I know, I know. You’ve seen the commercials and ‘This Is Us’ looks like a cheesy family show. To make it even worse, it’s on a network and ugh, television not on Netflix, HBO, and Showtime is the worst. You probably think it’s super lame and not at all amusing. BUT YOU’RE WRONG.
I watch a lot of TV, probably too much TV, so it takes a lot for me to commit to watching yet another TV show. After all, the more I watch, the less free time I have outside of work and working out (because if we’re being honest with ourselves, life is really just working, exercising, eating, sleeping, and watching TV). When it came to ‘This Is Us,’ I at first didn’t give it a chance. I didn’t want to give up my Tuesday nights! They would be taken away again once “Pretty Little Liars” returned. But then my mom started raving about it and my friends started raving about it, so I had to give it a try.
It was pretty much love at first scene. I loved the characters and the stories. It made me laugh, like out loud. It made me cry. But really. I cry every episode. It’s not even fair. But I keep going back for more because I feel like this family is my family. It’s crazy. And THAT is good television.
If you’re not watching ‘This Is Us,’ I suggest you reevaluate your binge-watching schedule and add it into the mix. Here’s why.
1. It’s a family show, but not a sappy drama or an overdone comedy.
When you first start watching, you might think you’re watching a typical family show about a typical family. But it’s so far from that. The way the family came to be, what happened to the family in the early years, what the kids went through, why they’re the way they are today—it’s all part of the story viewers find out more of each week. ‘This Is Us’ is basically a funny and serious show about a relatable family with issues and stuff. Hilarity ensues and anger ensues and crying ensues and then hilarity ensues again.
2. Basically all of the plots on the show are relatable.
You’ve got parents struggling with parenting and their own relationship, weight struggles, health issues, a disliked step parent, anxiety, kid and adult sibling rivalry, the list goes on.
3. The characters are all relatable, too (and the relationship between siblings).
Randall is the perfectionist of the family, and while he seems like he has his shit together, he doesn’t really on the inside. Kevin comes off as the token pretty idiot, which he kind of is, but there’s so much more to him (I know so many people like him IRL). Kate is the insecure one, and her weight issues are SO real. Watching young Kate is like looking back into my self conscious childhood, eek. And then there’s Toby, who is just the actual best. I love Toby. Ugh, and William. WILLIAM.
4. It’s full of nostalgia with flashbacks to different decades.
The 70s! The 80s! The 90s! ‘This Is Us’ is always like, hey, we’re already doing everything right. Now let’s hit everyone even more in the feels with a bunch of throwbacks and nostalgia. It’s always one giant #tbt, except the show is on Tuesday night, not Thursday. My favorite is the nod to ’90s fashion because it literally looks exactly like present day. If I didn’t know it was a flashback, I would assume it took place in 2017 because of the teenagers wearing chokers and flannel shirts.
5. It reminds you how important family is.
Family is always there – from the minute you’re born to the minute you die. No matter how many fights you get in, how different you are, or how annoyed you get, family will always love family, and this TV show is proof of that. The best part: ‘This Is Us’ reminds us that we all have a backstory to how we arrived on this planet and how we were raised to be the adults we are today, and that backstory can only be told by family. It will have you reaching out to family more and wanting to know more about the past, present, and future of everyone’s lives.
6. It makes you think about things you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
Like how the most put together people struggle with life too. Like how it really looks (and feels) when someone has a panic attack. ‘This Is Us’ will make you think twice about judging others and will have you reflecting on things you’ve done in the past. Maybe the show will make you a better person. Maybe it will make you a nicer person. I’m pretty sure this show has taught me a little bit about myself. Find out how much it will teach you.
7. It will make you emotional.
Oh my god, the tears. Watching ‘This Is Us’ is like attending a weekly funeral for no one. I honestly cry almost every episode (okay, I DO cry watching every episode), but there was one specific episode where I absolutely lost my shit. As in, I cried more than I did when Marissa died on ‘The OC’ and Josh Hartnett’s character died in ‘Pearl Harbor’ combined. It was partly because I have gotten to know the characters so well and care about them like they’re my friends (I’ve been this weird about TV since middle school, so don’t worry about me, I’m fine) and partly because it brought back feelings from my own life when I was in a similar situation (I’m trying really hard to not give out any spoilers here, and I feel like this is getting weird). If you think you don’t want a good weekly cry, YOU’RE WRONG. Crying is therapeutic. If you don’t like crying in front of other people like me, no excuses dude, watch by yourself.
8. It will make you believe in love.
There’s fighting. There’s hate. There’s betrayal. But no matter what, there is love. Like real love. Not fake Hollywood bullshit love. Like real ‘2017, no fucks given, love is here because it’s fucking real’ love. While there’s a lot of movies and TV shows still out there that still make people believe in cliche fake love, ‘This Is Us’ is a refreshing reminder that the love in your life that you know so very well is in fact LOVE. You don’t need to be happy 100% of the time, or even 90% of the time. It’s okay to fight. It’s okay to disagree. It’s okay to have problems. Whether it’s love for a significant other or a family member, ‘This Is Us’ will have you believing in (and fighting for) love all over again.
Bonus points: Justin Hartley is super hot. Chrissy Metz is the fucking shit. Also, Mandy Moore occasionally sings making me long for the days of listening to ‘Candy’ and the “A Walk to Remember” soundtrack.
