"This Is Us" generally keeps its storytelling focused on character and emotion, but it does spotlight identity factors, especially race and sexuality, sometimes at the expense of tighter plotting. Diverse casting can feel somewhat box-ticking rather than fully organic. The show doesn’t go as far as recent examples, but it occasionally leans into the 'soapbox' effect.

Traditional family, masculinity, and generational values are present, yet the show often recasts these in more modern, therapeutic, and progressive lights. Faith and tradition usually take a backseat to emotional openness or contemporary social issues. There’s some subversion of gender roles and a tendency to paint past cultural attitudes as naive or problematic.

The show’s social circle mostly echoes mainstream contemporary values, with dissenting or more traditional views framed as outmoded or sources of drama. Dissent is rarely given much depth. The overarching message is one of modern inclusivity, rarely leaving space for pluralistic or alternative worldviews to be presented sincerely.