That Was Us - First Love & Second Chances | "One Giant Leap" (602)

Episode Date: July 28, 2026

This week on That Was Us, we’re breaking down This Is Us Season 6, Episode 2: “One Giant Leap.” From Deja's life-changing weekend with Malik to Nicky's search for a love he never forgot, the episode explores first love, second chances, and the hope that keeps us moving forward. In this episode, the hosts chat about: * Waiting for the right person versus the right time when it comes to intimacy * Chris's unforgettable (and now admittedly creepy) road trips in pursuit of romance * How making amends can reveal just how much we've changed over time * The lasting impact of criticism and why one comment can change how we see ourselves They also break down the episode, including: * Deja secretly traveling to Boston to spend the weekend with Malik * Meeting Malik's ex, Jennifer, and stepping into the realities of his life as a father * Deja preparing for her “first time” * Malik's tenderness, patience, and reassurance during one of the biggest moments of Deja's life * Nicky, Rebecca, and Miguel's road trip to find Sally decades after Vietnam * The awkward reunion with Sally and the unexpected truths they all discover * Why Nicky realizes that closure doesn't always come in the way we expect * The surprising plane ride home that introduces Nicky to his future wife, Edie And a friendly reminder, you can catch new episodes of That Was Us every Monday, a day early, exclusively on Hulu. Available on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesdays like usual! That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. ------------------------- Support Our Sponsors: - See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child’s full potential! Enroll online today at https://k12.com/thatwasus - Right now save up to 20% on mattresses and up to 25% on everything else when you go to https://Casper.com. ------------------------- 🍋 About the Show: The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it. Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments. Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday. Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley Video Editor: Todd Hughlett Mix & Master: Jason Richards About Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com. » SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1 » FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum » FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/ » FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a headgum podcast. On today's episode of That Was Us, we are diving into season six, episode two, One Giant Leap. Long-awaited reunions and first-time milestones unfold across generations as Dajja and Malik take a major step forward in their relationship, and Nikki comes face-to-face with a love he's carried for decades. So a new school year means a fresh start, my favorite time of year. And for families, that means if you're looking forward,

for a new path to help your child succeed, K-12 could be a perfect fit. K-12-powered schools offer tuition-free, accredited online public education for students' kindergarten through 12th grade because they know that learning isn't one-size-fits-all and they will meet your child where they are. K-12 has been a leader in online education for over 25 years, right? They provide everything a student needs to feel safe, motivated, and thrive in their learning environment. You know, they have flexible education options tailored to each child's needs, interests and goals for the future. K-12's dedicated teachers are trained in virtual instruction. Very specific, all right?

You can't just drop anybody in to the virtual instruction, as we have learned through our time on Zoom, is a very specific skill. And they provide real-time support. Plus, students will belong to a vibrant online community with opportunities for extracurricular activities to help them connect with peers and explore interests. Gang, see how K-12 powered schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K-12.com slash that was us. That's the letter K, the number 12.com slash that was us. K-12.com slash that was us. What up, gang? 602. 602. We're in it. We jump right in. It's so interesting to see like a relationship that like people who haven't seen each other for 50 years and then something like at its very beginning.

But both of them are sort of like a contemplation of the beginning of something. Right. Right. Because like it's for Nikki, it's the one that got away. And for Dacia, it is the one. Right. And it does. Before we even get into the episode, if anybody wanted to speak to this in oblique or specific terms, does anybody have like a good first story? A good first story.

Do you know what I'm saying? We're talking about love? Yeah. You're talking about love? We're talking about love, Daddy. First story. I mean. And if you don't, then it's going to be a downer.

I don't want to talk. No, not a downer, but definitely not as romantic. Not as romantic. I mean, none of us are with our first, quote-unquote, loves. So it all comes to an end. I am. Oh, you're with your very first love? The first person that I was ever intimate with, I wound up marrying.

Stop it. But it doesn't sound like it's going very well. No. It's so-so. Doesn't sound like it's going to last. It's so-so. Wow. Listen, we had breaks and things in between, et cetera, et cetera, right?

I didn't know this. Yeah. I guess I missed that in the timeline. I missed that in the timeline, too. They definitely, like... Because I thought it was the story you told last week. Yeah. Which one we want to tell us?

Where your interglutial cleft. She wasn't first. No. It just never transpired. We never transpired. Well, unfortunately, you did technically do it because there was penetration. Sorry to break it to you. Sorry to be technical. But, uh...

Sorry, Ryan. Yeah. Sorry, Ryan. Yeah. You saw it. Your interglutio cleft was, uh, interfered with... Interfired with. Mm-hmm. Um... Wow, that's so sweet, Sterling. It was, it was really, really sweet. It was interesting. She probably won't me tell too much of the story. I have to, have to be...

So tell us all of it. Yeah. Have to be thoughtful. You could be... Let me put on my readers here. About it. But I'll tell you what was cool about it was for me in this moment, it was, I told you guys, I was waiting for marriage.

I'm waiting to be the person I was going to be married to. I remember having this revelation. I was like, well, you know what? I think Ryan's the person I'm going to wind up marrying. So I was like, it doesn't matter if it's now or if it's later, right? Like she's that person. So I'm happy that the first time was an expression of not just a physical fulfillment, but like of an emotional commitment and like sharing, right?

Which was really, really lovely. And it was something where like for the most part, it was two people holding each other while just being together. Yes. Right? It wasn't like a very like active sort of thing. Sure. It was a very just sort of like and the bird was like crying.

And I was basically just holding her and resting with her. That's like what the first one was. That's so beautiful. It's not bad. That's so beautiful. Yeah. What about you guys? I got nothing. I got nothing for you.

Nothing. Anyways, I light up a cigarette. We're smoking inside. Anyways. I can't really top that as it were. That's all good. Love are good. Let's go.

Nightman love. Let's get into this. Robbs me off my rest. This episode, this episode, I remember this episode. This episode, I remember this. episode. Yeah. Did Kay direct some of it?

Kay was around. Carrie Hagan was the director. Yeah. But I feel like she, yeah. I feel like there were some, she couldn't be around for some of it. Really? Yeah, I think it was, there was COVID or some, I don't, maybe I'm totally misremembering. Maybe you had COVID?

No, no. I also think she directed in Philadelphia when they first had like their epic date. So I think she was deeply connected to. to Malik and Deja's story. Yes, because I feel like there was a Ken, maybe as we go through it, I'll recount Ken being a part of it. Okay. In some way.

All right. So should we start with Deja? Yeah. Let's start with Deja. Packing to visit Malik. That's right. That's right. I was going to visit him in Boston.

In the packing, like, I wasn't clear at one point, by the way, if like, there's this red thing and I was like... Is that lingerie? Thank you. I'm just making sure it wasn't just brought. I wrote lingerie question mark? Is that a slagree question mark? Is that a slaget?

Is that a slip? Ask Mandy what a slip is. Cunning back. Mandy Moore definitely rocking a slip. I'm rocking a slip. Is she packing a slip? Is she packing? Do kids wear slips?

We do find out later in the episode. It was, in fact, a dress. But I, too, was like, what? Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's on the bus. She takes the bus. Wait, before we get to the bus. Because there's this moment where Randall says they're like,

I know you're going to be hanging out with Tiffany or something in night or whatnot. And she's like, yeah. And then her sister. test comes up to her and she's like, good luck or something like that. And he's like, great, I don't think something's going on. I don't have all the information. Randall thinks he's got all the information. Yeah.

You know, so she's sneakily going to visit Malik? Oh, yeah. Oh, wow. I totally miss that. You miss that? Because at the end of it, Randall sends her text. Pure Dad joke. The text says, how is breakfast at Tiffany's?

Ha. Oh, man. So lame. I know. So lame. I could love it. But so she's going to have a sleepover at Tiffany, so that's why she's taking it back? Okay, got.

And she responded life-changing. That's right. With an eggplant emoji. No, she didn't. The last part. Life-changing was correct? Not that. No, I, yes, yes.

I did catch that part. Okay. There's silent laughing. I don't like it. I don't like it when he's silent laughs. Well, yeah. Let me just remind people. Let people like, this is the first time.

Yeah. We, Sterling has his shoes off. You know what, from now on, can you just edit in some Sterling laughing when he is silent laughing? Thank you. Just for people to get, if you're not watching a day early on Hulu, what are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing? You're missing out on Sterling's silent laughing, which Chris finds objectionable because

he's working hard. He's crushing it, Sterling. Oh, God. Incapacitated with laughter. Also, Sterling is wearing his... What are those socks? Half socks? I just found them today.

They were, like, in a package. They're not even real socks. I think they're Rihans. They might be. They look too small for you. Yeah, they're right. He took his shoes off and he's just in, like, little footy socks. Yeah, those are actually ankle socks on Ryan.

They probably are. And now they're another no-show socks on Sterling. 13s on the brown. So she goes to visit him and they meet. And he's like, this college stuff is harder than I found. Well, he meets him up. She meets her at the bus stop with Janelle, with his daughter, right? Malik does.

Yes. Yes, yes, with the daughter. Yes, I was like, you met the baby mama. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he was like, we actually have to go back to my apartment because Jennifer, Janelle's mom is like coming to meet her, pick her up or whatever. And Jennifer shows up at the apartment and she is. so rude and rushed.

And it's just sort of like, okay, like you're late. I'm late now. I got to get her dressed. I got to bring her to my mom's house. Where's the dress I like her to wear? Blah, la, la, blah. And it's just so dismissive of, and, you know, of Dasia. She said, he goes like, sorry, I got to work on this paper.

And then I've been a little distracted. And she's like, the paper, huh? As she gives Dasia the updown, the boom, boom. I'm like, no, we don't. don't like this sister. No, no, no, no, no. Not my daughter. Yeah.

No, no, no, no. Child, please. Yeah. Child, please. I was like, what does she do to you? She won't, at the very end, she said, it was nice meeting you. Yeah.

And I was like. Sure. All right, cool. Yeah, I roll. All right, all right. Yeah, too little, too late. A little bit, a little bit. Also, we have established how stressed out Malik is.

Yeah. He's stressed out. He's like, college is hard and everything. And she said, how much. How much time do you need to do your paper? He says an hour, and she goes, take two. And he's like, Desh, come on. I'm going to make it up to you as soon as I knock this thing out, right?

And she's like, okay, cool. So she's just walking around the spot a little bit. And she also hung her dress up, now that we know it's a red dress, beautiful red dress. And the tag is still on it. Because the tag was on it in the beginning of the episode, because she was like, maybe I take it back. Maybe I don't take it. Yeah, maybe I don't wear it.

Maybe I don't wear it, but she's like, no, no, no, taking the tag off. I might not need to use this tool. Taking the tag off. And the next thing we know, keeps coming back to the apartment. This young lady has the dress on. This young lady is radiant. And I'm going to take a moment here. And I can like late 80's saxophone.

I can do this in a way, because I need her to hear it every once in a while. Because she doesn't recognize, excuse me. She doesn't always recognize herself as being. beautiful. And it's somebody who played her TV dad and who has immense amount of love for her.

Lady Nicole, you are gorgeous. Gorgeous. And she does this thing a couple of times in the episode where I wrote down, I was like, why are you looking at him like that? Like it made you uncomfortable. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Young lady.

Also, like, she needs her flowers. She needs, because There is like she has an unquestionable beauty. She looks unbelievable in this dress, but it is her aura. Yes. That is so undeniable and so special and so palpable. It's her smile. It's her eyes.

It's like there is something so... She takes her time. That you are hanging on every breath, every word. Every word of hers because of that. There's something so intoxicating about her. As a human being, I'm not talking about her physical beauty, her physical form. It's just, there's something about her as an actor, her essence that you're just like, I'm so wrapped by you that every little thing that you were doing, I'm waiting with bated breath

because it's so interesting. It's so exquisite. it. And her in combo with Asante is like the two of them together and watching this manifestation of, I don't know if it took you guys back, it took me back, like, of that feeling of that first love and that feeling of trepidation of, am I going to do this? Am I, I want this? But do I want it right now?

And am I safe? I feel safe. Like, it's just the constant sort of back and forth. She knew. She took this trip with like an agenda. With an intention. Yeah. Did you have an agenda when it first went down?

Did you know, like, tonight I think I'm going to for either of you? Yes. I mean, I think it wasn't just like, for me, it wasn't just like. And then it happened. It was like I was very conscious, especially because the person with which it was happening with, it wasn't there first. time. Sure. So there was a real intention of, okay, I want to do this. I'm ready to do this. It's going to happen. Got you. Not in quite this beautiful fashion, not in this romantic fashion, but yes, I think there was, there was an agenda. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Continue, continue, man. So,

they go to the party. They go to the party. They're going to a club or wherever they were, right? It's a party. I think it's like a house party. Okay. But it's, the music's happening. They're dancing, they're flirting, they're in it. And it's like, you could tell that, like, emotions are building. And Deja's like, I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready. And he's like, well, you're ready to, and it was like, no, no, I'm ready.

He's like, we just got out of what you talking about? She's like, no, I'm ready. He's like, oh, say less. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Well, got to go. Right? And she, the look, the woman has like, she's at the time,

18 years old. I think she just turned 18 that season, whatever. But just the soulfulness of like, no, I'm right. And she just looks through. And I was like, young lady, why are you looking at him like that? Yeah. They go back to the apartment. She's got like her nighty on.

He's got like his little A shirt, I think is the appropriate term for it. Once upon a time, it was called something else. And she said, you know, I'm so nervous. Right. Like my heart is beating so fast. My heart is beating so fast. Oh, and then she sweetly was like, like, what does she say? She's like, you're not nervous?

And my man, he takes off his shirt. He shows his little guns and everything, and he takes her hand. And puts it on his heart. And puts it on his chest so she can feel his heartbeat. And they kiss. And like, it just has to be, I don't know if it was a K direction or if it was a, but like, she's like, I want to be present for every. bit of this moment.

She doesn't close her eyes. She just looks at him as they sort of like go back. It's so beautiful, you guys. I was, I'm so moved now thinking about it. It's like the generosity of, of Malik in that moment to be like, like we're in this together.

I'm nervous even though he's clearly been here before. He is a child. Right. The fact that it's like still in this moment, with you, I am here, and I too am feeling everything you're feeling is like, it's such a beautiful gift to give to somebody. And how does this end? She says she wants to feel this way forever. Like after the love has transpired, she just, and it's like, man, I totally can be back in that frame. Like, I think anybody that had any sort of experience that remotely sort of touches in

this territory. Again, mine did not unfold in quite this fashion, but I still am able to bring myself back to that age and that time where, yeah, there's the innocence of like, I never want this to end. I never want to not swim in the lushness of this moment. It's so all-encompassing and it's so safe and it's so endless. And you know what I mean? I just like, I'm I was brought back, and that's, I mean, thanks to these two unbelievable actors. You were transported for a moment there, Mandy Moore. It's sweet. More that was us after these words from our sponsors.

Chris, you know when you've had a long day and you cannot wait to get into that? Mandy, I have a six-year-old or three-old. I cannot wait to get into bed right now. Same. Same. Yes. I wake up in the morning excited to go to bed again. Oh, yeah.

I wake up and my first thought is, I can't wait to go to bed. You give a presentation, the internet cuts out, you go on a date, it's awful. No matter what happens, you know that you can go home to your Casper with snow technology to keep you cool no matter what. I just recently spent a couple of weeks visiting family sleeping on two different mattresses that literally, I'm not kidding. You guys almost crippled me as a human being. I'm 45 years old. I should be able to walk when I get out of bed. I could not wait to get home to my Casper.

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so you're not replacing your mattress every few years. Their products are designed to withstand the test of time. Yeah, and a wide range, too. Sterling, did you know this? It's not just firm. Yes. They have soft or somewhere in between. That's what I'm talking about.

There is something for you at casper. Get in where you fit in.com. I love it. We only share products that we genuinely love. I mean, I've had a Casper for many, many years now. Let me say, we're a whole Casper family. in our house. Listen, everybody, remember, the day always ends well with Casper. Right now, save up to 20% on mattresses and up to 25% on everything else when you go to casper.com. One last time, that's C-A-S-P-E-R.com and save up to 20% on the mattress you deserve. One of the things that people love about this is us is that the homes on the show almost feel like characters, right? The Pearson House, the cabin, the places that the family keeps coming back.

Yeah, growing up, we actually had a cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe, just outside of Truckee. And we used to go there quite a bit for holidays and weekends. And it was a really magical place. There was no homework there. There was no worries there. It was just fun and adventure. And it's a character in our family history. These are the places that matter because they hold memories.

And when you think about travel, families are often looking for that same feat. feeling comfort space, and somewhere they can actually be together even while they're away. Well said, sir. So when you are away, listing your space on Airbnb can be a way for you to share that kind of comfort with travelers coming to your area while earning extra cash. See, that is just a smart way to make use of your own space when you're not using it. And with Airbnb's co-host network, you can get support from a vetted local co-host who has hosting experience. A co-host can help create your listing, manage reservations, message guests, and provide on-site support.

They can even help with design and styling. That means your space can keep being useful while you are somewhere else making your own memories. So if you are ready to host, but you could use a little bit of help, find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. It's a beautiful thing. Then again, like I said, they go. She goes comb on the bus by herself. She gets the text message from Randall. How was Breakfast to Tiffany's?

She says life-changing. Right. And so you're waiting to see like, all right, once this is actually told how it goes down, like this was a situation where she's like, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Correct. You know what I'm saying?

Like five hours away. Also, shout out to the black lady who offered sweetness on the bus ride there. To begin with, I always love old black lady sage counsel. They make me feel warm and happy. Yeah, her wise words. Her wise words. Young love. You'll see.

And then shout out to Malik for using the word incandescent. And she said, okay, Harvard. Yeah. So that was that. That's a great storyline. It's a great storyline. Beautifully done. Well done. K.E.A. going gorgeous. Now, this one was, they're both pretty fucking awesome. I really, I didn't know what I was going to think. And I didn't remember the whole thing, right? And so they get to, well, Nikki's just complaining and scared and nervous and da-da-da-da. They're packing and Rebecca also makes a note a couple times to Miguel.

Take the trash can about. Don't forget the trash cans. They're making a mental checklist of everything as they're packing to go on this like, you know, this day trip. Potentially one night away, they're bringing stuff. As Nikki's packing, they're going to be. As Nikki's packing, they go. go a shot at a closet. It's all the same flannel. Yeah, just flannel shirts. Really good. And then my man comes out with a suitcase.

They go, we're going on a day trip, man. He's like, I like to have clothing options. Little weirdsies. He's all the same. Yeah. He's all the same, but he wants options. Yeah. That would tickle me.

And like, he was looking through the flattels. He's like, all right, this one might be right for this one, but this one. And they all look exactly the same. Yeah. Go ahead. That's it. I just want to say that.

Anybody else want to? Well, they're on the road now, right? Yep. And Nikki's practicing his opening line. Yep. Is that the kind of thing? Yes. And they're trying to coach him up.

And they've also asked him, they've also asked for details, right? And Nikki has kind of. Been vague. Yeah. And we will find out for a reason. He said that she's single and. And I don't know exactly. He's just being very vague.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he has been practicing his opening line. Yeah. He said, hey, Sal. It took me 50 years, but I finally made it to California. You know? There's a wait from Miguel and Rebecca like, and?

Yeah. Yeah. It's like, ah, it's never going to work. Have you guys ever gone on a trip like this? No, not with like a quest. Yeah, I've quested before. You have? Yeah, and looking back, it was pretty creepy.

And even this one's a little, I mean, this one, it's creepy. It's creepy. Yeah. What was yours? I mean, it was like, it was, it was a buddy of mine, and we both were like, I got to go, we got to go see what that girl's up to. And we both drove from L.A. to the Bay Area. Okay.

You know, in my 65 Mustang, you know, old-ass car. Yeah. And I dropped him off at a house, and then I drove. to this other house, like, by memory. And it was a crush I'd had. And looking back now, it's like, you can't just show up at somebody's house. Yeah. That's weird.

Yeah. Is it? Yes. I guess so. Yes. I mean, you can be forgiven a little bit with, like, 19-year-old love. Yeah. Like, hey, it's me.

I'm back. And she's like, yeah, I have a boyfriend. Or like whatever the thing, but it's like, I'll never forget, like I showed up and I was just like, hey, I was just driving the neighborhood. I stopped by. And I remember her being kind of excited, hey, hey, but her brother and dad being like, the fuck. What? And looking back, it's like, no, you're right. Yeah.

This is weird. I'm sorry. I'm out of here. I think you're a big man. And I think sometimes people like look sideways at big people. Like you should know, like you should be older than what you are. Yeah. And it reminds me of naked uppies.

And Ryan and I were talking about the other day. And she's like, that little boy is so comfortable. And I was like, yeah. And I think the world may react to him like he's nine. Like because he's about as tall as a nine-year-old. He's like, upies. It's like naked. I was like, well, this nine-year-old boy wants naked uppies.

But he's only four. And that's what Brown remembers. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. You're still a kid. And even though it is weird or whatnot, like, there are these things that happen to us as young people. We move through the world not always with pure cognition. There's impulse to it as well.

And, like, hopefully, if you're on the other side of it, you have, you make space for it. Sure. And not just treat it as like, who's this. I make space for it for sure. Okay. But it also can go down the road of like a Kevin situation where you can't, like, Kevin's just like has this romantic idea of, I'm just going to show up. Yeah. And it's going to be.

romantic and it will, and the strings will come in. And it's also like, you can't just do that. Yeah. You don't know how disruptive this is to someone's life. Right, right. And so they're on their way. Nikki says he needs to make a stop on the way. Yeah, can't show up empty hands.

Yeah. Has to have to get something. Miguel says, yeah, no problem. They go to an antique store. Yeah. Was it an antique store? Was it a pawn shop? I couldn't.

Antique store? It wasn't. Same thing. I mean, that's like where we shot it. at an antique store. I kind of thought it was, that's what they were kind of going for. But yeah.

There's an interesting thing. I don't know if this should be separate or together because there's this recollection of, first of all, is Miguel singing in this part? Yeah, yeah. Uga Chaka. Thank you, thank you.

They're singing the Uga Chaka, Uga, and then you sort of vibe and all right. And the part of it, I was like, this dude can do a lot of stuff. That's what I get first of all. Just like, just like, where this? I was like, I can't stop this field. Like, you've been.

You gotta stop singing so good. Yeah. Stop all that stuff. And then it goes back to Jack singing in the old car. Yeah. Because I think I just wanna connect it, because I don't think it's separate. Rebecca and memory is something that is very present for her,

right? As we're going through this whole thing. Yeah. Right? Yeah. So she kind of like, that song comes on the radio. They're singing it and it's silly and goofy and they're having a fun time. And she kind of catches.

herself in the mirror with her little scarf on and just remembering like, wow, I am, I am an old woman. And I remember back in the day singing this song with Jack and we were driving around and his boss's car and a convertible and it was so fun. And it feels like yesterday. And how is it that that was so long ago? I was a young woman. I didn't have kids yet. It's just like, yes, I think memory and holding on to things while she still has. has the capacity to is something she's, like, highly aware of. All right. So they get to the antique store.

He finds an old camera. The guy's like, it's $90. And then he's like, what? The haggle begins. He's like, I give you 50. He's like, no, it's not worth. He's like, no, I'm not, there's no haggling here. Right.

The guy basically says. And then he's like, you know what? This is all, like, it just sort of hits him. He's like, what am I doing? Like, what? And it's not just about the. The camera is just like what you just said. Yeah.

This is weird. Yeah. There's been 50 years. What are we doing? Yeah. Let's go home. Yeah. And the other, his two road dogs are like, nah, bro.

No, we're here now. You didn't pull us out the house to drive like two hours to turn around. We're going to go see this. Yeah. That's the only entertainment I got. Ring that bell. Yeah. Yeah.

Kind of. And also like, we've come this far. Yeah. And I'm not listening to you complain about. There you go. Never doing this. Rebecca says, look, we're going to split the difference. 50, 90.

Let's go 70. you throw some film in, bada bing, bada boom. He's like, all right, cool. They go to the house. He rings the bell. He's waiting. Oh, the knowledge has come out in the midst of that. It's like, I never contacted her.

Yeah. I don't even know if it's her. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? All I know is that there's a bunch of pictures of animals on her thing and so she does photography or whatnot. I don't know if she's married. I don't even know if she's still alive.

And they're like, oh, shit. Well, we're 20 minutes away. Yeah. Let's go. Can find out. Yeah, might as well. So they get to the door, beautiful house, very gorgeous. He rings the bell or whatnot.

She starts to approach and he's like, OMG, it's her. This woman's beautiful, by the way. Great casting. Josh, Josh. Doing your job, bro. Yeah. Because when they do the flashbacks back to her and I see it, that's good. That works.

I like it. And the woman can act. Great. Yeah. And she does not know who this. I know it's so sweet, though. And she's so lovely about it, right? She played it so perfectly.

So perfectly. I am sure. She believes him. Yeah. It's like it's like she's not weary. She's not, she doesn't think she's being deceived. She's just like, I don't remember, tell me more. Yeah.

About. Yeah. It's so charming, too. But he's immediately deflated. The juxtaposition of someone that he has not stopped thinking about. Right. for 50 years and that this was like a section of her life at one point in time and my life went in a completely different direction I just hadn't thought about it. You know what I'm saying?

It just, it really colors the fact that he has led such a small life where she loomed so large. And she, on the other hand, lived a life that many of us have led. You know, that's just, it's filled with many different people and experiences and love and loss and just like it's just been a fuller life. It's also the life, uh, not to bring back, the life of an addict.

Yeah. Of a self-centered, someone who is self-centered and thinks only of themselves, even if it is negative, they, they have this. And I know because I was that way too. Did I ever tell you,

I told you guys this story about the tennis coach, right? No. Tell you again. About the tennis coach. I'll make it short. I had an amends to make in as part of my process. Yeah. And I,

and I had been thinking about this tennis coach for years, uh, about the, way I behaved and he was so disappointed in me and blah blah blah blah and I get this I get this note from from my uncle Mike great uncle Mike hey that tennis coach just moved into the old folks home where I live well there's a sign hey can you give my email I'd love to catch up we go to catch up and and and and we're catching up tennis and about the new book he's writing and what I've been up to and

and I said hey I just want you to know that that summer that you gave me a job I behaved really poorly and I'm really sorry. And I've respect you so much and it's been bothering me for a long time and I just wanted to apologize. And he goes, you did all that and I didn't fire you? And it is in that moment that I realized that this man has no idea who I am. Yeah. Yeah. No idea. No idea.

No idea who I am. And it all flooded to me like, The narcissism of a 19-year-old to think that this man must think about me as much as I think about him is it's not malicious. It's just self-centered and it's just like narrow, small. Narrow, small. And even in this whole world, Sally gives him the greatest gift of this whole interaction where she goes, oh, my God. Hello, Nikki. Yeah.

Even if she doesn't fully know, like, who, like, she hasn't gotten all the information yet. But, but I believe her in this moment. I believe her to help. I believe that she's, that she's like. She's still gathering information, though. Totally. And it's still processing. It's like the pixels are sort of starting to populate and get a little, like, more in focus.

Yeah. So it's like, I don't know fully what the picture looks like. yet, but I know that there's a picture coming and it's like, and she can see how important it is to him. To him. And there's a real generosity there too. Yes, yes, yes. It's like, wow, that's a through line in this episode. She, they come in.

Everybody comes in. They exchange their, their greetings, et cetera. She talks about how she got a job at a pharmaceutical company. Yeah. Right? Yeah, he's like, are you still taking pictures? Photography became a lot. Oh, gosh, no, I didn't take that picture.

A real photographer took that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Work at a pharmaceutical company. So she kind of abandoned the life. the life that maybe he had conjured up in his mind that she had been living as some free-spirited hippie that went to Woodstock. She joined up with the man. Totally.

And then she introduces her husband, right? Because, like, at this moment, we're thinking like, oh, maybe she's here by herself. Yeah, it's like, maybe there's sparks. He comes in and we're like, oh, dear. Look, I'm like some long-lost Scars guard. This guy looks good. Yeah, totally. Sarzgard.

Yeah. Just like, what's going on in my house? Yeah. Oh, no. Oh, no. Right? Handsome dude. But they invite you guys to stay for dinner. Like, please, you're here.

Awkwardly. And your guys were just going to leave. And they're like, okay. We'll stay for dinner, right? And then Nikki's talking about Jack to Sally. Because she's like, I remember you having this brother. And you're like, yeah, I was actually married to him. And then Nikki's like, yeah, and this was his best friend.

But he didn't, like, poacher from her or something like that. So he didn't snake his widow. Yeah. Don't worry. He didn't. snake is widow. Everybody's like, what? And it's funny because Sally's daughter, things are starting to come back to her like,

I remember your parents and the Salisbury steak, right? And then Nicky's like, I remember everything. He's like, you deflowered me. He's so blunt, just sawing at his food. You deflowered me under a full moon. Just like, the husband's right there. Husband's like, you know, that sounds like half the northeast or something like that. Or just like, Jesus.

Totally. I was like, wow, throw your wife under the bus. Basically, like, you're not special. You know what, though? Like, I felt like it was also like, I won't let this mole hill become a mountain. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, where everybody seems like it was afraid of it.

I felt like he sort of like, oh, yeah, sounds like something that's happened before. Oh, totally. He played it wonderfully. Yeah. Also, we've talked about my love for the, for, for, for, for, for, the witnessing of the delicacy of the human condition. If I could have been Miguel on this trip, I hope someone in my life one day is like, I need you to come with me.

I, in fact, I don't even need to know you. Just invite him along. Send me the email. I will come and watch all of this unfold. I like people. And eat this dinner. Yeah. And just soak it up.

The more awkward the better. Yeah. God, I love you so. Yeah. I love you. Even, you know, even if it's, even if I'm the one who's awkward, I kind of just like, ooh, this hurts so. Good. Tastily.

Yeah. This is delicious. There's something, like, I've had moments like that where I'm sort of in something and also bearing witness to it at the same time. That is kind of like, oh, man, this is funny for people watching, even though it's not quite so funny. Right. For them. For them.

And you're just like, ooh, you. Yeah. Makes the reference. Oh, Sally makes a reference to Alzheimer's. She's like, oh, gosh, I must be forgetting everything. I must have Alzheimer's. Like, you know, early on said Alzheimer's or not even that early. It's just regular Alzheimer's.

And you see Miguel sort of clocking. And Rebecca's listened, but like not like offended. Yeah, per se, but it's like, yeah, she's making her reference there. Rebecca has a memory of Jack with the convertible again. And when she comes out of that memory, she's just like, I have Alzheimer's. Yeah. Right? And Sally's like, oh, that's my bad.

I didn't know. But she speaks about losing her memories and talks about this conversation about sweating the small stuff. Yeah, it's interesting. So she, you know, admits she has Alzheimer's, that she's sick and she has these plaques on her brain. And it really is kind of putting into. focus like what will like I think often like what is my last memory going to be before like all the

lights go out like what's the last thing I'm actually going to be able to remember and she's like it's so strange I thought getting this diagnosis would help me sweat the small stuff less but it really hasn't like I was so fixated on the garbage cans and telling Miguel like that I wasn't forgetting I just didn't want him to forget the garbage cans and you know It really like, it's so strange. And this conversation then opens up the floor to everyone else to kind of like jump in with like, you're right. Like, you know, Sally's husband admits they have this deck that they built illegally.

And he's like all the time that I am up at night and the years of my life, I've probably wasted worrying about this deck if we ever get caught or we sell the house. Is someone going to fall and hurt themselves? and Miguel talks about his hair. Silly, right? He says he's lost seven strands in his life. His hair is his thing, it's a signature. I felt attacked.

Yeah. I felt attacked. But it was all this, they didn't leave you hanging, feeling like it was just you. Yeah. Yeah, we all have these things. We all have these feelings, right? Of like not sweating the small stuff, we should be able to let it go. It's a silly thing to stress out about.

I hung two swings in the backyard. by myself from, and I spend 15% of the time that my children are on these swings, worried about them flying off into the distance. Just the swings come unhooked. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're not going to, Mandy. They're not going to.

Yeah. I know. I did a good job, man. Stop looking to me like that. I did a good job. They talk about the years that have been lost, wondering about something that never happened. And then Nikki starts talking about Sally, and how it got him through tough times. Like, you know, I remember it all or whatnot,

but I don't feel like it was a waste. No way, not for me, right? And then this is where it gets interesting because Eric, Sally's husband, says something about unrequited love is kind of the only pure one, and maybe it's best to leave it at that. You know what I'm saying?

Like, maybe it's best that it was that sort of thing, because that kind of thing can live in your memory, Like as the pinnacle of something. Yeah, untainted. You know what I mean? And then it's sort of devolved. Yeah, Sally jumps in. Yeah, go ahead, please.

Well, no, she just jumps in and she's like, I regret buying that satellite dish from my husband. It's like, oh, are we going into regrets? I thought we were talking about silly things that we were sweating that really were unnecessary. We were just kind of, you know. And she just, like, kind of uses this as a moment. to really unpack this grievance she's had with her husband.

She's like, I regret buying our satellite dish because it's become his retreat. And he just, he spends all of his time in front of the TV. We eat our meal silently at different times. I make food at the beginning of the week because I just don't know whenever he's going to want to eat his dinner. And you could just tell that this is like, she's been sitting on this grievance for a long time.

And damn it, if this is the mom, She can air it, she's gonna do it. Yeah, and she's like, honey, are we, you know, talking about things in front of, you know, guests and folks that we don't know, and she's like, I know him. I've known him longer than I've known you. I've known him longer than I've known you. You know what I'm saying? And he's loved me.

Yeah. He's pined after me from afar for 50 years. Like that matters. That means something. Yeah. Whereas you like treat me like a line cook. That's right. And it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, guys.

We have like entered into this. very awkward, marital. Yeah. This is the moment I wish I was McGill. Yeah. Really? You're like, give me more. Yeah.

Yeah. Here's funny. Like, so Chris and I have had like a conversation about this offline where like this point in that can happen in your marriage where you reach what I like to call benign neglect. You're not intentionally sort of like withdrawing from your partner. It's just because. you haven't been intentional in connecting with your partner. Sure. Things just sort of like...

Fester. Yeah. And if you're not careful, if you don't address it, right? The the schism can become an abyss, can become a gulf, etc., etc. And I think she was reminded in that moment, she's like, because to be in the presence of someone who has thought about you in such high regard for such a long period of time and then be like, and here I am with the person that I chose to share my life with, and I don't know how much they even think about me. Yeah. Right?

It was just sort of like this jolt of something. And I didn't get the sense. What I loved about the scene is that there was an airing of a grievance in front of company or whatnot, but it didn't seem like the end. Right? Like it didn't, it felt like, oh, they're going to get through it. Yeah.

But like this is because like, well, this is the end of their relationship. No. But that's what I liked about it. It was because, like, if his. His reaction, he could have been an escalator. Yeah. And he wasn't. No.

He let her get out what she needed to get out, go away. And then he said, who wants some bourbon? Yeah, because she leaves the room. Yeah, I'll have some. Yeah. She leaves the room. And then Nikki's like, I'm an alcoholic. Yeah, I can't do that.

So good. But then the thing that I really loved about the episode that I completely forgot was it was about you two. Yeah. It was about you and Sally having like this. amazing moment of connection. You know what I'm saying? What it means to be a lady of that age. Yeah.

And this is the first time that we see Rebecca, like, with a peer. Yeah. Yeah. They don't have any friends historically on the show. But, like, some of her own age. Yeah. That she can talk to. That she could, like, have a little gal pal to, like, chat about, like, getting older and how not fun it is.

And if we thought Mandy Moore disappeared into her... older character before, you having a conversation with a woman of the same age, you were just gone. It was so beautiful. It's great. I love, but there's one thing, like, before you get into the meet of it, there's just this thing where Sally was, like, you were looking at the pictures on the board, and she was taking these selfies of herself, and she talks about at some point in time, she stopped taking these pictures of herself. She's like, and she said, I turned heads in my day or something like that. And I bet you were a looker, too. And I'm in a minute, I had my days.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Go Rebecca. Yeah. You can't tell with this bob and these glasses, but... Yeah. I used to really try to turn it out.

Yeah. My husband punched a guy once. Yeah. On my behalf. Me. We'll be right back with more. That was us. She talks about how her first husband got the show remodel,

and now poor Miguel is stuck with the used classic with a ton of mile. And Sally's like, yeah, but he seems like totally obsessed with you. He's up for it, yeah. Yeah, and she's like, yeah, I really did strike gold twice. Yeah. I love when Miguel gets his flowers, too. I do too. And they talk about when did we stop seeing these reflections of ourselves?

Like when did we stop wanting to see what was in the mirror? And Rebecca talks about, you know, covering her liver spots on her hands and wearing a scarf because she doesn't like the way her neck looks. And they talk about her friends who stopped dying, her hair. Sally mentions her and Rebecca's like bullshit. Like she really... Bernadette. Bernadette is owning her gray hair.

She also talks about how she started salsa dancing with Miguel. I also, before you get to the salsa, I was like, my husband's Puerto Rican. That's what I said. Yeah. He's Puerto Rican. He's Puerto Rican. Okay, she couldn't tell. He speaks Spanish.

But she talks about how they took salsa lessons for, like in preparation for their wedding and their first dance. And they continued after, right? Or was it before? And she's like, I just remember this younger woman kind of eyeballing me once as if to say like, wow, you're old and you're still doing this. Good for you, like good for you. Yeah, yeah. And she was like that was the immediate moment where I decided never going to do this. Never gonna do this again.

I don't want anyone to look at me like that. Those moments happen so often in life. Have you had moments that have kept you from doing something that you used to do? I mean, I'm not talking about tennis, because that was a self-selecting thing. But is there anything that anybody's ever done to you where you're like, oh, maybe I shouldn't do that.

Maybe that's not a public thing to do anymore. That's not cool because of a reaction that you got. Oh, I mean, as far as behavior goes? Yeah. Behavior or something that you enjoyed at one point, and then you're like, I just stop doing it. I mean, I've told you about, I think I've talked about it early on. I was at the Viper room once at a show and I was standing in the back.

Yeah. But the room was about half full and the room filled in behind me. And halfway through the band's set, the lead singer, like, between songs, stopped the show and pointed me out. It was like, bro, what are you doing? Nobody can see. And like pointed me out. And so I like slunk to the back and like, this is like a being tall thing, which is like I've told you, every time I go to the theater,

the sound I hear from directly behind me, no matter where I sit is, oh, Jesus. And it's usually an older couple, and the husband's like, do you want me to switch seats with you? Do you want to sit here? Do you want to sit over here? And I'm just like, what do you want me to do? Christopher did Jayv Young? I am so sorry.

But it's like, I have a real sense of being in the way all the time and I'm always trying to get out of the way and not be in anyone's way. And that's like something I try to like fight against, but also I want to be considered. I don't actually want to be in anyone's way. Sure. But also.

You existing is not being in someone's way. Thank you, Mandy. All right. Let me just reiterate that. I'm going to make that the ring to me when you text me and call me. You're not in the way. Thank you.

You're not in the way. Oh, gosh, that's tough. But these little, it's called the inner critic, right? And then like that little thing burrows into your brain. It's like, you're in the way. Oh, yeah. You're in the way. Well, I have, like, Mandy, I saw a clip of you talking about, you know,

singing and the voice that comes into your head. Oh, yeah. I've had multiple people in my life. Yeah. I've had, I had a moment where I was like, you know, just messing around in the car, I sing and whatnot. And I heard like, it wasn't trying to do anything, just having fun or whatnot.

And like I hit a note that wasn't right along with the thing. And then the person who was with me was like, and I stopped singing in front of them. Yeah. And it's like, it's the worst. Yeah. And it has as much to do with that person as anything else. Yeah.

Right? Because that person hears a person being vulnerable and maybe making a mistake or, and then they would be embarrassed. Yeah. Or they would feel negative feelings about that. If they were that person. And it's like a socially transmitted disease. Yeah.

It's like, I feel embarrassed. Why don't you feel embarrassed too? Why don't you have a little embarrassment? Yeah. You know? And, and yeah, I mean, I've, it happens all the time. These little microaggressions. Yeah.

Yeah. Sometimes macro. Yeah. So then Nikki comes and he breaks up the party. The girls are having a good time. They're enjoying themselves. Nicky's like, it's time. We got to go.

Got to go. Time to go. Breaks the girls up. He pockets a picture. I couldn't see the picture he pocketed it. Well, they took a bunch of selfies essentially. Yeah, we took a bunch of Polaroid selfies. He took one of those.

Okay. And then he's looking at the board and of all the pictures of Sally or whatnot. But then he clocks one like right in the middle of the collage. And it's him. And it's him. Yeah. Right? With his back.

to her when I think you could because his hair is long initially you could mistake that it's just a shot of her yeah but then as you see close it's like oh no no no that's that's young nicholas right yeah which makes me wonder if this whole time she has a bit more of an idea than she's letting on I get the impression that she doesn't look at that board that often okay yeah because it's like if you saved that photo all these years yeah and when you made that collage yeah maybe maybe not yeah I didn't I I I said I really believe that she did not make that connection. Yeah. I, in my heart, you were like, oh, maybe she was. I was like, no, she knows. She knows. She knows. She's playing.

Oh, hello, Nikki. Yeah. Poor Nikki. She's a picture of himself. Nikki and Sally say goodbye. He tells her, he's like, you know what? It's all good now. Like, I made your wall.

Like, that is like, listen. To Chris's point, like, you know what? You may not remember everything, but like, I was important at one point. I liked that photo. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Like, that's basically it. Like, you went on Facebook and you clicked like.

Yeah. That was the, that was a 75-year-old version of a Facebook wall. Yeah. It's interesting, too, because she's so sweet in this moment. They flash back to them sort of getting together for the first time in their youth. And she touches his cheek or what have you. It was a little bit of a misdirect because you were wondering, like, are they about to you or not? I didn't think so.

Yeah. But I was still sort of like. We were hoping. We were hoping. I was hoping. I think there's a part of you. I was like, kiss. You know, but like she turns a cheek.

Kiss him on the mouth. He turned a cheek. Who kissed who? He kissed her. He kissed her. He kissed her. He kissed her. Very, very sweet.

Yeah, and then they hugged. They hug. And then there's a conversation. Stop. She left. Don't misdirected people. And they smash cut to her throwing a satellite dish in a dumpster behind a Home Depot. It's even better.

It's even better. It's even better. Because we go to Rebecca and Miguel. Are they in the car? Waiting for Nikki. They're giving him some space to privacy. Rebecca says you did not get the best version of me. I'm so sorry.

And Miguel was like, hey, sickness and health, right? Remember? He's like, we got a journey ahead of us. And I am here for that journey. I'm going to be the best for you. We saw at the beginning, as they're packing. That destroyed me. Listen.

That destroyed me watching that. As they're packing at the beginning, Like he's like, I got the pillbox. Like I'm doing this. Like these little small things that he's doing because he's getting himself ready. Right? And even when you ask him about the trash cans and stuff,

he's like, yeah, I got it. I won't. Cool. Yeah. No problem. Yeah, he is so dialed in. You ask as much as you need to or as little as you need to. Yeah.

I'm here, right? And it's the first, I don't know if it's the first. I know we've seen them kiss, but this was the first time where it was like, oh. It was a real kiss you. I'm a kiss you. You know what I'm saying? I know we old.

But we ain't too old to kiss, kiss. Yeah. And I fucking love you, bro. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, I think about this dude from back in the day, and I love him too. And my love for him doesn't take away from my love for you. Yeah.

Right? That's right. Boom. Period. Bada boom. It's a beautiful. And they say to Nikki, I know this didn't work out the way you wanted to, but we know that the universe is going to put somebody in your path that's right for you. He's like, no, okay.

Right. The universe. Universe. She's moonsyverse. Yeah. I think he always says, like, it's time for me to go back east, right? Yeah. He's like, your silly son is building that cabin.

I got to supervise. Somebody's got to look out for it and start, and so. I got to sit around and bother him while he gets up. That's all right. Old folks talking about the universe. Nikki says he would have liked that you, he would have liked that you two found each other. Yeah, Jack. It was really, really cool.

Rebecca says, I want to, oh, we see them saucing. So Mandy? Shake, shake, shake. You're so cute. Like, Mandy is cute, right? She's holding the dress. Yep. She's doing a little.

Shimmy, shimmy, shimmy. And God bless. Fucking John Fertis can do everything. Like, you know, this dude is like, oh, y'all want to sauce? No. He's like, I'm about to, I'll show you. Watch this. You know what I'm saying?

He's like, I don't need the lesson. I'm going to slip a hit. Yeah. He didn't need the lessons. I needed the last night. He was great and she's just like, oh, good. So happy and smiling with her man. They asked John if he needed salsa lessons, and he called HR.

He was offended. Just so, you know, they asked me. Mickey's on the plane. He's flying back east. He starts a conversation up with the flight. A disembodied voice. Disembodied voice. Fire attendant's like, can you put your seat up?

And he's like, let me ask you a question. You know, and he just. goes into a whole nicky thing. Is that for my safety? Is that just because, like, blah, blah, blah, blah. And he's being cute. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the flight attendant's like, any clocks her name. He's like, Eadie, you really want me to put my seat up or you blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And she's kind of giving her a little bit of gruff, but very cutely. And she kind of hands it back to him. And we see her and she's like, yeah, sir, I'm not like, I told you what I told you, essentially, like, are you going to be a problem? Yeah. And he's like, oh. Absolutely. Yeah.

And it's like a very, they have a very cute little chemistry between the two of them. You're like, okay. And we meet Vanessa Bell Callaway. Jump cut to the future. We see her face in the future first before we see her on the airplane. Because Randall and Deja are waiting. He's asked her like, how's the ride up? You know, it's always, you know, longer than what you think is going to be.

And then comes up out of the car, this beautiful black woman. They're like, oh, Edie, thank you for making it. I'm so glad you made it. She's like, of course, we'll miss it. Then we see older Nikki and Eadie, and they share a kiss and a hug and they talk about how they love each other. Yeah, they miss each other. And then you go back to the plane and you see young Eadie for the first time meeting younger Nikki. And that's when we introduced Jungle Fever to This is Us.

He saw that chocolate and he's like, hey, I'm going to keep leaning my seat back. I'm going to keep leaning my seat back if you know what I mean. Keep leaning my seat back if you keep coming in the ass. me to move it up. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? The name's Nicholas. Shee.

Show you right. Great episode, man. Like to see, we see now Nikki has finding love. Yeah? Because we know about the future. Has found it. We'll have it.

In 516, he said something about... Wife needed the stockings. Wife needed the stockings, right? So we're putting pieces together. Things are happening in a beautiful way. Deja finding love with Malik for the first time. But we don't know. seeing Malik in the future. So we don't know. Right. Yeah, if that's

together. The thing. Right. And more than likely not, right? The first person is usually not the last person. Yeah, unless you're Sterling K. Brown. Yeah. There's gaps. We had... Totally, but still, unless you're still in. First person is the person. Yeah. It's kind of crazy. I was, but I was not, she was, I was not her first person similar to what you were saying with your story as well. I just love the show. I love the show too. It was great. It was great. Great two episodes. What's our fan segment?

Oh. Next up, we're going to listen to the voicemails because you called into our speak pipe. We'll be right back after these messages. Speak fight. Today we're doing something we haven't done in a minute. We're going to play some fan voicemails. All right. Even when we couldn't pronounce it, you still went over to speaky-pipy.

And shared your stories, reactions, and what This Is Us has meant to you, personality. So we're going to listen to a few of them together and react in real time. Hi, guys. My name is Lindsay. I just want to start by saying how much of a fan of the show and you all I am, This Is Us has been my favorite show since it aired, and I have rewatched it an unhealthy amount of times. And I'm just so appreciative of this show. It really means a lot to me.

So I want to say thank you for that, first of all. Second of all, I wanted to say that I am a 26-year-old social worker. I have my bachelor's degree in social work. I'm currently getting my master's in social work, and I'll be graduated in May, praise the Lord. But I actually decided to major in social work because of this is us. So similarly to Deja, I had a pretty rough upbringing. I'm a first-generation college student, so I did not have a lot of support going to college.

I had to figure out a lot on my own. And I remember watching the season two premiere. I'm pretty sure it was the first episode Deja was introduced. It was 2017. I think I had just turned 18 myself. And I was in community college. I had no idea what I was doing. And just seeing Deja and the complexities of her and her caseworker and Beth

Randall is foster parents, her biological mom. I knew right then and there, social work is what I wanted to do. Wow. And so since I graduated, I have been in the foster care field. I have such a passion for foster care. I love it so much, and I wouldn't be here without This Is Us. So thank you. You are an angel on this earth, ma'am.

It is such as very special and specific human that can withstand that world, the emotional toll. and I just like I am in awe of anyone that does that line of work of service to the world because it's truly

seems so exhausting on every front Lindsay Thank you for sharing that Lindsay It is man I've said this a few times I'll say it probably a few more times you think you're making a show

that's there to entertain people and sort of give them something to take their mind off of things. And yes, and it does that. Yeah. Holy cow. It's really cool. Like launching like the trajectory

of someone's career path. Oh. Their life. It's amazing. Thanks for sharing. Thank you so much. Lindsay too. Congrats on, she said she's graduating.

Yeah. And she's getting the master's, that's right? Holy cow. Godspeed to you, sister. Godspeed. Bless you. Who's next? Hey, Mandy Staling and Chris.

My name is Millie, and I'm from Manchester, England. I first started watching This Is Us during lockdown when I was 13 after it was recommended by my mum. My Nana was diagnosed with dementia almost a decade ago, and sadly, she's now reached the later stages. Watching This Is Us with my family brought us closer during an incredibly painful time, especially during the later seasons. It helped us understand dementia and Alzheimer's, not only from the perspective of the patient, but also have to grieve someone while they're still here, how you hold onto who they were and how that loss slowly and from. folds. It felt like I was growing up with the person family and I was learning these lessons with

them. I also want to thank you for the podcast. Hearing your reflections has added another layer of meaning to the show. This show is something I always recommend to others, especially those who are struggling with grief, family illness or loss similar to what my family is experienced. Every storyline makes someone feel seen. I'm 19 now and I've just started university studying music and I hope to study how music interacts with dementia patients. This show has influenced me to not only follow my dreams but to make change. You will always hold a meaningful place in my heart and it's a show I'll return to you for the rest of my life. Thank you for everything you gave us through your craft and thank you for the most incredible show. Millie. My goodness.

It's very emotional to hear people's individual connections to the show and how specific and granular it becomes to their day-to-day life and their experiences and their way through grief, like to be present for someone, to be a tool for someone while they are in a decidedly difficult chapter of their life is such a gift, such an honor to be in that position, you know? Yeah. By something that we did, that meant a lot to us. us, the fact that it just continues to ripple out and find new people to interact with

and, you know, the next generation, the next chapter of folks to like, you know, find the show and find their way into it. It really, it just is, it's so meaningful for us to hear from people like Millie. Absolutely. Thank you, Millie. Yeah. Millie's a sister too. I could tell her.

I think I clock that. You guys didn't crack that? Yeah. I just clocked her beautiful accent, her beautiful voice. I was like, I could listen to you, read the phone book, ma'am. Yeah, she's dope. Thank you for sharing. 19.

Golly. Okay. Those are great. Just two voicemails. That was perfect. Guys, it is, if either one of you ever have those moments, and I think all artists possibly from time to time, wonder if they have like a legitimate impact on the way in which people live their lives.

Like, is what we're doing of value? The answer is yes. Yes. Yeah, at least in this one instance. At least, listen. If you could have one in your life, this is a good one. This is a good one to have.

This is a good one to hang you have. And what an honor. What a joy. What a joy to share this rewatch experience with the both of you. I love you extremely. And to our fans, thank you for tuning in. Thank you for subscribing, for telling friends, for supporting our sponsors. Check us out on Kulu a day before, on YouTube, the day of,

or anywhere else that you listen to your podcast. We love going through this whole. process with you. Stick with us. This is, this is, we're going to the end of the season. I'm still trying to figure out what happens beyond the end of the season. I've heard a few people talk about, look, you expect to see us on your Tuesdays or on your Monday. So, we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. Any ideas that you have, throw them our way. We're all ears. Chris, yeah, you can call us on our, on our speaky pipe. Don't forget the speaky pipe. Don't forget, speakie peepie. That was us pod at gmail.com.

Yeah. There's a phone number. No, it's speak pipe. No, we love. The phone number's gone. The phone number's gone. I'm tired, guys. Find us on the street.

Just tell us. Yeah, just tap us on the shoulder. I love the pod. Randomly, roll up on us like Nikki. It's all good. That was us. That was us. That was us is filmed at Rabbit Grin Studios

and produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. That was us. That was a hate gum podcast.