OPINION PIECE: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of Her Campus Agnes Scott.
If you haven’t been watching NBC’s hit family drama This Is Us, you’re missing out. The TV show about an uncharacteristic family has been in the spotlight lately for good reason. With six Golden Globe nominations and ten Emmy nominations, the drama series is being recognized for both its acting and its writing. The series also has a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If award shows and ratings aren’t enough to convince you, though, here are my top four reasons to watch the groundbreaking new show This Is Us.
Image via NBC / Wikipedia Commons
1. The cast is phenomenal.
Sterling K. Brown, Milo Ventimiglia, and Mandy Moore (Image via REX / Shutterstock)
Amid all of the nominations the series has received, Sterling K. Brown has won the most. His intelligent and heart-wrenching portrayal of Randall Pearson is truly award-worthy. Brown acts alongside Milo Ventimiglia, the former Gilmore Girls heartthrob who now plays everyone’s favorite dad. His character’s wife is played by Disney’s Rapunzel herself, Mandy Moore. The other two leads are Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley, who both shine in their roles as twins. Along with the incredibly talented main cast, guest and supporting actors Ron Cephas Jones, Gerald McRaney, Denis O’Hare, and Brian Tyree Henry have all been nominated for their roles on the show. All the actors work together to create a truly amazing cast.
2. It tackles real issues.
Racism. Addiction. Obesity. Death. These are some of the many relevant, real issues portrayed in This Is Us. Watch as characters navigate these issues individually and as a family, both as children and as adults. While some characters handle their difficulties better than others, the show, in general, handles today’s issues well.
3. It’ll make you cry (a lot).
Image via Crimfants / Wikipedia
This Is Us is known for getting very emotional very fast. I cry during almost every episode I watch. Granted, I may be a little more emotional than most people, but the show is guaranteed to make you cry at least once. Whether the episode is about death, addiction, or just how much the characters love each other, it becomes incredibly emotional. This doesn’t mean the show is inherently sad. One of the best parts about This Is Us is that it makes you cry while still retaining that endearing optimism in the end.
4. It’s adorable.
At the end of the day, my favorite part of the show is seeing how much these characters love each other. It’s all about family, and although their family is complex and sometimes broken, they can always forgive each other. It’s heartwarming and incredibly cute, especially when the kids come in. If you want to see adorable kids and interactions on a show where love always wins, watch This Is Us.
Hopefully, these reasons will convince you to watch this great TV show. If anything, I think you should watch it because it’ll make you feel good about the world. With so much fear and sadness in the world today, I think we can all agree that we could use a little bit of optimism. That’s why I watch this show. If you could use some optimism, too, This Is Us is waiting for you.
Don’t have cable? You can watch the show on NBC’s website or Hulu!