
The hit NBC drama This Is Us has kicked off its sixth and final season. Although most fans totally agree that it's the right time for the show to come to a close, we can't help but reminisce about all of the truly special and powerful moments the show has brought audiences since it premiered in 2016. The series' unique concept immediately attracted a wide audience, and for more than five years, it has consistently delivered some of the most impactful TV moments of all time.
The stars of This Is Us — including Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chrissy Metz, and Justin Hartley — are incredibly talented, and have a way of conveying emotions that feels utterly real and raw. For many fans, watching the show is almost cathartic. As loyal viewers, we've been along for the journey as "the Big Three" and their parents and children have gone through some of the very same challenges, obstacles, struggles, joys, and celebrations that real people face in real life.
Perhaps the show is so powerful because it makes so many of us feel seen, but there's no question that it has brought us to tears on more than one occasion. Keep reading to see some of the times when This Is Us gave us all the feels. We are going to miss the Pearson gang so much!
Rebecca Starts Losing Her Memories
During season four of This Is Us, we learn that the Pearson matriarch, Rebecca, is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and it's a pretty devastating discovery. But then in the first episode of season six, we actually see her begin to lose some of the memories she's held dear for most of her life, and it's absolutely terrifying.
Kate & Toby Become Parents for the Second Time
Man, it's difficult to watch Kate and Toby go through the process of becoming parents for the second time. They end up welcoming their second child via an open adoption, during which they meet with the birth mother multiple times throughout her pregnancy. Kate is even present in the delivery room when Hailey is born, but the entire time, there's an undercurrent of fear as Kate and Toby wonder whether the birth mother will back out. It's gut wrenching, but in the end they get their little girl.
Kevin & Randall's Issues Come to a Head
Kevin and Randall have had conflicts with each other starting from the time they were really young, but they never really faced them head on. That all changes in season four when they have a blowout fight, during which Kevin tells Randall that the worst day of his life was when his parents brought Randall home — as in, at birth. We all sometimes say things we don't mean in fights, but something like that cuts beyond deep.
We Find Out About Kate's Abusive Relationship
It's completely upsetting when we find out that Kate was in an abusive relationship as a teenager. We watch her completely crumble in her relationship with Marc, and we see all of her long-standing insecurities surface and heighten. It makes for some tough TV.
Rebecca Apologizes to Randall
During season five, Rebecca finally sits down and opens up to Randall about why she hid everything about his birth parents from him. When she apologizes, admitting that in retrospect she realizes she handled it the wrong way, it's an emotional roller coaster. The moment is awkward and uncomfortable but also incredibly cathartic.
Nicky Visits Kevin
Wow! When Uncle Nicky goes to therapy and plots and plans just so that he can visit Kevin after the birth of the twins — one of whom is named after him — it is so intense. We can feel just how difficult it is for Nicky to leave his home and his life of solitude and everything that gives him comfort, and it's agonizing but also moving to know that Kevin means so much to him.
Beth & Randall Call Madison
As moms, it made us sob watching Beth and Randall call Madison to keep her company and comfort her while she's in labor and waiting for Kevin to arrive at the hospital. We could totally relate to the anxiety and stress Madison would have felt at the thought of her partner not being there for the birth of their babies and how much it would've meant to have his family be so supportive.
Randall Calls Kevin for Help
Randall is the last person to ask for help, so in season four when the stress of his political career and Rebecca's illness is tipped over the edge by a home robbery and he becomes utterly undone, it's a shock to see him call Kevin for support. Randall was in the middle of a full-on panic attack, and he needed his brother — despite their strained relationship — more than anyone else.
William Dies
Not long after Randall reconnects with his birth father, William, he finds out that William is suffering from terminal stomach cancer. We watch him go through the stages of the disease and see Randall try to eke out as much of the time they have together as possible. Their relationship is fast and furious, and then it ends in a gut-wrenching fashion when William succumbs to his illness.
Tess Comes Out
In season three, Randall and Beth's middle daughter, Tess, comes out as queer. She first reveals her sexuality to her aunt Kate, and then during the season finale, she comes out to her parents. Later in the series, we see Randall and Beth go through the complicated emotions of trying to understand and relate to Tess, considering she is growing up to be different than they imagined, but it's still handled very tactfully and in a way that really resonates with modern parents.
Jack Helps Kate at the Pool
Kate has dealt with weight and body image issues pretty much her entire life, and it's a continuing theme throughout the series. One of the most impactful moments is when the family is visiting the community pool and Kate becomes the target of bullies. It's her dad Jack who saves the day, but he doesn't do it by confronting the bullies — he does it by uplifting Kate, and it's beautiful.
Rebecca Is Confronted at the Pool
In that same episode, Rebecca freaks out when she can't spot Randall at the pool but eventually finds him hanging out with a group of Black families. She gets into a bit of a tiff with one of the other moms, who ends up snapping at her, "You need a barber who knows how to cut Black hair." Rebecca is initially hurt and offended, but her love for Randall prevails, and she ends up going back to the woman and asking her for the barber's info.
Beth Discovers Deja's Hair Loss
Not long after Randall and Beth begin fostering Deja, who they would eventually adopt, Beth realizes that something needs to be done about Deja's dirty, messy hair. She delicately approaches the issue with Deja, who reveals that she doesn't wash her hair because it falls out, especially when she's feeling stressed. Beth lovingly commits to helping Deja with the issue, and it ends up being a truly special bonding moment between mother and daughter.
Kate & Toby Find Out About Baby Jack
During season four, Kate and Toby find out that the son they longed for for so long — and was subsequently born prematurely — is blind. Watching them learn his diagnosis and grapple with the emotions associated with it, while trying to figure out what that means for his life and theirs, is so difficult.
Kevin Gets His Heart Broken
Kevin is the movie star heartthrob — he does the heart breaking. And honestly, as he gets older, he's a pretty decent guy, so when Zoe breaks it off with him because he wants to have kids and she absolutely doesn't, it's devastating. We can't help but root for Kevin, so we hurt when he hurts.
Jack Dies
We still get choked up thinking about it. Jack's death is depicted in the second season of This Is Us, even though he continues to appear in the series through flashbacks. His death is particularly upsetting because we initially thought he was in the clear after he walked out of the burning house appearing to be just fine. When we learn that he dies suddenly of smoke inhalation at the hospital, it's crushing.