“There’s no dying. There’s no you, or me or them. There’s just us.”
The world has become quite a negative place to live and with all the negativity around we need something which makes us feel good, feel happy, and gives us hope. And that is why we need television shows like This Is Us, which give us a feeling of belonging.
Dan Fogelman has created a masterpiece that will stay with us forever. Those who’ve watched this amazing American drama television series would know how intricate and deep the plot, as well as each character, is. This drama has our heart, the Pearson family has our heart because it shows us the real world, a world where there are several issues, not everyone is always happy neither are they always sad, there are ups and downs, nothing is constant, and lastly, the world is not a la-la land as shown in most of Hollywood as well as Bollywood dramas.
The series commitment to diversity is just commendable. The makers have managed to cover almost all the sensitive issues starting from adoption, depression, anxiety, societal pressure, self-doubt, discrimination, Covid-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter and the list goes on.
We witness throughout the show several moments of love, joy, triumph, and heartbreak, as well as several revelations which keep us hooked to it. It has managed to make us happy, we even cry ugly at times but in the end, it leaves us with an affirmation that it’s all right to be different, it’s all right to grieve, it is all right if life gets messed up sometimes. And when it does, all we need is a little help, and it’s all right to not feel confident always because all this is temporary, a phase that will soon end. We never have to forget that there’s always an exit to every dark tunnel.
We are in the 21st century but all these years haven’t been able to completely sweep away the filth settled in the society and the show has succeeded in pointing out this filth be it racial discrimination or body shaming to name a few. Physical appearance shouldn’t matter anymore. We have to look past a person’s skin colour, weight, age and rather focus on who they are from inside.
The drama reflects the struggles of each character with the constant burden of trying to do with their life what their parents and the opportunities that have afforded them, coupled with insecurities and self-doubt. Almost all of us go through this phase and hence feel closely connected to the characters.
All characters are intricately woven resulting in a plot that is full of highs and lows, ups and downs, smiles and tears, and doesn’t fail to surprise us at every point. Often, big and sad things happen in the show but crucially, it never lets us forget that it’s often the tiny moments that matter the most. This is what life is. This is who we are. This is us.