This Is Us (TV Series) This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life (2018) User Reviews

I'm not understanding the hate...

[HaveYouEverNoticed · 9/10 · 4 June 2019]

This was a really good episode in my opinion. Sure, it really didn't have any of the "main characters", but clearly Deja is going to be a character who will be in their lives at least for a while. Maybe some people were uncomfortable with the show showcasing the foster care system, and the problems in it. Well sorry, but this is a fact of life for millions of Dejas. Deja's mother wasn't abusing her, it just was a string of bad luck, and poor timing.

She was only 16 when she had her. The grandmother did most of the child rearing, and then she died. Shauna did the best she could with a limited education, experience, and especially income. Had Deja not cut her hand that day, social services probably would have never taken her. I'm not saying that Shauna was the perfect mother at all, but Deja having to go from foster home to foster home was worse than living with her mother. This episode showed up the story of Deja, and a look inside of her to see what makes her who she is.

Don't worry folks...I'm sure all of the regular cast will be there next week.

A Veer From The "Plot"

[turkeytwizzler · 9/10 · 24 August 2018]

Strangely, my first review on here is defending a random episode of This Is Us.

It seems like this episode is getting a lot of hate, and I'm unsure why. It provided a compelling and moving backstory to Deja; it gave us insight to what her past was like, just like the rest of This Is Us has done for other characters. Overall, I think this episode provided us with some understanding and empathy towards Deja and gave us a good explanation for her behaviors.

I see people claiming their dislike for this episode because it strayed from the plot, but what's the plot exactly? Do we know what they're building to, or has it been a story about all of these people's lives? It seems as if Deja is going to be around, so why doesn't that deserve some attention in the story? It's not like we're building to some big moment that we're aware of, and this story took away from that. With her upcoming moments of acting out, I think the placement of it worked well.

This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life (#2.15)

[ComedyFan2010 · 8/10 · 10 April 2019]

I guess some gave it bad reviews because we don't see most of the characters we got to know and love but I think this is an important episode. It introduces us to Deja more who apparently will now be a bigger part of the show. And we also get to know more about her situation and her mother. It kind of makes her mother look better than we thought because she is no bad criminal but somebody with a hard life who was trying to make the best for her kid.

Good choice!

[abarghathy · 4 April 2020]

This episode doesn't deserve this much of hate, it really was touching and lovely. Knowing more details about Deja was important for us.

Character build for someone new to the family

[amberverhulst · 9/10 · 17 April 2021]

I have to agree with the review from someone else here. I don't understand how people are saying that this episode goes of road from the plot, cause what is the plot? We are watching the lives of a big family. And it seems like there is an addition to this family and we need to know her background. We also got this kind of episode when William came into their lives. This show seems to be just like the painting that Kevin made, so no real plot that's building up and story's that are spreaded all around. This episode gave a great insight of Deja's and Shauna's lives.

Stray From the Core Cast, but Beautifully Powerful

[beckymundy · 9/10 · 9 March 2018]

This episode revolved around Deja, and it was incredibly heartwrenching, powerful, and beautiful. I really enjoyed getting a backstory on Deja so viewers could understand what makes her her and her life before joining the Pearson's lives.

I won't say more or spoil it, but am I the only one who felt incredibly compelled to either adopt or become a foster parent after watching this episode?! There are so many "Dejas" out there in need of a good home. It makes me want to cry.

Deja's Episode

[dorshaembusiness · 8/10 · 9 March 2018]

I really enjoyed this episode. Before this episode I didn't know much about Deja's past other than her mother being unfit. I really enjoyed the fact that we see her and we get to see what she's been through and why we should respect her. This episode gave her a reason for her actions and made me see that she deserves the best. Everyone else was amazing as well. More reasons to love this show.

A single mother's nightmare

[Lafachu · 10/10 · 30 March 2018]

This episode was about everything single moms fear. Never doing enough, lacking money, no one to rely on. Deja's mom loved her but didn't have the means and maturity to make this work. This episode was heartbreaking. It's a 10 for me.

It Helps Moving Forward

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 19 April 2024]

Since Deja has become a significant character, what is wrong with an episode to show us her roots. This show is making points all the time. The foster care system in this country is really tenuous, hit and miss. Some use it as a means to earn government cash. Deja has a a past. She is a real person; she has tried to maintain herself with a mother who never had been equipped to handle a child. When the Pearsons move in and provide a safe place, she is still filled with the distrust. The mother walks away, and this girl feels betrayed again. The Pearsons aren't the issue. The hopelessness of a high school girl whose roots have been ripped from the ground is what it is all about.

Jumped the Shark

[barnsleylad4949 · 4/10 · 8 March 2018]

Really don't see the point of this episode other than trying to pull some heart strings. Jumbled story lines and not much point.

Pointless episode made weaker due to its placement.

[bigbrother-0735 · 1/10 · 27 April 2018]

Why? Just why?

This episode served no purpose whatsoever to the central plot. None. Zip. Zero. From what I recall, we did not see the main cast anywhere here. And it was ridiculous.

While we DID see more of Deja's past, it wasn't needed. At all.

Oh but this episode DID have SOMETHING, though. And guess what it was. More death. Again.

This episode in itself is weak, but due to its placement, is only made weaker. While it could have just been a "lose thread," it was instead a nonsensical story plopped in a place that maze zero sense.

Nice job, folks. You stooped to new lows. And I thought this season was finally getting better.

Pointless.

[imallaboutthatpace · 1/10 · 19 September 2023]

Deja. Awful character. Nobody cares. Pointless episode. Filler that nobody asked for. I feel so strongly about the irrelevance of this episode I've committed myself to a 600 word review. Deja's mum was terrible, we knew this. You can skip this episode and other than Deja being back in the house you won't have missed anything. The main characters save for the previous sentence are in no way affected by this episode. Kate? Don't worry, she's not here. Kevin? Also not here. Rebecca? Nope. You get the idea. 90 more characters to go. I do enjoy the show but I wish I could have this 40 minutes back. Rant over.

It's become a soap

[raccles · 3/10 · 23 September 2020]

So the main guy is dead and the family have wailed and wailed and now they find another story to be miserable about! Sorry but this is done for me, the dead dad story was done well and was sad and the first series with the real dad story was great too but now it's just done, they've ran out and they are wringing it dry.