Warning! Spoiler alert! This is Us “The Challenger.”
Fans This Is Us knew it wouldn’t be easy to see the beginning of the end, as the sixth and final season premiered Tuesday night. “The Challenger” was set mostly around the Big Three’s 41st birthday, looking back at how far they’ve come in the past five years. It was amidst all the celebrations, or lack thereof, for some. Rebecca‘s heart-wrenching story that struck a chord, as she dealt with the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Mandy Moore‘s performance was stunning and really showed viewers that we’re in for an emotional ride.
Many things happened in “The Challenger” to set up what’s to come over the course of Season 6. KevinAnd MadisonThe world of co-parenting was not easy. RandallContinued to work for the salvation of the world. KateShe had a wonderful time with her future husband PhillipAnd Nicky talked nonstop about Sally, “the one who got away.”
Rebecca was silent throughout the episode as she struggled with the word for the last train car. Nicky and Rebecca were joined by Nicky. Miguel walked Kevin’s twins around the zoo, and as they sat down for Kate’s birthday dinner, Rebecca seemed in a fog as she relived two memories – one of train rides with her father, who walked her through each train car until they reached the caboose, and one reading The Little Red Caboose to her kids at bedtime each night – until her frustration literally exploded out of her.
Mandy Moore played Rebecca’s silent struggle perfectly, and Rebecca’s stubbornness in refusing to let Miguel or Nicky help her with the word was crushingly real. The word returned to Rebecca, and exhausted Rebecca leaned against Miguel, speaking. “Caboose.”There was little celebration or relief. Rebecca understood as well as the viewers the significance and importance of what was occurring.
Mandy Moore even highlighted the moment on Twitter. It made me wonder, if she was fighting the urge yell like I was. “Caboose!”For the past hour, I have been watching the screen.
Mandy Moore’s performance was beautifully subtle, and it became real what this season is leading up to – the 2034 timeline where Rebecca is dying. Kevin and Kate had that realization as well, about how sick Rebecca really was, and Kevin’s wanting to stop time just to have a moment to process it all is precisely the kind of heartbreak I think we can expect from Season 6.
Next week’s episode looks to feature some of our extended family members on road trips, as Rebecca and Miguel accompany Nicky to find Sally, and DejaShe travels to Boston with her boyfriend Malik. This Is UsReturns at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, January 11th on NBC. Make sure you check out our 2022 TV ScheduleTo see what else is happening this month, click here