If you like uncomfortable conversations at the dinner table, then last night’s episode of This Is Us was in your wheelhouse!
This Is Us Season 5 Episode 10 Recap: “I’ve Got This”
Anyone Up For Some Credit Card Roulette?
Anyone up for some credit card roulette? Back in the past, Jack learned to never play credit card roulette, especially with cocky businessmen. The men across from Jack would’ve been snake oil salesmen in the early 1900s. Plus, the waitress should not have the option to look at the cards when playing roulette. She needs to close her eyes or turn away and pick. This game of credit card roulette was fixed. To quote Brodie Broadus from The Wire, “The game is rigged, man.”
Jack spent money he didn’t have, a tale as old as time. However, this moment changed how the Pearson family dealt with money. Rebecca told Jack that she would be handling the finances and putting 10% of Jack’s monthly salary into savings. Well done, Rebecca.
The Dinner From Hell
In terms of awkwardness, family dinners are as uncomfortable as they get if all hell breaks loose. Well, all hell did break loose at Randall’s house. Beth has always had a contentious relationship with her mother, Carol (Phylicia Rashad). With Carol in town, Beth feels like a demon is breathing down her neck at all times. (Apologies to Phylicia Rashad. She’s not a demon, but a demanding and judgmental in-law can be someone’s worst nightmare.)
With Carol set to leave the next day, Beth decided to make the perfect dinner as a way to prove her worthiness as a mother and leader of a household. Before sitting down for some chicken curry, Randall shared an important moment with Malik outside on the porch. (Shoutout to Isaac the basil plant.) Malik’s ex-girlfriend, Jennifer, who happens to be the mother of his child, expressed interest in being apart of baby Janelle’s life again. Randall, who spent most of his life wishing he knew his birth parents, supported Malik’s decision to give Jennifer another chance.
As you could expect, dinner became a war zone on This Is Us. Carol threw a backhanded compliment towards Beth about her chicken. Tess scolded Beth for using the wrong pronouns towards her friend, Alex. Tess also revealed that she’s dating Alex, which came as a surprise to Beth since Carol already knew about the relationship. Deja confronted Malik and Randall about Jennifer. Beth finally reached her breaking point and lashed out against Carol. It’s not what you want to see.
After taking some time to relax, everyone finally calmed down. Randall apologized to Deja and reassured her that he will always be #TeamDeja. Beth apologized to her mother after Carol revealed her appreciation towards her daughter and her family. In a surprising twist, Beth told Randall that Carol will be staying at their house indefinitely, which means Randall will be spending a lot more time on the porch.
The Dinner From Hell (In California)
Across the country, there was another dinner full of arguments and awkward moments and no, I’m not referring to an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Kate, Toby, Madison, and Kevin decided to meet for dinner as a temporary escape from their newborns.
Before dinner, Toby asked Kate to not mention the fact he lost his job. Toby was waiting on a potential job offer and did not want to discuss work with Kevin unless he had another job lined up. As soon as the Damons arrived at Kevin’s house, bad news struck when Toby received a rejection email from a potential employer. Throw in the fact that Kevin wants to build a family compound in Mailbu. Toby was bound to explode at some point.
Money is a tricky subject to discuss with other people. No one wants to admit they’re struggling or need help. Our pride gets the better of us. However, people in better financial situations need to understand this concept and respect someone’s wishes when it comes to finances.
Take the above paragraph and apply it to the dinner conversation between Kevin, Toby, Kate, and Madison. After Kevin offered to pay for everyone’s childcare, Toby flipped out and stated he doesn’t want or need Kevin’s money. Toby assumed that Kate told Kevin about their financial troubles, which she did not disclose. Toby then tripled down on outbursts when he called out Kevin and Madison’s nanny for doing all the “hard stuff” of parenthood, which was a cheap shot. Cooler heads prevailed as Kevin and Toby forgave each other later on. Mark my words, this conflict between Kevin and Toby is far from over.
At the end of the night, Kate shared that she’s going back to work as teacher’s assistant, and Toby was less than thrilled with the news. Something tells me things are only going to get worse for Toby. I could see his depression ramping up in future episodes. Hang in there, Tobe.
Uncle Nicky Comes To Town
Kevin was greeted by none other than Uncle Nicky, who showed up on his front porch at the end of the night. Next week will be Uncle Nicky’s time to shine. See you then.
Did you like last night’s episode? Leave your comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.
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