This Is Us season 1, episode 6, “Career Days,” showed us how Randall’s brilliance got discovered and proved that Kevin can actually act.
Be different
Starting with Randall’s story, we found out exactly when his gift for math became obvious. I think Randall’s story and childhood is one of the most powerful parts of the show, seeing how he grows up not only as the only adopted kid but also the only African-American kid in his neighborhood.
Hearing Randall tell his dad he doesn’t want to be different because he doesn’t want his siblings to hate him really hit home. I think we’ve all had a moment where we don’t want to stick out because we’re afraid of what that would make others think, and this is like that but on a whole new level.
But Jack knows how to be one heck of a dad, and he’s not going to let Randall pretend to be something he isn’t. Seeing how supportive he is now is only going to hurt later when we see/find out how and when he died.
Comparing the past to the present, Randall’s smarts explain his high income and fancy job, which is something I’ve yet to understand exactly. He’s a weather trader and when his kids have career day at their school they don’t really want him to come. Who can blame them? Based off a quick internet search a weather trader has something to do with the stock market. I’m already bored.
Randall insisted on doing the career day though, and his mid-life crisis of trying to find out if he has any artistic talent got in his way. For some reason he chose to sing about his job. He also played the piano — an instrument he doesn’t know how to play. I was cringing the whole time, but I have to admit I did like the juxtaposition of young Randall finding out who he is next to adult Randall trying to figure that out all over again.
Hired
Kate’s arc this episode was brilliant, not only because she found a job but because she stood up for herself when she realized that some of the reasons she got the job were a little less than legitimate.
It’s really great getting to see each of the siblings’ jobs and find out how they actually make the money to afford these gorgeous apartments and homes they have. Other than Kevin it wasn’t really obvious what Randall or Kate did, and so I really appreciated seeing Kate go to work as an organizer and event planner.
I hated the little kid Jemma from the moment she walked in on Kate and her new boss and called her fat, and I cheered when Kate threw her out of the car. Kids like that need to realize that they can’t just do whatever they want, and so seeing her get a real dose of truth was a big ‘HUZZAH!’ moment for me.
The end of the episode was a great learning moment for Jemma, and also for us. For us, we learned that Kate and Rebecca don’t get along anymore, likely because Kate resented her mom for being her polar opposite body wise. For Jemma, she learned that Kate’s experience with her mom is something she shouldn’t want for her own mom, and I seriously hope she takes Kate’s advice because I can’t deal with another bratty pre-teen.
Crashing a funeral
Despite Kevin’s touching speech last week with his nieces about death, he can’t seem to get in the right mindset for the death scene in his play. His co-star decides to invite him to a party that ends up being a funeral and in a matter of minutes I’m already a pool of tears.
We still don’t know how Jack died or when but seeing Kevin react to the widow grieving was heartbreaking, almost as if Jack died relatively recently. The bonding moment they had over each losing someone they loved not only gave us sadness for sadness sake and just to make us cry, but it developed Kevin’s character.
After this experience at the funeral Kevin was finally able to give his performance the emotion it needed.
That’s the great thing about This Is Us. When there is something sad or something that makes us want to cry the majority of the time it’s not just because the show is like “we can make you cry!” It’s more because somehow it adds to the plot and helps the characters grow and learn. This is quality television, folks.
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