Beth’s story came full circle while Kevin struggled to deal with Madison’s decision to stay in LA for Thanksgiving, and in the past, Kevin’s drinking problems began after he cheated on Sophie.
Our TV Fanatics Christine, Laura, and Jack discuss Beth’s finding her purpose, the beginning of the end of Kevin and Sophie, and everything else that happened on This Is Us Season 6 Episode 6.
Check out our thoughts below!
Beth finally found her purpose and was able to help young ballerinas become successful. On a scale from 1 (I didn’t care at all about this) to 10 (I couldn’t stop crying), how emotional was this story for you?
Christine: This storyline was a 10.
I was torn between cheering, crying, and hugging Beth and her student.
Beth was wonderful. She took all of her pain and disappointment and turned it around in a way that supported and inspired her young students.
Beth, who was told she couldn’t or shouldn’t follow her dream, persevered to not only make her dream come true but give others the encouragement to fight for their dreams too. Randall was right. Beth is amazing.
Laura: It was also a 10 for me, as Beth’s character arcs are some of my favorites.
I wanted to see how Beth got her new studio and felt successful and helped her students succeed. It warmed my heart that she didn’t give up on Stacey, and she believed in her fire and determination.
Beth is totally amazing, and I’m glad her journey came full circle.
Jack: Agreed! It was also a 10 for me, and I loved that final flash-forward where Beth got the card from Stacy. I felt inspired by this storyline and thrilled that Beth’s story had a happy ending.
What do you think Deja was thinking when Randall told the girls to never forget how amazing Beth is?
Christine: The girls couldn’t help but be moved by watching Beth sit down on that stage and support her dancer no matter who was watching and what they thought.
I have no doubt it will inspire all three to be strong, caring women who persevere.
Laura: The girls looked impressed by Beth and how she literally sat on the stage and stopped to encourage Stacey. That was such a memorable moment, and I hope they remember what a wonderful woman their mom is.
Jack: I agree that the girls were all impressed by Beth, but I also couldn’t help wondering if Deja was thinking about her situation with Malik while watching. It’s frustrating that we haven’t had any follow-up on that yet!
What do you think the significance of the Kevin/Sophie story was? Was it just tying up loose ends, or was there more to it than that?
Christine: I hope it was just tying up loose ends because I’m tired of Kevin and Sophie’s story.
It’s been rehashed several times, and I have no interest in Kevin and Sophie getting back together. But it was interesting to see the beginnings of Kevin’s alcoholism and how Kevin and Kate’s sibling relationship has affected their friendships and romances.
Laura: I liked Kevin/Sophie, but we have done this many times now.
I did appreciate seeing how Kevin’s alcoholism started and how his indiscretion affected Kate and Sophie’s friendship too, and that’s why Kate didn’t want him dating another one of her best friends.
Jack: That’s a great point, Laura! I hadn’t made the connection between Kate and Sophie’s conflict and Kate not wanting Kevin to date Madison.
As for Sophie/Kevin, I certainly hope this was tying up loose ends. This relationship is played out. Let’s move on already.
Do you think Elijah is right that Kevin will be waiting a long time if he hopes to swoop in once Elijah is out of the picture with Madison?
Christine: Kevin needs to decide if he really wants Madison, and if so, he needs to go all out to win her back.
Madison deserves someone who will love her and put her first. As much as I’m not a fan of Elijah, he could be that guy for her.
But I’d prefer it if Madison and Kevin finally fell in love and ended up together. That’s the happy ending I’m rooting for.
Laura: I agree that Madison deserves someone who will put her first. I think Kevin is trying, and I wish she would lower her barriers a little. I’m still rooting for them.
Jack: I’m rooting for Kevin/Madison too. I don’t think it’s entirely true that Kevin wasn’t in love with Madison when she backed out of their wedding, and I’m hoping they get a second chance.
How do you think Rebecca ends up with Miguel rather than Matt?
Christine: Matt is a placeholder. He’s the rebound guy that gets her past the enormous hurdle of dating again after Jack’s death.
Matt isn’t a long-term relationship. Rebecca and Miguel are best friends, and some of the best romances start that way.
Dating Matt means that Rebecca has given herself permission to have feelings for someone other than Jack. Eventually, that allows her to see Miguel as more than a friend.
Laura: Matt is the rebound guy to test the waters of dating. It was already obvious that Miguel and Rebecca are more comfortable around each other and just need to give each other permission to take that plunge.
Jack: I think Miguel and Rebecca didn’t realize that they had feelings for each other beyond friendship until Rebecca started dating Matt. Miguel was jealous, and I think when he said he wanted to bring a date to Thanksgiving too, Rebecca began to think about her feelings for him, too.
Discuss anything not covered above that you’d like to share.
Christine: I hated that Kevin won’t be with his kids on Thanksgiving but hated it even more that he was made to look like the bad guy in this situation when he’s the one that was blindsided by Madison’s change of plans.
As co-parents, Madison and Kevin will have to compromise on holidays, but I didn’t think it was fair of Madison to make that decision and leave Kevin as the last to know as she’d obviously already spoken to Kate and Elijah about it.
Kevin is the twins’ father. He should have been her first conversation about changing holiday plans, not her last.
Laura: I totally agree with Christine.
Kevin and Madison need an official co-parenting plan drawn up so they can split the holidays fairly.
I also agreed with Kevin that the twins should be around Rebecca as much as possible. Life is unpredictable, as he learned with Jack.
Jack: I agree, too. If Madison wants to stay in LA with Elijah, fine. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the twins should remain with her.
Kevin and Madison need something in writing so that this doesn’t keep happening.
Also, I don’t like how Toby and Kate seem poised to blame Kevin’s presence for their marriage eventually unraveling.
They both mentioned that his living there is causing problems, yet rejected his offer to move out. That felt like a setup for them to make him the bad guy when things fall apart.
What was your favorite scene, story, or quote from this week’s This Is Us?
Christine: When Randall turned to the girls and told them:
Beth: Stacy, I will sit with you on this stage until the audience gets bored and all leaves one by one. Or, you can get up and start again. Either way, know two things: you cannot disappoint me and I ain’t going nowhere.
Randal; [to Deja and Tess]: You’re gonna forget a lot of things as you grow up. But always remember how amazing your mother is.
I loved that Randall not only knows how extraordinary Beth is but wanted to make sure their daughters realized how enormous that moment was when Beth set everything else aside and was there for her student no matter the cost.
Laura: There was so much to appreciate about this episode.
I loved what Randall told the girls, but I also loved how Beth stood up to her ballet teacher.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Goran Visnjic, but I appreciated Beth telling her teacher Vincent how he hurt her, and she conquered her dream. It was a full-circle moment.
Jack: It’s hard to pick just one!
I loved Beth’s flash-forward, what she said to Stacy on the stage, and what Randall said to the girls.
I used to think I was going to dance on the world’s biggest stages. But now I see there’s power in waiting in the wings, in helping dancers achieve their dreams. I’m the little island girl who danced before she walked. You took that away from me. But no more. I’m taking it back now. I know who I am and what I am meant to do in this world.
Beth
The voiceover of what Beth said to Vincent made the flash-forward even more powerful.
So if I have to pick one, I’ll go with that one.
Your turn, This Is Us fanatics.
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This Is Us airs on NBC on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/PST.
Jack Ori is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. His debut young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.