This episode sponsored by Big Green Egg (tm).
Why spend money to fix plumbing when you can instead spend $3,000 on a grill you’ll use twice?
Dumb.
Little Jack has quite possibly the cutest voice of all time. That’s the nicest thing I can say about this one, but good on Rebecca for solving the mystery.
The actor who plays young Jack is fantastic and impossibly cute. It was heartbreaking to see him get hurt on his trip to the park along with all of the messy fallout, but he was so confident on his journey there.
Although I miss the original youngest versions of the Big Three, I suppose they've grown up too much for the roles.
It was very distressing to see Jack going to the park alone. I was really apprehensive, even more so when he got hurt – but on the other hand I was “relieved” to see that the reason for the injury was a fall when he was alone, because in the episode that the grown up Jack commented on this, I had understood that the issue between Kate and Toby had escalated to physical violence.
I don't judge one or the other about the escape, because of the circumstances. Okay, Toby had already made the mistake of leaving that fence unlocked before, but this time it was an oversight in the face of a bigger concern involving the house. He forgot the grate open just as Kate, in the anxiety of the moment, forgot to lock the front door. If you're going to point fingers, then they both have an equal share of the blame.
However, although I understood Toby's side a little more thanks to the episode focused on Kate, I can't help but stand by her in this whole “war”. And this chapter just made me more sure that her arguments make more sense, shall we say. Toby was extremely unnecessary in those accusations he made about her treatment of Jack's disability. She is right to see him and prepare him as someone who, despite his limitations, can be independent. If it wasn't for the song she teaches him whenever they visit the park, what would have become of that boy crossing streets alone?
I think it's sad because I've always really liked Kate and Toby as a couple, and I really didn't expect things between them to go down the way they are now. But taking into account everything they are going through, it's best for each to go their own way. Toby doesn't understand Kate. Worse, he makes fun of absolutely EVERYTHING she does, and every decision she makes as a mother. He doesn't even try to understand her. He only mocks and that's because he is aware that he is not a present father and husband. It's hard to live with a person who just doesn't want to try. For him, the solution to problems is for Kate to make a huge sacrifice and leave the city where Jack is already adapted, as if the problems between them were just the distance thing. It is not.
Anyway, I was really proud of Kevin and Randall interfering in that discussion. The complicity that exists between them is admirable and so real – after all, they disagree, they fight, they stop talking for a while, but above all they are brothers and they will protect each other, it's instinct. This situation linked to the Big Three's flashbacks trapping the nanny in the bathroom to protect Kate was touching.
By the way: I found Rebecca very funny, she was drunk and delighted with the night that Jack (always being EVERYTHING) prepared for the two of them. Ah, how I love them both!
All in all, it was a sad and harrowing episode. And one of the best of the season.
I'm gonna voice an unpopular opinion that Toby is not such a bad guy here, I think one of the problems is that he constantly feels ganged-up by the "big three". He constantly feels outnumbered and that's one of the reasons of him lashing out.
The only thing where he was out of line is when he gave Kate an ultimatum about moving to SF, they were supposed to talk about this. Her arranging the house and the environment for Jack and her job are equally important as the financial stability he received in SF and his own personal satisfaction.
I think that in their position, having the 2 approaches of giving Jack tools to be independent + taking advantage of the medicine in the future (which requires money!) is the best way to go, without the competition.
At the end of the day (when everything blew up between them at the final scene) If she'd say "Ok, we're both at fault here, you because the gate, me because of the front door, let's try to make sure this won't happen again, please?" the situation might have been resolved with both of them being happy that Jack is ok (what an amazing actor, btw!)
Anyway, having 2 brothers to gang up on him certainly didn't help.
So siblings might bring as much problems, as comfort and support, that's how I see it :)
it seems like everyone is teaming up on Toby. Even though most of the problems and arguments are both Toby and Kate's fault. It just doesn't seem fair
Kate is so fat she couldnt even run to the park to save her missing blind kid. Her 70yo mother had to. Such obesity is disabling. Also she is really boring, I don't think anyone would fell in love with her if it was real life. But it's not so she is getting married to a hot teacher lol right
Kev and Randall should have stayed out of the argument. It is unfair when Kate can act apriori as three people while Toby argues for himself alone.
Shout by KhawlahVIP BlockedParent2022-04-06T21:45:07Z
Why do the worst fights happen outside on the lawn? lol First Randall and Kevin, now this.