"This Is Us" focuses on the Big Three Family, as we see Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) in their past, approaching the big day that would add family members. Infuriated by the problems of being pregnant, Rebecca channels her frustration directly on Jack, yelling at him: "There're three human beings inside of me, Jack. And they're all lining up to go down the waterslide." But Miguel (Jon Huertas) promises he will pray for Jack, so there's no need to worry.
Rebecca asks Jack to leave her alone, and at the moment she remembers it's his birthday, Jack is gone and isn't in a great mood. However, all he thinks about is to get back home and make sure Rebecca is okay, even if she is still at her "Exorcist" level. Unfortunately, Rebecca is sure he is gonna leave her, so she is determined to cook a fancy chocolate almond cake for Jack. And despite she gets only one banana muffin at the nearest store, the audience can only sympathise to her as she is putting a cream and birthday candle on it. She has a great monologue dedicated to her babies, expressing her fears and aspirations – she is terrified of making mistakes while being a mother. For now, she accepts the good and bad, looking forward to her future with the world's greatest dad, Jack, who was getting everything on film. And who knows, maybe she will dance her sexy Marilyn Monroe dance for him, maintaining their tradition for Jack's birthday. And yes, that will be the first scene from the first episode of "This Is Us." Those watching from the very beginning are aware that Rebecca is going to continue her performance in the hospital.
In another scene, viewers meet new characters, Joe (Brian Oblak) and Samantha (Virginia Kull) whose marriage is falling apart. Joe is a firefighter who appears in the first episode of "This Is Us," but the viewers probably don't remember him. They have no idea how he can be connected to the main story, until he finds a baby, little Randall, left abandoned at the doorstep at the fire house. Joe considers it to be a saving miracle and brings him home, only to face his wife's refusal. To no surprise, he takes the baby, Randall, to a hospital in which Rebecca will be having her labor.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nathan Katowski (Gerald McRaney) struggles with grief after losing his wife, refusing to consider any steps toward new romance. His son, Peter (Mike Bradecich), wishes his father could move on, trying to invigorate him. "I was married to her for 53 years and I buried her… and I will never move on," Nathan says to Peter, asking to stop these useless attempts. Later Nathan comes to the cemetery, revealing he's close to giving up with his profession, as he can't struggle without her anymore. But his pager starts beeping – he soon will be at the hospital not only to assist Rebecca with her labor, but to take a new life lesson.
The three storylines connect with each other at the hospital. This is the big day for every character. While the audience is taken on the roller coaster of the character's emotions, it's hard to believe these lives are fictional – there's so much from our real experiences. Indeed, sometimes we just need to take "the sourest lemon that life has to offer and turn it to something resembling lemonade."
Reach Staff Reporter Mariia Kovaleva here.
Annenberg Media