Has there ever been a show that’s toyed with our emotions as much as
This Is Us? Seriously, between our love for these characters and our basic need for them to just be mostly okay with themselves and their relationships, this series has put us through the ringer.Look no further than the last five minutes of season three. In an ominous time jump, we learned that Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) are no longer together, Rebecca (Mandy Moore) has lost her memory and is possibly dying, Miguel (Jon Huertas) is nowhere to be seen, and Kevin (Justin Hartley) fathered a son. To say we were
left with a few questions would be an understatement.Thankfully the show is back
Tuesday night on CTV, and we’ll finally get going on answering some of those puzzlers. Ahead of the premiere, here’s every hint, clue and spoiler we’ve compiled.
We’re picking up where this Pearson love story began
Remember that time Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca went on a road trip and fell in love—well, what comes next? When the fourth season kicks off, we’ll pick up on that storyline and discover what happens when reality sets in following that romantic journey. But, because this is
This Is Us (that never gets old), we’ll also delve more into the Big Three as 12-year-olds and, according to producers, explore some coming-of-age stories, too.
Get ready for some toddler time
Speaking of The Big Three, we’ve never really seen what they were like as a trio of terrorizing toddlers . . . until now that is. Parents with young'uns everywhere are groaning in anticipation of what can only be a handful when the series introduces four-year-old Kevin, Kate and Randall at some point this season. (These casting directors are magic, aren’t they?)
There’s a teen love story, too
Raise your hands if you loved the Beth-centric episode from last year as much as we did. Well here’s the good news: it turns out we’ll be seeing more of Teen Beth in the near future. Writers promise that this season explores more of Beth and Randall’s dating history, and how their love evolved.
Beth and Randall are finally back on the same page
Can we all get a YES that this marriage is solid again? Now that Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) have decided to move to Philly, we’ll see them on the same team as they help their kids transition to a new city and try to set up a new dance studio for Beth. Thank goodness, because our tender hearts couldn’t handle any more epic fights from those two.
Mental heath and addiction are still a part of the show
One thing we love most about this series is that there is no magic fix to anything, much like real life. Toby and Kevin have both had ups and downs in terms of mental health and addition, something the writers promise they’re going to script more of in the coming season. For Kevin, that means exploring other avenues of help now that he knows what he did in the past doesn’t work for him. And for Toby, that means trying to stay positive and finding the joy in family and a new baby.
New faces galore
When
This Is Us dropped its
season four trailer it also hinted at a ton of new characters. That isn’t unusual for a series that takes one chance meeting or storyline and blows it up into something bigger, but it seems as though we’re getting some pretty notable actors in exchange. So far the list includes Asante Blackk, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Omar Epps, Bahara Golestani, Jennifer Morrison, Timothy Omundson, M. Night Shyamalan, Julian Silva, Auden Thornton, and Nick Wechsler.
Some familiar faces return
This show has a habit of introducing great characters and then moving on, so we’re happy to report that so far adult Nicky (Griffin Dunne), Randall’s campaign manager Jae-won (Tim Jo), William (Ron Cephas Jones), Rebecca’s mom (Elizabeth Perkins), Beth’s mom (Phylicia Rashad) and Kate’s bestie Madison (Caitlin Thompson) are all returning this season.
We’ll get more clues about Kate’s future
We all know this cast and crew would never let anything slip in terms of future storylines, but at least they’ll admit Kate’s whereabouts was a big head-scratcher for viewers at the end of season three. Unfortunately the showrunners don’t plan on fully answering that mystery this season, but they will give us a few hints about what goes down to create Kate’s absence in that flash-forward scene. Here’s hoping it’s good news, and not another heartbreaking death.
Digging into Rebecca’s father
We can all agree that Mandy Moore has been underrated for what is an amazing performance in this show, something the Emmys finally got wise to this year even if she ended up losing to
Killing Eve's Jodie Comer. Thankfully the writers recognize that she has that range and they are going to give her even more to do this season. According to creator Dan Fogelman, that includes exploring her complex relationship with her father and how he responds when she brings home this new guy, Jack.
At least three more seasons of Pearson drama
It was a good summer for the
This Is Us crew. Not only did they kick off production on season four, but NBC renewed the series for seasons five and six as well. As far as Fogelman is concerned, that’s as long as he wants to take this family drama, but he’s also admitted that if the network wants more they end up extending things. Fingers crossed.
The premiere will shatter expectations
Speaking of Fogelman, he penned season four's premiere episode and promises that it’s one of the most ambitious yet. Sterling K. Brown has called it "subversive," and other actors have hinted that it’s going to get viewers talking. As far as we’re concerned, that's all we need to know to get even a little more excited for Tuesday night.
This Is Us returns Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on
CTV.
