WARNING: The following contains spoilers for This Is Us Season 5, Episode 9, "The Ride," which aired Tuesday on NBC.
Kate and Toby have been on an adoption journey throughout Season 5 of This Is Us, which continues in the latest episode, "The Ride." The couple had some issues getting pregnant, so they decided to expand their family with a second child by pursuing an open adoption. This is how they met Ellie. Ellie already has an 11-year-old daughter named Willow and, after the death of her husband, unexpectedly got pregnant after a one night stand, leading her to pursue an adoption for her baby. She chose Kate and Toby as the adoptive parents and the trio got along very well. Kate was especially happy about having an open adoption with Ellie, advocating for play dates and visits after Ellie gave birth. However in the latest episode, Ellie changes her mind and decides she no longer wants a relationship with newborn Hailey, which rattles Kate.
Kate tells Toby before they take Ellie home from the hospital that they must be extra sensitive towards her because the separation process can't be easy and Kate wants to support Ellie through it. When Ellie joins them outside after completing the hospital paperwork and making the adoption official, she cracks a joke and seems to mostly be her usual self.
Things change once they are in the car. Kate sits in the backseat with her new daughter and Ellie rides up front next to Toby. Kate chatters away about Willow and tries her best to engage Ellie, but Ellie remains closed off. Ellie finally admits she wants to change their arrangement. She doesn't feel she is capable of maintaining a relationship with Hailey and doesn't want an open adoption anymore.
When Kate and Toby return home, they discuss the situation, which has Kate much more upset than Toby. Toby admits he was prepared for the circumstances around the adoption to change and is, therefore, prepared to adapt. On the other hand, Kate confesses she had her heart set on an open adoption because she didn't want Hailey to go through any of the struggles with being adopted she had seen Randell face.
Toby reassures her that things will be alright despite the change in plans. He explains that part of Randall's anxieties came from the complete and total lack of information about his birth parents and why they gave him up, a premise the show explored in the episode "Birth Mother." Toby observes that Hailey won't have to worry about that because he and Kate will be able to explain the story of her adoption, giving her information Randall never had. So although they can't control Ellie's emotions or actions, they'll still be able to give Hailey what she needs.
Toby then tells Kate that she is an unflappable mother and will be able to make the very best of the situation. Kate takes the compliment and then further proves its validity when Toby reveals he just lost his job. She reassures him that together they will figure out his next steps, but for the time being, she wants them to focus on their new daughter.
Kate's adoption plan was thrown for a loop in the latest episode of This Is Us, but despite the setback, Kate remained strong and regained the needed perspective to be the unflappable mother she has proven herself to be. There will be more challenges for her family in the future, but for now at least she has maintained a strong family unit through perseverance and motherly instinct.
Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Chris Sullivan and Susan Kelechi Watson. New episodes air Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT on NBC.