‘This Is Us’: Why Fans Really Hate One of the ‘Big Three’
This is Us, aptly named, hits us right in the heart each week because it is such a stunning reflection of all of our lives. When we tune in to see what new ways writers have devised to make us cry we’re expecting to see Kate (Chrissy Metz), Randall (Sterling K. Brown), and Kevin (Justin Hartley) show us all the nuances that make humanity…human.
However, fans are having a tough time liking all three members of the Big Three. There’s just one member of the trio that people can’t seem to stand.
The ‘big three’ are likable as a whole
People love This is Us. As a whole, the Pearson children, and their entire family, draw viewers to the television each week to experience the highs and lows of life alongside their family. Twins, Kate and Kevin, with their adopted brother Randall represent pretty much every single sibling relationship, fight, and friendship we all grew up with.
The challenges the family faces as they tackle various stages of their lives are so similar to our own. And yet, as each character individually battles their own demons, we yearn for them to find a resolution to their conflict, causing us to tune in again and again.
Kate-hate is a real issue for ‘This Is Us’ fans
As much as we love the show, internet trolls and casual fans alike are agreeing that Kate Pearson is the worst character on the show. There are a bunch of reasons why many fans do not like Kate.
Reddit users tend to have a problem with the way that Kate treats other people. Many find her selfish and focused only on her own personal struggles and gains.
This is particularly true in the way in which Kate treats her mother, Rebecca (Mandy Moore). Kate regularly takes shots at her mother, taking out her frustrations about her weight and other issues in her life in unfair ways.
Fans feel her justification for this is unwarranted. This growing hatred also largely hinges on the way in which she treats her husband, Toby. In a word: poorly.
Some ‘This Is Us’ fans find Kate completely unbearable
Some fans though, take it a step past simply disliking her character. There are large numbers of fans who find Kate completely unbearable. The reasons are varied but a lot of the dislike has to do with her lack of character development on the show.
One Reddit user points out that she doesn’t really seem to grow or develop at all over the course of several seasons.
“The problem with Kate is that her story never seems to go anywhere that spells character growth.” Reddit user berrieh explains. “Other characters have had moments of true growth. Kate’s life may change (pregnancy, miscarriage, marriage etc) but I never get the sense she’s shaken or changed as a character by anything. Sometimes she’s made X emotion for awhile but I never see growth. Also Kate stories are randomly dropped a lot where she does a thing and it never matters again.”
Making matters worse is Kate’s involvement in Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death. During the fire, it was Kate that freaked out about her dog, making Jack go back into the burning house. Many fans can’t help but speculate if Jack’s fatal injuries could have been avoided had he not gone back in.
Kate has flaws which make her relatable at least
Even if some find her irritating, Kate does have some redeeming qualities. In fact, this character is extremely relatable. Part of the problem fans have with her is that: We are all Kate.
We’ve all had moments of self-doubt, disappointment, failure. The fact that Kate faces all of these throughout the course of three seasons of This is Us makes her seem very, very real. It’s her open, honest, sometimes whiny struggles with these things which bother fans, perhaps because they hit too close to home.
Fans definitely relate to Kate, but because she so closely reflects real life, she’s not very interesting. Whether we like Kate or not, This is Us has been picked up by the network for another three seasons, so we’ll wait and see if Kate can redeem herself in the eyes of the viewers.
