This is Us and Black Panther

Yesterday we went to see Black Panther. I think that, in the beginning of the film, there might have been a reference to the TV show This is Us.  Or it could have been a coincidence. Or I misread what I saw.

So, the last episode of This is Us, that we saw, was all about the family's beloved car—a Jeep Wagoneer. We see the family buying the car, and then we see various memories, throughout the next several years, featuring the car.

I was surprised by the 1990's family being so enthusiastic about the car, because to me it looked like something from the 1970's. Now if this was a bunch of nostalgic adults who liked vintage things, it would make more sense.

Despite the fact that I spent ten years in the 1990's, the car didn't look at all familar to me. That kind of makes sense, though. I've never really been into cars. No, that's kind of an understatement. I should really say that the subject of cars bores me enough, that if it starts happening, I want to escape the room.

I'm wondering if the Jeep Wagoneer was a popular car in the 1990's, and I'm just ignorant about that. Or was it just appealing to this particular fictional family?

Anyway, onto Black Panther.

Sterling K. Brown, one of the stars of This is Us, has a small role in Black Panther. In the beginning of the film, there's a dramatic 1990's scene with him in an apartment building. Outside the apartment building, I saw a Jeep Wagoneer or at least a car that had a similar decor.

Maybe I'm just being stupid and this car is in lots of movies that are about, or were filmed, in the 1990's. Maybe it's a big thing of the 1990's and I was ignorant about it.

It was just weird for me, I guess. First, the car itself seemed strange to me. Second, I had actually Googled the car when I saw it on This is Us.  I don't often use Google cars. Third, about a week later I see the same car, and it's near a scene that features an actor from This is Us.

I suppose it all could have been an inside joke. But I doubt it. It was probably a coincidence. And it's probably one of those things where the universe introduces you to something and then suddenly you keep seeing it.

That being said, there WAS another connection between This is Us and Black Panther...besides Sterling K Brown.

Minor spoiler warning (for This is Us AND Black Panther)....










In another recent episode of This is Us, Randall, Brown's character, buys an apartment building in a poor neighborhood, in order to help the community. The same thing happens in Black Panther...though not by Brown's character.  BUT Brown's character used to live in the apartment building.