If you missed the first episode of the brand new series This is Us, don’t worry, you still have a chance to watch it on DStv Catch Up on your PVR, DStv Explora, Catch Up Plus on Exploras connected to the internet, and Catch Up on DStv Now online. There are major spoilers of the premiere below, so if you haven’t watched the first episode yet don’t read on (spoiler alert).
The provocative drama that started this Monday, 29 May on M-Net channel 101 at 19:45, already has some fans and it’s all because of its relatable central theme: that life is anything but easy and family is anything but simple. Here’s a quick recap on the first episode:
An excited- and very naked- Jack Pearson eagerly awaits a surprise from his wife, Rebecca who is heavily pregnant and quite exhausted. It’s Jack’s birthday and he’s adamant that Rebecca uphold their tradition: a sexy song and dance. Unfortunately for the happy couple, Rebecca’s water breaks and the triplets they’ve both been expecting are ready to come out.
Elsewhere in the world, Kate opens her fridge and stares longingly at her birthday cake, just barley resisting its frosty goodness. In the city, a hardworking Randall is busy at his laptop when his co-workers come in with a surprise birthday gesture, making him break out into a smile. Someone who isn’t smiling is Kevin, a hunky actor who’s holed up in his bedroom with two model beauties that can’t seem to cheer him up even after he admits that it’s his birthday. All three of them are turning 36.
Back at the hospital, Rebecca’s ready to give birth but goes into distress and the couple lose one of the babies. A devastated Jack must break the news to his wife, but not before their doctor gives him a valuable piece of advice: “I’d like to think that you…took the sourest lemon that life has to offer and turned it into something resembling lemonade.” Mulling over this, Jack finds himself in the hospital nursery looking through the glass at his two new babies. A fireman standing nearby tells him that a newborn was left at the station that morning, a startling but seemingly fated coincidence. We see the wheels turning in Jack’s head, as he looks over at the abandoned baby.
Kate is struggling to lose weight and meets a fellow stalwart at an Overeater’s Anonymous meeting, Randall has just found his biological father and though feeling mixed emotions, takes him home to meet his family, and Kevin is starting to feel like a typecast in Hollywood, leading him to quit his successful role on a sitcom. Through a series of intertwining stories- both past and present- we discover that these three are siblings and their parents are in fact Rebecca and Jack. Having lost their third baby, the couple adopted Randall that same day at the hospital.
And just like that, This Is Us proves that we all have stories to tell: from losing a child at birth to battling the scale; to questioning career choices and finding your long lost father. A family story about life journeys and its many, many twists, the first episode is a slice-of-life dramedy that may leave you wanting to share your own story.
This is Us episode 2 is scheduled to air next Monday, 5 June at 19:30. In episode two, Kate (Golden Globe-nominee Chrissy Metz) remains furiously dedicated to her weight loss goals, while struggling with a little impatience and a lot of discouragement.
Get to know more about This is Us, visit m-net.dstv.com/show/this-is-us and you can also view the first episode roundtable discussion featuring the cast and creator m-net.dstv.com/video/this-is-us-s1e1-the-cast-gets-real. Follow M-Net on Twitter @MNet (#thisisus101 #MNet101) and Facebook www.facebook.com/MNet
