This Is Us: “The Big Three” Review
In record time, This Is Us has been guaranteed a full season after just one episode had aired. It caught the attention of the entire country. As a result, last night’s second episode HAD to deliver. Did it?
The show continued with the mélange of the present day mixed with the past of these two brothers and sister growing up. We learned a little more about the history of Kate’s struggle with her weight, dating back to a very young age. There is a particularly funny and poignant present-day scene when she loses it on people at her weight loss support group. Meanwhile, Kevin is struggling to get out of his contract with the network, and as a result has to go to a big Hollywood party to schmooze the big shots. He begs Kate to come with him to be his support. Kate, struggling with her body image and weight reluctantly agrees. To deal with the staring and laughs directed at her, she drinks herself stupid. Kate’s story is very real and sheds light on the struggles of overweight people that most don’t think of. It is really enlightening and encouraging to see a character that represents those people on television.
William continues to stay with Randall as they navigate this new relationship. Beth, his wife, is unsure and worries that Randall is being taken advantage of. She confronts William and they all have a conversation together.
In the flashback portions, we get a glimpse into the lives of Jack and Rebecca, the big three’s parents, as they try to find a balance in raising the kids and daily life. We get the first indication of trouble when we see Jack has a small drinking problem and Rebecca is struggling to raise the kids seemingly alone. There is a big reveal at the end of this episode that I won’t spoil, but really digs its claws into the audience and keeps us coming back for more.
This Is Us is an incredibly relatable and very personal show that reaches so many people. The writing and performances are top-notch and keep us engaged and invested in these flawed but real characters. This show is certainly here to stay! Check out This Is Us on NBC on Tuesdays at 10 PM.
