This Is Us Creator Reveals All of the Hints You Should've Picked Up on About Jack's Death in Season 2 Premiere

Creator Dan Fogelman and Milo Ventmiglia weigh in on the shocking final two minutes of This Is Us' season two premiere, which revealed major clues about Jack's death

By Tierney Bricker Sep 27, 2017 3:34 AMTags
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Are we done crying yet?

OK, trick question, because This Is Us fans are just used to crying 24/7 when it comes to this show...and especially when it comes to the topic of Jack's (Milo Ventimiglia) death. Since the show began, many rumors and theories have circulated about how the Pearson family patriarch (and the most beloved dad currently on TV) passed away, and in the Sept. 26, viewers were rewarded with two major clues. (Warning,spoilers ahead!)

At the end of the episode, we see Rebecca (Mandy Moore) driving, with Jack's personal effects (wedding ring included) in the seat next to her, and when she pulls up to the family house, we see it's been destroyed in a fire. (We also learn that the Big Three are 17 when Jack's death happens.) 

Did anyone see that coming?! (And could they, really, through the tears in their eyes?)

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After the episode, NBC posted a video as part of their "That Was Us" series, with Ventimiglia and creator Dan Fogelman talking about the premiere's huge reveal.

"We've been teasing it as this big piece of a puzzle about Jack's death that's going to be unraveled, and I think with any puzzle, there's a bunch of clues at the end of the episode," Fogelman said of the final two minutes. 

Those "clues" he's talking about? According to him, fans who were paying attention should've definitely picked up on the following: "The dog with Kate and you see the redheaded girl who you're not quite sure who she is with Randall, and you see Kevin and his leg."

 

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Fogelman continued, "We know we're marching toward something and we now know what we're marching towards and we have these little markers that I think you'll see over the course of the season that will bring you closer to everything people want to know about Jack's death."

And while we got some huge pieces of information in the premiere, expect to have to wait to get the full story.

"They gotta pay attention and be patient," Milo advised of viewers "dying to know" how Jack died.

Earlier in the episode, Jack revealed just how much he was struggling with his alcoholism, breaking down in front of Rebecca and saying just how "embarrassed" he was.

"This guy is struggling with something, which I think is really humanizing and it's such an interesting color on this guy who's been so perfect all along," Fogelman said of the moment. "This is a big part of where we're going this season, is showing how difficult it is to be a good man and how difficult it's been for him." 

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)