This Is Us – The Waiting Room

By: Maddie Ruby

The end of the last episode took a turn when Kate (Chrissy Metz) went into labor, weeks too early. Everyone is in the waiting room and it is tense. Everyone knows that Kevin (Justin Hartley) relapsed and had a drink and he is being the most stressed of all of them. Randall (Sterling K. Brown) assures him they are all worried. Rebecca (Mandy Moore) seems the most out of it, commenting on how electrical outlets look like mini surprised faces. They try to play a game to distract themselves by naming foods that can either be made better by chocolate syrup or ranch dressing.

The doctor (Assaf Cohen) finally comes out and shares the news that they need to keep the baby inside for as long as possible to further develop, but this puts Kate at risk. They have her on antibiotics and all there is to do is wait. The doctor says at least some of them should go home, considering they’ve been here for the better of 26 hours. Rebecca insists they stay and that they are a family that stays. Miguel (Jon Huertas) makes the time pass by with playing a game where you have to try and name a food that isn’t better with chocolate or ranch.

Kevin brings up the fact that Toby (Chris Sullivan) told them all he was drunk when Kate went into labor and that is why they took an ambulance. He admits to them he hasn’t been his best self and has gone through an intense week, but it wasn’t that out of control and he isn’t back on pain meds.

Zoe (Melanie Liburd) questions Kevin on if he was drinking when he missed lunch with her and said he had an audition. She also asks if he was drunk in Vietnam, which he says he wasn’t. Madison (Caitlin Thompson) shows up with donuts for everyone in kind of an awkward moment. Madison asks how Vietnam was and says it looked damp in pictures from Instagram.

Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) gets a phone call from the dance studio who wants her to cover a class today. Randall is still against this and Beth decides to ask the family about it. Kevin continues to be rude, even making Madison leave by hurtfully asking why she is even there.

Rebecca is barely eating or moving at all. Beth gets her to eat a donut through some creative means. Miguel leaves to go to the restroom and notices Madison is still at the hospital. She tells Miguel how Kate had a plan, a playlist to push to, Madison to take the first public pictures and a Ruth Bader Ginsburg doll to give her son. She doesn’t have any of that now, but she has Madison because she is still here. Miguel comforts her, saying that it can be hard to be outside of this family sometimes and she just needs to listen for now. She leaves, seeing Kevin on her way out, and just saying “Nope.”

Kevin tells Zoe that his drinking started at his uncles. She wishes he would have told her, but he didn’t want to drag her into it. He promises her it is over.

Beth and Zoe have a heart to heart. Zoe tells Beth that her and Randall always figure it out. Beth says to Zoe that she wouldn’t judge her if she left. Zoe asks if she would judge her if she stayed, to which Beth replies, “Never.”

Rebecca is still out of it, counting the chairs in the room. When Randall tries to ask her to take a walk Miguel interjects. Randall and Beth decide to ask them if they will help watch the girls if Beth is teaching dance and Randall is busy with work, but Beth and Miguel admit they have been thinking of relocating to California to help Kate and Toby with the baby. Randall has a hard time accepting this.

Things start to heat up even more when they have no updates on Kate and her doctor is in emergency surgery, possibly with her as the patient. Kevin tries to make Randall take the blame for him drinking because he left him alone with Nicky. Miguel tries to step in, but of course he never is allowed to have something to say. The three of them start arguing. Rebecca yells at them to stop. She tells them she remembers everything about the waiting room she was in with Jack last. She says that whatever they are dealing with, if it isn’t about Kate or the baby it doesn’t belong there.

Toby finally comes into the waiting room and tells them that the baby’s heart rate dropped so fast they had to do an emergency C-section. So, the baby is here, he is very small and is being put on machines to help him breath and keep him growing. He says that Kate asked to see Miguel first, but that was just his poor attempt at a joke and he is very tired. Miguel tells Rebecca the end of the game, the fact that you can’t put chocolate on ranch. She thanks him for putting up with her family.

Randall thanks the nurses for putting up with them. Madison comes back and brings the doll for Miguel to give to Kate. He thanks her for putting up with them.

Randall tells Rebecca and Miguel he thinks they should move and help with the baby. Kevin admits to Zoe he cannot go through this without her and they embrace. Zoe confesses to Beth that Kevin’s water bottle was full of vodka.

Toby and Kate go and see their tiny, tiny baby. Kate wants to name him Jack, which Toby is okay with. She prays with Toby to her dad, saying she needs the baby to be okay and she will never ask for anything again if he can help. She holds the tiny baby’s hand and she tells Toby he is going to be okay.