The Pearson family returned as dark and gloomy as fans left them, but things eventually began to look up during the Tuesday, September 25, season 3 premiere episode of This Is Us, titled “Nine Bucks.”
First Date
Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) went out on their first date the night they met. He took her to a carnival with only $9 to spend. He used $5 for tickets and $2 on a hot chocolate and a candy apple for her. Jack chose not to spend his remaining $2 on an umbrella when it began to rain because he wanted to save the money for games, but this effectively ruined the night.
Jack admitted his financial woes to Rebecca when he took her home, and though they both deemed it a bad first date, Rebecca kissed Jack and left her sweater in his car so he’d have to return it to her. However, when Jack went to her house to do just that, he saw another guy bringing Rebecca flowers and locking lips with her.
No Sugarcoating It
Kate (Chrissy Metz) suggested to Toby (Chris Sullivan) that they get pregnant on their wedding night. Months later, they were still unsuccessful, so they underwent fertility testing. The couple discovered Kate suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome and Toby had few sperm. They decided to pursue IVF, but the doctor informed them their chances of having a baby were slim — largely because of Kate’s weight and Toby’s antidepressant use — so she wouldn’t be able to take her on as a patient.
Kate broke down at a birthday party thrown for her by her friends. She lamented her body and the fact that she had to put on a happy face when negativity kept filling her up life. Toby offered to cut back on his antidepressants, but Kate wouldn’t hear of it.
Kate’s IVF doctor changed her mind about working with her, though she told the couple there was still a 90 percent chance of failure. This information spooked Toby into dumping his pills without Kate’s knowledge.
Knocking Boots
Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) suspected Kevin (Justin Hartley) and her cousin Zoe (Melanie Liburd) were hooking up … and they were! Zoe didn’t want Beth to find out and Beth promised Randall (Sterling K. Brown) she wouldn’t confront the pair about it on the Big Three’s birthday, but she couldn’t help herself.
Beth later told Kevin that her concern about his relationship was not about him. She warned her brother-in-law that Zoe would break him as was her pattern with men.
Reaching Out
Deja (Lyric Ross) had a tough time adjusting after her mother gave up her parental rights. Randall tried to make things better by telling her about meeting William (Ron Cephas Jones) and offering her a choice in whether he and Beth formally adopted her. Deja took offense to Randall acting as if their stories were the same and noted that she had no choice.
Deja later snuck out of the house to visit her biological father. She told him how the Pearsons cared about her and asked him for a pair of sneakers to give Randall for his birthday. Deja later informed Randall and Beth that she was on board with them adopting her.
Looking Ahead
In a flash forward, Randall and Tess (Iantha Richardson) were on their way to visit “her” when Randall called Toby and encouraged him to come see the unnamed woman, though Toby believed she might not want him there.
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
