The first season of the American television series This Is Us follows the lives and families of two parents and their three children born on the same day as their father's birthday. The season is produced by Rhode Island Ave. Productions, Zaftig Films, and 20th Century Fox Television, with Fogelman and Don Todd serving as showrunners.
The intertitle references a Wikipedia-sourced statistic about people sharing the same birthday. In 1980, Jack Pearson is celebrating his 36th birthday when his wife Rebecca goes into labor with their triplets. In the present, one of the triplets, Kate, celebrates her 36th birthday by recommitting to losing weight and befriends Toby at a support group. Her brother Kevin is an actor starring in a popular sitcomThe Manny; on his 36th birthday, he states his dissatisfaction with this role and abruptly quits in front of a live audience. Successful businessman Randall is their adopted brother who shares the same birthday. On his 36th birthday he finds and confronts his birth father, William, who abandoned him at a fire station on the day he was born, and invites William to his house. The plot line from 1980 shows Rebecca losing one of the triplets at birth, with Kevin and Kate surviving. Randall is brought to the hospital by a fireman and becomes their adopted brother.
In flashbacks, Rebecca and Jack are having marital issues; over drinks, Jack vents his issues to his best friend, Miguel. Rebecca confronts Jack over his drinking problem. In the present, Randall's wife, Beth, has suspicions about his biological father's motives. Toby and Kate start getting closer. At a party, Kevin is told he is contractually obligated to stay on his sitcom two more years. Kate and Toby dance at the party, despite people's laughter. Kevin tries to turn to Randall for advice; they are shown to have had a strained relationship since childhood. Kevin decides to leave the sitcom anyway, and do theater in New York. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Rebecca has remarried to Miguel.
In flashbacks, Randall's name was initially going to be Kyle. William, nicknamed "Shakespeare", met his birth mother on a bus ride where they bonded over poetry, but at some point they developed substance abuse problems. William is later shown on the bus as he takes his newborn son to the fire station. Rebecca is not able to bond well with "Kyle", and Jack eventually admits he cannot either. Rebecca tracks down William and prevents him from seeing his son; however, she renames him Randall, after William's favorite poet, Dudley Randall. In the present, Randall's daughters, Tess and Annie, do not know who William really is. After Rebecca scolds William at Randall's home, he leaves – Randall then scolds him even harder. Planning to move to New York, Kevin wants to bring Kate with him and encourages her to showcase her singing abilities, about which she is uncomfortable. Toby makes grand gestures for Kate, but feels she gives precedence to Kevin. William's cancer is terminal. Kevin fires Kate out of love. Toby and Kate have sex.
In flashbacks, the Pearsons go to the pool, but have setbacks: Kevin almost drowns while his parents attend to Randall and Kate; Kate is ostracized by her classmates for being overweight; and while Randall befriends other Black children, Rebecca takes it especially hard when one mother suggests some grooming tips for her Black son. In the present, Kevin is determined to land a serious role on Broadway. He does poorly in his audition, but Olivia, his Tony-nominated scene partner, begrudgingly tells him he got the role because of his fame from The Manny. In a flashback, Kevin is shown to have been insecure since childhood, which may have led him to acting. William is wrongly accused of loitering in Randall's affluent neighborhood and is annoyed when Randall does not defend him. Toby runs into his ex-wife, Josie, while on a date with Kate. Kate gets a job from Josie, who Toby warns is not the angel she seems to be; in fact, her affairs led to his weight gain and caused him to contemplate suicide. Kevin temporarily moves in with Randall.
In flashbacks, the Pittsburgh Steelers are winning Super Bowl XIV, but Jack and Rebecca are fighting about not having children. Jack punches a guy who tells him to have his wife be quiet. Kevin and Kate are conceived that night. Miguel and his wife, Shelly, are present at the time. In the present, Beth believes she may be pregnant again, but it turns out she is not. William reveals to Kevin he is a big fan of The Manny, and helps Kevin realize he should stop doubting himself. Kevin believes he moved to New York out of fear and uses the play to teach a life lesson to his nieces; he also has a penchant for painting like Jackson Pollock. Kate acts weird about watching a Steelers game and has to tell Toby why football games are personal for her. It is then confirmed that Jack died at some point.
Flashbacks reveal that Randall has been extraordinarily intelligent since he was a child, which got him transferred to an elite private school. In the present, Randall trades commodities for businesses based on weather futures, a job no one seems to understand, and he tries unsuccessfully to explain his job on Career Day. Kate starts a new job as a personal assistant for Marin and has to deal with Marin's bratty overweight teenage daughter, Jemma, who is sure her mother hired Kate over the other candidates as a way to get through to her. Kate reveals she no longer talks to Rebecca. Olivia has unorthodox methods of teaching Kevin how to deal with grief. Randall decides he wants to take piano lessons, but not from William.
In flashbacks, teenage Kevin and Randall are bickering harder than ever. Kevin moves out of their room and into the basement and wants Randall to stay away. Tensions surface at a football game, where the two (on opposing teams) get in a fight. In the present, Kevin and Randall go out to dinner by themselves when Rebecca and Miguel have to cancel. It appears Kevin purposely sat them at a large table with other people so that they would not have to be alone, but he abruptly leaves when he finds out Randall has never actually seen The Manny. Randall and Kevin fight on the street, but Kevin tells onlookers they are brothers. Kate is trying hard to lose weight, but with disappointing results; meanwhile, Toby is hitting his weight-loss goals without trying and wants to abandon the diet altogether. Beth and William eat marijuana brownies together and he accidentally reveals to her that he has known Rebecca since Randall was a baby.
In flashbacks, the Pearsons are going on a six-hour road trip to Rebecca's parents' house for Thanksgiving, but they get into a car accident and abandon the dinner completely, staying at a motel. Present-day Kate takes a break from Toby before Thanksgiving, saying she needs to get a handle on her weight and her life. Kevin invites Olivia to come celebrate Thanksgiving at Randall's house. William advises Olivia to be kinder to Kevin while she has the chance. Kevin allows Miguel to participate in a Pearson Thanksgiving tradition. Beth gives Rebecca an ultimatum, since she had already had 36 years to tell Randall the truth. Randall ultimately discovers the truth when he finds a letter from Rebecca in William's apartment. Distraught, Randall angrily confronts his mother about her knowledge of his biological father at dinner. As he leaves, Kate arrives and announces her plans to have gastric bypass surgery.
In flashbacks, child Randall thinks he can find his birth parents by the genetic trait of tongue rolling. Rebecca never tells Jack that she knows about Randall's parents. In the present, Randall is unbearably hurt and devastated by his mother's lies and betrayal. He, Kate, and Kevin make a trip to their family cabin; Olivia tags along with two uninvited guests: Asher, her ex-boyfriend, and Sloane, her playwright. Randall inadvertently ingests a hallucinogen, and has a vision of Jack at the cabin. Though "Vision Jack" is shocked Rebecca lied, he tells Randall to understand his mother's point of view. Kate still wants to be friends with Toby, but he would rather not. Olivia makes a rude comment to Kate, driving a wedge between the twins. Appalled by Olivia and Asher's behavior, Kevin kicks them out, ending his relationship with her. He later ends up sleeping with Sloane. Randall tells Rebecca he will not speak to her again until Christmas.
When young Kate develops appendicitis on Christmas Eve, the Pearsons take her to the hospital. There, they run into Dr. K and realize he needs their support after a potentially fatal car crash. In the present, after Olivia abandons the play, Kevin convinces Sloane to take her role. He also celebrates Hanukkah with Sloane's family, and she joins him at Randall's Christmas Eve party. Kate consults a doctor with her mother about the life-changing surgery she wants to have. Randall talks his co-worker out of a suicide attempt. William is revealed to be bisexual. Toby comes to Randall's house to surprise Kate and they get back together, but he later collapses and is sent to the OR.
Jack and Rebecca look for a house to fit their growing family, but do not expect to be having triplets. Jack ends up asking his estranged abusive father for money and buys a house. In the present, the cause of Toby's collapse is diagnosed as cardiac arrhythmia, not a heart attack. Randall feels William's time spent with Jesse is taking precious moments away from their family, but is assured it is only to spare everyone eventual pain. William decides to stop his chemotherapy treatments. Kevin and Sloane are doing well – until Olivia returns. Kevin ultimately decides to pursue a relationship with Sloane. Kate and Toby discuss marriage.
The episode takes place in the lead-up to the triplets' birth. Rebecca has a mental breakdown and forgets that it is Jack's birthday. Miguel tries to encourage Jack to celebrate one more birthday before he becomes a father by taking him golfing. Dr. K struggles to accept the death of his wife, who died over a year earlier, including refusing to dispose of her belongings and declining an offer for dinner at a widow's house. Fireman Joe is struggling with his marriage and he asks a priest for a miracle. William drops Randall off as a newborn at the firehouse. Joe decides to take it first to his wife, Samantha, who refuses to look after him even though they could not conceive. Joe takes the baby to the hospital and Jack decides to adopt him. Joe and Samantha reconcile. The next day, Dr. K decides to throw away his wife's belongings and eat dinner at his friend's house.
When the triplets' tenth birthday is approaching, instead of keeping the family tradition of celebrating the day as one, Kevin and Kate encourage their parents to throw them separate parties. At the birthday party, Randall only has a handful of classmates show up, while Kevin and Kate have full parties. When Kate's best friend Sophie arrives, she and Kate's entire party merge into Kevin's party, leaving Kate alone and Jack trying to comfort her. In the present day, Randall is trying to bid for a project in Calgary, but is interrupted by William, who recently stopped chemotherapy treatments and is now energetic. Kate's doctor encourages her to attend a camp instead of having weight loss surgery. After Kevin breaks up with Sloane and Toby drops Kate off at the camp, the two go to a bar together. Following Toby's advice to pursue the woman he really loves, Kevin tries to reconcile with Sophie, who is revealed to be his childhood love and ex-wife. A mysterious worker at the camp tries to talk to Kate, who is now engaged to Toby, and tries to seduce her.
Flashbacks depict Jack and Rebecca's wedding day. Years later, Miguel and Shelly get divorced; fearing their marriage will have the same fate, Jack tries to bring excitement into his and Rebecca's relationship. In the present, Kevin tries to reconcile with Sophie. Toby surprises Kate at the camp she is attending and is met with unkindness. Stress mounts and Randall cannot cope; he and Beth begin visiting a palliative care specialist. Randall misses a business meeting he planned, fully knowing his daughter's chess tournament was on the same night, when Beth insists that family come first.
In the past, Rebecca wants to go on tour with her band but, after finding out that she once dated a member of the band, Jack tells her he does not want her to go. They have a fight and Jack has his first drink in years. In the present day, Kate gets kicked out of fat camp and apologizes to Toby. They begin asking questions about each others' lives to strengthen their relationship, though Kate cannot yet answer when asked about how her father died. Randall becomes overwhelmed by work and William's declining health. Kevin is about to open his play, which is being attended by a New York Times reviewer. Right before the play, Kevin receives a call from a distressed Randall. Kevin has a flashback to when Randall used to have nervous breakdowns over self-inflicted pressure. Concerned, Kevin leaves the theater and runs to Randall's office. He finds Randall crying and comforts him.
Randall drives William to Memphis, his hometown. Intermittently, William's relationship with his mother while growing up is shown, including when she leaves him as a young adult to take care of relatives in Pittsburgh. William is, at the time, playing in a cover band at his cousin's club. He learns his mother is sick and decides to move to Pittsburgh, where she dies. In the present day, William returns to his old home, then takes Randall to his cousin's club. Although his cousin is still angry at him for not returning to the band, he forgives him and lets him play. The next morning, William is barely conscious in his bed and transported to the hospital, where doctors tell Randall that he has hours to live. Randall calls William "Dad" for the first and last time, then uses Jack's calming technique to help ease William's fear of dying. William dies with Randall by his side.
In flashbacks, Rebecca leaves for her tour. Kate encourages Jack to attend Rebecca's first show; after rejecting a colleague's advances at a happy hour, he sets out driving to the show despite having been drinking. In the present, per William's wishes, Tess and Annie plan a celebration of his life, while Beth feels left out; Randall asks her to toast William and she receives a loving postcard William sent from Memphis. Rebecca admits that she kept William a secret because she feared losing Randall. Randall acknowledges that he and William had the time they needed, and he and Rebecca reaffirm their love. Kevin's play premieres and the family loves it, though an important critic fails to attend. Randall quits his job over his firm's apparent disrespect and lack of appreciation, admitting he doesn't have a plan. Kevin and Sophie consummate their relationship and Ron Howard offers Kevin a film role after having seen the play. Kate struggles to tell Toby about Jack's death, saying she is responsible for it.
In 1972, Jack and Rebecca are set up on blind dates. Jack and a friend take Jack's life savings to a poker match and win big on the first game, but are then robbed by the host's enforcers. Rebecca, fighting disillusionment over failed efforts to start a singing career, leaves her blind date early to sing at an open mic night. Jack skips his date, planning to rob the bar that hosted the poker match, but is distracted by Rebecca's singing. In 1997, Jack drives drunk to Cleveland to see Rebecca's show, where her ex-boyfriend Ben tries to kiss her. Jack finds out and punches him, prompting Rebecca to drive Jack home. They fight and Jack apologizes, ultimately being told to stay at Miguel's. In the present, Kate and Toby return to Los Angeles; she looks at a photo of Rebecca and decides to pursue singing. Sophie sees Kevin off for a meeting with Ron Howard. Randall looks through a photo album of his childhood and tells Beth that he wants to adopt a baby.
Production
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The first season of This Is Us received positive reviews, with critics praising cast performances and series plot. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 91% based on 65 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.67/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Featuring full-tilt heartstring-tugging family drama, This Is Us will provide a suitable surrogate for those who have felt a void in their lives since Parenthood went off the air."[26]
On Metacritic, the season has a normalized score of 76 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27]TVLine gave the series "A−" saying, "With emotionally resonant dialogue and top-notch performances, This Is Us should fill that Braverman-sized hole in your heart."[28]TV Guide placed This Is Us at ninth among the top ten picks for the most anticipated new shows of the 2016–2017 season and called it, "a well-acted drama about love, life and family."[29] The overall IMDb users rating between 2016-2022 is 149k and weighted average vote of 8.7/10.
This Is Us(season 1): Critical reception by episode
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Season 1 (2016–17): Percentage of positive critics' reviews tracked by the website Rotten Tomatoes[26]
Writing for The Star-Ledger, Vicki Hyman lauded the series and said, "This Is Us (from Crazy, Stupid, Love screenwriter Dan Fogelman) methodically weaves four seemingly disparate stories into a believable and emotional whole through tiny telling details, relateable moments, and conversations and confrontations that are funny, tender or painful, or all three at once."[30]Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen wrote, "A 21st century thirtysomething for a TV generation that likes a splash of high concept in their shows and isn't afraid of melodrama."[31] Gwen Ihnat of The A.V. Club also reviewed the series positively saying, "The hour accomplishes what it set out to do. It creates characters so compelling that we compulsively want to tune back in to see them again."[32]
In a review for The Boston Globe, Matthew Gilbert said, "The pilot is beautifully shaped, the themes of building your own meaning in life are smart, and the actors already seem to know their characters."[33]
The Washington Post critic Hank Stuever said, "While I'd like to see another few episodes to make sure, there's something comfortably gooey right away about This Is Us, reminding us once more that amid all the high-functioning detectives, emergency-rescue personnel and secret-agent superheroes covered in cryptic tattoos, there are very few network dramas aimed at viewers who are simply interested in everyday people and how they feel."[34]Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's TV critic Rob Owen wrote, "Created and written by Dan Fogelman, This is Us manages the tricky task of telling emotional stories without getting too saccharine. And in each story, the characters are quite relatable."[35]James Poniewozik of The New York Times also gave the series positive reviews and said, "The first hour works its way efficiently through an economy-size box of tissues with cleverly turned dialogue and well-inhabited performances."[36] The series also received praise from critics at other publications such as USA Today,[37]The Atlantic,[38]The Hollywood Reporter,[39] and The Los Angeles Times.[40]
Some were more critical towards the show, Daniel D'Addario of Time wrote, "The show has promise, but its cynicism in terms of trying to evoke an emotional response is both what viewers will be tuning in for and its least accomplished aspect. If it could work to wring out a real response, not just an easy one, this might be a show worth watching each week.[41] Ben Travers, Chief TV critic of Indiewire, quipped, "'It all works out' seems to be the main takeaway from the pilot, but where things specifically go from here is one whopping question mark. Perhaps if this was an episodic anthology series with new characters flooding in every week and new arcs every season, This Is Us could repeat the mysterious highs of its subjectively mediocre pilot (depending on how you like that ending)."[42]
In a moderate review for Variety, Sonia Saraiya said, "It's deceptively difficult to build a surprising and complete story in just 40 minutes with so many characters. Yet This Is Us manages to both craft an intimate series of portraits and stitch them together. But at the same time, waves of cloying sentiment threaten to submerge everything."[43]
Critics' top ten lists
This Is Us was included on multiple Best/Top TV Shows of 2016 lists; these are listed below in order of rank.[44]
This Is Us premiered on NBC in the United States on September 20, 2016.[72] The series premiered on CTV in Canada on September 21, 2016,[73][74] on TVNZ 2 in New Zealand on September 27, 2016,[75] and on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2016.[76] The series premiered on Channel Ten in Australia on February 8, 2017.[77]
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