This Is Us Season 3, Episode 17"R & B" Posted by Shannon I thought I was ready for this. On its face, I was. I was ready for Beth and Randall to throw down, to see just how far the show was willing to take this argument. But I wasn’t ready for … [Read more...]
“It’s you. Final answer.” – This Is Us Recap – Don’t Take My Sunshine Away
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 16"Don't Take My Sunshine Away"Posted by Shannon To be perfectly honest, I’m still recovering from last week’s episode. I think the show is too; after all, it’s standard practice to get a bit of a breather episode … [Read more...]
“This family stays.” – This Is Us Recap – The Waiting Room
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 15"The Waiting Room" Posted by Shannon A well timed, well executed bottle episode is a thing of beauty. They can’t be overused, and you shouldn’t necessarily see one coming, but if a bottle episode hits it out of the … [Read more...]
“Ready for the graduation double feature?” – This Is Us Recap – The Graduates
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 14"The Graduates" Posted by Shannon Generally speaking, this is not a family that handles large-scale transitions well. Without their patriarch, without their self-declared center, big life changes tend to throw … [Read more...]
“I’m gonna forget that part of me.” – This Is Us Recap – Our Little Island Girl
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 13"Our Little Island Girl" Posted by Shannon In hindsight, it’s a crime how little we’ve known about Beth Pearson. I don’t fully disagree with the slow burn of her career change leading us to this, the first full hour … [Read more...]
“I wanted to be a writer. And then I wanted to be a Doctor. And then I didn’t want anything.” – This Is Us Recap – Songbird Road, Part Two
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 12“Songbird Road: Part Two” Posted by Shannon There must be something in the air on Songbird Road that brings the Pearson men down. For all the sadness of Part One, as dire as Nicky and Jack’s estrangement … [Read more...]
“Yeah, you’re Jack’s kids, alright.” – This Is Us Recap – Songbird Road, Part One
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 11"Songbird Road: Part One" Posted by Shannon One of the only true and tangible signs of growth, in this writer’s humble opinion, is the ability to learn from mistakes. It’s a theme throughout the episode, but I’m … [Read more...]
“What’s on my mind? Uh, John Stamos, mostly.” – This Is Us Recap – The Last Seven Weeks
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 10"The Last Seven Weeks" Posted by Shannon A fundamental truth about my media taste is that I am a massive sucker for a story told backwards. (Fiddling with time structures in general is a win for me, which is why This … [Read more...]
“I’m happy to sing for my supper.” – The Top 10 Classical Music Moments In Hannibal
Posted by Shannon If it’s the dead of winter, I’m probably watching Hannibal. There’s just something about Hannibal that lends itself to the cold; I have to be cuddled up under blankets, drinking tea while bathing in the lavish sets, incredible … [Read more...]
“This family lifts each other up.” – This Is Us Recap – The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 9 “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning” Posted by Shannon Is this my favorite episode of This Is Us ever? I can't say for sure. But it’s on the list, right up there with “Memphis” and the entire Big Three … [Read more...]
“No one person can be my MVP.” – This Is Us Recap – Six Thanksgivings
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 8 "Six Thanksgivings" Posted by Shannon Thanksgiving is the perfect Pearson holiday. It’s got just the right dash of drama that comes with families of all sorts coming together and making traditions, without the … [Read more...]
“I’ve gotten really good at just swallowing the bad stuff.” – This Is Us Recap – Sometimes
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 7 "Sometimes" Posted by Shannon I’m a solo traveller. Almost exclusively, when I head out of town it’s by myself, with a Rick Steves backpack and a vague outline for what I’m gonna do when I get where I’m going. … [Read more...]
“Live in this house for a while, you learn your way around a talk.” – This Is Us Recap – Kamsahamnida
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 6 “Kamsahamnida” Posted by Shannon For better or worse, the Pearsons are fighters. Each in their own way, sometimes misguided and sometimes valiant, but fighters nonetheless. “Kamshamnida” gives each member of the … [Read more...]
“Fits and starts, right?” – This Is Us Recap – Toby
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 5 "Toby" Posted by Shannon If you told me this time last year that I would be annoyed when an episode titled “Toby” focused on all our main characters rather than diving deep into the life of its namesake, I never … [Read more...]
“The solo gets all the glory, but the bass holds down the root.”- This Is Us Recap – Katie Girls
This Is Us Season 3, Episode 3 "Katie Girls" Posted by Shannon There certainly was a lot happening this week. “Katie Girls” isn’t so much a throughline episode - instead, the hour is busy making a whole lot of plot happen. Each of the Pearsons … [Read more...]
“I see so much of him in you.” – This Is Us Recap – A Philadelphia Story
Posted by Shannon It goes without saying that death and trauma have lasting effects. We haven’t seen much of the first days after Jack’s passing, and while the ripples into his family have been a constant fixture of the show, we’re all still … [Read more...]
“I dunno how you’re gonna make this right with Oprah.” – This Is Us Recap – Nine Bucks
This Is Us, Season 3 Episode 1 "Nine Bucks" Posted by Shannon Hello hello and welcome to Season Three! If you joined us for my recaps last year (in which case, thank you, good to have you back) you might remember that after last season’s finale, … [Read more...]
The Winners of the Fifth Annual Feelies!
Posted by Kim, Sage, Sarah, and Shannon After a week of ferocious campaigning (look, we aren't even sorry for letting our biases show when it came to the WTF moment) and fervent voting, the winners of the Fifth Annual Feelies are here. Some of the … [Read more...]
“You are my way.” – This Is Us Recap – The Wedding
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 18 "The Wedding" Posted by Shannon If all of Season Two was about Jack’s death (and it was, for better or for worse), then it’s only fitting that the finale take a step back and refocus. Set us up … [Read more...]
“I can’t carry this for you.” – This Is Us Recap – This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 17 "This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life" Posted by Shannon I love a good thesis statement. It’s the English major in me, I’m sure, but a comprehensive thesis statement can’t be beat. It’s adaptable but steady, and as … [Read more...]
“Let’s never do nothing again.” – This Is Us Recap – Vegas, Baby
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 16 "Vegas, Baby" Posted by Shannon I love it when art imitates life. Just a few weeks ago, on our way to the annual Gallifrey One convention, myself, our fearless Head Over Feels leaders and a large contingent of … [Read more...]
“You’re as tough as they come, Rebecca Pearson.” – This Is Us Recap – The Car
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 15 "The Car" Posted by Shannon In retrospect, it was a mercy to have these most recent two episodes air within three days of each other. After building up to “Super Bowl Sunday” for most of the past … [Read more...]
“I am going for the catharsis jugular.” – This Is Us Recap – Super Bowl Sunday
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 14 "Super Bowl Sunday" Posted by Shannon I recently had a revelation about anniversaries. Having hit one myself - a five-year anniversary of a personal holiday tradition - I got to thinking about how we mark the … [Read more...]
“The last Pearson Super Bowl is getting off to an angsty start.” – This Is Us Recap – That’ll Be the Day
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 13 "That'll Be the Day" Posted by Shannon I know, I know. I’ve been saying since the Season 2 premiere that teasing out Jack’s death was manipulative and tired. And I stand by it. But to be completely honest, now … [Read more...]
“Strays always end up with someone who needs ’em.” – This Is Us Recap – Clooney
source: bigthree.tumblr.com This Is Us Season 2, Episode 12 "Clooney" Posted by Shannon George Clooney references abound in This Is Us. The last time we heard Clooney it was in reference to Kevin’s grand Manny return, so I honestly … [Read more...]
“This is not how I pictured my day at rehab going.” – This Is Us Recap – Fifth Wheel
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 11 "Fifth Wheel" Posted by Shannon Between the winter break and the structure of the fall trilogy, it’s been a while since we’ve had the whole Pearson gang together. And DAMN is there a lot to talk about. … [Read more...]
“That’s the ride.” – This Is Us Recap – Number Three
This Is Us Season Two, Episode 10 "Number Three" Posted by Shannon Just as he was the last piece of the familial puzzle for Jack and Rebecca, Randall’s entry into the fall finale trilogy pulls together each of the strings from the last two … [Read more...]
“We will not let this break us” – This Is Us Recap – Number Two
source: thisisthebig3.tumblr.com This Is Us Season Two, Episode 9 "Number Two" Posted by Shannon The fall finale trilogy is beginning to resemble a kaleidoscope; with each turn of the camera, we see a new angle, gain a new awareness, … [Read more...]
“You guys wanna honor Kevin Pearson? Let’s honor him.” – This Is Us Recap – Number One
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 8 "Number One" Posted by Shannon The first half of the season is winding down with a structured trilogy of episodes focused on each of the Big Three. Personally, I love this idea; This Is Us hasn’t played with its … [Read more...]
“We don’t get a lot of families in here that look like yours.” – This Is Us Recap – The Most Disappointed Man
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 7 "The Most Disappointed Man" Posted by Shannon Disappointment and hope are intrinsically linked; in a heartbreaking, complicated way, it’s almost impossible to have one without the other. “The Most … [Read more...]
“I’m not the same as I was.” – This Is Us Recap – The 20s
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 6 "The 20s" Posted by Shannon When my quarter life crisis hit, I had just moved to New York City, finally achieving a goal I’d had for the entirety of my young life. Sure, I made it to the town of my dreams, but that … [Read more...]
“I try not to feel anything at all.” – This Is Us Recap – Brothers
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 5 "Brothers" Posted by Shannon The Pearson family has a few calling cards. Steelers fandom, a knack for performance, and an attachment to unique traditions all signify their familial bond. But they also share a … [Read more...]
“You shouldn’t have to try.” – This Is Us Recap – Still There
This Is Us Season 2, Episode 4 "Still There" Posted by Shannon There certainly is a lot going on this week. Thematically, “Still There” is all over the place; the episode splits its focus between race, parenthood and illness, bouncing around … [Read more...]