This Is Us Recap: “Clooney”

This Is Us returns after an emotionally charged therapy session from last week with the Pearsons returning to their normal lives.

“Clooney,” is a strong episode that returns the siblings to their own storylines but this week Kevin and Kate shine. It’s a nice change of pace from the recent string of incredibly sad episodes that have dominated this recent season of This Is Us.

Kate’s storylines have usually felt a bit repetitive because they usually revolve around her insecurities about her weight. However, “Clooney” adds more depth to this episode by showing the eating struggles that Kate dealt with as a teenager wasn’t just about slimming down. Turns out, young Kate did manage to get down to her goal size of a seven, but she felt emptiness over achieving her “dream” rather than happiness.

She had gotten so used to being able to blame her weight for problems and when she couldn’t anymore, she just began eating more. It’s a much more interesting look at Kate, especially after Kevin brought up the possibility that her desire to eat stems from an addictive personality.

From the moment Madison announces she’s going to take Kate wedding dress shopping, it seemed like This Is Us was heading for two “not fitting in the dress” breakdowns. Surprisingly, “Clooney” side-steps this by having Kate actually have a great time but finally notice the eating disorder signs that Madison has been hiding. For most of the show, Madison has been presented as an annoyance to Kate and a vain millennial but Caitlin Thompson has been delightful in almost all of her scenes.

While Kate always found her rants about yoga or her current boyfriend to be superficial, but it turns out that Madison is actually dealing with bulimia. During her time of need, Kate ends up at her friend’s apartment and the two bond over their difficulties.

Kevin temporarily moves home in “Clooney,” to spend more time with Rebecca after their heated confrontation last week. His therapist thinks it’s a good idea for him to avoid Hollywood for a bit, and Kevin quickly settles in at home despite some lingering tension with his mother.

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However, the two push that aside and enjoy a fun grocery trip trying to get as much trashy food as possible. The time spent home also marks Kevin’s first real display of growth by finally accepting his mother’s relationship with Miguel.

After the two have a heated discussion at the grocery store, they finally reconcile when Kevin sees the two sharing a sweet moment watching HGTV. He promises to be more accepting of his mother once she reveals that she is happy with Miguel, even if she’s still in love with Jack.

Randall’s storyline in “Clooney,” is easily the weakest of them all because it feels like he’s meandering aimlessly. His refusal to get a job anything less than perfect is driving Beth crazy so Randall spends the day in William’s old building. He’s desperate to find his father’s ex-lover, only to realize that he was speaking about a Billie Holiday poster that William could see from his apartment.

At the end of the day, he announces to Beth that he wants to buy the building with her and have the two fix it up to become a place worth living.

The most talked about part of “Clooney” is going to be that ending shot. In the past, the Pearson family takes a trip to the mall so that Kevin can get a new suit, Randall can ask out a girl, and Kate can try on dresses.

Kevin spends his time at the mall learning about his father’s sacrificed dreams and bonding during their suit fittings, while Randall finally gets up the courage to ask out the red-headed girlfriend seen in flashbacks.

When they return, Jack and Rebecca agree to restart the Big Three Construction before a lingering shot on the smoke alarm they forgot to buy batteries for at the mall.

Next: This Is Us Recap: “The Fifth Wheel”

With that final scene, it seems like Jack’s death is imminent and This Is Us fans should begin bracing themselves for a heart-shattering episode.