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This Is Us has impressed viewers worldwide and for good reasons. Everyone will connect with this TV show at some level or the other. Read on to know why!
This Is Us. The show that has taken America by storm, and how! The show aired in September 2016 and I came across it a month later while killing time on IMDB. Checking out new show recommendations and watching trailers to figure out whether the new show is worth the time or not. And it is sufficient to say that I was blown away.
We have so many shows from the West that either revolve around love, relationships, family, siblings, friends, lovers etc. And This Is Us is a show that encompasses all of these. At first you feel it’s a show about various adults and parallel lives (as per what the brief info bio suggests).
Then it seems as if it’s about a couple – Jack and Rebecca Pearson. Or perhaps three siblings – ‘The Big Three’ as they are referred in the show. All the people around the world watching the show seem to have emotional moments and breakdowns as is shared by them on social media. And the reason is simply this: As much as this is a show from America and reflects the same culturally, it focuses on what is common to all of us as the human race – Family & Emotions.
Currently into Season 2, the show brings to light a major event regarding a main character. One cannot get through this show without a box of tissues in close proximity. The characters’ lives, actions and relationships pull at the heartstrings. Few concepts that the show focuses on helped in making it the series that won the ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series’ at the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Minor Spoilers ahead
Jack and Rebecca Pearson are the perfect couple. Not perfect in the way that is smooth sailing with zero bumps but the kind of perfect that is real and relatable. Because what truly bonds them is love. Despite losing a child they become parents to three – biological and adopted and support each other through the choice of the latter. From battling addiction to maintaining jobs and finances with a family of 5 to support, they stand by each other in ways that are so crucial to make a marriage work. And their love and respect is there for their children to witness, helping them live a happy and loved life, something that all children deserve. One of the best lines in the show is what their friend Miguel says about them – ‘’There was no ‘Jack.’ There was no ‘Rebecca.’ It was just ‘Jack and Rebecca.'”
And that’s how the show portrays marriage. It’s about two people, who are in it for the long haul, together.
They are equals who walk beside each other instead of one being on the lead and the other being just a follower.
It teaches you to aspire to be that kind of spouse and to believe that you deserve that kind of love for yourself.
The show brings forth the concept that a family is a unit irrespective of color or blood. What truly makes a family is the promise to be there for each other, every single day. Each child is special and unique in his or her own way and must be treated likewise. The show highlights the various insecurities and fears each of the children have as they move from being kids to teenagers and adults. It’s not all sunshine and roses and conflicts aren’t always resolved with hugs and smiles, which most TV shows commonly portray.
In this show, the parental characters highlight the struggle of dealing with their children’s moods and sibling conflicts in a way that would resonate with all of us on some level.
It reminds us of our childhood, how we felt while coming into our own and the love hate relationship we shared with our brothers or sisters.
We all have friends and lovers on whom we rely and share our day to day lives. We talk to them about our desires and fears. And then there are siblings. The ones who gave us a tough time growing up while hogging our parent’s attention. The ones who called us weird names and annoyed us. But these are the ones whom we lean on when we lose someone in our life. The one whose shoulders we cry on. The one who picks us up from the floor when we are having an anxiety attack. The show highlights that as siblings we are all in fact leading our own lives and are too busy to meet or talk daily even if we live in the same city. But that’s the reality. We don’t get to talk about everything that matters but what is certain is that we matter to each other.
This is Us brings forth this beautiful bond between siblings – they laugh, they fight but at the end of the day they have each other’s backs.
How beautiful it is to be in love! Not just the kind that is shared by Jack and Rebecca but by Kate and Toby, too. From dealing with body issues to letting someone into your life while going through the former struggle, the couple highlights that being in a relationship and going from that to being engaged is not always the stuff fairy tales are made of. But what truly defines love is standing by each other and not giving up. How to respect each other despite having meltdowns of your own, and how to raise each other’s level of self confidence. Beth and Randall are another couple who show us what it means to understand each other’s weaknesses and stand strong together.
The latest episode was probably the most heart wrenching of them all. The death of one of the family members. There was no bittersweet goodbye. No preparation. Instead what they felt was relief that they were all safe post a fire that broke out in the middle of the night. Yet they encounter the death of one of their own a few hours later. That’s how death is for most. It is unpredictable and chaotic. The state of shock and disbelief that takes over instantly till you see them and it sinks in that they are truly gone. And the life that you created and dreamt of for the future with them ends in a moment. But even with the excruciating grief one needs to carry on with a brave face for the others who are living.
This is US is a show that makes you come back to it every week not just for the sake of entertainment but also to bring you closer to your sense of self.
It is a show that makes you reflect on your life and relationships and teaches you to appreciate the beauty of life and of the people in it.
It is a show that makes you think not only about the “I” but also about the “US”.
Image Source: YouTube screen-grab
First published here.
Soul centric and free spirited all the while living life through travel and adrenaline junkie activities. Counselling Psychologist and Educator by vocation. And a life and laughter enthusiast by heart. Usually found daydreaming about her read more...
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Children should be taught to aspire to be successful, but success doesn't have to mean an IIT admission only!
Imagine studying for 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 whole years for the JEE exam only to find out that there’s only a very, very slim chance of getting into an IIT. It is a fact widely acknowledged that the IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams not just in India but in the whole world. Apart from IITs, the NITs and IIITs of India also accept the JEE scores for admission. There are said to be a total of 23 IITs, 31 NITs and 25 IIITs across the country.
Now, let’s first get a few facts about the IITs right. First, according to the NIRF rankings of 2023, only 17 IITs rank in the top 50 engineering colleges of India and only a few (around 5) IITs are in the list of the world’s top 100 engineering colleges. Second, the dropout rate of IIT-qualifying students stands at least at 20%, with reasons being cited ranging from academic pressure and unmanageable workload to caste discrimination and high levels of competition within the IIT.
So, it’s quite clear that the journey of making it through IIT is as challenging as the journey of getting into an IIT. Third and most important of all, the acceptance rate or the odds of getting into an IIT are below 3% which is a lot lower than the acceptance rate of highly and very highly ranked US universities. Four, getting into an IIT of one’s choice doesn’t mean one will also get into a branch of one’s preference at that IIT.
Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia.
It is amazing when a person turns personal adversity into a calling, and extends empathy to make a significant impact in the lives of other people. This has been the life’s journey of Dr Nalini Parthasarathi.
April 17 is World Hemophilia Day. Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
Hemophilia is a condition where one or more clotting factor is absent leading to bleeding. Severe cases can be life-threatening.
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