This Is Us season 2: Should the show reveal how Jack dies?

When audiences first met the Pearsons in This Is Us, it was just Jack and Rebecca and from the moment we met them we fell in love with them. Their relationship was adorable and everything we hope happens in our own lives. Fans learned right away that the couple was expecting triplets and as the show unfolded, surprise after surprise was revealed. At the end of the pilot, the biggest surprise was that Randall was the adoptive brother of twins Kate and Kevin and together they became known as “The Big Three”. However, that wouldn’t be the most surprising storyline the series had to offer.

One of the biggest mysteries and reveals of the NBC hit series This Is Us was that patriarch of the Pearson family, Jack, dies early in life. Season 1 revealed a little bit more about the character’s death but never mentioned how he specifically dies. So going into Season 2, should the show reveal how Jack dies?

Well, it could go either way. Let’s start with what would happen if the show didn’t reveal how Jack dies.

By keeping Jack’s death a secret, audience members are forced to keep watching in order to find out. It’s the most intriguing storyline of the show and it has a huge impact on the children’s lives. Fans have seen time and time again how Jack is the perfect father to his three children, from the way he handles situations to the way he understands the individual needs of each. Now that’s not to say Rebecca wasn’t a great mother, but the show emphasizes Jack’s relationship with them more. We believe that this is due to the fact that when the kids grow up Jack isn’t there anymore, but we see how he has affected them.

For example, in a flashback to when The Big Three were swimming at a community pool and Kate’s friends didn’t want to play with her because she was overweight, Jack handled the situation by giving her his t-shirt and telling her it had magic powers. He restored her confidence by also telling her she was beautiful. And while Kate, in the present, stills struggles with her weight, she is better able to think of herself as gorgeous and someone who has confidence more so then when she was a kid. That can be seen in the upcoming season as she takes on getting her singing career started.

Another example is when Little Randall first started struggling with anxiety and Jack gently grabbed his face to calm him down. Older Randall then used the same method on his biological father to calm him down when he was scared of dying. Jack’s influence on his kids drives them later in life. And we have a feeling his death drives them even more and more specifically how he died.

Overall, by revealing Jack’s death the game is over. The anticipation will be done. We would know what drives each of the children and Rebecca. So what more would the show have to truly offer?

However, the same could be said for being in favor of actually revealing how Jack died. If the show were to reveal its biggest mystery then it would open the door for the writers to reveal an even bigger surprise. If anything, fans know that this series can surprise us like no other show can. It makes us cry uncontrollably and breaks our hearts in a matter of minutes. By revealing Jack’s death, they could focus on another aspect of this family’s lives or something else that drives them. The writers could also use another storyline to drive the series further.

Of course, there will be some people who put pressure on the show to do what they want. But overall, it’s executive Dan Fogelman’s decision. And given that the show has just been nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, including Best Drama, we should trust that the whatever Fogelman decides, the show is still going to blow our minds. Fans just need to trust the process and know that everything will come full circle. Basically, there should be no pressure on this beautifully written show to do anything. Fans should just sit back and tune in on Tuesday nights and enjoy the series that stole their hearts.

For more news related to This Is Us, be sure to visit this link. New season 2 episodes will air starting this fall on September 26.

This story was written by Samantha D’Amico. If you want to follow her on Twitter, you can do so at @SAM_iamXO.