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

The Big Three bottle episodes on THIS IS US  continued this week with Kevin. We saw what he went through during the same day we saw present Randall go through last week, along with the same day college Randall went through and the same evening toddler Randall experienced with Jack. As with Randall’s episode, we saw how Kevin’s past related to the present day. Here are the big three takeaways from Kevin’s episode…

Kevin was close to Sophie’s mom.

Pictured: (l-r) Logan Shroyer as Kevin, Jennifer Westfeldt as Claire — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

In the present, Sophie calls Kevin to tell him that her mother, Claire, has passed away. Kevin heads back to Pittsburgh to pay his respects and be there for Sophie. Through flashbacks, we see that Claire was a dreamer and also Kevin’s biggest fan. She was so excited for his acting career, some might even say more than his own family, and she knew that he would make it big one day. As big of a fan she was of Kevin, she also knew that young adult Kevin still needed to prove himself worthy of giving her daughter a ring that has been in her family for years and has a story behind it. The two flashbacks where we see young Kevin interact with Claire were the day of Rebecca’s birthday and the evening that Jack died.

This show can still make us tear up and feel.

Pictured: Justin Hartley as Kevin — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

It’s been a while since this show has made me teared up and just when I was beginning to wonder if the show was losing its touch, it comes back and hits the feels with a vengeance. In the present, after seeing Sophie, Kevin pays a visit to Claire’s burial site and talks to his former mother in law, sharing with her that he wishes that he had another chance to earn the ring to give to Sophie, but now that she’s engaged, he knows he needs to let her be happy without him. Another moment that hit the feels came from the flashback with toddler Kevin. Little Kevin couldn’t sleep without his sheep mobile and Jack tries to find it but a sleepy Rebecca tells him that it was donated to Goodwill. Jack gives toddler Kevin a speech about the sheep mobile being gone and telling him that sometimes we lose things that we love and it makes them feel sad but he will find something else to love. Jack’s words may not mean much to a child but they’re definitely poignant to an adult.

Kevin sleeps with Madison!

Pictured: Caitlin Thompson as Madison — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

So the mystery woman that was in bed with Kevin when Randall called him last week? It was Madison! Yes, the Madison that is Kate’s best friend. Yes, the same Madison that has a tendency to bicker with Kevin. Is Madison the pregnant fiance that Kevin refers to at his 40th birthday? Is she the mother of his child that we saw in the flash forward? Or is this a deliberate misdirect like Lizzie was just the other week? Time will tell…

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

RELATED ITEMS:

THIS IS US: 3 Big Takeaways from ‘A Hell of a Week: Part One’
Women of the Week ft Mandy Moore
THIS IS US: “Strangers” Revealed
THIS IS US: Time to Prepare For Season Four