Choosing the best episodes of This is Us season 1 is a hard task! Just about every episode had something special about it. This Is Us made its premiere on NBC on September 20, 2016 and pretty much became an instant hit, with an average of 14.70 million U.S. viewers. The family comedy drama TV show drew us in right away with its surprise ending in the pilot. Even though it’s still a young show, it’s already received many accolades and awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Television Series. Let’s check out the best episodes in order of both viewership and our favorites.
Related:5 Best Quotes from This is Us Season 1
Best Episodes of This Is Us Season 1
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SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t watched the first season of This is Us, you may want to look away. We tried to keep the descriptions vague enough to not give everything away, but you’ll still find some spoilers. Need to get caught up? Hulu has exclusive rights for streaming as part of a membership, but you can also buy the entire season on Amazon either on DVD or to stream.
1- Episode 18- Moonshadow- aired March 14, 2017 (season 1 finale)- 12.84 million U.S. viewers
- Jack is drunk when he drives to Cleveland to see Rebecca perform. When he gets there, he finds Ben, Rebecca’s ex and bandmate, in her dressing room and punches him. Rebecca drives Jack back to their home in Pittsburgh, where they have a heated argument. The next morning, the couple decide to separate for a while, so Jack goes to stay with his best friend, Miguel. Before he leaves, Jack tells Rebecca what he loves about her. Then he walks out the door. Fade to black, my friends, you’re not finding out how Jack died quite yet!
2- Episode 17- What Now- aired March 7, 2017- 11.15 million U.S. viewers
- This episode deals with the aftermath of William’s death. William’s last request was for his granddaughters, Tess and Annie, to plan his funeral. He wanted a festive day for his family to remember him, not a somber and depressing event. The girls pull off the perfect day, complete with balloons and candy. Randall finally makes peace with his mother, after learning she knew about William but never told him, for fear of losing him. Randall quits his job because he feels disrespected and unappreciated by his employer. At the end of the episode, Kate tells Toby she thinks her father’s death was her fault.
3- Episode 10- Last Christmas- aired December 6, 2016 (winter finale)- 10.95 million U.S. viewers
- In flashbacks, young Kate undergoes emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. Also in the flashback, we see Dr. Katowski as a patient in the hospital, after he was involved in a car accident. In present day, Randall talks one of his co-workers, Andy Fannan, out of committing suicide. We also learn that William is bisexual. Toby shows up at Randall’s house to profess his love to Kate, but later collapses and is rushed to the hospital.
4- Episode 9- The Trip- aired November 29, 2016- 10.53 million U.S. viewers
- Kate, Kevin and Randall head to the family cabin for a mini retreat, along with Olivia, Asher and Sloane. Olivia is rude to Kate, which drives a wedge between Kate and Kevin. However, later Kevin gets upset with Olivia and Asher’s rude behavior, kicks them both out, breaks up with Olivia and sleeps with Sloane. Randall mistakenly drinks a large amount of Asher’s psychedelic mushroom smoothie and talks to his deceased father about his mother’s betrayal. Later, Randall confronts his mother, but tells her he doesn’t want to see her until Christmas.
5- Episode 11- The Right Thing to Do- aired January 10, 2017- 10.48 million U.S Viewers
- Jack and Rebecca set out to find the perfect new home for their growing family. They end up in a fabulous apartment, thinking they’re having ONE baby! When they find out their having triplets, Jake goes to his estranged and abusive day to ask for money to buy a house. He gets a deal on the fixer-upper that they live in for the rest of the first season. During this episode, Kate and Toby talk about marriage and Randall copes with the fact that Willam doesn’t want to continue chemo.
Like I said, pretty much every episode was a hit. Considering the show was renewed for two more seasons already, I think that’s pretty obvious! I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next when the show returns this fall!
What are your picks for the best episodes of This is Us Season 1? Tell us below!
The whole series is so good. There has not been an episode that I haven’t cried.