No. Not the end, as in the end of the world. (Though that could certainly be inbound - as of this writing, all bets are off.) I’m talking about the end of something that has been a roller coaster of emotions, a source of countless serious discussions, and the subject of more than one argument. Yes, I’m referring to the end of... (gulp!) This is Us.

For many, perhaps most, of the people on this big, slap-happy planet of ours, that means nothing. Less than nothing. To them, if they are even aware of the NBC program, it is a ridiculous and trivial pursuit, a prime-time soap opera with so-so acting, an excuse to sit on the couch and eat popcorn on a Tuesday evening. While it is, arguably, all of those things, it is also, to a select few This is Us followers (aka - “the sappy ones”), a source of great dramatic entertainment.

Personally, I would emphasize dramatic. Sometimes it’s entertaining. Sometimes not. In fact, Season 4, imo, jumped the shark. Yet, remarkably - a testament to the show’s quality - it jumped back over the shark and, somehow, got back on track. I was astounded.

I offer the following explanation for why this could be - at least for me - the best series of all time.

For the sappy ones (like myself) who are already depressed about the approach of the final episode on May 24, as well as those who are majorly not fans and who think it majorly bites, I offer the following explanation for why this could be - at least for me - the best series of all time.

Backstory

The backstory - not of the program storyline, but of my attachment to it - involves a common conundrum: having nothing else to watch. Even worse, having nothing else to do. Remember back in the run-for-the-hills phase of the pandemic when we were basically sequestered in our homes and were forced to spend our evenings quivering in fear of contracting a sneaky and reportedly deadly virus at any moment even without speaking to or seeing another human being all day? Yeah, me neither. But I do remember the lockdown and being really, really BORED.

Enter binging. My wife, Fran and I binged on New Amsterdam (Quick review: good first season, followed by a stumbling belly flop - it couldn’t even manage to jump the shark - followed by... more seasons. We still watch, but I verbally abuse the writers, question the morals, and do a lot of head shaking.) We also binged Naked and Afraid. (Quick review: dang, that would suck to be both naked AND afraid. Veteran tip: always boil your water and make a shelter for when it rains - cause it’s gonna.) Then we discovered (cue heavenly choir...) This is Us.

I was immediately hooked for three reasons.

1. The Music.

The theme and background music is THE BEST! I love it! I listen to it on iTunes while I write. It’s like an audio portrait of time. You can hear time passing, feel the current of time, and sense the sadness that time likes to drape over us. Siddhartha Khosla is a genius.

You can hear time passing, feel the current of time, and sense the sadness that time likes to drape over us.

In addition, the song they choose for the montage at the end of each episode is ALWAYS a tear-jerker. Even if the acting is blah or the story is meh, that song grabs you and demands that you cry. I try not to. I’m a (sniff!) man.

2. The Storytelling

Here I’m specifically talking about the flashback method. I don’t know, but I highly suspect that the writers knew in advance where they were going. This wasn’t just a situation where they had an idea, developed characters and then, each week, sat around a table and said: “So... what should we have Jack do this time?”

It’s like a good novel. Like a good movie. There’s forward movement. We’re going somewhere with the characters. They know this. We know this. And it’s a journey we are all invested in.

We’re going somewhere with the characters. They know this. We know this. And it’s a journey we are all invested in.

Not every episode is a home run. Not by any means. Some of them are borderline crappy. But the overall arc of the story is so well orchestrated. It grabs your heart. At least, it grabs mine.

3. It’s About Us

Strangely, I’m not crazy about the characters. But the story is about us: it’s humankind plodding along, sometimes celebrating, sometimes mourning, sometimes victorious, often defeated, wandering and hoping, making mistakes... And back to that issue of time - this series allows you to see it happening, just as it is happening in your own life. The events that take place are messy, ugly, difficult, and occasionally beautiful. Love and family are what keeps the story afloat and moves it along.

I’ll be sad to see the finale and bid farewell to the Pearson family. But it is fitting that the story has an end. All stories do.

I’m tempted to say the secret sauce is the music. (A-mazing!) Or the writing. (I only wish I could...) Both are incredible. But when you combine them with a saga that is something we can all identify with - the loss of a child, the adoption of a son, sibling rivalries and sibling support, divorce, sudden horrific events that ruin expectations, moral confusion, insecurities, premature death, family relationships that challenge and commit to be there...

This is Us isn’t perfect. I think that’s why it’s one of my favorite shows of all time. I’ll be sad to see the finale and bid farewell to the Pearson family of Pittsburgh, PA. But it is fitting that the story has an end. All stories do. That’s how life is. Things change. Time flows, advances… Then comes the end.