Awkwardness ahead! Randall went head-to-head with Beth’s mom, Carol, during the Tuesday, October 15, episode of This Is Us, titled “Flip a Coin.”
Carol (Phylicia Rashad) came to town for the opening of Beth’s (Susan Kelechi Watson) dance studio. Randall (Sterling K. Brown) promised to run interference so Carol didn’t put extra pressure on Beth for her big day. The event turned sour when the Pearsons arrived to find a disgusting odor in the space, caused by a dead opossum.
Carol suggested that they reschedule the opening, but Randall was having none of that. He quickly put Carol in her place and told her he would fix the situation. Carol later acknowledged that she underestimated Randall’s strength when they first met and said she was wrong about him not being good for Beth.
Amid the tension with Beth’s mother, Randall shut down the prospect of Deja (Lyric Ross) hanging out with Malik (Asante Blackk) when he discovered that he was two years older than her and had a daughter.
In flashbacks, Carol met Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Randall for the first time while visiting Beth at college. The moms bonded over losing their husbands, but Carol later told Beth that Randall and his family were not handling their grief properly, which meant he was not for her. Beth, however, noticed a sweet gesture Randall made, and she rewarded him with a kiss.
Meanwhile, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Cassidy (Jennifer Morrison) and Nicky (Griffin Dunne) needed to kill time before an AA meeting, so Kevin took them RV shopping since his uncle’s trailer was in disrepair. Kevin was down because he learned that The Manny was canceled. Upon looking back at the experience of filming the pilot, he remembered explaining to Kate (Chrissy Metz) that he might not even want to be an actor anymore. But the show was picked up, which launched his career.
Kevin contemplated settling down in a small town with a wife and kids in the flashback. In the present, Cassidy informed him that her husband (Nick Wechsler) wanted to move forward with a divorce. She noted that she wanted to get him back, so Kevin offered to help. He also bought himself an RV, which he parked right next to Nicky.
Kate and Toby (Chris Sullivan), for their part, took baby Jack to a music class, but he did not respond well due to the excessive stimulus. Kate wanted their son to be able to do what other kids could, which Toby agreed he would be able to do in time. For the moment, they took him to the beach to enjoy the natural sounds of the world.
In the past, Rebecca decided to move on after Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death by getting a new home, while Kate landed a job at the record store. Kevin followed suit by announcing via the answering machine that he married Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge).
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
