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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
The hospital staff don't want to let her into the hospital room where Jack and his wife and the baby are... and Jack says it's all right because she's his sister. (Or maybe SHE says she's his sister. Either way, that's how we find out that, at some point, Jack gains a sister.)
I don't remember that scene at all

I found that scene on YouTube. Jack's sister's name is Hailey.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.



Just watched ep 3...I knew Malik shadowing Randall had trouble written all over it. I understand that Malik messed up, but why would Randall get undressed IMMEDIATELY after that live stream? Malik's speech about his daughter was very sincere, but it's no excuse for what he did. I do like the way the scene played out though...Randall was a lot cooler about it than I thought he was going to be. I completely understand Toby's apprehension about this adoption. This whole adoption thing is making me queasy in the stomach...I did love the Chloe story though. I loved the idea of watching Jack and Rebecca learning how to let Kevin self-soothe...they were absolutely adorable. This is a part of Jack and Rebecca's story that I never would have thought to explore. I did eventually see the connection between that story and teen Kevin's football anxiety. And am I remembering incorrectly, or was this the first episode where Deja referred to Randall as "Dad"? LOVED that scene of Kevin and Kate in their cars...it played like they were face to face. I love that Kevin wants to take Rebecca to the Oscars. And Kate's big reveal definitely had my jaw dropped. I love this stupid show.



God, I thought January 5th would never get here. I was freaking when I learned after the last episode that the next one was today. It seemed like six months. Anyway...Toby was right that the subject of her first pregnancy should have been broached though I understand her hesitation. Still can't believe it has taken five seasons for Kate's teen pregnancy to be revealed. A teenage pregnancy is a real insight into why Kate the way she is, it should have been revealed before season five. I hate that the guy turned out to be Marc because he is, in his words, a dick. Can't believe Kate went through that abortion alone...so is Toby the only one who knows about it? I don't recall it being mentioned before. Chrissy Metz was excellent in that scene where she confronted Marc, despite some really cheesy dialogue that she made work. That scene of Kevin and Madison interviewing that prospective nanny was very telling about what different pages Kevin and Madison are on, and not just about these babies. I like that Madison is being honest with Kevin even if he's not being honest with her. This relationship is already dead in the water and I think Madison is beginning to realize it. I don't believe what that therapist asked Randall...he was a black child raised with a white family, what does he think? Has anyone noticed that teen Randall is way more arrogant and self-absorbed than adult Randall? That condescending phone call he made to Kevin? He needs to get over himself. Though I hate that Kevin told him he actually thought what would Randall do in his situation. That last scene between Justin Hartey and Sterling K Brown was wonderful. I love this stupid show.



Ep 6 was a mixed bag that had a few issues that I really had trouble getting past. At its core, I understand the reasoning behind this episode, which introduced yet another new set of characters onto this already very large canvas, but was considered necessary to get at the root of what has driven Randall to therapy. First of all, I had a hard time with the writers completely reinventing Laurel's death. It's hard to believe that she was pronounced dead but she really wasn't. The whole episode seemed to reinvent the Laurel character in order to legitimize some kind of change in Randall. Randall's meeting Laurel in the water was just a little too much in the fantasy realm for a show that is known for being rooted in realism. Loved Chi McBride as Laurel's father though. I still love this stupid show.



The Adventure Starts Here!
Agree with everything! The Laurel-wasn't-dead thing felt very much like a soap opera plot twist to me. What's next, evil twins? But I did enjoy the story itself. Sometimes episodes like this feel like filler when you want to just hear more about your favorite characters, but I enjoyed this one. Hai was an interesting guy, and it was fun to see that William and Laurel weren't the "couple" Randall might have assumed they were.

I knew he was heading into the lake to have his own scream therapy, and I think they should have left it at that. Sure, we often envision conversations that might have been (usually with exes or people who've wronged us, so that in our heads, at least, we can have that last word), but that scene felt more like we were supposed to think it was something almost supernatural. Ridiculous for this show at this stage.

Also, are they really gonna hand us a Randall-is-cured thing now? Because to my mind, he simply would be trading his frustration over his mother for frustration over his father (who wasn't very truthful about his relationship with Laurel, really). And if William dumped the baby at the station, then why didn't he see whether Laurel was buried or go tell her family what happened? Still some loose ends... and the kinds of thing Randall's anxiety-laden self would still struggle with.

I keep remembering that flash-forward scene with Kevin and his son... do we see the other twin at all? So now I feel as if we're going to lose one of the twins in this early labor...and that Madison might end up blaming Kevin in her heart for not being there for her.

From last week: I thought the confronting-Marc scene was ridiculous. I'm sorry, but scenes like that never play out that beautifully. They're often a hot mess, with the confronted party defending themselves at least a LITTLE more than Marc did. And, to be blunt, why didn't he comment on her weight? If he's a dick (and he is), he'd have said something, even if only to make himself feel better or less attacked.

It seemed too soap opera-ish there too.

But yeah, I'm still clinging to every word of this crazy show!



Yeah, there are a whole lot of holes in William's story about his relationship with Laurel that still need to be addressed but with both William and Laurel deceased. I'm not sure how that can be.



Just finished ep 7. Didn't understand initially why the story went back to Madison going into labor after we were shown that car in the ditch, but they fooled me. Looks like Kevin's going to be assumed dead. Someone must have read an earlier post of mine that wished for more of a look into the relationship between Jack and his father. Love Peter Onorati as Jack's dad and hope to see more of him. How convenient that Madison has spent the last couple of episodes trying to give Kevin an out of the relationship and now that she's in labor, she's acting helpless without him. Loved when teenage Jack talked his obviously impaired dad out of driving. It's weird how adult Jack could not see Kevin's apprehension about the football camp. I also have a feeling teen Kevin isn't telling Jack the entire truth about the football camp and his coach. Despite the coach's reaction when Jack found him in the bathroom, I'm still not sure that Kevin is being truthful. I loved Kevin trying to handle everything he needed to handle over the phone in his car...it reminded me of the Tom Hardy movie Locke. That last scene between Kevin and the airport security guard was a heartbreaker...loved that she had no idea who Kevin was. Believe it or not, the scene had a lot more power because both actors were wearing masks and all their emotions were in their eyes. Love this stupid show.



Ep 8 definitely ignited the tear ducts for me. I was absolutely terrified for Kate when the birth mother said she wanted to hold her baby...Chrissy Metz played that scene brilliantly, the look on her face when the birth mom said she wanted a minute alone with the baby was absolutely heartbreaking. Even though it was a little convenient considering the position he was in the last time we saw him, I'm glad Kevin got there in time to see his twins born. Mandy Moore was excellent in the present day scenes when all she could think about were her kids and she was unconsciously shutting Miguel out. Loved that the very last thing they showed was the kids making the faded hand paintings. And it's probably just me, but I found the scenes of the alleged inventor of video chatting unnecessary. I love this stupid show.



The Adventure Starts Here!
I read an interview/article today where they explained how that added stuff about Nasir came about. And another it sounded like a good idea in the article, I just don't think it worked the way they wanted it to for the actual episode. I mean, we're still coming to terms with how they introduced us to Malik... and this felt similar. So at one point I wondered, "Whose backstory are they showing us?" and all I could come up with was Miguel. (The article said we'll see more of his backstory, probably next season... of how he and Rebecca came to be as a couple.)

SO I agree, that bit was unnecessary. It felt like a false lead from a show that has thrown important characters at us with this very same sort of style.

And I'm glad they didn't cop out with the birth mother bit. They got to show the angst and fear of Kate without turning it into a soap opera. (Well, more of a soap opera than the show already is.)

They totally should have shown us that TSA clerk getting fired over her lapse in judgment, though.



I read an interview/article today where they explained how that added stuff about Nasir came about. And another it sounded like a good idea in the article, I just don't think it worked the way they wanted it to for the actual episode. I mean, we're still coming to terms with how they introduced us to Malik... and this felt similar. So at one point I wondered, "Whose backstory are they showing us?" and all I could come up with was Miguel. (The article said we'll see more of his backstory, probably next season... of how he and Rebecca came to be as a couple.)

SO I agree, that bit was unnecessary. It felt like a false lead from a show that has thrown important characters at us with this very same sort of style.

And I'm glad they didn't cop out with the birth mother bit. They got to show the angst and fear of Kate without turning it into a soap opera. (Well, more of a soap opera than the show already is.)

They totally should have shown us that TSA clerk getting fired over her lapse in judgment, though.

I have no interest in Miguel's backstory...I have never liked the character and have no interest in learning anything else about him.



The Adventure Starts Here!
Well, to be clearer, I think they meant the backstory of how he swings back into Rebecca's life post-Jack's death. I don't think they meant his childhood or anything. (Gosh, I hope not!)



Bringing the babies home made an interesting motif for Ep 9. Jack and Kevin struggling with installing the car seats was adorable. The camerawork has been expertly covering up Mandy Moore's real pregnancy without having her carrying large purses or anything else obvious like that. Just keeping her in the car legitimized the whole thing. I hate Randall's new glasses, but forgot it was the past so they were actually his old glasses. I was so relieved that Ellie decided to have a closed adoption because I was certain she still wanted to keep the baby. Kate and Toby's handling of the revelation was perfect though. The looks on their faces when Ellie said she couldn't do this were perfect. Jack's panic and confusion about bringing the babies home is just the polar opposite of everything we've been shown about Jack up to this point. The thing of both couples being followed home was a little too coincidental for my taste. How typical that Randall made his first conversation with his new daughter all about him. It was sweet that Jack appeared to Kevin to offer advice, but it took me out of the show for a bit...one thing I've always enjoyed about this show is that, despite the leaps from the past to present and future and back again, the past, present, and future have always remained separate. As sweet as Kevin's proposal was, I still think these two getting married has disaster written all over it because they really don't love each other. Didn't figure out who the nurse was in the opening scene until the final scene. I love this stupid show.



Loved the newborns depriving the parents of sleep at the opening of ep 10. Also loved Toby's "wax on wax off" as he was putting lotion on the baby. It's so funny watching intelligent and commanding people like Randall and Beth being brought to their knees by Beth's mother, beautifully played by Phylicia Rashad. It's a little hard to believe that Carol didn't get that Beth and Randall are ready for her to leave. The attempt to make Carol sympathetic near the end of the episode was lost on me...too little too late, though Carol staying has disaster written all over it. Toby's viral job interview was funny as hell. It was nice seeing Chris Sullivan get some real screentime, Toby has been quietly pushed to the back burner the last couple of months. There was a brief shot of Mandy Moore that revealed she might have already had her baby IRL. If she hasn't she is doing an AMAZING job of carrying this baby, she's barely showing. Love Milo with the beard...with just a mustache, he looks like a 70's porn star. I like that Malik went to Randall for advice, but I'm not sure if it was a good idea for Randall to give it. That's going to bite him in the ass later. I lost it when Kate thanked Madison for sleeping with her brother. Chris Sullivan nailed that scene at the dinner table. I think Kevin was coming from a genuine place, but I understand how Toby feels. The dinner scene at the Piersons was equally brilliant and I wanted to slap Carol for her silent reactions to what was going on at the table. And if Jack had told those guys that he had three newborns at home, I'm sure they would have understood his not putting in his credit card. And is it just me, or are Kevin and Madison actually falling in love? I love this stupid show.



The Adventure Starts Here!
Agree with everything. But at the end when Carol mentions that her own house is too quiet and she envies her daughter's situation, then one can see that silent look from Carol at the earlier dinner scene a little differently. She's soaking it up. And if she gives unwanted advice that feels judgy (and she does), then it can also be seen as her trying to find a needed place in her extended family, trying to feel needed again. And sadly, the only way she knows how to do that is by making remarks that are largely critical.

What I felt was unrealistic was Beth's sudden glee at her mom staying indefinitely. I just doubt that her mom's single statement about the quietness of her own lonely life was going to completely turn Beth's feelings around. I have an extended family member who is largely a negative gripey person, but who doesn't realize she IS this way and who thinks she is a grateful, cheerful person. So, it's tough to be around her for long periods of time because the gripey always surfaces and brings everyone down. And even when she is being thankful and complimentary to me, I never forget that it doesn't last long.

There's just no way, with Beth's history with her mom, that she'd so easily (and seemingly happily, judging by her face as she tells Randall) acquiesce to letting her mom stay indefinitely.

I also loved Toby getting more screen time, and that Zoom interview was hilarious. When he stood up and we saw that he really WASN'T wearing pants, I busted out laughing.



The Moon was an interesting theme for ep 11. The return of Griffin Dunne and Michael Angarano to the canvas as Nicky was definitely a highlight. I think it's great that Nicky wanted to meet Kevin's twins, but it did seem a little out of character for Nicky, who has been a social hermit for so long, to want to travel like that, especially during the pandemic. That was a heartbreaking and slightly scary moment when he broke the snow globes at the airport. Also loved Nicky talking to the babies...a perfect blend of warm and squirm-worthy. And is it me or does Milo Ventimiglia look about 17 years old when he's clean-shaven? We really got some terrific insight into Jack and Nicky's relationship here. Milo and Angarano are so wonderful together. The romance with Sally the hippie seemed a little rushed but loved the twist provided regarding Sally's life. Peter Onorati scored as Jack and Mickey's dad, conveying his joy and awe at the moon landing without saying a word. Love this stupid show.



The connections between the separate stories weren't as clear in ep 12 but it was still a slid show. Nicky wanting to help out with Kevin and Madison's rehearsal dinner has disaster written all over it. I'm not feeling this sudden desire of Nicky's to be part of his family again at all. It's fascinating though watching Griffin Dunne investing in a character unlike anything he's ever played and he seems to be having a ball doing it. I liked what Miguel said to Nicky, but as we longtime fans know, Miguel was in love with Rebecca long before she even married Jack. Loved the way he stood up for Jack with Rebecca's father though. On the same subject, Phylicia Rashad really is throwing herself into the very unpleasant character of Beth's mother. Hate the way she calls Beth "Bethany". Susan Kelechi Watson was excellent in that scene where she caught Tess with her girlfriend on the bed. That final moment between Beth and her Mom was lovely. I think Toby is going to be an awesome Mr. Mom no matter what he told Madison. The scene with Toby and Madison was weird because these two have never really had a relationship prior to this episode, it just seemed a little convenient. Those wigs on Jack and Miguel were the worst and did nothing to make the actors look younger. And didn't help the scene of Jack rehearsing proposing to Rebecca any less silly. It's beginning to look like Kate is not going to last long on this new job and it's too bad because this job would have been really good for her. Hate her new boss and the actor playing him...hated him on Modern Family and am already hating him here. Really didn't understand the connection between Randall's adoption therapy group and the rest of the show, but I thought it was a really interesting choice that Randall chose to listen for most of it, considering Randall's not really much of a listener. I love this stupid show.