Super Bowl Sunday (This Is Us)

"Super Bowl Sunday" was originally broadcast on Sunday, February 4, 2018, in the United States on NBC. The episode was watched in the United States by a total of 26.97 million people.[5] It is the most-watched entertainment telecast since 2012 and the most-watched TV drama episode since 2008's House's Super Bowl episode, which attracted 29 million viewers.[6]

The episode drew critical acclaim from critics, with Mandy Moore's acting receiving critical acclaim. It has a 87% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews with an average score of 8.54/10. The site's consensus reads, "Mandy Moore's performance proves to be a game changer in 'Super Bowl Sunday,' eclipsing the episode's plot twists, aching dialogue, and even Jack's death".[7]

Kimberly Roots of TVLine deemed the installment "a good episode".[8] Brian Lowry of CNN called the episode "emotional", explaining it had "strong individual moments for each of the key characters" and that it "managed to play with expectations".[9] Caroline Siede of The A.V. Club praised Mandy Moore's performance as Rebecca, saying she has become the "MVP of season 2". She thought the fire sequence was "compelling, well-staged action". She appreciated that the series didn't "go too over-the-top" with Jack's death so as it doesn't become "emotional porn". To her, the present-day scenes served as introduction for new viewers, establishing the show's world, and the flash-forward was a surprise.[10]

Kelly Lawler of USA Today wrote: "Although This Is Us is known for its big twists and fake-outs, at its core the show (like most) is about its characters. 'Super Bowl Sunday' succeeded by focusing on Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) in the present and past. By not drawing out Jack's death even further, the episode managed to be more about the different ways Jack's family members experienced their grief, and not about tricking the audience. It was the right way for the often-frustrating mystery to end."[11]

Conversely, Laura Prudom of IGN described the episode as "a cry-fest, to be sure, because this show is used to wringing our tear ducts dry with surgical precision, but there's no denying that the whole exercise also felt unashamedly manipulative, which is a trap This Is Us often falls into -- especially when it's trying to hide things from the audience to show us how clever it is. For viewers who tuned in for the first time after the big game [...], it probably made the regular This Is Us audience seem like complete masochists."[12] Time writer Daniel D'Addario gave a negative review disapproving the fact that Jack's death, though "movingly depicted", was used for entertainment purposes. "The sort of show This Is Us is in its strongest moments—one in which family members have frank and honest conversations about their hopes and fears—isn’t one that stages a ritual death on Super Bowl Sunday, after deploying cast members to brag about how it will make you cry."[13]

In the previous episode "That'll Be the Day" a Crock-Pot was shown to be the cause of the fire, causing negative reactions on social media. Some people wanted to get rid of their Crock-Pots, one reason being the fear that something could happen with theirs. The manufacturer assured fans of the show their product was safe.[14] Although a lawsuit was considered, the makers of Crock-Pot created a Twitter account of their own where they continued the positive messages, and even posted on Facebook. During Super Bowl LII, Ventimiglia appeared in an apology ad. A month after the controversy, not only did the brand restore its reputation but sales of Crock-Pots had increased.[15]