THIS IS US: “The Wedding” discussion

We’re a week-and-a-half into what’s going to be a long hiatus until NBC’s This is Us starts back up in the fall and we’re finally starting to wrap our heads around the reveals from the season two finale. Join Nice Girls Ange and Melissa as they discuss the events of “The Wedding”…

Ange: The episode opens with what we think is a wedding and therefore assume it’s Ka-Toby’s but low and behold, it’s Rebecca and Jack’s 40th anniversary and vow renewal! Is this some sort of alternate universe where Jack lives? In Kate’s dreams it turns out it is. Boy was it bittersweet seeing an older version of Jack and what could of been. And of course he’s still making us swoon with his words. I was thisclose to tearing up. How are you doing over there?

Melissa: I kept it together, mostly because I was wondering what in the world was going on! Jack continues to be Jack, though, even in Kate’s imagination. I do think it was very sweet that Kate was dreaming about her parents’ 40th anniversary in the lead up to her own wedding.

Ange: So sweet! Speaking of sweet, a definite highlight of this episode for me was Kevin and Randall teaming up to make sure Kate had the perfect day. Kevin getting all wedding planner-zilla (totally a term right?) was pretty entertaining and then his toast at the wedding about releasing that deep breath that they had been holding all of these years – way to hit the feels!

Melissa: Putting the brothers in charge of the wedding day was inspired. What a terrific way to show the bond between the Big Three…and give us moments of levity and poignancy as well. It was especially lovely to see Kevin put Kate’s needs ahead of his own for a couple of days. He stepped up and it made me like him more.

Ange: In this episode we saw Kate loosen her hold on Jack’s memory that she had been holding on to for the past 20 years. I know that I’ve already used this term, but that was also bittersweet. Not to mention it allowed Kate to soften towards Rebecca and gave us a beautiful mother/daughter scene. “Mom, you are not in my way. You are my way.” Nope, I’m not crying right now. PS How stunning did Chrissy Metz look in Kate’s wedding dress? Gorgeous!

Melissa: I want that dress! It feels like Kate came through her valley of sorrow at last in this episode. She’s been working through her grief for the two years that we’ve known her, and she’s now arrived at a place where she can choose to let go of Jack a little and make room for Toby. That’s a good sign not just for her emotional health but for her marriage.

Ange: Following last episode’s Deja centric storyline, we see what happened in the aftermath of Shauna leaving – she’s relinquished her parental rights and Deja is NOT happy, reverting to a more sullen version of herself than when we first met her. Just when it looks like she’s coming around thanks to Beth’s cool cousin Zoe who was in a similar situation, Toby’s mother remarks how Deja must take after her father Randall, resulting in Deja taking a bat to the windshield of Randall’s car. Oh boy! Is there hope for Deja to come back around?

Melissa: Oh Deja. Let me say this: if anyone can help Deja cope and adjust and flourish, it’s Randall and Beth Pearson. And Tess and Annie. It’s going to be rough, but I have faith.

Ange: Side note, I’m totally wondering if Randall and Beth’s worse case scenario game is as therapeutic in real life…

Melissa: Ha! Same! I don’t know if it would help release anxiety by imagining the worst case scenario, or give me more anxiety about the slim possibility of that scenario happening.

Ange: As always, this show knows how to keep fans hanging on with revelations and this time for six months (assuming the show returns in the fall and isn’t pushed til later). Let’s talk about those flashforwards – Kevin and Zoe travelling to Vietnam and in some sort of relationship, Toby’s depression taking a turn for the worst – what triggers it? – and then future Randall and Tess discussing seeing “her”. Theories? I refuse to believe something has happened to Beth and Deja being in jail seems like an obvious choice but is it too obvious? I wonder if something happened to Annie – I hope she didn’t end up on the pole…

Melissa: That last line made me chuckle. No way is Annie on the pole. I also refuse to believe something has happened to Beth. So I think “she” is Deja. The closer flash-forward with Kevin and Zoe – are they traveling to adopt a baby? That was my first thought and now I can’t shake it. I suppose they could be traveling to a film set. But also – ZOMG Kevin and Zoe! I don’t really want to think about what sent Toby into the abyss. The pre-wedding scene with his parents suggests his depression is a response to losing Kate, but I don’t want that to be the case so I refuse to consider it further.

This is Us returns to NBC in the Fall.

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