‘This Is Us’ Season 4, Episode 15 ‘Clouds’ Review: Back At Home

The cabin was like a vacation, a tear-filled one at that, but something nonetheless to get the big three away from things they need to face a little longer. But, this week on This Is Us, the big three have to face everything. Kate (Chrissy Metz) needs to talk to Toby (Chris Sullivan) and Madison (Caitlin Thompson). And Kevin (Justin Hartley) needs to figure out how to move forward with his mom. Last but not least, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) needs to face the truth that he needs help.

Sadly, this isn’t my favorite episode of This Is Us. There are beautiful parts, I admit. I loved Kevin and Rebecca’s little day out. I loved that little ending montage. But, a lot of it felt a little flat. Maybe this is because the last episode ended on such a high note. And maybe it’s also because a lot of what happened tonight was very predictable. Anyhow, the next episode keeps my hopes up. Here’s what happened in this week’s episode of This Is Us.

Report Cards Day

Report card day isn’t always fun. But, when the big three were younger, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) did their best to make it a little less awful. Randall (Lonnie Chavis), of course, gets straight As. Although, he does get one A-minus. This bothers him and he sets out to get it straight. Kate (Mackenzie Hancsicsak), on the other hand, is moping more about her break-up with Stewart rather than her grades. Last but not least, Kevin (Parker Bates) gets quite a complaint from his teachers. But, he does get two As and Rebecca owes him five bucks each A.

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To sort through their kid’s little hiccups, Rebecca and Jack divide tasks. Jack handles Randal first. After school, he takes him running to help him get rid of the worries. When they get home, Jack then helps his little Katy girl through her heartache. Funnily enough, he compares first boyfriends to waffles. “First boyfriends are like first waffles,” he tells her. “You gotta get through a couple before you get it right.” And maybe, he tells her that maybe her waffle is still cooking. That’s the most endearing way I’ve heard anyone discuss first heartbreaks. Only in This Is Us.

Meanwhile, Rebecca’s stuck with Kevin. While they’re doing errands, Kevin argues that Rebecca isn’t a fun mom. So to prove him wrong, she accompanies him to his beloved card store which he’d been badgering her about the whole day. Then, she buys him a stack of baseball cards with his 10 bucks reward. The one card Kevin is looking for is Blue Jay’s John Candelaria’s. And though the gum is awful and the chances are slim, Rebecca humors her son until finally, they get the freaking card.

Kevin and Rebecca’s Day Out

That little card story is tied with the events of present-day Kevin and Rebecca. After discovering Rebecca’s illness, Kevin heads straight to her after getting home from the cabin. And after the initial apologies, they decide to spend the day together in carpe diem mode.

The first place in Rebecca’s list of carpe diem places to go to is a record store. There, she picks out Joni Mitchell’s Clouds album. And she tells Kevin about the time she and Jack tried to find the singer’s old house. Sadly, they didn’t. So, Kevin suggests they finish the job.

With the help of technology, they find just the right address. And, of course, Kevin wouldn’t just pass by for a look. So, he rings the doorbell. When nobody answers, Rebecca pushes on the gate and it swings open. Without any regard about trespassing, they just walk right in. As she marvels at the quaint but beautiful home, she tells Kevin the story of how Graham Nash wrote the song “Our House” about it. Then, she starts singing the tune itself.

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Back in the past, she also told Jack the same story and sang him the same song. She even had him join in for a few words. Because of this, I seriously want to hear Jack sing more in This Is Us. He might not be the best singer but, there’s something so endearing the way he shies away from Rebecca when he does.

Back to Kevin and Rebecca, after their little house visit, Kevin reminds Rebecca about getting her MRI results. But, instead, Rebecca tries to postpone it as much as she could. As it turns out, she’s also afraid and feels that she’s running out of time hence her carpe diem mood. Kevin comforts her and assures her that it’s the contrary and that he’ll always be there for her. Finally convinced, Rebecca, Miguel, and Kevin head to the doctor. And they find out that Rebecca has early Alzheimers. Back at home, Rebecca makes Kevin promise to not start treating her any differently. She needs the laughs and fun. And by this point, don’t we all?

Jack’s Music Room

Elsewhere on the episode, Toby tries to make up for his past behavior by bringing out the grand surprises. And if there’s anyone on This Is Us who can stand beside Jack Pearson on grand gestures, that would be Toby. While Kate was away, Toby transformed the garage into a music studio. But, it doesn’t get the desired reaction from Kate. As she says, she still needs to process.

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At her brunch date with Madison, the two get over the “slept with your brother” slump. More than that though, the conversation made me realize that Kate has also been a bit unfair to Toby. I understand Kate’s reasons. But, she also resented him because of his feelings like he’s not allowed to have them. Fortunately, Madison makes Kate realize this.

When she gets home, Kate makes up with Toby and finally accepts the studio. As it turns out, Toby didn’t just make it for Kate. He also made it for little Jack. It’s his own little room with all sounds known to man. And in a little This Is Us future montage, little Jack does grow up in that studio. From playing a kid’s keyboard, he forms a band. Then, he starts making his own songs.

Randall vs Therapy

Meanwhile, Randall finally submits himself to therapy with Dr. Leigh. Although right from the get-go, it’s obvious he’s having a hard time giving it a chance. It’s like he just wants it to be over.

As the session goes on, Randall’s patience grows thinner and his anxiety starts manifesting more and more. Then, at one point, he just cracks. He’s painfully self-aware of what he’s doing to himself. But, he thinks he’s the only one who can do the things he’s worried about like support his mom. And he thinks that justifies sacrificing his mental health. “I know my faults. I know what triggers me,” he tells Dr. Leigh. “But, I think my faults are good faults and I think I would rather have them than not have them…If it wasn’t for me, this whole family would’ve fallen apart.”

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In response, Dr. Leigh only asks one thing. “Would they?” At this, Randall storms out of her office. At home, Randall tells Beth that although he’s not closing his doors on it, it’s not for him for now. Beth pushes him to give it another chance. And when Randall continues to insist that he doesn’t need it, Beth admits that she needs it.

All this time, Beth has been keeping her own worries and fears to herself. She’s afraid of sharing them with Randall lest it adds to his worries and drowns him. But, she really wants to. In fact, she needs to. But, unless he gets the helps he needs, she doesn’t think she can. This urges Randall to go back. And this time, he and Dr. Leigh get off to a good start.

This Is Us continues Tuesday, March 10th, with “New York, New York, New York” at 9/8c on NBC.