about Kevin having sex with Sophie. When Rebecca and Jack sit down with Kevin to have “the talk,” Randall is having an anxiety attack about his Hamlet paper. Jack calms Randall down, ending the conversation with Kevin. Rebecca is worried that this isn’t the time for her to go on tour, and Jack reassures her, saying he can handle it.

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This week’s episode of This Is Us (titled: “I Call Marriage”) 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.

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