‘This Is Us’: Milo Ventimiglia Says Kevin and Randall’s Fight Was ‘Soul-Crushing’
This Is Us fans were warned about Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Randall’s (Sterling K. Brown) fight ahead of the season 4 finale. But even so, no one was prepared for the events that unfolded on-screen. Now, Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Kevin and Randall’s father, Jack, has something to say about the argument. And yes, the actor’s remarks will break your heart all over again.
What did Kevin and Randall say in the ‘This Is Us’ Season 4 finale?
In the This Is Us Season 4 finale, Rebecca (Mandy Moore) revealed she would partake in an Alzheimer’s clinical trial set in St. Louis, Missouri. Previously, the Pearson matriarch wanted to spend the rest of her good days with her family. However, Randall convinced her to do the trial because he couldn’t bear to lose her.
When Kevin realized Randall influenced Rebecca’s change of heart, he confronted his brother. Randall revealed he wanted to give Rebecca the “best possible chance.” Meanwhile, Kevin advocated for Rebecca to make her own decisions. But eventually, the conversation unraveled into a messy argument unrooting years of resentment.
Randall called out Kevin for his past selfishness, particularly for leaving the family after Jack died. Then Kevin lashed out about Randall’s constant need to take care of the family, even claiming the councilman didn’t do enough to save their father.
“If I had been there, I would’ve walked through literal fire, and I would’ve pulled that man out,” Kevin said.
Randall proceeded to remind Kevin that he wasn’t there on the night of the fire. But then he went in deeper. Randall said:
He died ashamed of you. I think that’s the part that really gets you, isn’t it? The shame that he felt for you, and the pride that he felt for me. I mean, you’re not even chasing dad’s shadow, Kevin. You’re chasing mine. But you’ll never be him, and you’ll never be me. You’ll never know what it’s like to devote yourself to anyone other than yourself. You’ll pretend. But it’ll just be a performance. A tired, stale performance. Like all of your performances.
Kevin replied, “You know, I used to think the worst thing that happened to me was the day that dad died. It’s the day they brought you home. Hand to god, Randall. The worst thing that ever happened to me was the day they brought you home.”
Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Jack, reacts to the fight between Kevin and Randall on ‘This Is Us’
This Is Us fans were torn when Kevin and Randall fought in the season 4 finale. The Pearson brothers have always been able to come together and support one another. But no one knows whether Kevin and Randall will ever fully recover. So Ventimiglia’s response to the whole situation isn’t exactly surprising, especially when you consider how Jack would react.
“I personally was heartbroken,” Ventimiglia told Entertainment Weekly in October 2020. “You understand both points of view, the desire to do best for mom. But on top of it, it kind of broke my heart, playing Jack and knowing that Jack isn’t around for any of this stuff, to see his boys at odds. It’s really soul-crushing. Very, very soul-crushing.”
The actor also commented on the scene itself, making note of all the major bomb drops. As you may remember, the sequence where Madison (Caitlin Thompson) tells Kevin she’s pregnant with twins is woven into Kevin’s argument with Randall.
“That whole segment of the episode where it went from the boys fighting to Kevin finding out [that he was a father] to the boys fighting, it was just like, ‘My God. What a massive seven minutes of story, right?’” Ventimiglia said.
What we know about Kevin and Randall’s relationship moving forward
Kevin and Randall’s fight in the This Is Us Season 4 finale might have been harsher than fans expected. But there is hope. In the far-future, Kevin and Randall are seen together and they seem civil with one another, at the very least. Then when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in March 2020, creator Dan Fogelman hinted the Pearson brothers will eventually repair their relationship.
“I think part of part of making a drama is not being afraid to let people be really flawed and really ugly so that hopefully, as we tend to do on our show, the hope we offer and the repair we might offer is well-earned and well-executed when it comes,” Fogelman said.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t look like an easy journey. In an interview with Awards Chatter in June, Hartley stated the break between Randall and Kevin is “very, very real” and they “lost all the respect and love that they’ve built up.” However, the actor hinted there might be something “big” to get things back to normal.
“Hopefully, there’s something that happens that brings them back together,” Hartley said at the time. “It would have to be pretty big.”
Meanwhile, Brown reminded This Is Us fans that Kevin and Randall’s relationship has always been like a “yo-yo,” as they come apart and together again. So it’s likely the brothers will continue the pattern moving forward.
“I think by the time we reach that point in the future, there are other things on their minds that they are able to focus on to put aside whatever differences they have,” Brown said, per Deadline. “But for the next two or however many seasons we’re around, I think you’ll continue to see these brothers fray and then resolve, fray and resolve.”
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