This Is Us Review: Jack Pearson’s Son (Season 1 Episode 15)

We see Jack and Rebecca’s worst fight yet on This Is Us Season 1 Episode 15, “Jack Pearson’s Son,” and it’s ugly.

But we also see something truly heartwarming between two characters who have struggled to find common ground.

So, let’s start there.

This is a significant episode for the Kevin and Randall relationship.

From the beginning, the show has been layering on reasons for why this relationship is so fraught. Both of their perspective grievances with each other have felt justified in some sense, but with most things, it seems like a lot of their issues stem from a misunderstood place.

Kevin’s resentment towards Randall stems from this idea that his parents always favored his brother over him, and Randall’s coldness towards Kevin stems from Kevin’s own mistreatment towards him growing up. There is no inherent love lost, it’s just the culmination of insecurities and hurt feelings that clouded their relationship.

While the brothers have been slowly mending their relationship since Kevin moved in with Randall, “Jack Pearson’s Son” sees a big, necessary jump in a positive direction for their reconciliation.

As I noted last week, Randall is in a bad way. The stress from work and William’s deteriorating health has caused him to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

Through the past timeline, set in the 90s, we learn that Kevin is familiar with Randall’s panic episodes. As teenagers, Randall had a panic attack and Kevin, believing that this is yet another example of Randall being prioritized by his parents, offered no help of sympathy towards his distressed brother.

In the present time, we are again in a similar situation. Kevin sees that Randall is distressed, but is too preoccupied with his own self and his play to do anything about it. That is until he has an interesting conversation with Miguel of all people.

Despite their own tense relationship, Miguel and Kevin have a pretty meaningful interaction that ends with Miguel giving priceless thoughts to consider. “You are your father’s son, remember that and think about what he would do.”

These words give Kevin enough pause to finally put his brother first (even if it does come at the expense of several other people, including Sloane. Baby steps, I suppose).

So, Kevin leaves the opening of his play to tend to a confused and broken down Randall, and we receive a pretty emotional and cathartic scene between the brothers.

As always, the acting is exceptional and both Sterling K. Brown and Justin Hartley put a lot of soul into their characters.

Meanwhile, back in the 90s, Jack and Rebecca have a blow out fight over Rebecca touring with an ex-boyfriend. This is a stark image from last week’s sweet moment in their old apartment, but we knew it was coming.

The argument gets ugly and heated, and Jack ends up going to Valentine’s dinner alone, which is never a good sign for any marriage.

He’s also drinking again — which I’m glad the show is bringing up again since it hasn’t been tackled since Episode Two— but again, not a good sign.

With Jack and Rebecca experiencing some major obstacles in their marriage, we are catapulting towards the end of the season. There is a natural mystery that the show is slowly uncovering, and that’s Jack’s death.

And since we are inching closer to this reveal, I’m wondering how the past timeline will be affected in the aftermath. Will it lose some of its intrigue once we know how it ends for Jack?  What purpose will the past serve moving forward?

I guess we’ll know once we get there.

Other final thoughts:

• Kevin and Sophie are cautiously dating. And I am cautiously on board.
• It’s funny that our reluctance to accept Miguel (to put it mildly) is out of protection for Jack. We feel so loyal to a character that we might be treating another character unfairly, and I think the audience as a whole is collectively realizing that Miguel is not that bad. He’s actually all right.
• Teen Big Three are a likable group of actors, and I hope we get more emphasis on them next season, even if the 90s are a tough time for my favorite couple.
• I can’t with Kate’s story. It’s just so boring. Please let’s fix this for next season so I can be interested in this character again?

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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