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The Pearsons are back with more revelations and tears for the final season of This Is Us and viewers are not ready for it.
Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us follows a heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles and their parents. The three grow up discovering deeper meanings in their present day loves and revelations emerge from their parents, Jack and Rebecca's past. The final season of This Is Us is said to answer burning questions while also showing how the Pearsons' deal with Rebecca's declining health.
It's time to dive in and dissect the first episode, The Challenger, of NBC's This Is Us Season 6.
Caution: This article contains spoilers!
'This Is Us' Season 6 Episode 1: Review
NBC's This Is Us has returned for its one last hurrah, ready to do the impossible again by delivering a beautiful storyline like always. The brilliance of the series lies in how real the stories feel and how easily they are able to connect with the viewers. This beloved show focuses equally on the loss and light in one's life, which might be something the viewers need during these trying times.
The comment by little Kevin in This Is Us Season 6 Episode 1 about how his parents would die someday hits hard and stays with viewers. This is further driven home since it emerged from a kid who had just witnessed his heroes die in a space shuttle explosion. This Is Us is not the first show to go back and forth in time to build its plot, but the way its timelines blend perfectly makes it stand out from the others.
This episode of This Is Us featured a beautiful recall and comparison to the very first episode of the series. Viewers saw parallels between the characters and how far they have come since then. From Kate's desperation to open her fridge and have a slice of cake to ignoring it and setting breakfast for her kids. From Randall's journey of finding out about his biological father on his birthday to finding out about the robber, and Kevin going from a playboy bachelor to a loving father of twins.
In the past six years of This Is Us, viewers have had the privilege to get glimpses of the Pearsons' futures, past and their presents. The main theme of This Is Us is how people and families change over time, including how the beloved characters grow old and die. What makes the series even more poignant is knowing the fact Jack dies young and every moment he shares with his kids and Rebecca is no less than mesmerizing.
This Is Us Episode 1 of Season 6 is titled The Challenger, and is directed by Ken Olin with Dan Fogelman as the writer. The beauty of the episode lies in its brilliant juxtapositions with the Challenger explosion. That particular tragedy is very similar to Rebecca's cognitive decline when it comes to how each of the Big Three handled it. Kate is still the optimist who tries to make the best out of the tragedy, Kevin bottles himself up and Randall overcompensates the pain by being compulsively compassionate.
Kevin's reaching out to Kate to express himself when he was a kid and as a grown up is a very compelling sequence. His fear of Jack and Rebecca dying is coming true and he is not okay with it, just like every kid is with their mother.
It is also a testament to how strong a mother figure Rebecca has been to the kids and it is hard for them to digest their mother's growing sickness. Despite the grief, This Is Us Season 6 Episode 1 wasn't as depressing as it was raw and real with a few bits of humor to balance out the hard stuff.
Catch This Is Us Season 6 Episode 1 streaming on NBC, Hulu and Hotstar.
