That Was Us - Oh, Brother | "The Best Washing Machine in the Whole World" (S1E7)

Episode Date: July 9, 2024

Family secrets can create a strong bond, or be divisive. When William and Beth bond over special brownies, a major secret is spilled: Rebecca and William have known each other all this time with no one, not even Randall, the wiser. Meanwhile, also divisive is that of the relationship between Randall and Kevin. It all comes to a head, and so as we break down the episode, we also break down familial relationships and discuss the moral responsibilities we face within our own family networks. Follow That Was Us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of That Was Us, we'll be discussing season one, episode seven, the best washing machine in the world. William unexpectedly reveals a secret to Beth when they're together. Rebecca and Jack admit that there is a distance growing between them, and Toby strays from his diet. here we go friends how's everybody doing today well how are you I'm doing quite well it's a beautiful day good to see you guys it's great to jump into this washing machine with you this episode was beautiful as ever but uncomfortable yeah we were talking about that off like offline yes we were yeah I mean so okay let's start with the beautiful let's start with this sort of montage that we have at the beginning of the different

washing machines of the Pearson household, right? And sort of how it echoes a passage of time, because it's the first time that we get a chance to see the big three as teenagers. Correct. Which I was sort of like, it's sort of reminded. I was like, oh, here we go. Yeah.

Same. Yeah. It's funny rewatching your reminded of things that like happened way earlier. Yeah. Like my recollection was like, oh yeah, like halfway through. I guess this is kind of sort of halfway almost, but that was sort of jarring to me. So we meet Niles, Logan, and Hannah.

And Hannah. Yeah. Were they even cast when we first started filming the show? As a matter of fact. Oh, I was going to say. Go, go, no, no. Go, Mandy Moore. As a matter of fact, no one really knows this.

Yeah. But there were three other younger. Another age. Another age. Yes. And we actually shot all of the football scenes. with them. Yes.

And then it was decided that there wasn't enough of a definitive age gap between the younger big three. And these were supposed to be teenagers and take us through that whole storyline and Jack's passing, whatnot, whatnot. So it was a heartbreaking moment, I'm sure, the realization of these three very, very talented young people just for the sake of being a little too young. They just wanted to age them up just to be a little bit. Yeah, they had to, they recast Hannah, Logan, and Niles, and this was the first time we got to work with them.

The rest is history. Crazy. And they're fantastic. Yeah. They're fantastic. Immediately from the jump. Yeah. As our younger Big Three was, too, it's just like, it's so incredible again to sort of be reminded of that.

Like, wow, these young people really knew who these characters were from the get-go. There was no sort of like training wheels. they just took off. It took me halfway through the episode to realize that this was the first time we were meeting them. Yeah. Like I was like,

I feel like I've known them forever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right? Because we've seen the babies. We've seen the grown ups. And I'm like, oh, yeah, there they are. I was like, oh, wait. This is the first time in the series that we meet them.

Yeah, the continuity of character that we've been able to like sort of pull off in that show is kind of remarkable. Yeah. Because when I watch it, I'm like, all right, what's Randall doing at this age? What's Randall doing it? What's grown Randall doing?

Like, I don't even see like, it's just like, It's Randall all the way through. It's getting through, Kate through. It's very cool. Yeah. But so we get to this beautiful moment of this montage of washing machines and we get to this new period of time for the Pearson's. And we also find Jack and Rebecca with a little bit of distance. Sure.

And we were saying to each other. Casual, casual distance. Pedestrian distance. Which you can call a benign neglect. Yep. Parallel lives. Lot of mercy, man. It made this.

each other. Made me so daggum uncomfortable because we all know it. Yes. You know? And it's like gosh, you wish there was some sort of cruise control button on marriage that you could just go like,

all right, it's going to be cool for the next year. So I can go ahead. The problem is the problem is there is one. And people hit it. And this is what happens. That's the problem. Yeah. Yeah. You probably right. I mean like a good cruise control, everything's fine. where the car drives itself.

You want autonomous driving. Something like that. It doesn't exist. No potholes. No. It doesn't exist. So Jack, he says to Miguel later in the episode because he's about to run out of the house to go to work.

And Rebecca was like, Jack, he's like, oh. And what caught me in particular, too, that it was on the cheek. Because I know Jack and Rebecca, they'd be opening their mouth. That's right. Lips be into lock and I'm like, I was like, oh, see, there was just a little cheek, Jack. Yeah, yeah. Oh, that didn't feel right to me. Just like, that kiss in and of itself was, like, to me, like, hmm, something's going on.

Yeah. So then he goes to work. He's kicking it with Miguel or whatnot. And Miguel's eating it. First of all, John Hortez is so dumb. Yeah. It's so dumb in the most delightful way, eating this dead girl sandwich. And is it his secretary?

Yes. Someone that works in the office. Two secretaries. It's... Comes in, and she's clearly very flirtatious. And he has no qualms with it. And it's so, watching Milo as Jack be so bothered. Like he's just really like, oh, this is what we do.

Yeah, you can always tell what Milo does the like back of the hair pat, pat down. It's like this is, I don't like it. His hackles are up, he's putting them back down. I don't like what I'm seeing. And so they have a little flirtation. And then she comes back in. And his tie is sort of a skewer's button on his collar

was undone. And so she comes in, does the button, and he looked like, woman, I don't know why he's touching me. It was like, he touched. And then she said, your wife should have caught that. Come on now. I was like, excuse me, ma'am. Let me see.

I was offended, like, as the character. Ma'am. It is not my job to button his shirt, but okay. Real talk. Real talk. And so he mentions that it was the first time they hadn't kissed in a minute. Rebecca is, as her first rehearsal. Yeah.

And in a long time, really excited, wanting to share it with it. He's busy. He's got a client that he's got to sign tonight. She's got the rehearsal. The kids have the football game. And it's just like, it's one of those moments, one of them life moments. He's like, oh, snap. All right, we'll figure it out.

Yeah, how, but we will. We don't know how, but we'll figure it out. There's a real enthusiasm. First of all, Mandy Moore, when she up there on that stage sang, she's like, oh, I haven't done it in a while. I'm so nervous. And then she's like, ho la la la la la la. Okay, side note, I saw Mandy perform at Carnegie Hall a month ago, and she tried to pull the same stuff in front of Carnegie Hall.

She's like, she's like, guys, this is not my day job. It's nice. And I haven't done this in a while. I was watching the episode going, I don't even remember singing that song. Hold on. It's wild. I'm not done complimenting you. Don't try to bring it back to the episode.

I went to the show with a vocal coach and classically trained singer. And he was like, that was. What was she talking about? That was the best sounding voice all night. Oh, golly Goops. That's not true. Oh, golly Goops, guys. She sang the Forever Now.

Did she really? At Carnegie Hall. Lord of mercy. With who? Taylor Goldsmith. You and your husband went and did that song. It was beautiful. But anyway, she gets on stage here on this episode and knocks it out of the park again.

Totally knocks it out of the park. You know what? The hat too. That's very kind. Yeah. Hala and the costume depart. just like reimagining this like iteration of Rebecca was a lot of fun. Yeah. It's also interesting because I feel like this was, again, our first indication of

Rebecca revisiting something that meant a lot to her as a young person and sort of the complications that will arise from that in terms of like family and scheduling and making that work and Jack's jealousy and there's just, there's a lot, I think, that sort of being built into what's coming back that's percolating there's i heard something on another podcast recently it's a husband and wife who once a week sit down and talk and and record it and put it out there for the world and it is extremely funny cool boy vulnerable and one of my favorite things but one of the things they mention is nobody tells you when you have kids how much you're going to miss your partner nobody tells like nobody talks about that you better stop preaching here nobody talks

I'm going to church. Is that what we doing? Yeah. Come on now. And my wife, Rachel and I have gone through this episode. Yes, sir. And we have a three and a half year old and a one and a half year old. And so we've kind of done it twice in the last four years where you have to like redefine yourself.

Yeah. And you get so stuck trying to take care of this being, this human being. And all of your oxytocin is focused on this point that you forget to, point any of it at each other. Yes. And this is where that parallel living comes up. And it takes active intervention to prevent it. Like you can't just.

There's no good. There's no burden. So on my Instagram free the other day, something came up about like how the transference of oxytocin or seroton. I can't remember which one happens with like a 20 second hug or a six second kiss. Yeah. It hit me how long it had been since I kissed my wife for six seconds. For six seconds.

Wow. And so I kissed her this morning, this morning. And each time, like, I tried to kiss her, she kept trying to feel like, this is long enough, right? I was like, no, it's supposed to be six seconds. I had to tell her. You put a timer on the phone. Hold on a second.

We put an alarm on. I had to tell her for six seconds because, man, it is so easy to fall into that benign neglect. Yeah. Yeah. We got five, six soccer games this weekend, football games. Anyway, we can all relate. Absolutely. A big part of, like, what Rebecca is doing in this episode.

even Rachel has started to do, it's like, okay, I'm done just being a mom. Like, she just did her first five minutes of stand-up. She enrolled in a vocal workshop. She, no joke, is starting Aikido because she's like, I don't care. I don't care if I understand it or like it. I need to find myself again. And I've been the same. I'm like, I'm like, Rachel, I got to go back to New York and do some theater.

I have to. Like, I have to. Like, and giving. making a space for each other to do that and support each other to do that. And kudos, though, for you as an individual recognizing, like, I need to do this. Because I think sometimes it's easy just to flail or to continue down the path that you've been going down. But to recognize, like, this is truly what's going to feed me, make me a better person, a better partner, and a better parent is wise. It was one of those things where we need to stop trying to, and I think maybe I've said this on here already, but somebody else is probably on a podcast because all I do is this.

I record podcasts. I listen to podcast. We need to stop trying to take care of each other. The reverse of it is the best way for me to take care of you is to take care of myself, right? And to make sure that I have what I need so that I can arrive fully to whatever we're trying to do here as parents. Self care ain't selfish, big dog. Self care ain't selfish. Speaking of this, that's a good segue.

Can we go into Kate and Toby? Please. I think it's a good set. So we see Kate kicking ass and taking names. She is, like, very diligent in her exercise routine, very diligent in what she's putting into her body, right? Like, is really trying to, like, focus on a path to health and wellness, et cetera. Yeah. So she goes, they go to the OA meeting.

Shout out to Divine Joy Randolph, who was posting that meeting again. Academy Award winner. Excuse me. And they have the, is it a monthly weighing or a check-in? Yeah. Kate had lost a pound in a quarter and a quarter and a quarter and she was like yo I've been busting my ass and I got a pound in the quarter so she's like all right just cool whatever I'm not feeling great about it but it's a loss then oh to bias damon roll up onto the scale he's like all right let's see what we got you know don't care about it Don't do the walk. He's just, you know, he does a little thing

and walks up there. Eight pounds for Tobias. And he's like, oh, cool. Knowing full well, he's like, Kate ain't going to be happy. Yeah, this isn't going to work. Like, you knew, he knew stepping on to, I feel like, you tell me, I feel like you stepping on his scale, like, I had the sort of feeling they're like,

I've lost more weight than my girl. And it's not going to go. Yeah. This is a lose, lose. Yeah, she said eight more pounds. So it's like this. Yeah. It's been a good month.

Yeah. And you see Kate just sort of like slip out the back. Yeah. Right? She's like, I can't be present for this joyful moment. So let me excuse myself. Which I think is not a bad way of doing. Right?

She gets on the phone later. She's like, look, I know I ducked out. I'm sorry about that. Let's get together. I want to see you. Da-da-da-da. Toby didn't answer. Toby always be answering the phone, right?

Toby for his girl. Yeah. So she's like, you know, I'm going to knock on this dude's door. Clock, clock, clock. clock toby opened the door like suspicious told me open the door and it's like standing at the door way i was like wait is there someone in there toby who you got in your apartment i thought the same thing i was like don't be doing that he had sara lee he and she goes he's like can you come in can i come in and you're like yeah and i you had bags upon bags yeah yeah

it was a full-on binge it was a full-on binge it was a full-on binge which you know in a in a program like that, you know, you kind of set your own guidelines with what, what it means, if it's a, if it's a technical OA meeting, you're, your, what it means to be sober around, around food, making sober decisions around food. And he clearly was feeling guilty and feeling like he was going to hide it. Yeah. And the, the, the kind of resentment that comes out in, in that relationship is that whatever you're doing doesn't work is not working for me yeah like I'm doing all right I lost eight pounds

like like not allowed but like like the what works for some people doesn't work for other people and you can't force yourself into into something that is going to make you resentful so do you think like for folks who are who are going through similar situations like is it a real sort of thing for him to articulate, like, what you're doing is not necessarily right for me. Even though I know what I'm doing here is not right for me either. I have to sort of recalibrate my own path vis-à-vis yours. I think, I can't remember the language he uses, but withholding, withholding from myself, or abstaining, like, drove him to this.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, not being able to indulge, you know. Moderately. Moderately, which he says. But then the props department. and at the end gives Toby the largest. That cake at the lunch, at the dinner that you guys liked? Marshmallow cookie, chocolate.

What was that? I was like, that is a long string of caramel. It was marshmallow. Let's just put it this way. It was delicious. Glad to know. It was what it was. But I think the further point of like this rupture is that you see.

So there's unconscious parallel living that we're talking about. Like just circumstances kind of like sending you down this road. But then there's this situation where Kate and Toby have set out on the same path to do the same thing. And this is the first hint that no matter what they do, that they're going to have to walk two separate roads to get this, which is difficult for a couple. Very much so. I think that, like, what it felt like in watching Chrissy, who is, just for you guys who don't know, Chrissy is one of the most, everything lives right here. Right on the surface. Like right there on top.

Yeah. So it makes her such an incredible actor. It's what makes her- Because she has access to all. Yeah. And so like you see on her face like, oh, well, this is like, you can't keep things from me. Yeah.

Right. Like if we're gonna do this and be together in it, like I know that I said that this is what I want. And if it's not what you want, but you have to be, for you to be with me, you have to hide who you are. Right. Like that doesn't work. It gets complicated, yeah.

So you guys decide to go on the dinner later on. And you tell her, like, look, I can do this. I can do it my way. And when I'm with you, I will not be a stumbling block for you. Sure, sure. Yeah. Right. And she's like, okay, so you guys have a healthy dinner, et cetera.

Waiter comes by, says, are you guys interested in the menu? You say no. She goes, yeah. And he's like, huh? He's like, yeah. I mean, otherwise you may just go home and do it behind closed doors. so you might as well do it here. And essentially, I'm glad that you told us it was delicious

and props to the props department because looking at it, I was like, Lord have mercy. Like, there's a way to, like, baby tell your way into the dessert department with your girl. She was like, no. It wasn't a piece of cheesecake. We'll go away.

I'll have the eight cookie marshmallow shower, please. One spoon, one spoon. Just for one. Yeah. it was they it was full swing yeah so it leaves you it leaves you wondering like i think that the state of uh kate and toby katovi is sort of like all right how do we progress yeah from here with this sort of new yeah yeah dynamic that's intricate yeah it's funny that like everybody seems to sort of be following suit with that idea and the theme in this episode yeah because we also yes get to really

experience Kevin and Randall's dynamic for the first time. The root and understanding a little bit more, excavating a bit deeper as to what caused this rift that we sort of experience present day with them. Yeah. So it goes to the back. We have them in the same bedroom, the two boys, which makes total sense. Randall's studying, Kevin trying to get some sleep, lights kind of bother them or whatnot. Kev, just being the Neanderthal dude that he is, just throws the football, knocks over to Coke, jacks up my man's homework, and they started arguing with each other. Yeah. Mom comes in, fellas, what's popping? Can we, can we, like, calm down? He's like, this dude's got

his light on. I got a big football game tomorrow, says Kev. He's like, well, I got to finish this homework. And you're like, yo, your brother started football too, so he doesn't have as much time to study. So can you cut him some slack? He's like, Kev's like, no. No, I want to go to the basement. Right. Right. So, now we have active parallel living. Yeah. It's like, I don't want to be here. I want to be here because here is away from you. Yeah. Right. And you see Randall almost immediately like, no, dude, I'll just turn off. You can stay. You can stay. I'll turn it off. I'll go down to the kitchen. It's all good. The ultimate compromiser. And he's like, no, I'm done. And it hit me. It hit Sterling who played Randall. Yeah. Of like, God, no, bro, I'm trying to do something and you just won't take anything.

It was brutal. He goes down to the basement or whatnot. And you see the first interaction between teen Randall and Kate, right? Just being like, why doesn't he like me? Yeah. Right? And Kay's like, you just try too hard, man. Like, go easy with it.

And so you see the first example of Randall going easy, like tell it some terrible joke. Like making fun of his new digs. Making fun of his place or whatnot. And Kevin's just through. He's like, bro, why don't you just leave? Yeah. He's like, I'm trying to help. I'm just trying to be funny.

Like, what are you talking about? He's like, nah, man, like, you're lame. I can't remember what he said. But shout out to Logan. Because Logan's one of the nicest young men that you can ever meet. But he captures a dick. Oh. Dagger.

That essence of Kevin as a teenager, for sure. It was killer. And so before we even get to like the present day story, so they have, Kevin has a football game. And Kevin's like a prospect. He's a quarterback, you know, doing. But Randall started playing football this season too. So Randall started playing football too at a different school. And they got to play against each other.

Which shout out to Rebecca, who's dressed all in beige. Yeah. But with one palm palm of each color. For each school, right? And Jack is like, what are you worried? He's like, I want it to be as neutral as possible. Smart. It's very, very smart.

Yeah, she figured it out. Yep. But watching the football game, it reminded me, okay, let's go fast forward to the future. They're jogging in the neighborhood together. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And Randall's a little bit ahead of Kev and Kev catches up to run with him. And then Randall goes forward a little bit and then Kev catches up. And then these cats are just like taking off, you know what I'm saying?

So you go back to the football game and Randall's playing defense. And like one of the first plays, he wallops his brother. Yeah. And there are these moments in life when you're like, what I want to do in life, I can't. But because I have these pads on, they like applaud me for it. Yeah. And it's like, nothing gives me more joy than to just blast you. Yeah.

And you see him look at it, you see Kevin look at him like, and Randall's like, yeah, yeah. And it happens again, right? another and then they just start fighting yeah and it's it's i remember the days of being testosterone infused and it's still there but i'm saying when you are a teenager it's a poison the ability to make rational decisions because of this hormone that surges through you messes with your brain you have no cause i'm just like oh fight oh yeah hit this is what i do don't do that to the mic I won't do that to the mic. I apologize.

Sorry. Sorry. Everybody's fine. I just jacked y'all up. My fault. But it was like Hulk smash. And for an intelligent dude because it's like everything else that he has tried to this point has failed him. Right?

So these dudes are there. Go to present day and they're about to go meet their mom for lunch. He's going to meet, Kevin's going to come to Randall's office and then they're going to go to lunch from there. Unfortunately, Rebecca can't make. to lunch for some reason or another. Wait, because Miguel has gout, his gout was flaring up. So this is, this was just such a, like, hold the phone. How did we never bring this back up again in the history of the show?

There's a couple of those. Because early on, it was just for, fuck Miguel. It was just like, everybody was like, wait, Miguel has gout? Yeah. What? I can't, we can't. You were so casual on the phone, like, oh, Miguel's gout's acting up again.

Oh, it's flaring up. Okay, we'll see you later, Mom. In a funnier show, that would have been the first in a long line of, like, phone calls. Like, we can't make it because of his... Because of his hemorrhoids. Yeah. It's like a new, like, he constantly's dealing with something embarrassing. And then he's obviously figured out he has to walk.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And the actor's like, would you stop? Giving me all these ailments. We're going to be gone for like a week. Sorry, I just wrote that down. He has to get surgery. No, it's a good note. He has to get surgery for his lazy eye.

It was just like such a slam. Miguel and the holdovers. Which one do I look? Yeah. More that was us after these words from our sponsors. Did you know that hyluronic acid naturally occurs in our skin but decreases gradually as we age? Actually, I am just learning this now and I'm getting to this skin game a little late. And so now I'm really trying to get in touch with what's going to.

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Code T-W-U to save 20% on your first order. V-E-G-A-M-O-R.com slash T-W-U, code T-W-U. So they're stuck kind of like having to hang with each other. And they're both like, you know, if you have something to do, like, no, I'm free. Like if you have something to do, no, I'm free, so they go. Yeah. And Beth sort of hinted at it before. Like, oh, you and Kevin are going to spend some quality time to?

Like yeah, he's my brother, what are you talking about? Like we spend time with each other all the time. It's like, yeah, but you're usually not the only two people there. Like, well, mom will be there. Anyway, so we get a hint of like what's to come. Kev comes to the office. This is, I love this moment because Randall's in the middle. He's in his wheelhouse.

Yeah. Being the star. Where he's the man. Then in walks the manny and all attention go straight to the manny. Yeah. Which I think is so interesting because they both have this interesting relationship. interesting relationship with each other, of like, oh, everybody loves and sort of revolves around you,

and I think everybody loves and revolves around you. They're both stars in their world. They're both stars in their world, right? Then they go to this place, and this was, this one was even ice cold for SKV. They're at this place, it's very she-she, whatnot. It's not necessarily his vibe or what have you, but it's cool. And then Kevin's co-star from The Mani comes up.

So I was like, yeah, what's going on, man? How are you doing? It's good to see you. Like, we have to catch up, get together, da, da, da. I'm like, who's that? And he's like, really funny, bro. And I'm like, okay. And then you just see him, Randall just keep eating.

We find out. Randall has never, never seen the show. Never watched the manny. Yeah. And like, as an actor, like, you say you relate to Randall. That was the moment where I was like. You ain't watched not one episode of my dead gun show, bro? Yeah.

He's like, he's a serious regular for this four seasons. Yeah. And Justin, just being, I, serious, right? Like, the way Justin delivers that vibe. Oh, my favorite when he was like, what was my character's name? He's like, don't tell him. And turns to the guy next to him.

Was that improvised? That was improvised. Of course it was. Of course I knew it was. It was totally improvised. This is great. So that is also one of the first times that this is us, went on location.

Because while we shot that in LA, the exterior that follows it, we actually went to New York City to shoot. Just for that scene. Just for that scene. Well, so Kevin leaves a restaurant and a huff, you go chasing after him. Where a fight sort of ensues, an argument

that then leads to like a physical altercation. Correct. A surprisingly uncoordinated fight. Well, listen. For two. For two, very coordinated. It's a actor and a dude who sell trades weather.

Listen, listen. The fight, ironically, was a great relief. Yeah. Yeah, it was. From the rest of the episode. I would rather see you physically fight. Totally. Than sit and have dinner together.

When you guys actually start, I was like, oh, thank God. Well, because before, what precipitates the fight is a really heavy conversation. Yes. Because what's, Kev says something about mom. Because, not because you're black, because you're black and adopted. Right. I just remember thinking as I watched it, I was like, oh, these are sentiments they've never really relayed to each other. They've talked around it, but never said these exact words to each other.

No, because, okay, because Kev drops this bar. Kevin sees the black manny poster. Yeah. With Morris Chestnut. With Morris Chestnut. Mo Nuts. Thank you very much. And he goes like, oh, great, replaced by another black man.

Yeah. And I was like, oh, I was like, so you're just going to drop that and not talk about it anymore? And then he goes on to like, you always got special treatments as Kevin. I said because I'm black. He goes, no, because you're black and you're adopted. Yeah, hit the jackpot with that combination. Couldn't have had it any easier. And our house you did with our mother, you did.

All right. Okay, here we go. Kevin says, why can't you just admit it, man? What? If you're going to do the whole scene, let me play Kevin. New York, you're like, I don't have to do the whole scene. But it is this things that you said that have not been talked about or being talked about for like the first time. Yeah.

And underneath that too is this idea that like, yeah, mom had my back because she recognized that like the person that I was trying to connect with was just ghosting me. Right, right. And so they get into this fight, right? They start, it gets physical, they get down on the ground. We're mashing each other's face. We're on the streets of New York and we're careful of like what the urine percentage is on the concrete at that time. I was like, please don't make my head touch the ground. You're like, please don't make mine.

And we're like, push it. Wait, they didn't clean the ground? Oh, no, no. Oh, no, no, no, Sterling. Yeah, wherever we were. Yeah, it's dirty. Yeah. It's dirty.

No one came in pressure washed anything for you? No, I don't think so. Oh, no. A beautiful moment, Seth Myers. Seth Myers, our guest star. Yes, walks by. He's like, hey, Kev. He's like, oh, hey, Seth.

Like, you're okay? He's like, yeah. You need me to call anybody? Yeah, you need me to call anybody? He's fine. He's my brother. He's like, okay. I said, hey, Seth Myers, he's gone.

And then you hear an alarm, like, or a siren, police siren. And I love that they kept this. And I was like, oh, we should go. And then Randall says, I'm still black, which is definitely something that's, Brown said in the moment, because I was like, I don't mess with police. Whether we're playing or not, I was like, you're going to get out of here.

Oh, a clip from Seth Myers. Hey, everybody, this is Seth Myers. I remember when I was asked to cameo on This Is Us. My first thought was, I can't believe Fallon said no. But I did jump at the opportunity to do it. I was very excited to work with Mandy Morgan. we collaborated on the film American Dreams. True story.

Pausing. For applause. For standing ovation. No one saw it. So then I showed up and obviously was massively disappointed that my scene was not with Mandy, but with Sterling and Justin, mostly because they spent the whole night asking me how I stayed in such good shape, and I just had to break it to them. You know, you either have it or you don't.

Or you don't. I was very excited. to get to hang out with Ken Olin. That's right. That's his last name. Because I'm a huge fan of his. I didn't realize he was the director, and we were hanging out in the tent,

and I was asking him about the show Easy Streets, which only ran for eight episodes, but that was a big fan of. And I'm going to go on a limb and say Ken had not been asked about Easy Streets for a long time. It was very clear that we were in a fictional universe, because Sterling and Justin both recognized me, as Seth Myers and the people in New York City who passed over the course of the night

that we shot it did not. So that was jarring that I'm so much more famous in that universe and I'm in this one. And overall, though, it was a great experience. I hear about it all the time because it's a show that obviously endures

and so people start over from the beginning and every now and then on social media. I will get a lovely shout out from somebody who saw the cameo. It was the first time I met Justin Sterling. and that was very lovely. And it was a very cool show to be a part of because it was one of those rarest things

that was a hit right away and everybody really liked it. So I am incredibly grateful to have been part of it and I don't want to be too sentimental because especially when you're talking about a show that did genuine human emotion better than almost anything on TV. But if I was being honest about why I am happiest, I did it,

it's the residual checks. you know yeah yeah it's the cold heart cash yeah yeah i'm sure make it rain set the this is us but that is me for the money also i'm hoping i'm getting paid for doing this yes thanks for having me on this yeah thank you oh we love seth myers that's that's so damn funny that's set set meyers of the uh the family trips podcast that he does with his brother, Josh. Oh, my God. It must have been nice, remember when he was on TV?

Now he does podcasting like us. Then, now he does podcasting like us. He's still on TV? Oh, okay. He's still on TV, for sure. It was what was cool, too, in that moment, because I was talking to, I had always, I watched SNL, everybody watches SNL,

but I was like, man, I want to host that show. I was like, Seth Myers, what was it like, when the guests come on, like, give me some tips, like, just in case I ever get a chance to do it. And he like started talking to me about, you know, highs and lows, things to do, do's and don'ts, et cetera. And then as fortune might have it, I don't know how long it was after that episode that I got to host. Yeah. And it was so cool, you guys. I can't even imagine. I look forward to when we all get a chance to share our mutual war stories over the whole

thing, you get exhausted. And I think that's the secret of it. They just sort of exhaust you. So by the time It's 11.30 at night on Saturday. He was like, because they don't give you cocaine anymore. They don't give us cocaine anymore. They used to, but they don't anymore. Back in the, if I had got to host in the 80s or something, that would be cool. But I would have been seven. Yeah.

So, yeah, it was a great time. And he was so cool, very warm. Done his show a few different times. Genuine, cool human being. One of the best. And truly one of the very funniest people. Hysterical. I've ever meant in my life.

Hysterical. Yeah. Agreed. Agreed. If you haven't checked out their podcast, it's incredible. Yeah. Very, very funny. Nice surprise producers. Look at you guys. Surprising the hosts. Look at you. Yeah, he was definitely a nice little highlight of that episode. That was well done. I'm saying that for the people who are, you know, there's people back here off camera that do things. BTS. That surprised us. Yeah. Well done. Thank you. You're welcome. You can say something. You're welcome. Okay. Now we have Sam Trammell live. This is your life. So yeah, that that sort of ends with.

them coming back home and sort of being like that was the first time that you ever called me your brother that was the first time that you have like publicly claimed me in our 36 years of life you've called me webster you've called me all kind of different things but to hear like a brother come out was cool and so there's a mirroring of like going to the basement because he got moved to the basement and and there's a real quick there's a real quick response that he gives that's that's extremely healthy. Yes. That sucks.

He just says, that sucks. He doesn't. He doesn't argue. He doesn't try to think of a time. When we talk about the show being a handbook for life, that's how you respond to that. Yeah. Not offensive.

That sucks. Yeah. That's what we'll say. We come home and we'll get into the storyline next, I would say, because we find out that William and my wife have been doing the wacky tobacco, the cannabis, the gange, together. And I was like, y'all are getting high together? Yeah, that's cool.

That's cool. And Kev's about to go down to his office, to my wife's office, which is now his bedroom, but he got relocated downstairs. So there's a mirroring of Kevin being in the basement. And he invites Randall to hang out with him. And like you can see Randall, like, every fiber is just like giddy. And he's just trying to be like, yeah, okay. That would be, you know, if you want to.

That's a big deal. if you're cool with it, and see two brothers. What I loved was honestly, two brothers under one blanket. Because you don't get under a blanket with a grown man in no situation at all whatsoever, but with your brother. Hold on. You would get under a blanket with Sterling. If you wouldn't get under a blanket with me

while we were watching a movie. I would get under a blanket with you, but you have to be very close. Yeah. And that's the kind of close. That's the kind of closeness. That's the kind of closeness that I loved about just seeing two brothers sitting on a couch under a blanket, enjoying each other's company. Okay.

There's a great note to end it on. There's a great note to end it on. Who wants to start off the William Beth storyline? I mean. Which is probably one of my favorites in this thing. I mean, it is incredible. It is lovely to see them scheming about after the kids go to bed. and her baking up a special treat for them.

Yeah. We can talk about Susan's laugh, her high laugh, which rings out through the ages. Susan Kletchiwa, like from the beginning, when she first introduces it, she has this sort of conspiratorial glee of like, so, you know, I got some bounty. We can do a little something on the side.

Like once we put the kids to sleep, and just like, okay. And it's all to help William, because the cancer obviously has ravaged his appetite and she wants to get him to eat a little bit. and pain relief and sure. I mean, that's how it started. That's how it started.

Then he eats a little too much and accidentally over the course of the conversation reveals one of the biggest bombshells of the series. Correct. In episode seven. They start talking about this, he starts reciting. She starts reciting the poem? He does, and she joins them. He starts reciting this poem and then she just.

Thank you very much. She joins in, and she's like, how do you know this poem? And she's like, oh, this book that Randall's had for the longest time, since he was a kid. Since he was a kid. And he goes, oh, yeah, I forgot I gave that to Rebecca. Borg. And then you see Beth be like, go from high to. And she's like, huh?

And you see William be like, I'll say too much. He's like, I got to go. Actually, I think I need to go to bed. Try to backtrack. And it is, and that one, I mean, obviously has reverberations and repercussions. The audience, of course, knows that. We saw that earlier in the season, so the audience is aware that they knew each other. There was a bit of a relationship.

But we have come to understand that no one else in the universe, save for the two of that, know about this existing relationship. It became really real. Yeah. Correct. And as a viewer, I had forgotten that it happened so early in the series. We were talking about that. Like, so many of these.

monumental moments that happen in this family's life happen in these first seven episodes so far. We set a lot of stuff up, man. There's a lot of dominoes. And we've talked about this before, I think, in previous episodes, but this raises the question, how do you navigate? I was about to ask that. How would you guys have navigated knowing this news? Do you share it with your spouse? Because Beth, obviously, immediately was like, I have to tell my husband. And he's like, no, no, no, no, you can't, you can't. And this would hurt their relationship. You know how much he loves his mother. and she was just sort of like, that's my husband. How would each of you navigate a situation?

It's so interesting because when I think about it from Rebecca's perspective, I think I agree with Rebecca. But when I think about it from Beth's perspective, I'm with Beth. You know what I mean? Like when I try to think, oh, what would I do in that situation with my son? And I found his father. Do I keep him, do I not? And this is the exact opposite.

it for me. You have to, you have to share it. This is the thing. I would say this. From my perspective, you ask the question, what would I do? I do believe that it is either William or Rebecca's information to share. Sure. Right. So I would talk to them, which I think is what Beth is doing and being like, listen, this is something you have to tell your son. But maybe you put a timeline on it because if you don't, like, I don't know if I can physically walk around keeping this from my partner. Yeah. Yeah. You know, that creates distance and space and whatnot. So now that I have it, I have to do something with it, but it's really yours to do first. Yes. We have a fan segment this week. Her name is Lindsay. And she talks about a secret that was her mother's to share

with her, but her mother didn't. But her grandmother knew. And so her grandmother kind of put her on the clock and saying to her daughter, you have to tell your daughter what we know. Because if you don't by a certain time, then I'm going to tell her, right? I think I would operate in a similar sort of fashion, wanting the person whose secret it is to share to be the person to say it.

But if they don't, then I'm gonna have to let them know. I feel like I would find it so hard to walk around with that information and not share it with my spouse. But I do agree with you. It's not, I don't believe it was her information to share. Right. We'll be right back with more. That was us.

Hey, friends. It's time to talk about talk space. We have received such a great response to our fan segment. Everyone has something to talk about. And sometimes these are topics that aren't so easy to talk about. Finding the right therapist can also be tough. We've all been there, sitting in a waiting room, feeling nervous, and then realizing the fit just is.

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So next thing you know, you're having therapy with a trusted professional from the very comfort of your own home. And if something comes up between sessions or you just need to keep the conversation going, your therapist is just a quick text away. My experience with therapy is long running. I've had all different kinds. And the thing that is helpful about it is it's a place to go to be honest and to just hear things out loud.

things that are monologues that are going on in my head all the time to say them out loud sometimes just takes the weight off of them and it helps me it helps me process them if there's something wrong with your car you take it to a mechanic if you've got a little squeak in your in your soul go talk to a therapist amen i love that as a listener of this podcast you'll get eighty dollars off your first month with talk space when you go to talkspace dot com slash t wu and enter promo code space 80 to match with a licensed therapist today go to talkspace.com slash TWU and enter promo code space 80 to get $80 off your first month and to show support for this show. That's talkspace.com slash TWU promo code space 80. So I'm traveling a lot this summer, and my secret is I don't love packing.

Sometimes I'm an overpacker, sometimes I underpack. So having the right outfit for a meeting and for vacation and making sure that everything is comfortable, can be a challenge. But luckily, there's Quince. It's my go-to for high-quality vacation essentials that I will be packing for all of my foreseeable trips. Plus, there's so many options that are perfect for summer from European linen dresses and blouses and shorts from $30. There's washable silk tops, premium luggage. I'm telling you Quinn's has it all. Yeah, I'm wearing my Quince t-shirt and pants today. That's very nice. Very comfortable. I love that. But like you're

talking about, I just took a trip, and the first thing that went in the bag were two pairs of Quinn's pants, And two T-shirts, because they are my basics. They are my base layer. And then I just layer it on the top of them, you know, for whatever. I love it. Did they compare reasonably well to other sort of brands that you normally use? They're the best pair of pants I have ever ordered online, put on my body. Wow.

Okay, that's what I like to hear. Look, the best part about Quinn's is their price points. Everything is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. It's like having a little secret. When you got the perfect outfit and you know deep down, you also saved a ton of money. You're asking, how do they do it? How could they possibly do that, Sterling? Well, I'll tell you, they do it by partnering directly with top factories.

Quinn's cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to their customers. And Quinn's only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I love that. Pack your bags with high-quality essentials from Quinn's. Go to quince.com slash TW for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com slash T-W-U to get free shipping and 365-day returns. Quins.com slash T-W-U. So in the sum total of it all, where are you guys left as audience members at the end of 107?

I think this tantalizing information of Beth figuring out. that Rebecca and William had this existing, pre-existing relationship. They knew each other. It's like what is going to happen from there. Getting more information about Jack and Rebecca and where they are in their marriage and not sort of being in sync with one another. Like, I feel like this was a very open-ended episode. It's one of the great examples of the art of the cliffhanger that our show.

Sure. That our show is very, very good at. I think the only non-cliffhanger, which has, a feeling of some sort of leading to healing is Kevin and Randall. That's right. Correct. Which feels good. Yes.

Because there's a lot of things not to feel great about. Right. Yes. These brothers are going to be okay. All these parallel lives and at least one of them are starting to come back together. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

All right. Good episode. Yeah. Should we do this again? Let's do it again. Don't forget to reach out to us at that was us pod at gmail.com. Yep. You can also give us a call at 4.

412501018, leave a message. Let us know what's going on with you, how we may be of service. We're not licensed professionals, but we love to talk. We love to listen. Rate, review, and subscribe. It really helps us pay for this wonderful production. A lot of people haven't heard of our show. And bring these episodes to you.

Yeah, if you can give us to the support that we need. We appreciate it. I mean that sincerely, and also not. Thank you for listening. That was us. together friends this is fun it's a pleasure gang likewise till next time y'all okay it is time for another segment of our emotional support hotline presented by talk space this has quickly become pretty much our favorite segment i think of the show immediately we are not licensed professionals

remember that but if you would like to speak to one today and explore that process check your insurance coverage and visit talkspace.com slash TWU to get started. It's been amazing. You guys, all the listeners, you guys are amazing. Yes. Yeah. Ditto. Echo. Everything you just said. I love it. Let's see who we are talking to today. What's Lindsay? Okay. Let's hear. Here we go, Lindsay. Hi, guys. My name is Lindsay and I am from Baltimore. I watch your show religiously every week, the relationship between Randall and his birth father is what got me every single time. As someone who did not know their father or meet their father until well into mid-20s, it definitely made me cry every single week, seeing Randall and his journey of having this amazing father.

but knowing something was missing. It didn't exactly get the same closure and happiness out of my meeting that Randall did, but just seeing it all come together, really. You know how to make me cry every week, guys. Thank you. Oh, wow. That's pretty powerful. Okay.

Let me call Lindsay. Lindsay we had to talk. It's my first phone call everybody. Mandy and Chris have done the last ones. So here we go. I'm going to say our number. I'm just going to type it in. Thank you.

Chris had to learn that last one. He was like, welcome to my life. It just means mumbling to myself. And somebody would be like, what? No, hey. I wouldn't talk to you. Here we go. Hello.

Hi, is this Lindsay? Yes, it is. Hi, it's Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan and Sterling Brown. How are you doing today, Lindsay? I'm good, thank you. How are you? We're doing quite all right. We just listened to your voicemail. Thank you for calling the emotional support hotline. Your show, I don't know if it was emotional support so much as emotional distress. Well, hey, we're here to talk about it. We're here for either one. Do you want to share anything about what it was like meeting your father?

and how it came to be? Yeah, definitely. Well, my mom was a single mother, and basically, from what I've been told, is she gave him the choice of, you're either 100% in this or you're not at all. She basically was like, this isn't going to be a thing where you're here one day

and then three months you're gone, and then you make a promise of showing up, and then you don't, she said, you're either in it or you're out yeah so obviously he took the out option um so she didn't really share with me anything about him or who he was just we lived in a small neighborhood where it's one of those things where you either know everyone or you know someone that knows someone and i think it was more of a if she told me a name i would find him right or i would know someone who knew him and would have the opportunity to reach out myself without her knowing yeah and

she just didn't want that to happen. So it wasn't until I was around, I think, 22, where I was hanging out with people in my neighborhood more and was just, you know, getting into her ear of, okay, but mom, what if, like, what if I'm hanging out with a cousin and I don't know what's a cousin? What do I end up liking this person? Yeah. Yeah. It could get complicated, you know?

I don't want to, like, right. I don't want to start dating a cousin and not know. And that's just strange. Yeah. So my grandmother ended up telling me who my father was. And it turned out. Ask a quick question. Did your grandmother get permission from your mom or she just decided it was time that you knew? Well, so I had had the conversation with my mom and my grandmother like, okay, guys, it's time. I need to know a name. Yeah. And my grandmother basically told my mom, this is the timeline you have.

to tell her, and if you don't, by this day, I'm going to tell her. All right, Grandma. Okay. The time came, and my mom still didn't want to tell me, so my grandmother did. Gotcha. Okay. Continue, please. So then that caused a little bit of an issue with my mom being very upset at my grandmother

for quite some time, so that was a whole other thing to deal with. But once I was given the name, then I realized, oh, okay, so I may not have known who this person was or met him, but I actually know people that he's related to. So it turned out, like I had a half-brother, and I used to play with him growing up, and I didn't know he was my half-brother. Or one of my friends, her mother, had gotten married, and the guy she was. she married was my uncle, and I didn't know he was my uncle. So I would do, like, sleepovers at her house, and I would go on vacations with her family, and I was on vacation with my uncle. Holy cow.

This is a complex situation. It really is. It's like the TV shows. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So then the last one was I started having my first job, and one of my first days at the job, an older woman walked in, and she first.

First question, who are your parents? So I told her my mom's name, and then she's like, what about your father? I said, I don't know. She let it go. She would come in every day when I worked. She always gave me tips. Like nobody gave me a tip, but she gave me a tip every time she came in. She was my grandmother.

I knew it. She recognized you. She knew immediately. Oh, she knew immediately. Oh, my goodness. Oh. Wow. Yeah.

So once I was told in name. then all the pieces kind of fell in place where I was like, oh, okay, so I didn't know any of these people were related to me, but they all knew and just weren't allowed to say anything. Oh, wow. Lindsay, do you know now? Like, do you know all the, like, do you see these people? Do you? So I made arrangements through my friend's mom who was married to my uncle to meet my dad and we're both very shy people so it was a very uncomfortable meeting of meeting at their house and just kind of staring at a stranger that shouldn't have been a stranger. Then I went to a couple of family functions where I had the opportunity to meet his parents, his brothers and

sisters, cousins. That happened a couple of times. Then I went to his mother's funeral and I was one of, I was his only child that went to his mother's funeral. This is the woman who left you tips. Yes. Okay. Wow. I only had the opportunity to meet her once knowing that she was my grandmother. So I went to her funeral with him.

And as we were leaving, he just, he said, I wish I had known about you. And I knew that he did know about me because my mom had finally opened up and told me more stories about encounters where she was like, I thought he. he was going to come over and say something, and I thought it was going to start something, but he just kind of, like, stood back and watched you from afar and left it at that. So I knew he knew about me, so him saying that was just kind of a trigger for me where it just hit me the wrong way. Sure.

So that was the last time I saw him was his mother's funeral. Was that years ago? Was it months ago? I would say it was probably five years ago. Oh, wow. Okay. Thank you for being vulnerable enough to share your story with us. That is.

Yeah, not a problem. I mean, like I said, watching the relationship between Randall and William just struck so hard. I've never seen a relationship like that on TV. So then seeing it and being able to relate to it so well. And obviously, Randall having a much better turnout of events. I mean, I know William eventually passes away, but he got the time to, be with his dad and learn about him and find out why certain things happened the way they did. Yeah.

Some closure. Definitely. So watching it, I was like, okay, I'm glad at least someone got what they needed out of it. Wow. That's incredibly magnanimous of you because it could, the reaction could be something different. Like, how come it went well for him and it didn't go as well for me? The resentment. Sure. You are clearly a person who's gone through a lot

and has learned how to make peace with a lot. I'm sure you're not completely at peace all the time. But the fact that you are where you are right now, I find kind of remarkable. Yeah. Because that's a lot, Lindsay. It is. Yeah.

For a young person to have on their plate and to have dealt with and digested and come out the other end, so well adjusted and articulate. And like Sterling said, to just have such a grasp of like the bigger picture is really, really inspiring. Well, I think knowing my mom's side of the story also and being older now where I'm able

to see where she came from. Sure. Because when I found out who my father was, she was basically around the same age that I am now. So I couldn't imagine, I mean, there's no handbook of how to handle something like this and how to deal with this sort of situation. So I know in her mind, she was doing the best she could to keep me away from a person that, she knew could potentially or would potentially end up hurting me in some way. Yeah.

So just seeing it from that perspective helps also. Yeah. It takes sort of like getting to that age. I think part of the show is like we hold our parents up on a pedestal or expect perfection from them. Then we sort of reach the age that they were or have kids of our own. We realize that we're all human beings making the best decisions that we know how to in real time. Yes. And it's nice.

that you'd be able to have that level of perspective and just sort of like grace for your mom. Exactly. Right, and I will say, I think that's part of what the show helped with also, is you get to see Rebecca and Jack together, and they're having these children and the process that they're going through while they appear to the world is like the greatest parents ever

and have everything together. You're watching the show, seeing, okay, but these are the real conversations that they were having behind closed doors, that not everybody else saw happening. Yeah, yeah. I've heard, you know, we grew up in a, in a, we meaning us here in the podcast room, in a time where parenting, we often saw the fracture, heard the argument, saw the fight,

saw the whatever, but then our parents would make up in private. Right. And then go about their life as if. nothing can happen which is extremely confusing yeah because you don't see the repair right you don't see the repair and it's it's a it's like it's like third degree gas lighting for children because children are like wait everything was just a mess you guys were not cool the moment ago and then you went in this magic bedroom or office and we heard low talking and how you're fine how does that work the show in a way even for me like watching it you said the word hand

and I had said several times that this show is a handbook for living. You said that. Like there's, there's, there's, there's so many different scenarios. How do, how would I handle this? How do you handle this? How do you handle this conversation? How do you handle this relationship? And the show shows the healthy, it not only shows the destruction, but it also shows the repair.

Yeah. Which I've always. And maybe sometimes more of the healthy evolved way to, yeah. Sort of the resolution that we all should be aiming for. Yeah. And plus, I feel like there's so many different characters with so many different personalities that there's at least one you're going to be able to cling on to where you're like, that's the one that I identify with. Just go along with their story and see how they handle certain situations and compare it to what you do or have done in the past. Right, right, right, right.

Agreed. Lindsay, thank you so much for sharing your story. Yeah, not a problem. Thank you for being a rock star. and I hope that whatever happens in the future with your dad and his side of the family that they learn to recognize what a beautiful human being you are

because it's his loss right now. Well, thank you. You're welcome. And I have to say thank you to you specifically because like I said, your storyline specifically, I love the show as a whole, but your storyline specifically with William is really what struck me

and what had me watching every week. Thank you. It's when I, we're going back and watching it right now. And it's a gorgeous storyline. And to Ron Seifis Jones, who I don't know if you knew this or not, the guy who played my dad, he actually passed away last year. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah.

So I'm glad I got a chance to spend that time. We're all glad that we got that chance to spend time with him while he was still here because he was a beautiful man inside and out. And I'm glad that it resonated with you. And your story is not over So I can't wait to hear the rest of it And by sharing There's somebody listening right now Who is being helped

By hearing your story Absolutely And that's I hope so I hope something good can come out of it Just like with the show With someone going through a situation Where they can watch it

And be like, okay, I'm not the only person That has this happening Correct Amen, sister Well thank you again Lindsay It was really really lovely to talk to you Thanks for taking the time to chat with us And to leave us

such an incredible voicemail. All right. Well, thank you, guys. Have a good one, Lindsay. Talk to you later. Thank you. Bye. Bye.

I'm going to tell you something, guys. I'm going to tell you something. I'm being a bit overwhelmed. But in a way that means this show is allowing people to share things with the, like, this is there. This is us on paper. If you read it, you're like, this isn't real. So there's triple. but one doesn't make it and they adopt this isn't a real it's too specific this is too

much and then you hear a story like this that if you had written that in and pitch that to like someone as a tv show they'd say this isn't that's that's not real that can't be right yeah and there's there's a there's a broadness in the specificity of this is us for sure her story was so different from yours and williams but yet she was able to find her way in yeah and that's the remarkable thing of being a part of a show like this and to have the ability to chat with people to the fact now. We're going back and re-watching the show, but for people to be able to share their recollections, their connection with the show is just, it's mind-boggling. It's amazing. All right. That's another emotional support hotline.

Hello? Oh, you want us to keep doing more of these? Yes. Sure. It's Ryan Reynolds. Hold on It's right. Yeah. From Mint Mobile. We have unlimited minutes on Mint Mobile. I guess we'll just do these forever then can't wait to see the next movie all right talk space thank you guys for sponsoring this section it's it's my favorite me too it's my favorite until next time that was us is filmed at the crow and produced by rabbit grin productions and sarah warehine music by taylor goldsmith and griffin goldsmith