This Is Us Review: The Wedding (Season 2 Episode 18)

This Is Us Season 2 Episode 18, “The Wedding” is an episode filled with warmth, catharsis, and family.

It’s an excellent season finale that leaves us with some hope — even with the concerning flash-forward to Randall and Tess’ future. 

“The Wedding” takes place almost entirely in the present day for Kate and Toby’s wedding at the Pearson family cabin. And in the anticipation of this important and exciting day, Kate’s mind is understandably on Jack.

Her mind is so consumed by him that she has recurring dreams of him, alive and in his 70s, celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary with Rebecca.

I really love how these dream sequences of Jack and Rebecca’s vow renewal ceremony are juxtaposed with Kate’s own wedding day. It feels like an organic way to incorporate Jack into the episode, and it leads to an emotional realization for Kate which feels completely earned by the show.

Sure, it feels kind of fan-servicey to see an older Jack — something we all undoubtedly wish was a reality, but it makes sense for Kate, who is about to spend to the rest of her life with another man, to be thinking about the first real man in her life, and getting some much needed closure.

Kate’s guilt over Jack’s death is an integral part of her characterization. For her to come to this moment where she’s finally ready to let go of that guilt and scatter Jack’s ashes, feels perfect to where she is in this point of her life.

She also has a moving scene with Rebecca that also feels cathartic is some ways. Kate has gone through so many hardships, that it’s nice to see her find peace with both of her parents, and within herself.

I’m confident that moving forward, this is going to help Kate grow even more as a character, as we watch her embark on a new chapter next season.

“The Wedding” also has some key moments for Randall and Kevin. They both come to the conclusion that they have, in some ways, neglected Kate and her issues but being preoccupied with their own lives. Their scene in the car as they search for a missing Kate is one of my favorites of the episode.

It’s small scenes like these — conversations that might not add too much to the plot, but give us insight into the thoughts and feelings of these characters — that make the most impact.

Meanwhile, at the cabin, Deja feels abandoned by Shauna, who has officially relinquished her parental rights. Beth and Randall try to give her space, but it’s Zoe, Beth’s awesome cousin, who comes close to giving Deja the comfort she needs. 

But alas, it’s going to get a little worse before it gets better for Deja, who ends the episode by taking a bat to Randall’s car. It’s safe to say we’ll explore Deja’s character more next season now that she’s going to be with Randall and Beth for the foreseeable future.

As for Zoe — What a great addition to this show. She’s charismatic, eloquent, and full of potential.

The episode ends with both Kevin and Randall giving emotional speeches.

Kevin, who has gone through a lot over the course of this season, talks about letting go of the grief they have for Jack. Randal gives a toast about how perfect Kate and Randall are for one another.

And in this final montage, This Is Us gives us a few final surprises to mull over in the off season.

In a year’s time, Toby is suffering from a deep depression, with Kate closely by his side. Kevin is on a flight to Vietnam, with a picture Jack and his brother during the war. And sitting right beside him is Zoey.

And then sometime is the more distant future, we get another glimpse of older Randall and future Tess. Randall tells Tess “it’s time to see her,” so which Tess reminds “I’m not ready.”

It’s not clear who they’re talking about, but Beth is suspiciously missing from these flash-forwards. Maybe there has been a falling out between Beth and Tess, or maybe Beth is ill and in the hospital, or maybe Beth has Alzheimers and is living in a home. Anything is possible at this point.

Just through these snippets of the future, the show has already set up so many storylines for season 3.

With the revelation of Jack’s death no longer hanging over the show’s head, and now that both Kate and Kevin have, in some ways, come to terms with losing their father, it’ll be interesting to see what This Is Us’ identity looks like moving forward.

Time will tell.  

Other final thoughts:

• I loved all the Kevin and Randall scenes this episode. These two have come so far as brothers.
• I’ve been a longtime advocate for seeing the inner marital life of Miguel and Rebecca, which we got tiny glimpse of in this finale. But I really hope this is something we explore deeper in Season 3.
• About Kevin and Zoe — we’ve only see a few seconds of them together, but I am already shipping the hell out of this.But of course, I have my reservations. The show does not have a good track record when it comes to Kevin’s romanic life. I’m wondering if this is the last we’ll see of Sophie. They never really gave the relationship the development it deserved. I’ll be surprised if we don’t see Sophie again, especially since she plays such an important role in Kevin’s flashbacks, but now, I’m really excited to see what Kevin and Zoe’s relationship is going to be like. 
• That last montage was great. This episode was great. This season was great. I’m a happy viewer.

What did you think of this episode of This Is Us? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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This Is Us will return for a third season on NBC next year.

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