Previously on This Is Us...
It appears that you have what we Doctors call
Mild Cognitive Impairment.
There is a chance that, over time,
you'll experience more difficulty with memory.
They are gonna want me in San Francisco three days a week.
We can do this.
I don't want any trouble.
None of the jewelry from here or my nightstand is missing.
My cufflinks were in here.
He was in our room.
I can't marry someone who's not in love with me.
- Please don't do this. - Kevin,
you know it.
Is it just me or will this go down
as one of the all-time great songs?
- All-time great bands. - Mm.
REO Speedwagon are the new Beatles.
Remember I said that.
- ? What started out as friendship ? - Oh.
? Has grown stronger ?
? I only wish I had the strength to let it show ?
Oh, you're letting it show.
- I am? - Mm-hmm.
- Mmm. - Mmm.
Okay!
Break it up, people.
Big day.
- Big day. - I know. Hey, guys.
See what I have for you in honor of today?
Tang!
- Tang! - Slow. No, hold on, hold on.
- Hold on. - Whoa! Slow down.
Slow down. Okay, look, Dad's off.
- Mm-hmm. - So goodbye kiss.
Kiss. Kiss.
I want all the details later.
Um... briefcase?
In the living room.
What would I do without you?
You'd lose your briefcase a lot.
I would lose my mind. Every detail...
- I want to hear all about it later. - Bye, Dad.
- Bye! - Okay, breakfast. Breakfast.
- ? Started out as friendship ? - The ice is cleared away
- and Challenger should be going away very soon. - ? Has grown stronger ?
- ? I only wish I had ? - Let's go down to the Kennedy Space Center
- and take a look at Challenger sitting on the pad... - ? The strength to let it show ?
...as they continue the countdown.
They started the auxiliary power units
about a minute ago, and...
- Suit's on? - Yes, ma'am.
Got a sec, boss?
Yeah. What's up?
? Happy birthday to you ?
Yeah...
? Happy birthday to you ?
? Happy birthday... ?
You know, when I think it all went wrong for me was 1986.
They were sending the Challenger up into space.
You remember the Challenger, right?
- Yeah. With Sandra Bullock? - No.
What'd you say? You said "happy birthday"?
Well, thank you, Franny.
I'm sorry, what is that, Nicky? You said...
Oh, you said I don't look old enough to be a daddy?
Well, you know exactly what to say.
Yes, you do. Oh, what does that mean?
We ready for the mommy drop-off?
Here we go.
All right. I'm gonna get a change of clothes
and we're out of here.
Knock-knock. Coming in hot.
- Nicky is ripe. - Oh.
- Give me that stinky boy. - Yeah.
- That's really something special. - Oh, come here.
Oh!
That is a good one!
That's a good one.
Is it weird that I love that smell?
Rhetorical. Aware that it's weird.
Not gonna apologize for it.
Thank you
for letting me sleep in, by the way.
- I needed that. - 'Course.
Yeah, no, that's what I'm here for.
That's what I'm here for. Right?
Oh, by the way, Nicky, uh... Nicky's nap
got cut a little short, so you might want to put him down early
- for the next one. - Got it.
Franny's diaper rash?
Still looks like her butthole got sunburned,
but we're on the upswing, I think.
Right? On the ups... Oh, and, um,
I brought you back your...
your air popper.
Cleaned it for you and everything.
- Uh-huh. - What?
Voilą.
Ah.
It's even got the, you know...
- the same little, uh, lid for melting butter. - Look at that.
It is pretty much the Porsche of air poppers.
Yeah, a man could pop some serious corn with this thing.
This is...
Thank you.
You're welcome. No.
- No, I... - Happy birthday.
Oh, uh...
Thank you.
- 'Kay. - Thanks.
- What? - You see?
People thought it was a horrible idea, after you jilted me
at the altar, me moving in here to be close
- to the kids. - I did not jilt you at the altar.
You jilted me, for sure. But look at us now.
We are-we are one finely tuned co-parenting instrument.
We are pretty much the Porsche
- of slightly awkward co-parents. - That we are.
Okay, so don't forget to lube up Franny, all right?
And I'm gonna go, um, to this stupid meeting,
and then I'm gonna come back here, grab the kids.
I'll take 'em to Kate's for the party, so...
And you're sure you don't want to go?
It's a family birthday party, Kevin, and...
I'm good. I'm good.
I'm, uh, hosting book club here today anyways.
Ah. Yes, book club. Love those nerds.
Okay, just because we enjoy reading
and discussing fantasy literature does not mean
- we are nerds. - Huh.
- You know, get out of my house. - Okay.
- Get. Go. - All right, kids. All right, all right.
- Bye, guys. Bye. - Say bye-bye. Say "bye, Daddy."
Say bye-bye. Bye.
Okay.
Some strawberries.
Yum.
Here's some water for you.
Okay?
Well, think of the devil.
Okay, first, let me say that I hate
that I'm doing this over FaceTime and not in person
and that there happens to be a 24-second shot clock
on the whole thing, since a prematurely balding man
is about to walk into my office and blow up my entire day.
So I just wanted to call you really quick
and say happy birthday, Kate.
I love you very much, and I miss you.
Aw. I miss you, too.
You sound stressed.
No wasting time on me. Now, listen,
I know you have the day off, so I have arranged for your mom
and Miguel to take the kids to Train Park.
With Nicky, of course, since they're all attached at the hip
since he started staying with them.
Wait, they're taking the kids?
For the entire afternoon.
And you, my beautiful wife,
get a peaceful, childless house for the whole day.
I have a massage therapist showing up in one hour.
And don't worry... I know what you like.
I asked for a woman with the hands
of an offensive lineman.
Toby...
And the shot clock is going off.
Okay, I love you very much.
Happy birthday. Kiss the munchkins for me, okay?
Oh, my God, here they come. All right. Okay, bye.
- Love you. - I love you...
...too.
Look at this.
Oh, my God.
He's so romantic.
I know.
No, I-I miss him so much it hurts.
Malik sending you love letters from Boston?
Huh? Aw, that's adorbs.
That boy is adorbs.
You know, your dad used to send me love letters
on our summer break.
Like, full-on, cursive, handwritten...
Y'all not listening. Okay.
That's fair. Hey!
There's my romantic birthday boy.
You decide on your wish yet?
Can we go in the next room, please?
Okay.
- It's all kind of one room, but okay. - Mm.
Um...
Got an email.
The cops got the guy who robbed us.
Caught him breaking into a parked car.
Wow.
- Are they sure it's our guy? - Mm-hmm.
He pawned all of our jewelry, but, um...
you remember how we couldn't find
one of our wedding photos last year,
- thought we were losing our minds? - Mm-hmm.
He had it on him.
Just the picture, not the frame.
Yeah.
He's, um...
he's getting arraigned today.
I think I might go down there.
Randall,
- it's your birthday. - I want to look him
in the eye, Beth, tell him what he did to us.
- To our family. - Okay. Baby,
- let's play a game, okay? - Hmm.
There's two doors you can choose from today.
Behind door number one
is your beautiful, "top of her game right now" wife...
- Yeah. - ...who is fulfilled in her new job
and-and has a new skincare line
- that has her positively glowing. - That's true.
- She is clicking on all her sexy cylinders. - Mmm.
And is ready to grant you any birthday wish you want.
- Mmm. - Like a less-problematic Aladdin genie.
- I like that. - Yeah.
- Behind door number two,
you have confronting the creeper who broke into our home
and upturned a year of our lives.
You're gonna pick door number two, aren't you?
- I need to look him in the eye, Beth. - Oh, my gosh.
- You are a very unusual man. - I know.
But you really are at the top
- of your game right... - No, no, no.
You only get one door, baby. You made your choice.
All right? Hey, ladies?
Mom-mobile's leaving in three. All right?
Damn.
I would've chose door number Beth.
Mmm. Mmm, mmm, mmm.
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
Kevin!
Class. Class!
Kevin, please.
- ...now underway... - Okay.
- in minus 15 seconds. - Here we go.
Kevin, please settle.
T-minus ten, nine, eight,
seven, six.
We have main engines start.
Four, three, two, one...
and liftoff, liftoff
of the 25th space shuttle mission,
and it has cleared the tower.
So, the 25th space shuttle mission is now on the way
after more delays than NASA cares to count.
This morning they looked as though
they were not going to be able to get off.
Looks like a couple of the, uh,
solid rocket boosters, uh, blew away
from the side of the shuttle in an explosion.
My controller's here, looking very carefully at the situation.
- Obviously a major malfunction. - It seems that...
I think they're having a little problem there.
Hey, guess what, guys.
Did you know that this train goes all the way around the park
- two whole times? - Two whole times?
You hear that?
How is this my life?
Would you stop bitching?
Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just this damn Facebook. I-I..
You know what, every morning since I got here,
I Facebook stalk the girl who got away.
I told you about her, right?
- Sally? - Sally, yes.
- Yeah. - Yes, you tell us about her every day.
Every single day.
Well, every single day, I lose my nerve,
even though she's just a few hours from here.
Here I am on a baby train.
Oh, Nicky, shush.
And who doesn't like trains?
- Everybody likes trains. - Yeah.
Hey, Jack.
Did I ever tell you how my dad used to take me on trains
when I was a little girl?
- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.
Any Sunday my dad had to go into the office,
he would, uh, take me on the train into the city with him.
Mmm. I loved those Sundays.
My dad would, uh, sit there reading...
He was a big reader, my dad, novels mainly...
and, uh, I'd sit across from him just watching
the world go by as the train rumbled beneath us.
And then, when we would get close to the city,
he would walk me to the very front of the train,
and we'd walk back
through each and every car.
All the way.
All the way to the back, to the...
The, um...
Oh, the-the last car.
No, no, no, no. D-Don't te... Don't tell me.
The last...
Oh, that was amazing.
- I'm a new woman. - I'm glad.
Your husband's very thoughtful.
I wish mine would order me a me on my birthday.
Yeah. It's very Toby.
Actually, it isn't.
He's usually more of, like, a giant in-person
grand gesture kind of guy.
This outsourcing is a little new.
Not to say it's not wonderful and much needed and...
You know, honestly, it's simpler.
Kevin Pearson.
Send him in.
Thank you.
Casey.
What, it's been, um...
Five years.
Five years to the day since your national meltdown
- on my set. - You counted.
You count, Kevin,
when somebody torpedoes your life and career,
- you count. - Huh.
I supposed you would, but hey,
looks like you landed on your feet, though, right?
I mean, this is a hell of a show.
The writing is phenomenal.
I never worked on it.
I'm a fan.
Oh.
Look, man, I...
We both know we were forced
to take this meeting by our agents, right?
I mean, y-you don't want me to do whatever movie this is.
I don't want to do whatever movie this is.
They want to reboot The Manny, Kevin.
- So... - There is no film.
They knew you'd never show up if...
Let me get this straight.
- They want me to play the Manny again? - What?
No, you're far too old.
No, you play the dad.
A dad to twins, ironically.
Huh.
Kevin, I-I saw the last film.
I actually purchased a ticket.
And after 90 minutes, when I realized
it was only halfway over, I started to lick
the movie theater seats in an attempt to give myself COVID.
Okay.
I know what's out there for you right now.
This is good.
You get to raise your family in Los Angeles,
work one day a week and become a zillionaire.
Or say no.
And spend the rest of your years
travelling to Vancouver every weekend
to shoot Treat Williams indies
where you got to do your own hair.
Over my dead body.
Thank God.
Mr. Watkins, you are being charged with burglary
while in possession of an offensive weapon
and criminal trespass.
- Do you understand the charges? - Yes.
Preliminary hearing will be set for four weeks from today,
and bail has been set as noted.
Excuse me, Officer, um...
- Randall Pearson, councilman for District... - District 12.
Yes, sir. My wife and I voted for you.
We plan on doing it again.
Well, that makes this a lot easier.
Um...
Do you think I could speak with him for a couple minutes?
Sure thing, Councilman.
I'll be right here if you need me.
Do you know who I am?
You're the guy from my picture.
- Hey. - Hey.
How are they?
Oh, they barely said a word on the ride home.
And I started their day out with Tang, Jack.
- With Tang. - Yeah. We'll talk to 'em, Bec.
Just like we did when the goldfish died.
Uh, a spaceship filled with heroes
exploded on national television.
I don't think the Splishy and Splashy model
- is gonna work here. - Bec.
We can do this.
Okay? Okay.
Hey, Big Three.
Hey, guys?
Uh, Daddy and I just... we wanted to see
if there is anything that you wanted to talk about.
About today?
'Cause I know, for me...
I had a lot of sad feelings.
- Did any of you maybe feel like that? - Yeah.
You know, like maybe when Splishy and Splashy...
Don't do Splishy and Splashy.
I'm telling you, it's a good way in.
All the teachers were crying.
Yeah.
I bet they were, Bug.
It's a good thing they were that high up.
That means they were closer to heaven.
Yeah.
I think that's a really nice thought, Bug.
Maybe Splishy and Splashy will take care of them.
Boys, how about you?
You-you guys feeling a little sad, too?
Can I have more mac and cheese?
Yeah.
- I can get it. - No, no.
I got it, I got it. I got it.
- So good. - Look who's back.
How was book... club?
Oh, hey. You remember Elijah, right? From book club?
No, I mean, yeah.
I didn't realize, uh...
I didn't realize everyone was still here.
Oh, I'm just helping Maddy clean up.
She always hosts and gets stuck with it.
Well, that's nice.
I'm just gonna grab the kids and take them to the party.
Oh, perfect timing.
They are just starting to stir from their naps.
Good.
How was book club?
- Oh, my God. - So good.
We read The Queen of the Tearling.
Everybody's mind was blown.
Yeah, n... Eli called me a Kelsea today,
so he is basically my best friend for life.
- Well, I only speak the truth. - Aw.
Oh, you haven't read it?
Not a page.
You know, the last thing I read was, um...
was Parasite.
Subtitled movie.
- Kev, considers it reading. - Well, it's Korean,
so you have to read it to understand it,
unless you speak Korean, so...
Hey, I don't want to geek out or anything...
- Oh, Eli, maybe not now. - I'm just gonna say it once. You said I could.
- Okay. - Hill 400 is a freaking masterpiece.
- Yeah? - You are so good, man.
Thank you.
Thank y... That's very kind. I appreciate it.
Um, so I'm-I'm gonna grab the kids, right?
And then Elijah and I will-will get out of your hair.
Unless you want help with the dishes.
Oh.
Wow, that's so nice. No, that would be huge.
Who knew fantasy nerds could be such slobs?
Um, everyone who's ever met a fantasy nerd.
Right.
Walked into that one. Should we...
- Hmm? Mm-hmm. Great. - Another bottle? Yeah, absolutely...
So, I'll just grab the kids, then.
I, uh... when I was, uh...
My name is Randall Pearson.
Two years ago, you broke into my home.
You broke through a window and stole some jewelry.
I caught you on the way out with a knife.
I don't remember.
I have, uh, holes in my memory.
Do you have any water?
I don't.
I can try to get you some.
Thank you.
It was a terrifying moment for my family.
My wife, my daughters.
I'm sorry...
You know what they did with my dog?
I don't. I can try to find out for you.
Yeah, I didn't know where I got the picture from,
but you looked happy in it.
I thought maybe it came from a good part of my life.
But I guess it came from a bad part.
Do you know what they did with my dog?
I don't.
I hear you, you're just not saying anything.
Why? You haven't told me why.
There is no why, Jess.
I'm just not in a place...
Don't you dare use your traumatic past
to try and get out of this relationship, okay?
That is not fair.
I don't care if it's upsetting.
I just need to know so that I can move on.
You bore me, Jessica.
I mean, you are a stunning,
intelligent, magnificent woman,
and yet, every time we have a meal together,
I can't help but feel like I'm watching paint dry.
And I-I'll spare you the whole "It's-it's not you, it's me"
nonsense and remind you to focus on the fact
that you are a stunning, intelligent,
magnificent woman, who's just wasting her time
on a pasty English chap who just equated
eating sushi with you to watching paint dry.
Is-is that helpful?
For moving on?
You are a condescending prick.
This would seem to be the common refrain in my life, yes.
What the hell was that?
Oh, good. You're here, um...
Oh, that was not the emergency.
Oh, but speaking of which,
I assure you, I had nothing to do
with what's about to happen here.
Come on.
It's your birthday gift.
They insisted.
I think the whole thing's completely overwrought,
but who can say no to a bunch of well-meaning blind kids
with a soft spot for their teacher?
All right, go ahead, superstars.
It's a good one.
Don't see what all the controversy's about.
You want to walk the train?
- Yes, please. - Okay.
We'll start at the front
and walk all the way back to the...
"First came the big black engine, puffing and chuffing,
"then came the boxcars,
"then the oil cars, then the coal cars,
"then the flat cars.
"Sometimes, they were switched around in different ways,
but the little red..."
Little red...
Knock, knock.
You putting away your shuttle?
You've been so quiet.
I just wanted to check in on you.
You want to come and sit here with me for a little bit?
Okay.
Well, I'll be downstairs if you want to talk.
She has kids.
The astronaut teacher.
I know.
Do you think someone's making them dinner?
Um...
Yeah, I bet their...
I bet their dad's making them dinner, hon.
Maybe you can send them macaroni and cheese,
just in case.
And so, you bailed him out?
So he could meet me at the shelter later.
I'm arranging a bed for him and meeting him there tonight
It felt like a romantic full circle kind of thing,
I don't, I don't know.
Oh, my God, Randall.
- I don't even know what to say. - I know.
I saw his file, Beth.
For the last two years, this man has woken me
from my dreams in a cold sweat.
This man with the knife.
But today I saw his file,
and he had a name.
It's David.
The name with the knife, his name is David.
And he had a family.
And he's someone's son.
Could've been William.
So...
you look at this man,
and you see sweet, gentle William,
- who would nev... - It's not just William, Beth.
I see Kev. I see my father.
I see Laurel.
I see a young Shauna.
I see thousands of addicts in my district
I was elected to help, who I'm not doing nearly enough for.
I don't know.
Okay.
I'm-a give you one more shot.
At what?
This birthday genie wish thing.
Door number one. The whole shebang thing.
Why?
Because you...
are the real thing, Randall.
You know how many vices men can have these days?
Hmm? Gambling. Booze. Porn.
Freaking fantasy football.
And my guy...
just wants to help people.
It's compulsive and over the top.
And if that son of a bitch doesn't show up tonight,
I'm gonna lose it.
But you...
are an incredibly decent man,
Randall Pearson.
And it's your birthday.
So... make a wish.
I got my wish when I met you.
Don't be cheesy now, just get it done.
You walked with Dad from the front to the back.
It's not the boxcar. It's not the engine.
It was the name of the book.
You read it every night.
Think, Rebecca. It's the red one.
The car at the end.
The red car.
The car at the end.
The red one, damn it!
Mom, are you okay?
I-I didn't want to tell you guys
until after your birthday, but...
I...
I got the results of the PET scan back,
and...
the scan is positive for
plaques building in my brain.
It's still very early, guys.
And the doctors are extremely optimistic
- about the medications coming to market. - Yeah, um,
I think I have the next PET scan in two...
96%.
That means we could breathe the air...
- Hey, Bud. - Hey.
You know, when I was a boy,
I really didn't like to talk much.
You know, if-if something happened,
and it made me feel happy or made me feel sad,
you know, we-we wouldn't really analyze it.
Do you want to talk, Kev?
About today?
It was just a story on TV.
It wasn't real.
Okay.
Oh, yes.
It has been a day.
I could use a veg-out session
on the world's most comfortable...
...comfortable couch. I di...
I'm s... I didn't realize, uh...
No, no, no.
It's fine.
- Twins are out cold, huh? - Yeah.
- How'd they do? - They were good.
- Aw. - Yeah, they had a good time.
You know, they're cracked out on cake right now, but, um...
You skipped ahead to the next episode?
Yeah.
- We got sucked in. - Huh.
- Sorry. - It's my fault.
Maddy started me at the beginning,
but I got hooked, and I made her keep going.
Ah, it's, you know what, it's fine, obviously.
Not a big deal.
God, it's super late.
- Mm. - I should go.
Again, I really love that film.
- It was so good. - Thanks, man.
Maddy.
This was a lot of fun.
It was. I had a great time.
Okay. Well, um...
- Yeah. Night. - Good night.
Sorry, again. I didn't realize, you know, that you were...
No, no. We were just...
Yeah, not to harp on this, but I feel like,
should we establish which shows are gonna be ones
that we watch together and which ones are sort of
go at your own pace?
- Because I... - Kevin.
Was a rough day.
I got bad news about my mom.
There's this scan and...
plaque and...
It's bad.
God, I am, I am so sorry.
Thank you. It's-it's...
I don't like that he calls you Maddy.
You know, people said I was crazy...
me living in your garage just to stay close to the twins.
Yeah.
It's possible they had a point.
Did we do that even remotely right?
I don't know.
My first time.
Mine, too.
I knew I should've married someone who already had kids.
- Jack. - Hmm?
I'm worried about Kevin.
Will you please tell me something
to make me feel better?
Well, he... he gets it.
His brain's just...
protecting itself.
Yeah, that kid, he's gonna grow up faster than we can handle.
One day...
he's gonna have it all figured out.
I mean, hell, it's not like he's gonna wind up
some 40-year-old man
who can't stop talking about the Challenger explosion.
- Right? - Right.
Okay.
Randall.
Randall is too good.
Too good how?
I don't know, for the world.
Did you ever read Catcher in the Rye?
Yeah, of course.
No.
Okay, so it's about this kid,
this-this teenager named Holden.
And he's depressed.
- Well, his name is Holden. - Stop.
And he...
wants to protect all of the innocent people,
all of the children, and...
he has to accept the fact that he can't.
And I think that Randall might be the Catcher in the Rye, Jack.
I think he might... he might spend his whole life
trying to save everyone, and he won't be able to.
I just worry that his life will be this beautiful but...
perpetually disappointing ride.
What a thing.
Being a parent.
What a thing being a kid.
Yeah.
- Hey. - Hey.
- I know you like extra. - Thanks.
You know, when we were growing up,
if we needed something, Mom and Dad...
they were just... they were a bedroom away.
Yeah, and, uh...
My kids aren't gonna have that.
They'll have something different.
Okay? And it will be normal to them,
and it will be wonderful.
I'm taking the Manny reboot.
Stay here in L.A., give the kids some stability.
- Really? - Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, it's... it's TV, right?
I mean, none of that stuff is real. It's...
Mom's really sick, Kate.
This is really happening.
Yeah.
- Yeah. - Just feels like the...
...like the world should just stop for Mom, you know?
Just...
Yeah, the world should stop for Mom.
And, uh...
I find it so infuriating that this is happening to us
while the rest of the world, they just-they just continue
to go round and round like it's...
Kev, do you remember where we were five years ago?
Five years ago to the day,
we were sitting on my bathroom floor
because I'd just face-planted off a scale.
And you were about to implode your life and career
on national television
And it was such a low moment.
You know, it just felt like every door was shutting on us
and shutting out all of the light,
just like after dad.
But...
look at us now.
We-we each have two healthy, beautiful kids.
Careers we never imagined.
If the world stopped for the bad stuff,
then-then everything would be dark.
But the world keeps going, so we can find that crack of light
on the other side of the door.
You know?
We have found the light before,
big brother.
And we'll find it again.
Well, looks like another sad night for old Nicky.
Just staring at Facebook,
looking for someone who doesn't even know I exist.
- Just... - Stop, Nicky!
Life is too short.
It is far shorter than it has any right to be,
and you are giving me a frigging headache.
You want to go see Sally? Let's go see Sally.
Pack a bag. We'll leave in the morning.
- Bec... - Honey, life is too short,
and the man is giving me a frigging headache.
He didn't show up.
Mm-hmm.
It's official, Beth.
I'm old.
I have three parents gone.
One's sick.
It's not even unusual at my age.
I am not a young man anymore.
You have a young wife.
Now, that, I do.
What?
You didn't have to.
I know.
I need to do more for the people who are hurting in this city.
I know.
_
Happy birthday.
What?!
Uh, are you aware that Kevin is in our guest room?
- Yeah. - Okay.
Yeah. It's-it's been a day.
Happy birthday.
It is now.
Mom and Dad are gonna die one day.
Yeah.
And last but not least...
the very last car.
My personal favorite car, if I'm being honest.
What?
"Sometimes,
"they were switched around in different ways,
but the little red..."
Caboose.
sync and corrections by awaqeded www.addic7ed.com.