The end of âThis Is Usâ is near. We look back on the seriesâ most memorable moments
In 2016, NBC debuted a family drama in the vaunted tradition of âParenthoodâ and âBrothers and Sistersâ â with a twist.
Or, as it turned out, many twists: When âThis Is Usâ returns for its sixth and final season Tuesday as one of our most anticipated TV series of the year, fans will be expecting its farewell run to tie up the loose ends left by its long string of mysteries, from the connection among âThe Big Threeâ and the death of Jack Pearson to how his estranged brother Nicky winds up by Rebecca Pearsonâs side on her deathbed. (The revelation of what killed TVâs beloved dad led to one of the most memorable post-Super Bowl episodes ever aired.) Along the way, the show has amassed a deeply passionate fan base and a reputation as a brutal tearjerker: Crying is as foundational to the experience of âThis Is Usâ as fear is to the experience of âThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre.â
Here at The Times, weâve covered the series throughout its Emmy-winning run, including criticism, cast interviews, behind-the-scenes reporting and podcast appearances by stars Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore. So whether youâre just catching up or rewatching to prepare, gird yourself for the seriesâ goodbye with our guide to key moments in the seriesâ history.
With the series end, the cast shares memories of the family dramaâs six seasons and all its ups and downs.
Three months. COVID delays. A âstupid pool.â Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore and Justin Hartley explain how they pulled off their interwoven episodes.
In a special episode of âThe Envelope,â Moore explains why Rebeccaâs choice made her âso nervousâ and teases whatâs coming in the series finale.
The series already had Season 5 mapped out. But to ignore COVID-19 and protests against racial injustice felt âirresponsible,â says creator Dan Fogelman.
Weâve come a long way from âFat Monica.â But adequate screen representation for fat women has yet to be achieved.
Secret screenings. Redacted scripts. Creator Dan Fogelman and key cast members explain how the seriesâ trademark twists come together.
Season 2 answered one lingering question â how did Jack Pearson die? â but that didnât mean an end to the rich material about TVâs hero dad.
The series added another layer to its multifaceted depiction of mother-daughter relationships by digging deeper into Bethâs family.
Itâs 1 a.m. and Milo Ventimiglia is settling into his Minneapolis hotel room after a climactic Super Bowl night â with one less secret to keep.
In its early seasons, NBCâs family drama inspired the kind of devotion usually reserved for genre storytelling, rife with conspiracy theories and connect-the-dots analysis.
During the seriesâ blockbuster first season, we sat down with Moore to discuss playing a daunting character: Rebecca Pearson, through the years.
Then TV critic Mary McNamara discusses the premiere of âThis Is Us,â which hit âfour out of five of its marks.â
âThe fact that this guy is so crazy busy and doing a million things and is still so accessible to all of us is insane,â says Mandy Moore.
