This Is Us Review: A Hell of a Week: Part Two (Season 4 Episode 12)

Love is television’s greatest weapon and This Is Us knows how to wield it well.

So it’s hardly a surprise that This Is Us Season 4 Episode 12, “A Hell of a Week: Part Two,” manages to sell a thirty-year relationship between Kevin and Sophie as the tragic love story it is meant to be.

Some will say this Kevin centric episode lacks action. Others will say the decision to leave another big question mark at the end of his love story is a mistake.

Here’s the thing — ever since Jack died on Superbowl Sunday it seems like a part of this show died with him and after a number of episodes it finally feels like we are finding something new to love about This Is Us.

Many of us went into this episode hoping, and partially expecting, for a happily ever after.

But it is clear from the moment Sophie utters the words “my fiance” that she will not be jumping back into bed with Kevin any time soon.

It’s not practical to expect her to uproot her whole life for Kevin again, and I’m glad This Is Us establishes this early on so the audience can understand these two are not just morning Sophie’s mother, they are also mourning their relationship.

That doesn’t mean we don’t feel the need to still root for Kevin and Sophie romantically. There is an ease to their relationship that is only amplified by the moments of this episode spent eating donuts in the car together and trying to out-pun each other.

Establishing that they will not become a couple at this moment in time doesn’t hinder these two from telling a grand tale of love and heartbreak. If anything, their inability to be in sync with each other only makes the emotional moments hurt more.

This second part of the Big Three trilogy isn’t meant to be Kevin’s happily ever after. Just like Randall’s is not meant to introduce a permanent solution to his mental health issues.

This is a turning point for these characters and a crucial one at that.

Justin Hartley does a wonderful job of showing off this new, more earnest, Kevin that has emerged in recent episodes. He jumps effortlessly from solemn to goofy, winning us over with every new development.

The scene where he revisits the fire pit where his childhood ended the night of Jack’s death is accompanied beautifully by lighter moments like the one where Kevin puts his headshot on the grave and quickly realizes how scummy that gesture would have looked if he had followed through.

Kevin’s decision to jump into bed with Madison is certainly unexpected and will likely be the first challenge he faces as a changed man. One has to hope this ends in a grand romance between two people that have shown measurable growth, but I have a feeling it will end with a baby, a called-off engagement, and many broken hearts.

That brief overlap of the three storylines in Rebecca’s kitchen is a prime example of how This Is Us is using this trilogy to its advantage. By reusing the same scenes from Part 1, the show can create a new perspective that adds intriguing new layers to this trilogy.

What works so well with the “Sad Three” scene is how Randall’s panicked phone call with Kevin is used to bring Kate into the story just in time for her episode and with lots of promising drama I might add.

A prime example of how this tool is not used productively comes when Kevin wastes several minutes having a conversation with Randall on the phone that we’ve already heard.

The scene, while still adorable, provides no new information regarding either character and that’s a real waste for everyone.

It’s a delight to see This Is Us continue Jack’s never-ending night throughout the trilogy. So much so that seeing Kate standing in the threshold of the living room at the end of the episode warrants a good squeal.

The promise of more wholesome Father Pearson is always worth celebrating.

Kevin makes his fair share of Pearson grand gestures during his time with Sophie, but Jack’s not one to be outdone. His search for the lamb mobile and that emotional speech to Kevin about learning to love something else is just too good, even for Jack Pearson.

This is turning out to be the best use of Jack post-mortem yet. One can only hope This Is Us looks to this bit as an example for all future flashback scenes.

Kevin’s just a guy standing in front of a girl’s house with donuts, asking her to love him again.

Sophie may have said no, but “A Hell of a Week: Part Two” sure has us saying yes to every part of this sad love story.

After a hall-pass blunder and this Madison shocker, it understandably frustrating to see Kevin and Sophie part ways once again. But given that this series still has many years left to torment us, let’s not count these two out just yet.

With this Big Three trilogy setting the stage for some truly delicious developments, I don’t think the future of This Is Us has ever looked as promising as it does right now.

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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