E! finally debuted what was likely its most anticipated program ever Sunday night, and I Am Cait Season 1 Episode 1 did not disappoint.
As expected, I Am Cait Season 1 Episode 1 took us inside the life of Caitlyn Jenner, the transgender reality star formerly known as Bruce Jenner.
What was unexpected - or perhaps not, if you've followed Caitlyn in the past two months - was the multi-layered tone of the sure-to-be hit show.
I Am Cait showed us how she lives on a daily basis, with lots of fun moments, while also illustrating pressures she faces as a result of her transition.
Not only does Jenner have six children and four stepchildren to think about, but she has instantly become a role model for an entire community.
When you watch I Am Cait online, you are not watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians. It opens and closes on this somber, moving note.
At 4:30 a.m., we first see Caitlyn, makeup free and baring her soul as well as her un-retouched, 65-year-old face. You can see she's worried.
“What a responsibility I have to this community,” Jenner sighs with obvious apprehension, worry and uncertainty, “I just hope that I get it right.”
Caitlyn knows all too well that not everyone in her shoes can afford plastic surgery, wardrobe and other luxuries that brought her to this point.
Still, she sees herself as an advocate and a role model willing to help however she can, as we saw this month in Caitlyn Jenner's ESPY speech.
First, though, she has to meet some of her own family members, starting with mom Esther, sister Pam ... and youngest daughter Kylie Jenner.
When Kylie shows up unannounced, it's the first time she's seen her dad as her. Cait is caught off guard but they share a very warm hug.
She even gave her dad some blue hair extensions! Aww!
After Kylie Jenner meets Caitlyn, they share a touching moment with Esther, who gifts Kylie with a photo of herself as a beautiful 17-year-old.
Then things get a little awkward when Cait tells Kylie that Esther was married at that age, and Kylie jokes about marrying Tyga. But we digress!
Sometimes “it’s not easy,” Esther confesses of her son's transition, but "I loved him with all my heart and I certainly love her with all my heart.”
Touching. As is her claim that Cait is happier now. “He wasn’t comfortable” as he was, she says, but man or woman, his “soul and values” are intact.
We are even treated to a brief cameo by Kanye West, who helped Kim accept Bruce's transition to Caitlyn when she was the first to know.
Clearly, West is impressed. "This is one of the strongest things that have happened in our existence as human beings," he observes.
That quote is just pure, vintage 'Ye.
It’s the first time we've heard him personally comment on Caitlyn after hearing in Diane Sawyer's interview how much he helped Kim grasp it.
Speaking of Kim, she treats us to a lighter scene when she helps Caitlyn pick out an outfit and notes that her mom has the same dress.
Far more importantly, though, is the end of the show, which sees Caitlyn honoring Kyler Prescott, a trans teen who killed himself at age 14.
She visits Prescott’s family to speak about Kyler’s journey, and attends the teen's memorial service, ending the premiere as a tribute to Kyler.
