Although I appreciate what the show was going for with “Number One” last week, I didn’t find it entirely successfully. Thankfully, Number Two is a much more effective (and moving) experiment.
Although this hour repeats a lot of last week’s events, it does so from a different perspective while injecting a lot of heart as we explore the aftermath of Kate’s miscarriage. This is an especially fantastic episode where Kate and Rebecca’s relationship is concerned. The duo get to bond over the intricacies of losing a baby and start to take the first steps in overcoming their complex issues. And if you didn’t get all teary eyed when Kate opened the door and proceeded to sob in her mother’s arms, then you have no heart.
It hit me this week that Mandy Moore is tasked with quite the challenge: she often has to share scenes with actors of the same age (like Chrissy Metz and Chris Sullivan this week), and make it seem like she’s older than them. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but Moore does it effortlessly through her body language and demeanor that you never question the supposed age gap. Major props.
Heartwarming Bits
– Toby and the blender: hilarious.
– Notice that Kate has a Buffy The Vampire Slayer poster in her room. Sadly, it’s the dreadful movie not the epic TV show.
– There is some masterful editing this week. I particularly loved Kate singing Summertime as we see her losing the baby and Toby finding her. So powerful.
– Rebecca says no when Kate offers her some chocolate at Kevin’s game. It’s a pretty unimportant moment, but I thought it vitally showcased how Rebecca has always watched her figure whereas Kate embraced bad eating habits since youth.
– I found Toby’s monologue to Karl the delivery worker kind of forced. In fact, it felt like they were trying to sound like Grey’s Anatomy, a show that pulls off these speeches on a weekly basis. I guess not everyone can be Shonda Rhimes.
– It’s a small moment, but I love that they showed us Kate leaving money for the buffet even though she didn’t eat her plate. Very realistic, as most shows would have overlooked this detail.
– Toby giving Karl the baby tub was a pretty sweet moment.
– I absolutely love the “yellow onions” flashback and how Rebecca just broke down. Talk about a metaphor! Wow.
– Very poignant moment with a young Kate spotting her parents crying outside the hospital.
– Just like last week, the episode ends with a transition to the next hour. This time it’s “Come on number three.” Very nifty.
Triplet Talk
Toby: I’m gonna see what else you got here. All right, “How much does childbirth hurt?” I do not think you want to know the answer to that one. “Do they make knit caps for feet ’cause I’m outgrowing all my socks?” Uh, “Will the smell of my fiance’s head make me gag the whole nine months?” Okay, well, this list just took a turn for the hurtful.
Kate: But but I just could not deal with disappointing you on top of that.
Rebecca: Bug, for the record, I would be disappointed for you, not for me.
Kate: Yeah. Sometimes it’s hard to feel the difference.
Rebecca: My mom was tough. I mean, you know that. You’ve seen it. She was just a closed steel door. And even if you could get through, there was a room full of spikes right behind it. And I always wanted to have a daughter, because I wanted to do it a different way. I wanted to be the mom that had her arms wide open, just waiting for you to fall in if you needed it. And, somehow I don’t know we just never got there, did we?
Kate: Mom –
Rebecca: No. It’s not your job to make me feel better. It’s not. It’s my job. It’s my job to keep standing there with my arms wide open, waiting for you to maybe someday fall inside if you needed it. And if you do, I’ll love you. And if you don’t, I’ll love you, too.
Must-Download Tune
Three White Horses by Andrew Bird
Conclusion
Packed with heart, Number Two is a solid step-up from last week’s somewhat disappointing hour.
Do you read minds, Nad? You seem to write down my thoughts every single time😄( & I rated it with a B+ as well).
My favorite character is up next so can’t wait 😍
Hahahaha he seems to write down my thoughts every time too! I don’t care what he says, I’m 100% certain he reads minds. Your secret’s out, bro.
Hhaha what can I say… mind reader! You’re both WELCOME!
So true about all of this. I really felt nothing about last week’s episode but this one was super effective.
“It hit me this week that Mandy Moore is tasked with quite the challenge: she often has to share scenes with actors of the same age (like Chrissy Metz and Chris Sullivan this week), and make it seem like she’s older than them.”
Wow never thought about this before! Really makes me appreciate Mandy Moore even more! So true, Nad.
Really love reading your thoughts on this show every week. Don’t stop the weekly reviews on this one, EVER!
I often feel like stopping because it can be uninspiring like these past two weeks so I’m glad they’re being appreciated haha 😀