NBC's hit drama This Is Us has been on the air for five seasons now, and with only one season left to premiere in 2022, fans have many expectations. Up until this point, the series has revolved around the Pearson family over several decades, showing three children grieve the loss of their father and finding themselves in adulthood.
While most fans can agree that Jack Pearson is TV's best dad, Randall and Beth are couple goals, and Kevin deserves a great love story, some viewers have differing opinions about the cast of characters. Not everyone seems to be invested in Jack's ongoing story, Randall's various career ventures, or Kevin's on-again-off-again romance with his childhood sweetheart.
Toby Is An Unlikeable Character
Toby Damon met Kate Pearson in the pilot episode, kickstarting their romance that has since resulted in a marriage and two children together. However, the end of season 5 revealed that the two eventually break up and she remarries.
Redditor zombiegypsy took issue with his character and wrote how unlikable they find him to be: "He does not take NO for an answer, is overly pushy, and to be honest not that ive of Kate's struggles with her weight." But normally Toby is praised by fans for providing comic relief and light-heartedness amid the dramatic Pearson clan, and it is rare that fans dislike his addition to the show.
The Show Got Boring After Season 2
Season 1 of the drama series was all about getting to know the Pearson family through the present-day and flashbacks, slowly revealing their connections to one another and the status of Jack and Rebecca's relationship now. Season 2 had a similar format and ended with the nuptials of Kate and Toby.
Some viewers noticed that the show hasn't been the same since season 2, and has started to just become predictable and boring. KirbyMacka took to Reddit to share their opinion, writing, "It all seemed so doom and gloom (and I even like doom and gloom most of the time) and just boringly implausible - if that makes any sense. I have no desire to return." But many fans continue to the show season after season and are proud of its success, which puts this viewer in the minority as far as their opinion is concerned.
Randall's Reaction To Rebecca's Secret Was Unfair
One of the first big secrets revealed on This Is Us was that Rebecca knew who Randall's birth father was all along, and actually had been in with him before. This shocks Randall and he feels betrayed by his adoptive mother for hiding his biological family from him for so long. A lot of fans agreed.
The reveal leads to tension between them, with him becoming unforgiving of the way she parented him. But Reddit adventurein pointed out that while what Bec did was not the best decision, she didn't really have any other options, and he shouldn't have judged her so harshly: "I really don’t think Rebecca keeping William from Randall was a horrible move. Maybe she could have told him she knew where he was and when he was older/ready she would tell him where, but how do you tell that to a child?"
The Main Characters Are Too Flawed
This Is Us depicts a flawed family who keeps secrets from each other and themselves, and is constantly trying to figure out how to handle difficult situations. The show has been praised for its accurate representation of what a family can look like, but some viewers find that the characters are a little too dramatic and flawed to root for.
Redditor kdcblogs wrote about how hard it is to relate to the characters because of the way they handle their problems: "I find myself not really liking any of the main characters aside from the Dad. They are all completely self-absorbed and kind of crappy." They added that "The boys try and fail to be good humans unless it serves their sense of self, and Kate is just a completely selfish and sort of hateful person to everyone."
Madison Is A Great Character
Madison was introduced in the pilot episode as a member of the same group that Kate and Toby meet at. Although initially annoying Kate and the Pearson family, she slowly became their only real outside friend, and in season 4, it was revealed that Madison was going to be the mother of Kevin's children.
Redditor Imaginary_Willow wrote about their appreciation for her on a thread where other people voiced their feelings toward her: "I love Madison! I thought the writers did a great job of making her weight issue a kind of comic relief in the group, but still being respectful to her. She's become a really good friend to Kate." But praise for Madison has been hard to come by for seasons, with most fans finding her unnecessary and annoying, making this an unpopular opinion.
Rebecca And Miguel Are Soulmates
In one of the most shocking turns of events of the first season, viewers learned at the end of the second episode, that Rebecca was no longer married to Jack and that her husband in the present day was none other than his former best friend, Miguel. This shocked viewers who believed Rebecca and Jack to be each other's soulmates.
While the full backstory of Miguel and Rebecca's love has yet to be revealed, fan freaksandgeek shared that based on what viewers have seen, Miguel is Rebecca's true love story, not Jack. They wrote, "Rebecca is not only spending her final days with Miguel but she has spent the majority of her life with him. He has shown her unconditional love and felt with all the craziness of their family. They are the real love story of the show."
Randall Is Really Annoying
Randall has always been the most logical and analytical of the Pearson children and held the family together by taking care of their mother as she ages and becoming the modern-day Jack Pearson. Fans have rallied behind Randall as the best Pearson sibling over the years, and have found him to be one of the best characters on the show.
As the seasons have progressed, however, Randall's character has changed. While some argue it's natural and for the better, an unpopular opinion is that he has become very annoying -- and possibly always was. Selfish tendencies like uprooting his family to start a new career and becoming distant from his wife have become issues for some viewers. RyanX1231 wrote, "I started disliking Randall last season with the whole election and nearly ruining his marriage with Beth."
Kevin And Sophie Are Not Meant To Be
From the first season, viewers have been told that Kevin's first and only love was his childhood sweetheart, Sophie. They got married when they were college freshmen and divorced a few years later after he cheated on her, though she gave him another chance when they reconnected in their 30s.
The two parted ways once more, hinting that their love story was over, though most fans have struggled to accept this. This is because the show continues to bring back Sophie sporadically, giving viewers hope for reconciliation. s_igh wrote about how the two are not meant to be: "Has anyone ever considered all the pain and turmoil that Kevin has caused Sophie? He cheated on her also verbally abused her and lied to her. She has moved on and found happiness."
Kate Gets Too Much Hate
While Randall and Kevin have both gotten storylines redeeming their character flaws and mistakes throughout five seasons, their sister Kate has been on the receiving end of a lot of fan hate because of her lack of character development. Most fans agree that Kate is the least likable member of the Pearson family, and hasn't changed or grown much from her teenage years.
Reddit LJ090860 wrote about how unfair it was that Kate seemed to get called out constantly for being too whiny or flawed, yet the other characters get away with just about anything and everything. They wrote, "People are ruthless when it comes to Kate ... She is just as flawed as Kevin and Randall, and yet they always get a ."
The Show Needs To Move On From Jack
Jack Pearson was the leading man of the show's first two seasons, but after his cause of death was revealed in the heartbreaking season 2 episode, some viewers noticed that the show didn't really need to focus on him anymore, as he had no story left. But this opinion has divided fans, given that Jack has been the backbone of the show in both the past and present.
One fan took to Reddit to share their unpopular opinion about the Pearson patriarch, "I think the show suffers from keeping Jack around this long. I know we all love him, but he has served his purpose, and I am interested in the current storylines more."