Last week’s episode focused on Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and his struggle with anxiety after a man breaks into his house. The episode ends with young Kate (Hannah Zeile) getting into trouble and the young versions of Kevin (Logan Shroyer) and Randall (Niles Fitch) leave with Rebecca to save her (Mandy Moore).
This week’s episode is Kevin (Justin Hartley)’s episode of the Big Three-part special, and all eyes are on his relationship with Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge).
After the last episode ended with Sophie calling to tell Kevin her mom died and Kevin ending up in bed with a blonde woman, all signs pointed to Kevin and Sophie getting back together.
But boy were we wrong.
Kevin goes to Sophie’s mom’s funeral. Throughout the episode, the audience gets flashbacks of Kevin and Sophie’s relationship. There are scenes from when they’re small children, when they’re teenagers and when they’re adults. Each flashback is more adorable than the last.
Kevin debates whether he wants to go to the reception and talk to Sophie or if he should just go home. He decides to get Sophie donuts, like he always did when they were kids, and show up to the reception to accompany her.
When Sophie sees Kevin, she asks him to get her out of the reception, and the two travel back to where they went to a party the night Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) died.
The two finally watch the end of Good Will Hunting, a long-awaited activity for the couple, and talk about how even though it’s hard to come back to places with sentimental meanings regarding dead loved ones, it will eventually be okay.
Sophie gets home and goes back to her fiance, and Kevin is distraught. He goes to visit Sophie’s mother’s grave, where he tells the headstone how much he screwed up. He wanted to be able to get Sophie’s grandmother’s ring to give to her, but never quite earned it from Sophie’s mother.
“I didn’t know I would but you did,” Kevin said. “You knew I would. Man, I really messed things up with Sophie though. A couple times actually. And I have a feeling that you knew I would do that too. And the sad part about it is, I’m actually ready now. I’m sober and I’m steady. I never earned that ring. God, I wish I had another crack at it. But it’s too late.”
He leaves Sophie’s and heads to see Kate (Chrissy Metz), but instead runs into Madison (Caitlin Thompson). The two begin talking, and the audience then realizes that she’s the blonde he ends up in bed with.
The episode ends with Kate telling Randall and Kevin on the phone that her marriage is about to crumble, and the three decide to take a weekend getaway.
Then, the scene replays where young Kevin, Randall and Rebecca all rush to young Kate’s aid at the family’s cabin.
The episode is a wild ride, and fans are not happy about Kevin sleeping with Madison.
Here’s how audiences reacted on Twitter:
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
