'This Is Us' Season 6 Episode 17 Review: Rebecca says GOODBYE in one of the finest penultimate episodes

The penultimate episode of 'This Is Us' just blew us away with it's amazing storytelling and how Rebecca was the soul of everything
UPDATED MAY 18, 2022
Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson in 'This Is Us' Season 6 (NBC)
Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson in 'This Is Us' Season 6 (NBC)

Since 2016, NBC’s blockbuster drama ‘This Is Us’ has been giving us some of the most riveting and emotional moments on television. But nothing made us ready for tonight’s episode. The NBC drama just aired its penultimate episode and we are a complete mess. Now, in the previous episode, we realized that it’s time to say goodbye to Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and the Pearson family needs to come together to say bid adieu.

Kevin (Justin Hartley) called everyone and said that they should come here as soon as possible. Luckily, everyone made it on time for the final moments, including Toby (Chris Sullivan). As soon as they reach home, Deja shared bombshell information with Randall (Sterling K Brown) that she’s pregnant and the guy’s name is Marcus. It’s like a full circle for Randall and he’s now going to be a grandfather soon, so he’s going to have the same feeling that Rebecca had when she became a grandfather.\

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So, the entire episode was about Rebecca going on her final “train” journey. In the episode, Rebecca said that his father always said that he would take her on a train journey where people wore tuxedos and drank Vespers. Rebecca is finally having that journey and who’s there to accompany her? William (Ron Cephas Jones), the biological father of Randall, is taking her to a place where she can finally rest. 

Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson and Roy Cephas Jone as William in 'This Is Us' Season 6 (NBC)

Over the next 45 minutes, we saw everyone going to Rebecca’s room and telling her what she meant to them. From Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) to Toby, they didn’t hold back in saying what they wanted to. She always made them feel like they were equally important and never let anyone feel like they were too “small”. In a way, Rebecca is the perfect parent. Yes, she must have made mistakes, but she raised this magnificent family that was always there for each other and never backed down.

Every single moment of this episode was emotional and heartbreaking, letting us know how truly hard it is to say goodbye to your parents.

In the end, it was time for Kevin and Randall to say goodbyes. Unfortunately, Kate (Chrissy Metz) was not present at the time and was boarding the flight from London to come there. The moments of silence during that scene spoke a thousand words. In that scene, Kevin and Randall discussed some of the epic moments that they shared when they were small.

Justin Hartley as Kevin and Sterling K Brown as Randall in 'This Is Us' Season 6 (NBC)

During the whole episode, we just saw Kate in one scene and she was boarding a plane from London to be there with the family. Maybe, that’s why Rebecca couldn’t see her on the train as well. Everyone wanted to say the perfect thing to their mom, but there isn’t anything like it because whatever they’ll say will be found short in front of what she has done for the Big 3.

The episode was a perfect way to say goodbye to one of the most endearing characters on television. Rebecca has been a force to be reckoned with. She dealt with heartbreaks and many other things, but she remained strong and never took a step back. In the final moments of her life, she made it clear that she won’t walk into the light until Kate reaches Pearson's Cabin. The moment Kate reached, it was time for her to say goodbye and reunite with Jack.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson and Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson in 'This Is Us' Season 6 (NBC)

Jack and Rebecca’s LOVE STORY is complete now. They were meant to be together, always.

If you are a fan of the show, you’ll realize why it’s one of the best out there and if you watched the show for the first time tonight, you’ll get to know what storytelling is all about. Absolutely flawless and so damn emotional.

We’ll miss you, Rebecca. Thank you for everything. You deserve to rest now.

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