This Is Us (TV Series) Birth Mother (2021) User Reviews

The reason we fell in love with the series

[marvishamcbride · 10/10 · 13 January 2021]

The writers once again outdid themselves and also the casting department. Bravo. Finally get answers about the woman who birthed Randall

Beautiful

[normabette · 10/10 · 13 January 2021]

What a reward this episode was. I'm so glad they put all that in one episode and didn't make us wait until next week. Sterling K Brown is magnificent. If only I had a lake I could wade into to let it all out!

Incredible

[serendipity163 · 10/10 · 14 January 2021]

Once again, This Is Us delivers a truly stunning episode. The writing, direction, acting, music...everything was just so powerful. I also greatly appreciated the nuances of black culture which are so familiar to me (sitting in the kitchen getting your hair pressed with a hot comb). The closure that this episode gave Randall was beautiful, as he was able to truly know that he was loved by the people who raised him AND by the people who made him. What a beautiful journey.

I love TIU but I got used to thinking that there was never going to be another episode as amazing as 'Memphis' back in Season 1...well I was wrong. 'Birth Mother' can join 'Memphis' in being not just the greatest TIU episodes, but also one of the greatest television episodes period.

Bawled

[beckymundy · 9/10 · 13 January 2021]

I didn't get teary, I downright sobbed out loud for half the episode. So heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.

Let it all out! 10/10

[rathodnikhilcivil · 10/10 · 13 January 2021]

Finally the quality is on level with previous seasons. Loved this episode so much! Can't wait for more

Think twice

[mikeysmovies · 9/10 · 14 January 2021]

It may make you think twice when you see someone effected by drugs. Giving a further backstory to the life of someone we've not long met, This Is Us drops it's strongest episode this season evoking the thoughtfulness of it's greatest hours. With a love story at its center, it perfectly demonstrates the beauty of even the hardships in life.

Wow!!

[fpfm · 10/10 · 13 January 2021]

By far one of the best episodes so far... so many questions answered, so many emotions felt. 10/10

Beautiful storytelling but flawed story

[hay182008 · 1 August 2022]

The idea that Randell's mother was always thinking about him does not make sense to me at all. Why didn't she go back to Pittsburg and ask William about her son? Ok, she was in prison but only for 5 years. She still got about 30 years to do that and William was living at the same apartment Al these years! This is us is one of my favorite shows but some episodes are just cheesy and not realistic. It's interesting that Randall's "intelligent" character did not find these flaws and accepted that his mother was always thinking about him and loving him.

Beautiful

[claire_bear1990 · 10/10 · 14 January 2021]

Absolutely loved this episode! Glad it just focused on Randall, finding out about his birth mother. Loved watching what her story was all about. Absolutely love this show! Always look forward to see another episode each week!

Reality doesn't always ''make sense''...reality is complicated.

[lisamorrison-13427 · 9/10 · 12 August 2021]

I've read through the reviews and I must say that I'm rather surprised at the negative reviews citing that this episode ''doesn't make sense'' and that the details surrounding Randall's mother are not realistic. I think that some of the reviewers failed to realize the true complexity of the mom's situation post-overdose. Not only did she just temporarily die from an overdose (traumatic event), she woke up to the realization that she had 'failed' both her infant son and William by giving in to her addiction. The judgmental words of the nurses in the hospital further reinforced her belief that her baby was better off without her. As far as she knew, her son was in the care of his loving father. She had no idea that William had given him up. Just because she loved both her son and William doesn't mean that she believed that she was good for them. Hence, her decision to not look for them. Self-hatred can be a powerful thing. Some reviewers took issue with the police not investigating the 'kidnapping' of baby Randall by William. It was approximately 1980. Ideally, an investigation into the whereabouts of the baby would have happened...but just like 2021 is not ideal, 1980 was even less in many ways...especially for Black people and even more so for drug-addicted and/or down & out Black people. They arguably were not typically treated with compassion by many members of the general public, let alone the police. With this in mind, it is completely plausible that the police just didn't bother to do an investigation. The fact that the baby was taken by his father and not by a stranger could also have played a role in things. Back then, parental kidnapping wasn't widely acknowledged. There is also the possibility that the police did find out about Randall being dropped off at the fire station and being adopted soon after but didn't alert his mom. It isn't far-fetched to think that they might think that he was better off being adopted than being raised by his impoverished, drug-addicted parents...one of which was about to serve 5 years in prison. Some reviewers took issue with the mom not searching for Randall upon being released from prison. If she still believed that she was not worthy to be his mother, why would she seek him out? Also, 5 years in prison could easily have traumatized her. Who knows what happened to her in there? It made sense that upon release, she'd be desperate to go to the one person that always gave her solace, her aunt. My PVR messed up and I unfortunately only got to see up to this point in the episode. That said, I imagine that the more time passed the harder it might have been for the mom to even consider finding Randall and possibly disrupting his happy life. I just think that some of those giving negative reviews are neglecting to understand and/or consider the context of timing (80s vs now) as well as the complexities of mental health & its ability to cause people to behave in ways that might not seem to ''make sense'' . Human beings are incredibly complex and fragile creatures. Therefore, I found this episode to be refreshingly real. The fact that Randall's mom could have tracked him down but chose not to (likely because she loved him so much but still believed that she was not worthy to be his mother) makes this story all the more tragic IMO. Heartbreaking? Yes. Unrealistic? I don't think so.

Grab your tissues!!!

[skamassai · 10/10 · 14 January 2021]

Sterling is incredible. The story line is incredible. I'm so glad he was able to get closure he was seeking. He deserves the world.

Beautiful

[lbcindy · 10/10 · 13 January 2021]

That was superb... beautifully done episode. I liked the suggestion that it be made into a book!

Beautiful and emotional episode, but some small plot holes I can't get over

[hector_angel · 7/10 · 14 January 2021]

"This is us" is undoubtedly without a single concern my favorite show of all time. This episode was extremely beautiful, hit all the feels, and was done in an incredible way. But I can't help to ask myself some questions that I just can't find an answer to. I totally understand why Randall's mom chose to never come back after prison, but how come the police never went to check the baby she gave birth to, especially since she just got arrested for holding drugs. How is she the only one that got arrested, but William didn't. How come they never even try to check that house a single time or try to search for him or the baby that theoretically got kidnapped. I'm afraid that there are some small, but bugging plot holes that make me just not appreciate this episode at it's fullest.

Kidding me?

[nahidzamani-08109 · 1/10 · 26 June 2021]

Such a waste of time!!!

Why William didn't search for his wife grave? Why Randal's mother didn't come back to find her child and his father?

William hadn't changed the house,if she came back to house, she find him easily and they find Randal by Hospital information and done!!!

Every beautiful concept" this is us" had been made about love and family, in this episod were ruined!!!!!!👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

Beautiful episode

[tenealesharman · 8/10 · 15 January 2021]

Sterlings performances just get stronger and stronger. This was beautiful I'm so glad Randall finally got some closure. It's so sad to think William and Laurel lived lives with so much pain.

Poor Kevin, I'm having flashbacks to the episode where we see the whole family at Kevin's lake house,could you imagine if she dies in childbirth and that's why we didn't see her there.

Randall's mother's story

[mauricioalexisveliz · 9/10 · 28 October 2021]

A heartbreaking episode from start to finish! Maybe the story of Randall's mother wasn't necessary to the show but hey, the writers decided it was and it turned out to be a great episode! We never know how much history there is behind a person, sometimes even oneself don't know how much history there is in our lives and in this episode that feeling is reflected very well. Good job This Is Us!

Not My Favorite Season

[sagegusano · 9/10 · 28 January 2021]

This season hasn't held me like the others, but this episode was amazing.Randall discovering the heart rending story of his mother's past was something I, as a viewer and a human being, needed very much right now. Watching him talk to her mental ghost (someone else said "I hate ghosts" in their review not realizing that this was in his mind) brought tears to my eyes. Very little on TV can do that.

Gorgeous

[RonSinMichigan · 10/10 · 21 April 2021]

A real masterpiece that can stand on its own . You won't soon forget this episode .

Best show of this season

[jeersNcheers · 10/10 · 31 January 2021]

I've been a BIG FAN all along, but this season feels different, in a bad way. Most people watch TV for entertainment and escapism, not to get educated about issues that we suffered through in 2020. This episode is more in tune with all the other seasons, so I'm hopeful...

Loved this episode

[kkondo-1 · 10/10 · 15 January 2021]

This episode was the greatest in quite a while. Want more of this!

Best episode of TiU. EVER.

[lisapotter-79260 · 10/10 · 25 March 2021]

Needless to say, I SOBBED. This episode has got to be in the top five best episodes of This is Us (if not number one). It has everything that we love about this show; it is a story of love, loss, forgiveness, resilience, acceptance, and family, all in one episode!! Acting is excellent, and it's beautifully shot. Y'all knocked it out of the park!

Excellence

[sharontreorchy · 10/10 · 15 January 2021]

Prepare for complete breakdown of emotions. The years rolled

A new level of cheesy

[katiedog87 · 1/10 · 25 May 2021]

I really like This Is Us. This episode is a real outlier in the cheez factor. The bit with the lake was foreseeable by a mile or two. The yell in the lake was foreseeable for many miles. The conversation in the lake was ultimate cheese. It really ruined the storyline of Randall, sorry. She never tried to contact William? She just 'waved' at the Vietnamese guy after his family was gone for years? Please.....this was SO not believable, in a show that has as its trademark the 'realness' of life.

Best episode of any series ever

[gian-andri94 · 10/10 · 26 July 2022]

Wow, this episode was just beyond perfect. The writing is stellar, the way the story is told is amazing and the acting.. oh wow, the acting! I loved this episode and everything it meant for Randall.

A TikToker put clips of this up

[chiztina · 10/10 · 20 January 2021]

Such good writing.... How do they do it???

You can feel all of the characters breathing and living and then you will be crying like every other minute.