This is Us

Malik already has a child he can't support, I can't believe he would be stupid enough to have sex with Deja without protection.

Yes, but we're talking about a situation he didn't see coming, so was he ready? Was she? And this is fictional, and they'll definitely use whatever means necessary to ramp up the tension and conflict.

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Loved the opening connecting thread of ep 3 with the Pierson dads not having enough timee for their kids. Though I understand the initial embarrassment, I'm glad Kevin took the Manny reboot...he dos have a family to support; loved the table read scene...glad the new manny isn't rubbing it in Kevin's face; I felt both sides of the argument when Kevin missed his daughter walk for the first time; Susan Kelechi Watson was SO funny when they found abut Deja; Not sure why Kate all off a sudden doesn't trust Toby's parenting skills; Sorry, not buying that little Kevin would just get up and walk out of a movie theater, a move that was supposed to make Jack feel guilty, but I just don't buy it; the parallel between this story and Kevin missing his daughter walk smacked me right in the face; loving the relationship between Kevin and Toby; And who is Deja to demand that she and Randall not have a conservation about what she did? Did she say that was going to be a problem? Seriously? If she wants to be with Malik, then she needs to move in with him; it took a long time for the connection between Kate and her husband and her son, but it did. I love this stupid show.

You really summed everything up in one paragraph! Good job!

Yeah, I was totally fine with the good way Randall handled his conversation with Deja. He knew he should go have a run first to burn off his anger before speaking. For Randall that's a big step in self-awareness. Then he said all the right things to her, especially considering his feelings about this. Then what? Deja's response about it being a problem not seeing Malik? I mean, he's in Boston. She's in Philly. She's in high school. She should just be happy enough to see him when he's home on break. That's what I did when faced with a long-distance relationship in college. (I was in Pittsburgh at CMU; he was north of Philly in high school.) We just got together at breaks, although he did take a bus out to see me once that year (but didn't sneak off to do it).

Considering what she'd just heard from Randall--which most parents would NOT have been able to say--she should have been grateful for his overall response.

I wouldn't say Kate doesn't trust Toby's parenting skills. But it does matter if the kid has a routine--a routine that Toby's not currently aware of. When I babysit my grandson, I purposely ASK what his schedule is with regarding to sleeping and eating, precisely because I'm not there on a daily basis to know what it is. It has nothing to do with my own parenting skills. (I raised four kids so everyone involved knows I know how to take care of a toddler.) Toby should have understood that he needed to get up to speed on what Jack's schedule and routine were now. Still, it's clear this is how they're creating tension between Kate and Toby, and some of it seems exaggerated or just false. I still wonder if they'll just show us present-day Kate and Toby together, like they've been handing us a false lead up until now to create tension.

How many episodes do we have left? Are they splitting up this final season with a break in the middle?

I have no idea how many episodes are left, but it sure feels like they're wrapping things up, since they started mid-season, I'm hoping it goes at least until May.

This week's episode, (aired Jan 18th), was episode 3. According to EW, the final season will be 18 episodes.

https://ew.com/tv/this-is-us-creator...eason-preview/

"The sixth and final season of the NBC series that revitalized the family drama will begin to dole out its last 18 episodes on Jan. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. "

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Which totally means that they're gonna slice it up into parts. At least two--maybe three, each six episodes?

I don't know the schedule, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that it's supposed to end in May.

I was thrilled when I realized that ep 4 was going to be a Jack-centered episode. That over head shot of young Jack dragging the sled in the snow was breathtaking; Camryn Manheim's richly internalized Debbie was a one-woman acting class; loved the slow defrosting between Jack and Mike; Milo played the tension between them perfect and it didn't keep Mike from being a total sweetheart; I almost cried when Mike told Jack that he was his mother's hero; loved the phone calls between Jack and his mother, you always got the feeling that Marilyn was hiding something from her son; loved that scene in the bar where Jack is magically replaced by Marilyn; That phone call from Jack to his dad sizzled with tension, beautifully played by Milo and Peter Onorati; loved the "hot dogs and tomato soup" scene because we're not really sure if it really was Jack's favorite or Jack just conceded to make Marilyn happy; I almost lost it when Jack found that box with his kids name on it under Marilyn's bed. Never really understand Debbie's coldness toward Jack, but that's OK. Managed to keep the tear ducts intact until Jack's eulogy. I love this stupid show.

Some solid work by Mandy Moore anchored ep 5, which seemed to be crafted in order to get Moore an Emmy nomination; LOVED that beautifully edited sequence of the speed dating where all Rebecca could talk about was Jack's death; And I sill am not feeling Rebecca and Miguel; I liked Matt though...he was sweet; Teen Kate was totally out of line with Rebecca and deserved that slap across the street; That was heartbreaking when Kate told Rebecca she wasn't comfortable with her watching the kids; Would love to see Rebecca come out of this people-pleasing thing before it's too late; Loved Kevin's reaction to Elijah coming out of the bedroom; Surprised about the return of Cassidy, she's such a Debbie Downer; Didn't occur to me until Randall said it, but Kevin is incapable of casual sex and one night stands, he always works for "the relationship"; Cassidy referring to Kevin as a "big blonde wrecking ball" was on the money. Randall and Beth were funny trying to figure out why Malik wants to cook dinner for them; Wasn't feeling Griffin Dunne and Vanessa Bell Callaway as a couple either; Malik's dinner party with the Piersons crackled with tension, brilliantly done; Malik and Deja really crossed the line here, this idea is all kinds of crazy and they don't see it; Totally with Randall and Beth on this one; I wanted to slap the taste out of Malik's mouth after what he said to Randall. An intense and entertaining hour. I love this stupid show.

SAME.

The eulogy was appropriate and tear-inducing without being sappy. Terrific writing AND acting in that scene.

I assume Debbie's coldness toward jack was because we saw how short those phone calls were. His mom looked forward all week to what amounted to a perfunctory three-minute phone call.

The only part I found a bit over the top was how they were worried Jack's dad would show up at the funeral. After all, Jack never told her where she was--not even what city--so how would the guy even know what STATE to look in for an obit? Especially back in the 1980s, pre-internet usage? Wasn't even remotely going to happen, so that tension felt too manufactured to me.

Otherwise, great episode. Was glad Jack got to hear that his mom had been happy with Mike, even if he never got to actually see it. So glad to see that Rebecca just brought the kids on her own.

SAME AGAIN.

Malike and Deja are definitely pushing in the wrong direction, but that is definitely how "young love" tends to feel: as if you do know everything and that nothing is ever going to come between you. The thought of everyday life--a mundane life filled with bill-paying, low-level jobs, etc.--is so much harder on a relationship than young people would ever guess. (Don't ask me how I know this.) You somehow tell yourself it'll be okay "as long as we have each other," but as you get older you realize what a load of horse hockey that really is. If Deja and Malik continue in this, they're going to learn right-quick just how tough it is for love to outlast the rigors of daily low-income life.

And yes, the "worst-case scenario" game between Beth and Randall is always hilarious. Beth's comic timing for her lines during those scenes is impeccable.

And I didn't realize what bad news Kate was going to tell Rebecca. For some reason, I thought it might be that they wanted to move (to be closer to Toby's work, maybe). So when she said what it really was, I had a tough time not getting teary-eyed then. It's the right thing to do, but you could see how much it bothered Kate that it had come to this.

And yes, teenage Kate said some horrible things. It would have been tough for any parent not to cuff her upside da head.

Just finished ep 6...loving that we're getting to the genesis of Beth's dance studio which has only been hinted at up to this point...it's the first time I've seen a real passion in Beth's eyes in quite awhile. I hate that Toby and Kate seem to be drifting apart. Loved the return of the teen Kevin, Kate, and Randall that we've grown to love. Loved the looks between Kate and Madison every time Kevin mentioned Thanksgiving, but honestly didn't see that coming. I originally thought the teacher, beautifully played by Goran Visnjic had sexually harassed Beth but the outcome was so much classier. Miguel was out of line saying Matt got himself invited to Thanksgiving. I don't recall Kate and Sophie being that tight. Teen Kevin and Teen Kate nailed every moment they had onscreen. Chrissy Metz's Kate was absolutely correct about everything she said to Kevin. The Susan and the Ballerina scene didn't need the Randall insert. When Elijah was talking to Kevin, I couldn't help thinking what would Madison feel about that encounter? Loved that moment between Toby and Kevin too...it's so weird that Kevin is living with them, I don't get that. Solid hour, though, I love this stupid show.

Yeah, Kevin can afford to live anywhere, right? Why bunk in with them? Just get the closest place to Madison and the twins...

I'm sorry but one thing I thought was melodramatic was Beth's phone call to Vincent toward the end. We're talking decades later and she basically calls him up to vent about her teenage angst issues. Granted, I do know that a bad experience with a teacher you idolized can stick with you for a long time. And in her case she apparently changed her own goals because of him. But you would have thought by now she could have realized that all of those decisions are on HER. What good was that phone call? It was just a way for us to hear her vent and figure things out about herself.

I mean, I made some poor choices and decisions at the same ages she did--based on limited or faulty information about other people--but I don't blame anyone but myself for those choices. And I've moved on and made the best of things with what I have, rather than calling those people out on the undue influence they might have had on me when I was younger.

I guess I just saw that whole phone call as So Not Beth and the way she does things. Reminded me of when Kate called out her previous boyfriend in the present--just to have a lovely self-righteous conversation that was supposed to make us proud of her. Sorry, but conversations like those in real life rarely go that way and often end up being regrettable.

Also, Miguel is clearly showing his budding jealousy of Rebecca dating. If they show us that Thanksgiving--with Marguerite and Matt in tow--it's going to be an epic failure on all fronts.

As for Thanksgiving and Madison/Kevin... Well, my side of my extended family pretty much has never had Thanksgiving or Christmas ON Thanksgiving or Christmas--for decades. It was the only way to have time with kids in a divorce/remarriage situation over the years. Somebody had to be flexible. It tended to be me. So, having such ridiculous scenes over a specific day that doesn't NEED to be ON that day just made me roll my eyes. Easy solution right in front of everybody, and nobody took it. Felt like more fake drama.

Gosh, I'm a skeptic this week.

Also, why are we skipping a new episode next week? The next new one is on March 8, not March 1.

Now that you explain it, that phone call really was so not Beth...she's a much stronger woman than that. When teenage Beth saw him in the restaurant, I jumped to the conclusion that he had sexually assaulted her and if that had been the case, the phone call would have made a lot more sense.

Thanksgiving with the Piersons was fraught with the expected tensions...loved Beth's epitaph regarding Thanksgiving with the Piersons...loved the return of Tim Matheson and Elizabeth Perkins as Rebecca's parents. With each appearance he makes on the show, college Randall is less and less likable...he's so arrogant and judgmental. And he does think he can fix everything. So weird what's happening between Toby and Kate...when he was unemployed, being the best Mr. Mom ever was his priority, but now that his job as become his priority, he seems to resent Kate for not doing everything the way he would do it. That final scene with Chrissy Metz and Chris SulIivan was wonderful and I understood both sides. loved that Rebecca insisted that Jack carve the turkey instead of her father; loved that exchange between Miguel and Rebecca while Miguel was carving where they were both speaking between the lines; the sweet potato connection between the three dinners was brilliant; LOVED when Rebecca exploded on her mother and can't believe her mother refused to acknowledge here part in it; loved the connection that developed between Rebecca and Miguel during the game of taboo.;
felt bad for Matt though; Logan Shroyer was solid in that scene where he confessed to Miguel and didn't get what he wanted from him; that family meeting scene had me weeping, thanks primarily to a deeply moving performance from Mandy Moore. I would have placed that scene at the end of the show though. I love this stupid show.

I agree with everything you wrote! I burst into tears during that family meeting scene. It wasn't overdone. The writing was exactly the way a real person would have had that conversation. They didn't inject any unnecessary drama or tension into it. The writers clearly knew that just presenting it the way a real family would experience it was enough of a tug without adding extra problems. So well done.

This episode was very well sculpted, and it tugged us along easily through each scene and transition. The Kate/Toby tensions feel like the artificially ramped-up drama that this show sometimes engages in. It doesn't feel like it has any real depth. The biggest tensions seemed to come because they were having these disagreements in front of the whole family--which I'm not sure they would have. So, once again I felt as if the show artificially added that extra drama to a situation that Kate and Toby would have found other ways to talk through together, alone, earlier than this. I guess I do understand how couples drift apart over things like this--but their drifting has seemed silly sometimes and not the kind of thing they'd allow to happen to their relationship. Unlike real-life couples, these two have a good history of talking things over, honestly and thoroughly. This season it just suddenly stopped, and neither one seems willing to restart the conversations.

I know it happens. But in this situation, it has felt like a stretch. Not enough to undo my love for the show, though. Just a minor gripe.

Ep 8 was rich with squirm-worthy, classic "This is Us" moments. I guess we're starting with Kevin. Sure love seeing him working so hard at being a good dad to those adorable twins. Trying to fly with twins? Seriously? Nice that Cassidy refused pain medication after her accident and loved the ego on Kevin immediately thinking it was all his fault. That scene with Justin Hartley and Griffin Dunne in the hospital had my stomach in in knots. Loved the way Justin Hartley's eyes welled up with water as he was listening to Cassidy in her hospital room. That was Nick Weschler as Matty's dad...loved him on Revenge. Loved that Randall and Kate called Kevin on his blind trust of Nicky cause I don't get it either. Even though I'm not feeling her character with Nicky, I'm loving Vanessa Bell Calloway...she looks amazing for a woman whose been in the business 40 years; this whole thing of Kevin building this compound has disaster written all over it. This might be the first episode where I saw Cassidy smile more than once; Love that little Kevin couldn't wait to go off the diving board yet little Kate was afraid to step foot in the pool; Logan Shroyer nailed that pity party scene in the empty pool. And that cabin...that was "the cabin" that has been the setting so much Pierson drama? Didn't connect that until this episode. Cassidy built the family cabin? Love this stupid show.

OK, what we seem to be getting in ep 9 is the second part of individual looks at the triplets and this episode seems to be about Kate. I love the way this trilogy is being mounted in the form of a Tarantino movie. Loved Kate and Madison's obsession with Fight Club and how Kate connected it to "New Toby.". As much as he might be in denial about, the current Toby is not the Toby we met six years ago. Loved when she was talking to the "Old Toby" hallucination. Liked what they did with "Old Toby"...didn't see that coming. Chris Sullivan looks amazing. It's really sad watching what is happening to Toby and Kate because they are both working so hard at trying to believe that nothing's wrong. Chrissy Metz is doing a wonderful job of showing Kate's conflict through internalizing Kate's feelings. Toby seems to be making a lot of decisions about his family unilaterally. Really wanted to smack Toby at that party instructing Kate about what subjects she can talk about. Chrissy Metz really did some strong work during those party scenes. That fight scene with Toby and Kate after the party was painful to watch. This episode was a total heartbreaker, but I still love this stupid show and plan to see it out to the end.

Yeah, we've seen them go up to that cabin a lot throughout the series (back in the 1980s and present time). No, Cassidy didn't build that cabin (if that's what you were asking). She's helping, along with Nicky, on the compound project.

Honestly, do you remember the earlier flash-forwards where we see people getting together--older Kevin with his kids but no spouse around, Toby showing up without Kate, etc. I assume THAT is the future compound. I think we also initially saw the flash-forwards of older Randall and family visiting Rebecca on her deathbed (or soon/around that time). No? It was a house/area we hadn't seen before. I also assume now that this was the future compound being built now by Kevin.