Why This Is Us Didn't Reveal Pamela Adlon's Key Character Until The Very End
Warning! The following contains spoilers for the This Is Us episode "Clouds." Read at your own risk!
This Is Us brought in its latest guest star in "Clouds," but unlike Sophia Bush's one-off episode, they weren't front in center. In fact, the NBC drama decided to leave Pamela Adlon almost entirely off-screen in the episode, opting instead to include her by voice until the final moments of the episode. Adlon is a pretty notable name in Hollywood, so some might be questioning why she was left off-camera for the bulk of the episode.
Executive producer Isaac Aptaker confirmed the decision was intentional to EW, but not because they didn't want to include Pamela Adlon. It was actually due to the phenomenal acting of Sterling K. Brown, and wanting to drive the emotion home behind his therapy breakdown.
There was clear power behind the scene, and yes, the long shots on Sterling K. Brown were appreciated. In true Randall Pearson fashion, the character went on his spiel about how "in control" he is of all the bad stuff happening in his life, while simultaneously showing the pressure of it all is driving him to become increasingly irritated at much smaller things. The visible twitch every time the coffee maker sizzled was a great touch, so it's ultimately not surprising This Is Us went that route with the therapy scenes.
This came at the expense of showing Pamela Adlon. The actress finally did get her on-screen appearance at the episode's end, and Isaac Aptaker said Adlon was actually completely fine with not appearing much in the episode.
Randall's therapy storyline is said to have a big impact on the final part of Season 4, and Isaac Aptaker confirmed we will see more of Pamela Adlon in the future. The downside is probably fewer closeups of Randall having a breakdown, though I guess in reality his therapy should result in less of that in time.
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more television in 2020, and for a look at what's happening in movies as well.
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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.