As NBC's This Is Us heads into its final season, there are still many storylines to resolve. How do Kate and Toby wind up getting a divorce? Who does Kevin end up with? How does Randall rise to political stardom? Fans are eagerly awaiting answers to these questions and more, but they're also excited to see which familiar faces return.
It seems likely that certain characters should appear - including lost loves like Sophie, supportive friends like Gregory, and briefly glimpsed family members like the adult Jack and his baby, Hope. But will the series deliver some surprises, too? Or are some returns just less likely, such as characters who may be deceased in the present timeline? In any case, there are many characters fans can't wait to see one last time.
Shauna Andrews
After giving birth to Deja as a teenager, Shauna struggled with the responsibilities of being a young mother. A series of bad choices led to Shauna being imprisoned, and Deja wound up in the foster system. After she was freed from prison, Shauna became determined to show Deja she could be there for her, even if not as her full-time parent.
Fans were hesitant to trust Shauna, mostly out of fear of Deja being hurt again. But in recent seasons, it has been established that Deja and Shauna are on good terms again, frequently texting and talking on the phone. It would be great to see Shauna in person one last time, just to see how she is doing.
Gregory
Season 4 introduced Timothy Omundson's Gregory, Kate and Toby's neighbor and eventual friend. Gregory soon became a reliable source of support for the couple, particularly as they navigated raising a child with a visual impairment. As a stroke survivor, Gregory offered many valuable pieces of advice from the perspective of a disabled individual.
In one of the most shocking moments in This Is Us' season 5 finale, viewers learned that Kate and Toby are divorced in the future. As a friend to both members of the couple, Gregory could provide more valuable input while their relationship changes, especially when it comes to how the divorce will affect Jack.
Jack Damon
After Kate's incredibly difficult pregnancy, Jack was born in the season 3 episode "The Waiting Room." Kate and Toby eventually learned that, due to being extremely premature, Jack was born with retinopathy of prematurity. As a result, Jack would be nearly blind.
While the series has spent a lot of time with an infant Jack, the adult Jack (played by blind actor and singer Blake Stadnik) has only been glimpsed in flash-forward sequences. Viewers know that Jack is a successful singer, that he marries a woman named Lucy, and that they have a daughter named Hope. It would be great to learn more about the adult Jack before the series ends.
Laurel Dubois
Although it was one of the most unrealistic storylines in This Is Us, season 5 revealed that Laurel Dubois, Randall's birth mother, had not died of an overdose as his birth father William believed. Instead, Laurel survived her overdose, spent time in prison, and eventually moved back home to Louisiana. It was there she reconnected with her lost love, Hai, although the two would never be together again romantically.
In the present, Randall learns that Laurel recently passed away from cancer and that she has left her home in New Orleans to him. Even though she may be dead, Laurel's story still has much territory left for the series to explore, especially when it comes to her ill-fated romance with Hai and the friendship the two developed.
Hai Lang
This Is Us is known for introducing characters with no context and letting viewers try to figure out who they are. Hai Lang is one of those characters. After a few misdirects, the series eventually reveals that Hai was the lost love of Randall's birth mother, Laurel.
In just a couple of episodes, Hai left a strong impression on both the series and its fans. He is the only existing link remaining that connects Randall to a side of his family he thought he would never know. Now that Randall has a claim to the Dubois home in New Orleans, it would be great for the series to find a way to reconnect Hai and Randall.
Sally Brooks
There are many couples in This Is Us that are perfect together, but season 5 introduced one of the cutest couples. A young Nicky Pearson was enamored with Sally Brooks, his free-spirited coworker at a veterinary clinic. Sally and Nicky planned to move to California together, but Nicky changed his mind, fearing what would happen if he left his mother alone with his abusive father.
It currently isn't known what happened to Sally after she and Nicky went their separate ways. But in the season 5 finale, Nicky decides to try and find her online for the first time, and a future scene reveals that Nicky is married. Hopefully, the series will allow these two young lovers to get a second chance.
Hope Damon
This Is Us is already a busy multi-generational drama, but the series has the potential to introduce yet another timeline when it comes to the character Hope Damon. As the daughter of Jack and Lucy Damon in the future timeline, Hope has so far only been seen as a newborn baby in short hospital scenes.
For a series that loves metaphors as much as This Is Us does, it seems fitting that the show would want to explore the life of a character named Hope more than it already has. Even if This Is Us just offers a glimpse of the adult life of Hope, it would do a great job of establishing that there is still hope for the Pearson family many years from now.
Dr. Nathan Katowski
Even though he is only a supporting player in the series, Dr. Nathan Katowski is still one of the best characters in This Is Us. Dr. K repeatedly played an invaluable role of support for the Pearson family, helping Jack and Rebecca deal with moving on after the loss of one of their triplets at birth. He later offered Rebecca much-needed advice when it came to dealing with grief after losing a spouse.
In recent seasons, This Is Us has spent less time in the era in which the Big Three were young children, which also explains OB/GYN Dr. Katowski's relative absence. It would make sense for the final season to revisit this era more, in order to bring the series full circle. Hopefully, Gerald McRaney's beloved doctor would be allowed to return.
Sophie
Although she has been a recurring character across much of the series, Sophie is long overdue for a real return. Sophie has been the love of Kevin's life ever since they were children. Though they have tried and failed to make it work a few times already, seasons 4 and 5 make it clear that they might be able to make it work this time around.
Kevin and Sophie both have multiple moments across those two seasons in which they express regret and longing over their relationship. It is clear that the series isn't done with Sophie's character yet, and fans are still heavily invested in their relationship. Hopefully, season 6 will deliver on these foreshadowed promises.
William Hill
Even after 5 seasons, William Hill is still one of the series' most beloved characters. William was Randall's biological father, who only got the chance to reconnect with his son when he had less than a year left to live. When William passed away, it was one of the most heartbreaking moments in This Is Us. But even after death, William has had a lingering presence in the series, through flashbacks and episodes in other timelines.
Although William has appeared in his younger years in recent episodes, Emmy-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has only portrayed the character a few times in recent seasons. Hopefully, the final season finds a way for this iteration of the character to return so fans can see him one more time.