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This week's episode of This Is Us continued the Big Three trilogy by bringing the focus to Kate.
Directed by Mandy Moore along with Casey Johnson, David Windsor and Chrissy Metz as writers, this episode focused entirely on Kate, starting with the Pearson pool day to the present obstacle in her marriage. It took viewers through different stages of her life and how she thrived when left on her own.
Here’s a recap for This Is Us season 6 episode 9, The Hill.
This Is Us Season 6 Episode 9 recap
This Is Us season 6 episode 9 picks up from the same Pearson family visit to the pool from the previous episode, only this time things are seen from little Kate's perspective. While Kevin wishes to jump off the diving board like other kids, Kate tries to overcome her fear of swimming, without actually getting into the pool.
As seen in the previous episode of This Is Us, Rebecca pursues a frustrated Kevin and hears him out while Jack tries to get Kate into the pool. She insists that she cannot be convinced, which Jack admires at first but still carries her in and tries several tactics to persuade her. He then asks her to let go of him to alteast try to float, but she declares she would never let go, saying, "Why would I?"
This works for Kate as Jack looks at her attitude as an adorable reflection of their love and caves in to taking her out of the pool.
Kate's emptiness
The episode then moves to teen Kate, Randall and Kevin, who, after cheering on Kevin, find themselves locked on the pool grounds. Prior to this, Kate sat with her brothers and reflected on how empty she felt and how boring her life had become in Pittsburgh.
The siblings then move to their last resort: climbing the fence, which seems like an impossible task for Kate but her brothers insist. Randall climbs over first, all set to help her get down on the other side while Kevin sits atop the fence to help her get up. However, after her first failed attempt, Kate refuses to try again.
Kate, the supermom
After the famous Pearson Thanksgiving in This Is Us, Toby and Kate head home while also planning Kate's visit to San Fransisco to work on their long-distance marriage. Before the trip, viewers se a montage of a day into Kate's life, which is a happy, super mom-and-teacher version of her. She takes the kids out to the park, sings along with them and leads a retirement party for her colleague.
Later that night, Kate and Madison watch Fight Club and Kate talks about how she imagined seeing Old Toby, the version of him before he lost all the weight, got a new job and dressed better. Madison then assures Kate that he is still there, she just has to find him.
A rollercoaster of a trip
The trip to San Francisco turns into a rollercoaster, during which Kate can't help but compare the old version of Toby to the new Toby. At first, Toby isn’t able to pick her up from the airport and then their time together gets interrupted with work calls.
The next day in This Is Us, Kate rejects Toby's carefully-planned itinerary for spontaneity. However, this turns into a fight between them after Kate finds out about Toby's plans to uproot their life in the city and reject a job offer in LA. Upon confronting Toby, she learns how happy he is with his new life and that he will never be the same again.
Kate's revelations
Toby then points out how happy Kate seems ever since he moved to the city and how she has become a full version of herself. Kate then admits to the same but also mentions how the person who helped her get there is also the only thing making her sad. This suggests how they helped each other grow, but it was also what was pulling them apart.
The next morning, Toby lovingly suggests the same to Kate but she walks out. She then heads out to the hill Toby implied she couldn’t climb and starts to do so. She struggles but eventually reaches the top. When she does, she calls Philip and asks to be considered for the retiring colleague's position, hinting that she is not on board with Toby's uproot plan.
Stream episode 9 of This Is Us season 6, now available on NBC, Hulu, Peacock, and Hotstar.
