Andrew Robinson
In its penultimate episode of season three, This Is Us brings out all the feels with a flashback-heavy 43 minutes.
Summary
The story of Beth and Randall is explored in all its ups and downs.
Analysis
Beth and Randall take center stage in “R & B,” with only very minor appearances from other characters. Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson deliver in their hugely-featured roles. Both portray the many emotions of a marriage to perfection, and do a fantastic job at providing small cues as to how their characters are feeling at any given time.
After being promised a fight between the two last week, TIU doesn’t shy away from the fireworks in “R & B.” While most of the episode takes place in the past, following the evolution of Randall and Beth’s relationship, it becomes apparent that they have been having the “same fight since [they] met,” as Beth says. It’s very important for the show to distinguish the exact reasoning as to their major blowup in the present, as there had been few clues as to what the two would have to fight about in past seasons. By choosing to have a flashback-laden episode, the show allows the viewer to truly get a glimpse into their marriage, as well as to further understand just why the fight escalated so massively. This reviewer wasn’t a fan of the character development to get to the fight last week. Now, however, it feels much more believable and raw, partly due to the flashback-centric nature of the episode, and partly due to the epic performances of Brown and Watson, as well as Niles Fitch (College Randall) and Rachel Hilson (College Beth).
All relationships, particularly romantic ones, have their ups and downs. “R & B” captures this fact well, showing that even the purest and most admirable of relationships have their struggles. Most importantly, the episode does this in a fashion that feels real, which has been a struggle in recent episodes. This reviewer gives the show props for deciding to approach the fight as a flashback-heavy episode; this allows the episode to capture the relationship between Randall and Beth from the beginning.
As always, William’s brief appearance is awesome. Ron Cephas Jones is a fantastic actor, and he always provides comedy, emotion, and flat-out perfection.
Kevin and Kate also share a funny moment at Randall and Beth’s wedding. This does not go unnoticed, especially in an otherwise-heavy episode.
The restaurant scene between College Randall and Beth is sad, yet completely believable. It definitely makes the viewer cringe, and lose just a bit of hope in humanity.
Wow. Those last ten minutes are brutal, as both characters (namely Beth) say some things that are pretty brutal and horrific. This reviewer likes Randall and Beth’s chances to overcome the issues, but, wow, that is not an easy last ten minutes.
Verdict
“R & B” is one of the strongest episodes of the season. Featuring fantastic individual performances and a captivating storyline, the episode brings it all.
9/10
Prepare yourselves for the season finale next week! It’s simply titled “Her,” soooooo… sounds like another flash-forward is likely.
