‘This Is Us’ comforts as it teases in emotional premiere
This Is Us knows how to pack an emotional punch.
The first season of NBC’s family drama became known for its ability to make its audience cry — so much so that the emoji associated with its hashtag on Twitter is a box of tissues.
Now the series is back for a sophomore season with sky-high expectations and the chance to break viewers’ hearts even further. Tuesday’s Season 2 premiere delivered on both fronts, gamely kicking things off with the same strong, consistent and emotionally devastating format that it honed so well in Season 1.
But more than retaining the quality of the first season, the premiere should also satisfy fans itching to know details surrounding Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death, which has been kept secret in spite of the series’ penchant for illuminating flashbacks.
In the final moments of the episode, the camera turns to the night of Jack’s death, when a devastated Rebecca (Mandy Moore) pulls up to the charred remains of the Pearson house, suggesting that Jack died in a fire inside.
How the fire started, why Kate (Chrissy Metz) feels responsible and why no one else was hurt aren’t revealed. But This Is Us has always thrived on its small clues and mysteries, and the glimpses of that night included a shot of a red-headed girl grieving with teenage Randall (Niles Fitch), and Kevin (Logan Shroyer) sporting a broken leg.
Mysteries and puzzles are a part of This Is Us, for sure, but the series is made by its strong characters, and the biggest improvement after a summer off the air comes in Kate’s storyline. She has long been defined by three things: her weight, her relationship with Toby (Chris Sullivan) and her relationship with twin brother Kevin (Justin Hartley).
The premiere confronts this head-on, when, with Kevin back in L.A., and back in Kate’s daily life, he and Toby get into an argument about who should take care
of her. Kate interrupts to remind the men she’s 37 (it’s her birthday) and can take care of herself. It’s a much-needed moment that will help develop her character this season as she pursues a singing career.
Overall, This Is Us gave viewers more of what they loved last sea-
son. Sterling K. Brown continues to deliver, well, sterling work as Randall, who is now consumed with his need to adopt a child, but checks himself before that obsession hurts his marriage to Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson).
Kevin is carving out a career, and although his long-distance relationship with Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge) is tough, the pair appear to be dealing with it better.
Back in the past, Jack admits to Rebecca that he’s an alcoholic and agrees to come home with her, which should have provided a mostly happy ending to the monstrous fight the couple got into in the Season 1 finale. Except, of course, the specter of his death will loom over the whole season until all of the details have been revealed.
The episode affirmed that This Is Us is one of the most consistent series on the air, with strong acting and storytelling. And isn’t that just the comfort you expected the Pearsons to bring in Season 2?