‘This is Us’ season 1 episodes ranked in order of tears shed
‘This Is Us’ prides itself in making its viewers cry. For the most part, the question is not whether or not you cried when you watched an episode but how much you cried. That’s why we’ve put a list together that doesn’t point out the episodes that made us cry.
Instead this list will rank the episodes by the amount of tears that were shed over each episode. We’ll start with the episodes that made us cry very little and culminate with the ones that made us bawl like little babies.
This show might be one of the best shows in the history of television, and it’s definitely one of the best that is currently taking up the air waves. The characters make us laugh, they of course make us cry, and they make us feel as though we are a part of the Pearson clan. Feeling as though we are a part of the family at the center of This Is Us is why we get so emotionally invested.
The good news is, every once in a while, we cry because we’re happy. Though for the most part, we’re so cried out from the sad that there isn’t anything left to cry out when we’re happy. Come take a walk with us back down the path of Season 1 of This Is Us and get ready for Season 2. One warning, if for some reason you haven’t yet seen the whole season, you might want to watch it before you read this list as there will obviously be spoilers.
Episode 18: “Moonshadow”
Very few tears
Why it made us cry: The show told us the whole story of how Jack and Rebecca met and because this is This Is Us, there was a bit of a twist. It also showed us how the two basically had to call it quits, at least for a little bit. The moment we shed a tear, and that was about it, a single tear, is when Jack explained why he still loved her. She didn’t answer that she loved him too and he left.
We know at some point around this time period that Jack dies. We know the kids are teens when he goes because of the short shots of his funeral we’ve gotten throughout the season. There’s a little worry that Jack and Rebecca aren’t going to make up before he dies. The episode seems to allude to that as there are several moments where the two part ways without saying “I Love You.”
Every time they do it, we’re afraid we’re going to see Jack’s life come to an end too soon. So far it hasn’t happened, but he’s going at some point.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Part of the problem with this episode is that we keep waiting for the moment. Kate is supposedly telling Toby how Jack’s death is her fault. We’re not getting that payoff this season. By the end of the episode we just want to see what happens. That robs every scene of an emotional punch. Even the one where the twist is revealed and we see the pair really meet for the first time.
Episode 14: “I Call Marriage”
A tear here or there
Why it made us cry: “I Call Marriage” isn’t as frustrating as the season finale, mainly because we’re not waiting for a big reveal. There were a couple of scenes that made tears come to our eyes. Watching William help his granddaughter prepare for and then win her big chess tournament was great.
For the most part, we’ve seen William show some affection to his granddaughters but there hasn’t been a real bonding. This episode showed a man who is going to be dying (really soon it turns out) who is enjoying his family. There is also the very real issue with Randall. Although this made us nervous more than it made us feel like crying. He’s starting to melt down a bit, what with the pressure at work, and keeping his family together while losing another father.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Randal having a break down is certainly not something we want to see. At the same time, he’s not there yet. He doesn’t lose it yet so we don’t have to lose it either. This Is Us should be lauded for how slowly they take this, considering we know that he’s got real issues with anxiety. He’s a heck of a dad, and we don’t want to see him be overcome, but tension is more the emotion than a desire to just turn on the waterworks. The episode isn’t bad, it’s also just not sad.
Episode 7: “The Best Washing Machine in the Whole World”
Two to three tears
Why it made us cry: There have been hints here and there that Randall and Kevin were at odds for most of their childhood. We got to see that come to a head in this episode both when they were on opposite sides of the football field and when they were adults. Back in the past, we find out just how Rebecca and William met when the triplets were just little kids.
These scenes, between William and Rebecca, are always a bit emotional because it shows just how much the man who gave up his son is in pain because of that decision. It also shows just how worried about losing one of her kids Rebecca is if William decides to come and try and get Randall back.
There is also the montage that shows how the Pearson clan went through all the washing machines they had and how the five-some changed, grew up, and always loved through those different household appliances. It’s a touching moment in an episode that didn’t produce a ton of tears from us otherwise.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: While the battle between Kevin and Randall makes us uncomfortable, they actually defuse any chance of crying with the fight between the two when they are adults. Yes, there’s real anger and emotion there, but rolling on the ground and finding themselves at the feet of Seth Meyers is just a great laugh-out-loud moment. Randall’s “Come on, I’m still black, lets get out of here” is great, too.
Episode 4: “The Pool”
A sprinkling of tears
Why it made us cry: Adult Kate is a character that annoys us more than most of the other Pearsons, but young Kate is just a wonderful little girl who so desperately wants to be happy. Jack wants to do all he can to makes sure she has a good life, despite the fact that it’s clear her friends can be some really big jerks from time to time. In the past, this episode focuses on a trip to the local pool where young Kate is wearing a Care Bears two-piece. She runs into some friends at the pool, but it soon turns out she comes back to her family because those friends have left her a nasty note. Jack comes to the rescue and makes her feel better by giving her a “magic shirt.”
In the present day, Randall learns that William was a bit of a civil rights warrior. This becomes an issue when William is stopped in Randall’s neighborhood by a local security guard. After the tense situation, the two talk about what it means to be black in a white area. At one point William tells Randall he is “doing everything right.”
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Kate’s story is heartbreaking but elicits anger more than tears. Kevin “almost drowns” and throws a hissy fit, which just kind of annoys us. The William and Randall storyline also gets us angrier and annoyed at the people in the neighborhood.
Episode 6: “Career Days”
Short burst of tearfulness
Why it made us cry: Jack and Rebecca get the news that while young Randall is testing off the charts, he isn’t pulling in the kind of grades he should be. Jack decides he’s going to get to the bottom of this by having him work a math problem at the office. When it becomes clear that Randall isn’t being truthful about knowing how to solve the problem, there is a great father and son moment.
Young Randall tells Jack that he doesn’t want to stand out because he doesn’t want Kevin and Kate to hate him. Randall is clearly beside himself because he just wants to fit in. If you were able to keep your eyes entirely dry while this kid explained how he felt like an outsider in his own home, then you’re not easily moved. There’s also a great moment where Jack is getting Randall ready for his first day at his new school where he teaches him how to tie a tie. Later we see Randall using that lesson today as an adult.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Kevin takes a trip to a funeral with Olivia in a moment that shows just how screwed up she is. The backdrop of why they are there blunts his own story about him making model airplanes with Jack when he was a kid. Also, childhood Kevin just does a really good job of annoying us more than making us feel sorry for him.
Episode 3: “Kyle”
It’s kinda dusty in here
Why it made us cry: This is the first time we get a bit of a glimpse behind how William and his lady met and ended up having Randall. This is rather bittersweet considering we also know that the pair, who appear as happy together as humanly possible, aren’t going to work out in the end. It’s only episode three, but we’re already really liking the tragic figure that is William. We just want him to have a happy life and yet we know that isn’t really going to happen.
Also back in the past, Rebecca is having trouble bonding with their adopted baby, who is known as Kyle at this point. Jack goes to talk to Dr. K (who steals every scene he’s in when it comes to This Is Us) and asks him how he can “fix his wife.” There are moments when the two are bickering and then there are moments when the pair are just trying to be there for each other. Jack’s powerlessness is certainly moving here.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: While William and his lady is a sad moment, it’s only for a moment. The same goes for Jack and Dr. K. William, in particular, is too new for us to be very attached to him at a level in which we’ll grow to be attached to him later in This Is Us. We’re starting to head into more emotional episodes, though.
Episode 5: “The Game Plan”
It’s getting pretty dusty
Why it made us cry: This episode centers an awful lot on the pre-children version of Jack and Rebecca. Rebecca is pretty happy not having to worry about anyone but the two of them. She even makes a couple of comments about how she really never wants kids because her mother is such a horrible person. We learned just a few episodes ago that Jack and Rebecca aren’t together when the Pearson kids are all grown up, so this lovely talk about how they’re going to grow old together and how happy they are together is especially painful.
As an added bonus and an added gut punch to this episode, we finally find out why Jack and Rebecca aren’t together in present day. He’s dead. While that’s better (kind of) than Rebecca leaving Jack for Miguel, it’s certainly a sad state of affairs that we’re never going to see old and gray Jack. This is of course especially tough when thinking about Randall, who is going to have to live through losing two fathers by the end of the first season.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Rebecca constantly talking about not wanting kids is hard to watch, but not in a tearful way. Plus, we’re never huge fans of the “just Jack and Rebecca” scenes. They’re much better when they are struggling to be great parents than when they are struggling to be a happy couple. Her attitude blunts a lot of the real drama for us.
Episode 11: “The Right Thing to Do”
We felt a couple of trickles down our cheeks
Why it made us cry: Randall has been having problems dealing with William and Jessie, and he’s thought it was because he was having some homophobic thoughts. It turns out what he’s really got a problem with his is father suddenly seemingly replacing him and spending more time with Jessie. This episode does a good job of keeping that on a slow burn. Randall finally has it click at the end when they sit down and talk.
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William tells him he’s not replacing him with Jessie but has been looking for a place to die that will make him less of a burden on Randall, Beth, and the rest of the family. The two really have it out, and Randall makes it clear that William isn’t moving out. They also discuss that William wants to end chemo because it’s making him feel poorly. Both men understand this means there will be no more treatments, no more attempts at a cure. This is the beginning of the end for their relationship and William’s life
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: In the past, Rebecca and Jack are still dealing with how they are going to be able to afford having triplets. Rebecca is privately crying but Jack overhears her. His courageous acts to help his family is certainly moving, but it’s more uplifting than anything. There are also some pretty funny moments in this episode that manage to blunt the tears.
Episode 13: “Three Sentences”
The tears are coming more freely
Why it made us cry: Adult Kate has enrolled herself in a “weight loss camp” in order to try and finally figure out a way to lose the weight. While the camp had been a bit of a loss for most of her stay, she does finally manage to channel one of the reasons she’s so unhappy. As the campers rhythmically drum on and the counselor talks them through a process, Kate begins to have flashbacks of her childhood, seeing that she is nowhere near the size and doesn’t have the figure of her mother. Then she sees other flashes of a childhood spent battling her weight and finally a bit of a flash of her father’s funeral.
Finally too much to take, she screams at the top of her lungs, letting out all the pain and anger that she’s endured in her life. It’s a powerful moment for a character that has spent much of the first season being kind of annoying, especially in the way she treated Toby.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: The moment with Kate is definitely blunted by the fact that the camp has largely been a joke the rest of her stay. The tearfulness was also largely canceled out because there was quite a bit of happiness as the kids got to have their three birthday parties. Jack wanting another kid is officially canceled too, which is good because it looked like that was going to be a source of conflict between the two.
Episode 2: “The Big Three”
I’m not crying, you’re crying
Why it made us cry: Just the second episode in the series, This Is Us does a very good job of hooking us into the show by illustrating that Jack and Rebecca are good parents but not always a great couple. The speech where Rebecca talks about how she thinks they are usually good parents but are having some problems because of Jack’s drinking is one plenty of people can relate to.
It may not be a spouse’s drinking. Maybe it’s just they work too much or seem closed off. Whatever the issue, this is an early emotional and marital crossroads for the pair. The end of this segment is punctuated by Jack announcing they’re going to make it. The real gut punch of the show is that back in the present time, we see Rebecca show up to Randall’s house as it’s announced “Grandma and Grandpa are here!” excitedly by the kids. This is the first time we’re going to see old Jack and old Rebecca. And then when the door opens, it turns out to be old Rebecca and old Miguel.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: We’re all set to start bawling like babies when the parents show up but the twist is so profound that all the teary emotions are wiped away with a giant gasp. Then just bewilderment as we try and figure out what Rebecca and Miguel together means. We find out later in the season, but it’s still a mystery here.
Episode 8: “Pilgrim Rick”
Tears of anger and hurt are flowing
Why it made us cry: The official This Is Us Thanksgiving episode! While the family has made the holiday their own and Randall loves it, this year is going to be a bit different. In going back to William’s apartment to fetch some things, Randall stumbles upon a letter that Rebecca sent to William soon after they had adopted Randall.
The cat is finally out of the bag. This is a secret that Beth had recently discovered and had begged Rebecca to tell Randall before it was too late. She hadn’t taken the advice and now Randall is blowing his top. There is some real emotion pouring out as he explains she robbed him of a life with his biological father and now that man is dying. Rebecca is clearly terrified of just how the reaction is going to go down as Randall has reached a level of rage we don’t see from him at any other point in the series. He’s right to be furious, and as his tears start to flow, so do ours.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: In the past, the Pearson clan comes up with their own Thanksgiving tradition because they don’t like going to Rebecca’s parents’ house. This is a great look into how hard Rebecca and Jack work to make sure their kids are happy. Those happy moments undercut the sad later in this special holiday episode.
Episode 1: “Pilot”
Someone turned on the waterworks
Why it made us cry: This Is Us does a phenomenal job of roping us in and making us cry right away. The first episode is all about introducing us to the main characters, but they do more than that. When Jack and Rebecca rush to the hospital and Rebecca gives birth, we find out that one of the triplets didn’t make it. Dr. K goes to tell Jack the bad news, but he’s barely processing because he’s so lost in worry for his babies and his wife.
It takes a moment for Dr. K to get through to him. Then he tells him about how he had lost his wife and lost their very first child. Both of these things are things the doctor hasn’t really talked to anyone about. The pep talk is what Jack needs, and it’s all we need to get the tears going. The showrunners are basically warning us that we’re going to suffer from dehydration if we binge this series.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: There isn’t one thing that really keeps us from crying constantly. Instead, what keeps us on the edge of our seats and from getting too immersed in the plight of Jack and Rebecca is how all of the characters are intertwined. The opening couple of episodes of This Is Us are laden with twists. We’re certainly blown away by how Randall, Kevin, and Kate are all tied together. It’s not until very late in the episode we realize why we’re dealing with two separate timelines.
Episode 12: “The Big Day”
All kinds of tears for Dr. K
Why it made us cry: Dr. K doesn’t have a lot of screen time in the show, but when he’s on screen, we want to see more. Gerald McRaney gives this character the kind of life and emotion that you just wouldn’t expect to see from a crochety old doctor. This episode is dedicated mostly to him, and we see how he is dealing with the death of his wife. It’s not good. At one point, he’s giving a speech at her gravesite, talking about how he doesn’t want to live anymore.
While that is heartbreaking, it’s the way he goes about his day that is the real gut punch of this episode. The lonely preparation for the day, her pills and perfumes sitting in the bathroom, and the conversations he has with her as he talks about what he’s going to do or did that day. There is also a son who is clearly worried about his dad but doesn’t handle it well. Nor does Dr. K handle his son’s worry that well.
We can’t forget the fireman who found Randall either. We find his name is Joe and his marriage is in trouble. In fact, it seems this genuinely good guy’s marriage is doomed. That is until the end, when his wife decides she wants to give it another try.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: There is obvious drama about the birth of the Pearson kids yet again, though its taken down a notch since we already know how this turns out. Otherwise, this is a real emotional episode. As are the rest in this list.
Episode 10: “Last Christmas”
Hiding out face from family members
Why it made us cry: Dr. K is dying?!?! As the Pearson clan has to take Kate to the hospital on Christmas Eve, they run into their old doctor, who is a patient this time. We find out he got into a car accident and doesn’t expect to live much longer. Even worse is that his family isn’t likely to get there in time to see him before he goes.
The Pearson clan have decided they are going to be his family and spend time with him before he goes into surgery in hopes of saving him. There is a great moment where Randall gives Dr. K a snowglobe as a kind of thank you for spurring Jack into adopting him. Because we know the man that Randall has become, this is especially poignant. The “nothing bad happens on Christmas” mantra the Pearsons have adopted is being tested.
Elsewhere, we meet Jessie, who it turns out was a lover of William’s. When William became sick, he left Jessie, but they’ve now been reunited. It’s a touching moment because William’s life seems to be getting filled with love, just as he heads to the end of his days.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: We don’t want Dr. K to die, but it would be silly if we didn’t point out that him living definitely takes away some of the cry factor from this episode. If he had passed away here, instead of waking up with “I’ll be darned” this would have moved up this list a couple of notches.
Episode 9: “The Trip”
Tears are freely flowing, then stopping, then flowing again
Why it made us cry: This episode is directly after the one where Randall learns Rebecca has been lying to him all his life. The triplets head to the family cabin to pack it up and get it ready to sell. Randall accidentally drinks a shake full of psychedelic mushrooms and hallucinates Jack. The fact that Randall gets to talk to his now deceased father at all got the waterworks going. The conversation they have, with Jack being as good a father as he ever was keeps the dam open.
Randall coming to the realization that Rebecca did what she did because she really did love him, even if that made her do some truly stupid things is touching as well. The scene where Rebecca is alone in a dark cabin, clearly terrified is powerful as well.
There is also a young William thinking he’s going to meet a very young Randall, until Rebecca runs out, leaving him standing there alone once again to get us wanting to cry. Finally, there is the end, where present day Randall goes to talk to his mother and tells her keeping the secret must have been very lonely. Her heart breaks open as she thinks she’s being forgiven, but he tells her “not yet, I’ll see you at Christmas.”
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Really the only flaw in this episode is the plot hole where Randall “accidentally” drank the shake is a bit weak. Why would he drink something when he doesn’t know what it is?
Episode 15: “Jack Pearson’s Son”
Real men cry plenty
Why it made us cry: Randall has been having problems for quite a while now. It comes to a head as Season 1 of This Is Us starts to come to an end. The first part of the episode shows us that Randall’s anxiety attacks are nothing new. We see teenage Kevin has no patience for these attacks as he just walks on by when Randall is having one.
In the present time, Kevin is getting ready for opening night of his play, while Randall is having to deal with William dying, the kids and their busy schedule, work, and Beth being gone. He’s not dealing with it at all. The tremors have gotten worse, and he seems deeply confused at times. This is never more evident than when he calls Kevin and starts the conversation with “What did you need, Kevin?”
Throughout the conversation, it’s clear he seems confused, and Kevin knows something is up. Instead of ignoring as he did when they were younger, Kevin leaves his play, runs across town, and finds Randall in his office, on the floor. Kevin goes over, hugs his brother, and lets him cry. And we were all crying, too.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough The rest of the episode is kind of a “look how much Kevin has grown” themed episode. That’s nice and all, but Kevin had been pretty vapid throughout the series. The scene that brought the most waterworks was also fairly short and at the end. The crying could have been longer if not for that fact.
Episode 17: “What Now”
The dam has officially broken
Why it made us cry: William is gone and Randall, Beth, and the girls are planning the memorial. Randall is handling the death surprisingly well, though he can’t come up with a way to properly honor his biological father. Throughout the episode, he is confronted with people who loved William, some he didn’t even thought knew him.
The mailman absolutely losing it when he’s informed William is dead could have been really hokey. Instead, he’s the first time we had a really good cry over this episode. It’s a little odd that he was that struck, but it’s also really, really touching. Randall’s conversation with Jessie, which is both awkward but heart rending, got us going as well.
Finally, Beth’s speech where she talks about how angry she is that William basically left without saying goodbye to her is moving. When she talks about their time forever being changed to “before William and after William,” our tears started flowing yet again. Add all this in with Kate losing it and proclaiming that she is the reason Jack died, and it sure seemed as if we were gearing up for a fantastic season finale. In the end, that fell a bit flat.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: This was less about the episode not executing correctly. It’s more about This Is Us finding a way to make us laugh in the middle of all the sadness. Back in the past, Miguel and Jack are at a retirement party, and Miguel is telling Jack he needs to go see Rebecca. Jack responds that they’re here for Pench. This sets off the hilarious back and forth:
Miguel: “We hate Pench!”
Jack: “You hate Pench.”
Miguel: “I do hate Pench!”
Episode 16: “Memphis”
Oh my god, the crying!
Why it made us cry: Where do we even begin? On a last trip to William’s hometown, we find out he knew all along he wasn’t coming back. We see how joyous he is that he’s back with his family and the fun he has playing on stage. The next morning, he’s taken a turn for the worse, and Randall is informed he’s got hours, not days.
William informs Randall that he’s a bit scared of dying, and Randall uses the same technique Jack used on him when he was terrified and having an attack. If that move wasn’t enough to get your tears freely flowing, then the small comforted look William has when those hands encircle his head certainly will. Randall had been trying to tell the doctor they hadn’t gotten to “see the ducks” yet. As he’s heading out of town, a squad of ducks walks across his car and the tears come once again.
If that wasn’t enough, there is the flashback of William and his loving mother. Then of William heading to Pittsburgh in order to care for her as she is dying. This is where he meets the love of his life. For a while, they are happy, but slowly we see her descend into drug addition. Finally, there’s the day where William’s mother passes away.
Why it didn’t make us cry enough: Are you kidding? We were a blubbering mess. We were crying plenty. We needed a bottle of Gatorade after the show in order to stave off dehydration. Best episode by far when it comes to the first season of This Is Us.
Which episode of This Is Us made you cry the most? Let us know in the comments!