The beloved drama series This Is Us is nearing its end. Fans this past week got to see the heartbreaking end to matriarch Rebecca Pearson.
Throughout the seasons, this show has taken the fans on a wild ride of twists and turns. The characters and plot have never failed to leave the audience laughing, crying, and gasping. In this final season of This Is Us, the showrunners have not slacked on the shock factor. Though the show is coming to a close, it continues to leave fans amazed at every revelation.
Jack Didn't Know His Mother
Finally fed up with his abusive father, Jack moved his mother out of their house in Pittsburgh and to family in Ohio. However, he never visited her and saw her infrequently when she visited the city which brought up all of the terrible memories from her marriage.
Because Jack only knew his mother as an abused woman, and never bothered to take the time to understand her afterward, he never really knew who his mother was. Had Jack put in the time to visit and bring his family along, Marilyn could have had more of an influence on the Pearson clan than she was able to.
Beth's Relationship With Her Dancers
In the episode "Little Island Girl: Part 2" audiences get the satisfaction of seeing Beth become successful working with the City Ballet in Philadelphia. After she had to close her own dance studio due to the COVID pandemic, fans were wondering when she would find success again.
The most satisfying part about this episode wasn't just seeing Beth find her ion, but seeing how she encourages and pushes the dancers in the program. It was heartwarming to see her tell a dancer to get up when she falters during a solo performance.
Deja And Malik Break Up
Malik and Deja are one of the best ships in This Is Us, giving the audience a young couple to root for. While it was recently revealed that the two reconnect later in life, it was still a shock to see their relationship end when it was just getting serious.
Many of the couples in the show met young, but Malik and Deja are the only young couple set in the modern time period. Their relationship was cute right from the beginning, despite the difficulties with Malik being a single teen dad and their parents not getting along. Now that fans know their love story lasts into adulthood, they're wondering how much more of the couple they'll get to see before the conclusion.
Kate and Toby Became Hostile
Last season the audience learned that Toby and Kate's marriage was doomed to fail, but the showrunners dragged out the reveal as to why. This season the episodes "The Hill" and "Katoby" laid out the events leading up to the couple's divorce.
But it was still one of the most heartbreaking breakups on This Is Us. Many fans loved the growth of their relationship and it was therefore very difficult to see them become so angry and hostile at each other as their relationship devolved. In the end, it was satisfying to see them separate and stop being so miserable.
Kate Is Appointed Rebecca's Guardian
Throughout this series Kate has had a complicated relationship with her mother, often clashing over differences and Kate's jealousy of Rebecca.
But the two reconciled later in life and learned to understand each other. However, Rebecca was close with her two sons as well. It was a bit of a shock to see Rebecca name Kate her legal guardian during her time of illness. Some fans wonder if her reasoning for this was that her sons were often emotionally unpredictable when it came to their mother and therefore Kate would be able to make more leveled-headed decisions.
Nicky As A Patriarch
Though Nicky has become somewhat of a side character following the episodes focusing on his early life, it's clear he's become a valued member of the Pearson family.
In one of the episodes leading up to Kate's nuptials, Nicky tries to give Kevin some heartfelt (and somewhat comical) advice. Nicky Pearson may never live up to the beloved Jack Pearson, but he proves himself as a valued and respected member of the family. Coming from a place of a lot of hardship, Nicky continues to influence and encourage those close to him.
Rebecca Never Forgets Music
Rebecca's mind is quite deteriorated by the time they make it to Kate's second wedding with Phillip. The family was concerned Rebecca wouldn't be able to perform her song planned. However, she shocks them all and brings many to tears when she pulls off a flawless performance.
Her disease left her confused and often upset, not knowing at times who she was talking to or what time period she was in. But music has been a big part of Rebecca's life since she was young. As much as it is heartbreaking to see her mind deteriorate, it was also inspirational to see her old self shine through.
Kevin Ends Up With Sophie
There were a lot of signs that Kevin would end up with Sophie, but their journey to happiness was a long and intense slope. These two were married in their youth, but the marriage was ruined when Kevin cheated while they were living separately.
While many fans were expecting them to find their way back to each other, or were even hoping for it, Kevin also had many love interests throughout the show. Had he ended up with Sophie, it would have had to be at the right timing and when they were both ready to commit to each other again. Therefore, it was satisfying to see the two finally find a time when they were ready to be together again.
Rebecca Outlives Miguel
Rebecca had two great love stories in the series. While her relationship and marriage with Jack was "one for the ages", Miguel was her partner throughout old age, right up to the end.
When Rebecca was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Miguel was committed to caring for her. In fact, he was so dedicated to her health that he often forgot to worry about his own. It was shocking to see Miguel away before her, despite the fact that her health seemed far more unstable. It was also heartbreaking to see her lose her husband when he was the person there for her each morning.
Randall and Kevin Agree
When Rebecca is in need of constant care, Kate makes the decision to bring her mother back home with her. However, Kevin steps in and proclaims he would move to the home he built for her instead of relocating her and burdening Kate.
And, shockingly, Randall thinks it's a good idea. While it's clear these two brothers love each other, audiences saw them at each other's throats many times throughout the years. When it came to their mother's well-being, they were constantly at odds, thinking they knew better than the other. It was a bit of a surprise to see Randall agree to Kevin's suggestion instead of proposing something else he thought more fitting.