This Is Us

This is Us follows the lives of the fictional Pearson family. A love story centred around main characters Jack & Rebecca, who soon fall pregnant with triplets. When I first put this on I had run out of programs to watch and my hopes were not high from the synopsis. Within 20 minutes I was hooked. Hooked in that unhealthy way, where you find yourself not wanting to leave your new-found television friends and being so emotionally involved in the storyline. You need water, you need lunch, dinner, the toilet; but you just can’t find a way to pause the television. Amazon Prime also have a sneaky way of starting the next episode so swiftly that you don’t really have a chance to say no. One episode merges into the next and in the blink of an eye your day is over!

Through 5 seasons we watch each episode switch through different timelines of this family; from the early days of romance to their children, Kevin, Kate & Randall, having their own families. Often programmes that introduce many characters at once and have complex timelines within each episode can be either irritating or confusing, but This Is Us manages it seamlessly.

Through half of COVID-19 lockdown, homeless and stranded, I found myself staying for a few months with my ex boyfriend over from a decade ago. Knowing him as I did, I felt sure this was a program he would strongly dislike. It was essentially a family drama series, with glossy characters and emotional depth. Not at all what I would anticipate my ex to show any interest in, given that his main TV loves included dark, dystopian fiction, Top Gear and the UFC.

However, it is beautiful when life reminds us that we are often wrong in our presumptions. Cal joined me mid-episode three and before we knew it we had powered through the entire season. He kept remarking how surprised he was at how much he was enjoying the series as it was "not the sort of thing" he would typically watch.

For a series to be so well written, cast and produced is rare. For a series to have me and my emotion resistant ex in tears so often is unheard of. The characters are so convincing that I would be surprised if the writer didn't have a degree in psychology. The portrayal of the struggle of these two young parents who are overwhelmed and challenged but trying their upmost to raise their children in the best way possible is endearing. The issues each child grows up with in spite of the good intentions of the parents really hammers home the point that good intentions and good people don’t necessarily make for good parents. People are flawed, as are relationships. This is why we must always seek to love more, to forgive more, to understand more of the other person’s perspective.

If we all took the time to become more curious and find out the other persons perspective or reasons before we start a crusade against them, our relationships would dramatically improve. When we argue with others, the truth is often on both sides, or none at all. For instance, all children were raised by and love the same parents, but they all experienced very different childhoods. This picture has been built up in a way that helps us understand and empathise each child's pain, along with Jack & Rebecca's.

I would like to say this is my cringe worthy or slightly embarrassing series share, but I would be lying. I wear my heart on my sleeve and feel no shame to share that I have watched 5 seasons of a series that made me cry in almost every episode. This series can help all of us in many ways, whether that be working through past trapped emotional pain or widening our perspective which we can apply to our own lives and relationships. You may think that tapping into these 'heavy' emotions will only bring pain, but what follows that pain, is healing. Yes, you could watch something lighter. Put on something that will numb you, distract you or feed your anxieties. Or you can face your own shadow and tune into your emotions, without trying to escape them.

This series touches upon almost every issue in the human condition, from marriage to divorce, sibling rivalry, jealousy, love, abortion, abusive relationships, alcohol and drug dependancy, communication and intimacy issues, remorse, forgiveness, birth, death, abandonment, attachment issues, racial prejudices, depression, anxiety, eating disorders (to name a few). The subject matter is portrayed with raw emotion and I believe everyone watching will be able relate and connect to this show. At the very least it may allow someone who hasn't experienced these issues an insight into why other's behave the way they do.

This Is Us raised a lot of past emotional trauma for each of us that we had long ago buried and thought was 'over'. After watching all of season 2 & 3 in one sitting, we could feel the heaviness in the air. Both of us slept longer than normal and felt a little drained. But afterwards? In being able to access these painful memories, to cry and grieve, in a shared and safe space. I feel like a weight has lifted from my heart. We are up to date with all episodes and eagerly awaiting the next which will be released in February.

In the past two weeks since, I have felt more motivated than ever. To give you one example, Randall, one of the triplets suffering with with anxiety, goes running to relieve symptoms. I haven’t been running in 8 years. For the past 10 days, everyday, I have been running. I start my day with yoga, and then I run. Not far, just 1km and back. The first few days I was stopping 5/6 times. Yesterday I ran the whole route with 2 minutes off my first run time and didn’t stop at all!

No other series has ever inspired me to the point I have made positive lifestyle changes imminently afterwards. The series has a way of helping you be forgiving of your own failings and/or addictions as you empathise with those of the characters. It also highlights a warning to us that we must begin to better manage our emotional, physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing. This alone makes it a top recommendation.

If you can't afford therapy, or, like me, don’t believe paying a stranger to listen to your woes will help you any...this is 5 seasons of therapy, perspective and understanding.

Just remember to have tissues to hand.