This Is Us introduced Rebecca Pearson to her late husband’s estranged brother Nicky, leading to some serious family drama.
The latest episode of the NBC family drama, titled “Songbird Road: Part Two” saw the Big Three attempt to get help for their uncle after their first conversation with him. The next day, after the family gathers they are surprised when they see their mother Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and she introduces herself to the man.
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The episode also dove back to the 1992 weekend that Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) returned from the previous visit to his brother, and Rebecca remembered how strange he had acted after returning to visit “an old army buddy.”
“He was acting so strangely,” she says. Kevin (Justin Hartley) suggests getting the man into rehab. Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) protest that with the pregnancy and his upcoming government career, they don’t have time to help Nicky (Griffin Dunne).
Meanwhile, Kevin and Rebecca take Nicky to a home for veterans for a tour. He seems overwhelmed and uninterested with the prospect of living there. He tells Kevin that he appreciates his help, but all of this won’t help him live a better life.
“You’re out of your depth kid,” Nicky tells his nephew. The comment affects Kevin and he walks away, but Rebecca follows him. Kevin admits he’s frustrated that his long road to find out more about Jack led to this sad family secret.
“I’m mad that he never told us about him. I had an uncle I could’ve known,” Kevin says. Rebecca admits she is also mad, which is hard since Jack isn’t there anymore.
Back at the hotel, Rebecca tells Nicky it’s time for them to have a talk. Kevin heads to Nicky’s trailer and gets emotional while he tries to clean up, seeing the bad state in which he’s living in.
“When I found out that you were alive, I didn’t want to meet you because I didn’t want to unravel what Jack had always told me,” Rebecca tells Nicky, adding she hadn’t been with someone who knew Jack at a different time than she did for a long time.
She tries to talk about their childhood, but Nicky seems still hurt by Jack telling his family that he was dead. Rebecca tells him that when Jack had gotten sober, she believes he would have found his way to him. Now that Jack doesn’t have the chance, Rebecca tells Nicky to try to make things right through her and Jack’s children.
Rebecca tells Nicky to give Kevin a chance despite his tough exterior and that he really cares about him, even though they just met. Nicky gets angry and tells Rebecca that he doesn’t see Kevin as family, but as a movie star who wanted to play hero for the day. At the comment, Rebecca walks away.
Later, Nicky finds her outside and stops her when she tries to apologize for her kids. He recalls a moment from their childhood and how Jack enjoyed building things. He admits he wanted to be a writer and a doctor, but Vietnam made him not want anything.
“I used to be a person. Wish I could be that person again… but it’s been so long I don’t think I can,” Nicky says. Before he leaves, he tells Rebecca that Jack only ever wanted to have a family like them.
Nicky then takes Kevin back to his trailer and lets him fix some things for him. He tells him to not worry about him anymore and promises to give the vet center a chance. Without saying it, he tells Kevin to leave him alone as the contact is too painful, given the history between him and Jack. Kevin agrees to leave him alone, but says they may see each other again soon.
Will Nicky and the family get closer some day? This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.