This is us..

[QueenIsabella]

I liked the finale but it seemed to me that making William gay was a last minute decision. There was no indication that he had a love interest prior to tonight and maybe I'm misremembering but I thought he did really love Randall's bio mom and her death kinda set him up to get clean. Anyway, I just felt it was not necessary. Not bad, but not necessary, just another dramatic plot twist.

When Toby showed up, I wanted to jump up and down. I haven't always liked him but tonight was perfect. OMG the ending......

The balcony scene between Randall and Andy - what the heck? Was it real or Randall's imagination? Did Andy just vanish back inside the minute Randall's wife stepped outside? Too abrupt for my taste.

I agree with you. I don't know why they felt compelled to make Randall's dad gay (or bi! LOL, that little girl was so cute!). That scene would have worked just as well with a woman. Maybe there's an arc building there, but if so--William doesn't have much time left, and already has a lot going on.

Kevin and Sloane are cute, but I don't see their romantic relationship gong anywhere. She's too mature/complex for a guy like him.

Toby's stock went way up in my book when he showed up tonight. Kate deserves to be loved by a guy who will spend 6 hours in a middle seat!

 

[anniemae]

I didn't get the suicide thing. Randalls wife walked out on the balcony, the guy jumps and they were kind of like "meh, lets go home to the girls." and she was like, "Did you give him back the boat?" No real freak out, just a surprised look, then they just kind of left. I think in reality they would have completely been screaming, yelling for people, crying, hysterics, yanking out phones, calling for an ambulance etc.

Not sure about William being gay. It did feel a little "thrown in" at the last minute for some reason. I wonder if they are trying to paint him (in his young years) as a loose, hippie, free love, young artist type not restricted by boundaries. I have no issue with William being gay, or bi, but I felt it takes something away from the relationship with Randall's mom. They set it up like they were so in love, even though both flawed, poor and drug addicted, they seemed like they were in love and it was them against the world. Not to say that when a spouse/partner/love interest dies you have to stay single,, but I don't know it just felt "off" to me. We'll see how it plays out.

Toby- Yikes, I did NOT see that coming AT ALL. I was convinced we were losing William. I have liked Toby from the beginning, so I really hope he lives. I don't think he died because the monitor was still beeping when the scene cut, but that does not mean he won't die in the next episode.

Cant wait until Jan 10!

 

[mom2rtk]

So I'm guessing Toby died from a blood clot after being squished in that middle seat for 6 hours coming to see Kate.

The rest of the episode just seemed too forced (William being gay and the suicide). I think this was their weakest episode yet. The others have all seen so genuine and well thought out. Those additions just seemed off.

 

[quandrea]

I didn't get the suicide thing. Randalls wife walked out on the balcony, the guy jumps and they were kind of like "meh, lets go home to the girls." and she was like, "Did you give him back the boat?" No real freak out, just a surprised look, then they just kind of left. I think in reality they would have completely been screaming, yelling for people, crying, hysterics, yanking out phones, calling for an ambulance etc.

Not sure about William being gay. It did feel a little "thrown in" at the last minute for some reason. I wonder if they are trying to paint him (in his young years) as a loose, hippie, free love, young artist type not restricted by boundaries. I have no issue with William being gay, or bi, but I felt it takes something away from the relationship with Randall's mom. They set it up like they were so in love, even though both flawed, poor and drug addicted, they seemed like they were in love and it was them against the world. Not to say that when a spouse/partner/love interest dies you have to stay single,, but I don't know it just felt "off" to me. We'll see how it plays out.

Toby- Yikes, I did NOT see that coming AT ALL. I was convinced we were losing William. I have liked Toby from the beginning, so I really hope he lives. I don't think he died because the monitor was still beeping when the scene cut, but that does not mean he won't die in the next episode.

Cant wait until Jan 10!

I think disaster was averted with the suicide. When Randall looked away the guy walked back to the party.

 

[kimblebee]

So I'm guessing Toby died from a blood clot after being squished in that middle seat for 6 hours coming to see Kate.

The rest of the episode just seemed too forced (William being gay and the suicide). I think this was their weakest episode yet. The others have all seen so genuine and well thought out. Those additions just seemed off.

I think he had a heart attack. He was breathing hard (yes, for another reason lol) but when he stood up he looked really cold and clammy.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think he had a heart attack. He was breathing hard (yes, for another reason lol) but when he stood up he looked really cold and clammy.

I'm not sure the symptoms would be that different if you have a blood clot and it dislodges and hits your heart.

Regardless, she'll think she "killed" him either way. And it's going to be rough road for her.

 

[anniemae]

I'm not sure the symptoms would be that different if you have a blood clot and it dislodges and hits your heart.

Regardless, she'll think she "killed" him either way. And it's going to be rough road for her.

I don't think he died. The last shot was him on the table and the monitor going "beep, beep, beep" I thought we would hear the monitor go beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep, indicating he died, but in never did. I think he is still alive.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think he died. The last shot was him on the table and the monitor going "beep, beep, beep" I thought we would hear the monitor go beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep, indicating he died, but in never did. I think he is still alive.

I guess I checked out too soon. I really hope that's the case! I just had it in my mind someone was dying in that episode!

 

[3Gsandme]

I liked the finale but it seemed to me that making William gay was a last minute decision. There was no indication that he had a love interest prior to tonight and maybe I'm misremembering but I thought he did really love Randall's bio mom and her death kinda set him up to get clean. Anyway, I just felt it was not necessary. Not bad, but not necessary, just another dramatic plot twist.

When Toby showed up, I wanted to jump up and down. I haven't always liked him but tonight was perfect. OMG the ending......

The balcony scene between Randall and Andy - what the heck? Was it real or Randall's imagination? Did Andy just vanish back inside the minute Randall's wife stepped outside? Too abrupt for my taste.

Re:William, that's the point, I think. No one knows anything about William except bits and pieces. We know he wrote and loved poetry. We know he was an addict. We know he plays piano. We know he has a cat. We haven't been shown any conversations where William is asked about his life. No one asked if he'd be single since the death of Randall's birth mother.

I think what we will find is that William isn't limited by labels like gay or straight. He falls in love with people. The actor said he could see William and Jessie meeting for coffee and dinners and William slowly coming to the realization that he loved Jessie.

 

[disney4us2002]

I thought the last scene of Toby was the docs shocking him and he didn't have a heartbeat. Now I'm gonna have to rewatch the end.

I also think the coworker, Andy, just ran back inside but I swear it happened so fast that it was unplausible. When Randall looked over the railing and didn't see him on the ground, I thought it was in his imagination again. Too fast.

 

[3Gsandme]

Well, very glad to not have the 'last Christmas' scenario I was expecting with Randall dying. But I am not sure I'll watch this show next season. Too many twists and turns and solved dramas. They set up all these dramas and sometimes, most of the time, it's just so unrealistic and contrived.

If you don't like the show, don't watch. I think the thing I do like so much is that these problems are tied up with a neat bow after an episode or two. I like that Randall is still processing and dealing with Rebecca'/ betrayal. That's not something that would solve in a few days or weeks. That's life. I think one of the things I do love about this show is how authentic it feels in so many ways. They're not glossing over that Jack and Rebecca didn't know how to deal with Randall sometimes, both from an adoption standpoint and from the standpoint of his blackness. They do awesomely cringe inducing things that feel very, very real.

 

[3Gsandme]

I thought the last scene of Toby was the docs shocking him and he didn't have a heartbeat. Now I'm gonna have to rewatch the end.

I also think the coworker, Andy, just ran back inside but I swear it happened so fast that it was unplausible. When Randall looked over the railing and didn't see him on the ground, I thought it was in his imagination again. Too fast.

They cut to Andy hurrying through the party. I think when Randall turned around and he'd disappeared he assumed the worse when Andy just took that moment to take his leave.

 

[rigs32]

The only parts of this last episode I connected with were the Hanukkah dinner and the hospital scene with the doctor and snow globe. The rest.... seemed like an attempt to turn it up for the xmas episode and just left me really not caring.

 

[anniemae]

Well that makes more sense that the guy didn't jump and just ran back to the party.

I'll have to re-watch the end to see if Toby died or if he is still alive. I have a feeling that even if he is still alive he may die in the first episode of next season.

 

[wenrob]

The coworker went back in, he didn't jump. Randall catches a glimpse of him going back through the party. That's the way it looked to me. There was plenty of time for that when he was telling Beth to go back in. I don't think Randall's personality would have let him walk away if the guy had actually jumped.

William being bi did not surprise me. As a PP mentioned we don't know his whole story. Plenty of people have genuinely loved a spouse of the opposite sex and then fallen for the same sex. I also don't think we're limited to one great love in our lifetimes. You can love different people in different ways, it doesn't make previous relationships invalid. I don't find going on to love someone else implausible at all.

Toby absolutely redeemed himself in my eyes. When I saw the sweat on his forehead I actually said, "oh no" out loud. I've watched too much Days and Grey's to count him out just yet.

When Rebecca asked Kate if she did this to her I wanted to yell, yes, yes you did! But like she said in the aftershow you're damned if you do, damned if you don't as a mom. I know I'm never sure myself if I'm doing it right.

Unfortunately I think the playwright is just a placeholder for Kevin. Not because she's too much for him but because I think they'll bring Olivia back. There's much, much more to Kevin than meets the eye and she's complicated enough to explore that.

Dr. K scenes. Meh. I never thought he'd actually die (which is weird because I had an uncle die that way) so I just didn't get emotional about it.

Overall not my favorite episode. It just felt really disjointed. I felt like all these people they brought in 'stole' my time with the family. I get why they were there but it felt kind of forced.

 

[elgerber]

I loved the episode. I cried more tonight than last week LOL. I cried a little with the snowglobe, when Kevin asked about praying, and then lost it when Toby showed up (and I have been kinda pissed at Toby the last several weeks).
I don't think he died either, I heard the heartbeat come back. And I also think the previews for the 2nd half of the season, might have showed a scene of Kate mourning him or something if he did.
I personally liked the new aspect of the William story. As others have said, we know nothing about his life, and they seemed so sweet together. And I love Denis O'Hare

 

[QueenIsabella]

I loved the episode. I cried more tonight than last week LOL. I cried a little with the snowglobe, when Kevin asked about praying, and then lost it when Toby showed up (and I have been kinda pissed at Toby the last several weeks).
I don't think he died either, I heard the heartbeat come back. And I also think the previews for the 2nd half of the season, might have showed a scene of Kate mourning him or something if he did.
I personally liked the new aspect of the William story. As others have said, we know nothing about his life, and they seemed so sweet together. And I love Denis O'Hare

Me, too! I was thrilled to see him in something other than American Horror Story! Not that he doesn't crush it on AHS, it's just a different type of show.

The thing with Toby is, they were defibrillating him. That's never a good sign! OTOH, people on TV survive defibrillation, at a much greater percentage (not to mention quicker recovery time) than IRL. I hope Toby makes it--whether he and Kate end up together forever, I think he's good for her, and I'd like to see them get to at least work through their issues.

The thing with Kate and her mom--I also think that's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." I know that Kate blames her mom, but that doesn't mean that Rebecca is the sole cause of Kate's food issues.

 

[Tasha228]

Okay, the suicide thing. He didn't jump. I think Randall got to him when he said the part about his daughter having to be reminded that dad jumped on Christmas Eve. He went back into the party. He had plenty of time to do so and Randall saw him walking quickly through the party. I think the point of it all was he was talking about how Andy's daughter would forgive him and they started talking about Rebecca's mistake, etc. I think it was just a way to show Randall realizing Rebecca deserved forgiveness too and you could see glimpses of him doing that when the whole family was together.

As for Sloane, I actually think Kevin is going to fall for her but of course with lots of dramatic scenes and possibly Olivia thrown in for him to finally figure it out. Probably a long drawn out dramatic process...

Toby looked skinnier in the face to me. He may just have lost weight in real life. Or maybe it was just me that thought that. OR maybe he's not been taking particularly good care of himself while Kate has been gone and had not been eating enough to try to "diet" for her. Could be a number of things. I don't think he will die though. It just made for a good cliff hanger. JMO.

 

[Mizzoufan]

NO NO NO, We can't lose Toby. I was so happy for him to come be with Kate and them get back together.

I didn't understand why they turned William gay all of a sudden. I'm really like Kevin right now.

The whole guy jumping thing was weird. Didn't really have anything to do with the plot.

Also, very sad that we lost Dr. K.

 

[wenrob]

Okay, the suicide thing. He didn't jump. I think Randall got to him when he said the part about his daughter having to be reminded that dad jumped on Christmas Eve. He went back into the party. He had plenty of time to do so and Randall saw him walking quickly through the party. I think the point of it all was he was talking about how Andy's daughter would forgive him and they started talking about Rebecca's mistake, etc. I think it was just a way to show Randall realizing Rebecca deserved forgiveness too and you could see glimpses of him doing that when the whole family was together.

As for Sloane, I actually think Kevin is going to fall for her but of course with lots of dramatic scenes and possibly Olivia thrown in for him to finally figure it out. Probably a long drawn out dramatic process...

Toby looked skinnier in the face to me. He may just have lost weight in real life. Or maybe it was just me that thought that. OR maybe he's not been taking particularly good care of himself while Kate has been gone and had not been eating enough to try to "diet" for her. Could be a number of things. I don't think he will die though. It just made for a good cliff hanger. JMO.

If you watch the after shows he's lost quite a bit of weight since the beginning. I think they pad him for the show.