I have wondered if Kate is still alive in the future and if her death could have prompted a reconciliation between Kevin & Randall. Just speculating…
First of all, Kevin was learning that Madison was pregnant – and she’s not obviously showing yet; it was gobsmacking new news that she was pregnant – on Baby Jack’s first birthday. So any kids Madison has would be at at least 18-19 months younger than Baby Jack, not less than a year younger.
Second, I agree that Kevin and Randall were looking pretty old in the bedside scene, but I disagree that they looked any older than Hollywood would represent men in their early 50s. (In Hollywood, men who are actually in their early 50s regularly play characters who are much younger than that. I think the Hollywood idea is that men in their early 50s look like 60±year-old men.)
Third, my mother-in-law lived for eight years after an initial Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and that diagnosis came at a later point in the progression of her disease than we see with Rebecca. (None of her children was a Randall; none lived near her; everyone was in denial for at least a year before persuading her to get tested.) She didn’t participate in any clinical trials. The fact that she lived eight years didn’t mean they were good years.
I agree with my husband that Kevin and Randall look like they might be in their 60’s and not 50’s in the last scene. I realize the CDC thinks 60 is old, but there was too much grey for them to be closer to 50!
While we don’t know what year the bed scene is, the Big 3 were born in 1980, their 40th birthday is after baby Jack’s 1st birthday, so are we looking more than 10 years in the future? I would guess the Kevin’s twins were 11-13 years old, so I guess Kevin would be around 52 in the last scene; he looks older than that.
@jym626 I also wondered about Jack’s sight when the baby was born. However, the actor that plays grown up Jack is vision impaired so may have just been the acting.
I was annoyed at Beth as well. She told Randall she didn’t like his tactics, but didn’t push him to back off his position. But am also not entirely convinced that current Randall is true to his character.
I noticed Kevin’s ring, but not Nick’s. I thought we had figured it was about 10 years in the future the first time the gathering at the house was shown. I think the kids are Kevin’s twins with Madison.
I agree that Keen and perhaps Randall looked older than just 50.
I missed this point as I thought it was Jack wife’s sister. From the WaPo:
“the gallery guide turns out to be the adopted daughter Kate and Toby decide they want after taking a photo of Jack to the newborn intensive-care unit, where he spent his first days.” Maybe Jack is the famous person she is alluding to in her comments at the gallery.
I know plenty of 50-somethings with gray hair, including my H, my dad, my brothers … But I also think that Kevin must have had a real transformation to not dye his hair, regardless of how old he is in the later scenes. I think there will be some major changes coming for him.
@MohnGedachtnis you are absolutely right on the age difference between baby Jack and the twins; I think staying at home has turned my brain to mush!
I was talking to my daughter tonight…she had just watched the finale. Her first theory - Madison dies during childbirth or sometime after - and Kevin raises the kids - maybe gets back with Sophie to raise them together (because Sophie would also be getting to the age of not being able to have children).
I think this is plausible. Madison has an odd role in the show - she’s there now and then, but with no real purpose. Her purpose could be what we see developing now - to give Kevin the opportunity to be a dad.
Is it possible that something happens to Miguel and Rebecca marries Nicky?
I’m not positive that the house on the hill is Kevin’s. Beth greeted him when he arrived like it was her house, I thought. I also don’t think Kevin is married to the mother of the children because he greeted them as if he hadn’t seen them in few days, at least.
And I did think the adults had aged a lot in 10 or 11 years–that’s about the age of those kids of Kevin’s, it seemed.
We talked (my D and I) about if Nicky could be married to Rebecca - I don’t think so - I think they want us to think that but it won’t be true.
Nicky looked the same 10 years (or whatever) down the road as now!
I’ve always questioned if it was Kevin’s house - I think that might have been another Randal “I’ll beat you” to building it.
So I follow Sterling K Brown on insta. He posted a clip of him and Kevin’s daughter with the caption about still being around in 2045. Caused quite the stir! People speculating those aren’t the twins he has with Madison…
I didn’t think it was Kevin’s house the first time we saw it. Now I’m even more convinced that it’s not. And I agree that Kevin greeted the kids the way a non-custodial but involved parent would. So I don’t give much credence to the “Madison dies and Kevin raises the kids” theory.
I don’t think it’s so odd that Cassidy showed up at Nick’s, nor do I think it signals a romance. They’re AA buddies.
But do wonder where Miguel is during the “death” scene. And what the OB’s daughter has to do with anything - took a lot of time showing him, her and the horse. That’s got to develop further than just being an analogy for Kevin.
Not to be morbid, but maybe Madison had a miscarriage or stillbirth, and like his parents, Kevin adopts twins with a present day wife. I can believe the Rebecca bedroom scene was 2045, not 2030ish; which would again not make the twins in the scene the ones with Madison.
Are the “3” turning 40 in 2020? If so then in 2045 they are 65. And Rebecca, how old do we think she is in 2020 - 65? That would make her 90. I mean she looked 90 in that blurry pic of her in bed. IDK…
I don’t think the scene with Rebecca in bed is 2045. That would make her 95, which is extremely unlikely. I think that scene takes place 10-12 yrs in the future. That is just the show’s interpretation of how Kevin and Randall might look in their early 50s.
I think the scene with adult Baby Jack and Lucy having the baby was in 2045.
Regarding Madison’s doctor and the horse scene with his daughter, I agree with PPs, that it was just to carry the theme and advice that would lead Madison to tell Kevin and give him a chance, like the girl told her dad not to give up on the horse.
I don’t think Jack adopted the kids because his son looks just like him.
Anyone heard any news about timeline for filming the next season?
Or any chance they had already filmed the next season before Covid hit?
The wait seems endless during regular off seasons, but now, who knows when we will get to see the Pearsons again.
And if they have not filmed any episodes for next season, I imagine that Covid might change how the actors interact with each other onscreen? Or could they just postpone filming for a year?
Yes, this is a petty thought in the midst of Real suffering in the world. But also thinking of all the regular crew workers who will be left without employment If the television industry just shuts down completely.
I don’t think anything has been filmed yet. If, and that’s a big if, there will be a new TV season this fall, I read that shows will not likely begin airing til Jan 2021 at the earliest, especially if the show is filmed in LA or NY. A surge in the fall could change all that.
I’ve been thinking that a show like This is Us is perfect for Covid related storylines. They (seriously) can shoot all the current day material using iPhones, as each family would be sequestered in their own spaces (even “married” couples and those with “families” could have “why we’re not together at this time” themes). There was a wonderful episode of Modern Family where the entire episode was shot using iPads and revolved around the use of it as a communication tool. I’m so hopeful that some shows will utilize this format and incorporate Covid into their (current day) timelines.
The upcoming seasons for TIU will be season 5 and they have 6 seasons planned and already know the ending. With current day/flashback/flashforward, I don’t see how they could incorporate the COVID19 crisis much into the story without distracting from what they already have planned. I saw Justin Hartley give an interview where he said all the main characters already know how it all ends. Now I just want to shake one of them down to tell me! Some of you are undoubtedly more patient, but I’m a person who reads the last few pages of a novel if I get curious after the first chapter or two.
CBS Sunday Morning had a feature this morning on Hollywood shutdown saying it’s going to be awhile before production on most shows & movies can resume because some stories will require physical proximity.