S06.E18: Us

[sara416]

3 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

That finale was no 'Six Feet Under' (IMO the best series ending ever)

I think that's a pretty high bar! 

[buttersister]

Beth for First Lady!j

[Triviatrish2]

3 hours ago, LoveLeigh said:

I am so far disappointed... there is nothing remarkable in this to this point to make it a great final episode. Nothing new is even happening. It's just a regular episode. So far,  this seems like it will not make any list of best ever final episodes. I hope I am wrong and something great is coming. 

Okay..I was just waiting for someone else to post their disappointment with tonights episode.  I found myself FF'ing throughout.  In all of TV LAND, there have only been 2 final episodes that are worthy.  Number 1. Six Feet Under...Number 2. A Place to Call Home (an Australian series).  They went there, showing what became of the cast, way into the future, and beyond.  Did Kevin even have any dialogue, tonight?  Randall, well...,  and why even bother with all of the episodes of Kate and Toby's breakup, and their eventual marriages, just to have a "love fest" tonight. They wasted at least 3 weeks with them, and poor Miguel, got one week.  What are Tess and Ann doing in the future? It would have been nice to know, that.  As for the last scene with Jack and Rebecca, having lost my husband, I did like the banter.  But, then again, maybe because of what happened in Texas today, I really wasn't in a receptive mood, tonight.

[sara416]

3 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Beth for First Lady!j

Screw that, Beth for President!

I like that this show went out on a quiet note, rather than making all of us into a sobbing mess. I found myself bittersweetly smiling when it ended. I loved what Jack said to Rebecca about being there. Maybe it's because the news was so heavy today and I couldn't stand the thought of another episode like last week, but I appreciated the way this show went out. 

[3 is enough]

It was fine- had a few great moments, but yes, too much Randall.   

There were a couple of scenes that really felt familiar to me: Kevin and the pull ups- in Canada we had the Canada Fitness Awards. Very similar to the American program.  I always got gold in every event except for the stupid long jump.  I was (and still am) quite short.  I was just too short to hit the length they set for girls aged x.  Used to piss me off every year. I find it funny now but when I was a kid it really bugged me.

The other scene was when Kevin,Kate, and Randall were sitting on the porch and Kevin said they had no parents.  When my mother died last fall my brothers and I were all sitting around the table and one of them said “Hey, we are orphans now.”  Of course we are definitely NOT Pearsons- we all laughed, because the idea of a bunch of 50 and 60 somethings being labeled as orphans just seemed silly.

I will miss this show.  I do think they made the right decision to limit it to six seasons though.  I especially am glad we won’t have to see President Randall.  

[Jeddah]

7 minutes ago, sara416 said:

Screw that, Beth for President!

Now that’s a spin-off! Beth will bond with everyone at the Iowa State Fair, so the DNC talks her into running instead of Randall. I’d watch that show!

[kitkat343]

3 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I'm not sure why they even had Kate and Toby divorce since Toby still acts like her husband.

They have - for reasons totally unknown to me - chosen to make Kate the heroine of this story, with her international curriculum and two men completely in love with her.  

And the unfortunate thing is that if the writers hadn't tried to put Kate on this ridiculous pedestal, she could have had a really nice and reasonable narrative arc.  She  started the series as Kevin's assistant, who was still trying to find herself and her path.  And then she could have become a wonderful music teacher for blind children, and a loving, devoted mother to her children.  That would have been a nice arc I could have supported.  Instead, every time they try to mention a ridiculous accomplishment of hers or have her ex husband talk about how wonderful she is, I roll my eyes and want to throw things at the tv.  

And Toby could have had a nice arc, as an ex-husband who came to honor and pay respect to his former mother in law, Rebecca, at the end of her life.  I think that would have been an appropriate ending for him, not for him to be chasing after Kate.

[CdrJanny]

3 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Of course the fried oreo eaters are going to love Randall and he'll be President. The whole country will never stop hearing about Rebecca. Every bill he signs will be "for his mom."

Or the fireman who dropped him off at the hospital.  Did you know Randall was a foundling abandoned at a fire station? S'truth!

[Racj82]

I think, at the end of the day, I realize that I find myself far less worried about the end of journey when it comes to tv than many others. It doesn't make me better than anyone. But, with the shows I love, I get invested in the characters. Thus, spending time with those characters are what matter to me. I'll go with them on any journey they want to take me on. I might not like all of it but it's life. 

There are so many things I don't understand like the hatred for Phillip. I don't care about him but the hatred is a shoulder shrug to me.

I love Deja and Randall's bond. They were both accepted into another family wholeheartedly and they can relate in a way a lot others weren't. His other daughters did matter but the show was never that concerned with kids outside of Deja. But, a lot of that is how she came in.

I don't think Jack or Rebecca were ever saints. They kind of split the show up. We saw more of Rebecca's flaws or issues upfront and more of Jack's later. They were both flawed but wonderful parents.

Now, I must let go like Rebecca had to. I'll miss this crazy little show. I enjoyed being a fly on the wall of their life one last time.

In the interest of being fair, I think we could have used more of window of the kids as grown ups throughout the last season. 

Apropos of nothing, Kevin could be such a little prick as a child. I see why he thought about his relationship with his mom. He was a hard nut to crack.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

 I thought it was boring. I join in the thankfulness for not hearing Randall's speech. 

Beth doing the worst-case scenario and Nicky's remarks to Kevin at the funeral were the only bits that I thought reflected the heart and the humor of the show. 

[Racj82]

8 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

They have - for reasons totally unknown to me - chosen to make Kate the heroine of this story, with her international curriculum and two men completely in love with her.

Toby is not in love with her. He loves her. He was her husband. They have a child. Of course, he loves her. That doesn't mean they should be together. They made the right decision and saved their bond in the process.

They didn't make Kate the hero. Kate lived too much of life in fear but as she embraced those fears later on in life she grew. She took risks. She didn't make herself feel small. A lot of people flourish under those circumstances. It may be a bit over the top in terms of her success but happy she grew into the woman her dad always saw in her.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Racj82

[voiceover]

Early this week I saw a preview clip of tonight’s moment with the OG/young Big Three, and it pinged so hard!  Snapped me right back to Season One, and how I loved this show then, and how I was such a blubbering-every-episode, stereotypical fan.  

I wandered away after Season Three, and just came back for the last handful of eps, to pay my respects I suppose.  My dad passed unexpectedly a year before the series began, so I’m sure that’s why I clutched at it so hard in the beginning.  William’s speech about grandchildren struck at my grief over my nephew’s loss of his best friend (my dad), and my worry that that bond might erode for him.  It seems over the years that many here found that one reason they watched is because they saw something of themselves/their families in the Pearson clan.  
 

Thanks, show.

[Chatty Cake]

I didn’t care for the final episode. The flashbacks got on my nerves and there was nothing good in the present. Or there was too much good. Kates going to open blind music schools everywhere (shut up Kate), Randall will be president and Kevin will open a non profit  What wonderful perfect adults  Toby telling Kate he loved her “kid” made me cringe. She was a raging bitch to him just a few episodes ago and I know this was years later but still. Beth who has always been likable was too much with her little impersonations of her big baby annoying husband. 

[PRgal]

4 hours ago, Jeddah said:

Now that’s a spin-off! Beth will bond with everyone at the Iowa State Fair, so the DNC talks her into running instead of Randall. I’d watch that show!

And no one will have to sit through a five hour long State of the Union.  

[Lisa418722]

After yesterday I'm glad this was more of an "ordinary day" in the Pearson family.  I had some laughs (thanks Beth!).   But "This is Randall" is over now and I enjoyed my six years with the Pearson family.  It would have been nice to see a "Six Feet Under" type of ending but we know it would end up with Randall as president, Kate as Secretary of Education for Blind Children - a new position created by Randall, and Kevin in Pennsylvania running his non-profit.  Like others have said, I wish it had ended with the Big Three sitting on the porch rather than Randall and Jack.  

[debraran]

I was very underwhelmed by the episode. I felt like the writers slept through this.

I did love the Beth speech the most, Nicky, but felt Kevin was given walk through lines and Sophie none. No future clips at all really. I love the little kids but it was too much.

I really hated no Miguel mentioned at all. I thought instead of just wordless speeches and them leading up to wordless speeches (but I am glad re Randall we missed it) they didn't show scattering her ashes under Jack's tree and Miguel's the way Beth alluded too in her "worst case". Just 30 seconds would have covered it. God forbid they have to incorporate he husband of over 2 decades that she did love in a deep and passionate way. They might have had to cut out some of their younger years during Covid, but I think they showed how much Rebecca loved him. I also like when she said to kids "Dad died, we didn't" or something to that effect when they walked in on them at cabin.

I feel a spinoff idea at least with Deja and Malik and "little William" with Randall and Beth dropping in but time will tell. I felt this since Dan had so much emphasis on Deja since she ran away and they turned that into 2 stretched out episodes. This baby was 2 episodes and the other girls, well, I don't know why they had such a large family. When they said they'd leave Deja to talk to Randall I thought "why?" You have no lines either?

No Philip shown but as another post said, we needed Toby saying Kate was the best thing since sliced bread and he'd go through all the pain again...please.

Showing Rebecca in bed with Jack the whole show even after she passes to heaven was odd too. I thought the hand hold was touching if she never married Miguel but I believe there aren't marriages in heaven, just love and people you met so this "coupling" just seemed odd to me. I also believe souls live on and Kyle being just a vehicle for Randall was cold too. All the "show isn't over yet" speculation fell flat.

Well I'll miss the show but this made it easier. I feel they were done with it and it started to show. Maybe they'll be another similar show one day.

Edited May 25, 2022 by debraran

[chitowngirl]

5 hours ago, buttersister said:

Beth for First Lady!j

That’s a show I would watch!!

[SummerDreams]

Without having read your comments yet I will just say I hated this episode and this ending more than I could imagine. I was anticipating big things from this is us final episode and God was I disappointed 😞

First of all I did not want to see any more of the past. I skipped all the past scenes and this resulted in missing the emotional aspect of this. 20 minutes before the end I was just waiting for this torture to end.

So many lost expectations. Shame. The ending was predictable and tasteless. Nothing memorable and worth mentioning.

[JenE4]

While I agree that Randall alone shouldn’t have been the final shot, I will break from the consensus to defend the focus on Deja more than the other two kids. 😊 Deja is “the Randall” of their nuclear family, as the adopted third. They specifically adopted her because Randall had that deep, emotional need to recreate that dynamic that he had growing up and show the adopted kid that you are my daughter, just like I was my parents’ son. Ok, granted, all of Randall’s actions and decisions are based on his emotional pitches and swells, but thus is this show, lol. Deja “had” to name her son William to demonstrate that she is as much of Randall as he was to his family—and Deja is doing exactly what Randall would have done: What shows the most honor to my parent? Yes, the other two daughters knew William, but only for a few months. Deja “knows” William because she knows Randall, as is the deep love and understanding and bonds of the Pearson family that transcends space and time. 😆

[SummerDreams]

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

"Kate (Philip) Pearson"

And Philip still doesn't have a last name. Maybe he took hers. Cuz everybody wants to be a Pearson.

Wasn't it Mean Jerk? 😯

[bluegirl147]

19 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

While I agree that Randall alone shouldn’t have been the final shot,

I want someone, the director, Fogelman, anyone to explain why that was the final shot. I always felt like this was This is Randall but that shot just confirmed it.

20 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

I will break from the consensus to defend the focus on Deja more than the other two kids. 😊 Deja is “the Randall” of their nuclear family, as the adopted third.

I understand that but it doesn't make it right and I for one didn't find it enjoyable that Deja's character got more focus at the expense of Annie and Tess.  If the show's intention was to show a parallel between Randall seemingly being more important than his two siblings and Deja being more important than her two siblings they accomplished that but as I said I didn't find it enjoyable.  

I never loved this show. This was always just another show that I watched.  And I can say honestly I'm not going to miss it.  

[mishap]

Still, nothing about Kyle. That is unreal.   

Very corny, predictable, meh, episode.  

 The fuss about Deja's baby being a boy was stupid.  Too much.  Like she wouldn't have told him, if it was a girl? Like that would have been bad news? Because she did refer to the email as good news to share with him.  

I wish there had been a bit more of the future.  

Yesterday, today and  forever.....  Shut up Randall.  

[JenE4]

7 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I want someone, the director, Fogelman, anyone to explain why that was the final shot. I always felt like this was This is Randall but that shot just confirmed it.

I understand that but it doesn't make it right and I for one didn't find it enjoyable that Deja's character got more focus at the expense of Annie and Tess.  If the show's intention was to show a parallel between Randall seemingly being more important than his two siblings and Deja being more important than her two siblings they accomplished that but as I said I didn't find it enjoyable.  

I never loved this show. This was always just another show that I watched.  And I can say honestly I'm not going to miss it.  

I understand what you’re saying. Yet, there were 7 grandchildren, so it would have been impossible to give them equal billing when they’re trying to wrap up the storylines of a large, multi-generational family. It’s the same way how everything was about Jack II with Kate’s nuclear family. Why did they even adopt another kid when all of their family dynamic storylines were focused on Jack? I don’t even remember what their girl’s name is. But adoption is “Randall’s thing” so we don’t need to hear about Kate’s adopted kid. “Kate’s thing” is singing/music for the blind, so her family storylines are about her blind singing kid. And, oh, yeah, Kevin had two kids, too—left out pretty much entirely just like when Kevin was a kid. (Cue the line of little Kevin after almost drowning in the pool, “Where’s Kevin? Oh, yeah. He’s dead.”)

[absnow54]

I'm disappointed that they didn't carry on the theme from the opening sequence, where we saw the family past, present, and future on the swing. I think it would have been sweet to see generational moments, like Kevin teaching Nicky how to shave, after we saw the scene where Jack teaches Randall and Kevin, ect.

Kevin had the line of the night after Randall asked him if he ever learned how to swim, and he said something along the lines of "I had to, otherwise I would have drowned in the living room from all of your tears." That scene seemed adlibbed between them. It seemed so natural and fun.

[bluegirl147]

11 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

Yet, there were 7 grandchildren, so it would have been impossible to give them equal billing when they’re trying to wrap up the storylines of a large, multi-generational family.

I'm not talking about this episode specifically. I'm talking about the show overall.  Once Deja was introduced we barely saw Tess and Annie again.  Tess had one storyline and that was it. I know that it is easier to write for someone Deja's age but she had more episodes that focused on her than Miguel had episodes focused on him.  Admittedly I never liked the Deja character but it is true she became the new Randall.

Edited May 25, 2022 by bluegirl147

[Empress1]

7 hours ago, Triviatrish2 said:

Did Kevin even have any dialogue, tonight?

I don’t think we heard adult Kevin speak until the porch scene. (Unpopular opinion, I think: I don’t like his beard. He stroked it early in the episode and I thought he was going to shave it off and was disappointed when he didn’t.)

18 minutes ago, mishap said:

The fuss about Deja's baby being a boy was stupid.  Too much.  Like she wouldn't have told him, if it was a girl? Like that would have been bad news? Because she did refer to the email as good news to share with him.  

I often wonder about this when it comes to gender reveal parties (which are not a thing among people I know - I’ve never been to one*). I genuinely do not care what the gender is of the kids my friends and family have. I ask if they know, if they know they tell me, and my reaction is the same. I typically give books as first gifts so the gender is irrelevant there too.

However, I have a friend who has two girls and a boy and while he loves his girls, he was excited to have a boy to do boy stuff with - like teaching him to shave. I know my dad and grandfather liked doing that stuff with my brother. And Randall clearly loves his girls and wife, as he said, and I’m sure if Deja were having a girl he’d have loved her (and if he has a granddaughter down the line he’ll love her too) but he’s been “outnumbered” for decades now, and the tides are turning. I didn’t think it was that serious and I’ve heard similar sentiments expressed by people who have all boys and then a girl, or vice versa. I’ve heard other people say it too - “Finally got the girl/boy, huh?”

Randall has also lived far from his nephews and I presume Deja lives closer to him (it seems like the family is close geographically - we know Randall and Tess have dinner every week), so he’ll get to have more guy time with his grandson.

*A coworker told me about one she went to in which the reveal said girl and the father threw a small tantrum about it because he wanted a boy. THAT is fucked up.

[ams1001]

9 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

Yes, yes, and yes.  There's a discussion on Facebook of this Randall-heavy episode and the speculation is that there will be a Randall spin-off.

If there is, I won't be watching it.

7 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

I have always thought this.  The young actress is wonderful but I hated the way her story eclipsed Annie and Tess's stories.  

At least Tess had something of a story at one point. What did Annie have, besides being cute?

8 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I don’t think we heard adult Kevin speak until the porch scene. (Unpopular opinion, I think: I don’t like his beard. He stroked it early in the episode and I thought he was going to shave it off and was disappointed when he didn’t.)

Me, too! I'm generally not a fan of facial hair. Some guys look better with it, and JH looks fine, but I think he looks better without it.

11 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I often wonder about this when it comes to gender reveal parties (which are not a thing among people I know - I’ve never been to one*).

I don't know anyone who's done a big party for it. My cousin's daughter did the cake with blue M&Ms inside, but that was just for her parents when they went down to visit (and they posted a video of my cousin cutting it on facebook). Her other daughter did a balloon with pink confetti inside, but again, it was just in my cousin's kitchen with the immediate family. No big party (and no pyrotechnics, forest fires, or plane crashes).

[Empress1]

4 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Me, too! I'm generally not a fan of facial hair. Some guys look better with it, and JH looks fine, but I think he looks better without it.

Chris Evans looks best with a beard, IMO - but his beard is clearly groomed, trimmed, oiled. Kevin’s looks a little sloppier.

Was Edie in this episode? 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Empress1

[Cristofle]

11 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I teared up several times. I'm reaching that age where I will lose my parents sooner rather than later and I'm terrified.

So, so, so much this. I absolutely lost it when Randall was talking about how he spent so much time worrying about losing his mother. I'm extremely close to my mother, she has been my only parent for all of my life, and as she gets older I am increasingly terrified of losing her. Randall is absolutely written by someone who has severe anxiety, as a person with severe anxiety. Another one of those moments that hit home so hard. 

I am 100% fine with a quieter ending. They had no way of knowing exactly how awful yesterday was going to be, but I did not have it in me for some ridiculous final twist. The first and last scenes of Milo and Mandy were lovely - those two still have gorgeous chemistry. 

I was never even that big on Toby, and I find myself thinking there was just no point to their divorce. It happened too late. I don't care about Phillip. The main adult cast is still Milo, Mandy, Sterling, Justin, Chrissy, Susan, Jon, and Chris. It was like it was done for one of the twists (flashing forward to Kate's second wedding) without the emotional follow-through. Another reason I'm glad they didn't attempt one last time. Too many shows try to end on some "shocking" and "daring" note and it's getting old for me. This final episode hit the main beats of the emotional connections throughout the show without screwing anything over for cheap points at the very end. I loved the final Big Three. 

[Mediocre Gatsby]

55 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

 Why did they even adopt another kid when all of their family dynamic storylines were focused on Jack? 

There had to be a Little Three! 

I was thinking it over and the episode felt to me like they just had all that "special day" footage that they had never used, and they shoehorned it in. I think that's partly why I was disappointed. 

[Jax7917]

11 hours ago, HighHopes said:

Somewhere along the way This is Us turned into This is Randall (and Deja). complete with ending the series with Randall/Jack. It felt like Kate and Kevin were completely forgotten about - especially in the finale. We had numerous Beth lines but Sophie and Phillip barely appeared tonight. What even was the point in Kevin reuniting with Sophie?

The show should have limited the flashbacks tonight. I would have preferred three minutes dedicated to flashforwards to seeing Kevin, Kate, and Randall’s kids/grandkids. We saw Jack and Hailey in the future but did we see any other kids in that timeline? 

I agree. They finally reunited Sophie and Kevin but we never saw anything happen with them after they got back together. There were way too many flashbacks in this episode and I saw that the creator wrote this episode, and it was not timed well at all. It was all over the place and why include Randall and Kevin's bad moods and being kicked out of mathletes and Kevin not being able to do pull-ups? It served no purpose. The shaving scene was cute and the family day was a nice touch (just being able to appreciate time together as a family.) But the episode needed to cut a bunch of the scenes and add more present-day ones. Also, the ending should have ended with a montage of Rebecca and Jack holding the 3 babies in the hospital when they were born, followed by R & J with them as kids, having fun as a family.. and then the 3 of them as adults doing something fun and laughing together. I think the writing was a little sloppy in this episode and included too many unnecessary scenes, but overall the series was top-notch. 

Also, I hate that the writers included Toby flirting with Kate and bowing down to her in the last few episodes since their divorce. It's obvious she was no longer in love with him and he was still very much in love with her. What happened to his future wife who I guess was his girlfriend at the time?

Edited May 25, 2022 by Jax7917

[JenE4]

Ok, for those of you calling this show “This Is Randall,” apparently it is?!? This is possibly the origin story of the leader of the free world according to the creator, and he always planned to end it on Randall!

“In my mind, I know what happens to Randall and his family, but it’s meant to not be answered and to just leave a hint of promise,” Fogelman said. “I think it’s up to the audience to decide what they think happens next with Randall. Did we watch an origin story without realizing we were watching one of a future leader of the free world?”

…

Fogelman felt similarly certain about the show’s final frame, in which a young Randall looks to his father as Jack gazes upon the rest of his family. “I just wanted the simplicity of a shot of the child taking in the parent at a moment when the parent is taking in something bigger,” he explained, “and knowing that that child will carry it forward in their own life.”

This Is Us Was Always Meant to End That Way, Says Creator Dan Fogelman
The series finale’s writer answers burning questions about Randall’s political future, possible spin-offs, and what that emotional final frame means.

Read in Vanity Fair: https://apple.news/AeXht-KgLQ9qxyH25mP34MA

Edited May 25, 2022 by JenE4

[MissLucas]

It was okay for a finale I guess. Not earth-shattering good or bad, so there's that. I wish they had dropped the train scenes though. The scene with the Big Three on the porch was supposed to be lovely but the moment they all admitted that when they close their eyes and imagine their family they see each other? That's their dysfunctional interdependence in a nutshell. I have siblings with partners and kids and although it stings I hope when they close their eyes they see those people first and then remember their single sister. Because the other way around is not healthy.

So long Pearsons, you had your awesome moments but I'm okay to let you do your Pearson speeches on your own from now on. I'll miss Beth and Nicky though.

Edited May 25, 2022 by MissLucas

[GeorgiaRai]

I didn't get flirting "want you back" vibes from Toby.  I think he's over her romantically, and was comfortable enough in their relationship to tell his grieving ex-wife that he loved her without any chance of it being taken some kind of way.

[bluegirl147]

23 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

Ok, for those of you calling this show “This Is Randall,” apparently it is?!? This is possibly the origin story of the leader of the free world according to the creator, and he always planned to end it on Randall!

“In my mind, I know what happens to Randall and his family, but it’s meant to not be answered and to just leave a hint of promise,” Fogelman said. “I think it’s up to the audience to decide what they think happens next with Randall. Did we watch an origin story without realizing we were watching one of a future leader of the free world?”

…

Fogelman felt similarly certain about the show’s final frame, in which a young Randall looks to his father as Jack gazes upon the rest of his family. “I just wanted the simplicity of a shot of the child taking in the parent at a moment when the parent is taking in something bigger,” he explained, “and knowing that that child will carry it forward in their own life.”

This Is Us Was Always Meant to End That Way, Says Creator Dan Fogelman
The series finale’s writer answers burning questions about Randall’s political future, possible spin-offs, and what that emotional final frame means.

Read in Vanity Fair: https://apple.news/AeXht-KgLQ9qxyH25mP34MA

Blech to all of that.  So after watching this show all these years thinking it was about this particular family I'm now being told well maybe it's about how a future president came to be the person he is.  I will not be watching any spin off that is This is Randall in the White House.  

[PRgal]

8 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Blech to all of that.  So after watching this show all these years thinking it was about this particular family I'm now being told well maybe it's about how a future president came to be the person he is.  I will not be watching any spin off that is This is Randall in the White House.  

Same.  Definitely no West Wing.  Heh... Now if President Pearson is actually BETH Pearson, then yes, I'll watch that.  

[Jeddah]

28 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Heh... Now if President Pearson is actually BETH Pearson, then yes, I'll watch that.  

Plot twist: It’s President Annie Pearson.

[Blakeston]

It's amazing to me that the only plot for Tess in the second half of the series was, "Tess comes out, and acts like a complete brat to her mother, but then everything is okay because Beth lets her change her bridesmaid dress to look more sporty."

I thought we'd see something in this episode (or one of the past few episodes) about her having a serious girlfriend now, or something about her pursuit of social work - which we know is her career at this point in time. But we got effectively no update on her after the Kevin/Madison wedding that never happened.

And that's still more development than Annie got!

[Toothbrush]

Quoting myself from the spoiler/speculation thread in light of Dan Fogelman’s comments about us having possibly watched the early years of a POTUS:

On 4/21/2022 at 1:04 PM, Toothbrush said:

…..My Speculation: Ending will be Randall’s presidential inauguration and he will give the longest inaugural speech in the history the world….….…

And we viewers will be shown that the entire series was Randall looking back on his & his family’s life in order to prepare for this speech…..
 

Kinda nailed it, as the kids say. So, where’s my show? lol 

[MBayGal]

9 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

The other scene was when Kevin,Kate, and Randall were sitting on the porch and Kevin said they had no parents.  When my mother died last fall my brothers and I were all sitting around the table and one of them said “Hey, we are orphans now.”  Of course we are definitely NOT Pearsons- we all laughed, because the idea of a bunch of 50 and 60 somethings being labeled as orphans just seemed silly.

When my father died, a year after my mother, my sister gave the eulogy.  She said Now we are the elders of the family.  I like that. better than "orphans" tho I did sort of feel that also.

[LADreamr]

13 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Are they seriously threatening us with a Randall presidency? Can you imagine how damn long the State of the Union will be? 

Forget the State of the Union.  He wouldn't be able to answer the phone without a monologue about the greatness of being a Pearson.

[A.Ham]

2 hours ago, JenE4 said:

I understand what you’re saying. Yet, there were 7 grandchildren, so it would have been impossible to give them equal billing when they’re trying to wrap up the storylines of a large, multi-generational family.

They could have sprinkled some updates throughout the last 3 seasons instead of the random folks. When they first showed the compound scene I thought, great, they are going to intersperse more about the next generation and we'll learn more about them. But nope. The only one that was a bit more fleshed out was Jack Jr. (surprise, surprise).

Like many I was sort of underwhelmed with the finale. I didn't hate it, and actually liked parts of it (the intergenerational swing sets, uncle Nicky, etc). But the winning moment for me was "worst case scenario" Beth imagining Randall coming back from Puerto Rico, and talking about swimming in the Atlantic Ocean with Miguel's dead grandmother. It may have been Miguel's dead mother, but I was laughing too hard at the moment to tell the difference.

[TOL]

Pin the Tail on the Donkey was sooooo lame, especially at the age of those kids.  Those boys were semi-shaving and yet playing a preschool birthday party came.  If anything, it should have been the younger versions of the Big 3.  Those littles were better actors too.   All that nonsense to highlight the cover of the game reflecting their family
 

So setting aside the massive waste of time spent on those numerous scenes, I would have enjoyed more interaction between the Big 3, not just meaningful looks.  I’m going to miss Randall with Beth.  Loved her over the years.  And I was happy with the grandfather arc with William.

That final shot of Jack and Randall left me thinking “that’s it? that’s how it ends ?”
I’m going to pretend last week was the finale 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Empress1]

9 hours ago, Racj82 said:

Apropos of nothing, Kevin could be such a little prick as a child. I see why he thought about his relationship with his mom. He was a hard nut to crack.

I think Kevin was an asshole, like, until the start of the show. He wasn’t a very nice kid, especially to Randall, and I think he was kind of a sleazy player type when his career started to take off, if I recall correctly. He described himself as “a pain in [Rebecca’s] ass his whole life.”

1 hour ago, GeorgiaRai said:

I didn't get flirting "want you back" vibes from Toby.  I think he's over her romantically, and was comfortable enough in their relationship to tell his grieving ex-wife that he loved her without any chance of it being taken some kind of way.

I didn’t think so either. I assumed he meant he loved her as the mother of his kids, not that he was IN love with her. He was at the funeral to pay his respects to his kids’ grandmother, someone he would have maintained a relationship with because of the kids. And he can look back on the good times he and Kate had, including their two children, and think the marriage was worth it even if it didn’t work out. I think there’s a tendency (especially on this show where everybody meets their One Great Love) to assume a relationship is a total failure if it doesn’t last forever, and I don’t agree. Sometimes things just don’t work out and it doesn’t diminish the relationship. 

[Jax7917]

9 hours ago, Racj82 said:

Toby is not in love with her. He loves her. He was her husband. They have a child. Of course, he loves her. That doesn't mean they should be together. They made the right decision and saved their bond in the process.

They didn't make Kate the hero. Kate lived too much of life in fear but as she embraced those fears later on in life she grew. She took risks. She didn't make herself feel small. A lot of people flourish under those circumstances. It may be a bit over the top in terms of her success but happy she grew into the woman her dad always saw in her.

Sorry, but I disagree. He has made a few comments in the last few episodes he was in that were totally inappropriate considering he has a girlfriend/new wife? and Kate is remarried. And Kate looked uncomfortable when he said those things because it was pretty awkward. I think if she told him she wanted him back, he'd run into her arms before she could blink. I think he was still in love with her but he knew he had no choice because she wanted the divorce. 

[PRgal]

45 minutes ago, Jeddah said:

Plot twist: It’s President Annie Pearson.

She can say more than a sentence or two?  Or maybe she got the Pearson Speechify Gene (which can occur spontaneously since Randall is adopted) and after years of being denied the opportunity to speak, comes out when she runs for office in 2060 or so.  Hahaha 🤣 

[Boo Boo]

I really despise the character of Jack, the fallacy of this perfect love story, how Randall's only daughter that seems to matter is Deja.  I ended up not liking Sterling Brown and his uber cool portrayal of Randall.  I even started despising Beth's all knowingness and Rebecca's doe-eyed looks.  Nicky of course is now Mr. Well Adjusted Humorous man after a faked death and PTSD.  And no man can get over Kate for some reason despite seeming so joyless in every episode.

This episode of TIU really stunk, in my view.  But I'll miss TIU nevertheless!

[LexieLily]

Why was Sophie the winner of Kevin's endgame? What did she give Kevin as a character that any of the other women couldn't, storyline-wise? Once The Night Before The Wedding happened, that was it. We don't know anything about Adult Sophie or how their relationship worked for them to end up married. For all we know she's exactly the same character as twentysomething Sophie, just older now. 

What did Philip Mean Jerk give Kate that Toby didn't especially considering the emotional scenes between Kate and a non-Pearson post-Katoby divorce were all with Kate/Toby? 

Kevin and Kate respectively may have well have married random neighbors of theirs for all we are invested in who they ended up with.

Edited May 25, 2022 by LexieLily

[RedbirdNelly]

14 hours ago, dingochick said:

They had mentioned in media that this ep would be a sort of epilogue, so I was okay with how it ended and served as a series finale. Because sometimes life is mundane, and it is the little moments we may regret missing or taking advantage of. Life is fragile, sad, and beautiful. And I like that in the end, the big three won’t drift. So much of the series has focused on spats and fights and issues that siblings (and parents have)…as someone who has lost both her parents, and has a brother, I totally get the fear of drifting apart. It rang true to me. 
 

Also, I wasn’t expecting anything huge or life altering. Life will go on for the Pearsons. 
 

I liked when Jack said Rebecca would be there…it made me feel better about my own losses. And I liked that we were spared a Randall eulogy, because omfg can we just not? I wasn’t super happy about the Jack and Randall ending, but I got me some William, so I can forgive it. 
 

As far as I’m concerned, as long as nothing ends like St Elsewhere did, it’s a win. :)

Lastly, anyone else feel like adult Deja sounds like regular Deja? 
 

this basically captures my thoughts.

It was a fitting ending. I'm so glad they included William.

And adult Deja sounds just like her younger version. 

[Ohiopirate02]

4 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Why was Sophie the winner of Kevin's endgame? What did she give Kevin as a character that any of the other women couldn't, storyline-wise? Once The Night Before The Wedding happened, that was it. We don't know anything about Adult Sophie or how their relationship worked for them to end up married. For all we know she's exactly the same character as twentysomething Sophie, just older now. 

What did Philip Mean Jerk give Kate that Toby didn't especially considering the emotional scenes between Kate and a non-Pearson were all with Kate/Toby? 

Honestly, because the showrunners cannot imagine a world where characters are single and happy.  Everybody must be paired off.