This Is Us Review: Storybook Love (Season 4 Episode 5)

This Is Us attempts to rival The Office’s infamous “Dinner Party” episode with its own cringy take on the Pearson family dinner.

However, in the process This Is Us Season 4 Episode 5, “Storybook Love,” creates something much more commandable — a healthy dialogue surrounding anxiety and mental illness.

The decision to center an episode completely around anxiety is a bold one, but it is one that makes us ever so grateful for this latest installment.

Not too mention, the Pearsons handle themselves incredibly well considering the touchy subject matter and Rebecca’s questionable cooking.

It hasn’t been difficult to notice the push This Is Us is making this season to be more inclusive and I commended the series for not overlooking mental health in that push to not only relate to viewers but to include them.

Facing the stigma of anxiety head-on is an integrity move this show doesn’t necessarily have to make with this episode. But boy, am I glad This Is Us went ahead and did it anyway.

Worry is the catalyst of this love story and the key ingredient to duplicating the show’s winning formula.

It rears its ugly head throughout the episode in daunting and clever ways, portraying this erratic boogyman with a realism many viewers know well.

It helps to have Sterling K. Brown and his portrayal of mental illness be spot on once again. The actor conveys a nearly invisible illness with a vulnerability that allows the audience to understand what he is going through without having to guess.

This Is Us infuses this anxious theme into nearly every scene and not once does the effort feel forced.

We know this series can excel when it connects it’s content effortlessly, flowing from one timeline to the next with ease. However, it’s just as satisfying to see This Is Us bring together scenes that have nearly nothing in common and connect them with a strong underlining theme.

And it’s no surprise this technique works with “Storybook Love” given how successful the use of episodic themes have already been for the drama this season.

The episode is quick to draws parallels between Kevin marrying Sophie and Kevin buying an RV to live next to his Uncle, two things that perplex and stress out his siblings. But it is Tess’ panic attack that really drives home the focus of this episode early on.

From there, everything works with a fluid grace as we bounce from scene to scene, highlighting the struggle of mental illness in each character.

There’s Nick having to leave the hockey game due to his PTSD, Rebecca’s worry that her post-Jack world won’t be enough for her kids, and Randall’s nervous ticks that put Beth on edge. There are even points in this latest installment where you can hear Randall’s heavy breathing lingering in the background of conversations.

The series uses its platform to show how mental illness can affect not only the people who have it but their families and loved ones as well. This not some glorified campaign to bring awareness to anxiety, it is still very much an episode of This Is Us at the core.

Even so, the show doesn’t try to pretend that Cassidy and her husband broke up over their different tastes in music or that Randall’s panic attacks have gone away. It’s a factor of who these people are and This Is Us leans into that beautifully.

What really sells the context of “Storybook Love” is not the harsh realities of mental illness but each character’s response to dealing with them.

There has to be something, or rather someone, to balance out the negatives this episode dredges up. That positive beam of light comes in the many forms of Beth Pearson. She is a comforting shoulder for the Pearsons to lean on in the past and present, and the confidant we desperately need in order for this concept to work.

The negatives of seeing William and Randall hating themselves for passing down anxiety to their kids is balanced out by Beth’s choice to remind her loved ones that mental illness is not a weakness, it’s just a sign that they’ve tried to remain strong for too long.

I love seeing This Is Us bring William back and use his connection with Beth to make that point to Randall and Tess. This is a prime example of how well this show can navigate the timelines it has at its disposal to get a point across. Not too mention the fact that more Ron Cephas Jones is never a bad thing to have.

This Is Us offers some sage advice and healing antidotes at the end of this latest installment that is rather admirable. A moment listening to the bubbles to soothe your nerves and a moment to laugh with Jack and Rebecca. It’s a good ending to a good episode.

I will say I don’t love the use of the scene divider at the beginning of the episode to let viewers know dinner prep is taking place. It’s great to see This Is Us recognize it will need to enlist the help of some scene dividers to break up this ambitious episode. I just wish we could have seen more of them throughout the episode to be consistent.

However, amongst the greater agenda of this episode is an abundance of little moments that make the Pearsons world spin round.

Jack Pearson is seemingly a man without fear. But as it turns out, common street birds are his one weakness. I mean is there anything better than seeing the patriarch of the Pearson family squeal and knock over the lasagna with a tennis racket in an attempt to save his wife from a pigeon? No, there is not.

Also can Cassidy please continue playfully telling Kevin to shut up? These little interactions fuel the enemy to lovers trope I desperately need more of. As for whether or not I’m actually rooting for these two to be a couple — the jury’s still out on that one.

And only This Is Us could make a story as mundane as slicing ice cream a certain way the star of this episode. It’s a testament to the great storytelling that takes place on this show and the ability to resonate with viewers over little details of the human experience. This series deserves all the ice cream for this one.

Whether it’s slices of ice cream, fizzy pop, or grand gestures, This Is Us has its ways of making us feel better.

This episode’s portrayal of anxiety is commendable and director Milo Ventimiglia’s vision complements the tone of the episode well.

“Storybook Love” really isn’t about finding that perfect unblemished love story. It’s about the choices we make to love in spite of a mental illness or a dark moment from our past.

Top Lines From “Storybook Love”:

Toby: “The Pearson men are known for their grand gestures. It could be literally be anything.”

Ryan: “Glad to meet the adult man that my nine-year-old son says is one of his best friends.”

Nick: “You have strange relationships with people.”
Kevin: “That may be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about me.”

Nick [to Kevin]: “I don’t like people. I don’t even like you very much.”

Rebecca: “We need to be able to think about him and not only be sad. We need to be able to talk about the hot sauce.”

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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