We're back in the past to see the Big Three Family get ready to celebrate their birthday. Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) realizes the kids aren't enough – he wants a dog. "Our beautiful children need a beautiful dog," he tells Rebecca (Mandy Moore) during their bedtime coddling. The idea doesn't pass through, as she tells Jack he'll need to find a new "mommy" as well. Fair enough. The triplets are turning 10 years old, a time when they want separate birthday celebrations as they tell Jack and Rebecca: "We're gonna be ten, we're too old for donkeys and banners." Jack and Rebecca invite a magician and prepare to host three separate parties with 45 kids.
During party-time, it appears that Randall (Lonnie Chavis) isn't so popular at school, as no one shows up at his party. Upset with the fact that their son may not have as much fun as he should, they're going to steal kids from Kate (Mackenzie Hancsicsak) and Kevin's (Parker Bates) parties. Although, the idea doesn't work, Randall feels good his three real friends are there. At the same time, Kate is left alone, while everyone enjoys Kevin's party. Jack tries to rescue her mood, asking Kate to teach him how to "Vogue." But she just wants to be alone. Surprisingly, 10-year-old Kevin reveals he's in love with Sophie who was invited at Kate's party (yes, the whole story with separate parties was generated so that Kevin can spend time with her).
In the present, Kate (Chrissy Metz) is planning her gastric bypass with a doctor, slightly hesitating to set a date. With Toby's (Chris Sullivan) heart recently operated on, she doesn't want to proceed with her surgery so soon. However, she likes the doctor's idea to attend a fat camp. She's going to live separately for a month, and Toby supports her decision. As Kate arrives at the camp, she quickly comes to understanding that the program isn't what she was expecting. It has psychological sessions instead of hardcore training at the gym. She meets an arrogant man, camp-worker, who's trying to lure her, saying to Kate: "This is happening." Although she wants to leave camp at first, she later manages to feel the vibe and enjoy the therapy. It appears that she needs more than just a training camp, as the viewers can see a wide range of dramatic experiences she went through, including flashbacks with Jack's funeral, of how he wasn't too old when he passed away.
Meanwhile, William (Ron Cephas Jones) experiences "chemo boost," as he's feeling better than ever. Randall asks his wife, Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson), to help his father with an iPod, while he's rushing to work. At the office, Randall is informed about the new candidate to oversee an important project. As he pushes his initiative forward, his boss sets up competition between the derivatives from Randall and his opponent, with the deadline due next day. When Randall is ready to sacrifice his lunch to work hard on the project, his father comes to the office to have a lunch and quick walk together. Randall feels pressure, as William mentions it isn't clear how many more days he has. As they're spending time together, Randall feels like he's running out of time. However, Randall realizes he has a more important task for the day – he needs to teach his father how to drive a car.
Kevin (Justin Hartley) is having hard times with Sloane (Milana Vayntrub) who heard him talking to Olivia about his decision to choose a right person even if that's not what he wants. "You basically called me the girl equivalent of wearing a seat belt in a cab," she tells Kevin, determined to end their romance. Seeking advice in this tough situation, Kevin calls Kate who explains that she can't help, but Toby needs someone to hang out with so they can both be useful to each other. They arrive at a fancy restaurant, where Kevin explains Toby his usual routine with one of the pretty girl he meets. "It's hard to believe we're even the same species," says Toby comparing his life. However, Toby appears to be the one who can help Kevin to win back a woman, as soon as Kevin chooses between Sloane and Olivia (Janet Montgomery). Toby teaches Kevin how to make such a hard decision, and the audience witnesses how he chooses an absolute stranger who happens to be his ex-wife, Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge). The final sequences circle the storyline back to the past, as Kevin discovers his real feelings toward Sophie, a little girl, who was invited at the triplets' 10th birthday. All he needed to find his real love were three sentences in 10 seconds, as Toby taught him.
Reach Staff Reporter Mariia Kovaleva here.
Annenberg Media