This is Us: as close to perfect as a show can get

I have a blog!  As many of you know, I'm just a little obsessed with tv.  I watch way too much of it, and I always have an opinion about what I'm watching.

For my first post I thought that I'd discuss one of my favorite dramas right now, This is Us.  Once in a while a show comes along that just fills up your soul and makes you forget about all of its flaws.  You just get sucked up into it and go along for the ride.  That show right now is This is Us, currently in its 2nd season.

For those unfamiliar, This is Us follows triplets Kevin, Kate, and Randall and their so-perfect-they-can't-be-real parents, Jack and Rebecca Pearson, over multiple time periods from the triplets' birth up until their mid-30's (present day).  Kevin is a somewhat egocentric actor who can't seem to settle down and (this season) struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.  Kate and her new fiancé Toby, after meeting at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, are on a mission to lose weight and get healthy.  Randall, seemingly the most well-adjusted of the three, lives a comfortable upper-middle class life with his wife and two young daughters.  Adopted by Jack and Rebecca after their third natural child died at birth, Randall has anxiety issues and is still grieving the loss of his biological father William, who died of cancer at the end of season 1 after reconnecting with his son.

If this all sounds kind of depressing, well...it usually is.  This is Us is known for making its loyal viewers cry on cue week after week.  But it's a comforting, cathartic cry (most of the time).  Why is this show so loved by its fans (myself included)? 

1.  Jack and Rebecca

As the parents of the "Big Three" (in my opinion, a much better title for the show), Jack and Rebecca are the glue that holds the Pearson family together.  Played by Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore (yes, Mandy Moore 😍), they are young, struggling parents trying to do the best job that they can.  But they don't have to try very hard, because they're PERFECT.  I want to go back in time and be raised by these two.  Seriously.  Jack dotes on daughter Kate and constantly reaffirms to her that she's loved, despite her self-esteem issues caused mostly by her weight (awww).  Rebecca looks out for precocious son Randall and does her best to ensure that he isn't excluded because of his skin color (he's African-American).  In season 1 the show portrayed Jack's bout with alcoholism during the Big Three's teenage years, but nothing can take away from his status as a perfect dad and family man.  When it was revealed that (SPOILER ALERT) Jack died suddenly soon after recovering from his addiction (the details of which still haven't been revealed), viewers were shocked and devastated.  The perfect couple is no longer, and Rebecca has moved on with Jack's best friend Miguel (can I get a "boooooo").

2.  The Music

The mostly folk/soft soft rock soundtrack of the show only adds to its warm, fuzzy aura.  Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, and some newer up-and-coming artists provide an environment ripe for maximum waterworks when the show delivers its typical gut punch towards the end of each episode.  After hearing Cat Stevens' "The Wind" in an early episode, I immediately downloaded the song and have been listening to it often ever since. 

3.  Randall and Beth (the 2nd best couple on the show)

Randall and longtime wife Beth are the modern tv couple that every real couple should aspire to be.  They're funny, they respect each other, and they love each other unconditionally.  After Randall suffered an anxiety attack in season 1 partially due to stress at work, he and Beth switched roles.  He now stays at home while Beth is at work.  There was no ego involved or questions raised; they simply did what needed to be done to keep the family going.  And they're constantly trying to do more to help others and share their good fortune.  In season 2 they took in troubled foster child Deja and slowly helped her feel like part of the family.  These two are saints, period.

4.  The Richness of the Characters

I've always said that one of the main advantages of tv over movies is more time to develop characters.  This is Us does this on a weekly basis.  The unique format of the show, interspersing present-day plots with scenes of the triplets as babies, young kids, or teenagers, allows the viewers to get to know them more and more with each episode.  After just a little more than one season, I feel like I know these characters and understand their motivations.  It helps that the younger versions of the Big Three aren't just typical kid or teen actors.  They have the chops to match the talented Ventimiglia and Moore.  The ten-year-old versions of Kevin, Kate, and Randall in particular are perfectly cast.  I could watch a show focusing only on this time period and be completely satisfied.  The standout here is 10-year-old Randall (Lonnie Chavis).  The young actor effortlessly portrays a brilliant but nervous child who is trying to find his place in his family and the world.

Well there you have it.  I could go on and on about other things related to This is Us, such as William's death, Kate's whininess, Miguel ("boooooo"), and more, but I will save it for a later post.

Thanks for reading, and please check back for more posts!