We pick up with Jack and Rebecca eight years after the births of Kate, Kevin, and Randall, played here by Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Parker Bates, and Lonnie Chavis. It's a school day, and Rebecca is making the kids' lunches.
"'Webster' told me to shut up!" Kevin says as the kids walk into the kitchen. By "Webster", he means Randall and is referencing the classic 80's sitcom of the same name, about a well-to-do white couple that adopts an African American child. Lately, all the kids at school have been calling him "Webster," including Kevin.
"Randall is your little brother; you have to have his back," Rebecca tells him as Kate walks in. On her side of the table, she sees a bowl of fruit; the boys are having cereal. She pleads with her mom to no avail as Jack enters.
Then in walks Jack. From their first interaction, it's clear that Jack and Rebecca's marriage is struggling and at first, it's unclear why because his relationship with his kids seems great.
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| Courtesy of NBC/Tenor |
However, Rebecca seems distant. We soon find out why as in the next scene, it's 5:00 p.m. and Jack's out for drinks with his best friend Miguel played by John Huertas ("Castle"). Here, Jack vents about how Rebecca's dealing with the teasing Randall endures:
"I don't know. I don't know, Miguel, it's just...It's hard to see the woman I married sometimes, you know?"
Although hesitant to butt into his buddy's marriage, Miguel delivers some much needed "tough-love: "
"Your wife is, like, the gold standard of wives. She's smart, funny, beautiful [...]. She's raising not one, not two, but three eight-year-olds while you sit here drinking not one, not two, but soon to be three bourbons by 5:05. [...] You married way, way, above your station. I'd be careful not to give her a reason to notice."
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| Courtesy of NBC |
What's interesting to me is that the Jack we're seeing in this episode is in stark contrast to the one we're introduced to in the pilot. Sure this is eight years later, and life's more challenging now; however, it seems like Jack has too easily passed Rebecca the sour lemons in favor of the more tasty bourbon.
When he gets home, a gift in hand, he's got to answer for his choices. Rebecca asks Jack to rate their parenting on a scale of one to ten. Before he can answer, she says she aims to be at a nine and believes she's there, but collectively, she believes they're operating at a seven:
"The thing is, I feel like I'm there, Jack. I feel like I'm operating at a nine because I do individualized lunches and I do individualized tuck-ins for each kid so nobody feels gypped. When you're home and you're you, you're way better than I am. When you're you, you're a 10, Jack."
With that, she demands that he "be a man" and fix his drinking problem. What I love about this scene is that Rebecca's not the typical "good-wife" archetype. She can make the kids lunches and tuck them into bed, but she's not a "June Cleaver." She's willing to stick up for herself and is willing to do anything to protect her family and marriage. To Jack's credit, he understands and respects her for that.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
In the present, Kate and Toby are going strong and working out together! Though their relationship is great, Kate is aggravated that Toby is losing weight while she isn't. In this episode, we begin to see how the past affects "The Big Three's" present. In Kate's case, we see that her weight has always been a struggle. She's always stood out, watching the ones she loves not have to face the same struggle even though in Randall's case, that's not exactly true.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
At Randall's house, in New Jersey, it's been three days since he invited William to stay with his family, which consists of his wife Beth and their daughters Tess and Annie. Beth is hesitant to allow William to continue to stay with them. For starters, she doesn't believe having him around is good for their girls, given that he's a former addict. Second, she doesn't believe he is a "former" drug-addict. Her suspicions are seemingly confirmed when William asks Randall for bus money and then doesn't return home for several hours. Randall assures her that before they turn William away, he just needs to get him to a doctor.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
In Los Angeles, Kevin's excited to re-imagine his career after quitting "The Manny" and sets up a meeting with his management team, headed up by his agent Lanie played by Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anarchy"). After Lanie gives him an ego-check, calling him "the least funny person on the planet", he's informed that he's contractually obligated to appear on "The Manny" for another two years.
"[...] The network owns you. They can sue you for damages. They could bankrupt you. And even if someone slipped a chill pill into their collective drink, you would still be legally unable to work for the next two years."
He's given no other option, but to apologize to the head of the network at an industry party Lanie's hosting. Kevin, feeling less than enthusiastic about this task, later asks Kate for advice who says:
"You're gonna go to that party, and you're gonna march up to that network guy, and you're gonna tell him, 'Manny out!'"
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Of course, Kevin insists that Kate accompany him. At first, Kate refuses, believing that she doesn't have the body-type to attend an extravagant Hollywood party. It's only after the frustration of her weight-loss journey leads to her going ballistic at one of her support group meetings that Toby tells her if they're going to work, their relationship can't be all about the weight loss.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Back at Randall's, later that night, Beth decides it's time to have a conversation with William where we learn that eight years ago, Randall had an anxiety attack while dealing with the stress of becoming a father, vying for partner at his firm, and renovating a house they couldn't afford:
"Randall is not free of vice, William. His vice is his goodness. It's his compulsive drive to be perfect."
She then proceeds to ask William where he goes every day. William cuts in, letting her know that if he's overstaying his welcome, she should just let him know. She starts to, but Randall walks in and asks her what's going on. Beth, again, starts to speak, explaining that someone has to ask William the hard questions when William interjects to tell them that he's got a cat. He takes a bus ride for three hours each way every day to go feed it. He says he didn't mention it because he knew they'd tell him to bring it too, and he didn't want to cause any more trouble. With that, Beth's concerns are washed away for now.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Back in L.A., Kevin, Kate, and Toby head to Lanie's party where Kevin is prepared to tell off the network executive. However, things don't go as planned when the head of the network, Wes Manning played by Brad Garrett ("Single Parents") commends Kevin for his honesty but lets him know that the network has no plans to recast him.
"I really don't care what happens behind the scenes on my third-rated sitcom. You know what I do care about? St. Maarten, Kevin. I'm building a home in St. Maarten and in two years I'm going to retire, and my favorite wife and I are going to move there. Until then, I plan on just drifting through these two years, as painlessly and drama-free, as possible."
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| Courtesy of NBC |
He tells him to get with the program or kiss his career goodbye. Kevin, who's feeling defeated, goes to find Kate. Kate, meanwhile, has found herself as the object of public ridicule as Toby and she dances. To deal with it, she's begun drowning her sorrows in alcohol. As Kevin stands on the rooftop of Lanie's apartment building, we get a flashback to when "The Big Three" were eight years old. Upon getting off the school bus, the other kids immediately begin calling Randall "Webster." When Kevin's friends tell him to ditch Randall, he does, leaving Randall hurt.
On the rooftop, Kevin calls Randall. As a testament to their current relationship, we find out that Kevin hadn't even bothered to call Randall about his "Manny Melt-down" but that Kate's "kept him up to speed." Feeling desperate, Kevin asks Randall for advice to which Randall asks Kevin why he cares what he thinks to which Kevin responds "Because I care what everyone thinks, man. You know that."
From there, he admits that he wasn't a very good brother to Randall to which Randall agrees but assures him, "You've still got time." Kevin is unsure how to respond but is interrupted by an inebriated Kate and Toby. He tells Randall that he has to go "sell my soul to the network, like the whore that I am." Randall, sensing that Kevin's embarrassed by his past behavior, but in need of some encouragement forces Kevin to recite "The Big Three Chant." He then tells him that "Mom and Dad didn't raise no whores." From there, Kevin goes to tell off Mr. Manning. We're left with Toby and Kate on the rooftop as they're looking out at the skyline. Kate tells Toby that she's always going to worry about her weight. He says he knows, and they share a kiss. Kevin returns to tell them that Wes and Lanie said "a lot of mean and scary things" but that he's moving to New York to do theater.
"The Big Three" are all dealing with their inner struggles Kate's weight, Kevin's uncertain career prospects, and Randall's need to be perfect. They're all searching for perfection while believing the others have found it.
Back in 1988, Rebecca wakes up to find Jack sleeping outside their bedroom door. She sits down next to him, and he tells her that he never knew what he wanted to be until he was 28-years-old when he met her. He says that from the moment he knew he wanted to be the man that made her happy. He promises to stop drinking and vows that he'll be a 12 for her; he says he'll be an 11 for the kids. With that, they kiss, and he gives her her gift; a heart-shaped necklace, and then they're interrupted by the kids who jump on top of them, and they all embrace.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Then, we jump back to Randall and Beth's house one more time as Annie comes to tell them that grandma and grandpa are here. It's an exciting moment because so far we haven't seen the "Future" Ma and Pa Pearson. Randall doesn't seem too thrilled about their arrival though, and we soon find out why as in walks Grandma Rebecca and Grandpa......MIGUEL! Holy smokes, Dan Fogelman has some 'splainin' to do'!
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| Courtesy of NBC |
What did you think of "The Big Three"? Let me know in the comments! If you'd like, subscribe to the blog, so you can get email updates when a new post goes live. If you do that, you might as well "Like" the blog on FB @TheTelevisionZone and follow me on Twitter @TelevisionZone. I'll see ya next week!
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