This Is Us. Anyone watching?

I’m with you, doschicos.

I agree, too. I try to ignore it, but he does seem to be scripted a little to earnest!

I think I’ve said this here before. But this is how I think about Jack. And I really have no idea what the writers thought on this is.

When someone dies young, I think you have a tendency to see that person as perfect. Because their life was cut short, you don’t want to see their flaws. Because you want your memory to be happy.

When you look at things, Jack was never perfect. He had a drinking problem. He was too easy on Kate and too hard on Kevin. He was jealous and could be domineering. The writers have shown us all these things. He should have taken care of his heart issue and should have never volunteered for Vietnam.

But because Jack dies suddenly and young, his children, his wife and his best friend all idolize him. Because they think it would be disrespectful to remember Jack in any way but almost perfect.

And I think that’s how the writers and Milo portray Jack. Just my .02

More idealize than idolize. But maybe both.

Sometimes I don’t have the words for what I want to say. Idealize is perfect

I also think Jack might be portrayed as so earnest because he is making conscious effort not to repeat the sins of his father. He had to grow up early, and responsibility may not have come naturally to him. He didn’t have the role model; he’s inventing it as he goes along.

I can’t buy the whole wandering around the countryside solo in Vietnam and actually thinking the CO is going to “give” his brother to him. Sorry, but that was lame.

It was nice to finally focus on Miguel. Loved the interaction between Kate and Tess. We can’t get enough of William. Did not like the Vietnam segment once again.

So is the “her” Randall spoke to Tess about seeing last season her significant other?

I can’t imagine that the “her” is a significant other for Tess. Since they have also brought Toby into the conversation on this, I can only imagine a family member - Beth, Kate, or Rebecca (who is likely dead by the time Tess is an adult).

I loved last night’s episode. It was like I had been patiently waiting through all the set up episodes and I got a treat. I know there are more layers to peel for this onion, but it was like they began the process last night. I generally find Kate annoying, but I loved her last night.

@snowball I was wondering the same thing as it opens up the possibilities for a “her.”

I may be in the minority, but I’m a Kate fan and think Chrissy Metz is a great actress. Plus, she has nothing on Miguel’s awful children. It took me a while, but I realized the actress playing the daughter was on Jane the Virgin.

I did wonder how Toby would play into the “her” if the person was close to Tess. That said, with the way the writers think, maybe there are two “her” involved and the one with Toby is earlier or later than Tess!

Lots of interesting theories here. I have read that we will know who “her” is by the end of the season. Just one more episode before the new year. I hope it’s as good as last night’s.

I didn’t catch the last thing teenage Randall said when he was reading his entrance essay. He said something like, “if the only thing that gets me into this (. ) is. ( ).

Can someone fill me in?

I think it was something along the lines of “if the only thing that gets me into this school is a life changing person then that life changing person is the firefighter who found me.”

@conmama I think it was something like, “If the only thing that gets me into this storied university is to answer your question, even though it’s flawed, then I pick the fireman.”

Yes,. that was what Randall read. I, too, really liked this episode with glimpses into a variety of Thanksgiving days. Even the Vietnam sequence was interesting. And the interaction between Kate and Tess was sweet.

Agree with Deb922, Jack is idolized in large part because he died young in a tragic way.

Thanks to both of you! Great answer, Randall!

Wow. Big episode.

I didn’t find it very satisfying. I have more questions than answers.