This Is Us Review: The Cabin (Season 4 Episode 14)

The future of this series is looking mighty fine!

This Is Us Season 4 Episode 14, “The Cabin,” lulls us into a false feeling of safety with its trademark formatting and the gothic winter setting of a cozy cabin, only to spring an unbelievable ending on us.

In this devastating turn of events that has left many of us speechless, This Is Us manages to craft a sensational conclusion to an already successful episode, proving once again that the people behind this series are masters of storytelling.

If we judged episodes simply on how good their endings are, “The Cabin” would get perfect scores across the board.

This is an extremely solid episode that feels like it could even be a mediocre one at times. Then BAM — This Is Us wallops us with the sound of Jack’s voice, untouched by the time and death, echoing through the speakers of a cassette player.

The reactions of the Big Three mimics ours. We may hear Jack’s voice every week but the fact that almost all their recordings of Jack perished in the fire is not lost on us. These characters are hanging on to every word of Jack’s speech, elated to have a new piece of their father after losing so much of him to their past.

The series chooses to use Jack’s legacy in this brief moment to clarify how big a part Rebecca played in it, confirming that it’s Rebecca who puts the scetch in the time capsule, not Jack.

And to the beat of “To Build a Home” by the Cinematic Orchestra feat. Patrick Watson, television’s go-to song for total and emotional devastation.

Flashforward scenes have not been this show’s friend in the past, but everything about this glimpse into the future feels like a gift to the current storyline rather than a burden.

The time-lapse showing the construction of Jack’s dream home is the perfect transition from present to future. Having Kevin pull up in a fancy car in front of a house that looks like it’s straight out of the Twilight films helps too.

But nothing can prepare us for how fine the future looks — Yes, I am indeed talking about an aged Kevin and his thirst trap of a grey beard. This older, and hopefully wiser, Kevin is easily the best part of this episode for reasons that are quite obvious really.

If this is what the future of This Is Us is going to look like from here on out, I am all in!

This episode is the first of the series to pull off the impossible feat of making a single concept work seamlessly across three separate timelines. This achievement is not lost on us as we find ourselves embracing every scene of this beautiful and haunting masterpiece.

The present-day timeline is elevated entirely by the Big Three’s secrets. Secrets that could just as easily dragged this series down.

Kate’s reaction to the horrifyingly detailed voicemails Madison leaves on her phone isn’t nearly as great as Kevin’s inability to hide his involvement. It’s also comforting to see the looming drama sustain itself for a little longer as Randall puts a plan in motion to deal with his anxiety and Kevin seemingly forgives his siblings for not telling him about Rebecca’s diagnosis.

The Big Three are on good terms when they have had every chance not to be and that, in turn, puts the audience in a good mood.

The past has Jack and Rebecca in top parenting form, which is something we will never bock at.

The time capsule is introduced as a fun concept by Jack to pass time but quickly becomes the most important plot tool of the episode. The cabin setting acts as an anchor for each timeline, but the time capsule is what gives this location-centric episode the shove it needs to be something greater than a nostalgia trip.

The conclusion to Kate and Marc’s cabin trip is anticlimactic with most of Kate’s terrorizing night happening off-camera, only to be told in bits and pieces as her family begs for answers. But given that Marc is an awful character and the series wants no part of him in the present day, sending him out the door couldn’t have happened fast enough.

There is no place for Marc’s toxic behaviour on this episode. But there is a place for Rebecca’s own legacy to shine, along with the tragic beauty of her complicated relationship with Kate — and that is far more important to the story This Is Us is telling.

This season has no doubt played the long game, sowing seeds of misconception throughout the plot to keep us on our toes.

After seasons of secrets and self-destruction that tear the integrity of this series down, it is exhilarating to see This Is Us prove its twist can be better than that with surprise developments that are wholesome, emotional, and clever — but never once toxic to the story.

This Is Us reassures us that the pilot’s jaw-dropping ending has never been a fluke. This show has many endings left to wow us with, and a bright future to show for it.

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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