From Thriller to Dreadful: Secret Invasion miniseries

 

Did Disney+'s Secret Invasion live up to the hype? Here are my thoughts.

Beef Season 1

 

One of the biggest talked about shows this year was Netflix's Beef. Here's my thoughts on season one.

The Water Cooler Show of 2022: Reacher Season One

 

In 2022, this show became a "water cooler" show. I'm talking about Prime's Reacher. I don't think I've had many people close to me to check this show out. Well, here are my thoughts on season one just in time before season two begins this week!

Reacher is about a former US military policeman who gets mistakenly arrested for murder. But after he gets released, he teams up with the police detective and an officer to investigate, which turns into a vast conspiracy.

 At the same time, the story has some bite to it, with it being a small-town conspiracy thriller. It's the action scenes and comeback lines that steal the series. Not to mention Alan Ritchson shines as this new version of the title character, Jack Reacher, but Willa Fitzgerald and Malcolm Goodwin are good and have this trio of perfect chemistry that I can't get enough.

Even though season two is in a different place with different characters, I can't wait to see what they have in season two. 

I give it a 9/10

What did you think of season one? Are you excited for season two? Leave a comment below!

You can catch Reacher on Amazon Prime.

A Little Gem of A TV Series: Primo Season One

 

If there was a little gem of a TV show, Amazon Freevee's Primo would be that show. 

Created by Shea Serrano and Executive Produced by Mike Schur, this coming-of-age comedy is about Rafa, a 16-year-old high school junior who's navigating school, societal expectations, and a hectic home life that's anchored by his single mom, Drea, and his five uncles. 

If you are a fan of any of Mike Schur's comedies (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place), you'll like this series. It's got plenty of humor, heart, and cultural representation of an American-Mexican family. 

Christina Vidal, as Drea, is one of the highlights of the series, along with Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, who plays the lead character, Rafa.  Plus, the dynamic between Rafa and his uncles is hilarious at times. With the first season containing only eight episodes, it went quickly and left me wanting more. 

Overall, I give the first season a 9.5/10.

Have you seen Primo? Leave a comment below.

You can catch Primo on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee.

Never Doubt a Man like Joe: Joe Pickett

 

Okay, so one of the most exciting shows to watch this summer was Paramount+'s Joe Pickett. I started off watching the first season while the second season was still airing on the streaming service, but I got through all two seasons of the series, and I hope there will be more. 

The series follows Joe Pickett, the new Wyoming-based game warden, and his family, who live in a small town near Yellowstone National Park. It's a mix of police drama with Western that's in line with other shows like Dark Water and Yellowstone. 

It's the characters in this series that stand out, like Pickett and his wife, Marybeth (played by Michael Dorman and Julianna Guill), who deal with the mystery of crimes, conspiracy, and even family drama. 

What makes me love this show the most is its family drama dynamics that both carry on from the first season into the second season. And yes, at times, it had pulled my heartstrings. Not to mention the mysteries and supernatural-like stories that come into the series, I give it a 9.5/10, and I highly recommend checking out this series on Paramount+.

Update: as of October, Paramout+ announced that the series had been canceled. 

Have you watched Joe Pickett? What did you think of the series? Is it sad that the series isn't continuing? Leave a comment below!

You can watch all two seasons on Paramount+.

Rescue in the Sky: SkyMed Season 1

 

Are you looking for a medical drama to get you through until Chicago Med or Grey's Anatomy returns? Sky Med on Paramount+ might be the show for you. 

Sky Med, a Canadian series, centers on the nurses and pilots of an air ambulance team that go on call to make the recuses and transports on life and death decisions. 

I've enjoyed this series. It's not St. Elsewhere or ER, but it's got likable and representative characters and exciting stories that kept me tuning in to each of the first season's nine episodes. 

It's fun, action, and drama all in one. I give it an 8/10.

What do you think of SkyMed? Have you seen the series? Leave a comment below!

Sky Med is available on Paramount+.

Special Ops: Lioness Season 1

 

Is Paramount+'s summer hit series, Special Opd: Lioness, worth watching? Here are my thoughts.

During the summer to early fall, there has been a heavy promotion for the latest Taylor Shedian series, Special Ops: Lioness, and while it's exciting to see and hear of a new series from Sheridan, it might not live up to all the hype. 

Lioness is about a CIA team led by Joe, played by Zoe Saldana, who recruits a rookie marine, played by Laysla De Oliveria, to help befriend the daughter of a terrorist they want to eliminate. 

The one thing I enjoyed about this series was the performance from the star-power ensemble cast from Saldana and De Oliveria, including Jill Wagner, Dave Annable, and Nicole Kidman. And there are some incredible action scenes, too.

But the issue is the story, mainly the secondary story with Joe balancing her job and her family drama. It seems generic, but Saldana and Annable do their best to make it work.  

Lioness is a fine series to watch. It's not great with what the ads have been saying, but there are more good things than bad. It's not Yellowstone, not Seal Team, or The Brave, but if I can watch all eight episodes, maybe you can also watch it.

Overall, I give it an 8/10. 

Have you seen Special Ops: Lioness? Leave a comment.

You can catch all eight episodes of Special Ops: Lioness available on Paramount+.

The Irrational "Pilot"

 

The new fall TV season started this past week, and one of the new shows to hit the fall season is NBC's The Irrational. And It's a series to check out. Here are my thoughts.

We meet Alec Mercer (played by Jessie L. Martin (Law & Order and The Flash), as a world-renowned professor of behavioral psychology with a unique insight into human nature. While getting pulled into a case that involves the murder of a viral celebrity, everything from the evidence points to the suspect, the ex-boyfriend, who also believes that he did it. But Mercer believes that the ex-boyfriend isn't the murderer and proves his point that ends him in the hospital. 

While investigating the case, we learn about our lead character's backstory of the scar burns that he suffered years ago from a bombing, not to mention that the suspect was up for parole but before he could ever clear his innocence, a mysterious person who's at the door gets a look at the suspect who happens to change his mind of not asking for early parole.

It's not a bad first episode, but it's okay. I think the police procedural style of the story is a bit stale. However, I do believe it still has the potential. But I hope writers can balance out the crime-solving with behavioral psychology science.  What comes to my mind as an example is the series Profiler, which added crime procedural with thrillers and science. Martin is perfect for what he's given, and I hope they can develop the character more. If you love Martin solving crime, you'll enjoy this series. 

Overall, I give this episode a 7.5/10.

Have you seen The Irrational? What did you think of the pilot? Leave a comment below!

You can catch The Irrational Mondays at 10/9c on NBC and Peacock.

My Summer Binge Watch 2023, Part 1

 

With the fall season underway, I thought I would start with my summer of binge-watch. Check it out!

This Is Us: Quick Recap and Final Thoughts Before Series Finale

We're just hours away from the end of an era when the series finale of This Is Us airs. While I haven't been writing a recap/review of the episodes this season, I thought this would be the perfect time to write a quick recap and final thoughts. Here we go!

CBS Fall 2022 Schedule: SWAT And Ghosts on the Move

 On Wednesday morning, CBS became the third network to release its fall 2022 schedule after NBC and ABC had done but not FOX (quite yet). So, what to expect in the new schedule? 

SWAT is returning to its Friday leadoff spot, where it will kick off the new firefighter drama, Fire Country (starring SEAL Team's Max Thieriot). NCIS: Los Angeles will, in turn, move an hour later on Sundays, which will make way for the new cop drama, East New York.

The newest reality series, The Real Love Boat, will close out Wednesday night, anchored by the new seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race. 

And Thursdays look to be a bit different, with only two Thursday sitcoms now, Young Sheldon and Ghosts (moving a half-hour earlier), which will kick off into the freshman dramedy So Help Me Todd (Starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin). While CSI: Vegas' second season will close out the night.

Here's a look at the schedule:

MONDAY:

8/7c The Neighborhood

8:30/7:30c Bob Hearts Abishola

9/8c NCIS.

10/9c NCIS: Hawai'i

TUESDAY:

8/7c FBI.

9/8c FBIL International

10/9c FBI: Most Wanted

WEDNESDAY:

8/7c Survivor

9/8c The Amazing Race

10/9c The Real Love Boat (NEW)

THURSDAY:

8/7c Young Sheldon

8:30/7:30c Ghosts

9/8c So Help Me Tood (NEW)

10/9c CSI: Vegas

FRIDAY:

8/7c SWAT. 

9/8c Fire Country (NEW)

10/9c Blue Bloods

SATURDAY:

8/7c Drama encores

9/8c Drama encores

10/9c 48 Hours

SUNDAY:

7/6c 60 Minutes

8/7c The Equalizer

9/8c East New York (NEW)

10/8c N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles

MIDSEASON:

Lingo (new), Secret Celebrity Renovation, Superfan (new), Tough as Nails, True Lies (new)

CANCELLED:

B Positive (ending airing May 26), How We Roll, Magnum PI, United States of Al, Good Sam

CBS made some changes and added more new shows to its fall schedule compared to NBC (two new shows) and ABC (three new shows). CBS has gone back to two comedies and two dramas for their Thursday night lineup (something they haven't done since the 2012-2013 season). 

Fire Country and East New York look promising from the trailers, but I still have some doubts about So Help Me Todd.

The schedule looks solid, and I look forward to the new seasons of CBS' Tuesday night and Thursday night. I wonder if they will kick off SEAL Team's new season by airing on CBS for a couple of weeks and airing the rest on Paramount+ because I thought that was a brilliant move to kick off the newly rebranded streaming service. 

What do you think of CBS' fall schedule? Are you looking forward to their new programing? Leave a comment below.

ABC 2022 Fall Schedule: Abbott Elementary, Big Sky Moves And More Bachelor In Paradise

 On Tuesday, ABC was the latest broadcast network to release its 2022 Fall TV schedule (after NBC). So what to expect? Several series will be on the move, less comedy and more.

ABC will be downsizing its comedy from two nights (Tuesday and Wednesday) to one night (Wednesday). The red-shot Abbott Elementary will be on the move from Tuesday to Wednesday at the 9 pm timeslot. The Conners, which had that previous timeslot, will kick off the night at 8pm, where it will lead into The Goldbergs. And the new Hilary Swank drama series will take over the post-Grey's timeslot on Thursdays at 10, moving Big Sky to Wednesdays at 10pm.

The summertime staple Bachelor In Paradise will be getting a regular season upgrade, airing both on Mondays (replacing DWTS) and Tuesdays from 8-10pm. A Million Little Things, which could be looking into its final season, will be held until midseason along with the sophomore comedy The Wonders Years and the new Gina Rodriguez comedy, Not Dead Yet.

And expect a new weekly celebrity edition of Jeopardy! will be paired with Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on Sunday night.

Here's the schedule:

MONDAY:

8/7c Bachelor in Paradise

10/9c The Good Doctor

TUESDAY:

8/7c Bachelor in Paradise

10/9c The Rookie: FEDS (new)

WEDNESDAY:

8/7c The Conners

8:30/7:30c The Goldbergs

9/8c Abbott Elementary (new night)

9:30/8:30c Home Economics

10/9c Big Sky

THURSDAY:

8/7c Station 19

9/8c Grey's Anatomy

10/9c Alaska (New Series)

FRIDAY:

8/7c Shark Tank

9/8c 20/20

SATURDAY:

8/7c College Football

SUNDAY:

7/6c America's Funniest Home Videos

8/7c Celebrity Jeopardy! (NEW)

9/8c Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

10/9c The Rookie

MIDSEASON:

A Million Little Things, American Idol, The Bachelor, Judge Steve Harvey, Not Dead Yet (Teaser), and The Wonder Years.

CANCELLED:

black-ish (ended), Promised Land and Queens

Like NBC, ABC has made some slight changes. The network's Wednesday and Thursday nights look solid programming-wise. Alaska looks interesting to see, as it has that Big Sky mystery vibes. And while it looks funny from the 15-second teaser, I might have to catch Not Dead Yet when it premieres.

What do you think of ABC's fall schedule? Leave a comment below!

CBS Renews FBI Franchise for Two More Seasons

 

Looks like the FBI franchise will be solving more crimes for the next few years on CBS.

On Monday, CBS announced that the Dick Wolf series has been renewed; FBI returning for a fifth and sixth season, FBI Most Wanted to return for a fourth and fifth season, and FBI International returning for the second and third season. 

"The FBIs are one of the most successful brands n the entire TV landscape and a powerful cornerstone of our number one lineup," said Kelly Hahl, President of CBS Entertainment. "They've attracted a dedicated, loyal fan base, thanks to the extraridudary vision of executive producer Dick Wolf and the talents of all three outstanding cast and creative team. I know we and our viewers look forward to two additional seasons of engaging, heroic stories."

After CBS renewed The Equalizer for a two-season pick-up last week, the news comes. And It follows renewals for the majority of CBS' dramas slates that includes NCIS Franchise, CSI: Vegas, S.W.A.T., as well as comedies like Young Sheldon, The Neighborhood, Ghosts, and Bob Hearts Abishola. 

The news is exciting and expected since this is the network's biggest franchise right now. I've been a fan of FBI and FBI Most Wanted and look forward to seeing where they will be going. As of FBI International, I've yet to see it but will be catching up before the new season begins. 

Are you excited about the renewal news? Leave a comment below!

You can catch FBI, FBI Most Wanted and FBI International Tuesdays beginning at 8/7c on CBS.

Departure Season 2

 Archie Panjabi is back in the second season of the Canadian mystery drama Departure. If you enjoyed the first season, you'll enjoy this new season.

An Intense Night of Drama: One Chicago: Chicago Med "You Can't Always Trust What You See"/Chicago Fire "Mayday"/Chicago PD "Closure" Season Premiere

 

The season premiere of One Chicago was this one-time week, and I'm still recovering from what went down. Here's a recap and thoughts!

Chicago Med "You Can't Always Trust What You See." 

While the season premiere of Chicago Med wasn't at the level of what Fire and PD had, it still had me engaged for the entire hour. 

Halstead returns to Med, but under the circumstances from Goodwin, he keeps an eye on a colleague, who she believes is scamming Medicare while putting his patients at risk. But the one thing I was happy to see have a nice closure was Will and Natalie as they said goodbye at the beginning of the episode. That started the waterworks for me. 

Archer and Charles work together, putting their differences aside (at times), to help save a patient who happens to have a twin. But the catch is if the patient needs surgery, the twin also wants to have the same surgery as they want to do everything together. I think they would give a run with The Shining Twins. 

We meet with the new residents, Dr. Scott and Hammer, who we see helping treat a girl with sickle cell anemia while her mother shows signs of arthritis. Hammer realizes that with arthritis at this early stage in her life, they must be living in the car.  Later, we see Hammer visiting her mother, who is homeless, helping her with what she needs. 

While giving Vanessa space, Maggie tries to stay away but be professional with her daughter. At one point, a nurse needed a doctor to call the time of death of a patient. After calling it, Maggie confronts her. Also, while Crockett and Halstead might not have seen eye to eye in this episode with a difference of opinion on a returned patient who was part of Kinder, they come to reasonable terms at the end of the episode. 

I enjoyed the season premiere. I see how others might not have thought it was at the level we're used to. The episode had to balance out the end of one story (Natalie) and the start of a new one (Scott and Hammer) and still have that Med medical feel we're used to. This is what I would call a peaceful premiere. 

I loved the Hammer and Scott story in this episode, as Scott seems to be a fun but responsible character when treating his patients. At first, I thought, oh, a cop turned doctor. Didn't we see this with Jeff Clarke when he transferred from Fire to Med? But this seems different. 

Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

Chicago Fire "Mayday"

Think again if you thought I was on the edge of my seat when Fire started its 10th season premiere! I was on my feet, walking back and forth with nerves and screaming at the television. 

The episode picks up right where we left off; Squad 3 is trapped in a capsized boat, and Casey makes a good to help bring oxygen tanks. But just as he gets there, Severide sets up to blow up part of the boat to escape. But after it blows up, Cruz is not moving, and Severide tries with all his might to get him to the surface. Casey gives CPR and comes through. 

Cruz will be already, but when he gets back to work, he's starting to get PTSD when handling his gear. Also, the stress of postponing the baby shower for Chloe didn't help either, but when it comes to 51, they have their back no matter what. 

Stella, who was so worried about Severide making it out alive, later confronts him about telling his mother about their engagement, only to get a response that Severide men don't stay married for that long. Ouch!  But she reassured him that things would be better than what his father was. 

Meanwhile, Boden gets word that he'll be the new deputy chief commissioner, but while everyone is thrilled about his recent promotion, Stella isn't, as she is afraid to see changes to 51. Boden tried to see if his office could be at 51, but that wasn't the case due to politics. But after a call, he sees that his firehouse can handle things without him. 

Meanwhile, the story we've been waiting for, Brett and Casey, while they try to keep their relationship under wraps, everyone knows they're a couple, even before they know. We had gotten many good Brettsey scenes in this episode that I would assume kept the fans happy. 

But during a call, Brett gets a non-emergency call that she and other medics believe is taking them away from the actual emergency calls, and that starts Brett to maybe thinking of something. While on call, Casey bravely saves a kid swinging from one building to another like he was Spiderman or Batman, which was fantastic industry for Brett. 

And let's not forget Firehouse 51's Three's Company duo, Ritter, Violet, and Gallo, who are trying to come up with an idea to make some extra money. Gallo and Violet didn't make it easy for Ritter, as watching them argue about each one's vision wasn't helping. But soon, just as they were about to work it out, the idea of Gallo's beer (that he made) might be the ticket. 

"Mayday" was electrifying but had all the feelings we wanted in a Chicago Fire premiere. While changes are coming to 51, it's hard to see Boden moving out of 51. Who's going to take his spot? Casey? Do you think Casey is ready to give speeches to his crew? We had seen it a while ago, and it didn't turn out well. 

I read many stories from Stella-Severide, Chloe-Cruz, Brett-Casey, and Ritter-Gallo-Violet. I can't wait to see what will happen with these characters this season. I wonder if Cruz will continue to suffer from PTSD from the boating rescue. 

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

Chicago PD "Closure"

If Fire had an "On My Feet" premiere intensity, PD was another.

"Closure" was such an intense going in with the awaiting on if Burgess would come out or not. Ruzek battles whether or not to bring Makayla to visit the unconscious Burgess, but rest assured, fans, Burgess will be okay.  

Meanwhile, Upton and Voight try to hide the fact that they killed Roy while hunting down Roy's partner, who both have evidence of them killing Roy. It's eating up Upton pretty poorly; Roy's partner, holding a hostage, gets shot in the neck and dies at Med. 

Voight tells Miller, who doesn't know that Roy is dead, to get the Feds to help find him. Good luck! Meanwhile, after Upton asks Jay to marry him, Jay returns the favor after asking why she wants to marry him now and soon proposes to her (as he's an old fashion) with the answer "yes."

I enjoyed this episode very much from beginning to end. While we know that Burgess will have a tough time returning to work, something tells me she won't let this one go either, like Miller. Could this come back and bite both Upton and Voight by midseason? I just got that feeling!

I thought Ruzek's storyline was so good and well-performed, along with Upton as well. Looks like we're going to get a CPD wedding! I hope it doesn't turn out to be like Will's wedding.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

What did you think of the season premieres of Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD? Leave a comment below!

Follow me on Twitter @abaker20.

Catch up with recaps, reviews, and news of #OneChicago

One Chicago aires Wednesdays beginning at 8/7c on NBC and streaming all episodes on PeacockTV.

Moving Forward: This Is Us "The Adirondacks" Season Finale

 

The season five finale was as good as it could have gotten, especially for that twisted ending. Here's a recap!

It's Kevin and Madison's wedding day, and it's not going too well with Kevin, as things are going the way he had hoped it would be, perfect. As Kevin shows his groomzilla, Randall, Miguel, Tobey, and Uncle Nicky try to help as much as possible. 

Meanwhile, as everyone had arrived, Rebecca wanted to hear about Randall's trip and learn about his biological mother, which she got overwhelmed and made Randall uncomfortable. But the two resolved the issue, and she learned quite a bit about Laura. 

Tess wasn't too happy with the bride's maid of honor dress, so Beth decided to help her make it into her own style. Deja awaited her from Malik about his college interviews and got a surprise when he told her that he not only got four out of four but five out of five because he's got an offer from Harvard.

Tobey gives Kate good news about him taking that job offer in San Fransico, but that means he'll have to be there three times a week, which he thought that they could move. As Kate called her boss to tell him that she would resign but he wouldn't because she's the best assistant that he's had, even if he didn't really want her at first. 

In a flashback, we see Rebecca upset that Jack taped a Pittsburgh Pirates game over her taped Dynasty wedding episode and had the kids see them fight for the first time. Not only did they try to show them that they love each other, but they put on a wedding for them as well.

As Madison prepares for her wedding, she looks back to when her mother left her and her father and the time that her father wasn't all there for her. Not to mention learning how she got into the eating disorder program in the pilot episode. That's when she decided that she didn't want to marry Kevin and called off the wedding. 

After the wedding was called off, Rebecca, Randall, and Kate comfort Kevin. In their conversation, Rebecca asks Kevin to build her that house that Jack had planned to do. Plus, in a five-year flash-forward, we come back to when Kevin was practicing his speech, we thought it was for his wedding, but it turns out to be Kate's wedding...to her boss from the music school! WTF!

"The Adirondacks" was such a great season finale that had many great moments; one of them I just ate up was Randall being there for Kevin, like holding the umbrella for him as he tries to avoid Rebecca talking about his mother. Nicky's wedding gift and well that powerful seen when we see the Pearsons together talking about what would Jack have said and talked about the future (which had me in tears). 

Talk about shocker, right? I didn't see that one coming at all. Kate and her boss getting married? Wow! I was at least thinking of Kevin and Sophie getting married. Man, I can't wait to see where the final season will go and how it will end. 

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10 and the season a 9/10.

What did you think of the season finale? Leave a comment below!

This Is Us returns in 2022 with the final season. Check out for more recaps of this season and previous seasons of This Is Us.

A Season Burning Brighter: Chicago Fire Season 9 (Episode 7-16)

 

Season Nine of Chicago Fire burns so brightly with such amazing stories. Once again, this season was a step up from last season, even though we got a shorter season. Here's a recap and thoughts. 

Music and a Movie: This Is Us "The Music and the Mirror"/"Jerry 2.0"

 "The Music and the Mirror"

As Kate and Toby have plumbing issues, Toby tries to become Mr. Fix It but calls his dad for advice, who comes and helps. While there's some tension between the two, they find common ground and understand each other about losing their job and trying to figure out the next step. 

Madison gets a call from her dad, who tells her he'll be at her wedding. That is until he calls later and tells her he can't be there as something has come up. While it put a downer on Madison, she had a fantastic time dressing and shopping with Rebecca and Kate. 

We see in a flashback of Young Kate, who's got a job interview at Rebecca's job but didn't go because she got a job at a local diner.  A local restaurant that she holds close to her as it's the place where Jack takes her and, at one point, gives her encouraging words about her singing. 

Meanwhile, as COVID-19 has made Beth shut down her dance studio, Randall tries to be the person who saves the day but instead learns from Deja and is there for Beth. We see Randall and Beth at the studio, dancing to their song.

"The Music and the Mirror" was another great episode. I loved Toby and his father's story; while it had some excellent humor, it had a perfect father-son moment that I loved. Pretty much the report that I loved was Beth's as we see her closing down her dream job of having her dance studio teach dancing. Heartbreaking, yes! But it got emotionally overwhelming (in a good way) when we saw Beth and Randall dance in that studio one last time. 

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

"Jerry 2.0"

So Jerry Maguire was a bunch of bullshit? 

As Kevin and Madison had their bachelor and bachelorette parties underway, things didn't go as planned. The men's fishing was postponed due to rain, and instead, they watched a movie in the Pearson cabin, Jerry Maguire. That brought up Kevin's past, as it's one of his favorite movies. 

We see how that movie influenced Kevin, in the past, to tell Sophie that they could work it out with their long-distance relationship. 

But back in the present, we see that everyone at the cabin has different opinions of the movie, one of which Nicky suggests Kevin is Jerry 2.0. That didn't sit well with Kevin, and soon after the rain started, they got to sit by the fire and bonded. 

It gave Kevin the idea to delete Sophie's number from his cell phone, who called him earlier in the episode. 

Meanwhile, during the bachelorette party, Kate invited a guy at the Prosecco and Picasso's party who had a history with Madison. After painting the man, the girls got to play games to see if Madison and Kevin were a match. But soon after, it seems she is also getting cold feet. 

"Jerry 2.0" was another excellent episode with humor and good heartwarming moments. I loved it when Kevin, Randall, and the guys sat before the fire and talked. Plus, Madison painting her ex, who happened to ghost her, was so fun. I think that this isn't the last time that we see Sophie. Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

The season finale of This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

Bonding and Reflecting: This Is Us "Both Things Can Be True"/Brotherly Love"

 

"Both Things Can Be True"

While Kevin tries to send a message to Randall about being his best man, Miguel and Nicky are set to plan for the rehearsal dinner. That is until Nicky tries to go against everything Miguel has offered. That's because of how Nicky thought of Miguel married to Jack's wife. 

But Miguel tells him that he didn't jump to Rebecca's side after Jack died and that his opinion doesn't mean anything to him. We see in a flashback when Jack was planning to propose to Rebecca with the help of Miguel. While the ring got stuck on Miguel's finger, Rebecca's dad, who came over to somewhat give Jack his blessing, helped them get it off Miguel's finger. That was after Miguel stood up against Rebecca's dad after his so-called approval.

Meanwhile, Kate began her new job as a teaching assistant but had some trouble focusing on work and showed the class teacher that she could do the job after he told her that she wasn't his first or second choice. And Beth, who prepares for Tess and Alex's studying, has trouble adjusting to their relationship, even after seeing them kiss in Tess's room. 

After spending the day trying to figure out what to say to Randall, Kevin calls him and asks if he would be his best man at his wedding. But he also tells him that he wants to come up and talk about their last argument. 

"Both Things Can Be True" was a fantastic episode. I loved the Beth-Tess story in this episode because it gave Beth and Carol a great moment to let go of what mothers have planned for their children. And the Miguel flashback was so good that it even tied up with the present day with Miguel and Nicky. Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

"Brotherly Love"

Kevin and Randall discuss their fight and Randall's racial insensitivities growing up. But as things take a turn, they get locked out of Randall's house and go to a neighbor for a spear key. 

We see not one but two flashbacks in this episode, one that takes place when Jack had the weekend with Randall and Kevin and gets tickets to take them to see a live taping of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The other occurred when Kevin lived in Los Angeles and Randall visited for a college event. Kevin tries to show Randall a fun night, but Randall sees the struggle that Kevin has been dealing with as an actor. 

While the two didn't fix everything, they did improve enough that things looked okay with the two.

"Brotherly Love" might be my favorite episode of the season. I love watching these two characters bond together, whether in tough times, fun times, or emotional times. I was satisfied with how the episode ended. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

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

This Is Us "The Adirondacks" Season Finale Episode Preview

 Here's a preview of the season finale of This Is Us.