The Big Three take a road trip to the family cabin where sex, drugs and nostalgia make it a day to remember.
SPOILER ALERT!
Randall is seething about Rebecca’s betrayal (recap in a recap: he found out his mother kept his biological father away from him all these years). He makes a list of all the reasons he’s mad at his mom and plots to read it out to her, but Kate comes up with a better suggestion: the Big Three should take a trip to the family cabin and hang out there one last time before Rebecca sells the place.
Kate assumes it’ll just be the siblings and in between trying to make Randall feel better and trying to forget about Toby she’s forced to deal with Olivia after Kevin invites her to the cabin. Olivia in turn has invited her playwright friend Sloane, and her sort-of-ex-boyfriend Asher. Kate’s not happy because she thinks they’re pretentious and fake and can’t understand why Kevin is falling for Olivia. She confronts the actress and tells her to stop taking advantage of her brother, but Olivia contends that Kate’s just jealous of Kevin and that she’s afraid she’ll never be able to change herself. Kate is incensed.
Deep down Kate knows she’s afraid of getting gastric bypass surgery and she’s also not over her breakup with Toby. She calls him up and, for a minute it seems like things are back to how it used to be, joking and banter, but Toby abruptly ends the call after clarifying that he can’t be her person anymore- not when they’re still broken up. Feeling like something’s got to give she makes it clear that she needs her brothers to help her get through whatever she’s going through right now.
Randall accidentally ingests shrooms (courtesy of obnoxious Asher) and gets so high, he starts hallucinating about his father and starts hashing out his issues: He breaks down about how he always felt unwanted and Hallucination Jack comforts him: “The moment I saw you, I knew you were my boy. You weren't a choice, Randall, you were a fact. You were never a replacement, son.” He tells Randall that they can’t change the fact that Rebecca lied so it’s up to him to decide what to do from here. Jack has him explore a side of Rebecca that she hid from them all: one where she was afraid of screwing up her kids and screwing up her marriage and where she had to hide her own pain and loneliness. As Jack says, “She always made sure we were all safe.”
In the past, young Randall starts asking about his biological parents. Yvette tells the Pearsons that Randall’s been making up stories about who his father could be: a cook, a mailman and even a basketball player. She suggests that Randall might need strong black male role models and tells Jack about a martial arts place that could give Randall that. Determined to help his son fill the void he’s been feeling, Jack takes Randall to the dojo to start classes.
But while Jack is doing the most for Randall, Rebecca remains agitated about all the talk around his parents. It’s been years since she last saw William and she decides to pay him a visit. They chat about what a sweet boy Randall is and how William’s been clean for the past five years. When Rebecca mentions that he’s been asking about his father, young William is enthusiastic about meeting his son. He asks Rebecca to bring him by anytime and gets up to show her something, but when he turns around she’s gone. Later, she sends him a letter with apologies about why he can’t meet his son, expressing that Randall has an extraordinary father who gives him everything he needs. Rebecca is adamant that she and Jack should be enough for Randall. She tearfully tells Jack that she never wants to lose her son.
In the past, Randall goes through initiation at the dojo. The sensei tells Randall that the people in the room are his community and tells Jack that as Randall’s father he’s Randall’s foundation. Then, he makes Jack do push ups while Randall sits on his back, a practice that signifies how Jack is meant to carry his son through life and make him a stronger man.
Though he’s trying to be nonchalant, Kevin is obviously bothered by Olivia’s dismissive attitude towards him and Kate as well as the inappropriate closeness she has with her ex. When he finally has enough he lets Olivia have it: he knows that she’s afraid because the spark between them is so real and she’s probably never experienced anything that sincere before. After some thought he comes to a conclusion about her, “You attaching yourself to something that's not... a calculated act is just too much for your empty human shell to handle. I feel sorry for you.” Hurt by the accuracy of his words, Olivia abruptly leaves in a huff. She’s so mad she forgets her friend Sloane behind and the playwright somehow ends up in bed with Kevin.
In the present, the Big Three stop by their mother’s house. Randall tells Rebecca that keeping the secret for 36 years must have been lonely. He doesn’t completely forgive her yet but he understands and he’ll see her at Christmas.
This is Us Season 1 Episode 10 airs on Monday 31 July at 19:30. It’s Christmas time and, in the past, the Pearsons are spending the holiday in the hospital after little Kate comes down with appendicitis.
Learn more about This Is Us Season 1 here.
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