Vietnam

This episode gave a lot of insight into who I think is the best character in the show. They didnt try to pull on your heartstrings like they normally try to and it was 100% believable. People saying this is the worst episode do not know good storytelling.

I remember sitting in a bar on the night of the draft lottery. I was 23 at the time and had finished college. One of my best friends was so hopeful, like Nick. He was born on September 14, the very first date. Although those under a hundred were likely to go. I lucked out. I think this part of Jack's life needed to be presented. He was a hero. He came looking for his brother when he could have avoided the whole thing. I thought the battle scenes were very good, although my understanding is that you kept your mouths shut as you made your way through this unfamiliar terrain to face an enemy who was born and lived there. We get more insights into Jack's father and mother and how he was formed.

I LOVE this show, so I was so disappointed by this episode, which was extremely boring. Did they have to devote the entire episode to the Jack back-story? One of the best things about This Is Us is the way they intercut the various stories and time periods. This seemed like a whole different series. It would've been better if they had let the story of Jack and his brother unfold, instead of throwing so much at us all at once.

Maybe the show is catered to a younger audience, which would explain why a full episode about Jack and Vietnam would be labeled as "boring." Personally, as a Vietnam Vet (1969-70), I was apprehensive about watching it. But my wife and I watch it together, and so we did this episode. The writers totally captured the anxiety, stress, and confusion about what to do, when Jack and his brother (and their mother!!) were awaiting the draft lottery. Kudos to the writers and actors. Where this episode fails, and fails miserably, is when depicting the war itself. Except for a few scenes, this entire part of the episode looked and felt like Hollywood. Hadn't anyone associated with the production of this great show seen any film clips of the war??? The rambling talk on patrol. All that heavy gear. And a football out in the boonies? Really??? REALLY??? But one thing this period in our lives was not, was boring. Stateside and in-country, we were all (young men and women, moms and dads, brothers and sisters) on pins and needles, worried about our future. Doc Waltz

This is probably my favourite episode of the series. Yes some of the war scenes in Vietnam were a little 'Hollywood'. However, this back story provides great insight into the Pearson family and their different 'addictions' - be it food, alcohol, work/perfectionism, drugs - it shows just how much what happens to us and how we deal with it shapes who we are. Coming from a multi-generational family of addiction myself, I thought this portrayed sensitively and truthfully Jack's brother, father and grandfather, the impact of addictive behaviours and that even when we want to be different and break the cycle, we can end up hurting the ones we love. To me it has a huge part to play in how we see the characters unfold and develop in future series.