I loved it. Most of the Pearson family are flawed human beings. They strive to be good people but they are flawed nonetheless. The show doesn't try to portray them as perfect beings. Jack who was abused as a child and carries the horrors of Vietnam inside but still tries to be there for his family. And does his best to break the toxic cycle of his family. Rebecca who was from a wealthy family and left all of that for love. Made some bad decisions along the way. After losing her beloved, grief consumed her. But her love persists. Kevin who always felt neglected and desperate for approval. After learning to shove his emotions down for so long that his empathic side rarely comes out. He has the best character development in the story. Randall who always questioned his place in the world. Torn between gratitude and sense of belonging. Kate who used food as her source of love. So sure that she was not worthy of love that she always takes it out on others. All of these characters have flaws but all of them are higly relatable characters. Family dynamic is a huge plus. I liked that about this show.
I really loved they way the story was being told. It is unique that we watch three timelines simultaneously.
I still have to finish season 2 but here's my review so far:
I found myself kind of addicted to this show when I first stumbled upon it, it's great family drama.
I had difficulties understanding what time period it was all happening at first, though. The main couple just seemed very modern and it turns out their story was happening in the 70s and 80s, I guess I wasn't paying attention to the visual clues at first cause I got a bit confused by that. ANYWAY.
I was hooked when they started introducing plot twists and cliffhangers which surprised the hell out of me and I loved that in the first season. Like for example when it's revealed that Jack and Rebecca aren't together at present time and she got remarried with fucking Miguel.
Second season felt more cheesy (how many times can you hear Rebecca say that Jack is literally a perfect man ?), maybe a bit pretentious (?) and the surprises I liked so much in season 1, started to feel gimmicky. Overall even if I feel like the writers managed to keep the characters relatable and human (Jack, as a matter of fact, wasn't perfect and that's great. I started to grow tired of seeing the Pearson family whine about their troubles and trauma for a time that seemed to be extended to match the number of episodes the network signed for. I'm taking a break from the show right now because I feel like the first season had great potential but it's starting to fall into the Bold & the Beautiful territory.
So, it's a great spin on the family drama show, it's very entertaining but it's definitely not perfect and I'm afraid it could go sour rather quickly.
Review by Matthias RadakovitsBlockedParent2016-11-04T15:13:15Z
This Is Us really surprised me in so many ways.
Before watching the Pilot, I was honestly expecting 'just another family comedy show', kind of. But ever since the first episode aired, I'm positively and repeatedly surprised and touched by just how beautiful and real this show is- on so many levels.
Yes, This Is Us is a dramedy focusing on three families that appear to really have nothing in common, but episode by episode one really learns and loves to learn to look deeper.
In a time like this, where TV seems to have reached some sort of quality peak, it doesn't happen too often do find a show that really stands out, especially in a genre like comedy. But This Is Us does pretty much everything right. The storytelling is superb, there's always new bits and pieces one picks up when watching the show, constant new revealings, a perfectly picked cast (really, they all work damned great together) and, as I said earlier, there's this honest and humble approach to it all that, for me, makes it stand out so severely.
This Is Us doesn't (need to) rely on heavy special effects, over-dramatization or flat jokes, nor does it try to deliver some sort of big and important political message. It's strapped of all this and by doing so, one can really enjoy the work, thoughts and incredible skills that have been put into all aspects of this show.
I find it really rare these days to find a pure gem like this and even more so to get so heavily attached to a show after just a couple of episodes. But, well. Here I am, already wanting This Is Us to never end, ever.