Since its 2016 premiere on NBC, This Is Us has wormed its way into the hearts of millions with its charming look into the Pearson family. The series focuses primarily on the "Big Three," a sibling trio that consists of Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate, (Chrissy Metz), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown). Their present adulthood, past childhood, and glimpses of their future are explored throughout the series, introducing new characters and providing explanations for the morals they hold today.
In the NBC drama, Kevin, Kate, and Randall introduce their own spouses, children, friends, and family, including their parents Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore), as well as their step-father Miguel (Jon Huertas). Some of these characters have earned the trust and respect of This Is Us fans early on, while others did not. The actions of some characters have caused viewers to change their opinions and in This Is Us' final season, an interesting response to Miguel and Toby (Chris Sullivan) is taking place.
Early on in This Is Us, Kate met her eventual husband, Toby, in a weight-loss support group. The two endure countless ups and downs in their relationship, some of which are brought upon by Kate's hesitancy to confront some of her traumatic memories from her childhood. The two get engaged and become pregnant fairly quickly, but after having a miscarriage, the foundation of their relationship is tested once again. By the end of This Is Us' second season, Kate and Toby are married, and they eventually become a parent to Jack, whom they name after Kate's late father. In season 5, they adopt their daughter Hailey.
Toby's attentiveness to Kate along with his nerdy and social personality made him an adored character. Unfortunately, Miguel didn't receive the same warm welcoming. Glimpses into the Pearson family past identified Miguel as Jack's best friend and co-worker. Many scenes are shared between the two, as Jack often confided in Miguel about his relationship with Rebecca, troubles with his children, and his own emotional struggles. Miguel would often give advice and share issues within his own marriage and his relationship with his children. In learning how close Jack and Miguel were, This Is Us viewers were not happy to learn that Miguel and Rebecca got married after Jack's death.
As drastically different as Toby and Miguel were initially perceived by This Is Us viewers, the series' final season is flipping the perception of these two characters on its head. After taking a job that requires him to travel a lengthy distance away from home, Toby and Kate's relationship has begun to suffer major strains. Their communication is difficult to manage and Toby's time with the children is sparse, which he tries to make up for with over-the-top gestures that ultimately do more harm than good. It's not difficult to see the trajectory these two are headed on and the glimpses into their future have solidified it. Miguel's fate is slightly more ambiguous, as he has not been spotted in the future scenes set at Rebecca's deathbed.
This season, Toby has become incredibly impatient with the Pearsons. His attitude could be chalked up to the long hours of his new job and its required travel. However, his choice to spend additional time away from his family when work opportunities arise causes additional problems between him and Kate, and the way This Is Us fans feel about him. On the other hand, Miguel's standing with This Is Us viewers is beginning to improve. Steady flashbacks in the series' final season have shown Miguel's growing affections for Rebecca and the jealousy he is beginning to have toward her new boyfriend. This new side of him pairs well with the nurturing side of Miguel that has been emphasized in his care for Rebecca through her memory loss and cognitive impairment diagnosis, giving Miguel a story that viewers can sympathize with.
This Is Us has spotlighted Jack and Rebecca's adoring love story and the issues they faced in their own marriage that they always managed to overcome. In creating such a beloved character like Jack (for both fans and characters in the show), anyone who built a romantic relationship with Rebecca was sure to dim in comparison. Given that Miguel and Jack were best friends, many considered Miguel had crossed a line, giving them the grounds to dislike him early on. A few This Is Us characters including Kevin and Jack's younger brother Nicky, have expressed these exact concerns. However, Miguel's chipper and devoted attitude led Kevin and Nicky to come around on Miguel, and viewers are beginning to follow in their path.
Jack and Rebecca's love story is a tough act to compete with, and only Randall and Beth's marriage eclipses it. Unlike those couples, Toby and Kate's struggles are proven to be too much to survive. Glimpses into the future have shown that Kate and Toby are no longer together and that Kate ends up marrying Phillip, her co-worker at the school for blind children. Season 6 has credited one event as the exact downfall of Kate and Toby's marriage, which involves an incident with Jack and a smoker the two have previously agreed to buy in order to spend more time together as a family. Considering Jack's blindness, the knowledge that the event will tear Kate and Toby apart, and that Toby has become incredibly distracted by his new job, whatever happened with the smoker is sure to be a traumatic event. It also doesn't help that this will be the second Jack in the Pearson clan that has suffered at the hands of smoke.
Miguel and Kate are two characters that fans have anxiously awaited to see in the future at Rebecca's deathbed. Kevin, his children, Randall, Beth, Deja, Tess, Annie, Toby, Nicky, and his wife Edie have all been spotted there, leaving the question of where Jack, Hailey, Kate, Phillip, and Miguel are. In one of the flash-forwards, Toby promises that the others are on their way, but it's unclear who he is referring to. One of the other massive questions that were introduced in the flash-forwards that remains unanswered, is who Kevin is married to. Considering everyone else is already at the house to spend Rebecca's final moments with her, the fact that Miguel isn't there may mean that Rebecca had to experience the loss of another husband.
When This Is Us began in 2016, no one could've anticipated the turns the series has taken. The paths of certain characters and their relationships have changed the way its audience has perceived them, and the change in response to Miguel and Toby is fitting, as the end of the series approaches. Amidst all the unanswered questions the series still has, This Is Us watchers know that the show has always managed to tie up its storylines. Comfort can be found in knowing that by the time the final episode airs, the answers to all these questions will be revealed.
This Is Us is now streaming on Hulu.