What I’m Watching: This Is Us

This Is Us: Season 2, Episode 11 “The Fifth Wheel” (B+)

What a fitting title for an episode in which all of Kevin’s issues are boiled down to the simple fact that neither of his parents loved him as much as his other siblings. The whole situation was very uncomfortable, thanks in large part to the unfriendliness of Kate Burton’s therapist, who found it necessary to dismiss the three “others” as such without giving any thought to the fact that they might already feel like outsiders in this family. I, for one, was thrilled to see three characters who never interact all together, and I think it was just as therapeutic an experience for them as it was for the lifelong family members. Rebecca breaking down and confessing that Randall was always easier than Kevin, and that’s the reason she appeared to love him more, was enlightening, and it’s good to know that, after a very difficult conversation, the three siblings were able to sit down together, make up, and laugh. A young Kevin walking in to find his siblings and parents all in bed without him was sad, and it was sweet – though apparently not sweet enough – that Rebecca chose to join him on the floor rather than leave him there all by himself. I’m not sure what comes next after all of this, but it’s good to know that everyone seems to be headed in a positive direction for the moment. And Toby didn’t even have to confront Kate about hiding junk food in the trash since she came out with it, a sign that she trusts him and is willing to confide in him.