This Is Us

[watchthis!!]

The show is so popular, it's attracting some big names to join the cast. Tim Matheson and Elizabeth Perkins as Rebecca's parents (have they been on the show before)? Omar Epps, Jennifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time) and Asante Blackk, fresh off an Emmy nomination for his phenomenal work in When They See Us. Jennifer Goodwin looks so different...and the tone of This Is Us is so different from Once Upon A Time. Both of these things make me wonder if it's the same person.

I liked the first episode of season four, but it only made me cry once. I was putting off watching it until I was in the mood to really let go and have a full box of Kleenex right next to me. I wonder if Goodwin is going to end up being the love of Kevin's life. Both are dealing with alcoholism, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

The dinner scene was really good. The expected dramatic scene with the price tag on the suit did not play out like I was expecting. And Jack addressing everything head on was refreshing. Usually in TV dramas, everyone holds back until there's some over-the-top outburst. So the writing was both original and strong here. Now we just have to learn whether Jack will win Rebecca's heart in spite of her father not being on his side. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[chantilly]

Just FYI it’s Jennifer Morrison not Ginnifer Goodwin. But yes she does look different. I watched her first in House with dark hair so she looks more like that now and she’s aged and not glam so that changes how she looks too.

Elizabeth Perkins I believe was on last season, but not 100% sure.

Don’t think Tim Matheson was.

Not sure about your speculation about Jennifer’s character and Kevin. I’m wondering if it will have more to do with veterans and PTSD. It’s hard to say.

Liked the additional characters though. Love that Asia is going to have a story line outside of her sad upbringing.

Haven’t seen When they see us yet. I’ve been avoiding it because I know how angry it’ll make me.

 

[HeatherC]

Love that Asia is going to have a story line outside of her sad upbringing.

Her name is Deja, not Asia, and I agree that it will be fun to see her in a different type of storyline this season.

I wasn't really sure what to think as I was watching the premiere this week with all those new faces but I loved how it all tied together at the end. I think this season is going to be awesome and I have lots of Kleenex ready!

 

[chantilly]

Her name is Deja, not Asia, and I agree that it will be fun to see her in a different type of storyline this season.

I wasn't really sure what to think as I was watching the premiere this week with all those new faces but I loved how it all tied together at the end. I think this season is going to be awesome and I have lots of Kleenex ready!

Yes, sorry Déjà.
I was glad to see more of Mandy Moore as it felt like her screen time was sorely lacking last season.
Believe it or not Jack is my least favourite character other then Kate. I just find him generally too good to be true. However I loved his scene at dinner.
I do love this show. As overly sentimental as it is, it’s still well written and well acted.
It’s kind of a show that has examples of what our best selves should be and I kinda need that right now.

There’s tons of anti-hero shows to watch. I like having people to route for.

And I do think that most of the characters still have dimension and complexity.

 

[BaileyCatts]

They will need to be careful with the background in the Future Jack Damon storylines because he looks to be about 26-30 when we see him. That makes it around 2044-2048-ish timeline wise. They explained away the restaurant as "one of those places that never change", but they can't be having like 2019 coffee makers and keyboards 'n stuff like that in 2045 ... cause by then we'll have like flying cars 'n stuff and it will look silly if there is a lot of current things we know today in the background.

I was also thinking the Army lady will end up being Kevin's wife, but I don't see them as a couple. They didn't even have scenes together and I can't picture them being a good match. Maybe she ends up being the one who brings Nicky out of his self-destruction?

I don't get the story with the kid with the baby. So he's going to be like Deja's teenage boyfriend or something? Whatever. I think that story will end up boring me because Deja is like 14, right? So that's supposed to end up being her future husband? If they are going to have storyline with that family, I won't really care what their story is outside of oh, he's dating Deja. I won't care much about him/his mom & dad/his baby storyline. meh.

I hope we do eventually get storyline about how Rebecca and Miguel end up together and married. If I remember correctly back from like Season 1 or 2, when Rebecca was on Facebook and got the message from Miguel, it was 8 years after Jack had die when they reconnected .... am I remembering that correctly? Or was it maybe it had been 8 years since they had seen each other (since Miguel was now in Houston) so maybe its supposed to be 10+ years after Jack died, and just 8 years since she had seen him because he moved to Houston? I want that storyline more than the rando with the baby.

Remind me timeline wise .... Jack was born in 1944, that's correct isn't it? When was Nicky born and when was Rebecca born?

 

[watchthis!!]

Believe it or not Jack is my least favourite character other then Kate. I just find him generally too good to be true. However I loved his scene at dinner.

You mean the guy who struggles with alcoholism? The guy whose girlfriend was rejected by one record label executive and responded by shrugging and taking her home rather than tell his girlfriend that one rejection is no reason to give up on a dream? The guy whose daughter is clearly struggling, so eats her feelings, and continues to do so for at least two more decades, but doesn't seem to notice or take action? The guy who abandons his brother to a life of drowning his sorrow in isolation? The guy whose hero complex leads to his death, leaving his family destitute and miserable?

That guy? Yeah, he's pretty great.

 

[taf2002]

I loved this series from the start but I wasn't loving this premiere. They opened with several new characters with no explanation at all. That was bad enough but they weren't immediately likeable characters either. And I'm still confused. Are we supposed to assume that Deja's new friend fathered a baby at what? 12 or 13? And has custody of it? Where's the mother? What's the story? And I hate that they made baby Jack blind.

The only new characters I really liked were grown Jack & his GF.

 

[chantilly]

You mean the guy who struggles with alcoholism? The guy whose girlfriend was rejected by one record label executive and responded by shrugging and taking her home rather than tell his girlfriend that one rejection is no reason to give up on a dream? The guy whose daughter is clearly struggling, so eats her feelings, and continues to do so for at least two more decades, but doesn't seem to notice or take action? The guy who abandons his brother to a life of drowning his sorrow in isolation? The guy whose hero complex leads to his death, leaving his family destitute and miserable?

That guy? Yeah, he's pretty great.

His “struggle” with alcohol was barely a struggle and covered a few episodes at most. Rebecca said stop and he just did.

Agreed that maybe Jack should have encouraged Rebecca to keep at it, but ultimately she’s responsible for fighting for her own dreams. And she doesn’t seem to have any regrets thus far.

As for Kate, she definitely had a weight problem as a child and I think Jack felt bad for her because Rebecca was trying to address it and yeah he didn’t want to be the bad guy. So I’d argue that yeah maybe he failed as a parent. But by the time she was a teenager she was a normal weight and then he died.

His brother, yeah that was pretty shitty and IMO the worst choice he’s made.

But in no way do I blame him for his death and what happened to the family after. I don’t think he was trying to be a hero per se, but wanted to save his daughter’s dog. It’s pretty hard to argue foresight in a moment like that. And how he died was pretty rare I think.

My main issue is they don’t dig into anything regarding his “flaws “ in an real way of depth. They don’t feel real.

 

[BaileyCatts]

The new people are not likable characters at all (well, maybe Jack cause he's cute and he had a puppy. ). That Army lady was not likable or believable at all. And there is no way I can see her as Kevin's future wife and will hate it if that is what they were implying. And was that boy 12 when he fathered that kid because if he is friends with Deja-aged kids, he's only about 14 now and that kid is at least 1 already, which means he was maybe 12-13 when he fathered a child?? Totally not interested in this family or wasting what little story time we have left with this family just because he's Deja's teenage boyfriend.

The show is ending in Season 6 so there is not much time left tell Pearson stories. How did Miguel and Rebecca get together? How did Kevin become such a mega-star that he could afford that mansion they are in visiting Rebecca in (yeah, he had money as an actor, but he is currently an out-of-work actor, so what changed?). How and why did Nicky become central in their lives? Where is Miguel since he would likely be in the same health state as Rebecca since he is as old as her? Did the Pearson kids care for him as well, is he dead, in a nursing home?? How did Toby end up in the state he was in we saw previously? How did Adult Jack become a famous star (since they already implied that, I want to see how). How did Beth build that mega-ballet company? Those are the stories I want to see, not some story about some rando family whose 12 year old fathered a child and is 14 year old Deja's boyfried. .

 

[chantilly]

I loved this series from the start but I wasn't loving this premiere. They opened with several new characters with no explanation at all. That was bad enough but they weren't immediately likeable characters either. And I'm still confused. Are we supposed to assume that Deja's new friend fathered a baby at what? 12 or 13? And has custody of it? Where's the mother? What's the story? And I hate that they made baby Jack blind.

The only new characters I really liked were grown Jack & his GF.

I think the boy is like 16/17. I think his friend said they were juniors in school.

As for the mother, I’m guessing they’re getting to it eventually.

The army woman is IMO conflicted and damaged but not unlikeable.

And I liked all the other characters.

I love Omar Epps and I think it’s pretty clear that there’s going to be a struggle with his child staying on the straight and narrow. No way they are going to waste an actor of his experience and caliber.

There was a Pearson sign on a vehicle in his garage, so I’m guessing there’s going to be a story line about drugs and child gang bangers attached to Randall in office, and Omar Epps son. Especially since it will likely involve or affect Randall’s adopted daughter.

I’m fine with the Jack blind thing.

I’m excited about the new characters because I think this show needs a shakeup.

As for the rest, it’s the first episode in season 4.

 

[BaileyCatts]

....Remind me timeline wise .... Jack was born in 1944, that's correct isn't it? When was Nicky born and when was Rebecca born?

To answer my own question, Jack in 1944, Nicky in 1948, Rebecca in 1950. Yet when we see Old Rebecca in her death bed and Nicky beside her, he looks 10 years younger than she does. He is actually older, has lived a much, MUCH harder life than Rebecca so what's that about? Oh I know some 88 year olds can run marathons and some 88 year olds can't even walk across a room, but with the hard life Nicky has lived (drugs, smoking, drinking, hard living), we need the story about how Rebecca is in such bad shape and Nicky looks like the poster boy for Centrum Silver. .

 

[manhn]

Kevin’s 187 Days speech was soooo moving. Then intercut it with his talk with Jack Sr. Uncle Kevin is always the best Kevin.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Side note … I can't believe how much older the Little Pearsons look now from when the show started! Damn …. kids age fast!

They also did a very good job casting Adult Tess because that actress looks exactly like the young actress that plays Tess would look like when she's 30. I'm sure its not the same actress, right?

 

[genevieve]

I had a long flight with few english language entertainment options, so I finally watched several episodes of this show (S1)....and it was pretty much exactly as I expected. It's pretty interesting if you view it as a condemnation of conventional American family dynamics, but somehow I don't think that's the point

 

[Susan1]

As for Kate, she definitely had a weight problem as a child.....But by the time she was a teenager she was a normal weight and then he died.

Not really. I remember the episode where she was trying to stuff herself into a dress that was too tight. I remember thinking at that age I was wearing clothes two sizes smaller than that.

And I can't find the post where someone asked where Kate was in the future. I think she is going to eat herself into an early death - maybe soon. That's why Toby is "buffing up", so the kid will at least have one parent left. JMO

 

[chantilly]

[QUOTE="Susan1, post: 5650262, Not really. I remember the episode where she was trying to stuff herself into a dress that was too tight. I remember thinking at that age I was wearing clothes two sizes smaller than that.

And I can't find the post where someone asked where Kate was in the future. I think she is going to eat herself into an early death - maybe soon. That's why Toby is "buffing up", so the kid will at least have one parent left. JMO
[/QUOTE]
Lucky you that you were two sizes smaller then Kate as a teenager.

Trying to wear something two sizes too small is not indicative of a weight issue. I’d imagine 99% of teenaged girls wish they could be a size smaller. Even if they are a size 0.

Kate was a normal weight as a teenager, but she wasn’t a size 0 or anything.

She was insecure like most girls that age. That’s what I read from that scene.

She was also shutting out her parents. Also normal teenage stuff.

 

[Susan1]

[QUOTE="Susan1, post: 5650262, Not really. I remember the episode where she was trying to stuff herself into a dress that was too tight. I remember thinking at that age I was wearing clothes two sizes smaller than that.

And I can't find the post where someone asked where Kate was in the future. I think she is going to eat herself into an early death - maybe soon. That's why Toby is "buffing up", so the kid will at least have one parent left. JMO

Lucky you that you were two sizes smaller then Kate as a teenager.

Trying to wear something two sizes too small is not indicative of a weight issue. I’d imagine 99% of teenaged girls wish they could be a size smaller. Even if they are a size 0.

Kate was a normal weight as a teenager, but she wasn’t a size 0 or anything.

She was insecure like most girls that age. That’s what I read from that scene.

She was also shutting out her parents. Also normal teenage stuff.
[/QUOTE]
I was just saying that she was not a normal weight. She was trying on a size that was too small for her. Didn't she rip it or something? I've never been a size 0. My first "junior" dress in 8th grade was a size 5. My boyfriend's daughter was 5'9" and 130 lbs. (20 more than me!) when I met her when she was 14. (Edited - duh - she was 12. I was 24.) She was not chubby like Kate. She got so mad when people said she was "big-boned', but she was perfectly proportioned for her height!

 

[meggonzo]

I assumed the scenes with Malik were also flash forwards, and that the mother of the baby is supposed to Deja.

 

[meggonzo]

I assumed the scenes with Malik were also flash forwards, and that the mother of the baby is supposed to Deja.

Welp, there goes that theory!

 

[taf2002]

I assumed the scenes with Malik were also flash forwards, and that the mother of the baby is supposed to Deja.

I hope not. If it's Deja then why was the baby not with her instead of its dad? I found the 2nd show of the season much better than the 1st. BTW I love Tess's new hairdo.

 

[Susan1]

Welp, there goes that theory!

Sorry, last week they had a Pearson bumper sticker on the car at the garage, so it had to be current.

 

[meggonzo]

I hope not. If it's Deja then why was the baby not with her instead of its dad? I found the 2nd show of the season much better than the 1st. BTW I love Tess's new hairdo.

It was confirmed last night that it's current and a different baby mama. I thought that would be another mystery and we would wonder what happened to Deja.

Sorry, last week they had a Pearson bumper sticker on the car at the garage, so it had to be current.

Well you can put a bumper sticker on a car and it will be there for years. My friend had a Ralph Nader bumper sticker for years!

 

[manhn]

The scenes of the young siblings bonding (The Big 3, and Deja/Tess)....LOVE. Also, I love Kate's new walking buddy.

 

[Susan1]

It was confirmed last night that it's current and a different baby mama. I thought that would be another mystery and we would wonder what happened to Deja.

Well you can put a bumper sticker on a car and it will be there for years. My friend had a Ralph Nader bumper sticker for years!

Yeah, but I try to notice small things or ages of cars so I can figure out if we are in the past, present or future, especially when there are new people. People's clothes still look the same in the future? (Well, I have on a 21-1/2 year old skating competition sweatshirt at the moment, so never mind! ha ha)

Last week before we saw that "baby" Jack as an adult was blind, I thought it was Kevin in another time (with the dog, in the bed, with breakfast). I still get confused. I need those things at the bottom that pop up in other things - 1989, Present Day, whatever. I guess they like to keep people guessing.

And after seeing Pearson bumper sticker, you know Randall is going to have to get involved. He'll probably adopt that boy AND his baby and Beth will go screaming down the street. Just kidding.

I did say that Toby was getting in shape in case Kate wasn't around though, huh?

 

[taf2002]

I thought Toby was working out as a stress reliever. And Kate looked huge. I know the actress isn't quite that big but I worry for her health.

 

[Meredith]

I loved last night's (10/8) show, especially the way it ended. For those who have not yet seen it, I'll leave it at that.

 

[HeatherC]

The scenes of the young siblings bonding (The Big 3, and Deja/Tess)....LOVE. Also, I love Kate's new walking buddy.

Those were my favorite scenes from last night as well. Those kids are amazing actors and they always write them SO well! I liked seeing the different stages of Kevin's character: helping out young Randall when he had the panic attack in school, being there and not taking crap from Nicky when he got into trouble, and seeing how much his nephew Jack is influencing how he lives his life now. Justin Hartley is SO underrated as an actor. I'm not 100% convinced of Cassidy being his future baby's mama but I think I'm going to like watching her interact with Kevin and Nicky. Randall wanting to be there for the people in his district instead of schmoozing with the big wigs was very refreshing too since that's why he got elected in the first place. I also really enjoyed seeing Timothy Omundson back on TV and I love that they wrote his real life stroke into his character's story. I think he and Kate are going to be a hoot to watch together. "This is me storming away....don't blink, you'll miss it!"

 

[BaileyCatts]

Nicky is facing a $250,000 fine and 10 years in prison for throwing a chair thru a window, or stay in counseling and no charges if he does???? On a show where you have to suspend belief sometimes, that one is way WAY over the top.

 

[chantilly]

Those were my favorite scenes from last night as well. Those kids are amazing actors and they always write them SO well! I liked seeing the different stages of Kevin's character: helping out young Randall when he had the panic attack in school, being there and not taking crap from Nicky when he got into trouble, and seeing how much his nephew Jack is influencing how he lives his life now. Justin Hartley is SO underrated as an actor. I'm not 100% convinced of Cassidy being his future baby's mama but I think I'm going to like watching her interact with Kevin and Nicky. Randall wanting to be there for the people in his district instead of schmoozing with the big wigs was very refreshing too since that's why he got elected in the first place. I also really enjoyed seeing Timothy Omundson back on TV and I love that they wrote his real life stroke into his character's story. I think he and Kate are going to be a hoot to watch together. "This is me storming away....don't blink, you'll miss it!"

Agreed.


But can someone refresh my memory on what episode showed Kevin had a baby? I don't remember.

 

[BaileyCatts]

……..But can someone refresh my memory on what episode showed Kevin had a baby? I don't remember.

Do you mean when they referred to Kevin being a dad in the future? If so, he wasn't shown with a baby, but the Finale last season when they gathered at the house to see Rebecca. That was Kevin's house, and a young boy maybe 10-12 walks thru the room and Randall asks him where his dad is, and the kid says he went out to get food because they didn't have anything in the house. To which Randall says 'classic Kevin' or something like that. The implication there is that the young boy is Kevin's son. That's the only reference I can think of that we know Kevin is a dad in the future.

I really really hope they aren't implying that Cassidy is Kevin's future wife/baby mama. I just don't see them as a couple at all.