Season 2 of This Is Us has officially ended and I don't know about you, but I am completely drained of feels.
After enduring Toby's heart attack and Kate's heart-wrenching grief over the loss of her father and her residual guilt for his death, these two (played by Chris Sullivan and Chrissy Metz) made it to the altar and got married. Before the ceremony, Kate finally lets go of her father by spreading his remaining ashes out in the forest before walking down the aisle towards her new life—and, according to a toast later given by Kevin (Justin Hartley) it seems like after two seasons, we're going to start seeing all of the Pearson fam begin to move on. We also find out that said fam now officially includes Deja (Lyric Ross), whose mother has terminated her parental rights and is being adopted by Randall and Beth. Deja is struggling with her changing family—because, let's be real, that is A LOT to go through—and a new character, Beth's sister-like cousin Zoe, helps her through it.
Everything was going fine until the last moments of the finale. That's when the creators decided to drop so many hints, complete with flash forwards, for what these characters are headed for that we were left not knowing how to feel.
Actual footage of me after the finale:
Here are our most pressing qs from the This Is Us finale, plus some fan theories and creator insight on what season 3 will entail.
One of my fave characters, who has been completely full of love and laughter for the past two seasons, is apparently headed for some dark times. In the finale, Toby's parents hint that after his last breakup, he stayed home from work all day, laying in bed with the curtains drawn. At the time, that seems somewhat normal given that he was grieving the loss of a marriage. But then, we get a glimpse of where Toby and Kate are going to be a year after their wedding and it's making fans reconsider what we thought we knew about this bubbly character. In the flash forward, we see Toby laying in bed with the curtains closed and a blank stare. Kate comes in and is clearly caring for him, mentioning that they're going to speak with his doctor about adjusting his meds. Um excuse me, what meds?
Is Toby dealing with depression? Or could it be more? I'm intrigued by this theory from Twitter user Tara:
Future Toby is depressed because they could never have kids and spoiler alert...he found out HE was the cause (Kate thought she was due to her weight/age)
Tess & Randall are going to see Deja...in jail...because she hurt Beth like in Beth's worst case scenario fear. #ThisIsUs — Tara (@TaraWillDo) March 14, 2018
In the infamous This Is Us post-Super Bowl episode, we got a brief look into the future with a greying Randall and grown-up Tess, who now works as a social worker helping foster children. The finale showed a brief clip Randall and Tess having a very serious, and sombre discussion about going to visit "her" and Tess saying that she wasn't sure she was ready. Wait, who are they talking about? Is it Beth? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO BETH?
Nothing can happen to Beth!!! I did not like that foreshadowing! #ThisIsUs @skelechiwatson @SterlingKBrown @NBCThisisUs
— Juliette W (@julietteb4) March 14, 2018
I don’t think the “she” they have to visit is Deja, I think it’s Beth. And, so help me if #ThisIsUs makes her get Alzheimer’s or in a vegetative state or something...
— Elz (@txelz) March 14, 2018
I just had a thought that maybe Beth isn't dead..? Shes just not living with them anymore. #ThisIsUs
— Jessica (@Canuckgirl74) March 14, 2018
Anyone else think Randall and Tess are going to see Rebecca?? A good long life she could be real old, I refuse to believe anything happens to Beth! #ThisIsUs #thisisus beth #ThisIsUsfinale
— Kate McComb (@kateykate35) March 14, 2018
The flash forward was also interspersed with Deja having a meltdown after Toby's mom said she looked just like Randall, assuming that he was her biological father. Deja proceeded to take her anger out on Randall's car with a baseball bat—leading fans to wonder if maybe Deja is the one that future Randall and Tess are visiting, possibly in jail.
@Dan_Fogelman Really worried about the status of Beth & Deja! Will Deja cause something to happen that causes Beth to be hurt @ThisIsUsWriters As a fan and writer, you can't help wondering after the finale #ThisIsUs
— Vina St. Fran (@Vinastfran) March 14, 2018
Here’s my #thisisus theory. Tonight showed that Deja has a streak of uncontrolled anger. I think she eventually takes her anger of being abandoned by her mother out on Beth (as she predicted) and kills her. I think Randall and Tess are referring to visiting Deja in prison.
— HarshtagPump (@HarshtagPump) March 14, 2018
Fans also pointed out that in the scene, Randall's wedding ring was not visible, but This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman insists that wasn't intentional. At SXSW, Fogelman didn't spoil anything but did confirm that these flash forwards take place 13 years in the future and that this storyline will be prominent in season 3.
Fatherhood has always been a prominent theme in This Is Us, and it looks like we might get more backstory on Deja's dad next season. Considering the very mention of this paternal figure ignited some car-smashing rage, and we've never seen or heard about Deja's biological father in her backstory, there's definitely a lot to learn there. "One of the things that we may come to know more about next season is Deja’s father, because we haven’t yet talked about it at all," executive producer Elizabeth Berger told Entertainment Weekly. "Obviously, Deja has had almost no relationship with him, but she may know more about him than we previously let on."
Kevin has had a rough season, but it looks like good things are in store for him in Season 3. In the flash forward, we see him on a plane with BETH'S TOTALLY AWESOME COUSIN ZOE!!! And just in case you thought they were just traveling together, Kevin gives her a sweet kiss on the forehead as she sleeps on his shoulder. Could this finally be the season that we see Kevin in a happy stable relationship?
Kevin and Beth's cousin dating (I assume) and on a plane to Vietnam while Kevin holds his dad's old army photo. That's a lot to take from what they showed but they really put a lot into that mini scene #ThisIsUs
— Snack Panther (@SistahSarcasm) March 14, 2018
KEVIN FINALLY HAPPY AND IN LOVE YES GOD THANKYOU #thisisus
— amy (@piratesails) March 14, 2018
In the brief scene of Kevin and Zoe on a plane, the flight attendant announces that they're on their way to Vietnam as Kevin looks at his dad's old army photo from the war. The photo is of Jack's army buddies, including his brother Nicky, who we currently know nothing about. Seems like we're about to learn a whole lot more about yet another member of the Pearson family!
Alright #thisisus fans... let’s talk theories...Do we think deja dies?? ends up in jail? Institutionalized?? Toby falls into a deep depression... Kevin heads to Vietnam... right? Perhaps to figure out what happened to Nicky or to get a better idea of what his dad went through?
— Rebecca Lewis (@troubledenergy) March 14, 2018
Here's the most important question: How in the eff are we all going to make it until September without some answers? The countdown begins now.
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