Show has never made me cry to there have been moments that brought a tear to my eye. Don’t think there were any of those moments last night. As soon as Jack emerged from the burning house with the dog, you pretty much knew he would die of smoke related issues (unless the ambulance got into an accident on the way to the hospital which wouldn’t really have worked). But from what I have read from the cast and writers of the show, the show really focuses on the little things and how they can make big differences. Battery in smoke detector. Crock pot with a faulty switch/not unplugged. Kevin fights with his dad the last time he saw him (passing up an opportunity to apologize on the phone because he could do that the next day). Rebecca getting a candy bar and making hotel reservations when Jack goes into cardiac arrest (last words spoken were a sweet exchange about blocking the TV).
Does anyone else see a chance that Kevin and Randall join together to start a Big 3 Homes/construction company? They both seemed to really enjoy working on the apartment project (though they were not the best at it). Kevin is really looking to turn things around and be more like his dad. Randall looking for a purpose in terms of employment. Beth could even join and handle the project admin/finance part of the deals. And it looked like one of the things that Jack retrieved from the house was some type of book that had to do with construction (at least I thought I saw something there when he looked through the box with what looked like Jack’s AA chip).
Yes, for us medical folks the “widow maker” LAD blockage and the smoke inhalation, extra strain on the heart due to extra load on the lungs seemed like opposing explanations. The Widow Maker LAD occlusion usu is sudden, and I think therefore they were trying to be too specific and use this as to why his death was so sudden. Just seemed like a non-sequitor from the reason they had already given. It was my first time seeing the show, but I loved it. Really like the daughter and Sterling. don’t know enough about the other son yet.
If Jack had a heart blockage it seems like Kate would be less likely to blame herself for his death. Assuming he had a widowmaker type issue, he likely would have had a big problem at some point even without the fire and there is a good chance it would have been fatal.
Many Moore was on Today this morning and said that tomorrow’s episode was in some ways worse from an emotional stand point that last night’s. Baby doc may have talked with her before she left the hospital and gave her the courage/strength to go talk with her kids (and tell Miguel he needed to leave if he couldn’t be strong).
Just read this in an article - this quote is from Milo - I don’t know that I caught this…there was SO much going on!!
“if you caught this, when she’s at the vending machine, you hear Jack say ‘Bec?,’” Ventimiglia revealed. “I had recorded a lot of different versions of that, some that were a little more ethereal like I was whispering. You’ll have to ask Dan [Fogelman], but my belief is that it’s a presence. That was Jack saying ‘Bec?’ She turns her head and everything.”
I usually am okay with spoilers and am often prone to reading the last few pages of a book a few chapters in to see if I’m going to be happy or sad. For this though, I avoided this thread all day while all 76 new posts were calling me. I made sure not to click on the Vulture summary in my FB feed. It was worth the restraint. Jack’s death was sad, but not worth more than a discrete tear or two because there was so much foreshadowing. But the conversation between Randall and Tess and the jump ahead gutted me for reasons unknown. I cried all of my mascara off at that point. Randall and Beth are superb and I loved Jack and Rebecca at the hospital as well. I am so glad we don’t have to wait long for the next episode.
Oh, my.!!! Just clicked on the Binge Watched thread and someone commented on their first exposure last night after the Super Bowl. She said her husband lasted 10 minutes and she only stuck with it 10 more. Her conclusion was story maudlin and acting marginal. I am willing to let people hate on the story because we all relate differently, but it takes full restraint not to go after someone who criticizes the acting on this show after only 20 minutes. Those are fighting words for me… :))
I’m glad I wasn’t alone at looking it with the adult Tess and Randall. I can’t even explain why it moved my, except what I said above that I guess it was just reassuring that she seems to be doing well.
Coming into a continuing story series this late and only watching 20 minutes is obviously not the best way to judge anything about it. I get it, though, that people have different tastes. I like This is Us but I don’t love it the way many others do. I find certain things about it annoying but I continue to watch, similarly to how I felt about Parenthood. I have a few friends who have watched This is Us from the start but who constantly complain about how sappy and cheesy it can be. I don’t totally disagree but with so much to watch these days, I wouldn’t continue to watch something that I complained about every week.
If I like something, it doesn’t matter to me who doesn’t (is good when my wife does though so we can watch it together). And if I don’t like something, it doesn’t matter to me who/how many people don’t.
I put my two cents in on that other thread. One naysayer was the one whose only exposure was post-Super Bowl. The other watched half of the first season and gave up.
I do agree that it can get a bit soap opera-ish at times, but I think it’s a great show with some superb acting, great character development, and interesting plot lines.
Finally caught up. Lots of tears for me for some reason. I think in a traditional movie or TV show, when a character dies, time moves in a linear fashion so you can get over it. But here we keep getting reminded of the Jack who died/is going to die.
One nit picky thing, probably because it’s written on the west coast: it would most definitely be dark outside during the Super Bowl in NJ and Pittsburgh. That bugged me for some reason.
Agree with you @LoveTheBard. It is sappy and a bit soap opera-y but there is some good acting and it is entertainment. A good escape.
I did not watch it the first season but binge watched it after the holidays when the weather was sucky here and have continued to watch the new episodes as they come out. I think it is actually better binge watched than watched weekly. Not all shows are better that way.
While I love this show, I agree that it is at times sappy and occasionally slow as they lay the groundwork for the moments we love. Since I used a laughing emoji about the fighting words, I think you can tell I’m not seriously giving any thought to those hater comments beyond the time I spend on CC. I do think anyone who judges something that has earned the critical acclaim that this show has based on 20 minutes is a bit hasty, but each to his own.
There are many popular shows that I wouldn’t spend 20 minutes on, such as Game of Thrones, but that is based on my personal taste for particular genres. I recognize that many of these shows are superb for their fan base to generate the reaction they do. For me, I love this show based on how it pushes my own buttons and I think that’s the case with many who participate in this thread. We identify with the loss of a parent, a miscarriage, addiction, etc.
I keep thinking about the flash forward with Tess & Randall and why it was “the” emotional moment for me. Personally, I don’t want to look into the future because I don’t want to know the bad along with the good, but the idea of Randall enjoying the harvest of his love for his girls just set me off and seemed like such a gift to see this for him. I know it’s just television, but I loved this moment so much.
