This Is Us Review: The Right Thing to Do (Season 1 Episode 11)

Welcome back This Is Us fans!

This Is Us Season 1 Episode 11, “The Right Thing To Do,” picks up several days after Christmas.

First things first: Toby is alive.

Did anyone doubt this? I mentioned in my previous review that when shows end on a not-so-suspenseful cliffhanger, disguised as a suspenseful cliffhanger, it’s lame. Unnecessary melodramatics cheapen the experience, and there was just no way that Toby was not going to be OK.

Toby and Kate are in a solid place. He needs another surgery because of his heart condition, and Kate convinces him to get it after some persuasion. Before being whisked away to the operating room, he tells her he loves her.

She doesn’t say it back.

Olivia is back, and I don’t know how to feel about it.

I actually didn’t mind her so much with Kevin…that is until she revealed herself to be a giant asshole. And I kind of like Sloane with Kevin, but the relationship was thrown together and had absolutely no buildup. So, while I sort of like him with both girls, I actually don’t like him with either girl. Good job, show.

Kevin is more interesting in family dynamics, anyway. I want to know more about his relationships with Jack and Rebecca. His depth of character is almost totally minimized when he’s around his love interests, and that’s not a good sign. Kevin is at his best when he’s around family.

The highlight of this episode is unquestionably Jack and Rebecca.

We find the two back in the late 70’s, preparing for the birth of their children. The discovery that they’re having triplets  sends the couple in a panic. They’ve put a down payment on a small apartment only big enough for one little baby, not three.

In addition, we also get a glimpse into Jack’s upbringing. These unpredictable flashbacks are what keep the show exciting.

You never know what piece of vital information you’re going to find next.

The opening scene of the hour is teenage Jack witnessing what seems like one of many violent occurrences between his abusive no-good father and mom. His mother makes him promise to not be like his father, and we all know he lives up to that promise and beyond.

The episode touches upon very realistic financial fears of parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids. We see what lengths each Jack and Rebecca are willing to go through to ensure a future for their family.

Rebecca agrees to live with her mother, who she doesn’t get along with (for very good reason), as long as she gets the help and support while raising the kids.

And Jack, who can’t bear Rebecca’s pain after hearing her secretly cry over the decision, goes to his father out of desperation.

It’s extremely telling that the damaged parts of Jack’s personality that we have had clues of (the drinking, disappearance acts, etc) come from his past relationship with her own father.

At one point, Jack acknowledges to his father that he’ll always be a screw up, which couldn’t be further from the truth, but there’s more there than we know.

Jack borrows some money from his dad and buys a house for him and Rebecca to raise their children in. In a kind of beautiful and heartbreaking sequence, we see Rebecca envision her family in the home they just bought.

As happy as the scene is supposed to be, you can’t help but feel a little melancholic about it, knowing that things get complicated down the line.

The episode really emphasizes how sacrifice is a major aspect of a marriage and in parenthood. We do difficult things for the people we love, and it was wonderfully depicted through Jack and Rebecca.

I wonder if Jack will ever tell Rebecca where he got the money from. Will the secrets fester inside the marriage, ultimately tearing them apart years later? Will we see more of Jack’s dad? Will we see more of Jack’s inner demons?

Opening up Jack’s past procures a lot of questions, and I hope the show really goes for it and continues to flesh this character out.

Other final thoughts:

• I love the little Dr. K shots in the hospital. I love what his presence adds to the show and in the family’s life. I hope he continues to do these small appearances in the future.
• The awkwardness Randall feels around William, who has now come out to his family, feels a little manufactured. Randall feels like a guy who would take the reveal in stride, and not struggle with it so much.
• Just a thought, but I would love to learn more about Beth. She’s like the Christina Braverman of the show, right? Except not nearly as annoying. But Christina got a good chunk of storytelling on Parenthood, and I would like to see Beth have an integral role on the show on her own, and not just as Randall’s wife. Someday, I hope.
• Please, please, please can we just keep William? I don’t want to see him go.

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.

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