This Is Us Review: Songbird Road: Part One (Season 3 Episode 11)
This Is Us Season 3 Episode 11, “Songbird Road: Part One,” finally reveals how Nicky didn’t die in Vietnam and the ordeal is nothing less than an emotional punch to the gut.
We are only halfway through this journey to Songbird Road and This Is Us already has us questioning everything we’ve come to know about Jack Pearson’s story.
One thing is certain, after three seasons this show is still finding new and creative ways to shock us.
“Songbird Road: Part One,” feels like a natural continuation of the Vietnam storyline This Is Us started earlier this season and a valuable extension of Jack’s story.
The initial Nick mystery seemed like a short one that would surely be dragged out. But that couldn’t be farther from the case and before we can even get comfy the Big Three are knocking on their Uncle’s trailer door looking for answers.
The answers are not as simple as how Nick lived this time either. There are many complicated layers to Jack and Nicky’s relationship and this episode meets them head-on with damning, intricate, and hard to swallow truths that will have you wondering how a show can be this good.
From the constant revolving door of Jack Pearson reveals that catch us off guard to the hard-fought lessons that stand to be learned by both the character and the viewers, this episode is another lesson in how to create an experience people won’t soon forget.
I stand by the notion that the multiple-timeline structure is both This Is Us’ greatest strength and its greatest weakness, depending on how well the format is utilized.
This episode plays off nothing but it’s strengths and that includes using this timeline structure properly.
From the moment Jack and the Big Three head out for Songbird Road you can just tell their parallels are going to be a home-run. But it isn’t until the episode begins to switch rapidly between Jack reuniting with his brother and Kevin introducing himself to his uncle that you realize just how much of a winner we have on our hands.
Having both the moment with Jack and with his children share the screen simultaneously really does help the storyline’s building tension and doesn’t let a moment of screen time go unused.
When multiple storylines can still co-exist beautifully like this after several seasons it feels like we are falling in love all over again with Jack in that hospital hallway. This Is Us better keep that feeling coming because it is everything that made us fall in love with these characters in the first place.
The revelation that Nicky accidentally took a child’s life with a grenade while fishing is devastating to watch. It feels like a train wreck you just can’t look away from and easily justifies the sudden appearance of Jack’s brother in the series in a matter of seconds.
The aftermath, much like Rebecca’s break down in the hospital after Jack dies, is what really drives that horror home to the audience.
The look on Jack’s face when he sees the flip flop in the water says it all and if that isn’t enough to wreck you, the child’s mother wailing until her cries consume her may very well do the trick.
Nick later admits to the Big Three that he will never forget the sound that came out of that mother’s mouth as she dropped to the ground — and frankly neither will we any time soon.
This Is Us has made sure Vietnam left an impression on us and while haunting, it is the show’s way of shedding new light on our hero Jack Pearson that leaves us feeling the most uneasy.
This show has always tried to find the good in the bad life deals us. But by putting Jack in a position where his actions can’t necessarily justify the means tells us that just like everyone else Jack was human and he didn’t always do what was best for the people around him.
Despite what we’ve chosen to think Jack Pearson wasn’t always Super Dad and This Is Us is ready to unveil that part of him. Exploring a more problematic side to Jack looks promising because it isn’t about making him more of a villain, it’s about making him more human.
And the fact that his children are learning from his mistakes just makes this entire storyline come full circle the moment you spot the gun sitting on the table in front of Nick.
Dr. K would be happy to see how this show managed to take the sourest lemon that life has to offer and turn it into something resembling lemonade — because that is exactly what This Is Us has done with Nick and Jack’s story!
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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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic and a Critics Choice Association member. She credits her passion for TV to workplace sitcoms, paranormal dramedies, and coming-of-age stories. In her free time, Alicia loves to curl up with a good book and lose herself in a cozy game. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts. You can also find her work on Eulalie Magazine and Cool Girl Critiques. Follow Alicia on social media: @aliciagilstorf