12 This Is Us Scenes To Watch When You Need A Good Happy-Cry
I'm already getting emotional.
With its final season having come to a close, This Is Us has unraveled its final mystery and set the Pearson triplets and their families to live out their future lives. However, the series will live on in streaming, with all six seasons on Hulu and the more recent episodes on Peacock, meaning fans can revisit the Pearson family whenever they want. Here are some of the most uplifting This Is Us scenes in the show’s history for those who need that euphoric emotional hit from time to time.
Over six seasons, This Is Us slowly peeled back the layers of the Pearson family, starting with flashbacks to the past and the life the family lived when patriarch Jack Pearson was still alive. As the show moved along, it began extending its vision from the present and the past to the future. The last season’s final episodes are all set in the late 2020s and beyond.
Throughout the years, the show revealed some of the Pearson clan’s most joyful moments that made viewers laugh and cry all at once. Regardless of where you’re at in life, there’s bound to be a scene that speaks to you. Let’s run down some of those cathartic moments from Seasons 1 through 6.
01
Jack’s Push-Ups
One of the most famous scenes in all of This is Us history came early in Season 1, when Jack signs up Randall for karate in “The Trip” (Season 1, Episode 9). It could have been an uncomfortable scene as Jack is the only white father there. But Jack shows he will always be there to take care of Randall and support him by doing push-ups with the boy on his back.
02
Beth & William Bonding
The scene in which Beth and William get stoned eating pot brownies may not sound like a happy cry-type moment, but it’s a pure Beth experience. Their silly snark in “The Best Washing Machine in the World” (Season 1, Episode 7) is viewers’ introduction to how it will always be with her. Her brand of love makes you laugh and shake your head, even as your heartstrings melt.
03
Kate’s Pregnancy Announcement
After a season and a half of struggles, Kate finally gets her first major milestone when she announces in “Brothers” (Season 2, Episode 5) that she’s pregnant. Though things will not go as planned, and the struggle will continue for another season before she carries a child to term, this scene of her overwhelming joy isn’t easy to forget.
04
Dr. K At Jack’s Funeral
For someone who wasn’t around much in Jack and Rebecca’s life, Dr. K holds a significant spot in their hearts. Not just because he delivered their children (and brought them Randall), but for moments like in “The Car” (Season 2, Episode 15), when he attends Jack’s funeral. Dr. K’s speech to Rebecca that Jack wasn’t perfect or had things figured out is exactly what she needs to hear to keep going.
05
Tess Coming Out
Tess comes out multiple times on This Is Us. (Most people on the LGBTQ+ spectrum knows no one comes out just once, and This Is Us captures that well.) But the first time, in “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning” (Season 3, Episode 9), is the gold standard moment all others have to live up to. Luckily, they do, especially in “So Long, Marianne” (Season 4, Episode 9), when Kevin gives her some of the best advice about handling the life ahead of her.
06
Deja’s Lecture
Tess’ coming out dominated the story around Randall’s children. But when it was time to make herself heard, Deja knew exactly what she needed to do to get Randall’s attention in “Her” (Season 3, Episode 18). Deja made him drive a long way so she could give him a Randall-esque speech about making sure he never threw away the best thing that happened to him (aka Beth). She got his attention and his promise to listen.
07
Nicky Opening Up About Sally
Nicky starts as a hard nut to crack, determined to push everyone and anyone away lest he gets hurt again. That includes Jack’s children when they find him. But in Season 4, those walls finally start to come down. The scene in “Flip A Coin” (Season 4, Episode 4), where he first talks about Sally, the one who got away, isn’t just a tale of lost love. It signals Nicky is finally ready to let his family and friends in.
08
Rebecca’s Rescue Of Kate
Kevin and Kate may have a twin bond, and Randall might see himself as the family's savior. But sometimes, it’s a mother’s job to rescue her daughter. The moment in “The Cabin” (Season 4, Episode 14), when Kate needs someone to step up and save her from herself and her commitment to Mark is it, and Rebecca doesn’t let her Bug down.
09
Esther Pariente & Nasir Ahmed’s Gift
It takes the entire episode to connect how Esther and Nasir’s love story relates to the double birth night for Kate and Kevin in “In the Room” (Season 5, Episode 8). As the episode wraps up, it’s revealed Nasir was the man who invented the algorithm that made video chat possible in the 21st century. Their love story was a perfect happy-cry not only for the Pearson family, but for everyone in a time when it was needed most.
10
Kevin Taking Nicky In, No Questions
Nicky may have opened up to Kevin in Season 4. However, it took his flight to California in “One Small Step...” (Season 5, Episode 11) to cement it. It was a small step for man but a giant leap for an old fuddy-duddy set in his ways. And it was Kevin who let him in and allowed Nicky to give his newborns John Grisham novels (of all things!), without comment or complaint, which sealed their relationship for good.
11
Randall’s Cookie Gift
There are tons of tears in Season 6, but it’s Randall’s move in “Every Version Of You” (Season 6, Episode 10) to delivers Rebecca cookies to help with her heartbreak that turned those tears into a smile.
12
Jack & Rebecca’s Reunion
There was only one thing viewers of This is Us wanted more than anything: for Jack and Rebecca to reunite somehow, even though he passed away in 1997. They finally got it as Rebecca left the earth in 2034, as part of her end-of-life sequence in “The Train” (Season 6, Episode 17).
All episodes of This Is Us are streaming on Hulu.
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