This is Us : New NBC drama starring Mandy Moore etc.

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by kwadguy, Oct 6, 2016.

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  1. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    (Sorry for the kind of wordy thread title. I figure with the crummy search engine no one will ever be able to search for a title like "This is Us".

    Just got around to watching the premier episode.

    I was surprised at how good it is. It's a show about people and relationships--many are calling it the next "Parenthood". I heard very good things about it from critics I trust, but went into it ambivalent. I came out converted. The reveal took me by surprise but was quite well done, too. This one is definitely going on the DVR.

    Anyone else?
     
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  2. joeconn4

    joeconn4 Forum Resident

    Location:
    burlington, vt
    Liking it a lot! Half watched the first episode live, thought it was kind of boring and "what's the point of this". Flipped to something else the last 15 minutes. But then went back and watched it all the way through, paying attention pays off. Episode 2, good follow up and another twist at the end.

    I'm in for this one.
     
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  3. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    I'm in! Didn't think it was for me but my wife watched it and raved about it so I gave it a shot (cos, you know, she has excellent tastes & all.) Very good and much different than what I expected. Seems to me it will be difficult to sustain the level of quality without becoming repetitious, but I sure hope it continues at the current level.
     
  4. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    I have the same story as @forthlin above. My wife liked it, said that I would also so I watched it with her when she knew the reveal and I didn't. It was set up perfectly - took me by surprise. Does every episode have the same cast, or is it an anthology type of thing?
     
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  5. Same cast. Not having a wife, I made up my own mind to watch it and I think it's very well done.
     
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  6. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    So...The prosthetics to make Mandy Moore look mid 50s or 60...I guess reasonably well done. But I kept thinking "she doesn't really look that age..."
     
  7. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    I bailed after one episode. The reveal at the end was easy to spot and it left me rolling my eyes throughout. Too schmaltzy. It was like all the worst aspects of "Parenthood", which I liked, though I can't say I really miss now.
     
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  8. BluesOvertookMe

    BluesOvertookMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX, USA
    I was expecting it to be schmaltzy, but I really like it. It's well written and it's got heart!
     
  9. jpelg

    jpelg Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Elm City
    I'm liking it too. The dual timeframe aspects keep things interesting, and writing up til now has been well done & well executed.
    I like that the characters are all flawed in some way or another, even the seemingly perfect ones.
     
  10. bluenote

    bluenote Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    I'm really enjoying this show. Really liking the characters, and I like this it's not too much of a downer, even though there are sad parts.

    Any speculation about what happened to Jack? My initial reaction is that he died, but perhaps that is too predictable? His wife is still wearing his necklace that he gave her when she and her new husband show up at Randall's house in present time, so that would indicate he died and they did not divorce. However, Randall is clearly cold to her new husband (Jack's best friend), so that may indicate there was some infidelity?? Another interesting thing is on the first episode when the 3 kids (grownups now) are celebrating their birthday, there is no mention of Jack's birthday, despite it being on the same day.

    Also, did anyone notice that the woman that Mandy Moore's character meets at the pool is in the family picture that is shown in present day Randall's house? Who is this woman, and why is she in the family portrait? She became that close to the family that she's in the family picture? Just throwing this out there, but is this perhaps Randall's real mother? Or perhaps, did Jack have a fling with her, and that's why we don't see Jack or this woman in present day?

    So many questions!
     
  11. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    I absolutely love this show and really hope it can maintain its quality. I'm particularly drawn to the Jack and Rebecca characters.

    Until last week I'd never heard of Jackson C. Frank but now I've listened to Blues Run the Game dozens of times already, what an amazing song. And this week I really enjoyed the song Some Day Soon by Alexi Murdoch.
     
  12. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA

    It's too bad that Jackson Frank couldn't have lived to make some of the sync money off the song...He could have used it...
     
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  13. ivan_wemple

    ivan_wemple Senior Member

    I'm admittedly fuzzy on this, but didn't Randall's birth mother die? (which would be the chief reason Randall was with his father on the day he was left at the Fire Station)?
     
  14. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    You've got it...his birth mother died.
     
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  15. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I like this show, too. It is not usually the type of show I want to watch but seeing Mandy Moore in it got me to the first episode and I have liked it ever since. I'm happy for her as she has struggled to find anything good to be in.

    I wish this was a limited series, though, as I can see a real dip in quality coming if the idea is going to continue to give equal time to flashbacks and present day.
     
  16. bluenote

    bluenote Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Still loving this show, really enjoy all the story lines. Not really like the Kate storyline though, getting a little tired of the overweight thing. Meaning, they haven't explored her character beyond her weight struggles. There's got to be more to her than that. Hopefully, they get into her character a bit more in the coming episodes.
     
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  17. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Do they use the Mark Knopfler Emmylou tune for the credits?
     
  18. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    So, the AT&T lady has found a new job:

    [​IMG]
     
  19. jpelg

    jpelg Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Elm City
    This show gets just keeps getting better, with more interesting & multi-dimensional layers peeled back with each episode.
    It both tugs at my heartstrings while keeping my intellect totally engaged.
     
  20. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    So, any discussion of the season finale? I thought the suicidal jumper was a bit forced. But, everything else through the twist at the end seemed to work.

    I'm going to miss it until January 10th.
     
  21. jpelg

    jpelg Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Elm City
    Another great ep & season cliff-hanger. LOTS going on!

    The only aspect that seemed a bit...jarring to me, was the rapid blow-out between Kevin & Olivia and his subsequent hookup with Sloane last week, followed-up with their holiday dinner at Sloane's parents house (and decision to self-back the play) this week. Personally, I think Janet Montgomery is the better actress & Olivia's character more complex and a better foil for Kevin's personal development. But what do I know?
     
  22. jawilshere

    jawilshere Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massapequa, NY
    Funny, I didn't think the jumper was forced but I did feel the Toby heart attack was.
     
  23. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    I just listened to a podcast where one of the hosts strongly believes that the guy thinking of jumping off the building wasn't really there, was just a figment of Randall's imagination. I didn't see it that way at all. Usually a TV show would be pretty blatant about getting that across if that was their intention.

    I thought the reveal that William is gay was forced.
     
  24. jpelg

    jpelg Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Elm City
    Maybe an after-effect from his "psychodelic" trip last week? :)
    Agreed.
     
  25. tonyc

    tonyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    So, Randall bought a boat from an imaginary character and his wife asked if you got a refund from an imaginary character?
     
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