This is Us - "Clooney"

This is Us Season Two

Original Air Date: January 16, 2018
Starring: Sterling K. Brown, Ron Cephas Jones
Directed by: Zetna Fuentes

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Randall (Sterling K. Brown) explores the life of his father William (Ron Cephas Jones).

Featured Feline: During the course of the series, William was known to feed an “ugly” stray cat named Clooney, the namesake of this episode (the name is supposed to be ironic because the cat is not good looking, unlike George Clooney). Clooney is first shown running through the streets, dirty and with a damaged ear, dodging cars and dogs while looking for scraps of food.

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat with bent ear on sidewalk of city

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat with bent ear walking on sidewalk of city

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat with bent ear on city street dodging cars

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat walking down sidewalk of city

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat eating from old food wrapper on sidewalk

The flashbacks are interspersed with the storyline involving Randall going to William’s old apartment building to pick up a box. Inside the box he finds a poem which implies William had a lady love. Randall sets out to find out who she is. Flashbacks of Clooney living on the street are shown during these scenes.

This is Us - Clooney - closer of orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear walking on city street

This is Us - Clooney - closer profile of orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear walking on city street

Finally Randall visits the superintendent (Cathy Moriarty) of the building and asks about the mystery woman. She takes Randall up to William’s former rooms and suggests he look around. As he does so, Clooney is shown in flashback running away from some kids who are trying to catch him.

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear running away from kids

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney running up alley

Clooney runs into the building and into William’s apartment. William comments that he is one ugly cat but gives him some milk in a bowl, commenting on it being “a little lactaid.” “Hope you don’t mind,” William adds. This shows how Clooney first came into William’s life.

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear jumping into chair

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear standing on chair

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear held by William Ron Cephas Jones

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear being fed by William Ron Cephas Jones

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear eating on table as William Ron Cephas Jones writes

Finally Randall brings his wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) to the building and says he wants them to buy it to give the tenants a better life. Clooney is sitting in the window looking down on them.

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear sitting in window

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear looking out window

Clooney is then fed by a little boy (Eden Gamiz), showing that he is being cared for. While we don’t currently have information on the cat actors who played the part, concerned viewers should know that the scenes in which Clooney is facing dangers on the street, i.e. the cars the dog, were computer enhanced and the cat actor was likely in no real danger during filming.

This is Us - Clooney - orange tabby cat Clooney with bent ear eating from bowl held by boy Eden Gamiz