‘This Is Us’ Recap: ‘Clooney’ Provides Another Ominous Clue About Jack’s Death

Jan 17, 2018

After spending most of last week on The Big Three (and rightfully so — that therapy session was INTENSE), we begin this week’s episode on…a cat. Yes, you read that right. The cat is William’s, his name is Clooney, and William took him in as a stray before he died. William, despite his physical absence in Randall’s life, is very present in this episode as Randall prepares to go back to his biological father’s apartment to pick up the last of his belongings. Beth is more invested in Randall’s potential job interview than his apartment duties, though, because she’s worried he’s not taking returning to work seriously. She claims it’s not about the money, and it’s probably not — everyone needs some space, especially after what they’ve been dealing with.

Randall promises he’ll try to give the job interview a shot even though he’s not particularly interested, but of course that goes out the window when he gets to William’s apartment, where he finds out from a neighbor that William may have been having an affair with a woman in the building. People in the building have lots of happy memories of William — he really was loved! — but no one knows anything about a romance. Randall is invested, though — he even leaves during his job interview to take a call from the neighbor.

As Randall investigates, it becomes increasingly clear that William had a profound impact on everyone he met. He was helpful and kind, and he made people feel good. Randall eventually realizes there was no secret affair — just William’s love of Billie Holiday — but also that his late father changed him in ways he can’t ever live up to. But he plans to try by buying the building and changing people’s lives. Beth is actually on board with this because it gives them a chance to do something good, and something together, which could help with issues Beth thought were from Randall not being at work.

Meanwhile, Kevin has decided to stay with his mom to try to heal their relationship, and in the process, he works out some of his issues with Miguel, too. After last week’s “new Big Three” discussion, where Miguel confessed his feelings about not being able to live up to Jack’s memory, we got to see Miguel in a way that I think we, as viewers, needed. And this week, Kevin sees that too.

In the present, Rebecca is happy to see her son and does what she can to put him first as they reminisce and talk. But Miguel is along for the ride, too, and wants to protect Rebecca, which causes a rift between him and Kevin. When Kevin finally broaches the uncomfortable question we’ve all been asking in our heads — did he love Rebecca when Jack was still alive? — Miguel answers honestly: Rebecca and Jack were always Rebecca and Jack, one unit. They were meant to be, they loved each other, and the thought of anyone else coming between that wasn’t even on the radar. Does Miguel love her now? Well, of course.

Kevin then asks his mother if she’s happy. She says that she let go of happiness after Jack’s death, but that, yes, now she’s happy. At some point we flash back to Miguel in the past, bitter after his divorce, running to Jack. It’s an entire Pearson family outing, but Jack and Kevin run into him on their own. And in that moment, Kevin and Miguel have more in common with each other than with Jack — they’re both sad and mourning the loss of things (football and a wife).

Meanwhile, teenage Kate is trying on winter formal dresses with her mother and sneaking out of the store. This ties in to what’s happening in the present, where Kate is hesitant to go wedding-dress shopping. Madison convinces her to go, though, and this leads to Kate finding out that Madison is struggling with bulimia. When she later calls Kate for help after fainting, she admits she struggled with eating disorders in middle school and relapsed recently. Kate understands — right before Jack died, she lost a ton of weight. But she still didn’t feel comfortable in her body.

All of this emotion becomes less important as we reach the end of the episode, when the Pearsons return home from the mall and Jack decides to give his failed business (which he put on hold to raise his kids) another chance. Why is this important? Because Rebecca told Jack at the beginning of the episode to remind her to get batteries, which didn’t happen. And when the camera pans to the smoke alarm… well, you can guess where this is heading.

(photos via NBC)

10 Unexpected Life Lessons I Learned from Binge-Watching "The O.C." As an Adult

I don’t want to say that I didn’t appreciate The O.C. when it aired in real time in 2003, because I really did. I knew from the moment those haunting Phantom Planet lyrics started playing from my TV screen that I had something special. I knew from the moment that Ryan Atwood and Marissa Cooper locked eyes for the first time that I was about to witness a teen drama love story unlike any other one I’d seen. If I sound extra, it’s because I mean to be! As an awkward middle schooler, The O.C.‘s quippy dialogue and emotional scenes gave me an outlet for my adolescent emotions, and its top-notch soundtracks set the stage for teary nights in my room.

I recently embarked on my first binge-watch of the first season as an adult, and I was fascinated by the extent to which a little grown-up perspective changed my colorful Orange County world. Once totally enamored with Marissa and Summer’s wardrobes, I was now more concerned with the subtle relationship dynamics playing out on screen (okay, the fashion is still pretty incredible). Once too in love with Seth to see his flaws, I was now tuned into the way his social faux pas and self-absorption made him kind of a bad catch. The O.C. has plenty to teach tweens and adults, but here are just 10 of the life lessons I learned from my recent rewatch of the show's first season.

Life Lessons From "The O.C."

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1. A homemade breakfast can cure anything that ails you — and is pretty much guaranteed to make you more popular in any situation

A major tension in the first few episodes is the conflict between Sandy and Kirsten Cohen about whether or not Ryan should be allowed to stay in that beautiful pool house on a more permanent basis. True to form, Sandy the “Crusader for Justice” wants to give the kid from Chino a shot, while Kirsten thinks he’d be better off in foster care. While Ryan’s homemade breakfast doesn’t mark the final conclusion to this conflict, it definitely eases tensions between him and Kirsten. It just goes to show — there are few things that perfectly scrambled eggs can’t fix!

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2. Hiding from a problem is typically not the best solution

As any group of high schoolers — or, at least, any group of high schoolers with easy access to empty mansions — would do, Seth and Marissa decide that the best way to avoid having Ryan sent to foster care is to hide him in one of Kirsten and Caleb’s model homes. Great idea, right? Wrong! I’ll spare you the dramatic details of the fight, the fire, and the awkward revelations about the history between Marissa’s dad and Kirsten, but suffice to say that hiding from potential consequences is rarely the answer...even if you are planning to do it in a mansion.

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3. Share your dreams with the people you love

While Seth is open with Ryan early in the season about his dream to sail alone to Tahiti, it’s unclear whether or not he’s been as clear with his parents about it. This comes back to bite him in the you-know-where later in the season (and into The O.C. season 2), when he decides to flee Newport in pursuit of his lone journey. Don’t you think it would’ve been handy for people to know his dreams so they could support him in a more meaningful way?

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4. Be open about your exes

Oh, where do I begin with this one? There are countless instances in this series where untold secrets about a previous relationship rear their ugly head at very inopportune times for the people involved, but let’s call Ryan, Marissa, and Theresa Exhibit A. If Ryan had been honest with new flame Marissa about his romantic past in Chino from the get-go, he would have avoided an extremely uncomfortable Thanksgiving encounter...and who knows what else? If you’ve had a tendency to be cagey about your exes with a current bae, watching Ryan’s example should make you want to be more honest.

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5. People are rarely as intimidating as you think they are

For years, Seth was so enamored with Summer that all he could do was pine for her and secretly bestow her name on his boat, but when they finally met and start flirting, he learns that he’s not the only student at The Harbor School who sleeps with a toy horse next to their bed. (Princess Sparkle and Captain Oats are still so meant to be.) Think of how much less time our boy Cohen would have spent feeling sorry for himself if he’d thought for even one second that Summer was potentially his own kind of dork.

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6. It’s important to know when to bring in an expert

Marissa got in way over her head in The O.C. when she tried to tackle Oliver’s health issues on her own, and while she probably needed a real grown up, even adults can learn from the cautionary tale that played out in the penthouse of that fancy hotel. It’s important to learn what you can handle and what’s above your pay grade. There’s no shame in admitting that you can’t get through something on your own. Rather, there’s only shame in knowing that a problem exists and that you didn’t seek the help that’s really needed.

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7. Making a choice is almost always necessary, even if it seems like you can have it all

Teenagers everywhere swooned at the thought of being in Seth’s shoes (Chuck Taylors, obviously) and having twoseemingly perfect suitors vying for their attention. Remember those awesome Chrismukkah gifts Seth got from both Summer and Anna? Well, it seemed too good to be true at the time…and it was, because in the end, Seth had to make a choice, and his inability to do so in the first place really damaged his credibility.

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8. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time

Sandy and Kirsten spend a lot of time in The O.C. season 1 trying to put their faith in Caleb, even though he continually proved he couldn't be trusted. While it’s nice to give people the benefit of the doubt, this dysfunctional family dynamic should serve as a reminder to all of us that people’s actions speak a whole lot louder than their words.

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9. It takes a lot longer to rebuild trust than it does to destroy it

Ryan is basically the poster child for trust issues, and every time he’s let down by one of his friends (ahem, Marissa), we get a front row seat to the inevitably long process of the aforementioned disappointing friend trying to win him back. Life would be much easier — and TV much less interesting, I guess — if we didn’t tamper with people’s trust in the first place.

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10. Appreciate family members and all of their quirks

No relationship better demonstrates this truth in The O.C. than that between the Cohen family and The Nana. By the time Sandy’s mother has arrived in Newport, we’ve already been treated to tons of family folklore about how intimidating and, well, mean she is. So when we find out later in the episode (spoiler alert!) that she actually has cancer, it’s like a punch to the gut for us too. This particular emotional roller coaster should serve as a lesson to us all that it’s important to appreciate the good, the bad, and the ugly in our family members because our time with them isn’t guaranteed.

What life lessons did you take from The O.C. and the other shows you loved most as a teenager? Follow us on Facebook and TikTok for more thoughtful takes on your favorite pop culture.

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"Golden Bachelor" Couple Gerry Turner And Theresa Nist Are Getting Divorced!

We can't believe that the first season of The Golden Bachelor is complete. Where has the time gone?! Well, at least we know it's been well-spent with love, fun, and laughs. That's *exactly* what Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner, and winner of the show, Theresa Nist, have been up to since getting engaged during the finale.

The couple's wedding ceremony took place during the season finale of The Golden Bachelor, with the happy couple saying their "I do"s on live television. Here's to forever, Gerry and Theresa. ❤️

Here's what the two lovebirds have been up to since the very first The Golden Bachelor wedding!

"The Golden Bachelor" Couple Are Ending Their Marriage

Image via Disney/John Fleenor

Just when we thought things were working well for "The Golden Bachelor" couple, they decided to announce the end of their short-lived marriage on Good Morning America. Gerry Turner told host Juju Chang, "Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth and -- and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to -- dissolve our marriage."

Theresa Nist clarified that she doesn't want the people who rooted for them to believe love and marriage are hopeless. "We want none of that to change for anybody," she said.

We're sure that they truly had a connection, but it's not easy trying to navigate merging your life with someone no matter how old you are. It seems that Gerry and Theresa couldn't bear the thought of one of them being separated from their families, ultimately resulting in the tough decision that getting married may not have been the best thing to do.

We hope that they take as much time as they need to continue navigating their decision to end their public marriage.

"The Golden Bachelor" Blended Family Went On "Celebrity Family Feud"

Disney / John Fleenor

Gerry and Theresa's newly-blended family revealed that they filmed an episode of Celebrity Family Feud in early April – and their opposing team wasn't that unfamiliar!

Theresa's daughter Jen posted some behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram, noting that the family went up against more Bachelor Nation members like Joey Graziadei, Kelsey Anderson, Charity Lawson, Dotun Olubeko, Zach Shallcross, and Kaity Biggar for their episode of Celebrity Family Feud.

Jen also gave us loose details about when the episode would officially air, writing in the caption of her Instagram post: "you’ll have to watch to see how it went down but no I’m not really sure when it’s going to be on… August?!"

Gerry posted a little preview too, saying that he "had a GREAT time at Celebrity Family Feud with the blended family."

Gerry's daughter Angie seemed super excited about being on Celebrity Family Feud as well, writing in her Instagram post that her dreams were fulfilled being on the show.

"Since I was little I wanted to be on family feud," she wrote. "I would dream about it and assemble my team in my mind. Yesterday…it happened!!!! We played celebrity family feud!!! It was so much fun."