This Is Us Finale Includes One Last Flash-Forward: What Does It Reveal?
Warning: This post contains spoilers about This Is Us‘ series finale.
We did it, fellow This Is Us obsessives: We made it to the NBC series’ final flash-forward.
As those of you who’ve watched the popular drama for years know, the Pearson family’s saga has often zoomed past its present-day storyline to give us peeks into the future. One group of these glimpses was tied to Kate’s wedding to Philip. Another dealt with Rebecca’s final hours of life, the culmination of which unfolded in last week’s episode.
And a third dealt with Kate and Toby’s son, Jack. A flash-forward that began in the Season 4 premiere revealed that Jack grew up to be a highly successful singer/songwriter (so much so that we took to calling him Rockstar Jack to differentiate him from his grandfather, Jack Pearson).
Subsequent episodes showed us other snippets of Jack’s adult life, from a Thanksgiving meal that proved the Pearson holiday traditions lived on to the day that his wife, Lucy, delivered their daughter, Hope.
And Tuesday’s series finale gives us one more (fleeting) look at Jack’s life: This time, he and Lucy are pushing Hope on a swing, in a montage of other Pearson family members doing so with their kids. (Read a full recap here, then make sure to check out our post mortem chat with series creator Dan Fogelman.)
Why such a light touch on the flash-forward button in the finale, you wonder? “We never planned on living heavily in 2040 or whatever that year would be,” Fogelman told reporters during a call Tuesday. “Obviously there are more stories to be told in the adult lives of [The Big Three’s] children and grandchildren, but that was never the intent of the series. Every book has to end.”
And with that, we wrap our ever-expanding coverage of Jack’s adult life, chronicled in the gallery above. In it, you’ll find visuals, snippets of dialogue, clues and anything else we thought might be good to know — including intel from interviews with the NBC series’ stars and producers.
Flip through the gallery above — or go to it directly here — then hit the comments section with your thoughts about the series’ final episode!
It was awful should have been total future ckr
I really thought we’d get more of the future. Maybe see Tess with a wife and adopted kids; Deja with her kid(s); more of Jack Jr and his family as well as sister; Kevin’s kids, etc. Showing the cousins all gather. It was still a very nice finale, but having the bits of Jack Jr. in earlier episodes and then only the one scene in the finale felt off.
Wow!!!, this is something with substance!.
Nothing better in creativity or flvr.
All the millions on this is incredible?
Im impressed!!!!
Disappointed. Nothing about the kids. What they were doing or would do in the future..kind of boring. Big let down for me
I also was bored. Glad to know I was not the only one.
I wish we had heard the eulogies Randall. Kevin, and Kate each did for Rebecca.
I was very disappointed with the final episode. I think the previous episode on the train was much better. I agree it would have been nice to hear all of their eulogies. I felt very let down.
I agree! I was also disappointed in the final episode after the previous week’s outstanding episode. It would have been nice to hear the eulogies and see future lives of Kevin, Kate, and Randall along with their children and grandchildren.
Me too! I felt like it was such a wasted episode, let alone a series finale!
I wanted to see a little more about how the 3 lives/families turned out. It almost seemed to be all about Randall and Kate and Kevin barely existed.
Perhaps the most substantial & nuanced tv show of all time. It deserves every critical acclaim that exists. It captured & explored all of the lives & relationships so well over many years and held viewers attention and affection throughout the series, evoking emotions, driving feelings…. So incredibly well done. The 2nd to last episode was perfection. Deeply moving. Bravo.
Agreed. Without doubt one of the finest television series in the history of the medium. Unlike some others here, I found the final episode very moving & satisfying, as far as it could be satisfying for someone who, in a way, never wanted the series to end (though I very much agree with Fogelman, et al’s choice to limit it & end it as they did).
Love this show, I cried, laughed and pondered all of these same situations at one time or another, beautiful story telling to the very end , identified with all of the life struggles of everyone of these actors in this show. Of of the greatest shows that were on tv. Bravo to everyone involved from lighting techs to makeup actors, writers everyone just BRAVO!!❤️❤️❤️❤️🥲🥲
I think a lot of people who complained about the last episode totally missed the point. Rebecca said she didn’t want to leave them (her family) when Jack ask if she was ready. He told her you don’t leave them. Then it showed how they carried on Jack and Rebecca’s love by showing generations doing the same that they did in the way of the swing set. Life goes on and we carry our past with us and it shapes us. That’s what This Is Us is all about.
No, nobody missed the point. It was very clear.
There are lots of reasons that people either liked or didn’t like it.
One of the great things about the world is that everybody is different and has their own unique opinions. It’s ok that many people had a different perspective to you.
Just saying Bravo to your comment.
That is, Bravo to Rick.
I didn’t realise Jack’s baby is named Hope. For some reason, I always thought her name was Death. I thought that was a nice name but also quite odd.
Hope makes much more sense
I think it was just awful of a ending for a great series it was will miss it very much.it should had never been taken off
I do not think it was taken off. At the beginning of the show, when they did the after talks. they said it was a 6 season plan. I wish I could remember the source, but I do remember that being said. I wish they would have kept going, but alas it is the end. And I thought the ending was fitting.
The whole funeral was a flash forward! It was 2033.
I had a feeling there for a moment that Randell didn’t want to be around anymore, like he was so sad of losing his mom, that it almost sounded like he would do something to himself, until Deja stepped in and said how he has a grandson on the way. At least that is what I thought was going on, but I could be wrong.. Ya the last show I didn’t really get the point of it all, but again thats my opinion. But very sad to see this show will never be back,,
So disappointed. I thought for sure we would see Randall being sworn in as President in a future year. I just didn’t think it was special at all.
I did not have the drive or the I want to see how the lives of the children and the grandchildren of the big three turned out. The six seasons were primarily about Jack and Rebecca and the children and their spouses. Some other family internintantly such as Wiliam and Nicky. Yes, we got to know their children… but that was not the main focus of this series. We saw last night and it was concluded that the Pearson generations will continue, but I think the way that they handled it was perfect.
Would have loved to hear what was said at the funeral and see more of where people ended up like the kids and grandkids. Great show with great writers! Sad to see it end!
I’m just glad the producers resisted the temptation of making adult Jack’s world futuristic. The Affair did it during its final season and it was so distracting and out of place that it felt like watching an episode of Black Mirror instead of the show I had been watching for four seasons.
My most favorite show and I’m saddened to see it end!! Kudos to all of the stars and thank you for giving us tge wonderful series in the first place!!!!
It was a beautiful heartwarming deeply emotional ending to a six-year journey with the Pearson family. This was in my opinion the best show on television ever and there will never be another. I’m sad that it’s over but looking forward to watching it over and over again. I think they tied the ending up perfectly. Saying goodbye to TIU is sad 😢
Agreed, especially about it being a beautiful sendoff. I think folks who want all kinds of things in the future tied up are missing part of the truth the series explores: that life never is all tied up, & that family, life, humanity are ever-expanding entities (at least until we blow ourselves up or find some other way to kill ourselves off, but that’s another, maddening discussion). The expansion happens in many ways, including simple, brief touchings of one life to another, which is why I so loved the scene of Jack P. meeting & speaking to the traumatized father in the hospital waiting room, passing on what Dr. K had told him, all those years ago (& we didn’t even have to hear him say it), & then seeing the beautiful future of that father’s family, & knowing that was the last significant interaction Jack had before dying. Just magnificent storytelling & teaching, actually.
Disappointed…. She should have been reunited with both “husbands” as she arrived in Heaven even though they would no longer be husbands. So unrealistic. It left me feeling blah….
She was. Appropriately.
Around Season 3, there was a flash forward of Randall and Beth. They appeared to be separated/angry with each other. Beth was in a dance studio? It was lots of glass and metal – very modern. Was that storyline dropped?
What happened to Rockstar Jack’s sister? Nothing ever came of her life.
I will truly miss this series. Were all of my questions answered?..No; but that ok. For 6 seasons it was one heck of a ride{JUST LIKE LIFE}.