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. 

Next Level Drama: Chicago PD Season 8 (Episodes 7-16)

 

The rest of Season 8 of Chicago PD (Episodes 7-16) was utterly unique! Once again, the show has stepped up and made it even better than the previous season. Here's a recap and thoughts!

Second Chances: Chicago Med "I Will Come to Save You" Season Finale

 It's the heart-pounding season finale of Chicago Med. Let's get to it!

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.