"Imagine having that beautiful woman as your mother!" I was thinking that when they were discussing 'the black bikini'. The mother can't help being gorgeous, but I do think she could help what kind of mother she was.
But then that's kind of her reacting to the way Jack was. Nobody sets out to be the "bad guy" parent, but some do set out to be the "good guy" one..
Jack has been presented as "the greatest dad ever" but I think now with Kevin in therapy we'll start seeing more of the negative side of him (I hope). Milo ventimiglia isn't afraid to play unsympathetic characters either so I'm really hoping they'll explore that side more.
As a child of an alcoholic myself SO much is ringing true for me. Jack always being the 'fun' parent and making mum look the bad guy by manipulating and backing her into a corner - eg announcing the holiday without checking with her first, being the one taking Kate for ice cream every day...
He just says yes to everything fun the kids want to do. Total Disney dad. Then Rebecca has to be the one reining in the fun, thinking of the practicalities and doing what's actually good for the kids.
On the rare occasions Rebecca does anything fun or suggests - Jack sabotages her.
Randall is repeating the dynamic to a degree except he's the non-fun one and Beth gets to be the fun one.
Toby tries to live up to the pedestal Kate's put Jack on with the grand romantic gestures. Grand romantic gestures are easy, being there for someone through the daily grind is much harder.