This Is Us (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 12 - The Big Day - full transcript

As Rebecca's pregnancy drags on, she forgets Jack's birthday, Nathan copes with his grief, and Randall inadvertently intervenes in a difficult marriage.

Okay, I'm ready.

Previously on This Is Us...

I'm gonna go ahead and spare us

both the seductive
birthday dance this year.

I'm sorry, baby, but it's my birthday,

and I would really like

to see the dance.

- My water just broke.
- Yep.

I'm Dr. Katowski.

Dr. Schneider's appendix burst

an hour ago. He just went into surgery.



- Baby?
- Something's not right.

We lost the third baby, Jack. I'm...

I'm very sorry.

Which one's yours?

- Those two.
- Congrats.

Someone left a newborn
at my fire station.

I didn't know what to
do, so I brought him here.

Smoke?

No.

Life's strange.

I'm telling you, this is gonna work.

? Baby, everything is all right ?

Oh! Ah!

- I told you they'd like Stevie!
- They're kicking!



- Do you feel that?
- Oh, my God.

? Out of sight ?

You hear that, Big Three in there, huh?

Wow, that's crazy!

? From across the railroad track ?

? Only shirt I own is
hangin' on my back ?

? But I'm the envy
of every single guy ?

? Since I'm the apple
of my girl's eye... ?

Farrah.

As in Fawcett? Yeah.

Yeah, I actually like Farrah.

All right.

God, I like

you pregnant.

- Right?
- Uh-huh.

I love being pregnant.

How much do you love being pregnant?

I love it a lot.

Think we can make some quintuplets?

Jack, I have to pee.

Yep.

All right. Ready?

One, two, three.

Okay.

I hate being pregnant.

Whoa.

None of my shoes fit me.

- Really? Um, well, hey, uh...
- No.

... why don't we get
out of the house today

and we'll go buy some new ones.

No. My stomach literally cannot stretch

anymore, Jack. There's
no more room in there.

Just six weeks away,
babe. Just six weeks, okay?

And they said that triplets come
early. So we're almost there.

There are three human
beings inside of me, Jack.

And they're all lining up
to go down the waterslide,

and we don't have
anything done for them yet.

We have cribs.

And we-we have

- Big Three onesies.
- We have cribs

inside a barely finished house

that is littered with moving boxes.

I have a million things
that I have to do.

And I'm gonna have to
duct tape garbage bags

to my swollen clown feet
to get any of it done.

- I got it.
- No, no, no. Jack,

don't run away from this conversation.

- I'm not done talking yet!
- I'm just answering the phone, dear.

Hello?

Hey, it's Miguel.

Just calling to wish
you a happy birthday.

Hey, thanks, man.

- So, what do you guys got planned for the big day?
- Um...

She, uh... she went
to the dark side, man.

Yeah. I actually think
she forgot my birthday.

Yeah, well, that happens.

Why don't you come out
with me for a few hours?

Shelly took the kids to
Jersey. Give Rebecca some space.

It's your last birthday of freedom.

Yeah... Jack!

When you're done talking
with your girlfriend,

can you bring up some toilet paper?!

Hey, Miguel, pray for me, okay?

- All right, man.
- Yeah.

I hope you didn't forget, hon,

Peter and the kids
are coming over today.

Don't worry, I took the day off.

Gonna go by the store later
and get some junk cereal

for the little ones.

I know, I know.

It's bad for their teeth.

But it's what they like.

And I'll be damned if I'll
be the first grandfather

in human history to
deny his grandchildren.

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

It's been two weeks
since my last confession.

Tell me your sins.

I lied to my wife.

She hates when I smoke,
so I told her I stopped.

Well, actually, I did stop.

Haven't had a cigarette in a week.

But yesterday I bought a pack.

I just wanted to hold 'em, you know?

You should tell her

the truth.

Uh...

Yeah, I know.

Thing is, Father, we actually...

haven't exactly been
in a great place lately.

For a while, really.

Which kinda blows.

Sorry, Father.

Because the best moment of my
life was the morning I met her.

She rear-ended me.

Totally her fault.

I got out of my car
to go scream at her...

but I saw her face.

And I walked right up to her and
stuck out my hand like an idiot

and said, "Hi, I'm Joe.

Don't worry about what just happened.

Could I take you out
for a cup of coffee?"

So that's why I'm really here, Father.

I was wondering if I
could be so bold to...

ask you for a little miracle.

It's hot.

I'm so hot. Are you hot?

- Not really...
- It's hot.

- So hot.
- Yeah.

Hey,

why don't we go to
the movies today, huh?

- Mm-hmm.
Yeah? Go see a double feature?

They got AC all day, snacks, popcorns,

all that stuff, yeah?

I want to be alone.

Wait, you what?

Jack, the house isn't
done. It's not ready.

There are moving boxes everywhere.

I trip over them all
the time. There just...

There are too many things
in this house, and I need you

- not to be one of them.
- Babe, the house isn't...

Get out!

Wow.

What?

Nothin'.

Oh, I see.

Okay, so now I'm the crazy wife

who's making your
life totally miserable,

- huh?
- I'm not miserable. I'm just...

I'm-I'm starting to get stress vertigo

anytime we have a
conversation about a...

a grocery list or, you
know, any conversation,

- for that matter.
- Huh.

But... you are carrying my children,

so I'm gonna leave
you to your afternoon.

Thank you, sweetheart. Hey, baby?

Yes, babe.

I love you so much.

I love you.

But do not come back into this house

until you've had a
major attitude change.

Hey, God.

I know we only talk
during play-off season,

but if you're listening...

I'm concerned that my wife
might be possessed by demons.

Hey!

Thanks again for the bathroom sex

at Froggy's, Jack!

Oh, God.

Mmm.

I'm a monster.

Guys... ... when are you coming out?

How much longer?

Okay.

One, two...

Mm, mm, mm...

I am a monster.

Nathan?

Nice to see you out and about.

Oh, hello, Anne. Yeah.

That stuff will rot your teeth,

- you know.
- Ah.

Well, Peter's coming
over with the kids, so...

Ah.

Yeah, I can't seem to take it off.

Nor should you.

After I lost Donnie... I...

Well, it takes time, is all.

Yeah.

You look thin.

Just old.

- If you're old, I'm ancient.
- If you're ancient,

I'm dead.

Well, I better get going.

Yeah.

Nathan.

If you need a good meal or...

just some company down the road,

I'd love to make you dinner sometime.

Well, I'm always on call, is the thing.

You never know when this
thing's gonna go off,

and...

Plus, you know, babies...

like to come at dinnertime.

Of course. I understand.

Well, you take care of yourself, Nathan.

Yeah. You, too.

Hey.

- I'm back.
- Hey.

Went to church.

Saw Father Williams.

Oh, yeah? Good.

He's going to put us in his prayers.

Well, that should do it.

What have I done now, Samantha?

Nothing.

You know what I asked him to
help me with? Father Williams?

I asked him to save my marriage.

I see.

Interesting to hear.

I'm due at the station.

So, what are we doing here again?

'Cause it's your birthday.

And my gift to you is
this... showing you the way.

- Golf?
- Golf.

Nah, man, it's...
it's not my thing, pal.

Last I checked it's
not your thing, but...

What?

I'm just... I want to get back to Bec.

- What? No, no, no.
- I'm-I'm gonna take off...

Give her space.

There's gonna be plenty of time for you

to become a martyr, I promise.

Right now we need to
get you some new clubs.

No, look, I-I don't
want to spend the money.

Wrong. Being a father means
that every once in a while

you get to buy yourself something.

Because your kids get everything else.

Uh...

Look at these guys.
I-I don't like golf.

Nobody likes golf.

I don't like golf.

But that doesn't matter.

- We need to get you some new shoes.
- Yeah?

Let's go.

Match your pink pants?

Okay.

Um...

Yes.

Okay.

Cake. All right.

Mm.

Yeah, I can do that.

Okay.

Really?

Sugar.

Okay. Shelly.

Hi, Shelly. It's Rebecca.

I am the worst, most terrible
wife in the entire world.

I totally forgot that
it's Jack's birthday today.

And all he was doing was
trying to make me feel better,

and I kicked him out of the house.

I kicked him out of the
house on his birthday, Shelly.

And I don't have a car,

and I really want to make him this...

fancy chocolate almond
cake for his birthday.

Oh, God. And I usually
do this, like, really...

sexy Marilyn Monroe-style
birthday dance for him, and...

Oh, my God. He's gonna leave me.

He's gonna leave me for some...

some hot, not crazy dental
hygienist named Stephanie

who doesn't forget his birthday.

I guess you're not home, huh?

This is Rebecca.

Did I say that?

Okay, bye.

Okay.

Who wants to go to
the grocery store? Huh?

All of you do. Great. Okay.

Let's go.

? Baby ?

? Everything is all right ?

? Uptight ?

? Out of sight ?

? Baby ?

? Everything is all right ?

? Uptight... ?

Stop it.

Do you want me to bust that bottom?

You know what? I
don't... I don't care...

Will you stop? No.

Sorry. No, Charlie, Charlie...

? Is all right ?

? Uptight ?

? Out of sight, baby... ?

You look good, Dad.

You really do.

Well, those Jane Fonda tapes

must be working their magic.

Seen the new Star Wars film yet?

Empire Strikes Back?

It's got a real twist for an ending.

Life has enough twists.

Alli liked Ordinary People, the
new one with Mary Tyler Moore.

Oh. Your mom liked her.

Well, you should check it out.

Maybe see if a friend wants
to join you for a flick.

There anybody out there
you might like to...

take to a movie? A friend?

My son is about as subtle
as an elephant with gas.

Why don't you tell me
some more about this, uh,

Ordinary People movie?

Well...

it was really moving to see Mary play

such a complicated mother...
You don't see that often.

Tony, Carl,

this is my best friend, Jack.

Today's his birthday.

- Oh, happy birthday, man.
- Happy birthday!

- Thank you.
- And his wife's pregnant with triplets.

- Oh.
- Ooh.

Come on, it's not gonna be that bad.

Oh, Jack, come on, now, I...

I love you, and I'm excited for you.

You are a superhero. But don't
kid yourself... triplets are

gonna be bad.

So we're buying him his
first set of golf clubs.

No, look, you're not buying anything.

- He's skeptical.
- You're gonna love golf, Jack.

A round of golf takes
at least four hours...

Five if you suck, which,
luckily, most of us do.

Five blissful hours,

where your wife won't tell you
that you're holding them wrong

or feeding them wrong or
just being generally wrong.

Jack.

- Sorry.
- You all right?

Yeah, I just...

just keep thinking about
my wife and how I just...

want to get home to her,

hang out with her, make sure she's okay.

Which is crazy, because she's
at her absolute worst right now.

I mean, like, Exorcist level bad.

But I still don't want to escape her.

Or my future vomiting,
crap-riddled kids.

I just, I want more time with them.

I want to freeze time with them,

so-so that I can get a little bit more.

Well, thanks, Miguel.

I think I am gonna buy myself a present.

- Great.
- Yeah, just not here.

- Nice to meet you guys.
- Hmm.

- You, too.
- Have a good game.

Well, that guy's gonna make us look bad.

Hi.

Hi.

Okay, I need to make...

a fancy chocolate almond cake

as fast as humanly possible.

- Okay.
- So I'm gonna need...

butter...

sugar, flour, almonds...

... and semisweet chocolate.

Ma'am, this is a liquor store.

I know. I know.

But it says that it's "Liquor and more."

So where's the more?

You were the only store
within walking distance.

Really?

Okay. What's your name?

Teddy.

I'm Rebecca.

Hi.

Teddy, here's the deal.

I haven't slept well in the
last couple of nights, right?

I cry when my socks are mismatched.

And I was really, really,
really mean to my husband.

Really mean to him.

And he's pretty much perfect.

I've seen what else is out there.

So I need to make him something for
his birthday. Do you understand me?

I need to make him something homemade.

It doesn't have to be fancy

chocolate almond cake. It
just has to be homemade,

something that I make
with my own two hands

so he can see how much I love him.

'Cause I was really mean.

Do you understand?

Yeah. I got, um, banana muffins.

I'll take a banana muffin.

- Do you have icing?
- Uh...

I got Twinkies.

You can squirt out the insides.

Uh...

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I can... work with that, I guess.

I'll take six Twinkies.

Okay.

Uh, that'll be, uh, $4.25.

$4.25. Okay.

Okay.

Thank you, Teddy.

- It was nice meeting you.
- You, too.

Thank you so much.

Uh, Teddy?

I got it.

I need to stretch. I'll grab it.

Hey, you.

Where'd you come from?

Someone just left
him. Right at the door.

Just like that, like in the movies.

We should take him to the precinct.

Cops'll know what to do.

What do you think'll happen to him?

He'll go in the system, probably.

I'm sure they got a routine in
place for this type of thing.

You know, foster care or adoption.

Whatever.

I'll take him over to the precinct.

You're a little miracle, aren't you?

Aren't you?

Hey, little bugs.

I'm sorry I've been
complaining so much lately.

'Cause I really enjoyed having
you as my sidekicks this year.

You have really great
taste in music, by the way.

I guess I'm just, um...

I'm a little... overwhelmed.

Not about meeting you guys...
I can't wait to meet you guys.

I can't wait to meet you guys.

I know I'm getting a
little ahead of myself,

but I can't wait to make
Halloween costumes for you,

which is weird, because I'm
not a big Halloween person.

I've been acting out lately.

I've been terrible to
your dad, who is just...

perfect.

He is so perfect.

Oh, my God,

you guys are going to freak out

when you see how awesome your dad is.

Honestly, you're gonna be...

huge fans.

I think I'm nervous
about you guys meeting me.

I don't know how much you
can tell from in there,

but I am not gonna be the perfect mom

you've probably been dreaming about.

You guys dream, right?

I think so.

I'm impatient.

And I'm...

stubborn.

And, uh...

... I stole an Abba-Zaba bar

from the grocery store in fourth grade.

And I'm... terrified

that I'm gonna make a
hundred wrong decisions

and ruin the chances that you guys have

to lead the perfect lives
that you deserve, but...

I will protect you fiercely.

And I will always sing to you

when you can't sleep.

And I will always be
excited to hear you laugh.

I bet you guys are gonna have
wildly different laughs, huh?

I love you so much it hurts,
and I haven't even met you yet.

It's crazy.

Mm.

So, I guess what...

I'm trying to say is, um...

you are gonna have to
take the good with the bad

when it comes to me.

So, now that you know all of this,

are you still...

excited to come and
join me out here, huh?

I'll take that as a yes.

You are so beautiful.

Jack, what are you doing?

Where did you get that thing?

Eh, I thought that we needed it.

Babe, wait, have you been
filming me this whole time?

- Yeah.
- No.

It's okay, don't worry,
it doesn't-it doesn't

get sound, just picture.

- Turn it off.
- Uh-uh.

Come here.

Come here, baby.

I forgot your birthday.

- It's okay.
- No,

it's not okay, 'cause you are

the world's greatest husband.

And you're gonna be the
world's greatest dad.

And I promise you, me and the kids...

We're gonna make you those
cheesy mugs every year

for your birthday.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

And I-I...

got you the world's
worst birthday present.

And I made you the world's
worst birthday cupcake

down in the kitchen, but I don't know...

I had to do something.

Oh.

Oh, that is...

- that is exactly what I wanted.
- No, it's not.

Well, there is a certain dance

that I look forward to every year...

- Jack.
- Yeah.

No. Stop. I was...

I was actually thinking like, um,

I don't know, like, a shoulder rub.

- Eh...
- Babe.

None of my lingerie is gonna fit me.

That's okay.

Birthday tradition doesn't care.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

- Yeah? Yeah?
- Yeah. All right, cowboy.

So, I'll meet you in the
bedroom in five minutes.

- You know what to do.
- Mm-hmm.

Strip down to your birthday suit.

- Uh-huh.
- Okay.

- Okay.
- Uh-huh.

It's my home, Peter.

I'd appreciate if everyone
spoke at full volume.

Now, what's on your mind?

Dad, we're officially worried about you.

Well, that is officially unnecessary.

We miss her, too.

Dad, she's been gone for over a year.

14 months.

Nathan...

you're still a young man.

I mean, you're working, what,

60 hours a week at the hospital?

I wish. That would be a vacation.

Maybe you could take a vacation.

Please stop.

Mom's gone, Dad.

I know she's gone.

You don't think I know she's gone?

I buried her, Peter.

I was married to her for
53 years and I buried her.

I don't need you to tell me she's gone.

And I will never move on,

so stop asking me to.

She's my wife.

She was my life.

And I love you two,

but if you tell me to move on again

you will not be welcome in our home.

There's my grandkids.

Hey, who's ready for some junk
that'll rot your teeth out?

Hey.

Shh, shh.

Sam.

What? I'm in the middle
of reading something.

What is that?

He was left at the
doorstep of the fire house.

The same day I asked Father
Williams for a miracle,

he was literally left at our doorstep.

So...

He was meant for us, Sam.

We couldn't have kids,

and we grew apart because of it.

But now...

Stop. Joe, that is not our baby.

That is just some child...

... who was left by a terrible person

at your fire station.

Sam...

I'm sorry, but, God...

come on, Joe.

A baby is not just gonna fix us.

That is a newborn baby.

You need to get it to a hospital.

Now.

Before you get arrested.

Ow.

Okay, I'm ready.

Hey, you promise you like your gift?

The towel? It's absolutely terrible.

- Suit's on?
- Yes, ma'am.

- Your birthday suit?
- It's the only one I've got.

I had to put the lingerie
on top of my clothes.

I see that.

It wasn't a great moment for me.

Tradition is tradition.

Peter and Alli came over today.

He is your son, through and
through, that's for certain.

Stubborn as a damn mule.

He thinks he knows something

'cause he's been married for...

what, ten whole years?

I love that boy, but...

my God.

Carol, I'm gonna say
something now, and you have

to promise now not to be mad at me.

Every morning, I open
the, uh, medicine cabinet,

and I just stare at all your...

Um...

Baby, I don't know if
I can keep doing this

without you anymore.

And I, uh...

I'm really not sure that I want to.

God, I miss being with you, and I...

Well...

Duty calls.

We'll, uh...

finish this conversation
another time, okay?

I love you, baby.

I've never heard Dr. Schneider

scream obscenities
like that before. Well,

a burst appendix'll do that for you.

Mm. Give me the run-down again.

Uh, Rebecca Pearson, 30 years old.

First-time mother with triplets.

How's the mental state?

She's good. Calm.

I meant the husband.

What the hell could this
thing possibly be for?

It's for rectal examinations.

That one's from the dirty pile.

Sorry.

Now, then, I'm Dr. Katowski,

but you can call me Doc or Dr. K,

which is what most
people choose to do...

Shh.

First male is out.

Something's not right.

Your wife is in distress, Jack.

We lost the third baby,
Jack. I'm-I'm very sorry.

I need to be with my wife.

You will be, but she needs to sleep now.

You just sit there.

I lost my wife last year.

Cancer. Five children, 11 grandkids.

But we lost our very first
child during the delivery.

There she is.

Hi.

You did so good.

Yeah.

What's wrong?

We lost one of the babies.

No. No, that's not true.

Yeah.

No, that's not true.

That's not true.

That's not true.

It's okay.

- No! No! No! No! No!
- It's okay.

No. No, no, no, you're lying to me.

- Yeah.
- We have three babies.

We have a boy and a girl.

We do.

It's okay.

I like to think

that maybe one day, you'll
be an old man like me,

talking a younger man's
ear off, explaining to him

how you took the sourest
lemon that life has to offer...

- Which one's yours?
- Um...

... and turned it into
something resembling lemonade.

Wow.

How about you? Which one's yours?

None of 'em, actually.

Strangest damn thing.

Someone left a newborn
at my fire station.

I didn't know what to do,

so I brought him here.

Huh.

Smoke?

- No. Thank you.
- Oh.

If you can do that,

then you will still
be taking three babies

home from this hospital,

just maybe not the way you planned.

Hi, baby.

I felt all of them, Jack.

I felt all three kicking.

I know.

I really felt like we
were meant to have three.

Me, too.

What if we still are?

Hey.

Baby okay?

Yeah.

You're a good man.

What?

We've been awful lately.

Um...

And you find an abandoned baby,

and your first thought
is to bring him home.

To try and...

repair us... with him.

- It was stupid.
- Yeah.

But also sweet.

You ever wish we could just start over?

Go back to where we started,

like that first day, you know, just

try to do it all fresh?

Yeah, sometimes. All the time.

It's all I want, honestly...

to start over.

Hi. I'm Samantha.

Don't... worry about
what happened back there.

Can I take you for a cup of coffee?

Yeah.

Yeah.

God, that was a day.

- You hear the latest?
- What's that?

Couple with the triplets.

He's been asking about the
baby from the fire station.

Might be thinking about adopting.

Hmm.

Well, I'm out of here.

- Night, Dr. Katowski.
- Mm-hmm.

I, um...

... told a young man about
the baby, yesterday, hon.

I haven't spoken to
anybody about that in...

a really long time.

And I, uh... I gave him some advice.

And it seems he may have
actually listened to me.

It seems he may have
taken the worst thing

that ever happened to him in his life,

and tried to push on.

There isn't a minute that goes by

that I don't think of you.

And I...

I hope you know this.

I hope this is what
you would want me to do.

I expect it is.

Come on, Randall. Let's go.

Great. You guys ready?

Yup.

We watch these every year.

Yeah, well, it's my Father's
Day, and I pick the movies,

so we're gonna start at the beginning.

What are you saying, Mom?

Secret.

Can you tell us?

- No. Thank you.
- No?

No. Let's watch it, okay?

I like to think

that maybe one day, you'll
be an old man like me,

talking a younger man's
ear off, explaining to him

how you took the sourest
lemon that life has to offer

and turned it into something
resembling lemonade.

If you can do that,

then you will still
be taking three babies

home from this hospital,

just maybe not the way you planned.