Andrew Robinson
This Is Us aired its first episode following the bombshells following the “Songbird Road” two-parter and, in typical TIU fashion, didn’t include a key member of that bombshell squad (hello, Kevin) at all. With the usual Pearson suspects taking the week off, Beth’s childhood is explored as she visits her mother in the present day. “Our Little Island Girl” is a great look into what makes Beth tick, and serves as a bit of a tearjerker.
Summary
“Our Little Island Girl” gives the main crew of Rebecca, Jack, Kate, Randall, Kevin, and Toby the day off, focusing solely on Beth (and, to a lesser extent, Zoe), and their upbringing in the household of Beth’s at-times domineering mother Carol (special guest star Phylicia Rashad), and their hard-working, fun-loving father Abe (Carl Lumbly). In the past, Beth’s dance career is featured, as is her relationship with her parents. In the present, Beth and Zoe travel to Carol’s home after she re-injures her hip.
Analysis
Finally! Finally we get Beth’s origin story, and man is it a doozy. Susan Kelechi Watson is fantastic as always, but Akira Akbar (Young Beth) and Rachel Hilson (Teen Beth) prove to be essential to the episode’s success. Akbar, in particular, is spectacular as a girl that just wants to dance and make her parents proud. Beth’s very different relationships with her mother and father are evident right away, and Akbar does a great job at changing her demeanor depending on which one she’s speaking with. Hilson shines in the latter parts of the episode, particularly when she’s in the dance studio, as well as when she and her mother have their tearjerking conversation late in the episode.
Watson has long been one of TIU‘s unheralded stars, and it’s nice to see her finally get a chance to take the spotlight. She and Rashad perform extremely well together, especially in the latter stages of the episode. Beth’s heart-to-heart with her mother is raw and emotional; both actresses deliver the goods. Rashad’s entrance into the TIU family is a grand one, as Beth’s hard-working, tough-loving mother has many moments that will make the viewer reflect on their own childhood.
It’s nice to have some more clarity on one of those infamous flash-forward scenes; it seems like we know how Beth eventually gets to where she is when she gets the call about “She.” Props to Beth for making the decision to give it a go; hopefully she can find happiness again.
That conversation between present-day Beth and her mother is… wow. Again, TIU is at its peak when things just feel real, and that conversation is as real, and as devastating, as it gets. When Beth brings up Randall and compares him to her father, I’m sure many viewers had to pull out the tissues. It’s some heavy stuff.
There’s one thing that makes it clear that “Our Little Island Girl” is a good episode. Not once did I find myself missing the other characters, or feeling as if Beth’s story was too drawn out. Put simply, it held my attention, and felt perfectly paced.
Verdict
“Our Little Island Girl” is a solid episode. It’s great to get a look into Beth’s childhood, and see what makes her tick. All three versions of Beth – Akbar, Hilson, and Watson – bring Beth’s story to life. Rashad is magnificent in the role of a tough-loving mother, and Lumbly is great as Abe, the man who allows Beth to dream. The conversation between present-day Beth and her mother is the highlight of the episode.
9/10
This Is Us is off next week, and will return on March 5th, 2019 to begin its final five-episode stretch of the season.
