In tonight’sThis Is Us, COVID and technology loom large.
Randall and Beth are with Madison virtually while Kevin tries to get to her in person.
Let’s unpack all of this.
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Toby surrenders the space.
Later, Toby asks about the pig figurines covering the man’s dashboard.
Ever since, the couple has collected pig figurines whenever they needed luck.
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The man then gives Toby a figurine.
Meanwhile, Ellie is frustrated about her slow labor.
Then, when a nurse calls Ellie “mom,” she fervently notes Kate is the adoptive mother.
She instructs the nurse that after the birth, the baby should be given right to Kate.
Kate fears Ellie’s having doubts about giving away the baby, but she obliges both requests.
She’s eager for her to meet Kate.
With that, the nurse brings the baby to Kate.
She video calls Toby so they can gush together over their daughter, Hailey Rose.
The nurse comes in to give her an anesthetic.
Kevin stopped singing and said he and Randall should have formed a brother band.
Then, Randall starts singing “MMMBop” to Madison, and she joins.
He’s touched by Randall helping Madison.
They name their babies Nicholas and Francis, after Uncle Nicky and Madison’s grandmother.
Kate herself notes this.
Might there be a spinoff series…This Is Still Us?
Miguel notices she keeps looking at a framed child’s painting of colorful blobs.
Flashbacks provide a backstory.
Rebecca likes the idea of going alone with Jack, so Jack accepts the new plans.
Rebecca asserts that she and Jack arenothinglike their parents, so it’s not the same.
She shows him the blob painting.
It was the kids' handprints above their own.
She and Jack won’t miss anything.
Back in the present, Rebecca tells Miguel she and Jack framed that painting to remember the promise.
She feels she’s letting Jack down by not being with Kate and Kevin.
Miguel starts to say something but she interjects.
Esther asks Nasir about the book he’s reading.
It’s about advanced computer programming.
After he rambles about it, she admits she couldn’t follow but loves hearing him talk.
The two become a couple and have a baby.
(I wonder if these are Miguel’s parents?)
Four years later, Nasir arrives home from work late and Esther is furious.
He never comes home in time for dinner with his son.
It’s an unexpected, fourth-wall-breaking history lesson, but one we can gladly embrace.
