OK, we’ve had a little more than 48 hours to mourn the death of Jack Pearson, but it was not enough.
“The Car” may not have been as dramatic as “Super Bowl Sunday,” but it was filled with emotional moments - some even more emotional than Sunday’s episode in my opinion – and therefore left our eyes filled with tears once again.
This episode begins the morning of Jack’s funeral, but is interspersed with beautiful moments throughout the family’s history. Most of them focus around the Pearson family Jeep Wagoneer.
Rebecca and Jack take the kids to the car dealership, but it isn’t until Jack sees Kevin, Randall and Kate playing in the Wagoneer that he knows he must have the car – despite the price. Jack has a private meeting with the salesman where he is able to negotiate a “pretty good deal.”
We learn couple of great Pearson family moments – that may not have seemed so important at the time - happened in that car, including the drive to the Big 3’s first concert, Weird Al Yankovic. They come to an old bridge where Rebecca has a minor panic attack and closes her eyes. Traffic is stopped and Randall (adorably) informs her that she has gephyrophobia – a fear of bridges, duh - and Kevin breaks out his favorite Weird Al song, “Lasagna.” The whole family joins in and they safely make it across the bridge.
Cut to the family driving in the Wagoneer to Jack’s memorial. Gut wrenching.
Kate makes it known she no longer wants the dog that Jack saved from the fire. She plans to ask around to see if anyone wants to take it in. Rebecca is in a rush to get to the memorial before the urn does. The kids don’t understand the rush, but it later becomes clear in a conversation Rebecca has with Dr. K (get the tissues ready now). Kevin is having trouble with his tie, Randall offers to help, Kevin snaps back.
Now, onto something I think we have all been curious about: The tree. Sometime in Rebecca and Jack’s seemingly near perfect relationship Rebecca has a cancer scare. She has to go to the hospital to have an MRI. It is snowing, and Rebecca is full of anxiety awaiting the results. Jack, with his beeper in hand, insists he take her “someplace special.” Cue, his favorite tree.
The two talk, he calms her down. They get the results right there in the parking lot, and (phew!) Rebecca is totally fine. We then learn why this is Jack’s favorite tree: it was the closest one to a pay phone, and he actually made the whole thing up just to keep her calm.
The Wagoneer is also home to a few other special moments that come to light in this episode, including my personal favorite, which includes Kate, Jack and Alanis Morissette (“Jagged Little Pill” is one of my top 5 favorite albums ever). Jack catches Kate skipping school on her way to go see Alanis signing records at a local shop. Jack, in perfect Jack fashion, says he does not know this “Atlantis character.” Kate corrects him, and then plays a piece of “All I Really Want.” (Great song, Kate!) Jack doesn’t get it, and then plays Bruce Springsteen for her. He encourages her to pursue a career in music – which we know she finally is.
But perhaps the most important lesson to come from the family Wagoneer: brotherhood. Jack is teaching Randall how to drive when Randall and Kevin begin arguing. Randall almost crashes the car, and Jack makes the boys walk the five miles back to the house. When the boys return, Jack makes it known that he is confused by their relationship. Jack says he and his brother, Nicky, were inseparable as teens (Remember, Nicky died in Vietnam). Jack encourages the Kevin and Randall to fix whatever is broken between them because the bond between siblings is EVERYTHING!
Back at the funeral reception, it is clear Jack’s lesson hasn’t hit home yet when Kevin sees Randall wearing Jack’s watch. He causes a scene and goes off on Randall, saying a real man would have never have never let their dad go back into a burning house. Randall hits back and says Kevin wasn’t there, he’s never there for anyone. Ouch. This was hard to watch.
Rebecca goes outside for some air. While outside, who else but Dr. K shows up to pay his respects. Rebecca confesses that she is not as fearless as her husband and that she can’t do this without him. She also confesses she feels incredibly guilty that she was not there when Jack died. That's why she has been carrying the urn around the entire episode. Dr. K shares some of Jack’s biggest fears and of course some fantastic lemon metaphors. Gosh, this man is amazing. Talk about one heck of a cheer up speech – where is he when I’m feeling down?!
So, in the spirit of pushing on, Rebecca takes her kids to Jack’s favorite tree to spread some of his ashes. She tells her sons that neither of them needs to worry about being “Man of the House” and tells Kate that Jack’s death is not her fault. He was a grown man who made a choice. She also tells the kids that Jack left them a gift: tickets to Bruce Springsteen concert that night. They decide to go, obviously, that's what Jack would have wanted.
Rebecca asks the kids to give her a moment alone. She tells Jack that she and the kids are going to be OK.
OK…a word we now realized Jack used with the car salesman. All Jack ever wanted was his family to be OK. And they are now trying the best they can.
The episode ends – back in the Wagoneer - where Kevin puts his hand on Randall’s (a sign of peace?) and Rebecca drives with her eyes open across the bridge.
Life without Jack will be hard, but I think the Pearsons will be OK.
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