This is Us
 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...6457179caa.jpg

Just watched the pilot for a quirky and offbeat comedy drama that works so hard at being something different that it might be a little too different for the targeted demographic. This is an hour long show comprised of three different stories: A married couple who are expecting triplets; a wealthy black executive who has finally tracked down his biological father who left him at a firehouse shortly after his birth; a TV star who has just had a meltdown in front of studio audience and his overweight, twin sister. Oddly, the only thread between these three stories is that the dad in the 1st, the executive in the second, and the twins in the 3rd, were all born on the same day and are all 36 years old. There were some interesting comic and dramatic moments here and there, but they had very little to do with this connecting thread and if the show should progress, I suspect that thread will grow even thinner if that's possible. Milo Ventimiglia was solid as the expectant dad in the pilot, Sterling K. Brown, who recently won an Emmy for The People Vs OJ Simpson, was kind of annoying as the adopted executive, but I really liked Justin Hartley, last seen on primetime as Patrick on Revenge and on daytime as Adam on The Young and the Restless as the star of a sitcom called The Man-ny and Chrissy Metz as his twin but I just don't see any longevity here...I don't know how this premise can be stretched into a weekly series, but I've only watched the pilot and they are four shows in and 10 are in the can, so we'll see. but...I don't know...

Just finished episode 2 and I am speechless...the premise of this show was a total red herring and this is turning out to be something pretty special, which is probably why no one will be watching it.

Re: This is Us
 

sounds interesting,i think i might check it out. i wish it was a mix marriage though- i hate how in tv shows theres always the white couple and the black couple.

Episode 3 had flashes of brilliance...am loving the story of the twins (Justin Hartley, Chrissy Matz) and Kate's budding romance with Chris. There's one plot point that still needs clarification for me, but I'm totally hooked on this one.

If I remember correctly, they gave away the twist at the very end of the first episode.

Pay close attention because there are more twists coming. :)

Glad you're watching this, GBG, I had a feeling you might like this...I just wish I had started watching when it actually premiered, but I only have one more to watch that has already been aired. According to the IMDB, there are 10 in the can already.

Re: This is Us
 

I'm one episode behind (so I've seen 3). I really like this show and loved the ending to the first episode.

My one gripe, is that I hope they give Kate more to do than complain about her weight every episode, but her speech to the guy she is with "it will always be about the weight" makes me think otherwise.

OK, just finished episode 4 and this show continues to be funny and edgy and challenging and I actually had a lump in my throat when it was over.

Just wrapped episode 5 and this show is continuing to kill it. This has become the show on my viewing schedule that when it's over, I can't wait to see the next one. This episode went a few places I didn't initially understand and did some very subtle foreshadowing that I've been expecting. This show is something very, very special that has become appointment television for me. Milo Ventigmiglia is revelation as Jack and Justin Hartley is proving to be more than a pretty face.

I think "This Is Us" is one of the best new shows this season. I loved Milo Ventimiglia in "Heroes", and Justin Hartley in "Smallville", so it's nice to see both of them again each week.

OK, just finished episode six and this show just keeps getting better with each episode...one scene has me squirming and the next fighting tears...that's entertainment.

I agree 100%. This show is amazing. I loved the scene with Justin Hartley and the girl in the kitchen. I was crying and laughing at the same time.

Watched episode 7 and this show continues to be appointment television...the scenes between Justin Hartley and Sterling K Brown sizzled with intensity and balanced perfectly with the scenes of their characters as teenagers...the ugliness of the relationship between Kate and Toby continues to ring true as well. This show continues to simultaneously entertain and keep my stomach in my knots.

Episode 8...the Thanksgiving episode was another bold, heartbreaking, unconventional, challenging 44 minutes that actually ignited the tear ducts. This show is so freaking brilliant and it's such a shame that no one is watching it. Continues to be the only show on television right now where I actually get a little upset when it's over and can't wait for the next one.

OK, Episode 9 had me literally yelling back at the television screen...I'm starting to love certain characters and I'm starting to hate certain characters and there are things in every episode that make me laugh, have me fighting tears, and just plain piss me off...God, I love this show.

I finally caught up to the current episode, and this show just brings out every emotion in every episode.

I can't believe that Kate broke up with Toby. They seemed like such a great couple. I hope they get back together again.

Hubby and I are on opposite sides of the fence about Randall and his mother. What do you think? Do you think he's wrong to be that angry with her? Should she have told Randall about his real father? Did she have a good reason to keep it from him? Should she at least have told her husband?

Even if he's right to be that angry, I can't believe that he went to her to tell her about his list, but he still left it "out there" until Christmas. I think the writers are just trying to drag it out a little bit more so that the fall finale will be that much more dramatic.

And what do you think about the line "Nothing bad happens on Christmas" in the trailer for the next episode? They're making it look like the doctor who brought Randall to them might die, but I think that might be a red herring. Do you think we'll finally find out what happened to their father?

As far as the Randall/Rebecca thing, I see both sides...the scene where Rebecca visited younger William made me understand Rebecca's fear of William visiting Randall, but she DEFINITELY should have told Jack. Leaving Jack in the dark about her knowing William was completely wrong. Rebecca should have told Randall when he got a little older, maybe when he was in high school with an explanation. On the other hand, Randall needed to confront Rebecca immediately about what he was feeling. I don't like the way he took out his anger towards Rebecca on everyone else in his life...the way he shut Kevin and Kate out at the cabin was wrong as was his fantasy confrontation with Jack where he wanted to share his "list" of why he's angry with Rebecca. Frankly, the list was kind of childish but it should have been shared with Rebecca and no one else. Randall is acting like a child right now and letting his anger keep him from healing. He can only heal by confronting Rebecca and he doesn't want to do that right now. Didn't see the trailer for next episode, I watch the show online and they don't show trailers.

I can see both sides of the Randall/Rebecca thing too, but at some point, he was old enough that she should have told him about his father. I understand that she was afraid of losing him, but he deserved to know. What she did was selfish, and IMO, to keep that secret for over 30 years is just inexcusable.

It also could have changed William's life. Maybe if his son was in his life, he would have had a reason to straighten out his life, and he could have had a better life.

I don't know how much the mushrooms had to do with Randall taking out his problems on everyone else. Maybe if he was in his right mind, he would have dealt with the whole issue better, but without the mushrooms, we probably wouldn't have had the scenes with him and Jack, and they were priceless.


This is the promo for next week's episode: (They're usually on YouTube within about 24 hours of the previous episode airing.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZvyXe5qSos

I have a feeling this is the episode where we're going to learn what happened to Jack.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

Well, just finished episode 10, which is the last episode until January 10th and I think I'm going to be holding my breath until then. As I finish wiping the tears from eyes, the only thing I can say is that this show is the best thing on television right now and anyone who is not watching it is missing something really really special.

I can't believe they ended the episode like that. I knew that the doctor being in the hospital was a red herring, but I never saw that coming. I really hope he's okay. Like she said "Nothing bad happens on Christmas".

It's going to be a long wait for the January 10th episode. :(

I can't believe what they did to Toby! He made that lovely speech to Kate and then they have him collapse? And reveal of the season...William is gay! Who saw that coming?

I never saw that coming about William being gay, but that seems to be the new trend. Every show seems to have a main character who comes out as gay, so it's getting less and less shocking when it happens.

I didn't think January 10th would ever get here and episode 11 did not disappoint...as usual, I was initially confused by the introduction of Jack and Rebecca's parents, but the reason they were introduced became clear pretty quickly. Jack is absolutely awesome...I cannot believe he went to borrow money from his father and didn't tell him what it was for. This episode was definitely Milo Ventimiglia's finest hour, the most underrated member of the cast. The scene between Rebecca and her mother certainly clarified why Rebecca is the self-absorbed drama queen she is. Randall lost a lot of likability points when he told Kevin that his father was "turning gay" but he got a few back during his final scene with William, which had me fighting tears. So glad that Kevin dumped that bitch Olivia, but of course, he kind of did it for the wrong reasons and Sloane's reaction was believable. Everything with Toby and Kate was awesome too, maybe the most unique marriage proposal I've seen on a TV show. This show continues to be appointment television.

I was so glad to see Toby and Kate back together again, and that it looks like he's going to be okay. I was worried about what might happen to him after the last episode.

I felt so bad for Sloane after she overheard what Kevin said to Olivia. I'm glad that he did the right thing, but I wish she hadn't heard what he said.

Have you seen Milo Ventimiglia in anything else? I loved him as Peter in "Heroes".

OK, I've just checked Milo's IMDB page and the only thing that I actually remember seeing him was a recurring role on Gotham, another show I watch regularly. But I am loving him here and Jack is becoming my favorite character on the show.

Kevin said the right thing but he didn't say it right...he made it sound like Sloane is an obligation...Kevin needs to engage his brain before he speaks sometimes.

OK, just finished episode 12, which was kind of odd, but riveting as always. My first instinct was that I really didn't care about further backstory for the doctor (Gerald McRaney) or the fireman who brought Randall to the hospital, but the doctor's story paid off in spades...extremely moving with superb work from McRaney, who had me fighting tears when he visited his wife in the cemetery and when he talked to her empty chair in his living room. The fireman, I just didn't care and thought it was strange that he thought bringing a newborn baby home could save his marriage. This episode did nothing to endear me to the character of Rebecca...her treatment of Jack in the opening scenes just pissed me off, yeah, I know she's near the end of the pregnancy and all, but Jack didn't deserve any of that abuse and the whole scene of her at the liquor store was just stupid. And it's official, Jack is my favorite character on this show... Milo Ventimiglia is a revelation in this role. My favorite Rebecca moment was when she told the babies how awesome their dad is because he is. The moment where Jack is observed sipping from the "World's Best Dad" mug was perfection because he is.

I haven't watched this week's episode yet, but I wanted to let you know that "This Is Us" was renewed for two more seasons, (18 episodes each). :)

http://deadline.com/2017/01/this-is-...ns-1201889069/

My wife and I are glad. Good sign when it gets renewed for not one, but TWO more seasons.

Well, episode 13 did not disappoint...I keep thinking this show has to disappoint me at some point, but it just refuses to do so. Loved that Jack and Rebecca tried to throw the triplets separate birthday parties and it didn't work out at all...Jack, as always, was awesome...Milo Ventimiglia was incredible in that scene where he was vogue-ing with Kate and I love that he wanted to have another kid, even if Rebecca didn't want to discuss it. The William/Randall scenes intially pissed me off, but I guess William's bucket list wasn't too serious, even if it came at an inconvenient time for Randall and I'm glad Randall went with it. Also loved the Sophie connection and Justin Hartley NAILED that scene when he asked Sophie for another chance, maybe Hartley's best onscreen moment all season. Not happy about this guy possibly coming between Kate and Toby, but it is fun to see two men fighting over Kate. Wish Jack wasn't going to die but I have a feeling it won't happen until the final episode, whenever that happens.

I was floored when Kevin went to talk to "the love of his life" and

I agree with you about this guy getting between Kate and Toby. It might not be so bad if he seemed like a nice guy, but what could she possibly see in that guy over Toby???

The scene with Jack and Kate "vogue-ing" was cute, but I'm not a Madonna fan, so I had never heard that expression before, so I didn't know what they were talking about until I saw them doing it. I don't know if you watch the show "Grimm", but in that show, the word "vogue-ing" has a completely different meaning, and I hope to never see anything like that on this show. :eek: (It's spelled "woge-ing" in "Grimm", but it's pronounced "vogue-ing", just like in this show.)

We still don't know what happened to Jack, but we finally got to see a little bit of his funeral. :bawling:

Re: This is Us
 

Everyone I know loves this show --- I was thinking it was just another communal family drama like Army Wives. Am I right on that? I liked Army Wives, but I got bored after a few episodes. I "felt" it, but it was too slow and I wasnt riveted by the characters (or their drama).

But I mean the people who love it - LOVE IT.

Worth a try?

Episode 14 had me squirming, crying, and yelling back at the TV screen. They really got me to the point where I thought I might actually be able to like Rebecca when she told the leader of her band how awesome her husband is and he is. But they took her likability away at the final moment of the show, though I loved the way they filmed Jack and Rebecca reading their vows...some really beautiful editing really made the final moments of the show quite lovely, despite Rebecca making me hate her again. Justin Hartley was solid as Kevin struggled to get his ex-wife back though it felt like initially he was pushing too hard. Sophie is clearly still in love with Kevin, she's just not sure if she can trust him anymore. I also loved when Kevin talked Marla Gibbs and that guy out of the booth, that scene was too cute. I'm REALLY disappointed in Kate and I hope what we saw begin to happen at the end of the show doesn't really happen. I don't like the way they're making us think that Kate thinks Duke likes her just the way she is and Toby doesn't. Toby never wanted her to go to this camp and never cared how much she weighed and yet she keeps pushing him away. Sterling K Brown made me feel Randall, who is really having trouble dealing with the fact that the end is near for William and I kind of hated that its affecting his job, where he was apparently the big dog, pre-William. God, I love this stupid show, it makes me crazy.

Just finished wiping the tears from my face after watching the challenging, edgy, and heartbreaking episode 15...keep waiting for this show to disappoint me and it just gets better with each episode. My hate for Rebecca intensifies with each episode...I wanted to slap her when she told Jack that he was in her way...who the hell does this woman think she is? I hated that she only offered to not go on the tour because she felt the household would fall apart without her for a month. I knew Kate wouldn't sleep with Duke and love everything that happened between Kate and Toby, especially the increasing mystery surrounding Jack's death. Toby was awesome to postpone the wedding until Kate can talk about that. What they're doing to Randall is breaking my heart...I don't know why they all piling all this stuff on him at once and his father was just pissing me off, acting like a child...it was his choice to go off the chemo and now he's suffering the consequences of his actions and blaming everyone else. I felt bad for him initially, but I don't anymore. And between Kevin running out on his opening night to be with Randall and Jack sitting alone with a cheeseburger and onion rings, yeah, I was in tears.

They tried something a little different with ep 16 but it worked...I was weeping about ten minutes before the episode even ended...there was Emmy worthy work here from Ron Cephas Jones and especially Sterling K. Brown, whose beautifully internalized work was a a joy to drink in. Also enjoyed an eye-opening guest shot from someone who I think was Malcolm Jamal Warner. God, I love this stupid show that has never failed to mesmerize me every minute it graces my television screen.

Re: This is Us
 

I gave it the three episode test, unfortunately it's a LOT more drama than comedy and I don't usually do dramas.. Life has enough drama without using it for entertainment too..(For me anyways...)

I think the only time I laughed out of the 3 was when the wife was grilling the dad and after it was all said and done just says "Well now i feel like a bitch..."

This was a good episode, but it focused too much on one storyline for me. I like when they flip back and forth though a few different storylines. This storyline was almost brutal to watch at times.


If you're looking for a comedy, "This Is Us" isn't the show for you. It's a great show, but there's a lot of drama in it.

I was a little concerned when I realized the whole show was going to be all about William and Randall, which was about 10 minutes in, but I found the show really enjoyable with Emmy worthy work from Sterling K Brown. BTW, was that Malcolm Jamal Warner playing the guy in the bar who played in William's band?

Re: This is Us
 

Knowing that this was going to be William and Randal centric really gives away how it was going to end. Still,an emotional episode and I did not mind the fact that it was a departure from the norm. Sometimes it's nice to have a different flow, this was it. I felt like the character deserved the time of an episode to be dedicated to him and his life, which we got, which was really well done.

I felt so sorry for his younger self.

It's a good show, the acting was top notch... I just went into it thinking it was a Comedy/Drama based on all the descriptions and after the first couple was thinking "Someone completely left the comedy out..."

Like I said, as life has enough drama, I try to watch escapism stuff, Comedy, Sci-Fi etc..

It was good to see Justin Hartley and Milo working again.. I think they both got short changed career wise being anchored to cancelled superhero shows.

I wouldn't recognize Malcolm Jamal Warner, but according to IMDB, he's not listed in the episode.

He sure looked like him.

Yeah, Wifey and I have been watching it from the get-go, though we haven't seen past episode 11. Our living situation changed, but at least it's on On Demand. It's quite good. The "past" parts get a little stale at times, and Kevin is a moron, but it's good.

OK, Ep 17 absolutely DESTROYED me...I actually started crying during the scene between Randall and the mailman and was pretty much in tears for the rest of the episode. I was a little surprised at how close Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) had gotten to William...that scene where she talked about refilling William's prescriptions and her speech at the funeral were heartbreaking. It was inspired of William to have his granddaughters plan his service and they NAILED it...loved the walk with the old man hats, which led to Rebecca's long overdue apology to Randall, which was pretty pointless at this point. I guess they're trying to evoke some sympathy for Rebecca, but that ship has sailed. I was kind of amused that they tried to make us think that Jack would even contemplate cheating on Rebecca...there was never any doubt in my mind that Jack would NEVER cheat on Rebecca. I loved when Sophie came to Kevin's dressing room and said she wanted to see "Wicked". Am looking forward to learning about Sophie's issues with Kevin's family, not to mention the HUGE reveal that Kate is responsible for Jack's death...did not see that coming. I also wish that when Randall quit his job and they asked him what he was going to do that he would have quoted William and said he was going to roll down the window and turn the music up. God, I love this stupid show.

I've been waiting for an episode all season focusing on my favorite character, Jack and, of course, they nailed it. Ep 18 was mesmerizing thanks to some really solid writing and brilliant work from the amazing Milo Ventimiglia as Jack. It was nice to see younger Jack and more exposure to his troubled relationship with his dad (Peter Onorati). That whole poker game thing was upsetting...can't believe Jack thought he could win 1 pot and just leave the game. The other reason I LOVED this episode is because it didn't go anywhere I was expecting it go. Clues to certain storylines had been dropped in the last couple of episodes and I was pretty sure I knew exactly what was going to happen during this episode and I was totally wrong, but no less mesmerized. Since two more seasons of 18 episodes have already been ordered, I have a feeling that this might have been the season finale. I'm going to go insane waiting six months waiting for season 2. God, I love this stupid show.

Did I somehow miss or simply forget the detail that Jack is a Vietnam veteran? I have not gone back to rewatch the earlier episodes yet, but when they said it in the season finale I was like huh, wait, what? It isn't that important to the overall story, just a backstory detail, but I did not remember them divulging that before.

As for the "fake out" of still not finding out how he dies, it is more than a little damn cheap. It's still a great and engrossing show, but this is bullsh!t. The way the flashbacks are generally structured, what is happening in the current timeline with the adult kids is reflected to something that either their parents went through or that links to their childhood experiences. For there to be a major death and funeral without seeing how they all dealt with Jack's death is the big cheat now, structurally. For everything else we get parallels, but for THE most important thing, the single event that most changed the courses of their lives as adults, for THAT we still have to pretend it is a mystery?

It's bullsh!t. To even stretch it out until the eighteenth episode was already cheating, but at least understandable in terms of what you would hold back for a season finale. To make us wait probably most of a second season, that is really insincere and manipulative in a way the rest of the show isn't. Parsing out information slowly and not making all the connections obvious has been the show's strength from the "twist" of the very first episode. But to continue to keep this big a detail hidden is becoming annoying. To me, anyway.


But, as I say, still a great show.

I love this show, but I'm with Holden on this episode. I felt cheated. In the last episode, they hinted heavily at where this episode was going, and they didn't go anywhere near there. I expected to find out what happened to Jack, and why Kate thinks it was her fault, but they left us hanging. :mad:

I'm pretty sure that this was the first time this has been mentioned.

For those who may not have heard, the show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series and Sterling K. Brown, Milo Ventimiglia, Ron Cephas Jones, and Gerald McRaney all have been nominated for their work on the show. None of the ladies were nominated.

Chrissy Metz was nominated for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Also, there were several people nominated for Guest Actor in a Drama Series:
Denis O’Hare (“This Is Us” — “Last Christmas”)
Brian Tyree Henry (“This Is Us” — “Memphis”)
Gerald McRaney (“This Is Us” — “The Big Day”)

Yeah, I found out later Chrissy was nominated...I had bad information on another site.

OK, just finished watching the season 2 premiere and this show continues to be appointment television at its finest. I was surprised that I got through most of the show without crying and then the last five minutes of the show happened and the water works started. I was shocked at Randall's blindness about this adoption and that he really didn't seem to care that Beth wasn't on board until they got to the agency. LOVED everything that happened between Toby and Kevin and I'm hoping that they can co-exist. I was really pissed when Kate walked out on that audition because I'm tired of Kate running away every time she walks into a room of skinny women, but what happened when she went back to the audition was brilliantly realistic. I'm loving the fleshing out of Beth's character, the way she spoke to Randall and William in this episode without filter was something I didn't notice the first season. Milo Ventimiglia was nothing short of brilliant in that scene where Jack confessed to Rebecca that he has a drinking problem, but I think he messed up when he tried to buy a singing job for Rebecca, the first serious error in judgment I have seen this character make. My feelings about Rebecca have not changed since season one and it is clear that she doesn't have a clue about the disease of alcoholism but if the writers do their homework about the disease, Rebecca is going to get seriously schooled.

Just like the season 2 premiere, I managed to get through episode two without crying until the last five minutes. And I don't think it's a coincidence that Milo Ventimiglia was involved in both triggers of the water works. Ventigmilia is an amazing actor and I'm probably one of the few fans of the show who wanted Milo to win the Emmy a few weeks ago instead of Sterling K. Brown. Am loving this intimate look at the relationship between Jack and young Kate and can't wait to see its connection to why Kate feels responsible for her father's death. LOVED everything that happened between Kate and Rebecca too...Rebecca continues to be the most self-absorbed character on prime time television and loved when Toby put her in her place. Randall's fears about adopting an older child with "issues" make no sense at all. This show has bent over backwards in making us believe that Randall is the show's most intelligent character...for someone like Randall to be having fears like this was just stupid. Susan Kelechi Watson continues to nail the new filter-less quality to her character. I also have to say another thing I liked about this episode is that it provided a lot more laughs than this show usually does without losing any of the quality that makes this show so awesome. I love this stupid show.

Episode 3 contained a couple of pleasant surprises...this is the first episode in a long time where Rebecca (Mandy Moore) was actually thinking about someone other than herself...her dedication to helping Jack is well-intentioned, but she still seems blissfully unaware that this is something Jack has to do on his own. The other surprise for me was Justin Hartley as Kevin...it has become fashionable to diss Hartley's acting ability, especially working with acting powerhouses like Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia, but he was given some meaty stuff to play in this episode and he delivered...this episode was the first to offer insight into the effect of Jack's death on Kevin, but Hartley really delivered the goods and I loved everything with Kate and Sly Stallone too. I found Deja's reaction to the news about her mother a little much, with her mother's history this shouldn't have been such a shock, but Randall and Beth's handling of the situation was perfection. God, I love this stupid show.

Elizabeth Perkins was quite convincing in the unsympathetic role of Rebecca's mother, which offered some insight into why Rebecca is the way she is. I have to admit Mandy Moore played that scene that concluded with her calling her mother a racist, though I really didn't buy young Randall's cluelessness about the whole thing. It has been fun watching know it all adult Randall being clueless as to how to handle Deja. I loved the look on Beth's face when Deja asked Beth to do her hair and I loved Randall's final attempt to connect with Deja being a total disaster. Justin Hartley was solid as we saw the connection between young Kevin's football career and his current acting career. I loved how upset he was to learn one of his lines was given to someone else and how Toby didn't think it was a big deal. Only people who ever acted would understand that. It was also awesome seeing Brian Grazer in front of the camera, I hope it won't be the last time, though I have a feeling Ron had to BEG him to do it. And I must confess that episode 4 of Season 2 was the first one I've gotten through without shedding a tear. I still love this stupid show.

Some people were disappointed with episode 4 and for those who were, I hope they felt episode 5 was back on track because I enjoyed it. Loved every move Chrissy Metz made during this episode as Kate, especially confessing her pregnancy to Toby and her parking lot fight with Madison. Glad we finally got details about Deja's abuse...i loved the camerawork in that scene, photographing Randall from inside the bathroom stall. Also loved Jack and Rebecca's conversation with Jack on the walkie talker...as always, Milo Ventigimilia NAILED that scene. Though well played, I'm really not liking where they're taking Kevin...this guy deserves a break, even though the writers seem to be sending a message that life isn't a bowl of roses just because you're pretty, but Kevin deserves a break. I like him and I love this stupid show.

Episode 6 really drove home two things about this show that I really love. Number one, that due to the way that the show is set-up, it is absolutely impossible to predict what is going to happen from week to week and number two, the writers are fearless about occasionally showing these characters we have grown to love in not-so-flattering lights. We got our first glimpse of Randall and Beth prior to the birth of their children and every move Sterling K. Brown's Randall made in this episode made me squirm, especially his big confession to the store employee which just came off as false and affected. Really didn't understand the point of showing a past affair of Kate's with a married man either. I also wasn't thrilled to see Kevin try to steal his roommate's part in a movie, though I understand how desperate an unemployed actor can be, just didn't see it coming from Kevin. I was also completely creeped out when Miguel responded IMMEDIATELY to Rebecca posting that picture of her grandchild on facebook...I always knew he was obsessed with Rebecca but his response to that picture was just WAY too quick...stalker much?

"This Is Us" is easily one of the best shows on TV. I think Toby is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. I loved the way he stood up to Rebecca after Kate told her off after she sang, and I loved his "performance" when Kate told him it was okay to tell people about her pregnancy. I like him so much that it kind of bothered me a little bit when Kate slept with a married man because it almost felt like she was cheating on him, (even though it was probably well before they even met).

I think we're starting to see a little of Jack in Kevin. Kevin seems to be addicted to his pain pills, just like his father was addicted to alcohol. I hope that alcohol didn't factor into Jack's death because Kevin seems to be following down a similar path right now. And I hated that Kevin tried to steal his friend's part, and I thought the director's response to it was perfect. I hope Kevin learned something from the director and his friend's reactions.

I don't know how I feel about Deja yet. First I didn't like her, then I started to like her, but I'm still on the fence about her. I like how hard it is for Randall to figure out how to deal with her. He seems to be so intelligent and on top of everything that it's kind of interesting to see him struggling with something for a change. We're starting to see some other cracks in his armor, like when he couldn't install the ceiling fan, but he was wonderful when his wife went into labor early, and he had to deliver the baby.

BTW, did we know before this season that Jack had a brother? I don't remember hearing anything about him before we saw the two of them as kids in the car waiting for their father.

Yeah, the reveal about Jack having a brother was a surprise to me too...seemed to come from nowhere.

For the most part, episode 7 was a big improvement over the last two, which actually found me shedding tears twice...I lost it when Deja confessed that she had been saving money to put on her mother's books and I also lost it during Toby's marriage proposal, though I did find his conversation with Jack's ashes a little forced and creepy. The scene between Randall and Deja's mother was absolutely brilliant...I clearly understood what was going on on both sides of the glass. Loved when guest star Debra Jo Rupp told off Randall too. Absolutely hate what they're doing to Kevin but I understand it and Just in Hartley is killing it. Didn't really get the point of going all the way back to Jack and Rebecca adopting Randall, though it did offer the opportunity for a classy turn for guest star Delroy Lindo, but wasn't this material basically covered in the episode 5 with Elizabeth Perkins as Rebecca's mother?

I loved Toby's marriage proposal. As soon as they started talking about all the things that she was going to avoid by having a simple wedding, I knew that he was going to propose and they would have a big wedding. He wasn't going to let her miss out on everything she wanted just because she was scared of it.

I think the point of going back to Randall's adoption was to compare his adoption with what's happening with Deja now. I think they're trying to show us that his parents didn't have an easy time adopting him, and he's going to have some growing pains with Deja, but he'll get through it, just like they did.

And I think they're doing something similar with Kevin. They're showing his struggles with addiction to pain killers, just like Jack struggled with an addiction to alcohol. The show is coming full circle. However I don't like that they had Kevin try to steal his friend's part, but I think that was a learning experience for him because he got past that, tried improv, and eventually, (hopefully), we'll see how he got his part as "The Manny".

I want to know what happened with Jack's death, and why Kate thinks that it's her fault.

I, too, am dying to know why Kate feels responsible for Jack's death.

Any fears of this show suffering from "Sophomore-itis" were put to rest with episode 8,which was edgy and brilliant, easily the best one of the season, though I find myself questioning the motivation behind it. I hate what they're doing to Kevin, but I can't help wondering if Justin Hartley's lack of attention during award season has something to do with all this attention on Hartley's character, but Hartley is appearing to be up to the job and with the help some vividly imaginative directing and scripting, the scenes of adult Kevin mingling with teen flashbacks were extremely effective, not to mention the digs at celebrity obsession...loved everyone wanting to know if Kevin's beard was for a movie, and more importantly, their complete oblivion to Kevin's speech about not deserving the award. Loved everything that happened between Jack and teen Kevin, it was notice to see Jack actually doing the discipline thing like a real father. These scenes offered long awaited insight into the relationship between Jack and Kevin, not to mention Kevin and Randall and young Randall's unconditional love for Kevin no matter how badly Kevin treats him. I hate that Kate lost her baby and I hate the way they did it, but for the most part, this episode was on the money...I love this stupid show.

I hope they do something to turn Kevin around soon because I hate what they're doing to him. He needs help, and I hope that's why he went to Randall at the end of the episode. He was going to tell Randall something before Randall dropped the news about Kate's baby.

It's heartbreaking that Kate lost the baby, but I think they could have found a better way to tell us. The whole episode centered around Kevin, and then they hit us with the bad news. They never gave us a chance to care about the baby enough to be upset that she lost it. It was shocking, but not as upsetting as it could have been if they centered the episode around Kate and Toby, and how happy they were to be having the baby.

I was not happy with the way we learned about Kate losing the baby in ep 8, but I should have known that we would get a closer look at what happened in ep 9, an episode that had me in tears from the moment Rebecca showed up at Kate's door. Solid work from Chrissy Metz and especially Chris Sullivan as Toby. Loved the lengths he went to in order to keep that baby bath from being delivered. Wanted to slap Rebecca when she started going through Kate's stuff, we're getting a lot more insight into Kate's resentment of her mother and it was driven home by that ridiculous yellow onion scene...Mandy Moore is no Shirley MacLaine. But what I loved most was the way these events were integrated into what we saw in ep 8. God, I love this stupid show.

Ep 10 was a mixed bag, a richly entertaining mixed bag, but a mixed bag nonetheless. Before I talk about this episode specifically, i must applaud the extraordinary writing team for the last three episodes, creating a striking and imaginative story arc that was a master class in writing continuity...how they managed to tell separate but connect stories about Kevin, Kate, and Randall as teenagers and connect them to their present lives was absolutely brilliant. As for ep 10, I was impressed with the realism of Randall losing Deja...courts are always prone to siding with biological parents in such situations and I liked that the writers were aware of that. I didn't really buy the instant family they turned Deja and the Piersons into into order to heighten the drama when Deja's mother arrived and Randall's crocodile tears during her departure were a little over the top. I was also a little surprised to see how young William was initially involved with young Randall's life and I really didn't buy Randall's instant acceptance of the guys at Howard just because it was an all black school, but I'm nitpicking a pretty solid hour. I love this stupid show.

I knew that Kate wouldn't take losing the baby well, but I hated the way she treated Toby. She acted like she was the only one hurting, and I was glad that he stood up to her and told her that she was wrong. If she only knew what he went through to make sure that she never saw that package, she might have acted a lot nicer to him. But it's things like that that make me love Toby so much.

Would you expect anything less than brilliance from the writers of this show?

I thought Randall would have put up more of a fight to keep Deja, but I guess he realized that it was useless, and they were going to lose her no matter how hard they fought. Randall made a nice offer to help them, so maybe we'll see more of Deja and her mother in future episodes. Either way, I think there will probably be another foster kid in Randall's home soon.

I understand why Randall wanted to visit Howard University, but I can't imagine him choosing to go there over Harvard. He's too smart for that. (I hope.)

As expected, the return of the best show on network television was an emotional roller coaster. For months now, this show has been trying to infuse some sympathy into the Rebecca character and ep 11 may finally begun that process during her final scene. Don't get me wrong...I still hate her, I hate that she couldn't think of a childhood moment with Kevin during therapy and that she was completely unapologetic about not telling the children that Jack was a drinker. Yes, the children may have been too young to understand alcoholism, but at some point Rebecca should have sat the kids down and told them their dad was sick. Kate Burton was excellent as the therapist. Loved when Kate, Ranadall, and Kevin met after and apologized to each other without actually apologizing. Also loved the non-blood Pearsons bonding in the bar and I couldn't stop laughing when they said Jack looked like a 70's porn star. I love this stupid show.

Maybe I was premature when I stated this show wasn't suffering from Sophomore-itis because there were definitely signs of it in ep 12. The writers seem to be getting a little full of themselves, thinking that anything they throw a us is going to be accepted. Everything with Randal and Clooney the cat was a waste of screentime. Just didn't care about Clooney and I didn't like the fact that Randal was SO thrilled at the possibility that his father might have been bisexual. Loved when Beth told Randall to come down from space and join her on earth. The voice the writers have given Beth this season continues to be very entertaining. LOVED everything that happened with Kate and Madison though...Madison's story just might be more compelling than Kate's and when Miguel told Kevin that he didn't love Rebecca until after Jack's death, he wasn't the least bit convincing. Not a great episode, didn't shed a tear for the first time in quite awhile, but I still love this stupid show.

Some solid acting saved ep 13 from being rather predictable except for an ending intended to shock. I see two storylines beginning that can only lead to disaster both centered around married people also working together. Randall is already driving Beth up a wall and no good can come of Jack and Rebecca working together. And they need to ditch Garret Morris, the character is beyond annoying, Though I did enjoy every single moment Jack had onscreen...this is the perfect marriage of actor and character and still my favorite character on the show...it was so sweet watching his dream of a family superbowl Sunday turn to dross but the way he dealt with it was quietly classy. I'm still having trouble figuring out what year the Jack/Rebecca story takes place. Teen Kate has a poster for Buffy the Vampire Slayer on her wall, which was released in 1992, yet Teen Kevin and teen Sophie were watching The Princess Bride, which was released in 1987. And that fire...let's talk about that fire...are we FINALLY going to learn how Jack died and why Kate feels responsible. I'm thinking it has something to do with her dog trauma that almost kept her from bringing home the absolutely delicious Audio. I love this stupid show.

Well they made us wait a year and a half for it and I didn't think I would make it,but for the most part, it was worth the wait. Ep 14 finally revealed how Jack died and I was impressed that it didn't go exactly the way it had been hinted at in previous episodes. Watching the present day Piersons "celebrate" the day was definitely a mixed bag...Randall said he was celebrating his dad's death but he, as usual, was making it all about him and I think Kate feeling that Jack's death is her fault and her reaction to the tape getting stuck in the VCR was ridiculous. One thing this episode did do that they failed to do for me is imbue Rebecca with some sympathy. I loved the scene where Rebecca got the news and her first impulse was to bite into her candy bar. The most heartfelt reaction to the day came from Kevin IMO. His conversation with Jack was terrific. I love this stupid show.

The last two episodes have confirmed why Jack is my favorite character and how perfect Milo Ventimiglia is so perfect in the role. I was afraid when it was first revealed that Jack was dead that it would limit his screentime but it seems to have had the exact opposite effect..."how does Jack die?" had become the new "Who shot JR?" for awhile. Ep 15 was a bit of mixed bag but the good outweighed the bad. I loved when Jack made teen Randall and teen Kevin walk home. I think Kate's guilt about her father's death is stupid and a waste of screentime. Now she wants to get rid of the dog? Please. The return of Gerald McRaney's character smacked of convenience. I bet the return never would have happened if McRaney hadn't won an Emmy last season. And Jack's final speech to the car salesman was SO corny and I don't think any car salesman IRL would have fallen for that. Nevertheless, I still love this stupid show.

I finally found the time to catch up with this show, and with this thread. I'm glad they finally showed us how Jack died, and that they didn't just take the easy road and make it obvious. Even though we could see it coming, it still pulled at the heartstrings and made me cry. (It reminded me of the episode of "Ghost Whisperer" when her husband died.)

I never for a second thought that Jack wouldn't go back in to save the dog, and someone needs to tell Kate that it's not her fault. Jack heard the dog bark, and he went back in. It's just not in his nature to know the dog is in there, and ignore the barking without at least trying to save the dog. I understand why Kate feels responsible, but it's not her fault.

I loved seeing Gerald McRaney as the doctor again, I just wish it were for a better reason.

And @Gideon58, just in case you think we'll be seeing less of Jack now that they've done the big reveal, I just want to let you know that the trailer for the next episode said that "Jack's story has just begun".

Episode 16 was a mixed bag of what is, still arguably the best show on network television. I actually found everything revolving around the Pierson family and Kevin whining about the cornish hens pretty dull. The two characters that made this episode sizzle were Beth and Toby. I love that Beth continues to speak her mind with Randall though I wasn't crazy about the fact that Randall was right about Deja. Didn't expect this show to be so predictable. Very disappointed with Randall and Kevin blowing Toby off during his bachelor party. Glad Kevin and Randall made up for it and am I the only one who knew Kevin was not cut out of Ron Howard's movie? I still love this stupid show.

After Ep 17, it can no longer be denied that this show is suffering from sophomore-itis. Honestly, Deja's backstory was of no interest to me and this episode confirmed that. The attempt to connect Deja's over the top story to the other families on the show just came off as pat, contrived, and very hard to swallow, I guess this episode was supposed to evoke some sympathy for Deja and Shauna but the effect was just the opposite for me. Shauna's transformation from the teen mom who didn't even want to hold her newborn to the struggling mom who thought Deja was the sun and the moon just didn't work for me. Did love Pam Grier's cameo as Shuana's grandmother though. Deja's whole story of moving through the foster system was just too much of everything. There was one beautiful piece of continuity that I loved...LOVED that moment when Deja was cooking alone in the kitchen and the TV in the next room was showing an episode of THE MANNY...just brilliant, I still love this stupid show.

OK, I'm totally over Kate. This obsession with her dad is approaching creepy territory. This woman is about to marry the most terrific guy ever and all she can think about is her father. She left everybody hours before the wedding so she could get her dad's favorite ice cream to serve at the wedding? I understand a lot of what Kate was going through here, but I didn't understand her need to not tell ANYONE what she was doing. It was selfish and weird. And that flashback where pre-teen Kate asked Jack if she could marry him made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. On the plus side, the scene with Toby and his parents (Dan Lauria, Wendie Malick) was brilliant. I love that we're getting more backstory on Toby...the reveal that he's on meds was heartbreaking....this was the first time this was revealed correct? I'm also over that little teenage bitch Deja, her behavior at that wedding was unacceptable. Oh, and Kate's wedding dress was gorgeous. Despite everything said here, I will continue to love this stupid show.

Just finished watching the season 3 premiere which contained a surprising amount of pretension in the writing that made for some confused goings at times. OK, first off I need someone to explain the whole Franco Harris thing and what it had to do with these characters we already know and love. On the positive side, I absolutely LOVED the first meeting and first date between Jack and Rebecca and I loved that it was an absolute disaster. Jack's speech in the car coming home from the carnival was brilliant and it was great seeing Milo Ventimiglia sans goatee. He looked 10 years younger and not like a 70's porn star. I felt bad for Kate and Toby when they received their news but the way Kate brought down her birthday luncheon was wrong and made any sympathy I had for her fade away. I'm so tired of Kate wallowing in self-pity and this was just another example and the fact that the doctor changed her mind at the end didn't make me feel any better. Speaking of wallowing in self-pity, I'm also sick of Daija and her constant whining about her parents not loving her. Why can't she just accept her new family and forget the past? The look on Randall's face when she got upset with him comparing his life to hers was heartbreaking. Sterling K Brown is an amazing actor. I'm also looking forward to finding out why such a positive and outgoing character like Toby is on anti-depressants. Oh, and Kevin and Beth's cousin has disaster written all over it.
I still love this stupid show.

I had no idea who Franco Harris was when I saw the episode, so I Googled him. (I thought he was going to be a fictitious player who was just made up for this show, but apparently he's a real person, and a real ex-football player.)

According to Google, he made an amazing "miracle" touchdown in a Super Bowl game back in the 1970s, and that play won the game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think that's supposed to be the connection to the show. Maybe it's a comparison to Jack and Rebecca's relationship working, even though she seemed to be with another guy when Jack showed up. Or maybe it connects to Kate and Toby trying to have a baby, even though they only have a 10% chance of success. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


I felt so bad for Jack when he didn't have enough money to buy her an umbrella. I kept hoping that he would tell her the truth, and she would understand. I was glad that he finally told her, and it wasn't "too little, too late". Now we just have to see how he gets rid of the other guy.


I was hoping that maybe this would have been a "wake-up call" for Kate to realize that she has to lose weight for her health, but they didn't go in that direction. I wasn't happy that the doctor changed her mind either. I thought that was too predictable, and the wrong decision, but I love seeing how much Toby loves her, but sometimes I think he deserves better than her.


I think they're finally moving Deja's character in a better direction. She seems to be starting to give up on her real parents and accept her new family. Hopefully she'll be more likable now because they've upgraded her to a regular character on the show this season.


I'm dying to find out what's going on with him. I just hope that he makes it through whatever it is okay. He's one of my favorite characters on the show.


I don't have much hope for them as a couple either.


Me too. :)

Just finished Season 3 Ep 2, a rich and complicated hour with the Piersons. Got a lot of insight into Randall during this episode...he said it best himself. He's either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. He can never find that balance. I liked that he went to see that city councilman about fixing up that rec center, though I don't think a real life councilman would have been that cooperative. There were some strong moments with teen Randall too...even though Rebecca is not my favorite person, he was totally out of place speaking to her that way and I was very disappointed with him deciding not to go to Howard. He seems to think he's the only one who can save Kevin and Kate. The hurt that he felt when he learned what Kate said at the premiere was palpable and came right through the television screen. I loved when Toby told off Rebecca but I'm REALLY worried about him. Sterling K Brown continues to be one of the best actors on network television right now. I've probably mentioned this before, but after this episode, I have to say it again. I must applaud the casting people for the casting of teen Kevin, teen Kevin, and teen Kate...they are practically mirror images of Justin Hartley, Sterling K Brown, and Chrissy Metz. I love this stupid show.

Ep 3 was a mixed bag which I had definite issues with...Kate's whole out of body experience was creepy and weird. Once again, we are bombarded with Kate's slightly unnatural attachment to Jack and watching the younger Kates making fun of her was just not entertaining to me. I understand why they were doing it but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Kate needs to put her feelings in perspective about her father and move on with her life. On the other hand, I was totally behind Kevin wanting to find out about his father because Kevin's relationship with Jack as a child was always very surface and I hope it's not too late. I loved when he sent that e-mail to Mr. Robinson and the actor playing Mr. Robinson was Charles Robinson. This was also the first episode where I saw my favorite character, Jack, make a wrong move. Even though his intentions were golden, Jack was wrong to make his mother move out of her home. It would have been one thing if she wanted to leave and asked for Jack's help, but that was not Jack's decision to make. And the whole Jack and Rebecca taking such a long and winding road to get to each other is wearing thin...did we really have to watch Rebecca in shop class in high school? And her waffling between Jack and that other guy just made her look slightly unstable. There also has to be a point to Beth being fired all of a sudden, but I don't know what it is. I still love this stupid show.

Ep 4 bordered on brilliance...this was the kind of storytelling that attracted me to this show in the first place. Jack has always been my favorite character on this show and this episode confirmed why. Credit goes to director Ken Olin and the incomparable writing team for telling the story of Jack and his little brother, Nicky in reverse. I was shocked to learn of Jack's irregular heartbeat which initially kept him out of his service but I LOVED that he wanted to go to Vietnam anyway to keep an eye on his brother. Michael Angarano was terrific as Nicky...have loved Angarano ever since he played Jack's son, Elliott on Will & Grace. Ken Olin must also be credited for a stylish directorial touch of that scene with Nicky asleep in bed with the book in his lap, while outside, Jack was trying to keep the peace between his parents...beautifully done. It was daring of this show that is so dependent on its full ensemble to focus an episode on one character but they nailed it. I hope Milo Ventimiglia submits this episode for his Emmy reel. I love this stupid show.

Ep 6 was mixed bag...I actually loved that Randall didn't blow away all those Philadelphians the way he thought he was going to. I loved the complete realism of that whole situation...the way the black folks show up anywhere for food but really aren't interested in what goes along with it. I don't understand why every time teen Kate feels like singing, Rebecca feels the need to barge in and show her how to sing. I'm also not really enjoying watching Miguel playing father to Jack's kids, even if it is what Jack wanted. Though the roots of Toby's depression were kind of predictable, learning about them were no less compelling. Loved Wendie Malick as his mom but I'm really worried about Toby, I hope this time off his meds hasn't done too much damage. I love this stupid show.

Re: This is Us
 

Me too. Even when it borders on melodrama, it still feels realistic about it and NOT melodramatic (if that makes sense). It's one of about 3-4 shows I am certain to watch as soon as I can once an episode airs.

Ep 6 featured some exceptional acting that made some hard-to-swallow dialogue almost tolerable. Susan Kelechi Watson was nothing short of brilliant as Beth finally admitted the fact that she resents being unemployed, but I'm not sure if working with Randall on his campaign is the answer. I did love the way Randall got himself a campaign manager though. I did have trouble accepting these wise-beyond-their-years Pierson children manipulating the adults in their lives. Daija's speech to Beth and young Randall's explanation to Jack about why he wanted to box both came off as contrived. Loved Milo Ventimiglia in that scene though...can we just give this guy an Emmy already? I love that Kevin wants to go to Vietnam but I really don't want to learn that Jack was really in love with this woman. Loved everything that happened between adult Randall and his opponent for City Council too. I love this stupid show.

Re: This is Us
 

Ha! Brilliantly put. And yes, I do wonder sometimes about the conveniently wise statements from the kids. I think they could have had both Deja and young Randall say the same things in more appropriate "speeches" -- you know, not *speeches* at all, but just blurting things out the way kids do.

And YES YES YES to the stupid idea of Beth working on Randall's campaign! HOW does that validate her? Frankly, if my husband had suggested something like that, I'd immediately brand him as a narcissist. Because clearly it's all about Randall. The fact that she didn't punch him in the face astounds me.

There was some interesting parallels in storylines created in Ep 7, even if it did try viewer patience waiting for the parallels to manifest themselves. I was about 40 minutes into the episodes before really seeing the parallel between Jack and Rebecca's trip to LA and Kevin and Beth's cousin's (can never remember her character's name for some reason) trip to Vietnam. Never really understood all this attention to Jack's time in Vietnam this season since it really doesn't seem to have much to do with the Jack we met during the first two seasons, but I guess it's a way to keep the character a viable part of the canvas since he's dead. I have to agree with Jack's brother who said the guy has a Superman complex. I don't see how he thinks he can get his brother out of Vietnam and I was shocked that his brother's commanding officer actually gave Jack two weeks to work with him, really can't imagine something like that occuring IRL. And I don't know what he was thinking going to that guy's parents and saying that he was responsible for their son's death? It looked like the parents had already had closure with what happened and Jack shows up and opens those wounds all over again? His taking responsibility wasn't going to bring the guy back, but it does fit into the kind of guy Jack is I guess. And am I the only one who thinks Beth's cousin has never told anyone else but Kevin about being abused by her father? That freaked me out when Kevin found her in the bathtub. I love this stupid show.

The expected Thanksgiving connections made in ep 8 made for some compelling programming and some equally dull programming. Let's get this out of the way, the conclusion of the story about Jack's necklace was a HUGE letdown and was so not worth Kevin travelling all the way to Vietnam. I understand where Jack's brother was coming from, but it was still wrong of him not to help Jack with that little kid, despite the fact that Jack didn't really need his help. With his lengthy absence from the canvas, I found that I really don't care about William anymore and I care even less about his British cokehead lover (Denis O'Hare). And even though I've always hated Miguel, the Thanksgiving dinner at his daughter's house was the best scene in the show, fraught with tension. It was nice Kate bond with her niece and LOVED the reveal that Randall's daughter might be a lesbian.

It's been about 5 or 6 episodes since it's happened, but Ep 9 proved that this stupid show still knows how to make me cry. The scene where Tess confessed to her parents that she might be gay had me weeping. Little Eris Baker totally nailed that scene conveying this little girl's terror in how her parents might react to her revelation and, as expected, Randall and Beth handled it beautifully, but the multiple reveals that came from that scene were jaw-dropping and I did not see coming AT ALL. I was also fighting tears during the Jack/Nicky scenes though I was a little disappointed when Kevin first mentioned that Nicky had died during the war because I expected us to be shown how Nicky died, but that also went a completely different direction than expected. I also have to give a shout out to Randall during that debate scene but was shocked that he might be putting this election ahead of his marriage. I was a little confused as to how Toby and Kate went from not knowing what the sex of the baby was to cutting a gender reveal cake and watching Kate whine about having to give up her job doing singing telegrams and being shocked that she couldn't teach without a college degree were tiresome, but the good definitely outweighed the bad in this episode. God, I still love this stupid show.

This stupid show came back with a vengeance last night. Ep 10 was very special because it required complete attention. Tracking the timelines on what was going on here was kind of tricky, but it was worth the work. LOVED everything that happened between Beth and Randall...Susan Kelechi Watson and Sterling K. Brown are magic together and I'm still reeling over the revelation that this marriage is going to end at some point because I thought this was a marriage that could withstand anything. Ep 9 was our first glimpse into the future on this show and it was interesting that it was regarding Randall and Beth. I'm glad that they didn't make us wait another episode to find out if Randall won the election, that would have been maddening. Kevin needs to run from Zoe as far as his long legs can carry him. At first I thought she was just a commitment-phobe, but this girl is toxic, evidenced in that very telling scene with the congressman she broke up with via e-mail. I don't believe anything that came out of this girl's mouth and am certain she is going to chew up Kevin's heart and spit it out. Kate's corny speech to the geek to get Toby's action figures back was actually legitimized when the geek said no. Toby continues to be the world's best husband, completely accepting of Kate's totally unnatural obsession with her father. I love this stupid show.

OK...I don't know how else to say it but Ep 11 DESTROYED me. After two and a half seasons of worshiping the character of Jack Pearson, I saw him in a completely different light in this episode and the light was not a very flattering one. First of all, I have to say that the juxtaposing of Jack's reunion with Nicky and the siblings meeting Nicky for the first time was brilliant. But I found it very difficult to be on board with a lot of what Jack did in this episode. I understand his feelings to a point, but what happened was a terrible, tragic accident and to cut Nicky out of his life because of it was just wrong. I mean he didn't even let Nicky explain, I just don't understand it. I also don't understand why he felt he had to lie to Rebecca about where he went. I had this character on a pedestal for two and ahalf years and he tumbled off it last night. I swear my heart broke when the siblings informed Nick that Jack was dead and that he didn't even know about it. I also loved the separate stops at the convenience store where they showed Jack in front of the sign showing one way to Bradford and one way to Pittsburgh and then showed the siblings in front of the same sign. God, I hope they can convince Nick to come home with them. The acting of Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Angarano, and especially Griffin Dunne as the elder Nick was superb. This stupid show continues to blow me away.

Re: This is Us
 

I'm not sure how I felt about what Jack did. At the end, Nick keeps saying Jack never let him explain that it was an accident. So Jack cut Nick out of his life because he thought he'd killed that kid on purpose. (We can half-believe this because of earlier episodes where Nick is constantly berating Jack for being nice to the locals, calling them all "enemies," even the women and children.)

I can see why Jack wouldn't have listened to Nick at that point early on, because he'd been dealing with Nick's sh*t for so long that it was a case of the boy who cried wolf. You gotta put some blame on Nick for that, at least. However, Jack continuing to not listen was not cool. Then again, why didn't Nick just put on one of those postcards, "It was an accident"? Honestly... sometimes this show does the stupid thing soap operas are known for, and people don't say or do the obvious things and then Big Misunderstandings ensue, which drive the plot forward in awkward, almost unnatural ways. This felt like one of those.

Having said that, I too liked the juxtaposition of the kids and Jack both visiting Bradford. (I live in the Pittsburgh area, so I always enjoy those parts of this show.)

And I like that we're going to see everyone in this family take a second hard look at Jack and his unblemished role in their family. If he hadn't died, they might have begun to see some of his flaws more clearly. Dying young tends to give someone elevated status and an unfair untarnished reputation, even if it's not deserved. The man was human, after all. I'm almost relieved to find the writers have chosen to make him human, finally.

I was beginning to wonder if it was ever coming back but Ep12 was solid and worth the wait. Exceptional work by Griffin Dunne as Uncle Nick did everything he could do to avoid connecting with his sister-in-law and niece and nephews. Loved when Kevin and Rebecca commiserated about how angry they were with Jack about keeping Nick a secret. Didn't initially understand the connection to the Nick story and Kevin and Rebecca standing in line to meet that baseball player, but as I realized what was going on, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the time. Randall and Kate in those strangers' house arguing about the sequin fight was totally squirm worthy. I liked that Nick told Kevin he would go to a meeting, but I didn't believe him. Nick has given up on life and plans to drink himself to death even if Kevin refuses to accept that. And why the hell did Kevin have to take a drink at the end of the show? Was that really necessary? . Oh and one minor quibble...supposedly Nick had no idea Jack had a family before the previous episode. How did he know that Kevin was a movie star? This stupid show continues to run roughshod over my emotions

OK, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Episode 13...we had to wait two and a half seasons for it, but we finally got a glimpse into Beth's past, an insightful and deeply moving glimpse into the kind of person Beth is. Phylicia Rashad once again was given the opportunity to show why she was one of the industry's most underrated actresses...she had me wanting to slap Beth's mother silly at the beginning of the hour and then wanting to give her a big bear hug at the end. That final scene at the breakfast table between Rashad and Susan Kelechi Watson was incredible. And, of course, I now understand the scene we had a couple of weeks ago showing Beth in the future running a dance studio. Also LOVED that we got to see the first time Beth and Randall met. A big bouquet to Carl Lumbly who was just heartbreaking as Beth's father. This is the first episode centered on a single character other than Jack and they hit the bullseye. The casting people are geniuses on this show...the actress who played teenage Beth could have been Watson's younger sister. I absolutely love this stupid show.

Re: This is Us
 

Agreed on the amazing casting of teen Beth, even if they DID have her in period-inappropriate attire. (Pretty sure folks weren't yet wearing ripped jeans like that 20 years ago.)

And even though this show doesn't offer amazingly deep insights, and even though it often ventures into almost sappy melodrama, WHY WHY WHY do I end up ugly-crying during nearly every episode? :D

For me, this one hit more than a few nerves. Early adulthood robbed me of so many of my dreams, which I am only recently getting back (in my 50s). They somehow managed to walk that fine line and stayed *just* on the right side of it, never completely veering into cheesy stereotypes. Totally agree on Rashad (subtly hating her at first, then totally understanding her at the end).

I love this stupid show, too. :D <3

And even though this show doesn't offer amazingly deep insights, and even though it often ventures into almost sappy melodrama, WHY WHY WHY do I end up ugly-crying during nearly every episode?




Right?!?!?

Re: This is Us
 

Every. Single. Week. :D

Let me finish untangling my guts before I talk about Ep 14...I thought graduation was a really interesting hook for another look at the past and present with the Piersons. I have to admit by being a little thrown by teen Kate's harsh reaction to teen Kevin going to New York, did not see that coming. I HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE what they're doing to Kevin...why does he have to relapse now? His career is about to finally take off why can't they let this guy have some success? I'm also not crazy about the fact that if Kate loses this baby, that Toby is going to blame Kevin. I hope he remembers that Kate was warned months ago that having this baby was a HUGE risk. Rebecca was kind of annoying, grief is one thing and self-pity is another and Rebecca was walking the tightrope here, using it as an excuse to make her kids graduation all about her. Deja needs to get over herself...no school would ever recommend that a student skip a grade unless the student was worthy and capable of handling it. The idea that they were doing it because she slept in a car was stupid. And has Randall lost his damn mind? Beth supported him when he moved his bio father into their home and supported him when he bought their dad's building and supported him when he ran for city council in a town three hours away...now he has the nerve to ask her to quit her job because it doesn't pay enough. My synopsis may seem like it contradicts, but I still love this stupid show.