crosses paths with Nicky and Kevin at a veterans' support group.
The Art of the New: Revisiting the "This Is Us" Season 4 Premiere, "Strangers"
This episode subverted the "Big Three" formula to expand the show’s world. It explored themes of authentically facing mental health challenges and the way strangers eventually become family . It reminded us that every person we pass on the street has a story as complex and "Pearson-level" emotional as our own. "This Is Us" Strangers(2019)
A charismatic teen father in Philadelphia trying to do right by his infant daughter.
By introducing these "strangers" without immediate context, the show forced us to see them as individuals before they became "Pearson-adjacent." It was a rich reminder that television is a portal to humanity , celebrating the deep tangles of connection that define us. The Big Reveal crosses paths with Nicky and Kevin at a
A blind musician finding love and success in the future.
Here is a blog post looking back at why this episode was a game-changer. It reminded us that every person we pass
meets Deja at a barbecue, beginning a pivotal romance.