‘This Is Us’ Season 3, Episode 9 ‘The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning’ Fall Finale Recap: Answers

For the past couple of weeks, This Is Us has been serving us glorious amounts of Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) in his time in Vietnam. And as exciting it is to see this part of his life that has only been alluded to for so long, nothing beats seeing him with his fully grown brother Nicky (Michael Angarano). Unfortunately, Nicky isn’t as lovable as the nerdy kid he once was who called Jack his Superman. And try as Jack might, his brother might just be the only person he couldn’t save.

On the other hand, the other Pearson’s are only slightly doing better in the present. Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) are back on their feet. But, the look on their faces whenever the baby topic comes around looks more like constipation than joy. Meanwhile, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) is juggling his campaign with his slowly crumbling family life. And lastly, even as Kevin (Justin Hartley) sets foot on the same soil his dad fought on, it doesn’t seem like he’s any closer to getting the answers he’s looking for. Or so he thinks. Because in This Is Us, it might just also be possible to bring back a dead family member.

Good morning Vietnam

Jack’s two week time with his brother has quickly passed by. And yet, every day he tries to get him straight. Jack tries to bargain for more time but, Nicky’s commander won’t allow it. So, Jack looks for his brother and tries to give him a talk. But, Nicky won’t listen and soon lands a punch on Jack. Jack stumbles but, this finally breaks the tension and guilts Nicky into giving Jack a chance to take him somewhere to talk.

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In the present, Kevin anxiously paces their hotel room as he and Zoe (Melanie Liburd) wait for the roads to clear to the fishing village. Luckily the next day, their guide informs them that the roads have cleared and he can take them to the village immediately the next day. On the other hand, Kate’s pregnancy is still going strong into her second ultrasound. However, when Dr. Jasper (Sumalee Montano) asks Toby and Kate if they want to know the gender of the baby, Toby hesitates and asks to keep it a surprise. Dr. Jasper also brings up a health concern about Kate’s job forcing her to drive hours on end. But, of course, the choice is on Kate.

Meanwhile, Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) interrupts Randall’s little spelling practice with Annie (Faithe Herman). She pulls him out, showing her unofficial wifely support so that he could practice on his talking points for the debate with Sol Brown (Rob Morgan). Tess (Eris Baker) passes them on the hallway and gives a half-hearted good night. Then, the couple hears Deja (Lyric Ross) talking to her mom on the phone. Afterward, they tiptoe to their room softly debating what to do with the girls. But, Beth reminds Randall to focus and not let their family get in the way of his success.

Reset

Back in wartime Vietnam, Jack takes Nicky to a more peaceful part of the lake where he gives him the talk. Jack tells Nicky to focus on the mission. But, when Nicky tells him that the mission is to kill, Jack contradicts him. He says the mission is to get home.

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In the present, Randall’s trying hard to keep his focus on. But, with Deja constantly on her phone texting like there’s no tomorrow, he couldn’t do it. So, Beth tells Jae Won (Tim Jo) to take the girls out. Then, she helps Randall successfully get his focus back up.

Meanwhile, Rebecca (Mandy Moore) picks up Tess. And on the ride over to Randall’s debate, Rebecca slowly tries to coax Tess into talking about any issues. Tess quickly realizes that Kate told Rebecca about the ‘liking girls’ thing and she quickly shuts her grandmother out.  

On the other hand, during one of their walks, Madison (Caitlin Thompson) signs up Kate for teaching choral on a school close to home to solve her job problem. The interview goes well enough until they get to discussing backgrounds. Unfortunately, the principal of the school couldn’t hire Kate because of her nonexistent college degree.

In Vietnam, Kevin finally gets to set his feet and sights on the village. He asks their guide about the picture, and the guide says that there’s one man in the village who might know about it. Luckily, he has already set up an appointment for Kevin. Unlike Kevin, Randall seems to be running out of luck. The debate has started, and Brown is snapping at him and shutting him down like a machine gun.

Talk From The Heart

Back in the past, Nicky wakes up from his nightmares and desperately searches for any kind of drug. Jack finds him high in the morning sitting on the docks like a child. And he picks him and tries to guide him back to camp but, Nicky recoils from him. He admits taking the drugs to forget what he’s seen. Then, he tells Jack that he’s not going to complete the mission.

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Meanwhile, in present time, Kate and Toby argue about Kate’s job hunt. For Toby, it might be a good thing to give her time to relax. But, Kate insists that she needs something else going on in her life aside from waiting for the baby. And as the discussion turns to the baby, Kate confronts Toby about it. And she finally faces the fact that they’re avoiding almost everything about the baby because they’re terrified.  

On the other side of town, Randall fights to complete his sentences. After a heated exchange, Randall finally gets his moment to talk. So, he steps off the podium and sits on the stage holding the minutes of the meeting from the last four city public meetings. One by one, he ticks off the list of things Brown has promised to do but never did. And after a couple of inspiring lines, he has the whole crowd standing and cheering for him.

Father’s Secrets

Back in Vietnam, Kevin finds that their efforts were for naught. The man they met did indeed live in the village as a child in the war. But, he did not recognize Jack or the woman in the picture. However, to Kevin’s surprise, the man’s father was one of the rebels. Seeing Kevin’s disappointment, the man goes on to talk about how his father was a great actor just like Kevin.  He tells them that his father would sneak in weekly to see him telling him that he was off exploring faraway lands. Then, he would tell stories of these lands akin to fairytales.

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Somehow, the man realizes, their fathers were alike. They hid their war stories and left their children to live happy and in peace. He tells Kevin that it might not be the answer he was searching for but, it might be the answer to something bigger.  

Afterward Randall’s debate, Rebecca and Tess finish handing out flyers. Then Tess heads back in. Rebecca follows after her granddaughter and starts off complaining about the pain in her wrist and her back. Her theory is that she got all this pain in her bones from all the secrets and emotions she’s harbored all her life. So, she tells Tess not to follow in her footsteps. But, only when she is ready to tell her parents.

Meanwhile, Beth and Jae Won sincerely congratulate Randall for the job well done. However, after getting the results of the latest poll, Jae Won found that Brown was too far ahead. And it was too late for Randall to catch up. Sadly, he delivers the crushing news to Randall.

Children’s Secrets

For Kate and Toby, things seem to be looking up. Toby takes Kate to a university and encourages her to enroll. He also faces the fear of having a child and turns things around in Toby fashion. Instead of mopping over the possibility of losing the baby, Toby encourages both of them to look to the bright side of things.

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Later on, the aftermath of Randall’s seeming defeat hangs over the household. Deja comes to talk to Beth and Randall. And to their surprise, she asks to see her mom. And after a moment, Randall and Beth assure her that they’ll make time for it. After Deja, Tess comes in next. She finally tells her parents about her budding sexuality. And it stuns Beth and Randall more than anything. But, after a moment of processing, Beth assures Tess that they’ll love her no matter what.

Afterward, the couple settles over glasses of wine. Beth looks to the bright side and sees Randall’s defeat as a blessing so he could help her keep their family together. But, to her dismay, Randall insists on seeing the campaign through even at a time when their family is hanging by a thread. That night, Randall sleeps on the couch.

For the happier part, Kate and Toby receive a cake from a local bakery connected to Dr. Jasper. It’s one of those cakes that reveals the gender of the baby when cut open. And despite their nervousness, the couple cuts into it together and is greeted by a handful of blue candy. With huge smiles on their faces, they celebrate the coming of their baby boy.

The Missing Secret

Back in Vietnam, Kevin ponders his form of defeat. He apologizes to Zoe for dragging her out there for nothing. But, Zoe thinks otherwise. After all, they walked the same land Jack walked. And as Zoe says, maybe they’re just in the middle.

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Back in the war, Jack returns to camp after one of their rounds to find Nikky gone. Suddenly, a loud explosion rocks the village. And the soldiers frantically look at the source of the explosion at the lake. A boat has exploded, and one of their men was on it. Jack immediately drops everything and dives into the waters of the lake.

In a glimpse of the future, the snippets of Randall and Tess going to see this mysterious ‘her’ continues. As Tess comes back from the bathroom, Randall asks if she told Beth they were coming. Beth, on the other hand, is overseeing a group of ballet dancers. Her assistant comes up to her and informs her of Tess’ call. And Beth responds that they’re going to see Randall’s mother (oh my god). Then, the assistant hands her a box of pin the tail on the donkey before Beth leaves.

Back in the present, Kevin and Zoe get ready to leave when their guide pauses and asks them about Kevin’s family members who died there. Kevin nonchalantly repeats his uncle’s name. But, the guide remains confused. After checking the database of the war memorial, there was no Nick Pearson. Instead, somewhere else, the name lies stamped on an envelope in the hands of a scruffy looking man. Uncle Nicky’s alive.

This Is Us returns Tuesday, January 15th, at 8/7c on NBC.