This weeks episode Kamsahamnida, while stronger overall than what preceded it, exemplifies this.
As for why this comes up, lets rewind a bit.
This, like his barbeque meet-and-greet fromlast week, proves rather disastrous.
Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Kevin and Randall meet at a Korean restaurant.
Is it love, or is it years of poverty and occupation by foreign governments?
Randall jokes of the look in the womans eyes.
(Boy does this show love its metaphors.)
But Randall has a different takeaway from their meeting.
Randall is suddenly not so reluctant to bring Kevin into the community with him.
A young Korean man approaches Randall, however, and sees through him.
Heres a case ofThis Is Usacknowledging an icky situation without really interrogating it.
Im here now, he begins.
He says he doesnt know what the community wants, but hell listen if they tell him.
A crowd gathers around him.
The man who challenged him appears impressed.
(Recap continues on Page 2)
Fortunately, Browns remarkable charisma sells it anyway.
Jack obliges when Randall explains hes being bullied.
Young Randall wants to be more like his father his son-son, as he perceives Kevin to be.
Of course, Jack assures him thats already the case in a moving speech.
But thats been a struggle for Randall his whole life.
They playfully box before kissing.)
But things click into place a little too neatly procedurally, say as Randalls story converges with Beth.
She shows up at a grocery store where a table is already set up.
She takes them to a mall where most of the shops are out of business.
Beth totally snaps, screaming, Shut up!
All are stunned but Deja, at least, recognizes the desperation.
Back home Deja tells her that her birth mother lost jobs all the time she knows the pain.
Randall loves you like hes in a Disney movie or something, she continues.
If youre sad, then you should talk to him.
Hell tell you youre exceptional, and hell say it so easy that youll believe it.
Just like he once did for Deja.
So Beth brings her troubles to Randall, admitting shes been pretending to be fine.
Im not fine, she repeats.
Its a great moment between these two.
Randall offers her a job on the campaign, saying shes his missing ingredient.
Again, Browns speechifying is so convincing he nearly had me on board.
And he gets Beth on board, assuring her it isnt a pity job.
On to the next chapter.
Randalls story continues to resonate at least, more than the rest of his siblings right now.
So goes Kates emotional challenge this week.
Or, until Audio eats a rock at the park because Kates on her cell phone (really).
Toby eventually apologizes and expresses his fear that Kate will leave him.
On to the next chapter.
And then theres Kevin, more in the background this week after the big photo reveal from Donnie.
This leaves Kevin on his own.
He says he shares that drive in this discovery process about their father.
Kevin breaks Zoes alone time rule and shows up at her hotel room.
She lets him in and he gives her a big speech of his own.
He also gives her a gift a visa software for a trip to Vietnam.
On toThis Is Us next chapter.
