This Is Us Season 2 - July 4th

[MadisonAvenue]

Finally! Season 2 starts on July 4th on More4.

Been waiting for this, we haven't been able to find a download of it anywhere.

[CurbsideProphet]

I love watching This Is Us, though I do find it so moving. I think we will see more about Jack's alcoholism and the aftermath of the fire. Mandy and Milo are just incredible and it's amazing how Mandy looks so different in the flashbacks / present day scenes.

I don't think that Beth will die. I think that Deja goes off the rails.

[PerditaNitt]

I wonder if I’m the I’m the only one who wholeheartedly agrees with Toby’s parents? Run for the hills, Toby! You aren’t perfect, but surely you deserve better than spending your whole life hearing about Jack and dealing with Kate’s melodrama.

And can someone please stop Kevin from public speaking because of his shtty track record

1. His rant when filming the manny live
   
2. The high school speech
   
3. Worlds crappiest wedding toast
   
   I loved series 1, but felt series two was a little dragged out. Agree with the PP who said that the Deja episode was disappointing because it included a lot of things we had already seen.

[Thunderpunt]

Oh I'm so sad that is over, I loved it but agree poor Toby- Kate has so many flaws and such a lot of baggage! If anyone would like to share how I could possibly watch S3 sooner rather than later (and I am more than happy with nefarious means ) I would be grateful 

[WitchSharkadder]

I also agree with Toby’s parents. Kate has really started to grate on me the last few episodes, I mean she was ridiculous at her hen party with all that ‘wahhh Randall loves Beth more than me’ shit.

[Graphista]

I disagree re Kate and Toby. Toby also has significant "baggage" of his own, a previously failed marriage, a nervous breakdown and continuing depression issues which are tied in with why he's overweight too.

I think they're good for each other, Kate does genuinely love him and recognises her own "baggage" (horrible term - we all have personal history) and is trying to deal with it and knows she has to start to let go of her tie to her father. She's even started easing up on her mum (though unlike what we're I think supposed to think, I don't think that's all Kate's fault. Some of it is down to Jack actually always playing Disney dad and never wanting to be the "bad guy" but Rebecca also has some responsibility too - I've noticed she rarely JUST gives kate a compliment, there's almost always a "qualifier" eg 'you sang that great but... This other song might suit your voice better' 'you look great in that but...why don't you try this on I think it would look better' it's a VERY subtle form of criticism/emotional abuse that I think is little recognised. I noticed it because my mum is like this. She can NEVER just leave it at 'that top looks nice on you...' She's always got to add 'but those jeans don't sit right' it's actually quite manipulative because it's VERY hard to call someone out on this - BELIEVE me I've tried - without coming off looking as if you're a 'professionally offended' type)

I really hope deja doesn't go off the rails. I want to see her come into her own. At worst if it is her I want it to be a "blameless" tragedy like cancer or something. A heartfelt plea to the writer as if they'll ever see this NOT to turn deja into her mother. Far too predictable and makes a mockery of the pearsons mkii taking her in and helping her.

Our of left field - could it be Annie? The younger daughter? Is ill or dies? Again REALLY hope they don't do 'they neglected their own child for their adopted child' Schtick either.

Please let it just be "life sucks" which is kinda what happened with Jack. (Although obviously alcoholism doesn't exactly help in terms of heart health, and once the damage is done it rarely recovers).

[legolimb]

That was a odd series finale.

I wasn't paying full attention at the start so was confused with dad being in the room looking older etc.

Anyway the wedding was nice. Kate and Toby looked happy.

Poor Deja though. I hope that she doesn't go off the rails. I don't know if that's what happens in the flash forward scenes. Randal looks a lot older then. My first thought was that they were visiting Beth in hospice care or something?

Will see in series 3.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Ok this one made my sob

When Kate did her speech to her mum Before the wedding

Nice he gets with his sil friend /sister

[WitchSharkadder]

I don’t think Deja going off the rails would make a mockery of the Pearsons. She’s not a young child, statistics show that kids who spend a lot of time in the care system often have serious issues. It would be quite realistic for her to go off the rails. In fact, I’d be pretty disappointed if they all just become a big happy family suddenly after one little chat with Beth’s cousin.

[pregle]

Ah man those flash forwards! So happy Kevin seems to be in a good place...poor Toby. Even sadder when you see how happy they are at the wedding. And don't even get me started on Randalls family...I think I'll have to find a way to watch it sooner than whenever / if ch4 decides to show it...I wasn't as engaged with this season but still really liked it: and I need to find out who tess and Randall are talking about! But I don't want to spoil it either...or do I...ahhhhhhh this show!

[dingdongdigeridoo]

I wonder if I’m the I’m the only one who wholeheartedly agrees with Toby’s parents? Run for the hills, Toby! You aren’t perfect, but surely you deserve better than spending your whole life hearing about Jack and dealing with Kate’s melodrama.

You’re not wrong. Kate doesn’t need grand romantic gestures and a perfect wedding. She needs serious bereavement therapy before she can move on with her life. No wonder he looks unhappy in the flash forward. I’d look like that too if I had to put up with Kate.

[Loopytiles]

He’s got plenty of flaws himself!

[HannahnotAgnes]

I loved it & loved the flash forwards too - so much to look forward to!

[Whisky2014]

Graphista...how do you know its 10 years and 1 year flash forwards because it obviously doesn't say that when we see them so are you reading about them? And this comment "the cousin has her shit together at the wedding but we know there's more to her)" do we? What do we know? Or are you referring to the conversation she had with Deja before the wedding?

I didn't think the deja episode was emotional, i found it the most boring one out of the whole 2 series.
The latest epsiode though, i had a fair few tissues!

[Graphista]

Sorry yes because I've read ahead didn't mean to spoiler for anyone

Also though Randall and Tess are clearly much older.

Re Beth's cousin, Beth did talk to someone (Kate? Rebecca? Can't remember) and say that her cousin had been basically abandoned by her parents to living with Beth and her parents, the cousin also said to Deja that this had happened and she was angry with everyone even though she knew they loved her.

So yea we (as viewers) already know there's more to the cousin.

Had to look up as couldn't remember cousins name think it's Zoe.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

I thought Randall said something along the lines of not having to wait another 10yrs

[LightastheBreeze]

Randall said whether a year from now or ten years when the flash forwards were on

Poor Toby

[Whisky2014]

Well I thought the story of Beth's cousin was just that and her story could resonate with deja. Not that it will go into a background of Zoe? But who knows.

[CurbsideProphet]

The Randall and Tessa flash forward was definitely 10 years in the future, Randall's narration said so. I agree with WitchSharkadder that it would be too simplistic for all Deja's problems to be solved after a quick chat with Zoe.

One thing I really like about This Is Us is that it doesn't usually sugar coat all of the shit that people can go through.

Watching This Is Us reminds me of how good Brothers and Sisters was!

[Graphista]

No I don't expect Dejas story to be all rainbows and unicorns but it doesn't have to be all negative either.

I'm not sure I agree re not sugar coating. The show does deal with social issues but I do think they're very sanitised.

In particular jacks alcoholism (so far anyway) we've very rarely seen him portrayed as anything but a loving husband and father and the alcoholism as only affecting him. I think we've seen one maybe 2 incidences of him losing his temper when drunk and that was directed outside of the family.

My own personal experience as a child/niece/grandchild of alcoholics is that it's highly unlikely that an alcoholics behaviour didn't negatively affect the family and that one who's temper flares when he drinks doesn't take that temper out on their family. That has really annoyed me actually. I keep waiting for the shows writers/producers to allow us to see more of Jack as a flawed person rather than a sainted late husband/father.

Though I wonder if the idea is that we're seeing him through the family's eyes? And often when someone dies unexpectedly and quite young they are then put on a pedestal. I've experience of that too. As I'm sure many mners do.

[HannahnotAgnes]

I thought just that Graphista, in that as it's their memories, they have Jack on a pedestal & only remember the good times.

Plus I do imagine that Rebecca would do her utmost to protect the kids & not let them see anything too negative - she strikes me as someone who would only argue with Jack in private, so likely the kids didn't see too much.

[Graphista]

Yea she strikes me as that type too. And the type to "stay together for the kids" plus Jack & Rebecca are actually supposed to be nearer my parents age/Generation. Which is hard to get my head round as they mostly are seen portrayed as my age (40's) or younger.

[HannahnotAgnes]

Same here re parents ages - my parents are early 60s & I'm 41, so similar to them. I know my mum was totally devastated when she got divorced as that just didn't happen for her (dad cheated after 30 years together - she was just 50 when she found out). If there had been an option to keep quiet & ignore, I believe she would have done to avoid being a divorcee.

[Whisky2014]

Rebecca did say to the counsellor she wasn't going to start slagging jack off to her kids since they really only had good memories and were young when he died, why would she tarnish that?

[CurbsideProphet]

I think that we'll see more of Jack's alcoholism in season 3, perhaps from the perspective of Jack's friend / Rebecca's partner (I can't remember his name)?

What's so good about the writing is that everyone who watches can take something different from it and it's much harder to predict than other dramas

[Graphista]

"perhaps from the perspective of Jack's friend / Rebecca's partner (I can't remember his name)?"

Miguel - played by Jon Huertas who played javier Esposito in Castle.

I like that it's predictably unpredictable and moving. Very cathartic.