This is Us- Season 5

[Ms.Minnie]

Your decision, but I don’t understand how you can say it’s racist when 1/3 of the cast is Black. It would be disingenuous to not discuss race. To pretend that everything moved harmoniously within the family.

I was going to more fully respond to your post but I wouldn't want to be the cause of getting this thread locked down.

Lets just leave it at I don't care to be subjected to this type of programming when I want to be entertained. With that in mind I have chosen to change the channel. I hope that will satisfy your curiosity.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I was going to more fully respond to your post but I wouldn't want to be the cause of getting this thread locked down.

Lets just leave it at I don't care to be subjected to this type of programming when I want to be entertained. With that in mind I have chosen to change the channel. I hope that will satisfy your curiosity.

No, but it sure does tell me a lot.

But I agree, best to consider this conversation done.

 

[ronandannette]

I thought this episode was more interesting than I had expected..... Beth's Mom sure is changing her attitude! I really am starting to like that dynamic...... I feel like that was a major part of the storyline that was sort of underplayed.... I also thought the park scene was kind of odd....like the toddler strapped into a stroller,not playing,while two parents chat and watch other kids playing.... just set up all wrong and made me laugh I think Kates new boss will learn to appreciate her,I also think we will find out why he didn't like her initially.... I like a bit more of the Miguel back story too....

Remember that Jack is blind, so it would be unlikely he'd be able to run around a play independently at that young an age. And as for Beth's mom, it occurs to me that like our own real-life mother/child dynamics, she is probably not as much of a one-dimensional villain as it would have seemed when only viewed from Beth's perspective.

 

[brockash]

We stopped watching this season because we felt the show was just getting to racist. I enjoyed the show previously even with the racial undertones but it was just getting to be too much for us. Didn't care for it so we changed the channel.

Did you mean to say you didn't like how much of a role race was being portrayedin the story this season?

I don't see what could be seen as the show being racist???

 

[anniemae]

Something I'm not understanding is why it seems it's being written as if there should absolutely be tremendous tension in regard to race between Kevin, Kate and Randall? I understand the concept that there may be issues regarding interracial adoption, particularly for the adoptees, that the adoptive family, loving and bonded though they may be, do not understand, relate to, or see. But why should there suddenly be tension and a feeling that Kate and Kevin haven't had a normal sibling relationship with Randall?

I think Kevin and Randall have always had a rocky relationship. When they would show them as teens, Kevin was always very angry towards Randall, accusing him of being Rebeccas favorite. I think there was a lot of jealousy on Kevins part. Randall was coddled a bit because he was adopted. I think Rebecca and Jack worked extra hard to prove to Randall they loved him as much as they loved Kevin and Kate. Back then interracial adoptions were not as common as they are now. I think Kevin felt he was second best. Randall was the smart one, the achiever, the kid that never did anything wrong. Kevin was the athlete, the bad boy, the heartbreaker. Their issues go way back.

I think Randall feels denied of his history. No fault of anyone, but just how he feels. He has a whole other family and relatives that he is just finding out about and meeting/learning about as as adult. Not only another family, but another culture that he was not raised in. It couldn't have been easy being a black child raised by a white family back in the 70's. I think he is dealing with it all now.

 

[anniemae]

So I felt like Zoey and the army girl looked like they had a "good for him" smile but Sophia had a different look to me....hmmm

This was my feeling as well. Something about Sophie's look was different from the other two, she kind of smirked, then had a look on her face. I found this snippet of an interview with two of the writers when asked about the three women:

Chekhovian: You can't introduce all these women at the end of this episode and not use them again soon. Could they complicate things for Kevin? After Sophie laughed, that last look on her face was a bit contemplative. There was something what-iffy about that moment…
STEINBERG: "Buckle your seatbelts," is all I'm going to say.
BAUMAN: Yeah, hold on. Deep breaths. Everything's going to be okay. But also, we've had a plan for Kevin for a long, long time. So you'll just have to watch.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Did you mean to say you didn't like how much of a role race was being portrayedin the story this season?

I don't see what could be seen as the show being racist???

We only watched part of the first episode, that was enough for us. For those who enjoy the show I'm happy for you I just don't care to watch any longer.

No, but it sure does tell me a lot.

But I agree, best to consider this conversation done.

Not sure what else it tells you other than I decided this show wasn’t for me and I changed the channel. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

This was my feeling as well. Something about Sophie's look was different from the other two, she kind of smirked, then had a look on her face. I found this snippet of an interview with two of the writers when asked about the three women:

Chekhovian: You can't introduce all these women at the end of this episode and not use them again soon. Could they complicate things for Kevin? After Sophie laughed, that last look on her face was a bit contemplative. There was something what-iffy about that moment…
STEINBERG: "Buckle your seatbelts," is all I'm going to say.
BAUMAN: Yeah, hold on. Deep breaths. Everything's going to be okay. But also, we've had a plan for Kevin for a long, long time. So you'll just have to watch.

Ugh! I like that Kevin had finally found his happy.

 

[cabanafrau]

I don’t see it as them not supposed to have a bond. I think Keven and Randall are still weird because of that huge on the lawn arguement from last season.

Oh I absolutely think that does need to be addressed between them. If I felt that was where they're going with this it would feel organic.

We stopped watching this season because we felt the show was just getting to racist. I enjoyed the show previously even with the racial undertones but it was just getting to be too much for us. Didn't care for it so we changed the channel.

I don't understand.

Your decision, but I don’t understand how you can say it’s racist when 1/3 of the cast is Black. It would be disingenuous to not discuss race. To pretend that everything moved harmoniously within the family.

IMO this family does not have racial issues as part of their family dynamic, particularly among the siblings. That's what is bothering me with how I feel the writers have foreshadowed the current Kevin/Randall schism and I will be deeply disappointed if they shoehorn that in and trample all over the bond.

I think Kevin and Randall have always had a rocky relationship. When they would show them as teens, Kevin was always very angry towards Randall, accusing him of being Rebeccas favorite. I think there was a lot of jealousy on Kevins part. Randall was coddled a bit because he was adopted. I think Rebecca and Jack worked extra hard to prove to Randall they loved him as much as they loved Kevin and Kate. Back then interracial adoptions were not as common as they are now. I think Kevin felt he was second best. Randall was the smart one, the achiever, the kid that never did anything wrong. Kevin was the athlete, the bad boy, the heartbreaker. Their issues go way back.

I think Randall feels denied of his history. No fault of anyone, but just how he feels. He has a whole other family and relatives that he is just finding out about and meeting/learning about as as adult. Not only another family, but another culture that he was not raised in. It couldn't have been easy being a black child raised by a white family back in the 70's. I think he is dealing with it all now.

Kevin and Randall do have some healing to do. I think Kevin got a bit neglected as a child in certain ways to account for the coddling Rebecca smothered Randall with, coddling I feel in many ways did him no favors, even though she did so with good intentions. In many ways this is much the same of sibling dynamics amongst 100-percent biological siblings. This story feels like it comes from an authentic place.

No doubt Randall has some issues relating to feeling unmoored from his birth family and his heritage. Hopefully he can find a way to make peace with it and move forward, integrating them. I think it would not serve him to connect with his racial identity and reject his adoptive family heritage, because he is fully a part of that too. Those ties are also important because they are ties of love. Kevin and Kate may not be able to intuit what Randall is going through because they don't share it and their bottom line is all they've ever known is they are the big three because Randal is their brother. Full stop. I think on several levels it is the same for Randall, all he's ever known is being one of the big three with his brother and sister. I will be wholeheartedly turned off if the writers diminish or splinter that bond.

 

[ronandannette]

We only watched part of the first episode, that was enough for us. For those who enjoy the show I'm happy for you I just don't care to watch any longer.



Not sure what else it tells you other than I decided this show wasn’t for me and I changed the channel. Nothing wrong with that.

Umm, you mean part of the first episode of the first season several years ago? How then do you have any idea what the show is even about and why would you be interested in posting on this thread? Am I missing something? FWIW, I'm no great fan of the show; I actually hate-watch it more than anything, so no judgement from me if you don't like it.

 

[mrsstats79]

We only watched part of the first episode, that was enough for us. For those who enjoy the show I'm happy for you I just don't care to watch any longer.



Not sure what else it tells you other than I decided this show wasn’t for me and I changed the channel. Nothing wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with you changing the channel. I understand how you are feeling. It seems so many shows now are dealing with the "race" issues in addition to the Covid issues. I just want to be entertained.

 

[brockash]

We only watched part of the first episode, that was enough for us. For those who enjoy the show I'm happy for you I just don't care to watch any longer.



Not sure what else it tells you other than I decided this show wasn’t for me and I changed the channel. Nothing wrong with that.

Ok, then I think the problem is you stating the show was racist... it seems that's not what you meant, but that's a pretty large accusation which make ppl confused.

It may be more clear if you went back and wrote "it wasn't for us," of "I prefer to not have race playing such a role in my entertainment."

You'd stop getting so many questions

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Umm, you mean part of the first episode of the first season several years ago? How then do you have any idea what the show is even about and why would you be interested in posting on this thread? Am I missing something? FWIW, I'm no great fan of the show; I actually hate-watch it more than anything, so no judgement from me if you don't like it.

Really? No I watched from season 1 but after viewing part of the first episode of new season DH and I both agreed we had watched enough...sorry if you don't agree but that is what works for us. Changed the channel...

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Nothing wrong with you changing the channel. I understand how you are feeling. It seems so many shows now are dealing with the "race" issues in addition to the Covid issues. I just want to be entertained.

I really don’t want to derail this thread, but I can’t ignore this. Putting race is quotes in offensive. It is a very real issue that needs to be addressed. Ignoring it or pretending it doesn’t exist has been a problem for way too long. Feel privileged it’s something that “just doesn’t entertain you”.

 

[FQLover]

Adoption is a tricky and complex family issue, regardless of the amount of genuine love shared. Transracial adoption is doubly so. It is often when the adoptee grows older that s/he grapples with it much more deeply than s/he did as a kid.

The current treatment of it in This is Us strikes me as very authentic.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Ok, then I think the problem is you stating the show was racist... it seems that's not what you meant, but that's a pretty large accusation which make ppl confused.

It may be more clear if you went back and wrote "it wasn't for us," of "I prefer to not have race playing such a role in my entertainment."

You'd stop getting so many questions

I think that's what I said...funny how some get and others don't.

 

[ronandannette]

Really? No I watched from season 1 but after viewing part of the first episode of new season DH and I both agreed we had watched enough...sorry if you don't agree but that is what works for us. Changed the channel...

It makes no difference to me whether you watch it or don't. I was just trying to understand what you were saying in the previous post.

 

[prairie_girl]

I think that's what I said...funny how some get and others don't.

I don’t even remember the first episode from this season. Sorry this thread isn’t for you.

 

[brockash]

I think that's what I said...funny how some get and others don't.

We stopped watching this season because we felt the show was just getting to racist. I enjoyed the show previously even with the racial undertones but it was just getting to be too much for us. Didn't care for it so we changed the channel.

Ummm...that's not at all what you said. Your exact words (pasted above) are "the show was just getting to racist."

That's VERY different and seems pretty inaccurate as well.

That's why I tried to explain that if you went back and typed what you meant, instead of saying the show was racist; that it'd clear up the confusion and you'd stop getting so many questions...maybe you like the questions who knows...but either way those are very different things.

 

[prairie_girl]

Ummm...that's not at all what you said. Your exact words (pasted above) are "the show was just getting to racist."

That's VERY different and seems pretty inaccurate as well.

That's why I tried to explain that if you went back and typed what you meant, instead of saying the show was racist; that it'd clear up the confusion and you'd stop getting so many questions...maybe you like the questions who knows...but either way those are very different things.

*not directed at you*

While race has always played a part in this show (as it does in real life), I hope that we are able to discuss all aspects of the show. We’ve kept these threads going for five seasons without any issues and I hope we can continue to do so.