“This is a fact: according to Wikipedia, the average human being shares his or her birthday with over 18 million other human beings.”

NBC’s new television show “This is Us” opened with those captivating words as “Death with Dignity” by Sufjan Stevens played in the background.

Immediately, I knew this was going to be my new favorite show, and not just because it fell on my birthday.

The show’s pilot focuses on four characters on their 36th birthday. There is overweight Kate, businessman Randall, actor Kevin and expecting father Jack. At first glance, these four seem to have nothing in common besides their date of birth, but slowly the pieces begin to come together.

Kevin is Kate’s brother. He comes to her rescue after she falls off her scale and they sit together on the bathroom floor drowning their sorrows with a gallon of ice cream. The scene is authentic and makes you feel as though you are a fly on the wall peering into their lives.

The big tear-jerker is when Jack’s wife loses their third baby. The doctor warned that there could be complications delivering triplets, but Jack was in denial.

“We’re walking out of this hospital with three healthy babies and one healthy wife…My mother already knitted three onesies and she’s a slow, no-talent knitter,” Jack said.

But despite the nasty lemon he was handed on his birthday, Jack does in fact end up leaving with three healthy babies. The third was a newborn abandoned at a local fire station and brought to the hospital on the same day.

After Jack admires his babies in the hospital, the camera zoomed out, revealing outdated clothing and a fuzzy television. Jack is Kate, Kevin and Randall’s father.

“This is Us” did a good job of making it seem like all of the scenes took place during the same time frame, when in fact, Jack’s scenes happened in the past. I really like how producer Dan Fogelman used a similar setup as his film, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” It hits a lot of the same feels as “Parenthood” and “Gilmore Girls.” As a matter of fact, “Gilmore Girls” star Milo Ventimiglia plays the role of Jack, but is barely recognizable under his lumberjack beard. The cast is also composed of Mandy Moore as Jack’s wife and Sterling K. Brown as Randall.

The second episode focused more on Kate, Kevin and Randall’s lives today while also flashing back to when their parents were their age. I really like the use of these old memories and how they weave them with the characters’ current situations. This episode helped the audience grow even closer to the “Big Three” and desire the siblings’ tight bond.

“This is Us” will resume in two weeks. It airs every Tuesday at 10 p.m. on NBC.

Share