This Is Us steps entirely out of its present-day timeline for a two-era episode. In 1990, a Halloween detour leads Rebecca to tell ten-year-old Randall the full truth about his adoption — including the third triplet, Kyle, who died at birth — while Jack is across town with the other two kids. In 2009, Kevin sabotages his roommate's career at a film director's party and gets blacklisted; Randall, still fragile after a breakdown, delivers his daughter Tess at home when ambulances can't get through Halloween traffic; and Kate and Kevin drop their mutual performance of optimism at the hospital and decide to leave Pittsburgh together. The episode closes with Rebecca posting a photo of Tess on Facebook and receiving a message from Miguel — Jack's old best friend — for the first time since Jack's death.

The episode reframes the question running th ...