This Is Us Season 6 Episode 6 review: Susan Kelechi in top form as the girl who danced before she walked

3/5

Story: Kevin wants Madison to bring the twins and spend Thanksgiving at his new cabin, but she’s got other plans with the new man in her life, Eli. Kate has her own share of troubles, what with Toby spending most of his time back home on work calls. Beth finally confronts her former mentor, Vincent, who did not stand by her in her moment of despair, which forced her to quit dancing.

Review: This Is Us returned today after a long hiatus owing to the Winter Olympics and kicks things off with an episode involving all of the Pearsons. Well, almost. The episode skips between the past, present and future, with the focus very firmly on Bethany Clarkson/Pearson, who according to her dad, was the girl who danced before she walked.

Co-written by Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays Beth on the show, the episode wrapped up her arc neatly. Of course, we will still see her as the show inches closer to the end, but today was all about why Beth gave up dance, her return to it and how she made a success of that. At the crux of it was a feeling of abandonment. When Beth’s father passed away and she dealt with that turmoil, which affected her performance as a dancer, her mentor offered no support, leading to her quitting dancing altogether. It’s something she has not been able to forget or forgive, so when she’s given the opportunity to oversee the scholarship programme at a dance school, she’s determined to do what her mentor didn’t. Be there for her dancers and instil in them the confidence that they can shine.

One of Beth’s chosen students is Stacey, a teen who loves dance, but fears she is not as good as the others and may have to give it up and take up a career in law after all. Despite some misgivings that Stacey is not as polished as the rest, Beth choses to believe in her and helps her realize her true potential. Stacey goes on to become the principal dancer at the Houston Ballet, one of many that Beth successfully mentors, in the brief flash forward sequence. Back in the presence and fresh from the student showcase that eventually went well, Beth whips up the courage to call Vincent, her former mentor, and berate him for not having had her back all those years ago.

Thanksgiving is a big deal for the Pearsons, who get together at the cabin, so, there’s a flashback to a time after Jack’s passing, with Rebecca testing the waters in the dating scene again, and the Big Three in attendance. Kate’s alone and has put on weight, which everyone notices, Kevin’s with Sophie, but something is amiss and he’s drinking a lot, which, again, everyone notices. Turns out, Kevin’s guilty about having slept with a classmate at acting school and when Sophie gets wind of it, she’s devastated because he’s cheated on her, but more so on finding that Kate knew and didn’t tell her.

So, although Kevin’s Thanksgiving record isn’t great, in present day, he wants Madison and the twins to celebrate it with his family at his new cabin. It could be the last good holiday that Rebecca has with the family, he reckons. But Madison is newly in love with Eli and would rather spend it back home with him, which Kevin has trouble wrapping his head around. Thankfully, Kate’s around to drill sense into her brother, because that’s what she does, she always has his back.

Verdict: Story-wise, we are no closer to the final moments at the cabin, where Rebecca will breathe her last, but nevertheless, this was a good episode, one that gave us a lot of Beth. It’s a pity she doesn’t get such a showcase more often, but hey, something’s better than nothing.