This Is Us Review: The Last Seven Weeks (Season 3 Episode 10)
It has been seven long weeks for Randall but let’s not kid ourselves, it has been just as tough for the viewers that had to endure that tedious campaign storyline.
Thankfully the race is over and This Is Us Season 3 Episode 10, “The Last Seven Weeks,” is ready to be that light at the end of a dark tunnel.
Everything from that epic Game of Thrones reference to the revelation that Jack knew Nicky was alive says This Is Us is back and ready to fight for its rightful place as the best drama on television.
What I admire most about “The Last Seven Weeks,” is its dedication to changing our outlook on Randall’s campaign even though it may be the series’ weakest storyline yet.
What this episode manages to do is no shorter than the miracle Randall pulls off to stay in the running for councilman. It uses a unique week by week format and strategically placed scenes with Jack to justify Randall and Beth staying together despite their constant arguing this season.
Honestly, it is no surprise Randall wins the campaign. It is more of a relief than anything since it would be cruel for This Is Us to spend all that time building to such a lackluster ending. Not too mention all the work this episode does to make us enjoy some aspect of this political storyline.
Having Randall end the episode by telling Beth the good news perfectly rounds out this chapter of the story and allows for Randall to move on to greater things without further resentment from viewers.
That being said, no matter how much does work for Randall’s arc during this episode one can’t help but feel like it’s too little too late to make this storyline great again.
It just seems like This Is Us has spent so much time isolating Randall from his family over this dumb obsession that any more time spent away from his family feels like it is still contributing to the problem.
There is just so much about this storyline that isn’t on brand for the show and disrupts the flow of the formatting even when it is at its best. Here’s to hoping Randall being councilman isn’t nearly as polarizing as running for councilman because that was one race This Is Us didn’t need to start.
Then again this show didn’t have to pull the “my father died because of a tragic house fire, feel sorry for me,” card but they did — and it’s kind of awesome.
As much as she may hate to admit, Kate resembles her mother more than anything. But this episode sets out to remind us just how much of Jack Pearson she has in her.
Jack would go to the ends of the earth to give his kids everything and Kate playing the dead father card to get back Toby’s precious Star Wars collectibles has that same level of crazy desperation her father relied on to pull off his grand schemes.
I mean if anyone gets to play the sympathy card, it is Kate Pearson. That girl has been sitting with a whole stack of cards to play and I am so glad she used them to guilt trip a nineteen-year-old into giving back a grown man’s toys. Not only is this entire exchange awesome and inappropriate — it is incredibly hilarious.
Sometimes you have to find a way to laugh in the face of tragedy and This Is Us demonstrates that sentiment perfectly with plenty of dignity and fake tears.
Another scene that contributes greatly to the success of this episode is Kevin and Zoe’s fight in his loft — or I guess their loft.
Couples bickering is one of the most loathsome and irritating ways to spend screen time in my opinion but Zoe and Kevin do not waste a second of our time.
Their fight does a great job of representing what a damaged person can look like because Zoe is damaged. She is looking for any reason to push people away and if she has to exaggerate how pushy Kevin is to do it she will. So it is incredibly wrenching to watch her escalate a fight she has been subconsciously looking to pick with Kevin for a while.
That comment Zoe makes about her home being her one safe space is one many can resonate with for a multitude of reasons.
Which is why it is important to see Zoe remove the walls she has built around herself and ask for Kevin’s John Stamos key back — I’m not sure why this episode involves so many Stamos references but I’m not complaining about it — because it’s showing that Zoe doesn’t want to be a toxic person she just can’t help it sometimes.
“The Last Seven Weeks,” takes a brief step back in time to give us a promising future.
And each development on this episode is better than the last. Jack being aware Nicky is still alive will have huge ramifications for the man’s image going forward and honestly, I am here for some more mystery. It’s not as dramatic as how Jack died but it pretty darn close.
The greatest thing this episode does is give the Big Three something to hope for — because without hope what’s the point of all this bleakness?
We’re all winners when the Pearsons are happy.
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