'This Is Us' Just Dropped Two Massive Bombshells
One of the things This is Us has always done so well is show how natural fractures occur among family members-exacerbated by the lies they tell both themselves and their loved ones just to get by. It’s done so seamlessly on the show, by well-meaning characters, that it forces us to look at our own families and at the things we do just to make it to another day. On this week’s episode, titled "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning," we find out the real truth about Nicky and how each of the characters has managed to stifle some aspect of themselves for the greater good of keeping their family together.
Here’s what went down on tonight’s shocking mid-season finale.
Nicky turns his back on Jack and all hell breaks loose.
Jack once again tries to reason with Nicky, who’s been self-medicating to make it through the days in Vietnam. Jack finds out and tries to comfort him, insisting he can help him get better. But Nicky doesn’t want to hear it and clocks Jack in the jaw instead. Though he’s definitely hurt (with a purple shiner on his face to prove it), Jack somehow convinces Nicky to make peace with him, since they only have 48 hours left together. Jack fails to accept that his Nicky is gone and Nicky 2.0, with “a mission to kill,” is here instead. Nicky storms off after Jack spots him high on the docks and orders Jack not to follow him. For the first time-perhaps ever-Jack doesn’t try to go after Nicky. Later, something that sounds like a gun went off, piercing the already-thick tension in the air. Jack runs off to learn that a boat has exploded, and presumably, Nicky was on it. I’m filled with dread at this point. This is the moment they’ve been teasing all season, but it’s nothing like I imagined it would be. Nicky doesn’t die trying to save his brother. In fact, there’s a whole other twist brewing right before our eyes.
Nicky is NOT dead and has apparently been living in Pennsylvania this whole time!
I did not see this one coming. You mean to tell me that Nicky is in fact ALIVE and lives in the exact same state as the Pearsons? Bravo, writers. You got me with that one. We find this out while Zoe and Kevin are on the final leg of their Vietnam trip and have come up short on answers. A chance lunch with a nice local man, who tells Kevin stories about how his own father fought in the war and shielded his experiences from his children, seemingly offers no additional information either. But just as the couple is leaving, a young man tells them that he looked into the death of uncle Nicky and did not find his name listed under the names of casualties. Then we cut to an older Nicky from afar, sorting through his mail, which has a Pennsylvania address.
So. Many. Questions. Did Jack really think Nicky died on the boat? Did Jack suffer from trauma because he thought Nicky was dead, or because the war severed his connection with his brother?
Meanwhile, Kate is actually having a really great day.
Every other character on this episode is going through it, but FOR ONCE, Kate, who’s now three months pregnant, is doing all right! Even better, Toby also appears to be doing well, and the two just found out they’re having a baby boy. Because this is Kate, of course, she’s all gloom and doom at first, and tries to hold off on knowing the sex of the baby because she fears she won’t carry it to term. But Toby convinces her to think on the bright side and be happy about this wonderful news. With that comes advice from her doctor to avoid long road trips throughout the remainder of her pregnancy, which means Kate can’t make those long drives to her various singing gigs anymore. Kate's faced with the difficult decision to once again put her dreams on hold.
Then, a friend suggests Kate become a chorus teacher-and she conveniently has a position already available for her! That sounds super promising until Kate goes to the interview and is turned down because she has no college degree. At last, we get back to the whole college fiasco from young Kate. Remember, Kate inexplicably decided no to pursue her Berklee College application, the assumption being she was too overcome with grief over Jack’s death, though that was never made clear. Apparently, she ended up going to college later, but dropped out with just eight credits left. But now that everything has realigned in Kate’s life, she finds herself back on campus after Toby convinces her to chase her goals once more. It took Kate a while, but man, I’m glad to see her smiling.
In other news, though, Beth and Randall are falling apart.
I am completely bummed about this. Beth and Randall have always been #goals, but lately things have truly been very off for them. Before, Randall left Corporate America and Beth went back to the office and they didn’t seem to miss a beat. But ever since Beth was laid off in the midst of Randall finding a new career path as a potential council member, things have not been great.
Though Randall has since apologized for hiring the unqualified Beth in a pity position on his campaign, he continues to put the work over their relationship, and refuses to acknowledge Beth’s admission that she's “not okay” since losing her job. Randall tried putting a Band-Aid over the issue and didn't address it, even though Beth has been there for Randall every step of his campaign. During tonight’s debate, he finally ends up winning over the community, but he's still too far behind in the race, and ultimately loses. Though Beth feels genuinely bad for him, she assumes he will naturally redirect his efforts back to his family. But when he decides not to, Beth is understandably upset-so much so that we see her bring Randall a blanket and pillows for him to sleep on the couch. We’ve seen these two have disagreements, but not like this. I am hella worried, especially after catching a glimpse of them in the future...
Future Beth is a dance teacher?
Or so I think. All we see in this future montage is Beth giving instructions to a class of ballerinas and living seemingly a whole new life-without Randall.
Also, future Rebecca is the one in the hospital!
Earlier in the episode, Rebecca has a moment with Tess after Kate apparently told her Tess came out. (Even though Kate promised her niece she wouldn’t tell anyone!) Rebecca tells Tess that she too kept secrets from both Jack and Randall, and it ended up taking a toll on her body. She doesn’t want the same for her granddaughter, so she encourages Test to tell her parents as soon as she’s ready. The next time the episode references Rebecca is when future Tess and Randall are back in that dreadful hospital, finally revealing that Rebecca is the one in there. Randall asks Tess if her mom is coming to visit, another clue that Beth and Randall are no longer together. This just brings more questions: What’s wrong with Rebecca? What will she reveal in the hospital? The talk about secrets and body aches paired with the hospital reveal makes me think there’s another bombshell Rebecca's about to drop. I am shook.
Tess comes out to her parents.
I expected the writers to draw this out, but evidently, Tess decides to come out to her parents after talking to Rebecca. It’s not a big moment, and it’s aptly driven by Tess, whose fearful confession is met by two attentive, loving parents. She braces herself for their response, but Beth only wants her to know that they love her no matter what, and that nothing has changed. Tess doesn’t want to make this “a thing,” and her parents comply with her wishes. That’s it. Nothing too dramatic. Now they know.
But this heartfelt moment is followed by Beth’s harsh realization that Randall will continue to pursue his own dreams even now, when his family-particularly Beth-needs him more than ever. Our dream couple is collapsing.
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