“Promise me you’ll always be good.” – This Is Us Recap – The Big Three

Posted by Shannon

Ever since Parenthood went off the air nearly two years ago, there’s been a Braverman-sized hole in my heart. Clearly NBC was trying to fill that gap, and from the get go, This Is Us was surrounded in Parenthood-esque branding. I was so thrilled when the pilot lived up to my high expectations. Beyond the gasp-worthy reveal, the multi-fascinated exploration of family dynamics had an immediate sense of honesty. I was hooked by each of the characters in different ways, and I wanted to spend more time with each of them. So when Kim texted me with about five minutes left to the second episode and asked if I’d think about recapping the show, I honestly couldn’t say no. What better way to hang out with my new favorite television family?

Jack/ Rebecca

Source: sararamirez.co.vuWe start off with a look at how Jack and Rebecca have been doing since bringing home their Big Three. The younger trio is mostly happy and healthy (although the seeds of their adult wounds are taking shape already), but their parents’ relationship is showing some signs of wear and tear. Rebecca is keeping the house together and getting everyone off to school without too much drama, but the tension between her and Jack is palpable and we’re left to guess the reasons. He still seems to be his focused, loving self, rousing the kids into an adorable morning cheer and winning a smile from Rebecca before he heads off to work.

The next time we see Jack, it’s clear why Rebecca’s out of sorts – he’s on his third bourbon by 5:05pm, with the tired excuse that he’s being driven to this because he just can’t see the woman he married anymore. Granted, it’s only episode two, but from what we’ve seen of Rebecca so far, I’m calling bullshit, and his best friend and colleague Miguel clearly agrees with me.

Despite Miguel’s best efforts, Jack stays out past the kid’s bedtime, leaving Rebecca to tuck them in by herself. Here’s where the structure of This Is Us can really shine – we’re not relying on the characters to tell us about their childhood traumas, severe or otherwise, and much less exposition is needed to show us who they are in present day. There is, of course, a downside – the “end of episode twist” that has an extreme law of diminishing returns attached. It’s perhaps unavoidable when dealing so heavily in flashbacks, though I’m cautious about how long it can be sustained. For now, it’s fascinating to watch character development on a 28 year cycle.

source: sylviebret.tumblr.comAnd so we see Rebecca navigate moments with each of her kids that speak directly to their adult lives. She struggles to help Kate without making her feel like each day is won or lost on her weight; tries to get Kevin to treat his brother with the respect he deserves, even when the kids at school won’t; begs Randall to “promise me you’ll always be good.” I’m not a mother, but I’d imagine that each of these would be tough parenting moments on their own, much less with three kids at such similar ages, and Rebecca is clearly doing the very best she can. So when Jack stumbles in at least a little drunk, waving a gift around and talking about how they need to get back on the same page, it just doesn’t cut it. Mandy Moore is doing exceptional work already – her speech to Jack about their score as parents is absolutely wrenching, and clearly effective. After spending a night in the hallway, Jack promises to stop his drinking and presents her with the jewelry that was disregarded the night before – a moon necklace, one she swears she’ll never take off.

source: sararamirez.co.vuIt’s heartbreaking to wonder why these crazy kids don’t make it, because at the end of the episode, Rebecca appears at Randall’s house, still wearing the necklace, but without Jack – instead, it’s Miguel by her side. Considering the necklace, it’s tough to imagine that she and Jack divorced. I’d bet something more directly tragic was the cause, and I’m already wary to find out what it was.

Randall/Beth

source: archvillainofromance.tumblr.comOur present-day representation of an endearing, hard-working couple with insanely cute kids, Randall and Beth are adjusting to life with William sleeping in their youngest daughter’s room. Beth is welcoming, but cautious – she wants Randall to have a plan for how long his biological father will be staying. After showing us during the pilot that he’s incapable of logical decision-making when it comes to William, Randall is still running on instinct and defaults to trust. He sets up Doctors appointments for William, researches his diagnosis on the treadmill late at night, gives him money for the bus, and only interrupts the discussion on “vices” with his daughters when the conversation turns to cocaine.

Every time Randall was on-screen this week, I couldn’t shake his mother’s plea – “promise me you’ll always be good” – out of my mind. He wants to be the perfect husband to Beth, the perfect father to his kids, the perfect brother to his siblings (even when they might not deserve it, but more on that later) and the perfect son to his biological father. Randall pushes so hard it’s impossible not to wonder when he’s going to snap, and Beth sees it coming too. She quietly watches every moment between William and her family, but after finding her husband pushing himself to the limits on a treadmill when he should have been asleep, she knows it’s time to step in. This kind of balancing act isn’t sustainable when it’s wrought with so many emotional minefields, and as we learn when she confronts William, they’ve been here before.

source: sylviebret.tumblr.comBeth’s priority is so clearly her husband and her family and their emotional safety, and her late night meeting with William is intense, direct, and honest. She explains that her husband’s drive to be “not good, perfect” has driven him to exhaustion and literal blindness before. Her fierce love for Randall is palpable, and she knows he’ll never ask William the questions they both deserve to have answered. When William finally breaks and admits that he’s spending three hours a day on a bus to feed his cat, rather than put the family in a position to take Clooney in and potentially make Annie’s asthma worse, Beth takes a beat. As she watches her husband and his biological father laughing after declaring “Well, now I feel like a bitch,” I can see her brain working to register the bond between father and son.

Her trust isn’t guaranteed though, and truth be told my heart broke a little when Beth looked wearily at William presenting the inhaler to Annie the next morning. I understand her suspicions, and I even share them a little (the cat story was maybe too good?) but I want desperately for William to be everything he seems to be, and I hope she does too.

source: archvillainofromance.tumblr.comKevin

What do you do after blowing up your career in public? Sit down for an uncomfortable meeting with your representation, of course! Kevin’s agent Lanie (Katy Sagal, bringing her best sardonic glares out to play) explains the situation as it stands, after taking a moment to remind him that she’s the only reason he has a career at all. Kevin’s got a contractual obligation to stay at the network for the next two years – and if he backs out, the best case scenario is that he’s not allowed to work in television or film during that time. Of course, for the privilege of keeping the job he hates for the next two years, Kevin has to play nice at an industry party and grovel to the higher-ups.

source: bigthree.tumblr.comKevin’s clearly shaken, and heads to his sister immediately to ask her for advice. Kate tells Kevin to stick to his decision, and Kevin knows she’s right – and he knows he can’t do it without her. Kate is the best (maybe only) support system that Kevin has, and the two clearly trust each other implicitly. After Kevin arrives at the party, ready to resign once and for all, and Kate is off dancing with Toby, Kevin is left to stand on his own two feet – and he falters. When the network higher up expresses just how quickly he’ll destroy Kevin if he dares get in the way of a retirement home in St. Maarten, we can see Kevin shut down. He flees the scene, finds Kate unable to give him much in the way of advice, and seeks out a quiet corner on a balcony to think.

source: sylviebret.tumblr.comBack when Kevin and Kate were discussing Kevin’s plans for a formal resignation, I started to actively wonder where Randall was in all this. During their childhood, we’re shown an early rift: Kevin and Randall are fighting, often, and Kevin was the instigator. Randall was being bullied at school, and not only did Kevin not stand up for his brother, he brought it home – refusing to call Randall anything but “Webster.” It’s a cruelty, but it’s perhaps not out of character. Kevin is clearly obsessed with the opinions of others – while he holds back from saying anything too judgemental (presumably for Kate’s sake), he’s openly snarky about Toby’s party outfit, and when his agent tells him to take off his ski cap, he bends almost immediately. At least Kevin has some self-awareness; he willingly admits to Randall that “I care what everyone thinks, man; you know that.”

source: sylviebret.tumblr.comFor his part, Randall is clearly shocked that his brother has called him for advice. So little is said on that phone call, but the dynamic between the two is clear: though he’s described as younger, Randall steps in to act as big brother. Hearing the sadness and desperation in Kevin’s voice, he roots Kevin back in their family. With just a few sentences, plus their old morning cheer, Randall brings Kevin back to his center. (And the joy on Randall’s face when he hangs up the phone is visible, even from a distance; he can’t wait to tell Beth about his brother’s call.) Kevin decides to formally resign, take the two-year TV and film ban, and move to New York to work in the theater.

Kate

source: sheoing. tumblr.comIn one of the only direct child-to-adult cuts we’ve seen so far, eight year old Kate is at the kitchen table with a separately prepared breakfast while her brothers eat cereal. After hearing her mother’s directive to eat “all the fruit, please,” we move directly to adult Kate, with a face of sheer focus and determination, working out at the gym. That is, until Toby arrives at her elliptical and declares their workout over.

OK, a few words about Toby. He clearly has a genuine affection for Kate, and I love that he loves her exactly as she is. But turning her machine off mid-workout was a mystifying move. If it seemed like she was clearly pushing too hard, that would be one thing. But Kate looked like she was just lost in thought, mid-workout, leaving us to a scene with a woman who wanted to do something and a boyfriend who wanted her to stop. This relationship is starting to emerge as a real double-edged sword; Kate deserves nothing less than a supportive partner who will be there regardless of her size, but she also deserves someone who will listen to her and respect her decisions.

Kate believes that she’s not keeping pace with her peers in the support group, and it’s compounded after she agrees to support Kevin while he formally resigns at his industry party. Kate is already anxious to accompany her brother to a “nightmare Hollywood party,” and an unsuccessful shopping day leaves her feeling even worse. Ultimately, Kate lashes out at the next support group meeting, and Toby cheers her up by insisting he come along too.

source: sheoing.tumblr.comAlready, it’s clear just how far Kate is willing to go to be there for the people she loves. Regardless of her anxiety, not for one second did I think she would leave Kevin to go to the party on his own (though it was a joy to see her dancing with abandon after she and Toby took advantage of some free tequila shots). Like Randall, Kate is striving to be everything her mother wanted; we see it in her childhood, as she declared with pride to Rebecca that she “only ate fruit today” and when she stands shoulder to shoulder with Randall while Kevin abandoned him for the side of the bullies. Kate is there for both her brothers in adulthood too, keeping Randall up to speed on Kevin’s career crisis from the opposite coast. The episode leaves Kate speaking honestly about how she feels about herself in relation to her weight, explaining that she cannot divorce herself from it – “every moment I’m not thinking about it, I’m thinking about it.” (It’s one of Toby’s best moments; he listens quietly and supports her feelings.)

source: sararamirez.co.vuAnd so the stage is set; with Kevin moving to the east coast, he’ll be in closer proximity to Randall, and I can only assume we’ll see the brothers dynamic in person. I’m hopeful that Kevin’s move will also open the show up to spend more time on Kate’s daily life: her career, her relationship with her parents, and how she responds to her twin living across the country when they’ve been so closely entwined. The pieces continue to fall together, and I’m so excited to see where we go next.

Stray Observations

• Beth throws out that Randall was 28 when they married and bought the house, the same age as Jack when he met Rebecca. In both eras, the oldest kids are now 8. I see you with the direct timeline symmetry, show.
• If Ron Cephas Jones could continue to have excellent supporting character runs on all my favorite shows, that would be spectacular. (RIP, Romero.)
• It was so great to see Brad Garrett as the exceptionally skeezy network boss! He switches with ease from friendly, to intimidating, to flat-out terrifying, and while I’m not sure how it’d happen, I hope we haven’t seen the last of him.
• Manny OUT.

What did you think of “The Big Three”? Let us know in the comments.