As season 6 of ‘This is Us’ comes to a close, our love for the male cast within this series only grows in the final episodes as Rebecca Pearson is finally reunited with her husband who died from a heart attack following a house fire.
Jack Pearson is not only the husband that we fantasise over, with his rugged look and charming behaviour. He is also the man that many relate to– unapologetically human as he makes countless mistakes and learns that the perfect man may not always demonstrate a lack of emotion, or consistent heroism. Although in true Pearson fashion, even Jack’s flaws act as an aphrodisiac for all.
The power of ‘This is Us’ lies in the way it seamlessly transitions through various eras in all the characters’ lives, while at the end of every episode the screen play introduces a subtle life lesson that all of these scenes relate to. The brutally honest nature of this series can draw tears, make you giggle at the characters quirks and niche attributes, all while alerting us to many crucial topics such as mental illness and Black culture.
The significance of this series definably lies in its male narratives, involving the relationships between husband and wife, father and sons, brothers, and friends. We see all the male characters progress from boys to men as they develop in love, life and learning to process all their emotions. Unlike other series, these progressions are handled in a way which allows men to be both successful and vulnerable, perform heroisms but whose standards remain obtainable and henceforth mortal. The sons of Rebecca and Jack are proof enough of this statement, where their relationships with partners and family are witnessed to compromise and strain, however both men still form successful careers besides their challenging upbringing and daily tribulations. Particularly in the instance of Kevin, oldest sibling of the ‘Big 3’, whose blossoming and well-paid acting career stems from a debilitating knee injury, the loss of a father and mentor, as well as an early broken marriage. From here he battles with the same alcohol addiction as his father, but he overcomes this hurdle to go onto more charitable endeavours with the use of his excess ‘movie star’ funding.
This narrative may also be translated into the other male sibling, Randal, who having been adopted by the Pearson’s at birth, goes onto successfully foster and adopt his daughter Deja, while also assailing to Senator status. Although the series advocates for these strong male characters who can overcome their strife, this optimistic lens that has captured the life of the Pearson’s, creates a somewhat fairy-tale portrayal of a life that was shrouded in harsh realities. The screen play seems to be devised to satisfy the audiences appetite for happy endings while also reassuring them that men may also bare witness to struggle.
Within the intertwined stories of each character, Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) is at the forefront of all their anecdotes. In an interview with Milo, by Patrick Gomez, he is asked about the fact that the audience place Jack Pearson on a pedestal. Milo talked of how magical the influence that Pearson has had, instilling hope and inspiration into the viewers. And that while he was proud of the series stepping away from a lot of toxicity, it did not mean that men should be any less masculine. The only downfall was that the audience had simultaneously placed himself and Jack on a pedestal.
The dichotomy of toxic masculinity and substantial male role models that is presented in this series has created something so relative that as the audience, we do not feel so far removed.