TV Review - This Is Us: Season 4

It's worth noting that the first episode of this season pulls off the same trick as the first episode of the first season. When this series premiered in 2016, its pilot pulled off a trick that was almost similar to a M. Night Shyamalan twist. I suppose it's appropriate that Shyamalan as an actor would then appear in this season, but, back in 2016, we were shown three story lines. Those story lines seemed distinct and separate. They seemed like they had nothing in common. Except, by the end of the pilot, we learned those three story lines were connected and related in surprising ways. We learned that those three story lines weren't happening in the same time-continuum but were all apart of a tapestry, painting a portrait of a family, that family being the Pearson family.

The premiere of Season 4 basically does the same thing, except it expands things. Instead of three story lines, it's actually four story lines. One of the story lines involves two characters with whom we're familiar from the previous seasons. The other three involve characters with whom we're not familiar. Again, the series surprises by showing how all four story lines here are connected. It wouldn't be a spoiler to say that most of the story lines aren't happening in the same time-continuum but that all are apart of a tapestry, painting a portrait of the Pearson family.

I'm of two minds about this tactic employed again. On the one hand, the three unfamiliar story lines here introduce a diverse group of characters who are interesting by themselves. The writers of this series could have crafted three spin-off shows based on those diverse characters. Given how this series has operated for its previous seasons, those diverse characters are probably going to be sprinkled throughout this season. Maybe the writers think that they need these new characters because they're running out of ideas for the established characters.

On the other hand, the previous seasons have bounced around in the lives of those established characters and have left a lot of gaps in their lives. It's already been announced that this series has been renewed to Season 6, so the writers have time to fill in those gaps, but invariably these new characters will detract from things they could be doing with the established characters, particularly with filling in those gaps. Basically, the show is expanding its world, instead of contracting and narrowing it more, which is something baked into the DNA of the show, based on its pilot. It's just that now we might be seeing the negative consequences of that DNA.

Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes and Gilmore Girls) stars as Jack Pearson, a Vietnam veteran who became a businessman living in Pittsburgh with his wife, Rebecca, played by Mandy Moore (Tangled and 47 Meters Down). Rebecca was an aspiring singer who came from a wealthy family. In the pilot, we see Rebecca give birth to triplets in 1980. The first story line in the opening of this season takes place before Jack and Rebecca's marriage, while they're still dating and Rebecca introduces Jack to her snobbish parents.

Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time) plays Cassidy Sharp, a military veteran who seemed like she served in Iraq. She's in her mid to late 30's. She's married with a child, but she suffers from PTSD, which causes a rift between her husband and son. Asante Blackk (When They See Us) plays Malik Hodges, a teenage black boy who lives with his parents but who despite being a baby himself has a baby of his own. Finally, Blake Stadnik plays Jack Damon, a blind singer and songwriter who falls in love with a waitress at a diner.

It seems as if Cassidy, Malik and Jack have nothing to do with the Pearson family. Yet, by the end of the first episode of this season, we see how these three people are linked to the Pearsons. Cassidy and Malik exist in the year 2019 and are potential love interests for a couple of the members of the Pearson family. Jack Damon exists some time in the future, possibly in 2049, where it's revealed that Jack Damon is actually the grandson of Jack Pearson and is in fact named after his grandfather.

While the end of Season 3 of this series saw a jump into the future, it's still unclear as to what the writers were teeing up. The opening of this season makes it clear that the show wants to explore the lives of the grandchildren of Jack Pearson, their lives as children and as adults, just as the previous seasons have been about the lives of the triplets. Sadly though, while depicting the life of a blind person would be really compelling and Stadnik is a real-life blind person, which is rare for an actual blind person to have a featured or even starring role in a series, his story line is so far removed from everyone else with whom we're familiar that it can't help but be a detraction.

Cassidy seems like she's going to be yet another love interest for Kevin Pearson, played by Justin Hartley (Revenge and Smallville). Kevin is one of the aforementioned, fraternal triplets. Kevin gets a new love interest every season. Sometimes, he gets multiple love interests. It feels like another relationship that's just going to come and go. Malik seems like he's going to be a love interest for Déjà Pearson, played by Lyric Ross. Déjà is the adopted daughter to Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown. Randall is the adopted brother to Kevin and adopted son to Jack and Rebecca. I have nothing against Déjà, but her story has dominated so much of the show since she was introduced, much to the detraction of Randall's other children. For the show to add Malik for Déjà, it feels like even more of a detraction.

The series will still have interesting things as well as really strong acting performances to enjoy despite these detractions. Chris Sullivan (The Knick) was Emmy-nominated for the first time this past season for his role here of Toby Damon, the father to Jack Damon, the aforementioned blind singer. Toby is the love interest to Kate Pearson, played by Chrissy Metz (American Horror Story). Kate is the other of the aforementioned triplets. Both she and Toby have struggled with weight problems like obesity. That gets turned on its head with Toby's weight loss and becoming a muscled up hunk. A shirtless scene engages in a male body type that isn't often exposed on screen. How it affects Kate will be interesting, so the show is still watchable with these kinds of compelling things.

Rated TV-14.
Running Time: 1 hr.
Tuesdays at 9PM on NBC.