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4 Heartbreaking Theories About the This Is Us Season 3 Finale

06/03/2019 - 10:43 PM

This Is Us [1] season three really has been one big jigsaw puzzle. First, we were trying to figure out what happened to Jack's brother, Nicky, in Vietnam [2], then we tried to figure out who the mysterious "her" was in the flash-forward [3]. Now that we have those answers, our next game has been trying to figure out why the Pearson family is going to visit Rebecca [4]. But if we know anything about This Is Us, we likely won't get any answers until the season three finale [5].

A few members of the cast have teased what's to come over the past few months, but it hasn't given us any peace of mind. While Mandy Moore [6] said Rebecca's fate would be "a lot for people to digest emotionally, [7]" her onscreen daughter, Chrissy Metz, described the season three finale as "absolutely be shocking and heartbreaking [8]."

That being said, we have gotten a few glimpses of the flash-forward and where the characters end up. We know that Tess is a social worker [9], Beth is running her own dance studio, and Toby isn't wearing a wedding ring. So, what exactly does all of it mean? Let's try to piece together the clues we have.

Beth and Randall Are Still Together, but Separated

It's pretty apparent that Beth and Randall still have a rocky road ahead. While the two were able to work out their issues when Randall ran for office, he's now asking Beth to put her dreams of being a dance instructor on hold to help raise their family. Since we know that Beth ends up following through with that dream in the flash-forward, we can't help but wonder what that means for Beth and Randall's marriage.

Honestly, it doesn't seem likely that Randall and Beth will actually be divorced in the flash-forward [11]. Not only would This Is Us writers have some angry fans to deal with, but Randall was seen wearing a wedding ring in the flash-forward when he calls Toby. Perhaps the two are just separated and going through another rough patch. Keep in mind that in February 2018, Sterling K. Brown told fans that Beth and Randall would be "JUST fine, no matter what [12]." Unless something has changed, we should keep the faith that Beth and Randall will make it through.

Toby and Kate Aren't Together Anymore

On the flip side, Toby isn't wearing his wedding ring in the flash-forward. There could be two reasons for that, and neither of them are good. For one, Toby and Kate could be divorced in the flash-forward. During Toby's phone call with Randall, he asks if "she" would want him to be there [13]. While we initially thought he was referencing Rebecca, he could be talking about Kate. Even though they aren't together anymore, Kate might still want his support as she goes to visit her mom. Especially if they do share a child together in the flash-forward.

Another reason Toby isn't wearing his wedding ring could be that Kate isn't alive in the flash-forward. In the episode "The Graduates," [14] Kate is rushed to the emergency room after going into labor early. Some fans suspect that there will be complications and Kate will die giving birth [15].

Kevin Is a Dad

This season, we've really seen Kevin become more mature through his relationship with Zoe. If that relationship continues to grow, we wouldn't be surprised if the couple is married in the flash-forward. This season has hinted at the possibility of Kevin settling down and starting a family [16]. There's also a theory that if Kate dies, Kevin would actually help Toby raise the baby as his own [17].

Of course, this is This Is Us, and they love to throw us curveballs. It would be just like the show to have Kevin pop up with someone completely new when he visits Rebecca. Or perhaps he ends up getting back together with Sophie [18] in the end. Anything could happen!

Rebecca Has Dementia

While we now know that Rebecca is the mysterious "her" in the flash-forward, we don't exactly know why everyone is going to visit her. There have been a few theories thrown around — like brain cancer or a heart attack — but we really believe she has dementia. Not only have there been subtle clues throughout the season — like when Jack makes a comment about how they will be old and grey [19] together and not remember what they ate for breakfast — but it also could explain Beth's pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game [20].

The Big Three used to play that game every year during their joint birthday parties, so it's possible they are reuniting on their birthday in the flash-forward to play the game with their mom. If Rebecca does have dementia, this could be the Big Three's way of re-creating those memories with their mom one last time before her death. Perhaps the whole show has been the Big Three reminding their mother of their family's story — it would literally be the Big Three telling Rebecca, "This is us." If that's the case, the season three finale could end with Rebecca dying, and the following seasons would piece together how everything got to that point.


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