Kevin and Madison get closer on This Is Us
By Noah Mussay
Kevin and Madison got closer on This Is Us Season 5, Episode 3
Spoilers ahead for the Nov. 10 episode of This Is Us
On This Is Us Season 5, Episode 3, Madison would begin to feel the pressure of becoming a mother. To make things even more complicated, the reality that she and Kevin were practically strangers would start to set in.
With the awkwardness between them mounting, the two would have a heart-to-heart conversation in which their insecurities about themselves and the future would be laid bare. Let’s talk about what happened between Kevin and Madison this week on This Is Us.
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This Is Us: A love story told backward?
At the end of the Season 5 premiere, Kevin proposed to Madison in the heat of the moment while waiting to get some news during a visit to urgent care. Although Madison would later permit Kevin to take the proposal back, Kevin would tell her that he didn’t want to.
Luckily, as of Episode 3, it appears that Madison has accepted the proposal; however, things would seem a bit rocky between them this week. It would all start as Madison prepared a pancake breakfast for the two of them at the beginning of the episode.
Although Kevin would sit down to join her upon finishing his morning workout, a text from his agent letting him know that he booked a role in a legal drama would prompt him to start thinking about getting in shape and counting calories. He would then leave the table to take a call from his agent, leaving his breakfast untouched, and Madison hurt. She would later seem distant as they took a walk around their neighborhood, and Kevin would tell her about his new role.
Following an awkward fan encounter, Kevin would ask Madison what was wrong. Unfortunately, Madison would hit Kevin with the uncomfortable truth that she was upset about numerous things that she didn’t feel comfortable sharing with a man that she viewed as a stranger. Nevertheless, upon returning home, Madison would open up to Kevin about her eating disorder, telling him that she kept the sonogram of their babies on the fridge to remind her to eat and keep them healthy.
With her “insecurities running wild,” something not helped by having a roommate “walking around like an Olympic swimmer most of the time,” Madison would admit that she was dealing with a lot.
Kevin has stuff too
Later on, Madison would find Kevin sitting in the garage among his workout equipment, staring off into the distance. He would end up admitting his own demons, namely his addiction to alcohol and working out in an attempt to retain his good looks, which he called his “currency” as an actor.
He would then tell her that at night he lays in bed, stares up at the ceiling, and worries that he’ll pass on his problems to his children, a fear that Madison shares about her problems.
Despite their baggage, however, Kevin and Madison seem intent on making sure they’re attentive as they possibly can be to their children’s needs, although realizing that even the most attentive parents can miss a lot. This would be a lesson that the episode’s flashback would reveal, with Jack brushing off Rebecca’s concerns that too much was being demanded of new athlete Kevin.
Whether or not Kevin and Madison will be able to have the love story that Rebecca and Jack once had has yet to be seen. However, it does seem as though their relationship, romantic or platonic, will be one of mutual respect that we will see continue to grow throughout the season.
What did you think of Madison and Kevin’s honesty during the episode? What do you hope to see for the two of them? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.