This is Us- Season four

[Melissa55]

I think the fact that Kevin wasn’t there during the fire and Randall was plays a HUGE role in their relationship since that point. Kevin was spared the worst of it. Randall has spent all these years feeling responsible, and he wasn’t responsible at all.

That said, Randall really needs to come to terms with this and I hope therapy will help. Rebecca needs to be in control of her treatment at this point.

It’s so interesting how a random chance can impact everything. It’s not like Kevin made a choice knowing that his dad was going to die. It could have just as easily happened a couple of years later when Randall is off at college and chooses not to come home because he really would rather spend time with Beth instead of watching the game. It’s not like Jack was in hospice care and Kevin refused to go. It’s just so sad that we hang on to things like that. I do think the show does a good job of portraying it.

 

[aballerina]

Who else thinks that teen Kate stayed back from New York to see Marc?

 

[QueenIsabella]

Who else thinks that teen Kate stayed back from New York to see Marc?

Definitely!

 

[bethbuchall]

Who else thinks that teen Kate stayed back from New York to see Marc?

I'm worried about that or that he finds out she's there alone and comes over. I definitely don't think that she has a friend coming over. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I'm worried about that or that he finds out she's there alone and comes over. I definitely don't think that she has a friend coming over. I hope I'm wrong.

I was thinking the same thing, either she is planning to see Marc or he knows she's alone and goes over there.

 

[Searc]

Randall needs to get over his martyr complex.

 

[bethbuchall]

I was thinking the same thing, either she is planning to see Marc or he knows she's alone and goes over there.

And maybe this is the "I didn't see it coming and didn't do enough" that Rebecca mentioned when she saw the photo from the piano bench. We were wondering how she could say that when she seemed very on top of it going to the cabin.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I am also "Team Kevin" on this one. And I think Randall has a lot of work to do in therapy.

But I'm not sure Kevin is quite as unscathed as people think. Sure, he didn't experience the actual fire, so that physical trauma is absent. But he has as much chance as any of the others of feeling guilty over Jack's death - how many other characters, on how many other shows (heck, how many people in real life) have said "if only I'd been home?"

But I do think his personality is different than Randall's, and even Kate's. He was a live-in-the-moment-not-in-your-head type to begin with, even as a kid. And he'd also already been through losing his life plan. - When his football chances were destroyed, he had to move on to plan B. Maybe he learned through that experience that dwelling on what might have been is really unproductive...or maybe it's just buried a lot deeper than it is in Randall.

I'm actually looking forward to the "what if Jack had lived" episode, though, simply because I'm curious what the writers will do! I don't think the flash forward was part of that, though.

I loved the parallels between Rebecca's trips to NYC at four different ages, and I'm glad she finally made it back to see the painting.

Sadly, I'm afraid everyone who mentioned Marc is right. I think Kate stayed back to see him, and I think it's going to end very badly.

 

[Melissa55]

I'm actually looking forward to the "what if Jack had lived" episode, though, simply because I'm curious what the writers will do! I don't think the flash forward was part of that, though.

I’m looking forward to it too, mainly because I’m interested in seeing Milo Ventimiglia stretch the character further. I have liked him since he played Jess on Gilmore Girls, and then I liked him as Peter Petrelli in Heroes. He’s a very good actor and seeing him play younger Jack in Vietnam was great (although of course the subject matter was extremely tough). I like that he’s getting to portray an older Jack through the milestones.

In general, I like “what if”/alternate reality story lines though, mostly because I’m interested in “the craft” of acting as young adult Kevin would say. I like seeing how actors change their characters for alternate realities.

 

[low-key]

I like to follow TV ratings, and this episode had one of the lowest of the program, they said cause it has a large women audience and they had a couple other programs that women love going up against it. Im a man and love this show, but Im a big sissy boy , lol

As for the episode, Randell sure was being obnoxious, I dont like that, cause I really like him

 

[tcufrog]

I wonder if Randall would want his girls to blame themselves if something similar happened to them.

 

[Dentam]

Randall was frustrating, but you are reminded he was there when Jack went back into the house for the dog. They all were terrified, they all thought he died in there. They went from shear terror to shear joy when he comes out with the dog to shear sorrow when he dies in the hospital. Kevin was not a part of that. He wasn't home. He only experienced the sorrow. I think Randall blames himself so much because he was there, he should have stopped him. Yes, he was a kid and yes it certainly isn't his fault, but I understand why he feels that why and why Kevin doesn't and why Kevin can't understand how Randall feels.

I also think in a way Randall almost resents or at least has an abandoned type feeling towards Kevin, for in many ways in Randall's mind not being reliable or there as Randall thinks he should be from the night of the fire through most of his adulthood for others. I think Randall has felt like he has had to be the one to make all of the sacrifices to do what he feels is best for his family/mom while Kevin may get a call or a whim to run off and do something and he does. I def. see tons of fault with Randall, but I can also see that side of it in a way.

I was going to point out the same thing - that part of Randall's resentment of Kevin has to do with the fact that he wasn't there when the house was on fire, not just that he moved away and on with his life after Jack died, although that's a huge part of it also. They also just have completely different outlooks on life. Kevin lives in the moment (especially young Kevin) while Randall spends a good chunk of time thinking about the past and also worrying about the future. Their opposing outlooks alone are enough to cause a lot of friction between them.

I had other thoughts that I should have posted last night or this morning because now they're gone... lol

 

[kimblebee]

Do we know for sure that there’s a episode coming in which Jack survives the fire or is that just speculation? I may have missed the post or article that says that. I’m not sure I’d want to see that episode.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Do we know for sure that there’s a episode coming in which Jack survives the fire or is that just speculation? I may have missed the post or article that says that. I’m not sure I’d want to see that episode.

Wasn't that the preview for the next episode(s)?

 

[anniemae]

Do we know for sure that there’s a episode coming in which Jack survives the fire or is that just speculation? I may have missed the post or article that says that. I’m not sure I’d want to see that episode.

yes, it was the preview for next week. It showed and "aged" Jack toasting Randall and Beth at their wedding and other clips like that. It also showed Jack about to go into the fire and Randall yells "No! If you go in, I am going in after you." Jack pauses and instead of heading into the fire for the dog, he runs back to Randall, Rebecca and Kate. I believe they also said it is the finale.

 

[PollyannaMom]

yes, it was the preview for next week. It showed and "aged" Jack toasting Randall and Beth at their wedding and other clips like that. It also showed Jack about to go into the fire and Randall yells "No! If you go in, I am going in after you." Jack pauses and instead of heading into the fire for the dog, he runs back to Randall, Rebecca and Kate. I believe they also said it is the finale.

This, only I thought the bride had a different name?? (If Randall hadn't changed his college plans to stay near Rebecca, he never would have met Beth.)

 

[anniemae]

This, only I thought the bride had a different name?? (If Randall hadn't changed his college plans to stay near Rebecca, he never would have met Beth.)

It was definitely Beth, it showed a shot of Randall and Beth smiling. It also showed Randall showing up at Williams door with Jack.

 

[kimblebee]

yes, it was the preview for next week. It showed and "aged" Jack toasting Randall and Beth at their wedding and other clips like that. It also showed Jack about to go into the fire and Randall yells "No! If you go in, I am going in after you." Jack pauses and instead of heading into the fire for the dog, he runs back to Randall, Rebecca and Kate. I believe they also said it is the finale.

Ok, thanks. I didn’t see the preview, my channel usually cuts it off. I thought the shot of Jack jumping off the room to be with Rebecca and Kate and Randall was part of Randall’s thoughts at the end of the episode.

 

[Melissa55]

This, only I thought the bride had a different name?? (If Randall hadn't changed his college plans to stay near Rebecca, he never would have met Beth.)

That’s a good point! But since it’s Randall’s imagination he probably doesn’t want to imagine a whole other spouse for himself since he’s overall happy with his marriage (and more practically speaking the show runners probably didn’t want to have to deal with that)? It is a good point though.

 

[PollyannaMom]

So, I've been binge-watching old episodes (mostly to stay off current TV) and some things have struck me:


There were definitely set-ups for Randall's feelings of having to be "the good one", and I think we'll see them in flashbacks if they show more of his therapy. A couple of examples:

Episode 2 - little Kevin and Randall had been fighting, and they showed Rebecca putting Randall to bed and saying "Promise me you'll always be good".

Episode 9 - Rebecca tells William how little Randall slept in her room the first time Jack was away for work, not because he was scared, but so she wouldn't be.


Forgetfulness in Rebecca really early on - Kevin made a big deal about her forgetting the name of his play way back in Season 1. I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but he said something about how she'd forgotten it 3 times. - That could, of course, be perfectly normal, but I wonder if they really were setting us up all that time?


Kevin and guilt over Jack's death that hasn't fully come out yet - I completely forgot they'd had a fight that night! That's why he had gone to Sophie's, and even though he apologized to Rebecca on the phone, he declined her offer to talk to Jack. I'm sure he was really angry at himself for that.