This is Us- Season four

[low-key]

I taped havent watched yet, so I dont want to read to carefully what you all say, but I got one question was but better then the first show this season

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Here is what the recap in TVLine says :
This week’s This Is Us opens on a little girl named Lin, who speaks Vietnamese with her grandfather as they fish. He counsels her to be patient, then continues the lesson in English while he cooks up her catch. It seems like Grandpa lives on a boat, maybe? Also, in that way that This Is Us loves, their clothing and hairstyles make it hard to tell what era we’re in. Is it a flashback? A flash-forward? A new storyline in the present? It’s anyone’s guess! (But if I missed an errant Apple Watch or some other concrete clue, please do shout it out in the comments.)
Anyway, the most important part of this little interlude with the new characters is that the conversation eventually turns to showing people love through food. And when Lin (cutely) badgers her grandfather about whether he was trying to use his cooking to impress the woman “in all the pictures,” he smiles and says yes. Then the camera pans to a photo of Grandpa — when he was a bit younger — cozying up to Laurel.

 

[spiders]

I taped havent watched yet, so I dont want to read to carefully what you all say, but I got one question was but better then the first show this season

Better but still lacking to prior seasons.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Was the woman in the picture at the end Zoey??- Kevins Zoey? So confused about that part.

I wondered that at first too.

I came here to see you people thought the Asian man and his daughter or granddaughter were. I didn't recognize the person in the picture.

And came here for exactly the same reason!

Ok, I was just able to google it and it said it's Randals biological mother, Laurel...still so confused lol.

Thanks for doing the sleuthing for us! I’ve come to learn that the DIS always has the answers!

I taped havent watched yet, so I dont want to read to carefully what you all say, but I got one question was but better then the first show this season

Yes, this episode didn’t feel as disjointed to me. They’re getting their new flow down. I also liked that, even though the present day scenes take place during the pandemic, they aren’t all about the pandemic.

 

[anniemae]

I liked it. It will be interesting to see how Laurel's story plays out and if she is still alive or not. We don't know what year they were in when the man and his granddaughter were cooking in the kitchen. They looked young in the picture at the end.

I liked how Kevin and Madison are connecting more. To her Kevin seems perfect. Handsome, movie star, buff, rich, nice family etc. But he has similar issues to her. I liked how they seemed to understand each other last night.

Love to see Randall. I thought it was interesting how he is so proud of his daughter for lashing out in the way she did when he said something about how he would have just suppressed the anger at her age. Kind of makes you wonder how growing up in a white household impacted him. He did say his therapist would talk about racial identity. Always love Beth and her insights.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I'm wondering if that's how William never saw Laurel again. Maybe the Asian man we see somehow comes into her life, maybe helps her get over her addiction and she moves to Vietnam with him.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I'm wondering if that's how William never saw Laurel again. Maybe the Asian man we see somehow comes into her life, maybe helps her get over her addiction and she moves to Vietnam with him.

I’m wondering if this will somehow tie to Jack or Nicky.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I’m wondering if this will somehow tie to Jack or Nicky.

I was actually thinking it may be tied to Randall. Someone mentioned Zoey above, maybe Zoey will also turn out to be Laurel's daughter, which would be Randall's sister.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I think I’ll skip watching it and just come in here to find out what happens.

 

[lisaviolet]

I loved the episode. I thought it was quietly beautiful.

(For those who haven't seen it, the Laurel angle is a very small part of the episode.)

 

[lisaviolet]

I was actually thinking it may be tied to Randall. Someone mentioned Zoey above, maybe Zoey will also turn out to be Laurel's daughter, which would be Randall's sister.

I hope not. As Zoe is Beth's cousin.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I hope not. As Zoe is Beth's cousin.

She could be related to Randall that's not related to Beth's side. Like my cousins have cousins that are not related to me.

 

[lisaviolet]

I liked how Kevin and Madison are connecting more. To her Kevin seems perfect. Handsome, movie star, buff, rich, nice family etc. But he has similar issues to her. I liked how they seemed to understand each other last night.

Really loved that part. Intimacy suddenly flowing that was nonexistent before.

And I personally am a big believer that every human being has crap. And the inability to understand and/or acknowledge that fact leads many to be both judgmental and self-righteous to those whose crap is not cloaked but fully visible to society.

-----------

Plus the subtle comedy was fantastic last night. So many actors were bang on, with Beth and Toby taking the lead as always.

Although there was something about Kevin that had me in hysterics, just can't remember it now.

 

[lisaviolet]

She could be related to Randall that's not related to Beth's side. Like my cousins have cousins that are not related to me.

I understand that.

It just would be too much for me.

 

[lisaviolet]

I hope that they shot some scenes with the preteen Pearson children, and kept them stored for next season. Because they are all so talented. (If future script decisions even make that possible - we know that the creator has had the entire series mapped out).

Because it has been on my mind that they can not keep up with time, especially with the pandemic delaying shooting. Those kids will be too close to the older teenagers in two seconds flat.

It has been a curiosity for me, for many seasons and was certainly highlighted last night. In fact, it was distracting for me at times.

 

[anniemae]

I hope that they shot some scenes with the preteen Pearson children, and kept them stored for next season. Because they are all so talented. (If future script decisions even make that possible - we know that the creator has had the entire series mapped out).

Because it has been on my mind that they can not keep up with time, especially with the pandemic delaying shooting. Those kids will be too close to the older teenagers in two seconds flat.

It has been a curiosity for me, for many seasons and was certainly highlighted last night. In fact, it was distracting for me at times.

I couldn't believe how different "teen Kate" looked. For a second, I thought it was a different actress. Teen Randall looked about the same, but teen Kevin looked older.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

She could be related to Randall that's not related to Beth's side. Like my cousins have cousins that are not related to me.

But since we know Zoe is Beth’s cousin, if she’s also Randall’s sister, she would be related to both.

 

[wvjules]

When they first started showing the Vietnamese man and his granddaughter I immediately thought of a connection to Jack and Nicky in the war. 'twas not the case though. I am curious how this will all play out.

 

[LysieLee]

So my take away is Laurel went on to have a family with this guy. The little girl was his granddaughter, which i'm assuming means he and Laurel had at least one child together. So Randall has at least one half sibling and a niece. Finding this out at a time that he's already feeling alienated and disconnected from his adoptive could really throw him. Either make him cut ties from his "fake" family to connect with the new-found "real" family, or the opposite, make him truly grateful for the family he has.

**i'm using these terms as descriptors only. i in no way think adoptive families are "fake" or lesser than birth families.**

 

[okeydokey]

I am enjoying seeing Randall’s personal growth this season. Twice now we have heard him say that he is sharing something about his childhood and upbringing with another person for the very first time. I am happy he’s finally exploring some of his issues from his childhood.

I was also happy to see him make an exit from the cabin on his birthday to go home and be with his wife and daughters, his core family. For so long he would take on and try to solve everyone else’s problems and now I feel he is deservedly focusing on his own needs and growth.