Tuesday night’s penultimate episode of This Is Us, brought the long-anticipated moment in the lives of the Pearson family, when their mother, Rebecca (Mandy Moore, the matriarch, the heart and soul of the family, dies due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.  And, if come Emmy time, after all of the performances she gave this season, Mandy Moore, does not take home the Lead Actress in a Drama Series prize, something is amiss in the awards system.

That said, here we go.  I hope those who followed the Pearsons journey over six seasons had the hankies nearby for this.  In story, the focus was Rebecca’s passing, while meeting a new family, and then as viewers trying to figure out how this interconnects throughout the episode; something the show has stayed true to throughout its run; with a payoff of how they tell a themed-story when the sum of its parts is revealed.

Courtesy/NBC

As Rebecca takes her final turn on this earth, everyone is notified the end is near and to say their goodbyes. While Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Kevin  (Justin Hartley) were present, Kate (Chrissy Metz) was in London trying to get back to her mom.  She then receives a devastating call from her brothers that Rebecca is running out of time.

When Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) goes to say her goodbye to Rebecca, in tears, she tells Rebecca that she does not have to worry.  She will take good care of her son, Randall.  While the family is gathered and trying to just hang and be with each other through tragedy, when all the noise stops and everyone leaves for the night, it’s just brothers Kevin and Randall who go sit with their mother in heartbreaking and realistic scenes for anyone who has gone through the death of a loved one due to this horrific disease.

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To illustrate what is going on in the mind of Rebecca in her final hours, a younger version of herself is on a train, which brings into play how she loved train rides with her own father years ago. Taking her to the afterlife, Rebecca is guided through the cars by none other than William (Ron Cephas Jones).  She also spends time having a drink with the bartender, who turns out to be the doctor (Gerald McRaney) who saved her life and delivered her children. He recounted that fateful night, when Rebecca lost one of her triplets.  As Rebecca and William get to the caboose, back in the present, it’s morning.

Now, Rebecca is still alive but waiting for someone, which, of course, is her daughter, Kate.  As Randall and Kevin look on, an emotional Kate arrives and runs to her mother’s bedside, and holding Rebecca’s hand, tells her how much she loves her.  Cutting back to Rebecca’s journey on the train, she says to William, “This is quite sad, isn’t it, the end?” Willam replies: “That’s not the way I see it, if something makes you sad when it ends, it must have been pretty wonderful when it was happening. You will see that the end is not sad, Rebecca, it’s just the start of the next incredibly wonderful thing.”

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It’s then, that Rebecca lets go and passes away with the Big Three all at her bedside.  Back to the train, Rebecca goes to the caboose lays down on a bed, and is met, in bed, by her beloved Jack (Milo Ventimiglia). In the present, Randall had whispered to his mom shortly before his death, “You tell him, hey”, and so when Rebecca lays down next to Jack, she says “hey”.

The other element to the episode was the new family we had never met before.  After a car accident, one of the sons, Marcus. is taken to the hospital in critical condition.  In the present, we think Marcus is the grown-up boyfriend of Deja, especially after she reveals to Randall that she is pregnant.

In the flashback, Marcus’ father, Kenny played by Dulé Hill, bumps into Jack at a vending machine at the hospital and we realize we are back in time when Jack went to the hospital following the Pearson family home fire.  Turns out, that Jack and Marcus were being treated by the same doctor, Dr. Spencer (Bill Irwin).  While Marcus survived after flatlining, that is when Jack suddenly didn’t, and died.  We later learn Malik turns out to be Deja’s baby daddy and boyfriend, and Marcus grows up to become a top researcher in Alzheimer’s disease and wins an award for his accomplishments.  The person who handed him the award was none other than This Is Us director and executive producer, Ken Olin.

So, what did you think of the penultimate episode of This Is Us? Did you reach for the hankies? Comment below.

May Sweeps are in full bloom, and on Monday’s episode of Days of our Lives, the supernatural was front and center, and what Salemites hope will now and forever, put Satan behind them once and for all.

In story, Ciara (Victoria Konefal) is one tough mama. She and Ben (Rob Scott Wilson) track down AllDevil (Lindsay Arnold) and her dastardly partner in crime, Charlie Dale (another guest return of Emmy-winner Mike Manning), as the devil starts the Ceremony of Transference to make their baby a mini-Satan. However, AllDevil has a plan to keep Cin at bay. She uses a protective pentagram wall, and electrocutes Ben from penetrating it.  Then, when Ciara has to save her baby, a white light comes upon her, and she is able to push through the barrier, push out Satan, and regain her baby boy in her arms.

Photo: JPI

Tripp (Lucas Adams) arrives on the scene and clunks Charlie over the head with a baseball bat before he tries to kill Ben. When Ben comes to and meets his young son, “Bo”, Ciara tells Tripp that AllDevil is headed to St. Luke’s where he and Johnny (Carson Boatman), who was also at the scene, head off to find her.

At University Hospital, Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) is going to get Baby “Bo” checked out as Ben and Ciara spend time with their little one in the hospital room. All of a sudden, a white light appears and Ciara’s dad, Bo Brady (the return of Peter Reckell) comes through the light. Both Ben and Ciara see the iconic Bo, and Ciara tells her dad to meet his grandson, and thanks him for saving the day at the cemetery.

Photo: JPI

Inside the church, while upstairs, AllDevil flashes back to when Satan was inhabiting Marlena (Deidre Hall) and set fire to the place of worship 25 years ago, and fans get the actual clip of the classic moment in DAYS history. Just then, Tripp and Johnny find Satan upstairs ready to torch the place. Johnny gets a good ole’ toss across the room, leaving Tripp to fend off the devil.

Courtesy/NBC

But helps is on the way as Father Eric (Greg Vaughan), John and Marlena (Deidre Hall) are there to save the day; as they begin an exorcism, of sorts. In defiance, we see AllDevil begin to crack Allie’s neck as everyone looks on in horror. Tripp admitting his love for Allie, tells the devil to come into him and let Allie go.  The shift happens as Tripp is now the devil, and in order to fight off hurting Allie or anyone, selflessly jumps out the church window and looks in dire straits.

So, what did you think of this climatic episode of Days of our Lives, with more to come with the return of Bo Brady this week? Comment below.

Monday’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful brought with it the highly-anticipated scenes of Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wooda) finally remembering the shooting that landed her in the hospital, and took the life of her husband, Finn (Tanner Novlan), all thanks to Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown)!

It all goes down while at her home talking with her parents, Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Taylor (Krista Allen).  As she begins to unravel the fight she had in the alley behind Il Guardino with Sheila, and as bits and pieces begin to make sense to Steffy, she realizes the horrifying truth.

Taylor tries to sort out what Steffy is saying thinking that her daughter is confused about Sheila.  Steffy shares that, at first, Finn wasn’t there at first. Then. she realizes Sheila pulling out a gun just as Finn showed up to rescue her.

Steffy exclaims that ‘Sheila shot her own son’, then, turned the gun on her when she tried to call for help … and shot her.

Next, an overwrought, overcome. and angry Steffy vows revenge on Sheila, as Taylor and Ridge look on.

Watch the final moments of the episode and the performance of two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, and then, let us know what you thought of it in the comment section.