[yasr_overall_rating]
A heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles, and their wonderful parents.
When NBC sent me season two of “This Is Us” to review, I first had to catch up on season one and boy was that emotional. Little did I know, however, that season two would be even more of an emotional rollercoaster and I use that term sparingly but I cried during each and every episode of season two. No show has had that kind of impact on me, ever, and now I am hooked! Thanks, NBC!
The show follows the lives of Jack and Rebecca Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore) as they meet, fall in love, and get married. When Rebecca gives birth to triplets but one of them dies, Jack insists on adopting a black baby infant who was dropped off at the hospital the same night. The show triumphantly weaves the storylines of Jack and Rebecca from early on in their relationship up to the point when Jack dies, as well as their kids, Kevin, Kate, and Randall, first as children, then into their awkward teenage years, and then finally into their thirties, and does so with great aplomb. Initially, when I realized that the show was following this paradigm, I thought it was going to get real confusing but the cast and crew accomplish this very tricky feat effortlessly.
“This Is Us” is a breath of fresh air from the constant barrage of violent cop shows to superhero narratives that bombard us on TV. Watching these very real characters and the authentic situations they find themselves in, helps you relate to them on a very spiritual level because these are people and circumstances that we have all experienced, from your very first kiss to the loss of a loved one, to getting married, nothing in this show ever feels out of place or unbelievable.
In season two, Kate (Chrissy Metz) is still struggling to lose weight but her fiancé, Toby (Chris Sullivan), still loves her no matter what. When Kate finds out that she is pregnant, she tries to keep calm and not get too excited for fear of losing the baby but Toby steps up and proposes to her. When she insists on getting married at the local courthouse, avoiding all the trappings and expense that comes with a traditional wedding, Toby can see right through her plan and opts, instead, to give her the biggest and most beautiful wedding possible, along with all of her family and friends.
Kevin (Justin Hartley), a successful actor in Hollywood, after quitting his hit TV show, “The Manny,” is invited back for a TV special and he obliges as he feels bad for how he initially quit the show, in front of a live audience. He receives a call from Ron Howard to star in a new war movie he is making with Sylvester Stallone and brings Kate along with him. Unbeknownst to Kevin, Kate and Sly hit it off and have a big conversation about Kate’s dad and how he loved Stallone’s movies and right before he performs a big emotional scene with Kevin, Sly talks to him about his dad and tells him he sounded like a great guy. While Kevin prefers not to think about his father, it distracts him from the scene, causing him to constantly flub his lines. Afterward, he freaks out at kate for talking to Stallone about their dad and for causing him to mess up his lines and Kate storms off.
Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and his wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) initially decide that they want to adopt but eventually, they choose to foster a troubled child instead. When a young girl named Déjà (Lyric Ross), ends up on their doorstep, and they are informed that she has been moved from home to home since her mother was arrested and sent to prison, they take it upon themselves to try and offer her a genuinely loving family life but because of her past, they realize that they might have bitten off more than they can chew. When Déjà’s mother, Shauna (Joy Brunson), unexpectedly turns up at their house after having being released from prison, demanding that they give Déjà back to her, they naturally decline and call child services where they are told if Shauna can prove to the courts that she is out of trouble and back on her feet and can support both her and Déjà, there is a chance that they might have to let Déjà go.
Watching each of the characters deal with and work through their given situations, is both empowering and emotional. Rebecca, the family’s matriarch, is present in each of her children’s lives, as children, teenagers, and adults and watching her trying to comfort and give solace to them when they need it, can sometimes be difficult because as adults, they think they have all the answers when all they really need, is a hug from mom. “This Is Us” is unlike any other show on TV right now and I would highly recommend it to you if you haven’t watched it already. The show pulls off one incredible feat and that is its cast. Each and every character is likable but at times, when the story calls for it, they can be utterly annoying and obnoxious but as the episode unravels, and we see that they are dealing with their given circumstance the best way they can, you realize that they’re not unlikable after all, but only human. In the end, when all seems hopeless, family, no matter how imperfect they are, always manage to make you feel better
Season three premieres on Tuesday, September 25th at 8 pm on NBC and there is still time to binge-watch the first two seasons in order to get caught up. This is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time.
Now available on DVD
