This Is Us (NBC) (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

I teared up twice during tonight's episode. The first time was during William's memorial service, when his granddaughters were herding the group to take his walk around the neighborhood. Lately I've tended to see this world as such a dark, angry, cynical, miserable place. And something about seeing such innocence and earnestness and pure love from these two young children moved me to my core, catching me quite unexpectedly.

The second time, of course, was the postcard. Roughly 30 seconds of screen time, but just perfectly exactly right.

I was torn about the second opening night of Kevin's play. On one hand, I thought it was such a calamitous disaster that there's no way he'd get a second opening night. On the other hand, it was such a calamitous disaster that I could see it becoming an unmissable event: after what happened the last time, everyone would be dying to see whether the Manny flaked again. Certainly if he hadn't self-financed, he'd have been up shit creek without a paddle. But given that it was his dollars paying for the show, I could just about suspend my disbelief and go along with it.

It sure seems like we're headed for a DWI-related death for Jack between Pittsburgh and Cleveland next week. Given that we know Kate blames herself for whatever happened, it helps to explain how she went from heavy as a teenager to morbidly obese as an adult. And surely it doesn't help how fraught her relationship with her Mom is. Especially since, if my theory is correct, they probably both blame themselves for Jack's death.

 

[DaveF]

This is Us [Crying] lives up to its reputation, yet again.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I thought the Ron Howard cameo was pretty cool, actually.

 

[Stan]

Okay, everybody has convinced me.

I gave up after the first few episodes, but I keep hearing such positive things about it, and with a two season renewal, it must be a pretty good show.

NBC.com has episodes 13-17, if anybody knows a source for the first 12, please let me know.

 

[NeilO]

I teared up twice during tonight's episode. The first time was during William's memorial service, when his granddaughters were herding the group to take his walk around the neighborhood. ...

I was torn about the second opening night of Kevin's play.

The memorial service was extra moving in that my mother's was just two years ago and my father's about 6 years ago. They both are still clear in my memory.

One thing about the play that just occurred to me - no previews were mentioned. Most plays that I know of have several days of previews before the official opening night. Maybe they are far enough off-Broadway that it wasn't the case.

 

[ScottH]

Of course Ron Howard was there and offered him a part in his new movie on the spot. It's not like he has a history of flaking out or anything.

 

[DaveF]

The postcard scene was perfect and beautiful and the way the world should work. (sniffle)

Randall's "I quit" scene is the moment we all wish to have. And it was done with such eloquent grace, not an angry tirade. It's also the way the world should work.

The Ron Howard scene was so TV. So "Parenthood". But for a show this emotionally manipulative, pretty good. Because the opportunity of a lifetime happens the night that Kevin tells his former-wife / new girlfriend that he's in NYC for her, not his career and he's not going to screw it up this time. So it's a stark and extreme plot twist for his story. Which is how this show rolls.

 

[Jason_V]

Caught up with the season finale last night and, I'll be honest, it wasn't what I expected. My assumption, based on nothing tangible, was we'd see Jack dying in the episode as a bookend to the season. Remember, we started the year at a high with Jack's birthday dance and the kids being born.

But that's not the episode we got and I'm happy we didn't, in the long run. The fight between Rebecca and Jack felt so very real to me. I've been in those kinds of arguments before, where all the words you have are coming out. You're yelling at one another, trying to get as many "points" as possible and not thinking of the consequences. They are both categorically wrong in this situation; that assessment goes back a few episodes to the omission Rebecca makes about Ben.

Yes, Jack does have a right as her husband to know the person she is going on tour with is an ex-boyfriend. I also pseudo-understand why she didn't tell him: she worried about the reaction. But wouldn't it have been better if she was upfront with Jack and he had a chance to work through his fears and concerns instead of being blindsided? (Been in this position, so I tend to side with Jack.)

Did Ben have any right to put his hands on Rebecca, knowing full well she was married? Nope. None. At all. And she let him off the hook too easily. This doesn't mean Jack was right for coming to the show drunk. I would make an argument he had every right to kick Ben's ass, though.

In the end, it doesn't really matter who is right and wrong in this situation. They both played a part and now they have to live with the things they said to one another. I'll freely admit, however, I thought I'd make it through the episode without crying. Yeah, up until the last scene with Jack and Rebecca in the dining room, I was doing good. Then I lost it. I hope this isn't the last time they see each other before Jack dies. Even though they're on the road to reconciliation, this would be a terrible last memory to have with the love of your life.

 

[NeilO]

Caught up with the season finale last night and, I'll be honest, it wasn't what I expected. My assumption, based on nothing tangible, was we'd see Jack dying in the episode as a bookend to the season. Remember, we started the year at a high with Jack's birthday dance and the kids being born.

They definitely set up that assumption, especially with Kate saying his death was her fault and then they go to her younger self convincing him to drive to her mother's tour. We were sure there was going to be a drunk driving death, but they surprised us.

They really do need to tell us what happened early in the next season. Kate is telling Toby what happened and we will know as well.

 

[Jason_V]

I fully expect to be a basket case when the story comes out...

 

[EricSchulz]

I didn't watch this on its original run, but caught up on Hulu. I completely agree: the adult Pearson clan are so self-pitying that they are unlikeable. LOVE the "flashback" stories from the beginning to the pre-teen years. Having said that, the final episodes with William were gut-wrenching bawl-fests for me. As was Beth and the postcard...(Beth is one of my favorite "current" era characters).

I was also surprised about the final Becca and Jack episode that it didn't fully "connect" to the storyline that it's headed towards. And I agree with Jason_V: I'm going to be a basket case.

 

[pixelBell]

NBC's latest contender to fill the tearjerker slot (vacated by "Parenthood" last year) premiered tonight. It follows four characters -- an expectant father (Milo Ventimiglia), an adoptee recently reunited with his biological father (Sterling K. Brown), a handsome but disenchanted actor trapped on a terrible sitcom (Justin Hartley) and his twin sister with weight problems (Chrissy Metz) -- who all share the same birthday and are all celebrating their 36th birthday.

It was created by Dan Fogelman, the screenwriter of Crazy, Stupid, Love, a well-made family dramedy that a lot of people liked but which rang false to me. I was offended by the central premise that Steve Carell's character bore responsibility for his wife's infidelity, and that his primary goal in life should be to woo her back. For the most part, this is better. Even when it's unabashedly sappy, and even when things feel a bit too objective to ring true, the writing's sharp enough to keep me interested. And there are some flashes of greatness.

Even though it's only two days after this year's Emmy Awards, I think Gerald McRaney is a strong contender to win the Best Guest Actor Emmy next year. He's the heart of this pilot, and he's given a speech that ranks up there with the truly great monologues of the stage. Every moment he's onscreen is exactly right, with a character that easily could have felt tired or overfamiliar.

Of the four main characters, Ventimiglia shined the most in the pilot (but he was also given the most to do). Mandy Moore was terrific as his wife, winning me over completely in just a handful of scenes. Brown, who just won an Emmy for "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson", also navigated some interesting territory even though his character has defenses up that make him a bit harder to peer inside of. Hartley was a lot of fun on "Smallville" as a lighter version of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, and he's been toiling in the daytime soap opera salt mines since. His performance here feels a bit lighter weight than the others, but he delivers exactly what the role's required so far. Metz makes you feel every agonizing moment of her character's emotional state, but the episode doesn't give her anything to do that isn't connected directly to her weight struggle. Hopefully that will change in future episodes.

Part of the buzz surrounding this show was the promise of a twist ending at the end of the pilot. Crazy, Stupid Love had a twist too, which was fairly incidental to the proceeding. But this twist a great one: like the best twists, I didn't see it coming at all but it felt completely obvious in retrospect. It was emotionally satisfying, and central to the premise. And the show didn't cheat, even though

Spoiler

some of the early scenes had to be very careful with the costume and production design choices.

Love this show! I was hooked immediately by the 1st episode. Looking forward to the 2nd season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The second season premiere showed no signs of a sophomore slump. It continued to be excellent human drama -- while avoiding melodrama -- and telling a very necessary story of imperfect people trying to do better and be better in spite of the headwinds. The nonlinear narrative continues to be incredibly effective at weaving an emotional tapestry that emphasizes feeling and understanding over sequential plotting.

If I have a complaint, it's that the the mystery of Jack's death threatens to become a plot device that strings us along intellectually while undermining our emotional investment. When I'm collecting puzzle pieces to piece together the solution, I'm distanced from the storytelling. Tonight either gave us another huge clue or another huge red herring. But either way, I think the show loses more than it gains by dragging this out.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm back on board. I'm starting to actually appreciate the time-shifting (I think).

One of the things which sometimes takes me out of the show, Adam...is the constant wonder of how the writers are going to be able to remember all the plot spins and how they chronologically are going to piece together. That's some heavy-lifting when you think about all the complaints levied against the writers of linear dramas who ignore/forget a show's history when planning out new plot lines.

 

[John Lee_275604]

Katie's comeuppance is a prime example of the maddening sense of being just short of seeing all the wires.
'Seeing the wires' is often fatal for drama, when you know exactly what the narrative is going to be and suddenly you're experiencing the writer's room instead of the show. Studio 60 was the worst offender, People watched it to take schadenfreude in unearthing the Sorkinisms, rather than investing in the show itself.
Katie's failure as an entitled amateur singer, blindsided by her focus on the drama about her weight and self-esteem, was the writers zigging right when the wires come into view. It can be euphoric storytelling in the moment, and it's a big part of the audience reaction that 'I hate how it drags me around, but I'm always drawn in.'
You know what they're trying to do dramatically, and just when the story is about to become stale, they offer just enough of a detour to keep it surprising.

 

[ScottH]

If I have a complaint, it's that the the mystery of Jack's death threatens to become a plot device that strings us along intellectually while undermining our emotional investment. When I'm collecting puzzle pieces to piece together the solution, I'm distanced from the storytelling. Tonight either gave us another huge clue or another huge red herring. But either way, I think the show loses more than it gains by dragging this out.

This is my big issue with the show. It's so manipulative and I actually feel like after the season 2 premiere they are making it up as they go along. I'm baffled by all the accolades this show gets probably more than any other TV show or movie I've ever seen. I mean, the acting is good, the writing is cheesy, and the story is manipulative. I think my 14 year old daughter put it best during the scene in this episode with William when she said, "Well they certainly crow-barred that scene in." I couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[EricSchulz]

Watched the premiere tonight. I'm curious to see how I like this season (watching in "real time") as opposed to bingeing on the whole season like I did after I started subscribing to Hulu after Season One ended.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm doing the same thing except I binged by reviewing the first season box set. Now, I'm hooked on the show and will watch the entire season as it appears.

I find the characters interesting and complex and there were several moments that took me by surprise (the end of the singing audition, for example, when the "thin girl" proved she did indeed deserve the job or the determination to work together on defeating the alcoholism).

 

[Jason_V]

A lot of moments stood out to me in the premiere. Matt identified one (the audition outcome). The others were Randall's speech about being perfectly imperfect, the comments about one person pushing another in a marriage and the entire birthday kerfuffle.

And then the end. Sure, it's stringing us along, but come on. Every show does it to some extent. When we get to see what happened to Jack, I'll be devastated, I'm sure. Because their relationship is real to me. When Rebecca won't let him go, THAT is what a partner does. What affects one person affects the other. Period. No outs, no "I'll see you later." Had she not made him get in the car, her character would be done for me. But she's holding on even though she told him to essentially leave at the end of last year. She knows what they have.

 

[Jeff Hutchison]

This is probably my favorite drama on network TV (I tend to watch Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime original programming the most). One of the things I like most is they're from Pittsburgh and are big Steelers fans, just like me. But even beyond that, this show keeps me hooked from the first scene to the last with every episode. Season 2 started off strong and I look forward to the rest of it.