This Is Us only has three episodes left before it ends, and in its six seasons, the show has told many love stories. But throughout all these relationships, very few have stood the test of time in the way thatJack and Rebecca or Randall and Beth have. Many members of the extended Pearson family have struggled in the romance department, looking for love over and over again with the wrong person or at the wrong time.
Each season has introduced one new couple after another to viewers, especially in the romantic lives of twins Kevin and Kate. But many of these relationships have been clear mistakes, and some of them even stand out as some of the worst couples and storylines in the entire show.
Season 1: Kevin And Olivia
Kevin Pearson's love life has almost always been a mess, but it definitely reached one of its lowest points in season 1 when Kevin briefly and casually dated Olivia Maine, the snobby lead actress of the play he was scheduled to star in.
Kevin decided to try and become a more serious actor after leaving The Manny, which resulted in his short-lived stint on Broadway and his connection with Olivia. But the two came from completely different worlds, frequently clashed over their contrasting viewpoints and approach to the work, and simply had no believable chemistry. This relationship really felt like the series was just treading water with Kevin in order to lead up to the subsequent reveal of his lost relationship with Sophie in season 1's thirteenth episode.
Season 2: Kevin And Charlotte
This is yet another awful relationship featuring Kevin Pearson, and it found Kevin at his saddest point in the entire series so far. In season 2, he struggled with his alcoholism in a way he never had before. It ruined his second attempt at a relationship with Sophie and led him into a pretty devastating downward spiral when he returned home to his high school alma mater to be recognized as a noteworthy alumnus.
During his time there, Kevin struggled with his drinking and feelings of depression and longing for the life he once had. This led to him impulsively sleeping with a fellow alumni honoree, a doctor named Charlotte, from whom he attempted to steal a prescription slip to assist in his addiction, one of the worst decisions ever made in This Is Us.
Season 3: Alan And Rebecca
This Is Us has had an interesting relationship with the concept of first love. For some, first loves are forever loves, as seen in Kevin and Sophie's relationship timeline. But for others, such as Pearson matriarch Rebecca and her high school boyfriend Alan, first loves were maybe the very worst of them all. Alan was introduced in a minor role in season 3, but even the brief appearance he made was more than enough to show how wrong these two were for each other.
The two dated in high school before Alan moved away to pursue his career goals. When he returned to Pittsburgh, he somehow sweet-talked Rebecca into agreeing to move to New York with him, despite her longing to travel to Los Angeles in hopes of pursuing a career in music. Thankfully, Rebecca quickly realized that both Alan and a life in New York were wrong for her.
Season 4: Marc And Kate
This Is Us has covered many serious topics over its six-season run, but it wasn't until the introduction of Kate's relationship with her first boyfriend Marc that it explored abusive relationships. Kate dated Marc when she was a teenager and he was a few years older, and at first, it seemed like they were a good match as they were both outsiders with similar music tastes.
But all too soon, Marc showed his true ugly nature, beginning to emotionally, mentally, and later, even physically abuse Kate. He called her names, demeaned her for her weight, and got into fights with her brothers. Kate even became pregnant as a teenager during this relationship, but had an abortion because she knew "[she] could not be tied to [Marc] for the rest of [her] life." The trauma of her relationship with Marc lingered with her for years, however, culminating in a powerful moment that allowed her to confront him as an adult over the pain he caused her.
Season 5: Kevin And Madison
As soon as it was revealed that Kevin had impulsively chosen to sleep with Kate's friend Madison, a decision he immediately regretted, it was clear that this was a relationship destined for disaster. Madison's subsequent revelation that she was pregnant and that Kevin was the father further complicated this, causing him to try and do what he believed to be the right thing and propose marriage to her soon after.
The relationship between these two took up quite a lot of story space, only for the shocking This Is Us season 5 finale to come to the conclusion that Kevin was never in love with Madison; he was in love with the idea of the family they could have together. But people don't need to be married to be family, and thankfully, the show realized this, too.
Season 6: Kate And Phillip
Kate and Toby have always been a controversial couple among This Is Us fans. But the pairing of Kate with her boss and eventual husband Phillip has not gone over particularly well either. When the season 5 finale revealed that Kate was getting married a second time — to the man who had only ever been depicted as surly and standoffish to her at that — it was clear that the series had a lot of work to do in its final season to convince viewers of this relationship.
Unfortunately, This Is Us completely fell flat in this regard. It took far too long for season 6 to depict the decline and dissolution of Kate and Toby's marriage, and Kate and Phillip's subsequent courtship was merely fast-forwarded over the course of a single episode. Phillip is a lovely man, and he and Kate may have been a better couple if the development of their relationship had more screen time. But as it stands, the series really missed the mark by putting these two together so late in the game.