This Is Us: "Kyle" ( Recap + Analysis) SPOILERS!!!
Welcome back! We're already three episodes in, can you believe it?
She starts to tell Jack about William, but Jack cuts her off and assures her it's perfectly normal to have doubts about adopting. He tells her that they'll end up loving each of their children just the same.
In the present, we catch up with Kate and Toby following the party. Toby's lying on Kate's couch reeling from a hangover when suddenly he here's singing coming from the bathroom. It's Kate singing as she gets dressed. When she goes to open the bathroom door, we see Toby standing there, smiling with joy that is, until Kate screams and punches him in the face.
Cut to Kate's kitchen where, as a peace offering, Kate's made Toby breakfast. It's not quite what Toby was expecting; a health-conscious steel-cut oatmeal and egg-white pancake breakfast that Toby is eating because as he tells Kevin later:
While they're eating, Toby asks Kate if she's ever performed before:
"When I was really young," she says, telling him that Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" was her jam. Once she started gaining weight, however, she wanted to keep herself out of the spotlight.
Then, in walks Kevin, who following his decision last week to become a theater actor and move to New York City, declares that he's deadset on making that move a reality wanting to star in a "heavy drama." He also wants Kate, who we find out is his assistant, to move with him.
Toby looks none too pleased especially as Kate goes to great lengths to ensure that the hotel where Kevin will reside will meet his insane demands. Kate and Kevin's relationship is a very interesting one. On the one hand, they're twins so it makes sense that they'd share a special bond. On the other hand, they're incredibly reliant on one another.
At Randall's, we're faced with a new reality, Jack and Rebecca are no longer together, and Rebecca is now married to Jack's best friend, Miguel. Luckily, we get absolutely no answers about this new revelation because this episode has bigger fish to fry because Randall hasn't told Rebecca that William's staying with him.
As they watch Miguel and Rebecca greet the girls, Beth asks Randall what he's going to do:
Now's as good a time as any to delve into this mystery. In the past, Rebecca, still struggling to form a connection with Kyle and curious about William's situation goes to find him. She locates him in a small dilapidated apartment with hypodermic needles all over the place; however, he's also got a collection of literature, a typewriter, and even a trumpet laying around.
Despite what Rebecca walks into, William assures her that the baby was created as the result of love. They make pleasant conversation: William tells Rebecca about how he met his wife, and how they fell in love, and how he'd frequently read her poetry from his favorite poet. would frequently read her Rebecca tells him about Kyle. Their conversation is short-lived, though, as William is still reeling from the pain of losing his wife. As Rebecca goes to leave, William asks if he can check in on the baby from time to time; however, Rebecca shuts down that request immediately:
Back in the present, William's left to face the consequences of violating this deal. He's quick to assure her that he won't tell Randall about the deal they made. Rebecca, of course, is eager to keep it a secret for fear of confronting Randall with the fact that he could've known William sooner. Rebecca stands down but tells William this:
Later on, William, worried that what Rebecca said is true, decides to leave to avoid hurting Randall later, and of course, when Randall can't find William to take him to his doctor's appointment, he unsurprisingly drives around looking for him. When he eventually finds him, William has this to say:
Back at Kate's, Toby picks her up masquerading as a chauffeur/paparazzo combo, with a camera in hand and a red carpet laid out on the sidewalk with the full intent of giving her "one day where you're the star." With that, they're off to Kate's first gig at an elderly care center. Toby's booked her the prime slot "[...] Right after Jello but before their nap." Although Kate is adamantly against the idea, Toby tells her:
Inside the care center, Kate takes center stage singing to an instrumental version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Although she starts unable to sing above a whisper, with encouragement from Toby, her confidence grows, and she gives a stellar performance!
Immediately following her performance, we cut to Kate and Toby getting intimate in a maintenance closet. However, their moment is cut short as Kate's phone rings, it's Kevin again, and this time, she answers.
Unfortunately, Kevin's gotten himself into a bit of trouble. Kevin, feeling overwhelmed with the move, invited over a crazy ex-girlfriend. Once he told her he was moving to New York, she started to trash his place. Now, he's locked in his closet and needs Kate to rescue him. Kate, without hesitation, says she'll be right there. When she gets off the phone, Toby's ready to give her an earful. Of course, Kate defends herself and says that because they're twins, she and Kevin share a unique and unbreakable bond.
Toby is unmoved and tells her:
She arrives at Kevin's apartment and sadly, we don't get to see the showdown between Kate and "Insane Elaine". Kate goes to find Kevin, who's still trapped in his closet but has treated himself to the closet mini-bar. They get to talking, and Kevin confesses that he's still worried about whether or not he has what it takes to be a theater actor. Kate convinces him that he does and then proceeds to recount her fight with Toby.
Nevertheless that night, Kate calls Toby over to offer an apology, which once she busts out a condom, he's happy to accept. From there, they head into the bedroom as Kate's phone rings, it's Kevin calling to let her know he's booked a red-eye to New York ready to jump into this new chapter! A while later, he's up in the air and hits some turbulence. Miles away, Kate jolts awake, and Toby asks if everything is okay to which Kate replies that yes, Kevin is just fine!
Unfortunately, all is not well in New Jersey, as it turns out William did indeed get a proper diagnosis, and there's not much that can be done. Later that night, Randall gives Beth the bad news.
Sometime later, Randall knocks on William's bedroom door and tells him that he's not giving up just yet. He also tells him that he wants the girls to know who William is to which William seems touched and happily agrees. From there, the conversation seems like it's over, but Randall hesitates to leave. He then walks into the room and closes the door before asking William how he met Randall's biological mother. William smiles and motions for Randall to sit down on the bed, and begins to tell him the story.
In the past, Rebecca comes home. It's late, Jack is probably asleep, and she walks over to Kyle's bassinet picks him up, rocks him, and then lifts the side of her shirt, and he finally breastfeeds. She smiles, and then says, "Hi Randall."
That's it for this week! What did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog and follow me on FB @TheTelevisionZone and Twitter @TelevisionZone. Remember you can follow along on this journey by watching This Is Us on the NBC website. See ya next week!
The episode starts off following a young William played here by Jermel Nakia, as he gets on a city bus, carrying a handbag with a notebook inside; he's either a poet or a songwriter. As he finds a seat, he makes eye contact with a woman and smiles. From there, a relationship blossoms but slowly takes a turn as they both turn to drugs. Before you know it, she's gone, and William is left to ride the bus with the baby she just left behind. William, heartbroken and unsure of what to do, decides to leave the baby on the steps of a fire station, and well, we know what happens from there. Unlike the explanation Wiliam gives to Randall in the pilot, he seems very much cognizant of the choice he's making. It's a testament to Jermel Nakia's performance that I thought he was Ron Cephas Jr. in really good make-up. He's quiet and unassuming like "Future William" and humanizes him.
Back at the hospital, Jack and Rebecca are standing over their children's bassinets; Rebecca has a solemn look on her face. In walks Dr. Katowski, who declares that the scariest part isn't having the baby, it's taking them home. Rebecca then reminds him that it's not just one baby, it's three: Kate, Kevin, and Kyle! They'd come up with these names before losing the third baby but weren't going to let that change their plans.
As they're leaving the hospital, and Jack goes to get the car, Rebecca spots William staring at her from across the street. She calls out to him, but he turns and gets on a bus. We then cut to a montage of Jack and Rebecca in the days following as they juggle diaper changes, feeding, and burping. Perhaps the biggest challenge is personal as Rebecca struggles to bond with Kyle. He's not breastfeeding, and Rebecca suggests to Jack that they start him on baby formula. When Jack tells her they have to treat the babies the same, Rebecca responds:
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Back at the hospital, Jack and Rebecca are standing over their children's bassinets; Rebecca has a solemn look on her face. In walks Dr. Katowski, who declares that the scariest part isn't having the baby, it's taking them home. Rebecca then reminds him that it's not just one baby, it's three: Kate, Kevin, and Kyle! They'd come up with these names before losing the third baby but weren't going to let that change their plans.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
As they're leaving the hospital, and Jack goes to get the car, Rebecca spots William staring at her from across the street. She calls out to him, but he turns and gets on a bus. We then cut to a montage of Jack and Rebecca in the days following as they juggle diaper changes, feeding, and burping. Perhaps the biggest challenge is personal as Rebecca struggles to bond with Kyle. He's not breastfeeding, and Rebecca suggests to Jack that they start him on baby formula. When Jack tells her they have to treat the babies the same, Rebecca responds:
"He's not the same. [...] He's just...He's not. I grew the other two inside of me inside of me, and he feels like a stranger."
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| Courtesy of NBC |
She starts to tell Jack about William, but Jack cuts her off and assures her it's perfectly normal to have doubts about adopting. He tells her that they'll end up loving each of their children just the same.
In the present, we catch up with Kate and Toby following the party. Toby's lying on Kate's couch reeling from a hangover when suddenly he here's singing coming from the bathroom. It's Kate singing as she gets dressed. When she goes to open the bathroom door, we see Toby standing there, smiling with joy that is, until Kate screams and punches him in the face.
Cut to Kate's kitchen where, as a peace offering, Kate's made Toby breakfast. It's not quite what Toby was expecting; a health-conscious steel-cut oatmeal and egg-white pancake breakfast that Toby is eating because as he tells Kevin later:
While they're eating, Toby asks Kate if she's ever performed before:
"When I was really young," she says, telling him that Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" was her jam. Once she started gaining weight, however, she wanted to keep herself out of the spotlight.
Then, in walks Kevin, who following his decision last week to become a theater actor and move to New York City, declares that he's deadset on making that move a reality wanting to star in a "heavy drama." He also wants Kate, who we find out is his assistant, to move with him.
Toby looks none too pleased especially as Kate goes to great lengths to ensure that the hotel where Kevin will reside will meet his insane demands. Kate and Kevin's relationship is a very interesting one. On the one hand, they're twins so it makes sense that they'd share a special bond. On the other hand, they're incredibly reliant on one another.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
At Randall's, we're faced with a new reality, Jack and Rebecca are no longer together, and Rebecca is now married to Jack's best friend, Miguel. Luckily, we get absolutely no answers about this new revelation because this episode has bigger fish to fry because Randall hasn't told Rebecca that William's staying with him.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
As they watch Miguel and Rebecca greet the girls, Beth asks Randall what he's going to do:
"I'm gonna put on a fake-ass smile. I'm gonna ask to speak to my mother privately. And then I'm gonna tell her something that's gonna completely and utterly devastate her."Which he does, calling her into the kitchen to break the news. At first, she seems very lost in thought. However, when Randall assures her that finding William had nothing to do with his upbringing and that he knows Jack and Rebecca would've found him if they could've, Rebecca snaps out of her funk to ask where he is. After Randall mentions that he's staying in Annie's room, Rebecca gets up from her seat and heads upstairs, where she barges into Annie's room where William is sitting on Annie's bed. As Randall walks in behind her, Rebecca asks him for a moment alone with William. Once the door closes, Rebecca turns back to William with a disdainful look on her face. He hesitates for a moment before saying, "You look well."
Now's as good a time as any to delve into this mystery. In the past, Rebecca, still struggling to form a connection with Kyle and curious about William's situation goes to find him. She locates him in a small dilapidated apartment with hypodermic needles all over the place; however, he's also got a collection of literature, a typewriter, and even a trumpet laying around.
Despite what Rebecca walks into, William assures her that the baby was created as the result of love. They make pleasant conversation: William tells Rebecca about how he met his wife, and how they fell in love, and how he'd frequently read her poetry from his favorite poet. would frequently read her Rebecca tells him about Kyle. Their conversation is short-lived, though, as William is still reeling from the pain of losing his wife. As Rebecca goes to leave, William asks if he can check in on the baby from time to time; however, Rebecca shuts down that request immediately:
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| Courtesy of NBC |
"I-I [..] need to know...I need to know that you're not gonna come back for him. I need to know that I can move forward. Because he will have your blood and the blanket you wrapped him up in, but that's it."William, although hurt, agrees. Rebecca makes her way to the door, and then turns around and confesses to William that she's not bonding with Kyle to which he suggests that she give the baby its own name. In an act of goodwill, Rebecca asks William the name of his favorite poet. He goes to his bookshelf and then hands Rebecca a book of poetry by a poet named Dudley Randall. With that, Rebecca leaves. This is a heartbreaking scene. William's dealing with the pain of losing the love of his life and losing the child that was born from that love. He's left with nothing but a broken heart and broken dreams and the needles that pierced them both. Yet, of course, Rebecca's made the right choice. William is in no condition to be a part of her child's life.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Back in the present, William's left to face the consequences of violating this deal. He's quick to assure her that he won't tell Randall about the deal they made. Rebecca, of course, is eager to keep it a secret for fear of confronting Randall with the fact that he could've known William sooner. Rebecca stands down but tells William this:
"[...] My son, who I raised, is gonna put everything he has into trying to save you, because that's who he is. It's gonna come in front of his job, in front of his marriage, and in front of his time with his kids. So you better damn well be worth that."
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Later on, William, worried that what Rebecca said is true, decides to leave to avoid hurting Randall later, and of course, when Randall can't find William to take him to his doctor's appointment, he unsurprisingly drives around looking for him. When he eventually finds him, William has this to say:
"I knew if I told you I was leaving, you'd try and stop me like you are right now. You'd try and stop me 'cause you were raised to be a good man. But I wasn't the one who raised you that way, Randall."However, Randall is having none of it telling him that he's not going to let him go without getting a thorough checkup; William had gotten his diagnosis at a homeless shelter. This is now the second time that the show has referred to Randall's compulsive need to be perfect. We start to see a bit of it in the fact that Randall refuses to let William leave, and later when he refuses to accept the news William receives. Like Kate, this is an issue that stems from childhood and, like Kate, I fear where this might lead Randall.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Back at Kate's, Toby picks her up masquerading as a chauffeur/paparazzo combo, with a camera in hand and a red carpet laid out on the sidewalk with the full intent of giving her "one day where you're the star." With that, they're off to Kate's first gig at an elderly care center. Toby's booked her the prime slot "[...] Right after Jello but before their nap." Although Kate is adamantly against the idea, Toby tells her:
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| Courtesy of NBC |
With that somewhat twisted reassurance, Kate and Toby head inside. Meanwhile, Kate's missing phone calls from Kevin, who's overwhelmed with the move.
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| Courtesy of NBC |
Inside the care center, Kate takes center stage singing to an instrumental version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Although she starts unable to sing above a whisper, with encouragement from Toby, her confidence grows, and she gives a stellar performance!
 |
| Courtesy of NBC |
Immediately following her performance, we cut to Kate and Toby getting intimate in a maintenance closet. However, their moment is cut short as Kate's phone rings, it's Kevin again, and this time, she answers.
Unfortunately, Kevin's gotten himself into a bit of trouble. Kevin, feeling overwhelmed with the move, invited over a crazy ex-girlfriend. Once he told her he was moving to New York, she started to trash his place. Now, he's locked in his closet and needs Kate to rescue him. Kate, without hesitation, says she'll be right there. When she gets off the phone, Toby's ready to give her an earful. Of course, Kate defends herself and says that because they're twins, she and Kevin share a unique and unbreakable bond.
"[...] We're not regular people. When I was a kid, broke my arm and he cried out in pain ten miles away, right?" We're that connected."
Toby is unmoved and tells her:
"Kate, I'm not some nutjob who performs grand gestures for every girl that I go on a few dates with. I like you, Kate. I like you a lot. But I can't...I can't play second banana to your brother."Unfortunately, Kate says that he and everybody else has to and then leaves.
She arrives at Kevin's apartment and sadly, we don't get to see the showdown between Kate and "Insane Elaine". Kate goes to find Kevin, who's still trapped in his closet but has treated himself to the closet mini-bar. They get to talking, and Kevin confesses that he's still worried about whether or not he has what it takes to be a theater actor. Kate convinces him that he does and then proceeds to recount her fight with Toby.
"Wait a minute, I called at that very moment and you actually answered the phone?" He asks her."When she says yes, Kevin's face drops, and in what seems to be a moment of clarity, he fires her.
"You're the personal assistant to your brother, all right? A brother who locks himself in his master bedroom closet. A master bedroom closet that happens to have a mini-bar in it. Maybe it's time we go at it alone for a while, you know? [...] You know, maybe we need to grow up a bit."I enjoyed this interaction between Kate and Kevin, but it comes right after a scene where Kate's being ridiculously immature and the episode doesn't seem to notice. She's so reliant on her brother because she's felt so bad about herself for so long, and Kevin's always been there for her; however, it's her immaturity that keeps her from moving forward. Yet, in the maintenance closet scene, it seems like we're supposed to think that Toby's being unreasonable.
Nevertheless that night, Kate calls Toby over to offer an apology, which once she busts out a condom, he's happy to accept. From there, they head into the bedroom as Kate's phone rings, it's Kevin calling to let her know he's booked a red-eye to New York ready to jump into this new chapter! A while later, he's up in the air and hits some turbulence. Miles away, Kate jolts awake, and Toby asks if everything is okay to which Kate replies that yes, Kevin is just fine!
Unfortunately, all is not well in New Jersey, as it turns out William did indeed get a proper diagnosis, and there's not much that can be done. Later that night, Randall gives Beth the bad news.
"[...] I don't know what I expected. Yes, I do. I expected to find a father who wasn't so damn sick."He laments that he wishes he'd found him sooner so his children could've had a grandfather but that now they're left to "fall in love with him" while watching him die. To this, Beth wonders out loud whether Randall is really worried about the girls or himself:
"He's been here a week, baby. And you don't know any more about him then you did the first time he walked through that door. I don't know what you were looking for with all this, or even if you do, but I do know you don't have a whole lot of time."
Sometime later, Randall knocks on William's bedroom door and tells him that he's not giving up just yet. He also tells him that he wants the girls to know who William is to which William seems touched and happily agrees. From there, the conversation seems like it's over, but Randall hesitates to leave. He then walks into the room and closes the door before asking William how he met Randall's biological mother. William smiles and motions for Randall to sit down on the bed, and begins to tell him the story.
In the past, Rebecca comes home. It's late, Jack is probably asleep, and she walks over to Kyle's bassinet picks him up, rocks him, and then lifts the side of her shirt, and he finally breastfeeds. She smiles, and then says, "Hi Randall."
That's it for this week! What did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog and follow me on FB @TheTelevisionZone and Twitter @TelevisionZone. Remember you can follow along on this journey by watching This Is Us on the NBC website. See ya next week!
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