Jack Pearson seems to be like an onion with more and more layers being revealed each week on This Is Us. Season 2 has done a great job of exploring more about Jack’s past. In this episode, titled “Brothers,” a deeper dive is taken into Jack as a young boy and his relationship with his father. And in present day, the Big Three continue to struggle with what’s going on in their lives.
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Family Bonding
When the boys are 9, Jack decides to take them on a boys-only camping trip as a way for Randall and Kevin to get along better. Kevin always gives Randall a hard time, and Jack tells Rebecca he hopes he can remedy that with some boys time. As soon as they get there, Kevin messes with the tent so it falls on Randall, which causes Jack to punish him. Later on, Jack asks Kevin why he always messes with Randall, but Kevin freaks out and says he doesn’t want to talk about it.
Jack then bonds with Randall and explains that he needs to be patient with Kevin. He tells Randall that Kevin will come around eventually. The next morning, Kevin finds a notebook that Randall always carries around. In it are notes about how to get Kevin to like him. Something inside Kevin clicks, and soon he’s hanging out with Randall by the campfire making s’mores.
Another Pearson?
While Jack is on his camping trip, Rebecca gets a call from his father’s nursing home. She can’t get a hold of him, so she goes to the home herself to finally meet his father, Stanley, after all these years. It’s a shame because Stanley is dying. However, once Rebecca gets a hold of Jack, she asks if he’ll come home. He tells her no and that his father has been dead to him for a long time.
Rebecca goes back in to tell Stanley that Jack isn’t coming. She adds that he’ll be happy to know that Jack grew up to be an amazing father and family man.
When Jack gets home from his trip, he reminisces about his childhood. There’s one particular fishing trip his father took him on. They make a pit stop at a tavern and bait shop, and his father goes inside to have a few drinks, leaving him in the car. And we think he’s alone, but another child wakes up from the backseat. Apparently, it’s Jack’s brother, Nicky. Yes, there’s another Pearson.
Jack is apparently bothered by his father’s illness and his past, so he goes to the garage and opens a box with old photos of his childhood as well as his time in the military. Next to him in the photo is his brother, Nicky, who also served in the military.
A Gala to Remember
In present day, Kevin heads to the East Coast for Sophie’s hospital’s gala, where a date with him will be auctioned off for charity. He stops at Randall’s for one night. In the morning, everyone is in the kitchen, including Deja. As they talk about the gala, Deja, who has a crush on Kevin, asks if she can go to the gala. Randall and Kevin think it’s a great idea, but Beth has her concerns. She pulls Randall aside and says she doesn’t think Deja is ready for an event of that size. Randall looks at it as an opportunity to bond with Deja.
Later, as Kevin gets ready at Sophie’s, he leaves a message for his doctor to refill his Vicodin prescription. He starts drinking, even though Sophie tells him to slow down. When they get to the gala, he’s pretty much buzzed and still leaving messages for his doctor.
The car ride to the gala is awkward for Randal and Deja, but she loosens up at the event when they see Kevin. During dinner, though, she tries a piece of shrimp. When she goes to eat the tail, Randall jumps and knocks it out of her hand. She gets startled and excuses herself to the restroom.
As the auction gets started, Kevin finally gets a hold of his doctor, who won’t refill his prescription again. He gets agitated and more drunk, so he misses the auction entirely. He then runs into Randall, who is waiting outside the women’s room for Deja so they can talk. After a quick pep talk, Randall goes into the ladies’ room to get Deja, and Kevin goes to find Sophie.
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A Coffee Trip to Remember
On the West Coast, Kate tells Toby she’s pregnant. He’s over the moon and wants to tell everyone he’s going to be a dad. She immediately shuts him down and tells him he can’t tell anyone until the baby is born, as she’s nervous about being older and overweight. She’s worried she won’t be able to carry the baby until full term and doesn’t want him to get his hopes up.
During one of her weight loss meetings, she flips out on the girl Madison, who Kate believes doesn’t have any weight problems. After the meeting, Madison confronts Kate in the parking lot. They have some words, and a flustered Kate gets into her car and backs out without looking. She backs into Madison’s car. At first, Madison flips out. But when she sees how upset Kate is, she calms down. Kate tells Madison she’s pregnant — that’s why she’s worried — but she’s okay. She promises Madison not to tell anyone.
Back at her apartment, she tells Toby about the incident. She says it felt really good to tell someone she’s pregnant. She then drags him to a coffee shop and tells him to pick one random person to tell that they are pregnant. Toby picks the coffee shop worker. He tells the worker that Kate is pregnant and then asks him to play a song on his phone. When Hootie and the Blowfish starts playing, Toby dances around the shop and tells everyone they are having a baby.
Who’s Nicky?
This Is Us has done it again. “Brothers” is a nice episode that explores more of Randall and Kevin’s relationship when they are younger. It explores Kevin’s drug addiction and Kate’s pregnancy. A seemingly normal episode — and then bam! We learn that Jack has a brother named Nicky. Jack has never mentioned a brother to Rebecca, nor has he mentioned an Uncle Nicky to the kids. We know that Jack never really told Rebecca about his past, so I can only assume she knows nothing about this Nicky.
I’m curious if Nicky is alive or not at that point in time when their father is dying in the nursing home. I’m wondering if Nicky died during their time in the military. I just want to know more and more about Nicky now! Sure, I’m upset Kevin has a drug problem. Sure, I’m happy for Kate and Toby. I’m even happy that Randall got Deja to open up. But I really just want to know more about Nicky.
Do you think Kevin will be able to get a handle on his addiction? Are you happy Randall got Deja to open up? Were you surprised to learn of Jack’s brother? What do you think happened to him? Is he still alive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC. Want more news? Like BuddyTV’s This Is Us Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
