Miguel reconnected with his children in the present day during the Tuesday, November 20, episode of This Is Us, and the Thanksgiving reunion went just as poorly as any fan would expect. Meanwhile, the Pearson family experienced their fair share of drama on the holiday, too.
Reaching Out
In flashbacks, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and the Big Three spent what would be the Pearson patriarch’s last Thanksgiving with Miguel (Jon Huertas), who had been alienated from his kids, Amber and Andy, by his ex-wife, Shelly (Wynn Everett). Miguel became emotional about their lack of a relationship, so Jack encouraged his friend to show his children that he cared.
Miguel and Rebecca went to Amber’s (Yara Martinez) house in the present for Thanksgiving dinner. Small talk quickly dissipated into Andy (William Rubio) snapping at Rebecca for stealing Miguel away from Shelly. Rebecca was cordial, but Miguel clapped back, telling his son to show his wife respect. Miguel also revealed that his kids only saw Rebecca once a decade, that he tried to keep Amber and Andy in his life after the divorce but they chose to not maintain a connection, and Shelly had remarried.
Token of Appreciation
Jack celebrated Thanksgiving in Vietnam while stationed there with Nicky (Michael Angarano) during the war. He encouraged his brother to fall in line, but Nicky wouldn’t comply. Jack wanted Nicky, a medic, to patch up a village boy’s infected foot but he refused, so Jack did it instead. Nicky later told his brother that he distrusted the Vietnamese people — even women and children — because he believed they got his first commanding officer killed. Meanwhile, the boy’s mother, who was the woman from Kevin’s photo, gave Jack her necklace as thanks for helping her son.
New Beginnings
Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) left Tess (Eris Baker), who wasn’t feeling well, with Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) while the expectant parents prepared Thanksgiving dinner. Beth, Randall, Deja (Lyric Ross) and Annie (Faithe Herman) went to a soup kitchen for Randall’s campaign, where Beth learned her husband had been indulging her ideas because he thought she needed a win after being fired.
Meanwhile, Tess started her first period, so Kate talked her through the process. Tess later confided in Kate that she might be interested in girls but asked her aunt not to tell her parents.
Toby was also doing better but he broke down a bit when he was left to prepare the meal by himself. He resorted to ordering takeout, which Kate dubbed a turn of “Jack Pearson-level magic.”
Love Connection
William (Ron Cephas Jones) met his onetime boyfriend Jessie (Denis O’Hare) for the first time in flashbacks. They later ran into each other on Thanksgiving, and Jessie admitted to William that the holiday depressed him and he didn’t want to lie to people about being sober. William invited Jessie to a jazz jam session and was noticeably jealous when Jessie brought a woman, but she turned out to be his cousin.
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
