This is Us
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
This is all Pearson Brothers, Original Flavor.
And thats exactly the formulaThis Is Usdeploys to tell Jack and Nickys story.
Then Jack comes across his little brother, working in the latrines.
There are landmines and bombs and conditions are terrible.
Jack of course takes care of Robinson through it all.
Like, literally, his brother calls him Superman.
So really weve learned nothing, NBC promo department!
Actually, we do learn a very fun fact.
But of course Jack is scared.
Theyre all scared out of their minds over there.
Robinson does this to Jack as he leaves and of course weve seen this before.
Its how Jack used to calm Randall down, and how Randall quelled Williams fears as he was dying.
Were watching the origin story to this piece of the Pearson mythology.
Anyway, I cant wait for Kevin to meet this Robinson guy in the present day.
See what I mean?
14 Months Earlier
We learn a few things hopping back this far.
First, Jacks not in Vietnam.
In fact, he has an irregular heartbeat, so he was able to get out of the draft.
And we see Jacks mom receive the letter from Nicky that Jack had with him earlier.
From the sound of it, hes not doing well.
The rest of the letter isnt very hopeful.
Nicky is sure hes going to die over there.
So, what does Jack do?
He goes to see his doctor and figure out how he can cover up his irregular heartbeat and enlist.
Oh, also we see Jack in his undies, if thats something youve been waiting for.
I dont know your life.
One Year Earlier
Its December 1, 1969 the day of the draft.
Nicky is understandably freaking out, but Jack reassures him as only Jack Pearson can.
Everythings going to be fine and if its not, he has a plan.
Of course he does.
If anyone understood that you could always rely on Jack Pearson, Nick Pearson sure did.
He calls him his personal Superman and Nick is always Lois Lane, in need of saving.
But as reassuring as Jack can be, hes no match for the impending draft lottery.
Jack decides its best to watch it at a local bar, away from their father.
Yet still, the entire scene in that bar is pretty gutting.
It was number 241.
And just like that, Nickys gone.
Nickys already down on himself and the fact that he needs to be taken care of by Jack.
Afterward, Jacks mother feels how fast his heart is beating.
It always beats fast, he tells her.
He wasnt lying when he told Robinson that hes been pretending not to be scared his entire life.
7 Years Earlier
What a strange world this is, the day Nicky is born.
Its their only job.
It was two minutes that altered the course of Pearson history.
Back where we started, we finally get a look at Nicky as he is when Jack finds him.
He looks like he has beenthroughsome things.
And we know it only gets worse.
