This Is Us -- Thanksgiving
But Randall isn't feeling very thankful...
Last week, Kevin and Randall spent the night on the town and seemed to end up closer after some harsh words to each other. Beth learned Rebecca knew where William was all the time while Randall was growing up. And Kate fell off the food wagon after seeing Toby binging on sweets. In the past things reached a critical mass between Kevin and Randall. Jack's secretary seemed a little too attentive to him, while Rebecca's fellow band member seemed to be giving her the eye.
It's Thanksgiving Day in the past and the present. A younger Randall and Kevin are playing roughly. Kate hates the sweater her grandma knitted her and Rebecca is making her wear. Randall complains the grandparents only want to take a picture of Kevin and Kate. Kevin runs into Rebecca and she drops her cranberry sauce she was freaking out making to impress her mother.
The fat group talking about their weakness around Thanksgiving. Kate's ears perk-up when a lady talks about her gastric bypass and how she's already lost 30 pounds. Kate decides Toby shouldn't come to New York with her for Thanksgiving and they should take a break. That she's been dreading their date. She says can't be around him now he's not dieting.
Kevin invites Olivia, the obnoxious actress, to dinner at Randall's.
Randall wakes up at 6:30 like a kid of Christmas morning. Beth goes back to sleep after Randall wakes her up. Randall tries to wake the girls up and William up next. He jumps on Kevin to wake him up last.
Randall teases Kevin about bringing Olivia. William having a bad morning because of his illness.
Miguel and Rebecca arrive at Randall's. Beth corners Rebecca for dodging her calls. Beth demands Rebecca tell Randall about William or she will. She gives her to the end of the dinner to do it.
In the past, Jack's car tire blows out as he and the family head to Rebecca's parents for Thanksgiving dinner. Kevin not very nice to Miguel who tries to be nice to him. It’s obvious he’s not thrilled that the man who was his father’s best friend is now his stepdaddy.
The family goes on a hike in the present. It’s all part of the Thanksgiving tradition that began with the Thanksgiving taking place in the past.
Olivia tells Kevin her father was cheating on her mother and it would ruin Thanksgiving for them. She still hates the holiday.
Jack suggests the family walk to the grandparents place. That’s where the hike in the woods became part of Randall’s Thanksgiving tradition.
Kate on the plane heading to Randall's. She's going to be late. She sits next to a skinny blonde who gives her the stank face and she has to buy two seats for herself.
On the walk the kids say they hate Thanksgiving because of their grandparents and because Rebecca is mean when she's with them. Major burn to the woman who feels she’s a 9 as a mother.
Randall leaves to go and get Williams tapes he listens to every Thanksgiving. Miguel tells Kevin he wants to wear the hat that Jack used to wear but Kevin refuses to let him, saying he and Randall wear it and it's his turn to wear it.
Well, we know Kevin don't like Stepdaddy daddy's BFF Miguel. It all came out now. And when we learn what the hat signifies we see what a little toad Miguel truly is. He has no business asking to wear that hat, when it’s a tradition Jack started. This backstabber really wants to take his dead BFF’s place, doesn’t he?
Olivia walks out on Kevin saying she can't be what he wants her to be. I don’t think he asked her to be anything. Talk about jumping to conclusions.
The family makes it to a garage for Thanksgiving but can't get a tow truck for their car. Rebecca gets into a fight with her mother on the phone and Rebecca says they’re not coming for Thanksgiving anymore. Jack is thrilled.
Olivia asks William how it feels to be dying. He says he tries to catch all the memories around him. He tells her to stop playing it cool and catch the moments of her life before she's old. Williams words convince Olivia to come back in to Kevin and she kisses him and thanks him for the pie. Kevin looks at her like she's nuts. Not sure I bought William’s declaration that Kevin adores her.
Jack and Rebecca and the kids rent a hotel from a strange man who calls himself Pilgrim Rick. The room they get is sweltering. And they don't have much food.
Randall goes to Williams place to find his old tapes and discovers a letter there. Let me guess. That's how Randall will find out the truth.
There's trouble on the plane Kate is coming in on. She ends up holding the blonde's hand during the crisis. The woman says she's going to get a divorce, because life is too short. This turns into an a-ha moment for Kate, as well, as she also makes a life-changing decision.
Jack comes dressed as Pilgrim Rick. He makes the kids laugh. And Rebecca, too. Jack brings a movie and has them roast hot dogs. The same traditions Randall is still doing with his own family.
When Kevin starts acting like Pilgrim Rick, he feels bad for Miguel and lets him do it, instead. This slug shouldn’t have asked. That’s something Jack’s family did and he had nothing to do with that. I wonder if Jack ever realized how much this slug wanted everything he had and now has it now he’s dead. What a creep.
Randall enters and it's obvious he knows.
Everyone takes their seats at the Thanksgiving table.
In the past the family says what they're thankful for as they unravel Kate's scratchy sweater. In the present when the ball of yarn is tossed to Randall he lets it drop and confronts Rebecca about there being a photo of Randall in a letter she sent to William's apartment. Then he reads the letter she wrote to William.
Randall can't get past her keeping his father from him for his entire life. He brings up all the times he asked her about his parents. Randall says he needs to get away. Enter Kate who announces she's going to have gastric bypass surgery. Real bad timing, Kate.
