Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
On today's episode of That Was Us, we'll be discussing Season 1, Episode 5, The Game Plan. Jack and Rebecca argue about the idea of starting a family, the story behind the family's love for the Pittsburgh Steelers is revealed, and Kevin discovers that the script for his part in the play is relevant to his own life.
Summer is all about you and your active lifestyle. It's the perfect time to embrace outdoor runs, walks, hikes, strength classes, and any activity that gets you moving. With the longer days and warmer weather, finding the best time to fit in a workout becomes a part of your daily adventure.
This summer, thanks to our new sponsor Peloton, it's time to redefine what it means to be a runner. Listen, y'all, I'm watching these Olympics. I'm watching Simone Biles. I'm watching American dominance in the swimming pool. I am so excited. Looking forward to everything that's coming. USA men, stand up on the basketball court. Let's go.
I'm a Peloton aficionado. I got the treadmill. I got the bike. I do the strength classes. I do the stretching. I run. I do everything. The instructors are great. The enthusiasm that they bring to my workout is beyond anything that I could hope for. I'm a big, big fan. It will get you going. If you need a jumpstart, go to Peloton. I'm telling you. Peloton has a range of class types.
Looking for a five or 15-minute session? Peloton has you covered. And if you want to toss your headphones in and hit the trail, sessions range from their pop runs to their walk and talks, whatever your level.
embrace it. Your journey starts when you say so, and you define what it means to be a runner. Want to make the most of these sunny summer days? Well, bring your workouts with a range of outdoor content on the Peloton app, like guided runs, sprints, walks, hikes, strength classes, and more. Peloton has everything you need for an on-the-go summer lifestyle.
You choose how to move. Push at your own pace with their expert-level instructors and find something fit for you. Call yourself a runner with Peloton at onepeloton.com slash running. That's onepeloton.com slash running. Welcome, friends. Hello. Welcome back. How are we doing today? Doing good. Happy to see your faces. Always gives me great joy to see you, Amanda Lee. Same. And you too, Sam.
It's cozy in here today. It is. It feels good. It's chilly. It feels good. We're talking about episode five. Now, Mandy texted us.
I did. Because she had an experience in watching episode five. I did. You want to talk about that a little bit? Well, just it really hit me like a truck. Like I was in all of my feelings. When that montage hit? When that montage hit, look, when this montage hit initially, this was, I think, the point in the show for me as a viewer experiencing it the first go round that I really recollected
the feeling all of the emotions for the first time like truly Recognizing what other people sort of found in our show just how emotional it could be and how cathartic it could be This episode really like pushed all those buttons for me. There were several instances throughout My interactions with people with these episodes where people think that they're about to make it through an episode Yeah without this is us getting them sure and then I
Right at the end, this is us gets them. And this is like the perfect example of that. It's the quintessential. You guys remember in the season one, we'd all like read the scripts, maybe like around within days of each other. And we'd come up to each other and be like, have you read this? Have you read this? Have you read five? In reading five.
I knew that Dan Fogelman was a good writer. And it was in reading five, I was like, this dude is on another level. Because he had told me this idea that he had about this painting, right? And we'll get to that in a second. But he told me the idea and I'm like...
That's interesting. How's that going to work? And then I read it and I was like, oh, you're on another level, bro. Like the way your brain sort of works is different. You know what I'm saying? We talked to him about that when he was in here. We did. And he was mentioning like,
That there are certain things that he just has to, the people are just going to have to trust. Yes. That what he's talking about will work. Yeah. Even if it might not make sense. Yeah, defies description. Yeah. Just let him do his thing. Yeah. That's it. And this was also our last table read ever. Ever. Did we ever do anything in like season six? Never. We didn't do anything in the last season. That's what I was thinking. Like, did we do one? So for anybody who doesn't know what a table read is.
Read is like, well, I'll need some help. I'll help. Yeah, yeah. So like we talked about it in our first episode, but essentially like as we were going, we would stop in the middle of the day at lunch and take an extra hour to gather all of the creatives, all the writers, all the cast to sit down in a conference room and read an upcoming episode. Read the episode. And it's normally...
a measure that's meant to be informative for the writers, the showrunner, creatives, everybody.
the powers that be to sort of make sure that something is working. Correct. Right. And I think it became apparent with our show once we were going, A, there just wasn't the time and B, it was working. It's all working. Right. So. We don't need to do this anymore. It became unnecessary. Yeah, we don't have time and this works. We truly did not have time anymore, but this was a great episode to end on. It was a brilliant, brilliant episode. And even as you're talking about reading it, like the way my brain works, I have, I don't know if you guys, when I read scripts, I'm always,
A lot of times I need to check in with other people. Yeah. Not that this is us scripts, but like when I'm reading something, my brain, it takes a lot for me to picture things well. I hear you. I hear you. Like, I don't know what my brain bias is, but I'm picturing like,
the least good version of this instead of imagining the best version of this but one of the things like these episodes the way that they're formed a lot of times we have these montages that the music comes in yeah there's a monologue going on that is over the top of that that informs what you see that is happening at a different time yeah and it was in re-watching it was one of my
first times realizing the magic of Dan Fogelman as an editor. Sure. Because for the process of our show, and I guess in television in general, directors get the first pass at the edit. Correct. And they get it down to the best shape that they think they can get it to. Yeah. Hopefully close enough to time. And then it gets passed on to, in our case, Dan. Yes. And Dan takes it and...
Makes it what it is. And we both have had this experience as directors on the show. Yeah. I was very proud of my edit. I thought it was a great episode of television. And then after Dan...
handled it. I honestly couldn't tell you what he changed, but he changed everything. Yes. Yeah. His fingerprints are all over it. In the best way, you're like, what? Oh, okay. The musicality and the rhythms and the timing. And it's that thing when you don't think this is us is going to get you, Dan is going to get you. At the very end, the music swells, the voiceover kicks in. And that first, when
when Kevin starts talking about a guy I never knew who landed in this country. And it was just, that was when the episode just hit me as well. Well, let's, let's take it from the top if we may, because I think we get a version of Rebecca Malone that is not played by Mandy. Shots on the bedside table.
Oh, the little baby version. The little girl. Yeah. Is that the only time that you haven't played you? There have been a few of those times, but they're always that age. They're always that age. I just couldn't be six. That would be great. No matter how much we tried. That would be great. We'll redo those scenes with you.
For this podcast. Just my head. Just floating around. Oh, I guess that's her maiden name for those who don't know. Rebecca Malone. It'll come later. But you see like this sort of informative moment of like her mom sort of running around with like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to make sure that everything is in place for her dad to watch the game and sort of just do that, right? And then we flash to...
You and Jack at Froggy's? At Froggy's. At Froggy's watching the game and you're like, I don't know what's happening. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And Jack's like, huh? Yeah. Okay. And you're like, teach me.
I'm not going to be my mom and I'm not going to just sort of be on the outside looking in like, let me know what this is all about. Oh, relationship. Bring me in. Tell me what it's about. So like, tell me about that montage. Cause there's, there's several, the evolution of Rebecca as a. Sure. Before, you know, the Pearsons are the Pearsons of five. Yeah. They're not even the Pearsons. Well, I guess they are the Pearsons of two at this point when you flash to them and,
in Froggy's and Rebecca has learned to love football and has become an ardent, like,
avid fan of football and the Steelers. But I love that this is sort of the birth of this football family. You see this through line and this thread with the Pearsons throughout the years, like the Steelers are in their blood. - Yes they are. - And this is where it's sort of the germination of that. But yeah, you see Rebecca go from not knowing anything about football to like screaming at the TV, calling someone a bum. - Bradshaw, Colin Bradley, I'm bummed.
Going to get into it with like, you know, some fans in the bar. Yeah. But yeah, I love that like we have immediately established that this family is a football family. Do you know...
Much about the game. Do you like the game yourself? I do like the game. We didn't we were a college football family. Are you Gators family? Yeah in Florida my parents both went to UF and my brother So we're Gators so we I grew up with college football We were never we never had like my parents were not like a you know NFL family sure As a kid I was a huge football fan. Yeah, we moved to Sacramento when I was
Five. Six. Okay. So the closest football team to us in 1985. Raiders? The 49ers. 49ers. Yeah. So we had Joe Montana.
Jerry Rice, Roger Craig. And it was my first introduction to being a fan of a sports team, which was the 49ers. And then the 49ers had their training camp in Sacramento. And my dad had connections. So me and my brother got to go to the training camp and eat lunch with them in their cafeteria. And we sat across the table, had a very nice conversation with a third string quarterback named Steve Young.
Get out of here. Yeah. Just Steve. Yeah. Nobody Steve Young. Was he third string? He wasn't even like the backup? I don't remember. But to my recollection, I mean, he was not close to being Steve Young. You were able to have lunch with him. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. An eight-year-old had lunch with him. That's who, you know. That's who he was. That's amazing. Him and Bubba Parrish, the biggest man I ever saw. It is...
Sports can bring people together in a really strong way. My dad and I were Cardinals fans. Sure. And the Cardinals weren't the best of football teams in St. Louis. They got better when they went to Phoenix or what have you. But like fandom is something which is such an interesting thing because the highs are incredibly high and the lows are so daggum low. My kids and I were Chargers fans now.
And my son said, like, Dad, this is really hard. I said, hey, man, you can't be fair weather. You got to stick with them through the good and the bad, because when the good happens, you've been there from the start. It means so much more. And so, like, the Steelers have went through a real lull or whatnot. But, like, when they come back, when Kate talks about them later, you understand the importance of, like, having been a life long.
- And there's something interesting because my family was never a family sports team. - Okay. - But it seems to me in rewatching this episode that this Rebecca that we meet is the first generation of American families that were sports families. - Sure. - Yeah. - Like as we see-- - It wasn't just the dad off to the side. - Right, it wasn't just a thing.
But it's the beginning of, because sports for all intents and purposes in the generation before that were very young. Yeah. It's professional sports as a, as a,
As a form of American... Entertainment. Entertainment. Yeah. American mythology. Yeah. American storytelling. Yeah. And I only kind of made the connection in watching this episode again where I was like, the reason sports are so unifying is because it unites generations. There's a story. Sure. There is a story. There is a drama. There are ups. There are downs. Yeah. There are wins. There are losses. And...
you can follow the lineage of that story back to your dad or your, you know. Sure. And that's why it becomes so important, like you're teaching your sons to stick with it. You gotta stay there, man. You can't put the book down halfway through. Yeah. You won't know how it ends. Exactly. Exactly. So in the midst of this, we also see, okay, this is coming back to my America's relationship with Rebecca because Rebecca's like...
Promise me we'll never have kids. Yeah. And it's almost like... And we know that's not happening. He's like, I got news for you, Rebecca. Talk to me through that whole idea. Because I think this is actually a really important thing to know. That not everybody who has children was just eager and desirous of them from the time in which they were born. Sure. Right? Speaking for Rebecca here, I believe...
Yes, she did want children with Jack. Right. I also believe she was one of those people who was not solidified in her career. She wasn't happy where things were. She thought she'd be further along. Yeah. She says as much in the episode. Sure.
And I also believe she's one of those people that was like, maybe there will just be that right time, that right sign that reaches me that says like, now is the time to have a family. And I just, I think that she's like leaning on the fact that she's still young-ish, you know, I'm 29, was not young at that time to have children. I was quite old. And she says, all of my friends have kids already. But yeah.
speaking personally, I did not relate to this because I've always dreamed about being a parent. And just, yes, I was always very excited and it was like, you know, just waiting for the right time, I guess, and the right person. So I couldn't necessarily relate to her in that sense. I'm like, you don't
you don't want to have babies with Jack Pearson? Like, are you crazy? Rich and I joke about it sometimes because there are those, the days of wine and roses, you know, where you're, where you are,
there's shots on the nightstand, there's-- - Oh yeah. - There's-- - Sleeping in. - You're sleeping in, you're hanging out at a bar called Froggy's. You could pack a bag and go wherever you want, whenever you want. Sometimes there's nobody I love more than my two kids. But when Rachel and I are alone, I was like, see, we could have had this.
This could have been our life. This could have been us. We're sitting in a hot tub in the mountains. With no children. Long as we want. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's interesting because for me, so I think Ryan and I were on, to echo it back to this show, I was pretty much Jack.
And I was like, we're going to be married two years. And then after that, we can like get to it. Right. And she's like, yeah, like we were both on the same page. Yeah. And then two years happened. She's like, I kind of want to have a stronger foothold in my career. Know that I have something to come back to. So we waited another two years and I was like, ah, come on, we're going to do this thing.
I was really excited to have these kids. Just walking around the house nude. This is true. Ready. Now, here's the thing, though. I got two boys. You can still walk around the house nude. Okay. Everybody.
Everybody walks around the house nude. Ron does not lock the bathroom door when she has to use the restroom and everybody just walks in. - Oh wow. - And she'll be somewhat annoyed, but then at the same time, like, what do you need? Go on about your business. - Oh wow. - Oh wow. - Oh you don't say that. - That's Javi's private time. - He's at her work. - Oh wow. - But you know, that is, so I'm at a place now
Well, I almost can't remember what it's like to not have kids. That's great. Oh, I'm there. I can't remember. Can you? I can when I'm sitting in a hot tub in the mountains. The thing is, I can't. And then you end up in a hot tub. And you can't. And you're like, oh. This. This is a reminder. More That Was Us after this short break. Let's take a
If you keep talking or texting with a licensed therapist, you'll gain insights and uncover truths that you can only find in therapy. Get those personal breakthroughs and judgment-free support by signing up for Talkspace.
Now, do you think seeing a therapist or psychiatrist would be helpful, but you don't have the time to actually find one and meet with them or afford them? Well, try Talkspace. By doing everything online, Talkspace has made getting the help you want easy, accessible, and affordable. At Talkspace.com, you can sign up online and get a personalized match with a provider that's right for you, typically online.
all within 48 hours. It's incredibly convenient to have virtual sessions with your licensed therapist from the comfort of your home. There's no need to commute to appointments, miss time at work, or line up childcare in order to attend sessions. It's mental health care made easy. Talkspace can help with any specific challenges you might be facing. It's the number one online therapy platform with licensed therapists in over 40 specialties, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, relationship issues, and much more.
And we have something for you from Talkspace. Right now, they're offering every listener of this podcast $80 off your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to Talkspace.com slash TWU. I'll save $80. To match with a licensed therapist today, go to Talkspace.com slash TWU to get $80 off your first month with code SPACE80 and to show your support for the show. That's Talkspace.com slash TWU code SPACE80.
Somebody said, like, I have not gone on a vacation with my wife since I've been a parent. And they had been parents for 17 years. Oh, no. They said they'd had a weekend, you know, where somebody comes to help or whatnot. But, like, they just had, like, their first week. And it made me sort of cognizant of, like, when's the last time? We've had, like, a couple of weekends. You hop up to Bacara or what have you, or, like, a reunion weekend. But, like, I've never spent...
I don't think I've spent a week with just me and my wife since I've been a parent. - Oh, you need to do that. - Probably need to, huh? - Yeah, you do. - Thank you. - You were the one, six months, a year ago, was like, "Sully, get out of town with your wife." - Yeah. - Like, 'cause the babies were getting to kind of a slightly more self-sufficient stage. - Sure. - And you were right. - Thank you.
- Hot tub in the mouth. - I spoke from experience, man. It's important, it's important. So it's interesting to see like, you know, we clocked the evolution of that. And listen, Jack is so like, he looks like a puppy. Like every time you say like, "Promise me we'll never have kids." He's like, "Okay, promise." You know what I'm saying? You're like, "Oh my God, that must've been painful." Like, thank God we don't have that. And he's like, "Uh." - Yeah. - Yeah, yeah, man. - Thank God. - Hey, Bucks.
And so when he's finally able to have the conversation, and what I love about Mandy Moore as Rebecca, she's like, you want to do this now? Like we in the middle of the Super Bowl party, dog, and this is a conversation you have to have? And him puppy dog, I just want to know that there's a time in which we can have. And so she's like, okay, let me step outside. Let me put on my beret and look all cute.
The beret is such a strong choice. The beret is so, you're so adorable though. It's like ridiculously adorable. You're sweet. And he comes outside and you guys have this lovely conversation about, of course I want to have kids with you. Yeah. You know, but it is a real thing that she talks about in terms of, it is easy. And this is something that like when Rhyne and I had our children,
Like I didn't have to take time away from anything. Right. Right. Like, as a matter of fact, like I moved, I got the P90X DVDs. I got hooked up something in the garage. I started going to like LA Fitness, which is right around the corner. So I would never be too far away from home. But if I went to the LA Fitness, which is literally less than a mile away, she's like, so you got to go to the gym? I'm like,
Nope, I'm going to this garage and do this P90X. So you got to go to the collection. She was like, I don't want you to do anything. I want your belly to get big like mine. I want you to stop and be fat and just relax. And I was like, I can't do that. But I can put it in this house so that I'm here anytime that you need something. So there is the understanding there.
For as a dude, like it is easier. Right. Yes. To the idea of wanting kids sometimes, like you have to do all of the other stuff. Yeah. I just provide. Yes. A way for you to have. To do it. To do that other stuff. Correct. So I have. And for those of our listeners who don't understand, can you explain? What, how that, how. How babies are made. Would a man and a woman love each other? Yeah.
They go into a bathroom at a bar. After the Super Bowl win. After the Super Bowl. Not just a regular season. Not any Sunday football regular game. Not a regular season game. No, no. And that's what, like, because I'd forgotten that. Conceived at Froggy's. I guess technically Randall was not going to say that. But, you know. The other babies were. And I'll never forget our director.
telling Milo and I, George Tillman, to just go for it during that. I'm like, this is network television, sir. But I gotta say, when Jack and Rebecca kiss, the mouth is open. Like, there's just, there's a lot, there's some exchange of bodily fluid that's happening there. I'm like, okay,
Yeah. Y'all be loving on each other. I was like, his beard don't come off or nothing. I was like, y'all make it happen. Sometimes it was real. Sometimes that beard was. Sometimes it wasn't. Sometimes that beard was. You sometimes had a little. Oh, yeah. I would have stray hairs in my mouth. Exactly. Glue. Yeah, I'd be spitting like fake hair out of my. Rash, rash on your chin. Disgusting. Yeah. Totally. I believe this might have been a fake beard. Maybe not. It may have been. It was hard in the first season because it was like.
Half and half. Yeah, yeah, yeah. First time me singing on the show. Talk to me about that. I was just about to ask that. Was it one of those things where you were trying to avoid? Did they ask if you would be open to it? It was just there. It was in the script. In the script. I was like, okay.
I, yes. I know there have, over the years, people have been like, ugh, do you have to like sing in every project? And I'm like, no, I don't want to. I don't ask for that. I don't seek that out by any means. But when you have Mandy Moore, this is true. No, no, no. But I think maybe just Dan was aware, obviously, that I sang because of Tangled and us working together in that capacity before. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I loved that they included music in her backstory. And I love this particular era of music and that we were, you know, back in the seventies, late seventies. And, um, that's a great song too. This little feet song will, and which is great. Linda Ronstadt does a great version of it as well. And, um,
And my husband, you don't see him, but him and his band were the backup band. - Are you serious? - Did you know that? - I didn't know that. - I did not know that either. - You just see one quick shot and you can only see like two of the band members, but not Taylor, not my husband. But yeah, they got to get all dressed up and come and-- - Incredible. - Okay. - Sidebar, how long had you guys been--
Married at that point. We weren't married yet. We were just dating. How long had you been dating? A little over a year. A little over a year. Yeah, yeah. You guys are doing TV shows together. Yeah, I think he was sort of like, you're doing what now? You want us to do what? And I'm like, yeah. I mean, it was also like the show hadn't started airing yet, so no one knew what it was or what it would be. Yeah, right.
He was like, "Yeah, they were game for it." It was great. It was fun. - Awesome. - Jumping into the Randall, Beth, Kevin, William sort of scenes, we see Kevin obviously in the last episode comes to Randall and Beth's house.
He's sick of staying in his gorgeous, gigantic suite in New York City. And Beth and Randall are like, whoa, we'll take it though. Yeah. So you guys quickly volunteer to have, speaking of, a little couples getaway. It's important. There we go. Hot tub in the mountains. Hot tub in the mountains. They take their time. Yeah.
And I love that. I loved the whole exchange between you and Susan about like, we're going to do this and we're going to be in robes and then we're going to have sex and then we're going to have order room service. We need burgers, pizza, burgers, pizza. Like all of that was just classic Sterling, classic Randall. So much joy and excitement. So much joy. And obviously then that is trumped by. I'm late.
Beth's news about potentially being pregnant. Yes. And then I loved flashing back to Kevin being Uncle Kevin with William. And I wrote down, do you know how to read? I wrote the same line. I have some tough questions here. First, there's a bit of a doozy. Do you know how to read?
I almost fell out of the bed. I was just like, this is too much. Again, I- Of course you do. Of course you know how to read. And then the whole, like, you're a Pixar owl and I'm a Labrador. Like, just that whole thing. I was like, how do people not watch the show and think like, and immediately think about how funny it is? Like- Yeah. That's always been my take on it too. Like, it makes me laugh out loud so much. So many moments and episodes. Yeah. Um-
As well as, you know, when you guys go to the pharmacy and the two thumbs, two hands thing, like with Susan. With two hands. Was hilarious. You're saying it wrong. You're saying it wrong. But yeah, the little motion of her like back to herself with both her little hands. I was like, it's too much. So this scene is really, really a turning point for Black Pearsons in that Dan said like,
I didn't know if you guys could handle like comedy, right? Because he didn't think of us as being like, we were supposed to be, he always described us as like the solid sort of tent poles of the family, responsible, et cetera, sort of like people sort of gather around us, right? But knowing that he could also do things with us that had like a bit more levity or whatnot. And you guys are like a classically trained comedy duo. Yes. There's like the straight man and the clown. Yeah. And like-
perfection, how you play with each other. - We had so much fun. Every once in a while I get myself, and I go, "Well, there goes Charleston." - There goes Charleston. - And she's like, "What are you even talking about, bro?" - This whole episode, one of the notes I wrote down was about secret plans.
And this is something that my wife and I have to constantly check in with each other because we have these stories going on in our heads about how things are going to go. Yes. But I don't share it with you. And then when it doesn't go that way, I'm now upset with you. Sure. For the plan not going. Right. The way that the secret plan that I've never shared with you. That I never told anybody about. And you should have known. And every character has a secret plan about not having kids, about having kids, about...
And that plan is great. I just always thought, you know, once we get, we'd retire to Charleston. Sometimes I go on Zillow. It's hysterical. Rachel and I Zillow flirt. Zillow's fun. Do you guys real estate flirt? We do. In fact, I remember like going on a trip with you and Rachel actually. Remember when we went to Portland? Yes. The first time? Yeah. We, yes, we, Taylor and I are immediately like flirting.
we should move to Portland. We were just immediately like, looking up real estate. Yes, I love going on a trip and doing nothing more. And we were in the other hotel room. Doing the same thing. Doing the same exact thing. Should we all live in Portland? Yes, should we buy a compound? Do you guys want to live here? Milo has a house in Portland. He does, yeah, yeah. Is it beautiful? It's a condo downtown. No, is Portland beautiful? I've never been. Oh, yes. Yes. It's gorgeous. Should we all vacation together? I love the Pacific Northwest. Let's do it.
Maybe. Okay. We should do a live episode of that. We'll do a live episode in Portland or Seattle, which is also gorgeous. Yeah. Randall and Beth in the hotel. So it's interesting too, because we're 36.
in the show. But Randall and Beth already have like a 10-year-old, eight-year-old. I'm trying to figure out how old the girls are, who are so adorable in this episode. Like when they get to the conversation about death. - About death. - About death? - Yeah. - Oh my God. - Mommy and daddy are gonna die? - Yeah.
It's bedtime. It's bedtime. Yeah, he fumbles. That's so hard. Handled it like a real champ. I wrote down even before that, which is, is that how you're going to do that? Yes! Yes! I used to say that to my best friend in college when we were doing shows. Totally. I'd walk up to him and be like, is that how you're going to do that? He'd be like, you son of a bitch. Shifted around a little bit. But the idea that like,
Because I think I had my last kid at 39. I was 39. But I can only imagine having had two. Could you imagine having had two and then like waiting another 10 years? And having another. And then having another. Like my mom did that. Yeah. Because my brother and sister are 14, 12 and a half years older. Yeah. But she had remarried to a different dude. But I was like, hats off to you, Mark. Because I don't think.
shop is closed. The mindset has shifted. Completely and totally. But it was really sweet to see Randall and Beth on that floor in that bathroom. And then it's like the first time he says, you know, little boy would be okay. I loved that turn. You know, because it's like whatever happens, we're going to figure out a way to move through this joint together. It may not be what we wanted, but you know.
It couldn't be, it wouldn't be terrible. Yeah. You know? And then to see them receive the news. Yes. And that montage was pretty sweet too. Because you were with them. You were with them. You're like, okay. Yeah. Like this could happen and they're embracing it and they were ready for it. Yeah.
I think we as an audience can be ready for it too. - Even watching it, even knowing the response, I was like, this is something that show, this show is gonna do. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Agreed. - She of course, she's gonna be pregnant. - I also just love the departure from the house.
And like Kevin keeps talking about like, I don't want to mix up the wine orders for the girls. And like Beth doesn't find it funny at all. I'm like, ha, ha, ha. Don't call us. But call us is something that's just like, but don't do that. No, don't call us. You know what I'm saying? Like it's such a dude move. Try not to need us. This is the only chance we get here, dog. Do not call us.
Don't call me, bro. Deal with it. Deal with it. Did you guys also laugh going back to Jack and Rebecca? Because I kind of did it. The universal lie of Jack and Rebecca telling each other like, well, when we have kids, it'll be different. Like nothing will change between us. That's right. It was like, okay. Yeah. We all have to tell ourselves that, right? You have to. Like that'll be different. I had a friend of mine who was like, we'll just, we'll work the baby into our schedule. Yeah, like living our life. Yeah.
We're going to keep... That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. It's so funny. Because at that time, I hadn't had kids yet. And I'm like, oh, I didn't know you could do that. I guess you could do that. I'm pretty sure you can do that. But I guess... I'm not sure if it was this episode or maybe it's the episode after where Jack's like, is your life any different? He's like, oh, yeah, it's...
Like absolutely different. And I just, I chuckled at that too. I was like, well, at least someone's being honest. Somebody new, you know what I'm saying? To be able to give them like a little bit of perspective. But God bless you guys going at it in that bathroom. Going at it at Froggy's, yeah. That was delightful. National television. Let's talk about Toby and Kate.
Let's talk about her relationship to football, how she likes to watch it. Another secret plan. Another secret plan. Deep secret. Deep secret. This is a deep secret because we have to get to this reveal. Because this was a big reveal. This was a big reveal. But it was just like, oh, what are you doing tonight? She's like, I'm going to go out and watch some football. She's like, so we're watching football. Great. Right? And she's like, no.
Just me. You're like, what are you talking about? Like, I can watch football too. So you pass the note to everybody in the class. Just pass it along. Just pass it along. Right through the person sharing, which I had forgotten about. I remember passing the note, but I was like, oh, no, he passed it through the person who's currently sharing at a recovery meeting. She checks it out, and it's so sweet. And you got the little cutouts and everything. She's like, all right.
So she gets to the crib. You got healthy snacks for her. She's like, oh, Toby. Then this Negro shows up.
Shoot her. Shoot her. I was like, why did you bring your buddy? Like she already wanted to watch by herself. You're like, no, we're going to make it a party. Not a big party. Yeah. I had to bring somebody else who likes football, which is not me, but it's my buddy. And he understands the football. Hey man, wait, this is for the wide only. Just shoot her. Standing up there. LED. Plasma.
Oh God you guys gotta hear this you gotta hear this
Yeah, it was... That really got sterilized. First of all... I'm a football fan. I'm like, hey man, you stopping this TV for what? Yeah, we'll start it in a second. Because it's also totally something I would do. Yeah.
It was, but this moment also was, I was like, oh, Toby has a friend. All right, I will be around a little longer. I will be around a little longer. Oh, that was like your note to yourself. Note to self, they've given Toby a friend. They've given him a friend. And all he needs now is some family. And we'll be here multiple seasons. Shooter was not one of the dudes.
At The Bachelor. Yes, he was. He was. He was. He was. Yes, he was. He was. He was. Oh, good. Okay, good. Good, good, good, good, good. Yeah. So that moment, and then she's like, so you pause, and then she's like, I want to watch it live, like catch up, and like the touchdown happened. And she's like, all right, I gotta go. And you're like, wait, what are you talking about? And she was very polite. She's like, this isn't working for me. I got to get to the career so I can focus on this thing. Yeah.
That reveal, because I forgot. So much happens that you don't remember that everyone doesn't know. Right. They're unsure. They're unsure of what Jack's fate is at this particular time. And then by episode five, you've watched the episode. It's a rewatch podcast.
We now know that Jack has died. Yes. Because they're having a conversation and Toby says, I'd like to meet him sometime. Yeah. She says she watches football with her dad. She goes, okay. I'd love to meet him. And she places an urn in front of him. Yeah. Okay. All right. Now I'm trying to think, like, can you guys recall at all what the audience's reaction
Like how they like, like it was, it was a big one. It was a big reveal. It was a big one. Yes. It's, it's, this is, this is what we talked about with, with Dan about like, oh, this show is a safe place to be. Yeah. But Will is going to put us through it. Yeah. They just killed America's favorite TV character. Yeah. Ned Stark is gone. I don't know what's going on. We'll be right back with more. That was us.
I am always trying to do right by my body. So when it comes to my hair and scalp health, finding a product that actually works and is made with clean ingredients always seems like, I don't know, a bit of a trade-off. But with Vegamour, I get products that are made with clean ingredients and give me visibly healthier hair and scalp.
With Vegamore, you're able to have visibly thicker, fuller, shinier, longer hair, all without the harsh ingredients. Every cute pink bottle of Vegamore products are 100% cruelty-free and are never formulated with potentially harmful chemicals like parabens or hormones. What's even better is Vegamore's value kits, like the Grow Essentials Kit, where you get to try more than one amazing product at a great savings.
When you sign up for a monthly subscription, you save more, and you never run low on the products you need to take care of your hair. You guys, I have to tell you, I have used Vegamour for quite some time now. I've been a big fan. I love the way it smells. I love the way it feels. Yeah.
It's helped me in postpartum. Really? Yes. Keep my hair from shedding too much. I've been a big fan, so I'm super psyched that they're a sponsor. Can you tell me what it's like to have hair? It's not bad. Listen, I will say the key is consistency to your routine, Chris. That's maybe where you're missing the boat. Yes. It's the consistency in your routine to get the most beautiful, healthy-looking hair. And I actually use the Vegamour Grow Hair Serum daily, and my scalp...
my hair, they're really flourishing. - See, now you have my attention. - Yes. - Okay. - This grow serum you're talking about? - Yes. - See, fun fact, Vegamour sells one bottle of grow serum every 15 seconds on their website, and they just sold one more to me. - Boom. - They just sold two more to me.
That's how good this stuff is. There goes three. There goes four. That's how good this stuff is. Give your hair the power of the little pink bottle with Vegamore. For a limited time, That Was Us listeners get 20% off their first order by going to vegamore.com slash TWU and use code TWU at checkout.
That's V-E-G-A-M-O-U-R dot com slash T-W-U. Code T-W-U to save 20% on your first order. V-E-G-A-M-O-U-R dot com slash T-W-U. Code T-W-U. ♪
And it was interesting because we knew we'd been living with it. And so then at that point in time, we can now talk about it. We had another secret later in terms of like the how that we held on to for a season and a half almost. 2-14, is that? Yes. The Super Bowl episode? Yes. And I remember thinking like how, and just re-watching it, I was like, you probably could have told him another way that your daddy wasn't gone.
Yeah. It worked great for the audience, but for Kate to do that, to do that to Toby, it's like, oh,
- All right. - It's conversations like that. It's like, is there anything like that I haven't told Ryan? That like 18 years in the marriage and she'd be like, oh, I know. Like Ryan dropped something on me the other day that I like, this is something I've never heard. And I've known you since I was 18 years old. - Same thing. - Wow. - And this is like 30 years down the road. I'm like, this is the first. I guess it happens.
Not intentionally, you know what I'm saying? Sure. And rarely. She will always say, she'll say, this is her favorite thing. I was like, how come you never tell me that? You never ask. I'm like...
What else do I need to ask you? But a deceased father. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That one should. Well, I mean, yes, but this is still early in their courtship. Sure, sure. And Kate clearly keeps a lot close to the vest. She does. I can understand that like in her own way and time and fashion, she was going to reveal this information. Yes, yeah, yes.
And then Toby elbowed his way in. Yeah. No, I'm watching with you. Kicking doors in. I don't understand why this is such a big deal. Yeah. Yeah. It was a big deal. And that brings us to the seminal part of the episode. So this is, okay. First of all, just the beautiful dynamic between Ron and Justin as Kevin and William is just so gorgeous because he starts it off by saying, you know, you do that a lot.
Like you underestimate yourself. Yeah. Right? And it's sort of like what we were talking about, about Kevin's character from the beginning. He's easily dismissed. Yes. Whether we're talking about in 104 in the pool where you have Randall who is your black child who wants to be accepted or Kate who is your plus size daughter and you want her to feel secure. That sometimes young Kevin just sort of like...
And so then he starts to actually internalize and actually dismiss himself. Yeah. Right? He creates his own thing. He creates his own thing. And, you know, he knows he stuck his foot in it when he was talking about death with the kids and whatnot. And he says, I'm not equipped to do this. And William says, you're doing it again. Right? He's like, you were good on that show.
And this, it got me, dude. It got me because it was like somebody sees him. Right? You're not a pretty face. You're not a, whatever. It was like, you were good on that show. And I used to, I had three channels and I would turn it on and I would enjoy it. Right? So like, it's okay for you to feel good about the things that you do because you are of value. Right? You don't have to manufacture anything. You have value.
And I think with that, he sort of says like, all right, I think I can write this wrong that I sort of did by sticking my foot in my mouth. And he goes to see his nieces and says, listen, I'm going to share something with you. Secrets. That I don't even share with your Aunt Kate. I haven't even told Aunt Kate.
And he pulls out this painting. You want to pull up? Should we pull up the cake? There we go. There it is. And he says, before I do every job, you know, I paint something. It just sort of helps me sort of express what it is that I feel about the project.
And he said, "This one is sort of about life, you know, and each person has its own color. And we all sort of leave our own color on it." You have the special note. There was sort of this addendum included in the script that we all got from Dan that says, "Note to reader: Kevin's monologue. He's talking about the play here and life and death, but also in a larger, more meta sense. Armani is struggling to explain what our television show is.
This will cover the entire act here, supported by light score, song, and lyrical imagery from both past and future. Not only seeing other main characters were noted, but potentially even things like the man with the suitcase 100 years ago coming momentarily. No, it's hard to envision in script form, but it will be beautiful.
But it will be beautiful. No, I'm like, I think it's going to work. Yeah. It will. It will work. That's that man. Dan would do this throughout the series. Yes. In the script. Leave little notes. He would. And this one obviously was spot on. This is the one where I was like, all right, bro. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm not in good hands. I'm in great hands. Great hands. Yeah. And I was just like, whatever you say. Like, you want me to run through this brick wall? Yeah.
And like the idea that the colors don't go away, that like the impact of the people in our lives is forever. Forever.
And even colors of people who may not even be here just yet. Right. And it's sort of explaining like the sort of multiple timelines and that everything affects everything, whether it is present or not. It is present. You know, I have these sort of conversations with Dan or whatnot because he never talks about religion too much or what have you. He's Jewish-ish.
culturally and, you know, in faith or whatnot. He doesn't go into depth about it. And I'm probably more of a spiritual person than I am a religious person. But like this for me is God. This is what like the eternal nature of life and the interconnectedness. Because what it reminds me is that like we delude ourselves into thinking that we are separate and distinct, but we are really forever connected like that. Yeah.
I would be interested to hear from people who have seen the whole series. Yeah. If you're watching. As you're going through this show, it can be sad. It can be painful. It can be a struggle. It can be all these things. But I wonder if you would describe the show as sad after you've seen the whole thing. Like looking back on This Is Us. Yeah. Like if you've seen the whole series and you're talking to somebody who's never seen it. Right. How would you describe it?
when you've seen the whole painting, right? When you've seen the big picture, when you've seen the oneness of everything and how the pain and the fear and the contributes to the larger picture. - Yeah. - I think this remains
Maybe my favorite monologue in the entire series. It's pretty good. It's profound and it really just encapsulates what the show is, what it's about. And I can't believe that Dan was able to distill that down into a chunk of script and visual form. I also... There's something about this particular piece of score from Sid that also elicits something from me. And I remember...
I believe it's also, it comes back in the finale, the series finale, this piece of music. I remember watching it for the first time and I was like, wait, I know this music. This is, and they're like, yeah, it was from the painting. I was like, yes. I just, there's something about it that like, maybe it's nostalgic for me. It reminds me of this moment in time or this episode or like there was, this was a real turning point, I think for me of like,
oh, this is what our show is. This is what we're a part of. Like it is so much bigger than all these other things. It's so much bigger than all of us. Yeah. Yeah. It was just a real moment of impact. It was massive. And Justin, again. Come on. I mean, I will continue, I feel like, for the entirety of this podcast. It's so...
-Underestimated. -Killer. He is beyond perfection. He's killer. In every frame of the show, I think he makes his job look so easy. -Yes, that's what's deceptive. -And it is by far... -There you go. -...one of the hardest. -It's how easy you can make it. Yeah.
He is so, he's such an exceptional actor and performer. Yeah. And this is no exception. Like, I just, I'm floored by him across the board all the time. Justin, like, you deserve all. Agreed. All the flowers, all the praise. Agreed. It's just, he makes it look so easy. Yeah. And it's really, like, one of the harder parts of the show, I think. Because, like, he's sort of given the title. And he doesn't, it's not verbatim, this is us. And he's like, yes, that's.
Sort of what, I can't remember what he says, but it's sort of like off the cuff and he has these looks to the girls. Like, that wasn't crazy, right? You know what I mean? Like, he just sort of like looks at her. Perfection. And for that to be exchanged between him and your daughters is such a deft stroke of the...
The past. Yeah. And the present communicating. Yeah. And the future. Like, yeah, his, the vulnerability there of just sharing that part of him, like no one knows this. Yeah. Yeah. Such a beautiful way of like owning his mistake. Like you said, of sticking his foot in his mouth about what death is and,
Again, another incredible lesson of like, wow, of accountability and like adults can do that with children. It also sort of just like creates this landscape of like, because everybody, once you have to face mortality, it can be sort of a, there's a moment that you're going to have there. But there is also like there's an acceptance in this tapestry that it is part. It is part of the ultimate sort of unfolding of everything. Yeah. But that doesn't make anything less beautiful. Right.
I mean, it's sort of just the acceptance is something that you sort of like, we all come to at different times and different places and grief is a complicated emotion to sort your way through. But if and when you do find yourself on the other side of it, like you wind up, like I think about Ron, you know?
He's still a part of us. You know what I'm saying? While I grieve his physical presence being here no longer, we get to celebrate a life well lived. Like an artist who was at the top of his game, who got a chance to share his person and his craft with all of us. I smile when I think about him. That's all.
Should we talk about some of the little things we see in the vignette? We see the 1900s, a man arriving to New York City with a suitcase in his hand. What person's from, do you think? I mean, it felt like Italy or something. Italy? Italian? Milo, Italian, I don't know. Copy that. That's what my thought was. That works for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pino Sarni. Pino Sarni. That's right.
The man unpacks a suitcase. He reveals an old football or rugby ball. There you go. Little Jack, eight years old, watching football in silence with his dad. Adult Jack teaching Kevin the game. And he also says, my kids get to talk.
I couldn't talk when I watched the game with my dad or whatnot, but my kids, when we watch it and that montage, okay, keep going. - Yeah, yeah, no, you're absolutely right. He makes a point of that. You see the big three babies in their yellow onesies from the pilot. You see Jack and Rebecca watching the game with their eight year olds and celebrating with a terrible towel. You see Jack placing the lucky cap on little Kate's head and then Kate in turn putting that same cap back on dad's urn.
You see Rebecca and Beth learning that they're not pregnant. And Beth, praise the Lord, celebrating. And then Randall in the near future packing up William's things in a box. I don't know if people clocked that initially. I'm not sure if they did either. And I forgot that was part of the montage as I was watching it. I was like, oh, man. Dan will do that from time to time. He'll shoot some things like, and then you...
See them and you're like, I forgot about that. Yeah, he's like, trust me, trust me. And you're like, I don't know. What is this for? What is it? Yeah. Because obviously at that point in time in the fifth episode, like, spoiler alert, I
That hadn't happened yet. I'm sure we assume the inevitable is somewhere down the road. But so, yeah, it's like you had to sort of jump in time into the future a little bit, which I don't think we had done at that point yet. That might have been the first little. That's the first little moment. Glimpse into it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sports have never been so poetically framed in a way to heal people.
The past or reparent yourself. Yes. Reparent yourself. You know, to, to look at what this meant in my household and that's fine. Yeah. That's what it was, but that's not what it's going to be in this house. Sure. That's not how we are going to relate to it or that's not how my children, that's not the memory that my children are going to have. Yeah. And each generation hopefully does better than the next. And yeah.
This is interesting. I would say, would you say for Jack and Rebecca both?
that they sort of like took how they were parented and said like, we're going to do it different? Or do you think there are things that you took from your parents, Rebecca, in terms of like, oh, this is how we did in my house and I like that. I wish to duplicate. Or this is how we did in my house. I wish to push it to the side and do something different. I feel like isn't there a balance for all of us in life and in art? Yeah, yeah. I think there was a balance.
many, many things that Rebecca did not want to replicate from her childhood with her parents. Very obvious things. But then I think there were traditions and ways of celebrating and coming together that she appreciated as a child that she wanted to bring into her life with her family as well. As we move through the show, I think what I've noticed, and I'm going to clock this now, I feel like Rebecca and Jack were like, I want to create something
- New and different. I feel like Randall oftentimes in many ways was like, I want to hold on. - Sure. - Yeah. - Sure. - So as a testimony to Jack and Rebecca creating memories that it's like, this is a good memory. I would like to have this one. - This is how Thanksgiving works. - Come on. - Yeah. - This is how. - We'll be there soon. - Yeah. - Oh, we will.
Slowly making our way to Thanksgiving, your favorite holiday. That felt good. As always, we're asking you to like, subscribe, tell your friends about the podcast, re-watch with us.
We have an emotional support hotline for the show. If you feel compelled to leave us a message and tell us how this particular episode impacted your life, if you have a special story around it, that number is 412-501-3028. That's it. We also have an email. Yeah, yeah. Send us a video. We want to see your faces. Maybe we'll put a face up here. That would be nice. At thatwasuspod.com.
at gmail.com this is a joy i'm really having a lot of fun doing this i'm so happy you asked me to do it chris thank you thanks chris one two three that was us
So for today's fan segment, we wanted to go back in time and share an incredible fan letter that was sent to our friend, brother, brother-in-law, son, Justin Hartley, following this particularly poignant episode. Yeah, I guess in 2016, a woman named Greta Gulley wrote a letter following the loss of their student and teammate, Greta Gulley.
And they choreographed a routine to Kevin's monologue about the painting. - About the painting. - And the choreographed piece is aptly called "The Painting." - Called "The Painting." So for those of you who are watching this episode on YouTube, you'll start to see the performance play as we read their letter. For those of you just listening to us read the letter, you can watch the full performance video with sound via the That Was Us YouTube channel. And of course, be sure to like and subscribe so you don't miss a thing.
Dear Justin, my name is Greta Gulley and I'm a choreographer dance teacher in Louisville, Kentucky. The studio I choreograph for is 360 Dance. We have a large competitive program and have a huge appreciation for the arts. Our studio is full of dancers ages 3 to 18, several of whom started competing in the first grade and continued until leaving for college. Our studio is more than a studio, we're a family.
Recently, we lost an alum to a rare brain cancer. Her name was Amanda, and she was 20 years old. Amanda was truly one of the most beautiful young ladies I have ever taught. She had a positive outlook on life and continued to be in high spirits throughout her battle with cancer. Amanda passed away on December 30, 2016.
So, at this point, I'm sure you're wondering what this all has to do with you. Well, within our dance program, I have an extremely talented group of 11 to 14 year olds. They strive to be better each day and reach new goals each year. They have grown from winning local competitions to winning national competitions in New York City.
the amount of awards and accolades they have won could fill numerous pages however their biggest accomplishment is realizing that competitions are about much more than winning a trophy when they take the stage they silence the audience these girls have become more than dancers they have become storytellers this is where you come in this past fall we were given the news that amanda wasn't going to make it much longer
Of course, as God would have it, while we were all enduring the suffering and pain life threw us with the news of Amanda, NBC put on this wonderful new show called This Is Us. As I watched religiously each week and loving every moment, one episode spoke to me in a special way. The episode was called The Game Plan. At the end of the episode, you explained your painting relating to the cycle of life to Tess and Annie. Your monologue immediately became a dance piece for me.
It was clear your message would help us and others cope with loss and grief. Your words were able to put our hearts in a different place when we would think about death and Amanda. The reality of losing Amanda became a little more peaceful and accepting. I have to admit, there were still days I would tear up during choreography sessions and have to gather myself by my computer in the corner of the room before turning to face the girls. Without this special three minutes you gave us on TV,
I don't know how I could have coped with teaching my current dancers and losing the life of an alum. I had been waiting for the perfect idea for a dance to give this special group of kids since August. As I mentioned before, they're extremely talented and work each year to become better. As they grow, I grow.
Each year they push me to challenge myself and create bigger and better pieces for the stage and their audience. I am not one that's okay settling with a mediocre piece. The minute I saw the episode, I knew it was perfect. Your performance touched our lives and because of those three minutes, we are now able to touch others too. We have attached a link for you to watch our routine. Our hopes are that you are moved by the performance and feel the passion of the piece.
Thank you for helping these kids have a new outlook on life and death. And thank you for helping us survive the loss of our family member. Your gift of talent has helped strengthen and develop ours. We are forever grateful. Greta, Sammy, Abby, Kate, Bailey, Kalia, Maya, and Layla. All right. We actually reconnected with Greta recently, who shared that in June of 2023, Kate said,
One of the dancers who you just saw perform and who signed her name to the letter we just read was diagnosed with bone cancer. And sadly, we learned that she passed away earlier this year. Greta told us Kate fought her battle with the same passion and determination and strength she used as a performer. She took every challenge thrown her way with an immense amount of courage.
Our beautiful, kind, talented performer of Amanda's legacy joined Amanda on Easter Sunday and will be leaving a legacy of her own. We are again facing the loss of another friend, teammate, and student at the young age of 12. But Kate's performance will remind us she's still with us every day.
We also see Kate's twin, Abby, lead the dance here. Greta added that they had spent years looking up to Amanda, so it only made sense that their dance group would become our storytellers and bring life to Amanda's death. Like everything else they do, they did it with passion and grace. They silenced their audiences and captivated hearts as they honored Amanda. Kate will always be in our painting. The color she added was bright and bold.
and it will never fade. Like Kevin said, just because you can't see them or talk to them anymore, it doesn't mean they're not still in the painting. And here we have a photo of Kate and Amanda, who are no longer with us in flesh, but with us nonetheless.
Wow. I'm not even sure how to respond to all of that. Well, as always, thank you to our This Is Us and That Was Us fan family for your vulnerability and for sharing your stories with us. You and your stories are truly inspiring. And Greta, your girls are so lucky to have you. I mean, holy moly. Yeah. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us. I am reminded of the power of art.
and how art sort of inspires other art, how we sort of collectively are able to turn our life experience, both positive and negative, the joy and the pain, and try to make it into something beautiful for a shared communal experience that people can find themselves inside of. Take solace in. Yeah. Babies, man. Yeah. And she was inspired by...
by our show to make something just as beautiful, if not even more exquisite. - It's a conversation that is ongoing in the same metaphor of this painting, this painting that never is finished. - Yeah. - Continuum. - A conversation can start with an episode of television and then it turns into a dance and then it turns into a podcast and then it turns into a conversation.
about the TV show on the podcast with the people who created the dance. Even the letter, the letter is art. Lord, have mercy. Thank you, Greta. Thank you, Greta. Thank you to the young ladies and to their families because those families lost young people, babies. Okay, so real quick tangent before we end this cast because I think this is an important sort of little thing. I had a recent loss in my family, my brother's wife.
And then I had a recent, a friend of mine's husband, and they've been married for less than a year, got diagnosed with a tumor in his brain that causes seizures and they'll have to operate or what have you. And we go through these moments in life sometimes when you just sort of ask the universe. And I think I am a person of faith. And sometimes your faith doesn't mean that obstacles will be removed from your path.
but it allows you sort of the fortitude to believe that everything that is happening, there is some sort of divine plan at work, even though I cannot recognize it in the present. And that there is some sort of lesson to be gleaned from it. That you love to think that from another perspective, like someone can see everything happening with some sort of design to it. But in that moment, man, it can be so hard. It can be so hard.
So I'm thinking about Greta, I'm thinking about the parents of these two young ladies and the ability to continue. I think the show was about like, okay, stuff happens, but you have to necessarily continue because there's still beauty around. - Of course. - There's still things to be appreciated. There's still things, there's still love to be given and to be received, right?
And I just want to make sure that everybody, like, if you're in the midst of a valley, if you're in the midst of a moment, like, hopefully you take a moment to look up and see the other beautiful things and to see the rest of the love and know that, like, the darkness that is right now is only there because there's light around you. Mm-hmm.
That's it. That's a beautiful sentiment, Sterling. Thank you. Yeah, man. All right. Thank you so much for that letter, Greta. Thank you for the dance. Thank you for your heart. And thank you to all the young ladies that you continue to inspire and teach and grow and nurture. Yeah. All of that. That's it. All right. That Was Us is filmed at The Crow and produced by Rabbit Grin Productions and Sarah Warehunt. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.