“This is US” Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Comfort Zones

Well, the show has finally found it’s groove! I’m not going to lie, before this episode started I was feeling antsy about whether or not This is US was going to switch over to my do-not-watch list, but thankfully the show has finally shown us what it’s going to be about: The three kids learning how to live their lives in the way they want to, and the parents learning how to raise three kids at once. I now understand where each story is trying to go, and that makes watching the show so much more enjoyable.

Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not perfect, and we’ll get into the specifics of that below, but for now I’ll just say that I enjoyed episode three more than the second episode, but not as much as the first.

Rating:

“Kyle” Episode Summary: Rebecca encounters Randall’s biological father. Kevin moves to New York to pursue a career on Broadway. Toby prepares a special day for Kate. Jack and Rebecca take their babies home from the hospital.  

**Spoiler Warning**

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Kate:

I feel like I start off every episode feeling sorry for Kate. Kevin doesn’t listen to her, Toby complains about the things she thinks are important, and it doesn’t seem like she has any real drive towards anything. In this episode though, we finally get to know Kate in a way that does not revolve around her weight and that is great! (hah, rhyming) We found out her job: Kevin’s assistant, and got a glimpse into the weird twin bond she and Kevin have– which, side-note, did it freak anyone else out how close they seem to have stayed since conception?

While Toby does annoy me, I finally see his worth after he sets up the elaborate date/plan for Kate, and while I still don’t 100% like him, it made me not cringe every time he talked. I’m glad he saw how horribly Kevin was treating her, and did something about it, but he also made it about himself. Still don’t love the guy, though. No amount of snide comments will make me like him, not yet. I really appreciated when Kate punched Toby in the nose, after he shocked her outside the bathroom. It was my second favorite scene in the episode.

Kevin:

Oh, Kevin– Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. What will we do with you? Before this episode started I still hated Kevin, and truthfully, 4/5ths of the way through I definitely still hated him. He’s an egomaniac, selfish brat who makes other people do all his work for him. He needs constant attention, and when he doesn’t get it he does things that are destructive so he can. I want to punch him– and those mannequins just for his beanies? Are you kidding me? Kevin is such a prat. BUT, then he had to go and realize that he was dragging Kate down with him, and fired her so she didn’t have to stick with him, and could finally live her own life. Just like Kate said in the episode: “I don’t like it when you’re sweet.”

Also, did anyone else get as excited as I did when they mentioned Jason Momoa in the episode? It was the highlight of Kevin’s story line.

Randall:

I was wondering when they were going to explain why Randall was called Randall and not Kyle– turns out it was because of William (his biological dad). That whole scene between Rebecca and William, in the past, was my favorite of the episode. It gave so much meaning to the show, and the characters. It’s when I knew I wanted to keep watching.

To be honest, Randall is my favorite character in this show. Sterling K. Brown’s acting is perfection, and I find myself drawn to his character. He’s ostracized from birth, and we’re finally getting to see why he has those perfectionist tendencies– it’s because he’s always been forced to live up to the expectations of a child that was never born: Kyle. I loved his whole story line. The only gripe I have is that they keep mentioning William’s cat, but where is he? Who is feeding him on the days William can’t get to his apartment? I need answers, and I need them soon.

Jack and Rebecca:

So, no answer on what happens to Jack. I have a feeling that won’t come until the end of the season, but all signs are pointing towards Jack’s tragic death. I liked seeing Randall’s biological parents fall in love on the bus. It was heartbreaking to watch them both slowly devolve as they delved deeper and deeper into drugs.

The deal Rebecca and William made about Randall at first made me a little mad. Why would Rebecca tell William he couldn’t come see his son? But, Rebecca’s reasoning was sound. She needed to know that Randall was going to be her son, and hers alone. She couldn’t cope with sharing him, and I think that was really telling of how emotionally strong Rebecca’s character is. She is battling against a plethora of emotions after bringing the babies home– I personally think she is experiencing some form of postpartum depression. She isn’t bonding with Randall and I think it will only get harder from here.

My only gripe with Rebecca and Jack’s story line is that I’m still not comfortable with the time jumps. I feel like we don’t get to spend as much time as we need to in each story line and it’s becoming more apparent with each episode. But, at least we didn’t get another surprise at the end of the episode. So glad they stopped doing that.

All in all, this episode was good, and from the looks of episode four, it seems like we’re finally going to delve into the racial tension of a white family adopting a black son. I’m excited and interested to see where the series goes, and hoping the time jumps get easier as we progress through the story.

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What did you think of the episode? Have a favorite character yet? Let me know in the comments down below! ❤