The Season 2 premiere of This Is Us dropped a hint that we were desperate for all summer, providing a huge clue as to how Pearson patriarch Jack diedĀ in the ā90s. While Iām glad that this reveal puts an end to some of the more absurd death theories, there are plenty of other storylines I seriously need to know more about this season.
Perhaps some of my greatest queries are insignificant details that only I care about, but Iām still pulling for some answers to these questions in the upcoming episodes. After all, the clock is ticking until the truth about Jackās death is revealed, and we still have at least one more season of events and stories completely unrelated to this mystery. Below are fiveĀ questions I still have about the This Is Us family and their lives.
1. Did Kate and Sophie stay friends?
In Season 1ās Ā āThree Sentences,ā we learn that Kateās best friend at age 10 was Sophie, who hadĀ a bit of a thing for Kevin. In a huge bombshell, itās revealed that Sophie grew up to become Kevinās wife, but Kevinās pursuitĀ of an acting career ultimately drove him to cheating and getting divorced. I definitely want more clarity about the two’s backstory.Ā How old were the couple when they married? Did they ever break up briefly in high school or college? Most importantly, I want to see if my suspicion is true and if the relationship pulled Kate and Sophie apart. We all saw Toby struggle with Kate and Kevinās closeness in the Season 2 premiere, and perhaps Kevinās loyalty to Kate partially comes from abandoning her in the throes of young love.
2. How did Kevin start acting?
Kevin is definitely the most unknown character so far, stirring up tons of questions about his past. The glimpses weāve seen of teenage Kevin are him as a typical high school athlete who makes fun of Randallās sensitivity. Somehow, that kid doesnāt strike me as someone who grows up to be an actor. I want to know when the acting bug bit Kevin, and after seeing him with a broken leg at the time of Jackās death, my guess is that an injury and the loss of his father helped him find an emotional outlet through being onstage.
3. How did Randall and Beth meet and get together?
A recent Hollywood Reporter feature reveals that Sterling K. Brown actually suggested to the showās writers that they include Randall and Bethās backstory in Season 2. āVery often, you choose somebody who looks like your mom, but Randall makes this conscious choice to be with a black woman,ā Brown told THR, āand I really want us to explore that.ā
I donāt even know what kind of theories to make about how this power couple came to be, but Iām eager for some answers. Given that there areĀ currently theories floating around that the redhead in that last premiere scene is Randall’s high school girlfriend, I can’t wait to see young Beth and Randall falling in love.Ā
4. Ā What other struggles did Beth face growing up?
We know that Beth grew up in a small home with 14 other people, suggesting that she struggled far more than Randall and the rest of the Pearsons did as kids. In the Season 2 premiere, she suggests to Randall that they look into adopting an older child who has had an unfortunate life, rather than a baby. Beth likely grew up in a pretty tumultuous neighborhood, which makes me wonder if she has purposelyĀ kept this part of her past suppressed during the past few years.
5. How soon after Jackās death did Rebecca and Miguel become a couple?
Given Rebeccaās reaction to that premiereĀ reveal, Iām convinced she and Jack were still married when he died, which makes her present-day marriage to Miguel even more heartbreaking. We know that Miguel is a divorcee with his own kids and that Rebecca was even friendly with his ex-wife. Did they start dating once the Big Three went off to college? Was the marriage put off until the kids were proper adults? Most importantly, is Rebecca as happy with Miguel as she was with Jack at the peak of their relationship?
Knowing how these writers like to dragĀ things out, I doubt weāll see answers to these questions quickly, but watching the journey to those discoveries will definitely be worth it.