This is US Season 6 Episode 11 review: The end is nigh for KaToby

3/5

Story: Kate and Toby’s problems are going from bad to worse, and when little Jack decides to wander off on his own to the park, the one place he thinks mom and dad are happy, it’s literally the last straw for Kate

Review: We’ve known for a while that Kate and Toby don’t make it as a couple. From the flash forwards we also know that although Kate marries again, Toby remains just as much a part of the Pearson family as he did earlier. What we have been seeing for a while on this season is the how these two got to the point that they couldn’t live together anymore.

Kate’s not been very happy about their long-distance arrangement, what with Toby’s weekend trips from San Francisco to LA peppered with official calls and him struggling to adjust to the routines she has set for their two toddlers. He thinks that the solution to their problems is having Kate uproot the family to San Francisco. That, one would think, is a big deal, to leave behind all that you are accustomed to and start afresh elsewhere. Not to mention that Kate also has a support system in place back home, with mom Rebecca and brother Kevin not too far away.

But one can’t really fault Toby either. He’s always been one of the most likeable members of that family – the one with the big heart and grand gestures. So, yeah, he likes the recognition he is getting at work in San Francisco. Is that so bad? Well, the writers of This is Us will have us believe that, because this is also about showing how the Big Three will always be there for each other through thick or thin.

Kate and Toby have not been seeing eye-to-eye on not just their living arrangements, but also their parenting choices. They’ve been fighting a lot, which even little Jack has begun to notice. The little one, who has very limited vision, has a routine with his mom – they head to the park every Saturday and in her attempt to make him independent as early as possible, Kate has been helping him navigate his way there with a song that tells him when to turn, what to pay attention to when crossing the road, etc. It’s at their park outings that Jack has noticed his parents putting their differences aside and being happy.

So, after a particularly stressful scenario at home, which involved faulty plumbing in their home on a day they were throwing a party for Rebecca and Miguel, Jack wanders out of the house. It’s Saturday, Toby had put Jack in his room but not waited to check if the gate/barrier clicked shut and Kate did not lock their front door after letting the plumber in. Moments later, when Toby and Kate realize that Jack’s missing and begin to look for him frantically, it is Rebecca who figures out that he’s gone to the park. She does find him, but not before he takes a tumble and hurts his forehead, which requires him to get a few stitches.

After her initial guilt at having left the door unlocked, Kate, of course, blames Toby for not having waited to hear the gate click shut. Kevin and Randall, as usual, spring to her support. Poor Toby!

Verdict: Was this really the last straw for Kate to pull the plug on her marriage to Toby?