This Is Us 3x15 "The Waiting Room" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Holy bottle episode! This episode was not very good. At least in my opinion, which doesn’t mean much. Everyone decides to rehash / argue loudly what’s been happening in the past few episodes in front of each other because they’re all worried about Kate and the baby. Randall and Beth are fighting over his request to have her give up her dreams, Kevin and Zoe are mad over his lies about drinking, Miguel is playing some stupid game to relieve tension, and Toby is absent helping Kate.

Madison also has a small part to play and character interaction with Miguel. Kevin is really mean to her and everyone else because of the role he played in getting Kate to the hospital… Randall and Kevin fighting is getting really old.

Rebecca is too distraught to pay attention and has the best meta moment when she tells everyone to shut up about their problems so they can be supportive for Kate. Her thing about smiley faced electrical outlets was on-point. The whole “thanks for putting up with us” is also meta, kind-of telling us that they’re grateful for our patience. You’re welcome, let’s jump to the flash forwards (“her” is Rebecca) because that’s a lot of untapped story there.

And this all happens in the same hospital room / area. Bottle episode.

Overall, this show has lost the emotional depth it had in the first / most of second season is gone. Well, not gone. The Beth-centric episode proves they have the ability to go that far and make us weep, but the Big Three have to figure out their shit and resolve the grief they’re carrying when it comes to Jack Pearson. A flashback story being absent didn’t help either, but it wouldn’t be considered a bottle episode otherwise.