The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

This Is Us is by far one of the best series we have come across. In one hour shows, it presents birth, death, reunion, career crisis, self-doubts, self-affirmations, heart-to-hearts, and reconciliations. It wants to make you weep, and it does not play fair. It will leave no button on your emotional control panel unmashed.

The first episode is built around four characters who share the same birthday. The first is Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), a nervous expectant dad whose wife, Rebecca (Mandy Moore), is on the verge of having triplets. The second is Kevin (Justin Hartley), a hunky actor who has landed a soul-killing role in a terrible sitcom that requires him to spend much of his time shirtless. Next up is his twin sister, Kate (Chrissy Metz), who is fighting a severe weight problem with the help of a support group. And finally, there’s Randall (Sterling K. Brown), who has just tracked down the biological father who left him, as an infant, at a fire station, “probably because he couldn’t think of something more cliché.”

The show’s utilisation of flashbacks is quite applaudable. Indeed, the show smoothly manages to take to the past, then back to the present, without once leaving us confused or bored. This use of flashbacks also allows the series to expose the many sides and stories of their characters, making them incredibly relatable to audiences.

For example, we get a full look into Rebecca and Jack’s life; we know how they fell in love, we know how Jack refers to the triplets as “Big 3”, and we also get to know Jack and Rebecca as children and teenagers themselves. We witness Jack as a young adult pursuing his dreams, and Rebecca as a young woman chasing hers, way before they come into each other’s lives. Exploring all these intimate details of the protagonists does two things. Firstly, it creates audience members that are extremely attached to the many characters. Secondly, it adds a unique element of realism; life is made up of all those little things, like calling your children “Big 3”, and the bigger things, like pursuing one’s dreams and aspirations.

The show also manages to use comedy quite creatively; yes, you will be crying your eyes out, but you will also be laughing out loud. Indeed, the show’s use of comedy very much adds to its realism as mentioned above. Much like life and our own life stories, there are moments which are extremely difficult, moments that are extremely comic, and moments that are a weird mixture of both. This show is definitely us, with all of our dramas, fears, jokes, and awkward family gatherings.

We could go and on about all the other characters, but we felt that this would be too much of a series spoiler. We can safely say, however, that this series brings out the happy tears in us, and if you start watching it there will be no stopping. Currently, the show has three aired seasons, and we still can’t get enough of it. So grab your drinks, popcorn, and tissues, and start pouring out those tears!