Three words: Beth was right. On last night’s episode of This Is Us, Beth correctly predicted that a Pearson Thanksgiving would include a lot of drama and tears. For her next trick, Beth will correctly predict the winning lottery numbers.
This Is Us Season 6 Episode 7 Recap – “Taboo”
Sugar Pie
Thanksgiving brings people together, but it doesn’t always provide a good result. In a flashback, Rebecca and Jack host Rebecca’s parents, Janet and Dave, for Thanksgiving. Despite her hard work, Janet critiques the entire meal, specifically, the sugar pie because Rebecca made it without the secret ingredient. After Rebecca lashes out at her mother, SuperMan aka Jack comes to the rescue and calms both parties down. Jack tells Janet about how hard Rebecca worked on the meal. Janet reveals that she and Dave will be moving to Connecticut, and fears Rebecca will never visit her, which explains the backhanded remarks.
When Jack attempts to calm Rebecca down, he slips in the piece about the move, something Rebecca had no prior knowledge of. Jack’s gamble pays off as Rebecca and Janet apologize for their actions. Plus, Janet whispers something in Rebecca’s ear, which by all accounts, is the secret ingredient to the sugar pie.
Taboo
In another flashback, the Big Three are teenagers on Thanksgiving day. A drunk Kevin is depressed over the fallout from cheating on Sophie. Kate cannot stop her unhealthy eating habits as she puts on more weight due to her depression and insecurities. At least Randall is happy with Beth so there’s that.
In another edition of “will they or won’t they,” Rebecca invites Matt to dinner while Miguel brings Marguerite. Both Rebecca and Miguel try to undermine each other’s dates with half-ass compliments. Adding further fuel to the potential relationship is a spirited game of Taboo, where a spirited Rebecca gives Miguel personal clues for each word, much to the dismay of Matt, Marguerite, and the entire room. Rebecca and Miguel have a connection, but the entire room now questions if it’s friendship or romance.
After the game, Kevin tells Miguel about how Jack would be so disappointed in him to learn of his infidelity to Sophie. Kebin then turns the tables on Miguel, saying how his father would feel the same way if his best friend made a move on his wife. Inside the kitchen, Kate’s struggle with overeating is at an all-time high. However, the song “Kiss Me” from She’s All That calms her down, and she throws away the pie.
Rebecca and Miguel will eventually get together, but it won’t be today as Miguel tearfully shares the news to Rebecca that he’s moving to Houston for a new job and to be closer to his kids. They confess their feelings about each other, but Miguel tells her it’s time to move on, Rebecca retreats to her room and cries uncontrollably as Kate comforts her mother.
Mandy Moore’s Emmy Clip
In the present, the Pearson tribe heads to the cabin for Thanksgiving. With everyone under one roof, what could go wrong?
With the holiday comes drama, and the Big Three are back on their BS. Randall channels his TMZ photographer and captures every second of the meetup to cope with the fact that it could be the last Thanksgiving with a healthy-ish Rebecca. Kevin woefully plays the guitar to counteract his sadness about the twins’ absence, and later hurls an insult towards Miguel about the new cabin’s addition. Kate and Toby’s marriage continues to dissolve as they bicker over Jack’s food. Toby does not want Jack to gain an excess amount of weight like his parents while Kate never wants her son to feel ashamed about food the way she felt as a teenager. We’re one step closer to a divorce.
Eventually, the Big Three and Miguel are summoned to the table by Rebecca, which I’m calling “Mandy Moore’s Emmy Clip.” If Moore is nominated for an Emmy, look for this clip to be shown at the ceremony. Rebecca explains how her health will eventually deteriorate and that if she can’t make her own health decisions, Miguel is first to make the call followed by Kate. Rebecca then tearfully urges the Big Three to take big risks and live a full life instead of putting their mother’s health at the forefront of their decision-making.
Since she has been known to fight with her mother, Kate asks Rebecca why she picked her to make decisions about her health. With a smile on her face, Rebecca tells Kate that she is her best friend. In Rebecca’s mind, it was always Kate. Just like her mother did many Thanksgivings ago, Rebecca whispers something into Kate’s ear, which turns out to be the secret ingredient to the sugar pie.
Tune in next week for “The Kevin Show.”
What are your thoughts on last night’s episode of This Is Us? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me, at @danny_giro.