Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

This Is Us is genuinely good television—well-written, well-acted, and emotionally intelligent in ways that network dramas rarely achieve. The critical acclaim (94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.7 on IMDb) is earned.

But let's be real: this is not light viewing. This show will emotionally wreck you, repeatedly, and it knows exactly what it's doing. The slow cooker episode became a cultural moment because it traumatized an entire nation. If you or your teen are in a good emotional place and ready for heavy themes about family, loss, and identity, this is enriching and worthwhile.

For families with teens 14+, it's actually an excellent co-viewing experience—the kind of show that sparks real conversations about relationships, identity, and how we show up for each other. Just go in with tissues and emotional preparation.

The show hasn't aged poorly (it's only from 2016), and it remains engaging and relevant. The WISE score reflects that it's excellent at what it does, but what it does is emotionally demanding, which limits its universal appeal and requires the right audience at the right time.

Age Fit

This is solidly teen-and-up territory (14+), and honestly, it's really an adult show that mature teens can handle. The emotional content is intense and requires life experience to fully appreciate. Adults will get the most out of it, especially parents navigating their own family dynamics.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

88

This Is Us is fundamentally about family bonds, unconditional love, and navigating life's challenges together. The show models healthy communication, emotional vulnerability, and genuine care between family members. It handles difficult topics (addiction, loss, identity) with nuance and compassion. However, the emotional intensity can be overwhelming—this is a 'cry every episode' show that deals with heavy themes including death, grief, and trauma. The pacing is deliberate and character-focused rather than chaotic.

Imaginative

72

The show's narrative structure is genuinely creative—weaving between multiple timelines (past, present, future) to reveal how family experiences shape identity. The non-linear storytelling invites viewers to piece together connections and see how small moments ripple across decades. That said, it's a grounded family drama, not fantasy or speculative fiction. It sparks reflection and emotional imagination rather than world-building or creative play. The storytelling technique itself is the imaginative element here.

Safe

58

This is where This Is Us gets complicated for families. The show contains significant trigger content: unexpected character deaths (including a major one that's devastating), house fire trauma, addiction storylines, miscarriage, stillbirth, and intense grief. There are occasional brief sexual situations and some language. Common Sense Media rates it 14+, which feels right. This isn't 'surprise gore' unsafe, but it IS 'surprise emotional devastation' unsafe—you can't casually put this on without knowing heavy content is coming. For teens and adults who know what they're signing up for, it's emotionally safe in the sense of being thoughtfully handled, but younger viewers or those sensitive to loss/trauma should approach with caution.

Enriching

85

This Is Us excels at building empathy and exploring complex family dynamics. It tackles adoption, transracial family identity, body image, addiction recovery, career vs. family balance, sibling rivalry, and aging parents with unusual depth for network TV. The show encourages viewers to think about how childhood experiences shape adult behavior, how to repair relationships, and how to show up for people you love. It's genuinely moving and thought-provoking. The multi-generational perspective offers insights for both teens and adults. However, it can veer into melodrama, and the emotional manipulation is real—this show WILL make you cry, and it knows it.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely explores complex family dynamics—adoption, identity, sibling relationships, aging parents—with unusual depth and nuance for network television
The non-linear storytelling across multiple timelines is clever and emotionally resonant, showing how small moments shape entire lives
Models healthy emotional vulnerability and communication within families, showing characters going to therapy, apologizing, and working through conflict
Tackles serious issues (addiction, body image, racial identity, grief) thoughtfully and with care, making it excellent fodder for family discussions with teens
Strong performances and writing that earned it critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase for good reason

⚠

What to Watch For

This show WILL devastate you emotionally—major character deaths, house fire trauma, miscarriage, stillbirth, and pervasive grief are central to the plot
Some sexual situations and language (though relatively mild for a drama), plus storylines involving addiction and recovery
The emotional manipulation is real—this show knows exactly how to make you sob, and it does it intentionally and frequently
Not something you can half-watch while scrolling your phone; it demands attention and emotional investment, which can be exhausting

Conversation Starters

"Which character do you relate to most, and why? What about their story feels familiar to you?"
"The show explores how our childhood experiences shape who we become as adults. Can you think of moments from your childhood that still affect you today?"
"How does the Pearson family handle conflict differently than our family? What could we learn from them?"
"The show deals with some really heavy topics like death and addiction. How did those storylines make you feel? Was there anything that felt too intense?"
"If you could see your own life across different timelines like this show does, what moments would you want to revisit or understand better?"

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