Following a two-week rest for viewers' tear ducts, "This Is Us" returns tonight with the tension between brothers Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) taking center stage.
It has been subtly teased for quite a while now but the upcoming episode titled "The Best Washing Machine Ever" will have the two finally squaring off and airing their animosities towards each other. Randall and Kevin did not exactly grow up as best friends, as revealed in the first few episodes of the show with a young Rebecca (Mandy Moore) always acting as the pacifier between the two. It also does not necessarily help that after struggling to come to terms with Randall's adoption after losing their third child, the Pearson matriarch seemingly formed a different bond with her youngest. Making things more complicated is the fact that given Randall's unique situation, he always gets the attention, something that Kevin had to constantly fight for.
"We touched on Kevin's resentment of his position in the family, and now as they're adults, we start to see how far apart they actually are," executive producer Ken Olin told Entertainment Weekly in a pre-episode interview. "We've teased [it] a couple times, but now we actually see them trying to spend time together as adults and how different they are — and also how difficult it is."
The tension between the brothers will take viewers to a different space and time for tonight's flashback.
"We're in a whole different phase of their development. We begin to see the ways in which some of the issues between Randall and Kevin — that we teased a little bit in the fourth episode — become a little more complicated. There's a little more friction," Olin shared.
Aside from Kevin and Randall, the time jump will also be showing a small crack in the foundation of Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca's marriage. Spoilers suggest that the Pearson patriarch will be a bit worried about the quiet distance between him and his wife as she gets ready to get back to working after years of being a stay-at-home mom.
That, however, does not rob the episode of sincere moments involving the couple as promotional photos of the two still being very much in love and even going out on a date have been published by NBC. It also gives fans a look at Jack at a later time as hinted by the wisps of gray hair he is sporting.
"This Is Us" comes back with a new episode tonight, 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
