Review of This Is Us: (Season 5 Episode 7)
After a slew of production, troubles continue to derail this season’s momentum, This Is Us Season 5 Episode 7, “There,” is the first episode that appears to have a firm handle on the tale it’s conveying.
In its purposeful attempt to make Kevin’s first taste of motherhood unforgettable, this Kevin-centric episode is smart in its deception but never cruel.
This Is Us is always there for us when we need it, and that means a lot to even the most casual TV viewer.
I want to scream at This Is Us for making us believe Kevin’s life was in danger right before he became a father. However, there are instances when you have to throw in the towel and recognize that a show’s deception is required.
Coming off the cusp of verbally begging Kevin to keep his eyes on the road for half the episode, the relief of discovering Kevin’s car isn’t the one on fire in the opening scene could very well be orchestrated. But it’s a breath I’m glad to let out.
The alternative allows Kevin to have a normal life while also giving him the opportunity to save a man from a flaming car. Not only is it a total hero move to save a life while rushing back to your pregnant wife, but it also forces Kevin down a path that only Jack Pearson could tread.
It also pushes the story down an intriguing new direction.
We know the cost of Jack’s unwavering devotion to his children, but it doesn’t make Kevin’s drive to be the parent he idolizes any less inspiring to witness.
The same could be said of Kevin’s and his father’s times together, back when playing football was the most important thing on their minds.
Despite the show’s different daddy troubles and family couplings, we still don’t have a full understanding of Jack and Kevin’s connection. Their father-son relationship has always been unpredictable, right up until the final brawl on Superbowl Sunday.
As a result, it’s reassuring to see them confide in each other with such openness.
Kevin is afraid of disappointing his father, and Jack is afraid of admitting that no father, including his own, is perfect. It’s a frank exchange between the two that sugarcoats the sections Kevin will later immortalize and shows the viewer how far Jack went to make these illusions of his can-do attitude seem plausible.
Kevin is without a doubt the hero of his stand-alone episode, exuding the gallantry and kindness that has changed his character into someone we can love for over the last several seasons.
Hartley continues to add realism to this Hollywood actor, allowing us to invest in his story in ways that other central characters still struggle with.
Madison, though, is the character who truly gets to us in the last seconds of this episode.
For the bulk of Kevin’s story, she’s been stoic and strong, but as it becomes evident that she has no one to confide in, we see her slowly and gently begin to fall apart.
The feeling doesn’t hit us until Randall and Beth phone to check in and tell Madison that she is now part of their family.
This Is Us may make us feel the confines of Madison’s predicament, just as it did with Kevin, only to give rapid and unexpected consolation.
We all wish we could get that phone call when we really need it, and I’m pleased Randall is the one who consoles Madison.
Not only because it’s so unexpected, but because Madison now has the support of the three Big Three, and she desperately needs the win. Look at how great Miguel is doing as a result of their appreciation!
I also find it intriguing that, at such a pivotal point in their lives, Kevin and Madison’s relationship isn’t romantic in the least. And it’s not something I’m looking for when their platonic parenting relationship is already working so beautifully.
“There” has all of the high-class baby drama we’ve come to anticipate from This Is Us, plus another terrific Jack Pearson narrative.
This episode feels like it’s building up to the birth of the Big Three’s next generation.
That may be too much for one episode to handle, but one of those well-placed montage scenes in the last scene may have attempted to tie off some of that momentum.
Instead, we leave Madison and Kevin abruptly, and many of the episode’s masterfully knit stories are tossed to the wind. It’s shocking, but given the show’s capacity to reach important conclusions, it’s not wholly successful.
Spoilers for This Is Us Season 5, Episode 7: Kate has some really exciting news to share.
This Is Us Season 5 Episode 7: Season 5 of This Is Us will premiere on NBC on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, after what seems like an eternity. The season got off to a fast start, confronting the mounting tension between Kevin and Randall, Kate and Toby’s adoption quest, and Randall’s self-discovery journey all against the backdrop of the COVID-19 epidemic and Black Lives Matter riots.
The show has taken two-month-long hiatuses since the season began in October. While it’s unknown whether the program will need to take another after this week, let us be grateful for what we have now. That shouldn’t be too difficult, as Season 5, Episode 7 of This Is Us appears to be a doozy!
As you may recall, Randall traveled to New Orleans, the birthplace of his birth mother, Laurel, in Episode 6 to learn more about her. Randall learned to let go of all the anguish he’d been keeping in on the journey, and it was a life-changing event for him. He called Kevin on the way home, hoping to put their feud to bed as well.
Unfortunately, Kevin, who was filming in Vancouver, would answer the phone from his own car, preoccupied, having received a call from Madison, who was in labor. Kevin would cut Randall off, regretting leaving her behind, and we’d see him driving down the highway as the program concluded. That option, based on the commercial, does not appear to be a good one.
Read more: Review: Attack on titan season 4 episode 5 – A Declaration of War
On This Is Us, Kate gives Kevin some good news.
This Is Us Season 5 Episode 7: Although it’s uncertain if Kevin will be in danger or save the day, it appears that we now have some knowledge concerning Kate and Toby’s adoption status. Kate thanks Kevin for the elaborate—and kind of romantic—edible arrangement in the video below.
The present is a congratulation for Kate and Toby’s adoptive daughter’s forthcoming birth, and while Kate would have liked a Tesla, she loves the gesture. Kate packs a suitcase as she speaks with Kevin, preparing to travel to San Pedro and see Ellie in the hospital. Meanwhile, Kevin, who is still in his trailer, informs Kate that he will be recording a major courtroom scene in which he will question Robert DeNiro’s character.
He tells her, “It’s my big, ‘Did you order the Code Red?’ moment,” referring to A Few Good Men. Of course, he’s terrified, telling Kate that every time he thinks about it, he pees a little.
Fortunately, the subject rapidly shifts away from body functions when Kate informs Kevin that he will be returning to Los Angeles the following week. Yes, he says, and he has no intention of leaving Madison’s side before the twins arrive.
This is significant because Madison advised Kevin a few episodes ago to use this time apart to consider whether or not he wanted to start a family. While it appears that he’s made up his mind, Madison’s willingness to accept his decision remains an open question. As the babysitter for baby Jack comes, Kate and Kevin say their goodbyes.
I’m a little surprised Kate and Toby have progressed so rapidly through the adoption process. Either we’ll have to suspend disbelief or the voyage isn’t yet complete. Who knows, maybe after the accident they’ll reconsider their decision since, as we all know, this is a moment that will touch everyone.
Of course, I’m looking forward to seeing how Randall and Kevin’s problems are resolved, as well as Rebecca’s reaction to Randall’s trip news.
Planes, Labor Pains, and Automobiles on This Is Us
This Is Us Season 5 Episode 7: Every hero must face challenges along the way, and Kevin does so in Tuesday’s episode of This Is Us.
Kevin’s attempts to rush to his pregnant fiancee’s side when she goes into labor significantly sooner than expected are chronicled in this hour. Yes, there is a vehicle collision, just like the trailers promised. No, the accident is not Kevin’s fault, and he is unharmed, as the advertisements implied.
In truth, halting to assist a fellow traveler in difficulty is only the mechanism that prevents Kevin from boarding an aircraft and being by Madison’s side as they await the birth of their twins. But, hey, if you’re going to be a good Samaritan, why not be a good Samaritan to a West Wing alum?
In a few minutes, everything will make clear. Continue reading for a summary of “There.”
AT FOOTBALL CAMP THIS ONE TIME | Let’s get the flashback plot out of the way right away. Papa Pearson is ecstatic as Jack drives Kevin to the football camp his coach suggested in an earlier episode. “If you do well this weekend, word will spread quickly that you’re the next Terry Bradshaw,” he says to Kev, who seemed to be less enthusiastic about the occasion.
Kevin’s nerves reach a breaking point when they arrive at the hotel where they’ll be staying for the weekend, and he vomits from the stress. After Jack senses something is wrong, he eventually confesses, “What if I suck tomorrow?” He reveals that he overheard Jack telling Rebecca that she’d made him “soft,” and he fears that if football fails, he won’t have anything to do with his life. Jack tries to convince Kevin that this isn’t true, but the fact that he’s been peacocking every time Kevin comes close to a gridiron makes his claims a bit less credible. “We seldom do anything alone together,” Kevin laments, “but you took the time to bring me here because you think football is my only chance at being special.” His coach frequently calls him stupid, Kevin adds.
This last piece of knowledge surprises Jack, and it seems to jolt him into action. He quickly says that they’re going out to eat, and the two end up in a restaurant where the coach is also eating. Jack tells Kevin that his father was proud of him for being a brilliant pitcher for his Little League team, but that he would bring alcohol to every game and be drunk by the end of the game. “I started praying before every game,” he adds, “because a good game meant a pleasant car ride home.” We witness bits of one of these drives in the show when Jack’s father was so inebriated that a young Jack had to drive the family car home.
Jack believes he’s ready to ruin Kevin’s football career in the same way his father ruined his baseball career. He recalls, “I ended up looking exactly like him.” Kevin reassures him, “No Dad, you’re lot better than him,” and it’s wonderful. “Thank you, my son,” I said. He responds, “You’re going to be a lot better than me.” When Jack notices Coach headed to the men’s lavatory, he softly warns him not to call Kevin stupid ever again. “Tell me you understand,” Jack urges, his voice threatening in a way we’ve never seen him before. Coach is terrified; he agrees, then flees the scene. Kevin notices his coach leaving hurriedly and wonders if Jack spoke to him in the restroom. “No,” Jack responds. Kevin’s happy grin suggests that he is aware that his father is lying, but he seems unconcerned.
This is us recap season-5 episode-7
DENIRO IS EXPECTED | Kevin learns his lines in his trailer on the Vancouver set of The Glass Eye — utilizing the color-coded-card method Randall showed him, aww — and takes a phone call from his sister. Ellie, Kate and Toby’s surrogate, is getting induced on that day, and Kevin is apprehensive about the courtroom scene he’ll be filming. “This is the huge ‘Did you order the Code Red?’ moment for me.” He overshares, “Every time I think about it, I pee a little.”
He’s on his way to set to play opposite (I guess Robert?) DeNiro when Madison calls to say she’s having contractions six weeks sooner than expected and is going to the hospital. Kevin hangs up and tells Foster, the director, who says they can probably get him on a plane the next day if they hurry things up a little. “I don’t think that’ll work,” Kevin adds as he walks out, apologizing.
When Kevin phones Madison back from the car, he tells her to “hang in there.” “I swear, I’ll get back to you.” However, flights from Vancouver to Los Angeles are not available until the morning. Rebecca and Miguel, his impromptu travel concierges, book him a flight out of Seattle, which he’ll be able to catch if he keeps driving at his current speed. (As a side note, the amount of inattentive driving Kevin performs in this episode makes me nervous, which is exactly what it’s supposed to do.) Man, keep your eyes on the road!)
Kevin’s agent gets a call. Randall makes a phone call (which we saw in the previous episode). Foster then calls. And by that point, Kevin is so worried/frustrated/upset that he lashes out at the director when he instructs him to turn around and return to the set. “Shut up!” says the speaker. Kevin screams. “No one cares about your dreadful film!” “I’m done!” If Kevin wasn’t an attractive white man in Hollywood, I’d be more concerned about his explosion – tempers and outbursts have to be a lot worse before they have consequences there.
PIT STOP | Kevin is in the middle of a pep talk from his mother when the phone goes dead: he’s in a dead zone. And, of course, that’s when he comes across a car on fire on the embankment that has run off the road. When Kev tries to phone 911, the call is also dropped. As a result, he leaps over the shattered guardrail to see if he can assist.
This is us recap season-5 episode-7
There’s a man in the car (played by Joshua Malina from The West Wing/Scandal), and he’s in poor shape. Kevin takes him out of the car, wraps his seriously bleeding leg with his jacket, and doesn’t see that his wallet, which contains his driver’s license, goes flying. Kev manages to get the man to his car, and the man recognizes Kevin while they converse. “Life is so strange,” he mused before losing consciousness. Kevin gives the fellow the story of what’s going on with him right now to keep him talking, lamenting the fact that he’s about to miss the most significant day of his children’s life. Kevin doesn’t seem soothed by the fact that the man has three adolescents and that the day a child is born isn’t the most significant day in their lives. He puts the man off at the nearest hospital, then jumps back in the car and races away.
Kevin makes it to the Seattle airport in time for his trip despite all of this. But when he gets to the TSA Pre-Check queue, he finds he doesn’t have his ID, which means he won’t be able to board the plane. Kev tries to use the “Do you know who I am?” card (“You can look me up on the internet.”) My entire damn existence is online”), but the patient TSA agent simply informs him that’s the way things are now. He claims that he cannot begin his children’s lives “by failing to be present for them.” I’m not sure how else to put it. It’s going to break me.” But she’s unmoved, and it appears like he’ll be spending the night in the Pacific Northwest.
RIGHT NOW, WE’RE WAITING |
Madison is 3 cm dilated in the hospital in Los Angeles, and she’s disappointed that the only two people she cares about — Kevin and Kate — are otherwise occupied during her time of need. She becomes depressed as the reality of going through labor alone dawns on her. Randall and Beth, who are still on their way back from New Orleans, contact to ask if they can assist. She politely declines, but it breaks her when Randall insists that they can just stay on the phone with her for a bit to keep her company. She sobs and nods her head. He tells her, “You’re family,” which makes her cry even harder.