Welcome back to That Was Us! We’re so happy to be back after our hiatus. This is the first of three This Is Us episodes dedicated to each Pearson sibling. First up…Kevin Pearson! We dive into the struggles teenage Kevin faces during the college application process and the life-altering news Jack has to deliver to him after his injury. Mandy, Chris, and Sterling break down how adult Kevin spirals after returning to his high school while on a bender, where he’s being honored—only to truly hit rock bottom. We also explore Kevin’s complex coping mechanisms and Chris opens up, sharing some vulnerable stories about his own past. Lastly, we answer the burning question on everyone’s mind: is Justin Hartley’s beard real or fake in this episode?! Plus, don’t miss a heartfelt fan letter that reminds us why this show resonates so deeply. That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Follow That Was Us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the main topic of this episode?
On today's episode of That Was Us, we'll be discussing season two, episode eight, number one. An alumni honor ceremony brings Kevin back to his high school where painful memories of that time in his life further his downward spiral. And Jack and Rebecca are hopeful about the future of their kids. Gang, how are we doing today?
I'm pretty great. Yeah. I'm happy to be discussing this episode in particular. I've been waiting.
So Manny and I have been having this conversation for a long time. I'm going to go back to when I first read the episode, because we got the three episodes coming up focused on each of the big three in the past and in the present, right? And I read Kev's episode, and I was like, this is really good. And then I saw Kev's episode. Yeah. And I was like, this is the shit.
Justin Hartley stuck his foot so deep in this episode that like, it's probably in my top 10 of episodes of the show, maybe even top five.
It's top five for me.
It's top five for Mandy.
And Sterling, before you arrived yesterday, Chris, Sterling and I sent a little video to Justin because we just had to let him know. Gotta let him know. We had to give him his flowers. We had to just tell him how much we missed him, how much we appreciate him, how mind-blowingly good he was in this episode. It is just like, again, re-watching it, it took me back to seeing it for the first time.
And I hadn't watched it since I saw it that first time six, seven years ago, however long that was. The fact that he doesn't get the recognition and the accolades for the work that he did on this show just blows my mind.
So that's our little precursor to what the episode is. The episode begins with the home movies back in the past of Jack and Rebecca watching the big three. They're all around a year or something, maybe a little less, a little older. And we're trying to see who's going to walk. Like, come on, Vic 3, who's going to go first? And number one starts walking and he's moving forward.
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Chapter 2: How does Kevin's high school experience affect him?
I don't think so.
You think it was... Should we call Zoe real quick?
We need to find out if that was a real beard or not.
We'll text her.
Let's text her. Text her and we'll continue to talk about this, right? Because he's on a binge. It's clear he hasn't gone out. He hasn't showered or not. The maid for the hotel.
The hotel where he's staying.
Martina comes in and she's like, do you need anything? And he clearly, he's making a phone call. He truly is making a phone call. He's unhinged.
And she picked right up. Hold on one second. This guy's unhinged. Hey, we're actually playing the game on the podcast right now. Real beard, fake beard.
Are you kidding me?
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Chapter 3: What challenges does Kevin face in adulthood?
They've got something for every vibe, every goal, and all three of us look for different things in a workout, but we can always find it on Peloton.
Some days, I want to challenge myself with a tough boot camp. Other days, I just need a 10-minute walk or a calming meditation. Pelotime gives you the ability to choose what you need, whether you're pushing yourself or taking it easy. And let's not forget the instructors. They are the best motivators out there. It's fun to imagine which instructors our characters would connect with.
Like Randall, who's always pushing himself, would probably love someone like Robin Arson. While Rebecca might go for a more soulful yoga session with Aditi Shah. Allow me to give a special shout out to my girl Jess Sims for the dope Sims 60 that she always brings the pain on. Adrian Williams with the Thunder 45. I love you guys.
And the class lengths are perfect. Whether you've got 20 minutes between meetings or just enough time to sneak in a quick workout while the kids are napping, Peloton fits right into your day.
It's all about finding your push and your power, no matter what season of your life you're in. And with Peloton, you've got the variety and motivation to do it all. Find your push, find your power with Peloton at OnePeloton.com. All right, let's set the scene. You're packing your bags for your next big trip, maybe a film shoot in Canada, or even a holiday getaway in the mountains with your family.
The first time the kids see the snow, I just want to make it as special and magical as possible for them.
Or when Rachel and I travel with the kids, being able to send them to bed, but we can stay up as late as we want in the house. You know, instead of all huddled in the same hotel room, sitting in the dark for a couple of hours.
Totally. And let's be honest, finding housing when you're on location isn't always easy. I mean, how nice would it be to have a cozy, lived-in space instead of just a generic hotel room? That's why I love the idea of Airbnb. It feels like home, even when you're far from it. And it's not just work trips. Imagine heading out with friends to see your favorite team play an away game in a big city.
You rent a place big enough for everyone, with a full kitchen and space to hang out before and after the game. It's way better than cramming into separate hotel rooms. So whether you're off on your next big adventure or just want to make the most of the space you're not using, Airbnb is the way to go.
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Chapter 4: How does Jack's advice shape Kevin's future?
Through the episode, we know that Jack is going to go out of town with Randall because he's got a college trip that he needs to go. So he may not be able to make it to his football game. And so the football and Kev's like, it doesn't matter. Like, I got plenty of fans in the stands. Don't even worry about me. And it's like, oh, come on, dude.
Like, every time you get a chance to, like, recover, it just doesn't go. So he's at the football game. And this is when we find out about the initial injury to Kev's knee, when it just sort of blows up. And his future, as he saw it, blows up with it, right? There's a necklace that, well, Jack comes, they return from the trip.
Well, they basically, Rebecca and Kate see that this is, you know, somewhat catastrophic. He's not getting up on the field. And the next time we see them, they're all at the hospital. Jack and Randall have come home from their college trip. And Rebecca tells them that they're doing an MRI on his knee and it's not looking good. Yeah.
And basically you see Rebecca and Jack then out in the hallway talking to the doctor and him obviously telling them the news. Yeah. That, you know, this is not what they... His life is not going to go the way he thinks it's going to go. Yeah, his life is forever changed. Right. Jack then goes into the hospital room to see Kev and... And Kevin's basically expecting him to say, like, what?
The playoffs, like, are off the table now. Like, what do I have to sort of wrap my head around in terms... Like, they don't know me. They don't know how strong I am. I'm going to get back up. I'm going to defy the odds. I'll be back out on the football field, what, in a couple games or something? And Jack has to break the news to him that...
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Chapter 5: What is the significance of the necklace Jack gives Kevin?
You know, I get emotional thinking about it, but it's just sort of like the life that you expected, right? Yeah. Like he was going to go to some incredible school on a full ride. Yeah. Starting quarterback, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. his life now has been forever changed.
And Jack has to tell him like, I know you thought it was gonna go one way, but I know in my bones that you are meant to do something else incredible. Like you have other, exactly. You have other purpose in this life.
And so he has a necklace that was given to him, I think in Vietnam.
And it's the Buddhist symbol for purpose.
Of purpose. And he gives it to Kev and Kev has apologized. He says, I know I was awful to you. And he says, you're going to be all right. And they hold each other. They cry together and it's a beautiful moment. Okay.
And a side note, there's a little song by a sweet Taylor Goldsmith, a cover of a Jackson Browne song these days. I was like, Taylor and I were watching it the other day and I was like, it's you. He's like, oh yeah. Like he totally forgot that Ken had actually asked him if he would record a cover of this song for this episode. And both of us had forgotten until the song started.
And I was like, that's you.
He was like, oh yeah.
So it was a sweet little musical moment.
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