Saturday 2 July 2022

This Is Us - Season 5 (2020 Dan Fogelman)

The Lockdown Season. And George Floyd. Beth to Randall: "You are a brilliant and resilient man. The world is a brilliant and resilient place. We fight on."

In an extraordinary turn of events, Randall travels to New Orleans to hear the life story of his biological mother, beautifully played by Jennifer C Holmes (who of course has played her from the start), and her aunt, LisaGay Hamilton, who always knows when her niece is visiting - she can feel her presence before turning round - "You mind my peppers". Story told by Vien Hong.

"And don't you fix your mouth to tell a lie."

Kevin walks out on a Robert de Niro film to be at the birth; his journey is interrupted by having to save a car crash victim. Madison is Caitlin Thompson. And in flashback, Jack's Dad makes him drive them both home, and pays him a rare compliment - "Not bad". Michael Angarano plays young Nicky. Randall has his moment in court with Kevin.

A Salisbury Steak is a cross between hamburger and meatloaf served with a mushroom and onion gravy

It's littered with cultural references. "I put my foot up in these pancakes" = "I put my heart and soul into them". 'The Weary Blues' by Langston Hughes (1925). Kadir Nelson = painter / illustrator who adorned many cover of The New Yorker etc.

And the computer programmer who helped write the code used to send pictures and video across the Internet, great writing, because you're thinking 'How does this couple fit into the story?' and of course they're nothing to do with it.. only that in lockdown, people were really realising the benefit of video chatting: Nasir Ahmed.

And then that horrible season finale flash forward (only 16 episodes) - Kate's getting remarried to the school music teacher - what the hell's happened to Toby?

Edited in the main by: Howard Leder, Erin Nicole Wyatt, Julia Grove, and Lai-San Ho; with Bjorn T Myrholt and Romina Rey.

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