I ventured off to Paley today for my annual pilot viewing adventure and when I saw the pilot for This is Us I cried. 
 

Yes, it was ultimately an emotional pilot that had an excellent twist that didn’t rely on shock and awe but played into the raw realness of the characters. A rarity for television these days that loves to latch on to the surprise ending “no one saw coming” because it brings the viewers and doesn’t necessarily propel the story. 

Instead, This Is Us used its highly secretive twist to bring the pieces together and give their story life. The characters felt real and no actor was miscast. Another rarity in its self in the world of Broadcast TV that is trying to latch onto any piece of relevance it may have left in a world of streaming media and binging. This serves as a reminder in a sea of remakes and the same old formula hospital drama, cop drama, etc, that Broadcast still has its original gems, we just need to find them. For this I cried. 

I don’t view TV as something to watch or entertain. It was my friend, my sibling, and my parent when I was growing up and I see it as pieces of art. I haven’t found a masterpiece that moved me in a long time, and this pilot was one of them. 

Story telling comes a long way in the world of “I want it now” binge tv culture and I want something steady, easily done, properly cast and ultimately a way to feel without having to think of the real world; An escape so you can let out your feelings without having to go back to reality is sometimes just what the doctor ordered and I’m going to ask for the prescription.