Spoiler Alert: If you watch This Is Us and you HAVEN’T watched this week’s episode, do not read any further. Stop what you are doing and go watch. We’ll still be here when you’re done. Go on, get to it.

It has long been established that we are Gilmore Girls in training. We love Lorelai and Rory and we’re even willing to forgive those last four words given all the other greatness we received in 7 seasons. And, of course, when you love a show like we love Gilmore Girls everyone who was involved forever is granted our love as well.

So by extension, This Is Us falls under that umbrella much like Parenthood did as well since the lovely actor Milo Ventimiglia and the amazing Lauren Graham star in these shows, respectively. It also should go without saying that both of these series were/are fabulous in their own right.

When you have a TV series that doesn’t disappoint week after week it is given some rarified space in my schedule. I don’t always get to see shows live but my favorites get watched no matter what!

Typically, I like to watch This Is Us in a specific environment also known as alone. I like to cry in peace without an audience. I like to have the volume turned up so I don’t miss a word. I like to be able to revel in every delicious minute, especially those Pearson kids when they are little. Too much cuteness. And then there’s Jack and Rebecca. If that’s not relationship goals — minus his premature death and alluded to drinking problem — then I don’t know anything!!

But this week, I broke my viewing protocol. I have been really busy and multi-tasking has become a necessity. So I opted to watch while on the treadmill.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. This was such a bad choice for so many reasons.

First off, I missed words because no matter how loud the TV is my huffing and puffing and the whirr of the treadmill are always louder.

Second, I lost focus. The huffing and the puffing and the running hard made me zone out a little. There is a reason I say you only watch shows with shallow plots and nothing really deep while running.

And, probably, the most important reason it was a bad choice was that when I saw that Kevin had an EX-WIFE and that he just showed up at her door, I darn near ran off the treadmill. It wasn’t good. And then the running off the treadmill meant that I, again, missed words and lost focus. It’s a vicious circle I tell you.

My issues were only compounded when I started to cry watching Kate go from drumming her heart out to screaming her head off. Not only did I almost trip but I also could barely see to recover my balance and safety.

This, people, is why some TV shows come with rules. They are important. They are not to be broken. You cannot deviate. It’s a matter of safety and possibly sanity.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,
Lowi & G