Past Regrets and Futures Truths: This Is Us "Songbird Road, Part 2"

After more than a few weeks of a break, This Is Us returns with moments of intense chills, humorist and a shocking slip. Here's a recap!

This Is Us returned last night with another amazing and powerful episode. Picking up where we left off in Part 1, Kevin decides to take Nick back with them, with Kate and Randall not so sure that helping him would do anything now. Soon Rebecca shows up the next morning and meets with Nick for the first time and sees the resemblance of Jack, with the eyebrows. Kevin finds a Veteran place where he could get the help that he needs but turns him down after checking it out. Rebecca gets a flashback to when she took Kevin to get his rookie baseball card signed from a player that could be traded and learns that Kevin really is like Jack in fixing or making things better for others.

Rebecca talks with Nick and later Nick walks out after telling her that he can't be fixed. But it for a second shot, Rebecca talks with Nick one more time and it does get through to him. Nick knocks on Kevin's door and after fixing his ceiling in his motor home and tells Kevin that he's gonna go to a meeting and gonna take it one step at a time. As Kevin and Rebecca drive home, Rebecca was happy that Kevin did such a good thing, but Kevin wasn't too happy as he flashback to the moment when he was back at Nick's motorhome and looks at a bottle of whiskey and decides to drink.

Meanwhile, as Kate and Randall head back, they decided to check out their house that they use to lived in. Kate remembers that day when it was fun, but Randall remembers differently. We see Jack struggling to terms about his brother. Randall remembers Jack yelling at them for making a mess, while Kate remembers what happened after when Jack apologizes to them and started to have fun. Later as soon as they each got home, Kate tells Toby that she wants to show their son everything that they love from movies to even events. While Randall comes home not only to give some gifts to the girls but gets word from Beth that her mother had an accident and is leaving to see her along with Zoey.

"Songbird Road, Part 2" was worth the wait as it was another amazing, powerful that gave me chills throughout the episode. Parker Bates and Justin Hartley's performance really strong as his character make another revelation that he's not just a Hollywood poster. But when it comes to trying to help others it always doesn't go the way it's supposed and watching him slip back to his habit of drinking/ It was not only heartbreaking but also shocking as well.

Griffin Dunne gave another strong performance in this episode as Nick Pearson. The rest of the cast gave a really good performance. The writing was so strong along with the character development in the characters of Kevin and Nick.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

Life Decisions: This Is Us "Katie Girls"

Life decisions are made in this episode of This Is Us.

"Katie Girls" is an excellent episode where it dives into life changing decisions and facing the fears of those decisions. From diving back to Rebecca's past of meeting Alan, the man who came to her door in the last episode. But after thinking that she has a future with Alan, she spots Jack at the store and later visits him at his mother's friend's house and does the dishes together.

Kate, who's having IVF procedure, worries about what would happen if she doesn't come out of it. But when she's under, she meets not only her teenage self, but her preteen self and her dad. After debating, Kate fights back and comes out of her anesthesia. And she gets the best news that they found eight eggs. So the chances of having a baby are really good. But not hoping for Octomom, Toby!

Kevin's movie is a hit and made everyone including Randall cry. During an interview with Terry Gross, he gets asked about Jack and his experience in Vietnam. It starts Kevin to hunt for answers and found photos and a name that he calls Mr. Thompson.

After a week goes by from Randall argued with Kate about passing on a piece of dad to talking to the city councilman Brown about the recreational center. Randall tries to apologies to Kate and flies over there to be with her and Toby. After Kate's surgery, Randall gets word about Sky getting attacked by the recreational center.  As he came back home, he thinks he's going to run against Brown. But Beth gives him more news that she got fired from her job.

This was another excellent episode that had many emotional moments whether it's Kate worrying about the surgery to her talking to her past lives and her dad. Rebecca and Jack had some solid moments; mainly when they are together at the store and talking about their dreams. Kevin and his flashbacks to when Jack yelled at him when he was throwing a toy grenade at a toy store and Jack apologies to him about it. The performances from the cast in this episode was amazing that each and everyone one of them played a equal amount of making this episode special. Even the writing as well was outstanding.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

A Second Chances: This Is Us "Nine Bucks" Season Premiere

The season premiere of This Is Us left us with joy and tearful moments but the end left us shocked.

It's Kate, Kevin and Randall's 38th birthday, while they celebrate it they're dealing more than getting ready for a party. With Kate, she tells Toby that she wants to try to have another baby. After getting negative results and sees a specialist, who runs some test on her and Toby. The specialist concluded that it wouldn't be good with her condition of weight and all, plus Toby's depression too.

Kate takes it very hard and when she with her friends for a birthday lunch. Toby tries to cheer her up and tells her that they are other ways of having children.  But a call back from the specialist informs them that they want to try and help them have a baby. With Kate overjoy, Toby decides to stop taking his anti-depressants.

Kevin and Zoe begins their spicy relationship and Beth has a feeling that they are together. Beth promises Randall that she swear on Oprah that she wouldn't get into those two, but she did. Beth is trying to protect Kevin from Zoe, who doesn't have the best track record on relationships. But I think they're gonna take it easy.

In the meantime, Randall takes Deja out to his father's apartment building, and tells her that Beth and him would like to fully adopt her. But for that to happen she has to give her full agreement. Later she leaves the house to see her father, who works at a shop . She confronts him and tells him the almost same speech that Randall gave to his father and than asked for one thing. When Deja came back home, Randall was mad until she gave him his birthday gift, a pair of running shoes and tells him that she's all in for them to adopted her.

As for Jack and Rebecca, we come in on the night of the unbelievable Steelers game and Jack meets Rebecca for the first time. After Rebecca sings the two talked and went out to a carnival, where Jack spends $7 out of his $9. But when it started to rain, both Rebecca and Jack were stuck with nothing to do. As Jack drives her home, he opens up to her about why he wouldn't buy an umbrella for her. The two at first didn't have a connection but when she leaves her sweater in his truck, that's a sign that she wants to see him again. 

But when he drives back to Rebecca but as he gets there, he sees someone else at her front door and kisses her. A total shocker, but to add even more we more forward into the future with Randall and Tess get ready. Randall calls an aged Toby, who's alone in bed, to get him to come along too.

"Nine Bucks" was a strong season opener that dived so well into the this season. From Randall and Deja to Kate and Toby and not to mention Jack and Rebecca were such strong and emotional storylines. Yeah, it got me to grab the tissues early on but it also shocked me at the end of this episode.

I did enjoy the moments between Beth, Kevin and Zoe whether it's Beth swearing on Oprah to Randall not to confront to two about it, but she did. Plus the Kevin is Batman comment was hilarious and still has me laughing.

I can't wait to see what's gonna happen this season. I think that what we are looking at with the future scene that maybe Beth and Kate might have died and Randall wants everyone to be together. And even though it was a shock, it shouldn't since there has to be some drama with Jack and Rebecca. Jack couldn't get her just like that, but we kind of wish he would.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

This Is Us "Ava Maria" Season 3 Premiere Press Release/Clips/ Photos

Here's a look into the season premiere of This Is Us titled "Ava Maria."

"Ava Maria"

Season Premiere: When celebrating their 38th birthday, Randall, Kate and Kevin find themselves on new paths.


Photos: 

Sneak Peak: 

You can catch the season premiere of This Is Us, Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9/8c on NBC.

All in The Family: This Is Us "This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life"

This week's episode was another emotionally powerful episode of a child's view from birth to where she is now.

"This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life" was written as a beautiful and powerful view point of one child of Deja from birth, growing up with a mother and grandmother and dealing with the foster care system to even meeting with the Randall's family. Trying to keep hope that her mother, Shauna, would get better and stay on the right track. But when Shauna gets Deja back and comes home along with her new friend that happen to cause more trouble as time goes on that would leave her do that gun charges that really wasn't her gun at all.

You see where she picks up the attitude just a bit when she first comes into Randall's home from a friend in the foster system. But not to mention took one advice by heart that if she's in a home with a bed, she hangs on to it tightly.

As the episode progress, we come back to the present after Randall and Beth found Deja and Shauna sleeping in their car. They take them in, fixed them dinner and watched a movie along, but as all of this was happening Shauna was watching Deja on how happy she was being around Randall's family as if she belongs here. Once Deja goes to her room, Shauna talks with Beth about her life and daughter and decided that it was best for her to stay here and her to go leaving Deja in Randall and Beth's hands.

I thought this episode was so beautifully written and the performance from Lyric Ross as Deja was amazingly and emotionally engaging. I thought that the during certain scenes like the births and such was so interesting and in a way that Deja is like a real part of the Pearsons. The final scene with Shauna leaving was tear-jerking moment of the episode, along with many others. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch the season finale of This Is Us next Tuesday at 9/8c followed by the series premiere of Rise at 10/9c on NBC.

Over that Hurdle: This Is Us "Clooney"

After last week's amazing hour of television, this week episode shows our favorite family getting over that hurdle.

"Clooney" is well written, well established episode that's full of (again) life lessons and character growth for our favorite family. The one motive for this episode "over the hurdle" is really best describe this episode as each member like Kevin getting over the hurdle of Miguel with his mother, Kate with her weight gain confession and helping a member of her group. Randall gets into searching what seems to be a long lost love of Williams when finding poems of his and coming to thinking of being the landlord of the building that he had stayed. Jack and his business. Not to mention the cat of William's Clooney, who we see taking a journey in the city til making his way to William, not to mention still alive and with a family in the same building.

The episode really dives deeper into the background of our characters with their life challenges. Each and everyone finds their over the hurdle moment. The writing of this episode might not be as strong as last week's episode but it still holds up as to a really good episode. The performance from the cast was amazing and no one out performed each other, but I would have to say the cat did steal my heart throughout the episode. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

This Is Us "The 20's"/"The Most Disappointed Man"

"The 20's"

"The 20's" was a fun and emotional episode as well. Watching a lot of flashbacks of the ten year olds of Big Three trick or treating to learning about a death and then flashing forward to their twenties. Kevin, in his twenties, tries to steal a role from a roommate, Randall and Beth are soon to have a baby and a get a surprise for the first time parents.

Meanwhile, Rebecca, who signs up for Facebook, posts her first granddaughter photo, but gets a message from an old friend. Miguel messages her to see how she's been doing in the last eight years, probably since Jack's death or so.

Overall, I give this episode a 8.5/10.

"The Most Disappointed Man"

Just as Jack and Rebecca are about to adopted Randall, the judge somehow doesn't support it. But after Rebecca gives a convincing speech, the judges grants them the right to adoption. William, even though has been clean, pleads guilty on drug charges but when the judge visits him in jail, he offers to reduce his sentence and to get some help. But in return, William must keep the judge's promise, for which he did, until he gets news about his cancer diagnosis.

Randall takes Deja to visit her mother in prison, but the mother declines the visit. But when Randall visits, the mother tells him that she plans to take her daughter back.

While that was going on, Kevin and Sophie's relationship takes another dive and continues to drink and take abuse the pain meds again. And Toby and Kate tells Kevin about their pregnancy announcement and was consider to get married at city hall but decided to have a big one instead.

"The Most Disappointed Man" was another amazing episode that gripped with emotional storytelling. The performances from Mandy Moore and Ron Cephas Jones steal this episode by far from the other cast members, who also did an amazing job. The writing was strong. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

"This Is Us" Cast Joining the Tonight Show After Super Bowl

Just if you just can't get enough of the Parsons (and who can't?). Expect a second helping when they join Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Live in Minneapolis, Minn.

The stars of This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley, will appear in the post Bowl episode with Fallon along with the Super Bowl Halftime Show Justin Timberlake and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The Tonight Show will be filmed at Minneapolis' Orpheus Theatre, and will be preceded by a new episode of This Is Us as well at the late local news.

Holy Ships!! Stranger Things Season 2, "Chapter 5: Dig Dug"/"Chapter 6: The Spy"

Chapter 5: Dig Dug

There was so much going on in this episode that I almost did what Will did at the end of the episode was happen to be a jaw dropping moment.

Where to begin? Let's start with Dustin as he tries to figure out how to get Dart out of the house. He does it by leaving a trail of food for it that leads to the basement. It was working until it saw and sense Dustin and so he went for Plan B attack it and knock it in the basement. Oh by the way, he was wearing a pretty cool outfit that remembered be of The Mighty Ducks.

Lucas tries to fix his relationship with Max and after his father for advice, he tells her the truth about last year. She didn't believe him at first but with a very convincing look she seems to believe him. Trouble is that her so called brother saw her with him again and isn't too pleased. This guy really freaks me out.

Eleven finally goes to see her mother and tries to reconnect with her after seeing the lights in the house go off and on like what Will did in the Upside Down. Doing her bit once again, she saw what her mother went through to find her after she was born from a diffcult labor, Papa stealing her and making her mother think that she was dead, to seeing her getting a gun and finding her. And to even seeing how she got to be in the condition she is in now. And understands that the words she says all the time is what she remembers the most from certain time.

As Joyce and Mike help with Will, Will sees that Hooper is in trouble after he is in under ground with the vines and such. Even he got sprayed and coughed up stuff that I think that he might go through what Will has been going through. With time running out, Joyce gets Bob to help and after trying to get the brainy dude thinking they drove and found Hopper's car.

There Joyce and Bob go under and searching for Hopper. They finally come to him as he is tied down with vines around his neck and body. They cut it all off and with some creepy but cool scene shots, he's free. That is until the DOE dudes come in and get them out. As soon as they start burning off the vines, Will starts to have a seizure like moment and screams his head off like he's been burned.

This episode was so good. The performance from everyone was so good and the writing was as well. I didn't really think too much on the Nancy/Johnathan story as it just was a bit light out of the others in this episode. I'm think that maybe that Hopper is infected like Will is? He coughed up stuff after that mutant planet sprayed him with crap. Overall, I give this episode a 8.5/10.

Chapter 6: The Spy

HOLY SHIPS!!!!! Revenge is best served deadly I guess. 

With the doctors and nurses searching of what is wrong with Will, saying that he is bruned without any burnmarks on him. That all first scene of the episode was so intense and even scary for me watching Schnapp's performance. As Owen's team of doctors perform test of Will, it turns out that he has a vrius and Will is the host, that helps connect to a human and not only see what the creatures are doing but also be known as what Mike calls Will "The Spy." 

Thinking that Will is helping Owen and the team. A team goes down and searches to burned down the rest of the place until Dart and gang comes along, after trying to attack Dustin, Lucas, Max and Steve at the junkyard, and attacks the team that's underground where Hopper was trapped. Not only does these creatures killed but are moving towards the DOE by the end of the episode. 

Meanwhile, Dusitn and Steve try to get Dart to come to them after seeing that it had escaped Dustin's basement. Lucas and Max catches up and meets them at the junkyard to prepare for Dart to come, but as it turns out Dart wasn't alone and turned into one hell of a montage to Tremors. 

This episode was a real thrill. From the begnning to the end, I really was tied to my seat. With what was going on between Will and Dustin and the gang, I really did fine the Nancy and Johanhan story in this episode to be the calm before the thrills. You know sixe episodes in and I know I haven't said much about Paul Reiser's performance so far but I just have to say that he's amazing in this role. He can surely balance the comedy and drama as it does remind me of his performance in Aliens. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Season Two of Stranger Things available on Netflix now and Season One too along on Blu-ray and DVD.

This Is Us Season 2 Clips and Promos

We're just little more than a week away til the anticapted season premiere of last year's biggest new show, This Is Us. If you're like me, who can't wait for the big day, I hear you. I thought that maybe this will tie you down til the seaosn premiere.

I'm guessing that probably after watching these clips and promos that you probably grabbed some tissues. Don't be embarrassed, I did it too when I first watch these clips.

You can catch the season premiere of This Is Us, Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 9/8c on NBC.