S04.E01: Strangers

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

09/24/2019 (09:00PM - 10:01PM) (Tuesday) : Jack meets Rebecca’s parents. New characters are introduced.

[Armchair Critic]

I love young Jack and Rebecca. We saw how Jack met Miguel. Looks like we will see more of Uncle Mickey.

Tim Matheson is 71 years old! 

Are these 3 new couples/families just a one off for this episode? Wait a minute, is the blind guy Jack? Also looks like Deja will be dating the kid from the one family.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Armchair Critic

[Spartan Girl]

The blind guy is Jack Jr! 

Well at least we know he has a great life and a successful music career. His dog in the tuxedo proposal was adorable.

Rebeca's dad is a jerk. God save us from the rich meddling overprotective dad trope. It's really old.

My jaw dropped when it revealed that Deja's friend was a teen dad. I knew it happens but God he's so young!

[VioletNevermind]

WOW.  This show is BACK.  I think this episode is one of the best of the series so far.  I love grown-up baby/blind Jack.  Everything tied so well together.  I also loved Malik's dedication to his daughter and his own dad's cool, measured, patient way of helping him to deal with single fatherhood.  More later when I've watched it a second time tomorrow.  I haven't wanted to do that in a long, long time.

(I have my exciting Tuesday nights back!  Curious to see how others feel.)

Edited September 25, 2019 by Suzy Rhapsody

[Lady Calypso]

Well...that was a big fat pile of meh. 

I can't say I really cared about the connections of the new characters. However, it did end up better than I thought it would be.

But my biggest issue, besides all the big issues with having too much focus on the new characters, was WHY THEY DIDN'T CAST A BLIND ACTOR.

ETA: I stand corrected on Jack Junior's actor not being legally blind so please ignore my ignorance.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Lady Calypso

[MsJamieDornan]

That was awful.

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, Spartan Girl said:

The blind guy is Jack Jr! 

I figured it out about halfway through, I think. I was unduly proud of myself at the end when they were at the doctor and learned the baby would be blind and I knew I was right.

[mojoween]

I knew they were going to tie everything together but that didn’t lessen my annoyance at meeting all these randos.  The cast was fine as it was.  Now it's super extra bloated.

And Jennifer Morrison has always left me cold so less of her is fine thanks.

I thought Miguel was with Jack when they were going to rob the bar the night Jack first saw Rebecca singing?

[CleoCaesar]

Well, that was...something. I guess.

No words can express how little I care about Jack & Rebecca: The Early Years. I get that Milo V needs a paycheck, but is their story really necessary, 4 seasons in? We know how they met. We know their story, and how it ended. Let's move on, for the love of god. And that cringy Jack monologue over dinner...some things never change.

I called who the blind guy was the second he started picking up the broken plate pieces. I doubt that can be considered a twist. Well, at least someone in this extended family has a successful singing career.

[SuzieQ]

5 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

My jaw dropped when it revealed that Deja's friend was a teen dad. I knew it happens but God he's so young!

He looked too young to even be dating Deja!

[bettername2come]

Jack being the blind guy was the biggest surprise, by which I mean I figured it out about a minute before the reveal. Also, completely forgot what Toby's last name was. Figured Jennifer Morrison was going to be a Nicky/Kevin's person thing and teen father being in Randall's neighborhood but not the Deja crush thing. That teenage father looks younger than he is. Genuinely thought he was 12 when he first showed up. 

I smiled far too much to see Jack meet Miguel. I knew he had to meet him after he met Rebecca since he had a different friend when he almost robbed the store, but still. Wasn't expecting to see him.

I think I'll like the newbies more once they get integrated into the story. As it is, they're all okay to likable.

3 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I thought Miguel was with Jack when they were going to rob the bar the night Jack first saw Rebecca singing?

Nope. Random guy.

[Ohiopirate02]

I was not impressed with the new characters and the stereotype upon stereotype found in this episode.  Deja who is barely in high school meets a single father who is thinking about getting involved with a drug dealer to make money.  We are going to get a season of Randall freaking out about this as he tries to either keep them apart or keep Malik on the straight and narrow.  Cut with scenes of Otter trying in vain to break up Rebecca  and Jack.  Then we will get Kevin and Jennifer Morrison's character falling in love while they help get Uncle Nicky sober.  And then Toby and Kate will drift apart while trying to raise a blind Jack Jr.  

One thing that caught my eye, Randall's cake looked like it had a 0 on it.  I thought the kids were born in 1980 and should be 39 this year.  

[kili]

Quote

But my biggest issue, besides all the big issues with having too much focus on the new characters, was WHY THEY DIDN'T CAST A BLIND ACTOR.

Jack (Jr) Damon is legally blind just like the actor who plays him. His name is Blake Stadnik and here is an article about him.

I think the baby actor may even be legally blind. It would be impossible to get a baby to fake that.

He's not a bad singer. That's one of the more credible songs I've heard from a show where they claim to have a singer-songwriter as a character.

I love having Jennifer Morrison back on my screen.

[Eureka]

Teen dad guy (I forget the character name but his real name is Asante) graduated from high school this spring in the same class as my older DS. He is our town’s current claim to fame. DS knows him but they aren’t really friends, but we all think it’s pretty cool. He was in When They See Us. Right before his character met Deja, I called it...told my younger DS (who I watch this show with) that he’s going to meet someone in that family, probably Deja. 

I also called it about Jack Damon right before they said his name. The dog, musical talent and what I perceived to be a little obnoxiousness should have tipped me off even earlier, lol.

What I’m still trying to figure out is why I should care about military lady. I know her storyline is going to be involved with Nicky's, but I’m not feeling compelled about that one yet. 

[Dejana]

Flashfowards to the future beyond the current day are just too distracting to me, even without throwing music into the equation. Maybe by 2049 or whenever Jack Jr's performance is happening, that'll be a throwback sound? Where are his parents?

Randall and Beth are going to love Deja dating a teen dad!

Didn't Miguel and Jack have a different backstory last year? I had the impression they knew each other longer than what was presented tonight.

Good to see Omar Epps and Jennifer Morrison on the same show again!

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, kili said:

Jack (Jr) Damon is legally blind just like the actor who plays him. His name is Blake Stadnik and here is an article about him.

I think the baby actor may even be legally blind. It would be impossible to get a baby to fake that.

Ok, I stand corrected. I was convinced that the actor wasn't blind. Stupid me for not looking it up to confirm before getting upset.

Thanks for the info!

[gonzosgirrl]

Me, tonight:

0:00 - 0:30 WTF am I watching??

0:30 - 1:00 WTF am I watching??

1:00 - 1:03 Ohhhh..... Jack? JACK!

1:03 - 1: 08 I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHOW!!

Edited September 25, 2019 by gonzosgirrl

[ByaNose]

4 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Me, tonight:

0:00 - 0:30 WTF am I watching??

0:30 - 1:00 WTF am I watching??

1:00 - 1:03 Ohhhh..... Jack? JACK!

1:03 - 1: 08 I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHOW!!

Ditto!

[Guest]

As soon as they revealed the boy was blind, I was like “oh.... preemie has health problems, eyesight is often one. That’s Kate and Toby’s baby.”

I did not like how they opened it without revealing who any of these people were or why we should care. 

[mtlchick]

This went from This Is Us to This Is Who, What, Why? .

Not sure if I liked this.  I guess with next season The Big Three hit the Big 40, the writers thought "Meh, we're not going to do anything for their 39th, let's give it to everyone else!"

[TOWTooMuchTV]

I have no idea how I spent the entire episode KNOWING that the episode was going to end with a reveal that the blind guy was in a different timeline than the rest of the newbies, but it didn't occur to me who it was until my daughter guessed shortly before the reveal. I must be out of practice!

Edited September 25, 2019 by TOWTooMuchTV
verb tense. oops

[Dminches]

25 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:

That was awful.

Horrible. Sometimes trying to outdo yourself fails badly, like this episode 

[kili]

Quote

Figured Jennifer Morrison was going to be a Nicky/Kevin's person thing and teen father being in Randall's neighborhood

The car the teen's father was working on (the one where the woman couldn't pay) had a Pearson bumper sticker. So, the service station appears to be in or near  Randall's district.

[Rohirrim]

I spent the first 60+ minutes wondering why I continue to watch this show, only to be sucked in by the final waning seconds.  Not cool, guys...and yes I will tune in next week, dammit. 😉

[ECM1231]

So, in past seasons were we ever introduced to Becca's dad? I only remember her witchy mom visiting. Were her folks divorced at a later date or had her dad passed? Curious how Jennifer Morrison will tie in to story line. Omar Epps son Malik, the teen dad...in the park I thought he was in middle school. 😲 Wonder where the baby mama was.

[MsJamieDornan]

Sadly, I didnt care one bit about any of these people. When a show starts a new season, you dont start it like this. Not fair to the audience.  And a few of the new actors really sucked.

[Scarlett45]

When we first met the young man who is blind after thinking his ass was fine I thought he looked so much like Justin Hartley....I called him being an adult Jack half way through the episode. Great job with casting!!

The teen dad is young but he looks far younger than his years. 

[chi-girl]

Waited all summer for this.  How disappointing.  I don't know why they thought an hour (minus a few Jack and Rebecca clips) of new characters would be a good idea.  And even though we now know they are tied to the family, I'm still not interested in the new people.

Edited September 25, 2019 by chi-girl

[ByaNose]

Also, I want less Deja. Not more. Can’t she go away to college already. Like really far away. 

[Ohiopirate02]

15 minutes ago, kili said:

Jack (Jr) Damon is legally blind just like the actor who plays him. His name is Blake Stadnik and here is an article about him.

I think the baby actor may even be legally blind. It would be impossible to get a baby to fake that.

He's not a bad singer. That's one of the more credible songs I've heard from a show where they claim to have a singer-songwriter as a character.

I love having Jennifer Morrison back on my screen.

That is good to know.   I didnt put it together that he was Jack Jr because he did not look anything like I would have imagined him.  But when you are casting for a blind white guy who can act and sing, your talent pool is not going to be that large.

[tomsmom]

Figured out The blind guy was Jack right away and I could care less about the family of Deja’s boyfriend or Kevin’s messed up new girlfriend. What a waste of an hour. 

[texassunflower]

I figured they would tie it all together by the end of the episode. I am not sure the season premiere was the time to introduce all these new characters. I kept saying all through the episode " Who are these people?"

We have two new storylines in the present and Jack Jr.' s story is at least 20 odd years in the future. That's alot of characters for a hour episode. I bet we see less of  the core characters. I loved seeing Tim Matheson! He looks great. So handsome. 

[One Imaginary Girl]

2045 or whenever sure looks a lot like today, and the music is terrible.

[Scarlett45]

3 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

That is good to know.   I didnt put it together that he was Jack Jr because he did not look anything like I would have imagined him.  But when you are casting for a blind white guy who can act and sing, your talent pool is not going to be that large.

Really? I thought the visual casting was great. This is Kevin Pearson’s nephew- I thought the actor looked a lot like Justin Hartley which would make sense. Not that it would be odd if he favored Toby’s side, but if he inherited the bent towards music AND Kevin’s good looks he would have a better chance of making it in the industry. 

[Spencer Hastings]

I spent half the episode trying to figure out what timeline the blind guy was in and why he looked so much like Kevin. I figured the lack of technology (teen dad and Jennifer Morrison had modern technology) and the throwback diner were misdirections.  When he sang something about seeing the end before the beginning I figured we were traveling back to the future. 

It was rough watching not knowing how they were all connected to our Big Three.  As annoying as they are, I guess I need them more than I thought. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Spencer Hastings

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Really? I thought the visual casting was great. This is Kevin Pearson’s nephew- I thought the actor looked a lot like Justin Hartley which would make sense. Not that it would be odd if he favored Toby’s side, but if he inherited the bent towards music AND Kevin’s good looks he would have a better chance of making it in the industry. 

The actor is a little more petite than I would imagine Chris Sullivan's son being.   I know kids can take after their aunts and uncles more so than their parents and Jack Jr is a preemie, so It does work.

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, Spencer Hastings said:

I spent half the episode trying to figure out what timeline the blind guy was in and why he looked so much like Kevin. I figured the lack of technology (teen dad and Jennifer Morrison had modern technology) and the throwback diner were misdirections.  When he sang something about seeing the end before the beginning I figured we were traveling back to the future. 

I was noticing that they didn't really show a very wide view of his surroundings (except the diner, which of course is "one of those diners that never changes") so it was very hard to get a feel for the time period. His clothes told me it wasn't the 70s, at least.

[Blakeston]

Please, Deja, run from a single father in his mid-teens who thinks the responsible thing to do for his daughter is to sell drugs. I'm not looking forward to that storyline one bit.

Also, Jack Jr. is a dick for thinking it's hilarious to make a server think she caused him to have a panic attack. Although a terrible sense of humor is certainly fitting, considering who his father is.

[ByaNose]

Even lying ass up naked in bed I thought it was Justin Hartley. My bad. 

[CleoCaesar]

25 minutes ago, chi-girl said:

I don't know why they thought an hour (minus a few Jack and Rebecca clips) of new characters would be a good idea. And even though we now know they are tied to the family, I'm still not interested in the new people.

Preach it. My favorite comment on the episode via Reddit:

Quote

This Ain't Us

[gibasi]

Put me in the group that didn’t like the episode. I was bored and not engaged. Tying it all together at the end doesn’t make the preceding 60 some minutes any more interesting. 

God is Jennifer Morrison going to be a regular? I am not a fan. I like Omar Epps and Nick Weschler but I dont think we need all these new people. 

And I agree that it was one stereotype after another. Teen dad that is tempted to sell drugs. Soldier with PTSD.  Singer who is only interesting because he is blind. Lazy writing. 

[jmonique]

You know what I've always thought about This Is Us? If anything, it needs MORE PEOPLE. Like many more. Because two to three versions of two parents, three kids, a stepparent, a birth father, two spouses, and Randall's three daughters weren't nearly enough for a show. Let's add five more people.

This show, man. This show.

[Blackie]

49 minutes ago, Dejana said:

Flashfowards to the future beyond the current day are just too distracting to me, even without throwing music into the equation. Maybe by 2049 or whenever Jack Jr's performance is happening, that'll be a throwback sound?

nothing seemed futuristic did it?  I wasn't playing close enough attention, but I don't think this show should be trying to depict the future.

[Kktjones]

1 hour ago, CleoCaesar said:

Well, that was...something. I guess.

No words can express how little I care about Jack & Rebecca: The Early Years. I get that Milo V needs a paycheck, but is their story really necessary, 4 seasons in? We know how they met. We know their story, and how it ended. Let's move on, for the love of god. And that cringy Jack monologue over dinner...some things never change.

Seriously! As someone whose least favorite characters are Jack and Deja, this episode did not bode well for me. The speech at the table was so incredibly awkward, I was watching through my fingers covering my eyes. Sorry, I just cannot with him. I also agree that the Jack & Rebecca courtship is completely played out.

Not at all interested in Deja and her 12 year old dad beau (even if I do love Omar Epps). Baby Jack all grown up was just kinda meh to me. I'm most interested in the Cassidy/Kevin storyline - but that's mostly because I like Jennifer Morrison and Justin Hartley so much.

Hope we get to see way more of the Pearson's next week! 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Kktjones

[memememe76]

I enjoyed it. I do wonder if Jennifer Morrison’s character will actually end up with Kevin. Is Nick Wesschler that hard up for work to play the husband left behind?

But I really want the show to go back to the originals.

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, Blackie said:

nothing seemed futuristic did it?  I wasn't playing close enough attention, but I don't think this show should be trying to depict the future.

I think that's why the setting was pretty spare. The only really detailed space was the diner. Everything else was a plain small table in the kitchen, a bed in an otherwise nondescript bedroom, a dark car... I'm wondering if there will be more detailed "future world" in later episodes or if they'll keep it vague. 

[Domenicholas]

I knew the new characters were going to tie into the old ones eventually, but I wished it wouldn't have taking so long to do so.

I guessed that that was Jack Jr. when he was shown in the promos, but I wasn't sure because I thought the future scenes were only fifteen years in the future (unless this is a further future scene). My mom asked why can't one of Jack's large extended family watch his kid; they live off of meddling in each other's lives.

Deja dating Malik has the potential to be cute...or annoying if it ends up in battles between self-righteous Randall and bratty Deja.

I'm excited to see Jennifer Morrison again, but I'm hoping she's Emma!Jennifer and not Cameron!Jennifer. And if she is Kevin's future baby mama I feel sorry for their kid since the Pearsons are already prone to alcoholism only to have an alcoholic mother as well.

Finally, since Malik and Lucy are both established to like cooking, I bet they either start a restaurant together, or Malik owns the diner Lucy works in.

[milner]

I didn’t like it at all. So disappointed 

[ams1001]

3 minutes ago, Domenicholas said:

Finally, since Malik and Lucy are both established to like cooking, I bet they either start a restaurant together, or Malik owns the diner Lucy works in.

Ahhh....I didn't even think of that! Now that we know the timeline this seems entirely predictable and I won't be the least bit surprised if it's true.

Also, an afterthought on the spare setting... I guess Jack Jr. wouldn't need much in the way of decorating his home when he lives alone, would he?

[spinxella]