This Is Us is quickly coming to an end, but one character's romantic future is still up in the air.
Alexandra Breckenridge is back as Sophie on the hit NBC drama's last few episodes, and her return brings up several unanswered questions about her relationship with ex-husband Kevin (Justin Hartley) and the rest of the Pearson family.
The April 19 episode left fans wondering whether Kevin had slept with Sophie, his "friends with benefits" Cassidy (Jennifer Morrison) or the mysterious wedding singer Arielle (Katie Lowes) the night before Kate (Chrissy Metz) got married. Who will Kevin's romantic endgame be? All will be revealed on the Tuesday, April 26 episode.
Before then, Breckenridge is breaking down her This Is Us journey over the years, from working with Hartley, to Sophie and Kate's friendship, to what fans can expect from the show's final episodes.
Read on for E! News' exclusive interview with Alexandra Breckenridge.
E! NEWS: What was it like returning to This Is Us after so long? Did you always hope you'd return one day?
AB: I've been wanting to come back on the show for a while. I've been tied up with Virgin River. In a few of the seasons, I would've come back, but scheduling didn't permit it. That's been difficult because I love the show so much and love working with Justin so much. He's such a pleasure. It's always great to work with him. We kind of just fall back into this very easy working relationship that you don't get with everybody that you work with. Given the history between Kevin and Sophie, it's so great to be able to work with somebody that you have that natural chemistry with. It helps you bring life to the characters and kind of what makes them spark to each other.
E!: What was it like exploring Kevin and Sophie's relationship over the years with Justin Hartley?
AB: I think he's been doing such fantastic work in this role, and it's a really complicated role, given he's had this pretty large character arc that he's been exploring from season one until now, and how his character's developed into a man. He was a very self-centered kid. He was a sweet kid, he's always been sweet, but pretty self-centered. And I think Justin is not self-centered and he's been able to wear his heart on his sleeve in these later episodes in such a lovely way.
We don't do a lot of rehearsal. We know what characters we're playing, and then we come together and it just works. We're lucky in that. We didn't have a chemistry read to begin with, so I just showed up and we started playing the scenes.
E!: Another important relationship is Kate and Sophie's friendship. After Kate lied about knowing that Kevin cheated on Sophie years ago, how have they rebuilt their friendship over the years?
AB: [The show] never really got into that when Kevin and Sophie got back together in their 30s. They didn't get into the Kate and Sophie aspect of their relationship, but I'm happy that they went back into it. I would like to see more between the two of them. Their Thelma & Louise bit, I think would be fun. I think it was that forgiveness. I think that was pretty big for Sophie because she was so close with Kate, but at the same time, it's hard not to understand why you would be loyal to your brother. I think Sophie was so hurt by what happened. It felt like she'd been betrayed by the two people that she loved the most in the world. And so, for her, when Kate apologized, she was like, 'Of course.' It's really sweet.
E!: Sophie is with her husband at Kate and Phillip's engagement party, but we don't see him at the wedding. Did something happen between those events that could hint at Sophie attending the wedding alone?
AB: I think they've been teasing that it's a possibility that something happened between the two. Who knows? Maybe his schedule didn't allow for him to be there, you know? It could be just so simple. We don't know yet! Maybe something happened between the two of them, or maybe he just couldn't make it out.
E!: The April 26 episode will reveal what happened between Kevin and his three potential love interests the night before Kate's wedding. Anything you can tease about Sophie and Kevin's reunion?
AB: They have a lot of history, obviously, so I think it's gonna be emotionally loaded for both of them on some level. It can't not be. The two of them are like magnets together. I think when they're around each other, they can't help but feel something. Whether that ends up with them coming together or not, it's gonna be emotionally loaded.
E!: Do you think fans will be happy with how it all ends?
AB: Gosh, I hope so! Isn't that the hope? I think the writers have done a really fantastic job throughout the seasons of creating such a rich environment and such rich characters and circumstances in life. Some of these episodes I've read—you get misty-eyed every time you read an episode of This Is Us and every time you watch an episode because they touch upon things that emotionally stir us in our core. It's hard not to be moved. But there's still a lot to work through, and I, personally, have loved the episodes, so I'm excited to see them come to life.
E!: What has being a part of the This Is Us family meant to you?
AB: It's been just as much of an emotional journey for Sophie as it has been for me during the show because I love working with everyone so much. I love being able to be a part of it. It makes me feel this tremendous amount of acceptance amongst my peers, and yet, I've had these scheduling conflicts where I haven't been able to do the show as much as I would've liked. So being here at the end, I'm just so incredibly grateful that I was given the opportunity to be here. I think everybody has their own special reasons why this show means something to them. You can feel it being around everybody on set. It's meant so much to so many people on so many different levels. It's kind of incredible.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC. Catch up on past episodes on Peacock before the May 24 series finale.
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