This Is Us, season 5

[Sylvia]

Starting a new thread for the 2-hour Season 5 premiere tonight:

THIS IS US SEASON 5 | Official Trailer

A new chapter begins for the Pearsons in Season 5 of This Is Us. Watch the special two-hour premiere Tuesday, October 27 at 9/8c on NBC. » Subscribe for More...

www.youtube.com

‘This Is Us’ Creator Dan Fogelman Explains Why Season 5 Had To Premiere Before The Election As Team Talks COVID, Black Lives Matter & Kevin-Randall Rift: https://deadline.com/2020/10/this-i...-black-lives-matter-kevin-randall-1234602847/

 

[manhn]

Oh, that Randall and Kate conversation. Uncomfortable! I thought they incorporated YKW quite well.

 

[skategal]

OMG...that ending. WTF?!?!

I’m still loving Beth. She is the best character on the show.

 

[Susan1]

Oh, that Randall and Kate conversation. Uncomfortable! I thought they incorporated YKW quite well.

But then talking to Toby, it was all about how Kate felt. No surprise.

Hope this is not a Spoiler? I didn't read this thread till I watched the show last night. Did anybody else watch it?

So, Randall is at least a day older than the twins. If you think about it - he was there in the incubator on the same day they were born. Did they think he was just born in it an hour ago out of nowhere? He had to have come from somewhere.

And did they just go buy that antihistamine over the counter? That's not the first treatment for poison ivy. That just makes you sleepy so you don't itch. It doesn't do anything to the poison ivy. Anybody their age knows to check drug interactions. And whatever she's supposed to be taking seems to be a miracle drug. Why don't all alzheimer's patients take it? Funny, the first thing I was thinking was that she didn't "have an episode" all this time because she was away from her children!

I'm just going to have to say somewhere that we have all been living through the c.v. I kind of wish we could watch t.v. dramas to escape it. They aren't going to do what real people out in the world are supposed to be doing. They let that daughter's boyfriend (I forget names) come over because he had been quarantining, without a mask? Rebecca was sitting inside a restaurant? Is this supposed to be March, before things closed? Or now, since things have opened up more? The medical shows are going to do it to. They've been taped long enough ago that things have dramatically changed in the real world. They should do shows five years in the future and talk about how we got through it and back to normal.

 

[skategal]

I didn’t quite get Randall’s birthday issue.

I get it for adoptees who have been found and are not in reunion with their bio parents.

But wouldn’t William have told Randall exactly when he was born?

I would have thought that would have been one of the first questions he would have asked William when they reunited.

Or does Randall think William just went along with it because that particular date (the date he came into care into the hospital) would have been allocated as his birth date on his birth certificate?

 

[manhn]

William didn’t remember a lot of the details of Randall’s birth due to him being so drugged up. He didn’t even remember the fire station, although he thought that sounded like something he would do.

 

[skategal]

William didn’t remember a lot of the details of Randall’s birth due to him being so drugged up. He didn’t even remember the fire station, although he thought that sounded like something he would do.

Ok that makes more sense... I missed that piece.

 

[Susan1]

William didn’t remember a lot of the details of Randall’s birth due to him being so drugged up. He didn’t even remember the fire station, although he thought that sounded like something he would do.

He didn't look that drugged up when he was standing there looking in the nursery window.

 

[manhn]

Just going by the conversation from the Pilot:

William: "I’d like to say I remember your mom, but I barely do. Lived on the streets then. Crack, heroin. I remember her dying. Remember there was a baby. I’d like to say I remember leaving you at a fire station, but I don’t. Not an excuse. In fact, it probably tells you something about me that I don’t remember. I do like fire stations though, so that sounds like something I’d do if I had to do something, you know? Anyway, I don’t know if that’s what you’re looking for, but either way, you can be sure this life of mine has been punishment enough for the things I’ve done."

 

[taf2002]

@manhn, how in the world do you remember all that? Anyway, what I took from that flashback was that William blamed himself for his wife's death so his downward spiral is understandable.

Randall is my least favorite person on the show. I'm glad he's doing better emotionally because I'm tired of his whining & drama. His family esp Beth have walked on eggshells long enough.

I've liked Madison from the 1st & am glad she now has a more prominent part. As for Rebecca's drug, there is a drug my mother took which helps alzheimers patients to not lose whatever cognizance they have. She didn't have alzheimers, she had a brain tumor but that wasn't known at first. Anyway apparently that drug works very well for some patients. Sadly that drug doesn't keep the bogey away forever.

 

[manhn]

There's an acting troupe in LA that reads scripts online during this time where acting jobs were hard to find. They did a reading on this show's Pilot. I was listening to the reading about a week ago before these episodes aired, heh. I remembered that monologue from William. There's a script floating around, I just copied and pasted it when I made that post, heh.

 

[skylark]

I stayed away from this thread until I finally watched the two episodes. I'm glad it's here because I love talking about shows/books/movies I love! This show entrances me, though I got a three-years-late start watching.

Maybe my #1 favorite thing about the new season is the change in Madison's character. She always had this extreme insecurity ... and she was brave enough not to hide it. She coupled that with such persistence in being Kate's friend. I don't think Kate ever appreciated her fully. And Madison had such resilience.

Now, I think Madison's pregnancy hormones have kicked in so that she's less anxious, less insecure. She's more peaceful with herself ... not only because of working on herself, but because pregnancy can have that effect on a woman. I realize it doesn't have that effect on everyone, and everyone's unique experience of pregnancy is valid and, well, unique. But I'm one of the people for whom the pregnancy "happiness" hormones helped me realize the confident person I really am and have always been at bedrock level.

I'm really glad to see that the writers went that direction with Madison, making her a more actualized person -- whether or not they purposely connected it with the physical effect of pregnancy hormones.

My favorite line, which I don't have verbatim, was when Kevin said about Madison that he thinks he (thru luck?) found someone really extraordinary, in Madison. Of course, Kevin is my favorite character.

Any thoughts?

#2. I'm another person who's tired of Randall being whiny. But I also understand it on some level. He'd kept all those feelings in and been the strong one, the rock, for 36 years. When such feelings finally are allowed and expressed, it can seem from the outside that the person is being excessive.

p.s. @Susan1, I adore your brand new avatar!

 

[sk8pics]

#2. I'm another person who's tired of Randall being whiny. But I also understand it on some level. He'd kept all those feelings in and been the strong one, the rock, for 36 years. When such feelings finally are allowed and expressed, it can seem from the outside that the person is being excessive.

I think all of them are whiny, but Randall has always been especially annoying to me. I think it’s the character, not the actor, because I liked the actor as Leo in the recent West Wing special.

I did think the scenes dealing with the murder of George Floyd and resulting protests were well done.

 

[skylark]

I think all of them are whiny, but Randall has always been especially annoying to me. I think it’s the character, not the actor, because I liked the actor as Leo in the recent West Wing special.

I did think the scenes dealing with the murder of George Floyd and resulting protests were well done.

I think the creator/writer, Dan Fogelman, has purposely created a drama where it's not just about dramatic events, but about how those events affect us on a deep emotional level. And he purposely created a family where the adult kids and older parents are finally allowing themselves to talk about some of the hidden issues. Feelings do sound whiny, but they do affect us and our actions. I really believe that's one reason the show resonates with so many. It's also why it's unique.

Fogelman has said that the most important, (traumatic) event in his life was his mother dying.

 

[Susan1]

p.s. @Susan1, I adore your brand new avatar!

I just pulled the picture off the Biden merch page. You can't tell that is a picture of a mask - so, double duty!
(Your horse is going the right way. Why does the running dog go the wrong way? I'm obsessed.)

 

[skylark]

I just pulled the picture off the Biden merch page. You can't tell that is a picture of a mask - so, double duty!
(Your horse is going the right way. Why does the running dog go the wrong way? I'm obsessed.)

That reminds me of the conversation my then-15-year-old son had with a good English friend about driving on the left or the right side of the road.

 

[sk8pics]

I think the creator/writer, Dan Fogelman, has purposely created a drama where it's not just about dramatic events, but about how those events affect us on a deep emotional level. And he purposely created a family where the adult kids and older parents are finally allowing themselves to talk about some of the hidden issues. Feelings do sound whiny, but they do affect us and our actions. I really believe that's one reason the show resonates with so many. It's also why it's unique.

Fogelman has said that the most important, (traumatic) event in his life was his mother dying.

They’ve been whiny since the start of the series, each usually making it all about themselves. I don’t think the adult kids have made all that much progress in resolving their various issues. But then if they had, it wouldn’t be as much of a drama.

 

[skylark]

They’ve been whiny since the start of the series, each usually making it all about themselves. I don’t think the adult kids have made all that much progress in resolving their various issues. But then if they had, it wouldn’t be as much of a drama.

That's what I meant. The series started when the triplets turned 36 years old, which represented for them half a lifetime of either trying to be strong for each other or occasionally or chronically being estranged from each other on some level. And keeping secrets. But they had this bedrock love for each other, which allowed them to finally expose themselves emotionally to each other. Or at least more than they'd already been doing. Exception was Kevin and Kate; they had their strong connection. But of course that excluded Randall and their mother to some extent. I'm not sure the goal is resolving their issues, so much as allowing them to be vulnerable to each other and thereby being closer.

 

[manhn]

Randall’s anxiety to me is not whining but an aspect of his character that he must address, just like Kevin’s alcoholism and Kate’s issues with food. Anyways, I don’t find them particularly whiney in a television sense—I find the characters on, say, The Crown way more whiney.

 

[BaileyCatts]

OMG the Little Pearson's are all growed up now! How did that happen so fast! They were just little kids yesterday. Unless they pre-taped some stuff back in season 1, I'll kinda miss the Little Pearson's. Now they just be annoying teenagers.

So the little girl with the grandfather, and the picture of the couple ..... do we have to do spoiler tags? I;ll tag it but was that Randall's 'not dead' birth mother? So that little girl will be Randall's half-sister? Hmmmm .... I wonder if she will end up being his new therapists wife! There will have to be a connection somehow and he said new therapist was a married man with kids..

 

[sk8pics]

Randall’s anxiety to me is not whining but an aspect of his character that he must address, just like Kevin’s alcoholism and Kate’s issues with food. Anyways, I don’t find them particularly whiney in a television sense—I find the characters on, say, The Crown way more whiney.

Yeah, you are right about Randall. In general, though, I feel like each of the 3 kids always makes it about themselves. It's only if I watch several episodes in a row that it really bothers me a lot.

 

[manhn]

Yesterday’s episode was very good. The scene with Young Randall broke my heart. The actress playing Kate’s friend delivered her awful words in such an innocent way.

 

[taf2002]

#2. I'm another person who's tired of Randall being whiny. But I also understand it on some level. He'd kept all those feelings in and been the strong one, the rock, for 36 years. When such feelings finally are allowed and expressed, it can seem from the outside that the person is being excessive.

I've never seen Randall as strong, the rock. I've always seen it as a facade he put on to hide his insecurities. There are so many issues from his childhood that was never addressed. His white family loved him but they never entered into his feelings. Kate realized some of what he went thru in the last episode but it's a matter of too little too late. Her teenaged friend made my blood boil with her cruelty.

My sister called me to discuss this last episode but I hadn't watched it yet so all she said was there was a Vietnamese man & little girl & that she didn't understand their significance. But when I watched it I recognized who was in the picture at the end. Tantalizing ending!

 

[Susan1]

I didn't read anything till I watched it last night, so there might be spoilers -

Should This Is Us Fans Be Worried After Kate & Toby's Meeting with Ellie? Chris Sullivan Explains

"I don't think you can assume anything with This Is Us," Chris Sullivan tells PEOPLE

www.yahoo.com

 

[Sylvia]

Uh-oh Malik...

 

[jkl]

January 5th....OMG!

 

[BaileyCatts]

January 5??? January 5!!!!!!


So my theory on the little girl and Grandfather is blown. I thought that story was taking place in the past like the late 80s. Okay, so then Randall's therapist will be his brother maybe? That story will be kinda interesting because William never moved outta that same apartment that he lived in with Randall's birth mom. Wasn;t that the same apartment Randall found him in on the very first episode? If she doesn't die, how does she not go back to where she lives and oh yeah, by the way, where's my baby?

But naked Randall dancing.... Too funny. And Beth was just as

 

[manhn]

As a guy, what does Teen Kate taking an ovulation test mean?

I am all about Teen Kate. Also, I literally cannot believe that the same actor inhabits friggin Marc and Dash on Dash and Lily.

I wonder how long a normal episode of tv is taking to shoot these days? Four episodes and a break? We might get a vaccine before we get a new episode!

 

[Sylvia]

I wonder how long a normal episode of tv is taking to shoot these days? Four episodes and a break? We might get a vaccine before we get a new episode!

Mandy Moore mentioned in her Instagram stories tonight that the post-production for tonight's show (episode 4) was completed last night(!) and that they're still shooting episode 5 right now and need time to catch up.

"... the series was only able to resume production in late September":

'This Is Us' creator teases 3 challenges for Kevin, plus a 'good piece of the Randall mother puzzle'

'This Is Us' creator Dan Fogelman drops hints about the last episode of 2020, which includes challenges for Kevin, a big moment for Kate and Toby, plus another piece of the 'Randall mother puzzle.'

ew.com

 

[TanithandBenFan]

January 5??? January 5!!!!!!


So my theory on the little girl and Grandfather is blown. I thought that story was taking place in the past like the late 80s. Okay, so then Randall's therapist will be his brother maybe? That story will be kinda interesting because William never moved outta that same apartment that he lived in with Randall's birth mom. Wasn;t that the same apartment Randall found him in on the very first episode? If she doesn't die, how does she not go back to where she lives and oh yeah, by the way, where's my baby?

But naked Randall dancing.... Too funny. And Beth was just as

I think Randall's mom woke up in the hospital and wanted to start a new life to get clean, deciding to leave her baby with William (or so she thought). She met the Vietnamese man and they had a great love story, but then she passed away, and the man met the little girl's grandmother. I don't think the therapist is involved in the backstory. Those are my theories.