This Is Us Review: Clouds (Season 4 Episode 15)

Therapy is in session for the Pearsons.

This Is Us Season 4 Episode 15, “Clouds,” delivers an installment that is critical of its characters and aware of their missteps — for the most part.

The result is an in-depth look at how brothers Kevin and Randall see themselves within the Pearson patriarchy, and how they are looking to rectify their past mistakes in the face of Rebecca’s devastating diagnosis.

Now, whether or not this episode is a breakthrough for the series or a breakdown is still unclear.

Randall’s therapy session is a spectacle in that it is incredibly uncomfortable to sit through.

One can only assume this is what This Is Us Season 3 Episode 15, “The Waiting Room,” was originally going for when it trapped the Pearsons in a hospital waiting room together to hash things out. The difference between the execution of “The Waiting Room” and “Clouds” is the nature of the conflict.

Seeing Randall unable to lower himself to a level where he can be vulnerable with a therapist is one the audience can be frustrated by without losing respect for Randall’s therapeutic journey. We understand that Randall’s anxiety is only the beginning of his troubles and that the lows of this healing process are just as important as the highs.

This Is Us does a wonderful job of forcing us to feel most of Randall’s frustration by using a faceless therapist and mysterious hissing noise to put the audience on edge. It is clever to have these seemingly important details lead to nothing but a demonstration of Randall’s compulsive obsession with control, rather than an actual plot twist.

It is Beth who ends up rectifying the sour after-taste of Randall’s first therapy session.

Her reality check doesn’t come a moment too soon as she slaps Randall off his high horse with the realization that she is struggling just as much as he is after the intruder ordeal. Beth is scared to be alone, she is not sleeping well at night, and she is tired of having to hide her struggles from her husband.

This is the kind of mature conflict we should have seen from these two last season. Beth rectifies the situation by being brutally honest with Randall. At the end of the day, the Pearsons can get caught up in themselves and they need people who can be blunt with them.

I would also like to thank This Is Us for never once succumbing to the idea that all people need guns to protect themselves. Having Beth pull pepper spray from her bag when we are expecting a gun is a small, but incredibly important, detail in this world the series is building.

This Is Us has had a phenomenal run this season, but when it comes to Kate, this series is still struggling.

I understand that the series is trying to provide us with a fleshed-out character that makes mistakes. But seeing Kate call Toby out for not being there for her and then, when her husband attempts to be a better father, she pushes him away feels bigger than that.

Sure, she owns up to this mishap after some surprising sound advice from Madison, but what about all the other times Kate and Toby have fallen into this cycle of toxic conflict?

I think Madison’s apology to Kate for sleeping with Kevin would come off better as comedic banter if this weren’t two grown women who should be allowed to date whoever they want without feeling sorry. Is it really so weird Madison had upside down sex with Kevin that she needs to apologize for it?

This Is Us certainly hasn’t stumbled when it comes to Kevin. Not only has he learned to ditch the conceited actor front and revolving door of girlfriends, but Kevin has also learned how to connect with us through his family in an abundance of lovely ways.

This episode does a wonderful job of showcasing Kevin’s unique relationship with his mother and picks a particularly heartwarming baseball card story from his preteen years to commemorate their time together before the fire.

Not to mention the odd little tidbits about Rebecca’s vinyl collection and Kevin’s baseball cards accompany the dialogue beautifully. They also make Kevin’s decision to purchase the Jack Candelaria baseball card (which is a very cool shout out to Blue Jay fans and Canadians alike) not for him, but as a good luck charm for his mother.

We have the pleasure of seeing how Kevin has made life more enjoyable for Rebecca, and how he will continue to after her devastating diagnosis. We also get a therapy session of sorts for the character as he explains to Rebecca that he has never felt like the brother his family needs him to be.

Thankfully he’s the brother we need for this episode to succeed and that is all that matters.

“Clouds” has plenty of great moments to consider this a success.

However, this ambitious episode, in a race for the finish line, attempts to cover a ridiculous amount of ground in one episode. Instead of focusing on Kevin’s time with Rebecca or Randall’s therapy session, the episode tries to juggle them along with several other side stories.

The result is a crowded installment brimming with talent, but a talent that is too easily drowned out by the next actor to enter the scene.

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

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review: Forget All the Boys, This Sequel is the Real Heartbreaker