Why did Kevin and Sophie get divorced on This Is Us?
Most of the flashbacks in “Our Little Island Girl: Part Two” center around the preparation for a Pearson family Thanksgiving circa 1999-ish. Kevin (Logan Shroyer) and Sophie (Amanda Leighton) are home for the holiday, but things seem strained between them, and for good reason: Kevin admits to Kate (Hannah Zeile) that he cheated on Sophie with a girl in his acting class while in L.A. (If you recall, Kevin and Sophie made their marriage long-distance almost immediately after tying the knot, with Sophie attending college on the East Coast while Kevin pursued his acting career.) Kate urges her brother to tell Sophie, but Kevin is worried that she’ll never forgive him, and asks Kate to promise not to tell her even though Sophie is her best friend. Kate keeps her promise when Sophie asks Kate if she’s noticed something weird with Kevin, lying that it’s probably just acting stress. Also in this scene, we learn that Kate and Sophie’s nicknames for each other are Thelma (Kate) and Louise (Sophie), begging the question of whether either of them has actually seen the ending of that movie. Of course, that decision comes back to bite her later when Kevin eventually comes clean to Sophie, including the detail that he’d told Kate the truth earlier. Sophie is rightfully pissed and decides to leave, letting Kate know on her way out how hurt she is that she chose her brother over her best friend, a theme that will come up again later in the episode. Obviously, things aren’t going well for Kevin and Sophie, and since we know that they eventually get divorced, Kevin’s cheating seems like it may have been the catalyst for splitting them up. Adding fuel to that theory is that later, in the present-day storyline, adult Kate scrolls through Sophie’s instagram, then texts, “I should’ve gone over the cliff with you, Louise,” suggesting that the two haven’t been on good terms ever since that Thanksgiving. That would make sense if Kevin and Sophie got divorced soon after his admission, giving Sophie and Kate little opportunity to reconcile. Sophie replies to Kate’s text, “I get it. He was your brother. Love, Louise.” And once again, we have to ask, have they even seen Thelma and Louise?
How did Rebecca and Miguel get together on This Is Us?
Meanwhile, after Miguel takes Kate, Kevin, and Sophie to go buy groceries for Thanksgiving dinner (the fact that Miguel is the one doing shopping with the kids just speaks to how much Rebecca is dating the wrong guy), they return home only to find Rebecca and new beau Matt (Matt Corboy) right on their heels, surprising them all. After some stilted introductions, Matt mentions that his Thanksgiving plans consist entirely of a TV dinner by himself, to which Rebecca responds that he should spend the day with them. “Well, this isn’t going to be awkward at all,” Kate says sarcastically. Later, as Rebecca and Miguel brine the turkey, Miguel points out that Matt basically invited himself to Thanksgiving, which apparently had not occurred to Rebecca. He also takes every possible opportunity to get in passive-aggressive digs at Matt, which is kind of a jerk move, but we’ll excuse it since we know these two ultimately wind up together. Plus, Miguel later apologizes for the snarky comments about Matt, admitting that he actually seems like a nice guy. Rebecca says Miguel’s opinion matters a lot, because he’s her best friend. Miguel responds that she’s his as well, but there’s quite a lot going on behind his eyes that implies “best friend” is not exactly how he thinks about Rebecca. He then asks if he can invite Marguerite to Thanksgiving too, even though Rebecca had been under the impression that Marguerite was “old news.” We’re pretty sure the only reason that Marguerite isn’t old news anymore is because Miguel has decided to fight fire with fire, if by “fire” we mean attempting a lukewarm relationship with someone who is merely okay. But given that we already know that Rebecca and Miguel lose touch sometime around the year 2000 and don’t reconnect again until 2008, we don’t see this plan ending in the revelation that both Miguel and Rebecca are at this dinner with the wrong people. Rather, it seems more likely that this “awkward” Thanksgiving dinner could, unfortunately, be the thing that drives them apart for most of the next decade.
Do Kevin and Madison end up together on This Is Us?
In the present day, Kevin is trying way too hard to show that he’s cool with Madison (Caitlin Thompson) dating Elijah (Adam Korson) by cooking the two of them brunch (along with Kate and an extremely distracted Toby, but we’ll get to them in a minute), and then inviting them all to his taping of The Manny pilot. During brunch, Kevin talks up Thanksgiving at his family’s cabin to Madison, then asks Elijah what his plans are for Thanksgiving. Elijah says he plans to spend the day quietly with family, but judging by the number of loaded looks being exchanged between Elijah, Madison, and Kate, it definitely feels like there’s an elephant in the room that Kevin is not picking up on. Later, on the set of The Manny, Kevin talks to Kate and Madison again about Thanksgiving, and finally picks up on the “ominous looks” that Kate and Madison are giving each other, pushing Madison to spill whatever beans she’s keeping secret. Madison then admits that she wants to stay in L.A. to spend Thanksgiving with Elijah and the twins. Kevin manages to keep it together during the taping (thankfully, since another emotional meltdown in the middle of an acting job would likely not bode well for his career), but fully unloads after filming ends, greeting Madison, “You are aware that Thanksgiving is my family’s holy day, right?” He is fully pissed off, saying Madison is selfishly “robbing my mother of what could possibly be her last good Thanksgiving with the twins.” Madison holds her ground, but in the course of their exchange, she reveals that Kate already knew her plans, placing Kate in the middle of yet another Thanksgiving clash between her brother and her best friend. This time, though, Kate isn’t having it. She gives Kevin a thorough talking-to, pointing out that Kevin couldn’t say “I love you” to Madison, but that Elijah is falling in love with her, which is something Madison has never experienced before and deserves. She also says that Kevin is being a jerk for making Madison feel guilty about it, and selfish for expecting her to lug the kids across the country on an airplane to be with his family. Feeling properly chagrined, Kevin later stops by Madison’s house to tell her to celebrate Thanksgiving however she wants to celebrate Thanksgiving (which, it’s worth pointing out, she was already planning to do, but we suppose it’s nice that she now has Kevin’s blessing?). As Kevin leaves, Elijah follows him out, telling him he really likes Maddie and hopes Kevin is not biding his time waiting for Elijah to go away, “because if you are, you’re going to be waiting a long time.” Is it a coincidence that Kate is bringing up that Kevin couldn’t tell Madison he loved her in the same episode where Elijah throws down the romantic gauntlet? Feels like the show may be laying groundwork for Kevin to realize he actually does love Madison after all and for them to get back together. But on the other hand, maybe this is all working toward Kevin and Madison actually developing a truly healthy co-parenting relationship? Stranger things have happened on this show, but if we had to place bets now, our money would be on a serious romantic rival being just the thing the hyper-romantic Kevin needs to get him to finally admit that his feelings for Madison run a lot deeper than he previously thought.
Why do Kate and Toby get divorced on This Is Us?
While all of Kevin’s romantic drama is playing out in the foreground, Kate and Toby seem to have some issues of their own unfolding in the background of “Our Little Island Girl: Part Two.” While Toby is in town during the entire episode, he spends the vast majority of that time taking business calls on his airpods as Kate appears visibly peeved. Even Kevin, who tends to be about as tuned in to unspoken signals as a piece of aluminum foil, picks up that something is off between the couple, and offers to let Kate and Toby have more space. But Kate responds that that’s “not even [their] problem right now,” and “there’s a lot more going on than that.” Uh-oh. Later, back at Kate and Toby’s house, Kevin tells his brother-in-law that “the whole Bluetooth thing” is “driving Kate crazy.” Toby thanks him for the tip in a way that communicates he’s actually not thankful at all, then informs Kevin that the reason he’s out in the main living area on his AirPods is because Kevin is still crashing in his office. Toby’s long-distance job is clearly taking a toll on his marriage with Kate (we can’t help but feel that the inclusion the implosion of Kevin’s own long-distance marriage in the same episode is intended to drive this point home), making us wonder just how much more the two can take before something breaks. We know from previous episodes that it all comes to a head at a traumatic family barbecue, which—judging by how tense things seem already—we assume isn’t too far off.
Does Beth ever dance again on This Is Us?
Season 3’s “Our Little Island Girl” began the story of young Bethany, “who danced before she walked,” showing how she pursued but ultimately walked away from her dreams of a career in dance after being told as a teenager that she wasn’t good enough. As an adult, Beth has worked to reclaim her passion for dance through teaching, and after being forced to close her own studio due to the coronavirus pandemic, she ultimately took a job with an elite dance academy in Philadelphia. In her new role, Beth has proposed a scholarship program to allow promising students who cannot afford the steep tuition the opportunity to attend the academy for free. She is inundated with applications, and is faced with the daunting task of selecting only 15 dancers out of 200 applicants. But Beth eventually makes her choices, who are revealed to be mostly people of color with unconventional body types for ballet—a thing they have in common with young Bethany. She tells the young dancers that this is the opportunity of a lifetime, although later, one of the administrators at the academy worries that one of Beth’s new dancers, Stacey (Jazlyn Martin) won’t be ready for the upcoming showcase. In flashbacks, we see that college-age Beth is still struggling to come to terms with the end of her dance career when she spots her old dance instructor, Vincent (Goran Visnjic) at a restaurant while out to dinner with Randall. Although she fantasizes about telling him off for casting her and her dreams aside, she can’t bring herself to go through with it, especially when it becomes clear that he’s under the impression that their dance relationship ended on good terms. In the present day, Beth sees Stacey struggling with pirouettes while practicing after hours. Beth gives her some advice Vincent once gave her, but adds on the one thing she always wished he’d said but never did: that she belongs there. At the showcase, despite Beth’s tip, Stacey still falls during a series of pirouettes. When Beth goes out on stage to check on her, Stacey says she can’t get back up, apologizing for letting everyone down. But Beth tells her that she “fell” once, that it was “bigger” than this, and that no matter what happens, Stacey cannot disappoint her. Meanwhile, in the audience, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) tells his kids that they’re going to forget a lot about these years, but he wants them to remember this moment of watching their mother, and how incredible she is. Stacey decides to get back up and finish her performance, while Beth smiles from the wings. Back at home following the showcase, after downing a fortifying glass of red wine, Beth decides to call her old dance academy, where Vincent picks up. Once she identifies herself as Bethany Clark, he seems extremely happy to hear from her, telling her he always knew she would “go far. I always saw that in you.” Beth’s face says otherwise. She takes a minute to gather her thoughts, then finally delivers the speech she’s been holding in since she was a teenager, telling him how much it hurt when he seemed to cast her aside after she didn’t live up to his standards. She tells him the part of her that experienced that failure has always made her feel small, and it was a part of her she hated. But now, she’s learned that there’s power in waiting in the wings, and tells him that she’s taking that part of herself back. In a flash forward, Beth is now the Academy Director, and her assistant gives her a card from Stacey Robins. It’s inviting her to come see her perform as the star of The Nutcracker in the Houston Ballet, with a note that says “I can + I did. Love, Stacey.” Beth pins the card up on her bulletin board, next to Stacey’s original application photo. The board is now completely covered with pictures of dancers, taken all throughout their lives, some as kids, some as adults, showing that Beth clearly forms bonds with her students that stay strong as they grow up, becoming the teacher and mentor that she’d always wished Vincent had been for her.
What happens next on This Is Us?
After taking a week off on Tuesday, March 1 for the State of the Union, This Is Us will return with the seventh episode of Season 6, titled “Taboo,” on March 8, 2022. The official synopsis for the episode reads, “Rebecca has a big announcement to make at Thanksgiving dinner.” Could this be the Matt and Marguerite Thanksgiving dinner that we saw the family preparing for in flashbacks, or is this the modern-day Thanksgiving at the cabin that Madison has opted to skip? It could be either one, although we’re struggling to think of what sort of “big announcement” the present-day Rebecca may have for her family. Has her disease progressed more than we’re aware of? Has she decided to undergo an experimental treatment? Are she and Miguel moving back east (although we hardly think that would qualify as a “big” announcement, since Kevin is already building the cabin for his mother)? However, if it’s flashback Rebecca, her announcement could be almost anything. She could be pregnant again (although such a revelation likely wouldn’t end happily, since as far as we know, Rebecca doesn’t have any other children in the modern timeline), she could have spontaneously decided to marry Matt (please no), she could be picking her singing career back up or starting a job in a new field, she could be moving again – the sky’s the limit. There’s a huge chunk of Rebecca’s life we still know very little about between the early 2000s and when she’s happily married to Miguel and living in Pittsburgh in 2016. Could her announcement be the reason why she and Miguel stop speaking for the next eight years? We can’t wait to find out. Wondering when all your favorite shows are coming back? Check out the 2022 midseason TV schedule.
