‘This Is Us’ Is What We All Are
This is Us is a drama that has been on air since September of 2016 and has not let down yet.
Dan Fogelman’s drama is built around the lives of four people, all who have the same birthday. But they end up sharing much more than that. The cast has some recognizable names such as Sterling K. Brown (American Crime Story, Supernatural) and Mandy Moore. The show has filled the squishy feely spot shows like Parenthood left behind. There’s Kevin (Justin Hartley), a successfully sold-out Hollywood actor, unsatisfied with his career. There’s Kate (Chrissy Metz), an overweight woman who, unsatisfied with her life, decides to commit to losing the pounds she thinks are holding her back. There’s Randall (Sterling K. Brown, fresh off of his Emmy win for The People v O.J. Simpson), a businessman and family man who’s haunted by the fact that, despite all his success, he was given up by his birth father on the day he was born. And there are Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore), an almost-cloyingly-in-love couple who begin the show on the precipice of that most Feelsy of experiences: She, after a “high-risk pregnancy,” is about to give birth to triplets.” Here’s the synopsis:
There’s Kevin (Justin Hartley), a successfully sold-out Hollywood actor, unsatisfied with his career. There’s Kate (Chrissy Metz), an overweight woman who, unsatisfied with her life, decides to commit to losing the pounds she thinks are holding her back. There’s Randall (Sterling K. Brown, fresh off of his Emmy win for The People v O.J. Simpson), a businessman and family man who’s haunted by the fact that, despite all his success, he was given up by his birth father on the day he was born. And there are Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore), an almost-cloyingly-in-love couple who begin the show on the precipice of that most Feelsy of experiences: She, after a “high-risk pregnancy,” is about to give birth to triplets.
It is a show about normal people. It is not the regular formulaic drama. Each episode takes time to focus on each character individually but then there’s a twist that somehow ties it all together. Everything is hyper-focused on so you know exactly how each character is feeling.
You get to know the characters and actually feel empathy for them. They seem like real people with real problems. Everyone has a point in their life where they are unsatisfied with their job and decisions. Everyone thinks changing something shallow about themselves will change their lives. Everyone has something that haunts them. And everyone has an issue they must confront with their significant other. The show is relatable and will leave you feeling the feels.