The adversities this characters go thru hit home because these situations are so relatable. Who hasn't fought with a sibling or felt the negative emotions towards a sibling that Kevin and Randall did this ep? And that's what I love about This is Us we care about these characters because in a way we are them. We might not be an African American adopted into a white family but the values parents installed in us and fights with siblings well? We might have had them xD. But, in the end the problems work out because love wins out just like with the Pearson brothers. Also communication is always the key no matter how hard it is. The hard lessons this show leaves the audience with stay in your brain for a long time. One more thing also in awe of Sterling Brown and Justin Hartley's acting this ep. Phenomenal actors both of them. TiU is really a tresure.
21 Reviews
Needed to Happen
bbb51517 May 2021
I see a lot of reviews that say that Randall is whiny and ungrateful about his adoption. People that are not adopted have absolutely no idea how it feels to start your life by losing both of your biological parents. When adoptees try to talk about how they feel, they are considered "ungrateful." How is this not extremely problematic? We are constantly shoved into a corner and told that our trauma isn't real. But it is real. Look at the science behind it. I'm so glad that this series is touching on topics that have been taboo for far too long.
I actually agree with Randall
meclote21 April 2021
My god! The Pearson family really did a terrible job of raising a spoiled child like Randall. Like him I also think that it would have been best not to adopt him, perhaps he would be a less resentful and traumatized person if this hadn't happened.
If race is above all the love of a family then YES, Randall is right on everything. Sure, Kevin's condescending treatment and blind racism doesnt help either, but taking all the fury on him isn't healthy.
If race is above all the love of a family then YES, Randall is right on everything. Sure, Kevin's condescending treatment and blind racism doesnt help either, but taking all the fury on him isn't healthy.
The episode that needed to happen...
matthewconnell-6060914 April 2021
Great writing and great acting. We - as the long-standing audience - needed this episode that would cut to the heart of how Randall and Kevin both were really at. Even if they resolved their feelings towards each other and their upbringing to a partial degree, it was a start for finally understanding each other at a deeper level we have ever seen before. Love these actors for the vulnerability, sensitivity and beauty they have shaped these characters to be. Brotherhood wins.
Brotherly love and amazing conversations indeed
strawberry-6050215 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is about Randall and his struggles of being a black boy in a white family and Kevin's subtle jealousy of him for being the center of attention when they were kids. How this show has educated us about race is just fantastic and this episode was amazingly written and executed. I am so glad that they resolve their differences and bury the long-overdue hatchet. Their brotherly love is too precious to give up on.
One of the season's best episode.
fede_448815 April 2021
I know the episodes that deal with race issues make the white, conservative section of viewers uncomfortable (read the ridiculous reviews for the second part of this season's premiere) but the writers handled it beautifully. They didn't quickly resolve the conflict and moved on to another subject.
A masterpiece!
stacey-956-16848115 April 2021
One of the best in a long time
tenealesharman16 April 2021
This episode blew my mind!
edarias-4769424 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Is amazing all the things that happened before to take us to this point. The last conversation within the brothers and the apologies of Kevin despite of the first one, is so authentic, what a terrific actor!
It shows to the viewers the importance of the empathy that we must have, considering our position in the society, is not enough just think like "I treat everybody in the same way, so I'm not racist" is the empathy that we must have for the ones who are not feeling like equals for being minorities.
It shows to the viewers the importance of the empathy that we must have, considering our position in the society, is not enough just think like "I treat everybody in the same way, so I'm not racist" is the empathy that we must have for the ones who are not feeling like equals for being minorities.
Randel's "poor me"attitude is getting really old.
tb4now20 April 2021
This use to be one of my favorite shows, but this constant need for Randel to play the "poor me little black kid raise by white folks" is getting really old. I suppose it doesn't matter at all that his adopted parents treated him with more love than many biological parents treat their own kids.
What are the writers of this show trying to say? That maybe no one should ever adopt little babies that are not of their own race because these kids will forever suffer if adopted by someone who looks different then them? Are the writers trying to say that not being adopted is better then being adopted by a family that does not look like them?
I wish these writers would stop trying to tell us all how "everyone" feels or how everyone should act.
What are the writers of this show trying to say? That maybe no one should ever adopt little babies that are not of their own race because these kids will forever suffer if adopted by someone who looks different then them? Are the writers trying to say that not being adopted is better then being adopted by a family that does not look like them?
I wish these writers would stop trying to tell us all how "everyone" feels or how everyone should act.
Television at its best
garveyrob8 May 2021
As the quote goes "Nobody can give a good performance unless the authors have written a good part".
The writing perfectly captures how both Randall and Kevin view their world from their perspective and whilst they have good intent, they seem unable to see their own brother's perspective.
Set in the context of sibling rivalry, race, adoption, growing up, this is about the challenges everyone faces all the time.
The acting brings this writing together with performances that made me empathize with both characters; understanding how they both feel justified with their position and yearning for them to take that step back.
I'd suggest this can form part of any curriculum to critically analyse the challenges of modern day society.
The writing perfectly captures how both Randall and Kevin view their world from their perspective and whilst they have good intent, they seem unable to see their own brother's perspective.
Set in the context of sibling rivalry, race, adoption, growing up, this is about the challenges everyone faces all the time.
The acting brings this writing together with performances that made me empathize with both characters; understanding how they both feel justified with their position and yearning for them to take that step back.
I'd suggest this can form part of any curriculum to critically analyse the challenges of modern day society.
Overdone handheld camera effect
sysdev17 April 2021
The "handheld" look of the camera works overdone and looks mechanical.
Getting to the point where it's annoying to watch the shaky view of this program.
If it really is handheld not every second of this needs to be done handheld.
Getting to the point where it's annoying to watch the shaky view of this program.
If it really is handheld not every second of this needs to be done handheld.
Tour de Force
Hitchcoc17 May 2024
Since this show was pretty much about Kevin and Randall and their "clearing the air" meeting, we have enough background to know it wasn't going to be easy. First of all, there were the words spoken to each other after Rebecca was to go for the experimental treatment. They both admitted that they were trying to hurt the other one. Randall is so tense and so full of hurt, some of it self inflicted, that we don't really know what he is hoping for. The fact is the Pearsons brought home a black child. In my experiences, adoption agencies often try not to place black children with white families. It is known that adjustments are hard. The fact is that the kids are all the same age which makes a difference because comparisons are naturally there. The fact is that Randall is gifted academically, and Kevin, at least in his formative years, is not. Resentment starts early and Kevin doesn't recognize his own gifts. So anger build and it continues. No excuse. For those that are so critical of Randall, let's remember that in this family, that is the dynamic. The flashbacks show subtle things. When they go to see Mr. Rogers, the placing of the lanyard on Randall and not on Kevin, sets things off. I don't think Jack has any idea of what the perception is. So as they try to sort through these things, Kevin is frustrated because he doesn't know what to say or how to act. Randall will never be satisfied and Kevin will never totally get it. But as they close their time together, there is some progress and a lot of life yet to live. I thought this episode was like being in a fight--my wife and I were both fatigued.
Yawn
Mel_Reid20 April 2021
I love the flashbacks per usual, but good grief! I'm exhausted by the numerous episodes of Randall's pity parties. He's an excellent character on the whole, but I don't want to keep playing the world's smallest violin for him over the same issues. Bring back the uplifting man we know and love.
The show should call Randall not This Is Us !
nazi_pussygirl_696918 April 2021
Seriously I hate how Randall complain about his childhood and his adoption in E V E R Y episode, I mean we get it but he had a perfect parents , I hate that they bring that up every episode and all of the show became about Randall. By the way I hate his personality too he's so ungrateful.
So, we are officially punishing adopting kids of color!!
nematymostafa14 October 2021
After all Jack and Rebecca went through to make life perfect for Randall from the first second, we have to conclusion that they were not near what Randall wants in his forty. Doesn't this mean that no white family can make a kid of color happy when one of the most perfect parents in TV history couldn't? Jack and Rebecca were so caring and loving that just letting Kevin to run over Randall or not paying attention to racist events is so very unrealistic.
I am denying any racist events in the past, I am just saying showing Jack and Rebecca not paying enough attention to Randall or Randall being enormously ungrateful is not the way to show that community should be more sensitive to racial issues and racist events.
Do we really want that Randalls in real life to be raised by alcoholic addicted unemployed nearly-overdosed-on-the-first-days-of-your-child-life people regardless of what color they are? I mean William and Laurel were bad parent to raise a child, no matter what color they were.
I am denying any racist events in the past, I am just saying showing Jack and Rebecca not paying enough attention to Randall or Randall being enormously ungrateful is not the way to show that community should be more sensitive to racial issues and racist events.
Do we really want that Randalls in real life to be raised by alcoholic addicted unemployed nearly-overdosed-on-the-first-days-of-your-child-life people regardless of what color they are? I mean William and Laurel were bad parent to raise a child, no matter what color they were.
Randall and racial matters
chomwey31 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I know race is a big thing in America and it should be adressed on the show, still I don't like the victim angle, neither share it.
To have Kevin continously apologizing for just...beign a kid, having Randall playing a part I really doubt the character would do...nah.
I don't like it, feels not real, neither logic but forced political agenda and lastly the show is getting quite a few of those, but those weren't enough to get a grip of a whole episode, neither to say a big part of the whole season.
Still missing a few episodes of the series but looks like it's getting it's last original breaths, what made the series unique.
Hopefully they'll turn the steering wheel in the next chapters.
To have Kevin continously apologizing for just...beign a kid, having Randall playing a part I really doubt the character would do...nah.
I don't like it, feels not real, neither logic but forced political agenda and lastly the show is getting quite a few of those, but those weren't enough to get a grip of a whole episode, neither to say a big part of the whole season.
Still missing a few episodes of the series but looks like it's getting it's last original breaths, what made the series unique.
Hopefully they'll turn the steering wheel in the next chapters.
Tired of Randall
milly_ele29 March 2024
I'm so over Randall. In the flashbacks of him as a kid, we can see the typical thoughts of adopted children. They wonder about their birth parents and fantasize that they're some VIP or someone of the sort. But now that he's an adult, Randall should KNOW differently. His birth parents were drug addicts who chose to give him up. He owes his life to the Pearsons. But, instead, he's talking about microaggressions (whatever that means). I really hope this is the last of the ungrateful and whining episode. It seems that no one in that family can do anything without Randall considering it an act of racism.
I'm getting tired of Randall
ccddmm1328 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I understand that Randall suffered racism in many ways and had a difficult childhood but it seems he's always focusing on the bad things that happen to him and it's becoming annoying. Kevin having to apologize for some things that happened when they were just kids and were not intentional too. Rebeca and Jack did everything for him too and dealt with the 2 other children and that must not have been easy. I understand he (Randall) must not have had it easy but he ends up knowing the stories of all his parents and he's never grateful for that either. He's whining way too much and the victim side is ooooold.
Slow....
annette-8753617 April 2021
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