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‘This Is Us’ Recap: Top 5 Moments from ‘Jack Pearson’s Son’

5. Jack and Rebecca on the rocks

Things are a little rough for Jack and Rebecca this week. Rebecca is struggling with her decision to go on tour and leaving her three teenagers alone with Jack. Even though Jack is quick to reassure her that everything will be fine, the fact that Randall is having panic attacks about his upcoming Hamlet essay and Kate accidentally revealing that Kevin and Sophie are having sex, she is definitely second guessing her decision.

But it’s Valentines Day so the two are going to focus on having a great time at Rebecca’s show that night and enjoy their traditional dinner of bacon cheeseburgers and onion rings at O’Shannon’s afterwards. Although earlier that day Jack had revealed to Miguel that he actually is having a hard time being fully supportive of Rebecca’s plans to go on tour and he has his blinders on Ben and his intentions with Rebecca.

At the show, Rebecca and Ben have some weird romantic shtick going on for the audience, but she still makes eyes towards her main man.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

If you are annoyed with Rebecca for this whole tour thing, you are not alone. However, we cannot forget just how supportive Rebecca was when Jack wanted to start Big Three Homes, despite them having triplets to worry about and support. That would have been a huge financial burden on them, but she was always encouraging him to be happy  even though he chose the corporate path like  he did. Rebecca deserves to have that opportunity to do the same and Jack needs to give her the support she gave him.

After the show, Ben lets it slip to Jack that he and Rebecca used to date. He uses that scheming “oh, I thought you knew card.” Get out of here, Ben. This sets Jack off and he cancels their Valentines date. The two go home and get into it. Jack (naturally) doesn’t want his wife traveling around, having late nights and faux romantic shticks with her ex and Rebecca doesn’t understand why he is freaking out so much. She claims that it was hardly anything at all and she kept it from him to avoid him thinking she had ulterior motives while pursuing her dream.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

To me, in this situation Jack is right and Rebecca is wrong. Before he was just making things up in his head that promoted his jealousy. But now that he knows Rebecca actually has a history with Ben and she kept that from him. So now those thoughts are kind of reality to him. Rebecca should have told him. End of story.

Jack storms out and hits up O’Shannon’s for a solo order of onion rings and just when you think that’s all he’s having the waiter brings over a Makers on the rocks. NOOOOOOOOOO.

I think having Jack’s death somehow involved with alcohol is a little too obvious, but I don’t think that it is a theory that should be tossed out.

4. Kate’s journey continues

This week was not a really big week for Kate, but one little scene did give us a huge glimpse into her story. We left off with Kate standing outside of Duke’s cabin. Well, thankfully she wasn’t there to take him up on his offer but rather to tell him off. While you were on the couch going ‘hell yea, Kate!’ Duke was a little busy kicking out of the camp because OH his parents own the place.

This was actually an annoying cop out to me. I enjoyed having Kate at this camp. She seemed really motivated and it was breaking through these walls she had put up around her heart revolving around Jack’s death. So for her to be kicked out so suddenly just didn’t seem like the best play for me.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

She makes her way to Toby’s hotel room and apologizes for her behavior the day before. He accepts, but the two realize there is a lot more they need to get to know about each other before they GET MARRIED. Good thinking, kids! So, they start an Ask Me Anything while grabbing lunch and shopping for Kevin’s play that night.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

It starts out fun, but then Kate takes it a little deeper when she asks about Toby’s suicide attempt. Toby then asks her how her father died. She seems ready to tell him but then cannot find the words. She just shuts down and cannot bring herself to say anything no matter how hard she was trying. This is important. We know that Kate takes Jack’s death the hardest, and I don’t think it is just because they had this super special relationship in their flashbacks. I think that she will be present when he dies. Whether it be her being involved in some sort of accident with him or perhaps Jack is doing something for her that ends in his death.

Toby tells her that she doesn’t have to tell him until she’s ready. He also suggests that they put off their summer wedding and just spend some time engaged and getting to know each other. I am going to put money down that Kate and Toby never end up walking down the aisle.

3. Crap. I Like Miguel.

I know, I know. If you had told me a few weeks ago that I would be putting anything positive about Miguel or even giving himhis own category in the top 3 of my recap I would have lol’d. But, tonight it finally happened. I like Miguel. It started back in the mid-season finale when he was excited beyond all belief about his Christmas lights. Tonight Miguel made me laugh and cry.

First, he comes into Jack’s office and makes a Jeff Goldblum Jurassic Park reference, which already sets him out on the right foot in my book. Then he tells Jack that he’s ready to get back out in the field and start dating and he needs his wing man.  Jack invites him to Rebecca’s show that night and he makes a crack that he is going to wear his new fedora.

At the event, Jack is completely distracted by Rebecca and Ben’s dynamic as Miguel rambles on and on next to him about a woman across the bar. He’s asking if he should wave? Should he wink? Jack is still ignoring Miguel leaving him to do this thing and he ends up waving and winking at the same time. The whole thing was hilarious, John Huertas clearly has some comedy chops that I really want to see more of them.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

In the present day, Kevin is feeling really nervous about his play and goes to his mom’s house to get some advice artist to artist. Instead, he finds Miguel. This is a relationship the show has been setting up for a while. Kevin has resentment towards Miguel and has openly disapproved of him in past episodes. Miguel sits down with Kevin and does his best to give  him some advice, despite knowing that Kevin doesn’t really like him.

He tells Kevin that whenever he had something that was upsetting him, he always went to Jack. Jack always knew what to do and say to make him feel better. Jack was his person, and it’s a shame that Kevin doesn’t like him because to Miguel it’s like having a small part of his best friend back. This softens Kevin just a bit. He also tells Kevin just how much he reminds him of Jack, even down to the way that he moves his hands.

Kevin is Jack Pearson’s son and if he just thinks about what his dad would do then he will know what to do. When Kevin leaves you can tell that their relationship is definitely on the mend, but I’m sure it will be a rocky road in the flashbacks when Miguel comes into the picture romantically.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

2. Randall is crashing

Last week Randall’s hand shook and it shook us all. The amount of pressure this man is feeling is off the charts. His biological father is dying and probably digging up so many feelings about Jack’s death. His job is hanging in the balance. His wife and kids need him. Kevin needs him. It’s just a lot for Randall. And it’s something he has dealt with his whole life as we’ve seen in a couple of flashbacks. He takes too much on and it physically affects him. So, when Beth has to make an emergency trip to Washington D.C. after her mother breaks her hip things just get worse.

He’s having nightmares about finding William dead and can’t even run his normal route with Kevin without having trouble breathing. At work and after arriving two hours late, Randall learns that a huge presentation for his biggest client has been pushed up to that afternoon, which is stress factor number one. When he goes to his office Kevin is there ready to talk about how worried he is about his show bla bla bla – stress factor number two. Then William’s nurse calls and tells Randall that William fired her and locked her out of the house and he needs to get there asap, which is stress factor number three.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

Once he makes it home he snaps at poor William who just wanted to feel like he could still have some control of his life. Randall apologizes but tells him how important it is for him to let his nurse help. Once he makes it back to work he is late for the meeting and is so overwhelmed that he cannot even form a coherent sentence. Sanjay takes over the meeting as Randall lets a tear slid down his face.

In the flashback, Randall is also super stressed over his paper needing to be perfect and his upcoming football game. This takes the attention of Jack and Rebecca away from Kevin (who they were giving ‘the talk’ to) and you can see the resentment forming in Kev’s eyes. Later that night, Kevin sees Randall having a breakdown in his room and instead of going in to help him he walks right into his room.

In the present day Randall hits his breaking point and calls up Kevin to tell him that he won’t be making it to the play.

1. What Would Jack Do?

Kevin is freaking out about his show. His whole family is going to be there and he is worried about crashing and burning. Sophie, who he is now cautiously dating, isn’t going to make it but she wishes him luck. Kate’s not answering her phone and he’s being kicked out of Randall’s office.

After his meeting with Miguel,Kevin had a better head back on his shoulders and is ready for his play, which features him in a Will Scheuster ensemble.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

He’s about to hit the stage when he gets the call from Randall and it’s so apparent that there is something wrong with his brother. For starters, Randall doesn’t even realize that he called Kevin in the first place and he has trouble talking and making sense. Kevin says he understands him missing the play, but he can’t help but think about what Miguel had said and Randall’s behavior earlier in the day on their run.

He finds Sloane just off stage minutes before the start and it’s becoming more and more clear what his intentions are going to be.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

We see Sloane walk on stage and when it’s Kevin’s turn to speak he is no where to be found. Sure enough, we cut to the good ol’ old rom-com trope of Kevin running down the street to Randall, but it is amazing and so touching. He finds Randall curled up in the corner completely checked out and goes to comfort him. Randall breaks down and so does my heart.

'This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son''This Is Us' Recap: Top 5 Moments from 'Jack Pearson's Son'

This was by far the scene of the night and such a pay off for this relationship that we’ve been witnessing them repair of the entire season. It started when Kevin claimed Randall as his brother in public for the first time and has evolved more and more to this moment when Kevin ditches his play and probably his career to go console his brother. It was such a beautiful scene.

My hope is that these two both end up out of their jobs and they start Jack’s dream company Big Three Homes. I started thinking about this back when we first learned of Big Three Homes and while it may be  a long shot I think that it would be a great story line. Luncheonette fans know what I’m talking about!

Watch the scene here:

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