The breakout series “This Is Us” generated a lot of buzz in its first season. Yet after a succession of artfully-crafted and heartfelt episodes, the finale hit a low note.
The unique format of “This Is Us” helps distinguish it from other dramedies. The show is split between four storylines. Three of these storylines take place in the present, following the adult lives of three siblings, twins Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Kevin (Justin Hartley) and their adopted brother Randall (Sterling K. Brown). The fourth storyline is set in the past and follows the relationship of their parents, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore).
Jack and Rebecca’s storyline does not focus just on themselves, but their journey as parents interwoven with formative moments in the children’s lives. This format works best early on, however as the season progresses it feels uneven to spend so much time in the past, especially when the three present storylines are so intriguing.
The previous episode ended with Kate deciding to finally open up to fiancé Toby (Chris Sullivan) about her father’s death. The mystery of Jack’s untimely passing has been a recurrent theme in the season and this moment of honesty seemed like the gateway to a finale full of answers. However, the final episode proves there are still more twists and turns for “This Is Us.”
Instead of revealing any details about Jack’s death, the finale focuses almost entirely on Jack and Rebecca’s relationship. The episode flashes between their first encounters to their disintegrating marriage years down the road. Any charm that Jack and Rebecca’s initial meeting would’ve brought the show is offset by the fact that these moments are intermingled with the rockiest points of Jack and Rebecca’s marriage seen thus far. More than anything, the finale is a cringeworthy montage of Jack’s worst moments.
In the present, the Pearson siblings all have rosy memories of their now-deceased father. The finale shows a darker side of Jack. Set in the children’s teenage years, tensions boil as Rebecca prepares to pursue her singing career and Jack becomes more distant. These tensions culminate as Jack shows up drunk to Rebecca’s first tour date and gets in a fist fight with her fellow musician. It is heartbreaking to watch Rebecca give up her tour to drive her inebriated husband home. The event ultimately results in Rebecca asking Jack to move out of the house for a little while. Though marriage troubles are certainly a realistic direction to take the show, this storyline doesn’t mesh well with the “golden dad” narrative the show has built around Jack so far.
“This Is Us” normally hits its groove in deep, emotional moments, but these are sorely lacking in the final episode. Instead of building on the season’s storylines, the finale digs deeper into the past, only complicating the current narrative. While the finale doesn’t reveal the mystery of how Jack dies, it does imply that the relationship between Jack and Rebecca is longer and more complicated than viewers originally expected — a theme sure to be explored further next season.
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