This is Us- Season four

[okeydokey]

I think she feels weird because Kate is her best friend. I think it's totally understandable to worry about how your best friend is going to feel if she finds out you had a random hook-up with her brother.

Kevin dated Zoe who is a family member of Beth, so they have been down this road before.

 

[AustinTink]

I have stayed away from the show and this thread for a few weeks. My son had a medical emergency and things are just starting to calm down. I couldn't handle This Is Us until we were in a more peaceful place at home. Anyway, I just got caught up and boy was there a lot to digest.

Tonight's episode was not as good as last week's for me. I did love the fact that the studio Toby brought to life for Kate and Jack would be the catalyst for his lifelong love of music and his eventual career. Pretty cool.

Randall is starting to get on my nerves. I know anxiety is very real and can be crippling but you have to let people help you. He needs to let go and let the therapist help him. I hope he does.

Mandy Moore's voice grates on my nerves when she sings. There... I said it.

 

[Searc]

HATE that creepy therapist.

 

[Dentam]

Mandy Moore's voice grates on my nerves when she sings. There... I said it.

You're not alone - I thought there was too much of her singing in this episode.

I liked seeing the background to why Randall uses running to deal with his anxiety. Because that is what Jack taught him to do rather than going to a counselor as Rebecca suggested.

The preview for next week looks like they'll start to show why Kevin and Randall aren't speaking to one another in the flash forward time period.

 

[kimblebee]

Hmm. Interesting episode

I liked that we didn’t see the therapists face until Randall started to accept her.

Had to laugh at Kate listening to all the sad sappy love songs after she got dumped by the first waffle. Love me some NKOTB

I must be in the minority because I like Mandy Moore’s voice and I don’t mind the aging makeup that she wears.

I really, really related to Rebecca when she was getting the results of her MRI. You truly can’t know what it feels like to know your brain is wasting away and you can’t do anything about it unless you’ve lived it.

I’m glad that Kate and Toby have made their peace. That Madison is a smart girl when she wants to be.

As was already said, looks like we’re going to see a falling out between Kevin and Randall. Anyone know why we have to wait two weeks?

 

[TLSnell1981]

I really enjoyed this episode even though I shed a few tears.

 

[Melissa55]

I must be in the minority because I like Mandy Moore’s voice and I don’t mind the aging makeup that she wears.

I'm with you on both counts. I love Mandy's voice, and I am glad she's singing and acting again after leaving her abusive ex. She's putting out her first album in over a decade, and I am here for it. And I honestly think they age her well. She changes her voice, her posture, wears tons of textured prosthetics everywhere (face, neck, hands!). To each their own.


And Y'ALL. I figured it out. Kevin's baby mama is Randall's therapist. She'd watched his speeches - NOT because she's into politics but because he's Kevin's brother and she is a HUGE Mannatic ("The Manny" superfan). She's trying to trigger Randall so he has to call his brother so she can seduce him. Boom, mystery solved, we can all stop wondering now. That's right. Kevin Pearson and Bobby Hill Dr. Leigh are having a baby.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Hmm. Interesting episode

I liked that we didn’t see the therapists face until Randall started to accept her.

Had to laugh at Kate listening to all the sad sappy love songs after she got dumped by the first waffle. Love me some NKOTB

I must be in the minority because I like Mandy Moore’s voice and I don’t mind the aging makeup that she wears.

I really, really related to Rebecca when she was getting the results of her MRI. You truly can’t know what it feels like to know your brain is wasting away and you can’t do anything about it unless you’ve lived it.

I’m glad that Kate and Toby have made their peace. That Madison is a smart girl when she wants to be.

As was already said, looks like we’re going to see a falling out between Kevin and Randall. Anyone know why we have to wait two weeks?

I'm guessing because next Tuesday is Super Tuesday--many states voting in the presidential primary. So, there will be a lot of political coverage. Frankly, I'd prefer they postpone the episode, rather than break in every 5 minutes with an update. Spoiler alert: they're not going to know who really won anything until later than 10pm EST, so the break-ins won't have any value. But, they will still be there. IMHO, it'll be a good night to watch something you have DVR'd that you haven't gotten around to.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I did love the fact that the studio Toby brought to life for Kate and Jack would be the catalyst for his lifelong love of music and his eventual career. Pretty cool.

Me too! So glad to see things improving there. And I agree:

That Madison is a smart girl when she wants to be.

Randall is starting to get on my nerves. I know anxiety is very real and can be crippling but you have to let people help you. He needs to let go and let the therapist help him. I hope he does.

Mine too! He was just being so defensive and angry. He told her he wanted to learn "coping skills" but he won't admit he has a problem to cope with.

And I hate that taking care of Rebecca is going to become a competition! She deserves the best times with each of of her kids right now. They'll be precious memories to the Big 3 someday.

I'm afraid the last straw to the not speaking, though, will be that Randall finally does break through some of his issues - but instead of slowly and steadily processing things with the therapist, he lets go of everything all at once at blames Rebecca.

I liked seeing the background to why Randall uses running to deal with his anxiety. Because that is what Jack taught him to do rather than going to a counselor as Rebecca suggested.

Yeah, that was neat. I also liked his waffle analogy for Kate.

I must be in the minority because I like Mandy Moore’s voice...

Me too. I loved that there was a lot of singing in the episode. The story about the house, and how the same songs carry through the different generations' lives was neat.

She changes her voice, her posture, wears tons of textured prosthetics...

Yeah, it can't be easy to get into all that aging make-up! I agree that she does a better job than people give her credit for.

I'm guessing because next Tuesday is Super Tuesday--many states voting in the presidential primary. So, there will be a lot of political coverage. Frankly, I'd prefer they postpone the episode, rather than break in every 5 minutes with an update.

That's a good point. I was bummed when I heard the date for next episode, but in the end, I'm with you. - I'd rather wait then miss parts.

 

[KristiMc]

I loved the episode.

Randall gets on my nerves. How he said that the family would fall apart without him. Does he forget the times that Kevin has swooped in to help him? Glad that Beth told him that she has been having issues but hasn't wanted to add more pressure to his plate. He will never want to hurt Beth so I think he will continue to get help.

Loved the recording studio and seeing Jack grow up making music.

I think Mandy has a great voice and glad that they include that in the show.

 

[Searc]

I'm with you on both counts. I love Mandy's voice, and I am glad she's singing and acting again after leaving her abusive ex. She's putting out her first album in over a decade, and I am here for it. And I honestly think they age her well. She changes her voice, her posture, wears tons of textured prosthetics everywhere (face, neck, hands!). To each their own.


And Y'ALL. I figured it out. Kevin's baby mama is Randall's therapist. She'd watched his speeches - NOT because she's into politics but because he's Kevin's brother and she is a HUGE Mannatic ("The Manny" superfan). She's trying to trigger Randall so he has to call his brother so she can seduce him. Boom, mystery solved, we can all stop wondering now. That's right. Kevin Pearson and Bobby Hill Dr. Leigh are having a baby.

I think the therapist is somehow connected to his campaign manager. Remember he was targeting the Asian vote in the election? That would explain why she's heard all of his speeches. Or she's a crazy stalker, take your pick.

 

[mom2rtk]

Go Beth! I love her.

Loved seeing Kate and Toby come back together. Unfortunately Kate is a flawed person and I'm sure that's not the last we'll see of their problems.

I'm still thinking Madison is the baby mama.

I'm so sad it's going to come down to a competition between Randall and Kevin.

Loved the Rebecca/Kevin baseball card memories.

I hated the therapist. She seems like a cliche of every onscreen therapist we've ever seen. I loved that Randall went back though.

I love Mandy Moore's voice and love the way they weave music throughout the series.

Still not a fan of the aging. I just find it disruptive to immersing myself in the story. It's not that they're doing a bad job. It's just too ambitious to pull off in a believable fashion. For me anyway. Or maybe it's the combination of the early dementia and the poor aging that does it.

 

[mnrose]

I was thinking that a good therapist would NEVER do what that person did "I've heard all that." Never. Their job is to LISTEN to a patient, not jump in and tell them what they want to hear, particularly at the very beginning. So unprofessional.

 

[Searc]

What was the point of keeping her face a secret until the end? I knew as soon as they showed the back of her head for the second time, we probably weren't going to see her face. Why?

Was she someone that he has come into contact with in previous episodes? I did not recognize her, but I also did not watch every single week last Fall.

 

[Searc]

I was surprised the baseball card was only $2. LOL Though I did tear up when he slid it into his wallet.

As an aside, Kevin Hartley is the kind of man that just oozes sexy no matter what he does. I've run across a few men like him in my adult life and wowee. I laughed out loud when Madison said "let's just say, I was upside down at one point."

 

[anniemae]

I liked the episode. Loved that Madison was able to set Kate straight and Kate and Toby are back on track.

I don't mind Mandy singing. I think her voice is pretty. Still not a fan of the aging though. I kind of wish they went with another actress to portray older Rebecca. I think they did a great job of aging Miguel. He looks so young and "fresh faced" as young Miguel and the subtle touches of grey, seems like a touch of padding for weight gain, older man clothes etc. make him believable.

I thought the therapist was kind of a jerk for stopping him as he was talking about his childhood. IMO she should not have let on that she knew who he was, she should have let him lead with his story. I don't think it's anything sinister or that she is a stalker or anything. I think Randall is just a very public figure and it's natural that the therapist would know who he was as he ran a very public campaign and won against a long time candidate. The kind of thing that would have been all over the news.

Loved the baseball card story about how he was so fun and turned everything into an adventure.

can't wait to see what happens with Kevin and Randall.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

What was the point of keeping her face a secret until the end? I knew as soon as they showed the back of her head for the second time, we probably weren't going to see her face. Why?

Was she someone that he has come into contact with in previous episodes? I did not recognize her, but I also did not watch every single week last Fall.

I was wondering the same thing and didn't recognize her either. I also thought it was strange when she said she was aware of his adoption story from his speeches. If there was some significance to that it went over my head.

 

[tcufrog]

I’m glad that Kate and Toby have made their peace. That Madison is a smart girl when she wants to be.

Until last night Madison got on my last nerve and I couldn't see why Kate was friends with her. Madison seemed way too needy. I liked her during the brunch though and I thought she gave Kate great advice that she needed to hear. She never would have gotten that advice from her brothers.

 

[mom2rtk]

I was wondering the same thing and didn't recognize her either. I also thought it was strange when she said she was aware of his adoption story from his speeches. If there was some significance to that it went over my head.

I think they didn’t show her face at first because Randall was not truly engaged and accepting of the therapy at that point. Once he decided to engage they showed her face.

 

[anniemae]

I think they did not show the therapist because Randall was not taking the therapy seriously at that point. They were just showing Randall kind of unravel and nitpick the therapists words. He was more interested in the coffee pot, the magazines, the artwork, his phone etc. In his mind I don't think he intended to do much but show up for one appt. then tell Beth he was going stop going to therapy. Which is what he did. After Beth leveled with him, then he decided to take it seriously and realized he needs help and can't keep floundering while those around him walk on eggshells.