Recapping 'This Is Us' : Sylvester Stallone Pressured Kevin to Confront His Grief Over Jack’s Death

If we had to describe this week’s episode of This Is Us with just one word, it would be “tension.” Whether Kevin and Kate were fighting, Jack and Rebecca were working toward getting intimate again, or Randall and Beth were figuring out how to be foster parents, you could feel the tension in the Tuesday, October 10, episode titled “Deja Vu.”

Randall Finds His Mom — But Not Really
In flashbacks, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) put an ad searching for his birth parents in the classifieds. Do you know what happens when a teenager puts his name, birthdate, address and a disclaimer saying he doesn’t need money in the newspaper for all the world to see?

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Randall got a letter back from a woman who claimed to be his mother and she asked him to meet her in the park. Accompanied by Kate and Kevin, Randall quickly discovered the woman was just trying to get money from him, which only made him feel more alone. 

Hannah Zeile as Kate, Niles Fitch as Randall, Logan Shroyer as Kevin and Milo Ventimiglia as Jack on ‘This Is Us‘Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Jack and Rebecca Reconnect
Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) was finding it hard to talk to Rebecca (Mandy Moore), but that was merely one of their problems. Rebecca admitted to Miguel’s (Jon Huertas) ex-wife Shelley that she and Jack hadn’t had sex “in a while.” In an effort to change that, Rebecca surprised Jack with a ride in the Chevelle and burgers at a concert venue where they once went on a date. 

Jack was hesitant to have sex with Rebecca because of the emotions his 12-step program had brought on. Once they were back at the house though, they jumped back in the car and talked. Like, really talked. They also had sex, and when they got out of the car, Jack and Rebecca looked happier than they have in a long time.

Twin Fight

Kevin (Justin Hartley) was back on the set of his Ron Howard war film and ready to shoot a scene with Sylvester Stallone, who was Jack’s hero. Fangirl Kate (Chrissy Metz) tagged along and told Sly that her father was a fan of his. (Side note: Kate and Sylvester Stallone’s friendship needs to be a regular focal point of this show.) 

Justin Hartley as Kevin, Chrissy Metz as Kate and Sylvester Stallone as Himself on ‘This Is Us‘ Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Before Kevin shot his big scene, which he’d known by heart in his trailer, Stallone brought up his dad, and Kevin’s memories of his father came flooding back and threw him off. Kevin took it out on Kate for even mentioning Jack to the legendary actor and accused her of walking around all “sad and damaged” because of Jack’s death.

Kevin was still off his game in a later scene in which he was supposed to rescue Stallone’s character. He ended up injuring his bad knee, and after making up with Kate (but not confronting his grief over Jack’s death), he took some pain pills. Might Kevin suffer from addiction like his father did?

Highs and Lows
After three weeks of waiting by the phone, Randall and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) were assigned a foster kid: a 12-year-old girl named Deja whose mother had been arrested. Deja was quiet at first, but she quickly spoke up when Beth tried to take a pack of cigarettes out of her bag. She called Beth a “bitch,” and when Randall tried to step in, Deja flinched. 

Sterling K. Brown as Randall on ‘This Is Us’ Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Deja snuck into Tess and Annie’s room once everyone was in bed to ask them about the house rules. Annie thought back on William’s first night in the house and how she convinced him to stay when he tried to sneak out. The youngest Pearson invited Deja to stay in her and Tess’s room, and Deja agreed.

The next morning, Randall told Deja about his adoption and broke the news that her mom might be going to jail for a while. She lashed out at Randall, breaking a picture of William and storming off.

This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

,THIS IS US': Chrissy Metz Is OK To Go and Very Happy to Lose Weight for ,This is Us'

She’s ready to get fit! Chrissy Metz is excited to slim down for her role on This Is Us, but clarified that weight loss isn’t mandated for the hit freshman drama during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday, December 1.






The 37-year-old actress plays Kate, a woman who struggles with her weight and attends Overeaters Anonymous meetings, on the NBC drama. “Like most actors, we are chameleons,” Metz explained. “We play different roles — like Christian Bale lost all that weight for The Machinist.”

Metz previously said that she was contractually obligated to shed the pounds, but explained to host Ellen DeGeneres that it’s actually something she wants to do. “I was kind of like, 'I hope I get to lose weight.' That’s a win-win for me — motivated in a different way this time,” she said. “It wasn’t mandated. It wasn’t like, ‘You have to do this.’ But if this is the story line, naturally you would lose weight. So I’m excited if that should happen.” 

Chrissy Metz as Kate, and Chris Sullivan as Toby on This Is Us. Ron Batzdorff/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

When DeGeneres, 58, asked Metz about a recent episode where Kate decides to get gastric bypass surgery, the American Horror Story: Freak Show actress stayed mum about how that would play out in real life. “It is a fast fix, and it’s not always the right answer,” she said of the procedure. “I can’t give it away too much.”

Metz continued, “I think with the character, Kate, she wants a quick fix because it’s not about the food. Food is the symptom. We’ll get to see all the details.”

Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate, Justin Hartley as Kevin on This Is Us. Ron Batzdorff/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

As previously reported, last month the actress told TVLine, “In our contract, it did state that that would be a part of it, to lose the weight in the trajectory of the character as she comes to find herself,” she said. “I, as Chrissy, want to do things that mentally, emotionally and physically make me the best that I can be. That’s the intention for our writers and the development of the character."
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Another Episode Of Tears From 'This Is Us' : Big Moments From Mandy Moore's Show to Make You Ugly Cry

Another week, another bucket full of tears. This Is Us' Tuesday, November 29, episode proved yet again that our tear reservoirs are bottomless pits when it comes to the Pearson family and their never-ending drama.

Here are eight moments from this week's episode that made us ugly cry all over ourselves. 

Randall Made a List of His Mom's Betrayals

Randall’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, and it’s very sad! The episode kicked off with a furious Randall (Sterling K. Brown) making a list of all the ways he was betrayed by mother Rebecca (Mandy Moore). He then confronted his biological father, William (Ron Cephas Jones), saying, “You acted like you didn’t remember abandoning me.” Ouch.

Little Randall Wanted to Know His Biological Parents

The episode then jumped back in time to the '80s, where we saw a young Randall desperately asking other African-American people in his town if they could also roll their tongues — a genetic trait. Explaining to his parents, the desperate kiddo said, “If I can find people who can roll their tongues, they could be my birth parents.” When Rebecca pretended that she had no idea who his biological parents were, it made us want to scream!

Olivia Brought Her Ex-Boyfriend to Kevin's Family Cabin

Randall, Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Kate (Chrissy Metz) then decided to escape the Thanksgiving chaos and head to their family cabin for one last trip before it's sold. This heartwarming moment lasted for all of 10 seconds when Justin’s new flame, Olivia (Janet Montgomery), arrived with two friends in tow — one of them being her ex-boyfriend. We agreed with Kate when she scoffed and said to Olivia, "Who are you right now?"

Randall Took Magic Mushrooms and Talked to His Dead Dad

The best part of the episode had to be when Randall accidentally drank Olivia's ex-boyfriend Ash's magic-mushroom-filled smoothie. The usually uptight Randall spent his shroom trip talking to a hallucination of his father, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia). This beautiful sequence of events led to a confrontation between the father and son duo. Randall said, "You never wanted me either. I was a replacement for your dead baby. That’s all I’ve ever been."

Our tear ducts exploded when Jack said, “The moment I saw you, I knew you were my boy. You weren’t a choice, Randall. You were a fact. You were never a replacement son.” Jack eventually led Randall to discover that his mom sacrificed a lot for him and only ever wanted to protect them.

Mandy Moore as Rebecca, Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Kevin Bared His Soul to Olivia — and She Ran Away

We were shocked to see Olivia rudely snuggling up to her ex while watching old videos with Kevin and the rest of the gang. Kevin immediately called her out and said, “That kiss that we had yesterday. … Those feelings were real, and I know you know that. … I’m not sure you’ve experienced anything real your entire life." He then accused his British costar and co-kisser of having an "empty human shell." Olivia stormed out with Ash, and Kevin made what may possibly be the best joke of this entire series when he said, "It was a Brexit." Tears — sometimes tears of laughter, but still tears.

Jack Did Push-Ups With Randall on His Back

Back in the '80s, we saw as Jack and Rebecca attempted to introduce strong black male role models into their adopted son's life. In a great speech, Randall’s new karate teacher, Ray, explained, “The world isn’t always a kind place, especially to men like us. … We are your community. When things get hard, we are going to be the ones that hold each other up.” Ray then asked Jack to do push-ups with little Randall on his back to prove he would always be there for his son. We wonder if that includes being there in mushroom-hallucination form — either way, we had ourselves the ugliest of ugly cries at this father-son bonding moment.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate, Justin Hartley as Kevin Ron Batzdorff/NBC

We Found Out the Reason for Rebecca's Letter to William

In a series of flashbacks throughout the episode, Rebecca visited William following Randall’s insistence at finding his biological parents. We saw a young, clean-cut William explain he’s “been clean for over five years.” William then revealed that he’s been wanting to get in touch about Randall but didn’t know where to find Rebecca.

She explained, “He’s been asking about you. He really wants to meet his father, and so that’s why I’m here.” William got so excited that he jumped out of his chair. Rebecca then became overwhelmed and rushed home to Jack, where she admitted why she can’t “try” to find Randall’s parents. She said, “What if they’re great? What if they regret abandoning him. … I cannot lose my son.” She then sent William a letter explaining why he couldn’t be in Randall’s life, saying, “This is for the best for him because he has an extraordinary father who gives him everything he needs. I hope you take comfort in knowing just how loved Randall is.” When William placed the letter inside of a manuscript called “Poems for My Son,” we completely lost it. The tears! The inconsolable heartbreak!

Randall Sort of Forgave His Mom…for Now

Back at the house and after some mushroom-fueled closure, it seemed that Randall might finally be able to forgive his mother for her betrayal. Randall coldly opened the door and said to his mom, "You kept that secret for 36 years. That must have been incredibly lonely." Rebecca instantly started sobbing and reaching for her son, who recoiled and said “Not yet. I'll see you at Christmas.” When will the drama end?!

We could probably name 3,000 more ugly cries that this episode gave Us, but there literally aren’t enough hours in the day to recount them. Like, when Toby (Chris Sullivan) told Kate to stop calling him? And when we saw the kids’ names carved into a tree?! What city does this show take place in? Oh yeah, tear city. Tear City: Population Us.

Comment on IPRESSTV: Will Randall ever completely forgive Rebecca?

This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET