'This Is Us' rewind recap: 5 things you might have missed in the pilot

Have you forgotten the smaller moments of ‘This Is Us’? Let’s rewind to the pilot and recap the five things you might have missed.

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When This Is Us premiered last September, we all collectively fell in love with the Pearson family. The series, which was shrouded in ambiguity prior to its premiere, simply bowled us over with the plot twist to end all plot twists in the last five minutes of the pilot episode. Suddenly, it was clear that This Is Us wasn’t just a drama about people who share the same birthday. It’s a story about a family.

In the first episode of This Is Us, we meet Jack and Rebecca, a married couple expecting triplets; Randall, a married father of two meeting his biological father; Kevin, a successful sitcom actor fed up with low-brow monotony; and his twin sister Kate, who resolves to lose weight. Sure, the story picks up on Jack, Randall, Kevin, and Kate’s 36th birthdays, but their identical birth dates aren’t their defining similarity: They are a family. When Jack and Rebecca lose their third baby during delivery, they take Randall’s arrival to the hospital as a sign. There’s no chance you have forgotten that scene or it’s palpable emotion.

But you might have lost track of the smaller revelations along the way. Let’s rewind and revisit five things you might have missed in Season 1, Episode 1.

1. Randall’s email hints at the twist.

Obviously, when This Is Us settles on a closeup of Randall’s email inbox, we didn’t know what we were looking for, or that we should have even been looking for anything at all. Randall opens an email containing details from a private investigator about William’s location. A few messages above, however, sits an email from Kevin (!!!) with the subject, “It’s Our Birthday, Bro!” Hats off to any sleuths that caught that sneaky giveaway in the moment.

2. William tells the truth.

It’s easy to forget that when Randall appears on his doorstep to unload decades of pent up anger and frustration, William takes it with a grain of salt. He also doesn’t attempt to mince words with excuses (as he points out when Randall accuses him of using excuses) as to why he left Randall at a fire station. Instead, he’s the cool, calm, and collected William we know and love when he says, “I do like fire stations, though, so that sounds like something I would do.” The truth!

THIS IS US — Pilot — Pictured: Justin Hartley as Kevin — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC) /

3. Kevin earned his walkout.

Say what you will about Kevin Pearson, but his diva behavior on the set of The Manny didn’t appear out of nowhere. He earned that right to blow up and bounce on out of there. Sure, This Is Us doesn’t do much to dismantle his privilege in the aftermath, but being used as a chiseled vessel to make money and sell middling jokes will wear on anybody. In the wake of his final brush with objectification, he realizes he’s unfulfilled creatively. Follow your arrow, Kev.

4. Kate and Toby get VERY personal on their first date.

When Kate and Toby meet in their weight loss support group, it’s lightning in a bottle. They instantly hit it off and banter like they have been together for ages. From their shared disdain for the whimper whiners in their group to their biting sarcasm, they completely skip the getting-to-know-you-step and get super personal on their first date. I mean, who not only meets but hangs out with someone you just met and her famous twin brother? Soulmates, obviously.

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5. Jack and Rebecca are all of the goals.

If we knew then what we know now, we might not have been so quick to call Jack and Rebecca Pearson couples goals. Like any couple raising multiple children, their marriage hits a rough patch or two at every turn, including some that seem insurmountable. However, in the pilot episode of This Is Us, our OTP is at their OTP-iest. They strip for each other, deliver empowered speeches for each other, and go to bat for each other. After watching that Category 5 blowout in the season finale, it can be difficult to remember just how special and loving Jack and Rebecca can be at their peaks.

What were your favorite moments from the pilot? Let us know in the comments, and keep the conversation going on Twitter!

This Is Us returns for Season 2 on Tuesday, September 26 at 9/8c on NBC. Season 1 is currently available to stream online.

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‘This Is Us’ rewind recap: 5 things you might have missed in season 1, episode 1

By Reed Gaudens | Jul 14, 2017