This Is Us: An Analysis of Mediated Family Communication at End-of-Life

• Published in: Omega: Journal of Death and Dying Vol. 87; no. 4; pp. 1238 - 1258
• Main Authors: Nickels, Bonnie M., Tenzek, Kelly E., Lattimer, Tahleen A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-09-2023; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Communication; Death & dying; Drama; End of life decisions; Family system perspective; Interdependence; Life experiences; Television; Viewers; end-of-life; family systems; final conversations; family communication
• ISSN: 0030-2228; 1541-3764
• DOI: 10.1177/00302228211036307

Death is a ubiquitous theme in television dramas and we argued that mediated depictions of end-of-life experiences have the potential to provide glimpses into the ways in which characters experience real-life issues and can serve as conversation starters within family viewers. The study aimed to identify how a popular television drama, This is Us, depicted end-of-life communication. Analysis of season one revealed 54 conversations about end-of-life, two explicit death scenes, and three implied death scenes. Results also illustrate how the storyline within the show clearly depicts the impact end-of-life has on the family system, emphasizing the ongoing interdependence, hierarchy, and boundary (re)negotiation as a result of death. Findings advance understanding of how mediated narratives can illustrate end-of-life scenarios and conversations within the family system and can provide observational opportunities for modeling end-of-life communication behaviors within their families.