You’ll have to forgive me for my absence. I’ve been grieving the loss of a friend. (A fictional friend.) But a friend, no less.
His name was Jack Pearson. He died on Sunday evening after the Super Bowl, well I guess he technically died a long time ago, but Sunday was when I actually had to relive in. Fictionally speaking, of course. Jack isn’t real.
I have to keep reminding myself that, but it just isn’t sticking.
Jack isn’t real. Jack is a character. What is wrong with you.
As I’ve said before, I don’t even love the show This Is Us. But yes, I watch it. And yes, I cry. And yes, it’s annoying every single time it happens.
And I’ve got to say, in Sunday’s episode those writers really pulled out some cheap tricks while making us watch our beloved Jack die.
Oh no, that’s the last look Jack ever gave Kate. And oh no, the last thing he said to Rebecca was, “you’re in front of the TV.” Oh no, Randall just saw his dad for the last time.
The list goes on and on with all of the little, oh no it’s the last time…. seeds the writers planted in the episode. They’d freeze the frame just a half second longer to make sure we all had to twist the knife inside of our heart just a little more to the left. Then back to the right. And then left again because Rebecca just saw Jack dead and now it’s real and now we all have to deal with this mess.
That was a powerful scene. I watched it twice and felt gutted both times. Not to mention my house fire anxiety is through the roof right now (which was already high to begin with.) There will be no crock pots allowed in this house ever again. Or candles, toasters, coffeemakers, curling irons, anything that causes extreme heat will be thrown out. It’s just not worth the risk.
Not worth losing Jack.
Oh my God Jack. I can’t believe he’s gone. (See this what I do.) I’ve even gone down the what-if spiral. Like what if those old neighbors hadn’t moved and given away their janky ass crock pot? Or what if the Pearsons never took it. Or what it I have some issues dealing with what is fiction and what is not and I probably need to get a grip on reality? WHAT IF?
I’ve lost fictional friends before, it’s just been awhile.
Let’s take a look at some of my favorites:
Ellie, Up. BROKE. ME. Most devastating intro to a movie ever.
Wilson, Castaway. Because he was like a dog to me.
Jack Dawson, Titanic. I have a thing for Jacks.
Thomas, My Girl. HE NEEDS HIS GLASSES.
Neil, Dead Poet’s Society. I struggled to accept this one for YEARS. I still struggle.
Denny, Grey’s Anatomy. Now he’s a Walking Dead psycho.
Casper, Casper. The scene where he shows Christina Ricci his toy room. I LOST IT. He was too young to die.
Christina Ricci’s mom in Now And Then. Why’d she have to die?!?! Why??
Haley Joel Osment, Pay It Forward. Very unnecessary death, in my opinion.
Hillary Whitney, Beaches. Mostly because of Bette singing Wind Beneath My Wings. And also because of Pouncer Pounce the Wonder Cat.
Any animal death in any movie ever.
Well this has been uplifting!
Let’s call it a day now before I can’t get anything else done. What fictional friends did I miss? There’s got to be at least 1000 more.
Don’t watch “Hachi.” My mom made us watch that movie right before I had to go to work a few years ago. I had to explain to my coworkers that no, I wasn’t crying because of the death anyone I knew. It was a movie based on a true story from Japan. And it happened many many years ago. Ugh. Gutted.
Isn’t that about a dog and Richard Gere is in it??
Yep.
I’m already getting anxiety over this.
also my apologies for these weird ads showing up here ^^^^ working on taking them down as we speak.
Matthew in Anne of Green Gables. I cry every single time I read the book or watch the PBS show.
Omgggggg I forgot about how much bawled my face off in My Girl! Now and Then broke me. What about Simon Birch???
Omg, Simon Birch was DEVASTATING.
Yes, YES! Jack! Oh, how I love This Is US!
I honestly had to a) read the specifics of how he died before watching and b) semi-fast forward through the rough scenes. I like a good cry and dramatic shows, but that felt like gratuitously watching a train crash, part of me wanted to skip the episode all together. Other fictional deaths I took hard {spoiler alerts??}: Mark Greene on ER – legitimately depressed. Also, Susan Sarandon in Stepmom, Beth in Little Women, Sybil in Downton Abbey, Will in The Good Wife…. I could go on but I’ll stop there 😉
I don’t know what it is… I cry during death scenes in movies/TV… but was EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATED during My Dog Skip, Marley and Me, and also- cried like a baby when Milo and Otis got separated. I have to assume they found each other at the end. I was too distraught to keep watching.
Im not allowed to watch the series finale of Dawson’s Creek because I was literally DEPRESSED for like a week after – my parents were v concerned about me- :))
My timeline is always talking about this show. I’ve been wanting to watch it, but I have been advised to only watch it at home and not at work or in public lol. I’m an ugly crier so I guess thats for the best. I think I’m gonna start it soon.
Maybe a love spell would have saved Jack? Haven’t brought myself to watch the episode yet.
This show makes me cry nearly every episode! You missed when Jen died in Dawson’s Creek…
Oh my goodness that show is something else! My eyes start welling up with tears sometimes the minute Jack comes on the screen. Such a good show. I was just saying the other day how could anyone not like this show? If you don’t like this show you have no soul!! LOL
Julia Roberts as Shelby in Steel Magnolias. The funeral scene gets me every. single. time. Like the snot everywhere crying.
Isn’t it strange how real these fake or unreal people become to us
I was doing okay until you mentioned Christina Ricci’s mom in Now and Then. All of these make me SO SAD but her mom? UGH that scene! I can’t handle it!
I watched the fire with a firefighter (aka my hubby) and was asking him how realistic that was and what to do if our house caught on fire
and what did he say??
He said it was pretty realistic you would want to shut doors to cut off oxygen to slow it down from spreading but he said he figured the smoked would have done damage to his lungs
ok but “wilson- he was like a dog to me” fucking cracked me UP. because, RIGHT?!? Also, I managed to put a lot of these deaths on the backburner and now I’m just over here sobbing THOMAS J. CASPER. NEIL. DENNY!! ugh.
I honestly want to contribute more but then I’m like no I don’t feel like wracking my brain for emotional ly disturbing deaths.
But of course, Mufasa reigns king.
but two deaths that have messed with me was M****** from House of Cards (I really don’t want to spoil this for anyone HAHA) and also, Marshall’s dad in How I Met Your Mother.