If you're anything like me, This Is Us is your new guilty-pleasure. This show is the epitome of a love-hate relationship; you want to love every single character but the producers leave you with so many questions at the end of every episode. The fall finale premiered last night on NBC and there are a lot of unanswered questions that they still owe us. So until January 10th when it reboots, here is a list of questions, reactions, and everything in between to get you by.
*WARNING* If you have not seen the finale, or want to start the show and haven't yet, I suggest you save this article for later!
1. When does Jack ACTUALLY die?
When I watched the episode where Manuel was Rebecca's new husband, I was confused. And then, when I watched the Thanksgiving episode where Kate showed Toby that she keeps Jack's ashes in her living room, I was so sad. But the question of when and how he dies is still unanswered. He made it clear to Rebecca that he wasn't drinking anymore, but could he die from a drinking related issue, like liver failure? Or is it something completely unrelated, like suicide? I don't think he would ever choose to end his life because it's clear how much he loves his family, but I need to know like... asap. (Also, is it just me or does anyone else find it ironic that Kevin played "The Manny" but he has a really rocky relationship with his step-dad, who happens to be named Manuel? No? Just me? Okay.)
2. What is going to happen to Andy?
Regardless of the fact that Andy hasn't been a super big character on the series thus far, this scene was one of the most heart-wrenching scenes to watch by. Clearly Randall wanted to make sure that Andy didn't make the mistake of killing himself on Christmas Eve, or even at all for the sake of his daughter, Chloe. But someone who is clinically depressed and has suicidal thoughts doesn't just magically get cured by one conversation. He obviously walked away when Randall's wife walked in the room, so he didn't have to face someone else trying to talk him down, but what will happen in the future? Not just to him, but to his company, too? He made the comment that his company is failing financially, how will that get resolved? I surely don't know that Randall can completely overturn a failing company all by himself, but he continues to surprise us.
3. Kevin and Sloan?
So, Kevin and Sloan might be one of my favorite sitcom couples to ever exist. I liked Olivia for a small period of time, but when she visited Kevin's cabin and completely disrespected him, I lost all respect for her. But Sloan... there is something about her. I think she compliments Kevin extremely well and I think she makes him believe in himself more. The fact that she was able to implicitly convince him to continue the show without Olivia, and use Sloan as her understudy says a lot about her, and her relationship with Kevin. I absolutely adore her, and I think Kate makes it clear that she approves, too.
4. William, Cancer, and Jesse.
So... let's not forget about the fact that yes, William is dying. His cancer has spread and he continues to make it clear that he is not going to live for a significant amount of time past where he is now. But I did NOT see the plot twist about his sexuality coming. The producers obviously showed us that William was very much in love with Randall's biological mother, and when she died, he felt beyond heartbroken. So it was never a question as to which gender he preferred. Until now! How did he and Jesse meet, was it at AA? How long were they together, and just how intimate was this relationship? This was a plot twist that was completely unexpected, but makes me really, really happy.
Side-note: I have never seen Dennis O'Hare play a role outside of American Horror Story, but I really enjoyed him in this show!
Second side-note: If you didn't catch Randall's daughter sly comment on how "grandpa is gay", but back and watch that scene. I died.
5. Toby's Heart attack.
So I obviously saved this one for last, because tears. This scene broke me, my heart, my life, it broke all parts of me. The fact that Toby flew all the way from LA to New York on a last minute flight just so Kate knew that he couldn't live without her was like music to my ears. And they have such a great night only for it to end with Toby breaking Randall's coffee table and having what I *think* was a heart attack. He made this huge effort to get back on his diet and change his lifestyle for Kate and then bam, he falls out. The producers made a point to end it with Toby smiling after his heart (whether it be his own heart or a new one) got revived, but there is a LOT of questions to be answered surrounding his incident. Will this change he and Kate's relationship? Will it change his diet? What the hell is happening in this show?
So, to all my die hard This Is Us fans, we deserve answers! January 10th is not that far away, so gather your thoughts, get ready for more tears, and prepare yourselves for another emotional roller-coaster.
And remember, nothing bad ever happens on Christmas Eve.