HeyThere83

I'm SO glad Tracee won! I hope at some point the show will win an award....it's fantastic!

This is really a great show

Yeah, and nowadays so many of these small containers are like 10 bux!

Finally going to get the backstory on that firefighter. Took long enough!

Wow what on earth was that with Olivia? I seriously didn't get it. Are they just not clear on what they are doing with this...err....story? It just seems so silly and the idea of women fighting over moronic Kevin that they have both just met is just ugh. I'm not getting at all from Toby that he talks the way he does and acts the way he does because he is uncomfortable, insecure, afraid, etc. It comes off exactly how it sounds and looks to me. If the actor is supposed to be playing it as though there's something else there I don't think he is accomplishing that. Ending on a big OMG cliffhanger like that in December to have him wake up as though it was just another day in the neighborhood was very WTF, lacked the drama that I thought should be there, and was a disappointment.

Somehow this show manages to suck the drama out of this show all the time. I would never guess this was the first episode after the cliffhanger one.

This, this, and this.

She has probably the most difficult task on this show. I think she's doing fine.

I'm really happy for Sterling...he's a wonderful actor that I think deserves the recognition he is getting. And unlike Justin Hartley, I haven't seen him act entitled to anything or whining about how it took too long for him to become more famous or to land a hit show. And is excited, but humble. He just acted. He was fabulous in The People Vs. OJ Simpson.

Scratching my head at a nomination for Best Drama at the Golden Globes

I hate how Jack explained every single thing for Randall regarding the Rebecca situation during his hallucination. I'm assuming that was so that we could hurry up and get to the forgiveness part. Forget the road to getting there. I also didn't care for little Kevin's speech at the pool. It didn't ring true that a child would articulate the situation that way. It's ironic because I feel like one of the shows that Dan Fogelman was taking a shot at was Scandal, basically Shonda shows in general, for being too dark, cynical, etc. But I feel some of the inspiration comes from her. Scandal really made popular the whole OMG shocking twisty moments, especially happening at the ends of episodes. And of course the monologues.

She just seemed hardened/guarded to me, with like two moments that seemed to indicate there's a reason for that. Which reminds me of another unpopular opinion I forgot to post. I think she has/had potential to be one of the more interesting characters. In part because unlike with the other characters she wasn't walking around with a huge sign on her forehead saying for example...THIS IS MY ISSUE: I DON'T FEEL AS THOUGH I GOT ENOUGH ATTENTION AS A CHILD. And it seemed like maybe just maybe the show was going to go the route of a harder to get down to the root of whatever it is so that something could feel earned and not rushed. And the actress seemed talented enough to do that. But yeah, not holding my breath. Given her relationship with Olivia, it seems like conflict for Olivia/Kevin. Which I think is unnecessary.

I'm going to be rather annoyed if they just drop whatever was going to happen with Kevin/Olivia. They knew they were writing her character a certain way so why expect people to be gushing about how sweet she is? And that is OK. I thought the idea was to tell a story and that takes.....actual time.

One of my VERY unpopular opinions is that the writing is not great. WAY too much focus on quickly getting to the next un-natural tear-jerker moment, future gif, quotable line, or monologue. Lazy relationship writing. Too quick resolutions--I can't believe I read from Dan Fogelman in an interview that they were going to initially have Randall be over the Rebecca issue in the Last Christmas episode--one whole episode later!! Life changing realizations that happen in a matter of seconds. Supporting characters used simply to move the plot along or make other characters beloved. Jack being written the way he currently is so that when they provide another omgtwist that is supposed to make him not the saviour, nobody will really care. Rebecca as the cause of what are considered huge issues in the lives of her children even though flashbacks show her as a good mother. False sense that dramatic moments are coming only to be dropped later that episode or by the next episode. Characters with not enough personality. I agree, Dminches that alot is not true to life even though this is one of the show's biggest claims...and I can feel it not in the way intended with some of the dialogue. It's very...look at how freakin REAL we are, which then comes across as not real, if that makes any sense. I guess another way of putting it is that it doesn't feel natural as it should. So yeah...this is all super unpopular. It isn't uncommon for alot of TV shows to have these issues, but because this show has claimed to be above other shows, etc. it makes these flaws really stand out to me.

I guess it just fits with the theme of stuff being resolved just like that or happening off-screen and moving on to the next big twist or whatever it is. I find it frustrating, but I guess I need to accept it rather than wondering if the next episode will be different seeing as how we are already at mid-season. I guess we will pick up with the Kate going at Rebecca when the show returns, and if Toby is dead that's one less thing to actually have to worry about writing. Quick fix and onto the next relationship, perhaps. I'm thinking he was really just a plot point.

I agree, and killing off Jack is imo just one example of a pattern of taking the easy way out, which doesn't prove the case to me that the show is super complex and real. It feels carefully constructed to....distract? much of the time from things like that. Instead of meaningful scenes with present-day Jack where the kids might not feel the need to idolize him, it's a series of flashbacks that almost feel like fantasyland.

That lasted what seemed like 5 minutes combined, while the stuff with Rebecca is an ongoing theme with all of the children. And Jack's drinking was like instantly solved. Even that is like....see look how Jack stepped up and fixed the problem just like that! What about YOU Rebecca? I wonder if alot of viewers even remember it. I practically forgot about it myself. I'm dreading the episodes where Kevin and Kate have their turn to lash out.

Oh good grief....why? That's just silly. I guess this is supposed to make Olivia jealous or something? And there could possibly be some silly triangle coming? I have no clue why Kevin and Olivia even like eachother and now throwing a third random person into the mix....

Snickered to myself earlier today thinking this could also be titled: "This Is What Rebecca Did To Us." Sigh....I'm sure there will be some shocking "twsit" coming later with Jack, but there is a strategic reason for waiting and giving him all these types of scenes now. Same for Miguel. It's a cop-out to me. Is it just easier to point all fingers at Rebecca? Or is it to have fewer characters that are "dirtied up"? Since nobody can be *too* unpleasant. Except for in the case of certain plot devices aka supporting characters Olivia, Miguel. I mean, why not give at least one issue that Jack was responsible for....and then give the other 50 to Rebecca? Or one to William? And 49 to Rebecca? Or make Jack alive? Or William not dying? That to me would not be taking the easy way out. I doubt Olivia is gone for good, and that's fine by me if for no reason other than she's a little break from the sort of saccharine blending of the other characters. And she is better at conveying something below the surface than her love interest is and he supposedly has one of the big issues on the show. Which I'm so confused hearing Olivia and Kate discussing him because how, when, where did she get to know him and can the audience see at least some of it. And can I also see something about Kevin's deep dark complex issues if there are going to be discussions about it and Kevin is going to continue whining about them? Also, I can't take seriously people analyzing each other and claiming to know them so well when they have not even shared scenes or had conversations prior to that. I think if there were less time spent trying to create scenes that make people cry and say awwwwwww, there might be more time for that sort of thing. Or to show what leads up to the realizations people have, or to follow up dramatic moments or confrontations. Having said all of that....I did think the push-ups scene was sweet and the cute little Randall brushing Jack's hair out of his face at the end. First time I actually did say awww at this show.

They keep taking the drama out of dramatic moments. Or ending them way too soon.

Stuff happens so quickly and is resolved so quickly....i'm never really sure if things will pop backup again in future episodes.

Not a villain, but definitely not someone to be liked. I think that is intentional and really, if the show intends on making him a sympathetic character in the future, that definitely doesn't mean viewers will find him to be so. I think the show knows that and probably doesn't care because they are about the epic Rebecca/Jack love. But they still need to make every character sympathetic or complex or whatever they want to call it so as not to be accused of one-note writing or painting a character as a villain in order to "prop" a character or couple. Feels a little sneaky to showcase Miguel in one way and then after most likely viewers have developed a sour taste, throw something else out there when it will be much harder to change someone's viewpoint. Why not write these things earlier on and let viewers come to the conclusions on their own. Which leads me to an unpopular opinion.....I hate the show's promotion with all the crying talk. Like....what happens if you are told you are ABSOLUTELY GO ING TO CRY and you don't? Does that mean the show didn't do what it was supposed to or that there is something wrong with you? Plus, it's just annoying.

Even if Rebecca isn't shown to be evil, or just that she's making mistakes, it's still really being implied that SHE is responsible for all of her children's "issues." Not one, or even two, but all of them. She shouldn't have kept the secret, she should have remembered the name of Kevin's play, she shouldn't have given Kate that cantaloupe, she shouldn't have let the light stay on, she shouldn't have acted that way at the pool, etc. So I don't think it has been balanced in that sense at all. Maybe there is some reason for this though that will come to light as the season rolls along. ETA: She also married Miguel who is being shown unfavorably, and her children don't care for him.

I think the scene with Kate breaking up with Toby was maybe the most authentic acting I've seen so far on the show. Also think Mandy is doing a good job as older Rebecca. She was good reacting to Randall without really even saying anything. Kevin reminding Rebecca he told her 8 times was another pitiful attempt at showing how she apparently doesn't care about him, I think. To me it was just more of his whining. Olivia seems 100% about her work. During that scene with William I thought.....someone might say "I can't imagine what it's like going through what you are right now" or something along those lines and he might respond similarly. She obviously went with a much more....direct? approach lol. Didn't really mind her during the episode I guess because I didn't think it was her intent to be cruel. I suppose she's too hardened or desensitized or out of touch with reality to see why this could come off badly. I do like that she has Kevin confused as to why she hasn't just fallen head over heels in love with him for the simple fact that he is him. Geez people really do have realizations and light bulb moments so quickly on this show. And the relationships move so so fast that when there is a moment that happens such as the kiss between Kevin and Olivia I have no clue why it's even happening. I know someone mentioned earlier that they have already had sex, but that seemed to just be all it was...no meaning behind it. And of course because Olivia considered it good prep for their show. But this kiss seemed to be for the purpose of showing passion and being full of emotion and caught up in the moment. It's hard to believe that when they have had maybe 3 scenes together with no build to something like that. The breakup between Toby and Kate would have been more effective had it not been for the fact that I feel like they just met.

Jack is very charming, but this is bothering me a lot too. Hopefully there will be more to it than that.