Four Fathers
In the first few minutes of this episode, we see Toby struggling to keep up with the demands of work and his new wife. He’s exhausted and frustrated, but he knows that he can’t just give up on their relationship. Despite the challenges they’re facing, Toby and Kate are still in love and they want to make things work.
Kevin is another parent who is struggling with the current parental situation. He feels like he’s missing out on the twins’ development and his life is spiraling as a result of this. Even worse, at rehearsals for the Manny reboot his speech about being a parent hits a little too close to the bone. It also makes him realize how much he’s missing out on his kids’ life. When a video from Maddy arrives that night, depicting their daughter walking for the first time, Kevin rushes over. ..
When Kevin gets there, he quickly finds out that he’s not the only one with a lot on their plate. Madison has been struggling too, and she’s worried she’ll end up alone. It’s clear that Maddie has been juggling a lot and now Kevin finally sees some of this for himself.
Randal takes Deja out for driving lessons. A message from Malik comes in through the phone about the previous weekend and how nice their time together was. The thing is, she clearly lied to Randall about where she’s been and he’s seething.
Beth silently heads into Deja’s room, who’s very clearly mortified, and decides not to say anything. She can sense that Deja and Mallik are in love and decides to stay quiet for now.
Things between Toby and Kate took a turn for the worse that night. When Toby came bearing gifts for Jack, it messed up the meticulous routine Kate had made for him, and he missed his nap. Kate was not happy and that night, while they were due to go to Kate’s recital together, a big argument saw Kate eventually leave on her own. ..
She begins to understand the situation and realizes that things could be worse.
Jack’s decision to spend time with his kids on a weekend instead of with work means he misses out on some big moments in their lives.
While at the cinema, Kate chirps up and asks whether Jack is just going to live at work forever. It’s a heartbreaking moment but he shrugs it off and the gang take their seats. Unfortunately, Jack falls asleep and Kevin wanders off. ..
Thankfully, Kevin is found outside and Rebecca is there too. They reveal that they actually left a phone number on Kevin’s shoe in case something like this happened. For Jack, he’s upset and clearly embarrassed over what’s happened.
Kevin and Toby have a really nice chat about fatherhood. Kevin admits that he’s not happy with his current life and wanted a perfect, picturesque life like his parents did. There’s a really nice analogy here involving triangles being the strongest shape rather than squares; a metaphor to try and show that Kevin needs to be there for the twins and enjoy his time with them rather than trying to be there for everyone. As a divorced dad myself, it’s a really nice analogy.
Randall tells Deja that he’s not sure Mallik is going to be a problem, as she has always been a bit of an open book.
As the episode ends, we cut back to Jack one more time who receives a devastating call. His mother has just died.
The Episode Review
In my experience, the best way to manage work and spend quality time with my kids is to have a clear plan and stick to it. I try to make sure that I have at least one day a week where I can completely relax and just enjoy myself. This can be done by going for walks, reading, watching TV or taking a bath. If I can find ways to balance work and family life, it’s definitely easier for me to stay on top of things.
Parents should always try to keep quality time with their kids by doing things like going to the movies or buying them expensive gifts, but these activities are not necessary to make memories. All you need is to be there for your children and spend time together without distractions. ..
The episode is full of beautiful moments, but it’s also full of important revelations and questions that will have a big impact on the characters and the story. We see a lot of growth and development in these characters, and it’s great to see them explore their relationships in a deeper way.
This season has been a big step-up from season 5. The ending involving Jack’s mother dying feels like an ominous sign of things to come, especially as we know where this road leads with Rebecca.
This is Us continues to be one of the most popular shows on television, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. This week’s episode left things wide open for a follow-up, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.
