This Is Us Season 3 Turned Into A Soap Opera

This Is Us season 3 almost felt like it was a soap opera, but that's okay because the show is still good. Debuting in 2016, the NBC family drama took the public by storm with its heartfelt narratives and unexpected reveals. Three seasons later, fans remain invested with the Pearsons as we watch them go through life decade by decade.

This Is Us centers on Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca's (Mandy Moore) family of five. With three kids - twins Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Kate (Chrissy Metz) and adopted son Randall (Sterling K. Brown) - the couple have been the main force behind their children's lives even up until the present day. It resonated with a lot of people because of its unique ability to walk the thin line between fantasy and reality. The situations were grounded and the characters were relatable, and although it felt manipulative at times for evoking certain kinds of emotions for viewers, it worked because it was cathartic watching the Pearsons simply navigating through their separate and collective journeys.

While Rebecca is the backbone of the family, Jack is the heart. The Pearson patriarch has been so popular that it devastated fans when it was revealed that he's dead. For the most part of season 1 and season 2, This Is Us revolved around the mystery of Jack's death, with hints peppered throughout the show giving fans an idea when and how he passed away. By the time it was revealed at the back half of season 2, This Is Us had reached peaked popularity, posting its highest-rated episode ever with almost 27 million viewers tuning in to learn how the Pearson patriarch died. But now that the major catch of This Is Us is resolved, it seems like it's struggling to find another narrative point to fully hook its viewers.

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How This Is Us Transformed Into A Soap Opera

The first two seasons of This Is Us revolved around Jack and the mystery of his death. While we knew that he's no longer around all the way back from the show's second episode, the succeeding outing hyped up the mystery of how he died by peppering plot clues throughout the remainder of season 1. This kept fans involved, watching the show week-after-week, waiting for another hint at what may have happened to the Jack. The fact that Rebecca re-married her dead husband's best friend, Miguel, also added intrigue.

With this, the show had a specific story milestone to work towards to. Once that was resolved at the back half of season 2, it seems like This Is Us lost its narrative direction. The novelty of seeing Rebecca and the kids go through life without Jack slowly wore off. And now, it almost feels like they're trying to find another emotional crux in the story by introducing several supposedly huge storylines, only to be quickly resolved or have little significant follow through.

This Is Us Season 3 Chased Emotional Reveals - But Rarely Delivered

This Is Us season 3 began with Rebecca and Jack's early days of courtship which transitioned to the exploration of the Vietnam war - a part of the latter's life that he refused to discussed with anyone. The whole arc which was spread out in several weeks culminated with the reveal that his youngest brother is alive and that Jack knew about it but never mentioned it to his family. Apparently, Jack ruthlessly cut Nicky (Griffin Dune) out of his life after mistakenly judging him for killing an innocent boy in Vietnam when it reality everything was a terrible accident. However, Nicky isn't ready yet to mingle with his brother's family, leading to their eventual separation.

Another huge moment from This Is Us season 3 was Tess coming out and Eris Baker did a fantastic job at portraying a terrified kid who's getting overwhelmed by learning about her emerging sexuality. Many were convinced that this will be a central plot in the upcoming episodes, but it was barely acknowledged in thereafter. The focus was on Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) and Randall's struggle to find adapt to the many changes in their personal and professional lives. This Is Us danced around the subject matter for quite a while, but once they finally confronted each other with their grievances, things quickly did a 180 degree turn with a simple resolution in the next episode. Zoe's (Melanie Liburd) reveal of abusive childhood reveal went on a similar prolonged route but barely had any impact on her and Kevin's eventual break-up.

Page 2 of 2: Why This Is Us Is Still Good & What It Needs To Do In Season 4

Kate and Toby talk on a bridge in This Is Us

Why This Is Us Is Still Good

Despite all the prolonged subplots and emotional, This Is Us season 3 is still a great season overall. It propelled the story forward, particularly the gut-wrenching flash-forward sequence in the finale, setting up the final three seasons of the show. From the looks of it, some of the narrative points introduced in its latest year that barely went anywhere will play a factor down the road with the involvement of Nicky and Tess opening up with her struggles of finding her sexual identity.

While fans weren't particularly interested in narratives centering out of the core Pearson family and with have very little to no link to Jack, This Is Us produced a decent story that continues to resonate with its audience. For instance, the Beth-centric episode, "Our Little Island Girl" effectively explained why she was so adamant about pursuing her dreams of being a dancer having been thrust in a life direction that she didn't really want to tackle. Deja (Lyric Ross) tracking her own father for closure was a short but it was impactful, and the way the show executed it without any frills and unnecessary drama made it much more memorable.

Another highlight story of the season is Kate and Toby's pregnancy arc. From the commotion caused by their decision to push forward with trying alternative options, to Kate having to deliver the baby prematurely, every single step throughout this whole journey was emotional and touching. It also strengthened the couple's relationship, making their bleak future as insinuated in the flash-forward scene intriguing.

Finally, one aspect of This Is Us that they nail week-after-week is the performance from every single cast member. Moore and Ventimiglia's chemistry on screen is, as always electric and seeing how Rebecca and Jack in the early stages of dating provided fans the romantic element of the show from the Pearsons. Brown's and Kelechi Watson's portrayal of Randall and Beth's passive-aggressive treatment of each other that culminated in a shouting match that almost led to an almost separation was a great juxtaposition with how happy and in love they were for the most part of This Is Us. Even Jon Huertas' Miguel got some shining moments, making fans love him a little more despite the initial dislike of his character.

What This Is Us Needs To Do In Season 4

This Is Us season 3 had the right mindset to shift the focus to other show characters outside the Pearson core family with episodes devoted to the backstories of Toby (Chris Sullivan) and Beth. This way, the show will be sustainable for the remainder of its course, and it appears like they'll continue to expand in season 4, as teased by creator Dan Fogelman. However, they need to find a way to balance people's clamor for more Jack and exploring other pockets of the show in order to keep its massive fan base happy. Viewership ratings indicate that people are less likely to tune in if the upcoming narrative had very little to do with Jack.

The show's latest season jumped from one plot line to another causing the season to feel slow and dragging. It lacked the natural story flow that the series had in its first two seasons, and is something that fans would love to have back for This Is Us season 4. Finally, the show need not to focus on massive plot twists. This Is Us season 1 had some organic character moments in the simplest scenarios (the pool trip and best washing machine sequences are some that quickly com to mind). Each member of the Pearson family is relatable which is why fans are invested in them. The show doesn't really need to put them in over-the-top arcs for them to shine.

With This Is Us already at the midpoint of its overall arc, the last few seasons will be devoted in tackling the mysteries left in the season 3 finale's flash-forward sequence. Similar to Jack's death being the narrative compass for its first two seasons, Rebecca's inevitable demise will be what the show's remaining three years will build toward toward.

More: This Is Us Season 3's Ending Left Some Big Flashforward Mysteries