This Is Us hasn't officially been renewed for season four yet, but we already have a good idea of where the show is heading. In the special fan issue of Good Housekeeping, the stars of the hit drama discussed what's in store for their characters, and we already have mixed emotions. While the Pearson family will get even bigger in coming episodes, the upcoming season will focus less on the family's patriarch, Jack. Plus, the show is going to dig even deeper into the "her" mystery in the flash-forward. Here's what we know so far!
1. The Premiere Is Already Causing Mixed Reactions
The script for the season four premiere is already in the works, but not everyone is on the same page about how it will play out. The show's creator, Dan Fogelman, admitted that the writers weren't on board with his original idea. "I said, 'Guys [referring to the writers], I was up in bed all night last night staring at the ceiling, excited' . . . and they're all staring at me blankly," he told Good Housekeeping. "And then they break the news [to me] that for the last half hour they've been talking about the fact that they all agree it's a bad idea."
Even though we know Rebecca is the "her" in the flash-forward, the mystery surrounding the Pearsons' visit with her will continue to evolve throughout season four. "I think it's going to take a while to really fully grasp how all-encompassing the whole 'her' situation is," Mandy Moore told Good Housekeeping. "[There are] a lot of moving parts in it. You've got a lot of people involved, it's a big family . . . it all ties into with the way that the show ends. People will be sufficiently satisfied. It all makes sense, and it's all real. We know where we're heading, it's been the plan all along, and we're just slowly, out of order, getting there."
While the past three seasons have heavily revolved around Jack, season four will shift the focus to the Big Three. "I think a lot of the mystery of Jack has been kind of told by the end of this season [season three], but it doesn't necessarily mean it's any less interesting to go and live with those younger families," Fogelman told Good Housekeeping. "We are starting to move towards new chapters in season four with the Big Three . . . some of the more mysterious or dramatic pulls of the series might start falling into the hands of some of our other characters."
The episode "Songbird Road: Part Two" seemed to wrap up Nicky's storyline quite nicely, but we haven't seen the last of Jack's brother. Michael Angarano, who played the younger version of the character in flashbacks, discussed Nicky's role in season four with Good Housekeeping. "He's another connection to Jack," he said. "He knew apart of Jack that nobody else did, not even Rebecca. He's the missing link to the family that nobody knew was missing. I think Nicky will bring a lot of understanding and depth to the show in an unexpected way."
Fogelman added that the show has "a big plan of expansion" for season four. "The show is intended to be the expansive ways our lives evolve and connect us with our people . . . That starts happening more and more." Perhaps we'll meet new characters in the flash-forward?
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5. We'll See a Different Side of Miguel
Jon Huertas told Good Housekeeping that season four would further explore Rebecca and Miguel's budding relationship and fans will see a different side of the character. "I'd love to have that kind of scene between the three kids, where they apologise for being little punks in his and Rebecca's marriage," he said.
6. Things Will Get Really Intense Between Beth and Randall
Take a deep breath, because it seems like Randall and Beth's marital issues are far from over. Sterling K. Brown told Good Housekeeping that the couple will go through "some lows" next season. "But hopefully we'll see how they're able to navigate those and make it through to the other side," he added. "Hopefully . . . It's probably the most intense we've seen things between Beth and Randall. And we've seen, you know, a little bit of a glimpse into the future of what the status of their marriage could be, which I will neither confirm nor deny."
7. We'll See How Rebecca Adjusts to Being an "Empty Nester"
We've already seen a few glimpses of how Rebecca is dealing with being a single parent after Jack's death, and in season four, Moore is excited to explore how she adjusts to being an empty nester when the Big Three go off to college. "The kids are about to graduate from high school . . . I'm sure that is a tremendously lonely moment, becoming sort of this empty nester especially after being a widow . . . I'm curious to see what she does with her life and interested to see if she goes back to the music world, if that's something she finds solace in," she told Good Housekeeping. "I want her to start picking up the pieces of her life and find some joy again. I'm looking forward to seeing how long that takes. What were those steps in between to get where she is with Miguel?"
8. Kate and Toby's Relationship Is About to Get More Serious
While Toby and Kate's relationship has been fun and lighthearted up until now, things will start to shift now that they are parents. "We've seen a lot at the surface with stuff, and things start to get a little more serious and they realise that it's not all fun and games," Chrissy Metz told Good Housekeeping. "We [Kate and Toby] can't protect ourselves with humour and sarcasm."
9. Rebecca and Jack's Younger Days Will Likely Be Explored
Though the series will focus less on Jack in season four, we will get a better glimpse of his younger days with Rebecca. "They were married for five years before they had kids . . . and might've been dating five years before they got married . . . they had their own lives free of parenthood," Milo Ventimiglia told Good Housekeeping. "I think that's the stuff that I'd want to explore — what happened in that period of time." Moore added, "We're also going to follow Jack and Rebecca back from California to Pittsburgh, to see how they pick up on their relationship from there after that road trip [which went] a little south."