What I’m Watching: This Is Us

This Is Us: Season 1, Episode 11 “The Right Thing To Do” (B)

After a month-long hiatus following the strongest episode this highly acclaimed show has produced, it’s back for the new year with a decent opener. I’m glad to see that Toby didn’t code as December’s episode had suggested, though I’m now realizing that this show was never going to do something like that. Playing strip poker with Kate in the hospital and disregarding the seriousness of his heart arrhythmia was typical silliness on his part, and it was sweet to see that, after Kate confessed her love for him while she thought he was unconscious, he decided to pop the question. I’m not sure how official the engagement really is, and I’m sure that plenty of drama will follow. Kevin seems to always manage to do the wrong thing, and while he was right to tell Olivia off when she came back to restart their romance where they left off, he could have been much smarter than to so casually justify it within earshot of his new girlfriend. Randall is back to the same routine of getting far too invested in things, and offering William the chance to die in his home is a typical instance of his intensity. His attempts to get to know Jesse are also pretty poor. Back in the past, seeing Jack go and grovel to his father to get money from him so that they won’t have to move in with Rebecca’s parents demonstrated his humility and his willingness to do anything for his wife, and fortunately we know that it all turned out pretty well, even if he didn’t make it to see them as adults.