This Is Us recap: 5 things you might have missed in season 1, episode 10

Have you forgotten the smaller moments of This Is Us? Let’s rewind to Season 1, Episode 10 and recap five things you might have missed.

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As if Thanksgiving hadn’t been enough of a tumultuous occasion for the Pearson family, This Is Us dives head first into Christmas. But unlike Turkey Day, there’s much less structure, pressure, and tradition involved with celebrating the gift-giving holiday. There are no set menus, mandatory hikes, or explosive dinner table discussions on the docket. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not life or death.

This Is Us puts one of its main characters’ lives at risk for the first time, and it’s neither of the characters you might have in mind. While viewers had to wait into the new year to find out if the character in question survived the cliffhanger, you’ll have to wait as long as this recap. “Last Christmas” shouldn’t only be known for its cliffhanger ending or uplifting quote from Rebecca. For the first time, This Is Us tested the format and dedicated each act to a specific story in lieu of hopping around the timeline in narrative. What resulted was a linear and impactful — and festive! — hour.

Do you remember the Pearsons’ run-in with Dr. K at the hospital? How about Randall’s brush with tragedy at a work event? And can’t have forgotten Toby’s episode-ending collapse. Let’s rewind and revisit five things you might have missed in Season 1, Episode 10.

1. Nothing bad ever happens on Christmas Eve.

When Kate complains about having a stomachache on Christmas Eve, Rebecca comments that she shouldn’t have eaten cookies. (More on that later.) However, the family takes her in for an emergency appendectomy and bump into Dr. K at the hospital. He isn’t saving lives, though; he’s fighting for his own. During the wait for Kate and Dr. K’s surgeries, Rebecca reassures them all that nothing bad ever happens on Christmas Eve. And nothing does.

2. Randall talks a man off a ledge.

While at his office Christmas party with Beth, Randall buys a boat. Beth’s not too keen on this new purchase. In undoing his impulse buy, Randall encounters a co-worker contemplating suicide on the roof. He’s torn up over the mess he and his wife have made of their marriage, and he fears that his daughter will never forgive him for breaking up their family. Randall helps his co-worker realize that ending his life over his mistakes isn’t the only option.

Photo Credit: This Is Us/NBC, Acquired From NBCUniversal Media Village /

3. Kevin does Hanukkah.

We have to give Kevin bonus points for leading one of the most interesting lives of all the Pearsons. After play rehearsals wrap for the holiday, Kevin accepts an invite from Sloane to attend her family’s Hanukkah dinner. The Sandberg’s dinner conversation is lively and hilarious and rivals any Pearson gathering. By the end of it, Kevin and Sloane decide to put on the play themselves, without problematic Olivia, and with Sloane in the lead role.

4. William and Jessie reunite.

While attending a narcotics anonymous meeting for the first time in a while, William meets up with his past love Jessie (Emmy-nominee Denis O’Hare). It seems that when William met Randall, he left his old life, and Jessie, without a trace. Even though William wanted to spare Jessie the worst of his final days, Jessie wants to spend the rest of William’s time with him. Suddenly, we’re tearing up over a sweet new couple and championing important bisexual representation.

Next: This Is Us rewind recap: 5 things you might have missed in 'The Trip'

5. Rebecca and Kate heal their relationship, and then…

Kate arrives in the midst of the Thanksgiving drama and announces her intent to undergo gastric bypass surgery. She flip-flops during “The Trip” but definitively explores her options on Christmas Eve. During her first consultation with Rebecca by her side, the mother and daughter uncover revelations.

Rebecca realizes Kate still struggles with bingeing and has been on antidepressants. Kate comes to terms with her mother’s role in her self-esteem issues. But at the end of the night, Toby marches in for a surprise: A kiss under the mistletoe and a scary collapse. Nothing bad ever happens on Christmas Eve, right?

What were your favorite moments from “Last Christmas”? 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 10

By Reed Gaudens | Aug 20, 2017