This Is Us Review: The Challenger (Season 6 Episode 1)

This Is Us Season 6 Episode 1, “The Challenger,” is true to form, structuring an entire birthday celebration around one of the most tragic events in recent American history. Oh, how I missed this show’s sense of humor.

Much of This Is Us‘ tried and true formula is left intact, striking a perfect balance of mundane beauty as it pulls on threads that trace eloquently back to the pilot episode.

The somber tone of “The Challenger” aspects could have easily disrupted this premiere’s safe familiarity. Instead, this first page of the final chapter finds its crucial edge in the ugliest moments.

The Challenger is more of a plot tool for the Pearsons than an episode-encompassing topic. And for the most part, that restraint works because processing such a tragedy through children beginning to understand loss can be powerful.

It’s haunting to see Rebecca hone in on Randall’s silence, only for him to deliver “she had children” with such innocence it breaks the scene down instantaneously.

The quiet beats that follow are far more telling of This Is Us‘ storytelling capabilities than anything with the Big Three in the present day.

I love how this episode has Rebecca resonate with the empath in Randall, while Jack spots many of his coping mechanisms in Kevin’s lack of emotion. Any chance to have Jack Pearson process toxic male ideology is a gift.

Any chance to have more Kevin and Jack content is also a treat.

Jack and Kevin are the most underutilized dynamic, and yet, they are arguably the most rewarding of the series.

These two operate in small moments and having Jack be the one to learn Kevin uses stories on TV to process his grief feels right. It is every bit the emotional tug we hope for after years of desensitizing ourselves to these people and their issues.

Everything in these flashbacks, including Kate’s ability to find a silver lining in loss, beautifully puts the Big Three’s coping mechanisms on display so that the present-day can begin to draw from those distinctions more blatantly in the wake of Rebecca’s diagnosis.

The Small Three realizing they will watch their parents die one day is the catalyst that puts this premiere’s emotional intelligence on full display.

It also just hurts; it hurts a lot.

Again, it’s infuriating how the saddest beats of this episode can be the strongest. This Is Us certainly has a way of making our worst fears works of performative art.

Rebecca’s dwindling health is a perfect example of that, tackling a dense perspective where too much of an outsider perspective will make the experience a taxing character study for the entire ensemble to carry.

So instead, this episode chooses to forgo the worried glances to dive right into Rebecca’s point of view, and more importantly, her brain’s point of view. The shots meant to demonstrate how a simple word like a caboose can get lost in the fog and send Rebecca into an obsessive spiral are worth championing.

That complex information would pass when spoken out loud. However, it’s more gratifying when relayed effectively through physical manifestation and stellar cinematography.

Rebecca’s cognitive battle is depressing, but as long as the series continues to utilize Mandy Moore and its artistic lens to this extent, we will come out on the other side, having admired what beauty this grief draws from.

That’s not to say Rebecca’s journey to acceptance is the only thing the present day has to offer. It’s just, unfortunately, the only storyline to push the envelope and earnestly attempt to tread new ground in this final chapter.

Surprisingly enough, Kevin and Madison offer viewers some of the freshest and fun storylines of the episode. Figures, we would root all last season for these two to break up, and now that they are, This Is Us goes ahead and makes their dynamic interesting.

I do love this platonic parent dynamic, though. I love how uncomfortable Kevin gets around Madison’s male book club friends and how he still binge-watches TV series with his ex-fiance.

I love how Madison is her own person and mother, with hobbies and storylines that do not revolve around the Pearsons.

Let us hope Kevin moving out does not mean the end of their co-parenting shenanigans because there’s not a ton to complain about this time around.

As far as goodbyes go, This Is Us takes steps to demonstrate this one will hurt.

However, this senior citizen drama does not have the luxury of slowing down. The Season 6 premiere demonstrates how unbearably predictable this show’s beloved formula can be when it refuses to tread new ground.

It is evident in the blandness of Randall’s birthday (minus Beth being a seductive queen). Returning to the burglar storyline feels like circling. Considering last season’s cliffhanger, Toby and Kate’s relationship red flags also feel redundant.

Reflection and repetition are closely linked thanks to intertwined storylines, and This Is Us has to be careful of where it steps.

“The Challenger” is a safe premiere. It dips its toe into the water with a trusted formula and flow, giving us the character beats we know like the back of our hand.

But dammit, fans don’t want to see this show play it safe. We want the Pearson grand gesture, not whatever it is Toby was attempting.

—

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!

20 Best TV Dramas of 2021