What a heartwarming and beautiful pilot.
Last year, Dan Fogelman (the brain behind This Is Us) created the hilariously underappreciated and unjustly-cancelled Galavant. That means it should come as no surprise that his next venture is just as amusing and charming.
Without spoiling the pilot’s big twist (you can read that about in the bits section below), This Is Us is bursting with heart, and it does a thematically wonderful job of tying together its characters together through a lovable, dreamlike vibe and a deep sense of intimacy. The cinematography, the music, the performances – they all come together splendidly, creating something truly special in the process.
This unique little drama’s also got a top-notch cast featuring a range of familiar faces: Milo Ventimiglia (much more effective here than he ever was on Heroes), Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Sterling K. Brown (fresh off his Emmy win for the glorious American Crime Story), and Chrissy Metz in a star-making turn. I genuinely can’t wait to spend more time with these people and learn about what makes them tick, and that’s really the finest compliment one can give!
Heartwarming Bits
– The fact that the show begins with a Wikipedia statistic – too clever!
– I kind of got teary-eyed when the Doc promised Mandy Moore he’d bring her babies home safely.
– Kate dumping poop over her junk food so that she won’t be tempted later? Brilliant!
– Loved Randall’s speech to his biological father before being invited in. Brown’s performance here is just terrific!
– I know Justin Hartley’s never been known for his acting ability, but his breakdown on set was too good! And great touch with everyone filming it on their smartphones.
– How can you not love Kate and Toby’s date and everything that followed?
– Props for showcasing the sibling dynamic so realistically. I need more of Kate and Kevin in my life!
– Alright now let’s discuss that twist! It’s a jawdropping reveal with Jack & Rebecca (in the past) turning out to be the parents of Randall, Kate and Kevin. I don’t know how I didn’t see it coming (the show hid the time period well), but it’s just glorious. I’m enormously intrigued; will the show just continue with these two time periods side by side? Fascinating stuff!
Triplet Talk
Kate: I had this… whole dream life that I envisioned for myself. A real career. I would marry a man like Dad. I would be a mom like Mom. But look at me, Kev. I ate my dream life away.
Kate: You are a lot smarter than you look.
Kevin: That’s what Michael Bay told me.
Toby: He was just asking If he could interest us in dessert. I am saying that he can. I am very interested in dessert. I am utterly fascinated by dessert. Dessert is my life’s work.
Conclusion
Oozing with heart and a whole lot of charm, This Is Us is off to an excellent (and tear-jerking) start.
Nad Rating
A
This was a delightfully heartwarming first episode and the twist at the end did a great job of bringing it all together.