From the happiest of days to the years that made us wonder, everyone has a TV dad they love and hold in their heart, but that’s not what this week is about. We’re not talking about the TV dads you wanted to be yours because your real-life dad was a dud. Oh no, we’re talking about TV DILFs because ever since the days of Ricky Ricardo, DILFs have owned the small screen.
Later this week I’ll get into a handful that made my overall list, but for now, I wanted to focus on a few that have made television so enthralling over the past six years, and that is the Pearson men from ‘This Is Us.’ Yes, Jack and his sons, Randall and Kevin, are top-tier TV DILFs for a million and one reasons. Some of which we’ll get to today, so let’s get to it!
We’ll kick things off with Kevin, the bodied-up actor who took a little longer than most to actually grow the fuck up. However, when he wound up getting his sister’s BFF pregnant after a one-night stand, he did all he could to make it work for his kids. Then when the relationship eventually failed (because we know it all would), we watched him step up even more for what would become a beautiful blended family. Always chasing the perfection that was his own father, Kevin had a lot to live up to and that may have caused him to stumble here and there but overall, Kevin came out the other side a dad you would be proud to have. Plus, I mean…did I mention how bodied up he was? I’m just saying, if I were his kids’ friend, I’d be over, often.
Next up is Randall Pearson. I’ve already gone on and on about my love of Sterling K. Brown before, and how his panic-stricken Pearson persona is part of that admiration. However, since we’re shining a light on what makes him a TV DILF, I’ll add that Randall is the dad that many aspire to be; successful, in tune with their kids’ emotions, needs, and wants, and the most handsome man in the world to their partner. Randall possesses all of that and then some as a father because while he too was chasing the perfection of Jack Pearson, he was also dealing with what he felt like was the abandonment of his bio-dad, William. That pushed him to want to always go the extra mile for his children, including his adopted daughter Deja. I think we can all agree he not only went the extra mile but ran a damn marathon while he was at it.
Last but certainly not least we have Jack Pearson. We learned very early on that Jack was in an urn on his daughter’s mantle, but we didn’t care because ‘This Is Us’ – with its insanely amazing writing – gave us every opportunity under the sun to get to know Jack; the good and the bad. That’s the thing, Jack was far from perfect and had his downfalls but he managed to always push himself forward for those he loved; from his brother and mother as a child to his own kids before his life was cut too short. After his death, his mere existence became a beacon of light and inspiration for his children. They chased the perfect parent they saw him be, which pushed them to be the best parents they could be and that’s kind of the point, right? You always want your kids to do better than you did in a way, and Jack did just that by being an amazing father while he could. Also, like Kevin, like Randall, Jack is absolutely gorgeous. I mean, a man in the ‘70s looking like that? GIMME.
In the weeks since ‘This Is Us’ said its final farewell, there have been plenty of articles about how it’ll be a long time before we get another show like it and that’s 100% true. It was a show that people tuned in weekly for that didn’t rely on the Marvel Universe or the fandom embedded in Star Wars. It was this beautiful, heartwarming, and at times heart-wrenching story of the highs and lows of life as told by a family that TV will never forget, which just so happened to star a trio of TV DILFs that on their own are forever ingrained in TV history.
Crushgasm 