This Is Us finally reveals Jack’s death in “Super Bowl Sunday”
It’s taken two and half seasons but This Is Us finally revealed how Jack died in “Super Bowl Sunday.”
While there were plenty of fan theories regarding how the Pearson patriarch would meet his end and how Kate would tie into it, once again, the show’s writers managed to pull out one last surprise. Despite the hype the fire was getting from promos and teasers, he doesn’t actually die inside the house or from getting Kate’s dog but something much more tragic.
Picking up immediately where the last episode ended, “Super Bowl Sunday” has Jack racing to get his kids out from the fire. He quickly gets Kate and Randall into the master bedroom while the four of them make their way out the window.
However, the sound of the dog barking sends Kate into a meltdown and her dad isn’t about to let his daughter’s pet go up in flames. Climbing back into the window, Jack disappears for a long minute and the Pearson family immediately suspects the worst. Until he comes blasting through the front door, dog in hand, as well as a pillowcase full of family mementos.
This finally sheds a light on why Kate blames herself so much for her father’s death: one of the items was her audition tape she needed for college. In her mind, if she never sent her dad back into the flames for her dog then he wouldn’t have attempted to get the rest of the family mementos in the first place.
She isn’t the only member of the Big Three having a hard time with Jack’s death throughout “Super Bowl Sunday.” Kevin is used to avoiding the topic by getting blackout drunk and finding a model to sleep with, while Randall maintains an excessive amount of enthusiasm to mask his sadness.
All three of them need to face their grief throughout “Super Bowl Sunday,” which means remembering one of the worst moments of their lives. Kate initially wants to wallow alone watching her audition tape, but finally allows Toby in to support her throughout the day.
Kevin goes to his father’s grave to give a long overdue apology to his dad and he promises to become a better man even if it takes another decade.
Meanwhile Randall, finally talks to Tess about how she feels like her father is constantly searching for a different family through William, Deja, and a new foster brother. Their conversation is long overdue but it ultimately leads to a quite a few new twists. This Is Us introduces a new timeline, with a grown-up Tess working as a social worker and Deja returning back to the Pearson household in the current time.
While Jack’s death is clearly the center of “Super Bowl Sunday,” it actually doesn’t take up much time during the episode. He goes to the hospital with Rebecca to treat the burns on his hands and for the hospital to run some test to make sure the smoke in his lungs doesn’t affect him.
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She goes to grab a candy bar while they wait for the results, and the doctor comes over to deliver the bad news: Jack has died from a heart attack.
Rebecca doesn’t initially believe him, and she continues to chomp down on chocolate before stomping into Jack’s room to his lifeless body still lying on the bed. Devastated she returns home to tell Miguel and the kids, ultimately shattering everyone’s worlds.
There are plenty of fans who were probably hoping to see more of the immediate fallout of Jack’s death in “Super Bowl Sunday,” but it actually makes a compelling story to see how it shaped the Pearsons’ futures.
Next: This Is Us Recap: “That’ll Be The Day”
Next week it looks like the show will look at the funeral and the kids’ reactions but for now, the mystery behind Jack’s death has officially been solved.