"The Trip"
After watching this episode, I wanted to give Mandy Moore and Sterling K. Brown a hug because their performance in this episode was unbelievably flawless.
After a chaotic Thanksgiving, Kate, Kevin and Randall travel to the family cabin to collect some of their stuff because Rebecca was going to sell it. Trying to talk to Randall of what their mother had done wasn't really working, but the one solution that helped him was Kevin's co-star's ex boyfriend's mushroom juice that did the trick.
When Randall drank mushroom juice, he started to hallucinate seeing Jack fixing the roof and having a conversation about what Rebecca has done to him. It had that feeling of "It's a Wonderful Life" meets being high, in a way.
But anyway, Jack tells Randall that what they've done a lot for him and he shows him visions of what she was during a family game time. She looked happy, but Randall tells her straight a list of why she had ruin his life about not telling him about his father, William. At one point, Jack shows him what was really going on with Rebecca in those days, a mother of three, with a free caring husband, trying to keep everyone safe. We see her running to doors and windows and locking them with tears of fear. It was literally the best scene out of the whole episode.
In those flashbacks, Rebecca talks to William about Randall and talks about wanting to meet his dad but when it got overwhelming for her she left. It wasn't til near the end after her, Jack and Randall were at the karate class that she wrote a letter to William that she thinks it the best that he doesn't meet his father but sends him a photo at the age of eight years old.
This was a remarkable episode, probably one of it's best so far. The performances from Brown and Moore left me with emotions that really made me think of family but also why the mother is literally the heart and soul of the family. It literally made me want to give them hugs and also my mother and grandmother too.
I didn't really care for too much of Kevin inviting his co-workers from the play too much because it never really brought enough interest like Randall's. But it was an okay storyline. I didn't think that co-star was going to be his girlfriend anyway (liked to but didn't).
Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10
"Last Christmas"
Nothing bad happens on Christmas Eve, but there are a few surprises.
In "Last Christmas" might be one of the most interesting Christmas episodes in recent time. It had the joyfulness, emotion and even some shocking moments too.
On Christmas Eve, Kate has her appendicitis taken out. With Rebecca and the family worried about her, she told Kate that when she get out she'll be holding a piece of pine from a fake Christmas tree to rpove to her that bad things don't happen on Christmas Eve.
As the family waited, Rebecca spots Dr. K in the hospital as a patient. He tells her that he's got a mass in between the heart and lungs that having surgery is a life or death thing. But after spending some time with Rebecca, Jack, Kevin and Randall, who gave him a snow globe, Dr. K had the surgery and came back fine.
In the present time on Christmas Eve, Kate had her mom with her at the lap band surgery and during the questions and answers, Rebecca learned some stunning information about her. They both answered opposite answer to each question. On the car ride home, the two weren't talking as much but thanks to Miguel, the Christmas spirit was brought back in them.
Kevin had to go to Sloane's family for Hanukkah, since he owe her one after they slept together, they lost the leading lady of her play and she told her mother that she's dating The Manny. Fear to tell her family about the play, Kevin had this idea when he sees her tell the kids about the history of Hanukkah, that she should star in the play. She accepted.
Randall and his wife was at an office Christmas party. When Randall's wife heard that Randall bought a boat, she asked him to give it back. He finds the co-worker and sees that he's about to jump off the building. But Randall tries to talk him down about life, family and his kid, but when his wife comes by he sees that he's gone and thinks that he jump off, but really he was in the building walking somewhere else. That worries me a bit.
William was at his support group and talked about how he was going to spent probably his last Christmas with his son and family. Then comes the next guy, Jessie, who happens to know William, personally. They use to date a year ago. The two kind a settle their differences and went to Randall's house for Christmas party.
When Randall and his family got home, everyone started to come like it was suppose to have happen. Everyone came, even Toby makes a surprising visit and tells Kate that he'll change because he wants to be with her and that he loves her. The two had a thing upstairs, which didn't quite settle for Toby because he was pretty exhausted. After a whole lot of fun, things were slowly winding down, as Randall takes the kids to bed, Toby gets up to help and collapses. There we see someone in surgery, with tubes and such, and then we see Toby and the surgeons shocking his heart.
This was a very good and memorable episode. There were some interesting and surprising moments like William having had a relationship a year ago, Randall talking to a co-worker from jump off that apparently wasn't. And Toby falling down and seeing him getting his heart started. The entire cast did a tremendous performance. The writing was so good that each story plot was equal good as the other.
Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10
You can catch This Is Us when it returns on a special time Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 10/9c due to President Obama's Farewell Speech on NBC.
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