This is us is a new hit TV series whose unique comedy-romance-drama storyline captured the hearts of very many viewers in just a matter of months. There is just something about this television show that is captivating and makes you want to keep watching it. The popularity of the show makes it a very seamless starter of a great discussion with many. This is us is a show that makes a vivid demonstration of the manner in which events of our past have a significant impact on the person you grow up to become. It uses its characters in both their childhood and their present-day lives and forms. The story is about two parents, Rebecca and Jack, their biological children Kevin and Kate, and their adopted son, Randall, who face trials and struggles that are very common to most of us, hence the title. The situations and characters are very relatable, which is why many viewers deeply resonate with the show. They truly analyze and deal with all issues from the surface like marriage, family, sibling rivalry and popularity to even deeper issues that deal with life and death. There are several poignant scenes from the show that create a focal point for teaching various aspects and themes that enhance learning in the sociology class ( This Is Us, 2018) .
Marriage
The television show This is us does an excellent job when conveying not only the realistic joys but also the difficulties that are present in marriage. Not everything comes easy for the family depicted in the show (the Pearsons), but Jack and Rebecca manage to overcome the many trials of life by fighting them together. They are excellent models of self-sacrifice, forgiveness, and keeping the fire of romance blazing, all which are very crucial aspects when it comes to making a marriage work. The first scene is especially interesting because we meet Rebecca in her last stages of pregnancy. It is Jack’s birthday and Rebecca is committed to keeping up with their tradition where she dances for Jack on his birthdays. She is very willing to dance for him despite the fact that pregnancy has made her very huge.
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It is not always a happy day in the Pearson’s family; the couple engages in several arguments throughout the show, but it is very refreshing to see that they always find a way to work through their problems and remain the happy couple that we all love. In the season finale, we see the couple engage in a very heated argument where Rebecca is airing some frustrations to which many moms viewing it can relate and Jack brings up an interesting question asking her if he and their children are not bringing her fulfillment. In this situation, the viewer can see the need for you to draw your fulfillment from your family when in one, otherwise it will lead to frustrations.
Parenting
Almost every scene that showed Jack and Rebecca had a parenting lesson to teach, and the most evident one is the fact that parenting is going to be one of the most uncomfortable responsibility you might ever have to face. Rebecca especially has a hard time considering the fact that she is pregnant with triplets. She has a very challenging pregnancy that makes her very huge. We also see the love that parents have for their children when Rebecca and Jack lose one of the triplets as she gives birth. They are very remorseful, and they gladly take up Randall as an adoptive son to act as a replacement of their lost child. As parents, Jack and Rebecca are continually faced by the challenge of making the children love one another and stay at peace. We also get to see them go through the struggles of raising three toddlers at once to the point of even breaking down severally. Despite these challenges, we see these parents drawing fulfillment from their parenthood tasks and they do not give up on their children at any point. As viewers, we get to learn that parenthood will push us to a point where we feel like we have reached our limits. Even then, we will be required to push ourselves harder and dig deeper than we could have ever imagined, but it is all worthwhile in the end ( This Is Us, 2018).
Life
The writers of the show This is us might not have done it intentionally, but they have brought out an underlying pro-life theme in this series. From the heartfelt instance in the show where Rebecca is speaking to her unborn babies to the scene where we see Randall caring for his dying father, it is very evident that life is sacred and it is respected in this show.
Pain, Grief, and Loss
Rebecca and Jack lose one of their triplets during birth, and this has to be one of the saddest, grief-filled scene that we see in the show. While the adoption of Randall comes as a temporary consolation for the parents, they continue to struggle with the death of their little one. Later, Jack dies, and we get to see how his tragic death affects Rebecca, Kevin, Randall, and Kate throughout the show. Besides, Randall is also dealing with the fact that his biological father died. Most of these scenes in This is us are constant reminders that grief is and can be a continuous battle throughout our lives, and there is need to deal with our losses in a healthy manner so that they do not catch up with us in the long run. We also see Kate and her husband, Toby, going through a period of grief during the last season of the show when they are unable to have a child because of Kate’s weight issues. They are left with the option of fostering or adoption, and this is something that brings them a lot of pain because they wanted to have a child of their own.
Stress and Anxiety
Of the three siblings, it is Randall who seems to have his life most together. He never misses a run, has a successful career, and a beautiful family. However, as the show progresses, we get to see that things are not as perfect for Randal as they appear to be on the surface. He is constantly struggling with managing his anxiety and stress. He is often depressed by the fact that his father abandoned him when he was born. Randall fights very hard to keep his challenges to himself but they eventually catch up with him. This character is a reminder of the importance to seek help whenever we find ourselves struggling, and to always remember that relying on others is not a sign of weakness in any way ( This Is Us, 2018).
Spirituality
Besides being a source of entertainment for the viewers , This is us is a show that provides the fans with some spiritual experiences. The show is famous for making people cry, and several have admitted to the fact that they have cried in most, if not all, scenes. In contrast to the rough bullying and rhetoric tactics that we see in the political arena, the show has provided an experience that is stirring and soothing for the viewers, just like a church. The viewers of the show are left with a deep sense of hope for healing and redemption, which is a spiritual effect. This show has provided the viewers with a respite from the loud noises around us thanks to the hopefulness that is in the narratives’ fabric. The soundtrack used in the show is designed to be paradoxically inspiring and unsettling. The music director says that the songs are “uplifting and heart-breaking” at the same time. It is true that every element in a place of worship has a similar effect, where it is designed to inspire redemption and transcendence, and while we cannot actually refer to primetime drama as being sacred, the show creates a similar effect.
Obesity and Fertility
Another theme that has been clearly brought out in the show This is us is definitely obesity, which is depicted by Kate, a plus-size character. In her childhood character, we see Kate as a child who has the unhealthiest lifestyle, and this ends up taking a toll on her health and weight as she grows up. Kate tries living a healthy lifestyle by working out and embracing a healthy diet, but it is mostly in vain because the weight seems to be stuck with her. We see her frustrations when she sees her working out partners losing so much weight yet nothing seems to be changing on her end. The good thing is that her husband, Toby, is also plus-size and he encourages her throughout the journey.
When Kate found out that she was expectant during the last season of the show she was exhilarated, but just for a short time because she miscarried. She was accompanied by her husband to see a fertility specialist to guide them through their options. However, the doctor’s assessment was that Kate had very slim chances of having a successful pregnancy because of her weight, and even IVF would not do much to help. This moment is very gutting for Kate, whose weight has been through a series of changes throughout the show. The show is educating the viewers about the effects that weight can have on fertility, and while not everyone agrees with it, there is both some truth and some falseness in it.
As one can imagine from the thematic analysis of the show, it is evident that This is us is a show that takes the viewer through an emotional rollercoaster; one moment you are very happy and laughing out loud and another you are tearing up uncontrollably. All of the situations and characters that have been analyzed are very relatable because they truly analyze and deal with issues that we all face at one point in our lives. It is, therefore, not surprising that this show has become very popular in many households ( This Is Us, 2018).
References
This Is Us. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.tv.com/shows/this-is-us/
