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| (L-R): Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth, Phylicia Rashad as Carol, Melanie Liburd as Zoe in a scene from “This Is Us.” (Photo: Ron Batzdorff/NBC) |
On tonight’s “This Is Us,” the focus is on Beth (Susan Kelichi Watson) as we finally get to see Randall’s (Sterling K. Brown) loving supportive wife’s backstory.
In the episode entitled, “Our Little Island Girl,” Beth, and her cousin Zoe (Melanie Liburd) return home to D.C. to look after her mother, Carol (Phylicia Rashad), gets injured. This time Beth is the one with the flashbacks as we see young Beth deal with her parents, in particular, her mother, who was tough on her. This marks the first time, the audience gets to see Beth’s vulnerable side and insecurities outside of Randall or their daughters.
“[For the first few seasons,] I just continued to play someone who was there for her husband,” Watson told reporters at NBC’s Winter Tour Panel about finally delving into Beth’s story. “There was an awareness that, you know, when people are not focusing in on all your junk, you can look real good, you know. And there’s an awareness of that. And [the Pearsons] had a lot of stuff going on. And I had the opportunity because I wasn’t dealing with that, to be able to be there for people as a character. So I think, in the first couple of seasons, I had the opportunity to support. And now, you know, with me going through my own struggles and trials, I’m afforded [the] opportunity to be supported, you know. And it’s just more about uncovering the character and discovering more about her.”
In the episode, the flashforward where Beth is teaching a ballet class in the Fall Finale is coming to light. Through flashbacks, viewers find out about Beth’s dreams of becoming a dancer, why she stopped dancing and how she and her mother clashed over the idea.
Also starring in the episode are Carl Lumbly as Beth’s Dad, Akira Akbar and Rachel Naomi Hilson as versions of Beth at different ages in her life and Goran Visnjic, who plays Beth’s teacher, Vincent.
Catch “This Is Us,” Tuesday, February 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
