1.
This is a very realistic depiction of the struggles of a married couple (because obviously at 18 I would know), the pains of fighting for a fresh start, and the challenges of the resistance and desire to change. Bottom line: it’s all very real and you’ll feel things because of that fact. (https://youtu.be/xh-Tof_QxKU)
2.
This is a story of sacrifice whether that’s to let yourself move forward or to brighten the darkness in the lives of those who matter to you most at your own expense. This story describes loss, letting go and the strenuous efforts taken in gaining back the spirit of life in such a way that no other series has been able to do in the past that watching it every week will ground you and connect you to stories to which you never knew you could relate or ones that hit you on a spiritual level- it’s insane. But it’s humbling to know that sacrifices are inevitable, especially when the one you are fighting for is you. Warning: tissues are not included. (https://youtu.be/RtU9mm6K6lI)
3.
This is a reminder that it’s okay to be different Whether you’re too scared to display your full potential for fear that it will further separate you from the ability to blend in or you’re born into some sort of anachronistic timeline where you’re just apathetic to anything mainstream or “legit” within the modern context. (https://youtu.be/bPlKtf2E5GI)
4.
This is a love story between family, friends and romantic interests. The only thing missing is falling in love with yourself in the sense of self-compassion and forgiveness, though now thinking about it that idea is more of a running background motif. If you’re just getting over a heartbreak, the father Jack will give you enough #goals to restore the slightest faith in romance again or if you’re feeling a bit resentful of the parentals this is a reminder of the lengths people will go in your life when they truly love you. (https://youtu.be/RknZ18FAhYs).
5.
This is a path of “The Big Three” (three triplets on three different journeys of lie- one a genius, family man who joined the family after the loss of one of the triplets, another a successful sitcom actor attempting to make a name for himself as a serious individual, and another a sister who took a backseat to her brother’s success while struggling to lose weight and regard herself as worthy of love) (https://youtu.be/2rnBdtky9gA).
6.
This is a story of resilience because often in this capitalistic, success oriented society, we get stuck in the orbit of productivity, forgetting that the most important part is our willpower to persist through the everyday struggles and decide the next attempt, the next day will be better. (https://youtu.be/_r7AJ8-coTk).
7.
This is a story about lemons when one “takes the sourest lemon life has to offer and turns it into something resembling lemonade.” You often hear that phrase in the context of looking on the bright side, but this show takes it to a deeper level wherein your vulnerabilities at a point that will seem to be rock bottom will become the droplets of a dried out, sour lemon that is roughly squeezed into a jar of transparency where there is nothing left in you, but a festering hope that it can only get better (possibly because the alternative is too much to bear) and a sprinkle of sugar from an unlikely friend. (https://youtu.be/IDpdtEgMYL8).
But most of all, This Is Us. Regardless of whether, you’re 18, 40 or 75, you’ll be able to relate in some shape or form and gain a richer, deeper understanding of the things people will do and actions they would take to be there for another individual or do the right thing. I remember when I first watched the promo for the series, I imagined a sappy soap opera, but it’s something so much more than that. The first episode, however, took me completely by surprise and I found myself watching it twice and crying every time. Actually, if I’m being honest here, I cry during every episode because there’s something about the outstanding acting and the way these plot lines not only intertwine with the lives of multiple people in the stories but events in your own life, whether that be past or present.
I cannot even find myself able to articulate how each episode, each scene, each character is each and every one of us. Whether it’s because we find ourselves struggling to forgive our pasts and accepting our strength in changing our present or because we lived our whole lives trying to prove to everyone else but ourselves that we are good enough and worthy enough to be loved and valued beyond measure or because we’re lost in a world that seems to have defined our purpose and directed our lives without us ever having a conscious understanding of what we really want. I’ll be honest- I relate to every single one of those individuals because you don’t have to endure extraordinary circumstances in order to believe that you are strong. You don’t have to conquer some sort of gravity-defying challenge in order to earn the title of a leader. But most importantly, you don’t need permission to connect to your emotions in a way that makes you human. For crying out loud, feel the pain, feel the distress, feel the anguish, he adrenaline, the excitement, the bliss. Just don’t numb yourselves to the aspects of yourself that will fuel the desire to pursue excellence (a life lived well).
Now, I’ve watched a lot of TV shows in my life simultaneously, so I know what the competition is like out there for the 9 pm time slot this show has on NBC on Tuesday nights. You’ve got consecutive comedies on ABC, crime series Bull on CBS, and comic book series Legends of Tomorrow on The CW. So, in other words, This Is Us has all the room it needs to shine against the other varied media and it stands out as a People’s Choice Nominee that not only tugs at the heartstrings but connects to a part of our humanity that we’ve numbed and neglected with all the politics and current events of the previous year and the love-hate relationship we all have with social media. Amongst all of that, it can be easy to forget what it means to be human.
It’s been on for almost 13 episodes now and each and everyone connects to the one before, while unraveling a story of its own with a life lesson that could quite possibly permeate throughout the rest of your week.
And so, I leave you with this, my fellow television junkies:
For some of us, lemons will forever remain links to the one and only Beyonce, for others they will be fruits with multiple uses to add a little flavor to a nearly perfect recipe, but for the ones who’ve followed this story- lemons will be the hardest, rawest emotions that we learn to feel and understand to pursue authentic happiness.
By: Catheryn Mallari