This Is Us: Why Kevin Pearson's Journey Was More Complicated Than Many Viewers Realized

For six emotional seasons, NBC's This Is Us told the story of the Pearson family across several decades. The show had a really interesting way of telling its story. It let us see its main characters change from when they were kids to when they grew up. This special method is why many viewers became so invested in Jack Rebecca Kevin Kate and Randall. The Pearsons felt like family to us watching at home. The show was not afraid to show its characters at their worst and highlight their problems. This made many viewers form strong opinions including me.

Of all the people on the show, Kevin was always the one most debated. He was the Pearson sibling many viewers found it hardest to connect with. This was because of his large ego, chaotic life, and how poorly he sometimes treated his family. But those are the very reasons I always found Kevin to be the most interesting person on the show. Even if he was tough to like sometimes. Justin Hartley who played Kevin talked about how his character was misunderstood. While this might be an unpopular idea, I usually agree with him. The show never ignored everyone's humanity, even when they were not acting like it.

Looking at Why Kevin Pearson Was Often So Difficult for Viewers to Like

His Early Behavior and Quick Choices Made It Easy for People to Criticize

When a show has many main characters like This Is Us, viewers naturally pick favorites. And This Is Us certainly had many wonderful characters. Jack is the best dad, always there for his kids. Rebecca has a kind heart and her love story with Jack is the kind of relationship many of us want. Randall is honorable and kind. Kate is someone we cannot help but support as she tries to change her life and feel more confident.

But Kevin was different. He often seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder and had a big ego. The show started with him leaving a successful TV show because he thought he was too good for it. Throughout the series, Kevin made fast decisions that showed this mindset. When his father Jack acted quickly, it was seen as fun and unplanned. However, with Kevin, his privileged background and sometimes smug way made his actions seem careless instead. This difference in how actions were viewed highlighted a key part of his character that many found hard to accept.

The main reason viewers did not like Kevin was how he treated his brother Randall and the women he dated. It is hard to disagree with this. Kevin often treated Randall badly when they were kids. Randall was a fan favorite and one of the show’s naturally good characters. So seeing Kevin be so openly mean to him and seeing how it hurt Randall, naturally made viewers turn against Kevin. However, the show took pains to explain why Kevin acted the way he did. While this does not make his actions right, it at least made them understandable.

These criticisms also do not consider the many good things Kevin did. They also miss how hard he worked to make changes in his life. The mistakes he made with women, especially his first wife Sophie, were hard to watch. But what made them understandable was that they came from Kevin’s own doubts and his struggles with how he saw himself. These were problems rooted deeply in his childhood. He was a character who often believed he was making the right choice at the moment because it felt good. This was true even if most viewers would have disagreed with his choices.

Justin Hartley's Insights Into Kevin's Real Self Resonate Strongly

An Actor Shares Honest Thoughts on Playing a Character That Was Often Misunderstood

Recently Justin Hartley went on the Max show Who's Talking To Chris Wallace? and talked about playing Kevin. He admitted that while his character sometimes acted wrongly and was at times his own biggest problem, he still felt a lot of love for the character he played for six seasons. Hartley shared his feelings saying: "When you take on characters, a lot of times they become your children and your friends, part of you. And so you sort of feel that. It was just like, the guy can't get out of his own way, but he's not a bad guy, but everyone thinks he's kind of an a--hole, you know what I mean? But he's really not. He's misunderstood, but maybe kind of an a--hole, you know. So, so you just, you you sit there and you go, Man, I wish I could help this guy, but you just can't."

It is refreshing to hear an actor speak so openly about their character. I certainly agree with him that the character is misunderstood. While Kevin constantly made questionable choices that were hard to defend, he also did many kind things. He was there for his Uncle Nicky when he was at his lowest. He worked hard to get past his addiction problems. He helped Tess tell her classmates she was gay. He eventually built the family cabin. It is easy to make quick assumptions about a person based on their mistakes. But a person should not only be judged by their bad decisions.

It is always hard to fully understand a character’s thoughts while watching a show. Many times viewers judge them based on their actions rather than their past. What This Is Us did so well was that because of its unique structure, you could get a complete picture of each person. Kevin experienced a lot of difficulty. This included the death of his father, his sudden football injury in high school, and feeling constantly ignored as a child because his siblings needed more care. He also had a father who seemed perfect in his eyes. This made it impossible for any of his kids to live up to the image they had of him, even though they all tried.

While none of these things excuse the bad things he did, I was able to look past many of them. I understood why he did them. This made me hope he would do better. I knew he was able to improve.

Kevin's Deep Personal Change Reveals What This Is Us Is Truly About

His Movement From Self-Centeredness To A Truly Changed Person

This Is Us is a show about looking back at life. By watching all the important moments in the Pearsons' lives, it becomes clear how people change over time. It shows that people are able to grow. Of course, big events like Jack and Rebecca adopting Randall or Jack's death are important. They have a huge effect on all the characters' lives. But life is made up of millions of small moments that eventually show who a person truly is. No one is only defined by the best or worst thing they have ever done. Kevin sums this up perfectly in season 3, episode 18, "Her," when he says,

“I think that's sort of how it works you know? We go through life slowly but surely collecting these little pieces of ourselves that we can't really live without until we eventually have enough of them to feel whole.”

Kevin's path in the series is about finally coming to terms with his past so he can feel complete. Of all the characters on the show, he changes the most over time, especially in the present timeline. Many viewers judged Kevin based on his behavior as a teenager or his bigger mistakes as an adult. They did not fully consider all the moments that shaped his life. But when I think about Kevin, I think of the man who faced his personal struggles head-on. He took responsibility for his actions. He worked on himself in therapy. He became more caring toward others.

All of this is clear in his relationship with Randall. This is why Kevin's fixing things with his brother works so well. The two had difficulties since they were kids. These problems came from their honest worries about their place in the family. As adults, they said terrible things to each other. These were words that would be unforgivable to most people. But eventually, Kevin gave in and reached out to make peace and heal their relationship. He finally understood how his actions hurt Randall. He also understood the difficulties his brother faced. This moment showed Kevin coming full circle and feeling complete. He became a better person.

This Is Us is a show about people with problems trying to be better. Kevin tries harder than anyone. Even though it takes him a bit longer than the rest of his family, and he makes many mistakes along the way. It is a shame that many viewers could not look past Kevin’s faults. They misunderstood his growth by judging his character too quickly. Kevin Pearson was far from perfect. But his push to become a better person was truly special to watch.