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Agree with you on most stuff, as usual.

I don't have a problem with her mom calling her "Bethany." Yoda's sibs and Yoda himself all use "Chris" to identify him, but I, as his mommy, still call him Christopher most of the time. It's partly just a mommy thing, I think, harking back to when you're choosing baby names. At least I don't use his middle name much.

I thought it was odd that Beth never came out and mentioned to Tess that the rules just have to be the same for both her and Deja, which was part of the main point of her going upstairs to check on them in the first place: the door being shut.

I too thought the wigs were terrible, especially Miguel's. Jack--was that really a wig or just shorter hair on the actor? His wasn't as bad, if it was a wig.

See, I thought Kate redeemed herself at her job by helping that girl identify with My Fair Lady. I'm not sure if the instructor will just be the main source of tension for Kate at this job or if it's really a signal that she won't last long (coupled with being away from the kids). Or maybe they're just going to eventually find Toby another job and then they can write Kate back into a home-mom position for a while. I did chuckle at his admission that he really doesn't want to spend ten hours a day with them. Heck, I had four kids and was a single mom for a while: I HEAR YA, TOBY.

And even if he and Madison hadn't had much in common before, THEY DO NOW. I think they'd both grab at the chance to have a familiar person to talk to at the playground, or anywhere. When you have infants, just having another adult to talk to is pure gold. The only thing I found odd about that was that, since they've both been grafted into the Pearson family, they weren't talking mainly about THAT. Also, I have a handful of friends who've had twins. There is NO WAY that either Madison or Kevin would routinely look that "together," or look that well rested, or still have a sense of humor at all with new twins. Sure, we heard about a nanny, but we rarely see her. IS there still a nanny? Is she there overnight? I assume not. I'm rambling.

I guess with Randall they're shifting his issues. Now that he apparently has resolved his issues with his birth parents (tied up in a neat little bow, in some respects), they're exploring his childhood issues being raised in a white family. That's fine, and it makes sense. (And I felt terrible hearing that Asian man's story of living with white Jewish parents.) But it's convenient that we're moving from Randall's birth parent issues to his adoptive parent issues, with little overlap. I suspect in real life a person would likely struggle under the surface with both sets of problems for a long time, if not their whole life.

I dunno. Sometimes I think the writers for this show have a laundry list of Hot Topics We Need to Address, and that they check off the boxes as they write:

__ Gender issues
__ Pronouns
__ COVID
__ Masks
__ Racial tension

I'm waiting for an episode where they mention the Suez Canal.



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Also, wasn't it Madison who "found" this playground? Why is she taking newborn twins to a playground? Anyone who's had even ONE kid that young knows that it's a major production to get them all ready, get them dressed, get the "gear" and the stroller into the car (or out the door if you're completely walking there and back), and then have to deal with feedings, diapers, and fussiness the whole time you're out. And I didn't see the nanny anywhere to help her. I'm assuming the only reason they have to be at a playground is for toddler Jack to play. But he's blind, so why isn't Toby helping him/keeping an eye on him more? That whole scene felt contrived in terms of *location* for me more so than dialogue.



Your reasons for the contrivance of that scene are a lot more practical than mine...it just felt like they were trying to invent this instant relationship between Madison and Toby.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
It's beginning to look like Kate is not going to last long on this new job and it's too bad because this job would have been really good for her. Hate her new boss and the actor playing him...hated him on Modern Family and am already hating him here.
Isn't the guy who plays Kate's boss the same guy who plays Jamie on "A Million Little Things"? I haven't seen him in anything else, but I like him as Jamie.
__________________
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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.



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Meanwhile, I'm over here finding it humorous since the guy in This Is Us was wearing a mask during all of his onscreen time so I have NO idea who he is!



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Isn't the guy who plays Kate's boss the same guy who plays Jamie on "A Million Little Things"? I haven't seen him in anything else, but I like him as Jamie.
I thought it was the guy who played Alex's teacher on Modern Family who fell for Haley, but maybe I'm wrong.
I've never seen "Modern Family", so I don't know who played Alex's teacher. We might be talking about the same actor.

Do you still watch "A Million Little Things"? I think it's as good as "This Is Us". (It might even be better.)


Meanwhile, I'm over here finding it humorous since the guy in This Is Us was wearing a mask during all of his onscreen time so I have NO idea who he is!
Jamie on "A Million Little Things" is played by Chris Geere. Here's a picture of him without a mask:




Loved the specificity of ep 13, zeroing right in on the relationship between Kevin and Randall. Wasn't thrilled the way it started introducing a never before seen character, even if it was supposed to be an imaginary William. Loved the casting of Brandon Victor Dixon in the role, who was so impressive in the John Legend production of Jesus Christ Superstar, though it still seemed an odd way to open the episode. That opening scene between Justin and Sterling was excellent, even if it did punch me in the gut a little. Kevin's sincerity was genuine,. but I got the impression that no matter what he would have said, Randall wouldn't have been happy with it and wouldn't give Kevin a clue about what would have mended their fences. As a black man who was raised around white people my entire life, I understand a lot of Randall's issues, but he was way too hard on Kevin. It was almost as if Randall didn't really know what he wanted from Kevin. Despite all of that, I will say that that Sterling and Justin did the strongest work together on this episode that they've ever done. Did love the idea of Kevin and Randall getting locked out of the house as opposed to getting locked inside somewhere. That scene of college Kevin and Randall in the cab was superb and Kevin losing his keys was a perfect connection to the grown brothers. Didn't see that coming at all. Didn't really care for the whole Jack/Mister Rogers part of the story because I really didn't like the boys playing Kevin and Randall, but maybe that's just me, but still a rock solid episode. I love this stupid show.



The Adventure Starts Here!
It was definitely a solid episode, and as a white woman over here, I wasn't sure how to react to the conversation between Kevin and Randall. If I try really hard to be objective about how people should behave when another person is trying to sincerely apologize (even if they still don't "get" the reason you're upset), I think I would be more understanding than Randall was being in that conversation.

At some point I think he would just have to understand that Kevin is never going to be able to truly EMPATHIZE with him. The best he can do, as a white man raised in his biological white family, is to SYMPATHIZE. And Randall is just going to have to accept Kevin's sincerity and desire to mend the relationship and not let his inherent inability to walk in Randall's shoes hinder their relationship going forward.

I would say you could substitute any number of issues for the racial one here and still come out with similar results: one party unable to fully grasp the other's problem, despite WANTING to, and the other party eventually realizing that and finding another way to let it go and deal with it. I would hope that Randall's transracial adoptee support group would help him with that: coming to terms with his family's inability to truly fathom what it must be like for him. I just don't think that's something Randall can continue to expect from Kevin.

At some point, I think this show is going to run out of ways to milk this topic out of these two particular characters. Many of us have had traumatic things happen to us in our younger years. And frankly, the way we move forward is to work through them and then, well, move forward.

If Randall doesn't feel that Kevin is racist--which he said clearly in this episode--then he's going to have to let some of that bitterness go for good. My two cents on that.



Work and dads seemed to be the underlying themes of ep 14. I hope they're not going where it seems they're going with the closing of Beth's dance studio...we already know that it's going to re-open at some point so I just don't see someone as smart and level-headed as Beth having some sort of meltdown because her dance studio had to close. Susan Kelechi Watson nailed that scene where her virtual job interview was cancelled...I didn't know what Beth was going to do. Loved Dan Lauria as Toby's father...looking forward to learning more about that relationship. Liked that meeting with Kevin's handlers, though I found it hard to believe that Nicky would be allowed to sit in on that meeting and that reunion with Sally just struck me as awfully convenient. Not sure what the purpose was of the reunion with Sally, if you have any thoughts on that Austruck. As for Madison's fashion show, I personally liked the first dress with the feathers the best. I'm seeing some real struggle coming down the pike for Kevin and Madison. And I'm sorry, buy Deja has no business telling Randall how to tell Randall to handle Beth, even if she is right. Loved the re-bonding of Kate and Rebecca in this episode, though I didn't really understand the scenes with teen Kate and the diner. I also wouldn't have minded hearing the rest of that performance of "Big Yellow Taxi." The final dance with the Beths and Randalls was lovely. I love this stupid show.



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Well, since we've seen fast-forward Kevin with kids but no visible spouse, I do wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Kevin/Madison. They show him reconnecting with Sally briefly and... either Madison finds out and just gets jealous, which causes strife, or Kevin really does reconnect with Sally in too many ways. I don't think we know if future-Kevin is married or has ever married, so we don't know if this wedding is going to happen at all at this point. But they're beginning to show us a Madison that has some jitters about things: the wedding, her future mother-in-law, her dad. Add on Kevin's iffy job situation and it feels like a huge setup for the breakdown of that relationship.



Everything you're saying about Kevin and Madison makes sense. I have always felt the relationship was doomed from the start. A relationship that springs from, an accidental pregnancy rarely works.



We were just talking about the status of Kevin and Madison and it, incredibly was the focus of ep 15, featuring sensitive direction by Milo Ventimiglia. That unexpected telephone reunion between Kevin and Sophie was wrought with all kinds of tension. Justin Hartley played the mixed emotions he was clearly feeling so well. LOVED that the model was an ex of Madison's, very clever touch. As was the idea of them doing drawings of him rather than the expected stripper. Never really thought of the connection between Kevin and Jerry Maguire, but I see it, even though Nicky could have been a little more subtle about it. Also loved that Madison brought up the fact that she and Kevin might not be where they are without the pregnancy. And am I the only one who is over Griffin Dunne as Nicky? I guess he's supposed to be some sort of comic relief but I'm not finding him terribly funny. And I also have no desire to learn about Nicky's "romance" with Dr. Sally Brooks. I LOVE teenage Beth...her resemblance to Susan Kelachi Watson just astonishes me. Speaking of adult Beth, I have no idea what she's looking for in terms of a new job opportunity...it sounds like she needs to create her own opportunity. Didn't understand Kate's reaction to Kevin's answers during that game, how about you Austruck? That scene with the guys in front of the fire was excellent, though I didn't like the way Randall began it. I love this stupid show.



Kevin's long-awaited wedding and the memories it revived for the rest of the family made for an emotionally charged Season 5 finale. Really didn't understand Randall's reluctance to discuss New Orleans with Rebecca...it's not like Rebecca doesn't know that Randall had a real mother. Mandy Moore's playing of her apology to Randall was lovely. Loved Rebecca freaking out about missing the Moldavian Massacre on Dynasty and Jack not understanding what all the fuss was about. That was odd when the kids suggested Jack and Rebecca renew their vows. Kids don't know anything about vow renewals. I'm so over Griffin Dunne as Uncle Nicky...hope they find a way to get rid of the character for next season. Thrilled that Toby got a job and Kate refused to quit hers. Justin Hartley's impression of Peter Cook had me on the floor. I felt bad for him trying so hard to make sure everything is perfect almost cracking under the pressure. I liked what happened between Beth and Alex though I hated Alex's revamped wedding dress. I was glad we got a long overdue glimpse into Madison's past. I hated that Kevin couldn't say to Madison what she needed to hear, but I loved his honesty about it, which I saw coming. The final scene with Rebecca and her kids was a heartbreaking and perfect season finale, complete withthe perfect final scene plot twist. I read somewhere today that this stupid show has been cancelled and that season six will be its last, and I have to say Tuesday nights will never be the same and I will always love this stupid show.



The Adventure Starts Here!
I don't think it was canceled. I think they're choosing to wrap up the stories with a final season, on purpose. After all, we've seen some flash-forwards that they are slowing starting to edge toward and stitch together with the present, so at least it will be a satisfying ending instead of endings of some series that are canceled without the writers seeing it coming. (I'm looking at you, Carnivale!)

I hadn't seen it coming that the Kevin in the beginning of the episode, wearing wedding finery and practicing his silly jokes in the mirror, was NOT Kevin at his own wedding. Kudos to the writing and directing for hiding that because the whole way through the episode I was sure Kevin and Madison would at least make it that far toward their wedding. It was also less stressful for me that Madison called it off (instead of Kevin). We at least know enough about Kevin and his family to know he'll have support to get through it. It'll be interesting to see if they show us how they co-parent, though, going forward. It's not like it was a couple breaking up who did not already have kids. That changes things since neither one can completely walk away from the other.

I also didn't like what they did with Alex and the revamped bridesmaid dress. I mean, I've been a bridesmaid twice, and you just suck it up and wear what the BRIDE wants. It's HER day, not yours. (This was back in the day when bridesmaids' dresses always matched one another. Nowadays many brides give bridesmaids some leeway in subtle differences in things such as color or sleeve length--trying to be flattering to all types and body sizes.)

Anyway, I think that gave Alex the wrong signal that she can make anything about HER... and that's not a good life lesson, IMHO. I too am getting annoyed with Nicky. It's like they're manufacturing ways to make him NOT fit in, and most of them now feel forced or just silly.

I think Randall's choice to not initially discuss New Orleans with Rebecca stems from her having withheld information from him about his birth father/parents for so many years. So he struck out on his own (with Beth) to discover what he could, but I could definitely see someone in that situation wanting to hold onto that information for themselves and not share it with the one person who made FINDING that information harder in the first place.

I too am going to miss this show. Heck, I missed it just this WEEK because the season ended. But if we get a satisfying ending because they have time to plan it, then I'll be okay with that. As long as they don't ruin it with stupid crap, I'm good. (No "Lost" endings, for instance.) But it seems as if they already kinda know where they're heading with these interwoven stories, so I have confidence that we'll find the ending to our liking.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
I read somewhere today that this stupid show has been cancelled and that season six will be its last, and I have to say Tuesday nights will never be the same and I will always love this stupid show.
I don't think it was canceled. I think they're choosing to wrap up the stories with a final season, on purpose. After all, we've seen some flash-forwards that they are slowing starting to edge toward and stitch together with the present, so at least it will be a satisfying ending instead of endings of some series that are canceled without the writers seeing it coming. (I'm looking at you, Carnivale!)

I too am going to miss this show. Heck, I missed it just this WEEK because the season ended. But if we get a satisfying ending because they have time to plan it, then I'll be okay with that. As long as they don't ruin it with stupid crap, I'm good. (No "Lost" endings, for instance.) But it seems as if they already kinda know where they're heading with these interwoven stories, so I have confidence that we'll find the ending to our liking.

I read that the show was only cancelled because it is reaching the end of the story. It has nothing to do with the ratings. They realize that the cast is getting older, so eventually the flashback scenes won't be easy to film as the characters get younger, but the actors get older. The show was written to be this specific length, and everything will be neatly tied up in the final season, and all of our questions will be answered by the time we reach the series finale.



The season six opener, as I suspected, spent a little too much time trying to recap the last five seasons, though I did like that it began on the Pierson siblings birthday, like the pilot did. When Randall was contacted about the guy who broke into his house being apprehended, I couldn't help but wonder if his swift apprehension would have been as swift if Randall wasn't a city councilman. Randall confronting that guy was almost laughable? Was he expecting apology from this guy? Loved that Randall's trust of this man turned out to be misplaced, and I have a feeling it might be the beginning of the end of Randall and Beth. Really liked the idea of Kevin and Madison being honest about their feelings and agreeing to be the world's best co-parents. Not happy that they've already brought in a love interest for Madison...they couldn't have waited a couple more weeks? Loved the way Kate's boss dumped his wife...that scene was supposed to be sort of a throwaway, but I thought it was BRILLIANT. I thought it an interesting story move for the Challenger explosion story to have it occur at a time that forced TPTB to cast three new children we've never seen before a young Kevin, Kate, and Randall. Why cast new children during the final season? The kids singing to Kate was lovely, but they shouldn't have cut it short. A little disappointed that Tim Matheson wasn't allowed to reprise his role as Rebecca's father? That was messed up that Kevin was asked to reboot THE MANNY, but he was too old to play the Manny. Whoever wrote that arraignment scene for Randall's crook has never actually been in a courtroom..."offensive weapon"...seriously? LOVED the story of Rebecca being unable to remember the word caboose. Ironically, I hated Rebecca when this show first started, but everything she's done onscreen last season and in this episode is just breaking my heart. I love this stupid show.



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Well, as for the new kids as the young Pearsons... they had to do that. The kids were only about six when the Challenger exploded, so the actors they'd used for younger Pearsons were already older than that. I thought they did a good job matching up looks, especially with whoever is playing young Kevin now.

And, would Kevin have chosen to live in Madison's GARAGE rather than, well, move everyone into a larger house with spare bedrooms or separate wings? Honestly, that was just silly.

I'm getting tired of Randall not listening to Beth's common sense and doing stupid stuff. It seems hard to believe she would continue to find this a positive trait since it gets in the way of SO much. And frankly, it smells like narcissism to me. Randall's always thinking he can solve the problems of the world, but that shows his huge ego and his inability to put his family before his own "noble" causes. It's really getting tiresome to watch.

I too love Rebecca's story, old and new. She plays both versions of herself well, and they're presenting it in a believable way.



Liked the packing montage that opened ep 2. It was weird looking at the liver spots on Rebecca's hands while Mandy Moore still looks like she's in her late 30's, early 40's. It cracked me up that Malik thought Deja would be excited about meeting his baby mama. I hope this is the last we've seen of Griffin Dunne's Nick...no offense to Dunn, but every scene he does I want to strangle the character. How Rebecca and Miguel didn't strangle the guy is beyond me. My jaw dropped when Rebecca confessed to having Alzheimers at the dinner table. Loved Dey Young and Jeffrey Nordling as Sally and Eric. That dinner scene was brilliantly written. i can't believe they got Michael Angarano to film that brief flashback of young Nicky.I love what her romance with Malik has done to Deja. She doesn't even resemble the bitter, resentful hot mess who first came on the show. Deja and Malik's forst time...how sweet was that? And I feel funny saying it, but after six seasons, I still am not feeling Rebecca and Miguel as a couple. I love this stupid show though.



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I kinda AM finally seeing Miguel and Rebecca as a couple, especially once Rebecca kinda talked it out with Sally: first loves versus older, more stable loves later. She sees the difference in her two marriages, and that's a good thing. And when Miguel promised her he would be there for her through her Alzheimer's, well, I really believed it. He's presented as boring and dull, but honestly, in the real world that can also be seen as stable and solid if you look at it the right way. And that's precisely what Rebecca has needed all along, especially now.

I'm curious about what will happen if/when Randall and Beth find out where Deja really went. And of course, my mind was asking whether or not Malik and Deja used protection. I mean, THEY SHOULD HAVE, but did they? We got no indication either way. He wouldn't necessarily have protection with him, but did SHE bring it along? If so, trust me, a teenage girl with no experience is not going to easily go buy condoms. I'd be curious why they chose not to include any reference to that part of the experience at all. In my mind, it would be formative.

I admit I had a few times where I got misty in this episode. I too love this stupid show.