Following up a PERFECT episode is a daunting task, but I certainly didn’t expect Clooney to be this mediocre.
I was never a fan of William so you can imagine how tedious I found Randall’s storyline to be this week. Of course Sterling can make any subplot worth watching, but the show’s given him much meatier material in the past that his building interviews fell pretty flat to me. In addition, Beth’s monologue about Randall needing a job and acting like he’s in “outer space” was not earned. The show can’t just tell us Randall has been acting this way without actually showing us. Leading up to this episode, Randall had been handling the Deja adventures with a whole lot of finesse and focus, so this felt like a case of forced drama to me.
Infinitely more exciting is Kevin moving in with Rebecca and Miguel. The latter really deserves more screen-time because he’s been on the periphery for far too long, so I absolutely loved him putting Kevin in his place and telling him that he won’t be “going anywhere.” Kevin’s childish antics have become unbelievably grating, so him and Miguel finally talking things out was very gratifying (although they’d addressed a lot of their issues in season one so this sort of feels like a rehash at this point). Props to the writers for also including Miguel in the flashbacks, further illuminating his relationship with the Pearsons.
One thing this episode does succeed in is crafting a believable friendship between Kate and Madison. The latter has long been a punchline on the show, often making brief appearances for a one-liner here and there, but Clooney forges a powerful bond between the two women. In fact, it allows Kate to care for somebody else for a change instead of wallowing in her own misery. What a refreshing change of pace! I bet Chrissy Metz was ecstatic about playing this one!
Heartwarming Bits
– Nifty moment with Randall walking past his dad in the hallway.
– Epic: BI or BYE.
– The reveal of Madison’s bulimia makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things..
– The most notable thing about this hour: William’s cat is hilariously called Clooney.
– Loved Kate telling Madison how she lost the weight as a kid and missed the nagging voice in her head.
– So Randall and Beth will be buying the building. Thrilling storytelling. What’s next? Rent disagreements?
– Young Randall made a funny magic eight ball for the girl he asked out at the mall. Cute but forgettable subplot if you ask me.
– Admittedly heartwarming ending with Rebecca and Jack wondering if they forgot anything and the camera panning up to reveal the batteries.
Triplet Talk
Kate: Madison, why don’t you say something that makes us all roll our eyes, or something.
Madison: I think my wrists are getting fat.
Kevin: (to Jack) You just always do that. You always go straight into a big pep talk. I think, sometimes, you just need a little bit of time to let things suck.
Neighbor: When he moved, man, the building felt it, you know? It was kind of like we lost a heart, and there was no place for the blood to go.
Rebecca: After your father died, I had to let go of a lot of things, and happiness was one of the first things to go.
Conclusion
A serviceable but ultimately forgettable hour from This Is Us. You can do better show!
Nad Rating
B-
That ending was a nicely executed shift from heartwarming to gut-wrenching. I worry that next episode will be THE episode many viewers have been anticipating.
I’m glad Kevin and Miguel hashed out their issues. It was a long time coming and a necessary step in Kevin’s post-rehab growth.
I was surprised by the twist with Madison but it made tragic sense. I’m glad that character is becoming more than a punchline.
I wonder where Randall buying William’s old apartment building is going.
– So Randall and Beth will be buying the building. Thrilling storytelling. What’s next? Rent disagreements?
HAHAHHA I love snarky Nad.
I didn’t like this episode a lot either. I absolutely love Beth usually but good lord she was out of character! All the “Randall you must get a job” annoyed me so much!
And amazing endinggg. Wow.
So I didn’t really like the ending until I read Suncore’s comment that made my brain tickle. I hope there’s more to it than just forgetting a couple of batteries.
You actually reminded me of Randal’s magic ball, I’ve completely forgotten about it which proves your point…
Still can’t / will not get over Jack so Miguel is still an intruder for meeeeeeee :/
Agree with the rest, unfortunately unforgettable.
FORGETTABLE ***** (face palm)
WOAAH!! I didn’t think about the batteries! So perhaps the fire alarm won’t ring when Jack needs it most?! Uh oh.