Tonight on NBC their new honest & provocative dramedy series This Is Us airs with an all-new Tuesday, January 16, 2018, episode and we have your This Is Us recap below. On tonight’s This Is Us season 2 episode 12, as per the NBC synopsis, “Kate goes wedding dress shopping. Kevin embraces a new lifestyle while Randall explores William’s past. Jack and Rebecca take the kids to the mall.”
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This Is Us begins tonight with Clooney, William Hill’s (Ron Cephas Jones) ugly cat wandering down the streets of the city looking for food.
Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) is building an entertainment center but comes to the kitchen where Rebecca (Mandy Moore) is, talking about where she can put all her records. They begin to kiss when 16-yr-old Kate (Hannah Zeile) comes in and tells them to act more like parents. She says she is going to Winter formal and needs a dress, asking her mom to take her. Jack brings Kevin (Logan Shroyer) a soda asking if he is bringing Sophie to the dance, but he says his leg is broken, he can’t dance and can’t play football. Jack tells him to quit moping and they are going to the mall, Randall (Niles Fitch) hears they are going to the mall and asks if he can go too.
Randall (Sterling K. Brown) helps Annie (Faithe Herman) finish her project for school as Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) freaks out that she just lost the lot on Clinton Avenue, because the city sold it to build a Costco instead of building a park. Randall gives her a kiss and apologizes, saying he knows how hard she’s worked on that. Beth is worried that Randall should be preparing for a job interview rather than picking up some random box that was at William’s place. Randall says he was excited about being a foster parent; he will go to the interview but it isn’t doing anything for his “juices.”
Kate (Chrissy Metz) goes to a meeting, admitting she fell off the wagon after the miscarriage, sharing thatsher and Toby Damon (Chris Sullivan) are getting married. She talks about the traditional wedding dress being a hurdle for her but brushes it off and wants to talk about anything or anyone else.
Kevin meets with Barbara, his therapist who says she is proud of him making the most of his time there. He tries to call her “Babs” but she tells him not to. She reminds him that out there, she is worried about him going back to Hollywood too quickly; he needs structure and a healthy routine. He is sure he knows where he needs to be. He says a lot came out when his mom, Rebecca was there and this could be a chance for them to make up for lost time but there is one small problem – Miguel Rivas (Jon Huertas), who welcomes Kevin into their home, unaware that he is an issue.
Rebecca tells Kevin all about the health food she bought him; he looks around seeing all these things that are just his mom’s and Miguel’s. They talk about making a strict schedule, but when Kevin says Monday’s will be shopping day with Mom, Miguel says he will tag along.
At group, Madison (Caitlin Thompson), offers her sympathy to Kate and then tells her she will take her wedding gown shopping; promising she doesn’t have to try anything on, drink champagne and the second she feels uncomfortable she can leave. Kate remembers shopping for the dress for Winter formal, as Kate struggles to find a size that will fit, taking all sizes in the change room.
Jack and Kevin run into Miguel, who tells them that his ex-wife’s boyfriend proposed to her the previous night. Kevin scoffs that Jack always does that; a pep talk, but sometimes he just needs to let things suck. Miguel agrees with Kevin. Randall sees a girl in the mall, but freaks out and takes off before she notices him.
Randall walks up the stairs to William’s apartment and hears his whistle and feels his presence when he knocks on the door. The man instantly recognizes William’s son and hands him the box. Randall asks about Clooney and leans the cat took off a couple weeks ago, probably realizing William was gone and no one was left to feed him. Once in the car, Randall finds William’s books, sweater and an old radio. He begins to read about a neighbor lady that William loved dearly, including some drawings of her face and eyes.
Kevin reminisces about Jack in the cereal aisle with his mother, then tells her that he lost his dad’s necklace. She tells him that Jack would understand that he has been through a lot lately. Rebecca says it’s funny that Kevin beats himself up over losing his necklace and she beats herself up over not being able to take hers off. Miguel walks over and disrupts their moment together, much to Kevin’s chagrin.
In the food court, Kevin is having a great conversation with Miguel but Jack is bored. He sees Randall and immediately calls him over saying “Finally! A breath of fresh air!!” Randall sits down and Jack tells Kevin he needs to find his new “fresh air”, but Kevin says he doesn’t understand because he never had anything he really loved and lost. Jack agrees, but Miguel asks Jack if he never told them about Big 3. Miguel goes on and tells them that Jack was going to start his own construction company Big 3 Homes, but he stuck it out with their company so the triplets could have everything they ever wanted. Jack says he doesn’t regret it.
Kevin asks Miguel why he came with them to the grocery store today. He knows that Kevin moved in with them so he can reconnect with his mom, but the second he gets to spend time with her, he tags along. Miguel says he is there to protect Rebecca from any more bombs Kevin might drop on her or blame he might lay on her. Kevin says he is her son and Miguel says he is her husband; Kevin says his father is her husband!
Randall returns to William’s building and begins to knock on everyone’s apartment doors determined to find the woman, William was in love with.
Kate goes with Madison to the bridal shop, which was by appointment only; Kate is appreciative for her thoughtfulness. Alexis (Christina Marie Karis) comes out and gives them both champagne as they head to the back of the store. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old Kate returns the dresses to the counter after trying them on for the Winter formal and sneaks out of the store, leaving her mother behind.
Randall visits Beth at work, telling her that William was in love with a woman before he met Jessie (Denis O’Hare). Beth berates him, saying she has a job to do. He says he is just waiting for the perfect thing. She says her job isn’t perfect and understands that he is searching for something, but recently it feels like he is in outer space. She needs him to go back to work and its not about money, it will be good for him and for them. She needs him to be in the real world with her. He nods.
Kate is looking at dresses but suddenly realizes there is something up with Madison who has eaten a lot and drank. She went to the bathroom. Outside, Kate confronts her, saying she knows what she did. Madison asks her why she is ruining this and tells her to find her own ride home and ditches her.
Randall goes to the job interview with Sue (Ericka Kreutz) but walks out when he gets a call from Lloyd, who tells him about the superintendent of the building, Donna, who lives on the first floor and also has children. Lloyd says he is not one for gossip, but he saw William coming and going from that apartment at all hours of the day and night.
Kevin comes downstairs to see Miguel and Rebecca snuggling and laughing on the couch. Kevin says he is restless and nighttime is weird; Rebecca offers to make them some tea. Kevin joins Miguel and apologizes for earlier, so does Miguel. Kevin asks Miguel if he was in love with his mom while Jack was still alive. Miguel says that would have been impossible because his parents were “one”, there was no “Jack” or “Rebecca”, it was “Jack and Rebecca”. It never occurred to him then to ever be with her then. Kevin understands as Miguel says he loves Rebecca now and he isn’t going anywhere.
Kate is scanning through a website at wedding gowns when she gets a call. She rushes over to Madison’s house and finds her crying on the bathroom floor, saying she thinks she fainted again. Rebecca finds Kate in another store and tells her she can’t just leave her in a store like that. Kate tells her the dress didn’t fit and to just “stop!”
Randall knocks on the door and when Donna opens it, she is not what he expected. Donna says she was never involved romantically with him but she admits when William moved, the building fell apart. It’s like it lost its heart. Randall shows her the poem William wrote, she brings him to William’s apartment, saying the tenant moved out recently and encourages him to look around.
Outside, Clooney is being chased by neighborhood kids and runs up into William’s apartment; and this is how William met him. He gives the ugly, raggedy cat some food and tells it to stay as long as it likes as this is his favorite spot. In the present day, Randall looks outside and sees a painting of Lady Day on the wall of the building, now Randall understands.
Kate sits with Madison, who says she used to purge when she was in middle school and only started again a couple weeks ago. Kate doesn’t think she is insane and explains that right before her dad died, she got really skinny, eating only baby carrots, being sure that being skinny would make her happy. She had a voice inside her that screamed at her saying she was pathetic; so she lost the weight, but then she didn’t know who she was without the voice. She admits being more comfortable fat because she liked the voice. She fit into a size 7 but then that wasn’t good enough and wanted to be a 5.
Madison thanks her for taking care of her and suggests hosting a podcast but Kate says no but tells her that she thinks she is going to say “yes to the dress.” Madison is happy to finally have a best friend.
Beth drives Randall over to the apartment, thanking her for indulging him. He tells her, she was right, he needs to come back from outer space. He was called out of the blue to pick up a cardboard box and it brought him to William’s Lady which reminded him of his Lady Beth, the only lady he has wanted and needed since he was 19 years old. He points to the building, saying he wants to buy it with her, changing the lives of the people living there with her by his side.
At the mall, 16-yr-old Randall returns to the store and asks the girl out, but tells her to let fate decide and she shakes the ball, it says, “Don’t overthink this, Allison.” Jack and Kevin find new suits as Kevin asks his dad if it is time for him to start up Big 3. He says not now because he has three of them about to go off to college. Jack shows him how he should wear a suit properly and tells him he looks really good, as Kevin thanks his dad. Kevin winks and says, “you’re welcome!”
Kevin greets Rebecca in the kitchen, telling her that he noticed how she pulled away from Miguel the second she saw him. She admits she thought it might be hard for him to see them like that. He tells her she shouldn’t worry about how he feels and asks if she is happy with him. She says what she found with Miguel was quieter and older than what she had with Jack, but she is happy and he really makes her laugh. Kevin asks if she laughs with him or at him?
Rebecca joins Jack in the living room, asking him to talk to Kate, saying something is up with her. He promises to talk to her as they both feel Kevin is happy with his suit. Jack admits he hates wearing suits and he doesn’t like Walter. Jack wants to start his business again. Rebecca is shocked, smiles and says this is probably the wrong time but that will make it exciting and kisses him. They both lean back and she asks if they forgot something at the mall, the batteries are missing from the smoke detector.
END