That Was Us - Back to the Future | “The Big Three” (S1E2)

Episode Date: May 28, 2024

It’s been eight years since The Big Three were born, and there’s friction in the Pearson household. We see the early signs of disconnect between Kevin and Randall, and we see that a decade’s worth of marriage and child-rearing has taken its toll on Jack and Rebecca’s marriage. Kate wrestles with weight insecurities and did Tess just call Miguel “Grandpa”?? In this episode, we explore navigating the highs and lows of marriage, sibling dynamics, body image issues, advocating for yourself in relationships, and putting in the work. Follow That Was Us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to That Was Us. On today's episode of That Was Us, we'll be discussing season one, episode two, the big three. Jack and Rebecca struggle with raising a family. Beth grow suspicious of William. Kate stresses over her weight loss, and Kevin faces fallout from his melt. welcome everyone how's everybody doing well how are you i'm doing pretty good happy to be here and discuss our second episode of this is us the title like that overnight we're us here we're us here we are hit sensation it was so it's interesting because i was speaking to that real quick people

ask like when did you know you had a hit show and uh the the first one comes out and the pilot hits and it's it's big right and you're like all right We got a good pilot. That's good. Sometimes you have, like, that sophomore slump that falls off, right? We drop that second joint. People were like, no, we're sticking around. Up, up, up.

It was great. It was nice. And I'll get to this later, but I want to talk about the synopsis of this one. Jack and Rebecca are struggling with raising a family. Yes. Beth is growing suspicious of William. Cates, stresses over weight loss. Kevin faces fallout from his meltdown.

Now, we didn't actually talk about his meltdown in our first episode. That's right. There was so much to get through. There was so much to get through. So much groundwork to us. Justin and his sort of network thing brilliantly just like loses his ish

because he has this wonderful scene, like something like the guy can actually write when you want him to, and he feels so good. And as an actor, you guys can relate to this. Like, all right, let's get an alt. an alt that's basically just crappy, right? Like that does not have anywhere close to the same artistic integrity of the thing that you just did, but you still have to do it to quote and go again and this time, can you just do it faster? To cover your bases, right? It's always a great

note. Yeah. A little faster, funnier, louder. And he just flips out in such a beautiful way. Shout out to the late grade Allen Thick. Absolutely. Who kind of crushed that scene? Like he walks off. He's like, I don't know what he said. He said something like, oh, that was a good. I don't know. Thanks so much. This has been fun. This has been fun.

Yeah. It was brilliant. So now we're dealing with the fallout of that in this episode. Okay. But before we get to that, Sterling's notes are back. Sterling's going to go to his notes real quick. Okay. First thing is Webster that I have in my notes, which is the kids at school are making fun of

Randall. Yeah. Right? They're calling him not by his name, but by Webster, who we all know was a sitcom character who was also a transracial adoptee. Yeah. Right. And the difficult part about it for Randall is not just the teasing, but it's that his brother joins in on the teasing. So this is really interesting layering that happens because you're not necessarily aware of the connective tissue between Kevin and Kate and Randall. You see that Kevin and Kate are pretty tight with each other. And Randall, you see the picture at the end of episode one, right? But now we kind of get a chance to find out what's the backstory that connects these three kids with each other, right? And it sounds like there's a little bit of tension between

these two brothers and that their relationship has not been the best. Right. We also see in the second episode that we are not telling this story linearly, right? We are jumping eight years into the future, which was a real revelation. Yeah. I don't know if it was to you as well, but like getting that second episode, I was like, here we go. They're coming home from the hospital and it's like, nope. We're jumping eight years into the future.

The kids are eights. There's a lot going on in their lives. The relationship between Jack and Rebecca is in a precarious place. Yes, yes. Which I think probably feeds into the relationship between the brothers and, you know, mom is sort of struggling to keep her head above water doing a little bit of everything in the household. Because Jack is a bit absent. His drinking has entered the equation. Sure. So it's interesting that Dan thought to kind of jump into the story after the pilot at this particular place,

this sort of imperfect past that Jack and Rebecca, who are kind of, you know, they're kind of the The glue, right? The parental glue of this family and this storytelling device, the things are not in great shape. You go from newborns to tense breakfast in the kitchen. Yeah. Yep. Where dad's off to work.

Yeah. Coffee? Drink through these cars. No, he's like, do you not know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How many times have they had this conversation?

Yeah. And it's also when we hear the big three chant for the first time. Yeah. You hear the big three chant for the first time. So again, Dan Fogelman and the writers are not telling you anything. They're showing you what has happened. How old did the kids at this point? In eight years.

Yeah. How this family has developed and how they have decayed in certain ways. Sure. And I find it fascinating. And then episode three, again, then jumps back in time. So I think, like, very quickly we were telling the audience, like, you think you're on just the sort of straight path. No, no. We're going to be, as Dan.

says, taking a bunch of home videos and sort of shaking them up in a box and then someone just grabbing them out. Yeah. It's a wonderful description. Yeah. It's like not knowing what they're getting. That's sort of what each episode was. Let's jump into that marital friction between Jack and Rebecca and the brilliant Amanda Lee

Moore. Many more. So you had to audition with the scene where you're saying to Jack, like, you know, how do you we think we're doing as parents. I see why you got the part. Because I think we're at a six. You know? She said, I'm at a nine.

You don't really know where this monologue is going. And when she, the way you say that line to him, you're like, oh, no, we're in a, we're in a thing. Yeah. This is officially a conversation. We have to write this. Drinking has to stop. Yeah. I don't know.

Be a man, figure it out and get it done. and get it done, but I can't have this anymore. Many more. You're the youngest of us, but you're also kind of like the oldest. What do you attribute that to? You're just an incredibly mature human being, and you've lived a lot of life. That's lovely of you. Thank you.

Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I think all of us can attribute so much of the work we're able to do on the show to what's on the page. Like what's on the page is just so beyond that like most of our job is done for us. I mean, that's how I felt reading that scene and going into audition for it, not knowing where the character was going, what story we were even telling. But I love that very quickly we understand the dynamic in this relationship. Like this is a woman who's not afraid to like put it all out there and to, you know, tell her husband what needs to change in order for things.

to just continue on, you know, like the status quo is not working. To juxtapose that again with, like, just the little bit of information we learned about them in the pilot, right? Like them, they're sweet, they have their little routine for Jack's birthday before she goes into labor and her water breaks. Like, you can see that they're very, very deeply in love. You can see obviously, like, this is the most important moment of this couple's life, like being the hospital, giving birth to their children

and what goes terribly wrong, all of that. It's like you still don't quite know who these people are and then you jump all this, like you jump forward in time and have to come to understand that like a lot of life has been lived. But yet, and I felt when I was reading it and when we were sort of playing it, like, this isn't something she's ever said to him before. I don't think they've ever had this conversation.

Things have really been pushed to the brink where she's forced. Her hand's been forced. She has to say something. And she does not intend on repeating herself. Yeah. Yeah. We're going to have this conversation once. And I guess like I can relate to that personally too.

Like it takes a lot for me to get pushed to the point where I have a point to make like this, you know? Where I, do you know, Sterling, you know, you've been witness to it, but it's like, it takes, it takes a lot. It takes a lot for me to really, yes, to really not lose it, but, you know, stand up for myself, advocate for myself. And that's what Rebecca was doing here because she had no choice. And it's a moment where you realize that Rebecca, obviously, no human is perfect. Everyone has their moments, their flaws. But like, Rebecca is the healthiest character in this show?

Can I say that? I mean, she definitely has her. I mean, everybody does. She has her issues and her baggage. But it is, but it is, it is the moment, it is the moment where you kind of, in an ensemble show. Yeah. You realize who the pivot point is.

Yeah. Interesting. Especially because later. Yes. Well, yeah, we want to get to that. Yeah. To that later part. But even, I mean, Miguel.

Yes. In the bar. That's the next thing I wanted to do. even says it. He does. Which he's, is he Mike or Miguel in this episode? He's Miguel. He's Miguel. He's Miguel. He was originally Mike. He was originally Mike. In the script, right. Before John Wertes got cast. Yeah, got it. Wartez has this way of showing up and acting like, was he in the pilot? Like, he's been there this whole time. Yeah. He just felt like, it just fell right in. Which is perfect for the character.

Right. Right. Another man who'd been on TV for a long time. For a very long time. who shows up and people like, I know him. Yes, I know that guy. I love him. This also just reminds me, I think, you mentioned how funny Justin is and he is. And you are. And John is. John, where does Lord have mercy.

Okay, would you remember scenes, though, with the three? Anytime I would get to set and I was like, oh gosh, because I was always in prosthetics. John, Chris, and Justin. I'm like, this is, so we, our makeup are. just is going to get mad because I'm not supposed to move my face so much, but it was trouble. I'm going to laugh the old off my face. It was, it was too much with all of you. He is hysterical. And the way he just sort of like, you know what I love, like him showing up as his friend. He, I don't know how he did that. I don't know how much time him and Milo had with each other.

Again, a lot of it, you just attribute to the script or whatnot. But he's like, all right, that's his boy. Because only your boy could talk to you the way that he was talking. talking to him like, bro, you're about to have your third drink and it's not even 505, like, what's going on? And you know what's waiting for you at home? Yeah. You got the gold standard. Yeah.

And he gets away with, hey, come on, man. Like, you instantly know how long, how old this friendship is by the way that they're interacting. Yeah. Yeah. And the fact that we learned, like, we may not know it now, but the fact that Jack takes it, okay? Because we learn some stuff about Jack, like, he don't take much mess from a lot of people. That's right.

But he does from Miguel. But he takes it from Miguel. So I think that's a big point too. You were talking a little bit about how you didn't have a lot to say in the pilot. And I think Sue felt similarly in terms of like, I'm not sure where it's going to go, but there was a trust. I also want to say this about Dan, I think he, over the course of six years, was very attuned to like, this is an ensemble show.

And if somebody's been up, like, he wanted to make sure that everybody got to eat, you know. like that nobody felt like they had been sort of disregarded or forgotten about for an extended period of time. Because you're right, he had some really good people. He wanted to make sure everybody felt like they were being serviced. With also giving us some nice time off. Also that. I'll let you lovely people do this. And then I'll come in and, you know, we got a chance to do it that way. And so there's the conversation in bed where she's like, hey, baby, can I bring something up? Like, I don't know how to bring it. I was like, hey, we don't sense ourselves with each other. And she's like, how long is your, you know, 60-year-old crackhead daddy going

be living in my daughter's bedroom? Like, well, damn, baby. And you got a real sense of that marriage because we've been married for 17 years at that time. And it was really interesting, just a little kind of point, like how people, I don't know if people talk to you, Mandy, about Jack and Rebecca versus Randall and Beth, or if they saw them as the same or complementary goods or, like, opposing, like, did people talk to you about those two marriages? Complementary. Complementary. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, I think people held both in such high regard for different reasons, you know? Because they were such different. They were very different marriages, right? Like for me, it was one of those things where R&B became such a big thing. Probably similar to like how Sterling and Ryan are where people like enjoy our marriage and like, you guys are goals. And I was like, it's always so sweet. But it's also, I'm happy.

I'm happy. When we get to season three and you see us go through things, I'm always worried that people think that it's too easy. Right. Marriage. Yeah. Period. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And like you guys are so perfect and everything like that. And so it's nice to show that they had to go through something because what makes it perfect is the earning. It's not that it's easy. The recovery. It's the recovery that makes something really enviable.

Yeah. Because there's so many places where you can say like, no, I think I'm tapping out. Yeah. That you decide not to tap out and figure out what's the way through to the other side. Yeah. Sidebar. We're sitting in the hallway, listening to him about to tell our daughter's about his cocaine issues. And I was like, hey, man, you really haven't been around kids that much.

You know, that moment made me laugh out loud, not only in the writing, but in the editing. Yeah. Right? One of the things that I learned about how special Dan Fulgemann is when I got to direct much, much later, was watching the way he edits this show. show. Yeah. And the musicality of it. People talk about how sad the show is, how much it makes them feel. The show is hysterical. Yes. The show is very funny. It really is. And that moment definitely made me laugh out loud. But it's in that, in that, well, cocaine's an internet, like, okay. Let's, you know, the timing, the timing, not only of the performance, but of the

editing and of the music. And just like the way, I don't know, everything about everything about this show. We're watching it. It's interesting that you say music because the second episode is really when I started to hear the identity of Sid Kosla's incredible score. Talk about that brother real quick. Yeah. Because he's a killer. Sid is just remarkable. He was our, the composer composed the score, most of all of the original songs that occurred over the course of many seasons of the show. We're going to get all these people in here to talk to us. Correct. But I, I, I, It was interesting, like, watching again with, like, fresh perspective. The pilot, not as much, but the second episode is, like,

where you started to hear those familiar themes that then were carried through that are the heartbeat of the show. They are so synonymous with, you know, not just, like, the theme of the show, but just when you're not even paying attention, it sets the tone for everything. And I feel like it really was, it surfaced. in a real way in this second episode for me where I was like, oh, wow, that, okay, that's something that I remember hearing, like, you know, many, many episodes, many, many seasons from now. Yes.

It's like the germ of it started in the second episode. When the theme, was the theme of stuff in episode two? Do we have it? I think it was three. It was three. Yeah. Because I remember, like, I couldn't stop whistling it after I had heard it and whatnot. And the fact that they jump in the head, but the fact that you body.

that song, that that was that melody. Oh, we were all in tears. Well, we'll get to that in season six. We'll talk to you about that in five years. We'll talk to that in five years. More, that was us after this short break. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Talk Space, the leading virtual therapy provider is encouraging people to talk it out in therapy.

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That's ritual.com slash TWU for 25% off. Justin and that hat. He had to wear like the knit wool cap. And like, you would think that Justin is like, okay, that fits like. the character, whatever. Justin himself hated that effing hat, right? Like, he's like, I don't want to wear this bullshit. He is so mad.

That hat is of a time. And it was also like, when Katie Cigar says, like, we take off that hat, he was like, I'm so happy to take this thing. So famous. I didn't know that he had that reaction to it. Oh, hated it. I mean. Absolutely loathed.

Gosh, so left out when you're not unsaid. The same way that he loathes every once in a while when you have to be future, Justin, a goatee. Oh, he hated that picture. It was just to hate something. It's strong. It's visceral. Yeah, he wears it. He wears it very strongly.

But there's something about his character that makes me, I always feel like Sterling relates to Kevin in a real way in terms of someone trying to find their artistic integrity and fight for that thing. And, like, how much agency do you think you could actually pull off, right? Sure. Because he has his spas out at the show, and then they're like, you're under contract. Yeah. Like you don't. There are real world repercussions to what you did. You don't just get to walk away.

Art meets commerce. Exactly. And he's still just like, but I don't like this show. But I don't want to? So you're under contract, but I don't want it? No, you're legally bound, but I'm not going to. Yeah. No.

Yeah. That's where he is with that. And so he enlisted. his sister, he talks about. Have either of you ever had a moment like that? Where you had to like walk away, you would, you had committed to something. Yeah.

But then had to, then realized it wasn't gonna be what you thought it was. You don't have to tell me, you don't have to say what it was. Sure, yeah. I mean, I don't think in quite a public sense, as Kevin's stories sort of unfolds. Yeah, exactly. I just like, walked off set. You told me, if you're comfortable talking about, about early in your music career, like people wanting you to be a certain

thing. Sure. Yeah, it's not going to happen. Yeah. I guess in that sense, for sure. Yeah. Having a strong sense of self and what your value is and what you bring to the table and ultimately like what path you want to go down, what lane you want to stay in and sort of sticking to that for sure. Yeah. I don't think I've had anything that drastic. I did something where I was on a show and they would forget to put me in scenes, but they wanted me in scenes. So they would just take the line from another character and just give it to me. And it wasn't like specific to my character. It was just like a line.

Like, I agree. Right. That sort of thing. And like I would say something every once in a while. But I'm also like, I don't think I had the same strength of conviction as Kevin. And I would say like in a very sort of interesting way, just like in terms of ethnicity and whatnot, I kind of feel like I'm always more expendable and sort of like the way that I temper myself is a little different.

Also, very afraid of being labeled the angry black man. There's something when a tall asgardian white cat does something that sort of feels like he's being strong and convicted or whatnot that if a brother does the exact same thing could be labeled in a slightly different way. Sure. Sure, sure. There's privilege in that for sure.

Absolutely. Yeah. What about you? I'll do anything. You have no qualms. Literally all you have to do is ask. No, the only way I can relate to what you just said is, is by my size. And I've only realized in recent years that when I have certain reactions, that it makes

people feel unsafe, you know what I mean? And I do. And I don't want to make people feel unsafe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And yeah, so I've had to like, I feel you. Take that into consideration. Right. Like I don't get, I don't get to express anger the same way someone who is five feet tall gets

to express anger. if I'm considering the people, not just who I'm directed at, directing it at, but the people I'm with are the people like it feels, yeah. Yeah, no, I get you. I get you. I just wanted to highlight for a second that I carried my two babies,

Annie and Tess, who were played beautifully by Faith in Eris. They were small enough at one point for me to pick them up one in each arm and take them up the stairs. Can you believe it? Eris is a freshman or sophomore in college right now. I can't. So then I just, we'll talk about this because we're not going to talk too much about our young people.

Our minor actors. Just to give them some space and safety. But what a joy it was to watch these kids grow up. Literally. We literally, over the course of six years, got a chance to see children become young adults. Or young adults become even younger adults. you know, older, young adults. And I have relationships with a few of them

where every once in a while we text or whatnot and just to see that they're out in this world doing magnificent things because we had a magnificent group of young people. Yes, truly. I'll speak specifically to the young Randalls who sort of embodied the characters throughout how privileged I was to know that the character was always in good hands.

Right? Like it was pretty awesome. see like, oh, it's tracking, you know what I mean? Like it all, the writers do it too, but like the two actors who played, just extraordinary. And for folks who don't know, like, the quote-unquote cliche unwritten rule in Hollywood, don't work with kids or animals. Yeah. It's unpredictable.

It's difficult. Not only does this show have kids in it. It has nine, 10, 11, 12. So many kids. Not just kids, babies. Yeah. Like, and Dan, not only had, were there, were there kid characters in the show from the beginning he kept adding them yeah he just kept adding them which he knew he he knows how that works

i think that's also part of what dan want i did you know and like it was like a challenge for himself yeah because what i mean obviously we'll talk about it more but like these kids like you say grow up yeah and so the show has to keep up with them growing right before eyes it's amazing it was pretty awesome i know you guys had like kids all the time we had all the kids at all the ages and i will echo that same sentiment. We were so unbelievably lucky, because as you said, there is that unwritten rule. And I don't know how, but we lucked out in every regard with Lonnie and Parker and McKenzie, with Hannah and Logan and Niles, who all played the respective big, big three at different ages, who were all young people. And yes, we watched them grow up. They were all

extraordinary actors to begin with, brought so much to the table. And, you know, to be a part of, like, the beginning of their journeys as well. And now to see where, they're acting careers and trying to impart on them that this is unbelievable. This doesn't happen. Like, soak it in. This is so special. Not every job will feel like this and look like this.

And I know Milo and I did our best to try to take care of them as best as we could. And just had so much fun over the years working with all of them. It reads. It reads on camera how much fun everyone is having. Well, hopefully they trusted us because we trusted them. Sure. And it just like it really felt like a family. Yeah.

It did. They can act, too. They can all act, yes. I want to go, there's weight versus health and Kate, I wrote. And there's a flashback to you putting her to bed and talking about food. Mama only ate fruit today. Yeah. I just wanted to like.

Yeah, I think they were sort of starting to lay the seeds in the groundwork of the complicated nature between a mother who's concerned about her child's health and recognizes that body image is a thing with women specifically and how all that was going to play into the future and how to sort of handle it delicately. Again, I mean, I think that Rebecca is truly a flawed person like all of us and doesn't always nail it, doesn't always make the choice that aligns with what I would want to do. But I love that all of that is aired. Love that all of that is, is, you know, a part of what the show is. And we get to see these characters experience that.

It's such a throwback, too, to being a parent. And what would that have been, the late 80s? Yeah, yeah. Like, what types of conversations we were having, what types of relationships we had with our parents? With food? With what healthy eating meant? Like, just eating a bowl full of fruit? Like, I'm like, where's the protein?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The blood sugar's going to spike in. She's not going to fall asleep in the middle of class. Yeah, it's really interesting, but I think it starts to, you know, pinpoint exactly what their relationship, their mother-daughter relationship and dynamic is that obviously we see carried throughout the seasons and throughout the series. There are things, my wife and I frequently laugh about this, that we grew up eating on the regular that are difficult to find in our house. Yeah. Because, like, high-fructose corn syrup was in everything. Everything.

Absolutely. Like, just for the young people that they don't know, like, you guys ate high fructose corn syrup? Yeah. For my pancake syrup, we had a bottle of Cairo. Yeah, yeah. There weren't other options. Which is high fructose corn syrup that I pour.

Sterling, I have a, we have some in our pantry right now. Do you? For cooking barbecue or do you pour it directly on the pancakes? For when my mom comes over. Oh, wow. Interesting. Because it's, it's, sir. I mean, it's what she knows.

It's what she knows. And it's what, and it's what I, it's like, oh yes you might need when she comes she might want this she doesn't right but it's in our pantry just in case does anybody know what caro is nobody listening all these people who are yeah yeah yeah yeah talking about but it's so interesting because like you you had like they were eating cereal and you you put something else to decide for her yeah in that in that fruit and cottage cheese or something yeah i don't know just over time what i think knowledge of like what to do and once you know better you do better right right and you just

trying to figure it out. Why was it, like the grace of the show, in addendum to all the other things that we're talking about, is seeing parents at the same point of life as their children helps to elucidate that, like, oh, these are just people trying to figure it out. Yeah, right, right. And when you're a kid, you're expecting perfection from these people. And then you grow up and you have kids and you say, I'm so sorry. I've never, yes, the amount of empathy that I've developed over the last three years.

Yes. For your own parents. For what my parents were trying to do in the early 80s with no resources, no internet, no family around. Like, it's amazing, it's amazing that we made it. Yeah. Just jumping around in the backseat, no seatbelt on. What's a show in the show? Like, the kids are just the best.

Dukes of Hazard as role models on how to... I used to love the general league. Yeah. What am I watching? Oh, I miss that laugh, Sterling. Oh, my goodness. Okay, okay, wait. So the next one I have, because we're starting to lay the foundation of Kevin and Randall,

because they're having a little wrestling match. And, you know, you're like, why are you messing with your brother? What's the problem? Yeah. And why are you calling them Webster's like, well, they call him? They think, it's weird that I'm his brother. I think he says something to that effect, right? Which for an eight year, it has to be.

Sure. It has to be so strange for, I look at the way my four-year-old is processing the world. Yeah. Three and a half year old. And the way he's trying to like make sense of things and how like, like, confusing everything is, but also perfectly clear. Yeah. To him, like, well, everything is, everything, nothing is put through a lens of history or a lens of baggage or a lens of trauma. It's just like, it is what it is.

Yeah. It is what it is. This is weird. Yeah. Why is you remember? But as they get older, I mean, you have older kids than we do. Yes. So.

By a certain age, like I'll say for this for the 12 year old in particular, because like when we get to that part with our kids in the show, his level of cognition of recognition of what's happening around him. Yeah. It's like, I know it's, whether you decide to tell me about it or not, I can see. The computing power. Right? So they're figuring things out. So oftentimes, and this will be an echo back to the show, we think by not talking about something with a kid, we're shielding them from it.

They see that stuff. Yeah. Right. They see it. And it's either they're going to get the information from you or they're going to get the information from someone else. I got to tell you this anecdote, they'll probably get edited out of the show. The other day, every time when I dropped my son off at school,

He rides the tire swing with two other kids and we're pushing him around and and that's our ritual, right? And there's some kid who I see every morning. He's lovely kid. I love him. He's hysterical. And he's swinging around on the tire swing. And as he swings around, he looks at me, a big smile in his face and goes, I want to chop your head off. And I said, I'm sorry, what?

I'm going to chop your head off. And I couldn't stop laughing. Just it, like, how these minds. I didn't ask, where'd you hear that? I didn't correct him. I thought it was hysteria. Like, but. Oh, man.

That really got me. He knew you a taser face. He was like, I'm going to chop this head off. And then, and then my son started parenting it. And I'm like, okay, who wants to go faster on the tire swing, huh? Just chase the subject. Oh, man. It was just these, these moments, these moments where you have an insight.

into the mind of a child and how, as they are socializing themselves. This goes back to like these two brothers, socializing themselves and being pulled by negative forces and positive forces and helpful things and things that detract. It's just, it's so terrifying to send them out into the world. So, okay, that's a perfect segue into the quote that I was looking for. which was from Rebecca to Randall, and she says, promise me you'll always be good. Because it feels so, like, innocuous.

What a thing. And it's so important on a person. And such an innocent, like, hopeful thing that you would want for somebody. And to see how he sort of internalize that. It's like in 300, when you said, I hope you live forever. Right. And uses that as a, like, not as a crutch,

but like it almost becomes this burden for him. Like, I have to be good for mom. I told mom I would be good. Yeah. No one can do that. No. I'm the good one. Yeah.

Yeah. And we'll go. So, okay. That is an interesting, like, foreshadowing. You got to give our writer. He good. Yeah. Every single one, because it comes from the top down.

Every single person he brought on to write with. Yeah. Yes. To be a part of the show. And this is something I can say about our show because people, you know, we're gonna go through all these episodes, all six seasons. Yeah.

This show was stopped intentionally. We didn't get canceled. No. We didn't get yanked. Yeah. There was an idea on how the show was gonna go. And so in the writing, there is no fluff. There's no filler. No.

They were not trying to meet an episode order. Right. Like one year we did 16 instead 18. Yeah. Was that coming out of the COVID pandemic? Whenever that was. And it's just like, in. Dan just refused. Well, it was so intentional because it's like, especially with the way that we tell

this story, it's like the end. We're already telling the end. So like the middle had to sort of meet up at just the right point. There wasn't a way to sort of extend it just for the sake of it. Well, because we got, well, we get to it. We got to the end at the Super Bowl episode. Yeah. Right?

Yeah. Yeah. That's for the first time. Anyway, just a little teaser for you. I talked about how do you think we're doing so far. at parenting, uh, killer. Just, I can, I can go back to it again because the focus, so let me say, tell y'all something about Mandy Moore.

I don't know. Ready? Go. Okay, tell us. I'm like, what? So Mandy Moore, like, before scene sometimes, like if it's like a deeply emotional sort of thing, she sort of like revs herself up. I've seen it a little bit.

Yeah. She does this thing with her arms. Yeah, show us. I don't have enough space. I'm going to knock over the microphone. No, no, there's a wide shot. Stand up. Stand up right here.

There's a wide. Hold on. I don't do it as much anymore. You don't. You don't. In the beginning. In the beginning. We got to see it.

Can you do it? Can you show us? Or maybe? You don't want to do it. No, no, no. I want to see Sterling's interpretation. Yeah. Yeah.

You got to do what you got to do. You just want to feel it. She was embodying. She was getting amped up, right? And I can only imagine before this one. Because like sitting down is, it's so stagnant. It's like you've got to just shake it up. It's all up here.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you were waiting for Jack, like the gun was cocked and loaded. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I have something to say, sir. How do you think we're doing it parenting? Yeah. Like the both of us, because, like, I'm doing pretty good.

Yeah. When you're good, when you're here, you're good. I think that's the most heartbreaking revelation in that scene. It's like she knows and the audience knows, like, this is, these are two people who are so deeply connected. And she so wants for him. She so knows he's capable of doing it. Yes.

Which is really relatable. Yeah. Which, as you're re-watching this show, there are these moments, right? These monologettes that are delivered so beautifully. But what this show does that TV tends not to do, they did it with the Dr. K. Jack conversation. And they did it on Rebecca's monologue, where it is so good. She's lived on it. They do not cut away.

Yeah. And I guarantee that. wasn't the plan. Like that's not intended. But when you're watching that episode, you are so good that the editor is like, well, what would we cut to that's better than this? We're going to talk about how good Mandy Moore is. Why would we cut away from the, no, we all came here to pat each other on the back. You're going to be uncomfortable and you're just sit in that discomfort and you're going to be fine. Close your eyes, soak it in. The monologue is brilliant. Monologue is brilliant. Thank you. Manny Moore is brilliant. We'll be right

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$0.25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. That's an extra $0.25 back for every gallon on your first tank of gas using promo code TWU. We're going to this party. So Kevin is the, I think his agent or the producers of the show that's throwing a party, he's expected to go so he can apologize. he invites Kate, you know, somewhat innocuously because Kate has been his long-term personal assistant, what have you, he's like, I need you here with me. It also just sort of points like, I need you here with me. And it seems sort of innocent in that moment. But as the episode goes on, it's like the codependency. There's an interesting codependency that's not the healthiest thing

and doesn't leave a lot of space for a pair more. You also realize they are technically working together, like she is employed. Yeah. By him? By him. Which is a tricky dynamic. Yep. So then she's asked to go to Hollywood. Now, as a plus-size woman, you're asked to go to the midst, like to the, the mecca of... You know what I'm saying? Like, where everybody, all the models and the actresses are going to be. And so she's like, I got to get a dress for this thing.

And you're like, yo, I know who this is. Yeah. Tobias loves shows shows us. This was when I thought that the costume designers and things were like following me. where I was like, this guy's starting to get close to me. Like, how is this? I would wear this hat. About your sense of style and how you came to it because it's very specific.

It's confrontational. That's how I like to, it's confrontational. Okay. It will not be ignored. Yes. Is the point. It's something to talk about. And that's flavored into Toby for sure.

Oh, absolutely. And Toby shows up in the hat and when Justin says, is it, you wear that? Okay. So good. So small. But let me tell you about this night for folks, night shoots. Oh, boy. Talk to him. Go all night. We were at this house that was a house on a hill in Los Feliz. Okay. That was a historic mansion. Beautiful house. I've never done a night shoot before. I'm very excited. Until you're caffeinated. Until I'm not until I've been dancing on that dance floor for four to five hours. You saw my Beyonce? I did see it. How much sweat in that suit? Not how much.

I was medically injured on my inner thighs. I was chafed to the point of ointment. Oh, my God. Oh, man. I walked home back to the van at 5 a.m. But I got, oh, God. Get this aqua-foam. But also, we show up and, you know, you show up on these, in these scenes, you know that these

characters exist, but you're not privy to casting necessarily. Maybe you didn't look at the call sheet. I didn't see Katie Seagall and Brad Garrett were hanging out all night too. Yeah. So part of the, part of the, they were there. And to get out there on that dance floor, the stuff that Kate was feeling, the being observed, to being viewed, hit me. because you're surrounded by extras who have been directed to mock you.

Oh, wow. And you're like, this is uncomfortable. Oh, this does feel terrible. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Terrible. This feels, whoof. And we spent the whole night dancing and then we get drunk and we're doing ridiculous. I think I spun around on the floor at one point.

But it was a long night. It was a long night that led to a very, a very interesting phone call between. Yeah, no. The three of you. So this is like Kevin calls Randall and he says, they're not letting me out of my contract. And it's the first interaction that we've had with each other in the show. And it's so amazing how in such a small period of time you get this sense of history. Because you see them in the background as young people.

and you see again he comes off they come off the bus and they go hey webster and he go randall ditch webster let's go and kev is just like and walks away yeah that's what i'm gonna do you know what i'm saying even though my mom told me to do otherwise like the social pressure he's like i have a pressure to fit in too and kev doesn't have a whole randle has a lot of stuff in terms of his acumen and stuff but like kev is cool he's got to maintain his cool right um and so you see in this short period of time, like he says, I'm like, I wasn't the best brother, right? And he's, and Randall says, no, but there's still time. This phone call, first of all, this is the first time that the two of you interact in the series. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you learn so much about, yeah, you've seen

what they've, what they've went through as children, but in an instant, just by the way, you answer the phone. Yeah. You understand the history. That there is, yeah, that there is a lot left. made himself available because even as I hope it didn't wait. I was just working on some paperwork. But it's also the Big Three chant comes back in this episode. It's called the Big Three. It's called the Big Three. So you're starting to realize the gravity of the connection, regardless of the history.

Yeah. That no matter what, we're the Big Three. Yeah, we're family. And we have to be there for each other. It's very true. This is so like the people will come every once in a while, people will do the champs. Somebody hit me on the chest, they'll be like, you know, You're like, that's not for you.

Knock it off. You're not a part of it. You knock it off. You're not a part of us. That's the only fan you've chastised? No, I didn't chastising it at all. I just, like, and as it develops over time, like, you see there's a connection between Kate and Randall, and there's obviously this connection between Kate and Kevin.

But it was like, one of my favorite things to play with over time is that relationship between Kevin and Randall. Yeah, yeah. Because we, it went like this. You know what I'm saying? And as to see in the past, like, these two young men who are sort of vying for a position of man of the house. Very different alphas. You know what I'm saying?

And, like, how that's supposed to manifest for each other and how it was always sort of just trying to force their way into connection, but in competition with each other at the same time. Like, it's a fascinating relationship. Fascinating relationship. And it's not exactly like me and my brother. I have an older brother who I adore. who's a good dude, but we've had, like, we've rode the way of these crests and troughs of, like, what our relationship is supposed to be like. And God, God bless those of us who are able to find a way to still be a part of each other's lives, even when we don't want to.

Like, that's, that's something, because it's easy to write people off, whether they're blood or not. Especially when you are living apart. Yeah, yeah, 3,000 miles away. But the fact that like, I think that's a power, like, folks continue to show up for each other, regardless if things are harmonious or not. Yeah. Right? It's a pretty cool thing. Yeah.

If you jump again, I'm just going to look at my notes. I love your notes. They're all just, like, my observations of what's happening in the show. We're going to bring our stream of conscious notes next time. I want to say, Randall on the treadmill. I was the last of the Pearson's to be topless. First two Save the best relax

Oh my You didn't have to bring it up You knew we were going to bring it out I knew I was watching it too Because I was like Oh I was the last one Because Milo was first And then Justin also in the pilot

Laying there with the two ladies And whatnot I was like oh I made it through a whole pilot And then they were like 102 Let's go ahead and throw them in the treadmill Treadmill lived in the bedroom Yeah For one season, one season only.

Yeah. Good call. Because America couldn't take it after that. I guess that. If we have to see, if we have to see more of that, this is going to be a different show. I was the only person, though, who was sweaty. I was also a sweaty person. Was that your sweat or was that stage sweat?

Any sweaty sweat. Stage sweat. They try to make a little V. It goes like this. Yeah. Brown. That's not how brown sweats. Brown go full body.

Yeah. It's full body. Because if you learn anything about SKB, it's all 100%. I commit. Full body. Listen, so during, in between takes, this is how weird I am. Like, I just run. Oh, my God.

Because I want the sweat to be there when the camera starts. Sure, sure. And to which-Marathon man action. To which Olivier would say. My dear boy, why don't you try act? There you go. I'm Hoffman up in this piece, Jack. Someone could come and spray you down.

We got a spray bottle for that, buddy. Yeah, we got some Evian. He's like, no, I was trying to get a work at it anyways. Beth and William have this conversation. It's time for us to have a talk. Again, you were talking about how much you had to do in the pilot, and I have this conversation with Sue too. So in addendum, it's interesting that both of these happened in 102 because you have your conversation with Jack and Sue lays it down to William in a way like, hey, man, I need to understand why you're here and what you're up to because you don't know who you're dealing with. And it was a really interesting thing to hear your character through your wife's eyes.

And, like, she goes, he's not good. He's perfect. And then later on, he says his vice is his goodness. And, like, as you, as I read that as a character, I'm like, oh, man, that is. Everybody has their thing. Everybody has their thing. I mean, each, like we were talking about earlier, everybody's entering this, this moment of, of second half of life where they are.

Yeah, they're on the precipice of some sort of monumental change. And whether it's food or fame or alcohol. Yeah. Or perfect. perfectionism, which perfectionism doesn't get, perfectionism in our society is framed as a virtue. Right. It's a mental illness. Yeah.

Because there's no such thing. Right. So the pursuit of it, the obsessed pursuit of it of something that cannot be a tank. Will drive someone to anxiety. Absolutely. And it sets up the way that I think the audience looks at Randall because you find out that he went blind. Because of this. Because of this.

Like he, like, could not see, right? And so, like, while everybody may see it as innocuous, and she sees he's on the treadmill looking up stomach cancer, trying to figure out ways to figure it out. Like, she's not focused on the run. She's focused on, like, what he's doing while he's running. Yeah. And how he needs to stop and just, like, take a moment, right?

And then the fierceness with which she delivers it, right, is also just shows, you say it again, and I think this is a brilliant, thing, people taking care of each other throughout the show. She's like, I can't have you do this to my husband again because I know the cost, right? So be open and honest and let us know why you're here. But isn't it interesting, too, that in the next episode, Rebecca also sort of echoes that same sentiment to Williams. It's like both of the most important women in his lives know him. Yes. And know his vice. Yes. They know his weakness. Yeah. And the and the

power of parenting and how, for better or worse, your initial partnership agreement or your partnership example are these people who raise you. Yes, yes, yes. You end up with with, I'm just saying. I'm wearing my black mom. Me too. Rachel would say the same thing, you know, about me. And it's so interesting because when Rachel and I get into like,

moments of, of dysregulation. It's two, it's two middle-aged women arguing with each other. It's her mom and my mom, just arguing with each other. And so it's just fascinating. And also another terrifying realization as you watch this show, the parallels that it makes, but okay, so as I'm raising my son or my daughter, what type of attachment style do I want to, to imbue them with? Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, Yeah, we can talk about that one offline because it goes along. Wait, I wanted to end with this point, though, because this was the second big twist that Fogelman pulled. So the pilot is, oh, they're in two different timelines.

My kids say grandma and grandpa are here. Yes. And we walk to the door. And you see the moon necklace. And we see the moon necklace. Which has just been given to Rebecca by Jack in the 80s. She says, I'll never take it off. Correct.

It's just delightful. And then next to Rebecca is Miguel. People were... Oh, my God. My best friend called me, is like, hey, Kelp. He called me Kelmy. Hey, Kelp. Where is Jack?

People were so mad. So mad. The audience... Who lost their... John Wirtes, they immediately hated him. Immediately. What did he do? What did he do the Jack?

Because he was introduced as his best friend. And the bro code is like, you never snake your best friend's lady. That's not going to happen. And as much as I even tried to like explain it to people later on, like, you know what? He had permission and there was time and they're like, I don't know. People still. And so this time we have a secret, but everybody knows we have a secret. Yes.

The first time, we just had to. keep our mouth shut. Correct. Now we had to protect the storyline. Yes. For how I don't know how many episodes, 10 episodes between the reveal? We had to go do into season two. That's right. Into season two. For sure. You find out later in the season, I believe it's episode five that Jack passed away. Right. And we don't figure out how or why or any of the sort of, you know, extenuating circumstances around that until season two. That's when I started telling the press that Miguel killed him. Great.

Just really throw them off. I remember doing an Instagram post with all of us backstage. And we're like, what are you guys doing tonight? It was like, it was a Tuesday night. We're going to watch the show. I was like, what about you, Miguel? He tried to say something. He's like, nobody cares because nobody likes Miguel.

And that was it. Nobody likes Miguel. And it took him five seasons. It really did. To win people back over. It really, really did. Man, then it just packed a punch, right, at the end, you know?

I remember. saying in interviews as we were going through press for the show early on that the show was teaching me about about relationship yeah and about how how to repair it right and I remember saying especially that phone call like who do you need to call hmm who I'm still learning this lesson who do you need to reach out to who who what repair do you need to make because the perfection the perfection is not in a perfect relationship that It's free of conflict. Conflict.

Right. The perfection is in, like we talked about, the repair. Absolutely. Yeah, I'd be interested to hear from the people watching now, the people who saw the show, kind of how that relates to their life, if it relates. Currently, if it did at some point, we have the email. Yep. That was us pod at gmail.com.

Right on. We also have. Emotional support hotline, 412, 501.3028. Please call, leave us messages, let us know how this episode impacted you or what it led you to do by virtue of watching it. What you're still in the midst of. Yeah, maybe we can help.

Help you process it. Yeah. Maybe we can bring people together. I don't want to over-stretch our ability here of healing. Let's under-promise and over-deliver, but we're here. I mean, we're here to be of service if we can be. Right. Amen.

Drop us a line. All right. Thanks, friends. This is fun. Right on y'all. Right on y'all. Here we go, everybody. Can't get it.

All righty. We've been sharing the number for our emotional support hotline with you. And we are excited to share that this segment is presented by our friends at Talkspace. Check your insurance coverage and you can start speaking to a therapist today at Talkspace.com slash TWU. Now, we don't claim to be therapists. Most certainly we don't. No. By any stretch.

I really, really do want to talk to you. Yes. Yes. And I don't know if you guys have heard, but our voicemail will be popping. He'll be, poop, pop, pop. And I think it's time to call someone back. Let's do it, right? Yeah, let's do it.

Okay. So, we've got, we've been given unlimited minutes by Mint Mobile. I love it. So that we can call people back as much as we want over the course. Unlimited calls. Love it. So we're going to listen to a voicemail here. Yeah.

from a lady named Chelsea. Okay. And then we'll give her a ring. All right, Chelsea, let's hear it. Hi, my name is Chelsea Walliser. I am a mom of two teens in Vegas. I'm going to be honest. I called this number.

I thought there was no way that this was going to be a hotline. I believe the voice no long because that would be way too good to be true. So I guess I'm calling because I just wanted to say, why my life would be made if I got any kind of response back, first of all. And second, this show was so beautifully written. I watched, obviously, all of the seasons, and not only did I watch them and cry in every single episode, and I admire a crier,

but now I have two teams that are annoyed with everything I do, my existence, my breathing. But they love this show, and we sit down together, and we watch it as a family. And it's something we discuss, we talk about, and it helps me introduce life lessons to them. And I just wanted to say thank you. I think you guys are so amazing and so talented.

Every single one of you, I don't think any other show is ever going to live up who this is us. It's every single family in a different way. And again, the writing, I don't understand how they did it, but it ties in to your heart in every single episode. So thank you for having this hotline. and for sharing your talent with us and your story with us and for giving you know moms somewhere to go and help wind down and breathe out for an hour um and for being kind decent people it seems

like so um thanks bye chelsea i don't know if we're going to be giving chelsea emotional support or she's giving us emotional support i feel so good also her voice is so soothing it really is wow what beautiful sentiment like for our first emotional support hotline caller i'm ready to call her let's call her let's call her back let's call her back let's call her back hello chelsea hi it's chris sullivan and mandy more and sterling brown all right i'm going to try to stay calm right now um thank you so much for calling me oh my goodness thank you for your beautiful voicemail no need to stay calm we're not calm at all that was that was a beautiful beautiful beautiful We're so touched. Thank you. Chelsea, we actually just said, we don't know if we're going to be

giving you emotional support or if you just gave it to us. Because that was about the sweetest thing that we've heard in a long time. We're so glad the show has touched you. So glad that you're now able to watch it with your kids and sort of impart life lessons onto them through the show. Like what a special sort of bonding, connecting experience you get to have with them. Tell us more about that? So I have two kiddos that are in the teen phase right now. One is 12 and 13. They're 11 months apart.

Okay. So it's a, yeah, so it's a super stage run right now. And, you know, of course, I started off just watching it. And it became my hour of, they knew not to bother me during that hour I was watching the show. They were more than welcome to watch it with me, but they kind of would roll their eyes and, yeah, you know,

mom, no, that's, that's, that's your show. And so it became like, my own quiet time to decompress and and then after i watched it all and i started to they wanted to start watching it with me and um it just kind of has become like a time for us to sit down as a family together and and talk about life lessons and they tease me um because i know i cry in every single episode hey so do we so do we right and i'm not a crier i'm not an emotional person but man you guys get me every time is there a recent example of one of the one of the life lessons or something that you guys connected on that was an interesting conversation good question honestly i feel like every single episode

there's there's something that we take away from definitely the teen episodes you know where it shows real life situations with what the teens are going through and how you know they get so irritated with me because i kind of all i'll always glance over when rebecca is scolding the teens for you know not listening or did something they weren't supposed to or they talk to them in a, you know, disrespectful way and come back around. I definitely will say that the episode where Jack passes away, which I will never get over. Yes, ma'am. You know, when Kevin was mouthy and walks away and that's something that he had to live with the rest of his life. And so we definitely talked about, you know, you never know. We have a very short amount of time here. We don't know when it's going to be the last time we see each other.

And that was definitely an amazing. moment where we stopped and kind of reflected we treat each other because it can be gone in a minute you know so yeah yeah I'm curious what the what the sibling dynamic is between your kids like does it echo some of what we see on the show are they a little closer than and sometimes we see like Randall and Kevin

absolutely yep and I would say that that is more so their dynamic at this stage is Randall Randall and Kevin you know they absolutely they that's all knows is to have each other. But they're at a stage now where everything irritates each other. They, you know, they want their own space, they want their own time, but then there's still many times where I'll all wake up and they're still cuddled up and they fall asleep together. So yeah, they're best friends who also beat each other up every day.

Yeah, so I have the same thing. Mine aren't as close in age as yours, but they love to hate each other before they love each other again. Exactly. They would be lost without each other. But, you know, so that's just been the most recent thing with us. But, I mean, there's not enough time for me to tell you guys how amazing your show is. All the lessons. It's just, yeah, it's just amazing.

I think you're every single one of you, I mean, I'm a nobody, but you're acting. It's just amazing. Chelsea. Chelsea, you're not a nobody. Yeah. I'm one of the bazillion people. If you've watched, this is us. Come on, there's no such thing as a nobody.

You know this. Thank you. That is true. But, I mean, you know, the show is one of the very few that I feel like didn't make everything rainbows and butterflies. It showed real. You know, Jack and Rebecca had this amazing love story, but it wasn't smooth sailing. She was an amazing mom, but she felt like she kind of lost herself. and it shows those battles.

So very few shows, it's like you finish each episode and you're like, okay, that's relatable. Like, I get, that's where I'm out in this stage. Rannels' anxiety. I've had anxiety my whole life. So it was so amazing to see a writer actually hit touch, you know, on every real life thing that people go through.

So thank you guys. It was just amazing. Thank you. Thank you for distilling down what the show is meant to you and really what the show is. show is and is about in such a you know sort of like macro sense like I've never heard it described so perfectly really like so succinctly yeah thank you yeah and and there's even episodes where you're not as invested in specific characters

because they're not necessarily main characters and so I'm gonna be honest when you start this episode there's at first you're kind of like oh man I was kind of hoping to touch more on this or this you know but then by the end of the episode, once again, even those characters that seem like they're not a huge part of the story ties in to the rest of the big story. It's amazing to me how the writers, I don't understand how they did it. Even my husband, you know, I reeled him in as well. And he was even from the first episode where you realize that, you know, you guys are the babies and everything's tied in and he was blown away.

Like, how does the writer even? I know. We felt like that when we read it, too. We were like, how the hell? Yeah. If you watch any of our press interviews throughout the seasons, it's a constant tennis match of the writers throwing praise at actors and the actors throwing the praise right back to the writers.

True. Yeah. They're incredibly lucky. I want to say this to your voicemail because you were talking about how your kids don't think you're cool because they're teenage. I have a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old. My 8-year-old thinks I'm pretty cool. The 12-year-old thinks I'm pretty lame.

And the fact of the matter is, Chelsea, I am pretty cool. So this is what I'm saying. We all go through that same thing together, so you are not alone. That's it. That's what I wanted you to know. You are very cool. Take it from us. We'll give it to you, even if your kids won't right now.

they'll come back around. Amen. Right. And I, the theme song for forever now, literally my life anthem. I cry every single. I play it. I think you guys are amazing. Chelsea, thank you for, like, kicking this off in such a fantastic manner. You have made our day. This is exactly what the emotional support hotline was intended to be. Thank you for leading the charge. It would like, truly, it just, it made our whole week to be able to talk to you. made my entire life. You know, and you guys are so sweet. So thank you so much.

Likewise. Chelsea, you're the best. You know, and just to be clear, I know I touched him Randall and I touched her, Rebecca. Toby and Kate were absolutely also just so you guys were amazing. Look at her. She's like, I'm not going to leave you out, young man. Like I said, I don't have enough time. But you guys are, that storyline, the love story, the life struggles, the utility stuff, the showing up for each other when

even when you guys didn't make it work, everything about every single one of you guys just were amazing in every episode. Chelsea, thank you. And if your kids ever give you any more guff, you just play this portion of this podcast for them. Absolutely. And they'll know exactly how cool their mom is. I will hold on to this few minutes for every single day, every bad moment.

You guys have completely shared me up. So thank you guys so much. That means a lot. Thank you. Have a good day, Chelsea. Yeah, we're sending you lots of love. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Thank you guys.

Thank you so much. Have a great rest of the day. You too. You too. Chelsea. Bye. Come on. That's.

Come on. How can we ever been doing this our whole lives? Remarkable. That was awesome. This is going to be great. She's awesome. She was amazing. That was just like a shot of dopamine or something.

I'm like, who, I feel. Yeah, I do too. That's a thing too. Isn't it always a thing? It's like you think you're doing something for people. And like you get just as much as you hopefully gave to them. Right? Like it's real. Like, uh-huh. But that's so rare. You know what I mean? It's like not every project that we're all lucky enough to be a part of is going to have those same sort of like connective. Exactly. Connective tissues and like far reaching. It's it's really something that I think all of us will hold on to forever because of that. It's like what it meant. And to us, it meant to the world or to, you know, some folks out there. And that's beyond special and rare. I'm vibrating. Me too, me too. And this is a rare opportunity to be able to look back and, you know, we have these interactions

on the street maybe with a fan who we get a couple seconds. Sure. And it's hard. People are running around. You're in a busy place, whatever it is. But to sit down for, you know, 10 minutes and talk to somebody about the show is unique. Yeah, and how it specifically impacted them. And I feel like she just had such a, like, terrific grasp of what the show was.

Yeah. And I was like, can you be the spokesperson moving forward? I was like, you know, break it down better than that's. Totally. Awesome. Well, that was the premiere of the emotional support hotline. I liked it. Brought to you by Talkspace.

Exactly how we intended. Thanks, Talk Space. We'll do it again next time. Thanks, Talk Space. at The Crow and produced by Rabbit Grinn Productions and Sarah Warehunt, music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.