Oh, so maybe Jack didn’t die in that [spoiler], and our hearts can’t take this back-and-forth
Last week’s Season 2 premiere of This Is Us provided some major insight into how Jack might have died, but according to Milo Ventimiglia — who plays the Pearson patriarch — there’s much more to the puzzle. If you haven’t watched the This Is Us premiere, now might be a good time to turn around because spoilers lie ahead…
The final minutes of This Is Us‘ second season premiere made it appear as though Jack had died in, or as a result of, a house fire.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ventimiglia discussed the reactions to that big reveal that he’s seen from fans.
"It’s a lot of 'Still, we don’t know what happened.' And there was even a little bit of clarity that they were asking me for. They were like, 'Wait a minute. You were in the front seat, and then you’re not in the front seat, but your stuff is in the seat but your stuff wasn’t burned, so that doesn’t mean you were in the fire or you were out of the fire? What was it? What happened? How did you die?'"
Pretty sure we’re all asking those questions right about now. So naturally, Ventimiglia can’t escape them. That said, “I think at least people feel like we’re on the road to resolution — or on the road to understanding how is that Jack died, and how this burned-down house is a part of it.”
Ventimiglia also cautioned fans to avoid jumping to conclusions.
"Nothing is as it seems on this show," he explained. "But we’re not ones to lead people astray, so showing the burned-down house and a wailing Rebecca is definitely an indication of what happened possibly that night. Or what it has to do with Jack’s death."
He reiterated that the show isn’t trying to throw people off, but it is trying to keep things interesting. “We’re not into misleading people, but if we gave everybody everything right now, what would the [mystery] be about? I think everybody is wanting that itch scratched right now, and it’s like, ‘Guys, be patient. It will happen when it’s supposed to.’”
Still, Ventimiglia explained that that final sequence is a “major” clue.
The dog, Randall’s apparent girlfriend, and Kevin’s broken leg are all pieces of the puzzle that we’re just seeing for the first time, and we’re seeing them now for a reason.
"You have to pay attention to these things being introduced to the story, and then you’re going to understand the timeline," Ventimiglia said. "I think at this point that people can understand that the burned-down house has to do with Jack’s death, but more importantly is [the question]: How much time does he actually have?"
We’ll find that out at some point, but as much as we want to know how he died, the idea of saying goodbye is a lot to handle.
This Is Us airs on NBC on Tuesdays.
