This week on That Was Us…we’re back with another Chat Was Us! Inspired by the many love stories that have defined This Is Us, from Jack and Rebecca to Beth and Randall, the hosts gather for another Group Chat episode centered around one big theme: romantic love. From first crushes and first heartbreaks to soulmates, red flags, and the realities of long-term partnership, Mandy, Sterling, and Chris reflect on how their understanding of love has evolved over the years.

In this episode, the hosts chat about:

* How their definitions of romantic love have changed from their teens to middle age

* Their first experiences with romantic love and the awkward, unforgettable stories that came with them

* Whether soulmates really exist or if lasting love is a choice you make every day

* How movies, rom-coms, and pop culture shaped unrealistic expectations about relationships

* The impact of films like The Notebook, Say Anything, and Love Actually on how we think about romance

* Why kindness, intelligence, and emotional availability become more important with age

* The allure of ""bad boys,"" the friend zone, and how dating priorities shift over time

* First heartbreaks, devastating breakups, and the lessons they still carry today

* How heartbreak can create walls, mistrust, and fear in future relationships

* Why friendship may be the strongest foundation for lasting romantic love

* The hosts' own ""Raise a Flag"" game, covering topics like staying friends with exes, sharing locations, saying ""I love you"" too soon, slow texting, work spouses, and emotional affairs

* The balance between autonomy and safety when it comes to location sharing with partners and family members

Plus, along the way, the conversation takes a few unexpected detours into aging, pickleball, preschool graduations, raising teenagers, and all the ways life continues to shape how we love.

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.

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🍋 About the Show:

The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it.

Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments.

Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday.

Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz

Creative Producer: Sam Skelton

Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley

Video Editor: Todd Hughlett

Mix & Master: Jason Richards

About Headgum:

Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com.