This Is Us Review: Career Days (Season 1 Episode 6)
Patience is a virtue when it comes to This Is Us.
On This is Us Season 1 Episode 5, we learned that Jack died. And This Is Us Season 1 Episode 6, “Career Days,” doesn’t answer all of our questions, but we’re starting to get clearer view of the complete picture.
Both Randall and Kevin’s present-day stories are reflective of their relationships with their father, and we also gain some insight into Kate’s relationship with her mother.
As we have learned in previous episodes, Kevin’s feelings for Jack are complicated at best. When Kevin is having trouble mustering up the necessary emotions of pain and sorrow for a scene with Olivia, she takes him to some random person’s memorial service to get him to open up.
At first, I wasn’t too keen on the idea because it’s an intrusive and self-centered thing to do. And while it is still those things, at least it works.
While speaking with a bereaved wife at the service, Kevin finds himself opening up about Jack’s death and on how he coped with it (or is still coping with it). He describes being angry at his dad, trashing the abundant aircraft models they made together when he was kid.
Anger is a legitimate thing to feel after losing someone, but it makes me wonder how young the Big Three were when it happened. I suppose you can be angry about it at any age, but I think particularly when you are still in your formative years – up until early adulthood – that’s when it could be the hardest.
Randall’s story directly relates to our past timeline.
He experiences something of a passing mid-life crisis when he realizes he may possess untapped artistic talent. After all, William is a poet and musician, and it seems like Randall is subconsciously trying to maintain a connection to him after he inevitably dies.
Throughout the episode, Randall reconsiders his career as a weather trader, which sounds mind-numbingly dull, but through the scenes in the 80s, we learn that Randall has a real knack for crunching numbers.
We also learn that Jack had aspirations and dreams himself, which he ultimately sacrifices in order for Randall to go to a more academically rigorous (and expensive) school. But before making that decision, Jack has some real concerns about Randall standing out as an outsider.
I commend the show for making Jack and Rebecca’s anxieties about Randall be as real as possible, and for not being completely politically correct. Yvette, the African-American woman we met in “The Pool” is now a family friend, and she gives sound advice on how not to hold Randall back out of fear that he’s going to be ostracized for being different.
Then, in one of the highlights of the episode, Jack has a heart-to-heart with Randall echoing this same sentiments. At the risk of being redundant, it’s worth mentioning again that Milo Ventimiglia shines in this role. He encapsulates Jack’s morale so viscerally that you can’t help but feel moved.
Later, Randall’s most telling moment comes as a declaration to his family. Jack wore a tie to work every day because he had to. Randall wears a tie to work every day because he wants to. He likes his job. He’s good at it. And his parents sacrificed a lot to help him get there.
Finally, Kate’s body image issues are given more background.
Her entire life, she lived in her mother’s shadow because she was seemingly more beautiful and thin. It’s the sort of thing that messed with her psychologically, making her resent Rebecca which has left them estranged today. It’s a sad revelation, but I’m interested in seeing how they start to reconcile and reconstruct their relationship when given the chance.
Other final thoughts:
- Kate’s storyline has been the least interesting thus far. I find myself not caring, and I can’t completely understand why. It might be because everything about the character hinges on body image, but I also find her somewhat boring.
- Beth and Randall are playing comedy better as the episodes go on.
- Toby is not in this episode and I feel like it’s a much-needed break. Kate needs to be doing her own thing every now and then.
- I really enjoy William and am kind of hoping there’s a medical miracle in the works and we get to keep him. Or maybe he’s hiding something? Next episode’s preview seems to suggest so.
- I got a kick out of the scenes at the playhouse. I can watch a whole episode of Kevin trying to get his lines right while the playwright and director tear their hair out in frustration.
What did you think of this episode of This Is Us? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
Shabnaj Chowdhury
Shabnaj is a pop-culture enthusiast who spends much of her time enabling her coffee addiction and thinking about Jon Snow's hair. Some of her favorite shows include Friday Night Lights, The Leftovers, and Game of Thrones. Shabnaj also loves to write creative non-fiction.