Weight continues to be one of the more taboo topics that are often not discussed on network television. Last year's breakout drama series, "This Is Us," placed it in the forefront of the story, with one-third of the show's leading characters being an overweight woman in her 30's, dealing with her health and lack of a romantic life. Throughout the first season of the Dan Fogelman-created series, viewers saw how Kate Pearson, played by chrissy metz, struggled with her weight even as a child.
The series offered poignant moments such as a teenage Kate (played by Mackenzie Hancsicsak) comparing her clothing size (XL) to her mother's (S) and being body-shamed by her peers at a public pool.
As a grown up Kate, she also experienced odd looks from people at parties, especially one she attended with her also an overweight boyfriend, Toby, who drags her to the dance floor. Back in November, Metz told TVLine that Kate's life is "parallel to my life" and that Kate's script really spoke to her. More recently, she spoke out about how one of her first scenes on the show was the one that truly resonated with TV viewers.
Chrissy Metz on her first scene
When "This is Us" premiered and introduced the five main characters of the series, viewers got to know Kate, an overweight woman who just turned 36, struggling to get healthy. She's seen taking off her clothes to get on a weighing scale, but not before removing her earrings.
She told Entertainment Weekly that it was that particular scene that really resonated with viewers. She explained, "I just don’t think we’ve seen a scene or a body shape like mine or a scene like that on network television in a real and raw way but not specifically only focused on weight.
So, no pun intended, there was the bigger picture to it."
Kate Pearson to deal with personal issues
In "This is Us" season 2, viewers are expecting to see more of Kate as she deals with personal issues. She and her now fiance Toby recently got engaged but are not rushing to get married anytime soon, and are also recovering from Toby's heart attack.
Meanwhile, Kate is also looking to pursue her passion of singing, a talent she inherited from her mother.
When the show returns this September 26, viewers will also get to see Kate's twin brothers, Kevin and Randall, as they go through their own journeys and piece together the answers that viewers have posed, such as how their father Jack died and why Kate thinks it was her fault that he passed away. "This is Us" season 2 premieres on September 26 on NBC.
