5 best moments from This Is Us Season 5, Episode 8

After weeks of delays due to the pandemic, we’re finally picking up some steam on This Is Us! In the last episode, in a journey in the spirit of his late father, Kevin found himself racing against the clock to get home in time for the birth of his twins. In the process, he’d quit his movie, rescue a man from a burning vehicle, and give an impassioned speech to a TSA Agent after leaving his ID behind.

Meanwhile, Kate also headed to the hospital, although it was to welcome the birth of her adopted daughter.

So did Kevin make it in time? Would Ellie regret her decision? Would Randall and Kevin finally make up?

Here are the best moments from This Is Us Season 5, Episode 8.

Jack ruminates about the future on This Is Us

As the episode opened, Jack and Rebecca packed for a weekend away at the cabin. While Jack encouraged the teenaged Big Three to do the same, they would inform him that they’d all set up parent-approved sleepovers already. Although Jack would start to protest, Rebecca would take him aside and suggest that a romantic weekend alone might not be the worst thing.

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Jack relented, and the next morning, he and Rebecca headed off to the cabin alone. While Rebecca became overjoyed at the thought of spending the weekend away from talk of Beverly Hills, 90210, and Randall and Kevin’s constant bickering, Jack seemed less thrilled. As Rebecca continued to rag on their kids, Jack became increasingly annoyed.

His annoyance reached a peak after Rebecca made a joke about the kids’ less-than-stellar art projects that had gotten destroyed by a water leak.

Upon returning from the store to get supplies to fix the leak, Jack apologized for getting upset with Rebecca. He then admitted that he feared their kids would abandon him as they’d done to their parents.

To this, Rebecca promised him they’d always be there for the big moments, a bittersweet thought considering there has been so much that Jack has missed, and Rebecca can’t be at the hospital for Kevin or Kate due to the pandemic.

Toby makes a new friend

Toby was left to camp out in the hospital parking lot, with a setup like he was tailgating before the big game, as he waited for the birth of his daughter. As he worked on a list of middle names, a man named Arlo drove up and told Toby that he was in his parking spot. Although the request that Toby move seemed a bit stingy, we quickly learned that Arlo was having a bit of a day.

His wife Rose had gotten COVID and, uncertain whether she was going to live or die, Arlo was understandably distraught. So, of course, Toby ended up moving so that Arlo could have spot #157, Rose’s favorite number. A little while later, Toby asked Arlo about the pig figures that adorned his dashboard.

Arlo told him that he and his wife went to Austria for their honeymoon due to Rose’s love of The Sound of Music. While there, they learned that Austrians celebrate pigs on New Years’, believing they bring good luck. After Toby told him that he’s waiting to pick the right middle name until the baby is officially theirs so as not to jinx anything, Arlo gave one of the figurines to Toby.

Ellie says goodbye to her daughter

In the delivery room, we learned that Ellie and Kate had been waiting for eight hours, a whole nurse’s shift Ellie pointed out when a new nurse finally entered the room. Ellie would be annoyed that her cervix hadn’t dilated, but when the nurse tried to console her, identifying her as the mom in the process, the stress compounded. Luckily, she corrected the gaffe, although it led to an awkward silence between her and Kate.

Although Ellie made it clear that Kate was the mother and that she should be the first one to hold the baby when the time came, Ellie’s emotions got the best of her, and she asked Kate if she could hold the baby first. Kate agreed, although the look on her face suggested apprehension. To be honest, I was also concerned that Ellie had changed her mind, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

However, after Kate left the room to give Ellie some space, Ellie assuaged the viewers’ fears. She would say goodbye to her biological daughter, telling her that while giving her to Toby and Kate is the hardest thing she’s ever done, it might also be the best thing. With that, she handed off the baby to a nurse who brought her out to Kate, and in turn, Kate FaceTimed Toby, introducing him to Hailey Rose Damon.

Kevin tells Madison that their family is his life

The previous episode ended on a cliffhanger with Kevin making an impassioned plea to a TSA agent to let him through the security checkpoint despite misplacing his ID. Luckily for Kevin, his plea worked, allowing him to make his flight and arrive at the hospital in the nick of time.

After getting off the video call with Randall, Kevin had a heart-to-heart conversation with Madison and told her their family is his life and that he no longer wants to take acting jobs that take him away from them. Does that mean that Kevin will return to primetime television?

Randall and Kevin finally make up

By far, the best moment of the episode came when Randall and Kevin finally made up. Upon the birth of his children, Nicholas and Francis, Kevin called Randall to thank him for supporting Madison. Although Randall downplayed his actions, Kevin told him he’s the best person he knows and that they had a lot of catching up to do. In response, Randall told him that while he looked forward to that conversation, it could wait.

What were your favorite moments from Season 5, Episode 8 of This Is Us? Let us know in the comments.

This Is Us airs on Tuesday nights at 9/8c on NBC.