New Parents | "The Ride" with Director Jon Huertas (509) episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 14, 2026 · 1H 35M

New Parents | "The Ride" with Director Jon Huertas (509)

from That Was Us · host Mandy Moore, Chris Sullivan, and Sterling K. Brown

On today’s episode of That Was Us, we’re breaking down This Is Us Season 5, Episode 9: “The Ride.” As new parents bring their babies home, the episode explores the fears, hopes, and expectations that come with the start of a new chapter for every Pearson family. Across timelines, it’s a reminder that the ride home is where everything begins. In this episode, the hosts chat about: * Sharing their own stressful ride-home and early parenting experiences * The emotional chaos of bringing newborns home across timelines * Jack and Rebecca’s trip home with the triplets * Jack’s anxiety about becoming his father, including the gas station confrontation and his admitted drink * Kevin and Madison navigating paparazzi and the pressure of new parenthood * Kevin’s dream conversation with Jack and his spur-of-the-moment proposal * Kate and Toby bringing home Hailey and Ellie backing out of the open adoption arrangement * Toby revealing that he’s been fired * Future Deja arriving at Randall’s home pregnant and the show’s seamless casting continuity Plus, Jon Huertas joins the podcast to talk about: * Directing “The Ride” during COVID * His transition from actor to director * What he finds most fulfilling about directing * The preparation that set him up for success behind the camera * Fun memories directing Mandy Moore, Chris Sullivan, and Sterling K. Brown That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. ------------------------- Support Our Sponsors: - Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://www.article.com/discount/twu and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. - Don’t just take my word for it – go grab one for yourself. Head to Walmart today to try a bar or stock up on 4 cartons of your favorite flavors, like Blueberry Pie and Salted Peanut Butter, sold exclusively at Walmart. Check out https://Walmart.com to find a store near you! - Right now, go to https://Quince.com/twu for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada, too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. ------------------------- 🍋 About the Show: The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it. Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments. Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday. ------------------------- Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley Video Editor: Todd Hughlett Mix & Master: Jason Richards About Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com. » SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1 » FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum » FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/ » FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of That Was Us, we’re breaking down This Is Us Season 5, Episode 9: “The Ride.” As new parents bring their babies home, the episode explores the fears, hopes, and expectations that come with the start of a new chapter for every Pearson family. Across timelines, it’s a reminder that the ride home is where everything begins. In this episode, the hosts chat about: * Sharing their own stressful ride-home and early parenting experiences * The emotional chaos of bringing newborns home across timelines * Jack and Rebecca’s trip home with the triplets * Jack’s anxiety about becoming his father, including the gas station confrontation and his admitted drink * Kevin and Madison navigating paparazzi and the pressure of new parenthood * Kevin’s dream conversation with Jack and his spur-of-the-moment proposal * Kate and Toby bringing home Hailey and Ellie backing out of the open adoption arrangement * Toby revealing that he’s been fired * Future Deja arriving at Randall’s home pregnant and the show’s seamless casting continuity Plus, Jon Huertas joins the podcast to talk about: * Directing “The Ride” during COVID * His transition from actor to director * What he finds most fulfilling about directing * The preparation that set him up for success behind the camera * Fun memories directing Mandy Moore, Chris Sullivan, and Sterling K. Brown That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. ------------------------- Support Our Sponsors: - Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://www.article.com/discount/twu and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. - Don’t just take my word for it – go grab one for yourself. Head to Walmart today to try a bar or stock up on 4 cartons of your favorite flavors, like Blueberry Pie and Salted Peanut Butter, sold exclusively at Walmart. Check out https://Walmart.com to find a store near you! - Right now, go to https://Quince.com/twu for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada, too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. ------------------------- 🍋 About the Show: The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it. Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments. Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday. ------------------------- Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley Video Editor: Todd Hughlett Mix & Master: Jason Richards About Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com. » SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1 » FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum » FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/ » FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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New Parents | "The Ride" with Director Jon Huertas (509)

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This episode is 1 hour and 35 minutes long.

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This episode was published on April 14, 2026.

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On today’s episode of That Was Us, we’re breaking down This Is Us Season 5, Episode 9: “The Ride.” As new parents bring their babies home, the episode explores the fears, hopes, and expectations that come with the start of a new chapter for every...

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