'This Is Us' Reveals Miguel's Strained Relationship With His Kids

This Is Us explored Miguel's relationship with his kids from his first marriage during the special [...]

By Jose Bastidas

This Is Us explored Miguel's relationship with his kids from his first marriage during the special Thanksgiving episode.

The special hour of the NBC family drama flashed back to Jack Pearson's (Milo Ventimiglia) final Thanksgiving before his death, which also featured Miguel (Jon Huertas) as a special guest in his first holiday since divorcing his first wife.

Rebecca (Mandy Moore) admitted to Jack she felt uncomfortable having Miguel over since she was best friends with is his ex-wife at the time a shocking. When he arrives at the Pearson home, he is on the phone with her fighting because the kids refuse to speak to him.

Jack takes Miguel to the other room and he gives him one of his special pep talks, telling him that he has to use the same determination he puts into work on continuing to have a strong relationship with his kids, because he's not going to want to be old and not know his grandchildren.

In the present timeline, Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) prepared the dinner for the family as Randall (Sterling K. Brown) Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) and their kids volunteered at a soup kitchen — and Tess stays behind as she is feeling sick.

Later, Kate and Toby realize that Tess is having her first period, which leads Kate to help her out and also share the story behind her first period involving Miguel's kids, Amber and Andy.

Rebecca and Miguel are later seen on their way to Amber's house and he says he fears that he was a "pity invite" to the meal given how long it's been since the last time they saw each other. Rebecca tells him she's looking forward to hanging out with his kids, and that it'll go great.

The dinner is awkward as Miguel doesn't seem to be too in tune with her daughter's life and the family is not nice to Rebecca; and his son makes things worse when he jokingly accuses Rebecca of stealing his father away.

Miguel admits to his kids that after the separation he tried many times to create a bond with them, planning vacations and reaching out, but since they wouldn't meet him halfway, he gave up.

He then says he's not going to apologize for being with Rebecca, revealing the pair got together ten years after Jack's death, once the kids' mother had already remarried, and that since they only see their father once a year on Thanksgiving, they should be polite to his wife.

After the tense dinner, Rebecca and Miguel arrive at Randall's house, and they are warmly welcomed, showing how Miguel has been embraced by the Pearsons in a way viewers could not see before.

The This Is Us fall finale airs Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

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