Tell-Tale TV Series Premiere Panels: This is Us

One of the most anticipated new fall shows is NBC’s This is Us, which stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Justin Hartley as group of people who we realize are connected in an important way.

The show promises to fill the hole in hearts that Parenthood left, and it already seems to be doing just that. The season premiere also offered a surprise twist along with its emotional many moments.

What did you think of the series premiere of This is Us? Join the discussion by leaving your thoughts in the comments below!

Our panelists are:

• Christine Laskodi, associate editor for Tell-Tale TV
• Milka Väinämö, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Shabnaj Chowdhury, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Sheena Bosket, staff writer from Tell-Tale TV
• Tamar Barbash from Shipping Room Podcast
• Lisa Steinberg from Starry Constellation Magazine

Give it to me straight. What did you think of the premiere?

Milka: ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! The characters are engaging, and the pilot made me feel like I want to know as much about them as possible. I cried, which I expected based on the teasers.

Finally, quite surprisingly, the media/television studies scholar in me absolutely fell in love with the structure of the show and the quite huge reveal in the end. The moment I finished watching the first episode I instantly rewatched it to look for elements that foreshadowed the ending of the episode.

Christine: Aside from Pitch, this is my favorite pilot of the fall season. The characters feel real, as do their circumstances, and the overall story is fascinating. I love the reveal of the two timelines as well.

The two time periods really open the show up to some interesting stories for the future, such as showing an issue that the Kevin, Kate, or Randall has, and then going back to that moment in childhood that triggered the issue.

And Milo Ventimiglia? My goodness. This could potentially be the role of his career.

Sheena: This show makes me feel like I’m living on another planet. I think I’m one of only two people in the world who hated this premiere. Absolutely hated it.

The twist at the end didn’t shock me that much and again, I’m in the minority on that. I mean, I went to the dentist last week, and he even recommended this show to me. He thought the ending was great, and was astonished that I didn’t agree. This show had sooo much hype, and it just didn’t live up to it for me in any way.

For now, I’m going to keep watching because I’m a HUGE fan of Sterling K. Brown, but I can’t promise I won’t stop watching at some point.

Shabnaj: First of all, it’s great to read everyone’s take! I’m really pleased with the show’s reveal. I think because the series is so low-stake and understated, there needs to be a real hook in order for us to keep watching.

The idea that we are seeing the same family through two different lenses, spanning over two different eras, is so fascinating to me, because it allows for a certain amount of empathy and understanding that one may not get from other shows.

The show is very human, and I love that. I also can’t stop gushing about the cast, because everyone is just supremely talented and awesome.

Tamar: I enjoyed the hour, but I am having a hard time figuring out how it will work as a full season of television. The pilot hangs almost entirely on the big reveal at the end. Had the big twist at the end not been there, I’m not sure people would have enjoyed it as much, and clearly there isn’t going to be a twist at the end of each episode.

I also felt like they relied heavily on this idea of random people having the same birthday, even using the stat at the beginning, when the show was about triplets, which isn’t random at all.

I love family shows, and this seems like it has potential in that respect, but, for me, the twist undermined the strength of the show, it didn’t add to it.

Lisa: I loved the premise and the premiere, it gave me a full range of emotions from laughter to tears the entire time. The characters were compelling, and I could relate to so many certain circumstances.

It was heartfelt but not overly dramatic and easily pulled you in with the stories and instantly caring for the characters. It was a great slow build for everything, and the end surprised and shocked me.

What’s the show’s biggest problem?

Milka: While it is not a problem that can be seen from the pilot, it will be interesting to see how This Is Us is able to manage the different time periods. If they keep up with the good work done in the pilot, I feel like there’s nothing to worry about.

Christine: One thing I can’t decide if I love or hate is the weight-loss story for Kate. There’s something about bringing body issues into a show that always bothers me.

But, on the flip side, other series have done similar storylines (Mike & Molly, for example,) and have benefited from them. I don’t mind the idea of Kate wanting to get healthy, but I also worry about weight-shaming as well.

Sheena: Ugh, everything. No, seriously. For me, as a plus-size woman, I HATE the way Kate is portrayed.

We finally get another plus-size woman on prime time television, and one of the first things we see of her is that she has Post-It notes on all of her food telling her what to do with it?! Seriously?!

Plus, why is she so miserable?! Newsflash: there are happy fat people. I’m one of them. I know people hate to hear this but it’s true.

Also, yes, the joke’s on you. They’ve been fooling you this entire time. You don’t have to be thin to be happy and have a great life. You can be happy right now, whether you lose the weight or not.

Shabnaj: Some moments felt a little clichéd. For example, Kevin’s meltdown in the studio was kind of too overly done for my taste. I also hear you guys about Kate. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I see where they can backfire on that story.

Tamar: For me, it was Randall. I didn’t understand why he was so angry. Here’s this man who was addicted to drugs and had absolutely nothing to offer a child, so he did the best thing he could think of in his state of mind and left him at the firehouse.

Had Randall had a miserable childhood, I could understand the anger, but he was adopted by a wonderful family and has all the success in the world. That’s because of what his biological father did, not in spite of it.

I also have a bit of a problem with the way they kinda just swapped one baby out for the other, so I’m hoping in future episodes we see there was actually some grief that Jack and Rebecca dealt with over the lost of their unborn child.

Lisa: I felt like the storyline for Kate and the over eaters club has been done, basically that’s how the characters on Mike and Molly met one another. I think that they are handling the weight issue with a fine line, but they need to make us want to care more.

I am hoping we find out more backstory for her and see her be the fighter she seems to be from the pilot.

What/Who do you want to see more of?

Milka: Kate’s storyline is one I am extremely interested about and have high hopes for. Sterling K. Brown is absolutely stellar as well, and I want to see as much of him as possible.

I am also in love with the fact that Milo Ventimiglia seems to play a character I can fall in love with — I never watched Heroes and don’t like him as Jess in Gilmore Girls, but maybe this time around it will be love for me and Milo.

Christine: I love the brewing romance between Kate and Toby. Toby is an incredibly likable character from the moment you meet him, so I want to see more of them navigating romance.

I also want to know more about Rebecca, because I feel like we got a pretty clear picture of who Jack is from the pilot, but know very little about her. Even the kids referenced “Dad” but not “Mom,” so I’d like to spend time getting to know her next.

And I’m curious to see how Randall’s story will play out, and how Jack will react to it…if he is still alive in 2016, that is.

Sheena: Sterling K. Brown, seeing as he’s the only reason I’m still watching the show. Plus, to echo Christine, I’m interested in Kate and Toby’s relationship because of what it represents. Mainly, that plus-size women are desirable and have sex.

But I have to be honest with all of you: I don’t date fat guys either. Spatially, it’s just too much to navigate in the sack.

Shabnaj: The cast is so good that I’m actually interested in seeing how all the stories take shape, but if I had to choose, then I admit I’m most intrigued to see the parents — Jack and Rebecca.

I think what’s cool about having two separate timelines is that it honors the experiences of Mom and Dad. We’ll get to see their struggles, their sacrifices, and their joys in a realized way.

Tamar:  I love what Shabnaj says about the timeline allowing them to honor the parents’ experience. The show started with them having the babies, but it doesn’t rule out the possibility that they’ll go even further back in time and allow us to see glimpses of their relationship even earlier.

I’d love to see some of that. I am also intrigued about the relationships between the three siblings, and I’m looking forward to learning more about those dynamics.

Lisa: Definitely both Jack and Randall, they seem like the most magnetic characters. I also am interested in the Kevin and Kate dynamic, and how their brother and sisterly twin bond evolves. As a twin myself and someone who struggles with their weight, I can relate to both of these areas.

Sterling K. Brown is a powerhouse performer, and this is his continued moment to shine. Jack seems to have this energy and spirit, and I want to see how he is tested further with it.

What was your favorite moment/quote?

Milka: The talk the doctor gives to Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) at the hospital and how that was used bring the storylines together at the end.

Christine: I absolutely agree with Milka. Gerald McRaney delivered that dialogue with so much emotion and sincerity that it was impossible not to be moved by it. I also loved how that speech, and the moment immediately following with the fireman, put all of the pieces of the episode together for that reveal.

Sheena: I agree with Milka and Christine: that speech was perfectly written and went beyond the generic, “I know how you feel,” speeches that people usually give when someone has lost a loved one.

Shabnaj: The ending was the best part for me. From the fireman, to Kevin and Kate reminiscing about what Dad used to say, to the music, to the slow reveal of the very 80’s looking waiting room — it was all very effective and sold me on the show.

Tamar: I hate to not have a more unique answer, but as was said several times, the scene with Jack and the doctor was masterful. The conflicting emotions that would be present at a moment when you’re experiencing the joy of becoming a parent for the first time mixed with the pain of losing a baby who’s been carried to term is so complicated, and I can’t imagine it being portrayed any clearer or packing more of a punch than Milo Ventimiglia did.

Lisa: Definitely at the end when the doctor gives Jack this pep talk and perspective after losing the baby. You felt your heartstrings tug and this pure rush of empathy for him.

The mix of pain and heartbreak but knowing he had to keep strong for his wife and the two babies, it just completely made me break. The lessons in life and love this show teaches us already is having such a profound effect on the audience, and I am here to be an apt pupil.

What about you? What did you think of the premiere, and what do you think is the show’s biggest problem? Did you have a favorite moment? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This is Us airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

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