This is Us S1 (2016) [Serial Review]

 

Created: Dan Fogelman

Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, Ron Cephas Jones, Jon Huertas.

Dur: Each episode is about 45 mins. There are 18 episodes in this series.

Genre: Drama

PG: A few kisses and mildly sensual scenes.



Life is chaotic. You think things are going one way when all of a sudden they start moving another way. This is one of the beauties of life – it is unpredictable. A mechanical life loses meaning pretty quickly and can become tedious but life rarely disappoints us in that regard. No matter how monotonous you try to live your life there will be something or the other that will disrupt your rhythm.

This is Us is essentially a story about life. The characters are every bit human as you and me, viewers. We see our own lives reflected in their lives. We might not share a similar experience to theirs but they do not fail to speak to us about something we all share – our humanity. And what is humanity? There are many ways to define it but I would like to see it in the light of relationship. Our humanity is revealed by our capacity to relate to others. This is precisely what This is Us is all about. Since it is such an honest reflection of life, the situations are relatable, the story develops dynamically, and you cannot help but get involved with the drama. As the episodes build on each other, you find yourself drawn into the life of the Pearson family and curious about how they have reached their present state.

The serial follows a fluid time line with scenes from the present interspersed with flashbacks that help us piece together the puzzle of relationships within the Pearson clan. We are introduced to the family of Jack (Milo) and Rebecca (Mandy) who have triplets in the pilot. The story revolves around the individual lives of the kids, fondly nicknamed “The Big Three” and how their lives are influenced by things in their past. We are also given a ride on the bus of Jack and Becca’s marriage. With them we explore the adventure of marriage and find perhaps a reflection of our own lives and situations besides, valuable lessons to make marriages work!

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this series and would highly recommend it. It is a real rollercoaster both in terms of storyline and emotion. I am quite certain it will make an impact on your life and leave you with a better understanding of what family life is all about. We all come from families but we have different experiences of family life. This is Us is brilliant in its depiction of the raw emotion that accompanies living at close quarters with people who share blood. You cannot turn off an episode without coming away with an appreciation for the struggles and successes that have gone into bringing you to the place where you are today. Family life is chaotic but the series helps you realize the things that really matter. The acting and direction are absolutely brilliant and deserve all the awards that they won.  


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