After a two-week hiatus, This Is Us quickly picks up where it left off in “Vegas, Baby.” Randall and Beth learn why Deja just shows up at their home unannounced. And it’s something that will haunt them weeks later during Kate and Toby’s bachelorette and bachelor parties in Vegas. Kevin deals with temptation on the same trip when he gets some bad news about his movie. Meanwhile, in the past, Jack and Rebecca celebrate several anniversaries, including the one year they don’t exchange gifts.
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Pearson Anniversaries
Since their first anniversary, Jack always seems to make grand gestures and outstage Rebecca with gifts. For their fourth anniversary, she gets him an engraved hammer that she’s so proud of, but he gets her a piano. One anniversary, she makes him promise no grand gestures, no gifts, and he agrees. However, as he makes the kids breakfast, Kevin asks why he isn’t getting their mom something. Jack explains what Rebecca wants, so Kevin suggests that they, meaning the kids, do something nice for them, their parents. Kevin works with Jack to make a Cornish hen, while Kate and Randall go on a secret mission at the library.
Back at home, Rebecca seems agitated by all the hustle and bustle with the kids and their requests for the anniversary dinner and surprise. After several hours of waiting, Kevin takes the Cornish hen out of the oven, only to learn that Jack never turned the oven on and dinner is now ruined. He starts crying and moaning that Jack and Rebecca are going to get a divorce, just like Sophie’s parents. They assure him that they aren’t getting a divorce, so he quickly cheers up and heads up to bed with his siblings, but it’s clear they are up to something.
After finishing cooking dinner, Rebecca and Jack head to bed. She tells him that they will always exchange gifts on their anniversary, since this year felt weird. When they get to their room, it’s decorated with Christmas lights and a trail to a note that tells them to head up to the roof and watch the meteor shower.
Stuck on Deja
After Deja shows up at their home, she explains to Beth and Randall that she needs money to turn the heat back on at their home. She doesn’t want Randall to set up a direct deposit because her mother won’t accept it. Instead, she asks for cash so her mother will think she saved it. Deja wants the heat back on before the social worker comes by and takes her away again. Randall gives her the cash and tells her to call any time but before anything bad happens, like the heat getting turned off.
Weeks later, as they prepare for Kate and Toby’s bachelorette and bachelor parties in Vegas, Randall worries that he might miss a call from Deja. He’s glued to his phone. But Beth assures him that since she hasn’t called in weeks, she’s okay, and if she’s not, the social worker will handle it.
When they get to Vegas, Beth is ready to party, but Randall is still worried and he wants to call Deja. He makes a comment that he can’t detach like Beth can, calling her the head and himself the heart. She immediately gets on the defense and says that since Deja isn’t a part of their home and family anymore, he needs to stop living in the past.
What Happens in Vegas
Madison is planning Kate’s bachelorette party, and she’s all over it. Toby has concerns about his guests, as it’s a bunch of random pals, with Kevin and Randall, since his brother couldn’t make it. Kate wishes they were doing a joint party, but Toby says doing separate parties in the same city is better and is good for their co-dependency.
When they get there, Beth joins the ladies and starts to really let loose, especially when they head to the Magic Mike Live show. Meanwhile, Kevin and Randall join Toby and his friends. However, at dinner, Kevin leaves to talk to his film’s co-star. When she tells him that her part got cut from the movie, he worries that his part got cut too, and he starts to panic being surrounded by all of the alcohol. He decides to head back to his room and leave the party.
Randall is the next one to leave when he gets a missed call from Deja. He calls her back, and she sounds distant on the phone, being vague and answering after long pauses. He’s worried about her, so he tells Toby that he’s going to call it a night too and goes to find Beth.
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Falling Apart and Coming Together
When Randall finds Beth, she’s up on stage at the Magic Mike show. She gets off stage and has a big blow-out with Randall. He tells her about Deja, and she tells him that she just wanted one night away from everything, including his anxiety. They both hit below the belt with their words, and Kate steps in to break it up. Beth then lashes out at Kate, who lashes back at her while defending her brother.
Later on, Randall goes to find Kate. He tells her that things with Beth will blow over, as they always do. He adds that Beth is worried about Kate, who explains that she always knew she’s lose Randall to someone so cool. Randall tells her that she’ll never lose him. When she asks him about Toby, he tells her that he bailed. So she tells him that Toby’s friends are just fillers and he was hoping to bond with Kevin and Randall.
Of course, Kevin and Randall go back to Toby’s room to take him out on the town and to old Vegas. He tells them he just wanted to impress them. After they explain why they left, Toby tells Kevin to just call Ron Howard and tell him it is a mistake to cut him out of the movie. He tells Randall he has no advice about Deja but worries about the rest of the world if Randall Pearson is beating himself up over something.
Kate then heads to see Beth. She tells Beth that she intimidates her because she’s flawless. She explains that Beth’s life is meaningful, with the building she runs and fostering children. Beth breaks down and confesses that her life is hard. She tells Kate that every day she worries if she made the right decision to let Deja go.
Back to Reality
The next day, everyone goes their separate ways. Kevin does make the call to Ron Howard, who tells him that his part wasn’t cut from the film. In fact, Kevin’s storyline with Sylvester Stallone is remarkable and what makes the film. Randall apologizes to Beth when they get back to the East Coast. So then Beth decides to take a detour and check up on Deja. They learn that they no longer live in their apartment, so they start walking the streets looking for her. They eventually find her asleep in a car with her mother.
It turns out Randall’s worrying is something Beth shouldn’t have taken so lightly. It’s a good thing she has a touch exterior and a soft inside. I have to wonder what happens next for Beth and Randall now that Deja is living on the streets with her mother. I imagine Randall will do everything in his power to get her back into his family but at what price? And how much more of a strain will that put on his relationship?
I’m happy that Kevin is staying sober. Staying sober in Vegas is tough, and with hearing what he thought was bad news only made it tougher for him. Hopefully, with this new good news, he’ll have the strength and confidence to stay clean and be successful.
I sort of wish Kate and Toby had a better storyline in “Vegas, Baby.” For a while now, I feel like they are taking a This Is Us back burner.
I also liked the positive memory of Kevin wanting to do something nice for Jack and Rebecca. It seems like all the memories of him lately have been him lashing out or being a bratty kid. It was a nice change of pace to see him worrying about his parents.
What do you think Randall will do now that he knows Deja is on the streets? Do you think this news will put a bigger strain on his family and relationships? Do you think Kevin will continue to stay sober? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
This Is Us season 2 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC. Want more news? Like our This Is Us Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
