Beth, meanwhile, is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Rebecca, whos coming by to help out.
Its been a rough few months, Beth says.
Shes in a rocky place with Randall, and things get worse when Randall breaks the ceiling fan.
Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
He cant let it go, and Beth pleads with him not to bring the mood down.
Hes going to come through, she whispers calmly to the baby in her womb.
He always comes through.
When Randall goes upstairs, Beth takes the time to confide in her mother-in-law.
He offers to leave and replace the fan, giving the two women time to talk about him.
He tries to crack jokes, but hes clearly upset.
As Beth quips to Rebecca upon his exit, See what I mean?
Randall heads to the hardware store to replace the fan and bumps into a Sikh salesperson.
The exposition-heavy scene unfortunately uses the salesperson as a pure storytelling gear.
Babies come with the answers.
They come out, they look up at you….
They tell you who you are, he says.
Tomorrow, youll have all the answers you need.
Weve changed, Beth admits.
We tiptoe around each other like strangers, and its hard for me to tiptoe right now.
Just blind and weeping and a million miles away.
The other main story line also takes place on Halloween, when the Pearson siblings are young.
(Thats his ultimate fantasy, Rebecca says to Jack.
No chores and nothing tucked in.)
Kevin gave Billy candy in exchange for spending some quality time with his sister.
Jack is moved by the show of love.
Its a slight subplot that complements the Kate and Kevin of 2008.
Unfortunately, in both cases, theres not much to distinguish them from past explorations of these characters.
I thought that maybe Id just do it and it would feel right after.
Which it doesnt, at all.
Both Kevin and Kate are left humiliated.
Things are getting increasingly complicated with those two.
After arguing over whether to go to a familys house for trick-or-treating, she puts her foot down.
The plan is not set in stone, she tells him.
We can change it.
Randall, upset, yells, Fine!
and storms off, leaving her to follow.
After going on like that for some time, she finally sits him down and asks him whats wrong.
Its a huge moment.
Sometimes a baby dies right in the beginning, Rebecca explains softly to Randall.
So yeah, you are a miracle.
But youre notinsteadof anything youre the way it was always supposed to be.
She then tells him what the other babys name was: Kyle.
I see you, baby, he encourages.
I got you, okay?
She gives birth at home.
I dont know how any of this would work without you.
The symmetry between this moment and Beths birth, broadly, is clear.
But so too is the more specific aspect of her relationship with Randall the son shes most protective of.
In both of these stories, Rebecca is helping Randall through a difficult time.
In one, she has Jack to go back to; in the other, she doesnt.
(Kevin even reveals its been close to a year since his last audition.)
More notable is where we leave Rebecca.
The 20s is very much her episode.
But the joy in her eyes is undeniable.
Standing over baby Tess, she speaks with the optimism of someone whos had a transformative experience.
I thought my journey had come to an end, but I dont know, she says to Tess.
Maybe were both at our next beginning.
(For Mandy Moores thoughts on Rebecca in 2008, headhere.)
The final sequence then shifts to Rebecca joining Facebook, smiling at new baby photos.
Then, a direct message from Miguel.
Congrats on your first grandchild!
Hello from Houston didnt know you were on this!
Howve you been for the past eight years?
In an episode about new beginnings and fresh starts, its a pretty fitting place to end.
