This Is Us -- A Trip Down Memory Lane
And a walk on the wild side...
It's Kevin's turn in the Big Three Trilogy as the question still looms who will be the mother of Kevin's son and possibly the great love of his life. The three timelines explored are when Rebecca was sick, the kids couldn't sleep and Jack was on his own to comfort them. Kevin returns with Sophie after they had gotten married. And the present.
Before the trilogy began, Kevin got a message from Sophie. He calls her back and learns her mother died, who he was very close to. He decides to go home to Pittsburgh and attend the funeral. Sophie sees him in the back of the church as she's giving the memorial for her mother and locks eyes with him.
He shows up outside her house with a bag of donuts asking if he can come in. She says no and comes out to see him. She asks him to get her out of there. He takes her to the place he says his childhood ended. It's the spot there were sleeping in the car together when Kate showed up and told him Jack was dead.
Earlier in the night they'd been watching Good Will Hunting at the movie theater when something went wrong and they didn't finish it. Kevin and Sophie admit they've never watched the end of the movie all of these years. They finally watch it together and he takes her back to the funeral.
He goes to visit her mother's grave and says he wishes he had another chance to win that emerald ring. Meanwhile, Sophie is home looking at the emerald ring and then looking at her engagement ring. Earlier she wondered how she can marry a man who didn't know her mother.
When Kevin and Sophie came home from New York after they got married, Kevin visited Sophie's mom who adored Kevin and the feeling seemed to be mutual. He asks if he can have the emerald ring Sophie wants. It's a family ring that belonged to a couple that had a great love. As much as Sophie's mom loves Kevin she won't give him the ring. She tries to be nice and says he and Sophie are so young, but it seems she doesn't believe Kevin and Sophie have a great love that will stand the test of time.
Further into the past, I'm guessing it wasn't long after Kevin, Randall and Kate were moved into Big Kid beds from their cribs, Kevin can't sleep and wants the mobile that used to hang over his crib. Jack looks everywhere for it until he finally has to wake-up Rebecca whose in bed sick. She tells Jack she gave it away, figuring Kevin was too old to need it any longer.
Jack goes back to Kevin and tells him the mobile is gone, then gives him a stuffed tiger to sleep with. He tells Kevin that used because you love one thing doesn't mean you can't love something else. Kevin falls alseep clutching the stuffed tiger.
Back in the present, Kevin is back in LA. He calls up Kate and can't get her. He says he's going to come over. He can't reach her so he leaves a message that he's going to come over and spend time with Baby Jack. Only when he gets there he comes face to face with Madison.
She's having as bad of a day as he is. Her latest boyfriend just dumped her like all the others have and she's spent the day cleaning up dog poop from Kate's dog. She's taking care of it while Kate is at a retreat with the baby.
Instead of ripping her apart like he did when she came to the hospital when Kate was in labor, Kevin says something to make her feel better. He tells her she shouldn't think of it as getting left by another boyfriend, but that she stays. He adds he always leaves and for once he wishes he' d stay and fight.
The next morning Kevin is lying naked in a strange bed and he creeps quietly from the bed making sure not to wake his companion. He calls Randall on the phone and Randall admits he's not doing good. Kevin suggests they meet up at the cabin. He looks like he's looking for an excuse to get out of his latest sexual misadventure. He calls up Kate at the retreat and she tells him she thinks her marriage is over. She agrees to meet him and Randall up at the cabin. Just then Kevin's bed partner rolls over and reveal her face. It's none other than Madison.
You could consider this the shot heard around the world. Both fans who want Kevin's wife to be Cassidy or Sophie went in huge spin mode. Kevin and Madison didn't have sex. They just were comforting each other with their clothes off. Others insist it isn't Madison in bed with Kevin, but it's Sophie. They're both horrified that Madison could be the mother of Kevin's son and won't believe it.
I've personally thought it was Madison since the finale when I saw the big house. I thought it was Madison's house that Kevin and Rebecca and Kevin's son was living in. I wondering when Kevin ripped Madison apart if they were going to put them together, because that's classic 101 romance writing when the person someone hates because their love.
Only time will tell what's going to happen. Will the showrunners cave to the fans demanding that Kevin end up with Sophie. Again, only time will tell.
Despite the denials of the Sophie fans the overall feel of this episode seemed to be about Kevin letting go of things from his childhood and finally having closure in his relationship with Sophie. They finally watched the end of the movie they were watching the night Jack died on the spot Kevin found out Jack was dead.
