This Is Us has started dropping more hints about Rebecca (Mandy Moore) possibly the suffering a memory loss condition, including the biggest clue yet with regard to what's really going on with the Pearson matriarch. It was last season when This Is Us started planting plot seeds as to what the future holds for Rebecca, capping off the year with a flash forward that revealed the character seemingly on her death bed.
Between losing her third biological baby and pushing through with life after Jack's (Milo Ventimiglia) sudden death several years later, one would assume that dark days are now behind Rebecca, but it seems like she may have another rough patch ahead of her, this time about her own well-being.
In this week's episode of This Is Us, titled "Sorry", Rebecca's memory loss condition seems to have worsened - so much so that even Randall (Sterling K. Brown) noticed her acting weirdly when she had problems recalling his job title and freaking out after misplacing her phone. Number Three attempted to talk to his mom about it, but Rebecca didn't want any of it, dismissing his concerns as nothing and calling it simply "senior moments." But it's clear from her defense that this has been happening a lot lately. The promo for next week (which also marks the show's fall finale) doubles down on this as it teases Rebecca seemingly unable to find her way home in time for Thanksgiving.
While This Is Us has yet to officially confirm Rebecca's condition, it’s safe to assume that this isn't just a side effect of growing old. It's more likely Alzheimer's and knowing the show's penchant for details, it's not a coincidence that they’re tackling this heavily during National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in the United States - a designation that aims to educate more people about the disease and how widespread it is in the U.S. It was first instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. In 1994, he announced that he was diagnosed with the same condition, which he battled until his death in 2004.
As with This Is Us, next week's fall finale may finally confirm this ongoing theory. Typically, the show reserves something big for their cappers, and from the looks of it, things are finally coming to a head with Rebecca looking lost in a public space - disoriented and possibly unable to come home. That's on top of the side drama that Nicky's (Griffin Dunne) and Deja's mother coming to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Pearson clan, chances are there will be some serious drama.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays, 9pm ET on NBC.