Red flags, past and present. Marc and Kate’s relationship hit a very rough patch during the Tuesday, February 11, episode of This Is Us, titled “A Hell of a Week: Part 3.”
In flashbacks, Kate (Hannah Zeile) had been dating Marc (Austin Abrams) for three months. Everything seemed great, but Marc grew distant when Kate embarrassed him at work. He later apologized, explaining that he spiraled due to the awkward moment.
Rebecca (Mandy Moore) sensed tension, so she suggested she and Kate meet Marc for coffee so she could get to know him better. Not only was he late, but he arrived in a huff, complaining about his car and his job. Marc shocked Kate when he announced that he quit the record store, but she perked back up when he mentioned them writing music together. He thought they should do so at the Pearson cabin, but Rebecca shot down the idea. Kate lashed out in response, noting that Marc was the first guy to show an interest in her. She and Marc then went on toward the cabin anyway.
While en route, Marc berated Kate for not quitting her job at the record store in solidarity with him. She begged him to slow down and then stop the car. After she got out, he drove off, leaving her stranded in the cold. She made her way to a gas station to call Rebecca on a payphone. As she prepared to tell her mother what had happened, Marc reappeared with apologies aplenty.
Kate insisted to Rebecca that she was fine, but the matriarch felt something was off. She urged Kevin (Logan Shroyer) and Randall (Niles Fitch) to go to the cabin with her to check on Kate. Meanwhile, the unhappy couple arrived at the residence.
In the present, Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) prepared to travel to a retreat for families with blind children. Toby was hesitant, so Kate made an excuse for him and took Rebecca with her instead. She opened up to Rebecca about their marital issues, and her mom said she should tell Toby to step up. Rebecca then shared her diagnosis with Kate and assured her that she was done worrying about her declining health. She wanted to have fun and enjoy the time she had left.
Kate confronted Toby when she returned home. He said he wanted to be a good father to baby Jack, but Kate replied that he had no choice but to rise to the occasion.
Meanwhile, Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) called to arrange a trip to the cabin. Kate told Toby she would take Jack with her because she needed space but he insisted on caring for Jack himself to spend quality time with his son.
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
