This is Us. A show that’s remarkably human.

In previous episode I didn’t recap…

Beth finds out Rebecca met William years ago. She learned this while she and William got high off some “adult brownies.”

Toby is grubbing down his spaghetti. Talking about what they’ll do in New York for the part of Thanksgiving holiday. Kate tells Toby the trip for both of them is a no-go because he’s chucked the diet and now Kate’s chucking him.

Kevin pretty much gave Olivia a rundown of his life. She intimated she felt he was from a typical bland middle-class family. “Wonder Bread,” she called it.

Yeah. They’re anything but that.

Kevin summed it up his fam situation by saying something like “My mom is married to my dead dad’s best friend, I have a sister who is seriously overweight, and I have an adopted black brother who just got reconnected with his biological dad—who is dying.

Sounds like Keven is not too keen on Miguel being married to their mom now. But Randall has a good point… He’s just their stepdad, not ISIS.

When Rebecca and Miguel arrive, Beth pulls Rebecca aside and let’s her know—no nonsense—if she doesn’t tell Randall that she’s known Williamas all of Randall’s life Beth promises to spill the news to Randall, because she doesn’t keep secrets in her marriage.

The soundtrack to this weeks episode… Paul Simon’s You Can Call Me Al.

Another side note: I think they’re hinting Rebecca might be suffering from some kind of dementia. She asked Kevin the name of his play as they hiked through the woods… And he was wondering why she asked again because he says he told her about eight times.

Randall finds out what William used to do on Thanksgivings… he would hang out with musicians and they’d eat a potluck dinner and jam all night.

This episode, like all the others, jumps between present and past… or past and present to explain why the Pearson family ticks. Why they do what they do, celebrate how they celebrate, and how those traditions got settled in place. A yearly Thanksgiving celebration that includes hot dogs, cheese slices, saltines and a Pilgrim hat.

These traditions started with a tire blowout. Which led to a walk through the woods to get to a gas station, phones, and Thanksgiving dinner. And a night at a shabby hotel.

There’s something called the hat… That the kids dad needs to wear on Thanksgiving. Miguel wants to wear it for some reason, but Kevin lets Mugiel know that he isn’t really-really part of their family, not for real-real. Kev doesn’t explicitly say that, but yeah that’s essentially the meaning conveyed.

And Olivia shares with Kevin her past experiences with Thanksgiving. Her mother is American. So they celebrated the holiday. So she tells Kevin their meals were never a complete because her dad, who is a doctor, but always ducked out mid-meal. Mom and daughter assumed it was to screw some nurse. Olivia’s childhood Thanksgiving meals never made it to dessert (pie) as a family experience. Kevin knows this and brought her a slice of pie… Way before dinner. But after the Miguel and Kevin’s interaction about the hat, Olivia decided to call and Uber and bounce.

William gives her a little talking to on the front porch, and lets her know if a guy brings her pie… He’s probably really that into her.

Long recap short… Randall finds out his mom has known Williams for years. Randall’s response is pretty heart-wrenching. And Kate makes a huge announcement.