What the cliffhanger from This Is Us means for season three
It looks like This Is Us has found its new mystery for fans to speculate over for season three.
Last year the hit NBC show finally revealed how Jack died but ended the season with an even bigger cliffhanger. In a flash forward to the future, Randall meets his older daughter Tess so the two can visit a mysterious “her.”
The cast has already warned fans that the answer might not be a happy one for the Pearson family.
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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chrissy Metz tried to offer up a tease without giving anything away. Her response is pretty vague, but it definitely left This Is Us fans worrying for the future.
"“It’s something you’d… nobody… it’s not good.”"
When asked to clarify her response, Metz still seemed at a loss for words for how to describe the ramifications of the cliffhanger.
"“It’s…no. It’s actually very heartbreaking.”"
The vague answer opened up more questions with many fans jumping to some darker theories. One of the most popular is that Beth has gotten sick or died which is why Tess is apprehensive to go.
The theory originated based off a blind item from TVLine which teased a cancer arc for a character on a popular sophomore network drama. However, other viewers believed that the “her” in question is actually Deja, who might have ended up in some trouble since the finale.
This Is Us ended season two with Deja in a pretty dark place after her mother gave up her maternal rights. Naturally, she was upset but took most of her anger out on Beth and Randall. While she seemed to be inching towards a better place during the wedding, she ends up spiraling and smashing in the Pearson’s car window.
However, Sterling K. Brown revealed more information in his interview with Entertainment Weekly as well.
"I know who the person is that future Randall is referring to, but [series creator Dan] Fogelman would cut off my big toe if I actually told you who it was. But I can tell you it’s probably not what you suspect. In classic Fogelman style, it will be like, ‘Oh, wow — didn’t see that coming.’”"
Since almost every fan has suggested the Beth or Deja theory, Brown’s comments make it seem as though someone else entirely will be the “her”.
This Is Us has always liked applying a bit of shock value to their story-telling, so it makes sense for the cliffhanger to do the same. Yet, Brown does admit that the cliffhanger will ultimately help shape the end of the series.
"“You’re dealing with present-day circumstances, and then you have these flashbacks which further illuminate the present circumstances of the characters. … When you see that flash-forward to the future, it will ultimately help to illuminate what the end of our story will be. That’s pretty big. Without telling you anything, I actually told you quite a bit.”"
It seems like Sterling K. Brown is saying whoever this mysterious “her” is, her future actions are defined by her present-day ones. Which means it’s more than likely that the audience has already met this woman.
Of course, someone who hasn’t been brought up a lot in this discussion but has been in the present is Annie. Perhaps something happens with Tess’ little sister, especially because no one has presented a theory involving her.
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Unfortunately, This Is Us fans might be in for a long wait when it comes to revealing the answer to the cliffhanger. However, like Jack’s death, the series will undoubtedly sprinkle clues throughout episodes for the audience.
Considering the number of struggles the Pearson family suffers, hopefully, the cliffhanger isn’t going to be as sad as people are expecting.