Has This Is Us Gotten Too Dark in Season 2? A TVLine Investigation

NBC’s This Is Us was a pleasant surprise last fall: a feel-good family drama that immediately won over critics and viewers. And in Season 2, the ratings have been better than ever. But four episodes in, I’m wondering if “feel-good” is still an accurate term to describe this show. Simply put: Is This Is Us too dark and depressing this season?

So far, we’ve dealt with Jack’s alcoholism, and learned his death is connected to a tragic house fire; we’ve seen Kevin haunted by memories of his dad and turn to prescription painkillers; we’ve watched Randall and Beth struggle with a difficult teen girl they’re fostering; and we’ve seen Kate doubt her singing talent and obsess over her weight. Oh, and Rebecca confronted her awful mother — a one-dimensional villain, on a show that’s usually great about finding the humanity in each character — about being racist and treating Randall like crap. All these plotlines have one thing in common: They’re an absolute slog to get through. (It’s hard to even find a Season 2 photo where the characters are smiling.)