This Is Us – Her

By: Maddie Ruby

In the present Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) is making coffee for herself in the morning while the song “Friday, I’m in Love” is playing in the background of the episode. Then, we see Zoe (Melanie Liburd) and Kevin (Justin Hartley) getting their morning coffee as well.

In the past Rebecca (Mandy Moore) is driving, listening to the same song, while she knocks over some fruit. She reaches down to get it and crashes the car. Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) goes to see her at the hospital where he sees she has bruises and a broken arm. The kids go in to see her, but she wants Jack to take them home because they seem scared.

Back in the present Randall (Sterling K. Brown) comes home to take Deja (Lyric Ross) to her debate team meeting. The girls ask if he is going to stay home tonight. Beth admits to Randall she is not seeing the light here or how to fix this situation. This could be the end of Beth and Randall.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, baby Jack is finally learning to breath on his own. Rebecca has a million questions and is writing down everything. Kate (Chrissy Metz) is being calmer, but when baby Jack stops breathing on his own she runs to get the nurses while Rebecca just taps him and fixes it like they were told. Kate admits Rebecca is annoying her and Rebecca decides to leave the hospital.

Kevin and Zoe are babysitting while Randall and Beth are at work. Kevin goes to talk to Tess (Eris Baker) who is dealing with her sexuality. Now that she is out to her family she feels like it is even harder. She doesn’t know what movies to watch, what to wear or who she is. Kevin explains that he thinks everyone finds out who they are with time and she will find herself as she grows into the person she is.

It turns out Deja isn’t on the debate team. They aren’t really going to her debate meeting and she thinks that debate is stupid. She tells Randall this is just like when he drove her somewhere to just give a speech at a meaningful location. She had Randall drive to where she used to live while she was being fostered. She said five or six of them had to all share one can of soup while the parents scratch lottery tickets. Once they stole a lottery ticket hoping to win, but didn’t. She says that getting adopted was her winning lottery ticket. And that Randall’s winning lottery ticket was Beth…but you only get one. So, he can’t lose her.

In the past Jack serves the kids dinner corn sandwiches. Literally, potato rolls with corn in the middle. Kev (Parker Bates) complains they were supposed to have lasagna before Rebecca “got run over.” Kate (Mackenzie Hancsicsak) says that Randall (Lonnie Chavis) keeps saying Rebecca has brain damage. Jack detests these and they go get ice cream. Present day Beth goes to look at houses in Philly behind Randall’s back. Randall asks his campaign manger what would happen if he resigns.. They both want to keep their family together.

Kevin tries convincing Zoe that she may want kids afterall. He loved “parenting” Randall’s kids and thinks Zoe may change her mind about being a parent at some point. Zoe finally breaks things off with Kevin. She knows he may be okay with not having kids now, but he clearly deserves them and he wants them. So, therefore, they can’t be together.

Toby (Chris Sullivan) and Kate bring home baby Jack with Rebecca and Miguel (Jon Huertas) having moved to be closer to them.

Randall and Beth finally talk. He says he is willing to give up his spot on the city council. Beth tells him it won’t be necessary. She has decided to open her own dance studio in Philadelphia and that the family will be moving there to be closer to his job.

Even farther in the future we finally come to the revelation of who “her” is that we’ve seen in glimpses. Kevin now has a son and Randall and Beth are very much together living in Philadelphia. Toby arrives without Kate or his son. He says that Jack says they are on the way, so presumably he is with Kate. Randall goes in to see “her” and we finally see a very elderly Rebecca laying in bed. She looks very, very sick…and seems to have memory loss as Randall has to explain who he is. We see sitting by her bedside is not Miguel, but Jack’s younger brother…Nicky (Griffin Dunne).