This Is Us- Season two

[anniemae]

I don't know, seems strange that the story line would wrap up so fast. I am on a Group on Facebook, and
everyone really freaked out how her mom let her alone with the boyfriend and 2 guys in the apartment.
The boyfriend looked guilty as heck when he got up to help Deja with the dishes and Deja turned around
and left the apartment. There were many, many women saying they were having "flash backs" of their own
mother doing this to them. Leaving them with their boyfriends and it was horrible. I hope too Deja has
a happy ending, but "This Is Us" tends to be a little to realistic and I have a feeling it is going to go there and
Deja will need help.

I was thinking the same thing. I was like, "How can you leave Deja there with your loser boyfriend and his random friends?????" Especially since Deja's mom and the boyfriend were fighting and not getting along. Why would she let him stay there and hang out with his friends and use her apartment?

 

[cabanafrau]

Not a terrible episode, but won't rank as one of the best. It was hard not to hang out with the Pearsons after last week's major strides in the relationships of Beth and Toby with the Big 3. Deja's story was interesting, but I felt the repetitive flashbacks to other characters experiencing similar circumstances or milestones wasn't as cohesive as the writers might have thought. It seems obvious that Beth and Randall can offer Deja a security and stability that her mother can't, but I hope they either help mom finally make a serious course correction while they remain Deja's safety net, or they remain Deja's homebase and allow her to see her mother and take whatever good she can out of the mother/daughter bond.

I don't think it's quite accurate to characterize Jack as his children's friend instead of their parent. We've seen far too many examples of Jack acting as father to simply write off his very intentional efforts to be engaged in a strong relationship with his children as being their friend. Randall has taken Jack's lead and very deliberately used it to inform his role as father to his daughters. Kevin wasn't horrified at how his "friend" would view the hash he's made of his life -- he was sickened at the thought his father would be ashamed that he hasn't lived up to the man Jack was raising him to be. IMO Jack made a very deliberate decision to see to it that his children had a father who not only put a roof over their head and food on the table, but saw to it that they had a relationship with him that they always knew they could rely upon.

 

[kimblebee]

I agree, @cabanafrau, I think Jack was being a parent, not just a friend.

As an aside, up until the moment I tagged you, I thought your name was cabinfrau lol

 

[cabanafrau]

I agree, @cabanafrau, I think Jack was being a parent, not just a friend.

As an aside, up until the moment I tagged you, I thought your name was cabinfrau lol

Nope, it's cabana -- because that's where my dreams always take me, with my behind on a beach.

 

[TeresaBelle]

I just watched this morning, and I enjoyed the episode. I love, love, love Randall, in all his corniness!

I also loved seeing bits of William again.

p.s. I HATE mothers who put men before their children!

 

[OhhBother]

Last night's episode was a favorite for me. I loved the moments of connectivity that captured how we -- as humans -- all share such similar moments in our humanity.

 

[Minnesota!]

I really enjoyed last nights episode. It made Deja's background much more clear. It was hard to watch, but so well-acted..

 

[PollyannaMom]

Last night's episode was a favorite for me. I loved the moments of connectivity that captured how we -- as humans -- all share such similar moments in our humanity.

I agree. It all ties back to Deja's lines near the end about everyone going to sleep at night. So many similar scenes with different people, different generations, different circumstances. And I loved the bit with so many different people reading "Good Night Moon"!

 

[anniemae]

One think I liked is how they didn't make Deja's mom out to be a monster. Yes she was irresponsible, immature and naive, but you could tell she loves Deja. It wasn't like she was high on crack (they mentioned she dabbled in drugs when they took Deja away, but it did not seem she was a regular drug user), she did not abuse Deja, she had a steady job, there was food in the house, the house was in order etc. She really tried, but she kept falling short. She was a good person who made some bad decisions.

At the end when Deja said to Randall, "I'm really tired" I just melted. That poor girl went through so much and grew up so fast and she was just tired of having all that weight on her shoulders. Randall is like her safe place.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I thought it was a really good episode, even if it didn't advance the "Pearson" story so much.

One thing I've read is, advocates in the foster system really appreciate how "This Is Us" portrays fostering. The show does a good job of capturing the flaws in a well-intentioned system, as well as how both children and adults struggle with the realities of it. I think Deja's character is really well-written--she's smart, she's trying so hard, but she's also been damaged. It really comes across that Deja and her mom love each other, but the mom was just a child herself, without a whole lot of support.

 

[cabanafrau]

One think I liked is how they didn't make Deja's mom out to be a monster. Yes she was irresponsible, immature and naive, but you could tell she loves Deja. It wasn't like she was high on crack (they mentioned she dabbled in drugs when they took Deja away, but it did not seem she was a regular drug user), she did not abuse Deja, she had a steady job, there was food in the house, the house was in order etc. She really tried, but she kept falling short. She was a good person who made some bad decisions.

At the end when Deja said to Randall, "I'm really tired" I just melted. That poor girl went through so much and grew up so fast and she was just tired of having all that weight on her shoulders. Randall is like her safe place.

And Beth. I think maybe it's easy to overlook Beth's heart. Don't forget, she was the one who pressed right up to that car window. I could feel her heart in her throat at that moment.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

And Beth. I think maybe it's easy to overlook Beth's heart. Don't forget, she was the one who pressed right up to that car window. I could feel her heart in her throat at that moment.

Yes! I loved that scene.

 

[anniemae]

And Beth. I think maybe it's easy to overlook Beth's heart. Don't forget, she was the one who pressed right up to that car window. I could feel her heart in her throat at that moment.

Yes Beth too, but Randall and Deja have something very very special. They connect more and I think Deja and Randall have a very special bond. It started when she was in the bathroom at Kevins award show. She never let men touch her and Randall tried to hug her or something. When Deja left their house to be with her mom, the goodbye between Randall and Deja was so moving and she let him hug her. It was huge for Deja. I think Deja feels safe with all four of them, but Randall has a special place in her heart.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Last night's episode was a favorite for me. I loved the moments of connectivity that captured how we -- as humans -- all share such similar moments in our humanity.

This is what I was thinking. It wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed it, and I liked how they showed that no matter the station in life, we all go through many of the same traditions and can fight the same battles.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Yes Beth too, but Randall and Deja have something very very special. They connect more and I think Deja and Randall have a very special bond. It started when she was in the bathroom at Kevins award show. She never let men touch her and Randall tried to hug her or something. When Deja left their house to be with her mom, the goodbye between Randall and Deja was so moving and she let him hug her. It was huge for Deja. I think Deja feels safe with all four of them, but Randall has a special place in her heart.

Hmmm... this has me thinking that the reason she doesn't like being touched has something to do with her mother leaving her with the boyfriend and other guys - whether that plays out or not we'll see - and from the time she was in the other foster home and the 'foster father' would hit her.

 

[anniemae]

Hmmm... this has me thinking that the reason she doesn't like being touched has something to do with her mother leaving her with the boyfriend and other guys - whether that plays out or not we'll see - and from the time she was in the other foster home and the 'foster father' would hit her.

I thought the same thing. Something must have happened somewhere along the way to make her not like being near men.

 

[bethbuchall]

I really enjoyed the episode and seeing Deja's backstory. But my DVR completely messed up during the scene when Beth and Deja's mother were talking while making up the couch into a bed. What happened in that conversation?

(Coincidentally, the other scene that I missed because the DVR went black/glitchy earlier this season was when Jack and Miguel were making up the sofa bed when Rebecca told Jack to stay with Miguel for a while.)

 

[design_mom]

I really enjoyed the episode and seeing Deja's backstory. But my DVR completely messed up during the scene when Beth and Deja's mother were talking while making up the couch into a bed. What happened in that conversation?

Deja's mom confided to Beth that it'd been a long time since she'd seen Deja "act like that." When Beth asked what she meant, she said "like a kid." I think Deja's mom started to realize that she'd forced Deja to grow up way too fast. She said she'd failed Deja and commented that she had told Deja "what would I do without you" since she was 5 years old. Then she said "Who does that to a kid?!" Beth tried to assure her that she had not failed, and that Deja loves her. Then it cut to Randall and Deja. The next time we saw Beth and Deja's mom, the mom was saying she needed to leave, and she can't take Deja with her.

 

[Mizzoufan]

This is the first time I have seen Beth have compassion and I semi liked her.

 

[Pugsly]

I agree. It all ties back to Deja's lines near the end about everyone going to sleep at night. So many similar scenes with different people, different generations, different circumstances. And I loved the bit with so many different people reading "Good Night Moon"!

Did anyone else notice in the “Good Night Moon” montage, they showed two young boys reading the story? I’m guessing it was Jack and his brother. I saw an interview with Milo and he said there was still a lot of Jacks story to see, including his brother.