My Sons, Jack Pearson, and the Raising of Good Men
Peter and I were a little late in getting started as fans of NBC’s This Is Us, but like many viewers (most of America, it seems), it didn’t take us long to love the Pearsons. Peter is my youngest son, now 23 years old, and the two of us started watching together several years ago, when the show was entering its second season. He was then just 16.
It’s an unlikely show for a teenage boy to latch on to, but the timing was just right. Not so long before, his father and I had separated. Peter and I were living in a new townhouse in Pittsburgh, a transition that we were cautiously enjoying. Before we’d moved, my son tempted me into watching Game of Thrones with him. I reluctantly agreed, thinking a fantastical story like that was out of my breadth. It was violent. It was a strange blend historical fiction and science fiction. Just not my thing. But because it was important to me that we share our lives, I watched. Then, I engaged. Then, I was hooked.
Watching This Is Us came about in rather the same way. As native Pittsburghers, it was impossible to avoid the deluge of information about the show’s setting. We’d overhear people talk about the Pearsons’ love of the Steelers, Rebecca and Jack on a date at Froggy’s, and more. And Peter is an actor, or, studying to be an actor, so he enjoys watching a character-driven piece. We were a year late to the “new” stuff, so we also had the luxury of watching on Hulu once all of season one was in the world.
We settled in for the first episode, sharing a hot pizza and some quality mother & son time during a break from Game of Thrones. From episode one, Peter was taken with the care and attention Jack gave to fatherhood. I was less paying attention to that, but thrilled to see an adoption story playing out with thoughtfulness and sensitivity.
We took a one-night breather after that first episode stunned us both, and agreed to watch episode 2 the following evening.
Over the course of the next several weeks, we unwound a full season. Dipping our toes into the show every few days, when we had time together, was a pleasure. It may seem saccharine, but getting to spend time with my teenager, even if it is sharing an hour-long drama, was precious stuff. The fact that we sat together and discussed the journey of this fictional family for another hour after the show was even better. Peter is the kind of kid who would treat me to, while we were on a hike or bike ride together, questions like, “If you could design your own Hunger Games challenge, what would it be like?” and we’d set off on a detailed discussion of the whole game. Taking on dissecting the Pearsons brought about insights from my son I hadn’t even considered.