This Is Us has had us emotionally reeling for three seasons since it premiered in 2016. I dare you to watch a single episode and not blubber like a little baby who’s diaper is soiled and has several teeth coming in. The series, which jumps back and forth among several timelines, starts by following the story of young parents Jack and Rebecca Pearson who have triplets in the ‘80s (one who doesn’t make it), randomly adopt a third baby dropped off at the hospital by a firefighter (it was clearly meant to be). In present day, we see how the kids have grown, and follow them and their families and lives. And, introduced in season 3, we get a small glimpse into the future, too. The central story follows the death of the father when the kids were teenagers, who we see only in flashbacks.
Each season, we get bits and pieces of the story: how were the kids growing up? How did they meet their significant others, or evolve into their careers? From joy and laughter to pain and sadness, it covers all the bases of life. This, as the title explains so clearly, is us. Now that the series has gotten a three-season renewal (yes, it is certain that there will be a season 4, 5, and 6!) there are still a lot of questions that viewers want answered, and stories that need to be further explored. Here are 10 things in particular that need to happen.
See Kevin’s…Wife?
In the third season finale, we see a young boy running about in Kevin’s house, so it’s clear that he eventually does get his wish to have children. But with who? Does he have a wife? Is he a single father? There are questions, and we need answers! Our money is on a reunion with his childhood friend, high school girlfriend, and ex-wife Sophie.
As troubled as their relationship is/was, it just seems like they’re meant to be – like she’s the only one who truly understands him. But with at least three more seasons to come, it’s possible that it could be an entirely new character.
What Happened to Rebecca?
We know Rebecca is sick, as it was confirmed in the final episode that she is who the entire family was going to see. Does she have Alzheimer’s? Beth’s decision to bring a game that could conjure up good memories, and Randall introducing himself as her son, suggests that perhaps she has Alzheimer’s or dementia – something impacting her ability to remember her life. (Maybe just old age?)
That would, of course, be the saddest possible outcome for a character who has lived by the memories of her late husband and love of her life. But for this show, it would be par for the course. So brace yourselves.
Where is Miguel?
One person missing from the last scene was Miguel, Jack’s best friend, and Rebecca’s current husband. Did he pass away before she did? Since Nicky was in the room with her (which raises its own set of questions), one would think that Miguel is either gone, or maybe he just stepped out to use the washroom. (The show loves to toy with us like that.)
We can’t foresee any sort of falling out between the two, who share a particularly sad bond of having lost the same special person in their lives. But we need to know if he’s still around and if things ever stopped getting awkward between him and the kids.
See How Rebecca and Miguel Got Together
Speaking of Miguel, all we know thus far about their relationship is that they lost touch for quite some time, then reconnected on Facebook (of course) around the time the social network site was launched in 2008.
How did their friendship blossom into a romance? How difficult was that for both of them to process? And, most importantly, what did the three kids think when the new couple first revealed themselves as such? There has to be a lot of story worth telling there.
Kate and Toby Need to Repair Their Relationship
We can only make assumptions, but Toby depressed in a bed on his own, with the sheets clearly untouched on the other side, and arriving to see Rebecca solo, sans wedding ring, would suggest that either he and Kate are no longer together, or some have more morbidly theorized that perhaps Kate has died, and Kevin is raising Jake because it was too much for Toby to handle.
In the final scene, Toby says “they” are on their way when Randall asks where Jack is, and Kevin’s son tells Randall that Kevin went out to grab take-out. So are they the "they? who will arrive back "home" together to Kevin's place? Whatever the outcome, we must see how the Toby, Kate, and baby Jack story plays out.
Randall Needs to Rebuild the Community
Randall and Beth are going to be OK, and that’s one piece of great news viewers can be sure of. But they’ve just upended their lives to move to Philadelphia so Randall can rebuild an underserved community. So he’d better succeed!
We need to see the journey, what roadblocks he hits along the way, and how he turns things around for the rough and often forgotten neighborhood and the community of people who live within it.
Beth Killing it With Her New Business
Winning the best wife award, Beth found the perfect solution to save her marriage, even if it meant she had to bend, once again, to accommodate Randall. She scoped out a beautiful studio and decided to start her own ballet school and follow her dreams while helping Randall also follow his.
After moving her family from New Jersey to Philly to accommodate this new chapter for both of them, we want to see Beth's career journey, and how scaling back their life of extravagance changes the whole family dynamic.
They Need to Meet Firefighter Joe!
For several seasons, I’ve been hoping that somehow, the Pearsons would cross paths with the firefighter who found Randall at the station and dropped him off safely at the hospital.
The only glimpse we saw of him was that he thought about taking Randall himself, which made his short but impactful role in that much more touching. Is there any way we can see more? Maybe have someone in the family cross paths with him and figure out who he is?
What Happens to Peripheral Characters
We’d love to see more stories about some of the key peripheral characters, including Nicky Pearson, Beth’s mom Carol and cousin Zoe, Robinson (Jack’s old army buddy who clearly has lots of stories to tell if he can bring himself to tell them), Jack’s parents, Yvette (Rebecca’s old friend who helped her with things she couldn’t understand about Randall, like African-American hair and using sunscreen), and more.
Learn More About Toby's Backstory
Toby has always been a key character on This Is Us, and yet there is still so much that is unknown about him. We’ve seen bits and pieces of Toby’s life as a child, and his battles with depression, but fans are still clamoring to know more about him and what makes him so complicated.
Given the state he’s in with some of the flash-forwards, we’ll likely see a lot more of his journey through his teens, his first marriage, and life pre-Kate.