THIS IS US: 3 Big Takeaways from ‘A Hell of a Week: Part One’

The three episode THIS IS US  arc that focuses on each of the Big Three on the same day began with Randall this week. It showcased the history of his anxiety, ranging from toddler Randall, college Randall to present day Randall. A lot of ground was covered but here are the three big takeaways from the episode…

Randall is not okay.

Coming face to face with a knife-wielding intruder is enough to rattle anyone. Thankfully the intruder fled after Randall threw him his money clip and Randall was not harmed physically. Mentally okay is a different story though, especially after he realises that the intruder could have been in their bedroom while Beth slept before he got home. The nightmare he had playing out that scenario was pretty confronting! As much as he tries to put on a brave face and be strong for his family, he does end up cracking. He ends up beating up a mugger who was trying to attack a random woman. Randall punches the guy so hard that he ends up with a boxer’s fracture! It’s receiving a hero’s welcome when he returns to work that sets Randall’s mental health off – he rushes home, locks himself in the bathroom and calls Kevin to admit that he’s not okay. Kevin does his best to calm him down and reassures him that he is the guy that will get him through this.

Randall’s pressure on himself started young.

Through flashbacks we see a young Randall unable to sleep in his new big boy bed. With Rebecca out like a light from cold medication, it’s up to Jack to comfort little Randall. Jack tries all sorts of things but Randall’s younger self is too anxious and can’t sleep. It gets to the point where Jack admits to the young boy that he’s aware that his other siblings are quite high maintenance and he really wants Randall to be the ‘easy child’. Is this seemingly harmless comment something that has stuck with Randall all these years and turned into something bigger than what it was meant to be? Is it why Randall is wary of sharing his trouble with his family, in fear of being difficult?

We also see that after Jack died, Randall had a lot of nightmares. A lot of them involved Randall looking on at his family in various situations while being trapped and unable to connect with them. He and Beth were dating at the time and she suggests that he join her when she goes to her grief counselling group next. He agrees but then backs out when there’s an emergency regarding Kate. Beth is disappointed. Randall’s reluctance to seek help is something that we also see in the present day when Darnell shares with him that he sees a counsellor and suggests that perhaps Randall should too. “Clearly you’re an agitated cat,” he points out. Randall’s not a fan of the suggestion and the next thing we know, he’s on the run and that’s when he spots the mugger and we see how that ended! Beth also tries to get Randall to talk in the present too, but it’s Kevin who ends up being the one that he opens up to. We wonder how that is all going to go once they become estranged within the next year.

More hints about the mystery of Kate and Marc

We have been wondering for quite some time what the deal was with teenage Kate and her first boyfriend Marc. It’s been alluded that it did not end well and that it affected Kate, but we have yet to delve into further details. In the flashbacks in this episode, we see a concerned Rebecca and Randall look on as Kate has what sounds like a tense conversation with Marc on the phone. Then in another flashback from later that day, Randall is informed that Rebecca’s birthday dinner has been cancelled because something has happened to Kate. Still fuzzy on details, but if more isn’t revealed next episode, which revolves around Kevin, surely we’ll receive more insight in Kate’s episode the week after.

THIS IS US airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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