For nearly three seasons, This Is Us has produced quality dramatic and comedic storylines. It's embraced the melodramatic and the heartwarming without ever becoming too much like a soap opera or overly saccharine and cutesy. The series has followed the ups and downs of the lives of the extended Pearson family, spanning nearly a century in its exploration of the many generations. While the core of the series has focused on Jack and Rebecca Pearson and their children, known as The Big Three, countless other characters - those related to the family and not - have come and gone, bringing with them storylines that have been both wildly successful and others less so.
Regardless of the quality of any given storyline, This Is Us remains one of the most popular series on social media. There's never an episode that doesn't get the series name or any of its characters trending on Twitter, with cast taking part in live tweeting and Q&A sessions on Instagram as well. The show has perfected the art of social storytelling, in addition to its nearly pitch-perfect delivery. It's been recognized with nominations and awards from the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and more.
Basically, it's clear that these writers and actors really know what they're doing and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. But even the most talented of artists can produce some questionable stories every now and then, too.
Here are 10 Storylines That Hurt This Is Us (And 10 That Saved It).
Hurt: Rebecca's Music Career
It's impossible to deny that Mandy Moore is a talented singer. Arguably better-known for her singing than her acting prior to This Is Us' premiere, Moore is understandably given a singing storyline in her role as Rebecca, both in Rebecca's younger years and in her middle age. But the series perhaps would have been better off avoiding this altogether, since its presentation of Rebecca's talent strains credulity.
In her youth, Rebecca travels out to California to perform for record executives, who tell her that her voice - that of a professionally trained singer, no less - is only "Pittsburgh good." In her middle age years, Rebecca returns to music, playing in dive bars with her ex-boyfriend's washed up band, which of course causes strain in her marriage with Jack. Overall, the character's musical journey adds nothing positive to the series, and only lessens its believability.
Saved: Tess Comes Out
Ever since the first season, it's been clear that Eris Baker's Tess Pearson - Randall and Beth's youngest daughter - has been incredibly socially aware regarding preference. After all, she's the one who remarks, offhandedly, that William is of a particular preference. Tess and William aren't ever really afforded much screentime together in the way that Annie and William are, but it's clear nonetheless that Tess established some sort of bond of understanding with her grandfather.
That same bond is made clearer than ever and becomes one of self-identification when Tess tearfully comes out to her parents in the third season's midseason finale. It was one of the season's most emotionally realistic moments so far and allowed Baker a true showcase for her up-and-coming talents.
Hurt: Kate And Madison's Friendship
The weight group that Kate attends early in the series provides her with two entirely unexpected and significant relationships. On the plus side of things, there's her relationship with Toby Damon, a fellow overeater with a heart of gold who wins her over with his quirky humor and grand romantic gestures. Three seasons into the series, it's clear that these two are meant for each other, now married with a baby on the way.
But on the flip side, there's Kate's friendship with Madison, an often judgmental and insincere woman with bulimia who goes from being Kate's nemesis to best bud in the blink of an eye. There's no real development to this relationship, and no real depth, either. Madison seems to pop up whenever the writers see fit to have her, and that sort of lackadaisical friendship is really the last thing Kate needs.
Saved: Kate And Toby Attempt To Have A Baby
An ongoing storyline that has provided the series with some of its most emotional material to date has been Kate and Toby's quest to have a baby. In the second season, Kate learns she's pregnant, and despite her initial hesitation regarding telling him, she soon tells Toby and the pair begin planning joyfully for the future. However, all of that comes crashing down when Kate suffers a sudden miscarriage, sending their relationship into a downward spiral.
By the end of the second season, all is well again, and the two are married and resolved to try again. The third season finds them trying IVF, despite the risks, and successfully conceiving a child, with a bump in the road provided by Toby's brief abstention from taking his depression medication. We can only hope that all goes well for these two from now on.
Hurt: Jack And Rebecca's Separation
In perhaps the series' weakest episode to date, the season one finale "Moonshadow," This Is Us comes the closest it's ever come to being overly self-indulgent. The entire episode revolves around the beginning and near ending of Jack and Rebecca's relationship, ranging from the night they meet (when Jack had been considering robbing a bar but was saved by Rebecca's angelic presence) to when they decide to separate following an ugly, blowout fight.
The fight itself contains some particularly unforgivable barbs thrown back and forth - including Rebecca callously proclaiming that, because of Jack and the kids, she has no life at all. The resulting separation isn't that long, with Jack spending a few nights at Miguel's and returning to his drinking ways, but the cracks in the relationship are there to stay, for better or worse.
Saved: Young Randall Searches For His Biological Family
This Is Us begins with Randall, in his late 30s, on a quest to find his biological father - and succeeding in doing just that when he shows up on William Hill's doorstep and interrogates him about why he left him at a fire station when he was an infant. The series could have left this as something Randall didn't explore until he was an adult but instead doubles down on Randall's search for answers as early as his childhood.
One flashback finds little Randall approaching an African American couple at a supermarket and asking if they can roll their tongue like he can, since it's an inherited trait. Another moment sees teenage Randall placing an ad in the newspaper, with both of his siblings accompanying him to a meeting with a woman who responds to the ad but was only interested in the Pearsons' money. This has been a lifelong quest for Randall, and the series doesn't ever shy away from exploring it.
Hurt: Kate And Rebecca's Fractured Relationship
Kate Pearson has always been shown to be a clear daddy's girl. Her relationship with her father, Jack, has defined much of her life, regardless of whether he is alive. Their bond when she is a little girl and teenager offers some of the best insight into both of their characters, with Jack spoiling her and defending her in equal measure. Unfortunately, as a result of this trope of closeness with her father, Kate's relationship with her mother, Rebecca, couldn't be more fractured.
It's hard to find many scenes in the series featuring the two women where they aren't at each other's throats. Rebecca micromanages Kate's weight, even in her youngest years, and pressures her into pursuing the music career she was never able to have. As a result, Kate resents her mother's slim physique and vocal talents, and the two often argue about either of these topics.
Saved: Nicky Pearson's Backstory Is Revealed
The mystery of Jack's younger brother, Nicholas "Nicky" Pearson, was brought into the foreground of the series in the third season through flashbacks to their childhood with a bad father and their time together in Vietnam. But it wasn't until the series revealed that Nicky was, in fact, alive and living in Pennsylvania that it truly struck gold in of storytelling.
Bringing in Griffin Dunne to play a 70-year-old Nicky, the series revealed the harrowing truth of why Jack always let his family believe Nicky had ed away. During his time in Vietnam, Nicky was responsible for the accidental, violent ing of a young Vietnamese boy. The trauma of the event caused Nicky to be placed in a psychiatric facility, and Jack to cut off almost all with the younger brother he once adored.
Hurt: Rebecca And Miguel's Marriage
It wouldn't be fair to expect Rebecca to never move on with her life after the tragedy of Jack's ing, no matter how wonderful their relationship may have been. But it's still in especially poor taste for the series to have paired Rebecca up with none other than Miguel, Jack's former best friend, and her own former best friend, Shelly's, ex-husband.
The two didn't marry until late in life after re-connecting years after Jack's ing via Facebook, but the bitter taste the relationship leaves can't be over- or understated. Of course, the pair has a history together that few others would ever be able to understand, especially concerning their memories of Jack. But it also feels like the series merely thought putting the two characters who had no current spouse and were of the same age group would be a suitable idea.
Saved: William And Jesse's Relationship
This Is Us has handled the concept of diverse storytelling with considerable ease, especially given the diverse nature of the Pearson family itself. But it's through the introduction of William's character, and his relationship with fellow former-addict, Jesse, that the series finally embraces representation of the LGBTQ community. The relationship has only been glimpsed a few times throughout the series, particularly toward the end of William's life, but the warmth of their love for one another has been apparent from day one.
The third season's Thanksgiving episode even chronicles the early days of the couple's courtship, ranging from their first meeting to their first instances of flirtation and jealousy, both at their recovering-addicts meetings and in their own homes and social circles. Their bonding over music, in particular, provides their relationship with some moments of real sweetness.