Rod and Bassey discuss NBC’s family drama, “This Is Us.â€
Twitter: @rodimusprime @Basseyworld
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This Too Much: (Protected Content)
TTM 6: Jack Pearson’s Son
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One other thing, do y’all think they are going to ever go back to whatever malfeasance was happening at Randall’s office that had that guy trying to “sell him the boat?”
MEMPHIS
The best cold open ever!! A whole episode on this Bronze king and his kingdom! As the credits roll I see Brian Tyree Henry?? Holdup! Paperboy!! Are they setting me up to put me in a baaaad position later this episode (53:36 min later and I’m crying)?
RANDALL-‘I was raised by white ppl, idk any better.’ I have to tell ya. He held it better than me and it wasn’t even my father. I knew it was gonna be sthingcuz they was having too much fun. The love was there throughout the episode. The cute banter between him and his wife. I knew they were gonna take me on this damn emotional roller coaster. Six Flags is closed…why’d I get on this ride? Oh cuz the show is incredible
BETH- only black women will outtalk doctors. She was like “whatever man! I got this”. I love how she ignored the doctor saying it would be helpful and then went on with her soliloquy. The way they talk to each other tho!! Even down to the fist bump William and Randall gave ea other! WHAT!! Unapologetically black! I wish I argued that adorably! This is sort of a very 2017 Bucketlist. Why am I tearing up when he kisses her goodbye! “All right now don’t drive too fast!! (Randall) Scccrrrr!!
William- i was nervous on that ride down to Memphis. Worried about confederate flags waving around. After the safe travel I got distracted. I was up here laughing with him and tapping my feet to the music until I realized…This is the end isn’t it!? The way Randall held his face near the end cuz Billy was scared took me out …and where his lover? Would u allow the previous owners to come into ur home to look around?
After the show, I wound up having to watch Lethal Weapon to get me out my funk. Bravo to the great acting skills of these melanated kings and queens (no hotep)
Sorry! I was hoping y’all wouldn’t record tonight
(This paragraph is a disclaimer and u don’t have to read this or the comment after) I have 3 weeks of comments so I’ll try to edit my comments to “I Call Marriage” and “Jack Pearsons Son” to stuff ppl haven’t said. I’d been nervous every week that William or how Jack died is coming so I have to been in a type of mood to watch. After listening to the podcast I know both are good (so far). Ok, w/ that being said…on to the bullshhhyt)
I CALL MARRIAGE
JACK- Jack-0!! I am not fucked with! This man is creative. Thoughtful. I mean, the writers spared no expense finding the best traits to give Jack and they’re using that to fuck with us. U have to love a man who breaks the soap dish cuz he was putting his foot in IT (pun intended)?!
REBECCA- was like…what’s snapchat!? This bitch came with all the flowers adorned around her head at her wedding, but still…she’s a bitch (Missy Misdemeanor voice). She thinks b/c she’s had multiples that she’s Beyoncé but no bitch! When she was singing “funny valentine” all I was thinking was ‘where’s Chaka to sing this right!?’ Bitch u gotta WHOOLE family now. Ur dreams are no longer lol. Shout out to Mandy Moore for being at the image awards tho.
Miguel-CEO of Fuck Boi Inc (FBI). What did the Yoko Ono joke mean (I know who she is but I didn’t get it)? When he made his toast talnbout ‘keeping each other laughing’ I felt the “alt facts” in his heart!!
Shelly (Miguel’s wife) where is she? She’s cool with her hubby dating Rebecca???
Randall- Everything that could go wrong, did. He’s the type to bottle it in until he loses his sight OR hand starts shaking. Seeing his hand shake reminded me of Mike on Why Did I Get Married. His hand was shaking too cuz he had….cancer. William has cancer too but NOPE, I’m not going there!
Beth-this is like the 3rd time I wanted to apply the 5 point palm exploding heart technique on her. Like giiirl! Take them 3 ppl to the chess tournament and let this man make his $. Other than she still VIP
Tyler (trump supporter and Randall’s boss) is he REALLY not firing him? I know what his mouth said but this sounds like the beginning steps of Randall seeing Silvia in HR (pink slip)
Kevin- I always assumed anyone with leather patches on they jacket elbows is pompous!! This proves my theory right. Idk if it’s endearing to go through the trouble of creating a fake fb page or problematic. All I know is- he was smart enough to use Suehee and not Darius cuz we all know how that’d turn out? Friend Request, declined!
Sophie-Why show up to the restaurant 2 days in a row if you ain’t considering entertaining this fool
Duke (Dookie) he’s a textbook antagonist. He says all the right things to make u question yourself
You guys are already recording, but I’ve gotta get my feedback in. I loooooooooooove Randall’s goofy ass reaction to meeting his black family. So good! And, as emotional as this episode was, I have to say my absolute favorite part was the revelation that Bryan Tyree Henry aka Paper Boi can sang!!! The song is on Spotify, just in case y’all didn’t know. I’ve been getting my life to it since Tuesday. That song was actually perfect for the episode. The last scene with Randall holding William’s face made me hold my face and cry. I can’t stan for this show enough. I’m so glad you decided to do this podcast. Hope you’re all better, Bassey! Later.
Hi Rod and Bassey,
I have to give you both credit for being better judges of character than me. I had been thinking you were going too easy on Kevin and too hard on Miguel. When Kevin abandoned Sloane, I started thinking, “You cowardly mother–” But then he showed up at the office and started holding Randall and my heart just broke. I wasn’t all that bothered by Miguel, but I think I just have to trust you at this point.
As for this week’s episode: just wow. Start to finish. Randall and Beth’s conversation in the psychiatrist’s office was one of my favorite scenes in the series. William’s flashbacks conveyed so much about him in such a short time. And when Randall explained how Jack calmed him down as a child, I thought that was setting up scene where William needed to do the same thing to help Randall though another panic attack. But when it ended up with the roles reversed…well, Jack Pearson’s son, indeed. Finally, I don’t cry easily, but you know what finally got me? Those damn ducks. Making me laugh when I’m holding back tears. Just breaking that dam wide open. Glad I watch this show alone.
I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this episode. Thanks for introducing me to this show!
Man, Paperboi can sing, too?
Hey Rod and Bassey
Every week I say I’m going to leave feedback and then every Friday morning I forget so I’m getting this in early. It’s about last night’s episode, Memphis. Y’all DIS TEW MUCH! I was crying about 4 mins into the show. First off, Beth and Randall are beyond goals. There’s goals, aspirations and then there’s Beth and Randall (Rod, you and Karen are a close second). Second, this episode was Black as hell and emotional as hell. As soon as I saw Paper Boi’s name in the credits, I knew it was going to be everything. Finally, these writers know how to craft a story. All of us thought that we would see Jack and William’s deaths together and they swerved us. I think we also expected Randall to come in and find William already dead. Instead we got a scene that frankly broke me. And fittingly Jack was with Randall in that moment too. It’s just all a lot. There’s so many layers. This show needs all the awards. Thanks for your recaps guys. It gets me through.
PS I am #TeamMiguel. I know it’s an unpopular position but I’m reserving judgment on him and Rebecca until we see how their romance started. And I liked that scene with him and Kevin. He’s a good guy.
Commenting on Memphis. What a transcendent work of art that was. The way William said “Cool” as though he’d heard Jack say something at the tree, and “I like him” to Randall walking back to the car. Getting to know young William more, his own dedication to his mother being his “failure”, that incredible song that Paperboi sang- the way the crowd were mesmerized by it, wow. And SO amazing that Randall got to play with his father on stage. And “you get a cousin! And you get a cousin! Everybody gets a cousin!” I loved seeing Randall so absolutely free and JOYFUL! It made me feel the same way.
And of course all those beautiful father parallels ending with the face holding. Yeah, this too much. The acting was on another level. Poor Randall, having to lose a father twice in his life. I watched Sterling K. Brown’s Facebook live after the episode and he was very emotional. Crying and thanking the fans. He also said in an interview that he and William were riffing in the barber shop and the rib place and a lot of that stuff made it into the show. I love him even more now. This really IS too much, but I still want more.
ok gut punch next:
Jack is going to die in a drunk driving accident after a fight with Kate and Rebecca. That’s why the tension between the two women and Kate’s guilt-induced accelerated weight loss after Jack’s death.
Hi, Rod and Bassey. I just wanted to quickly comment on Jack and Rebecca’s ages. Jack was definitely 36 the day the triplets were born (Aug 31, 1980), so assuming the kids are between 14-17 at his funeral, he dies in his early fifties. Rebecca is a few years younger than him. I believe she did say she was almost 30 at the bar, so yep, she was in her mid-forties trying to tour, lol. So she’s in her mid-sixties in present day, which sounds about right.
Anyway, thank you so much for doing these recaps. I think I might miss y’all more than the actual show when it goes on hiatus. And that’s saying a lot!
Hey Rod and Bassey!!!
Thank you Bassey for enduring for the podcast. I could hear it in your voice. I hope you’re back to 100%. I hate I missed the email notification because this was one TTM I could have attended live.
I’m cracking up at y’all trying to understand derivatives and everyone (including me) trying to explain them to you. Bassey, you are correct! It is arbitrary. Imagine trying to account for those mofos! That’s why I have to understand them because I have to know how to account for them properly.
Bassey, thank you so much for your insight into mental illness! I love your personal touch. My younger sister has anxiety attacks and it’s so hard for her to explain it to me and so hard for me to understand. I sort of equated her anxiety attacks to my being overwhelmed and the fixer in me tried to give her advice based on how I handle being overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I’m surprised so many are hard on Beth for leaving. It was her mother and she is probably the rock of her family. Her sister probably can’t handle it. For instance, my sister lives 30 minutes from our UncleDad but when shit goes down, it’s me that has to drive 4 hours to fix it. Rod’s comments about his brother made me relate to Kevin even more. When we were younger, my straight A’s were nothing compared to my older sister’s issues or my younger sister’s cuteness. I totally understood teenage Kevin walking away from Randall’s breakdown. When I look back on some of the things I did to my older sister when I was younger I’m somewhat shamed. I took the lack of attention I received out on her sometimes. One day my grandmother introduced me to the word hypochondriac and I used it freely with my older sister. I was an evil little something and my sister beat my ass every time. But it was worth it!
I totally forgot about Rebecca asking Jack to stop drinking. See – this is why I love this podcast!!!! When Miguel told Jack he didn’t have to drink when they went out I started questioning if Jack had a drinking problem that we didn’t know about. I need the TTM podcast in my life to keep me on task with the earlier episodes. The episodes I watched on Hulu at work before the show graduated to DVR status.
I’m with you Rod, I’m not as sympathetic to William now. He annoyed the mess out of me this episode! I too am looking forward to Memphis and I hope he has a sweet departure.
Thank you for another great podcast!
I think y’all are trippin on the Jack and Rebecca argument. There’s almost no scenario where you withhold something from your spouse because you don’t think that they will like it that will turn out OK if they find out from someone other than you. That fight was inevitable from the moment she decided to make it a secret.
They are making all kinds of eyes at each other during the performance. Then the guy brings it up in convo (and he seems to really still have a thing for your wife). Hard to get credit for her ability to shut it down when she’s hidden it from you to this point. Just last week they were worried that maybe they were losing their own connection, especially when they heard Miguel’s divorce announcement at the dinner.
Jack was going the extra mile to not end up like Miguel and try to bring things back to a better place with his marriage, which is why he was riding with the tour. Then he goes to the show and finds out that on all these late nights, she’s been out here making eyes with her ex. And Miguel’s “advice†wasn’t worth anything. He was out on the hunt, just throwing a platitude to keep everything kosher.
Regarding meeting changes…… I’ve had deadlines and deliverables moved because the CEO wanted to fly out a day early. The world bends itself for the rich and powerful. I’ve seen deadlines moved so an executive could leave early for a birthday party.
As for Kevin, I’m glad he thought to check on Randall. Only a few weeks ago, it was the first time he ever even referenced him as his brother, so maybe he’s growing some. Still not feelin him. Sorry. That’s y’all’s man.
William….I just shake my head.
As for this trip to Memphis…..I don’t know what to expect. When he was talking about this record store back when he was a kid with the cool Italian guy, I was trying to figure out where that would be in the Jim Crow south that would have let that ride. Maybe he’s younger than I think, but that whole record store story didn’t feel like the south at all from what my older family members passed down.
Rod & Bassey, Jack Pearson’s Son was such a good episode. This right here is the show that everyone submits for their Emmy nom. From Sterling Denzeling it; to Justin finally manning up and showing that he cares for someone other than himself; to Chrissy telling Horseface to kick rocks; to Milo and Mandy bringing it in the real marriage showdown; to the writing team, everyone was on their A+ game.
William got on my nerves this episode. I understand he has cancer, but this episode, much like the one were he kept Randall from returning to work, just smacked of reflecting the mindset of someone who has never had a traditional job, and is oblivious to the fact that you just can’t leave anytime you want and return anything you want with no consequences. So yeah, they will kill him off in the On the road with Randall episode just to make me feel ain’t ish for thinking harshly of him this week. I missed Beth’s presence, but get that she needed to be off canvass for the Kevin and Randall scene to take place since there is no way Beth would not have been reaching out to Randall to realize that shomething was wrong with him. I would like to learn more about Beth’s family, but that’s not the focus of the show, so I won’t expect it.
P.S. The actor who plays Toby used to be heavy, so Bassey’s sense that something is off with his appearance it correct. It’s sort of like Luther, Al rocker and to a lesser extent Oprah, their head always seemed to fit their larger bodies more than their smaller bodies.
FYI — Please always remember and don’t ever forget — F’ Miguel, today, tomorrow and forever. Turning Kevin’s need for support into some emotionally manipulative what about me BS. Even his talk with Jack was tainted by him trying to get Jack to be his wing-man. He knew women would sense the awesome that was Jack and he could get some cast off lovin g by surrounding himself in the Jack Glow. You aint slick Miguel, I see you.
And ANOTHER THING, ya lovable homeboy, Kevin, only noticed Randall was falling apart because Kate won’t answer his calls. He was on a desperation tour to find someone, ANYONE to pay him any mind before the dabut of his play. His need of an emotional crutch kept him around Randall long enough to see the signs. Therefore, Kate was the real MVP of the episode – for getting her own life that didn’t revolve around Kevin and, as a result, possibly saved Randall’s life.
Trust that by the end of the season, we would see Miguel saving the Pearson family from a burning building, but he just couldn’t make it back in for Jack and that’s why the kids don’t give a fuck about him. Real talk though, Miguel must have done something good to be in Rebecca’s life. Maybe he started seeing about the Pearsons financially after Jack passed away. Who knows! I have faith in him to have some redeeming quality that will make everyone start putting him on their ‘this is me’ list.
Other than that, while William was on some shit, talking about not getting Coke, Beth was the one who let me down the most this episode. She should have seen the signs that Randall wasn’t ok. I know it’s imposdible to demand everything from this one woman, but the situation was too volatile for her to leave, even for a broken hip. Who is going to take care of the kids when Randall is wailing in one corner and William is in the other corner bitching about sugary drinks?