THIS IS US was brilliantly told from Jack Jr’s point of view. Children are perceptive of their family dynamics. This is heightened when a visually impaired child only has their hearing and feelings to understand their shadowed world.
Saturday is Jack Jr’s favorite day of the week. It is the day he gets to play at the park without restrictions, giggle, and be happy. Whatever is going on around him is gone, and his parents, Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan), are experiencing pure joy together. This particular Saturday, the entire family has gathered again for another celebration. So, what could possibly go wrong?
This episode took me back to a challenging time in my own life. How do you maneuver through the complications of a marriage being torn apart in front of your young children? It is impossible to cover up and hide all those feelings of hurt, anger, and sadness. Life spills over in unimaginable ways, and it’s painful to everyone around. I remember when my son, Aaron was only three and a half and innocently asked me if “I was always going to cry after talking to Daddy?” This stopped me cold in my tracks. Nothing is hidden from our children. Television imitates real life. In this split second, Jack Jr. and my son were the same.
I can also relate to Jack Jr’s blindness. I, too, use a white cane to help guide me through the myriad of obstacles everywhere. I count steps and stairs. I’m constantly on alert to anything and everyone around me. Using a cane is a learned process. It does not come easy. It is humbling and empowering all at the same time. I loved the idea of not being “seen” as limited. Feeling confident is the key to getting up and just going where you want to go. Kudos Kate.
THIS IS US demonstrated the pure loyalty, bond, and love the triplets have for each other. It compared a 10th-anniversary celebration for two different couples and where they are along their journeys. This superb story clearly showed Rebecca’s (Mandy Moore) strengths and weaknesses due to the power of her ravaging disease. It was an intense, well-thought-out hour that grabbed my heart from the first second to the last. THIS IS US is extraordinary, must-see tv. It sheds a bright light on all that is good and bad and the consequences of our choices. I cannot imagine the day it will all end.
THIS IS US is available to stream on NBC/PEACOCK.
