That Was Us

with Sterling K. Brown and Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan

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A Childhood Tragedy Changes Everything | "The Challenger" (601)

7/14/2026

This week on That Was Us, we’re breaking down This Is Us Season 6, Episode 1: “The Challenger.” Through the lens of one of America’s most shocking tragedies, the episode explores how children process grief, fear, and uncertainty. From the Challenger explosion, to Randall’s need to save others, to Rebecca’s growing memory loss, this episode reminds us that the moments we never fully understand as kids often stay with us forever.

In this episode, the hosts chat about:

• The surprising return of Pop-Tarts (including the new protein-packed versions)
• Their own childhood lemonade stand successes (and failures)
• Talking to young children about death, grief, and mortality
• How kids process difficult events differently at different ages
• Getting older, staying healthy, and confronting our own mortality

They also break down the episode, including:

• The Challenger disaster and why it became such a defining moment for a generation
• How Kevin, Kate, and Randall each react differently to the tragedy
• Rebecca's fear that Randall will spend his life trying to save everyone around him
• The origins of Randall's "catcher in the rye" instinct to help people in need
• Randall's encounter with the man who burglarized his home and his decision to help rather than punish
• Rebecca's growing memory concerns and the significance of the missing word "caboose"
• The heartbreaking PET scan results that reveal plaques forming in Rebecca's brain

And a friendly reminder, you can catch new episodes of That Was Us every Monday, a day early, exclusively on Hulu. Available on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesdays like usual!

That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.