This Is Us Review: One Small Step (Season 5 Episode 11)

Some people spend their whole lives taking leaps of faith and others, as we learn with Nicky, are still struggling to take that first step. 

This Is Us Season 5 Episode 11, “One Small Step,” demonstrates that even in the realm of fictional storytelling, some people can’t be persuaded to change course and grow even if that would make for a better story.

We would love to see Nicky confront Jack in the parking-lot after Vietnam, and we would love to watch Nicky drive off into the sunset with Sally. We want these things because they’re good for the character and the story. But in showing us the three chances Nicky gave away, This Is Us finds a greater story to tell.

Nicky is a flawed character, even for a show that thrives off its flawed characters. But This Is Us has found ways time and time again to connect us to his character through his flaws, and ultimately the small steps of progress he takes to live a better life.

So it seems only right that “One Small Step” would be an ode to Nicky’s greatest mistakes in his life, and the achievement made possible by their existence. Building an entire episode around one man’s journey to visit his nephew wouldn’t be groundbreaking if Nicky wasn’t so petrified of living.

And thankfully, the groundwork for Nicky’s character has already been laid, so his mistakes can be celebrated rather than ridiculed. We understand how the smallest of mistakes can set him off after a lifetime of choosing wrong at every turn.

It’s nice to see This Is Us use the storyline that has become an important part of Kevin’s journey to fan-favourite Pearson to highlight Nicky’s greatness as well. It’s even better to see Cassidy is still apart of Nick’s life and willing to help him do incredibly wholesome things like wrap presents for Kevin’s children.

We have had a lot of bottle episodes this season and most stick the landing. But what makes this focus of Nicky work particularly well is the episode’s ability to successfully frame such a large chunk of past storylines side-by-side with a small moment of acknowledgement from Nicky in Kevin’s kitchen.

This careful use of the show’s timeline to orchestrate a small moment of triumph for a man that has never had one is commendable. It drills into us through a very dense plot that even the simplest of gestures can become that moment — the moment your whole life has been leading to.

By taking us through each storyline and demonstrating how Nicky missed out on that moment, first with Sally and then with Jack, This Is Us allows us to understand what Nicky went through to get to Kevin’s doorstep.

It’s the kind of bittersweet and in-depth storytelling that has been desperately lacking from this season.

When Cassidy asks Nicky if he would think Jack was proud to see him make it to California, we finally feel this season gut us emotionally for the first time — and it feels utterly horrible in all the ways we need this incredibly sad show to be sometimes.

Speaking of gutting us emotionally, let’s talk about the snow globe scene because something tells me our sad brains aren’t going to let us forget this devastating turn of events any time soon.

This Is Us opens this episode with an incredibly sweet montage of Nicky seizing the day. He’s getting ready for his big trip; straightening Kevin’s invitation on the fridge, crafting a custom gift for the newest Pearson twins, and even asking Cassidy to explain Amazon to him slowly. It’s all incredibly wholesome and cute!

But then tragedy strikes. It’s hard enough to watch the TSA agent rip his thoughtful wrapping paper to shreds. It’s even more heartwrenching to see Nicky drop the snowglobes, sending all his hard work and heartbreak flooding across the airport floor.

Obviously, the scene is effective at driving home Nick’s desire to do the right thing for once, but did we really have to shatter the man’s spirit (and our hearts) to do it?

And while Jack Pearson responding to someone asking if he’s a Cancer with “No, I’m fine” is pretty freaking adorable, it will never make up for the pain the broken snow globes have caused us. This time you went too far, This Is Us!

This episode, and the loveable estranged uncle at its core, would be nothing without the two actors playing Nick Pearson.

Angarano and Dunne are two sides of the same coin, brilliantly playing off each other’s mannerisms to drive home the authenticity of a single performance across multiple storylines. They both display such a cohesive depth to this character in each period of his life, it’s quite astounding to watch.

Unfortunately, these bottle episodes make up the majority of the season now and because of that, they have lost some appeal as the story becomes compartmentalized. I do have to commend This Is Us for delivering episodes like Nicky’s that feel like they’re giving us a lot when in actuality they’re doing little to move the plot along.

It’s through these small steps and easily overlooked stories that This Is Us will hopefully be able to take one giant leap for Pearson-kind when the time comes to bring this season home.

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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