This Is Us- Season 3

[kimblebee]

I had no idea They televised the birthday draft like that, I can’t imagine the horrifying anxiety people endured watching that.

Maybe that’s why I didn’t like the episode. Canada didn’t fight in that war and were only known for hiding people. So, it’s not relatable.

 

[Nora03]

I thought it was very relatable, but it’s probably because of my age. We felt for our neighbours to the south, especially since we could see so much on TV. We were at the age to be drafted if we had been Americans. One of our neighbours was American and he served three tours in Vietnam, before moving to Canada with his Canadian wife and family. It was probably a good show to explain a bit of history as well as consequences for many. War can cripple people in more ways than death or disability. I wonder if they’ll continue this storyline for awhile. I did miss seeing the other family members in this episode.

 

[anniemae]

Next week looks good. We see some of Toby's background.

 

[kimblebee]

I thought it was very relatable, but it’s probably because of my age. We felt for our neighbours to the south, especially since we could see so much on TV. We were at the age to be drafted if we had been Americans. One of our neighbours was American and he served three tours in Vietnam, before moving to Canada with his Canadian wife and family. It was probably a good show to explain a bit of history as well as consequences for many. War can cripple people in more ways than death or disability. I wonder if they’ll continue this storyline for awhile. I did miss seeing the other family members in this episode.

It was before my time so maybe that’s why it didn’t grab me either. Oh well, not every episode is going to be the best..

 

[QueenIsabella]

The episode was just "meh" for me. I'm too young to remember the Vietnam War, but I did find those scenes interesting. I was getting annoyed that they kept hammering us with the fact that Jack's dad is a total jerk. yeah, yeah, we get it--he's an alcoholic wife-beater. They show him having no redeeming qualities. My objections are that first off, Jack had to learn his mad parenting skillz from somewhere. Secondly, most fathers, particularly back in the day, took their job of supporting their family very, very seriously--in part because they were the sole bread-winner. So, a workaholic dad makes sense, as does a dad not in the delivery room. I'm probably not explaining this well. I just think a 50's-era dad would have had a much different parenting role than what we see today. And Jack's dad must have done a few things right along the way.

 

[anniemae]

The episode was just "meh" for me. I'm too young to remember the Vietnam War, but I did find those scenes interesting. I was getting annoyed that they kept hammering us with the fact that Jack's dad is a total jerk. yeah, yeah, we get it--he's an alcoholic wife-beater. They show him having no redeeming qualities. My objections are that first off, Jack had to learn his mad parenting skillz from somewhere. Secondly, most fathers, particularly back in the day, took their job of supporting their family very, very seriously--in part because they were the sole bread-winner. So, a workaholic dad makes sense, as does a dad not in the delivery room. I'm probably not explaining this well. I just think a 50's-era dad would have had a much different parenting role than what we see today. And Jack's dad must have done a few things right along the way.

It seemed Jack's dad was a very good dad in the beginning. At the hospital scene, he was talking gently and encouraging his wife as she was in labor. He was also shown being very kind to Jack in the waiting room. Even in once scene where Jack and his brother got up out of bed when the dad was yelling at the mom, she said to Jack, "he wasn't always like this." So something happened along the way and he turned into a terrible person. But the little glimpse they showed us at the hospital shows us he was not always like that.

 

[Shellsbutt]

I actually went into this episode thinking I was going to fast forward through a lot of it, that it would be too boring. That was not the case. I thought it was very well done, although super depressing. I had missed where Nick said it would be great to go backward and that's how the episode played out- brilliant! My heart broke while they were watching the draft and hearing Nick's birth date come up. Is that really how it happened? It reminded me of the Hunger Games! I looked up the actor on IMDB- Michael Angarano. He's only listed for one episode. I had been looking on some other sites and someone mentioned Jack's necklace being worn on the kid's mom who runs up with the fish for Jack.

 

[PollyannaMom]

The episode was just "meh" for me. I'm too young to remember the Vietnam War, but I did find those scenes interesting. I was getting annoyed that they kept hammering us with the fact that Jack's dad is a total jerk. yeah, yeah, we get it--he's an alcoholic wife-beater. They show him having no redeeming qualities. My objections are that first off, Jack had to learn his mad parenting skillz from somewhere. Secondly, most fathers, particularly back in the day, took their job of supporting their family very, very seriously--in part because they were the sole bread-winner. So, a workaholic dad makes sense, as does a dad not in the delivery room. I'm probably not explaining this well. I just think a 50's-era dad would have had a much different parenting role than what we see today. And Jack's dad must have done a few things right along the way.

Some people just vow to be nothing like their parents.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I started off missing the other characters, but I ended up really into the episode! I was just a baby when the Vietnam War was going on, so it was always one of those periods in the "fuzzy zone" - I wasn't old enough to remember it, but it was recent enough that we never got to in history class.

It was interesting to get a glimpse of how people felt, etc. And I agree that the scene where they panned over the babies was really poignant!

 

[Mermaid02]

I didn't even finish the episode. It didn't hold my attention at all.

 

[kimblebee]

I actually went into this episode thinking I was going to fast forward through a lot of it, that it would be too boring. That was not the case. I thought it was very well done, although super depressing. I had missed where Nick said it would be great to go backward and that's how the episode played out- brilliant! My heart broke while they were watching the draft and hearing Nick's birth date come up. Is that really how it happened? It reminded me of the Hunger Games! I looked up the actor on IMDB- Michael Angarano. He's only listed for one episode. I had been looking on some other sites and someone mentioned Jack's necklace being worn on the kid's mom who runs up with the fish for Jack.

I don’t know if the draft happened only once or a lot of times during that war but apparently the birthdays that were called in the show were in the same order that they were drawn in real life! Now that’s attention to detail..

I didn't even finish the episode. It didn't hold my attention at all.

I watched it but was on my phone the whole episode so, only half listening.

 

[antmaril]

I used FF through most of this episode, because it just didn’t hold my interest. But, I do remember the emotion I felt back in the 70’s listening for my late husband’s birthday to be called. It was very nerve wracking. We were overjoyed when his number was 313. If I remember correctly, 150 and below were at risk of being drafted. It was a huge relief.

 

[*pixie*]

I used FF through most of this episode, because it just didn’t hold my interest. But, I do remember the emotion I felt back in the 70’s listening for my late husband’s birthday to be called. It was very nerve wracking. We were overjoyed when his number was 313. If I remember correctly, 150 and below were at risk of being drafted. It was a huge relief.

I cannot even begin to imagine going through that.

 

[kimblebee]

New episode tomorrow!! I just saw a commercial and it looks like we’re back to present day. It also looks like it may be a Toby centric episode.

I can’t think of the actress’s name who appears to be playing his mom but I LOVE her.

ETA- it’s Wendie Malick. I should have remembered that. Does anyone else remember that show Dream On that she was on? I used to love that show.

eta- I just looked on IMDb and the episode is called Toby. This one will be tough to watch.

 

[quandrea]

New episode tonight!! I just saw a commercial and it looks like we’re back to present day. It also looks like it may be a Toby centric episode.

I can’t think of the actress’s name who appears to be playing his mom but I LOVE her.

ETA- it’s Wendie Malick. I should have remembered that. Does anyone else remember that show Dream On that she was on? I used to love that show.

eta- I just looked on IMDb and the episode is called Toby. This one will be tough to watch.

Is it tonight or tomorrow?

 

[kimblebee]

Is it tonight or tomorrow?

Oops..it’s tomorrow. I’ve been a day ahead for a whole week now lol

 

[cabanafrau]

Maybe that’s why I didn’t like the episode. Canada didn’t fight in that war and were only known for hiding people. So, it’s not relatable.

Seems like an odd viewpoint to me. That's part of the art of movies and television, making us appreciate the human condition of others in times and places different from ours, feeling momentarily in their shoes and bringing people together. I've seen an awful lot of movies about the bombing of London in WWII, Londoners sending their children off often to unknown strangers across the Atlantic in Canada and the U.S. -- can't help but wind up with a lump in my throat every time.

 

[Christine]

Maybe that’s why I didn’t like the episode. Canada didn’t fight in that war and were only known for hiding people. So, it’s not relatable.

I didn't like it either. I was a child during the Viet Nam war and I had two uncles drafted and over there. I don't know why this episode bored me but I fast forwarded through some of it--I rarely do that. I feel really shallow!

 

[kimblebee]

Seems like an odd viewpoint to me. That's part of the art of movies and television, making us appreciate the human condition of others in times and places different from ours, feeling momentarily in their shoes and bringing people together. I've seen an awful lot of movies about the bombing of London in WWII, Londoners sending their children off often to unknown strangers across the Atlantic in Canada and the U.S. -- can't help but wind up with a lump in my throat every time.

May be odd to you, but that’s my viewpoint. I’m not into history at all so maybe that’s another reason. Sure, I feel bad that people were sending their kids to war, but it’s still not relatable to me.

 

[kimblebee]

I didn't like it either. I was a child during the Viet Nam war and I had two uncles drafted and over there. I don't know why this episode bored me but I fast forwarded through some of it--I rarely do that. I feel really shallow!

Different strokes for different folks and all that. I’m sure some people will find the Toby storyline boring and want to fast forward over it but I will be watching all those scenes almost breathless because THAT’S relatable to me.

That’s why the show is so good, eventually something is going to hit home for everyone.