Category Archives: Blog

Privacy Please is an ongoing series exploring the ways privacy is violated in the modern world, and what can be done about it.

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Google Street View offers up a window to the world in all its bizarre, intimate, and often raw glory. That window just so happens to peek into your home, as well. What that peek reveals may be more than you’ve bargained for — think views into bedroom windows, potential fodder for stalkers, and more.

Thankfully, there is something you can do about it. Specifically, you can ask Google to permanently blur your house out — leaving only a smeared suggestion of a building in its place. The entire process is surprisingly easy.

As the name would suggest, Street View, launched in 2007, provides a street-level view of many cities and towns around the world. Captured by roving vehicles and individual photographers equipped with camera-laden backpacks, the service has been controversial from the start — both in the ways you might imagine, and ways you might not.

In 2008, the Minnesota suburb of North Oaks decided it didn’t want pictures of it up on Google’s service, and threatened to cite Google for trespassing. Google pulled the images down.

In 2009, the lobbying organization Privacy International filed a formal complaint to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) alleging that Google failed to properly de-identify the people it captured. As a BBC report at the time noted, that type of failure could have serious repercussions.

“Among them were a woman who had moved house to escape a violent partner but who was recognisable outside her new home on Street View,” read the article, describing complaints made to Privacy International. “Also complaining were two colleagues pictured in an apparently compromising position who suffered embarrassment when the image was circulated at their workplace.”

And that’s just the obvious stuff.

Google has never exactly been a steward of anyones’ privacy. In 2010, the company admitted that its Street View vehicles — the ones endlessly circling neighborhoods around the world — had secretly been collecting information from unencrypted WiFi networks they drove past for years.

So maybe you’re worried about an online stalker, maybe you don’t want strangers peering in your windows, or maybe you value privacy for its own sake and simply don’t think Google should have indexed and digitized photos of your home available for all to see. Whatever the reason, it’s relatively easy to request Google blur out the image of your home or apartment on Google Street View.

Here’s what you do:

1. Go to Google Maps and enter your home address

2. Enter into Street View mode by dragging the small yellow human-shaped icon, found in the bottom-right corner of the screen, onto the map in front of your house

3. With your house in view, click “Report a problem” in the bottom-right corner of the screen

4. Center the red box on your home, and select “My home” in the “Request blurring” field

5. Write in the provided field why you want the image blurred (for example, you may be concerned about safety issues)

6. Enter in your email address, and click “Submit”

Importantly, be sure it’s what you want. Google warns you that once it has blurred your house on Street View “it is permanent.”

Don’t forget, though, you live in the place. If you ever need to be reminded of what it looks like, presumably you can go outside and see for yourself.

After you hit “submit,” you should receive an email from Google noting that it’s “reviewing the image you reported and will email you when your request is resolved.” The company may follow up, via email, and ask you to be more specific about the area you want blurred. If so, you will need to do the entire process again — clearly detailing the specific area of the picture you want blurred.

That’s it.

SEE ALSO: 7 Google privacy settings you should enable now

It’s not clear exactly how long Google takes to process the requests, so you might as well get started now. And, when you’re done with that, do the same thing on Bing Maps (the process is surprisingly similar) — it’s not like Microsoft should get any special treatment, after all.

First thing’s first — you don’t need any products to masturbate, just your body and a positive, horny attitude. (And sometimes, not even the latter.)

But let’s not pretend like your environment doesn’t matter when you’re getting it on with yourself. You’re too stressed out? Even your vibrator’s highest setting might not hold the answers. You can hear your neighbors perfectly through the wall? All of a sudden, your me-time might feel a lot less intimate. As much as it’d be great to get to touching yourself and letting the rest melt away, sometimes, you might need a little extra help.

“Masturbation starts from just feeling good about yourself,” says Anna Lee, co-founder of the smart vibrator brand Lioness. “Like feeling in a good mood or a good place. [Masturbation] is not even [about] starting with genitalia or anything like that.”

Instead, she says it’s about getting into that mindset of, “what makes me relaxed, what makes me comfortable, what makes me feel safe?”

Finding that just right mix of factors for what turns you on and lets you feel relaxed enough to devote time to yourself might involve some trial and error. But to give you a place to begin, we’ve come up with some masturbation starter packs, whether you’re the person who can hear your neighbors too clearly or prefer some textual stimulation, to name a couple of our many suggestions.

Check out the starter pack you identify with below, and gather some inspiration for the next time you have some you-time.

For the masturbation beginner

It’s no secret that masturbation has plenty of stigma around it, regardless of your gender. Though again, you certainly don’t need to purchase any extras to enjoy your own body, there are a few products that can help you overcome any hang ups and have an extra pleasurable experience.

The first and maybe most versatile — lube. Whether or not you choose to incorporate sex toys, adding some lube and taking away some friction is usually the way to go. It’s hard to miss with a good water-based lube, though silicone is the longest lasting (just remember to never use silicone lube with silicone toys).

As for picking out a sex toy, that has a lot to do with personal preference, but we’ve already got you covered with a handy guide. When it’s time to clean up, you’ll want to pay attention to any care instructions that come with your specific sex toy, but most are fine with warm water and soap — castile is an especially good (and affordable) option that’s safe to use.

For the thin-walled apartment dweller

At any given moment, this person knows more about their roommates and their neighbors than they’d ever probably want to. The knowledge that that relationship probably goes both ways isn’t the most conducive to for them to get off stress-free. Instead of waiting for everyone to step out, we have a few close-quartered tips.

A small Bluetooth speaker is any easy addition to your space and a great way to drown out any sounds you might make. For some extra help blocking out any distraction, a small pair of noise cancelling earbuds, like AirPods Pro or Beats Studio Buds will do the trick. Smaller lipstick or bullet vibes like Dame’s Kip are also great for keeping things quiet while still packing a punch.

For the mindful meditator

If mindfulness is about taking the time to focus inward and ground yourself in your present moment, what better way to do that than masturbating? You can practice meditative masturbation with guided audio erotica, from services like Dipsea or Emjoy. Or, if you prefer to follow your own breath and body, you can focus on setting the right environment. Light a candle or two or get a diffuser and fill it with your favorite scents.

For the person with a few kinks

You don’t need a partner to indulge in a bit of BDSM. Have some fun and blindfold yourself. Get dressed in a garter, harness, or lingerie, just for yourself. Invest in a sex toy storage box to hold all your most special sex toys. If you like being told what to do, there’s plenty of guided erotica to check out (which you can find on some of the same apps mentioned above, which isn’t surprising considering the link between BDSM and mindfulness). Once you’re done, don’t forget the aftercare, whether that be a hot shower, putting on some lotion, or watching your favorite comfort show or movie.

For the person in need of serious unwinding

Yes, masturbation can help you relax, but if you’re feeling really stressed, taking a few extra measures to add a little calm to your me-time probably won’t hurt. If you have access to a tub, taking a bubble bath (whether you want to go luxury or budget bubbles) can do wonders. Factor in a relaxing beverage, like wine (a subscription means you’ll always have something to try on hand) or a cannabis seltzer, and a waterproof vibrator to enjoy right in the bath and you’ll be plenty relaxed in no time at all.

For the person super into their fitness goals

While maybe it’s a bit easier to get your heart rate up with a partner, masturbation still offers plenty of opportunity to see how it affects your body. A fitness tracker like the Amazfit Bip U won’t break the bank and can let you see how getting off more can lower your stress levels. If you want to get more sexually specific, the Lioness vibrator was designed to do what a fitness trackers do, but for pelvic floor movements and orgasms.

And since this person is definitely into treating their body its absolute best, of course they’ll want to stay hydrated during any strenuous physical activity — that’s why we recommend investing in a nice reusable water bottle that’ll last.

For the book lover

People love spicy books and for good reason — the brain, after all, is one powerful sex organ. If you don’t have the room on your bookshelf for all your favorite titles, an e-reader classic like the Kindle can be your saving grace. Sex tech has advanced to such a place that there’s no need to put the book down just as it’s getting really good — hands-free toys like Dame’s Eva or the B-vibe Snug Plug maximize your multi-tasking potential.

It was a chaotic case of nerd ecstasy at the convention center in Anaheim, California, mere steps from Disneyland. For the first time since Star Wars Celebration Chicago in 2019, fans gathered to soak up whatever details Lucasfilm is willing to offer on its upcoming shows and movies — from the about-to-premiere Obi-Wan Kenobi with Ewan McGregor to a never-before-revealed Star Wars series starring Jude Law.

And although the event is called Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm was here to remind us that it doesn’t just do Star Wars. A new Disney+ series based on the 1988 Ron Howard movie Willow was revealed, and Harrison Ford was on hand to tease the still-unnamed fifth Indiana Jones movie that has just wrapped production.

As ever, what the supremely secretive studio didn’t reveal about its 2022 to 2023 slate was almost as interesting as what it did. No word on planned Star Wars movies by Taika Waititi, Patty Jenkins or Rian Johnson; no mention of promised Disney+ Star Wars shows Acolyte or Rangers of the New Republic.

While we hold our breath for those projects, let’s dive in to exactly what we just learned about each show and movie, and what it all means for the future of Star Wars and beyond.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (May)

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The crowd gave Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen (aka Anakin Skywalker) a standing ovation when they took to the stage following a live choral performance of Duel of the Fates. McGregor said he could feel “all your love for the prequels,” which brought yet more cheers — though not as many as when the crowd learned they’d be seeing the first two episodes of the show ahead of the rest of the world.

That said, there wasn’t much to reveal on the Kenobi front; other than the trailers and one clip (above), Lucasfilm is keeping a tight lid on the show’s story. We’ve noted all the fan questions it may answer, and talked to director Deborah Chow about what it doesn’t contain. The first two episodes drop on Disney+ early on Friday May 27.

Andor (August)

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You think six episodes’ worth of Obi-Wan Kenobi is cool? Try 24 episodes about Cassian Andor, the rebel spy played with doe-eyed angst by Diego Luna in Rogue One. The first 12 episodes, aka Andor season 1, arrive on Disney+ in August, and open five years before the events of Rogue One. The second season is already in pre-production; creator Tony Gilroy says it will lead directly into the beginning of the movie. (Which, given that Rogue One leads directly into A New Hope, should eventually give fans a seamless viewing experience lasting more than 24 hours.)

The Andor trailer, meanwhile, is simply stunning — and rife with political intrigue in the growing Galactic Empire. Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) has a major role to play. So does a new Rebel figure played by Stellan Skarsgård. Plus we get the briefest shot of Clone Troopers, suggesting that these Stormtrooper predecessors were active later in the Empire’s history than fans knew.

Andor hits Disney+ on August 31, and as with Obi-Wan Kenobi, the premiere includes two episodes.

Willow (November)

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A cult favorite among fantasy fans, Willow was a George Lucas joint that hit screens in 1988 to middling reviews and decent box office receipts. It’s often best remembered today for its groundbreaking use of CGI. Now a new generation of fans will be introduced to the diminutive Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis, who also played Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi) in a story set decades after the original. Willow, produced by Ron Howard and written by Jon Kasdan (son of Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark scribe Lawrence Kasdan), premieres on Disney+ November 30.

Ahsoka (2023)

The Disney+ series starring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, lightsaber-wielding veteran of Clone Wars, Rebels and The Mandalorian, didn’t get much of an update. All we know, still, is that it will be set in the same time period as Mandalorian and debut sometime in 2023.

However, producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni did introduce a clip of Dawson greeting fans from the set where Ahsoka is currently filming. Fans were quick to note that her lekku (those blue/white head tentacles) were of more appropriate Clone Wars/Rebels length, not the shorter versions seen in Mandalorian. Because that’s the kind of thing we care about, people.

The Mandalorian Season 3 (February)

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It was a case of “you had to be in the room”: Filoni and Favreau offered a clip of the third season of their hit Disney+ show, premiering in February 2023. (This mirrored a moment at Celebration 2019 when the very first scene of the then-forthcoming show was screened for attendees only.)

In the clip, Mando and the Child (having been reunited in Book of Boba Fett) are on their way to the destroyed homeworld of Mandalore. Mando says he needs to be “forgiven for my transgressions” — taking his helmet off, in other words. “Did you think your dad was the only Mandalorian?” a smiling Bo-Katan (Katee Sackoff) asks Grogu. The tension between her and Mando is palpable. Looks like we’re going to get that clash over the Darksaber that the Season 2 finale foreshadowed.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2023)

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Jude Law in the Star Wars galaxy. What else do you need to know?

Oh, alright: Skeleton Crew is a Disney+ series that focuses not on Law, alas, but on a group of 10-year olds lost in the galaxy. It’s set around the same time as Mandalorian and Ahsoka, which suggests we’re going to get some more crossover characters — especially given the fact that Filoni and Favreau are producing. Spider-Man filmmaker Jon Watts is the main creative force.

Indiana Jones 5 (June 2023)

An overwhelmingly emotional stage presentation masked a lack of news about the next outing for Harrison Ford as Professor Indiana Jones. The legendary John Williams, conducting on his 90th birthday, revealed the new Obi-Wan Kenobi theme, then kicked it old school with the Indiana Jones fanfare. Ford, 79, emerged to thank Williams for a tune that, he said, was “playing in the room during my last colonoscopy.”

But that plus a release date and a single still image of Ford in the movie, which has now been shot, was all we got. No title was announced (hopefully they can do better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), and neither director James Mangold (Logan) nor producer Steven Spielberg were on hand to offer more. We do know that Ford’s co-stars include Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Antonio Banderas.

Hopefully fans will get more news — on this, and perhaps another Star Wars movie or two — before Ford’s next routine checkup.

It’s OK if you’re too young to remember Willow. Disney+ exists, and the 1988 fantasy classic conceived by George Lucas — yep, the Star Wars guy — and directed by Ron Howard is available to stream there. Make time to watch it sometime during the summer, because Willow the series is coming this fall, and Star Wars Celebration just delivered its first trailer.

Willow brings back star Warwick Davis as the eponymous spell-slinging Nelwyn (the little people of the Willow fantasy universe). In the original film, Willow and his friends saved an infant girl who was prophesied to topple the forces of darkness that presided over the land at the time. The series picks up years later with a new, younger group of heroes joining Willow himself “on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save the world.”

As you can tell, the plot is a bit of a mystery at this point. But Willow‘s first trailer introduces (or re-introduces) viewers to a fantastical world of magic, fearsome Trolls, and pint-sized Brownies, and it’s looking like a wild ride. Especially with a cast that includes young stars like Erin Kellyman (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Tony Revolori (all three Tom Holland Spider-Man films).

Willow comes to Disney+ on Nov. 30.

H. John Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman and the ‘Bob’s Burgers’ cast are quizzed on their knowledge of the show’s burgers. The Bob’s Burgers Movie opens in theaters Friday May 27th.

If you’re trying, relentlessly, to get an updated Instagram feed but aren’t experiencing much success, welcome to the all-too-common installment of: Instagram was experiencing a pretty weird bug on Thursday.

Thursday afternoon, users noticed that the posts they’re seeing on the home feed were all actually posted a few weeks ago, while Stories are still updated normally. People reported Instagram outages on Down Detector, too, starting at around noon eastern and peaking at around 12:30. Since then, users reporting the outage on Down Detector slowly began decreasing in frequency and, at 3:20 p.m. ET, Instagram is already retuning back to normal for some users.

Down Detector is owned by Ziff Davis, Mashable parent company.,

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An Instagram spokesperson told Mashable that they’re aware that some users are having trouble, and are working to get things back to normal.

This story is developing…

You know and love Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) from Rogue One. Now, he gets his own Disney+ series all to himself with Andor.

The teaser trailer gives us frighteningly few details beyond the beginnings of the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. However, we catch glimpses of Andor hiding from Stormtroopers, as well as an exciting look at rebel leader Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) in the Senate.

Did I mention that Andor looks gorgeous? Seriously, this teaser is cinematic as heck, full of gorgeous new planetary landscapes that look like a welcome change from previous Star Wars series’ fixation on Tatooine. The rebellion can’t come soon enough.

Andor is streaming on Disney+ starting Aug. 31.

Splurging while you shop isn’t always advisable. Just because something is the most expensive thing doesn’t mean it’s the best thing. Except when it comes to mattresses. Usually, the expensive ones are pretty good.

But why shell out for a mattress? Well, you’ll be using it every day, for one. For that reason alone, you’ll want something that doesn’t have you waking up with horrible back pain every morning. Also, a mattress is ostensibly an item that you’ll have for a very long time, so you want to buy something that’ll last for years to come.

We found the best Memorial Day mattress sales happening this weekend and put them all in one place for you. (You’re welcome.) Check out our picks below.

Best Memorial Day mattress sales 2022:

Allswell

• 20% off sitewide with code MEMDAY20

Amerisleep

• $450 off any mattress with code AS450

Avocado

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• Save up to $281 on bed frames and bases with code SAVE10

• Save up to $63 on bedding with code SAVE10

Bear

• Get 30% off sitewide with code MD30

• Free accessories with all mattress purchases

Birch

• Get $400 off your mattress and 2 free Eco-Rest Pillows

Brentwood Home

• Save 10% sitewide with code SAVE10

Brooklyn Bedding

• Get 25% off sitewide with code MEMORIAL25

Casper

• Up to $800 off mattresses

DreamCloud

• Get $200 off, plus $499 in free accessories

Eight Sleep

• Save up to $250 on The Pod mattress

Helix

• $100 off any $600 mattress with code MDSALE100

• $150 off orders of $1,250 and over with code MDSALE150

• $200 off orders of $1,700 and over with code MDSALE200

• Get two free Dream Pillows with any mattress purchase

Layla

• Up to $200 off mattresses (and get two free pillows)

Leesa

• Up to $700 off mattresses, plus two free pillows

Nectar

• Save $100 and get $499 worth of free accessories

Nest Bedding

• Save 25% on select mattresses

Purple

• Up to $300 off mattresses

Saatva

• Save up to $450 on select mattresses

Serta

• Up to $1,000 off select mattresses

Tuft & Needle

• Up to $500 off select mattresses

Zinus

• Get up to 40% on select mattresses and bedroom furniture

Explore related content:

• Side sleepers (and binge-watchers) should ditch their flat pillow for one of these

• The best king mattresses, whether you’re sleeping or working from bed

• The best memory foam mattresses for every kind of sleep position

Becoming numb is inevitable when living in a country that makes killing people easy. After learning that a gunman murdered 19 children and two adults at a Texas elementary school, it took me nearly 24 hours to weep. Distraught yet desensitized, I couldn’t express grief. I’d seen a version of this happen so many times before.

Then, on Twitter, I came across a tribute to Eva Mireles, the 4th grade teacher who died trying to shield her students from an 18-year-old reportedly armed with an AR-15-style rifle. Her bereft daughter composed a heartbreaking goodbye in the Notes app and shared it with the world. “I want you to come back to me mom,” she wrote. 

I am a mother but you needn’t be one to grasp the devastating grief and longing contained in this single sentence. In Uvalde, the small town west of San Antonio where the shooting took place, the violence stole parents from their babies, and babies from their parents. 

“I want you to come back to me mom.”

Numbness to this reality, I think, is one way to cope with the fact that trauma is a feature of American life, not an unintended defect. When the gunman attacked in Uvalde, it’d been just 10 days since a shooter with alleged white supremacist views targeted and killed Black shoppers in Buffalo. Losing hope is inevitable when living in a country that makes killing people easy.

Each mass shooting brings renewed calls for gun safety reform — and the crushing realization that entrenched corporate and conservative political interests are opposed to meaningful legislation to prevent people from obtaining firearms when they shouldn’t possess them. Though the most common proposals — the expansion of background checks and use of “red flag” laws to temporarily confiscate a gun from someone who is an imminent danger to themselves or others — may not have stopped the shooter in Uvalde, they might stop other killers.

We can debate when the word trauma should be deployed, but I can think of few things more psychologically distressing and damaging than seeing people regularly slaughtered in schools, theaters, grocery stores, and houses of worship, and realizing that numerous politicians and their supporters refuse to find ways to stop the bloodshed. When pleas to save us from carnage go unheeded, there is no safe harbor. 

The implications of such trauma reverberate on social media where people, myself included, voice their rage and despair. There are calls to vote, organize, and rally. There are digital memorials to the dead, like Mireles’ daughter’s letter. There is collective grief and, counterintuitively, the isolation and loneliness of processing it from behind a screen. Humans are not well-equipped to transition between answering their email and sobbing while looking at the smiling faces of children who died by gunfire in their classroom. Wondering if a child they love will be next is too much uncertainty to bear. 

If you feel hopeless in this deluge of pain, it’s partly because social media is both an outlet and a gauntlet. Platforms make it possible to express a sentiment or opinion, but there’s no guarantee that our lived reality will change, especially when politicians opposed to reform post the latest version of their “thoughts and prayers” condolences. There’s also no assurance that what happened in Uvalde won’t be turned into someone’s false flag conspiracy theory to spread on social media, injecting yet more horror into the lives of the bereaved. 

We live in an era of cascading traumas. From mass shootings to a pandemic that’s claimed 1 million lives in the U.S. to the crisis of climate change, America is a country ripe for despair. I have written before about strategies to cope with relentless tragedy. Media exposure to graphic imagery and details can lead to anxiety, acute stress, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Some argue that we must confront the graphic nature of what happened at Robb Elementary School, but the research suggests that can have harmful effects. There’s no need, for example, to doomscroll in search of details about what physical condition police found murdered children and their teachers. We can be generous with our compassion and resources, in support of the grieving families, without knowing such specifics. 

I’ve previously argued that radical acceptance is one way to cope with a crisis of this magnitude. The psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach described the practice to me as “the courage to face and accept reality, our current experience, what’s happening now.” She also likes to frame radical acceptance as a question: “What’s happening right now inside me, and can I be with this with kindness?” Starting from this place, Brach argues, we can find the resolve to fight for justice.    

These and other important coping strategies help us emotionally survive another day, but how long can they steady us in a political system that knowingly inflicts all manner of trauma on its people? And this harm is disproportionately experienced by historically marginalized groups: Black, brown, and Indigenous people; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people; poor people; and people with disabilities, among others. 

This week, I am searching for hope that the deaths of 19 schoolchildren will lead to laws that prevent future massacres. Some say that will never happen, that we must learn to live with guns because there are not enough votes in Congress or on the Supreme Court to pass and defend gun reform. This may ultimately be true, but I also believe that a society that gives up its vision of a safer future is worse off than one that fights for it against the odds.

Still, determination can wane. I’ve found that social media often obliterates hope as quickly as it inspires it. Noticing that two very unlikely allies have partnered to lobby for reform is promising. Recognizing that their opponents get feverish praise from supporters is gut-wrenching. 

But the hope I’m searching for isn’t viral. Instead, it’s the enduring transformation that happens when we make meaning of our trauma, often by taking action. Honestly, I don’t know where that hope is right now, but it feels essential to find when I look at the beautiful faces of the children who died in Uvalde, when I read the words that Adalynn wrote for her mother, Eva Mireles, when I think of the mass shooting survivors championing reform, who refuse to surrender their will and conviction. The possibility of meaningful change may feel intolerably distant. But if ever there was a time to cling to hope and demand reform, it’s now.

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support 24/7. Text CRISIS to 741741 to be connected to a crisis counselor. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources.

After six seasons, more than 100 episodes, and far too many tissues to track, This Is Us bid fans a moving farewell.

Since the penultimate episode of Season 6, “The Train” — which was so devastating it actually made Mandy Moore throw up — fans have long feared what the series finale would have in store. In a refreshing, much-needed twist, rather than more flashy grand gestures or cutting tragedies, the May 24 finale, titled “Us,” was a simple celebration of life, an ode to the people and moments that make it worth living, and a reminder of the highs and lows we encounter along the way.

In present-day scenes, the episode follows the Big Three and their families on the day of Rebecca’s funeral. Meanwhile, flashbacks put the focus on a lazy Saturday in the Pearson house when Jack was still alive. The day is spent teaching Kevin and Randall how to shave, having heart-to-hearts, watching home movies, and playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey as a family.

“When you’re young, you’re always trying to be older. Then, when you get old, you’re always trying to go back — be back,” Jack tells his kids in a flashback. “I mean, that’s what we’re doing, just collecting these little moments. We don’t recognize them when we’re in them because we’re too busy looking forward. Then we spend the rest of our lives looking back — trying to remember, trying to be back inside them.”

In a sense, that message is what This Is Us has been preaching all along. On the surface, it’s a story about family. But the constant juxtaposition of timelines also serves to remind viewers how crucial their time on this Earth is — that days should be spent savoring life, loved ones, and little moments.

While the penultimate episode was a wrecking ball of grief, the finale helped characters and viewers alike pick up the pieces and move forward. In its final hour, the show reminded us of the importance of having people to lean on — family and friends with whom you can share love, pain, anger, mess, and joy. It showcased the immense legacy a single human leaves behind after parting from this Earth. And it proved an easily forgotten truth: Even when it all feels pointless, a piece of very good news on a very bad day can give you purpose again. The finale was simple but effective; by peeking into the past it brought everything full circle.

In addition to a stellar creative team, a talented cast, a creative format, and a crushing score, one of the things that’s always made This Is Us so great was its ability to celebrate and seek out the unexpected, often hidden, meaning in everyday life. Like so many other shows, the NBC drama nailed the emotions around big milestones like births, deaths, weddings, and more, but it also mastered the art of small storytelling, which is no easy feat.

This Is Us was such a TV triumph because it understood how to make little moments feel big. By stringing together years’ worth of everyday conversations, trips to the park, shared meals, fights, makeups, games of Pin the Tail on the Donkey played, tears cried, and unexpected formative experiences, the series gave viewers a rare look at life’s big picture. By the time we got to Rebecca’s funeral, This Is Us had more than achieved its goal. And the powerful decision to drown out Rebecca’s service, the speeches, the eulogy, and the Pearson’s grief in that highly-anticipated scene was far from lazy storytelling. It was a moment of great self-awareness amongst the writers. We didn’t need more Pearson speeches or tears; we needed to heal, reflect, and say goodbye.

Though the story lines in This Is Us at times veered into cheesy, eye-roll territory, the storytelling was always beautiful. This series and its complex, kindhearted characters comforted people through two presidential elections, a pandemic, and countless other tragedies since 2016. And as someone who regularly cried on her couch come This Is Us Tuesdays, I know how cathartic those releases could be.

The series was something special, and it will forever remain a touching portrait of humanity. But much like the Pearson’s tough matriarch, This Is Us earned a rest.

This Is Us is now streaming on Hulu.