This is Us

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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
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.
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Suspect's Reviews



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.
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.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
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?

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

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
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.



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.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
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”)



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?



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
"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.