‘This Is Us’: Kevin Looks Back, Meeting the Parents Times 2 & More From ‘Flip a Coin’ (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 4, Episode 4, of This Is Us, “Flip a Coin”]
This Is Us continues to wow viewers each week, and the latest installment, titled “Flip a Coin,” is no exception.
The episode tackled various moments through time with some scenarios mirroring others within the story. Among the storylines explored were a couple meet the parent moments, reflective time and attempts at trying something new for the Pearsons. Below, we’re breaking down all of the major moments, but beware of major spoilers ahead.
Kevin’s Reflection
(Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
In Kevin’s (Justin Hartley) continued storyline, he’s staying close by when it comes to his Uncle Nicky (Griffin Dunne). When he arrives at the trailer, Nicky makes coffee and the actor notes the leaky roof. When his uncle shrugs the comment off, Kevin receives some messages on his phone alerting him to the news that The Manny — his former show — has been canceled. Anxious to get to an AA meeting, Kevin pushes forward despite the upsetting update.
When they arrive at the location of the meeting, Cassidy (Jennifer Morrison) is already there and in an argument with the woman who runs the establishment. An error on the website said the meeting was scheduled for 10 in the morning but is actually taking place five hours later at 3. Distraught, Cassidy reveals her husband wants to move forward with divorce proceedings and she needs the meeting to stay levelheaded. The alternative? Kevin suggests a little road trip as he takes Cassidy and Nicky along to an RV dealership.
While Kevin tries to get Nicky a new trailer, various people approach the actor for selfies and comment on The Manny, which sparks flashbacks to Kevin’s first day on set with the series. In the past, he worries aloud to Kate (Chrissy Metz), who came to see him film the pilot, that he thinks the show is bad. He reveals this to Cassidy in a candid moment, but she’s bristly and tells him to try not to relate to her because his show is getting canceled when her marriage is the thing being canceled in her own life.
He argues that he’s allowed to have bad moments, and she caves, admitting she was wrong to discredit his feelings before. Their honesty makes way for a better glimpse into the previously semi-mysterious Cassidy as she opens up about her engagement story to her husband. Later on when they’re driving away, Kevin apologizes to his uncle for pushing the trailer on him, which prompts Nicky to open up about the sentimental value of his dilapidated abode.
(Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
He says he got the RV upon arriving home from war and hoped to pick up a woman named Sally in it and make a life together, but when Sally wasn’t home he didn’t wait. The revelation causes Kevin to recall the doubt he faced during The Manny pilot filming and his near-quitting moment until a miracle happened — he calmed a crying baby with such ease that fans still bring the scene up to him when they encounter Kevin in public.
Back in the present, Kevin asks Cassidy to flip a coin when it comes to her situation. He asks her if she wants her husband back and when she says yes, he vows to help her accomplish the task. His kindness leads her to ask at the start of their late AA meeting what the infamous Manny scene was and he tells her about how making a baby laugh changed his life.
We have a feeling it’s about to change once again as he gets closer to Cassidy, but only time will tell where things go between the friends. He’s definitely settling into the area after his story in the episode ends with a new trailer parked next to Nicky’s, as he tells his uncle he was sick of living in the hotel nearby.
Meeting the Parents
(Credit: NBC)
In a storyline from the past, Rebecca (Mandy Moore) heads out for a visit with Randall (Niles Fitch) at college and leaves money for Kate (Hannah Zeile) to buy some new music albums. During lunch in the cafeteria, though, Rebecca notices that Randall’s attention is preoccupied with Beth (Rachel Hilson), who is sitting with her own mother Carol (returning guest star Phylicia Rashad).
Taking the initiative, Rebecca gets up and asks to join the mother and daughter duo, and Randall’s discomfort is more than obvious as he caves to his mother’s demands. During their brief table talk, Randall mysteriously passes Beth a lemon and the mothers stay seated when the kids head off to class.
While Beth and Randall are away, the women chat, and when Rebecca learns Carol also lost her husband, she asks how she’s coping. Carol tells her that she’s decided to begin a next chapter in life, rather than be dragged down by the grief, which a fragile Rebecca takes in with much seriousness.
Back in her dorm, Beth and her mother discuss Randall, and Carol’s clear that she doesn’t approve. She tells her daughter that he’s grieving and that could be bad for her, but once Carol is gone Beth finds him and asks about the peculiar lemon pass at lunch earlier. When he says that he noticed she likes to drink Coke with a lemon she walks over and gives him a kiss.
(Credit: NBC)
Meanwhile, Kate hits up the record store while Rebecca’s gone and meets a boy (played by Euphoria‘s Austin Abrams) who works there. In their conversation over music, Kate opens up about her family’s loss of her father and house. But its her knowledge of music that leads him to offer her a job on the spot.
When Rebecca returns home, she decides she’s going to start a new chapter and tells Kate they need to move out of their apartment to somewhere better to which her daughter agrees. Next, Kate tells her mom about her new job and the two share a sweet dance in the kitchen until they check their phone’s answering machine. A voice memo sounds and Kevin begins his message in a normal fashion until he casually mentions that he married Sophie.
This was the final scene for the episode, so hopefully there will be more follow-up from that big reveal which would hopefully explain a lot about Kevin’s past.
Opening Day
(Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
In the present, it’s opening day for Beth’s (Susan Kelechi Watson) studio, and her mother is tagging along, much to her dismay. Randall (Sterling K. Brown) promises to be a stress buffer for when Beth’s feeling overwhelmed. Before heading out, Deja (Lyric Ross) asks if she can go to the movies with some friends after the opening but Beth and Randall question who these friends are and when she caves and says Malik (Asante Blackk) is the one who invited her, they request to meet him first.
Upon their arrival at the studio with Carol, they’re assaulted with a strong odor when they walk in the door. After calling for assistance they learn it’s coming from a dead animal which throws a wrench in Beth’s plans. As they attempt to eliminate the smell, that’s when Malik shows up.
Randall and the boy share a handshake and seem to be getting along fine until Malik makes a reference to his daughter, unaware Deja didn’t clue her family into his situation. The revelation occurs as chaos ensues in the studio, and when Randall informs Beth of Deja’s friend’s situation, they’re certainly concerned, but the smell emergency takes priority.
While Carol begins to try and take control, Randall won’t have it and promises to keep opening day plans with some adjustments. Thankfully they’re able to move everything outdoors and Carol even commends Randall on his leadership, something she previously didn’t comment on in the past.
Kate and Toby’s Adjustments
(Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
Kate and Toby (Chris Sullivan), meanwhile, are continuing to try and help Jack adjust to the world around him, considering his blindness. As Kate leaves new friend Gregory (Timothy Omundson) on the sidewalk, her and Toby set off with the baby for a music class. When they arrive a tad late, the teacher approaches them and welcomes the baby, but Jack is startled and screams from the contact.
Needless to say, the experience doesn’t go as planned, which leads to a fight on the car ride home. Kate’s still upset over Toby’s gym sessions and she complains that she wants to give their son every opportunity he can have and not allow his blindness to limit him. So while they keep driving to calm the baby, apologies are made after some time spent in silence.
The calm after the storm then leads Kate to think of an alternative option for Jack when she asks Toby to pull over at the beach. There, the parents play with Jack in the sand and dangle his feet in the water.
Will the peace continue, or are more blowout fights ahead for this couple? Find out by tuning in next week when This Is Us airs on NBC.
This Is Us, Tuesdays, 9/8c, NBC
