What I’m Watching: This Is Us

This Is Us: Season 4, Episode 4 “Flip a Coin” (B+)

I’m very pleased to report that this show is better than it’s been in a long time right now. I’d also cite Justin Hartley, who is now the only original Pearson never to be nominated for an Emmy, as the MVP this season, doing great work comically and dramatically. I wasn’t sure how Cassidy was going to fit in when she was first introduced, and in this hour we got to see how Kevin was able to help keep both Cassidy and Nicky entertained and occupied for the day when their meeting turned out to be a lot later than advertised. Kevin seems set on helping Cassidy save her marriage, but I think they’re destined for their own romantic relationship. It’s very compelling watching Kate and Toby as concerned, dedicated parents, and their trip to the beach was sweet. What impressed me most about this episode was how it used the different time periods to tackle parents meeting their children’s significant others, starting with Randall not making a great impression on his future mother-in-law and then demonstrating how Malik was doing great despite Randall’s dorky awkwardness until he mentioned that he had a daughter. The fallout from Randall and Beth’s insistence that Deja not date him will surely be unpleasant, but for now it’s worth celebrating the victory achieved by Beth and her family in salvaging the dance studio opening, which did go great once they relocated it outside. I’d also imagine that Phylicia Rashad is on her way to a deserved second consecutive Emmy nomination for playing Carol in both time periods in this hour.