By [ad_1]
This Is Us shows in its latest episode how special the bond between a mother and her child is, and how unique that relationship can be.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for This Is Us Season 6, Episode 4, “Don’t Let Me Keep You,” which aired Tuesday, Jan. 25 on NBC.
This Is Us Season 6, Episode 4, “Don’t Let Me Keep You” was immediately one of the show’s all-time saddest hours. It followed Jack as he dealt with the passing of his mother Marilyn, after he had learned of her death at the end of the prior episode. The latest installment ended up being an emotional tribute to her and also to the role of being a mother.
The episode was told through Jack’s memories of Marilyn, alongside the story of him attending her funeral. Marilyn was in an abusive relationship with Jack’s father Stanley, and therefore when she and Jack actually lived together, their lives were very hard. They found moments between them to share love and joy — like when she made him hot dogs and tomato soup after breaking his sled — but most of their time together was tense and difficult because of the circumstances. This Is Us has often depicted strained relationships, but this was one of the most heartbreaking… and yet, also heartwarming because of Marilyn’s love for her son.
Jack was eventually able to help Marilyn leave her doomed marriage and move in with her cousin Debbie, after which she started a new life. However, in preparing for her funeral, Jack realizes that he never really got to be part of that new life. She made friends, started dating a kinder man named Mike (similar to Kate’s future relationship with Phillip), and spent most of her time smiling. Jack never went to visit her in her new environment, and when she came to visit him with his family, she was so overwhelmed by anxiety about potentially running into Stanley that she wasn’t able to bring her new joy with her. This made Jack feel like he didn’t actually know his mom.
One thing Jack and Marilyn did have was that ever since she moved in with Debbie, they shared a Sunday night phone call every week at 6 PM. They didn’t necessarily talk for very long, and the details were sparse, but they always talked. It was a treasured routine that meant the absolute world to Marilyn, and in this episode her friends made sure Jack knew that. The ritual phone call always ended with her saying “Don’t let me keep you,” which Jack repeated at the end of his eulogy. Marilyn didn’t want to be an inconvenience in Jack’s life, but she did want to be included in it, and that effort is what makes a good mother.
Through Jack, This Is Us explores the unique relationship between mother and child. It poses the question of how well do children even know their mothers, or parents in general. But ultimately it comes to the conclusion that what matters most is that mothers love their children, and the other details aren’t as important as that fact. Jack felt guilty he never took his family to visit Marilyn at Debbie’s house, that they never went skating on the local pond as a family — but that wasn’t what Marilyn thought. She loved her son and his family and spoke about them constantly. She was only able to do that because of the simple act of their Sunday night phone calls.
At the end of the episode, Jack broke down crying and said that he didn’t have a mother anymore. It was a very sad, very relatable reaction to losing a parent. Yet he was able to keep part of his mother alive through him, and the love and care he gives to his children. He broke down during a meal of tomato soup and hot dogs that he has made for his kids just like his mother used to make for him. This showed that while people lose a parent they love, they’re able to keep their legacy going, and that even when they’re gone the parents continue to be part of their children’s lives and in their hearts.
When This Is Us chronicled Jack’s emotional journey after the death of his mother Marilyn, the show also paid tribute to the special relationship that exists between a mother and her child. The strength of that bond didn’t come from knowing every detail about each other, but instead came from unconditional love. The emotional episode paid tribute to Marilyn, but also to motherhood in general.
Follow the Pearsons as they explore the bonds of love and family on the final season of This Is Us which airs Tuesdays on NBC.
About The Author
[ad_2]
