History Characters / ThisIsUs

* DeaceasedParentsAreTheBest: Deconstructed. Dying during such a formative period in his kids' lives seriously messed them up. They practically worship his memory, but as a result have been basically stuck in the year of his death for the last two decades. Rebecca's efforts to move on cause the kids to resent her, and their failure to grapple with Jack's flaws has caused the kids to repeat many his mistakes. Growing out of this is the Big Three's main vector of development.

* DeadParentsAreTheBest: Deconstructed. Dying during such a formative period in his kids' lives seriously messed them up. They practically worship his memory, but as a result have been basically stuck in the year of his death for the last two decades. Rebecca's efforts to move on cause the kids to resent her, and their failure to grapple with Jack's flaws has caused the kids to repeat many his mistakes. Growing out of this is the Big Three's main vector of development.

* ThePatriarch

%%* JerkassBall: She is shown to be quite selfish and overbearing in season one

* FirstLove: Sophie. Kevin had a crush on her when they were kids, and they were boyfriend & girlfriend for most of their teenage years before getting married within a year of their high school graduation.

* MrFanservice: Always asked to do a ShirtlessScene. Of course, see above.

* SiblingRivalry: With Randall.

* BigBeautifulWoman: Toby finds her attractive, although she's self-conscious about it.

* DaddysGirl: Admits that she felt closer to her father than her mother, and [[spoiler: keeps his ashes on her mantel. She also blames herself for his death]].

* ItsAllAboutMe: She has an unfortunate habit of twisting bad situations into her own personal melodrama, and can be vicious to the people around her, even Toby, who worships her. Randall calls her on this early in season 5.

* ChronicHeroSyndrome: He tends to see himself as the only one who can solve the family's problems, which leads to conflict with Kevin and Kate.
* BlackAndNerdy: Randall fits this to a tee.

* HappilyAdopted: PlayedWith, while he was happy with the childhood and life he had that Jack and Rebecca gave him, he did always wonder about his origins and questions about his biological parents.

* SiblingRivalry: With Kevin.

Jack’s younger brother who served in Vietnam, was cut off by Jack due to a horrible accident and misunderstanding, and who is eventually allowed back into the family after his nephew Kevin locates him.

* TheBroCode: Marries his late friend's widow.

* ToxicFriendInfluence: In flashbacks, he's constantly showing to Jack that he cheats, even implying that he's trying to [[TheCorrupter influence him do the same thing]].

Kate's best friend, who later becomes romantically involved with Kevin.

* BigFun: Wins Kate over with his wisecracking jokes.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Not necessary dark, but in his prepubescent years, his parents were always fighting.

The former girlfriend of Nicky Pearson

Love interest of Nicky Pearson

Dean Pearson’s love interest

Jack and Nicky Pearson’s father

Jack and Nicky Pearson’s mother

Rebecca Pearson’s father

Rebecca Pearson’s mother

Randall and Beth’s eldest daughter prior to their adoption of Deja

A young girl who is put into Randall and Beth’s care, and eventually adopted by them.

Beth's mother.

* NerdGlasses: Nicky wore very thick glasses when he was young. As an older adult, he started wearing aviator frames.

* LooksLikeJesus: Very much in his youth.
* WildHair: Before getting drafted, Nicky had long hair, typical of many men in the hippie circle. During the Vietnam War, everything was shaved off.
* VerbalTic: Often stumbles/stutters while talking when nervous.

* DraftDodging: This almost occurred after Nicky’s birthday was called during the 1969 draft lottery. Jack attempted to smuggle him to Canada, but Nicky decided to go to Vietnam despite his fears and objections against the war.
* TheVietnamVet: Fought in UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar along with Jack.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Develops severe addiction and mental health issues due to his stint in Vietnam.

* TheAlcoholic: Turned into this for nearly five decades before his nephew got him treatment.
* BeardOfSorrow: He developed a bushy beard after returning from Vietnam, and his PTSD is what gave the sorrow.
* SeriouslyScruffy: Besides his facial hair, the hair on his head is often unkempt (until later seasons, when he appears to comb it more often), and his trailer is a mess due to his inability to take care of himself properly.
* NervousTics: Due to PTSD, Nicky often tapped his fingers in a fearful and overwhelmed manner before he finally sought therapy.

* GrumpyOldMan: Nicky generally keeps to himself and has a good heart deep down, but comes off cranky. He is not afraid to speak his mind when necessary, and makes a lot of quips at the expense of others.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: In a moment of rage and pain, he throws a chair through a window while intoxicated and is arrested. He ends up being bailed out of jail, but is faced with a possible punishment of ten years in prison. Luckily, the judge gives him a lighter sentence if he promises to not reoffend and to stay in therapy.

* INeedAFreakingDrink: Nicky attends a ceremony with Kevin and insists he needs “ten beers” to get through it, but claims he’s joking. He then states he prefers whisky.
* FishOutOfTemporalWater: As if being hidden away in a trailer for fifty years weren’t bad enough, Nicky is already old as is and struggles with modern technology. He does not know what a Zoom video-call is, or how to use Amazon until Cassidy helps him navigate it. Later, he seems to grasp things a lot better.

* FirstGirlWins: Averted. Nicky does track down Sally, his love interest from before Vietnam, but she has remarried and barely remembers him (even though she keeps a photo of him up). On the plane ride home, he meets flight attendant [[spoiler:Edie, who he ends up marrying.]]
* AnywhereButTheirLips: After an awkward dinner where he finally reconnects with Sally, Nicky realizes it is time to go and move on with his life. Despite her being married, he kisses her on the cheek before leaving.
* DirtyOldMan: Shown in “One Giant Leap”, “Heart And Soul”, and “The Night Before the Wedding.”
* CoolUncle: Shown to be this to Kevin. Later, he becomes this with Kevin’s twins. In “Us”, he also plays pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with the other kids in the family, suggesting he shares a similar relationship with them.
* MeetCute: Nicky meets his [[spoiler: girlfriend and future wife on a flight. They encounter each other as passenger and flight attendant and have an unexpected, flirty exchange.]]
* HappilyMarried: [[spoiler: He and Edie appear content and very much in love in the future.]]

--> Portrayed by Creator/DanielleLanglois (season one), ElizabethPerkins (present)

* ReallyGetsAround: Eric states that Sally “banged half of New England”, and we are shown pictures on her wall that contain many mens’ photos, Nicky’s included. She also took Nicky’s virginity.

* OverprotectiveDad: Essentially becomes this to Cassidy, even if they are only friends. He not only defends her wellbeing and marriage when Kevin impulsively sleeps with her, but also defends her later when Kevin makes her pain about himself. While Cassidy is recovering from a suicide attempt, he is shown to be caring toward her and concerned for her well-being.

* CameraFiend: While yong and dating Nicky, she is often seen with a camera in her grasp. She was such a photographer, that he later bought her a special camera as a gift before their reunion.

* MatzoFever: She's a cute Jewish girl who attracts Kevin's attention.

--> Portrayed by Chris Sullivan

* AmicableExes: [[spoiler: He and Kate eventually become this, once he realizes Kate was right about their divorce. By Jack’s adulthood, they seem to be on great terms, as well as their respective spouses.]]

Jack Pearson’s father
* AlcoholicParent: Stanley starts drinking at some point, and does not stop during Jack and Nicky’s childhood or adulthood.

* TheGenerationGap: Stanley came of age before the boomer generation, and his two sons seem to have entirely different beliefs than he does. Both Jack and Nicky have respect for women and do not abuse them or see them as “less”, and Nicky is a borderline hippie in his youth. In one instance, Stanley calls Nicky “Jack’s sister”, presumably for being meek, having long hair, and not adhering to the typical “manly” stereotypes from his father’s generation.

Jack Pearson’s mother
* Housewife: As a mother and wife during the 40s–70s, she naturally fits this role.
* DomesticAbuse: A victim of this, as she and Stanley are often heard and seen fighting during Jack’s childhood. As the abuse progresses, a scene shows an older Marilyn with bruises all over her face, indicating she is beaten.

* MeetCute: She meets Nicky Pearson while he is on his way home during a flight. Despite some mild hostility, they have a flirtatious exchange, signaling a romance.

* GranolaGirl: Sally was a full-blooded, proud hippie back in the ‘60s. She did not conform, was sexually liberated, and went to Woodstock. She was spiritual, and very open-minded.

* MeetCute: Edie, a flight attendant, meets Nicky Pearson while he is on his way home during a flight. Despite some mild hostility, they have a flirtatious exchange, signaling a romance.

* [[spoiler: MalignedMixedMarriage:]] Averted, as the Pearsons are open-minded and already a diverse family as is.[[/folder]]

* InterruptedSuicide: When Nicky is located after nearly five decades of estrangement from the rest of the family, he finds out that Jack died assuming he purposely killed a child. Dealing with this fact and having to relive so many painful memories at once, he insists his niece and nephews leave, and they return later to find him sitting at his table with a gun, likely moments before he uses it.

* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Nicky is used to the simpler ways of life. Being hidden away in a trailer for fifty years did not help, and as a result, he struggles to understand modern technology. He does not know what a Zoom video-call is, or how to use Amazon until Cassidy helps him navigate it.
* YouNeedToGetLaid: Not directly stated, but Nicky expresses frustration at a lack of a romantic relationship by season 5, and a stressed Kevin tells him to stop acting like a “jackass” for calling out his relationship with Madison. Later, Nicky apologizes and says he is upset about his lack of a love life. This trope could also apply to Nicky obsessively trying to track down Sally for the last two seasons of the show.

* FirstGirlWins: Averted. Nicky does track down Sally, his love interest from before Vietnam, but she has remarried and barely remembers him (even though she keeps a photo of him up). On the plane ride home, he meets flight attendant [[spoiler:Edie, who he ends up marrying.]]

* CoolUncle: Great-uncle, in this instance. He is mainly this to Nick and Franny, Kevin’s twins. In “Us”, he also plays pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with the other kids in the family, suggesting he shares a similar relationship with them.
* PromotionToOpeningTitles: Starting Season 4.
* ShellShockedVeteran: As a result of being the cause of the accidental death of a young boy in Vietnam, he developed PTSD because of it.
* TheVietnamVet: Fought in UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar along with Jack.
* OverprotectiveDad: Essentially becomes this to Cassidy, even if they are only friends and have no relation to one another. He not only defends her wellbeing and marriage when Kevin impulsively sleeps with her, but also defends her later when Kevin makes her pain about himself. While Cassidy is recovering from a suicide attempt, he is shown to be caring toward her and is concerned when she returns to the cabin.

* SweetTooth: A variant of this trope is shown when Nicky attends an AA meeting with Kevin. He claims he has a “salt” tooth after drinking, and is seen with a plate of salty snacks as the meeting begins.

* INeedAFreakingDrink: Nicky attends a ceremony with Kevin and insists he needs “ten beers” to get through it, but claims he’s joking. He then states he prefers whisky.

* GrumpyOldMan: Nicky generally keeps to himself and has a good heart deep down, but often appears cranky. He is not afraid to speak his mind when necessary, and makes a lot of quips at the expense of others.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: See above. Though his demeanor is best described as cantankerous when we are first introduced to the modern version of his character, Nicky is eventually shown to be quite loving and attentive to the needs of others, and is simply misunderstood.
* DirtyOldMan: Shown in “One Giant Leap”, “Heart And Soul”, and “The Night Before the Wedding.”

* SeriouslyScruffy: Besides his facial hair, the hair on his head is often unkempt (until later seasons, when he appears to brush it more often), and his trailer is a mess due to his inability to take care of himself properly.

* DeathFakedForYou: After the incident where the Vietnamese boy died from a grenade, Jack couldn’t stand to acknowledge him and told everyone that Nicky died.
* TheHermit: After returning from Vietnam, he decided to live in an isolated trailer all by himself.

* BeardOfSorrow: He develops a bushy beard after returning from Vietnam, and his PTSD is what gives the sorrow.
* SeriouslyScruffy: Besides his facial hair, the hair on his head is often unkempt (until later seasons, when he appears to brush it and gel it back more often), and his trailer is a mess due to his inability to take care of himself properly.

* NervousTics: Due to PTSD, Nicky often tapped his fingers in a fearful and overwhelmed manner before he finally sought therapy.

* DomesticAbuse: He is shown to be a violent drunk. Though we don’t see him beating his sons, it is implied he does so as his kids are petrified of him, and at one point, Jack has to shield his little brother with his body during a tense moment. He is also shown to yell a lot and hurl insults. Later, Marilyn’s face is shown covered in bruises when she answers the door, and an adult Jack ends up moving her out for her safety.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Though his demeanor is best described as cantankerous when we are first introduced to the modern version of his character, Nicky is eventually shown to be quite loving and attentive to the needs of others, and is simply misunderstood.

* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Nicky was born in 1948, and is used to the simpler ways of life. Being hidden away in a trailer for fifty years did not help, and as a result, he struggles to understand modern technology. He does not know what a Zoom video-call is, or how to use Amazon until Cassidy helps him navigate it.

* FirstGirlWins: Averted. Nicky does track down Sally, his love interest from before Vietnam, but she has remarried and barely remembers him (even though she keeps a photo of him up). On the plane ride home, he meets flight attendant Edie, who he ends up marrying.

* VerbalTic: Often uses filler words like “uh” in his speech. He also tends to stumble/stutter when nervous.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Nicky’s father was an abusive alcoholic, and his mother was unable to stop this. Nicky also caused the accidental death of a child, and witnessed other horrors during the Vietnam War. He became estranged from his beloved brother due to their war experiences as well. As a result, Nicky is riddled with mental health issues and alcoholism until Kevin tracks him down and gets him help.

* DescentIntoAddiction: Nicky smoked and drank occasionally before he was drafted, but didn’t seem to get into drugs until he was a medic in Vietnam. Jack sobered him up, but then Nicky became traumatized over the death of the child on the boat, and turned entirely to alcohol once he was discharged.
* DeathFakedForYou: After the incident where the Vietnamese boy died from a grenade, Jack couldn’t even stand to acknowledge him and decided to tell everyone that Nicky died.

* BlackSheep: Was noticeably different from his endearing and handsome brother Jack, and seemed to be a stronger target for their father’s abuse. He was also estranged from the Pearson family for decades due to a misunderstanding during the Vietnam war. In fact, even as he is slowly accepted back into the family fold, the Pearsons are weary of his different attitude toward life.

* WildHair: Before getting drafted, Nicky grew out his hair and had facial hair. During the Vietnam War, everything was shaved off, but some of it grew back throughout the decades, though his hair never got as long as it had been before.

* WildHair: Before getting drafted, Nicky grew out his hair and had facial hair. During the Vietnam War, everything was shaved off, but some of it grew back throughout the decades, though his hair never got as long as it had been before.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: At least early on, Kevin and Randall don't like him and he was a PoisonousFriend to Jack back in the day. Later seasons show his more positive traits and he's seen getting along at least somewhat better with them.

* PoisonousFriend: In flashbacks, he's constantly showing to Jack that he cheats, even implying that he's trying to [[TheCorrupter influence him do the same thing]].