Many people who know me might know that I am a TV and Film buff. That being said, I don’t really like the idea of writing reviews for things. Mainly because my opinion is no better than anyone else’s and, if anything, most folks figure what I like is the absolute thing to STAY AWAY from.
This is probably due to my constant pressuring other people to watch the best TV series ever made so far (HBO’s The Leftovers) as of writing this (January 2, 2017). But, my fellow Americans (and I actually do mean Americans (as in, that’s not me being funny like I’m giving a speech, I mean legit Americans especially)), I have come upon a show that I think is genuinely important for people to watch, especially with it being the new year. I’m not talking about The Leftovers this time. I’m talking about the NBC show, This Is Us.
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This Is Us is a show following a group of people, all living different lives with different problems, who share the same birthday. The group of people consists of an expecting married couple, a struggling actor, a woman with a weight problem, and a man who finds his father who left him at a fire station the day he was born.
This show is nothing short of amazing. I hate being all “the acting is amazing” and “it looks amazing” and “omg it’s all great blah blah.” Because, yeah, it is all that, but why is it important? I think a truly great piece of anything should answer that question. I think this show is important because it is incredibly realistic. Sure, it does get sappy and cheesy and all of that, but it also seems so real. You get invested with these people. You cheer when they succeed. You cry when they don’t. And you want them to get what they want.
Above all, though, is that it is incredibly good natured. I watch a lot of TV. And what I love about this is that it is SO sincere. In a world where everybody has to turn something on its head or be cynical towards everything, this show knows how cheesy and sappy it can get but it doesn’t apologize for it. In fact, it lets you know that you can get cheesy and sappy with it and just enjoy your genuine emotions. It’s a show that you will want to roll your eyes at and be “too cool” to watch, but, if you watch the pilot, you’ll get hooked and be as “not cool” as everybody else.
Many people compare this show to Parenthood. I’ve never seen Parenthood, but I have seen The Leftovers and the creator (Damon Lindeloff) often sites Parenthood as inspiration for The Leftovers. So I assume it’s awesome. The point is, This Is Us gives me an idea of what attitude I want for myself for 2017.
And that is to just stop thinking so critically about everybody and everything and just enjoy something for what it’s trying to be. I think that is what everybody ought to do. I read something somewhere that The Onion had a headline after 9/11 saying that “people can start caring about bull s**t again.” Now, I doubt this year was as bad as 9/11, but everybody acts like it. I think 2017 is the year to just start bull s**ting again. Just love what you love and do what you do. Watch This Is Us, it’s an important show. And watch The Leftovers (third and final season coming April 2017)
