"This Is Us" fans shouldn't throw out their Crock-Pot just yet & here's why

by

posted in Parenting

If you’re an avid watcher of This Is Us, then this week’s episode probably left you reeling — and swearing off Crock-Pot slow cookers for good.

For those who don’t tune into the popular NBC drama, viewers have finally learned how the family patriarch, Jack Pearson, died. Spoiler alert: An old, previously-owned slow cooker — which was gifted to the family before their children were born — caught fire while it was plugged in and sitting on their kitchen counter. *Sobs*

Relive the devastating moment in the episode highlight, below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X05MC1nsARo]A faulty switch, combined with the appliance’s age seems, to have been responsible for the deadly blaze. (Not to mention the fact that the Pearsons forgot to buy replacement batteries for their smoke detector.) However, dedicated fans don’t seem to care about these details. Or facts in general. That’s because many are swearing off slow cookers for good.

Just finished the last episode of “This is Us”, and promptly checked the smoke alarm and threw out the crockpot.. #mywifeisstillcrying

— Lamar Neagle (@LamarNeagle) January 26, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

There’s a lot of villains I hate. Scar, Jafar, the guy that shot Bambi’s mom… But none will ever top “George the neighbor with the f*cking crockpot” from This is Us.

— Katelyn Nocito (@katelynnocito) January 24, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I am getting rid of my crockpot. This makes no sense. It didn’t have to happen this way.

— Gabrielle D. (@gmdud4) January 26, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Good luck to all the PR people working in the crockpot industry as they walk into the office tomorrow morning. #ThisIsUs

— nikki delamotte (@nikkidelamotte) January 24, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Just finished #thisisus and I’m left with this empty feeling like life is so fragile. And we can’t take for granted our loved ones, even for a minute. Also I’m never using my crockpot again.

— trap queen (@nadiasheaessa) January 25, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Derek Shepard: My death was the saddest in tv history!
Jack Pearson: Hold my crockpot!#ThisIsUs

— Lauren Tielbur (@LaurenTielbur) January 24, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Outrage over the cause of Jack’s fate led the show’s creator, Dan Fogelman, to make a statement on Twitter. “Taking a moment to remind everyone that it was a 20-year-old fictional crockpot with an already funky switch? Let’s not just lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together,” Fogelman wrote.

Taking a moment to remind everyone that it was a 20 year old fictional crockpot with an already funky switch? Let’s not just lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together. #ThisIsUs

— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) January 24, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Newell Brands also chimed into the conversation with a statement in the midst of a Crock-Pot PR nightmare, reported The Chicago Tribune. “The safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible,” Newell said in a statement Thursday. “Our Crock-Pot slow cookers are low-current, low-wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating, heating elements.”

As traumatic as the This Is Us Crock-Pot scene is, let’s try to keep a level head about it all. Shall we, parents? Because odds are, slow cookers aren’t going to come to life in the middle of the night and burn down our homes. So go ahead and make that tasty cheese dip for the Super Bowl. Toss in that roast and veggies for a ready-made, wholesome meal for your family. (Or, try this easy, three-ingredient pineapple chicken verde recipe.) And maybe, just maybe consider replacing your slow cooker from the 90s with a newer model. But we’re all gonna survive this together, okay? Except Jack, that is …( Too soon?)

With that said, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to get this image out of my head.

R.I.P. Jack Pearson.

Screenshot via This Is Us/YouTube