It was a new era for This is Us as we saw a new side of the Pearsons

This is Us gives the Pearson family the most adorable Halloween costumes possible and we get to fill in a part of their lives we haven’t previously seen. Halloween in 1990 sees Kevin (Parker Bates) as a hobo, Kate (Mackenzie Hancsicsak) changing up her costume from a vet to Sandy from Grease last minute as every kid does, and Randall (Lonnie Chavis) as 1990’s “Bad” Michael Jackson. It also gives us a glimpse into when Kevin really started in as Kate’s defender and Randall really started to get neurotic.

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The Pearsons in their 20’s aren’t doing so well. Randall (Sterling K. Brown) is two months post breakdown and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) is about to give birth to their first child. Kevin (Justin Hartley) can’t get an audition and Kate (Chrissy Metz) is a waitress who ends up sleeping with a guy she knows is married. Rebecca (Mandy Moore) is still not over Jack and has flashbacks to Randall’s adoption when Randall ends up having to deliver his daughter himself after getting a pep talk from a home improvement store employee. By the end Kate moves to LA, Randall pulls it together for his wife, Kevin reassess his approach to getting acting work and Rebecca gets a facebook message from Miguel. Oh and Randall names his baby after a ceiling fan.

Cute episodes get cute discussion! Time to talk!

Danielle (@dani_pitter): Couch potato, dreamer, writer, and recent college graduate! Also needs many tissues during This is Us, among other amazing shows. Danielle’s book blog, PoetryBooksYA, Danielle’s fansite, ParamoreRKLife.

Mel (@musiccitymel): Mel is a blogger, fibromyalgia warrior, and cohost of Two Dead Chicks: A Walking Dead Podcast.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): Disney World addict, comic book fan & Film and TV fanatic. Contributing Editor to Comicbookmovie.com. I’ve written some things you might have read… probably not though.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): Novelist, runner, podcaster, pretend baker, and professional Canadian. Her next book, HAVE YOU MET NORA?, is available now! Read more at NicoleBlades.com.

Carole (@cbraunnj): Costumer, teacher, big tv watcher. Also major knitter while watching great tv.

1) Talk to us about your trick or treating style. Are you more Kevin & Kate, or are you more “make a map and plan every house” like Randall?

Danielle (@dani_pitter): I don’t celebrate Halloween, but if I did, I’d be more a cross between Kate and Randall haha. I’d dress like Kate and act all rigid and stern and stick to my listings like Randall. I live in a cramped, apartment complex, so I wouldn’t need the map of houses, but I’d make one just in case.

Mel (@musiccitymel): I’m way more of a Randall. I didn’t have an actual map drawn out but I definitely knew exactly which houses I wanted to go hit up. I also knew which ones gave out the good candy and which ones chased people off their lawn with a weed whacker.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): I never have been much into Halloween, more of a Christmas guy. If I were to choose, I’d say I’m more of a freestyle trick-or treater. However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve taken pride in trying to be one of the houses that Randall would circle on his map and say, “we have to go to this house.”

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): Definitely Kev & Kate, although if I’m being honest, there’s a bit of Randall in there too. I would have a general plan of where I wanted to go (i.e. which houses gave out the best candy!).

Carole (@cbraunnj): I’m more the Kevin & Kate style, definitely in it for the candy (when else during the year can you ring doorbells and get chocolate?!), but I’m definitely in for the fun and spontaneity.

2) Kevin paying Billy in candy to hold Kate’s hand in the haunted house was definitely one of Kevin’s sweeter moments. Did it soften you to him at all?

Danielle (@dani_pitter): No lol. Not really. I’d thought Kevin paying Billy, even in candy, was kinda douchey. Like Kate couldn’t get her guy on her own. I’m sure it seemed sweet in his head, but the way it was executed looked kinda douchey. Maybe because I’m not a Kevin fan at all, so I don’t know what will make me like him.

Mel (@musiccitymel): Maybe a little. BUT ONLY A LITTLE. I still think he’s a brat 87% of the time.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): Kevin really helped his cause with me in this episode. Kevin has always been so whiny and “me first”, but he had a couple of helping moments with Kate this week. The first being the candy incident, and then him helping her as she is still obviously not over Jack’s death. If we could get a Kevin that is a little less self absorbed that would be great, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): Kevin always had (and will always have) a clear and permanent sweet spot in his heart for his sister. Call it a twin thing. What would have made the moment even sweeter is if they weren’t twins and Kevin was just a big brother doing something kind hearted for his little sis.

Carole (@cbraunnj): It was sweet but Kevin & Kate have that twin connection going for them. I would have softened up more if they were sibs not the same age

3) Randall’s control issues that lead to his breakdown clearly started really early, but maybe that was for a reason. Talk to us about how you’ve seen them build up.

Danielle (@dani_pitter): Yes, he does seem to have control issues, but when he snaps, that’s when he becomes vulnerable. He has such a need to control everything, like the whole ceiling fan thing. He was so sure that it would work, but when it didn’t, he freaked out and got all angry. I think his anxiety is the answer to all of that. Anxiety has this hold on certain people that when it comes out, it feels controlling, but all it does is make you feel so alone. I have anxiety, so I know the feeling.

Mel (@musiccitymel): It seems like Randall has always been afraid of letting himself and his family down. He holds himself to an impossibly high standard of perfection. I can’t help but to wonder if this stems from him feeling a certain separation from his family and his surroundings. We already know how much Kevin kind of alienated him and how racist his grandma was, for example. I think Randall felt like he was a lesser part of the family because he was adopted. He seems to try to make up for that feeling by trying to be as perfect as he can be. When the truth is, he’s wonderful and perfect exactly as he is.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): I’m glad Jack pushed Rebecca to get Randall to stray away from his schedule, but I have a feeling the ramifications of Larsens opening their big mouths will cause Rebecca to be a little less likely to push Randall to be this way, as displayed in the way he handles Tess coming into the world.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): From the Young Randall days you could see that he was about planning, hard lines and exactness. His little notebook as a kid is good, early example of this. I know a few people like that (in varying degrees), who don’t do well with vagueness or a seat-of-the-pants approach to life and/or decisions. But having a baby will immediately shake that up! Randall was wound pretty tightly back then, but he seems to have made some adjustments in his 30s that have loosened the knots a little. Again, becoming a parent will do that to you!

Carole (@cbraunnj): Randall has always been tightly wound. Anytime they show him as a child he always seems to want to things perfectly, very precise. As though he’s afraid of disappointing his parents and himself.

4) Let’s talk about the Pearsons in their 20’s! Was anyone else surprised by the levels of mess Kate and Kevin were?

Danielle (@dani_pitter): Kate’s new guy is MARRIED. MARRIED, Katherine. I don’t even know if her full name is Katherine, but dammit, I’ll call her Katherine when I’m angry with her. KATHERINE!!!!!!! STOP. There are other fish in the sea (besides Toby, lol). But wow to think that she’d had her first time with a married man….wow, Katherine.

Kevin was even a mess in his 20s! Damn, he went from doing hair, going on and on and on about his friend getting “his” part in the movie. But the best part was when the director/casting director told him, “You will never work for me, buddy. Not in a movie, not even holding a tray.” SUCH A BURN!! And I loved it!! I don’t hate Kevin, but dude needs a wake up call, like now. To bring down his own friend for a part is so juvenile and cruel. When will Kevin not make me want to slap him, no matter how pretty he may be.

Mel (@musiccitymel): Not really. They’ve alluded so much to how deeply Kevin and Kate were affected by Jack’s death because of their perceived involvement. It would only stand to reason that their lives would be a little messy in their 20’s! They didn’t have Jack there to help provide guidance and support and Rebecca was just trying to figure out how to function in this new life without her husband. It seems like they were all kind of flailing around a bit.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): I mean, it’s Kevin and Kate so not really. What really surprised me was how empathetic Kevin was towards Kate about trying to help her still getting past Jack’s death. But, in typical Kevin fashion, he also tried to screw his friend out of a part so he could claim it for himself.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): I was not surprised at all—especially when it came to Kevin’s life. He still has a lot of that slouching confidence, solipsistic stuff happening now in his late 30s. I do wonder, though, if all of the Pearson kids’ lives would have been a bit different had they not endured the tragic loss of their dad. Maybe Randall would have been able to take deep breaths easier, and Kate wouldn’t go out seeking love and acceptance from just any old jerk, and Kevin would believe in himself. But then, this would be a completely different show, right?

Carole (@cbraunnj): I wasn’t that surprised but I’m wondering if they would have been like that if Jack was still alive, or that would have been their destiny anyway. And where was Rebecca while they were going downhill?

5) Pregnant Beth and Randall! And Randall in the store with Garuda. We know you must have thoughts.

Danielle (@dani_pitter): Like I said before, anxiety makes you feel so alone in the world. I did like how Randall had a chat with a total stranger lol. But Garuda’s advice was nice to hear, especially coming from another father.

Mel (@musiccitymel): #Bandall are relationship goals, even when things aren’t 100% perfect. I think how they handle the tough stuff is what makes them so relatable. Their love feels authentic and organic. When Randall came to the aid of Beth when she was in labor, I melted into a puddle. The talk with Garuda made me bawl. I feel like so many new parents have moments just like this where they have more questions than answers. Randall just wants to be the best.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): Unfortunately for Randall, he’s in a situation where he can’t be in control, and while it’s good for him he doesn’t know how to handle it. I really feel for Beth, because she’s the one that’s giving birth, but she has to wind up comforting Randall. The conversation with Garuda was an amazing moment for him, and I think it prepared him for the birth of Tess.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): I kinda like Pregnant Beth. Ah… I’m lying! I like Any Kind of Beth. But seeing them on the precipice of becoming new parents was sweet. You got to see, once again, how much love is living between the two of them. I also liked seeing the warm dynamic between Beth and Rebecca. They don’t really get to interact much in “present” day. The hardware store moment was what’s become classic This Is Us. You knew that Randall was going to spill it all to this stranger, but you also knew that Garuda was going to drop some pearls on him—and on all of us.

Carole (@cbraunnj): How was Beth that calm?! She’s going to be giving birth any day now and she is the epitome of calm. Even without recovering from a breakdown Randall would have been a nervous wreck, everything must be perfect for the new baby. Yes, Randall spilling his thoughts to Garuda was a bit weird but yet it does make sense. He found it easier to speak to a random stranger than anyone who is close to him.

6) This messy, post-Jack & pre-Miguel Rebecca is pretty interesting (including her really good relationship with Beth). How did Rebecca’s journey make you feel this episode?

Danielle (@dani_pitter): At one point I felt for Rebecca, but on another point, when Randall was having his freak-outs, I kept saying along with Beth, “You weren’t there.” I wonder where she was, but probably not because….Miguel. But then, I don’t hate Miguel either like a lot of the fans do. I don’t know. My mind is so conflicted when it comes to this odd “love triangle”.

Mel (@musiccitymel): I am slightly less salty now that we got a better idea of the timeline of how this all went down. But only slightly. I still feel betrayed because this was Jack’s best friend. I’m not sure if there’s anything they can do to make me totally ok with this situation. I don’t begrudge Rebecca for moving on. In fact, most of my annoyance lies with Miguel. I think Rebecca tried to pave the way alone for a long time. I can’t blame her for ultimately seeking comfort from an old friend. But every time I see Miguel, I can’t help but to feel that he always held a candle for Rebecca and was all too happy to be the one to help her move on.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): Mandy Moore killed it this episode. I really felt for her when she was going through these bitter sweet moments, because I saw my own mother have to deal with that. No matter how happy the occasion there is always a hint of sadness. It was really an amazing character episode for Rebecca both young and old.

Also can we say how creepy it was for Miguel for taking time to slide into Rebecca’s DMs after she posts that she’s a grandma?

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): I am not ready to deal with the Miguel storyline. I’ve been steady side-eyeing him since the start of the show, when it was revealed that “best friend” neighbor and coworker Miguel was with-with Widow Rebecca. Anytime he comes on the screen, I’m like, Hmph, this guy. (It’s Miguel and Toby, man. Nope to both!) Now we find out that it’s all Facebook’s fault. Miguel is probably a serial poker, too.

Carole (@cbraunnj): Rebecca is still negotiating her world without Jack. Yes it’s been several years since Jack died but these things do take time. I was glad to see her with Beth and how well they got along, which was a good thing since Beth helped deliver the baby.

7) We never met them but boy do the Larsens suck. Who tells someone they’re a replacement for a dead kid? What did you think of it and how Rebecca handled it?

Danielle (@dani_pitter): The Larsens are vile creatures for telling Randall that. Pure disgust. Rebecca handled it with such tender, loving care. I thought it would have been better if Randall knew when he was older, but at age 10 was a good age.

Mel (@musiccitymel): First of all, the Larsens are the worst. Their actions forced Rebecca’s hand to have to tell Randall the truth on the spot. It definitely wasn’t ideal to have the conversation without Jack, but Rebecca handled it with such grace and tenderness. Honestly, I thought it was perfect.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): Yes, the Larsens do suck. You don’t make statements like that to someone’s child. Especially if you don’t know if Jack and Rebecca have had that conversation with Randall. However, I feel like this is a typical occurrence for a small town.

Like I said early, the entire episode for Rebecca was an amazing turn for her character. It was an incredibly sweet moment for her and Randall, but I feel like it only reinforces that Rebecca won’t be pushing Randall anytime soon.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): The Larsens are the worst! How dare you? Rebecca handled it really well. She was, as always, thoughtful and gentle in explaining it to Randall at a level he could process. Mind you, she needed to handle those damn Larsens, though! A few terse words were needed.

Carole (@cbraunnj): I want to smack the Larsens! Talk about nerve to go and say all that to Randall! Rebecca did a masterful job of explaining everything to Randall, not an easy task.

8) Obviously we weren’t going to get through the This is Us roundtable without asking you about Randall delivering his own first baby and naming it after the ceiling fan. Did it work for you? Tell us why!

Danielle (@dani_pitter): I don’t even know if I want to birth my own children if I have them, but there’s something so beautiful about seeing baby births on tv! So you can bet that I was balling my eyes out seeing my boy Randall delivering his own baby girl!! It was so touching and sweet and precious!! Naming her Tessane (Tess) after the ceiling fan was funny too lol. So well-put and needed.

Mel (@musiccitymel): Listen, Randall does no wrong in my eyes. He could have named that baby after a toaster and I would have been here for it.

Jake (@Jake_Lester): Garuda’s conversation with Randall, I think, really helped him prepare for that moment. He really set his mind at ease, and it was funny that when the phone call came in, he said it wasn’t supposed to happen yet, and then jumped into action.

As far as how Tess got her name I still feel that it was more of a tribute to Garuda, who made the joke that since that was his name he probably just talked Randall out of naming his baby that. Garuda told Randall about the fan, and I think that was Randall’s way of paying tribute to the man who helped him be ready for the phone call that Tess was coming.

Nicole (@NicoleBlades): As I’ve said before: Sterling K. #ALLDAY. The delivery scene was great. When he looked Beth in the eyes and told her, “I got you.” I was like, YES, HE DOES! Then I kind of wanted him to come over and fix my annoying, battery-drained, beeping smoke detector or something, because he’s got me. It was a nice touch, his breaking away from the rigid plan of naming the the baby something that starts with a J and going with his gut. Good thing the fan wasn’t called the Coolerator 2000.

Carole (@cbraunnj): If that doesn’t make Randall feel like Dad of the Year nothing will! He was calm wonderful. Did naming the baby after the fan work? It was a bit trite. Beth should be glad that Randall didn’t have a pamphlet for the Casablanca brand

Final Verdict: This week’s This is Us was Halloween treat sweet!

This is Us gave us a glimpse we hadn’t seen before this week. We got our first taste of what our favorite family was like post Jack’s death and before they were the way we know them today. And to be honest not a lot of it was very pretty.

Kevin’s repressing and proving he’s basically willing to screw anyone to get what he wants. Sure maybe he was cute when he was ten but knowing what we know now he wasn’t doing Kate any favors by paying someone to be nice to her. As for us we’re still not in love with Kevin. Especially since he appears not to have learned anything from his twenties to his thirties.

Beth and Randall! Meltdown Randall is really sad and it’s also a little difficult to watch Beth not be particularly self-assured. Randall’s breakdown must have been really difficult for her and we hope we get to see a little more of Randall’s recovery. But it’s clear that Randall has had control issues from when he was little. And he certainly wasn’t helped by the hideous Larsens.

As far as Kate is concerned, oh man. She slept with a married man! And it wasn’t even like she didn’t know he was married. She knew he was married and she did it anyway. Girl. We know that isn’t going to help your self esteem. At least now we know she’s got a chance at happiness.

Rebecca was the big journey this week. Just when you thought she was going to let Randall not have everything he wanted the Larsens had to go and prove Rebecca totally wrong about making him vary from his routine. She was struggling and the birth of her first grandchild really seemed to buoy her. And now we know how her relationship ensued with Miguel. Though we still don’t like him. Just sliding into her DM’s like that, you’re a sneak Miguel.

This is Us was sweet this week. When will we return to the Pearson 20’s? Stay with us for our This is Us roundtable!

This is Us returns next Tuesday, November 7th at 9/8c on NBC!