Why ‘This Is Us’ Made The Right Move in Not Revealing Jack’s Death… Yet
Spoilers ahead!
On March 14th, This Is Us aired its first season finale. Arguably the best new show of the 2016–2017 TV season, This Is Us has brought millions of viewers to tears week after week. Following the Pearson Family, the show has been able to tackle multiple family stories in various time periods. A show quite unlike any other, the season one finale teased upcoming storylines while keeping one major plot line still a mystery.
One of the greatest strengths This Is Us has, is the ability to tell two simultaneous stories. The stories of Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and their lives as parents and then the complicated lives of their three children: Kate (Chrissy Metz), Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown). Of course in telling these stories as an audience we’re constantly trying to piece together events in the past and how they affect the current day characters. One of the biggest mysteries is how Jack Pearson died.
A heartbreaking fact we learned early on in the season, Jack dies sometime after or during The Big Three’s final years in high school. We’ve seen snippets of his funeral, we know Kate feels responsibly and we know Rebecca even remarried his best friend Miguel. What we don’t know is how he died. It’s a large secret to keep and a lot of fans hoped it would be revealed in the season one finale.
In the season one finale, “Moonshadow,” fans get an episode that is a love letter to Rebecca and Jack’s beginning as a couple, but also possibly their end. In one timeline, Jack and Rebecca meet for the first time when Rebecca’s performing in a bar. In another, Jack drives drunk to Rebecca’s show and the duo have a huge fight that leads to Jack moving out, for now. It’s unclear whether Jack leaves this Earth when they’re still angry with each other or if they reconcile. Fan theories have been swarming the Internet, but This Is Us isn’t ready to reveal arguably its biggest mystery to date.
So, why did This Is Us make the right move in NOT revealing Jack’s cause of death? For one, it keeps the mystery alive. In a show that thrives off of keeping an audience on their toes, Jack’s cause of death and the mystery surrounding it is just another card the show will throw down at the right moment. This Is Us is made up of serendipitous moments. The show even opens with the perfect moment of Randall being dropped off at the hospital after Jack and Rebecca lose one of their own triplets. Jack’s death is, no doubt, a moment that leads to everything we’re witnessing in present day. So, if This Is Us were to reveal this in season one, where would we go from there?
While mystery and revealing moments at just the right time is an important element in This Is Us, that isn’t the main reason we’re happy Jack’s death is still a mystery. The number one reason is that we still have so much to celebrate about his LIFE. Jack may not make it to The Big Three’s 36th birthdays, or even their 20th birthdays, but he led a full life with the people he loved. There are so many moments we need to appreciate in Jack’s life before we worry about his death.
What was Jack like when Kate brought home her first boyfriend? How did Jack propose to Rebecca? When did Jack meet Miguel? How did Jack have a special relationship with both Kevin and Randall? If all of these moments came after we knew Jack’s cause of death, they would somehow be tainted. They wouldn’t be as pure as we would’ve wanted. Yes, Jack’s death would’ve made for an epic season one finale, but it wasn’t necessary.
Season one still ended on an incredible moment. We witness the breaking point in a marriage we thought would never have a breaking point. Jack and Rebecca talk out their issues in such a beautifully acted and executed scene. While Jack’s death may or may not be right around the corner, seeing the desperation he has to save his marriage was still enough to make us cry.
Another reason not revealing Jack’s death in the season one finale was a good thing is that it would’ve overshadowed William (Ron Cephas Jones). While this season has had a lot of Jack and Rebecca moments, honestly, it was a season about Randall and William. The season opened with Randall finding William. We saw them bond and go through heartache together. Season one’s “Memphis” is one of the strongest episodes on TV ever. It was poignant and emotional. It celebrated not only William’s life, but also Randall’s.
William’s death is something that will continue to affect This Is Us for seasons to come. If Jack’s cause of death was revealed a mere two episodes after William’s passing, it would’ve felt rushed. Jack deserves his own stretch of episode where we can mourn his passing, same with William. Season one focused on Randall’s biological father, so it only seemed fitting that William is the only big death we focus on as season one came to a close.
While we need to wait a little longer for This Is Us to tell us how Jack died, we think it’s for the best. As fans, we want to experience more moments like Pilgrim Rick, the day at the pool and Jack and Rebecca’s wedding day. This Is Us knows how to tell emotional moments that speak to all of us. It thrives in the small moments, like the washing machine.
So, here’s to another season of mystery, heartache and more moments with The Pearsons. Eventually, we’ll have to come face to face with Jack’s death, but that day is not today.
