Is there any site where people discuss the show in real time? No one I know will watch with me and I feel a huge need to rant about things as they are happening.
I usually go to twitter for realtime comments. Also, their Facebook page will have realtime comments that lend themselves to discussion.
Rant away! In general I liked the show. My least favorite part was when Randall went to visit his opponent in his office and then the part where he asked Beth to work on his campaign.
We finally had a scene where Kate was nice, telling Toby she’d never leave him.
I am getting concerned that the show is getting ahead of itself with Randall’s run for office. Now Beth is not working either but she can come onto his campaign with no real funding and still afford a house in Alpine with kids in private school (judging from the uniforms) and nobody is working? It costs a lot of money to run, even for City council, in Philadelphia. I liked that he reached out to the Korean community , based more on Kevin’s popularity than on any real concern for the neighborhood. But seems a ploy to show how he can win. Not sure why this bugs me so much. Maybe because of the upcoming election?
Otherwise, I liked the young Randall scenes and his search for identity. And Deja’s talk with Beth (even if it is was unlikely from a kid that age).
OK, so here’s another grumpy reality point, about an episode last night that was pretty boring, except for Deja’s speech.
News flash!: Koreans are not a politically disregarded community in Philadelphia! On the City Council Randall Pearson aspires to join, two of the 17 members are Korean-Americans. Neither represents a district; they are both at-large representatives, elected city-wide. One is a male Republican (one of three on the Council), and the other is a female progressive Democrat.
Since This Is Us has decided to delve into local politics, I wish it would explore more honestly why a longstanding elected representative who is clearly close to his community and available to the people, and who appears to be smart and politically skilled, cannot just wave a magic wand and get significantly better municipal services in his district.
Yes, that’s a little far afield from the show’s central concerns, but the show’s central concerns aren’t doing much for me at the moment. Kate and Tobey are incredibly boring. Beth’s angst: boring. Kevin’s narcissistic obsession with uncovering the secrets of the father’s military service: boring. Rebecca and Jack’s courtship: They’re pretty, but fundamentally they’re boring. There’s zero tension generated because we know how it ends, and quickly, too.
The show lost me when Beth’s daughter was so incredibly rude and disrepectful to her at the girl scout cookie booth. Never, EVER would I tolerate a child speaking to me like that. Nor would it ever happen. Sure, Beth made some mistakes about the cookie sale, but what kind of spoiled brat reacts like that? I have never raised my hand to a child, but I really wanted to slap that girl. On top of that Beth is the one who apoligizes? Never.
Everyone seems to be meaner to each other this season. I don’t like it. Thank goodness Kate was nice to Toby for once.
If a show bores me or I find it annoying, I quit watching. There are so many viewing options, it’s really easy to move on these days.
What I like about this show is the extent they use the past. Watching a family over decades is a novelty I’m really enjoying. I like the young actors, I like the way they change the looks of Jack and Rebecca and the set designs. Even if it’s sometime predictable or cheesy, I like watching a show about people who aren’t perfect, but who are basically kind and decent. So far, I think there’s a lot to like.
I’m also glad there are parking spaces, because unless it’s Seinfeld, I don’t want to watch characters driving around searching for a spot.
I don’t think Beth tolerated the bratty behavior. She started yelling, “Shut up!” and she made her daughter pack up the cookies and go home. In the bedroom scene, Beth apologized for loosing control and the daughter apologized for acting like a brat. Who knows what was said in the car ride home.
Randall’s run for councilman is bring back bad memories of Kristina’s run for mayor on Parenthood. And just as unbelievable.
Too much cheese in this episode for me. The Korean grandmother’s obsession with hands. The choice of a Korean restaurant for lunch with Kevin, whose show just happened to be #1 in Korea. And the comment about Cheez Whiz on a cheesesteak. Ugh. No discerning cheesesteak lover would choose anything but provolone.
Actually I thought the mother and daughter losing it to be very real. And not the perfect life usually depicted on tv.
Not that I’ve ever lost it with my kid or she was rude. Never. 
“And not the perfect life usually depicted on tv.” or the perfect kids usually depicted here on CC, who would NEVER behave that way!
I loved the nod to a favorite son of Pittsburgh, Bruno Sammartino, a wrestler in the 50’s and 60’s. Randall’s principal had that name. I had a great aunt who lived for many years in Pittsburgh and the Sammartinos were her neighbors.
It seemed slow and not very interesting for the most part. But I did enjoy when Kate discovered that she just has to do her best, and when she told the Tobes that she would always stand by him, for richer or poorer for better or worse. I really like this couple that has so many foibles yet so many strengths.
While this wasn’t my favorite episode, I was touched by the final screen, which flashed by very quickly. Googling it, I found that it read, "“Our hearts are broken. We stand with our television hometown of Pittsburgh. To learn more about ending gun violence, visit everytown.org.”
In this and the previous episode, I was ticked off that Beth says, “I was fired” and that had no effect at all on Randall. He still starts his campaign, apparently with no regard for a wife who’s adrift. And no one asks, “How are we going to pay the bills?” Especially in Alpine, a ridiculously expensive community. From Trulia - “The average listing price in Alpine this year is $5,189,052, a small 3.4 percent rise year-over-year.” Yes, I know it’s like the apartments on Friends. But at least a passing nod to a family with both breadwinners out of work would have been nice.
@Chedva you are right. It would not have been difficult to add one small line about how she had been offered a severance package that would cover the bills for x amount of time so she had this timeline to find a new job.
I would imagine that Randall made big bucks in his previous profession. He could easily have a sizable portfolio. He quit his job so I assume he had assets to fall back on.
The only person in this family who seems to work is Kevin and as an actor only sporadically. No idea if Kate and Toby have jobs, yet they have the money to do IVF.
Even for tv, the lack of explaining money and jobs seems to be a weak link.
Went back and watched the Vietnam episode. I loved it. What a powerful episode. Milo is becoming better and better as an actor.
I might have to start a thread for “This Is Us” fans. 
Everyone is entitled to opinions, like and dislikes. But I have to wonder if some of you are starting to watch with a notebook in hand to analyze holes in the plot/writing.
Maybe Randall and Beth are going to get in financial trouble without jobs - maybe that’s part of the story line! Maybe Beth got a great severance package!
Depression is not pretty or exciting! It’s “boring”, sad and not uplifting. Tell a family who is going through depression with a family member that their life looks “boring”!
I also was touched by the Pittsburgh mention at the end. And was pleased to see Kate reaching out to Rebecca for advice.
I agree, abasket. I guess I approach my TV watching a little differently. I have a very demanding (but enjoyable) job that often involves dealing with difficult people and situations and requires a lot of decisions and analysis. When I watch TV, it is for pure enjoyment and I don’t tend to analyze it much. After reading this thread I asked myself if one of the characters lost a limb or changed skin color, would I notice?