This Is Us Season 1, Episode 9: “The Trip” Recap
This Is Us: “The Trip” — Kate, Kevin and Randall head to their family’s cabin to get away after their chaotic family Thanksgiving. A very angry Randall finds comfort and explanation from his father, Jack. Olivia speaks a harsh truth to Kate, which drives a wedge between Kate and Kevin. Rebecca and Jack struggle with what to do when 9-year-old Randall tells them that he’s been looking for his birth parents.
After the traumatic events of “Pilgrim Rick,” This Is Us takes Kevin, Kate, and Randall to their family cabin for some bonding. Before leaving, Randall is at a point where he can speak to his father, William, and wife, Beth. He’s making a list of the reasons he’s mad at his mother, Rebecca, and plans on reading it to her. William admits that he was honoring his mother’s wishes, and Jack didn’t know the secret.
Before leaving for the cabin, Kevin wonders if Kate’s reason for undergoing gastric bypass surgery is related to her breakup with Toby. This is when they find out Rebecca is selling the cabin they grew up in. Randall is looking for extra paper to complete his list to Rebecca when Kate quips, “I bet I know where there is a lot of paper!”
I must say it’s been fun seeing the three siblings bonding like this. We’ve seen their stories separately and together in small doses, but now they’re all converging.
The fun doesn’t last long, as Kevin secretly invites Olivia to join them. She brings a few friends with her, one being an ex-boyfriend named Asher. Kate and Kevin are surprised by this revelation, as one can imagine.
In the past, a mother of one of Randall’s friends suggests he needs black male role models to look up to. He’s been looking for people who could potentially be his parents by their ability to roll their tongues. Not the first thing I’d look for, but if it works for Randall, who am I to disagree?
Randall accidentally drinks one of Ash’s mushroom drinks and starts to hallucinate seeing Jack. Back to the past as we see Jack take young Randall to karate class with a black instructor. Jack also wants to hire a private investigator to track down Randall’s real parents. Rebecca is vehemently against this, and then we see her pay young William a visit.
We almost see a catfight between Kate and Olivia at the cabin. Olivia thinks Kate’s holding Kevin back because she’s afraid Kevin is changing. Kate is attempting to change as well, but Olivia believes her physical appearance may change, but she’ll stay the same inside. Kevin, being an unsupportive brother, agrees with Olivia.
Randall is still tripping off mushrooms and tells Jack he’s the replacement baby for the one they lost. He wants Rebecca to hurt as much as he does. You can really feel Randall’s pain of being lied to for over 30 years. He still loves his mother but wants her to hurt just as much as he does.
Young William tells Rebecca he’s been sober for five years. When he asks how Kyle is doing, Rebecca tells him they changed his name to Randall. William wonders if he made the right decision nine years ago when he gave up his son. Rebecca tells him that Randall has been asking about his true parents. This excites William, as he starts to ramble about meeting Randall and showing him things he’s missed out on. As his back is turned, Rebecca dashes out his apartment, scared.
Kate’s been trying to text or call Toby the entire trip, and finally gets him on the phone. She tries telling him all the family drama but Toby cuts her off. He’s not about to be put in the friend zone. Good for Toby!
Kevin, Olivia, and Asher are watching old home videos, but Olivia and Asher are a little too cuddly on the couch together. He totally reads Olivia by telling her how she’s trying to sabotage what’s real between them. Their kiss was real. It seems Kate, Olivia, and Kevin are all afraid of change hmmmm? Olivia and Asher make their exit.
It looks like everyone is coming to realizations. Kate admits to Kevin that Olivia was right about her. What if she doesn’t change after her surgery? Her dumping of Toby would have been for nothing.
Randall’s mushroom trip is still ongoing. Every time he looks inside the cabin he sees his flashbacks of his family playing games and loving one another. Jack explains that his mom built a wall of protection around her family. She had three different kids and an imperfect marriage. Rebecca was just doing what she thought was best for everyone.
Kate wakes up the next day to Randall drilling on the outside of the cabin. She runs to tell Kevin and finds he’s always made up with Olivia, who’s hiding under the covers of his bed. Randall isn’t fixing the cabin up for Rebecca to sell, he’s doing it for Jack.
We go back to young Randall’s karate class. The instructor asks if Randall has had a good life. He says yes, and the instructor replies, “That’s good, cause life won’t always be easy for people like us. We are your community.” He then motions to Jack and says, “As Randall’s father, you’ll always be his foundation.”
Sensei invites Jack up to do push-ups with Randall on his back. His back is Randall’s foundation. The sensei asks Jack, Will you hold Randall up no matter what comes his way? Are you willing to raise this young boy into a man?”
We flash to Jack and Rebecca back at home, and Rebecca saying, “I cannot lose my son. We need to be enough for him.” She sends William a letter and photo of nine-year-old Randall, explaining why he can’t meet him. Over the years she sends William more and more letters, which he stores in a binder titled “Poems For My Son.”
The episode ends with Randall going to see Rebecca at her home. He says it must have been painful to hold that secret for 36 years. Rebecca breaks down in tears, and when she tries to hug Randall he pulls away. “Not yet,” he says. Before leaving, Randall says he’ll see her at Christmas.
When I saw Rebecca break down like that, I wanted to jump through the TV and hold her my damn self! I want to give her and Randall a big hug. I hope Randall forgives her before it’s too late. They all deserve to be happy.
Timdogg
#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE
