Well, the Pearsons are finally back and their return couldn’t come soon enough. Tonight’s premiere, “Strangers,” featured a surprising amount of firsts for our favorite characters as well as exciting introductions to new characters.
In the past, Jack and Rebecca return from their cross-country road to LA and return to their lives in Pittsburgh. A few days later, after meeting Miguel for the first time while suit shopping, Jack meets Rebecca’s parents for the first time. After some passive-aggressive Northeasterner barbs come flying his way, Jack Pearson gives one of his trademark speeches about life and sways most everyone at the table. He doesn’t sway Rebecca’s father though, as the man pulls him aside to basically tell him that he’s not good enough for her. In the present, we’re introduced to a couple of new characters, Malick and Cassie.
Malick is a young teen in living in Randall’s district with a baby daughter. At first, we can see the weight of fatherhood weighing heavy on the boy’s shoulders. But after a deep conversation with his father we see a carefree teen who just wants the best for those around him. Made obvious by his mastery of a grill at a barbecue near the end of the episode, where he meets Deja. Cassie is a combat veteran who we meet overseas as she negotiates with locals in a Middle Eastern village. After peacefully coming to terms with a local woman to provide the face of a man the army is searching for, she is shaken to learn a predator strike demolished the village. She returns home mentally scarred and during an episode of PTSD accidentally hits her son.
As the episode ends we see her at a veterans’ support group, which gets crashed by a drunk Nicky Pearson. The final new character in this episode actually isn’t new at all, we learn, just older. An older version of Jack, Kate and Toby’s baby in the present day, is seen going through his day-to-day, cracking jokes about his blindness, being compassionate, and falling in love. In the end, everyone’s connections to the Pearsons we know are shown in their full glory while future-Jack sings a song about strangers to a huge crowd.
Immediate Reactions
Honestly, when I first started this episode I didn’t think I’d be on board with the new characters. This Is Us excelled in intertwining one family’s stories across time and I was worried that these new, seemingly unconnected stories would only muddy the water. But man was I wrong. Even before the ‘big reveal’ in the final minutes tied everything together I was fully on board with these new stories, sure I missed the usual faces absent for most of the episode but, these new stories are fresh compelling and much more intertwined with the main OG characters than I expected.
MVP
Jack, not Kate’s kid. He was out of his element, in a country club, with limited screen time this episode. But, he still managed to have “Jack Pearson Moment” that was only slightly outdone by his grandson, some time in the future. However, I think the thing that makes Jack most deserving of the MVP this week is the fact that, regardless of what Rebecca’s father does to intimidate him, Jack obviously comes out on top there. Not only does he continue dating Rebecca but, he ends up marrying, and starting a family with, her.
Did I cry?
No, but I teared up. Don’t expect that to hold though, this show likes to lull you into a false sense of security with its premieres before kicking you in the heart for 15 weeks. I set the over/under for my buckets-worth of tears shed this season at 12. Just got a feeling it’ll be an emotional one.
Now, here’s a look at the best three moments from tonight’s episode:
3. Malick’s a Father
This one got to me, at first it seems like the story we’re going to get with Malick will be a tired one about a good kid getting mixed up in the wrong stuff. However, this moment turns that idea on its head. Up until the point when he calls himself ‘daddy’ while speaking to the baby you’re thinking “oh, it’s sweet that he loves his sister so much.” But, then he reveals that it’s his daughter and suddenly everything makes much more sense about why he was so obsessed with his phone and making it home on time.
2. Jack’s Speech in the Country Club
This is my personal favorite moment but, I have to admit I’m a bit of a Jack Pearson stan. I love Milo Ventimiglia and I love what this character has grown to mean to not only the Pearsons but this entire series. Ever the cornerstone of seizing the moment and learning from your hiccups, Jack returns from the bathroom and gives throws down the country club verbal beat down of a lifetime. He doesn’t do it maliciously though and that’s the important thing here. He lays out facts, sympathizes with the strangers who before questioned basically his entire existence but still called out their ignorance. And Rebecca obviously approved or else the Pearsons wouldn’t even exist in the present, or future, in the case of this week’s #1 moment.
1. “Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Damon”
Ok, if you didn’t get chills during this moment then why are you watching this show. Both Cassie and Malick had their connections to the Pearsons revealed already but this mysterious new blind character was still well… a mystery. However, as his parents receive the news of his condition in the present, the audience realizes that the blind singer is actually Jack Damon, Toby and Kate’s son. It’s an incredibly powerful moment and scene as we see baby Jack with his family showering love on him juxtaposed with the future version of Jack as he performs for thousands. The scene pulls double duty though as it also fully reveals Malick and Cassie’s connections to the Pearsons through Deja and Nicky.
It really brings together a number of story threads in a brilliant, poignant way and is without a doubt the high point of this incredible premiere. Also, looking back at the episode, Jack’s INCREDIBLE sense of humor should’ve keyed us into who he really was. Only Toby Damon could pass that on.
Predictions-
Honestly, so much was set up in this episode that I really have no idea where things might go. (We’re working with THREE distinct timelines now people.) But, I am excited for the way Kate seems to resemble her father more and more, especially when it comes to her own kid. I think the juxtaposition of Jack’s future life with his childhood will be just as interesting this season as it was in the first three seasons with the Big Three. I think Kevin will actually beat his alcoholism this season alongside his uncle, and Cassie. That trio will at least be one of the most interesting to watch this season. Elsewhere, I really hope we get to see how Randall impacts the community on the city council. There’s at least one little easter egg this week with a woman who has a ‘Pearson’ bumper sticker. But, since we’re moving outside the immediate circle of Randall’s perspective with Malick and his family, it’d be interesting to see Randall’s effect from an outside point-of-view.
Check out the promo for next week’s episode “The Pool: Part Two” below:
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 7/8 C on NBC.
