This Is Us

The storylines aren't all happening at the same period in time. The timeline jumps around.

As long as Milo and Justin get it on!

Is this the show with the dramatic version of Mike & Molly?

This is the reason that I watch... MILO VENTIMIGLIA.

The guy has such soft looking, beautiful skin!

Bless your heart, OP.

I watched the pilot and that was more than enough for me. Not even Milo's bare ass makes up for this emotional mess.

Milo's character should have had an affair with his co-worker Miguel.

Yeah, even having Milo's tantalizing ass plastered all over the trailer didn't get me to tune in. The description of the plot sounds too maudlin for my taste.

But yes, as R1 said I still knew the storylines were at different time points.

So there's one pairing with a heavyset lady with a cute male "best friend." Is he supposed to be gay?

Watching the previews, I just assumed that he was.

It's her twin brother, who is a sitcom actor.

I watched the first two episodes and don't think I can take any more. But it seems to be hailed as a big hit. The big girl was on THE VIEW this morning and she is BIG. But of course they were all fawning all over her.

I don't see where this storyline can possibly go.

r3, yes, there is a fat couple. I think it's a more realistic version of fat people.

Treacly as fuck, but I watch. My husband loved Parenthood and this makes him happy.

Me too, R10. I miss the Bravermans.

[quote]The principle actors

Oh, dear.

Thank you, R12. You told him 36 minutes ago so I don't have to tell him now.

I miss the Bravermans, too. This show is not as good. The only people I care about are Randall's family. I can't stand knowing that somehow, something bad happens to Milo's character. I wish they had not revealed that so early on. I think I'll watch the Real O'Neals tonight instead.

Since Randall turned out so hot and successful, I'm expecting more pregnant women to start smoking crack.

Have they showed Milo's ass in any of the other episodes?

Do we think Jack (Milo's character) is still alive in the present day? They've kind of left that up in the air.

No. The show has been ass-free ever since.

[quote] Do we think Jack (Milo's character) is still alive in the present day? They've kind of left that up in the air.

No they haven't. They've clearly showed Mom Mandy married to Milo's best friend.

Which doesn't necessarily mean Jack is dead. Or alive, for that matter. He's just not married to Rebecca anymore.

I think Jack is dead. Rebecca was wearing the necklace in the present day. If Jack was still alive, I don't think she would be wearing that while married to Miguel.

It's so horrible, R20, not knowing. I was absolutely certain Jack was going to drown in the pool yesterday.

Milo has very odd-looking nipples.

This is Us was the highest rated show on the five major networks last night, scoring a 2.6 adults 18-49 rating. The Voice, Tuesday's usual winner, had a 2.4.

I find this popularity somewhat mystifying -- I think Parenthood was a much better "family" show, but it limped along with mediocre ratings throughout its run.

[quote]I find this popularity somewhat mystifying

Agreed, never would have guessed this show would end up being the big success story of the fall tv season.

I did, R24.

Fan theories about Jack have popped up. The possibility of Alzheimer's disease also crossed my min.

This is what you'd call ein show für frauen.

Nothing wrong with that. I watched the pilot and found it tedious as hell, even if I'm sort of interested about the twins. If it turns out Justin Hartley's character is gay I might return.

I bet Jack died of liver cirrhosis

[quote] Another cause? His job. “Jack says as they are leaving the hospital, the car seats are cop approved meaning .... He is a cop which explains his departure... Killed in line duty,” a Reddit user guessed.

Jack was a self-employed contractor, isn't he?

He's dead obviously. The daughter watches football with his ashes.

I never thought I would type that last sentence.

I didn't think you would, either, R30.

And yet, here we are.

I wonder if he was in the WTC on 9-11-01.

That would be very appropos for this show, R33. So I'm saying you called it.

R33 That would be kind of stretch, since they live in Pittsburgh.

And as R35 and the rest of the world well know, no one from Pgh has EVER gone to NY.

Whoever didn't know that Milo was dead immediately upon seeing Many married to the friend needs to die in a grease fire.

*Mandy not Many

EDIT FEATURE WOULD BE NICE

Milo is hot. Has anyone met him or know him? Just wondering if he's a nice guy or not.

Milo is a really nice guy.

He comes across as nice and reasonably intelligent in the aftershow roundtables.

With his moustache, Milo reminded me of Dick Fisk tonight.

I thought that they would make Hartley's character gay as well, but I guess it was too much to hope for.

Yes, it's been established that Milo's character is dead. The daughter has his ashes.

Speaking of the daughter, Kate, they need to move past her weight. I don't wanna see that shit every week.

Randall seems the most well-adjusted guy. Plus, he's gifted! Cool!

So Milo's character is an architect? Or a designer of some sort? Engineer? He wanted to start his own business but the reality of having a family to support plus an expensive private school to pay for, sort of killed his dream of starting his own construction business?

They need some gay in this show.

Hartley's character should definitely be gay -- and I would say that even if Hartley himself was not hot. It's just that it would have added an extra and infinitely more interesting layer to the show that it does not currently have. Missed opportunity by the writers.

Same as the Felix character in the new Matthew Perry "Odd Couple" -- in this day and age, it just would've made sense to make Felix gay as opposed to the closeted "straight" guy he's always been.

The weakest link is the sister's arc. I can't see anything about her that warrants the devotion showered on her by the guy she is dating. Unless he's an abuser. Abusers shower attention on folks without self confidence.....

This show is becoming a little treacly for my taste. Of course the homeless for years father is now cleaned up and turns out to be a jazz pianist and singer...and the fat girl is hired on the spot by Jami Gertz to leave her chubby daughter at the curb...and Kevin the actor comforts the widow....bleah, bleah...

[quote]Same as the Felix character in the new Matthew Perry "Odd Couple" -- in this day and age, it just would've made sense to make Felix gay as opposed to the closeted "straight" guy he's always been.

I wish I'd never hired him for that Fox show I did after [italic]Punky Brewster[/italic] went off the air. Maybe it would have been a hit with another actor.

This week's episode was definitely blah. Next week's looks better.

I also hated this week's episodes and the flashbacks to little Randall crying. Maybe Jack died in a construction accident.

The kid who's playing young Randall is hitting it out of the park. (And the one who's playing young Kevin had a great moment in the pool episode.) Great casting all around.

So this week we learned that Milo's character died "a long time ago" according to Kevin. So ... maybe even before the kids became adults? (They're 36 now.)

[quote]So this week we learned that Milo's character died "a long time ago" according to Kevin. So ... maybe even before the kids became adults? (They're 36 now.)

I'm thinking he died when they were teenagers and Kevin didn't want to say it when he comforting the widow. I do wonder why Kate seems to have Jack's ashes unless they were split up between the kids and Rebecca. But Kate had that big urn.

How many more episodes before Kate's big oaf of a boyfriend drops the urn, scattering Jack's ashes?

In the EW article a couple of weeks ago, they discussed an upcoming episode where Jack is dealing with the two boys who are playing high school (I guess) football. And they also mentioned that the series will take place in at least SIX different time periods. They have to find different actors to play the kids and the various ages of their youth. So far we've seen:

1. Jack and Rebecca pre-kids

2. Jack and Rebecca when kids were born

3. Jack, Rebecca and the kids when the kids were toddlers.

4. Jack, Rebecca and the kids when the kids were in grade school

5. Rebecca and the kids in the present day

(I'm not counting the flash-forward to where William is apparently dead or the scenes of William as young man.)

So maybe the only missing period is the high school era.

And [SPOILER ALERT] I read somewhere that the showrunners confirmed that Jack died when the kids were 15 (or 16?). So it could be soon after the football episode.

But even though Jack dies, they can still play scenes in which he's still alive, since they're working with multiple time-frames. I would hate to see Milo killed off. Jack can die, but without Milo, the show might become This Isn't Us Any Longer for me.

This show is circling the drain. The "very special Thanksgiving episode" did nothing for me.

And if the fat girl is going to have gastric bypass surgery, how is she going to lose any weight in real life?

The actress is obviously going to have it done herself. It was mentioned somewhere that along with the character losing weight the actress had to as well.

I can see why the mom would keep the news of the dad a secret from Randall.

She didn't want him to be confused about where he belonged. Obviously they could do so much more for him than a strung,-out dad could do. I would've done the same thing.

Yeah I didn't care for Thanksgiving episode at all. They need to reveal how Jack died and how long it took for Miguel and Rebecca to marry.

I liked the episode but Kate coming in and announcing she's getting surgery seemed too forced.

[quote]Yeah I didn't care for Thanksgiving episode at all. They need to reveal how Jack died and how long it took for Miguel and Rebecca to marry.

They have to keep something for sweeps.

I liked the Thanksgiving episode. It had the least amount of Kate in any episode yet.

This was sweeps, R60.

The week before Thanksgiving is not really sweeps. Lots of show have already gone on winter hiatus.

Is Miguel sketchy? In the flashback scenes he seems like a bit of a sleaze. The way he was talking to Jack about Rebecca being too good for him (in episode two, I think) looked as if he had something up his sleeve. The kids are tolerant but indifferent towards him.

So far, I am liking The Mandy Moore Program.

r64 yeah there is something about him that irks me. I also didn't like that he was basically demanding Kevin to let him wear the hat when it was their father's tradition. Kevin maybe overreacted but I understood where he was coming from (and he did change his mind).

I am really curious to see how Miguel and Rebecca got together.

Even if that actress goes ahead and has gastric bypass surgery, it is going to take her awhile to lose all that weight. She was on NBC Thanksgiving morning talking to Al Roker at the parade, and she is one big girl.

The show is on a slow train to Who Cares City. Who cares about Kevin's romance with the actress? Or a very special episode sooner or later at the funeral of dignified homeless jazz musician black bio dad? Or whether Kate goes back to her eating out of control bf?

The writing is falling into a pattern that leads to a bad end for many otherwise promising series. For the most part, every situation has to lead to a feel good moment/and or happy resolution. Perfect example is Kevin and the actress; all issues happily resolved before her Uber even arrives. They should lose a lot of the schmaltz and develop deeper plot lines for the characters. (Like THE SOPRANOS.) Not everything has to end up all snuggly, and that is where this show appears to be heading.

[quote]Not everything has to end up all snuggly, and that is where this show appears to be heading.

Not for me.

Thoroughly enjoyed the Thanksgiving episode. Very satisfying. Each episode gets better as I get to know the characters.

This is a very sutble show. If you're looking for big moment and huge payoffs, this not the show for you. This is not the Sally Field Programme. Or Dallas. I'd say it more closely resembles thirtysomething in tone and style of storytelling.

That said, Kate deciding to get gastric bypass was way underplayed. It clearly was a result of the near death experience on the plane, but it was played like an afterthought when she walked in at the end of the episode and made the announcement, especially since we hadn't seen her for 20 minutes, while all the other stories kept playing out.

Apparently on next week's episode, the three adult siblings go off on a retreat together, so we'll get to see them all interact for an extended period time for the first time.

r69 interesting. Kate feels like she has been in a different show for the last few episodes, so this will be a nice change.

I wonder if Miguel is somehow (directly or indirectly) responsible for Jack's death. He had a wife and children, was later seen telling Jack Rebecca is too good for him, then calls to apologize, is later seen flirting with the secretary, and is now married to Rebecca and wants to take over Jack's Thanksgiving tradition. Also, you would expect for Rebecca to have Jack's ashes (or at least some of them), but the daughter does.

I also think Miguel is shady based on the scenes set in the past. The writers will probably reveal what happend with Miguel's first wife. Maybe he cheated on his first wife and divorced before Jack died. Then he later together with Rebecca and then kids dislike him because he was Jack's best friend and had a history of cheating thinking he will do the same to Rebecca.

Apparently all of the Pearson men are versatile.

I know young William was played by a younger actor last night. But am I imagining that Ron Cephas Jones played younger William at some point?

I think he played William last night, r74, in the scene where Mandy Moore comes to visit him in his Philadelphia (?) apartment.

I hope that's the last we see of the British actress/love interest. She was insufferable.

Doesn't he still have to act with her in the play, R76?

Good point, R77, although he seemed a bit over the play by the end of the episode.

Well isn't he know fucking the AT&T girl?

Do you mean the playwright, R79?

The actor son should have been gay. That was a missed opportunity in my opinion.

Perhaps I should give this show another chance. Based on the first episode, I feared the writing would fall more on the cloying, sentimental side, but given all the accolades I've been hearing, I assume that's not the case.

It is cloying and sentimental, but the cast is excellent and there are some layers to the characters. Mandy Moore is doing an excellent job playing a somewhat unlikable character.

So do you think this show will sweep the Emmys next year? And which actors will be nominated? Should Mandy Moore submit as lead or supporting?

Sterling K. Brown (Randall) to me is the MVP of the show and deserves a nomination. He could win and have a second statue to go along the one he won for "The People v. O.J"

He is fantastic, R85. All of the cast is great, actually.

I feel the same, R81.

Sterling has come a long way. I remember he was a crazy mo-fo in the few Supernatural episodes he was on.

Emmy's?? What are those??---network television.

The AT&T girl was the playwright and slept with Kevin.

That scene at the karate school was beautiful.

Speaking of that scene, there's some video of all the guys doing push-ups with another actor on top 😏 Milo did push-ups with Sterling on top of him and Justin as well. Justin did push-ups with Sterling on top.

Is this that Mandy Moore Programme? Has she sung in any episodes yet? Bet that will come.

How can you people treat Mandy Moore as if she is a real actress? Isn't she, like, some female Justin Bieber, one step above Britstina? I hate her. She ruins the show.

The actor who plays present day William has never played the younger William in flashbacks.

The guy who plays younger William in the flashbacks has been the only person to play that version of the character. Both actors are great.

You are so right, R89. 34-year-old William is played by Jermel Nakia.

And present-day William is played by Ron Cephas Jones. When I saw his picture for the first time, he looked so much younger than the character he plays, I thought he played the younger William. Mea culpa.

Mandy did sing in an earlier episode, actually.

She's good in the role. Leave her alone.

[quote]Speaking of that scene, there's some video of all the guys doing push-ups with another actor on top 😏 Milo did push-ups with Sterling on top of him and Justin as well. Justin did push-ups with Sterling on top.

There's another "This Is Us" thread with a link to this video.

Have they decided on a strategy for Emmy submissions? Will they all go as "supporting" like they do on "Modern Family?"

Mandy Moore should make a series based on her family.

[quote]Mandy says her family is “the least traditional.” “I’ve never really talked about this,” she offers, “but my parents are divorced. My mother left my father for a woman. And both of my two brothers are gay.”

Sterling swings both ways and it shows. He was also crazy about lisping actress Sarah Paulson and almost fucked on ACS.

Sterling is hot as fuck. I am also really enjoying this show, it isn't nearly as cloying as I thought it would be.

I didn't realize that the actress who plays the friend who provides Jack and Rebecca with advice on how to raise an African American son is Sterling's wife.

Really, R98?

Wow.

Sterling and his wife, Ryan Michelle Bathe

They make a nice looking couple.

Sterling is really hot. And he has a great body. Justin may have a nice body but man, Sterling is built.

I enjoyed the Christmas episode minus the Kate and Toby storylines. I loved how the little girl caught on to William and Jesse.

Denis O'Hare!

I'm watching the show and my 2 year old cat fell asleep in my lap for the first time since I adopted her as a kitten. I guess this show has a strong effect on both of us!

Well THaT was revealed. i was shocked.

I think Toby is dead. Many people didn't like him.

I like Kevin and the AT&T girl together.

So what time exactly did everyone start showing up at Randall's house?? It seemed really late and there was a full spread of food! Who and when did they prepare that? They were carrying on as if it was 5 in the afternoon!

This was an episode I should've recorded. I needed to go back to William and his partners conversation.

A little before midnight

I'm sorry, Sterling K. Brown might be damn near transcendent in this show but I still can't erase that eating disorder sitcom he starred in out of my mind.

Yes, R71, it will be revealed that MIguel murdered Jack so he could have Rebecca. That totally fits the tone of this show. In the season finale, Miguel will hold the family hostage and kill them one by one with an ax.

I'm fine with Miguel killing the entire family minus Randall.

I still wonder about Miguel's first wife and kids. Are the kids totally estranged from him?

Are we thinking Emmys for this show?

T110 I can maybe see Sterling K. Brown get an acting nod. I can't see this show getting a best drama nod and none of the other cast members are on Sterling's level of acting.

Well, there's a gay!

Gays, fats, and blacks?

Trump will get this show canceled.

Probably won't get a lot of Emmy nominations, but the Golden Globes will give it some. They love to honor the "hot,new" shows. It will lose to WESTWORLD though--the only new show with more "buzz ".

If they submit the pilot, Milo's hot ass will get a nomination for sure.

This show is sinking like a ROCK. Every fucking episode has to turn out like a Hallmark commercial, and this one was the worst by far! Noble Randall thwarts a co worker's suicide (why should we even care?) Young sensitive Randall buys dying Dr Gerald McRaney a snow globe. Fat Girl reunites with Fat Boyfriend, only to have him collapse and die. And WORST of all, noble dying former crackhead jazz pianist William, now apparently a full time resident and beneficiary of Randall's largesse, is now revealed to be GAY before he croaks too! Oh, and throw in a cutesy Hannukah dinner with new gf out of nowhere and her family (why should we care?) Sentimental soundtrack playing over fuzzy Hallmark editing to wrap up each storyline. Blecchhh.....

Treacle, all of it. Personally I would love to see Miguel come in and wipe out the whole bunch of them!

Oh please! The ratings are rising, r116. Loved the William is bi reveal.

I hope Miguel takes you down with him, R116. Stop fucking watching if you hate it that much.

I really want to hate this show--I usually watch more cynical or dark TV--but I can't help it, I like it.

I like this show. But, I have the feeling that it will dip in quality in season 2.

[quote]I think Toby is dead. Many people didn't like him.

Yes, but this was the first episode where Chris Sullivan was credited as a REGULAR as opposed to a guest star. So either (1) he's sticking around, (2) we'll see him in flashbacks, or (3) they're faking us out with the change in status.

He's been a regular since the pilot.

R122 No, he hasn't.

Chris Sullivan's name is in the first set of opening credits in the pilot, bookended by shots of Milo in his Terrible Towel.

Pretty sure Toby isn't dead. If he was, they would have ended with him dying. This way, they end with just the possibility.

Sudsy soaper, gripping and grandly acted.

Hee Hee!!

Tonight's episode was meh. I cringed at the awful scene with Randall and Jesse.

Looks like Toby is a keeper.

I wish they would do something else with Milo's hair...it just looks so shaggy and horrible.

I can't stand Toby. He is going to pull Kate down. She's going to go on some major eating binges.

Big boo-boo tonight -- they referred to Diet Coke in a scene that took place several years before Diet Coke was introduced.

r131 Yeah, I noticed that Diet Coke reference. Scene was set in 1979, but Diet Coke was introduced in 1982.

That same scene also had Mandy Moore declining a drink due to her pregnancy. While the potential dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant were beginning to be known by that point, the public awareness campaign warning about potential birth defects due to pregnant women drinking did not start until the early 80s.

Same thing with the mother smoking at the table. The public awareness campaign encouraging people to ask others to put out their cigarettes if the smoke bothered them did not start until the early 80s.

Toby could still go. Remember Six Feet Under? This could be the Narm before the storm.

I don't think Toby will go, because we'll have to have a Very Special Fat Wedding. After that he can go.

But before the wedding we'll have to endure a Very Special Gay Funeral for William. After that Jesse can go.

The Kevin character is so weak. What was the point of bringing back Olivia for five minutes? She's gone back to Salem.

And can we stop with all the background music?

This show is a monster right now, recording a 3.0 demo in a 10pm slot with no lead in. NBC would be wise not to fuck it up.

I hope it doesn't suffer from second season slump like Desperate Housewives, Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, etc.

The first season has had major hype.

Bump for the return of Milo's naked body!!!

It almost seemed like we got a glance of bush! I'll have to wait until I see it on my DVR at home (I'm out of town) later to verify!

This episode will obviously be Gerald McRaney's Emmy submission.

So, Denis Ohare is like, one of five openly gay actors who can play an older gay character?

I love the show, Hallmarky, sensitive hipster song list and all. And more naked Milo!

Thank you r131 and r132. I was beginning to wonder why no one had pointed out the very careless anachronisms in this show. From the moment we realized that Mandy was pregnant in 1979, I became uncomfortable with the fact that she knew she was pregnant with triplets. Sonograms were at a beta/I recommended stage in 1980 and were not common until the late 80's.

The use of some expressions like "Zhou gotta have his back" in what seemed like the late 80's also made me look things up.

Zhou>>you

L recommended >>unrecommended

I want a 3some with Milo and Justin Hartley. Yum!!

It contained two huge Pennsylvania goofs, too, R141. 1. PA hasn't had front license plates during any time period in which the show lives. 2. PA sells liquor in its state stores. That liquor store-slash-7-11 place doesn't exist anywhere in PA.

It gets worse every week.

Milo's ass is a work of art.

I hope Justin and Sterling show us their asses.

[quote]I hope it doesn't suffer from second season slump like Desperate Housewives, Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, etc.

[quote]The first season has had major hype.

I have wondered about that and I wouldn't be surprised if it suffers from a second season slump. I like the show, but I have the feeling that certain subplots will be dragged out for future seasons and that could hurt the writing. Also, the only strong actor on the show is Sterling K. Brown, the rest are average.

It is a trend with broadcast dramas to hit slumps after season 1. Another broadcast show that wasn't great after season 1 was Revenge.

r148, don't forget - Revenge changed showrunners after season 1 or during season 2, I believe. That affected it greatly.

It has been renewed for 2 more seasons

Scandal is another show that hit the second season slump. That's common with any show that Shonda Rhimes is involved in. Somehow, people stay addicted to Shonda's shows. I think even if This is Us hits slumps in the next two seasons, people most the female audience will stick with it.

I'm not sure shows actually hit a slump. Since no one has seen the show, the first season is always exciting. The problem with second (and subsequent) seasons is that those initial expectations couldn't possible be met.

Revenge was superb and should have been a mini-series instead of a show. Instead of finding more mini-series, the networks try to turn them into TV shows.

They have several Very Special plot lines that they are sitting on to be saved for a sweeps period: the Very Special Fat Wedding, and/or the Very Special Death of Toby (although I don't think that will happen); the Very VERY Special Death of William and his funeral; and the big gun, the Death of Milo. I wonder when they will pull the trigger on that one, despite the ominous looks from Miguel.

Who gives a shit about the fireman and his wife?

[quote]Who gives a shit about the fireman and his wife?

I hated that subplot.

[quote]Who gives a shit about the fireman and his wife?

That just showed that Randall's fate could have been very different.

So Kevin married Kate's best friend Sophie when they were in college. But they divorced and haven't seen each other in 12 years, since he was 24.

Cabin 13 guy is... kinda hot.

The Toby character wears a fat suit. I am troubled by this.

[quote]So Kevin married Kate's best friend Sophie when they were in college.

When did they say that? When did they say that Kevin even went to college? They could've gotten married in high school, or right after. Especially in light of what happened to Jack.

Good to know that Marla Gibbs is still alive.

I cried. That is all.

Is Randall going to lose his job?

Will Rebecca get a recording contract?

Is Kate going to ride Cabin 13's cock?

Will Kevin show his ass?

Just a so-so episode. R162, which storyline made you cry?

I'm mad at Rebecca. After all the effort by Jack to create a magical evening and showing Rebecca how much he still loved her, she announces she wants to go on tour. I could feel Jack's heart drop.

I still hate Mandy Moore.

Does Randall now have some disease?

Oh, the melodrama!

R144 can I join in? Lusted after Justin for years. He played great gay on Revenge. Damn why are there so many hot Hollywood men we can't have? and why can't this show show MORE of them?

Does this show seem to be going in a different direction now? Something seems different ever since they came back from the Holiday break.

The "different direction" this show is going in is DOWN THE DUMPER. It's sad to see a promising network show self destruct so quickly. The writers have either been told or have decided to cram as many plot devices as possible into each episode. It is discouraging and exhausting to watch. The worst offender is the KEVIN story line (although I guess Marla Gibbs is grateful for her two minute appearance). After bouncing between the actress in the play and the female playwright and asking Fat Toby to help him choose the right one, we are now supposed to swallow the fact that all this time he has been pining for his long lost nurse ex wife (now conveniently single) as the True Love of His Life? WTF happened to the play? We are treated to cutesy scenes of her resisting him for about five minutes, then scarfing down "lava fries" in their old beloved booth while he ticks off all the things "you always used to do....." and what she wore on the first day of fourth grade...awwww.

Then there is the grave injustice the writers are doing to otherwise good actor Sterling K. Brown, who appears to have an incredulous expression frozen on his face in every scene, as if he cannot believe he is actually performing this load of crap. He is now not only required to react to his former crackhead/jazz pianist/chess playing gay bio dad (whose lover has also apparently vanished too!) but now he has developed a TREMOR! And he might be LOSING HIS JOB! Time to get back into the BMW and drink some egg creams while listening to William's jazz tapes!

Don't get me started on Fat Kate. How does she pay for that expensive fat farm? Is she still working as a personal assistant to Jami Gertz and her bratty kid (another example of a plot line thrown on the ever mounting discard pile)? This show had the opportunity to showcase the struggles of a massively obese woman in a realistic way; instead, like her twin Kevin, she is now Torn Between Two Lovers. Ridiculous.

And speaking of lovers.....the worst offenders of all are Perfect Couple Jack and Rebecca. After hearing Rebecca huff out ONE BAR of "My Funny Valentine" we are told that Jack works "ten to twelve hours a DAY!" to support his family and pay the mortgage on that fixer upper house, yet still finds the time to locate their old vacant apartment and string it up with dozens of Christmas lights so they can take a shower together in it? Another nauseating scene portraying Jack as Mr. Perfect Lover so it will be even sadder when he Finally Does Die!

I don't know who's responsible for the utter collapse of this show; I suspect Ken Olin...? But it is entering self parody territory. If SNL wasn't so busy skewering Trump/Spicer, they could work up a decent parody....hello, Aidy Bryant...??

[quote]I don't know who's responsible for the utter collapse of this show; I suspect Ken Olin...?

thirtysomething was so much better, I don't want to blame it on Michael Stedman.

The fraus are eating up this schlock like bon bons

r170 wow, you nailed it on the head. I have been watching since the return and realized that none of the episodes have really dazzled me. The Kevin story is stupid. So now we have a third woman who likes Kevin. I really liked Sloane. I hated Olivia but Sloane was charming, sweet and challenged Kevin. Now he's chasing after Jesse from Walking Dead.

r173, thank you I kept wondering where I saw her before. She needs her roots done.

Instead of having these characters dash from one stagey situation to another, not to mention setting up all those Hallmark moments and montages, it would have been nice to simply see the characters develop gradually as they interact with each other. All those very special holidays, birthday parties, and fuzzy moments are wearying after awhile. Remember Suicide Guy from Randall's office party? And now "Sanjay" (check off another conveniently "diverse" bit of casting) as his office rival?

There is really very little authentic emotion between and among these characters; why should we care about them? We are in for a Very Special Death fairly soon (I'm betting William's death will occur before the cause of Jack's death is revealed). Great series like HILL STREET BLUES and THE SOPRANOS had large ensemble casts, but with strong characters you actually cared about. These people are plastic.

r175 Oh God you're right - we have been bombarded with so many birthdays, special occasions, I can't keep track. I mean, can't Jack and Rebecca just go out for a fucking meal? Every other week, the kids are celebrating a birthday or special occasion.

I'm sad about IMDB shutting down their message boards but r170 and r175 remind me why I like coming to Datalounge to talk about films and tv.

[quote]Then there is the grave injustice the writers are doing to otherwise good actor Sterling K. Brown, who appears to have an incredulous expression frozen on his face in every scene, as if he cannot believe he is actually performing this load of crap. He is now not only required to react to his former crackhead/jazz pianist/chess playing gay bio dad (whose lover has also apparently vanished too!) but now he has developed a TREMOR! And he might be LOSING HIS JOB! Time to get back into the BMW and drink some egg creams while listening to William's jazz tapes!

I think the tremor is probably foreshadowing to Randall having some neurological disease and the audience will be forced to have corny scenes of him crying over his disease.

[quote]If SNL wasn't so busy skewering Trump/Spicer, they could work up a decent parody....hello, Aidy Bryant...??

Maybe if a This Is Us cast member hosts they will parody it. Aidy Bryant would extra padding to parody Kate. Maybe Beck Bennett could play Jack.

SNL and TIU are both NBC shows. Maybe Milo as host, Mandy as musical guest. I would watch it (and I do not watch SNL).

Sure you don't.

Only when Justin Timberlake is on, R180.

[quote]Good to know that Marla Gibbs is still alive.

Not only is she still alive, she's doing a pilot with Anna Maria Horsford (also alive, apparently) and Jalen Rose.

Really only watching to find out how the father dies. Once that's resolved, I'm done.

It will probably be the last episode of the season.

Saw a trailer for a Very Special Valentine's Day episode.....

Randall will save another suicidal co-worker on Valentine's Day and then he goes home and finds William close to dying as the episode cliffhanger.

William appeared to be wearing oxygen in the brief trailer I saw.

Will he die on Father's Day?

[quote]William appeared to be wearing oxygen in the brief trailer I saw. Will he die on Father's Day?

The season ends in May, so it's doubtful.

Jack, OTOH? Father's Day? Why not?

They can pump a lot more out of Jack's storyline, with all those flashbacks.

William, however, has reached the end of the line. Literally.

[quote]The season ends in May, so it's doubtful.

It's ending on March 14th. NBC only gave it an 18 episode order.

[quote]It's ending on March 14th.

Making room for the new American Idol.

I hate this show and its subpar soap stories that drag out. Somevery amateurish acting too. The old dad storyline drags on longer than the Simpsons has been on TV. Loves me some Justin and Milo ain't bad--except why no more ass shots?--but i can't take this uneducated frau fest with its high school play acting.

I cried again. That is all.

Of course, they are going to drag out how Jack died. There was online theory that Jack died in a fire trying to save Miguel's family and that the family died as well. We know that Miguel and his wife divorced, but there is no mention of Miguel's kids in the present day. So far we have seen that Miguel and Rebecca are focused on her kids like in the Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes. Usually in blended families there is an effort to visit or include both sets of children in holidays.

I could see some scenario that Miguel's kids were home from college and staying with him and somehow a fire broke out when he wasn't there. But, Jack was around and tried to save them and no one survived. The Pierson kids probably hate the fact that Jack died trying to save Miguel's kids. They probably got pissed more when annoying Rebecca comforts Miguel and later marries him.

The fact that Kate couldn't tell Toby about how Jack died is an obvious ploy to keep it a mystery.

[quote]. There was online theory that Jack died in a fire trying to save Miguel's family

I certainly hope it was a grease fire!

Where is everything?? The early family lives in Pittsburgh (with no exterior shots to prove it), but Justin's in LA. Where are the current families? If Justin's play is in NYC, where the fuck is his brother's office? No New York Times reviewer is coming to a small play opening in Pittsburgh.

Kein and his play are in NYC, and Randall appears to live in the NYC suburbs. Kevin's going to NYC from LA was discussed in one of the earlier episodes.

What does seem to be a screwup is the Kevin/Sophie storyline. We know that Kevin and Sophie met in Pittsburgh, when they were kids and Sophie was Kate's best friend. Yet we learn that the Marla Gibbs diner, which appears to be in NYC, was the site of many of their landmarks, including some that seem to have been in Pittsburgh. So, that part seems poorly thought out.

Does Jack become an alcoholic? The last scene where he drinks a shot of liquor, I think was very telling.

Kate finds it too painful even years later to the point of tears to tell Toby how her father died. It must be a humdinger. Since he appears to start drinking again and a looming affair by Rebecca appears to be on the horizon, I'm thinking Jack might commit suicide.

Otherwise, his death must be especially tragic.

Would like to add, don't forget Kate is the child that has her father's ashes and there is obvious tension between her and Rebecca, her mother. Deep down, or maybe not so deep down, Kate must blame her mother for Jack's death.

Wont Kevin have totally ruined his career by leaving the stage empty as the play was opening? Spectacular thing he did for Randall of course.

I assume that because Kate can't talk about Jack's death that they way he died or the circumstances in which he died are going to be really awful. R153 is spot on. There will be some very, VERY special tear jerking moments coming up.

R162/R192 - I did too and suspect a lot of the hard faced bitches posting above did too but they would rather melt in the perpetual grease fires of Datalounge hell than admit it...

The writing for Kevin is all over the place. And the ex-wife storyline really came out of nowhere.

[quote]The fact that Kate couldn't tell Toby about how Jack died is an obvious ploy to keep it a mystery.

Plunging the writing into Idiot Plotting. What could possibly be that traumatic, save her killing him herself (accidentally, of course).

[quote]Where is everything?? The early family lives in Pittsburgh (with no exterior shots to prove it), but Justin's in LA. Where are the current families? If Justin's play is in NYC, where the fuck is his brother's office? No New York Times reviewer is coming to a small play opening in Pittsburgh.

They start in Bethel Park, a suburb south of Pittsburgh. William and Kevin now live with Randall in a North Jersey suburb (unless Kevin has moved out). The play in in NY. Randall's office is in NY, probably in the Financial District.

[quote]Kate finds it too painful even years later to the point of tears to tell Toby how her father died. It must be a humdinger. Since he appears to start drinking again and a looming affair by Rebecca appears to be on the horizon, I'm thinking Jack might commit suicide. Otherwise, his death must be especially tragic.

I imagine the trauma will be that Kate was first to find dead Jack. But her being unable to tell Toby about it last night in order that we, the audience, not find out yet, is a primo example of Idiot Plotting. Did the EP/HW get his start on CSI?

What really makes no sense is that Kate and Toby seem to have abandoned their former lives, jobs, friends, and in Toby's case, family in California.

So Kevin can just wander into Randall's office unannounced? Aren't those corporate-type places like Fort Knox with security?

The most suspenseful part of last night's episode was whether the actress playing Kate could carry an emotional breakdown scene or not.

[quote]What really makes no sense is that Kate and Toby seem to have abandoned their former lives, jobs, friends, and in Toby's case, family in California.

Yeah, I was thinking about that last night. I can sort of get Kate up and leaving her job with Jami Gertz's character because it seemed like she had no other friends in California and had been devoted to be Kevin's assistant. The stuff with Toby makes no sense at all. Bad writing on that part.

Also, the writers continue to play coy with whether Jack has a coinslot or a rosebud.

Chrissy Metz is going to be on "The Chew" tomorrow. Doesn't sound like the best idea ...

She was on Live with Kelly this morning. Watching her hug Kelly aws comical.

The Katie Couric dream sequence interview was horrible, even for this soapy crapfest.

And I think Jack is being set up for a DUI death. But not any time soon.

Chrissy Metz was on Wendy Williams today and this girl is HUGE. And I mean HUGE. Wendy tried to hug her and could not even get halfway around.

There is no way on earth this woman is going to have a viable career as an actress once THIS IS US is cancelled.

I think Kate will have some direct or indirect culpability in Jack's death. The kids seem to be the ones who can't cope with Jack's death. Rebecca obviously moved on. Perhaps she and Jack already split up when he died.

Maybe she will beg Ryan Murphy for a job after This Is Us ends. She played on a minor character on AHS:Freak Show

At least they chose an actress like Christy Metz who really is obese and not an lesser overweight actress, expecting the audience to believe the struggles and dilemmas of someone truly in the danger zone of obesity.

I'm not put off by the actress or her character's obesity. I think they are doing a decent job of portraying what it's like to struggle with food addiction even though other plot lines are a bit thin at this time. (Pardon the pun.) Kate's food addiction feels understandable in terms of buried pain and probably resentment towards her mother, the true root of which will be revealed.

She is contracted to lose weight as the character. I wonder how that will go. She was really cute as the fat lady on an episode of AHS.

I was wondering if she is required to lose weight for this role, r217. If this happens I predict a breakup between Kate and Toby. He's already shown signs of and the potential for sabotaging her.

Would like to add, I think some people are expecting a little too much from this show. It does have a soap opera feel to it sometimes. I don't mind this either as it's a quality guilty pleasure. I was never a big soap fan, only a few times over many years. This fits the bill in that respect.

How long can drag this out? Another season of this is not going to work.

"Grampa's dead! Let's bring in some new problematic relative!"

I dont think they can how Jack dying. Dramatically, what can they show of the character after that? Milo would have to leave the show. Once you see his death, you then cant see the point of what will seem trivial stuff pre death stuff after that.

silly, r219, the William character and his death is setting up a goldmine for Randall. His breakdown, his fractured relationship with Rebecca and struggles with work will lead to greater issues for him reflected in his marriage and with his children.

r220, I doubt they will have the Jack dying episode (or even mention the cause) until the final series of the show. So they are probably looking at avoiding it for a few years.

the inevitable spinoff "This Is Him" starring handsome Justin Hartley. He moves back to L.A. and becomes a B movie star in superhero movies and silly sword and sandals romps. He is required to be shirtless and wearing nothing larger than a loincloth ALWAYS. He is required to show his beautiful ass with its' light blond hairs that catch the sunlight. His character is bisexual and has intense love scenes with hot men in their 30s and 40s; he falls in love with a hot football player. It's real and their scenes are tender and loving. Justin's round plump ass is shown at all angles with the sunlight playing on his beautiful legs and thighs and catching those short blond hairs. Care to join me in a wank now?

Watching now. I love William. Great character and actor. After all he's been through in in his younger years he's now coming full circle - with bravery and without regret. He's a natural storyteller with a life fully lived. Nice we get to see the scope of his life. The good, the bad and the ugly. .

r223 agreed. Glad they are doing a standalone episode. Why bother with the other actors when Ron Cephas Jones and Sterling K. Brown would outshine them anyway.

I have a feeling William may die this episode. Shudder.

I didn't cry this time.

Don't worry R225. Plenty of crying jn store. It will be very sad. Loved this episode.

[quote]I doubt they will have the Jack dying episode (or even mention the cause) until the final series of the show.

I'm not listening to you.

I also liked the way they made Randall more "human" and let him demonstrate his humor and vulnerability in this episode.

[quote]Why bother with the other actors when Ron Cephas Jones and Sterling K. Brown would outshine them anyway.

I agree, they are the best actors on the show. I hope Ron Cephas Jones gets a gig on another show soon. Sterling K. Brown will always be the MVP of this show. He's a lock for an Emmy nod. Mandy Moore and Chrissy Metz got Golden Globe nods, but I can't see either one getting an Emmy nod.

[quote]I doubt they will have the Jack dying episode (or even mention the cause) until the final series of the show.

Do you mean the final season?

Didn't anyone find it offensive that they basically "disappeared" William's boyfriend in this episode? Not a single mention of him or reference to their relationship. They didn't even have Randall trying to contact him.

[quote]Didn't anyone find it offensive that they basically "disappeared" William's boyfriend in this episode? Not a single mention of him or reference to their relationship. They didn't even have Randall trying to contact him.

The writers have always handled the storyline of William having a boyfriend pretty poorly imo. They never delved into William's bisexuality and IIRC, Randall never asked him in detail about William's relationship with Jesse or if they were other men before. I get that the writers wanted this episode to be mostly about William and Randall, but they could have at least mentioned Jesse and had Randall contact him.

Everything about this show is so manipulative and cloying, it's really pretty funny. Leaving aside the soundtrack, for last night's roadtrip from NJ to Memphis, did they take the Interstate, which would have caused them to get there in about 16 hours, or did they take scenic byways, which made for pretty camera work but would have caused them to get there hours, if not days, later? It's This is Us, so no truck-laden interstates for this family.

One thing is for sure, R233, that wasn't any park in Pittsburgh where William and Randall stopped to visit Jack.

I feel as if they retconned a whole lot of story when the show blew up and was renewed for two more seasons. The original first season probably had Jack dying in the first season's penultimate episode, and now they have to stretch it out to fit it into a three-year outline. I'll bet William didn't even have a boyfriend in the original outline.

And that business with Kevin running to be by Randall's side instead of stepping onstage for the opening of his first Broadway or off-Broadway play? Yeah, that could not have happened except on a show that depends on the basest idiot plotting.

[quote]I feel as if they retconned a whole lot of story when the show blew up and was renewed for two more seasons. The original first season probably had Jack dying in the first season's penultimate episode, and now they have to stretch it out to fit it into a three-year outline. I'll bet William didn't even have a boyfriend in the original outline.

I get that feeling too and I have the feeling that more things will be retconned in the next two seasons.

Some of the bad writing is starting to show up more and I've seen people on other sites/forums call it things like Kevin leaving the play on opening night and Toby leaving LA behind and not showing concern to a job or other responsibilities that he left behind there.

R233 Well, Randall did say they'd have to detour out of their way to Pittsburgh and it would take them half a day (I think.) But what didn't make sense was that this came AFTER they'd already seen a billboard for the Peabody hotel, which had to mean they were at least somewhat close to Memphis by that time.

They were never on their way to Pittsburgh. Not at first.

I am catching up on the last few episodes now and eyerolling at Rebecca singing. Was it in Mandy Moore's contract that she would get to sing?

R238 Sorry-- my phrasing was confusing. I meant they were on their way to Memphis and would have to detour to Pittsburgh.

Where did this ex wife of Kevin's come from?

Why does every man fall for Kate everywhere she goes? I guess the writers need a reason for her to constantly want to break up with Toby?

No new episode next week. Thanks, Trump!

Maybe he's going to resign.

the only reason I watch the show:

How was Kate responsible for her father's, Jack's, death?

Show is stupid

R246 Because she was the one who was concerned about her parents' marriage, and mentioned it to Jack. He told her everything was OK, but then after going to the bar, he had a change of heart and decided to drive (while under the influence) all the way to Cleveland to see his wife perform. And he called Kate to let her know that. Presumably, next week we'll find out he died en route to Cleveland.

I liked this show earlier in the season. I enjoyed the Randall and William storylines. But, the past few episodes minus the Memphis episode aren't great. Most of the cast members are average at best.

They are trying to make every episode heart tugging with a cliffhanger and it's getting stale

They know what the fraus like.

It's a soap opera, R250. It's what they do.

It would lose a lot without Milo. But maybe they'll still have flashbacks with his hotness.

The Memphis episode was great. So was the kids' cute memorial.

I just don't buy Kevin going after his first love. It came out of nowhere and I am not feeling the chemistry. I don't even remember him talking about her.

At least we don't have him pining over Olivia, but I like Sloane and the development of that relationship.

Mandy Moore's crying last night was so bad. Sterling K. Brown was like "I'm in a show with this amateur."

[quote]I just don't buy Kevin going after his first love. It came out of nowhere and I am not feeling the chemistry. I don't even remember him talking about her.

I'm not buying it either. I think out of all the characters on the show Kevin gets the worst writing with the awful play storylines and the romances with the British actress and the playwright. There isn't much chemistry between Justin Hartley and Alexandra Breckenridge.

That's probably where the cliffhanger will be. He gets into an accident.

Milo can't leave the show, they'll just do flashbacks like they're doing now.

How convenient for Kevin, Ron Howard at your play. Will he stay or will he go?

Ron Howard looks like shit, btw.

I figured that the writers were going to continue to drag out the Jack death storyline.

The first season was probably written to include Jack's death, but when they got the early two-season renewal, they had to retcon season one to accommodate the sudden need for three years worth of story.

Of course, I don't know how the idiot plotting of Kevin skipping his opening night fits into that plan. This Is Us is just not a very well-made program.

I hated this show now I love it. Its so dam feel goodie, and Milo is walking sex. The acting is strong and finally a show where every character isn't piece of shit sociopath.

A fiction writer or single screenplay writer has the luxury of letting the characters move authentically to tell the story.

A TV writer has to work with group-think, marketing and many other outside influences, thus the inconsistencies.

I haven't read a DL This Is Us thread in, like, a year, so I apologize for bumping a old thread, but this caught my eye because it was mentioned in the recent episode:

[quote]I think Jack is dead. Rebecca was wearing the necklace in the present day. If Jack was still alive, I don't think she would be wearing that while married to Miguel.

As we all know by now, Jack is dead. Anyway, in the last episode, Rebecca told Kevin that she still wears the moon necklace Jack gave her, even though she's now married to Miguel, because she has found it difficult to take it off. This was brought up because Kevin confessed that he lost the necklace Jack gave him. That cunt Charlotte wouldn't give it back to him.

They are back.

The only storylines that keep me interested is Kevin looking into Jack's past in Vietnam.I can't stand annoying Kate, Randall and Toby.