The best theories about what the final minutes of 'This is Us' meant

I'm mad!
 By 
Proma Khosla
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Go ahead and exhale, This Is Us fans, because we made it – for now. To paraphrase Kevin Pearson, that tense breath we've held in throughout a harrowing second season can now be released...but the future is more uncertain than ever.

The Season 2 finale Tuesday night had us all playing the worst case scenario game while flipping out in all manner of ways (this reporter whispered "I'm mad" to no one in particular).

Since early Season 1, the central mystery of This Is Us was how and when Jack Pearson died and exactly what effects his death had on the rest of his family. Most of Season 2 built toward this reveal, to the point where we all but watched a man burn to death after the Super Bowl. Fun!

Jack Pearson will still be on the show (and in our hearts) in Season 3, but it looks like we'll be seeing more of his past, particularly his time in Vietnam. And let's not forget that This Is Us does flash-forwards now, so while we're freaking out about catatonic Toby and Kevin/Zoe flying to Vietnam, we can also, concurrently, freak out about who Tess and Randall aren't ready to see in the future.

Did one of Randall and Beth's worst case scenarios come true? What's going on with Toby? Oh, and where's Rebecca in all this? GOOD QUESTION.

This Is Us returns in the fall.

Topics NBC X/Twitter

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Proma Khosla

Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.

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