We've known for awhile now how 'Jack,' the near-saintly patriarch of NBC's hit drama "This Is Us," perished. At least we've been able to connect the dots given us since the start of this, the show's second, season.
Like many of you, I watched last night's episode with nervous angst, wondering if we were going to get to that part of the Pearson family's story arch. As each commercial break came, and my DVR's little green bar at the bottom kept creeping to 59:59, I started to get a sense of relief that we weren't going to be subjected to such heartache for this episode.
Then came the preview for the post-Super Bowl episode. It was just too real for me.
When I was 11, we lost our home to a fire that began from a power surge and faulty old electrical wiring. We lost two cats, and were fortunate really those were the only lives taken. See, it was MY dad, who came home from an overnight shift at his job, who alerted us all to get out of the house. It was he who helped to get my Alzheimer's' Disease-riddled grandfather and my immobile (from a recent spinal surgery) grandmother out to safety. He woke me and my sister and my mother up and got us out to safety across the street.
That was more than 30 years ago, so details are sketchy for me now, but I have a sense that somehow, in the Pearsons' case, it's going to be "Dad" who saves everyone - much like in my family's case - with the notable exception that my Dad survived our ordeal.
It's hard to explain to those who don't watch this show how powerful the emotional moments are. I can't even get my better half to watch it. "I don't want to be emotional over a TV show; I don't want to 'feel' these things," I'm told.
I kinda get it; and having seen previews for the next episode, I'm a little nervous for what it'll do to me.
I'm also more than a little perturbed NBC moved this one particular episode from it's normal Tuesday prime time slot to follow the Super Bowl. Not cool, NBC. Not. Cool.