I’m counting down the weeks until Season 2 of the NBC tearjerker This Is Us premieres on Sept. 26. While we may have lost the wonderful William at the end of Season 1, there’s still hope of unexpected characters stepping up to fill this huge void in our hearts. Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Jon Huertas and Alexandra Breckenridge, aka Miguel and Sophie, will be series regulars in the show’s second season.
Fans know Miguel as Jack’s best friend who eventually marries Rebecca, but how these two fell for each other after (or before?) Jack’s death is still unknown. Adult Randall and Kevin always seem less than enthused when Miguel is around, which hints at some longtime tension surrounding their mother’s second marriage.
Series creator Dan Fogelman tells EW that he “think[s] the best of Miguel and…like[s] to believe that Miguel’s infatuation on a different level with Rebecca began long after Jack was no longer in the picture.” Huertas’s promotion to a show regular could mean that his relationship with Rebecca is explored sooner rather than later.
Kevin’s childhood sweetheart and ex-wife Sophie is perhaps an even bigger mystery than Miguel. When did they get together? Did Sophie stop being friends with Kate? How long were they married? Given this guarantee that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Sophie, I hope that we get a greater sense of who Kevin and Sophie were as a couple before their current relationship progresses.
Since the This Is Us cast is notoriously tight-lipped about the show’s events, this may be the biggest news shared until its return. I’m still dying for more, but this casting news will certainly suffice.Â