This Is Us
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Everything is sad and terrible here.
We should talk about it.
Welcome to your What If Jack Never Died episode, my friends!
And reader, I must admit, I was asking the same question.
A littleheres something for Milo Ventimilgia to do-y?
I am extremely on the fence as to whether it was worth it to devote an episode to this.
But maybe people loved it and I am a party pooper.
It wouldnt be the first or last time.
The heart wants what the heart wants and all that.
Lets run through Randalls first Jack Survives scenario.
So she asks him to really imagine that.
She wants to hear how he thinks things would be different.
Jack immediately makes Rebecca tell Randall the truth.
Hes beside himself, but he and Jack go to track down William.
William welcomes them into his apartment, but is very obviously still using.
And so he does.
And William and Jack and Rebecca all revel in being grandparents to baby Tess together.
Oh, and Randall catches the signs of Williams stomach cancer early, thus saving his life.
Many blessings for Dr. Leigh, who stops Randall right there.
What an angel, this woman.
This isnt the time for rose-colored glasses.
And so we get the second Jack Survives story.
He cant believe that Rebecca would lie about this for 17 years.
This does irreparable damage to Jack and Rebeccas relationship and Jack starts drinking again.
He becomes a college professor who sleeps with his TAs and has nothing to do with his family.
get into a huge fight about how selfish he is.
He is sent a box of Williams things once he dies, but Randall tosses it into the trash.
Now we are getting somewhere, people!
But Randall spirals (lol, whats new?).
At least he wouldve known hetriedto do something.
With William, he knew he had tried everything to save him and that brought him peace.
Not even attempting to save Jack is what really haunts him.
And its here where Dr. Leigh digs deep because she is good at her job.
Randall tells her that hes forgiven Rebecca for what she kept from him and theyve moved on from it.
Shes a white female around the same age as Rebecca was when Jack died.
Randall is not enthused by Dr. Leighs observations.
He knows shes right, but he refuses to reopen those wounds.
Hes lost three parents in his lifetime, he isnt losing Rebecca.
Losing my mother would break me, he says.
And hell do anything to stop that from happening.
Ugh, god, I know there are bigger things happening tonight, but Ill never get over that.
He gets mad at Kevin for not guessing it.
Oh, right, sorry.
Randalls about to manipulate his mother into joining a nine-month Alzheimers trial.
So, Rebecca takes Randalls call and it doesnt take long for him to really go there.
Im a good son, he tells her.
Now, hes asking her for this.
He cannot live with that.
So, she needs to do this for him.
So she agrees to do the trial.
Its unreal how good he is here.
Its one of the best scenes of the season.
He may be at peace about it, but there is no way the other Pearsons (and Miguel!
Justice for Miguel!)
are going to take this well.
