The Biggest Unanswered Questions in ‘This Is Us’

Franklin Ogidi
TV
TV

This is Us has had a great run in Season 2. We’ve had tearjerker moments like that intense family therapy session and Kevin‘s breakdown in “Number One” (yeah, I know, I have mixed feelings about it too). The show has also dropped some clues as to what’s to come, which has raised some questions. Here are some of the biggest unanswered questions that we hope will be answered in upcoming episodes.

What’s the Deal with Rebecca and Miguel’s Relationship?

Jack and Rebecca's wedding Miguel This is Us
At Jack and Rebecca's wedding.

We know that Rebecca and Miguel reconnected on Facebook around the time that Tess was born. However, we haven’t seen much about how the relationship began and what their relationship is like from the inside. We also know that Kevin has a problem with Miguel being with his mum. In fact, in the episode “Clooney,” he confronts Miguel about being in love with Rebecca while she was married to his father, Jack. Miguel denies this accusation, but we can’t help but wonder what made Kevin so apprehensive of Miguel? Is it a case of petty jealousy or something else?

Mandy Moore has recently revealed that Rebecca and Miguel’s relationship will be a major plotline in Season 3, so that’s something to look forward to.

Who Is Miguel Rivas?

Jon Huertas as Miguel Rivas This Is Us
Jon Huertas as Miguel Rivas.

In the episode “The Fifth Wheel,” Miguel recounts being an outsider in the Pearson family, which is not surprising considering the way his storyline has developed. Besides being Jack’s BFF and a contrast to Jack’s character, we don’t know much else about Miguel. His character is also quite unpopular among the show’s fans on Reddit. The hate on Miguel is not entirely unfounded though. I mean, who can compete with the near-perfect Jack Pearson? Not even his BFF, apparently.

There is something to be said, however, about the fact that Rebecca agreed to marry him. He must have earned it, one way or another. A more robust character development for Miguel will reveal how he got to where he is today. We also hope that it will explain some of the apprehension towards Miguel, both by the characters in the show and the show’s fans.

What Happened Between Kate and Sophie?

The letter from Kate's friends at the pool.

Kate and Sophie were very good childhood friends, but their relationship seemed to fall apart after a while. In “The Pool,” Kate got a letter from a group of her friends saying that her bikini outfit embarrassed them. ‘Sofie’ was among the names signed on that letter, but we don’t know if it was a different Sophie or just kids misspelling their names.

After Kevin reconnected with Sophie and they decided to start dating cautiously, Sophie seemed reluctant to see the Pearson family. It’s possible that blame was thrown around at the time of Kevin and Sophie’s divorce which caused a rift between the two friends. However, it might just be that the two friends naturally drifted apart. Hopefully, the upcoming episodes will shine more light on their friendship.

Will Randall Follow in his Father’s Footsteps?

Following in his father's footsteps?

Since his breakdown and after losing his biological father, William, Randall has been focused on honoring his and Jack’s memory in some way. He seems to have lost interest in his old job and is waiting for something to inspire him. At the moment, the one thing that gets his juices flowing is William.

We know from his various nervous breakdowns, that Randall suffers from self-inflicted pressure to bring his best into whatever he is doing. Randall’s obsession with William, his tendency towards perfectionism, and the feeling that it might be too late to start a new career has led him to the partnership with Beth to renovate William’s old apartment. Some fans suggest that this partnership may bring the Pearson family together to finally start Jack’s dream real estate company – Big 3 homes. This is even more evident in “That’ll Be the Day” where Kevin joins Randall in renovating William’s old apartment.

The answer to this question is important because whatever Randall decides to do will affect the Pearson family dynamics.

How Did Jack Die?

Jack's funeral this is us
Jack's funeral.

The mystery of Jack’s death has generated many fan theories. However, the episode “That’ll Be the Day” confirmed the most popular theory: Jack died in a house fire. The fire, we now know, started from an electrical fault in the crockpot that Jack and Rebecca’s well-meaning neighbor gave as a gift. The fact that the smoke alarm was missing a battery, as shown in “Clooney,” complicates matters even further.

The specifics of Jack’s death are still not known, so it’s possible that the fire is only one piece of the puzzle. We’ve seen Kate repeatedly blame herself for her father’s death – from the rage scream at the camp to the monologue at the dog shelter. Additionally, in the episode “That’ll Be the Day,” Kevin includes ‘Dad’ on the list of people he hurt, suggesting that he also feels some blame for his father’s death. But, why?

Perhaps Jack went back into the fire to save Kate’s dog and got trapped. In “The Father’s Advice,” we see a distraught Randall and Kate at Miguel’s house after the fire. Kate’s dog appears in that scene, which means that Jack succeeds in saving the dog. Kevin, on the other hand, is at Sophie’s but Jack doesn’t know that. Given Kevin is in a cast and on crutches during that period, it’s possible that Jack went back into the fire for him. Saving Kevin is a less likely scenario because Rebecca knows he’s at Sophie’s. Kevin’s guilt more likely stems from not being able to apologize to his father after their fight the night that he died.

There’s a whole sequence of events leading up to Jack’s death and we’ve only seen pieces. This gives the writers plenty of room for a twist that none of us will see coming.

Franklin Ogidi