Happy birthday to the Big Three! Season two begins as they celebrate their 37th birthday. When the show premiered last year, the Pearson kids and their father were celebrating their 36th birthday. What a way to bring the show full circle. On their birthdays, Randall’s thinking about adopting a kid, Kevin’s filming a movie, and Kate’s prepping for an audition.
In the wake of her fight with Jack, Rebecca goes to pick up her kids. Kate immediately asks where her dad is, and Rebecca swears she’ll explain everything soon. She brings the kids to a restaurant to meet Jack. They want to be honest about what’s going on. Kevin and his siblings wonder if their parents are getting a divorce. Jack and Rebecca deny that’s happening. They just want to take a couple of days to decompress. Right away, Kate says she wants to go with Jack. She storms off, and Kevin and Randall soon follow. Jack, forever the optimist, tells Rebecca the kids will be fine. Rebecca is not ready to forgive and move on. She walks aways and tells Jack that they’ll “talk soon.”
Jack goes to Miguel’s place and vents about what went down with Rebecca. Even though Rebecca is disappointed in him, Jack keeps on believing tat Rebecca will call soon. Find yourself a man who has as much hope as Jack Pearson. He refuses to let Miguel put sheets on the couch for him to sleep on. Sheets are for long term stays, Jack says. While Jack waits for her to call, Rebecca takes the kids to a movie. Randall’s been holding back something huge. The night of Jack and Rebecca’s fight, Randall walked home to find them fighting. As much as Jack and Rebecca want their kids to believe the fight wasn’t that bad, Randall knows the truth. Later, Jack goes to a restaurant to try and get Rebecca a solo gig. He can’t just sit around and wait for Rebecca to call. He’s always been a man of action.
Meant To Be
Randall’s got baby fever. He’s ready to adopt a child. However, Beth is not exactly thrilled about the situation. She feels like this might be something Randall is plunging full force into without thinking about all the consequences. She also thinks he’s trying too hard to replicate what happened to him. He’s ready to take this leap; she is far from it.
Randall goes to see his mother to ask about his own adoption. Rebecca reveals the truth about what happened that day. She’s painted the perfect picture for Randall all these years, but there’s so much more to the story. Jack was the once to convince Rebecca to adopt Randall. Rebecca tells Randall that she actually said no to adopting him at first, but Jack was persistent. “He was determined that you were meant to be,” Rebecca says. She openly admits that no marriage and no man is perfect, but what she had with Jack was a once in a lifetime love. “He pushed a stranger on me and that stranger became my child and that child became my life,” Rebecca continues. “He became you.”
Beth remembers a conversation she had with William before he died. Randall brought home William without asking her, but that ended up being a blessing. Randall acts in haste just like his father. Randall totally understands where Beth is coming from with her hesitation regarding the adoption. He’s willing to adjust his plan for her because that’s what they do. Beth offers up the idea that they take an older kid, someone who never had the life Randall was blessed with from the beginning.
Kate goes to her audition and starts to feel insecure when she catches a glimpse at all size 2 singers. She gets up and walks out. She meets up with Toby and Kevin later for dinner. Kate’s already told Kevin about leaving the audition, and Toby is pissed. “I’m supposed to be her person, not you,” Toby says to Kevin. “You’re not her father.” Kevin stresses that he’s been taking care of Kate for a really long time. Kate walks up to both of them and tells them off. She doesn’t need to be coddled by ANY man. Kate goes back to the audition and follows through. She starts to sing but is cut off. She believes she’s being dismissed because of her size. “I don’t care what size you are,” the guy tells Kate. “You’re not good enough.” Kate vows to get good enough to win an audition.
Kevin explains to Toby why he’s so protective of Kate. She was the one who told Kevin that their father was dead. He’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but he’s never been a bad brother. He can’t just cut the cord that quickly with Kate. They’ve been connected since birth and always will be.
‘We Will Fix It Together’
Later, Rebecca goes to see Jack. “I shouldn’t have let you leave,” she says to him. Regardless of what was said, this is not them. They’re better than this. They’re stronger than this. “You don’t know everything about me,” Jack tells Rebecca. He confesses that he’s been hiding his drinking problem from everyone for a very long time. “I need to get a handle on it before I can walk back into that house,” Jack admits. He shuts the door on Rebecca and thinks that’s the end of it.
But Rebecca is not giving up. She knocks on the door again. “Get in the car,” she says. “Get in the car, Jack. You are my husband, and I am your wife. And if you have a problem, we will fix it together. I just need you to get in the car so we can go home.”
She promises that everything will be back to normal in a few months. But fate can be cruel. The show flashes forward to a few months later, Rebecca is driving solo with a bag of Jack’s possessions in a small bag. Kate and Randall are at Miguel’s house in tears. Kate is holding a dog. Kevin, with a broken foot, is with Sophie. Rebecca pulls up to the Pearson house, which has been ruined by fire. Jack is missing. Did he die in the fire?!
HollywoodLifers, what did you think of the This Is Us season 2 premiere? Let us know!