S06.E18: Us

[Cheyanne11]

I'm mostly OK with this show going out on a quiet note.  The BIG MOMENTS were last week and, as was last night's theme, it's the  little moments that needed remembering.  Favorite parts:

-  Nicky telling Kevin he "effed up" his life by making him a person who cares about people, lol.

- Beth doing worst case scenario with Randall that had him driving around the country (and Puerto Rico) to commemorate all his dead parents

- The Kevin/Kate/Randall porch talk.  Something about them reciting their "BIG THREE!" childhood poem, complete with chest thump, was really touching.

- Jack telling Rebecca she would "be there" for all the moments, but that it was hard to explain, but she would understand once she experienced it.

[One Imaginary Girl]

I only expected last night to be a denouement because the big episode was Rebecca's death, so I thought it was a sweet ending.  The time spent on their Saturday off showed the value to a family of parents who like each other and like spending time with their kids and, most important, who listen to their kids.  These aren't always givens.

[LeisureTime]

The Good:

* Beth's Worst Case Scenario

* Big 3 Porch Scene

* William

* Swing time, including the fraction of a second where we saw Rebecca's dad's face and I spent way longer wondering to what extent the show went to to give us someone who looked an awful lot like young Tim Matheson. (Lookalike? Makeup? CGI?)

The Meh to Ugh

* Pin the tail on the donkey

* Toby's speech to Kate. I get the sentiment and it didn't feel creepy on his part or anything, I'm just really frustrated by the inability of Kate to accept any responsibility in their breakup.

What I Wanted More Of:

* The Big 3 as parents. Even if it was just part of a montage, something more than just the swings to show how *the family* really lives on (as opposed to last week where we saw how the lemonade motto carries on to touch a whole new family, which don't get me wrong, I also liked, but...)

* Any reference to Kyle, however brief.

* Young Adult Big 3

[hookedontv]

I wasn't blown away by this episode. I liked the prior one a lot more. I'm probably not saying anything that already hasn't been said, but there were too many flashbacks for my liking in the series finale. I wanted to learn more about their future selves (except Randall being president, of course), more like Six Feet Under where there was a montage of how everyone's life panned out. But, different shows so....

I didn't like how the very last scene was Randall and Jack. The screen went black and I was like "that was the last shot?"

I guffawed out loud at Nicky & Kevin's conversation. Nothing like Uncle Nicky jokingly calling Kev a dick at his mom's funeral. Humor has gotten me through A LOT so I appreciated that scene, along with Beth's "worst case scenario" speech. Going to PR to swim with Miguel's grandmother in the ocean also made me LOL.

While my mom is still alive, my brother (my only sibling) passed away 6 months ago. I remember saying out loud to my friends that I was now an only child. Even though I'm in my 50's, that was a gut punch. 

Goodbye show, you had your ups and downs, I enjoyed the ride. 

[Notabug]

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Just Jack's baby being born.

And Kate's gonna open a whole slew of music schools for the blind.

Because if there's one thing that it is needed in this world, it is more schools of music for all of the many, many, many blind kids out there.  Big market that has gone untapped until Kate came along.

[Aloeonatable]

Again, I'm pretty much the outlier. I actually thought this was a perfect ending for this show. Simple with a message. Enjoy the small moments, live in the present. Don't forget the past, but don't be in a hurry to get to your future. 

If you think about it, this show has pretty much been about this white family adopting a black child and doing their best to raise him with as much love as they did their own biological children. Family is not necessarily the one you are born into, but the one you make. I wasn't at all bothered by the last scene of Jack enjoying his family and Randall looking at his Dad. I actually loved it. 

I haven't re-watched the episode yet, as I always do a re-watch. I will probably return with more insight. Right now, I'm satisfied and will miss this show and the Pearson family.

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, Cheyanne11 said:

- Jack telling Rebecca she would "be there" for all the moments, but that it was hard to explain, but she would understand once she experienced it.

I did find that idea comforting.  I took it as regardless of whether she was alive to see it, her kids and their kids would always carry a piece of her with them. 

[Nancybeth]

I liked it. There were no twists, no more mysteries to be solved. I thought it was a sweet commentary on how traditions and themes echo through generations and even when someone is gone, they're not gone because they live on in others. 

But then again, I like series finales where it feels like they show and the people will continue to exist just as you've always known them. "Cheers" is the one that comes to mind -- the last shot was Sam putting up the closed sign and then saying "But you can come back tomorrow!" 

Last night just felt like...a last lingering hug. Maybe it because of the news of the day it felt more appropriate and sweet? 

[Domenicholas]

So This is Us ended with a whimper, not a bang.

[perkie1968]

15 hours ago, nilyank said:

I did like the Big Three chant. That was cute. I would have ended it on that.

I wanted a montage of the three through the years, each version of Kevin, Kate and Randall. And then the big three chant.  

[Blakeston]

32 minutes ago, Notabug said:

Because if there's one thing that it is needed in this world, it is more schools of music for all of the many, many, many blind kids out there.  Big market that has gone untapped until Kate came along.

You'd think one teacher in a metro area who specializes in teaching music to blind children would have enough clients to fill maybe one or two ongoing classes. But if you're a Pearson, apparently you need an entire school for that!

On an unrelated note, I have a question. In the big three cheer, is it supposed to be "Then came me, and Mom said 'whee!'", or is it supposed to be, "Then came me, and Mom said 'we.'"

I always assumed it was "whee," like someone riding a roller coaster. But I watched this episode with captioning on (which I know isn't always correct), and it said "we."

Any thoughts?

[LeisureTime]

2 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

On an unrelated note, I have a question. In the big three cheer, is it supposed to be "Then came me, and Mom said 'whee!'", or is it supposed to be, "Then came me, and Mom said 'we.'"

I always assumed it was "whee," like someone riding a roller coaster. But I watched this episode with captioning on (which I know isn't always correct), and it said "we."

 In previous episodes it's always been said like "whee!" The somber tone probably confused the CC robot.

[JudyObscure]

Slightly boring finale aside, I've appreciated having this show to watch. 

From the first I've loved the concept of demonstrating through flash backs how the things that happened in our childhood inform the person we are today.  The casting for that was fabulous.

We need more good dramas like this on TV.  Shows that don't center on crime or politics but just ordinary people living their lives

 I'm not the same age as the Big Three, but I've enjoyed listening to those of you who are and the kick you got out of hearing that music, seeing those toys, etc.

Thanks!

[Ohiopirate02]

5 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

as the Big Three, but I've enjoyed listening to those of you who are and the kick you got out of hearing that music, seeing those toys, etc.

Now that you mention the toys, I was trying to figure out what year that final flashback was set in.  The Big 3 are getting old enough for puberty and shaving, but I saw the NES in the background.  That system would have been outdated for Kevin and Randall.  They should have upgraded to either a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis by the time of that flashback.  

[PRgal]

5 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Now that you mention the toys, I was trying to figure out what year that final flashback was set in.  The Big 3 are getting old enough for puberty and shaving, but I saw the NES in the background.  That system would have been outdated for Kevin and Randall.  They should have upgraded to either a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis by the time of that flashback.  

Maybe they kept their old system....

Kevin and Randall also have Gameboys (or at least Kevin did.  We saw him play on one in an earlier season).  Don't know if they had a family desktop, but SIMCity FTW!!! :D 

[Gloriosa]

I thought it was a nice ending episode.  It didn't need to be over the top for me.  

I will always love Randall and Beth.

Nice to see how much they all (especially Kevin) changed Nicky's life for the better too.

[LoveLeigh]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

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

This is one of the best posts I have ever read regarding this show. 

[peeayebee]

15 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I couldn't believe all his talk about how great it was that Deja was having a boy. Like, if she was having a girl the baby would suddenly be less good news? Really? I get being excited at a boy after three daughters, but it was a bit over the top.

I thought it was funny. My husband had four boys from his previous marriages, and he wanted a girl with me. We had a boy, but of course he was completely happy. Randall was just playing up the goofiness.

13 hours ago, funnygirl said:

I liked the reveal that the hand squeeze (that I still think should've been with Kate who was running late!) was in response to Jack squeezing her hand before Rebecca let go. 

I loved that. 

12 hours ago, Racj82 said:

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. 

I never thought about that. Thanks.

9 hours ago, Chatty Cake said:

Toby telling Kate he loved her “kid” made me cringe. 

I can't remember -- Has Toby ever called her 'kid' before?

5 hours ago, Cristofle said:

I was never even that big on Toby, and I find myself thinking there was just no point to their divorce. 

I think the show just needed a storyline for Kate for the season. 

2 hours ago, LeisureTime said:

* Swing time, including the fraction of a second where we saw Rebecca's dad's face and I spent way longer wondering to what extent the show went to to give us someone who looked an awful lot like young Tim Matheson. (Lookalike? Makeup? CGI?)

I went thru the exact same thing! I ended up thinking it was just great casting.

Like others, I wasn't thrilled with the focus on Randall, and I like Randall. 

I really loved the shaving scene. 

Both Rebecca and Jack looked luminous in bed together.

Overall, the ep was a bit of a disappointment, but it helps to just think of it as an epilogue rather than a grand finale.

[JenE4]

1 hour ago, Notabug said:

Because if there's one thing that it is needed in this world, it is more schools of music for all of the many, many, many blind kids out there.  Big market that has gone untapped until Kate came along.

Lol. It’s truly amazing that Jack somehow became his generation’s Stevie Wonder, when you stop and think of the vast competition he had with his mother having trained the collective global population (or at least a decent percentage of said population) of blind children. But, the fact that he had the Pearson genes and not just the Pearson training must have given Jack the extra edge over the competition.

[scatteroflight]

17 hours ago, PepSinger said:

That was my favorite part of the episode. I am extremely close with my grandparents, particularly on my mother's side. I'm the oldest grandchild (31), and their youngest grandchild is 5. I think often about how extremely fortunate I am to have had them in my life for so long, yet I feel such profound sadness when I know there's absolutely no way that can happen for the youngest (they would be 110). When William talked about how the grandchild/grandparent relationship starts with such an unfair time inequity, I felt that in my heart. That scene was the best writing this show has had. As a surprise to no one, that was written and filmed during the first season. I was full on sobbing, and I'm crying again as I think about it.

I'm 45 and the oldest of six grandchildren. I have one grandparent left (my maternal grandma) and I also felt William's speech deep in my soul. I feel so fortunate to have had my grandparents be such a huge part of my life for so long (my maternal grandpa passed in 2019). It's such a special relationship and thinking about losing my last remaining grandparent guts me. Absolutely the best part of this episode, by far. Otherwise it was just such a let down after the train last week.

[nlkm9]

I HAVE NEVER  skipped an episode, but clicked it on last nite and saw Toby praising Kate for who knows what and I was like "oh here we go" She treated Toby like dirt and took him away from his dream job.....oh dont even start me lol. when I watch it i will fast forward through that part.

[LexieLily]

Kate's nightmare of the Big Three drifting after Rebecca's death made me think. If Kate, Kevin and Randall ever did drift, what would be the reason or why would it happen? If one of them was slowly cut out of the other two's lives who would it be?

[Ohiopirate02]

1 minute ago, LexieLily said:

Kate's nightmare of the Big Three drifting after Rebecca's death made me think. If Kate, Kevin and Randall ever did drift, what would be the reason or why would it happen? If one of them was slowly cut out of the other two's lives who would it be?

They are all living in different states with busy lives.  Kate's in California working full-time when she is not gallivanting around the globe and raising two kids, Kevin's running Big Three Homes in Pennsylvania also raising two kids, and Randall is a senator living in DC who is considering running for president.  They will have to consciously decide when and where to meet now that Rebecca has passed.  I was waiting for one of them to suggest a yearly Pearson family meet-up.  

[CarpeFelis]

18 hours ago, Clawdette said:

"You buy an RV. . . . You spend the rest of your days traveling back and forth to your various parents' resting places."  

Beth is awesome.

Her line about swimming in the Atlantic with Miguel’s great grandma had me rolling on the floor! This show would just not be the same without Beth.

[Empress1]

11 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Kate's nightmare of the Big Three drifting after Rebecca's death made me think. If Kate, Kevin and Randall ever did drift, what would be the reason or why would it happen? If one of them was slowly cut out of the other two's lives who would it be?

I don’t think anybody would cut anybody out; I think it would be a consequence of their busy lives, like @Ohiopirate02 said. If Randall is about to run for President he’s not going to see anybody except his campaign team for years unless they come on the road with him. Kate and Kevin had kids late in life so their kids are young and still need care; they can’t stop their lives to go on the road with Randall. Even if they weren’t as busy as that, with Kate living across the country it’s hard to get together. My best friend lives a flight from her two siblings, who live in the same state but not the same city, and they basically only see each other at holidays - and not every holiday because sometimes someone is with their in-laws, etc. They talk often because technology enables them to do that but in-person visits are much rarer. It’s just life, a lot of the time.

Also they all had to come together to manage Rebecca’s care; now that she’s gone and there’s no one else to care for in that way, there’s no unifying thing/person.

[CarpeFelis]

As for Randall: running for President, really? Did the show really have to go there?! And also: it’s understandable that he’s happy Deja’s baby is a boy for just the reason he said, but saying it in front of one of “all those women”, really??? That seemed in poor taste to me.

[AriAu]

I have gone through all kinds of thoughts on the episode and the approach they took-at first I was like "is this all....no flashforwards....no real idea how their lives played out....how Jack Damon became JACK DAMON......how Randall became President...." etc, and then there was "why the hell is the last shot of Jack and Randall" and then it was "Well, I guess it wasnt like Harry Potter, where it was all about a mother's love" and then it was....."I'm glad there was no cliffhanger/shocking ending" and now I'm at "quiet is ok" and......

Quote

Enjoy the small moments, live in the present. Don't forget the past, but don't be in a hurry to get to your future. 

Well said.

The Toby thing made me cringe, both that he said it and that he seemed to feel this way after everything they went through. As to the greatness that is Kate, the show did waaaay too much "telling" and not nearly enough "showing".

Several people commented on no mention of Kyle, but there really has not been any mention of Kyle after the first few episodes and it was not something the Big 3 ever really dwelled on so I think it would have been a little out of place.

Quote

Kate's nightmare of the Big Three drifting after Rebecca's death made me think. If Kate, Kevin and Randall ever did drift, what would be the reason or why would it happen? If one of them was slowly cut out of the other two's lives who would it be?

Oh, they will most certainly drift....with the only saving grace that the spouses like each other! Hell, they didnt even know Randall was going to swing through Iowa, altho I liked that neither of his sibs were surprised!

Edited May 25, 2022 by AriAu

[CarpeFelis]

18 hours ago, ams1001 said:

So far I'm just glad we didn't have to actually hear Randall's eulogy.

YES!!! I was so glad to see them walking out without the audience having had to endure much of the funeral.

[CarpeFelis]

18 hours ago, LoveLeigh said:

… it was a manipulative tearjerker.

Well, that at least is on par for this series. But I agree with the general sentiment that this episode was just meh.

Since they returned to the caboose I really wanted to see Jack lead Rebecca “into the light” or something.

[CarpeFelis]

18 hours ago, woodstock said:

The opening montage with the swings brought back so many memories.

It kind of annoyed me, because I don’t remember anyone saying “Swing! Swing! Swing!” ad nauseam when I was on the swings as a little kid and I didn’t say it to my daughter either.

[Chanandler Bong]

That was so unsatisfying to watch. When the screen went black after the last shot I thought for sure it would go to commercial. But was sorely disappointed when the credits started rolling. What a letdown!

What This Is Us has done best since the pilot is creating symmetrical episodes, tying the past, present, and future together in a beautiful and often unexpected way. They’ve taken small, seemingly insignificant moments and made them matter. It’s like that was the whole message of this episode, yet they ironically couldn’t pull it off for the series finale.

I loved the beginning scenes of the swings with all the different families and generations. If only they could have continued that mirroring throughout the episode. I wanted flash forwards. Deja and Baby William. A cap off to Jack Jr. The Big Three continuing to the dreams they talked about on the porch. Weaving together the generations and the stories with a connecting thread that binds it all together. A full circle last moment with the family I’ve become so invested in.

I did NOT want a finale shot of Randall (ugh!) looking at Jack. This show at times has, yes, felt like The Randall Show, but to me it was always a show about a family — a mom, a dad, their three kids, their lives, and the legacies they leave behind, both big and small. So, why oh why put most of the focus on one of the kids instead of the ensemble?!? For a show that I truly think has some of the best writing, acting, and casting, that created one of the best pilots of all time, it’s baffling how much they missed the mark on the very last episode.

[CarpeFelis]

16 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.

Randall spin-off?! Oy vey, shoot me now! It would be endless Pearson campaign speeches.

[Racj82]

4 hours ago, Jax7917 said:

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. 

Agree to disagree. Love and in love are two different things. Toby is often inappropriate. Toby is totally the kind of person to keep making jokes about the marriage because it makes him feel better and her squirm. He has also been shown in these moments propping up or trying to make Kate laugh during some harsh times.

[Empress1]

2 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

Agree to disagree. Love and in love are two different things. Toby is often inappropriate. Toby is totally the kind of person to keep making jokes about the marriage because it makes him feel better and her squirm. He has also been shown in these moments propping up or trying to make Kate laugh during some harsh times.

He said he cracked jokes as a coping mechanism but he kept it up a bit even after he got healthy - I thought his “you like me better than Philip, right?” to Rebecca on her deathbed was funny (and I like him better than Philip, who is a non-entity to me. Hell, I like him better than Kate).

[Crashcourse]

19 hours ago, Clawdette said:

"You buy an RV. . . . You spend the rest of your days traveling back and forth to your various parents' resting places."  

Beth is awesome.

Was what she said supposed to be funny?  I thought it was cruel. 

[CarpeFelis]

15 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.

He certainly was bratty but I felt for him. This is what happens when both of your supposedly wonderful parents play favorites and you don’t happen to be one of them.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but to me the ending felt like it was trying to be a huge retcon making Rebecca out to be Mother of the Century. But the truth was she treated Randall as her favorite, made Kate feel overshadowed and inadequate until fairly late in the game, and mostly ignored Kevin. But her biggest misstep was in leaning too hard on Randall after Jack died, most especially in allowing him to stay in Pittsburgh. Besides meaning he didn’t get to go to the college he really wanted to attend, this also massively fed his tendency to always expect to be the decision maker and everybody’s savior. It’s no darn wonder this episode ended up being basically The Randall Show.

Edited May 25, 2022 by CarpeFelis

[Jillybean]

18 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I am very amused that Toby got in one last moment supporting Kate while Philip was nowhere to be seen. Why exactly did they divorce again? Narratively speaking?

I'm maintaining that Kate and Philip's wedding was merely a plot device necessary to get Sophie back to she and Kevin could get back together. Or maybe the showrunners thought Toby deserved to be happy, because he surely wasn't with Kate.

I also read an interview with Dan Fogelman where he said Kate is doing what Rebecca said, living fearlessly (with her amazing and unbelievable career trajectory). So did she associate Toby with living fearfully? Not sure. 

On a side note, it appeared to me that in the flash-forwards, the only thing that changed about Kate was her hair color/style. Randall looked a decade or two older than her.

Agreed that this episode was Randall-heavy, and that was an odd choice for the final scene.

I've always been disappointed with the addition of Deja because it took away from Tess and Annie. Annie disappeared, and Tess' queer storyline never went anywhere. I would've been much more interested in seeing how that unfolded than Deja's teen romance with Malik. And then the scene in the finale with grown Tess and Annie talking with Randall, then leaving so Deja could "have a minute" with Randall. I wish I understood why Tess and Annie were sidelined for the second half of the series.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Jillybean

[estellasmum]

3 hours ago, Domenicholas said:

So This is Us ended with a whimper, not a bang.

That is exactly what I thought last night, too.  I'm glad I watched the mid season finale of Better Call Saul the night before, so I could get my bang, and that I didn't start watching TIU until about 30 minutes in, because I did some minor FFing through the episode.

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

I'm maintaining that Kate and Philip's wedding was merely a plot device necessary to get Sophie back to she and Kevin could get back together. Or maybe the showrunners thought Toby deserved to be happy, because he surely wasn't with Kate.

I also read an interview with Dan Fogelman where he said Kate is doing what Rebecca said, living fearlessly (with her amazing and unbelievable career trajectory). So did she associate Toby with living fearfully? Not sure. 

If Kate had agreed to move to SF for Toby's dream job, then that would have been her doing the exact opposite of what Rebecca wanted.  Kate took her mother's words to heart when she called Philip on that hill and asked about applying for that position.  Rebecca wanted her children to take risks, and Kate did when she made that call.  Her subsequent divorce from Toby had nothing to do with Kate following Rebecca's mandate.  I have zero desire to rehash who was more at fault in that marriage, but they were always going to get divorced.  The writing was there in previous seasons.  

[CarpeFelis]

7 hours ago, MissLucas said:

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.

I felt bad for their spouses and kids in that scene, and it was good none of them were around to hear that. That’s not how it should be. Thankfully Rebecca didn’t become anyone’s MIL from Hell, but that kind of attitude about one’s family of origin vs. spouse/kids can really cause problems.

4 hours ago, Aloeonatable said:

Family is not necessarily the one you are born into, but the one you make.

And yet the show specifically had the Big Three contradict that by saying when they think of family, they think of themselves and their parents. No mention of the families they’d made.

[Empress1]

5 hours 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 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.

I wasn’t invested in who either of them ended up with, at all - I skipped those episodes. But I think Sophie was endgame simply because they had long history and this show liked to have people meet their soulmates when they are very young. I honestly think that’s it - I don’t think it’s about Sophie as a person/character, it’s just that they met as kids. That’s why Deja ended up with Malik too. 

They also kind of had to make it sophie if it was going to be anyone (and this show doesn’t do single people so it was going to be someone). Zoe’s out because of kids/no kids, he never loved Madison, they had Cassidy stand firm in not wanting to be with him, and there wasn’t time the way the show was written to have it be anyone else. (And those are the only exes I remember. Were there other serious ones?)

Edited May 25, 2022 by Empress1

[gonzosgirrl]

I had to double check if adult Kevin and Kate had any  actual  lines besides the Big 3 chant. I did not need that much Deja and Grandpa Randall in the final 42 minutes of the show. I didn't love The Train, but I get it. This finale leaves me baffled. What an underwhelming ending to an epic series.  It really should've been subtitled This Is Randall. 

[mojoween]

This show wasn’t perfect, and sometimes was annoying, but I’m glad it was in my life for six years.

Even if my favorite Kate wasn’t even IN the last episode.

Are we going to get a spin-off of the Peason family from Minnesota?

Edited May 25, 2022 by mojoween

[izabella]

I was anticipating more of an emotional impact from the finale, because I have loved this show even though I criticize it.  But the episode missed the mark and didn't really move me. 

I will miss the show, if not the Pearson speeches.

[Ohmo]

21 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. 

I was underwhelmed...by a whole lot.  I'm also reminded that this was Dan Fogelman's choice, and I think it was an unwise one.  He wouldn't have had to extend the story any more.  This could have still been the endpoint, but we didn't have to get here YET.  There was plenty of material to fill in the gaps.  At least two years worth.  Like introducing Philip/Kate slowly.  Or if Deja ends up with Malik and has children with him, we see 2022 Malik and Deja beyond Randall picking her up after Malik breaks up with her.

Like Annie, what was the point of Toby and Kate even adopting Hailey?  NBC did not cancel this show.  Fogelman wanted it to be over.  This entire season was a waste of time.  We sprinted through the season to fulfill some artificial deadline, and then arrived at a bland finale. 

I think this will damage the series longevity in streaming.  I don't know that I'd tell someone to invest in the series knowing how it ends and how the entire last year was handled.  Can't put this on a network.  I'm sure NBC would have been quite happy to renew it.  This is all on Fogelman.

[Ohmo]

11 hours ago, Empress1 said:

*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.

My mother always has said it's bizarre for MEN to bitch and moan about the gender of a child since that's determined by the SPERM (which comes from the man).

[Ohmo]

6 hours ago, LeisureTime said:

 In previous episodes it's always been said like "whee!" The somber tone probably confused the CC robot.

"We" makes more sense to me because "we" relates to "us."

[greekmom]

I had time to process so here it is.

It wasn't the worst finale (see Sopranos) or the most satisfying.

I was hoping we get an offshoot of what happened to all the kids in the future when Jack 2.0 is an adult but we only got a snip of Jack swinging Hope with his wife.

The ending with just Randall was also disappointing. It should have been with the Big Three.

If they sat together and then had the ghosts of Rebecca, Jack and Miguel in the background, that would have been more satisfying.

Otherwise, it was an ending. No one will be fully satisfied.

[NeenerNeener]

22 hours ago, Aloeonatable said:

RC Jones has had a double lung transplant since he left the show after the earlier seasons, so he probably is much healthier now. Thus the fuller face.

The drugs they give you to keep you from rejecting the new organs can also make you puffy.

[maggiemae]

I wanted to see how the Big 3 were incredible parents just like their parents were in their minds.

I also wanted to grab some tweezers and pluck out that one white hair in Randall's mustache.