This Is Us (2016–…): Season 4, Episode 13 - A Hell of a Week: Part Three - full transcript
Kate finds strength in unexpected places.
Previously on This Is Us...
Could-could you please
just tell us what she has?
WHITAKER: It appears you
have what we doctors call
- mild cognitive impairment.
- REBECCA: I'm sorry
to keep asking you
to keep this to yourself.
- I get it.
- (doorbell rings)
- Hey.
- I missed you, babe.
RANDALL: Oh,
Beth and I just saw Practical Magic.
- Oh, I've been dying to see that.
- (chuckles)
But we're not 12-year-old girls.
- You ready?
- Mm-hmm.
TOBY:
When I look at our son,
it just makes me sad.
KATE:
I booked us a few days away
with Jack at a retreat
for families with...
blind children.
I thought it sounded
like a great thing
to do for our family.
He is reaching for the light.
The doctor said
that he-he might do that.
He might start
to see light and shadows.
YOUNG KATE:
Dad?
We have a problem.
Oh, coming in for a landing
on her first big girl bed.
Okay, now...
what is the problem?
I want a Mommy story.
Well, Mommy's asleep, baby.
How 'bout... how 'bout
if Daddy tells you a story?
No.
Okay. Um...
How 'bout you tell me a story?
I don't know how.
That's okay. I can help.
Yeah. Yeah, scoot over.
- Okay. (grunting)
- There you go.
Now,
every good story has a hero
who wants something.
And... he
or she...
- She.
- She.
She has to go on an adventure
to get it.
So, I want you
to close your eyes, okay?
Close your eyes, and I want you
to picture a hero.
Someone you can really root for.
Who do you see?
KATE:
A girl.
A girl. Great.
And where is this girl?
KATE:
In a forest.
JACK: She's in a forest?
Maybe it's, like, a magical forest?
KATE:
Yeah.
Okay.
Does she meet a prince?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
She meets a prince.
But it's not one
of those fancy princes
with the poofy sleeves.
Right?
He's-he's, like, a...
regular-type prince, right?
KATE:
Yeah.
(birds chirping)
Okay.
So, Little Girl
asks the prince
if he can help her find
this thing
that she really, really wants.
Do you know what it is
she really wants, Katie girl?
It's a surprise.
It's a surprise. Okay.
(chuckles) Guess I'll just have
to wait till the end,
huh?
♪
(buzzing)
- Hey, uh...
- (speaks softly)
(muttering)
- Hey, babe, want to call it soon?
- Mm-hmm.
I really want to wake up early
for the retreat.
Also, there's a speaker talking
about braille children's books
- I don't want to miss.
- Yeah. I'm-I'm...
Yeah. I'm just...
I'm reading about this-this girl
in Minnesota who has ROP
like Jack.
And they tried
this-this gene therapy on her,
and she got some
of her sight back.
Like, 30%.
If my son could see 30% of me,
I would be ecstatic.
The-the right 30%.
Like-like,
from-from here to here.
(both chuckle)
- Babe, um... (chuckles)
- (chuckles)
I'm really glad
that you're so excited.
But before you go
down this rabbit hole,
um...
I just...
This kind of therapy
is not gonna work for Jack.
With this little girl,
I mean,
she has an inherited disease.
She doesn't have a detached or
damaged retina like Jack does.
- Okay. Yeah.
- Y...
So, earlier tonight,
when you said that his blindness
makes you sad...
Kate, I am fully aware
of the awfulness of what I said.
All right? I'm doing my best.
Right now, I would just like
to have one night
filled with hope, all right?
I want to research
this girl in Minnesota
who got a little bit
of her sight back,
and then I want to dream
about watching Star Wars
and Rick and Morty with my son,
okay?
- Okay.
- Okay.
I'm sorry. I'm just...
I'm-I'm... excited,
and I am not ready to let go
of that feeling just yet.
- Okay.
- Okay.
♪
♪ "Cathy's Clown" ♪
♪ That's the man ♪
♪ She's married to now ♪
♪ That's the girl ♪
(whispers):
Hi.
(chuckling)
(whispers):
Come here.
♪ She is, I suppose ♪
♪ Who can really tell? ♪
♪ She shows no emotion at all ♪
It's Patti Smith's Babel.
I just saw it in the window
of a used bookstore last week,
and I immediately thought
of you.
Marc.
Mm?
God, this is so nice.
You-you really didn't have
to do that.
Yeah, I did.
You make me smile every day,
so I wanted to make you smile.
(chuckles)
'Cause I'm in love with you.
I'm in love with you, too.
(chuckles)
(chuckling)
Um...
Hmm?
My brothers are coming in
for my mom's birthday dinner
on Saturday.
- Mm.
- And I know that Kevin's wedding dinner
was kind of weird. But I was
really hoping you would join.
I don't know.
Your brothers stress me out.
I feel like I picked up
on some vibes.
- No. They like you, okay?
- Huh?
They're just being
overprotective
'cause you're older.
- That's all.
- Mm.
All right, you want me to go?
- Mm-hmm.
- I will go.
- Thank you.
- Okay?
Okay.
(sniffs)
(stammers)
You sure you want that?
No, well, I just know
how hard you've been working
on your diet, so I'm just trying
to be supportive. That's all.
'Cause you know
I think you look amazing.
- (chuckles)
- Maybe.
- CUSTOMER: Hey.
- (growling)
You guys know who sings
that one song from Pulp Fiction?
I mean, there's a lot of songs
in Pulp Fiction.
Uh, the one
Uma Thurman's dancing to.
Mm. "Girl,
You'll Be a Woman Soon."
Yeah, man. That's, uh...
that's Urge Overkill.
They're a, uh,
Chicago alt-rock band,
and Tarantino just randomly
found their album in Holland.
It wasn't even, like,
written by them though.
It's actually
a Neil Diamond cover.
My dad loved Diamond, so, uh,
it's embedded in my brain.
Um...
Yeah, man.
If you just come on,
I'll, uh, show you
where to find it.
(footsteps approaching)
(mutters)
Oh, hey. Um, don't forget
your bathing suit,
because, uh, this place has,
like, three pools.
Great.
(exhales)
(sniffs)
You know,
I-I know it seems like a lot.
But I've been chatting
with all the parents
on the Facebook group,
and they seem really cool.
And I think it's gonna be good,
you know,
for us to be around
other families with kids
with blindness.
Yeah, of course.
Of course.
Sorry, there's just a lot
going on at work this week.
It's gonna be hard
to miss a couple of days.
And...
(sighs)
...are you sure
this isn't too much
this early, you know?
He seems...
I don't know.
He's only ten months old.
Toby, do you not want to go?
(phone buzzing)
Hi, Mom.
Hi, Bug.
You guys on your way
to the retreat?
Are you excited?
Was Toby surprised?
Yeah, he was really surprised.
- Ha.
- Um...
But, uh, he has a really big
project at work right now,
so, um,
he's not gonna be able to go.
- Kate...
- Oh, no.
That's too bad.
Yeah. You know,
I-I sprung it
on him last-minute, so...
Why don't I join you?
Really?
You want to come?
I'm there.
I've actually been wanting a...
a good catch-up session,
just the two of us.
Okay, um, let me go pack.
I'm already making
a mental checklist
of everything that I need.
This is gonna be so fun.
Okay,
I'll see you in a second,
sweetheart.
Okay. Bye.
She's gonna go?
Yeah, she's gonna go.
So, Miguel loaded all
of the VH1 Divas on my phone.
I had to listen to him sing
Mariah Carey
all morning,
but it was worth it.
- (chuckles) - Aw,
Toby must be so upset that he can't go.
GREGORY:
Hey, neighbor.
- Hi.
- You know, my mother always said,
"Never show up to
a blind retreat empty-handed."
- (gasps)
- Aw.
It's that beeper ball
I was telling you about.
- It's pretty cool.
- It's very cool.
Thank you.
Um, it beeps
so Jack can find it.
It's a beeper ball.
It's fun to say.
(chuckles)
It is.
Oh, Gregory, this is my mom.
Mom, this is Gregory.
Very nice to meet you, Gregory.
Nice to meet you.
I basically forced myself
onto his walks,
- so now he can't get enough of me.
- (chuckles)
I'll keep the sidewalk warm
for you.
- You kids have fun.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
- Nice to meet you. -Let me see that thing.
TOBY:
Hey.
There he is.
There's my Jack.
Hi, it's Grandma.
How are you, sweetheart?
Oh, Daddy's gonna miss you
so much.
- He's not gonna know what to
do with himself. -(chuckles)
- Oh.
- Audio keeps getting me to try to throw a rager
- while you're gone,
but I'm like, -(grunts)
"You're a dog,
- "and I got to work, so..."
- (chuckles)
You're gonna have so much fun
with Mom and Grandma, huh?
Okay, in you go.
Okay. Hey, are you, uh...
are you sure you're all right
with all this?
Yeah, I'm totally fine.
Okay.
- Okay.
- I'm gonna text a lot.
Oh, and Madison's gonna come by
to walk Audio
while you're at work this week.
Okay.
Hey, I love you.
This is your daddy
saying goodbye.
- (car door closes)
- (Jack laughs)
All right, you good?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Uh... love you.
- Love you.
- Have fun.
- Thanks.
- Bye.
- See you, Rebecca.
- Bye.
Okay, we start with Celine.
So, the little girl
and the prince,
they're making their way
through the forest.
- What do they see?
- Flowers.
They come across this huge field
of colorful flowers.
But maybe...
Maybe those flowers
are poisonous.
- No, Dad. I like them.
- Well,
even things we like can be bad
for us sometimes, sweetheart.
(phone dialing)
(line rings)
MARC:
Hey, it's Marc. Leave a mes...
(sighs)
(phone rings)
Hello?
Hi. Marc, are you okay?
I-I've been trying
to call you all night.
- RANDALL: The weirdest dreams.
- Well, I thought we were gonna
do a deep dive
on Patti last night.
Whoa.
Hey, why are you so mad?
Did I do something wrong?
Marc.
- That didn't sound good.
- KATE: Marc.
Please, don't do this. I...
I'm sorry.
Come on.
- (door opens) - Please.
I don't even know what I d...
- Ugh.
- KEVIN: "Ugh"?
That's a nice hello.
Hold on.
Hey, Ma?
- Please.
- REBECCA: Hey, guys.
- You guys got here early.
- Please, Marc, I'm sorry.
Please don't get mad. I hate
when you get mad like this.
I just want to understand.
- KEVIN: What's Kate's problem?
- KATE: Please.
Can you just tell me what I did?
You were just...
You were just...
You were so desperate
to show off
to that guy yesterday
with that Neil Diamond stuff,
and I was embarrassed,
so I raged out
'cause I'm an idiot.
So, are we okay?
Course we're okay.
How am I gonna stay mad at you?
You're the only good thing
in my life.
Um...
I'll see you tomorrow
for your mom's thing.
Okay. I love you.
- I love you, too.
- (disconnect tone sounds)
(knock on door)
(sniffles)
(clears throat)
Hi.
Hi. Just checking in.
Is everything all right?
Everything's great.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
You know, I have been so busy
with my new job.
I feel like
I've missed out on Marc.
How long have you guys
been dating now?
Is it three months?
Yeah, something like that.
Wow. I'd really like
to get to know him better.
Well, yeah.
He's coming to dinner
tomorrow night.
Okay.
But, you know, I feel like
it's gonna be crazy
with everybody here.
- What if we went to go get coffee before dinner?
- Mm.
- Just the three of us.
- I-I think that's a little excessive.
- (chuckles)
- Oh. Please.
As a gift to me. Your old mom.
Fine. As a gift.
As a gift. Thank you, Bug.
BOY:
Whee!
One, two, three.
- Whee!
- (squeals)
You okay, Bug?
Yeah. I'm fine.
What room are we in again?
We are in room...
208 past the saltwater pool.
Says here there is a 1:00
orientation in the courtyard
followed by a braille workshop
in the ballroom.
(gasps)
And there is nightly karaoke
in the hotel pub.
How wild would it be
- if you and I sang a duet together, huh?
- That...
- Yes, it would be pretty wild. (laughs)
- Come on.
Wait, what is the, um...
What's that Alanis song?
We used to belt it out
every time we heard someone
use the word. What is it?
- Uh, "Ironic"?
- "Ironic." Yes!
- (chuckles)
- "Ironic."
I think of you
every time I hear that song.
- We should sing that song together.
- Really?
- Yeah!
- Mom?
- What?
- Are you on the drugs?
- No, I... Kate.
- (laughs)
No, I'm sorry. I'm just...
I'm excited to be here
with you guys.
Well, I appreciate
your enthusiasm.
But I am really just, like,
in fact-finding mode, so...
Got it. I'm here for you guys.
Yep.
♪ Everyone was singing ♪
♪ Girl is washed-up ♪
♪ On Redondo Beach ♪
♪ And everyone is so sad ♪
♪ I was looking for you. ♪
Are you sure
you told him the right time?
Yes.
Mom, I know that Kevin
and Randall don't like Marc.
- No.
- And I know
that he can be
kind of intense sometimes,
but, I mean, he's going
through a lot right now, okay?
He's... His parents
are getting a divorce,
and his dad's
really hard on him.
Well, I will keep an open mind.
I promise.
Oh, there he is.
KATE:
Mm.
- Hey.
- Sorry I'm late.
My car's a piece of crap.
Oh, no. The battery again?
It's good to see you, Marc.
- (Marc sighs)
- Sorry about your car.
Thanks. Yeah, it sucks.
Hello?
Hey.
(whistles)
(exhales)
Uh...
God, I'm sorry.
I just charged in here
like a bat out of hell.
- I'm Meat Loaf.
- Like Meat Loaf.
(chuckles)
(laughs)
Aw. You guys must really love
working at the record store
together, huh?
- Yeah.
- MARC: Yeah. Yeah, I liked it.
Yeah. I feel like I've kind of
outgrown it, though.
Um... Just Terry, our, um...
He's our manager.
He's just so incompetent.
He's getting on me all the time
about taking
too many smoke breaks.
Like, it's total BS, so,
you know, I just quit.
When did you quit?
This morning.
Do you know, um,
the singer Patti Smith?
Mm-hmm.
Um, 'cause he got me
this really awesome book, Babel.
It's really inspiring.
- Yeah.
- So sweet.
MARC:
Mm.
Yeah. You know, Kate and I
are gonna actually write
some songs together.
Yeah, your daughter
has a really amazing voice.
It's very sweet,
but also, it's very soulful.
REBECCA:
Mm-hmm.
Well, I agree with you there.
I can't wait to hear
these songs, Kate.
- (chuckles) Yeah.
- Yeah.
We just got to get out
of Pittsburgh to write them.
- (Kate chuckles)
- Oh, ooh!
Hey, we should go to that cabin
that you're
always talking about.
Our family cabin?
- MARC: Yeah.
- KATE: Yeah.
Oh. We haven't even opened it up
for the season.
I totally forgot.
- We can open it.
- (Marc chuckles)
I love it. Our own Shangri-la.
(imitating John Lennon):
Like Yoko and John.
(chuckles)
That is an idea.
(Rebecca and Marc chuckle)
So, the little girl walks
through the flowers.
What does she... What do you
think she sees next, huh?
Water.
Great idea.
The little girl and the prince
came upon a dark cave
dripping with water.
♪
(indistinct chatter)
WOMAN:
Being the parent of a child
with a disability
can sometimes feel overwhelming,
but there are
so many tools out there
that can make life easier
for you and your family.
By finding
TV programs and films
with audio description,
your child can hear
key visual elements
so that they can share
in the full experience.
- (clicking)
- Basically, he makes
these clicking noises,
kind of like a dolphin.
And the clicks
bounce off of stuff,
and he somehow figures out
where he is
so he doesn't crash
into anything.
- REBECCA: Oh!
- It's not
that common,
but Zak wanted to give it a try.
At first, I was afraid
that using a cane
would stigmatize me.
But it's actually
very empowering
and gives me
a lot of independence.
- When you walk...
- MAN: For those of you
brand-new to this,
braille is a six-dot system.
First note is "C."
Can you find "C"
on the keyboard?
("C" plays)
Good work.
It's that easy.
Who can tell me
what the second note is?
Hey. Marc and I are gonna leave,
like, really early
in the morning to beat traffic,
so are the keys to the cabin
still in the hidey place
near the front steps?
Um, sweetheart,
I don't... I don't know
if I feel comfortable
with you guys
going up there alone.
Why not?
I just... I don't think
it's a good idea.
What? That is so unfair.
Randall's off with Beth doing
God knows what every night,
and-and Kevin's
literally married.
- It's different.
- Why?
- 'Cause I'm a girl?
- No.
Oh.
- Because you don't like Marc.
- Honey,
I don't even really know Marc.
Great. Great. You hate him, too.
No. I don't hate him, Kate.
I even understand
what you like about him.
- I mean, he's passionate, and he's creative and...
- Just stop.
You know what?
After Dad...
I genuinely thought
I would never be happy again.
I understand.
No, you don't.
You don't, Mom. Look at you.
You've had boys
falling all over you for, what,
your entire life?
Marc loves me,
and he's the first guy
to ever be interested in me.
The first person to ever
even look at me that way.
I understand.
You don't!
I don't need you to like him.
I like him.
We're not going to the cabin
tomorrow. We're going now.
So, sorry if that ruins
your birthday dinner,
but I'm sure Miguel will be
around to pick up the pieces.
Whoa.
That is not fair.
Yeah, neither was this.
KATE:
Yeah, it was amazing!
He was making these, like,
clicking noises, and
so he could just ride his bike
everywhere. It was...
Your mind would have been blown.
GREGORY:
That is so cool.
Jack will be the same way.
I've seen the look
of wild abandon
on his face
whenever we power walk.
(laughs)
Uh, hey, I'm gonna call it,
but, um...
You, too. Bye.
How is Toby doing?
He's good. He's just busy.
Sweetheart, um,
there's something I really
wanted to talk to you about.
Okay, that wasn't Toby
on the phone.
What?
It was Gregory, my neighbor,
you know, with the beard,
who had the stroke.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Toby didn't have a work thing.
He has been struggling
with Jack's blindness.
And he said that every time
that he looks at Jack,
it just makes him sad.
Mm.
So... That's a direct quote.
Yeah.
He is struggling.
And I'm not?
He is supposed to be
running around, right,
riding bikes and taking Jack
to the pool.
Well, you can take him
to the pool, too.
Mom, I have spent half the day
having a panic attack
about wearing a bathing suit
in public without him.
And I-I...
Someday, Jack's gonna want
to ride a bike,
and I don't know if I'm gonna
be able to do that with him.
And I don't know if-if Toby is
going to want to,
if he's gonna be here.
I don't...
I don't know.
Wha...
(pats bed)
Come on, get up.
What?
We're gonna go swimming.
Right now.
- What?
- Right now!
- No.
- Where's your bathing suit?
- Mom...
- We are. Uh-huh.
Okay, I found it.
Let's go, let's go.
It's, like... It's 9:00.
The pool is closed anyway.
I don't care.
Come on!
I'm not going swimming.
Kate, come on.
You're fat, I'm ancient.
We're gorgeous.
Let's go swimming.
Put on your suit, come on.
I'm gonna get on mine.
Come on.
Let's go.
♪
(chuckles softly)
You know I used to have
to drag you out of the pool.
You would hold up your...
your wrinkly little hand
- and say, "Mom, look.
They're like raisins." -(Kate chuckles)
Remember that?
Yeah.
It's ironic.
The only place I feel weightless
is the place
I've avoided my entire life.
You're here, Bug.
Let the weight go.
Take everything off
your shoulders
and give it to me;
I can take it.
That's what I'm here for.
♪
You know why I call you Bug?
Yeah, 'cause I was a weird kid
who was obsessed with bugs.
- (both laugh)
- Obsessed is an understatement.
You loved everything
that could fly.
Everything. Oh, gosh.
Butterflies and ladybugs
and bumblebees.
But your favorite
were lightning bugs.
Or, as you called them,
"light bulb bugs."
(both chuckle)
Oh, I can see it
as clear as day.
You in our front yard,
your eyes as big as saucers,
watching the lightning bugs
as they flickered on and off.
You were so gentle.
You used to gently
cup one in your hands,
and you'd watch it
as it lit up.
And then you would whisper
in the sweetest
little voice...
Go find your way home.
"Go find your way home."
You'd open up
your little hand
and let it fly away.
My sensitive little Bug.
Always, always empathizing
with everyone and everything.
But just because
you're sensitive
doesn't mean you're not strong.
I don't...
I don't feel strong right now.
I have known you for all
of your 39 years,
and you are much stronger than
anyone gives you credit for,
including yourself.
Yeah, you've been dealt
a bit of a curveball.
Toby's not bouncing back
as quickly as you would like.
But you need to not
be afraid to tell him
that he needs to step it up.
But what if he doesn't, ever?
Well, then,
you are perfectly capable
of raising Jack beautifully
all on your own.
But I... I believe in Toby.
He'll find his way home.
Okay...
Now I need to get something
off my shoulders.
Is everything okay?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let's-let's dry off first.
Okay.
JACK: The little girl
knew she had to be brave.
So, finally, she gathered
all her courage
- and took one big step...
- YOUNG KATE: Dad!
This is my story.
Okay, yeah, you're right.
You're right, it is your story.
So you-you go ahead.
YOUNG KATE:
And then the...
And then the prince disappears.
Wow.
(chuckles)
That is a great twist.
♪
TEENAGE KATE:
Here we go.
KATE and MARC (singing along):
♪ And you can see
♪ The daisies in her footsteps ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Dandelions, dandelions ♪
♪ Butterflies ♪
♪ I wanna be Kate ♪
♪ Kate ♪
♪ Bom, bom, Kate ♪
♪ Bom, bom, bom,
bom, bom, Kate ♪
♪ Unh, Kate, Kate ♪
♪ Every day she wears
the same thing ♪
- ♪ Every day she smokes pot ♪
- Dang.
- ♪ She's everything I want... ♪
- You know,
I'm kind of bummed you quit.
I mean, I know Terry's
lame and all,
but I'm gonna miss you there.
Well, maybe you should
quit, too.
Yeah, well... well, honestly,
I need the money right now.
And, I mean, it's...
it's a pretty decent job.
As far as, like, dumb jobs go.
Uh-huh. I mean, I guess.
But, uh, I'm gonna make music
instead of just
talking about it.
Yeah, I know.
♪ Down by the Rosemary
and Cameron ♪
♪ She hands out
the Bhagavad Gita ♪
♪ I see her around
every couple days... ♪
So just to be clear,
you're not gonna quit.
♪ So that I can say ♪
♪ Hey, Kate... ♪
Of course not.
- No.
- (music turns up)
Hmm.
That's great support, Kate.
Marc, can you slow down?
Really, like, after the way
Terry treated me?
And I got you that job!
Do you remember that?
- No, I know, but can you slow down?
- No, no, no.
- (Marc speaks indistinctly)
- KATE: Slow down!
Marc, please, please slow down.
You're going too fast.
Please!
Marc, stop the car now!
(gasps)
Thank you.
♪ Oh, oh ♪
Babe... let's just
get some air.
Okay?
Come on.
♪ Kate, Kate. ♪
Babe, come on...
You know, I can't even
look at your fat face!
Marc...
Marc!
Mom, you're starting to
freak me out; what's going on?
Okay, um...
I've been having some
memory issues lately.
Forgetting my phone,
forgetting words.
Small things.
Little things.
But Randall noticed that
something was off with me
around Thanksgiving, and I went
to have some tests done.
- Oh, my God, Mom...
- No, no, hold on.
Nothing is certain,
but they did diagnose me
with something called
mild cognitive impairment.
Which could eventually lead
to dementia or Alzheimer's.
(exhales sharply)
How did I not notice anything?
Because I didn't want you
to notice anything.
I'm fine. I'm fine.
We don't even know where
this may lead yet.
And if anything, I...
The diagnosis has made me feel
more powerful.
And more fun.
You have been more fun.
- Right?
- (chuckles)
'Cause I'm not sweating
the small stuff.
Hey. I don't know
how much longer I have
before things might get worse,
so... I'm-I'm done being sad,
and I'm done feeling worried.
I feel...
I feel okay.
Okay.
Yeah.
I am strong.
You made me strong.
(crying softly)
(sniffles)
(grunts)
Is Jack still asleep?
- Uh...
- Oh, yeah. He's out.
(laughs)
Let's get dressed.
I have an idea.
♪ Hey, yeah, ah, ah, ah, yeah ♪
(laughs)
♪ An old man turned 98 ♪
♪ He won the lottery ♪
♪ And died the next day ♪
♪ It's a black fly
in your Chardonnay ♪
♪ It's a death row pardon
two minutes too late ♪
♪ And isn't it ironic ♪
- ♪ Don't you think? ♪
- (laughs)
♪ It's like rain ♪
♪ On your wedding day ♪
♪ It's a free ride ♪
♪ When you've already paid ♪
♪ It's the good advice... ♪
♪
(panting)
(line ringing)
- REBECCA (over phone): Hello?
- Hi, Mom.
Hi, Kate.
You okay? Did you guys
make it up to the cabin?
Um, no, not yet.
We, uh, we decided to stop
at a gas station.
But, um,
I'm sorry for what
I said earlier.
I'm really sorry
I'm missing your birthday.
It's fine, Bug.
I'm sorry, too.
You sound kind of upset.
Is everything all right?
No. Mom...
Bug?
Kate? Are you okay?
Talk to me.
(whispers):
I'm sorry.
Uh... um...
Everything's fine.
I-I'm sorry, Mom.
I love you, okay? Bye.
Okay... I love you, too...
- Well...
- (dial tone sounds)
Dad!
(whispers):
You fell asleep.
Yeah. Yeah.
(whispers):
Sorry.
I'm sorry.
Don't you want to know
what she wants?
Yeah.
Yeah, why don't, why don't you
tell me what she wants?
(laughs)
My sweet little bug.
- (laughs)
- My sweet little bug.
(exhales)
What are you gonna say to Toby?
I'm just gonna be very clear
about what my family
needs from him.
And about what I need from him.
Well, just so you know,
you always have a safety net.
I'm always available if you need
a... a Friends marathon.
Whatever.
(laughs)
Am I slowly becoming
one of those women
- whose best friend is their mom?
- (laughs)
Stranger things have happened.
(quietly):
Yeah.
Will you call me tonight?
- Yeah, I will.
- Okay.
(whispers):
Bye, Jack.
Hey, Mom?
Hmm?
Go do what you got to do.
Okay.
(car door closes)
- Hey.
- Hey.
Um, we just got home.
Madison left a note. She walked
Audio and Jack is asleep.
Yeah. Yeah, I just,
I just looked in on him.
- How was it?
- It was incredible.
And you would have loved it.
Yeah.
Toby.
Can you, can you do this?
I mean, can you, can you be
the man that I need you to be?
Can you be the father
that Jack needs you to be?
I want to.
(phone buzzing)
It's my brother.
(clears throat)
Hey, Kev. Um... Um, what's up?
You know, now is not
really a good time.
- Um...
- KEVIN (over phone): Why? What's the matter?
Uh, well, I'm about
two seconds away
from my marriage
completely imploding.
Oh, Kate, I'm so sorry.
Listen, I got Randall
on the other line.
Life's kind of sucking
for him, too, right now.
You mind if I patch him
through?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Hey, Randall, I got Kate.
She's kind of in a bad way,
too, actually.
Sad three?
Sad three.
RANDALL:
Hey, Kate, Kev and I
were just talking about
going out to the cabin.
You want to join us?
(footsteps approaching)
Toby, I don't need you
to just want
to be a good father to Jack,
I need you to just do it.
I'm gonna take Jack to the cabin
this weekend with my brothers.
'Cause I just need
some space right now.
Let me take care of Jack
this weekend.
Well, I don't think
that's a good idea.
Uh, actually, I... yeah...
I-I think it is.
You go to the cabin,
and leave Jack here with me.
I'll take care of him.
I need to spend time
with my son.
Kate, please.
Okay.
(quietly):
Okay.
♪
REBECCA:
I'm worried about Kate.
I think she's in trouble, Kev.
We have to go get her.
Uh, okay. Go-go get
your stuff together.
And I'll call Randall right now.
Okay.
(speaking indistinctly)
KEVIN: Mom cancelled
her birthday dinner.
RANDALL:
Wait, why?
KEVIN:
Something's wrong with Kate. Um,
I'll explain in the car.
Just be ready in 20.
We're coming to pick you up.
- All right?
- O-Okay.
I-I'll be downstairs.
Uh, is everything okay?
Snug as a bug in a rug.
- (grunts softly)
- (exhales)
How'd it go? How'd they do?
Oh. Piece of cake.
Yeah. Everybody's asleep.
I told you, I got it.
- Mm. My hero.
- (chuckles)
Yeah.
I just put them
to bed one night.
You're the real hero.
Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH
Could-could you please
just tell us what she has?
WHITAKER: It appears you
have what we doctors call
- mild cognitive impairment.
- REBECCA: I'm sorry
to keep asking you
to keep this to yourself.
- I get it.
- (doorbell rings)
- Hey.
- I missed you, babe.
RANDALL: Oh,
Beth and I just saw Practical Magic.
- Oh, I've been dying to see that.
- (chuckles)
But we're not 12-year-old girls.
- You ready?
- Mm-hmm.
TOBY:
When I look at our son,
it just makes me sad.
KATE:
I booked us a few days away
with Jack at a retreat
for families with...
blind children.
I thought it sounded
like a great thing
to do for our family.
He is reaching for the light.
The doctor said
that he-he might do that.
He might start
to see light and shadows.
YOUNG KATE:
Dad?
We have a problem.
Oh, coming in for a landing
on her first big girl bed.
Okay, now...
what is the problem?
I want a Mommy story.
Well, Mommy's asleep, baby.
How 'bout... how 'bout
if Daddy tells you a story?
No.
Okay. Um...
How 'bout you tell me a story?
I don't know how.
That's okay. I can help.
Yeah. Yeah, scoot over.
- Okay. (grunting)
- There you go.
Now,
every good story has a hero
who wants something.
And... he
or she...
- She.
- She.
She has to go on an adventure
to get it.
So, I want you
to close your eyes, okay?
Close your eyes, and I want you
to picture a hero.
Someone you can really root for.
Who do you see?
KATE:
A girl.
A girl. Great.
And where is this girl?
KATE:
In a forest.
JACK: She's in a forest?
Maybe it's, like, a magical forest?
KATE:
Yeah.
Okay.
Does she meet a prince?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
She meets a prince.
But it's not one
of those fancy princes
with the poofy sleeves.
Right?
He's-he's, like, a...
regular-type prince, right?
KATE:
Yeah.
(birds chirping)
Okay.
So, Little Girl
asks the prince
if he can help her find
this thing
that she really, really wants.
Do you know what it is
she really wants, Katie girl?
It's a surprise.
It's a surprise. Okay.
(chuckles) Guess I'll just have
to wait till the end,
huh?
♪
(buzzing)
- Hey, uh...
- (speaks softly)
(muttering)
- Hey, babe, want to call it soon?
- Mm-hmm.
I really want to wake up early
for the retreat.
Also, there's a speaker talking
about braille children's books
- I don't want to miss.
- Yeah. I'm-I'm...
Yeah. I'm just...
I'm reading about this-this girl
in Minnesota who has ROP
like Jack.
And they tried
this-this gene therapy on her,
and she got some
of her sight back.
Like, 30%.
If my son could see 30% of me,
I would be ecstatic.
The-the right 30%.
Like-like,
from-from here to here.
(both chuckle)
- Babe, um... (chuckles)
- (chuckles)
I'm really glad
that you're so excited.
But before you go
down this rabbit hole,
um...
I just...
This kind of therapy
is not gonna work for Jack.
With this little girl,
I mean,
she has an inherited disease.
She doesn't have a detached or
damaged retina like Jack does.
- Okay. Yeah.
- Y...
So, earlier tonight,
when you said that his blindness
makes you sad...
Kate, I am fully aware
of the awfulness of what I said.
All right? I'm doing my best.
Right now, I would just like
to have one night
filled with hope, all right?
I want to research
this girl in Minnesota
who got a little bit
of her sight back,
and then I want to dream
about watching Star Wars
and Rick and Morty with my son,
okay?
- Okay.
- Okay.
I'm sorry. I'm just...
I'm-I'm... excited,
and I am not ready to let go
of that feeling just yet.
- Okay.
- Okay.
♪
♪ "Cathy's Clown" ♪
♪ That's the man ♪
♪ She's married to now ♪
♪ That's the girl ♪
(whispers):
Hi.
(chuckling)
(whispers):
Come here.
♪ She is, I suppose ♪
♪ Who can really tell? ♪
♪ She shows no emotion at all ♪
It's Patti Smith's Babel.
I just saw it in the window
of a used bookstore last week,
and I immediately thought
of you.
Marc.
Mm?
God, this is so nice.
You-you really didn't have
to do that.
Yeah, I did.
You make me smile every day,
so I wanted to make you smile.
(chuckles)
'Cause I'm in love with you.
I'm in love with you, too.
(chuckles)
(chuckling)
Um...
Hmm?
My brothers are coming in
for my mom's birthday dinner
on Saturday.
- Mm.
- And I know that Kevin's wedding dinner
was kind of weird. But I was
really hoping you would join.
I don't know.
Your brothers stress me out.
I feel like I picked up
on some vibes.
- No. They like you, okay?
- Huh?
They're just being
overprotective
'cause you're older.
- That's all.
- Mm.
All right, you want me to go?
- Mm-hmm.
- I will go.
- Thank you.
- Okay?
Okay.
(sniffs)
(stammers)
You sure you want that?
No, well, I just know
how hard you've been working
on your diet, so I'm just trying
to be supportive. That's all.
'Cause you know
I think you look amazing.
- (chuckles)
- Maybe.
- CUSTOMER: Hey.
- (growling)
You guys know who sings
that one song from Pulp Fiction?
I mean, there's a lot of songs
in Pulp Fiction.
Uh, the one
Uma Thurman's dancing to.
Mm. "Girl,
You'll Be a Woman Soon."
Yeah, man. That's, uh...
that's Urge Overkill.
They're a, uh,
Chicago alt-rock band,
and Tarantino just randomly
found their album in Holland.
It wasn't even, like,
written by them though.
It's actually
a Neil Diamond cover.
My dad loved Diamond, so, uh,
it's embedded in my brain.
Um...
Yeah, man.
If you just come on,
I'll, uh, show you
where to find it.
(footsteps approaching)
(mutters)
Oh, hey. Um, don't forget
your bathing suit,
because, uh, this place has,
like, three pools.
Great.
(exhales)
(sniffs)
You know,
I-I know it seems like a lot.
But I've been chatting
with all the parents
on the Facebook group,
and they seem really cool.
And I think it's gonna be good,
you know,
for us to be around
other families with kids
with blindness.
Yeah, of course.
Of course.
Sorry, there's just a lot
going on at work this week.
It's gonna be hard
to miss a couple of days.
And...
(sighs)
...are you sure
this isn't too much
this early, you know?
He seems...
I don't know.
He's only ten months old.
Toby, do you not want to go?
(phone buzzing)
Hi, Mom.
Hi, Bug.
You guys on your way
to the retreat?
Are you excited?
Was Toby surprised?
Yeah, he was really surprised.
- Ha.
- Um...
But, uh, he has a really big
project at work right now,
so, um,
he's not gonna be able to go.
- Kate...
- Oh, no.
That's too bad.
Yeah. You know,
I-I sprung it
on him last-minute, so...
Why don't I join you?
Really?
You want to come?
I'm there.
I've actually been wanting a...
a good catch-up session,
just the two of us.
Okay, um, let me go pack.
I'm already making
a mental checklist
of everything that I need.
This is gonna be so fun.
Okay,
I'll see you in a second,
sweetheart.
Okay. Bye.
She's gonna go?
Yeah, she's gonna go.
So, Miguel loaded all
of the VH1 Divas on my phone.
I had to listen to him sing
Mariah Carey
all morning,
but it was worth it.
- (chuckles) - Aw,
Toby must be so upset that he can't go.
GREGORY:
Hey, neighbor.
- Hi.
- You know, my mother always said,
"Never show up to
a blind retreat empty-handed."
- (gasps)
- Aw.
It's that beeper ball
I was telling you about.
- It's pretty cool.
- It's very cool.
Thank you.
Um, it beeps
so Jack can find it.
It's a beeper ball.
It's fun to say.
(chuckles)
It is.
Oh, Gregory, this is my mom.
Mom, this is Gregory.
Very nice to meet you, Gregory.
Nice to meet you.
I basically forced myself
onto his walks,
- so now he can't get enough of me.
- (chuckles)
I'll keep the sidewalk warm
for you.
- You kids have fun.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
- Nice to meet you. -Let me see that thing.
TOBY:
Hey.
There he is.
There's my Jack.
Hi, it's Grandma.
How are you, sweetheart?
Oh, Daddy's gonna miss you
so much.
- He's not gonna know what to
do with himself. -(chuckles)
- Oh.
- Audio keeps getting me to try to throw a rager
- while you're gone,
but I'm like, -(grunts)
"You're a dog,
- "and I got to work, so..."
- (chuckles)
You're gonna have so much fun
with Mom and Grandma, huh?
Okay, in you go.
Okay. Hey, are you, uh...
are you sure you're all right
with all this?
Yeah, I'm totally fine.
Okay.
- Okay.
- I'm gonna text a lot.
Oh, and Madison's gonna come by
to walk Audio
while you're at work this week.
Okay.
Hey, I love you.
This is your daddy
saying goodbye.
- (car door closes)
- (Jack laughs)
All right, you good?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Uh... love you.
- Love you.
- Have fun.
- Thanks.
- Bye.
- See you, Rebecca.
- Bye.
Okay, we start with Celine.
So, the little girl
and the prince,
they're making their way
through the forest.
- What do they see?
- Flowers.
They come across this huge field
of colorful flowers.
But maybe...
Maybe those flowers
are poisonous.
- No, Dad. I like them.
- Well,
even things we like can be bad
for us sometimes, sweetheart.
(phone dialing)
(line rings)
MARC:
Hey, it's Marc. Leave a mes...
(sighs)
(phone rings)
Hello?
Hi. Marc, are you okay?
I-I've been trying
to call you all night.
- RANDALL: The weirdest dreams.
- Well, I thought we were gonna
do a deep dive
on Patti last night.
Whoa.
Hey, why are you so mad?
Did I do something wrong?
Marc.
- That didn't sound good.
- KATE: Marc.
Please, don't do this. I...
I'm sorry.
Come on.
- (door opens) - Please.
I don't even know what I d...
- Ugh.
- KEVIN: "Ugh"?
That's a nice hello.
Hold on.
Hey, Ma?
- Please.
- REBECCA: Hey, guys.
- You guys got here early.
- Please, Marc, I'm sorry.
Please don't get mad. I hate
when you get mad like this.
I just want to understand.
- KEVIN: What's Kate's problem?
- KATE: Please.
Can you just tell me what I did?
You were just...
You were just...
You were so desperate
to show off
to that guy yesterday
with that Neil Diamond stuff,
and I was embarrassed,
so I raged out
'cause I'm an idiot.
So, are we okay?
Course we're okay.
How am I gonna stay mad at you?
You're the only good thing
in my life.
Um...
I'll see you tomorrow
for your mom's thing.
Okay. I love you.
- I love you, too.
- (disconnect tone sounds)
(knock on door)
(sniffles)
(clears throat)
Hi.
Hi. Just checking in.
Is everything all right?
Everything's great.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
You know, I have been so busy
with my new job.
I feel like
I've missed out on Marc.
How long have you guys
been dating now?
Is it three months?
Yeah, something like that.
Wow. I'd really like
to get to know him better.
Well, yeah.
He's coming to dinner
tomorrow night.
Okay.
But, you know, I feel like
it's gonna be crazy
with everybody here.
- What if we went to go get coffee before dinner?
- Mm.
- Just the three of us.
- I-I think that's a little excessive.
- (chuckles)
- Oh. Please.
As a gift to me. Your old mom.
Fine. As a gift.
As a gift. Thank you, Bug.
BOY:
Whee!
One, two, three.
- Whee!
- (squeals)
You okay, Bug?
Yeah. I'm fine.
What room are we in again?
We are in room...
208 past the saltwater pool.
Says here there is a 1:00
orientation in the courtyard
followed by a braille workshop
in the ballroom.
(gasps)
And there is nightly karaoke
in the hotel pub.
How wild would it be
- if you and I sang a duet together, huh?
- That...
- Yes, it would be pretty wild. (laughs)
- Come on.
Wait, what is the, um...
What's that Alanis song?
We used to belt it out
every time we heard someone
use the word. What is it?
- Uh, "Ironic"?
- "Ironic." Yes!
- (chuckles)
- "Ironic."
I think of you
every time I hear that song.
- We should sing that song together.
- Really?
- Yeah!
- Mom?
- What?
- Are you on the drugs?
- No, I... Kate.
- (laughs)
No, I'm sorry. I'm just...
I'm excited to be here
with you guys.
Well, I appreciate
your enthusiasm.
But I am really just, like,
in fact-finding mode, so...
Got it. I'm here for you guys.
Yep.
♪ Everyone was singing ♪
♪ Girl is washed-up ♪
♪ On Redondo Beach ♪
♪ And everyone is so sad ♪
♪ I was looking for you. ♪
Are you sure
you told him the right time?
Yes.
Mom, I know that Kevin
and Randall don't like Marc.
- No.
- And I know
that he can be
kind of intense sometimes,
but, I mean, he's going
through a lot right now, okay?
He's... His parents
are getting a divorce,
and his dad's
really hard on him.
Well, I will keep an open mind.
I promise.
Oh, there he is.
KATE:
Mm.
- Hey.
- Sorry I'm late.
My car's a piece of crap.
Oh, no. The battery again?
It's good to see you, Marc.
- (Marc sighs)
- Sorry about your car.
Thanks. Yeah, it sucks.
Hello?
Hey.
(whistles)
(exhales)
Uh...
God, I'm sorry.
I just charged in here
like a bat out of hell.
- I'm Meat Loaf.
- Like Meat Loaf.
(chuckles)
(laughs)
Aw. You guys must really love
working at the record store
together, huh?
- Yeah.
- MARC: Yeah. Yeah, I liked it.
Yeah. I feel like I've kind of
outgrown it, though.
Um... Just Terry, our, um...
He's our manager.
He's just so incompetent.
He's getting on me all the time
about taking
too many smoke breaks.
Like, it's total BS, so,
you know, I just quit.
When did you quit?
This morning.
Do you know, um,
the singer Patti Smith?
Mm-hmm.
Um, 'cause he got me
this really awesome book, Babel.
It's really inspiring.
- Yeah.
- So sweet.
MARC:
Mm.
Yeah. You know, Kate and I
are gonna actually write
some songs together.
Yeah, your daughter
has a really amazing voice.
It's very sweet,
but also, it's very soulful.
REBECCA:
Mm-hmm.
Well, I agree with you there.
I can't wait to hear
these songs, Kate.
- (chuckles) Yeah.
- Yeah.
We just got to get out
of Pittsburgh to write them.
- (Kate chuckles)
- Oh, ooh!
Hey, we should go to that cabin
that you're
always talking about.
Our family cabin?
- MARC: Yeah.
- KATE: Yeah.
Oh. We haven't even opened it up
for the season.
I totally forgot.
- We can open it.
- (Marc chuckles)
I love it. Our own Shangri-la.
(imitating John Lennon):
Like Yoko and John.
(chuckles)
That is an idea.
(Rebecca and Marc chuckle)
So, the little girl walks
through the flowers.
What does she... What do you
think she sees next, huh?
Water.
Great idea.
The little girl and the prince
came upon a dark cave
dripping with water.
♪
(indistinct chatter)
WOMAN:
Being the parent of a child
with a disability
can sometimes feel overwhelming,
but there are
so many tools out there
that can make life easier
for you and your family.
By finding
TV programs and films
with audio description,
your child can hear
key visual elements
so that they can share
in the full experience.
- (clicking)
- Basically, he makes
these clicking noises,
kind of like a dolphin.
And the clicks
bounce off of stuff,
and he somehow figures out
where he is
so he doesn't crash
into anything.
- REBECCA: Oh!
- It's not
that common,
but Zak wanted to give it a try.
At first, I was afraid
that using a cane
would stigmatize me.
But it's actually
very empowering
and gives me
a lot of independence.
- When you walk...
- MAN: For those of you
brand-new to this,
braille is a six-dot system.
First note is "C."
Can you find "C"
on the keyboard?
("C" plays)
Good work.
It's that easy.
Who can tell me
what the second note is?
Hey. Marc and I are gonna leave,
like, really early
in the morning to beat traffic,
so are the keys to the cabin
still in the hidey place
near the front steps?
Um, sweetheart,
I don't... I don't know
if I feel comfortable
with you guys
going up there alone.
Why not?
I just... I don't think
it's a good idea.
What? That is so unfair.
Randall's off with Beth doing
God knows what every night,
and-and Kevin's
literally married.
- It's different.
- Why?
- 'Cause I'm a girl?
- No.
Oh.
- Because you don't like Marc.
- Honey,
I don't even really know Marc.
Great. Great. You hate him, too.
No. I don't hate him, Kate.
I even understand
what you like about him.
- I mean, he's passionate, and he's creative and...
- Just stop.
You know what?
After Dad...
I genuinely thought
I would never be happy again.
I understand.
No, you don't.
You don't, Mom. Look at you.
You've had boys
falling all over you for, what,
your entire life?
Marc loves me,
and he's the first guy
to ever be interested in me.
The first person to ever
even look at me that way.
I understand.
You don't!
I don't need you to like him.
I like him.
We're not going to the cabin
tomorrow. We're going now.
So, sorry if that ruins
your birthday dinner,
but I'm sure Miguel will be
around to pick up the pieces.
Whoa.
That is not fair.
Yeah, neither was this.
KATE:
Yeah, it was amazing!
He was making these, like,
clicking noises, and
so he could just ride his bike
everywhere. It was...
Your mind would have been blown.
GREGORY:
That is so cool.
Jack will be the same way.
I've seen the look
of wild abandon
on his face
whenever we power walk.
(laughs)
Uh, hey, I'm gonna call it,
but, um...
You, too. Bye.
How is Toby doing?
He's good. He's just busy.
Sweetheart, um,
there's something I really
wanted to talk to you about.
Okay, that wasn't Toby
on the phone.
What?
It was Gregory, my neighbor,
you know, with the beard,
who had the stroke.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Toby didn't have a work thing.
He has been struggling
with Jack's blindness.
And he said that every time
that he looks at Jack,
it just makes him sad.
Mm.
So... That's a direct quote.
Yeah.
He is struggling.
And I'm not?
He is supposed to be
running around, right,
riding bikes and taking Jack
to the pool.
Well, you can take him
to the pool, too.
Mom, I have spent half the day
having a panic attack
about wearing a bathing suit
in public without him.
And I-I...
Someday, Jack's gonna want
to ride a bike,
and I don't know if I'm gonna
be able to do that with him.
And I don't know if-if Toby is
going to want to,
if he's gonna be here.
I don't...
I don't know.
Wha...
(pats bed)
Come on, get up.
What?
We're gonna go swimming.
Right now.
- What?
- Right now!
- No.
- Where's your bathing suit?
- Mom...
- We are. Uh-huh.
Okay, I found it.
Let's go, let's go.
It's, like... It's 9:00.
The pool is closed anyway.
I don't care.
Come on!
I'm not going swimming.
Kate, come on.
You're fat, I'm ancient.
We're gorgeous.
Let's go swimming.
Put on your suit, come on.
I'm gonna get on mine.
Come on.
Let's go.
♪
(chuckles softly)
You know I used to have
to drag you out of the pool.
You would hold up your...
your wrinkly little hand
- and say, "Mom, look.
They're like raisins." -(Kate chuckles)
Remember that?
Yeah.
It's ironic.
The only place I feel weightless
is the place
I've avoided my entire life.
You're here, Bug.
Let the weight go.
Take everything off
your shoulders
and give it to me;
I can take it.
That's what I'm here for.
♪
You know why I call you Bug?
Yeah, 'cause I was a weird kid
who was obsessed with bugs.
- (both laugh)
- Obsessed is an understatement.
You loved everything
that could fly.
Everything. Oh, gosh.
Butterflies and ladybugs
and bumblebees.
But your favorite
were lightning bugs.
Or, as you called them,
"light bulb bugs."
(both chuckle)
Oh, I can see it
as clear as day.
You in our front yard,
your eyes as big as saucers,
watching the lightning bugs
as they flickered on and off.
You were so gentle.
You used to gently
cup one in your hands,
and you'd watch it
as it lit up.
And then you would whisper
in the sweetest
little voice...
Go find your way home.
"Go find your way home."
You'd open up
your little hand
and let it fly away.
My sensitive little Bug.
Always, always empathizing
with everyone and everything.
But just because
you're sensitive
doesn't mean you're not strong.
I don't...
I don't feel strong right now.
I have known you for all
of your 39 years,
and you are much stronger than
anyone gives you credit for,
including yourself.
Yeah, you've been dealt
a bit of a curveball.
Toby's not bouncing back
as quickly as you would like.
But you need to not
be afraid to tell him
that he needs to step it up.
But what if he doesn't, ever?
Well, then,
you are perfectly capable
of raising Jack beautifully
all on your own.
But I... I believe in Toby.
He'll find his way home.
Okay...
Now I need to get something
off my shoulders.
Is everything okay?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let's-let's dry off first.
Okay.
JACK: The little girl
knew she had to be brave.
So, finally, she gathered
all her courage
- and took one big step...
- YOUNG KATE: Dad!
This is my story.
Okay, yeah, you're right.
You're right, it is your story.
So you-you go ahead.
YOUNG KATE:
And then the...
And then the prince disappears.
Wow.
(chuckles)
That is a great twist.
♪
TEENAGE KATE:
Here we go.
KATE and MARC (singing along):
♪ And you can see
♪ The daisies in her footsteps ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Dandelions, dandelions ♪
♪ Butterflies ♪
♪ I wanna be Kate ♪
♪ Kate ♪
♪ Bom, bom, Kate ♪
♪ Bom, bom, bom,
bom, bom, Kate ♪
♪ Unh, Kate, Kate ♪
♪ Every day she wears
the same thing ♪
- ♪ Every day she smokes pot ♪
- Dang.
- ♪ She's everything I want... ♪
- You know,
I'm kind of bummed you quit.
I mean, I know Terry's
lame and all,
but I'm gonna miss you there.
Well, maybe you should
quit, too.
Yeah, well... well, honestly,
I need the money right now.
And, I mean, it's...
it's a pretty decent job.
As far as, like, dumb jobs go.
Uh-huh. I mean, I guess.
But, uh, I'm gonna make music
instead of just
talking about it.
Yeah, I know.
♪ Down by the Rosemary
and Cameron ♪
♪ She hands out
the Bhagavad Gita ♪
♪ I see her around
every couple days... ♪
So just to be clear,
you're not gonna quit.
♪ So that I can say ♪
♪ Hey, Kate... ♪
Of course not.
- No.
- (music turns up)
Hmm.
That's great support, Kate.
Marc, can you slow down?
Really, like, after the way
Terry treated me?
And I got you that job!
Do you remember that?
- No, I know, but can you slow down?
- No, no, no.
- (Marc speaks indistinctly)
- KATE: Slow down!
Marc, please, please slow down.
You're going too fast.
Please!
Marc, stop the car now!
(gasps)
Thank you.
♪ Oh, oh ♪
Babe... let's just
get some air.
Okay?
Come on.
♪ Kate, Kate. ♪
Babe, come on...
You know, I can't even
look at your fat face!
Marc...
Marc!
Mom, you're starting to
freak me out; what's going on?
Okay, um...
I've been having some
memory issues lately.
Forgetting my phone,
forgetting words.
Small things.
Little things.
But Randall noticed that
something was off with me
around Thanksgiving, and I went
to have some tests done.
- Oh, my God, Mom...
- No, no, hold on.
Nothing is certain,
but they did diagnose me
with something called
mild cognitive impairment.
Which could eventually lead
to dementia or Alzheimer's.
(exhales sharply)
How did I not notice anything?
Because I didn't want you
to notice anything.
I'm fine. I'm fine.
We don't even know where
this may lead yet.
And if anything, I...
The diagnosis has made me feel
more powerful.
And more fun.
You have been more fun.
- Right?
- (chuckles)
'Cause I'm not sweating
the small stuff.
Hey. I don't know
how much longer I have
before things might get worse,
so... I'm-I'm done being sad,
and I'm done feeling worried.
I feel...
I feel okay.
Okay.
Yeah.
I am strong.
You made me strong.
(crying softly)
(sniffles)
(grunts)
Is Jack still asleep?
- Uh...
- Oh, yeah. He's out.
(laughs)
Let's get dressed.
I have an idea.
♪ Hey, yeah, ah, ah, ah, yeah ♪
(laughs)
♪ An old man turned 98 ♪
♪ He won the lottery ♪
♪ And died the next day ♪
♪ It's a black fly
in your Chardonnay ♪
♪ It's a death row pardon
two minutes too late ♪
♪ And isn't it ironic ♪
- ♪ Don't you think? ♪
- (laughs)
♪ It's like rain ♪
♪ On your wedding day ♪
♪ It's a free ride ♪
♪ When you've already paid ♪
♪ It's the good advice... ♪
♪
(panting)
(line ringing)
- REBECCA (over phone): Hello?
- Hi, Mom.
Hi, Kate.
You okay? Did you guys
make it up to the cabin?
Um, no, not yet.
We, uh, we decided to stop
at a gas station.
But, um,
I'm sorry for what
I said earlier.
I'm really sorry
I'm missing your birthday.
It's fine, Bug.
I'm sorry, too.
You sound kind of upset.
Is everything all right?
No. Mom...
Bug?
Kate? Are you okay?
Talk to me.
(whispers):
I'm sorry.
Uh... um...
Everything's fine.
I-I'm sorry, Mom.
I love you, okay? Bye.
Okay... I love you, too...
- Well...
- (dial tone sounds)
Dad!
(whispers):
You fell asleep.
Yeah. Yeah.
(whispers):
Sorry.
I'm sorry.
Don't you want to know
what she wants?
Yeah.
Yeah, why don't, why don't you
tell me what she wants?
(laughs)
My sweet little bug.
- (laughs)
- My sweet little bug.
(exhales)
What are you gonna say to Toby?
I'm just gonna be very clear
about what my family
needs from him.
And about what I need from him.
Well, just so you know,
you always have a safety net.
I'm always available if you need
a... a Friends marathon.
Whatever.
(laughs)
Am I slowly becoming
one of those women
- whose best friend is their mom?
- (laughs)
Stranger things have happened.
(quietly):
Yeah.
Will you call me tonight?
- Yeah, I will.
- Okay.
(whispers):
Bye, Jack.
Hey, Mom?
Hmm?
Go do what you got to do.
Okay.
(car door closes)
- Hey.
- Hey.
Um, we just got home.
Madison left a note. She walked
Audio and Jack is asleep.
Yeah. Yeah, I just,
I just looked in on him.
- How was it?
- It was incredible.
And you would have loved it.
Yeah.
Toby.
Can you, can you do this?
I mean, can you, can you be
the man that I need you to be?
Can you be the father
that Jack needs you to be?
I want to.
(phone buzzing)
It's my brother.
(clears throat)
Hey, Kev. Um... Um, what's up?
You know, now is not
really a good time.
- Um...
- KEVIN (over phone): Why? What's the matter?
Uh, well, I'm about
two seconds away
from my marriage
completely imploding.
Oh, Kate, I'm so sorry.
Listen, I got Randall
on the other line.
Life's kind of sucking
for him, too, right now.
You mind if I patch him
through?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Hey, Randall, I got Kate.
She's kind of in a bad way,
too, actually.
Sad three?
Sad three.
RANDALL:
Hey, Kate, Kev and I
were just talking about
going out to the cabin.
You want to join us?
(footsteps approaching)
Toby, I don't need you
to just want
to be a good father to Jack,
I need you to just do it.
I'm gonna take Jack to the cabin
this weekend with my brothers.
'Cause I just need
some space right now.
Let me take care of Jack
this weekend.
Well, I don't think
that's a good idea.
Uh, actually, I... yeah...
I-I think it is.
You go to the cabin,
and leave Jack here with me.
I'll take care of him.
I need to spend time
with my son.
Kate, please.
Okay.
(quietly):
Okay.
♪
REBECCA:
I'm worried about Kate.
I think she's in trouble, Kev.
We have to go get her.
Uh, okay. Go-go get
your stuff together.
And I'll call Randall right now.
Okay.
(speaking indistinctly)
KEVIN: Mom cancelled
her birthday dinner.
RANDALL:
Wait, why?
KEVIN:
Something's wrong with Kate. Um,
I'll explain in the car.
Just be ready in 20.
We're coming to pick you up.
- All right?
- O-Okay.
I-I'll be downstairs.
Uh, is everything okay?
Snug as a bug in a rug.
- (grunts softly)
- (exhales)
How'd it go? How'd they do?
Oh. Piece of cake.
Yeah. Everybody's asleep.
I told you, I got it.
- Mm. My hero.
- (chuckles)
Yeah.
I just put them
to bed one night.
You're the real hero.
Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH